Temple Beth El Blog

I’ve been a TBE member for 30 years. I pay my dues. I seek counsel from our Rabbi. I buy hamantaschen at TBE’s Purim Fest. (Although, I have to admit, I don’t understand the fuss about poppy seeds.) And…I attend services.

When I read the TBE Newsletter. I note the donations. I know that it is our responsibility to help support our Temple. But my donation activity is not as “busy” as my co-congregants.

We are often reminded of the connection between donations and death or memory of a loved one. We are also advised that acknowledging loved ones, who have passed away, with a donation “Helps to heal”.  “Honors a loved one”. “Strengthens the spiritual ties between ‘us and them’.” But that is not true for me and my family. The connection I have with my mother and father is a private component of my life. I address it my own way. It doesn’t stimulate a donation.

However, I am very fortunate. There are many, many wonderful things that happen to me and my family. Things that are really and truly, cause for Celebration.

Here are five such examples:

• My grandson lost his first tooth!
• The girl that bullied my granddaughter in school moved to Wauwatosa!
• The “Check Engine” light on my dashboard finally went off after six years!
• My oldest daughter is making a difference in the lives of people who live in South Philadelphia!  
• That thing that the doctor thought was “something”, turned out to be nothing!

Every time one of those things happen, I immediately Celebrate. I hum a lively tune.  Buy chocolate/chocolate chip Häagen-Dazs. Play “Pancho and Lefty” on my guitar.

But make a donation to TBE? I cannot do that because there has been no appropriate “Of” category.  

UNTIL NOW!!!  Our TBE is offering a brand new category.

   IN CELEBRATION OF

Every month all TBE members receive an e-mail. The Giving Spotlight.  This is a monthly notice of those who have made a recent TBE donation and it advises the “Reason” for that donation.  And lucky for us…this new IN CELEBRATION OF category is now available to all of us!

So this month I will do it.  One tooth…$18.00.  The bully…$36.00.  Check Engine Light on dashboard finally goes out…I’m not sure about that.  Maybe it has to be “check engine light and seatbelt never getting stuck in the door”. Two car things.  And if anything really, really great happens, (like HGTV goes off the air)…maybe $72.00.

As I note above, this new donation category became available to all of us in December. I don’t think it received any formal publicity. But…now you know!

I must tell you that one of our TBE sisters did use that Celebration option.  She was the first one! She celebrated: “Taking the kids to Michael’s Frozen for turtle sundaes after TBE Sunday School.”

I thought that was good!  

Besides following public health guidelines, we can do little to change our current situation, yet our response to it is equally important. This is a time to reflect on the people and things for which we are grateful.

One thing we are grateful for is Jeff, Phil, and Marv Levy’s generosity, which has helped Temple Beth El run more smoothly, has increased our security, and, most recently, has enabled us to continue to come together as a community during this time of physical distance.

Their parents, Irving and Dorothy Levy, of blessed memory, joined Temple Beth El in the early 1960s. They instilled in their sons the responsibility to support the Jewish community. Temple Beth El has been a beneficiary of their individual generosity as well as their combined support through the Levy Family Foundation.

The Levy Family Foundation generously contributed the necessary funds to increase the security of our building after the 2018 shootings in Pittsburgh, enabling us to install video cameras, new door code panels, and an intercom system. Our security task force is researching other security enhancements that will be made possible by the latest Levy Family Foundation donation.

Jeff Levy’s donations have helped TBE move forward technologically. His donation to purchase ShulCloud has improved office efficiency and enhanced members’ access to information. When the COVID-19 outbreak made it impossible for us to come together in person for worship and life-cycle events, Jeff provided financial support for the purchase of livestreaming equipment. You only have to look at the TBE Facebook page and see the growing engagement with each Shabbat worship to understand the impact of this gift. His generosity also enables us to continue to hold b’nai mitzvah that, although limited to immediate family inside the building, are shared virtually with friends and family unable to attend in person.

Jeff also gives generously to Jewish Social Services for the creation and support of the Levy Summer Series, offering learners of all ages a variety of enriching programs.

We cannot overstate our appreciation for the Levy Family Foundation donations from Phil, Marv, and Jeff Levy and for Jeff’s personal donations to Temple Beth El. They enhance our productivity, our security, and our community.

Jewish Quarantine Kitchen: Passover Edition

This recipe allows us to savor the flavors of the abundant winter root vegetables still available at the time of Passover. The earthy taste goes well with beef or poultry if you eat meat, or with Passover grain and legume dishes (quinoa; wild, brown, or white rice; lentils; garbanzos, etc.) if you eat vegetarian or vegan meals, and if you consume these grains and legumes at Passover.

Prep time – 30 minutes

Baking time – 40-45 minutes

Pre-heat oven to 400 when you are ready

Ingredient List:

• 1 medium butternut squash, washed well
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, washed well
• 1 large baking potato, washed well
• 2 large carrots, washed well
• 1 parsnip, washed well
• 1.5 lbs. brussels sprouts, washed well
• 3 bulbs of garlic
• 1 large red onion
• 6 tbs. olive oil
• 2 tsb. non-salt, non-MSG food seasoning (Mrs. Dash, Kirkland/Costco, etc.)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbs. sea salt (if desired)
• Parchment paper or cooking spray for the cooking pans

Preparation:

• Cut squash and potatoes into approximately ¾ to 1 inch cubes
• Slice carrots and parsnip into 1-inch sections
• Halve the brussels sprouts
• Remove the scape (stem end) of the garlic bulbs and separate into separate cloves. Remove any excess skin but leave the base skin attached
• Cut red onion into sections, not slices. Perhaps you can get 16 sections from a large red onion
• Place all vegetables into a large bowl and drizzle them with the olive oil, and mix them around. Then liberally sprinkle half of the food seasoning, mix together again, mix further, then add the salt, pepper, and remaining seasoning to taste as you continue to mix the vegetables together.
• Pour the vegetables into parchment paper lined or cooking sprayed baking pans; this recipe requires two of them. Try to separate the vegetables so that there is a bit of space between them to allow the oven’s heat to permeate them as well as possible. Place the pans in the pre-heated oven and they should be ready in 40 minutes or so. Serve with main dishes or by themselves with a bit of light sour cream or low- or non-fat plain yogurt.

Tips:

• I do not remove the skin from the potatoes, carrots, or parsnips. I believe that many of the vegetable’s nutrients are found in the skin, and I also like the truer taste of the vegetable.
• Be sure to eat the garlic if you like it; it is not simply a seasoning here. By the end of baking, it will be soft and mushy, fun to eat, and have a very different and milder flavor.
• Testing/Tasting is the most important (and fun!) part of this recipe. After 40 minutes of baking, determine whether the vegetables have reached their proper level of doneness for your taste.
• If you have leftovers, they make a great snack or side dish again at another meal, hot or cold.
• Enjoy.
• Next time, try various alternatives: use fresh green beans, white onions, other kinds of root vegetables, etc. You can also use various cooking oils depending upon your taste and your experience in cooking with them.

Request your absentee ballot today! Stay updated on early voting, curbside voting, polling places, and deadlines. Also, be sure to return your census forms.

As citizens and as members of the Jewish community, we participate in elections to ensure that government policies support a world where all people experience justice, compassion, and wholeness. We are reminded of this during public health emergencies, when the importance of community is foremost in our minds.

Absentee ballots: Because of the COVID-19 virus, the Wisconsin Elections Commission is urging voters to use absentee ballots for the election currently scheduled for April 7. If you are a registered voter, you can request an absentee ballot at myvote.wi.gov, the state’s comprehensive voting website.

Request an absentee ballot

If you live in the City of Madison, you can also email the clerk at voting@cityofmadison.com to request that a ballot be sent to you by email.

The deadline for requests is currently April 2, but demand is heavy, so request your ballot now to avoid delay. You will be asked to upload a copy of your photo ID if you don’t have one on file.

You can mail your ballot back to the municipal clerk or drop it off at your polling station on election day. Your ballot must be received by 8:00 pm on election day.

Registering to vote, early voting, and curbside voting: If you aren’t registered to vote, it’s not too late. The options for registration and early voting are changing frequently based on public health conditions, so please check the websites below for up-to-date information. You can also register at the polls on election day.

Voting on election day: Again, things are changing day to day. Many poll locations have changed due to building closures, so check state and municipal websites for the latest information. Even the date of the election could possibly change. The sources below offer current information, other ways to request an absentee ballot, and more details.

State of Wisconsin MyVote website

List of Municipal Clerks

City of Madison Clerk voter information

League of Women Voters of Dane County

Also, census forms are due: While we are talking about civic participation, we would like to remind you to return your census forms. See here for a good explanation of how full participation in the census supports our Jewish values.

Vote safely, and please vote!

Do you want to take a deeper dive into the social justice issues shaping our society? Try an informative local program.

Dane Sanctuary Coalition Announces Its “Big Read”: The Death and Life of Aida Hernandez
What happens when an undocumented teen mother takes on the U.S. immigration system? In
The Death and Life of Aida Hernandez: A Border Story, author Aaron Bobrow-Strain takes us into detention centers, immigration courts, and the inner lives of Aida and other daring characters. This emotional narrative reveals the human consequences of militarizing what was once a more forgiving border. The author will speak in Madison on Thursday, May 14, 2020, 7:00–9:00 pm, at the Madison Central Library, Madison Room. You don't need to be a member of the Dane Sanctuary Coalition to read and take part.

Congregations are encouraged to hold book groups to read and discuss the book together. If enough people are interested, we will start a discussion group here at Temple Beth El. Please contact Erica Serlin to join the reading group.

I am a junior at West High School and am also a member of TBE. At West I am involved with Key Club, which focuses on community outreach through many forms of volunteering. I noticed that the Temple was engaged with volunteering at the Catholic Multicultural Center (CMC), and I decided to sign myself up.

One Monday afternoon, two Key Club members and I arrived at the CMC not knowing what to expect. Immediately, as we walked into the kitchen, we were warmly greeted by the CMC staff and the other volunteers. They quickly showed us around and we started to feel more comfortable. We were assigned the task of serving, which meant that we would be able to directly interact with people coming to the soup kitchen.

As people started to file in, the room became more and more filled with voices and laughter. The optimism that was evident on so many of their faces was truly inspiring. Many of these people came from an exhausting, full day of work amidst freezing weather. Still, I could sense the positivity and motivation that radiated off of so many of the individuals. Each person that made their way down the serving line had their own distinct qualities and struggles, but these meals brought everyone together to form a community. These meals allow people who may be struggling financially or in other ways to have a platform to share their own experiences and feel as though they are a part of something.

I can definitely be blind to my privilege at times, but volunteering at the CMC has allowed me to see my life and others lives through another lens.

Four members of Temple Beth El reflected on their recent travels at a well-attended program entitled “Montgomery, Selma, Atlanta, DC: Reflections on Our Civil Rights Journeys,” on Wednesday, January 29, 2020. Rabbis Bonnie Margulis and Jonathan Biatch joined a group organized by the Central Conference of American Rabbis for 48 intense hours in Montgomery and Selma, Alabama. Mary Fulton and Steve Koslov spent a week visiting civil rights memorials and museums in Atlanta, Montgomery, Selma, and Washington, DC.

The rabbinical group included 50 rabbis and two women who participated in the civil rights struggles of the 1960s and 1970s. They discussed the roots of our nation’s slave history and the fact that our country was founded on the original sins of Native genocide and African enslavement. Facing such profound transgressions and their lasting effects, the rabbis’ talk turned to teshuvah and what it means to pursue meaningful repentance. Rabbi Margulis said that to make real change, we need to open our hearts to feel real empathy, not just undertake actions for display. Rabbi Biatch talked about how the concept of repentance might inform policy discussions about reparations for enslavement. He noted that in December, the Union of Reform Judaism adopted a resolution supporting an in-depth study of reparations, seeking an end to ignorance and transforming knowledge into action.

Mary Fulton and Steve Koslov traveled with a friend who had devoted her career to poverty and civil rights work in the South, hoping to extend their understanding of enslavement, Jim Crow, the civil rights movement, and mass incarceration. They were in part inspired by TBE’s 2018 racial justice programming, including the movie 13th and the books Just Mercy and The New Jim Crow.

They began at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta. In Montgomery, they visited the National Memorial for Peace and Justice (“the lynching memorial”), the Legacy Museum, the Rosa Parks Museum, the Freedom Rides Museum, and the Southern Poverty Law Center, and they retraced the 54-mile march from Selma to Montgomery. They ended at the National Museum of American History in Washington, DC, where they were impressed by a timeline of white dominance and how the concept of “whiteness” developed.

For Mary, the museums spurred family memories as well as historical insights. Mary shared that her father, a professor of religions of the world and ethics, taught at a number of colleges over his career. In 1962, Dr. Fulton invited the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to speak to his classes in Puerto Rico, and he stayed at their home. Dr. King spoke of starting a “peace army” to take nonviolent action in support of civil rights, and convinced Mary’s parents to come to Birmingham. There they lived on the campus of a black college, which made their house the only integrated housing in Birmingham. The family was ostracized and the children were shunned at school, where Mary’s brother was beaten up in gym class. After Klan members circled the campus and their house one night, the college asked Dr. Fulton to move his family away for their own safety. Mary said, “We were witness to what Jim Crow was, but we had the privilege to leave.”

While at the college, Mary’s father joined a protest march and served a weekend in jail—the weekend that resulted in Dr. King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” At the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta, a photo of Mary’s father marching is part of an exhibit about Dr. King. At the Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Mary was deeply moved by an exhibit that included holographic forms of enslaved people and voices of those who were trafficked. As she turned away from the exhibit in grief, she saw the same picture of her father marching.

In the Q&A after the presentation, speakers were asked to share their most interesting insights. Rabbi Margulis said that for her, it was the actual words and memories of people who lived through the era. In addition to the voices of the past, she noted the importance of listening to the diversity of voices in the African American community today. For Rabbi Biatch, it was the idea that while we may not feel personally responsible for the past, we are still required to do the work presented to us now. We must start by acknowledging how we have benefited from the poverty and enslavement of others and by resolving to build a better future for all. Steve felt a strong connection between the injustice of the past and the wrongs of today—for instance, how the system of policing and bail that we have today evolved from bounty hunters in the distant past. Mary said that she keeps returning to a quote from attorney Bryan Stevenson, author of the book Just Mercy and founder of the organization that established the lynching memorial: “Hopelessness is the enemy of justice.” Reconciliation with our history is possible, but first we must face it head-on.

The presentation concluded with a discussion of next steps for learning, service, and advocacy. Members expressed interest in working with congregations from the African American community, organizing visits to museums in the Midwest, and perhaps taking a similar congregational trip to the South. Please join the TBE racial justice action team if you are interested in deepening your knowledge or putting this knowledge into practice. Contact Aleeza Hoffert.

At the recent Biennial in Chicago, representatives of the Religious Action Center (RAC) of the Union of Reform Judaism urged attendees to begin work on nonpartisan civic engagement leading up to the election in 2020. According to Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner, director of the RAC:

“We are living in an urgent time—we must work to realize the Reform Movement’s vision of a nation where all people experience justice, compassion, and wholeness. To this end, the Religious Action Center’s nonpartisan Civic Engagement campaign will bring together the Reform Movement to encourage and empower all people to exercise their right to vote. Ensuring that Jewish values are present in the public square, regardless of party or politics, with a special eye toward working in solidarity with disenfranchised communities who have historically been restricted in exercising their right to vote.”

The TBE Social Action Committee has taken up this challenge by forming a civic engagement action team, similar to our other Brit Olam action teams on immigration and racial justice. We plan to support a strong volunteer effort for voter registration and voter turnout from now until Election Day in November 2020, with the help of all interested TBE members. Here’s why we think this is worth your time:

Voter registration work can provide a positive, nonpartisan outlet for action in an election year. Watching political struggles at the state and national level can be intensely frustrating, and people often wonder if there’s any effective way to respond. Voter engagement is a way to ensure that our voices and commitment to social justice are heard. It is also a way to engage with the wider community to ensure that access to voting is a reality for all. It offers a variety of volunteer options: registration tables, mailings, door-to-door, and organizing events.

People are most likely to vote when they hear about it from people they’re connected to. We want TBE to be a 100 percent voting congregation: to make sure that every eligible voter associated with TBE is registered and is able to vote. We will be providing voter registration opportunities and reminders over the course of the year, but you can help by making sure that everyone you know takes advantage of them. Visit for what you can do to ensure that all your friends and family will make it to the polls.

Religious organizations are “trusted messengers” for reliable nonpartisan information. Congregations often have established connection and trust with disenfranchised communities, through service programs and partnerships in local efforts. For TBE, this includes our relationships with Porchlight, The Road Home, the Catholic Multicultural Center, Dane Sanctuary Coalition, and numerous interfaith relationships. The service work we’ve done in the past has laid the groundwork for voter outreach today.

Voter engagement work in Dane County is easy, thanks to our community partners. Our work will be well organized and well supported by civic organizations that have been doing this work for many years. The Madison City Clerk’s Office and the League of Women Voters offer excellent trainings that bring volunteers up to speed on voter registration and voter identification. The League of Women Voters and the Voter ID Coalition send out regular notices about where voter registration services are needed, with simple online signup and the ability to set your own schedule.

We will be in good company. As noted above, the URJ Religious Action Center encourages Reform congregations to do this work, and several sister congregations in Wisconsin will be joining us. (For more on the RAC’s 2020 initiative, Visit “Civic Engagement: Every Congregation Counts, Every Vote Counts.”) In addition, we are working with the Wisconsin Interfaith Civic Engagement Project, which will provide support and keep us connected with our interfaith partners as we move forward. (See here for a recent interview with project leader Rabbi Bonnie Margulis.)

Does this interest you? If so, here are two things you can do today:

Join us as we develop our program. Our first meeting will be March 17, 2020, 7:00–9:00 pm, at Temple Beth El. Questions? Contact Marcia Vandercook.

Sign up for training and volunteer opportunities. See “Three Easy Steps to Register Voters in Dane County.”

Unfortunately, many of you have received spam emails that use the rabbi or my name but come from a false email address. One of the false addresses to watch out for is rabbi.tbemadison[at]gmail.com and executivedirector1404[at]gmail.com. These emails have asked for a response or even a gift card. Please know that this is happening to many Jewish leaders nationwide. We have spoken to our computer service provider, and there is nothing that the Temple office can do to prevent this.

To protect yourself against this spam, we advise the following:

1. NEVER click on a link or attachment in a suspicious email.

2. When receiving an email that seems suspicious, always check the email address that it comes from. If your email program does not show the address beside the person's name, you can usually view it by double clicking on the name that the email appears to come from (in the From: field).

3. If you are unsure of whether you should respond to an email, do not click Reply. If you feel the need to respond, click Forward and then type in the valid email address.

The rabbi’s correct email address is rabbi@tbemadison.org, and the cantor's correct email is cantor@tbemadison.org. You can find all our email addresses at https://www.tbemadison.org/clergystaff (hover over or click on the person's name to view the email address).

We apologize for any inconvenience and frustration that this is causing. We will continue to monitor the situation.

We hope you enjoyed reading the stories from three Temple members in your membership renewal packet, each one highlighting a special connection to TBE: the TBE Religious School experience, a multigenerational commitment, and membership as a sense of belonging. Throughout our 80th year, we will continue to share stories about “What TBE means to me.” These testimonials will emphasize many aspects of Temple, reflecting how we each engage with TBE in different ways.

As always, TBE staff and leadership are dedicated to providing programs and initiatives to engage you spiritually, educationally, and culturally. Your financial support benefits the entire Temple Beth El community, rather than mirroring your particular usage. General financial support ensures that each aspect of TBE is available to everyone.

Our vision statement notes that Temple seeks “to create and sustain a vibrant, inclusive, and engaged community that welcomes and connects people from all walks of Reform Jewish life, and fulfills their spiritual, educational, ethical, social, and emotional needs and expectations.” Similarly, the author of a recent article pointed out the strong Jewish sense of peoplehood. This is why we call ourselves “Am Yisrael” (the people of Israel) instead of “Dat Yisrael” (the religion of Israel). In both examples, communal Jewish life is a defining principle of Reform Judaism, central to who we are at TBE.

Thank you for the support you give to Temple. And thank you for recognizing that your generosity helps every member find a unique and meaningful answer to “What TBE means to me.”

Do you have some time to give? We have lots of great opportunities to help out in our community.

Help Provide Weekend Food for Thoreau Elementary Families
Temple Beth El has joined with other neighboring congregations and organizations to provide children at Thoreau Elementary School with food to take home over the weekend. Currently about 45 percent of Thoreau children qualify for free or reduced school lunches and may be without adequate food on weekends. Volunteers are needed to pack and distribute bags for 50 children with food from the River Food Pantry. Two to four volunteers are needed for a day or two each week during March and April.

We are looking for help packing and distributing food to students on these dates: March 12, 13, 18, 19, 26, and 27, and April 9 and 10. You may work any or all of these days. Packing takes place at Westminster Presbyterian Church on Nakoma Road (usually on Thursday afternoon) and distribution is at 9:00 am at Thoreau Elementary School (usually on Friday morning).

Please contact Vic Levy if you are interested in participating in this activity. The first step for anyone interested in volunteering will be to sign up as a volunteer with the Madison Metropolitan School District (go to the MMSD volunteer website). This will activate a background check to enter Thoreau Elementary to distribute the food. Note: There is some delay in MMSD volunteer approval, so please visit their website now if you wish to help in March. If you are already approved to volunteer at any Madison Public School for this year, please revise your Volunteer Tracker profile to include food pantry assistant at Thoreau.

Serving Meals at the Catholic Multicultural Center Is Fun and Easy
Looking for a fun, easy opportunity to help the community and spend quality time as a team? Help serve the daily meal at the Catholic Multicultural Center! The Catholic Multicultural Center provides free meals every day to low-income community members and people experiencing homelessness. Volunteers set out and serve the food and clean up after the meal; you’re busy the whole time and on your feet. Temple Beth El has agreed to serve on the second Monday of each month. Sign up here or contact Sue Levy.

Porchlight Men's Shelter Still Needs a Few People for January 29
Our next Porchlight meal is Wednesday, January 29. Each time we serve a meal (four or five times a year), we need shoppers, cooks, cookie bakers, kitchen minders, delivery people, and servers. This is a fun way to get to know your fellow volunteers! Sign up here. 

Learn about Porchlight at here.

Healing House Meals Needed in Early February
Our next week to help at Healing House is February 9–15. Healing House, a program of Madison-area Urban Ministry, gives people without homes a place to recover after receiving medical care. This eight-bed facility at 303 Lathrop Street provides 24/7 recuperative care by medically trained staff and volunteers for up to 28 days. Volunteers are asked to assist by cooking and dropping off meals or by serving and cleaning up after dinner at the house. To help with this mitzvah, please sign up here.

Looking for Volunteers with Public Relations and Fundraising Experience
Temple Beth El is a member of the Dane Sanctuary Coalition, joining with other congregations and organizations to support immigrants in our community. The coalition is starting a project to raise awareness and to fundraise for its Immigrant Assistance Fund. This fund pays for legal services, emergency aid, bail, travel costs, and other aid for undocumented immigrants, asylum seekers, and refugees in Dane County.

Dane Sanctuary Coalition is looking for volunteers with public relations and/or fundraising experience to be part of a small committee to work with the Immigration Collaborative and move this effort forward. For more information, and to volunteer, please contact Rabbi Bonnie Margulis. You can read more about the fund here.

Volunteer Drivers Needed for Dane County Sanctuary Coalition
Are you looking for a great way to help immigrants deal with the legal system? Consider volunteering as a driver to give rides to Immigration Court in Chicago or US Citizenship and Immigration Services check-ins in Milwaukee. Immigration attorneys and their clients have been deeply appreciative about the assistance this service provides, and our drivers report how fulfilling it has been to them personally.

Requirements to be a volunteer driver are a valid driver’s license, up-to-date car insurance, attendance at a driver training session, US citizenship, and some availability during the work week. If you’re interested, come to the next training on Wednesday, January 22, from 7:00 to 8:30 pm at First Unitarian Society, 900 University Bay Drive. Please RSVP to Dorit Bergen if you plan to attend.

Attention Attorneys
HIAS, a national immigration and refugee aid organization, is recruiting attorneys to volunteer at the border in February or March. As you know, asylum seekers are not provided with lawyers, and only a fraction are able to secure legal representation. Thus this type of support is critical—even lifesaving. Attorneys do not need immigration experience. See below for the delegations scheduled in February and March. For more information, contact Rachel Zoghlin.

February 9–14, 2020: HIAS de Mexico (El Paso, Texas/Ciudad Juarez, Mexico)

February 24–28, 2020: JFS San Diego (San Diego, California)

March 22–28, 2020: HIAS de Mexico (El Paso, Texas/Ciudad Juarez, Mexico)

Help Recent Refugees as They Resettle in Our Community
Jewish Social Services provides case management, job help, and housing for newly arrived refugee families from a number of countries. Our volunteers work to set up their apartments with furniture and food. We also provide summer and after-school tutors for students from one family. To volunteer, contact Sherie Sondel.

Voter Education Ambassador Trainings Coming Up
Would you like to increase your role in civic engagement in 2020? To be trained to register voters in the city of Madison, see the Madison city clerk’s website here. On the site, you can sign up for training on various dates. Because each training is limited to 50 participants, you simply select the date you can attend (monthly Monday evenings between 5:00 and 6:30 at the clerk’s office in the City-County Building), and register.

The nonpartisan League of Women Voters of Dane County is looking for voter registration volunteers. Find out about upcoming events and opportunities for outreach by getting on the League’s email list. All you need to do is send a request to be added to their email list at office@lwvdanecounty.org.

For more information about voter registration efforts at TBE, contact Marcia Vandercook.

Don’t forget that voting opens soon for the World Zionist Organization. For the North American Reform Jewish community, this election is by far the most important tool for weighing in on matters of funding, political power, and influence in Israel.

In 2015, Kendra Sager and Jane Taves had the privilege of attending the last World Zionist Congress in Jerusalem. There they saw the passion of Reform Jews from around the world to keep Israel both a Jewish and a democratic state, one that reflects our values of inclusiveness and pluralism and acknowledges more than one way to be Jewish in Israel. They also saw the passion of those who would like to marginalize Reform Judaism in Israel, who embrace the ultra-Orthodox hold on matters involving worship, conversion, marriage, who is considered a rabbi, and who is considered a Jew.

The Reform movement platform will be represented by the ARZA Reform slate of delegates. This platform includes:

• A two-state solution for two peoples
• Equal funding for liberal streams of Judaism in Israel
• Influence in national organizations to represent liberal, democratic values

To vote, you must:

• Be 18 years of age or older
• Self-identify as Jewish
• Agree to the Jerusalem Program (https://www.wzo.org.il/The-Jerusalem-Program)
• Pay a processing fee of $7.50

Don’t miss your chance to have a voice in these important issues! Visit www.arza.org and sign up to receive a reminder when the polls open. For more information, see https://www.tbemadison.org/blog?post_id=930397.

In October, the Wisconsin Elections Commission mailed letters to voters who might have moved and asked them to confirm their registration online. The mailing was sent to 234,000 registered voters, including 35,529 voters in the city of Milwaukee and 18,212 voters in the city of Madison.

A similar mailing in 2017 found that the state’s list included many people who had not in fact moved. For example, one voter took out a car loan with a cosigner, and the Division of Motor Vehicles changed the voter’s address to the cosigner’s address. The Elections Commission mailing was sent to the cosigner’s address and was returned undeliverable, resulting in the voter’s registration being inactivated.

As a result, the Elections Commission proposed delaying the next round of deactivated registrations until after the 2020 presidential election. However, a recent court ruling instructed the commission to inactivate voters who did not respond to the October mailing within 30 days. The ruling is now on appeal.

In the meantime, voters are encouraged to go online and make sure their registrations are correct. You can verify your registration by visiting https://MyVote.wi.gov. Toward the top of the web page, select “Search by Name” or “My Voter Info” to search for your voter registration. The website will prompt you to enter your name and date of birth. If you see “You are registered to vote!”, you are registered at the address shown. If you see a green button that says, “click here to confirm your address,” that means you were included in the October mailing. You must click the green button to confirm your address, if it is accurate, or click the gray “Update Address” button to update your voter registration online. Voters without access to the internet are encouraged to contact the city clerk’s office to verify their voter registration status.

Jewish Social Services of Madison (JSS) has been resettling refugees for the past four years. Sadly, in the last two years the number of refugees allowed into this country has dropped significantly, from 80,000 per year in FY2010 to 30,000 in FY2019 and now 18,000 in FY2020. Still, the number of refugees coming to Madison remains relatively constant. In FY2019, 64 individuals settled here, including 43 from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 9 from Syria, 5 from Burundi, 4 from Afghanistan, 2 from Central African Republic, and one each from Somalia and Sudan.

Volunteers from JSS and Open Doors for Refugees have worked together to provide a home for refugees in Madison and provide assistance as our new neighbors become active and contributing members of our community. Many volunteers from Temple Beth El have participated by providing donations, setting up apartments, providing transportation, offering tutoring and homework help, grocery shopping, helping to seek employment, and providing cultural and logistic assistance.

At our refugee Shabbat on March 27, Becca Schwartz, the JSS refugee coordinator, will talk about the negative impact of our current national refugee policies and address local refugee needs. She will introduce our speaker, who came from Jordan in 2017 with his wife and young son, fleeing Syria just as the Syrian civil war was escalating. He will share his experiences to give us an understanding of the challenges and rewards of his family’s life here in Madison and the life he left behind. In addition, at this Shabbat service we will honor many of the volunteers who have supported the refugees.

Dinner and schmooze will precede the service. Please join us for any or all of the evening:

6:00 pm Dinner from Banzo (registration required)
6:45 pm Shabbat Schmooze—a casual wine and cheese reception free and open to all
7:30 pm National Refugee Shabbat Service with oneg Shabbat to follow

Please register for dinner here  by March 18 ($18/adult, $11/youth). Menu includes falafel, pita bread, hummus, marinated chicken, chopped salad, majadra rice, and more. For more information, please contact Aleeza Hoffert.

Hanukkah has traditionally been a time for giving children gifts and gelt. In Eastern Europe, teachers would let children out of school early to enjoy their bit of pocket money and time off during the holiday. Although gift giving has become more elaborate over the years, Hanukkah can also be a time to reexamine how and to whom we give.

The Union for Reform Judaism’s Religious Action Center (RAC) offers ideas on how our celebrations can incorporate social and economic justice. One suggestion is to use the sixth night of Hanukkah to have a family conversation about which charity to donate money to in lieu of gifts that evening, allowing us to redirect our giving and have a meaningful discussion about tzedakah. You can also check out the RAC’s Hanukkah social justice gift-giving guide, with eight different suggestions for eight nights.