SOCIAL ACTION
There are many activities going on at Mishkan Israel under our Social Action banner.We sponsor speakers and special Shabbat services throughout the year on social
justice topics. In addition, there are many activities and special events. We hope you will take the time
to become acquainted with and join in our many worthwhile projects.
For several years, our focus was on the environment and global warming. Given the drastic downturn in the
economy and immediate hardships that have come to light, much of our current focus is on combating homelessness and hunger.
We are sponsored a house of Sleeping Giant Build for Habitat for Humanity. Life Is
Delicious cooks for Columbus House's regular and overflow shelters. Our Peah project
continues to provide fresh vegetables to area soup kitchens over the summer and fall months. We are exploring additional
partnership opportunities with the homeless shelters this year.
Our cornerstone ongoing projects are described below.
CLOTHING DRIVE
MITZVAH MALL
PE’AH PROJECT
For more information about any of these ongoing and special
events, please contact the Synagogue Office 288-3877.
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CLOTHING
DRIVE
Are you busy clearing out your closets and getting them organized and ready for the cold weather? Bring unwanted coats
and other warm clothing items to the Temple and place in the clothing bin located
in the coat closet. The clothes will be donated to the Immanuel Missionary
Baptist Church in New Haven.
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MITZVAH
MALL
The
Mitzvah Mall is a longstanding annual tradition at CMI, co-sponsored by the Religious Education
and Social Action Committees, which raises over $7,000 for charities. Adults and children are given the opportunity to
experience the true meaning of tzedakah at the holidays. Children and adults stroll around booths that
are set-up by a variety of local community social service agencies. Instead of purchasing a
gift, children and adults make a donation to specific agencies. For 50 cents, $1.00, $2.00,
$5.00, children in the religious school buy such items as food for a hungry family, books for
health clinic patients, or collars for dogs in an animal shelter. They make the donation in
the name of a friend or relative, who receives a card from the agency informing
them of their contribution made in their honor.
The Mitzvah Mall is a wonderful opportunity for children to learn that they
can help others, that there are people (animals) in need, and that there are
agencies in the area that help them and need our help to do so. Families
and teachers are encouraged to discuss the meaning of tzedakah prior to the Mitzvah
Mall to help children understand and appreciate the event and how the agency
will benefit from their donation.
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PE’AH
PROJECT
The Pe’ah project was started more than a dozen
years ago by Miskhan Israel. The garden is located behind the synagogue. It has 15 plots, and each plot
is divided in two, with half of the crops harvested for area soup kitchens and the other half
for personal use. The congregants begin with study of the Biblical and Rabbinic laws of “giving”
and implement these over the course of the summer. This is a
wonderful opportunity to meet other synagogue familiesand contribute to a community “mitzvah” by supporting the soup kitchens. You needn’t
opt out because of summer vacations, as long as they don’t last all summer!
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For more information, call the synagogue office at (203) 288-3877 or e-mail us at
congregation@snet.net.