Social Action

The Social Action/Tikkun Olam committee is meant to be the brain center for Temple Emanu-El’s social action programming. The committee provides a launching pad for congregants and committee members to recommend and support new and existing social action programming 

Join us for our Tikkun Olam Meeting the second Wednesday of every month to help us plan upcoming Social Action programs and create a vision for the future. 7:30 – 9:00 PM

Questions? Contact the Tikkun Olam Co-Chairs Marli Gelfand (mjgelfand@verizon.net) and Mandi Zucker (Mandi.zucker@gmail.com).

Chair: Jacqui Rose 
The ARK housing rehabilitation group is a joint venture with St. Marks Episcopal Church in Plainfield. Founded by members of both congregations almost 20 years ago, this interfaith, interracial group does minor repairs for low-income, mostly elderly homeowners, many of whom have been in danger of losing their homes. In addition, ARK’s social events build a bridge of friendship between the two communities. We are looking to reignite ARK. If you are interested please let us know.

Meets monthly – Temple Library, 7PM 
Chair: Jane Berlant 
This group provides love, warmth and comfort to children/teens with cancer, through their gifts of handmade afghans. Bring your works in progress as we mend the world, one blanket at a time.

Host families two weeks in August and one week in December 
Chairs: Lauren Hammer, Lauren Gottlieb & Lynda Wald 
Twice each year, during the December holiday season and again for two weeks in the summer, Temple Emanu-El serves as a host home for several families from our area. We work with Family Promise to provide comfortable accommodations for our guests(turning classrooms into bedrooms), meals, companionship, transportation and a variety of necessities and niceties donated by our members.

Serving congregants as needed 
Chairs: Pamela Clark & Lynda Wald 
Repairing the world often begins at home. Our volunteers serve Temple members in times of need with home delivered meals, challahs on Fridays, Shloshim (30-day period following burial) calls, and companionship.

Serving congregants as needed 
Chairs: Terry Kroloff & Charlotte Gelfand 
The mitzvah of bikur holim literally means “visiting the sick.” Our Bikur Holim group regularly calls on congregants who may have recently lost a dear one, spent time in the hospital, can’t get out much anymore, or simply feels a little lonely.

Chairs: Eleanor Peris & Janet Kurtter
We grow vegetables in our Mitzvah Garden in the Temple courtyard, which are donated to the Westfield Food Pantry – engaging in the mitzvah of Pe’ah – leaving the corner of our fields for the poor.