Beth Israel The West Temple » Social Action Committee

Greater Cleveland Congregations (GCC) Update

Myrna Pendery — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 03:54:05 +0000

Shalom Beth Israel- The West Temple Friends,

The work of the Greater Cleveland congregations (GCC) has really just begun. After hearing from many of you at our own Temple’s “House Meetings” held in February and March, the very exciting city-wide GCC Founding Assembly, with representatives from many congregations across the city, took place in June. Small Action Groups then began to meet during June and July, and we are now looking to define each group’s vision and gather the important expertise that will be necessary to bring each vision to fruition.

The Action Groups include: Education, Health Care, Criminal Justice, Housing and Sustainable Foods. Our action plan is now to share this with you and to hear from you individually – to hear your personal/family/professional stories that can shed important light on these topics and help give GCC the ability to develop and implement successful strategies to make positive changes in Cleveland.

You might ask… Why are we still talking? Why aren’t we doing? And the response is: The GCC organizers feel it is important not to rush too quickly into action and end up adopting strategies that don’t result in meaningful change. So, the more we talk with each other, the more we share our experiences and expertise, the better prepared and knowledgeable we will be to craft successful strategies. It truly is a process, and the more we talk to each other – the better our own community becomes as well.

Can we talk? Please let me know which Action Group you would like to be part of – and I, or one of our congregational representatives, will be in touch with you.

Together, we can make a difference.

Kol tuv – All the best,
Rabbi Enid
HYPERLINK “mailto:eclader@aol.com“ eclader@aol.com
216-228-9735

Become a tutor with the Jewish Federation’s Public Education Initiative (PEI)!

Myrna Pendery — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 17:49:59 +0000

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

Greater Cleveland Congregation House Meetings

Myrna Pendery — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 17:21:44 +0000

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

Cover to Cover

Myrna Pendery — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 17:03:37 +0000

We are offering a meaningful way to start the new year – with a mitzvah project. Women’s Philanthropy of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland and The LIT are co-sponsoring a project that will help the students and faculty at Ginn Academy.
Introduction: Ginn Academy, a boys’ high school in Collinwood and a Federation Public Education Initiative partner, is in need of assistance in its library. Many of the bookshelves are bare, and most of the books are not cataloged, so students cannot access them easily.

The following are volunteer opportunities:

1) Chapter One: Inventory and catalog the books that are currently on the Ginn Academy
library bookshelves. This will aid students in finding the appropriate reading and research
materials. Choose a 2-hour time slot between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Tuesday, January 25,
or between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Thursday, January 27.

2) Chapter Two: Purchase books that are desperately needed by Ginn Academy. A book
list and order form will be available on the Federation’s website from January 31 to
February 22. You will be able to make a difference with the click of a mouse.

3) Chapter Three: Stock the library shelves after the purchase period ends. Choose a 2-
hour time slot between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Tuesday, March 8, or between 11 a.m. and
5 p.m. on Thursday, March 10.

Conclusion: To help create a happy ending by volunteering for the inventory or stocking projects, please call Joyce Lisiewski at 216.593.2845. An e-mail providing details about purchasing books will go out prior to January 31, so please stay tuned.

Social Action Committee Volunteer Opportunity

Jon Stout — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:57:17 +0000

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.