21 Jewish Soldiers to Receive Gifts from Temple

After gathering the names and addresses of 21 Jewish soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, we were able to send wonderful packages containing many “comfort items.”

Thanks to Religious School students and Al Rieder for making cards to the soldiers, as well as helping us pack the boxes to be shipped. Special thanks to Omaha Steaks for donating gourmet beef jerky for each box, an item often requested by those serving overseas, also to Gordman’s, for donating many pairs of athletic socks, a necessity for our soldiers.

Thank you also to the many families who donated food and personal items to make our packages even more special.

If you would like to help defray the costs of shipping these gifts, please contact either Danielle Gordman or Susie Norton, or the Temple office.

Temple Israel Responds: Growing Economic Downturn Hitting Omaha Area

We write to tell you that Temple Israel is responding to the impact of the economic downturn on our congregants and our larger community.

If you know of someone in our congregation whose personal circumstances have been made more difficult by the economic crisis and is in need of help, please let them know that we are prepared to be of help. We urge you to contact a member of our clergy or Dennis DePorte, in absolute privacy, about how we can help deal with your specific concerns and needs.

We also appreciate that other congregants who are not affected by the economic downturn may be wondering how they can be of assistance. We are sending a letter to every household with further information about our response and ideas for how you may be able to help.  Also watch for ideas and requests in the Temple Tidings and on our website.

Working together once again, as compassionate Jews in difficult times, we can truly be a sacred and holy community.
Rabbi Aryeh Azriel
Dennis DePorte, Executive Director
Jon Meyers, President

Temple Israel Recognized for Outstanding, Innovative and Replicable Social Action Project

We got notification today that Temple Israel will receive an Honorable Mention Irving J. Fain Award for Outstanding Synagogue Social Action Programming presented by the Union for Reform Judaism. The Fain Awards are presented during the Consultation on Conscience, the biennial public policy conference of the Reform Jewish Movement and are among the highest honors available to congregations within the Movement. Temple Israel also received a Fain Award Honorable Mention in 1999

Kudos to the key players who continue to lead our To Do List effort: Rabbi Eric Linder, Rabbi Aryeh Azriel, Social Justice Committee members Patrick Jensen, Mimi Silverman, Gary Kaplan and Shari Hess. Each plays an invaluable role in inspiration and enzyme support in moving the project forward. Our Board of Trustees, professional and support staff contribute in the allocation of budget, communication tools, and human resources. Ultimately, the congregants and community partners prove to be the most valuable asset of God’s To Do List.

Dr. Ron Wolfson, a native Omahan, helped launched this year’s social justice initiative. His D’var Torah, entitled “God’s To Do List: How to be an Angel and Do God’s Work on Earth,” enthused and warmed the hearts of our congregation as we swayed arm in arm singing Shalom Alechem, reminding ourselves that we can partner with angels to do God’s work; God’s To Do List.

As part of the Fain Award application we were asked :

Briefly describe the overall program. How did the idea for the program develop? How does it fulfill Fain Award criteria?

God’s To-Do List is the catalyst between our theological ideals and the opportunities for action in our daily lives. Community organizing principles taught us to “hear” the voice of our congregation in order to be effective by connecting the BEING of Jewish to the DOING of social action.

God’s To-Do List is a means of engaging and teaching our congregation about social problems and Jewish values while building powerful, meaningful alliances. God’s To-Do List creatively promotes social and economic justice, fosters constructive human relations and holistically infuses social action into the life of our congregation.

The idea transformed through our six months of planning and preparation. At its inception, our vision was to challenge people to match the spiritual and theological messages of the High Holidays with social action. This idea eventually turned into God’s To-Do List.

Here is a full length copy our application and our To Do List Toolkit.

The Fain Awards were established in 1983 in the honor and memory of Irving J. Fain, who was a passionate proponent of social justice and of the Reform Movement’s active commitment to the work of tikkun olam. Mr. Fain served for a decade as chairperson of the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism. This award is given every two years to congregations whose work in the area of social justice is exemplary, have successfully involved large numbers of congregants in their programs and have developed genuinely innovative and/or particularly effective projects.

The awards will be presented by some of the Reform Movement’s most honored leaders, including Rabbi Eric Yoffie, Rabbi David Saperstein, executive director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, and Rabbi Marla Feldman, director of the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism. As recipients of the Fain Award at the Consultation on Conscience, these congregations will be held up as an example of how an individual congregation can be successful in the sacred work of tikkun olam, healing the world. The award winning programs will be distributed widely in a booklet highlighting this year’s Fain Award recipients. These exemplary programs are also available on the Religious Action Center’s online program bank, at www.rac.org.

Purple States of America

Magda Peck, Omaha, Nebraska, January 21, 2009

David Anderson Inauguration 2009

David Anderson and Magda Peck Jan. 20, 2009

When I learned a few weeks ago from Senator Ben Nelson’s office that we had been allotted two coveted tickets, I could see it so clearly: standing near the base of the Capitol Steps on a cold sunny day, surrounded by throngs of passionate people of all hues and hometowns crowded together at high noon.. Our son David, a freshman in Political Science at American University, would be at my side as we heard Barak Obama, our President, articulate his vision for a new America in his compelling, stentorian voice.

In the end, that is just what happened, almost.

Participating on the front lines of history is messy, hard work. After a five mile trek from the AU campus, we joined hundreds and hundreds of Purple ticket holders already on line just before 8. We had been instructed to wait in a damp underground tunnel beneath the Mall before going through security at our designated gate at 1^st and Louisiana, two blocks away. The line barely inched along, and no one seemed to know what was holding us up. By 11 am we finally reached the tunnel’s entrance when news quickly spread through the weary crowd that the Purple Gate had been closed due to overwhelming crowds and a possible security breach. We would not be admitted to see the Inauguration.

David simply refused to believe that we wouldn’t get in, that we would be locked out of history. Many folks walked off in anger, but we pressed on snuggling into a persistent throng of still hopeful folks. Waving our Purple tickets, we chanted “Open the gates! Open the gates!” A middle aged African American woman standing next to us would not be denied this moment. She pressed the wheelchair bearing her bundled up 90 year old mother forward stating firmly “We’re Purple and we’re coming through.” The crowd parted to make way, then followed her lead. They re-opened the Purple Gate just before noon. Once past security, we dashed forward to see anything, catching the tell-tale words, “…so help me God.” Cannons fired, and two million and two people roared for change.

Peel away the over-packed Metro, many miles of walking, damp and bitter winds, utterly complicated logistics, and a near miss to the main moment, and it all came down to one thing: bearing witness to history. Being there etched an old life lesson first hand. Yes, we still have Red states and Blue states, Democrats and Republicans, conservatives and progressives and folks still not engaged. We will always have difference – Black and White, Christian, Muslim and Jew. Yet in the messiest of moments of unfathomable importance, our duty is to become purple citizens of change, demanding our place and part for democracy in action.

I remember standing next to my parents at the base of the Lincoln Memorial on a hot ‘60s August day at the Poor People’s March on Washington. I remember feeling the shimmer of his wondrous words, how his message infused me with hope. Sure enough, just in time forty five years later it came full circle. At the other end of the Mall by the steps of the Capitol, under cold blue skies, David was at my side. Blocking the wind from my back, he leaned in for warmth, and rested his chin on my head. And we listened, together, to the newest leader’s fine firm words for a new day.

Are you interested in cooking for Christmas Dinner at Stephen’s Center?

We need you!

Temple Israel is cooking and serving dinner at the Stephen’s Center for Christmas.
We have plenty of people to serve but we need some more food donations

Here is what we need:
3 or 4 cooked briskets
3 or 4 large boxes of instant potatoes
3 or 4 jars of gravy
1 or 2 large green bean casseroles
1 more pan of stuffing
6-8 dozen dinner rolls
2 pans of yams
assorted desserts (3 or 4 pies and a few dozen cookies should be good

Let me know as soon as possible if you are able to contribute.

Wendy Goldberg,  wgoldberg@templeisraelomaha.com

Thanks!

Breakfast at the Stephen Center

If God made a To-Do List for you, tailored to your God-given talents and skills that could be used to make a difference in the world, what would be on the list?– God’s To-Do List, by Ron Wolfson

Six months ago, we asked our members to complete a survey about social justice.  From the over 200 responses we set our focus on three areas:

• Health care
• Education and Poverty
• Religious and Racial Diversity, Understanding and Friendship

With these areas of concern in mind, we found opportunities within the community TO-DO God’s work.

A perfect example of this work is our relationship with the Stephen’s Center whose mission it to partner with the community, families and individuals to overcome homelessness, addiction and poverty.

Yesterday morning members of Temple Israel scrambled up some french toast in the Stephen’s Center kitchen.

Don’l Dacey wrote:

After braving treacherous, icy roads this am, six of us arrived at the Stephens Center to cook breakfast. We began cooking at 7:30 a.m. starting with ham, french toast and potatoes. (Barry Carnine and I peeled about three bags of potatoes).  With precision team work with Shari Hess,  her brother-in-law  Hal Pollock from Salt Lake City, and I mastered the art of french toast making.  John, a staff member at the Stephen’s Center,  helped everybody with some of everything.  At 9:00 a.m., we served breakfast to lots of people.  A good time was had by all and everyone enjoyed the food.  They were so complimentary of our cooking talents.  It certainly makes you feel great and appreciate the kindness that people who are down on their luck show to others.

A special thank you to Shari Hess, Brenna Dacey, Don’l Dacey, Barry Carnine and Hal Pollack–hope more people will join next time.  The dates are March 29, May 31 and August 1.

Thanksgiving Interfaith Service

It has become a joyful custom in our community to share traditions with area churches just prior to Thanksgiving. Hosted by Temple Israel, the service included choirs from five churches and Temple Israel, a handbell choir’s ringing, and shofars. The churches participating were First Christian Church, Dundee Presbyterian Church, First United Methodist Church, St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church and Underwood Hills Presbyterian Church. This year marked the first time the Islamic community joined the celebration. The Thanksgiving service theme was “One God, One Nation, One World.” The Rev. René Rodgers Jensen of First Christian Church delivered a sermon. Cantor Wendy Shermet chanted from the Torah. Text from the Koran was chanted and text from the New Testament read. Nearly 600 people attended. Canned food and cash contributions were collected for Together, Inc.

A special thank you to Sandy Passer for her willingness to chair this effort for Temple Israel. And Toby Fellman and Sheila Tomps, we couldn't pull off an event like this without you!

The service was followed by a dessert reception sponsored by all the congregations.

Dr. Syed Mohiuddin, President of The American Institute of Islamic Studies and Culture and Rabbi Aryeh Azriel, Temple Israel at the Thanksgiving celebration.