Social Action/Chesed

Our mission is to lead volunteer activities by synagogue members aimed at “repairing the world" through social action.

Our Activities

As part of social action temple Israel members take part in a blood drive

We support local, county, state, national and international initiatives like Mitzvah Day and the National Gun Violence Prevention Sabbath, in addition to our interfaith initiatives

Social Action

  • Blood Drives: Twice a year, in the spring and fall, we hold a blood drive. We are proud that for over thirty years we have been a reliable contributor to the vital Bergen County blood supply.
  • Feeding the Homeless: We sponsor and participate in the Bergen County Family Promise Walk-in Dinner program. It is the only shelter in Bergen County that feeds the homeless no questions asked.  Volunteers prepare food and serve on-site at the shelter in Hackensack up to four times a year including Christmas Day. Children must be at least 16 years old to participate.
  • Kol Nidre/Yom Kippur  Food and Clothing Drive: Every year we collect nonperishable food items for Social Services of Ridgewood and clothes for Community Outreach of Paterson.
  • Ecology: We participate in and initiate various environmental projects including an annual Passaic River Clean Up in cooperation with the Fair Lawn Jewish Center.
  • National Gun Violence Prevention: We have joined places of worship across the nation; the Newtown Foundation; and Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence, a coalition of more than 50 national denominations and faith-based organizations; to remember those who have lost their lives to gunfire, pray for those whose lives have been forever changed because of the loss of a loved one, and educate one another on proven strategies to reduce gun violence.  Past speakers have included  Gubir Grewal, former New Jersey Attorney General; Loretta Weinberg, formerly of the New Jersey State Senate; Tracy Zur, County Commissioner; and Steve Fulop, mayor of Jersey City.
  • Special Projects: Past special projects included a bone marrow registry campaign, a synagogue-wide program supporting a youth village in Rwanda, an Earth Day environmental education program, and an evening celebrating the contributions of immigrants to our synagogue and the wider community.

social action at temple Israel preparing meals with youth for those in need.

Chesed

Can you spare a few hours a year Chesed Community Service?

To save one life is to save the entire world, instructs the Talmud. That’s what Chesed is all about; helping save or sustain each other in ways large and small. Just commit a small amount of your time to heed the call when someone in our community is in trouble or can simply use a helping hand. Ways you can help include:

  • running an errand for someone who is sick and stuck at home
  • providing a ride to a doctor’s appointment for an elderly Temple member no longer able to drive
  • cooking or delivering a meal when a family is sitting shiva or dealing with illness
  • visiting someone in the hospital who can use some cheering up
  • giving someone a ride to Shabbat services

If you have a flexible schedule and a little extra time; the Chesed Committee needs you.

Contact Us

Call the Temple office at 201-444-9320 if you’d like to participate on the Tikkun Olam Committee or get involved with our annual activities of feeding the homeless and the blood drive.