Tikkun Olam
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The congregation of Temple Emanu-El takes seriously its role in Tikkun Olam, repairing the world. To that end, members volunteer their time and resources to work with several local human service organizations.
The Temple is a founding member of Caring Congregations, a group that established Caring Days, an adult daycare program for persons with Alzheimer’s disease and other memory disorders. A Temple representative serves on the agency’s Board, and the Temple participates in several fundraising activities for the organization. Members of the congregation have taken responsibility for servicing a weekly route delivering food for the Meals on Wheels program, a component of the Community Service Program of West Alabama. This program provides a hot lunch to persons who are home-bound, or are unable to prepare meals for themselves. One morning a month, a group of Temple members spends several hours working at the Food Bank of West Alabama. This group is involved in packing meals that are sent home with area school children, to ensure they have enough to eat over the weekend, when they do not receive subsidized school lunches. At Yom Kippur, we make a special effort to collect food and funds for the food bank. Throughout the year, collection baskets at the Temple are available for in-kind donations to Caring Days, the West Alabama Food Bank, and Turning Point (a safe haven for victims of domestic violence). In addition, the Temple, the Sisterhood, and the Men’s Club, often organize special donations to these and other community organizations. The Temple is also a member of the Tuscaloosa Coalition Against Predatory Practices (T-CAPP). This organization of faith-based groups was formed to address the problems caused by the spread of payday lenders in the area, which create serious financial issues for low-income individuals in the community. |
S O C I A L C L U B S
Sisterhood
President: Qiaoli Liang
Vice President: Amy Ahmed Treasurer: Marianne Rosenzweig Recording Secretary: Tracy Kellner Corresponding Secretary: Emily Hoskins Parliamentarian: Pam DeWitt (past president) Past Presidents: Amy Ahmed, Ruth Applebaum, Pam DeWitt, Betty Jo Goldstein, Wendy Goldstein, Barbara Hood, Anna Singer, Marianne Rosenzweig, Adena Whitman Board of Directors: Betty Jo Goldstein, Shelli Lavender, Amy Rogers The Sisterhood of Temple Emanu-El was established in 1913 and affiliated with NFTS (now WRJ – Women of Reform Judaism), which also formed that year. 2013 marked the centennial milestone for both organizations. As a member of WRJ, our Sisterhood supports the YES fund (Youth, Education, and Special Projects) which helps to strengthen the institutions of our Reform Movement and ensure the future of Reform Judaism.
Within our own congregation, the Sisterhood fulfills many roles. We make a substantial contribution to the Religious School each year and provide camp scholarships for children to attend either Camp Jacobs or Camp Coleman in the summertime. The Sisterhood built the Toby S. Whitman Temple kitchen. We provide refreshments at the Rosh Hashanah Oneg and serve a full Yom Kippur Break-the-Fast meal for our congregants and Hillel students at no charge. Every year, in time for the High Holy Days, the Sisterhood compiles and produces the Yearbook (Temple directory). The telephone tree keeps congregants in the know of emergency situations, and we provide food and assistance for bereaved congregants. The major fundraiser for Sisterhood is the Jewish Deli Day, held in the spring each year. Orders are collected from local businesses and box lunches are prepared for delivery. Box lunches include a New York Corned Beef Sandwich on Rye, Slaw, Pickle, Chips and a Cookie. Many area businesses have participated in Deli Day since its inception, by treating employees to lunch on Deli Day. In the greater Tuscaloosa community, the Sisterhood is involved in several outreach programs. Temple Emanu-El is a “Caring Congregation” for Caring Days, a facility for adults with Alzheimer’s and memory disorders and their families. Sisterhood is committed to giving an annual contribution to the organization, and several Sisterhood members actively volunteer there. We also collect and deliver food for the West Alabama Food Bank and toiletries for Turning Point. Once a month, Sisterhood members visit the Food Bank and pack secret meals for children in need. For more information on volunteering for the Food Bank, please contact Roberta Weisberg at weisberg12@comcast.net. For more information on becoming involved with Sisterhood of Temple Emanu-El, please contact Qiaoli Liang (qiaoli07@gmail.com) or Amy Cole Ahmed (amyc.ahmed@gmail.com). |
Men's Club
President: Murray Silverstone
Vice-president: Greg Goldstein Treasurer: Allen Rosen Secretary: Ken DeWitt Alternate Secretary: Ridge Marriott Immediate Past President: Steven Schwab The Men’s Club of Temple Emanu-El of Tuscaloosa is an auxiliary organization whose purpose is to strengthen, promote, and advance the objectives and activities of the Temple Emanu-El congregation. We organize and participate in social and cultural activities designed to promote the Jewish interest and the commitment of the temple members, with the goal of instilling a more thorough knowledge and appreciation of the Jewish religion, traditions, and heritage among our members and the laypeople of the Temple, and to build ties with the greater Jewish community. We also seek to establish and maintain ongoing ties with the Jewish students at the University of Alabama, and to work with and assist the Sisterhood of Temple Emanu-El in fund-raising and other Jewish community related-activities.
Membership: Annual membership is currently $36 (double-chai) and any male who is interested in the activities of the Men’s Club and Temple Emanu-El shall be eligible for membership. Men's Club meets on the 3rd Sunday of every month. Please refer to the calendar for any possible changes. For more information on becoming involved with the Men’s Club of Temple Emanu-El, please contact Murray Silverstone (murraysilverstone@comcast.net). |