PEI is a program of the Federation’s Jewish Volunteer Network (JVN) to further our mission of tikkun olam (healing the world).  PEI provides training, an on-site coordinatior and a structured supplemental reading program and materials.  It also oversees efforts to recruit a corps of caring volunteers from all faiths to help build reading skills and one-to-one relationships with students.  The program functions during school hours as a supplementary program, apart from the school’s regular reading curriculum.  As a result of this program, hundreds of volunteers have come together to read, write, play learning games and build relationships.  We ask PEI tutors to commit at least one hour a week.

Become a PEI tutor and make a difference in a child’s life today!  Contact Jessie Bruder at jbruder@jcfcleve.org or 216-593-2869

How would you make Cleveland a better place to live? What issues are of concern to you? Jobs? Housing? Health care? Education? (to name a few…) But how can one voice make a difference? One voice, when joined with many others, can move governments — our congregation knows this from our historical efforts with organizing in solidarity with Soviet Jewry.

We have a very exciting opportunity to become part of a larger community-organizing effort towards tzedek (social justice) and tikkun olam (repairing the world) here in the Cleveland metropolitan area as part of the Greater Cleveland Congregations (GCC).  We are now at the stage where we open the conversation to you — and are beginning these opportunities with two “House Meetings”

One meeting will be held at the temple on Sunday morning, February 6^th from 10:00 to 11:15 a.m.; and the other one will be at Laurie Levinson’s house, 450 Glen Park Drive, Bay Village, at lunchtime for a potluck lunch and conversation onFriday, February 11^th from 12:30-2:30 p.m.

These opportunities for conversation will help us “collect” community issues that are important to you — we will then present them at the “Issues Convention” on March 31st.  We want to speak with as many people from our congregation as possible — truly, we want to get us speaking with each other.

RSVP to me with your attendance plans (by e-mail or by phone) — if these times are not convenient, please, please let me know what would work best for you — as we plan to schedule at least one other meeting between now and March 31st, and we would like to make it convenient for as many of you as possible to participate.   Rabbi Enid eclader@aol.com 216-228-9735

May we continue to go from strength to strength,
Rabbi Enid Lader

Submitted by Barbara Feldmar, Social Action Co-Chair:

I would like to let everyone know that there is a great opportunity to volunteer some time near the Christmas holiday this year. The Salvation Army is organizing a Christmas Distribution Program on Wednesday December 16 and Thursday December 17, to set up at the Wolstein Center at Cleveland State University to distribute toys, coats and food vouchers on the first day, and families and adults to come to pick up items on the second day.

If you are interested, please contact me so I can have some idea of who is interested, how many can participate, and if you have questions I will try to get them answered. I will forward all our information on to the Salvation Army. Send me your phone or email too, and I will organize our volunteers to meet together if that can be done.

I look forward to hearing from you, and hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving.

Members can contact Barbara by looking up her email address or phone number in the Online Directory.