Dear Friends, The news this past week has been disheartening and overly distressing. I feel like I may be suffering from hope fatigue…but I need to shake that off and continue to take action about the issues that members of our Tzedek Committee feel so deeply about. Although many of the issues are overwhelming, others can be acted upon readily and locally. Members of our Congregation continue to work to ensure that our neighbors are comfortable, by donating to and staffing the Freedge, continuing to replenish our donations to Family Table and supporting a recent blanket drive. Reaching out and remembering that Kindness Matters is also a core value of our Tzedek Committee. Below is a list of ways we can tackle the bigger problems that keep many of us up at night as we worry about our state, nation and world. Please consider joining RAC-MA, the Reform Movement in Massachusetts that has an opportunity to join with others across lines of race, class and faith to make the Jewish vision of justice, wholeness and compassion a reality in our Commonwealth. With Best Wishes, Marion Pollock Tzedek Newsletter Editor
REFUGEE SHABBAT
Temple Shalom will join the worldwide observance of Refugee Shabbat this Shabbat (Friday Feb 3). This will be one of our popular Shabbat B’Yachad services with activities and content for all ages starting with a Tot Service and Family Pizza Dinner, a musical Kabbalat Shabbat, and adult dinner to follow. We are excited that we will welcome some of our Afghan friends sponsored by TSARP (Temple Shalom Afghan Resettlement Project) to the Service and dinner. You’ll be able to meet our friends and hear about their experiences in a Q and A session after the dinner. Don’t forget to sign up through the Temple Website.
Religious Action Center-MA INITIAL MEETINGS
RAC-MA was formed in 2022 as the newest state chapter of the Reform Movement’s Religious Action Center (RAC). Now you’re invited to join with RAC-MA in starting to choose its first social justice campaign. Be part of this journey together, as RAC-MA prepares for its first collective social justice campaign. An invitation from Lee Winkelman, RAC-MA Associate Director of Organizing:
We invite you to a virtual meeting of congregational social justice leaders in Massachusetts. This meeting will focus on the role of congregational social justice leaders in RAC-MA and the process for choosing RAC-MA’s first collective social justice campaign. It will also feature a mini-training on how to move the members of your congregation into action for social justice.
The meeting will take place twice, once on February 6 at 7pm and once on February 7 at noon . Please register now for whichever meeting is most convenient for you, using the link in the previous sentence. Looking ahead, we will begin the issue campaign selection process with the first meeting of the RAC-MA research team on February 22, 7:00-8:30 pm. Members of congregations will have a chance to weigh in on the best issue campaigns we identify in late April or May, and we hope to launch the new campaign in June.
Repro Havdalah February 18 | 7:00 p.m.
Join with Jewish communal organizations across the state as we end Repro Shabbat together with a special Repro Havdalah. Repro Shabbat takes place annually when we read Parshat Mishpatim containing the verses often used as a source for Judaism’s approach to reproductive justice. In community, we will close out Repro Shabbat and celebrate our commitment to religious freedom and abortion access. Register here:
REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE In this post-Roe period, we would like to engage Temple Shalom in two areas: advocating for MA legislation to ensure fair reproductive health care access and joining other congregations to create post-abortion care packages for local health clinics. Are you interested in working together with us? Please contact Wendy Case at wbcase@aol.com or Susan Goodman at susan.d.goodman@gmail.com . We are eager to hear from you!
Climate Justice
Mothers Out Front is a national organization that works for climate justice. As Governor Healey took office in January, the group got thousands of signatures on a letter that asked the Commonwealth to be a leader in creating a livable climate for all children. A group of mostly mothers and children went to the State House at the end of January to present the letter, which also included tracings of little hands. They had planned to meet just with top environmental officials, but happily also met with the Governor herself! If you’d like to get involved in Mothers Out Front you can attend a monthly Welcome Call. Sign Up Here
Green Newton Green Newton is dedicated to creating an environment in better balance with the natural world by making significant, measurable improvements in the way we use resources. They have a wonderful newsletter that includes tips to incorporate the tools you need to take climate action now into your everyday life. Check it out at www.greennewton.org and consider signing up for their tips of the week.
Clothing Drive As part of the “Love Local: Supporting Our Restaurants & Our Community” campaign this year the Charles River Dining Collaborative is organizing a clothing drive to give back while visiting your favorite local restaurants. Collections will benefit Circle of Hope, a Needham-based nonprofit that provides homeless children, women, and men in Boston and Metro West with clothing and necessities. Items needed: NEW sweatshirts, sweatpants, t-shirts and items to help get through cold winter months. Drop off at participating restaurant locations throughout all 4 communities throughout the month of Feb.
And don’t forget: Come join the Temple Shalom Tuesday Freedge Team!! If you are interested in helping out with shifts for the Freedge you can learn more here https://www.templeshalom.org/freedge.
