Social Action Committee

The goal of Temple Beth Shalom’s Social Action Committee is to involve as many Congregants as possible in our programs to give them a taste of the Mitzvah of Tzedakah. We hope that through our programs they will start to nurture the Tzedakah concept in their own homes. Toward this goal we have a large number of programs throughout the year.

Our volunteers participate in the monthly Kosher Food Bank in South Orange. We cook and staff the Soup Kitchen in West Orange 6 times a year. We collect old eyeglasses and hearing aids for “New Eyes For the Needy”, toiletries samples for Project Rachel (a home for battered Jewish women and their families) and Isaiah House (a home for battered women and their children), and cell phones for crossing guards and battered women. Food that is left over from Simchas is brought to JESPY House ( a home for developmentally disabled adults) throughout the year. We collect cans of food during the entire eyar for distribution to several local food pantries. We utilize the monies that are collected at the morning and evening minyans to support Neve Hana ( an orphanage in Israel), Ethiopian Jewry in Israel and other recognized charities.

From time-to-time we sponsor speakers at Friday evening services. In the past we have sponsored speakers from the Rachel Project, The American Jewish World Services and others.

High Holiday Days – Project Isaiah –collection o food during the High Holiday period. The food is given to the West Orange Food Bank and the Kosher Food Bank in South Orange.

October – Coat and outerware drive for the Martin dePorris Homes in Paterson.

November/ December and April/May – Sunday trips to the Community Food Bank in Hillside. This is done in conjunction with the Religious School. Thanksgiving turkeys are collected and given to a school in Newark.

December – Hanukkah Toy Drive - toys are given to the Metropolitian Council on Jewish Poverty ( Needy Jewish families in Brooklyn).

Passover – collection of Kosher Passover food for the Kosher Food Pantry in South Orange.

May – collection of baby furniture, and toys. These are distributed to several agencies in New Jersey.

The Social Action Committee meets to decide on new projects several times a year. Many of our congregants “specialize” in one or more of our events. The end result is that there is a good number of people whoa re involved in our projects. Children are invited to attend and there are teens and college-age youngsters at many of our events.

For further information please contact Esther & Mel Zirkes co-chairs of Social Action.