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 Dale Kasler brainstorms with Social Justice Shabbaton participants Social ActionWhat we’re about: In an effort to expand our Social Action activities, Congregation B'nai Israel has embarked on a collaborative effort with Sacramento Area Congregations Together (ACT) to design a "Listening Campaign" based on a community organizing tool that has had success in other congregations. Volunteer "listeners" from CBI received training from ACT to conduct 1-2 hour "house gatherings" with other members from CBI. These house gatherings served as an informal and fun way to connect congregation members from similar neighborhoods and will give us opportunities to explore issues that are important to our congregants and our community. Through this process, we hope to identify new social action projects to help address significant issues in our community and city. The trained congregational "listeners" will reflect on the common social action themes discussed during the house gathering process and present these themes to the board and then back to the congregation. Several forums will be offered following Erev Shabbat services to describe, in further detail, those themes that garnered the most interest and the specific project opportunities that will be developed. Each forum will offer both hands-on and advocacy project participation. I encourage you to attend the forums and find the opportunity to engage that fits you best. Look for information about these upcoming forums in the chadashot over the next several months. We look forward to your enthusiasm, ideas, and participation. Todah rabah v'shanah tova, American River Parkway Cleanup Several years ago, B'nai Israel adopted a stretch of the American River Parkway, Mile 17. Every three months, a crew of congregants, led by Todd and Paula Mendell, head out to provide much needed clean up on this stretch of the river. For more information, please contact Todd Mendell, ptmendell@comcast.net. Blood Drive Details coming soon. CBI Garden A project of the Sustainable Living Committee, our congregation began the arduous task of building five raised garden beds, filling them with soil and creating a drip system, during the Fall of 2009. Our first planting began in the Spring of 2010 and things really took off! Our religious school classes joined in and while planting strawberries and cucumbers, basil and radishes and horseradish for Pesach, they also learned about organic gardening and natural methods to protect our crops. Our very own horseradish was served during our Community Seder. We grew a tremendous crop of heirloom tomatoes, which began from seeds. Our religious school students made stepping stones and signs for our different crops and the 4th Grade class made and decorated a container for our gardening tools. As it turns out, we clearly have a gift with strawberries, as they continue to be quite prolific. We are looking for gardeners and those interested in taking our garden to a new level! If you have experience or an interest in gardening or want to find out if you've got a green thumb, please contact Megan Florida mflorida2004@comcast.net. Touch of Shabbat (Chicken Soup) The last Friday of every month special bags are packed and delivered to people with HIV/AIDS in our community. Fondly called Touch of Shabbat, volunteers have been delivering bags filled with chicken soup, challah and applesauce for almost 25 years. The project is sponsored by Women of B'nai Israel, and in recent years, women from Theta Delta Xi, a Jewish sorority, have joined the effort by making the chicken soup each month. Family Promise Details coming soon. Gay Rights Committee How Do Gay Rights Connect with Jewish values? In the Reform Movement, we are guided by the belief that everyone is created b'tzelem Elohim (in the Divine Image). Rabbi David Saperstein, Director of URJ's Religious Action Committee, said, "regardless of context, discrimination against any person arising from apathy, insensitivity, ignorance, fear, or hatred is inconsistent with this fundamental belief. We oppose discrimination against all individuals, including gays, lesbians, and bisexuals, for the stamp of the Divine is present in each and every one of us". According to the RAC, "Each of us, created in God's image, has a unique talent with which we can contribute to the high moral purpose of tikkun olam, the repair of our world. Excluding anyone from our community lessens our chance of achieving this goal of a more perfect world." Reform Judaism has been supporting gay rights for several decades. In 1965, the Women of Reform Judaism passed a resolution calling for the decriminalization of homosexuality. Since then, the URJ, CCAR, WRJ, CSA, and NFTY have passed several resolutions, including the inclusion of gays and lesbians in the rabbinate and cantorate, support for marriage equality and elimination of discrimination within the Armed Forces. In recent years, inclusion of gays and lesbians has come to the forefront of the Reform movement. Congregations have made great strides to include gay and lesbian members and families. The gay and lesbian community continues to struggle for equality. Although we have made huge gains in the past several years, society continues fall short on equal rights in many areas including employment, education, marriage, adoption, and immigration. Despite our victories with the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell, discrimination still exists within and outside the legal arena. Several groups across the country still fight to add anti-gay measures to election ballots, an attempt which, if successful, keeps LGBT Americans as second-class citizens in the eyes of the law. How does CBI show support for the LGBT community? Our Gay Rights Committee participates in and supports efforts for gay rights in the Sacramento Area and across the country.
CBI is hosting the Annual Service of Remembrance this year – a memorial service for those who have died as a result of being LGBT or as a result of having been perceived as being LGBT. For more information, please contact Diana Gibson, Committee Chair, dlgibson555@yahoo.com. Sustainable Living Committee What is sustainable living? Simply put, this philosophy encourages practices that preserve our world – its environment and many ecosystems. It is based on the premise that we live within these ecosystems and have a responsibility to protect the earth. Sustainable living practices include:
What is Jewish about sustainable living? Jewish teachings clearly direct us to care about and take action to protect our world. "God placed the human in the Garden of Eden to serve and to guard." Genesis 2:15. God spoke to Adam: "See my works, how fine and excellent they are! Now all that I created, for you I created. Think upon this, and do not corrupt and desolate my world; for if you corrupt it, there is no one to set it right after you." Ecclesiastes Rabbah. 7:28. The Reform movement has taken numerous stands in support of protecting our environment and adopting sustainable living practices. For example, in 1991, the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) passed a resolution calling upon our congregations and congregants to consciously modify their behavior in order to preserve our planet, as well as to ensure that the economic and health costs of environmental hazards do not disproportionately fall on poor and minority communities. For more information, please contact Elizabeth Landsberg, Committee Chair, deanberg@sbcglobal.net. There are numerous Jewish resources supporting sustainable living practices such as:
Take the Social Action Committee Pledge for Sustainable Living
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