The Reform Temple of Rockland Social Action Committee is designed to encourage wide-scale congregant participation in tikkun olam. This effort builds on a long-standing commitment to community service that is woven into the fabric of our congregation. We inspire action by providing education about the Jewish imperative to fix the world, about the ongoing needs within our community and the world, and the ongoing opportunities for gemilut chasadim – acts of loving kindness. We aid those in need and the organizations that serve them – the homeless, the hungry, the elderly, our brothers and sisters in Israel and other countries, the working poor and immigrants in Rockland County, our own congregants, and the environment. And, we respond in times of emergency.
The key to the success of our efforts is collaboration between many Temple committees and our partnerships with several organizations also working to heal the world. The organizations have included United Way of Rockland County, People to People, Meals on Wheels, the East Ramapo School District, Rockland County Department of Social Services, Center for Safety and Change, Montefiore/Nyack Hospital, the Nyack Homeless Project, Rockland Lake State Park, Keep Rockland Beautiful, Helping Hands, Jewish Family Services, Rhoda Bloom Kosher Food Pantry, New York Blood Center, Proyecto Faro, IDF soldiers, Rockland Interfaith Social Action, and others. In creating these partnerships, we aid our local and international communities and pave the way for congregants to pursue meaningful ongoing mitzvot.
We receive substantial coverage from the local press, providing recognition for the Temple, reinforcing our continued relationships, and educating about the needs addressed by our work.
Ongoing opportunities for mitzvot include:
Rhoda Bloom Kosher Food Pantry: Annually, our congregation collects food at Yom Kippur and donates money to the Pantry. Each month, in conjunction with Jewish Family Services and other Jewish congregations in the County, RTR congregants can
help assemble and distribute food packages to those in need in Rockland’s Jewish and non-Jewish communities.
Keeping Our Neighbors Warm: We collect gently used and professionally cleaned winter coats and new gloves and hats for the Rockland County Department of Social Services. The clothes are distributed to residents using the County’s Warming Center and/or working with the Department’s Children or Adult Services units. Children’s winter gear is also donated to elementary schools in the East Ramapo School District. We provide new sweatshirts, sweatpants, T-shirts, and personal hygiene products to homeless young adults in the community.
Back to School with Dignity: As part of our continuing collaboration with the East Ramapo School District, we collect school supplies to help its low-income and immigrant families.