Donation Opportunities - Temple Initiatives
Come to a Chai
Society Musical Fundraiser:
"Broadway Show Tunes"
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
12:00 pm
Temple Jeremiah's Brotherhood and Sisterhood present a musical
fundraiser with the senior concert band, "New Horizons,"
playing the songs of the big bands.
Funds from this concert will go toward purchasing a compact
fire truck for Israel as part of the Jewish National Fund's
program on behalf of Israel's Fire and Rescue Services.

Give to the Jewish United Fund's Myanmar Cyclone
Relief Fund
Help the JUF provide humanitarian aid to the victims of the
devastating cyclone in southeast Asia. All proceeds will go
directly to the victims.
The Jewish Federation has established a secured Hotline -
312-444-2869 - where people can donate by leaving their name,
address, donation amount and credit card information.

Help the Victims of the Southern California Wild
Fires
The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) is coming to the aid of
the victims of California's recent wild fires. Click here
for more information about congregations in the affected regions
and to assist the victims of this catastrophe.

Brotherhood Scrips Sale to Fund
Social Action Projects
Brotherhood periodically sells Scrips - money/gift cards
- to finance such ventures as the Waukegan
Learning Kitchen project. The business donates a percentage
of the certificate value towards the social action project.

Ernie Bloch Memorial Tzedakah Box
The next time you are at temple, please give generously to
the Ernie Bloch Memorial Tzedakah Box located in the lobby.
Dedicated to the memory of long-time congregant Ernie Bloch
and his lifetime commitment to tzedakah, the box
provides donations to an array of charitable causes.
As noted on the box, "...do what is just and right in
the land. - Jeremiah 33:15"
May Donations - Will go to KESHET.
Founded in 1982, this organization provides educational, recreational
and vocational programs for children and young adults with
special needs.

Tzedakah Boxes
In keeping with the spirit of giving that exists in all of
us in the Temple Jeremiah family, the Social Action Committee
commissioned a series of three large white boxes in the temple
lobby. Each of these boxes has been adorned with an original
work of art, created by three members of our congregation.
Bring your food, toy and clothing donations every time you
come to temple.

Donation Opportunities - Regional Initiatives

MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger
MAZON distributes funds to millions of poor and hungry people
throughout the world.

Purchasing State of Israel Bonds is a way to show your commitment
and solidarity with Israel.

Hurricane Katrina Disaster
Relief
A variety of organizations are continuing to offer assistance
in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. In addition, learn about
Temple Jeremiah's relief efforts.

Save Darfur Now
Rabbi Greenberg is encouraging congregants and the public
at large to make donations and to write letters to their government
representatives, media and relief organizations to encourage
action be taken in response to the slaughter and famine taking
place in that country.
The Chicago Coalition
to Save Darfur is an alliance of faith-based, ethnic,
civic and student organizations dedicated to helping the people
of Darfur. Click here
to learn about a rally that took place in Chicago on May
1, 2006.

Donate
Your Cell Phones to SHALVA
Be part of this unique fundraising opportunity for SHALVA,
an agency fighting domestic abuse in Jewish homes. For every
cell phone you donate, SHALVA receives a cash donation which
goes directly toward their crisis counseling services.
|
 |
Volunteer Opportunities
In addition to the items below, see Temple
Volunteer Opportunities to learn about ways to get involved
in such activities as Temple Jeremiah's Volunteer Pool and
Mentor-A-Family Program.

Support Project Baseball
Monday, May 26, 2008
12:00 - 2:00 pm
Bronco Field, Glencoe
Don't have plans for Memorial Day? Then come to the 1st Annual
Baseball Family Day. The event will feature contests for the
entire family, great prizes, a talk by former pro Ross Baumgarten
and food from Grand Food Center. Spencer Michelson, a Jeremiah
student, organized the event to support JNF Project Baseball,
which builds baseball fields in Israel.
Learn more about Project
Baseball. For details about Baseball Family Day, contact
Spencer.

Social Action Committee
The temple's Social Action Committee is chaired by Mindy
Kurtz and Stephen and Barbara Miller. They organize the monthly
Feed the Homeless program
and numerous other social action initiatives. Click Social
Action to contact the committee.

Caring
Community
Do you have skills to share or comfort to give or do you
want to broaden your connections and relationships at Temple
Jeremiah? The Caring Community supports our members in times
of challenge and helps them to celebrate in times of joy.
For volunteer opportunities with the Caring Community, please
download this form.
Please RSVP and/or direct questions to Rabbi
Greenberg.

Feed the Homeless
Second Sunday of the month during the school year
October - April
10:00 - 11:15 am
Last Program for 2007/08:
Sunday, May 18, 2008
10:00 - 11:15 am
Join our dedicated corps of volunteers as they make and deliver
lunches to a homeless shelter in Chicago the second Sunday
of the month during the school year.

Feed-A-Family
The Social Action Committee, Brotherhood and Sisterhood,
in collaboration with The ARK, buy groceries and visit a needy
Jewish family. Volunteers are urgently needed.

Waukegan Schools Social Action
Waukegan Reading Project
Temple Jeremiah is engaged in an ongoing effort to help the
Waukegan School District.
Contact Sheila Schlaggar
to learn about volunteer reading projects for Waukegan school
children.
Waukegan Learning
Kitchen
Help Wanted:
Friday, May 16, 2008
9:15 - 11:45 am or 1:00 - 3:30 pm
Waukegan EPIC Pre-School
The Social Action Committee is looking for volunteers to
help at Waukegan EPIC Pre-School's Learning Kitchen on Friday,
May 16 during the school's carnival. This is a great opportunity
to see the kitchen, meet the students and families and lend
a hand at the carnival. Click above to learn how you can help.
Temple Jeremiah was involved in a year-long project to build
the learning kitchen. Click above to see photos of a recent
renovation project in which the temple participated.

School
Social Action
A new group has formed for congregrants who want to bring
social action projects to the school. Click above to learn
about upcoming and past school social action projects.
InterAct
This program, led by Rabbi C. Michelle Greenberg, is designed
to help post-Confirmation students - high school through college
- to develop their leadership skills through social justice,
social action and peer cooperation.

Youth Group Social Action
High School Youth Group (JeTY)
participates in a monthly Social Action project. Contact
Youth Groups for further information.

Operation Hero Miles
Created in October, 2003, Operation Hero Miles gives ordinary
citizens an extraordinary opportunity to help our military
troops - by donating unused frequent flyer miles to our soldiers
and their families.
The program allows troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan
to fly home on leave for free. It also provides free plane
tickets to family members of wounded service men and women
so they can visit their loved ones recovering at military
hospitals across the country.
Please click on to Operation
Hero Miles to find out how you help.

Volunteer with TOV
If you're looking to make a difference, the Jewish United
Fund/Jewish Federation Volunteer Network's Tikkun Olam Volunteers
(TOV) will link you with various agencies and community service
projects, including the JUF Uptown Café and local nursing
homes and Jewish Community Centers. For more information,
contact the TOV Hotline at 312-357-4762 or TOV.

Mentor A Child
For information about mentoring opportunities in your area,
contact the Community Resource Network at 800-725-5314 or
log on Volunteer.
|
 |
Social Action News
Jewish Child & Family Services
This organization offers a wide range of programs and services
as well as volunteer opportunities.

Temple Jeremiah
- One of United Way's "Celebrated Volunteers"
Temple Jeremiah was recognized as a "Celebrated Volunteer"
at the United Way of Lake County's Annual Meeting in May,
2007 for its work on behalf of the Waukegan School District.

Sister City -
Yerevan, Armenia
Temple Jeremiah has adopted the Jewish community
of Yerevan, Armenia in the former Soviet Union as its Sister
City.
We are involved in helping this impoverished town out in
a variety of ways. The 1500 Jewish families who live in Yerevan
depend on our financial support for survival. For further
information, contact Rabbi
Michelle Greenberg.

The Penny Project
Over 100,000 Pennies Collected
Temple Jeremiah collected over 100,000 pennies as part of
its Penny Project. The project was held over a period of one
year in commemoration of Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance
Day. The pennies serve as a reminder of the six million people
who perished in the Holocaust.
The temple presented the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education
Center with a check for $1800 at its Israel
Extravaganza on April 27.
 |
Temple
Jeremiah students with the penny cannisters |
The Penny Project was modeled after the Paper
Clips Project created by Whitwell Middle School in Tennessee.
Whitwell Middle School’s goal was to collect 6 million
paper clips to help students visualize the number of Jewish
victims of the Holocaust. This project was later documented
in a film.

Pathway
Awareness Foundation Recognizes Temple Jeremiah
Temple Jeremiah is the recipient of Pathway Awareness Foundation's
2006 Open Hearts Award, which recognizes Chicago area houses
of worship for providing access and inclusion in their worship
programs.

Interfaith Housing Center
of the Northern Suburbs Homesharing Program
Are you looking for affordable housing or someone to help
with your expenses so you can keep your current housing? For
over 20 years the Interfaith Housing Center of the Northern
Suburbs has been confidentially and professionally matching
people in cost-effective shared housing arrangements.
Homesharing helps lower income seniors, the newly divorced,
widowed, unemployed and underemployed in the northern suburbs
keep their residences while providing housing to those seeking
to live closer to their jobs, schools or families. Rents can
range from a nominal amount in exchange for services to about
$500 a month.
This service is free of charge. For more information, email
Jacqueline
Grossmann or call her at 847-501-5732, x401.
You can access additional information on homesharing and
Interfaith Housing Center's fair and affordable housing advocacy
programs by logging on to www.interfaithhousingcenter.org.
Click here to see
their latest homesharing flyer. In addition, click here
to view the center's new 40-second public service announcement
on homesharing.

Northfield Township Food Pantry
Thanks to the generous donations of our congregants and the
support of community organizations, the Northfield Township
Food Pantry is able to distribute groceries and clothes to
many of our less fortunate neighbors in the northern suburbs.

North American Conference on
Ethiopian Jewry
During the 2003/04 school year, Temple Jeremiah made Ethiopian
Jewry a focus of its social action campaign.
With the help of school children, parents and the congregation
at large, the temple hosted the Midwest premier of a photo
exhibit on Ethiopian Jewry by famed photographer Win Robins,
sold Ethiopian-made products, heard presentations from activists,
including NACOEJ founder Barbara Ribakove Gordon, and held
an Ethiopian Shabbat.
These efforts culminated in 2005, when Temple Jeremiah received
the prestigious Irving J. Fain Award for Excellence in Social
Justice Programming in recognition of its work on behalf of
Ethiopian Jews.
|