Social Action (SA)

The mission of Social Action at TBE is to assist the congregation in applying our Jewish values to promoting social justice through aid, education, and advocacy. These efforts to promote tikkun olam are concentrated on a few selected issues each year that are of concern to local or global communities. The issues addressed include but are not limited to: poverty, hunger, affordable housing, the environment, human rights, civil liberties, Israeli-Palestinian relations in the Middle East, inter-faith relations in our community, religious freedom and peace. Social action has a prominent role at TBE, taking many forms.

To get involved with Social Action at TBE, or to join our email list, please contact Ed Davidson at 973-0751 or davidson@umich.edu.

Social Action Links

 

***Last Regular Social Action Meeting of the Year is MAY 18, 7:30 pm*** The last regular Social Action business meeting of this year will be on Monday, May 18 at 7:70 pm in the Multipurpose Room.  All TBE members are welcome to join us to hear of and discuss the activities and plans of this year's standing operating groups:  Poverty and Hunger, the Back Door Food Pantry, Human Rights and Israeli-Palestinian Affairs, and Green.  From time to time, we assist various ongoing community service groups within TBE, including the Delonis Center, Alpha House and Food Gatherers volunteers.  We also help publicize and coordinate requests for volunteers such as the recent request from the Children of Abraham interfaith student group at U of M, which sorts, packs and ships donated medical supplies around the world from the Ann Arbor warehouse.

Thank you for helping to pack medical supplies for Children of Abraham

Dear Temple Beth Emeth,

 On behalf of COA, I would like to thank you and your group for coming out to our warehouse to help sort supplies. On April 4th, all that sorting paid off as COA shipped a 40' container with over $1 million medical supplies to hospitals in Ghana. The container will leave New York for Tema Port, Ghana on Thursday 4/9. Perhaps even more exciting, four COA members (Joey Perosky, Danielle Kaplan, Jordan Harris, and Nate Cole) will be traveling to Ghana in May to receive and disribute the the supplies to hospitals in the Sene and Tamale Districts of central and northern Ghana.

 

The need for the supplies in Ghana is overwhelming. Dr. Ofosu of the Sene District hospital, for example, is the only doctor for over 100,000 people. To put that in perspective, that is like having 1 doctor to serve the people of the University of Michigan and Michigan State combined. And the need in the north is even more dire. Three weeks ago, Kofi Gyan and several officials from the Ghanaian Ministry of Health and School of Public Health came to the COA warehouse and affirmed the need for all of our supplies. Their appreciation for our work pushes us to do even more.

 

You can see a clip of Kofi Gyan at our warehouse here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRE6bSRQtkc&feature=channel_page and updates on our container here:www.united2heal.org. 

 

Once again, thanks for your help and your efforts! This container would not have been possible without all of the volunteers who came in and spent their Saturday afternoon sorting medical supplies.

 

Sincerely,

Noha Moustafa

Volunteer Coordinator, Children of Abraham

 

 

 

 

New Initiatives! Check out two new causes that Social Action and TBE are involved in!  Look at the page for the Back Door Food Pantry for information on how TBE has joined forces with St. Clare's to help feed our community.  Then, take a look at our page on going green to see how we are exploring ways to help preserve our planet.

Upcoming Events & Ongoing Projects

 

Delonis Center/Food Gatherers Community Kitchen/Alpha House

312 W. Huron, between 1st & 3rd streets

TBE and St. Clare’s provide volunteers to these organizations on a regular basis.  For more information and instructions on how to sign up, click here.  Volunteers are needed April 20-26!

 

Understanding Gaza and Calls to Action from Rabbis for Human Rights

A video and transcript of B'rit Tzedek v'Shalom's podcast with Mark Gopin: "Understanding Gaza: An on-the-ground Report from Jerusalem" are available here.  Temple Beth Emeth is a member of Rabbis for Human Rights - North America and its Jewish Human Rights network, "K'vod Habriot."

 

Several of our supporters have asked us for suggestions of orginizations to which one can contribute tzedakah to alleviate suffering, particularly that of the civilians of Gaza.  We are happy to accept tax-deductible contributions, which will be sent to Physicians for Human Rights - Israel, and organization that protects the right to healthcare of all in Israel and in the Occupied Territories.  Mail contributions by check made out to "RHR-NA" with "Gaza Crisis Relief from Temple Beth Emeth" on the memo line to:

 

RHR-NA

P.O. Box 1539

West Tisbury, MA 02575

 

For additional information, please contact Ed Davidson (contact info at top of page)

 

Debt Forgiveness Jubilee Update

The Social Action Committee signed a message to new U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, calling on him to expand debt relief and pay what we owe to the World Bank.  The current financial crisis has hit the world's poorest hardest of all, with estimates of malnutrition increases approaching 60% in some countries, where continued interest payments on decades old debts preclude providing basic human services.  The Jubilee staff worked alongside American Jewish World Service and others and produced debt relief recommendations for the Obama transition team.  To see these and learn more, visit the website www.jubileeusa.org.

 

Thanks to the TBE congregants who have donated money to Jubilee and our internal matchin grant, we have now contributed $108 toward our dues of $1 per congregant.  over $100 in matching funds are still available!  Donations can be made to TBE with a notation of "Jubilee" in the memo section.