Engage

Engage

We are delighted that you are part of our Jacksonville Jewish Center family and we welcome your involvement! At the Center, we view our committees and organizations as part of our Kehilat Kesher and refer to them as Communities as well. Your participation in synagogue committees/communities is vital and appreciated. Volunteer opportunities span all of our portfolios and are briefly described below. Time commitments vary from one-time programs to long-term efforts so there is something for everyone. Whether you can give one hour or 100, we need you!

Below is a partial list of clubs and committees -  check back because there is always something happening!

• Social Action Committee 
• Men's Club
• Sisterhood
• Social Justice Committee and Mitzvah Day

SOCIAL ACTION and MITZVAH DAY 

Social action is an important aspect of our community life. Through a multitude of programs that the Jacksonville Jewish Center community has participated in over the years, we have enabled our members to integrate Jewish values into community service, to promote needed social change and to provide help for people in need.  We try to incorporate Tikkun Olam into all aspects of the congregation activities and into all aspects of our congregants’ lives.

Social Action, Social Justice, Tikkun Olam, and Mitzvot are all words that should inspire each of us to reach out to others, to do good, to try to make this world a better place in which we live.

It is the concept that we are God’s partners in perfecting the world and by being engaged in social action we can help repair and transform a broken world.

The term “tikkun olam” is a deeply important Jewish concept and yet also commonly misunderstood. Tikkun Olam is not a mitzvah to fulfill, but a term that generally refers to the Jewish impulse and commitment to perfect the world in accordance with God’s will through our own behavior, attitude, and action.

The aim of the Social Action Committee at the Jacksonville Jewish Center is to give our members ways to help to make this a better world and to make Jacksonville a better community.  There are projects that can be done as a group going out into our community, and projects that can be done alone in our homes.  There are projects that benefit our community and projects that benefit our country.  All are important and vital.  You can choose to do the projects that interest you and your family.

To get involved or if you have any questions regarding Social Action, please do not hesitate and email Rhoda Goldstein at rhodagoldstein@hotmail.com.

MITZVAH DAY INFORMATION:

Organized by Congregation Ahavath Chesed (The Temple) and the Jacksonville Jewish Center, the Jewish community will once again be serving our larger community on December 25th. We will be cooking, packaging, and delivering nearly 500 meals through Aging True’s Meals on Wheels program.  We will also be baking, packaging, and delivering baked goods for our first responders on the First Coast. Finally, we will be preparing and serving meals at several locations throughout Jacksonville. Please be sure to read comments for each location as times vary and some have age requirements. There is something for everyone so please join us!

In the past Mitzvah Day opportunities have been:

Meals on Wheels Meal Preparation; Ages 13+ Help cook and prepare the food which will be delivered later in the morning.

Baked Goods for First Responders – Baking at your home; Bake cookies at home.

Sulzbacher Center – Cooking & Serving Lunch, Ages 15+ Cook and serve lunch at the Sulzbacher Center. All food will be provided.

Ronald McDonald House – Lunch Prep; Ages 14+ Prep and cook lunch. All food will be provided.

River Garden – Activities with the residents; Ages 5+. Perfect for families with young children. (children must be accompanied by a parent) Enjoy music and activities with our residents on the River Garden campus.

Sulzbacher Center – Cooking & Serving Dinner; Ages 15+ Cooking and Serving Dinner at Sulzbacher Center. All food will be provided.

Ronald McDonald House – Serve Lunch; Ages 14+ Serve Lunch.

Youth Crisis Center and Touchstone Village – Cooking & Serving Dinner; Adults Only. Cooking and serving dinner at YCC. Arrival time and food prep to be announced. Dinner is served beginning at 5pm.

Five Star Veterans Center – Bring & Serve Desserts; Ages 13+ Volunteers are asked to bring desserts to serve at Five Star Veterans Center