Join our Book Club about “The End of Poverty”

The End of Poverty discussion was interesting and thought provoking for me. The first six chapters provided a background for our conversation. I look forward to reading more from this author and the conversation to follow.
Pam DePorte

I was very pleased about the discussion about “The End Of Poverty”. I believe that Jeffrey Sachs does a wonderful job explaining his own story and his dealings with the economies of Bolivia and Poland. It is really impressive to see his true understaning of economies. I am thrilled to hear that he has been consulted in regards to our economic situation now. He is one of the few people that I would trust to resolve this crisis. I welcome everyone (readers or not) to come and join in this conversation.
Mimi Silverman

The old adage, ‘if you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention” and I always think of something you said (in fact shared it that day) about “people do care and they do feel the pain and they do listen and say oh, how awful and they do get it – and then the switch flips and they say, hey! lets go shopping!” – it was stunning to me that only only 4 Temple people showed up. Stunning.

Learning, paying attention, showing up to events, exchanging thoughts & perspectives that you might not otherwise have considered is a good thing – loved the professor.
Adios – Ellen Platt

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.

What I am Thankful For…. by Steve Danon

Many of you know me; Safety, Risk Control . . . the “what if guy”, what you may not know is that I have taught Religious School for the last 15 years.

This past Wednesday evening we took a group of 7th & 8th graders to Quality Living a resident care facility in Omaha that provides purpose, dignity and hope to those who have brain and spinal cord disabilities.

We had the opportunity to talk with Brad a thirty-five year old resident at Quality Living.   He sat and talked with us for about an hour. Brad wore a baseball cap, t-shirt, blue shorts, and was in a wheel-chair.

After talking about sports, music, and other activities, a child finally was brave enough to ask Brad what happened to him.  Brad had a bit of a slur in his voice but began to tell his story.  He had been driving alone to Missouri late at night and fell asleep.  The car went off the road and hit something and he was thrown out of the car.  Another child asked, “Brad were you wearing a seat belt”?

Brad answered directly, “No, and the only injury I got was a cut on my chin, no bruised ribs, not other cuts or broken bones, but I hit my head”.

A third child asked, “Brad, what do you think would have happened if you had been wearing your seat belt, “I would have gotten up the next morning and went to work”.

Brad’s brain injury that night put him in a comma for four months.  The doctor’s told his family that he we would be brain dead and never regain consciousness.  He was proud to tell us how he had taught himself to dress, drink, eat and speak again on his own over the last seven years.

He was especially looking forward to this Saturday’s Thanksgiving Feast, a time for families to come and have a meal together at Brad’s home, Quality Living.

Brad told us he thought he was alive because of a miracle. Ironically in religious school the previous week we had talked about miracles, not knowing we would meet Brad.  Interestingly one of the children’s grandfather, had been shot in the eye in a robbery two years ago and survived.  When we told that to Brad he smiled and gave a “thumbs-up”.   Brad said, “…this place (Quality Living) is full of miracles”.

So what am I thankful for this Thanksgiving; Albert Einstein said it best . . . “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

As we left and shook Brad’s hand he said, “I don’t think of myself being handicapped, I think of myself being handi-capable”.

A peaceful and joyful Thanksgiving to each of you and your families, we all have so much to be thankful for.