| GET INVOLVED | Next Panim el Panim Meeting
TBA
Davidson Middle School Annex
Please
join us and consider participating in the work of building our Kol
Shofar community and connecting Kol Shofar to the greater community of
Marin. By sharing our stories and our hopes, we can become more a part
of, and transform our community into, something larger and more
meaningful to us all.
Next MOC Meetings
MOC Leadership Action Meeting:
Tuesday, June 23
7:00 – 9:00 PM, at Rodef Sholom, San Rafael
Homeward Bound Community Service
Tikkun Olam Project with Westminster Church
Sunday, July 12
12 – 4:00 PM
in San Rafael
To learn more and see what donated items are requested, click here.
This
summer, teens at Gan HaLev, Kol Shofar and Rodef Shalom will have the
opportunity to participate in a 4 week program (starting after July
4th) sponsored by MOC and the Jewish Funds for Justice. The program
will include opportunities to study, meet Mitzvah heroes and be
involved in acts of social justice.
Who knows – this may be their first
steps toward becoming president of the US as they learn more about the
power of community organizing and social justice! The program will be
run by three rabbinic interns and will be supervised by the
congregational rabbis and educators and Anna Eng, our MOC liaison. For
more information, contact Tracy Rice either by email trice@kolshofar.org or at 415.388.1818, ext 101.
In the words of our Rabbi Derby, "the corrective to human separateness and isolation is to face the other, to meet another in openness, to share our experience and to be seen with appreciation and acceptance.” Panim el Panim (face to face) is an initiative at Kol Shofar whose goal is to create such opportunities for true “meeting”. In this way, we seek to strengthen our connections with each other and to create a more vibrant and connected community, both at Kol Shofar and in the broader communities in which we live. We encourage congregants to meet one-on-one or in small groups in order to share their stories and hopes for themselves and their communities. As these conversations take place, congregants might identify shared interests and concerns that they wish to explore further. In some instances, this exploration might lead to joint activities or programs that address them. In that sense, the Panim el Panim initiative is part of a national movement of religious, labor, civic, and educational institutions in which these institutions identify community-wide interests and develop actions to bring social change within one’s community. Kol Shofar is a founding member of the Marin Organizing Committee (MOC), the Marin County branch of this national movement, whose goal is to work at a local level toward greater community engagement and social change. This commitment is reflective of Kol Shofar’s vision “to teach, inspire, and pursue the principle of Tikkun Olam, the age-old belief that the Jewish People is a partner with God in addressing society’s ills.”
What is the Shelter Initiative?
Since
the May 8th, 2008 Marin Organizing Committee Assembly, the Shelter Team
has been actively researching and collaborating with Marin non-profits
to identify the extent of homelessness and to develop viable
resolutions to this problem. In the 2007 one-day count of the
“Chronically Homeless” in Marin, 1,337 adults were counted. This
figure is widely considered to be a significant undercount.
Remarkably, there are more than 50 non-profit and government agencies
in Marin County providing services in support of the goal of
sustainable housing for the homeless. While there are excellent
long-term homeless facilities in the county, only Mill Street and
Family Emergency Center provide same day shelter to the homeless –
fewer than 85 beds. Those who are most vulnerable bear the human costs
of our difficult winters when they face wind, rain, cold, theft,
assault and harassment and have nowhere to turn.
The Opportunity for a Viable County Partnership
By
addressing the lack of adequate emergency shelter in Marin County, we
will be taking the first step in a larger plan to bring the community
together to provide shelter for those who need it. As a result of MOC’s
collaboration with Marin County homeless service providers, we have
developed a proposal for an OPEN SHELTER.
An Open Shelter would
be one that admits any homeless person as long as they are not in
medical danger and do not present a threat to others in the shelter.
We
are also prepared with a temporary shelter plan as winter quickly
approaches. This proposal is a viable and vital piece in helping our
neighbors maintain their well-being and prevent serious illness during
the harsher months, from November through March.
We are
currently holding house meetings and issues briefings to seek the
support and leadership of local city, county, state and federal
officials.
What is the Mental Health Care Initiative?
Many MOC member constituents expressed their concerns about lack of access to mental health care in Marin County based on their lack of mental health care coverage. The current County Mental Health programs provide services to the severely mentally ill and, preventively, they provide screening and education to people to help them with mild difficulties. But for the majority of people, who need help for depression, anxiety, reactions to major stress, or situational crises, there are no longer any public services. In their first attempts to address these concerns, MOC formed a Mental Health Research Team made up of members from different organizations within MOC. Members of the Mental Health Team met with the head of Marin Community Mental Health, with the Mental Health Advisory Board, the individual Marin County Supervisors, and many others within the community, gathering information and explaining the concerns of MOC members. The Team gradually focused on the need for funding of the MAPS (Marin Alliance for Psychiatric Services) program. MAPS is a program that was specifically created to provide psychiatric consultation and medication for clients of four non-profit service agencies in the county who already provide psychotherapy. MAPS’ seed funding grant was about to run out and needed only a small amount, $50,000, to continue. The Mental Health team proposed to public officials that a small amount of the surplus public monies coming into the State under Proposition 63 (the millionaire’s tax, currently called MHSA monies) be used to keep this crucial program going.
Although it did not get any public monies, MAPS was awarded two separate small grants from private agencies. These grants have kept the program alive while more funding is being sought. In addition, the public, including public officials, have become more educated about MAPS, and aware of the broader concerns of MOC constituent members.
• In a dignified, respectful way, MOC members participated in a public action at a meeting of the Mental Health Advisory Board, where they requested greater transparency in the mental health budget process, including a “people’s summary” of budget proposals and a master plan for Marin County mental health services. Members of the Mental Health Advisory Board gave them a very positive reception and took those requests seriously.
• MOC members learned a great deal about the budget process and the political process in Marin County that can be used to understand other issues.
The Mental Health Team has merged with MOC’s Healthcare Team which will be carrying on this work in the future as well as looking at the prospects for the ongoing viability of Marin General Hospital.
Where Do We Go From Here?
For information on any of the activities on this page, contact Mark Swoiskin by emailing panim@kolshofar.org.
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WE'RE ALL CONNECTED
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Please join us and consider participating in the work of building our Kol Shofar community and connecting Kol Shofar to the greater community of Marin. By sharing our stories and our hopes, we can become more a part of – and transform our community into – something larger and more meaningful to us all.
Over the past year, Panim el Panim (face to face), with outstanding and vital support from Rabbi Chai Levy and the Board, has actively worked on building relationships between Kol Shofar members, between members of Kol Shofar and other MOC (Marin Organizing Committee) organizations, and with state and county public officials. As many of you know, some of our more public work involved a very spirited and well-attended (612 people) assembly in May of 2008, the largest non-partisan political gathering in Marin County history! We continue to work actively on issues, for example, pertaining to teens, seniors, healthcare, homelessness, and the environment – issues that arose in previous individual and small group conversations held at Kol Shofar and at other MOC organizations. Last August, freshly returned from his sabbatical, Rabbi Lavey Derby met with a few of us to learn more about what has been happening with respect to Panim el Panim and MOC and about our visions for moving forward. We shared our progress and challenges over the past year. He spoke to us passionately about how his involvement with Panim el Panim and MOC has changed him and how he sees this endeavor as a core part of our identity as Jews and members of the Kol Shofar community. He elaborated on this vision at the next Board meeting when he told us that, as far he is concerned, creating "relationality" is absolutely integral to who we are. He urged us to partner with him in building connections by forming relationships with one another: by approaching each other, especially those we do not know very well, and sharing stories about what we each care about and what gives us energy. Lavey sees these "relational meetings" and other Panim el Panim and MOC activities not as just another program, but as core to our being Jews, as important as Torah and Tefilah.
In order to help us fulfill this vision, Lavey has challenged the Panim el Panim leadership to organize another round of one on one relational meetings. Returning to these individual conversations is an expected part of the community organizing process that has already led to many new relationships and actions within Kol Shofar and in Marin County. We have accepted this challenge and, toward that end, we held planning meetings in September in order to get re-trained and re-energized in doing relational meetings and to organize a community-wide process of participating in such individual conversations. Some of you have already been contacted by Kol Shofar members asking to meet with you. Our goal is to reach all of you!
Please help us evolve into a more engaged and connected community by participating in these conversations and sharing your stories. Please also take it upon yourself, in all aspects of synagogue life, to approach people, especially those whom you do not know well, and “meet” them in a way that allows you to make a connection with them. See Rabbi Lavey Derby's comments about Panim el Panim in his Yom Kippur 2008/5769 drash. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to contact Mark Swoiskin at panim@kolshofar.org.
The following are some of the ways we at Kol Shofar can get to know each other better.
For information about these activities or to let us know your ideas of how we can improve these activities to increase connectedness, contact the office at 415.388.1818, ext.106; programs@kolshofar.org or Committee Chairperson Elaine Levy through the Kol Shofar directory.
Adult Education classes, which often set aside time for talking to someone you don’t know.
Chavurot – small groups of people with common interests who share time together outside of the synagogue
Committees – participation on synagogue committees is a great way to connect and also to help keep our congregation going. If you are interested, contact Karen Hirsch, our Vice-President for Operations, board@kolshofar.org.
Membership Buddy System – a new way for more established members to help newer people feel comfortable and welcome at Kol Shofar.
Name Tags – wear them when you are at a synagogue function, including services, so that people know who you are.
Office Volunteering – there’s always need for some extra hands. This is a great way to hang out with other volunteers and also to get to know some of our staff.
Parent Activities associated with (youth programming and education) – contact osholin@kolshofar.orgfor more information about ways you can get involved as a parent.
Purim Shpiel Participation – We follow Jewish tradition in putting on hilarious plays (usually musicals) on Purim. There’s lots of ways for everyone, adults and kids, to participate.
Retreat – Almost every year we have a congregational weekend retreat, an educational and social get-together at remote location. Keep an eye for out for announcements.
Shabbat Swap – Looking for a Shabbat meal, or do you have an extra seat at your table? Send a note to KSshabbatswap@yahoo.com.
Shiva visits – An opportunity to observe the mitzvah of comforting the mourner, and a chance to bond with all those who are taking their time to support someone in need. Shiva services are announced in the (Kol Shofar weekly announcements) and at regular services
Services – a core part of Jewish life. Join with others in deepening your spiritual and community connections. After Saturday morning services, be sure to stay around for Kiddush and the all the conversation and socializing.
Telling Our Stories – These are gatherings for seniors, with facilitated sharing of personal stories.
Tikkun Olam Activities – we have many activities that serve the larger community. It’s a great way to help others, and also to make new friends.
Trips – We often have congregational trips to Israel and other countries. The intensity of traveling together is a wonderful way to make new friendships and deepen old ones.
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