The Far-Reaching Power of Loving-Kindness

At the heart of Jewish tradition is the importance of acts of loving-kindness. What is meant by loving-kindness? It means going beyond what is strictly required; and performing acts of compassion, generosity, and goodwill toward others, especially those in need.

We are given examples in our tradition of acts of loving-kindness, such as visiting the sick, comforting mourners, welcoming guests, helping the needy, and offering support to those going through difficult times. The rabbis go as far as to say that this is actually superior to, say, charity. We are going to now take a look at a few texts that talk about the impact our actions have on the world around us.

This guide was created by Repair the World in response to the LA Wildfires.

Global to Local – Do it Yourself Toolkit

A DIY guide merging JDC’s global community engagement practices with Repair the World’s local service expertise. Features seven values-driven actions to help young Jews apply overseas experience to meaningful local volunteering, from values clarification to community mapping to organizing service events.Retry

Together at the Table: Pittsburgh

When disaster strikes communities, how does collective trauma inform how we show up for one another?

Xenophobia comes in many forms, how do we process trauma in our communities and in other oppressed communities? Sanctuary is the word used to describe a Jewish house of worship, it also means safe haven. This guide can be used as a mourning practice or discussion after a traumatic incident; it can also be helpful framing when discussing trauma with members of different communities. How do we process and heal together?

This guide was created by the Anti Defamation League and Repair the World in partnership with Be’chol Lashon, Keshet, and OneTable in response to the Tree of Life shooting.

Praying with My Legs

When Heschel marched with Dr. King, did he know he was paraphrasing the words of Fredrick Douglass?

Our understanding of Rev Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and his work is a more palatable version of the story. The Civil Rights Movement was not just an era of peaceful protest, but an era of unrest and upset, an effort to try to break down the barriers of systemic racial inequity in the United States. How does the Jewish community, and non-POC communities, engage in racial justice today? This MLK day text study implores you to do self-inventory of your relationship to race.

Written in partnership with Erika Davis.

A Sukkot Guide to Houselessness

How are Communities of Color and other vulnerable groups impacted by houselessness in America?

“Over the next four years the current Pandemic Recession is projected to cause chronic houselessness to increase 49 percent in the United States. Houselessness among working-age adults caused by the current recession is projected to peak in 2023, adding 603,000 working-age adults to those already without a place of their own to sleep in the United States.” Through this Sukkot guide, explore how various communities are being impacted by the current housing crisis and the systems in place which have led to the staggering statistics we see today.

Jewish Response to Housing Discrimination in America

As we build our sukkah and welcome guests into temporary shelters, this guide invites reflection on those who lack permanent homes in our communities. Through the lens of Sukkot, kavod ha’briyot, and the shmita year, explore the history of housing discrimination, systemic barriers that create homelessness, and concrete Jewish responses to housing injustice through respectful community engagement and direct action.

Sukkot: A Shelter of Peace

Explore the relationship between the holiday of Sukkot, and housing insecurity in America today.

During Sukkot we have a full week in which we can fulfill the obligation of “welcoming the stranger” into our temporary dwellings built to observe this holiday. This custom invites us to consider the needs of those who lack permanent shelter beyond the week of Sukkot. During this z’man simchateinu, season of joy, we are instructed to celebrate and provide so that everyone has what they need to celebrate Sukkot, regardless of their status in the community. How does this holiday invite us to consider housing insecurity in America today? This guide can be utilized during the High Holiday season to explore our relationship to our unhoused neighbors, in advance of or during Sukkot.

Ten Plagues of Housing Injustice

What modern plagues exist in our society that we ought to consider this Passover? Learn more about housing injustice in America today.

“We place a drop on our plates for each one to acknowledge that the joy of liberation cannot be completed while many continue to be oppressed.” During the Passover Seder, we recall events that took place as part of the Exodus from Egypt, one aspect of this is the ten plagues. Through this haggadah insert, supplement the traditional plagues and consider plagues of housing injustice affecting the American landscape today.

Women Fighting for Sustainability: Examining Grassroots Agricultural Solutions

Explore concepts of land ownership and food insecurity through the grassroots organizing of prominent female figures.

How do you create a system of change in your society? Explore the actions of three prominent female figures who, through grassroots organizing, created systems to address food insecurity in their communities. This guide can be utilized either in conversation on the subject of land ownership and food insecurity, or through food justice-oriented service work.