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Tikkun Olam
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Beth Am Social Action Committee
Important Organizations Religious Action Center
Specific Projects and Contact Information How can I get involved?
Your Help is Needed to Help End Violence and Suffering in Sudan's Darfur War has displaced more than 2 million people in the western Sudan region of Darfur, forcing them into makeshift camps; more than 200,000 others have fled across the border to Chad. Those affected have experienced looting; their homes, crops and livestock have been destroyed; they have witnessed executions of civilians, mass rape of women and girls is common. People in the camps are living in deplorable conditions; diseases such as cholera and polio threaten those most at risk. An estimated 400,000 people have already died. [More Information from Rabbi David Saperstein.] What You Can Do About the Genocide in Darfur A group of Beth Am Congregants recently joined forces with members of Kol Emeth to form the Working Group on Darfur. As Rabbi Marder discussed in her December 2005 Builder column, the crisis at the 300 relocation camps in Darfur is not improving. In fact, the situation is actually getting worse, with kidnaps, threats and even murders of aid workers from the African Union. If aid workers pull out, those displaced by genocide and war will have no protection whatsoever from the Janjaweed Militia. Tens of thousands have already died, and hundreds more die daily. As Jews and as human beings, we have an obligation to act. Here are specifics on what you can do to stop this genocide and suffering in Darfur: Contact the White House, Congress, the United Nations and the State Department to tell them that you feel strongly about this problem. Go to www.Congress.org to get email addresses. The Darfur Peace and Accountability Act, which will aid these victims of genocide, has passed the Senate but will have a difficult time passing the House, so your voices are needed. Send a message to the White House about Darfur. Write letters to the media stating your opinion on Darfur. It is important to keep this issue alive and in the public eye continually. Email Congresswomen Anna Eshoo at www.eshoo.house.gov/contact.aspx to voice your concern about this genocidal situation. Educate yourself on the situation by going to the American Jewish World Services website and www.savedarfur.org. Participate in the local activities that we on the Working Group on Darfur Committee are developing. We are planning many local activities, and would appreciate your help. To join our email list, contact ariella@radwin.org. Contact Emily Wu or Stephanie Sharron for more information.
Donate to the American Jewish World Services at 388 Market St #400, San Francisco, CA 94111, or to the Save Darfur Coalition at P.O. Box 18176, Washington, D.C., 20036. Talk to people and educate them about this problem. Rent the movie, Hotel Rwanda. The crisis in Darfur is "Rwanda in slow motion." Emergency Preparation The Social Action Committee wants to remind you that part of our social responsibility to ourselves, our families, and our community is to prepare for potential disasters so that we can provide aid instead of utilizing limited resources. Obviously, in the Bay Area, the most realistic threat is that of earthquakes. Here’s a quick checklist of disaster supplies for your home and your car to get started:
We encourage you to visit the American Red Cross Earthquake Preparation Site at http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/ and click on Disaster Safety to learn more. Be a Literacy Tutor-- Help a Child Learn to Read! Join the Jewish Coalition for Literacy as a volunteer reading tutor in a local public school. Just one hour a week can change a child's life. And maybe your own. After a single short training session, volunteers are asked to spend one hour per week at a site convenient to them. Morning, afternoon, and evening hours are available. The Jewish Coalition for Literacy will be holding a half-day literacy conference Sunday, March 9 from 9am-12:30pm at the Peninsula JCC, 800 Foster City Blvd., Foster City. JCL tutors and anyone else interested in building children's literacy skills are invited to attend. For more information, visit http://www.jclread.org or call Jennifer Advani at 650/940-1229 Click here to get a list of more than 50 area agencies that need your help Chicken Soupers - a New Beth Am Project Preparing Dinner for Homebound Members Sunday afternoons: May 25, June 22 & July 20 (Save these dates!)
Introducing Chicken Soupers, a new social action opportunity in partnership with Jewish Family and Children Services. Once a month, we will be preparing dinner for homebound members of our community with chronic illness that limits their mobility. Families and chavurot welcome! Appropriate for children, teenagers and adults! Come help us cook, pack up the meals or deliver them to our grateful recipients! Interested in helping out? Contact Sofia Zaslavsky.
Tuesday Meals Program - A group from Beth Am is responsible for preparing and serving food at the Palo Alo Urban Ministry Tuesday meal at the Grace Lutheran Church in Palo Alto from 3:15 to 6 pm every 5 weeks. We have a core group, but can always use more help, both regular and substitutes. Teens are welcome. For questions or to volunteer, contact Wendy Sinton. Sunday Hot Meals Program Save these dates to help in the UMPA SUNDAY Soup Kitchen: 3/23, 4/27, 6/1, 7/6, 8/10 9/14, 10/19, 11/23, 12/28 Volunteers Needed - To sign up for a fun and rewarding afternoon, please contact project leader Carole Katz . Urban Ministry of Palo Alto (a division of INNVISION) Community Services Agency Emergency Housing Consortium Peninsula Interfaith Action Seder Sacks Support Network for Women Tzedakah Boxes We will continue to seek out low-overhead charities providing extraordinary service to the poor. Charities undergo careful scrutiny, including review of financial statement and on-site visits where possible. Personal checks, made payable to Congregation Beth Am, may be placed in the Tzedakah Boxes or mailed to the office. Donations made by check will be listed on you annual donor receipt. Information: Ellen Loebl. 2006 Tzedakah Box Report
Ukraine "Twinning" Congregation Click here to get a list of more than 50 area agencies that need your help
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