Social Justice is a core value at Temple Emunah. At Temple Emunah, our social justice opportunities vary within our synagogue community to address systems that affect the lives of the wider community. Click here for more information about our different committees. If you would like to get involved with these – or have ideas about other social justice opportunities – please be in touch with Social Justice Co-Chairs Alisa Kotler-Berkowitz and Matt Cohen.
The Interfaith and LGBTQ+ (Keruv) Committee aims to make Temple Emunah welcoming and inclusive for ALL people who wish to participate in our community within the framework of Conservative Judaism without regard to race, ethnicity, disability, marital status, sexual orientation or gender identity. There is a broad spectrum of individuals and families in our community and we approach that diversity with great respect and are committed to building a community that understands and values our diverse world.
Click here to learn more about Interfaith and LGBTQ+ (Keruv).
Hineni is an outreach program for our own Emunah family. We will be there for you when you need us.
Hineni (translation: “Here I am“) is a volunteer program established to care for our Emunah family. We assist congregants by preparing and delivering meals in time of sickness, as well as offering transportation for medical needs. The committee is dedicated to helping our fellow congregants when the need arises. To receive emails regarding specific Hineni requests, email Jane Aronson.
The Hineni Connecting Team (HCT)
Temple Emunah’s Hineni Connecting Team (HCT) pairs together caring member volunteers with congregants in need. The HCT volunteers provide pastoral visits and telephone calls to our members who are homebound, or isolated. These visits and calls are made to congregants of all ages, including new mothers. For some congregants, these interactions do not replace the rabbinic visit or call but serve to enhance. Our HCT volunteers are matched with congregants who are living with frailty, chronic illness, or post-operation recovery, and need some support.
The HCT is well known for its Shabbat Bags, which are prepared lovingly and delivered during Shabbat visits to the home or hospital. The HCT delivers bags for bereavement and illness. A special highlight of the bags are healing shawls. These comforting shawls are handknit by our talented Hineni Knitters. The knitters also create baby blankets and caps, to help welcome our newest members!
The HCT visits are very beneficial in helping our congregants feel connected to their Emunah community. If you know an Emunah member who needs the help of the HCT or you would like to volunteer to join the HCT as a 1:1 match or to deliver bags, providing brief visits, please contact Linda Skolnik, HCT Coordinator.
Temple Emunah is engaged with Israel in many ways. The comprehensive programs in our religious school; the bi-annual trips to Israel that have engaged more than 500 participants; summer groups at the Shalom Hartman Institute; and dozens of cyclists to the Hazon Israel Ride. The many different lectures, seminars, and films offered by Brotherhood and Sisterhood, co-sponsored with our committee, are but some of our avenues by which we seek to help people engage with Israel.
The Israel Committee offers a variety of programs designed to strengthen the bonds between our community, Israel and Israelis (in Israel and locally) in all its diversity. As a result of outreach to the significant numbers of Israelis in our local community, many now participate in our programs, particularly around Yom ha-Zikaron and Yom ha-Atzma-ut. In addition to these holiday programs, we sponsor speakers and panel discussions, Israeli films and special community events.
Together with our friends across town at Temple Isaiah (Reform) we sponsored a weeklong visit for a squad of Israeli paratroops under the auspices of Peace of Mind (Metiv) in 2020. The program helps an entire unit deal therapeutically with the complex emotions they have experienced, and their effects on post-combat life when they return; it also gives the soldiers a better sense of American Jewry. (Another visit with a different group was planned for January 2024, but was postponed).
The committee welcomes input from all Emunah members, and some of our most successful initiatives have grown out of their suggestions. Our 2024 program participatory series of seminars – Understanding Israel at 75, with sessions engaging both Hebrew school students and adults – is one such initiative, designed to give participants a basic grounding in the functioning of Israeli society and the internal and external challenges facing it.
Finally, each month we conduct Cafe Tel Aviv, an informal discussion about different aspects of Israeli arts, culture, sports, technology and memories.
Contact co-chairs Harvey Lowell and Rachel Raz for more information.
The Ladle Fund
Founding & Mission:
Founded by Fred Ezekiel, a longtime active member of Temple Emunah, the Ladle Fund supports innovative activities that strengthen our community through events aimed at enriching relationships.
Examples of sponsored events:
Ladle Fund events reflect community interests and have supported Sunday morning breakfasts, Shabbat speakers, synagogue-wide holiday celebrations, Israel programming and social events open to the entire congregation.
Ladle Fund events can be organized by our synagogue programming staff, committees or individuals or by the Ladle Fund itself.
Theme Minyanim:
A Theme Minyan is a friendly gathering of temple members following the weekday evening minyan and hosted by the event organizer. Joelle Gunther and Bob Russman-Halperin are the organizers and welcome your ideas. There have been over 100 Theme Minyanim over many years. Click here for the Theme Minyan Guidelines.
To request funding:
Complete our Ladle Fund Request for Funds (RFF) form and email to: LadleFund@Templeemunah.org.
Submit requests at least 4 weeks before the program, to allow for planning and budgeting.
The Ladle Fund is supported by its benefactor but also my critical donations received during the fiscal year by member and friends of the Ladle Fund.
To make a donation:
Please email ladlefund@templeemunah.org with any questions or comments.
Thanks,
David Ezekiel
Chair – Ladle Fund
The Membership Committee works with current and prospective members to help drive membership recruitment, integration and retention. The Committee organizes events like the annual New Baby Shabbat and continually partners with individuals and groups across Temple Emunah in programming, activities and operation to meet the needs of all Members.
Click here to learn more.
The Wisdom Project was started in 2011 by Gerry Stechler and Toni Halton Stechler as a forum for older members of our community to come together and support one another. Although strength and agility may decline with age, personal wisdom need not. In fact, with proper nurturing, wisdom may grow, as we take advantage of our accumulated experiences and a broader perspective on life. Wisdom implies finding ways of handling the inevitable challenges of life, loss, and death.
Participants discuss any topics that they choose, and we also invite guests to lead us in discussions and enhance our wisdom. All are welcome.
For questions, contact Toni.
Temple Emunah is proud of being an active community, whether spiritually or physically. We hope you join us in one of our various sports offerings. All year we have meditation and yoga groups and in the Spring and Fall, we have a softball team, weekly bike rides, walking groups, and more. For more information, please contact the office.
Join fellow congregants who are interested in keeping fit and staying connected socially!
Monday – Thursday, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
Friday, 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
