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Social Action

The Social Action Committee organizes programs and projects to engage the congregation in the Jewish mandates of social justice and tikkun olam, making our world a better place. The committee offers opportunities to perform service to the community, as well as education and advocacy on social justice issues.

We strive to advocate for our social justice goals and affirm Jewish values that transcend partisan politics. Temple Beth El participates in many of the initiatives of the Union of Reform Judaism's Religious Action Center. We have action teams focused on immigrants and refugees, racial justice, environment and climate change, voter engagement, and reproductive rights.

The Social Action Committee meets monthly on the first Thursday of the month at 7:00 pm. We welcome all members to our activities and meetings.

Mitzvah Opportunities

High Holy Day Food Drive

Every year at Rosh Hashanah, we ask the congregation make a monetary contribution for food aid organizations. The Social Action Committee distributes these funds primarily to Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin along with our other partners fighting food insecurity.

Contact Sherie Sondel, sherie.sondel@gmail.com. 

Thanksgiving Food Drive

We challenge our Religious School students and families to collect food items to add to the Goodman Center Thanksgiving Basket Drive, distributed to thousands of families in Dane County.

Contact Rochelle Alpert, ralpert224@gmail.com.

Holiday Shoebox Drive

We fill shoeboxes with small items for those children and adult clients of Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership who might not receive a holiday gift otherwise.

Contact Betsy Abramson, betsy.abramson@gmail.com.

Literacy Tutoring

Through One City School and Madison Public Schools, we provide volunteers to mentor students in literacy.

Contact Betsy Abramson, betsy.abramson@gmail.com.

Thoreau School

We are part of an interfaith project to help families at our neighborhood elementary school by packing and delivering food for school families in need.

Contact Vic Levy, levy@uwplatt.edu.

Healing House

Healing House provides housing, meals and care for families experiencing homelessness when a member needs to recover from surgery, illness, or childbirth. We provide cooked meals for the residents four weeks a year.

Contact Cathy Rotter, c.rotter.mail@gmail.com. 

Catholic Multicultural Center

The Catholic Multicultural Center provides free meals every day to about 70 south side community members and people experiencing homelessness. The center buys and prepares the food, while volunteers serve the food and clean up. We help out the third Tuesday of each month.

Contact Sue Levy, slevy51@gmail.com.

Refugee Resettlement

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 and provide mentoring for families.

Contact Sherie Sondel, sherie.sondel@gmail.com.

Mitzvah Day

Each spring, congregants of all ages work on projects to benefit others in our community, typically including cooking, sewing, outdoor cleanup, and a bone marrow drive. This event strengthens us as a community and helps our children see Jewish values in action.

Contact: Staci Rieder, stacerph@gmail.com; Lynn Renner, lynn.renner4@gmail.com; Linda Reivitz, lreivitz@wisc.edu.

Volunteer with our Partners

Volunteer Drivers for Immigration Proceedings

The Dane Sanctuary Coalition provides rides to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) offices in Milwaukee, Waukegan, IL, and Chicago, as well as the United States Immigration Court in Chicago. For persons interested in volunteering, a virtual training session is available with further explanation about the role and responsibilities of a volunteer driver, USCIS processes, etc.

If you are interested in being a volunteer driver, please contact coordinator Dan Zimmerman, zimmerman_dan@hotmail.com or call him at his home at 608-241-1158. If you’d like to talk with an experienced TBE driver to see what it’s like, contact Betsy Abramson, betsyabramson@gmail.com.

Volunteering through Jewish Social Services

Jewish Social Services volunteers serve as drivers, friendly visitors, events supporters, language tutors, shoppers, mentors, apartment set-up helpers, and so much more.

Read about JSS volunteer opportunities here, or contact Paul Borowsky, paul@jssmadison.org, phone number 608-442-4083. 

January 16, 2025 16 Tevet 5785