Tikkun Olam Direct
By Miriam H. Bent, Editor, JCN
It is an idea that resonates with today’s mind set. Instant results. Instant gratification. Identify a problem and solve it … now.
Women’s Division Outreach Vice President
Bobbie Rosenberg heard of the concept
from her daughter-in-law. A woman in
Jackson, Michigan, heard that cribs were
needed for low income families, because
babies sleeping in their parents’ beds
were being smothered accidentally by
their parents when the parents turned in
their sleep. The woman inquired of
Social Services, “How many do you need?”
and was told 30. She added up the cost
in her mind and felt that if she could
get 100 women to give $100 each, the
cribs could be purchased. With no
publicity beyond word of mouth, she and
her friends and friends of friends
quickly amassed the 100 women. The money
was raised and the cribs purchased.
But this was not the end of the story.
The women felt so good about their
“instant” accomplishment that they
wanted to continue the process ... and
they have. They now number in the
hundreds, and come together four times a
year. No food. No beverages. They come
together in an upstairs meeting room of
a local restaurant, hear three scenarios
of “need,” and vote where the funds
collected
that day will go. Instant results.
Instant gratification.
When Bobbie brought this idea to Beth
Weissman, July Fey-Clark, Diane Novack
and Amy Stone, they became excited and
agreed to try to duplicate the concept
amongst their friends. Although all four
are actively involved, they saw this as
an ideal vehicle to reach out to
oft-times unaffiliated younger Jewish
women within the community. With no
publicity beyond word of mouth, 18 women
agreed
to participate, and 17 came together on
a Sunday morning in May, meeting in the
chapel at Temple Sinai. No food. No
beverages. Just young women from our
Jewish community, agreeing to give $100
each towards a project they would select
from three cases of “need” that would be
presented to them.
With the help of Jewish Family Service,
who verified the veracity of need, three
scenarios were presented (maintaining
anonymity), voted on, and the funds
forwarded. Instant results. Instant
gratification.
And there was one thing more: Genuine
excitement and a commitment to come
together again next year.
For more information, please contact
Mary Levine, Women’s Division Director,
at (760) 324-4737.
