The mitzvah (sacred obligation) of tzedakah obligates the members of Temple Beth-El to further justice and righteousness in our world. Temple Beth-El is proud of its involvement with and its support of the less fortunate in the greater South Bend community.
Temple Beth-El is one of the largest supporters and providers to the Little Flower Community Food Bank, and also supports several other area food banks. Throughout the year Temple members are asked to fill brown bags with non-perishable food and bring them to Temple. In addition, the food banks count on our congregation and will call throughout the year when its food supply becomes low. Over the years we have donated thousands of pounds of food for the needy in our community.
In addition, Mitzvah Day provides an opportunity for Temple members of all ages to perform acts of caring through local social agencies and community organizations. The projects we have undertaken include cleaning, painting, landscaping, furnishing, and renovating many locations in the city.
And, Temple Beth-El recently launched its Just Congregations initiative. Promoted by the Union for Reform Judaism, Just Congregations is a congregation-based community organizing program that helps build community by bringing collective power to successfully combat injustice. We have engaged our members to consider the issues of social justice that are personally important. Just Congregations further enables Temple to address these questions through internal conversations and work in powerful coalitions across lines of race, class, and faith.
Through its Rabbi, Temple is represented in the United Religious Community (URC), and other communal agencies. The Rabbi is Temple's ambassador of learning and good will at universities, clubs, and organizations throughout the area. For more information about how you can become involved in Temple's social justice activities, please contact the Temple office.
For additional information about Reform Judaism and social action, visit the Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism.
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A new report claims there have been far more malaria-related deaths than previously reported: The Lancet estimates that in the year 2010 alone, 1.24 million people died, whereas the World Health Organization estimates that only about half that number – 655,000 people – perished due to the infection. The difference between the results may be [...]
Today, the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Ninth District issued a ruling in the Perry v. Brown case (previously Perry v. Schwarzenegger), in which a number of same-sex California couples are arguing that Proposition 8, which stripped away marriage rights from same-sex couples in California, is unconstitutional. As I’ve noted before, the [...]
Tonight is erev Tu Bish’vat, marking the beginning of the Jewish new year for trees. On this holiday, we consider our moral obligation and tremendous responsibility to share the fruits of God’s earth with all. Now, more than ever, we must take the essential steps of reducing the environmental impact of our own communities as [...]
I’ve always been more of a words person than a math gal, but sometimes, numbers are more powerful than words could ever be. This Jewish Disability Awareness Month, let’s talk statistics: 8 percent: The average unemployment rate of the total U.S. population 13.5 percent: The average unemployment rate of Americans with disabilities 54 million: The [...]
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