Time to Up our Tzedakah Efforts in the New Calendar Year!

Keeping Connected  January 2024

I hope everyone enjoyed the winter break and got to relax, spend time with family, eat yummy food, and practice a little Hebrew!

As we begin a new secular year, it feels like a good time to revisit our tzedakah projects for this year and hopefully engage more of our school and community in our tzedakah efforts.

There are several different projects going on each day, all around the idea of Shomrei Adama, being caretakers of the earth. Participate in one, two or all of these challenges as the year continues!

Plastic Recycling – As you may know, you can collect soft plastics from home, bag them up and place them in the big white bin in the entrance way of the temple. Plastic bags that you are recycling need to be bagged up into another bag for the collection. These donated bags are weighed each week and then dropped off at a donation facility. The bags will eventually be turned into more environmentally friendly building materials. We have been keeping track of how much plastic has been donated so far, and after 3 ½ months of collection, we have collected 71 pounds of plastic!

Tzedakah Money Donations – We are also collecting money to help fund the purchase of a piece of furniture made from the recycled plastics to add to our outdoor temple space.  As we collect money, the bench will fill up with brown pieces. When we have an entire bench, we will have enough money to purchase a Trex bench or rocking chair. People can simply donate money into the plastic bag that sits on the tzedakah table in the lobby. Keep an eye on the brown bench as our year continues.

Recycling Redeemable Cans and Bottles – We also have a new collection can in the kitchen at the end of the counter, behind the door. This new can is for congregants to donate empty and clean redeemable cans and bottles (no beer cans, please.) The can or bottle will say that it is redeemable in MA. A young student on the journey to become a B-Mitzvah is emptying the bin frequently, redeeming the cans and bottles at the grocery store for five cents apiece and then donating the collected money into our tzedakah bag. (Please note that this new can is just for redeemables. There is still a red bin in the kitchen for all other recyclables.)

We hope you can find ways to contribute to the tzedakah efforts at Congregation Shalom.

A little bit from everyone goes a long way! Let’s continue to work together to care for our earth by joining together with the work of Shomrei Adama.

Here’s to a healthy planet for all,

Deborah

 

Schedule for January 2024

  • Wednesday, January 3

            Hebrew School, 4:15pm – 6:00pm

  • Friday, January 5

            6:00pm – Family Shabbat Dinner – all school families are invited

            7:00pm – Family Shabbat – led by the 1st/2nd/3rd graders

  • Sunday, January 7

            Religious School, 9:00am – 11:00am

            5th grade parent meeting – 10:30am

            Kitah Aleph, 11:00am – 12:15pm

  • Wednesday, January 10

            Hebrew School, 4:15pm – 6:00pm

            Chai School, 6:15pm – 8:15pm

  • Sunday, January 14 – NO School due to MLKJr. weekend
  • Wednesday, January 17

            Hebrew School, 4:15pm – 6:00pm

            Chai School, 6:15pm – 8:15pm

  • Friday, January 16 – Tot Shabbat at 6:00pm
  • Sunday, January 21

            Religious School, 9:00am – 11:00am

            Bagels, Blocks and Beyond Playgroup – 9:00am – 10:30am

            Kitah Aleph, 11:00am – 12:15pm

  • Wednesday, January 24

             Hebrew School, 4:15pm – 6:00pm

            Chai School, 6:15pm – 8:15pm

  • Sunday, January 28

            Religious School, 9:00am – 11:00am

            Scheduled Parent/Teacher Conferences

            Kitah Aleph, 11:00am – 12:15pm

  • Wednesday, January 31

            Hebrew School, 4:15pm – 6:00pm

            Chai School, 6:15pm – 8:15pm