Blessed are you who fear Adonai
Who greatly delights in God’s commandments...
You have distributed freely, you have given to the poor;
Your righteousness endures forever.
Psalm 112:1,9
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Blessed are you who fear Adonai Psalm 112:1,9 |
One of our top Social Action priorities is raising awareness about and bringing action to the tragedies in Darfur. As most know, what has been unfolding in Darfur have been been classified as genocide by our Congress. It’s critical that as Americans, and as Jews, we are conscious of what is transpiring in Sudan. Regrettably, Sudan holds parallels to what befell many of our relatives in Europe just sixty years ago. Like then, the world has not done enough to mitigate the extent of the Darfur tragedy.
THE ABANDONMENT OF THE JEWS, AND OTHERS
Article by Evely Laser Shlensky about the media's treatment of Darfur.
Local and non-local Emergency Response information, tba.
Spotlight on Social Action
Ongoing updates on the efforts of our congregants in the cause of social action. Check the list for past and present articles.
Transition House Dinner
Coordinator: Glen Serbin 969-1466, (glen@serbin.com)
Our congregation sends a team of volunteers one evening per month to prepare, serve, and share in a delicious dinner for Transition House guests. Transition House exists to serve homeless people, especially families, who are both capable and motivated to participate in a mandatory planning program leading to permanent housing and self-sufficiency in the Santa Barbara area. This goal is achieved through extensive volunteer efforts and financial assistance contributed by member organizations and both the private and public sectors of the communities.
ARZA: Association of Reform Zionists of America
Coordinators: Devora Sprecher, Ronit Anolick, Linda Phillips (lindakp5@cox.net)
ARZA, the Association of Reform Zionists of America, is an affiliate of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations. The UAHC joins the national Reform movement in promoting the continuity of the Jewish religion in both the United States and Israel and in assisting Israelis working on behalf of religious pluralism in Israel. In Israel, ARZA provides support for advocates of human, civil, and consumer rights for all Israelis.
International Food Security Treaty Campaign
Coordinator: John Teton (503) 697-7914, (jt@treaty.org)
The IFST originated from within our Temple’s congregation in 1993 as an effort to eliminate hunger throughout the world. Believing that famines and hunger are caused primarily by political conflict rather than by necessity of nature, the IFST would bind nations through international law to the proposition that food is a basic human right and would criminalize the use of hunger as a weapon. (Find out more by clicking on link above, and here, on the CBB site.)
Caring Community
Our congregants visit the elderly and the sick at their homes and at hospitals. We also provide bereavement services to families who have suffered the loss of a loved one. Our services include providing a meal of consolation, shiva minyan, and post-shiva contact. (Find out more by clicking on "Caring Community" above.)
High Holy Day Food Drive
Coordinator: Amy Martinez
Each year during the High Holy Days, congregants collect food to be distributed through Unity Shoppe and the Santa Barbara Food Bank. Last year over 3,000 pounds of food was collected on our Temple grounds to help feed the hungry of our community.
Church Rebuilding Project
Contact: Donald Wolfe, 962-4634, (dwolfe@gte.net)
As part of a national coalition of synagogues and churches, members of CBB and the First United Methodist Church travel annually to the South to rebuild African-American churches destroyed by arson. Experience is not necessary, just a desire to make a difference!
Mentoring at the SB Symphony
Coordinator: Susan LeVine, 847-204-7070, (sdldesigns@earthlink.net)
Accompany an area youth to the symphony and share the experience. All tickets are provided through a generous grant. (Find out more by clicking on "Mentoring at the SB Symphony" above.)