Temple Beth El Blog

Temple Beth El’s fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30. Our report to the Board of Trustees on FY 2022 included these details.

• Membership contributions increased by 1% in FY 2022 over FY 2021. We always appreciate any increase in contributions, and we will continue to emphasize the need for increases each year. Annual membership contributions are our biggest source of revenue.
• Our total revenue decreased by 13% in FY 2022 from FY 2021. This was due to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan of $180,000 which was 100% forgiven in 2021.
• Our total revenue for FY 2022 was $1.16M.
• Personnel compensation, our largest expense, increased by 1%, or $11,000, over FY 2021.
• Our total expenditures increased by 5% over FY 2021. Most of these increased expenses came from program expenses now that we have resumed in-person events, and we are incurring other building-related expenses as well.
• Our total expenses for FY 2022 were $1.25M.

Our fiscal year ended with a deficit of $96,249. The board voted to close the year with a deficit and not fund it, at this time, from any of our endowments.

As expenses continue to rise, increasing our revenue is the only way to combat our deficit. For this fiscal year, FY 2023, we are working to find new streams of revenue. New income sources, along with increased annual contributions and a successful Endowment for Spiritual Leadership campaign, will create a secure financial future that allows Temple Beth El to thrive.

If you have any questions about our financials, please contact Stefanie Kushner at exec@tbemadison.org.

The second year of Temple Beth El’s summer internship partnership with the Boys & Girls Club interns came to a successful close at the end of July. Through this project, 11 high school and college students were placed in summer internships with employers from Temple Beth El and the broader Jewish community, up from six students last summer. 

The project is a five-way partnership: 

• Temple Beth El conceived of the project, found willing employers, and applied for a grant to fund stipends for the interns, led by Betsy Abramson of the Racial Justice Action Team. 
• The Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County (BGCDC) selected the interns, matched them with employers, and worked with employers on job expectations. 
• The Jewish Federation of Madison provided a $10,000 grant from the Cheryl Rosen Weston Fund to pay for some of the stipends. 
• The host employers provided meaningful work, supervision, and encouragement. In addition, most of the employers generously donated between half and the full $1,800 stipend to support the students’ work. 
• Last but not least, the 11 students worked hard and came away with valuable job experience.

The 11 TBE-initiated sites and the supervising employers from the Jewish community were Books4School (Amy, Marty, Molly, and Randy Fields), Community Justice Inc. (Carousel Bayrd), Frank Beverage Group (Elizabeth Frank Friedman), Frank Productions (Marla and Larry Frank and Jesse Sherman), General Beverage Group (the Minkoff family), Jewish Social Services (Jim Mackman), LIFT Wisconsin (Marsha Mansfield), Madison Youth Arts (Mike Ross), Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra (Joe Loehnis), Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice (Rabbi Bonnie Margulis), and Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association (Aleksandr Kladnitsky).

The employers provided a combined $11,000 toward the stipends. The full $1,800 stipend was donated by Books4School, Frank Beverage Group, General Beverage Group, and Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association. Partial stipends were paid by Jewish Social Services, Madison Youth Arts, Frank Productions, and the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra.

On July 29, TBE hosted a Shabbat dinner celebration for the interns, their families, employers, and staff from the partner organizations. While enjoying their first tastes of challah and kugel, the interns spoke about what they learned and enjoyed about their experiences, and what they hoped to do in the future:

• Abae Fobate, who interned at Books4School, noted that she learned a lot during her internship in the book warehouse. She realized that even the routine job of packing books is really exciting when you see how important these books are for the schools and children receiving them.
• Peyton Barber, who interned at Frank Productions, thought it was amazing that she got to learn so much of the nuts and bolts of running performances at four different Madison venues.
• Claudia Salgado, who interned with LIFT Wisconsin, said she felt pretty overwhelmed at first, jumping into two direct service clinics for clients, but her supervisor’s assistance and support helped her get up to speed and learn a great deal.
• Olga Gatesi, who interned with Jewish Social Services, initially thought she wouldn’t be interested in learning about social services. But having been born in Rwanda, she became especially interested in the work when she discovered that JSS helped resettle and support refugees. The experience strengthened her interest in becoming an immigration attorney.

Similarly, the employers uniformly noted that the students were delightful, added new perspectives to their work sites, and demonstrated impressive focus and commitment.

According to TBE’s Betsy Abramson, “At this point, the sites TBE has recruited represent over 20% of the sites that BGCDC matches interns with. We are totally delighted at the success and growth of the program, and we are confident that the model we have created has great potential for expansion. We are enormously grateful to the Jewish Federation of Madison for providing the seed money and to our most generous employers in the Jewish community for their donation of time and funds to support these impressive young people in gaining valuable job skills and knowledge.”
 

Within the Jewish calendar we find a variety of “cycles,” periods of time that have layers of meaning and opportunities for spiritual growth and reflection associated with them. The two largest cycles in our calendar are the one that culminates in Shavuot in the late spring and the one that culminates with Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur in the early fall (arguably extending through Sukkot and Simchat Torah). In the second of these cycles, three major observances frame the seven weeks leading to Rosh Hashanah. 

Tishah B’Av

The first of these observances, Tishah B’Av, the ninth day of the month of Av, marks a spiritual low point in our year, when we recall a variety of tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people, including the destruction of the First Temple (circa 586 BCE), the destruction of the Second Temple (70 CE), the expulsion of the Jews from England (1290 CE), the expulsion of the Jews from Spain (circa 1490 CE), the beginning of World War I in 1914, and the beginning of operations at the Treblinka death camp and the start of deportations from the Warsaw Ghetto in 1942. 

This fast day, on which we read from the book of Lamentations, teaches us about the importance of making space for grief and brokenness. Yet even by its end, there is already a suggestion of the possibility of rebuilding and renewal. In the final service on Tishah B’Av afternoon, the Torah reading includes verses about forgiveness that are included in the High Holy Day liturgy. When chanting those verses, the Torah reader customarily switches to the melodies used when chanting Torah on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

Rosh Chodesh Elul

The second major milestone in this seven-week period is Rosh Chodesh Elul, the beginning of the month of Elul. While the few rituals for this day are similar to those marking the beginning of other months in the Jewish calendar, the day does introduce certain customs that continue throughout the month, the most notable of which may be the sounding of the shofar. The shofar, a ram’s horn that is sounded during Rosh Hashanah services, every day during Elul (with some communities excluding Shabbat), and at the end of Yom Kippur, reminds many people of a crying voice. 

Hearing the shofar’s call reminds us to look inward and to engage in the spiritual process of cheshbon hanefesh (literally “accounting of the soul”), as we take stock of the last year and think about ways that we might want to improve ourselves, our lives, and our relationships in the year to come. 

S’lichot

The third major moment preceding Rosh Hashanah is S’lichot, a service of penitential prayers that occurs in many Jewish communities on the Saturday evening immediately preceding Rosh Hashanah (or, if Rosh Hashanah falls on a Monday or a Tuesday, the Saturday evening the week before). Many Jewish communities continue to recite S’lichot prayers in the days leading up to Rosh Hashanah. Sephardi and Mizrachi Jewish communities observe S’lichot on the second of the month of Elul and continue reciting these prayers throughout the month. Regardless of when it occurs, this ritual combines prayers connected to the liturgy of Yom Kippur with additional poetic writings and meditations, as well as a beautiful focus and midrashic expansion on the 13 attributes of God’s mercy. 

In addition to introducing prayers and melodies that are carried throughout the High Holy Days, it is also customary to use S’lichot as an opportunity to change the mantles on the Torah scrolls to those specifically designed for the holiday season (often white). This is thought to be in reference to the prophet Isaiah (1:18): “If your offenses be like scarlet, like snow shall they turn white. If they be red as dyed cloth, they shall become like pure wool.”

Summer is a time for TBE staff and leaders to evaluate last year and look to plans for the coming year. We welcome the new trustees who were installed at our annual meeting on June 8. The combination of new leaders coming together with continuing ones gives us consistent leadership with fresh eyes on governing for our future.

Summer also means the start of a new fiscal year and budget cycle starting on July 1. Staff and leaders, once again, stepped up to create a tight budget. We looked at all our expenses carefully to be fiscally responsible, especially in a time of rising costs. Approximately 80% of our expenses come from personnel and building costs. The only way to a balanced budget, especially at a time of continued rising costs, is to increase revenue. With about 70% of our revenue coming from membership renewals, we ask each household to do what is possible to increase your 2023 membership contribution. 

Membership renewal packets will be mailed to you later this year. As always, automatic renewals will continue for members who do not actively renew by the start of the calendar year. In January 2023, however, we will include a 10% increase in contribution when automatically renewing members’ contributions. If you want to choose how much to increase your contribution, it’s important that you actively renew your membership when those materials are mailed to you. As always, you’ll have the options of returning the renewal card in the mail, managing your renewal online, or calling Executive Director Stefanie Kushner to discuss the amount you are comfortable giving. 

We understand that not everyone is able to increase their contribution by 10%, and we will continue to remind you of this change as we approach the renewal period later this year.

To ensure our long-term spiritual vitality, Temple leadership has taken the bold step of establishing the Temple Beth El Endowment for Spiritual Leadership. Our aspiration is an $8 million endowment to fully fund the costs of providing spiritual leadership for the foreseeable future. We have successfully secured just over $4.1 million in pledges in the foundation-building phase of the campaign.
 
This endowment campaign was established in early 2022 out of our tremendous admiration and appreciation for our clergy and a strong desire to continue to ensure outstanding spiritual leadership for the foreseeable future. The purpose of the endowment is to fully fund the costs of our spiritual leaders, which will provide financial stability for them and the congregation. While this is a tremendous undertaking, we know that this community is very forward-looking and committed to the success and financial health of the congregation. 

To reach our goal of $8 million, we are seeking the active and generous participation of every member of the congregation. Please look in your “snail mail” mailboxes in August for an invitation to participate in this transformational opportunity to secure the financial future for clergy at Temple Beth El. 

David Feingold is a lifelong member of Temple Beth El. After graduation from UW–Madison and University of Chicago Law School, he returned to practice law in Janesville. David marched with Martin Luther King Jr. and trained as a community organizer with Saul Alinsky.

Based on lifelong friend Jon Lampman’s recommendation of the moving book “East West Street” by Philippe Sands, we find new ways to understand the concept of human rights.
Whatever the terminology—war crimes or crimes against humanity or genocide—history is rife with instances of mass human destruction.

War crimes have been recognized as far back as the 15th century (no doubt much further), when a tribunal of the Holy Roman Empire convicted and beheaded a Western European knight for ordering barbaric acts of rape and murder during a military occupation.

Opposition to slavery at home stimulated 19th-century language that affirmed human rights. The Republican Party platform of 1856 called slavery a “high crime against the Constitution, the Union, and humanity.”

The slaughter of a million or more Armenians by the Turks occurred in the early 20th century. This truth, slowly acknowledged, was shocking. Even though such barbarity has occurred throughout history, our language lacked a word to describe it.

Ultimately the Holocaust revealed that an advanced Western society would choose to annihilate entire peoples. This reality is undeniable, but it is still denied by those who thirst for the blood of others.
When it happened, millions remained in communities scattered throughout Eastern Europe, where Jews had been forced to live for generations. Millions of others, including all four of my grandparents, had escaped to safety and freedom around the turn to the 20th century, decades before their old world and own people were decimated.

“East West Street” follows two Jewish men, both scholars of international law, who were born near but did not know each other. Their communities lived under constant abuse and rising hatred. Researching this book, the author discovered that his own family also derived from the same city—today known to the world as Lviv, Ukraine.

Separately the two observed society and studied law, then managed to leave before annihilation was unleashed. Both of them searched for words to describe the violent denial of human rights. Finding the correct words would enable people to grasp and react to such horror.

What is the name for it? Hersch Lauterpacht chose “crimes against humanity”; Rafael Lemkin coined a new word: genocide. The former focused on individual victims, the latter on tormented groups of people. Both concepts were employed in the postwar Nuremberg conviction of Nazi leadership. Legal scholars currently debate the relative usefulness of their alternative words for future prosecutions.

Do the words matter? Certainly, but not so much as our commitment to root out all that is inhumane.
Now, every day the news is horrible. Maybe it has always been that way. Old friends fondly remember our youthful years struggling to extend civil rights along with Martin Luther King Jr. and to end the war in Vietnam.

In anguish we observe Ukraine, Buffalo, Uvalde, and more. It’s hard to realize such human destruction is occurring in this month of May, all happening in this 21st century.

While most people of European ancestry have found a path forward, an escape to safety and justice is still obstructed for those viewed as people of color and an array of others treated as outsiders in lands beloved for democracy.

The seed of humanity is within all of us. Taking action to nurture it is natural. But the potential for growth is often ignored, and sometimes twisted.

We can do little, but always something. It’s great that we, and so many others, have never given up.

The Kesher Israel Committee of Temple Beth El attempts to bring Israel to our community through speakers, discussions, and films. This year we are focusing on the good Israel has to offer. The upcoming viewing and discussion of “Ben-Gurion, Epilogue” is a highlight of our efforts. Its importance to our community and the diaspora at large is clear. 

Movie reels of Ben-Gurion, spliced with the recently discovered soundtrack and archival material, bring us Ben-Gurion, vibrant and alive, as he shares his life and the legacy he bequeathed to us as the first prime minister and founder of Israel. Ben-Gurion’s words, thoughts, and feelings have meaning for us all.

Here, we share with you some of Ben-Gurion’s history. David Ben-Gurion was born David Gruen on October 16, 1886, in Płońsk, Poland.

In 1906, Ben-Gurion emigrated to Israel, which was then Palestine, where he worked as a farm laborer.

In 1910 he began writing for a Zionist journal. At that point he changed his name to Ben-Gurion. His life was greatly influenced by the temporary takeover of the region by the Ottoman Empire, and by the ever present Palestinian Arabs.

In 1919 Ben-Gurion participated in the establishment of the Achdut Ha’avoda party, and between 1921 and 1935 he served as the secretary general of the Histadrut, the national federation of Jewish laborers in Israel. 

In 1930 he participated in the establishment of the Mapai party and was its representative in the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency. 

From 1935 to 1948 he served as chairman of the Jewish Agency, and in 1946 he assumed responsibility for matters relating to the security of the Jewish community in Israel.

At the onset of the 1948 War of Independence, as the leader and a founding member of the Zionist movement, Ben-Gurion formally proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel and offered to the world Israel’s Declaration of Independence.

As George Washington is referred to as the father of the United States, Ben-Gurion is remembered as the father of the nation of Israel.

In “Ben-Gurion: Epilogue,” Prime Minister Ben-Gurion emerges from the screen alive and vibrant as he walks and talks with us, sharing his thoughts, his feelings, his disappointments and joys. Join him on a brisk walk through desert sands. 

“Ben-Gurion: Epilogue” will be shown via Zoom on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, beginning at 6:30 pm, followed by a discussion about this amazing man, the founder of the State of Israel. Register here. 

The TBE Civic Engagement Action Team is gearing up now for the summer and fall, making sure voters are registered for the August primaries and the November general election.

At the state level, we are active participants in the Wisconsin Interfaith Voter Engagement Campaign (WIVEC), a project of Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice and the Wisconsin Council of Churches. WIVEC has an important Call to Action Webinar on Thursday, June 16, from 12:00 to 1:00 pm. Hear from WIVEC partner organizations such as Souls to the Polls, Supermarket Legends, VoteRiders, and others. These nonpartisan partner organizations will present their overall goals and specific plans and needs for volunteers. WIVEC is 400+ strong in faith leaders and congregational lay leaders. Join us as we come together to support voting rights right here in Wisconsin! Please click here to register. 

Nationally, we participate in the Every Voice, Every Vote campaign of the Union of Reform Judaism. This campaign is a nonpartisan effort, grounded in our Jewish values and commitment to racial justice, to strengthen our democracy by encouraging and protecting voter participation. As Reform Jews, we believe democracy is strongest when the electorate reflects the population—and it suffers when citizens are shut out from the democratic process. When we choose the people who act on our behalf, essentially every issue of importance to our movement is on the ballot! Now is the time to use our voices and our votes to protect the issues that are core to our Reform Jewish values.

In May, nearly 700 people joined together to learn about what’s at stake in this election and made commitments to act through this nonpartisan voter mobilization effort between now and November. If you were not able to join us live, we invite you to watch the inspirational launch recording. 

The next step in this campaign is their Foundational Training: Moving into Action. This will be held on June 15 at 7:00 pm CDT, or alternatively on June 16 at 2:00 pm CDT. This training will be recorded and available for later viewing. Contact Marcia Vandercook if you would like to see it at a later date. 

Locally, we support our local clerks of court by serving as poll workers. Poll workers check in voters, help people register to vote, check photo IDs, and process absentee ballots. Students aged 16 or 17 and enrolled in secondary school with a GPA of at least 3.0 may be appointed as poll workers if they have parent and principal approval. Areas across Wisconsin are looking for poll workers for the August and November elections, so click here to see how you can help!

We also work with the League of Women Voters of Dane County to provide voter outreach. The League offers regular training for beginners and refresher training for experienced volunteers. They have a number of video training modules available online. After training, volunteers provide voter registration and information at libraries, food pantries, senior centers, farmers markets, and colleges. See scheduled volunteer events.

More action opportunities will be available this summer and fall for training, postcarding, and voter mobilization. Contact Marcia Vandercook if you would like to join this important team!

On September 15 the Racial Justice Action Team will be hosting a discussion on housing discrimination in Dane County. The starting point for our discussion will be the extraordinary play by Lorraine Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun, which first premiered in 1959.

A Raisin in the Sun is playing from August 5 to October 7 at American Players Theater (APT) in Spring Green. See here for tickets and more information. It is also available as a film on Netflix, and the play can be found in multiple forms at any public library. APT describes the play as “a stunning classic that examines the ways racism suppresses the lives and aspirations of Black families.” We encourage you to see or read the play before September 15.

Using the play for historical context, Austin Johnson, employment specialist with the Urban League of Greater Madison, will lead a discussion about the barriers to home ownership for African Americans, including discrimination, federal policies, and discriminatory lending practices.

Climate change is an important driver of human migration, as catastrophic flooding, drought-induced crop failures, and other events displace people from their homes. 

Dr. Angie Dickens is an environmental scientist who has worked at the interface of environmental science and policy at the Environmental Protection Agency, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and a six-state regional planning organization. She also leads a social justice group at Christ Presbyterian Church. 

On Wednesday, June 29 at 7:00 pm, Dr. Dickens will discuss how climate change is impacting different parts of the world and how it affects migration. She will also help us explore ways that we can respond to these crises as people of faith. 

Please register to join us in person or to receive the Zoom link for this event. Review TBE’s in-person guidelines before attending this event in person. This event is co-sponsored by the TBE Immigrant and Refugee Rights Action Team and by the Dane Sanctuary Coalition. 

Interested in learning more about migration issues? Try a new online course, “Understanding U.S. Immigration from the Border to the Heartland,” offered by the Poynter Institute. Though this course is geared toward journalists, it is also open to other interested parties. Half the course is available now, and the second half will be released in August. Learn more about it here. 

With gasoline prices at record highs, the fossil fuel industry is front and center in many of our minds. As the world begins its transition away from an energy sector dominated by fossil fuels, many of us wonder what we can do in the meantime. Here are a few ideas both immediate and long-term.

First, consider your modes of transportation. Obviously the least energy-intensive method is walking. Although I am now retired, when I was working I walked the 2.2 miles to work on most days and drew the line at severe weather. Aside from the effects on the climate, I found my walk gave me valuable time for thinking and easing into my day.

Carpooling is a great way to get to work and share the cost of fuel. Even coworkers who do not live near each other can meet at a midway point and share part of the journey.

Another way that many people consider is cycling. Many areas are improving their cycling infrastructure to make this easier. Aside from the carbon reduction and economic gains, biking has good physical benefits. Electric bikes also are increasingly popular as an alternative to cars for shorter distances. Obviously it’s best if you charge your electric bike from electricity generated by renewable energy if possible. 

Second, consider investing in alternative sources of energy. How do you know if the electricity is from renewable sources? There are two main methods. 

1. Join a renewable power offset program through your utility. MG&E, Alliant Energy, and We Energies all have programs that will meet a certain percentage of your usage from their renewable sources. Be aware that these programs do have a surcharge added to help the utility in its transition to renewables. 
2. Install a small stand-alone solar panel with a battery and inverter and charge your electric bike from this. There is an initial cost for the equipment, but it has the added benefit of giving you an independent source of power for your transportation. 

As time goes on, many utilities are shifting away from fossil fuels and generating energy from carbon-free sources. In general, moving toward electrical energy is the best avenue to decarbonize.

At our home, we have been participating in Alliant Energy’s Second Nature program and have offset all of our electricity to renewable sources. Rather than purchasing an electric bike, I added a front wheel with a hub motor and a battery to my existing bike. This gives me the options of pedaling, using the motor, or a combination of the two.

One of the logistical benefits of renewables is the ability to have them locally based. The pricing structure of the global fossil fuel industry is subject to controls and pressures that often come from outside our region. Renewables such as solar, wind, and groundwater systems are more immediate and can be subject to local controls. Also, the ability to self-generate electricity is a benefit that cannot be duplicated with fossil fuel. 

The future appears more and more to be an electric one. Through a return to biology-based transportation such as biking and walking, and through greater use of electric bikes, cars, and mass transit, we are moving toward a carbon-neutral future. The more of us who participate in this change, the faster the industry will move in that direction. 
 

As we described in the previous Giving Spotlight, the fiscal year at Temple Beth El begins in July. We’ve been busy preparing the budget for the coming year, and while we continue to fine-tune our projections and plans, we do know this: personnel and building costs make up the bulk of our expenses, and these costs continue to rise faster than our revenue.

Approximately 70% of our revenue comes from our community through membership contributions. When we introduced the Temple Community Contribution program in 2021, we asked all of our member households, as partners with Temple Beth El, to give from the heart and determine a giving amount that feels comfortable and meaningful. For 2022 membership renewals, TBE members were encouraged to increase contributions to help meet rising costs. The response to the 2022 renewals is gratifying: 40% of our members completed their membership renewal by December 31 (an increase from the typical average of 30%), and 90% of those who renewed did so at an increased or sustaining contribution level. We are so appreciative of these generous responses. And, per our current policy, memberships that were not actively renewed by the start of 2022 were automatically renewed at the same contribution level as the previous year.

To keep the renewal process simple for everyone, automatic renewal will continue for members who do not actively renew by the start of the calendar year. In January 2023, however, we will include a 10% increase in contribution when automatically renewing members’ contributions. We understand that not everyone is able to increase their contribution by 10%, and we will continue to remind you of this change as we approach the renewal period in late 2022. If you want to choose how much to increase your contribution, it’s important that you actively renew your membership when those materials are mailed to you. As always, you’ll have the options of returning the renewal card in the mail, managing your renewal online, or calling Executive Director Stefanie Kushner to discuss the amount you are comfortable giving.
This is an important step toward increasing our revenue to meet rising costs. We are all grateful to be part of this community that continues to be supportive in so many ways, including financially.

June is Pride Month, and TBE is celebrating! You'll notice a few more rainbows here and there, and please join us for two special events. On June 10 will be our annual Pride Shabbat, where we'll use a few melodies by LGBTQ+ writers and composers as well as songs with relevant themes, and of course our worship space and Oneg Shabbat will be decorated with lots of color! The worship service begins at 7:30 pm. 

On June 26, please save the afternoon to join us at Warner Park for some outdoor family-friendly fun. Join our congregational education team to learn what's Jewish about baseball before exploring our Pride in the Park stations, including art and advocacy options. End the day attending Fairytale Night at the Mallards Game, so come dressed for pride or your favorite fairy tale. Look for details coming soon!

Want to join our PRIDE planning team? Have questions? Contact Aleeza A. Hoffert or Gwen Jacobsohn.

The Racial Justice Action Team has completed recruitment of employers for the 2022 summer internship program of the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County. This program provides summer internships for high school and college students at places of employment of Temple Beth El members. The project was a resounding success last summer, and we are grateful that the Jewish Federation of Madison has awarded funds for the project again this summer, using funding from the Cheryl Rosen Weston fund. In addition, seven of the eleven host sites are paying for part or all of the stipend for their interns.

This summer we will have eleven host sites, all six that participated last year and five new ones. The six returning host sites (and participating TBE members) are Books4School (Fields family), Frank Beverage (Joel Frank family), Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra (Joe Loehnis), LIFT Wisconsin (Marsha Mansfield), Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice (Rabbi Bonnie Margulis), and Madison Youth Arts (Michael Ross). We have added two new host sites supervised by TBE members: Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association (Aleksandr Kladnitsky) and Frank Productions Concerts (Marla and Larry Frank). We also welcome three new host sites from the greater Jewish community: Jewish Social Services (Dawn Berney, Jim Mackman, and Becca Schwartz), General Beverage Companies (Minkoff family), and Community Justice Inc. (Carousel Bayrd and Mara Bridgman). 

The Urban League of Greater Madison runs a volunteer tutoring program for middle school math students called Schools of Hope. In response to a request from Urban League about the urgent need for middle school tutors, four members of Temple Beth El will begin volunteering this spring: Martye Griffith, Betsy Abramson, David Seligman, and Vic Levine. Although there has been limited time this spring for volunteers to be present in the schools, we hope that this small trial will lead to more extensive tutoring efforts next school year. If you are interested in doing this next year, please contact Betsy Abramson.

Preview of coming attractions: This fall the Racial Justice Action Team will be hosting a discussion on housing discrimination in Dane County. We will begin by discussing the famous Lorraine Hansberry play "A Raisin in the Sun." You can see it live late this summer and early fall at American Players Theater, watch it on Amazon Prime ($3.99), or read the play. Discussion date to be announced.

Climate action was the focus of this year’s well-attended Social Action Shabbat on April 8. We were honored to hear from Dane County Executive Joe Parisi about how climate change is impacting Dane County and what Dane County is doing to increase climate resilience and reduce countywide emissions. Dane County has been recognized as one of the top local governments in the world for its environmental transparency and action. 

County Executive Parisi began by acknowledging that the challenges of climate change sometimes seem overwhelming, but his message is one of empowerment: “People should understand that there is so much we can do.” For instance, the county has been working with the University of Wisconsin–Madison to study how climate change will affect us locally so that we can plan for these changes and adapt, protecting the people who will be most vulnerable to the changes. 

In addition to adaptation, prevention is possible by improving our local energy efficiency. Dane County has installed 17 solar arrays in the last six years and is now saving $2 million each year in energy costs, not to mention the fossil fuel use avoided. Once a new solar field is completed near the landfill, 100% of the county’s energy use will be from renewable sources. Changes at the landfill will reduce the amount of methane released and will save money by converting the methane to fuel, changes that will pay for themselves in a few years. Local leaders from schools and municipalities have formed a leadership group to discuss short-term and long-term goals.

The county is also considering ways to help homeowners and businesses retrofit buildings and factories to save on energy costs and pay back loans with the savings. Much of this work may be done through Operation Fresh Start, a program to help youth learn trades. You can listen to Executive Parisi’s talk here  (his introduction is just after the 1:21 time mark).

Prior to Shabbat services, the TBE Environment and Climate Change Action Team hosted an Eco Fair in the Weinstein Community Court at TBE. There we learned about products and simple changes we can make in our daily lives to lead a more sustainable life and lessen our impact on the earth. 

We also held a drawing to win some of these products, chosen from the people who signed up:

• Prize 1, winner Marsha Mansfield: a pack of see-through mesh produce bags in three different sizes to use at the grocery store or at summer farmers’ markets. (Donated by Betsy Abramson.) 
• Prize 2, winners Dale Kaufman and Roxane Spitzer: two reusable grocery tote bags to replace a plastic or paper bag. These bags included one roll of Reel bamboo toilet paper, one metal straw, one Swedish dishcloth, and one package of four mesh produce bags. (Donated by Liz Whitesel; most items sourced locally from Orange Tree Imports.)
• Prize 3, winner Maureen Mross: “One: Pot, Pan, Planet” cookbook by Anna Jones, with delicious vegetarian recipes and information on how to reduce food waste, eat sustainably, and save energy. 

You can see read about these eco-friendly products and ideas, with shopping links, on the TBE “eco-portal” here. After the Shabbat worship, many people stayed late to study the products and enjoy the Oneg Shabbat. It was great to be back together in person and to see so many people there! 

Want to do your part to help the planet? Come join the Environment and Climate Change Action Team! Contact Marta Karlov or Aleeza Hoffert, or join our monthly meeting.