Ner Shel Tzedakah
Ner Shel Tzedakah (“candle of righteousness”) is a project in which families and individuals devote the 6th night of Chanukah to learning about the problem of poverty. They donate the value of the gifts (or the gifts themselves) that they would otherwise exchange on that night to organizations that assist the poor. This year, the 6th night of Chanukah falls on Sunday, December 9th.
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Get Out the Vote 2006
Jews historically have voted in high numbers, yet current statistics show that as many as 25% of eligible Jews are not registered to vote. The percentage is even higher among 18-35 year olds. This manual is designed to focus communal energy on the privilege and responsibility of voting and to provide tools for congregations to plan a successful Get Out the Vote effort. The guide includes a timeline and programming tips for planning a voter registration, education, and turnout campaign. In addition, you will find an explanation of the legal issues for non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations when getting involved in voter registration and education activities. The appendices contain ready-to-use materials such as sermon starters, sample bulletin articles, letters to college students, and a state-by-state table of Board of Election contact information and registration deadlines.
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Poverty Initiative
The Commission on Social Action has embarked on an initiative to engage Reform Jews throughout North America in efforts to ameliorate poverty. The CSA has compiled a number of text resources, social action packets, advocacy opportunities and program ideas to be used throughout the year.
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K’hilat Tzedek: Creating a Community of Justice
K’hilat Tzedek is a discussion guide intended to help congregations through a process of reflection to determine where their social action programs fit into the scheme of congregational life, and how they can become models of integrated, justice-seeking congregations. The K’hilat Tzedek process will invigorate and deepen your congregation’s social justice work. To order a copy of the guide, call the Commission on Social Action at (212) 650-4160 or click on the link above.
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HOLIDAY GUIDES
Days of Awe: A Social Action Guide for the Holidays
Three social justice themes are highlighted: Hunger, Environment and the Judicial System. Activities around these themes for individuals and families as well as program ideas for congregations, youth groups and religious schools are featured
Sukkot: A Season for Gathering and Giving
The Commission on Social Action has a new program guide highlighting the social justice themes of Sukkot, including activities and programs that flow from those themes, including hunger and housing concerns, the environment, economic justice and life-cycle events. In the guide you will find:
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Social justice readings and rituals to be done in your Sukkah
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Social action program ideas for congregations, divided into youth, adult and religious school activities.
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Links to websites and other synagogues for additional information
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Appendices with sample resources, handouts, and background information on the various social action themes
Building Relationships: A Social Action Guide for National Holidays
The Commission on Social Action has a new program guide highlighting the social justice themes that resonate during national secular holidays including Thanksgiving, Mothers/Fathers Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Labor Day, Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day, Independence Day and even Super Bowl Sunday! The guide includes program ideas for individuals and home observance as well as what congregations can do. Go to www.rac.org/holidayguides for more information.
Sustaining the Light: A Social Justice Program Guide for Chanukah
In the middle of winter, we gather together around the Chanukah lights, spin the dreidle, eat latkes and jelly donuts, celebrating the festival of Chanukah. Chanukah takes its name of ‘dedication’ from the Maccabees’ rededication of the Temple after their battle against King Antiochus. By returning to and reclaiming the Temple, the Maccabees recommitted themselves to a Jewish way of life, to all that they held dear. Thus, Chanukah asks us to rededicate ourselves not only to our Judaism, but to the values we place at the center of our faith. In particular, Chanukah can be a time when we rededicate ourselves to the work of tikkun olam, repair of the world.
Turning Injustice on Its Head: A Social Action Guide for Purim
Purim is the holiday of opposites. Just as the story of Esther, which begins with the evil Haman ordering all the Jews be killed and ends with Haman himself put to death, is full of the "upside down," so too are our celebrations. We change our appearances with costumes, change our drinking habits for the day, and create Purim spiels in which we make fun of our rabbis, our tradition, and ourselves. Nothing is sacred on Purim.
In spite of, or perhaps because of, our topsy-turvy silliness, Purim remains a holiday about social justice. The commandments to eat, drink, and be merry are accompanied by the mitzvah of matanot l’evyonim, giving tzedakah (literally "gifts to the poor"). In the Book of Esther, we read, "the same days on which Jews enjoyed relief from their foes and the same month which had been transformed for them from one of grief to joy and from mourning to festival, they were to observe them as days of feasting and merry-making, and as an occasion for sending gifts [mishloach manot] and presents to the poor [matanot l’evyonim]" (Esther 9:22).
Pesach: A Season for Justice
Pesach: A Season for Justice is a program guide highlighting the social justice themes of Pesach and describing activities that flow from those themes, including hunger and homelessness, immigration and refugee concerns, modern-day slavery, domestic violence and interfaith relations. In the guide you will find:
· Social justice readings and rituals to add to your Seder
· Social action program ideas for congregations, divided into youth and adult activities and religious school activities.
· Links to websites and creative Haggadot for additional information
· Appendices with sample resources, handouts, and background information on the various social action themes
Standing Together: A Social Justice Guide for Shavuot
This social action program guide for Shavuot and the Omer offers families, social action chairs, confirmation classes, youth group leaders and other synagogue groups a variety of ways to incorporate social justice into a holiday celebration. Grounded in the texts and themes of these holidays, the guide focuses on four themes: economic justice, the environment, world Jewry and GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender) issues and advocacy.
We hope these guides will assist you in making your holiday observances ones that inspires acts of tzedek (justice), tzedakah (righteousness) and gimilut chasidim (acts of loving kindness).
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2007 Irving J. Fain Social Action Awards
Our congregations engage in social action for the most noble of reasons – a commitment to helping others, to tikkun olam. Nonetheless, when congregants have invested countless hours in bringing a worthwhile program to fruition, they deserve some kavod – public recognition and honor. That is why the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism instituted the Irving J. Fain Awards – to grant public recognition to those congregations whose programmatic efforts in social action have been exemplary. The application form is enclosed. Please pay particular attention to the Awards criteria and the December 8, 2006 deadline. The Awards themselves will be announced at the Consultation on Conscience, April 15 - 17, 2007, Washington, D.C.
We look forward to receiving your application and, together, to advancing the cause of social justice!
Read the 2005 Irving J. Fain Awards Winners Book.
Download the Application for 2007 Fain Awards (PDF)
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TZEVET MITZVOT: Adult Mitzvah Corps
Al Sh’losha D’varim HaOlam Omed: Al HaTorah, Al HaAvodah, V’Al G’milut Chasadim
The World Stands Upon Three Things: Learning, Prayer and Righteous Deeds
Combining these three pillars of Jewish life, the Tzevet Mitzvot: Adult Mitzvah Corps was established to provide an intensive week of social action, study and worship. Under the auspices of the Commission on Social Action (CSA) of Reform Judaism, dozens of Jews from throughout North America have experienced this unique opportunity to create a Jewish religious living experience.
For information about upcoming Mitzvah Corps please go to: www.urj.org/csa/mitzvahcorps
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