The mission of the Social Justice Action Committee at Temple Emek Shalom is to serve those in the Rogue Valley who are in need of help meeting their most basic human needs: food, clothing, shelter, education, safety, and health care.
Temple Emek Shalom recognizes that there are many areas that comprise Social Justice actions such as economic, racial, environment, immigrant, housing, and food justice.
Our goal is to have our social justice work be an expression of our most abiding Jewish values: Chesed (loving-kindness), Tzedek (justice), and Tikkun Olam (helping mend the planet). Practicing social justice provides many ways to take on the work of building a more just world.
To fulfill those values we are working on the following issues:
Tikkun Olam: Climate justice opportunities in the Rogue Valley
Tikkun Olam: Exploring racial justice issues. Please visit our Racial Justice page for more information.
Tzedakah: A way to do this work is to donate funds to various non-profit organizations in the Rogue Valley,
Chesed: We support the Ashland Emergency Food Bank and many other organizations offering support to unhoused individuals, our Hispanic neighbors, and victims of the Almeda fires on an ongoing basis.
One of TES’ Value Statements speaks of collaboration with community partners. We are privileged to have created Community Partnerships with some wonderful organizations that serve our Rogue Valley. Including:
LA CLINICALa Clinica is a local healthcare organization that serves all people in the Rogue Valley, especially those who face barriers to care, such as our immigrant population.
Ashland Emergency Food Bank – We have supported the Ashland Emergency Food Bank over the years with our High Holy Day food drives, and now we have established our relationship with them as a Community Partner. We will continue to find strategies to highlight them to our community, to support them with food drives and to include them in our community activities, as we did with our Earth Day celebration.
BASE (Black Alliance for Social Empowerment) — BASE is a nonprofit community organization that provides events, community information-sharing, connection, support and resources that work toward the well-being and advancement of Black residents living in Southern Oregon. We supported BASE in the creation of the Southern Oregon Racial Equity Liaison, and will continue to support them to build an inclusive community to combat structural racism that is prevalent today.
The need for assistance for those who lost their homes and businesses in the Almeda & Obenchain Fires is still great. Please see below for a list of organizations that are providing aid.
