Monthly Newsletter: December 2021 |
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Welcome to our monthly Values in Action (VIA Isaiah) newsletter: Your quick guide to improving our community and the world at Temple Isaiah. For the newsletter archive, click here.
VIA ISAIAH IS…a collection of groups within Temple Isaiah who offer opportunities to temple members to serve those in need and to make our community more just through education, advocacy and direct service. Our efforts are grounded in the Jewish values of tikkun olam, repairing the world. Everyone is welcome and needed in this effort. For details of what we do and who to contact, please click here.
“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.” - Elie Wiesel
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Our next ViA monthly committee meeting will be held tonight
Tuesday, December 7 at 7pm on Zoom (first Tuesdays of the month).
All are invited. Please get involved! There’s a lot of repair to do and it’s more fun and meaningful doing it in community.
Meeting ID: 844 4881 6608
Passcode: virtue21
Join by phone at (408) 638-0968.
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Creating a Community of Belonging: Embracing Diversity & Deepening Racial Understanding Temple Isaiah’s Racial Justice and Diversity Initiative is presenting a series of programs to promote racial justice, diversity, and inclusion within our Temple and in the larger community. This is a 4-part series with Lori Watson, Ed.D., Racial Equity Consultant & Facilitator, Founder & C.E.O. of Race-Work, a national leader in this field who will be our guide. The Temple Board, clergy, and staff will join congregants in these programs, helping to enrich the conversation and create a shared learning experience for the whole TI community.
Dates: Tuesdays, February 1, March 1, March 29, May 3, 2022 at 7pm in the Social Hall
Registration:
- December 5, 2021 for Temple Isaiah lay leaders and staff
- January 3, 2022 for all Temple Isaiah members
This series is free thanks to generous support from the WOI Maagal Tzedakah Fund and Rabbi LeVine's discretionary fund.
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Volunteer and donate to the Family Life Center Food Distribution at First Baptist Church in Pittsburg. Click here to volunteer or donate. The Family Life Center also provides Christmas meals and needs volunteers, toys an funds for their Christmas distribution. If you are interested in contributing food items or other assistance, email Susan Rideout susanrideout5@gmail.com. To learn more, click here.
Advocate for Clean Air in Our Community. CALGem Health and Safety Setbacks is 350 Bay Area’s highest priority this year. They have their own letter writing and comment petition.
- Sign the letter at: https://www.facebook.com/350ContraCosta/posts/628480478509075
- Add your public comments now to be sure that the voices of the more than 2 million Californians living and breathing the toxic health impacts of oil and gas drilling sites in their neighborhoods are heard! Click here to learn more.
- Please take 2 minutes to submit your comments via the links above. We need to act quickly-the deadline for public comments is December 21. Thank you for acting for the planet and its people! For more information contact: jackiemann@att.net
Build Relationships with Incarcerated Youth as They Transition Back To Society. ICHANGE, a new Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County program, provides training in spiritual care and mentoring to caring, people of faith as they in draw upon their own compassion, spirituality, and life lessons and commit to support and assist justice-involved young adults with ongoing weekly contact and guidance for at least a year. ICHANGE collaborates with the Juvenile Justice System, community-based organizations and services, and the youth and families of Contra Costa County. For information on how to become an ICHANGE mentor, contact: ICHANGE Co-Chairs Rev. Julius Van Hook or Meg Keeley Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County: 925-822-3744 or, Terri Moss terrimoss55@gmail.com
Help Afghan Families. Temple Isaiah is working with two agencies. Help in one of two ways:
1. Jewish Family & Community Services East Bay (JFCS) needs ready-to-ride, excellent condition men’s and women’s bicycles. Email a photo of the bike to volunteers@jfcs-eastbay.org. If suitable, they will arrange a drop-off at their Walnut Creek storage unit. Also, Target gift cards may be mailed directly to their office at 2151 Salvio Street, Suite 350, Concord, CA 94520. 2. The Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants (CERI) VIA has asked Women of Isaiah to help organize a temple-wide social action project to provide a refugee family the food they’ll need for a week’s worth of meals. We continue to await further details. Stay tuned for a Sign Up Genius for volunteers to register how they can help. Contact Lynn Harrington-Golde at ptlynn@comcast.net.
Tell Congress to Act Now to Pass the Budget Reconciliation Bill that addresses climate change. The Clean Electricity Payment Program (CEPP) is our best bet to meet American climate goals. Your calls and emails matter. Share with your peeps in other states! Contact: jackiemann@att.net.
Help Renters Access Federal Covid-Rental Relief Funds and Avoid Eviction: The Temple Isaiah Racial Justice Task Force is partnering with Shelter Inc and Monument Impact to help our Contra Costa neighbors learn about and access this $5.2 billion dollar program to keep them in their homes. Volunteers are calling renters to answer questions and verify appointments. We are also planning outreach to East and West County congregations to make sure those in need are able to apply for ERAP. To join our efforts, please email Sue Adler-Bressler at suejab2@gmail.com. For more details about the federal program, click here.
Be a Patient Escort for Planned Parenthood Walnut Creek. Judaism values life and affirms that protecting existing life is paramount at all stages of pregnancy; a fetus is not considered a person under Jewish law and the interests of the pregnant individual always come first. Walnut Creek Planned Parenthood needs the support of patient escorts to help our patients find safety outside its health center. To become a patient escort, please complete the attached form: https://www.weareplannedparenthood.org/a/patient-escort-signup Contact Adina Zinn adinajzinn@yahoo.com with questions.
Angel Network is looking for someone who would be willing to write the occasional cards (mazel tov, get well, sympathy, etc.) for congregants. The second volunteer opportunity is for a person to coordinated visiting people who are homebound. Angel Network is also looking volunteers to visit members, cook for families who need help, and other simple jobs. And if you are well and have even a small amount of time to be an Angel, volunteer to be an Angel. Right now, we are looking for a Visits Team Leader! For details email Greta Frantz ( gf.angelnet@gmail.com) or Denise Glicklin ( dg.angelnet@yahoo.com).
Tutor a struggling primary grade student in underserved East Bay schools by joining the Jewish Coalition for Literacy. Temple Isaiah has provided volunteers for over a dozen years at Coronado Elementary School in Richmond. Other opportunities are available in Oakland, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill and Concord. Contact Susan Mautner at s.mautner@comcast.net or (510) 334-3705. For more information go to https://www.jclread.org/new-tutor-training-info-2.
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No Drilling Where We're Living! See "to do" above for links to advocate for clean air. We have worked on this for two years. You may have signed a similar letter against drilling, but fresh comments are needed! This was killed as a bill in the legislative session, then action by the agency was delayed by the Newsom re-call. The fossil fuel industry will be lobbying hard to stop. Here is a great PBS special explaining the impact to some communities PBS NewsHour Weekend, Full Episode November 20, 2021. Starts at 10 minutes. |
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Listen to Podcasts on Diversity
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Belonging: Them vs Us (3 min): Them vs. Us
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Kimberlé Crenshaw: Intersectionality (19 min): Ted Talk
Learn What Jews of Color experience. Jew of Color face discomfort at synagogues. Learn about their experiences so Temple Isaiah can become a more welcoming place to all.
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Celebrate Rabbi LeVine at his final service with us on Friday night, January 21, 7pm in the Sanctuary and on YouTube. To share our love and best wishes with him, the synagogue will host a “tisch” following the service. A tisch is a festive Friday night gathering, often involving alcohol and singing. We will come together to honor Rabbi LeVine with stories, poems and statements about our experiences with him. Want to write something? Send it to Terri Moss at terrimoss55@gmail.com. |
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Mental Health Support for Adults: Second Sundays from 3-5pm online. Whether you are struggling with Covid, going through a difficult period or have ongoing mental health issues, join us for our free monthly drop-in support group. We provide an opportunity to share and support one another as part of a nonjudgmental, caring community.
Mental Health Support for Family Members: Fourth Mondays from 7-8:30pm online. Are you a parent, sibling, or child of an adult with mental health issues? This free drop-in support group provides information as well as the opportunity to share and support each other as you learn to help your loved one. Facilitated by licensed clinical social worker, Rosemarie Frydman, NAMI certified trainer Karen Cohen, and Diana MaKieve.
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To contribute information to this monthly VIA newsletter, please contact co-editors
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