With help from each of you, and the support and guidance of the incredible Westchester Reform Temple clergy and staff, together we are weaving a thread of tzedek and tikkun olam throughout the tapestry of Jewish life at WRT.
Through this blog, Repairing Our World, I explore ways in which WRT is making and can continue to make this world a better place.
B’yachad, doing things as one, we make a bigger difference,
Sharon Stiefel
WRT Director of Social Impact and Community Engagement
June 29, 2023
A Rainbow Of Hope
As the month of June comes to an end, I cannot help but feel a bit contemplative. For those of us, like myself, with school aged children, June can feel like an end – the end of school, graduation celebrations, seeing children off to sleepaway camp. But June is also a month of inspiration. It is a time when we celebrate Pride, D-Day, Juneteenth, and Israel’s independence. These are celebrations of liberation, of freedom, and of hope.
I decided to look up what other days are celebrated in June. I learned that we have a Hug Holiday, National Eclair Day, Global Beatles Day, and National Ice Cream Cake day – to name a few. While I am always one for a good celebration, and even better if it has a theme and a name, have we gone too far? In a participation trophy era, is it exorbitant to make a day for everything, including Ugliest Dog Day and Cooking with Parchment Day? Do we dilute the meaning of significant events like Pride and Juneteenth, by including the rest? Or is celebration for the sake of celebrating a way to honor all the colors in the rainbow, and bring us a bit closer together?
I had the opportunity to attend my first Juneteenth Shabbat at WRT. For those of you who are not familiar or have not yet attended (I say not yet, because everyone should attend if able), Greater Centennial AME Zion Church joins WRT in song, prayer, and presence. Dr. Rev. Pogue and the choir lifted us up with words and music. And by a stroke of coincidence, Rev. Pogue had just returned from an American Jewish Council trip to Israel.
Both Rev. Pogue and Rabbi Blake encouraged us to get out of our comfort zone and work together toward a more united world. Rev. Pogue reminded us that while we will certainly discover many similarities amongst people of different creeds, cultures, religions, abilities, and gender identities, we should also celebrate and learn about our differences.
Of course, Rev. Pogue is correct, because we are all different, and in our uniqueness we will make this world a more beautiful and colorful place. Each moment, each difference, each similarity, and each triumph should be celebrated.
May 30, 2023
Mitzvah Fair 2023 Brought the Light
On May 21, WRT brought back Mitzvah Day with a new name, a new look and a new concept. The theme was Bring More Light into the World, and WRT welcomed many local and regional non profit organizations onto its campus to promote their work, encourage our members to sign up for subsequent Mitzvah Days at their own facilities, and to participate in hands on activities at WRT.
The day was inspiring. First the rain held out. For anyone who has ever planned an outdoor event, this may be a miracle in and of itself. I myself refused to look at a single wedding venue that promoted its outdoor space above its indoor space.
Aside from the sunshine, the learning, the music, the laughter, the action, and the community was the real inspiration. Whether it was the children inside the social hall decorating a Pride sign (later displayed outside the Sanctuary in celebration of Pride Month) or making and packing sandwiches for HOPE Community Services, the vibe was one of “doing.” The tent was filled with conversation and exchanges of ideas between congregants and local organizations. And the whole area was alive because of the music of Black Shabbos and Hot Lunch (bands with our very own WRT Members Greg Alkalay, Gregg fisher, Micahel Gorelick, Adam Hellegers, Eric Sheffler, and Karen Sheffler).
A highlight for many was the pie in the face. WRT President Warren Haber, Rabbi Sasha Baken, and Rabbi Leah Citrin went above and beyond allowing themselves to be Pied in the Face in exchange for donations to Afya Foundation, RAC-NYC Environmental Justice, and Feeding Westchester.
I think I speak for everyone when I say that although there was plenty of food and knowledge, everyone who attended left a little lighter knowing that we could make an impact in this world.
Please browse the entire MItzvah Fair Program to learn more about the day and the participating organizations. If you are interested in getting involved in next year’s Mitzvah Fair, please email sharon.stiefel@wrtemple.org.
February 16, 2023
Extending Our Blessings
hen my first child was born, like many first-time parents, I was worried about so many different things. Would I be successful at breastfeeding? Would I know what my child’s different cries meant? Did I make the right choice in paint color for the nursery? What would it feel like when my husband returned to work and I remained home on maternity leave?
I never had to worry about whether I had enough money to buy diapers. While I cried along with my son every time he wet his diaper, which meant that on some nights my husband and I changed his diaper as much as 6-8 times, I recognize that this ability to change so many diapers was a privilege not shared by all.
Did you know that SNAP benefits (formerly known as “food stamps”) do not cover the cost of diapers?
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, disposable diapers for the first year of a baby’s life will cost a family close to $1,000. The estimate here in Westchester County, according to 914Cares, is closer to around $1,200 per year. In addition, since many daycares require a baby to have at least a one-day supply of diapers, if a family cannot provide, it could mean loss of pay for each day of work the child cannot be at childcare, or potentially the loss of a job.
New parenthood is difficult for everyone. But lacking the ability to provide your baby with basic necessities is an especially unfair and inequitable difficulty. Torah instructs that we should take the first fruit of our harvest and offer a portion of it to G-d in thanks. In other words, we are asked to give thanks for what we have by sharing our resources with others.
February 16, 2023
Extending Our Blessings
When my first child was born, like many first-time parents, I was worried about so many different things. Would I be successful at breastfeeding? Would I know what my child’s different cries meant? Did I make the right choice in paint color for the nursery? What would it feel like when my husband returned to work and I remained home on maternity leave?
I never had to worry about whether I had enough money to buy diapers. While I cried along with my son every time he wet his diaper, which meant that on some nights my husband and I changed his diaper as much as 6-8 times, I recognize that this ability to change so many diapers was a privilege not shared by all.
Did you know that SNAP benefits (formerly known as “food stamps”) do not cover the cost of diapers?
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, disposable diapers for the first year of a baby’s life will cost a family close to $1,000. The estimate here in Westchester County, according to 914Cares, is closer to around $1,200 per year. In addition, since many daycares require a baby to have at least a one-day supply of diapers, if a family cannot provide, it could mean loss of pay for each day of work the child cannot be at childcare, or potentially the loss of a job.
New parenthood is difficult for everyone. But lacking the ability to provide your baby with basic necessities is an especially unfair and inequitable difficulty. Torah instructs that we should take the first fruit of our harvest and offer a portion of it to G-d in thanks. In other words, we are asked to give thanks for what we have by sharing our resources with others.
As has become tradition at Westchester Reform Temple, the first Tot Shabbat of 2023 was designated for offering blessings to the newest members of our WRT family: all babies born in 2022. This year, we extended our blessings by supporting those in need by collecting diapers and baby wipes for the 914 Cares Diaper Bank.
Because of the generosity of the WRT ECC community, we were able to donate approximately 5,500 diapers and 4,350 wipes. Thank you, WRT community, for your outpouring of support!
To learn more about what you can do to help new parents provide basic essential needs for their babies, visit https://www.914cares.org/all-things-baby/.
