As we reflect on the past year it is so important to recall the good work members of our congregation have engaged in to help repair the world. Our work continues to achieve food and housing security for all, voting rights for all, reproductive rights for all, racial justice, warm clothing and above all dignity and peace. Thanks you to our leaders and clergy who continue to provide opportunities for us to learn, advocate and become involved in direct service. This newsletter is chock full of many new opportunities and we hope you will consider joining us as well as share this information with your friends and family. With an eye towards a brighter future, best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year.
Marion Pollock Tzedek Newsletter Editor
Temple Shalom Afghan Resettlement Project Update With gratitude to our TSARP Team Leaders, Margaret Brill, Elizabeth Connolly, Mark Gottesman and Kurt Pressman it is with great pride that we inform you that 4 young Afghan men moved into fully furnished apartments equipped with housewares, food and welcoming treats and meals on Wednesday January 5th. The volunteer team, in conjunction with members from the Newton Congregational Church and Sacred Heart/Our Ladies will support these young men as they initiate their job searches and navigate the Boston area. Help is needed in many areas, you can access sign-up sheets and more information through the TSARP link on the Temple Website.
Our congregation has MANY new opportunities in 2022 to partner with local organizations doing outstanding work, and we need your help to make it happen. Please review these opportunities below and contact Arlene Pressman atar.pressman@gmail.com or Elizabeth Connolly at econnolly@srsmedical.com for more information on how to become involved.
1. Welcome Home is a Newton based home goods pantry which strives to provide families experiencing hardship with basic household items they need to live with dignity. They collect and redistribute like-new household items to dozens of people in need with no fees, no forms and no requirements. There are opportunities for high school students, b'nai mitzvah students, as well as adults to volunteer at their Newton Center "showroom," and there is always a need for us to host a "blanket drive."
2. Greater Boston Jewish Coalition for Literacy(GBJCL) Mobilizes the Jewish community to tutor elementary school children and help them discover the joy of reading. Through partnerships with synagogues, Jewish community organizations, day schools, and local businesses, GBJCL engages volunteer tutors in school-based one-to-one literacy tutoring, mentoring, book drives, and advocacy efforts in under-served communities. Since the onset of the pandemic, most tutoring is currently done virtually. Please contact Arlene Pressman at ar.pressman@gmail.com for more information.
3. Newton Interfaith Coalition for Housing Equity. A group of representatives from 9 Newton congregations recently met and launched a coalition to educate about and advocate for truly affordable housing in our city. There will be opportunities to make our voices heard on the City Council and in the city at large, regarding zoning reform and more. We need volunteers. Please contact Arlene Pressman at ar.pressman@gmail.com for more information on how to get involved.
Month of Mitzvah Madness at Temple Shalom
Our tradition teaches that we are obligated to help one another, when we feel like it and when we don’t feel like it. Every year our community highlights ways that we can make the world a better and more just place during a “Month of Mitzvah Madness.” The way we help others can look different depending on our age, our talents, our time commitments and our means. The important thing to know is that EVERYONE CAN DO SOMETHING! We challenge every member of our community to help "spread the madness," and share stories and pictures of the work so we can celebrate and inspire others. Please click on this link to see the wide variety of ways you can participate. From making treats, to crocheting to collections to help with deliveries there is something for everyone! For questions, please contact Kim Bodemer, Senior Director of Congregational Learning and Engagement atkbodemer@templeshalom.org.
Reproductive Justice
Voting and Reproductive Rights Webinar Sponsored by Women For Reform Judaism (WRJ) Wednesday, January 12 at 7:00 PM. The ability to protect and expand everyone's right to reproductive care rests on the right to vote. Learn more about the interconnectedness of these two issues from expert panelists and what we can do to make an impact. Register here.
Repro Shabbat Temple Shalom will be joining congregations across North America at our Friday evening Shabbat service on Jan 28, in celebration of the critical importance of reproductive health access, reproductive rights, and reproductive justice, and to learn more about Judaism’s approach to these issues. After our service, we will be hearing from a local physician who travels to Mississippi every month to provide abortion care at the only facility in the state which permits it. Click here to learn more about Repro Shabbat 2022!
Racial Justice
Voting Rights and Postcarding Unfortunately, we have been unable to continue our planned partnership with the group in PA and we are continuing to work with JALSA to find other partners. There are other postcarding groups we know of, but as a Temple, we are limited to groups which are non-partisan.
The Racial Justice arm of the Tzedek Committee is pleased to announce a virtual workshop: “White Supremacy and Other Myths at the Root of Racism and Anti-Semitism.” The program will be presented by Jewish Advocates for Law and Social Action (JALSA) on Tuesday February 1st at 7:30 P.M. via Zoom. The workshop will explore the complicated relationships between antisemitism, racism and White Nationalism by taking a closer look at their definitions, history, and the circumstances that enabled the rise of these movements. Maria Rosario, JALSA's community organizer, will be presenting this session. Stay tuned for announcements of additional JALSA events and other racial justice programs at Temple Shalom in the coming months. watch for registration information in upcoming Temple communications.
Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Celebration - "Where Do We Go From Here: Community or Chaos" Jan 17, 2022 9:30 AM - this will be webinar only
Program theme inspired by MLK Jr's. final work "Where Do We Go From Here: Community or Chaos"
This is a community book read, however you choose to read. Here is a Guided Study. Copies are available at the Newton Free Library or please support Newtonville books.
This will be a Zoom webinar with the program broadcasting from Newton North High School Auditorium.
Please click here to learn more and register for this event.
