What could be more meaningful than to join with
families and friends in observing the mandate of Tikkun Olam
(healing the world), a central precept of Judaism. Jews are taught
to be informed about the affairs of the community and the world and
to effect change for the better. B’nai Abraham, under the leadership
of Rabbis Prinz, Friedman and Kulwin, has always taken a leadership
role in responding to the social and political issues of the times.
But it is through the Social Action Committee that opportunities
have been initiated that allow Temple individuals and their families
to give of themselves, to perform mitzvoth, and to actively work for
a better world. It has been even more meaningful to have so many
children involved in our activities, joining and learning from their
parents about responsibility.
The Social Action Committee has aggressively
launched new Temple initiatives especially those that deal with
environmental problems. We are very pleased that our participation
in installing solar panels, improving recycling practices, and
switching to non-toxic substances for building maintenance has drawn
wide praise in the larger community, as seen in the newspaper
articles about TBA’s groundbreaking work and especially in our being
chosen as one of six organizations statewide honored at the
GreenFaith Annual Awards Reception on November 6, 2006, with special
recognition for Tracy Bent, our Facilities Manager. Many Social
Action programs are collaborative efforts with other arms of the
Temple. Activities this past year included blood drives, clothing,
toiletries and school supply collections, Habitat for Humanity and
the Women’s Interfaith Forum 2008 will mark the fourteenth
Interfaith Forum.
The committee also works with the United Jewish
Communities of MetroWest, the Livingston Committee on Diversity,
GreenFaith, Interfaith Hospitality Network, and other Essex County
interfaith groups.
Temple B’nai Abraham participates in on-going
community service activities in support of the Community Soup
Kitchen, Newark Now, the Mitzvah Crib, Newark Emergency Services for
Families, the High Holiday food and collection for the Community
Food Bank and Keren Olam, which helps to provide funds for the
development of key resources for Jewish communities in need,
globally. We provide opportunities for the youth of the congregation
to perform mitzvoth by partnering with The Early School, Religious
School, High School and our College students.
The Social Action Committee welcomes you to join
in its activities and encourages congregants to share their ideas
for new projects of social concern with the committee. We meet
monthly, generally on the third Monday evening of the month. Please
contact one of our chairpersons at any time for further information.
Lisa Reisboard,
Chair Janet O. Penn, Chair
lreisboard@aol.com
janpen@att.net
Bike Collection
for Pedals for Progress
Recycle Your Used Bikes
sponsored by Social Action Committee
Sunday,
May 18 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM at
Temple
minimum
donation of $10 with every bike to support the
shipping and handling costs
(Volunteers needed to help . Please
contact Lisa Reisboard
to assist in this effort.)
Please note:
-
Bikes
must be in repairable condition, relatively rust free. Frames or bikes with rusted frames will not be accepted.
-
No early
or late drop-offs will be accepted.
Bike Collection at TBA will only
take place on the date and times listed above. To donate before
or after the TBA collection, please contact Pedals for Progress
NJ headquarters directly at 908-638-4811.
Pedals for
Progress (PfP)is a non-profit New Jersey-based charity that
collects, processes, and donates used bicycles and bicycle parts to
the working poor in third-world countries. Contributing to Pedals
for Progress means making progress without pollution. Visit the PfP
website at
www.p4p.org
To volunteer to
assist with bike collection and processing, please contact the
temple at 973-994-2290 or visit the website at
www.tbanj.org for details.
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
