social action/tikkun olam

Serving Dinner at First United Church

Click here for Mitzvah Day 5770 pictures

Our tradition teaches:
You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.
(Pirkei Avot 2:21)
With compassion, generosity and kindness, the Temple Sholom community serves as a strong advocate for social action and social justice. We value that our heritage calls us to be active players in tikkun olam – "repairing the world." As we lend a helping hand, we bring the words of Torah to life. Our vision of justice spans the challenges that we face near and far – from Vancouver’s struggle with affordable housing, to the violence in Sudan and Darfur. The Temple Sholom community is especially active with social action projects in Israel.
We believe that every person, both young and old, can help to make a difference in the world. With this is mind, all of our constituent groups include social action efforts as part of their programming.

• As part of our B'nai Mitzvah program, every Temple Sholom Bar and Bat Mitzvah student chooses a special "mitzvah project" to coordinate. Over the years, projects have included a diverse range of activities including raising money for mosquito nets in Africa, visiting seniors each month at the Louis Brier Jewish Aged Foundation, and collecting books for schoolchildren in Israel.
• Each class in our Religious School adopts a special social action cause, like the Hebrew Free Loan Society, Israel Guide Dog Society and the Fund for the Higher Education of Israeli Ethiopians to name just a few. Throughout the year, students learn more about their cause and collect tzedakah to contribute to it. Special sessions, like Mitzvah Day, are held to raise awareness of organizations in need and to focus on creative ways to do social action. This year students learned about sponsoring birthday parties in Israel for under-privileged children and participated via the internet in a simultaneous Vancouver-Israel birthday celebration.
• Families are invited to attend the Family Mitzvah Club. Families recently made birthday cards to be distributed by Covenant House and Jewish Family Services.
• Each month the Sisterhood collects specific items, such as food, toiletries, matzah or diapers to be distributed to those in need. Visit the Sisterhood link in order to learn about the collection of the month.
• The 60 Plus group organizes tea parties for members of the synagogue who are homebound. They also host a monthly tea party for Temple members who reside at the Weinberg Residence and Louis Brier Home. These events serve as afternoons of good company and conversation and strengthen the ties within our Temple family. In addition, the 60 Plus group sponsors a lively Bingo fundraiser night twice during the year. Visit the 60 Plus link for more info.
• The Men’s Club collects books that are sent to Yizhak haNasi School in Northern Israel. Children’s books in Hebrew are preferred. Visit the Men’s club link for more info.
• Our Temple Youth Groups often focus their energies on social action projects. A highlight of the Youth Group program is the semi-annual Feeding the Homeless event where we join with other faith communities to make hundreds of sandwiches and then distribute the food, along with warm clothing, to the Downtown Eastside. Visit the Youth Group link for more info.

Volunteer with Temple SholoM

• Serving Dinner at First United Church
As Vancouverites, we face an Olympic challenge as we address homelessness in our community. Our holy texts empower us to feed the hungry and care for those in need. Our Temple Sholom family has consistently taken this call very seriously!

Since September, every Sunday evening Temple Sholom members have been serving dinner to Downtown Eastside residents at First United Church. The response from congregants has been overwhelming with over 70 people volunteering so far. Temple Sholom has committed to providing volunteers for every Sunday evening until the end of March and is now taking reservations. We need 6 to 10 volunteers for each Sunday evening. Temple congregants aged 15 and older are invited to volunteer and participate in this important mitzvah. This is a great activity for singles, couples, parent and teens and groups of friends.

First United Church provides a free sit-down dinner to over 150 people every night. Our task as volunteers is setting the tables, welcoming diners, serving the meal and clearing plates. We are grateful to Shawn Hawkins for leading our volunteers with the help of our Rabbis and staff. First United Church is located at Hastings and Gore and volunteers are need from 5:30 to 7:30pm on Sunday evenings.
Please call the office to register. Spaces are limited.

Temple Sholom has committed to providing volunteers on the following dates:

If you would like to sign-up for a specific evening or would like more information about this special opportunity, please contact the synagogue office at 266-7190 or templesholom@telus.net.

Mitzvah Day

Mitzvah Day 5770 was held on Sunday, November 22nd, 2009. It was Temple Sholom’s day of community service. Dozens of congregants gave their time, energy and talent and participated in a variety of mitzvot. Mitzvah Day was for congregants of all ages. All the Religious School students were involved.
Our members participated in the many activities at Temple Sholom and/or volunteered with a community organization across the Lower Mainland such as serving a meal at First United Church in the Downtown Eastside, or working at the warehouse at Loving Spoonful.

Thanks for all your collection of items such as toiletries, hats, scarves & gloves, baby items, etc…

Mitzvah Day Achievements:
• Total number of volunteers – approximately 300.
• $400 in sales in our Tzedakah store for HAMA.
• $100 in sales at the Book swap for HAMA.
• 18 tzedakah doves painted, raising $150 for HAMA and beautifying Temple Sholom.
• 16 bears auctioned raising money for various charities.
• $100 in sales of chocolates for solar cookers for Rwandan refugees.
• Sales of T-shirts for our youth group scholarships.
• 30 plants to Maple Crest elders each with a personal greeting.
• Cookies baked for Maple Crest seniors.
• Maple Crest elders entertained.
• 20 robot kits to Children’s hospital for children in isolation.
• 6 robot kits to Ronald Macdonald house.
• 40 bug and flower balloons created and delivered to all the patients in wards 4 and 5 at the George Pearson Centre and all the common areas of the hospital.
• Ronald MacDonald house cleaned.
• 40 bird feeders made for the back yard.
• 10 chanukah cards for Avi Barzelai, local Jewish soldier in Kandahar.
• 6 chanukah cards for Israeli soldiers.
• 80 birthday cards made for Temple sholom over 80s seniors.
• 100 street kits assembled for homeless people, each with personal greetings from kids.
• Hundreds of sandwiches were made and delivered to First United Church (downtown eastside).
• Louis Brier & Weinberg residents entertained all day – ten school families, 30 of our 60+ seniors.
• Pacific Spirit Park restoration planting.
• Stamps trimmed and sorted for sale to a stamp dealer to raise tzedakah dollars.
• JFSA gardening crew.
• Dress for success.
• Bed time kits donated and assembled by Sisterhood.
• Soup cooked for shut-ins.
• My Favorite Thrift shop organized.
• 3 boxes of clothes donated to inner city schools.
• WISH organized and donations of makeup and toiletries provided.
• 6 boxes of Toiletries donated to First United and Wish.
• 6 boxes of gloves, hats and mitts donated to First United Church.
• A year’s supply of clothing, toys, and baby needs donated to a teen Mom with no resources.
• 4 boxes of baby supplies donated to Genesis for other teen Moms.
• Chanukah gifts collected for the Food bank.
• Money and awareness raised for B’nai Mitzvah projects.
• Art activities done with seniors at Sunrise for Ronald McDonald house.
• Towels donated to the SPCA.
• Batteries and paint cans safely recycled.

Mitzvah Day 5770 - Pictures

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