SOCIAL ACTION
Chevrei Tzedek emphasizes the centrality of Tikkun Olam, repairing the world, to Judaism. Our commitment to social action and justice flows organically from our Founding Principles. It's a fitting tribute to our name.
Ongoing projects include:
See photos below and on the Chevrei in Action page.
Ongoing projects include:
- Tikkun Olam projects tied to holidays, such as a canned food drive during Yom Kippur, Purim Mishloach Manot baskets for residents of Weinberg Woods, a senior living community, and bags of school supplies for Baltimore City schoolchildren. Our youth organize a yearly Mitzvahthon to raise funds for, purchase, and deliver toys and other items to needy families. The Jewish Times wrote an article in 2019 about our wonderful annual Mitzvathon tradition.
- Educational programs and advocacy opportunities related to social justice issues, such as reproductive rights (Repro Shabbat and more), immigration issues, environmental justice, paid medical leave, and support for the LGBTQ+ community.
- Cosponsorship of a variety of community programs, including MLK weekend, an LGBTQ+ Seder, and more.
- Partnership in Neighborhood Sun, which provides community members with the opportunity to designate solar power as their home energy source, without any equipment needed.
- Chevrei Tzedek was a member of the Green Synagogue Initiative, a project of THE ASSOCIATED’s Sustainability Initiative Committee, and had a representative appointed to the Baltimore Jewish Environmental Network . Chevrei Tzedek signed BJEN’s Green Synagogue Covenant of Commitment in 2009 and has offered educational programs focused on greening our congregation, neighborhoods, and homes. We continue to work to find more environmentally sustainable ways to provide refreshments at our kiddushes and programs.
- Pre- covid, we were able to participate in the following programs:
- Monthly volunteering at Real Food Farms including such activities as mulching, harvesting, weeding, and painting. We usually work at the Perlman Place location (more information below).
- We provide Christmas morning breakfast for the women living at the Christ Lutheran Church shelter.
See photos below and on the Chevrei in Action page.
Real Food Farm!
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Real Food Farm (www.realfoodfarm.org) is an urban farm that sells its fruits and vegetables to people who live in food deserts. Chevrei Tzedek volunteers monthly at the Farm. We enjoy mulching, harvesting, weeding, painting and other activities, usually at the Perlman Place location.
Come join us! Contact Becky Pearlman (rebecca_pearlman@yahoo.com) for more information. Directions to Real Food Farm at Perlman Place: (If you are using a GPS, plug in "1950 Perlman Place".) Take I-83 south. Exit at North Avenue and turn left on North Avenue (i.e.--head East). After 2.1 miles, turn left onto Perlman Place (a very tiny street!). Real Food Farm's sign and toolshed are up ahead on the right. Real Food Farm's Mission: Real Food Farm works toward a just and sustainable food system by improving neighborhood access to healthy food, providing experience-based education, and developing an economically viable, environmentally responsible local agriculture sector. For more information visit www.realfoodfarm.org. |
Real Food Farm
Chevrei's own teen, Eli, filmed and edited the above video of Chevrei Tzedek's first experience at Real Food Farm.
MLK Civics Works Day
Greetings,
I want to extend a heartfelt and very impressed THANK YOU to all of the volunteers who showed up on Monday to honor MLK Day with a day of service!
Over 130 people showed up to work with Civic Works on what was the coldest day of the year so far! And many more volunteered with our partners The 6th Branch and Re-Build Johnston Square.
With your help, we cleaned up 3 huge vacant lots, built a 70 foot long rubble wall, smashed up huge pieces of concrete that had been dumped on the site, created and hung a string of colorful flags out of recycled materials, dug up old stumps, spread compost, removed invasive plants, cleaned out a garage, pulled rubble out of the ground, and filled up an entire dumpster with trash and debris. Other volunteers created yarn pompoms to hang on the city's fruit trees, served food to people experiencing homelessness, and knocked on doors to educate residents about solar energy.
I was so moved to see so many people come together for a common cause, and loved seeing volunteers smiling and getting to know each other while working so hard. Thank you to Charm City Farms, the Choice Program, the Lillian Jones Apartment Building, the Johnston Square community as a whole, and Paul's Place for being such gracious hosts.
With the help of people like you, our beloved city will only continue to shine and grow.
Thank you!
Jenny Katz
Volunteer Coordinator
I want to extend a heartfelt and very impressed THANK YOU to all of the volunteers who showed up on Monday to honor MLK Day with a day of service!
Over 130 people showed up to work with Civic Works on what was the coldest day of the year so far! And many more volunteered with our partners The 6th Branch and Re-Build Johnston Square.
With your help, we cleaned up 3 huge vacant lots, built a 70 foot long rubble wall, smashed up huge pieces of concrete that had been dumped on the site, created and hung a string of colorful flags out of recycled materials, dug up old stumps, spread compost, removed invasive plants, cleaned out a garage, pulled rubble out of the ground, and filled up an entire dumpster with trash and debris. Other volunteers created yarn pompoms to hang on the city's fruit trees, served food to people experiencing homelessness, and knocked on doors to educate residents about solar energy.
I was so moved to see so many people come together for a common cause, and loved seeing volunteers smiling and getting to know each other while working so hard. Thank you to Charm City Farms, the Choice Program, the Lillian Jones Apartment Building, the Johnston Square community as a whole, and Paul's Place for being such gracious hosts.
With the help of people like you, our beloved city will only continue to shine and grow.
Thank you!
Jenny Katz
Volunteer Coordinator
