Social Action Committee - Year-End Report 2005-2006/5766

Because its mission involves working to solve problems, Social Action is always facing challenges. This past year we were faced with two challenges that could have derailed our entire program.  It is testimony to the dedication of a group of congregants that it didn’t.

The first challenge was the situation in Darfur and the second was the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.  These two challenges epitomized the double prong focus of Social Action: advocacy and relief.

The work that we started before Passover in 2005 to change conditions in Darfur continued throughout this past year.  During the summer, Corey Friedlander and Geoff Mitelman made Darfur the theme of a service that they led during the Weekend of Prayer and Reflection for the People of Darfur. Rabbi Billy made it the focus of his Rosh Hashanah sermon – and we had a Darfur display at the entrance to the tent. We participated in the Dolls for Darfur and Green Bracelet campaigns to provide relief for the refugees and advocate for peace in Darfur. We conducted campaigns to pass the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act.  We sent a delegation to meet with Congresswoman Nita Lowey to thank her for becoming a House co-sponsor of that legislation.  When Congresswoman Lowey wanted to address a group prior to the April 30 Darfur rally in Washington, DC, she came to Woodlands (that event was attended by members of congregations throughout the county).  We sent two buses to the rally in Washington and continue to lead on this issue.  Currently, we are involved in 30 Days for Darfur, the RAC initiative to visit the consulates/embassies of every NATO and African Union nation.

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita required enormous relief efforts and we have been involved in a number of them – from fundraising and collections of goods to participating in URJ relief programs to adopting two families to holiday toy drives (the last two under the leadership of Shelli Katz) to the Westchester UJA Federation’s Louisiana Purchase project, just concluded. The problem in providing this relief was in making sure that our usual relief efforts – such as the High Holy Day Hunger Drive and Food of the Month – as well as subsequent emergencies such as October’s earthquake in Kashmir (with a collection led by Chuck Murov), were not shortchanged.

In the course of trying to figure out how we could be most helpful to hurricane victims, we deepened our relationship with Westhab (already a recipient of our food drives) by selling their Top Chefs Soups, a project that allows women living in their shelters to develop good work skills.

The focus of our Abayudaya program has moved from basic water and electricity to literacy and encouragement of economic development. Our Books for Girls program, under the direction of Jeanne Bodin, collects books that we send to the young Abayudaya women (along with discussion questions). We have been the leading congregation in the sale of Mirembe Kawomera coffee, grown by a cooperative of Jewish, Muslim and Christian coffee farmers in Uganda, and we are now working to form a buying group with several other congregations in the county – this will enable us to save on shipping costs.

Our involvement in Mirembe Kawomera coffee developed into a consideration of all Fair Trade Coffee. The Social Action Committee passed a resolution on this subject that we sent to the Board of Trustees for their consideration.

Our traditional Midnight Run program has focused on Breakfast Runs this year (with just one nighttime run).  This change reflects the oversubscription that Midnight Run Inc. is having for Saturday night runs and the increased opportunity that breakfast runs provide for interacting with the people we serve.

On a very local level, we participated in Walk the Walk to raise funds for the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at the Westchester County Medical Center.

We started a new project this year, Had Gadya – to purchase a Woodlands goat to send to a subsistence farming family through Heifer International.  This program has met such enthusiasm that we are continuing it as on on-going project (at least for the time being).

Another new project was participation in the Overcoming the Odds Awards presented by Student Advocacy, Inc. to 4 students for overcoming formidable obstacles while achieving scholastic success.  This project was brought to us by Karen Blumenthal; Social Action provided the funds; and WoodSY selected a gift certificate for each of the 4 students based on their understanding of what the individual student could use. We also collaborated with WoodSY on the High Holy Day Hunger Drive – their role was invaluable and we hope that we can count on it for the coming year.

Our collaboration with the religious school continued this year, with us each lending support to the other’s projects.  Particular mention should be made of the sixth graders and their teachers.  The sixth graders were the first grade in which each student completed 6 mitzvot for our Mitzvah Puzzle.  On the day of the Darfur Rally, they spent the school time learning about the genocide in Darfur and writing letters to President Bush and other government officials.  They were also very strong supporters of the Had Gadya project – purchasing a water buffalo (a very major purchase), along with some other animals. And, Social Action, under the leadership of Lesli Cattan, facilitated the making of Thanksgiving Dinner by the Confirmation Class for the residents of a shelter in Valhalla. Our collection of quarters for meals for the Falasha Mura awaiting aliyah in Ethiopia was strongly supported by the religious school, with their tzedakah collection providing the larger portion of the funds Woodlands sent. 

This year, we continued the collaboration we started last year with Chesed Caring Community and cosponsored with them a program on Medicare Part D (special thanks to Arthur Pell), a two-part symposium on the “sandwich generation” (special thanks to Lesli Cattan) and a program on advocating for children with special learning needs (special thanks to Rochelle Stolzenberg).

Established programs continue thanks to the leadership of a dedicated group of congregants:

Abayudaya - Jeanne Bodin, Roberta Roos

ARCS Thanksgiving Turkey Drive - Roberta Roos

Blood Drive - Chuck Bauer

Chemo Caps - Dawn Gayor

Children’s Village Visits & Programs - Diana and Henry Asher – with additional support from Al Meirowitz and the Donocoff family

Children’s Village Holiday Gifts - Jeanne Bodin

Children’s Village Books for Boys - Pam Allyn

Ecology - Maggie Carrel and Frank Hariton

Food of the Month - Diane Adler, Sandi Lieb-Geiger, Cherie Sapan

Greenburgh Interfaith Caring Community - Michael Hess, Roberta and Lloyd Roos

Hats for the Homeless - Dotty Miller

High Holy Day Food Drive - Our Food of the Month Team with invaluable support from WoodSY

Let’s Read book drive for kids in NYC Schools - Gloria Falk and Ann Zeliger

Midnight Run - Nighttime runs: Wendy Eliezer; Breakfast runs: Caryn Donocoff and Jane Wachs (with a big boost from the Sapan family)

Project Ezra - Luncheon: Mickey Milbauer and Sandi Lieb-Geiger; Passover Food Drive: Cherie Sapan

Share the Knowledge - Maxine Howard

Shelter Desserts - Joyce Bluestone

Shelter Dinners - Caryn Donocoff

Troops - Chuck Murov

While specific individuals may be responsible for specific programs, these programs only work because of a whole group of people who are dedicated to the concept of tikkun olam. We are very pleased that our committee has been joined this year by three teenagers.  Members of the Social Action Committee are: Diane Adler, Pam Allyn, Diana and Henry Asher, Marion Asnes, Karen Blumenthal, Jeanne Bodin, Sharon Camlic, Maggie Carrell, Danielle Cattan, Lesli Cattan, Alana Donocoff, Caryn Donocoff, Wendy Eliezer, Dayle Fligel, Frank Hariton, Shelli Katz, Andrea Kott-Parens, Sandi Lieb-Geiger, Al Meirowitz, Mickey Milbauer, Lloyd Roos, Roberta Roos, Cherie Sapan, Marina Sapan, and Jane Wachs. Although Rabbi Billy is not technically a member of our committee, we could not have accomplished what we did this year without his support and inspiration.

Respectfully submitted

Roberta Roos, Chairperson

May 17, 2006