Tikkun Olam

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"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 in accordance with 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 follows the specific values as stated in Brit Olam which we have 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.”

Committees who are taking an active role in repairing our world include:

TBESOCares:
TBESOCares is a new committee formed by the merging of Chavurat Tzedek and Team TBESOC. Our goal is to offer our members opportunities for Tikkun Olam (making the world a better place) by supporting our community. Our goal is to have monthly opportunities for members to work together through Interfaith Thanksgiving, charity walks, food drives, holiday gift drives, environmental clean-up and much more. Check out our webpage for monthly opportunities.

Committee chairs: Kathy Shapiro, shapsrus@gmail.com and Merritt Weiss, bruinfan3@gmail.com
Click Here to reach our committee page

Childspree (Annual event benefitting OC foster youth):
An unforgettable opportunity for congregants to personally make a difference in the lives of 50 foster and at-risk children by providing them with the essentials to start the school year prepared. This includes new clothing and a backpack filled with school supplies, including those needed for remote learning. These are normally given at an in-person breakfast and shopping trip at Macy’s in Mission Viejo. In light of COVID-19 and social distancing guidelines, we must modify our in-person event set for August 16. We will continue to follow CDC recommendations and more information will be provided as we get closer to the event date.

Jewish Justice Advocates:
Educate, Advocate and Engage in Civil Action Advance social justice in accordance with Jewish values! Jewish Justice Advocates puts on educational programs, advocates, and engages in social action to try to eradicate the root causes of social injustice. JJA has chosen to focus on the following Issues this year:

Immigration
Homelessness
Preventing gun violence
Criminal justice reform
Civic engagement
Equal rights
The environment

We also partner with and support Chavurat Tzedek, TBESOC’s charitable service committee. Watch for upcoming social justice opportunities!
Points of contact Barby Schwid at bschwid@gmail.com, or Carol Singer at normcarol@cox.net

Click Here to get more information and upcoming events

Hinenu Caring Committee (Caring for our Temple family in Times of Need):
The purpose of the Hinenu Caring Committee is to help support our congregants who are going through life challenges, such as observing shiva for a loved-one, recovering from illness or surgery, or experiencing the temporary stress of caring for a family member. We work in coordination with our clergy, who keep us informed when members are in need of such attention. We, in turn provide feedback after we make these contacts to our clergy. We specifically offer the following to congregants in the above situations:

Deliver to a congregant or family several delicious kosher style meals that we, as a committee, cook and freeze.
Call and check in on members who are recovering from surgery or illness.Arrange for temporary or long-term home bound congregants to receive regular visits from a committee member.
Arrange for specially-trained committee members to visit congregants who are temporarily in convalescent care or in the hospital who state that they’d like a visitor.
Send volunteers to TBESOC Shiva Minyans when having a enough Jewish attendees for a minyan is in doubt.
Help set out and clean up the food provided by the family or friends of mourners at Meals of Consolation (post-funeral) and/or shiva minyans so that the mourners are not burdened by that. Click here to find out more.

Committee co-chairs: Patty Rosenbaum, pattyhrosenbaum7@gmail.com & Cindy Leish, personal.leish@gmail.com

Cooking with Kavanah:
A group of temple volunteers who come together quarterly at the temple to cook meals for our congregants who need a little taste of home cooking. We stock the freezer with meals and they are delivered as and when needed by our amazing volunteers.

Lead: Sarah Wood, sarahwood.uk@gmail.com

Bereavement Committee:
Provides an appropriate bereavement support group in your time of need, including access to ongoing support groups in the local vicinity, whether spiritual or secular based.
Committee chair: Phyllis Blanc, phyllis.j.blanc@gmail.com