May 23, 2013   14 Sivan 5773
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Social Action Sundays  

SAS: Social Action Sundays

Many of the JRC parents spend the two hours of Sunday religious school waiting at or near the temple.  Why not spend Sunday mornings helping the community and getting to know each other at the same time?  We meet every other week to make casseroles to feed clients at the Durham Rescue Mission or Urban Ministries or to make blankets for traumatized children for Project Linus. 

 

Click here to check out our brochure.

 

If you would like to attend and/or donate ingredients, please contact Jen Richmond-Bryant: jenbillike@gmail.comIf you plan to donate a food item, please state which ingredient and quantity if you plan to bring something.

 

Want to make a casserole and drop it off (during office hours)? Click here for the recipe. 

Social Action work  

GleaningI the Eternal One have called you to righteousness  — Gates of Prayer

At the heart of our social action work is a commitment to bring into practice the core social justice values of Judaism and to pursue tikkun olam — ‘repairing the world’— through individual and group action. The Social Action Committee offers projects in two important areas: Tzedakah, emergency relief for the most needy members of our community, and Tzedek, social advocacy projects which address root causes of injustice, inequality and environmental distress.

We are guided by the principles of Reform Judaism, the expertise of the Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism, and the URJ’s Commission on Social Action. We also work to build relationships with other faith communities in support of our common desire to create a more peaceful, more just world. The Social Action Committee welcomes new members and invites you to share ideas, know-how, and experiences to help us deepen and broaden our social justice work.

Community Advocacy  

In 2004, Judea Reform joined Durham C.A.N. (Congregations Associations and Neighborhoods) — a broad-based, interfaith and ecumenical coalition that brings people and their institutional networks together to create positive, non-violent change around issues that impact the whole of our community. Durham C.A.N. is a vehicle for people of all backgrounds and experiences, regardless of faith tradition, income or where your neighborhood is, to unite for the common good of Durham. Durham C.A.N. is a member of the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF), and plans are underway to create a sister organization in Chapel Hill/Orange County. To learn more, click here.

Committee on Public Policy Positions

In 2007, an ad-hoc committee was formed to study and make recommendations regarding Judea Reform taking positions on matters of public policy. The committee presented a formal proposal to the Board of Trustees which was accepted in the fall of 2007. When committees and members wish for Judea Reform to take a stand for a particular position, the process recommended by the ad-hoc committee is to be followed.

To download a PDF of the report of the Committee on Public Policy Positions, click here.

Program Bank  

Yearly Tzedakah Projects: The Social Action Committee coordinates recurring relief and social action projects which rely on contributions from many congregants. Some of our successful activities include: preparation of Community Kitchen dinners each month, gleaning farms for produce to donate to the Food Bank, collections for the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur food drive, Meals on Wheels at Christmas, purchasing and promoting Equal Exchange Coffee, and raising money through participation in the Crop Walk.

One -Time Events and Partnerships: The Social Action Committee organizes and participates in a variety of one-time events. Recent activities include helping to build a Habitat for Humanity Home, participating in the March for Women's Lives, and hosting number of guest speakers. Our most recent speakers were Professor Trina Jones of Duke Law School, who gave a rousing and inspirational lecture on "The quest for Integration: Reflections on Bronw v. board of Education at Fifty," and Gerald Taylor, Southeast Regional Director of the Industrial Areas foundation, who spoke on the renowned social activist Saul Alinsky. We look forward to hosting former senator John Miller, who will speak to us about slavery at our Levin-Moscovitz lecture later this spring.


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