Temple Sholom, 3480 N. Lake Shore Dr., has long had a commitment to social action, especially in addressing the needs of the disadvantaged and hungry in Chicago. For example, Temple Sholom has held an annual food drive during the High Holy Days. This year, on Yom Kippur—a day of fasting and reflection—they collected food for the Lakeview Pantry, an organization that helps feed the needy in the community, gathering 7,500 pounds of food with a value of $15,000. According to the Lakeview Pantry, this effort is the second biggest collection of the year.
The Social Action Committee of Temple Sholom sponsors a twice-monthly meal that congregants serve to local people in need. Under the leadership of Rabbis Amy Memis-Foler and Taron Tachman and congregants Cheryl Gutmann, Mark Davis, Debra Stern, Alexis Mansfield, Karen Titus and Susie Coleman, the members prepare and serve dinner to 50 individuals. Dinners are held the second and the fourth Monday of each month in the temple's Lakeshore lobby. Most evenings, music and entertainment is also provided by talented youngsters from their religious school.
In addition, their ongoing Feed the Hungry project takes place on Sunday mornings. Here, volunteers of all ages gather to put lunch bags together—about 400—and deliver them to the House of Daniel on the Near West Side of Chicago. Contact Rabbi Memis-Foler for volunteer opportunities at (773) 435-1536.
Temple Sholom, founded in 1867 and one of Chicago's oldest synagogues, sits in the forefront of Reform Judaism, educating both young and old, presenting lectures and programs of broad appeal, serving the disadvantaged in the community and helping those searching for new forms of worship and expression within Jewish heritage. |
