Social Justice: Tzedek
Temple Beth Shalom is a community committed to the pursuit of Tzedek, Righteousness.
We believe that all people – regardless of faith, race, national, ethnic or gender identity, or socio-economic background – have been created in the Divine image and are therefore worthy of honor.
As individuals and as a community, we stand against intolerance and hatred. As individuals and as a community, we promote causes and engage in action that leads to a more just society.
As a community, we inspire our members to engage in activism through legislation, education, and social awareness that will help to achieve the goal of greater justice for all.
To get involved or for more information, please contact us at tzedek@tbsneedham.org.
Organizing as a Community
TBS Tzedek is a social justice program for our community. The work of this group enables us to identify societal issues that are important to us as a congregation. We do research and learn about the issues. We explore how Jewish values call upon us to respond. We organize specific actions for justice, and we join with other mission-aligned organizations and communities to leverage power through partnership. We partner with Massachusetts’s Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (RAC-MA) to engage our community in conversation and activism.
Ethic for Activism
TBS is a “Big Tent” Community. A strength of the community is its diversity of opinion. TBS Tzedek is not bound to a single political philosophy, party, or approach. TBS encourages the respectful sharing of differing ideas. As part of its mission, TBS Tzedek creates community platforms for conversation, promotes open and honest discussion, encourages the sharing of the ideas of many, and calls for thoughtful listening to the perspectives of others. Throughout our work, TBS Tzedek invites feedback, questions, and suggestions from our entire community. We seek to deepen understanding, awareness, and perspective.
Opportunities to Get Involved
Education: Teaching our community and each other about issues, causes, and the Jewish wisdom that calls upon us to act.
Activism: Engaging in specific acts as a community that will make a difference).
Community Conversation: Structuring healthy discussion, dialogue, and debate in which our TBS members listen to and grow through varying perspectives.
Strength Through Partnership
We work to develop power through partnership with other congregations and organizations whose social justice/civil rights missions are in alignment with our own. Coming from Jewish, interfaith, and secular backgrounds, these organizations provide information, expertise, experience, insight, strategic advice, and ultimately the power to make a difference that is beyond the scope of any single community of action. We learn from and actively partner with a multitude of organizations.
