Your Tikkun Olam Committee encourages your active support and participation with the following activities. Please read The Shofar and the weekly Shofar Blasts for more information concerning all of these projects.
Interfaith Volunteer Service Day – Interfaith Service Festival 2025
Sunday, September 21st – 12:00 noon – 4:00pm
This year at St. John Vianney Church, 300 Capt. Thomas Blvd., in West Haven
Please join with others from Temple Emanuel and those from other congregations and faiths for an interfaith day of service and fun. This is a perfect hands-on Tikkun Olam activity for family participation. For more information, go to the sponsoring organization’s website at www.IWagePeace.org &/or contact Rachel Suchoff and Jean Silk, TE Coordinators
4th Annual Reverse Tashlich (A Rosh Hashanah tradition)
Sunday, September 28th
Partner with “Repair the Sea” and “Save the Sound” to remove litter from our local beaches. This is a perfect hands-on Tikkun Olam activity for family participation.
Rebecca Cohen, Karen Fenichel, and Adam Spiewak, Coordinators
32nd Annual High Holy Days Food Drive
September 22nd – October 14th (Through the Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot holidays).
Donate non-perishable food to be distributed to the food pantries of both the Jewish Family Service (JFS) and the Town of Orange. Monetary donations can also be sent directly to these two food pantries. Let’s help those in need right here in our own communities. As the Torah teaches, “If one fails to share G-d’s bounty with the poor, the observance of the festival would be unacceptable.”
Will Sherman, Coordinator
23rd Annual Thanksgiving Frozen Turkey and Pie Collection
October 27 – November 16 (Pre-Thanksgiving)
Donate frozen turkey breasts (NO whole turkeys please), pies, & all the “fixins” to be delivered to the Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen (DESK). Let’s surpass last year’s collection of 93 turkey breasts and help make Thanksgiving special for those in need.
Jeffrey Levinson, Coordinator
Religious School Chanukah Baskets Project – Sunday, December 14
Donations collected December 5 – 14
Toys, books, games, clothing, gift cards, and personal hygiene/care objects to be donated to JFS, r’Kids Family Center, Fair Haven Community Health Center, JCARR, and Fellowship Place.
Maddy Sussman, Olga Markus, and the Religious School students, staff, and parents
Abraham’s Tent
At some point during December – February(Dates to be determined)
As this is still a work in progress, some activity will be created to help support the Columbus House Homeless Shelter. This activity may also be coupled with a monetary collection to benefit Columbus House and all their programs.
Barb Levine-Ritterman and Lee Stolzman, Coordinators
Mishloach Manot and Diaper Drive
February 1st – March 1st
The mitzvah of giving Mishloach Manot is derived from the Book of Esther which enjoins the Jewish people to send portions of food to one another and gifts to the poor. As in the past, TE will distribute a selection of Purim treats and we will continue our tradition of collecting diapers and monetary donations to support The Connecticut Diaper Bank.
Michelle Bailey, Rochelle Kanell, and Rise’ Siegel, Coordinators for the Diaper Drive
Beth-El Pasta Collection
Purim, March 2nd – 4th
Both the Religious School children and the adult Megillah reading participants will again use boxes of pasta as groggers to drown out the name of Haman during the Purim service. The pasta will then be donated to the Beth-El Homeless Shelter & Soup Kitchen in Milford. A pasta collection box will be available in the lobby.
Nancy Weber, Coordinator
Religious School Purim Mitzvah Project
Purim, Wednesday, March 4th
“Blessing Bags” with notes from the Religious School children containing personal hygiene/care objects will be donated to the homeless program of Fellowship Place. “Welcome baskets” will be donated to Columbus House. These projects are sponsored by the Tzedakah Fund collected by the Religious School students.
Olga Markus and the Religious School students, staff, and parents
In addition to all the above Tikkun Olam Projects, members of Temple Emanuel are actively involved in a variety of additional activities and we urge your active support and participation with the following:
Jewish Community Alliance for Refugee Resettlement (JCARR)
JCARR is a partnership of five local synagogues and the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven. For the past eleven years JCARR has helped welcome, relocate, and settle a number of refugee families from around the world. Your ongoing support and assistance in a variety of ways is both sought and greatly appreciated.
Rochelle Kanell, TE Coordinator
Congregations Organized for a New Connecticut (CONECT)
Keeping within our Jewish values of “Justice, justice you shall pursue,” CONECT is an organization devoted to social and economic justice, gun violence and health insurance issues, police reform, and immigration rights. CONECT is currently seeking a Temple Emanuel liaison. Please contact the President if you’re interested.
Beth-El Homeless Shelter & Soup Kitchen (in Milford)
In addition to a variety of collections, volunteers from TE prepare and serve dinner on the first Tuesday of every month. This is a great hands-on activity. Please consider volunteering.
Nancy Weber and Rachel Suchoff, Coordinators