Hillel says, “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But if I am only for myself, who am I? If not now, when?” Ethics of the Fathers, 1:14
If not you…then who?
The mission of the Social Action Committee is to make Judaism’s commitment to the principles of Tikkun Olam an integral part of everyday life within the congregation. The committee organizes projects and events that educate the congregation and provides meaningful experiences through which we can repair our world on many levels; locally, globally and in our own Jewish community. The SAC welcomes all Kol Ami members to be involved in their own way, whether by giving, volunteering, fundraising, and in-kind service or any other act of Tzedakah.
Many of us are yearning to do still more. Our Social Action Committee (SAC) is looking for new members who want to make a difference.
Save-The-Date: Community Warehouse Drive
On Sunday, March 7th the SAC and the Men’s club will join forces to support the Community Warehouse. We will offer a one day only in home pick up of used furniture, kitchenware and basic household items for the Community Warehouse a non-profit organization who recycles donated furniture and household items and gives them to needy families in our community. So circle the date and clean out your, closets, garage, and cupboards. We’ll be in touch with more details
We can make a difference simply by changing where we shop!
Coffee is big business. It’s one of the most heavily traded commodities in the world. But for the majority of small coffee farmers, the benefits are few. The chain of events that leads from the coffee farm to your cup is long and expensive, and often leaves the farmer with very little to live on.
Most small coffee farmers live in isolated communities in some of the world’s poorest countries. They usually sell their coffee through middlemen, known to Latin American farmers as “coyotes.” With world prices in constant flux and coyotes offering the lowest price possible, farmers never know how much they’ll get for their crops.
Some 20 million people near the equator depend on coffee for their livelihoods. In their struggle to make a simple living, the producers of one of the world’s luxury crops are often trapped in poverty.
But there is an alternative: FAIR TRADE. Fair Trade shares the bounty of the coffee trade with those who grow the crop, helping them build a better future for themselves and their communities.
Faith communities throughout the US are responding to the plight of small coffee, tea and cocoa farmers by choosing to purchase Fair Trade. In 2004, over 8,000 congregations of many denominations participated in the Equal Exchange Interfaith Program. This number continues to grow. Recognizing our obligations to pursue justice and healing throughout the world, people of faith can apply religious and spiritual beliefs to our decisions as consumers. For Jews in particular, the Torah and Talmud outline specific guidelines regarding the treatment of laborers and are for the land. According to Mishna Torah 10:7-14:
“The highest level of tzedakah, exceeded by none, is that of the person who assists a poor person by providing him with a gift or loan or by accepting him into a business partnership or by helping him to find employment-in a word, by putting him where he can dispense with other people’s aid.”
Fair Trade provides consumers with opportunities to participate in just business partnerships with the producers of agricultural products in some of the poorest corners of the world. Certainly this is an act of tzedakah worth pursuing.
The Equal Exchange Interfaith Program offers products specifically designed to enable communities of faith to get involved in Fair Trade. Please support Tikkun Olam by buying Equal Exchange Fair Trade Coffee now available at KALC. We have a variety of Organic Teas and Coffees at reasonable prices. Something in particular you’d like? Contact: Deawn Herrmann 360-718-8407/ deawnh@comcast.net.