Monthly Newsletter: April 2024 |
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Welcome to our 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.
“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members, a heart of grace, and a soul generated by love.”
- Coretta Scott King
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Get Out The Vote will continue on the 1st and 3rd Mondays every month from 4pm - 5:30pm. Starting on Thursday March 21, GOTV will also meet on Thursdays from 6 - 7:30pm, every 3rd Thursday in March through November! Join in the Oneg Room to write postcards encouraging people to register and vote. Last month over 1700 were mailed. Our focus currently is encouraging voter registration and voting. (You can also pick up postcards to write and mail on your own. Call Sue Adler-Bressler at 925-708-2090 to arrange.) Join us and bring your friends. Together we will make a difference! You can also help by making a donation to the Social Action Fund to help with the cost of stamps and the postcards. It is tax deductible. Click here to RSVP for GOTV.
Six Month Community Vigil for the Hostages
April 7 from 12 - 2pm at the El Curtola Overpass
Join us as we mark six months since the hostages were taken into Gaza. Help create a large Temple Isaiah presence as we join with our broader community of conscience to call for the immediate release of all 134 hostages and pray that they are able to come home this Passover. If you plan to attend, let Rabbi Perlman know at rabbi.perlman@temple-isaiah.org. Bring friends! Parking is available around the overpass.
ICARE: Plan Ahead and Volunteer at White Pony Express. Eight lucky volunteers will join their interfaith friends at White Pony Express to rescue, sort and pack food for delivery to people in need. We are partnering with the Baha’is of Contra Costa County on the first Sunday of selected months from 1 - 3pm. Be sure to volunteer on any of the following dates: April 7, June 2, August 4, October 6, December 1. Click here to sign up for this fun, meaningful volunteer project. Questions? Contact Anita Weil anita.weil@gmail.com or Ilene Scharlach ischarlach@aol.com.
Angel Network supports you when you are in need. We offer rides, visits, meals, phone calls, and supportive cards. We celebrate with you, too. For example, we give newborns a small gift. If you need us, please call the Temple office at 925-283-8575. Plus, we need you. To volunteer, email Greta Frantz at gf.angelnet@gmail.com or Denise Glicklin at dg.angelnet@yahoo.com
The Crayon Initiative turns leftover crayons into smiles for kids in hospitals, by recycling them through The Crayon Initiative. Keep waxed crayons out of the landfills. See the big picture at https://thecrayoninitiative.org/. Women of Isaiah is running a Drive at Temple Isaiah for crayons during January and February. Watch for the bins. For more information contact Phyllis Edwards lafwards5@gmail.com.
Get Involved in Bay Area Environmental Actions Receive useful information regarding local Bay Area actions and events dedicated to fighting the climate crisis.
Every Voice, Every Vote Campaign through Religious Action Center (RAC) will bring the work to engage efforts and common interests back to the ballot box through action together to ensure that all can participate in the 2024 elections. RAC-CA will be taking action as part of the Reform Movement's national Every Voice, Every Vote campaign to increase voter participation and protect reproductive freedom in states like Florida, Arizona and Nevada. The Reform Movement's national Every Voice, Every Vote campaign launches on March 20 at 5pm PST. You can register here for the national launch.
Religious Action Center offers May 19, 1 - 4pm: Launch of the campaign IN PERSON, at a Climate Action Launch Summit in Northern California, location TBD. Let us know if you’re interested in participating. Contact Judy Carney judy.carney0@gmail.com.
Refugee Assistance Help settle newly arrived refugee families find work, enroll their children in school, become familiar with their surroundings, and more. In particular, there is a new family of three from Kenya, seeking asylum, looking for housing in the Bay area. JFCS needs help with the following:
- Welcome Team – be part of a team to welcome new refugee families.
- WE ARE ACTIVELY WANTING TO PUT TOGETHER A NEW TEAM NOW. Contact Lisa Hirsch if you have any interest. Assistance will be provided.
- Legal Support – pro bono attorneys needed to help with Afghan asylum applications.
- ESL Tutors – in person or via Zoom.
- Grocery Shopping – buy groceries and deliver them to new refugee clients.
- Adult Bikes – Any condition welcomed.
- Gift Cards – Target, Visa, Amazon and Safeway are preferred but all are welcome. Send them to the JFCS office at 2151 Salvio Street, Suite 350, Concord CA 94520 attn: Volunteer Services
Contact Lisa Hirsch at lhirsch17@gmail.com if you have any questions or you are interested in helping.
Join the Multi-faith ACTION Coalition to tackle the root causes of poverty. People from all faith backgrounds meet to identify issues, research potential solutions, and advocate by meeting with elected local and state officials, attending legislative visits, supporting bills, and writing letters. Contact Doug Leich, leichd@gmail.com to be connected with the task forces you wish to join. https://www.multifaithactioncoalition.org/newsletter/2022
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Important Israel Update Details |
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Local Action: “Bring Them Home Now” Vigil
Temple Isaiah members have organized a daily vigil on the 24 overpass in Lafayette, and all members of the community are invited to join. The group will be there with banners, flags (American & Israeli) and signs calling for the immediate & safe return of all the hostages.
Weekdays - Tuesday, Thursday, Friday schedule: 4pm - 6pm
Weekend - Saturday and Sunday schedule: 12pm - 2pm
Support Israel
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Donate to the emergency campaign of the Jewish Community Federation & Endowment Fund.
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Visit this link for a comprehensive list of local and Israeli organizations accepting donations to provide aid to Israel.
Wear Your Blue Ribbon
Blue ribbons are available in the Temple Office and sanctuary foyer. Share a photo on social media with the hashtags #ShineYourLight #BlueRibbonsforIsrael #BringThemHome. Visit our partner, Blue Ribbons for Israel, for additional information and materials.
Help Israel From Home
Global run/walk events calling for the immediate release of hostages held by Hamas. Local communities meet once a week in a designated location, for a short 1km walk/run. It takes about 18 minutes (ח”י דקות) end to end. Click here to find a group near you.
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The 10/7 Project was launched after the historic March for Israel in Washington D.C. last November. It is led by the American Jewish Committee (AJC), the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations (including URJ and WRJ). The 10/7 project is a bipartisan effort to create a communications hub advocating for accurate, unbiased coverage of the Israel-Hamas war. Sign up to receive daily updates. https://www.the10-7project.com/newsletter-signup/
Information on Evan Gershkovich who is an American journalist and reporter at The Wall Street Journal covering Russia. He was detained by Russia's Federal Security Service on charges of espionage in March 2023. Evan has been in Russia's notorious Lefortovo prison since March 2023, largely cut off from the world. He spends 90% of his day in a small cell. The State Department has declared Evan wrongfully detained, and President Biden has promised his family he would bring Evan home. https://www.wsj.com/news/evan-gershkovich
Podcasts:
Ezra Klein Show Podcast Each Tuesday and Friday, Ezra Klein invites you into a conversation on something that matters. Topics include: How do we address climate change if the political system fails to act? Has the logic of markets infiltrated too many aspects of our lives? What is the history of Israel’s peace negotiations with its Arab neighbors?
Podcasts can be found in multiple places such as
Repair of the World - Naomi Newman
In the beginning
before there were any beginnings or endings,
there was no place that was not already God.
We call this unimaginable openness: Ein Sof,
Being without end, world without end, Ein Sof.
Then came the urge to give life to our world and us.
But there was no place that was not already God.
So Ein Sof breathed in to make room
like a father steps back so his child will walk to him.
We call this withdrawing Tzim Tzum.
Into the emptiness Ein Sof set vessels and
began to fill them with divine light,
like a mother places bowls
in which to pour her delicious soup.
We call these bowls Kaleem
As the light poured forth, a perfect world was being created.
Think of it, a world without greed and cruelty and violence.
But then something happened.
To learn more about Naomi Newman and her work, please click here.
Temple Isaiah’s Mental Health & Wellness Webpage has Spotlight articles that seek to educate and bring awareness to a variety of topics covering mental illness, addiction, spiritual well-being, and more. To access these articles, please visit https://temple-isaiah.org/community/mental-health-and-wellness/ and scroll down to
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WRJ Pacific District for a virtual tour of the Hunger Museum on Tuesday, April 9 at 6pm PST. Today, a staggering number of Americans struggle to put food on the table. The Hunger Museum is a unique and powerful exploration of how we got here and how we can end hunger. The Hunger Museum is a virtual project of MAZON. Mazon is a national organization fighting to end hunger among people of all faiths and backgrounds in the United States and Israel. Register in advance :https://mazon-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUocuquqzstGdTtH_PPBcY6s-iEt5apOcdp
Shalom Bayit celebrates Creating Hope on April 18, at 6pm at Jewish Community Center of San Francisco. For more information about Creating Hope, please contact:
(510) 845-8874 or creatinghope@shalom-bayit.org. Shalom Bayit is the Bay Area’s center for domestic violence prevention and response within the Jewish community. The main programs include counseling for survivors of abuse, community education, and Love Shouldn’t Hurt dating violence prevention for Jewish youth.
Mental Health and Wellness
Mental Health Support for Adults
Next Session: Sunday, April 14 at 3pm on Zoom
Whether you are going through a difficult period or have ongoing mental health issues, please join us for our monthly drop-in support group. We provide an opportunity to share and support one another as part of a nonjudgmental, caring community. Facilitated by Jacqueline Golub, a doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at John F. Kennedy National University. Free of charge and open to our Jewish Community.
Meeting ID: 850 2107 4973
Passcode (current password available in Shavua Tov) or join by phone at (408) 638-0968.
Tikkun Olam is NOW
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To contribute information to this monthly VIA newsletter, please contact co-editors
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