Tikkun Olam
"Tikkun Olam (Repairing the World) is more than a Jewish value. It articulates the fundamental Jewish insight that our thoughts and actions have consequences beyond ourselves and it is our responsibility to act in ways that make the Divine qualities of kindness, justice, and compassion be more fully realized in our world. While Tikkun Olam can be applied to ourselves or our interpersonal relationships through study and prayer, we use this term to refer to our responsibility for engagement in the wider community. Our engagement can take the forms of community service, advocacy, or philanthropy and we strive to engage our diverse congregation in ways that affirm different perspectives on how we can make an effective contribution to a better world."
-Rabbi K'vod Wieder
Temple Beth El of South Orange County strives to advance social justice following Jewish values and the positions of the Union of Reform Judaism (URJ), Reform’s Religious Action Committee (RAC), United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism and the Central Conference of American Rabbis, and the Rabbinic Assembly. We are non-partisan, but we are not neutral.
TBESOC adheres to the specific values outlined in Brit Olam, which we have collectively signed as a community. We covenant with the wider Jewish community to confront: “…injustice at its root. We act through our communities and congregations, with partners from across lines of difference, to bring about a world in which all people experience wholeness, justice, and compassion.”
We have committed to: “lead our community in our social justice work, including:
- Acting in solidarity with vulnerable communities
- Building relationships across lines of difference in our local community
- Acting at the local, state/provincial, and/or federal levels to address the root causes of injustice and advocate for systemic change
- Participating in state-specific social justice work with our RAC state project, where applicable.
Sat, June 14 2025
18 Sivan 5785
TBESOC is dually affiliated
