Temple Chai is committed to Social Action and Social Justice, and our community is heavily engaged in Tikkun Olam (Repairing the World). Social Action and Social Justice engagement is embedded in all areas of Temple Chai life starting with our Early Childhood Center students all the way through our elderly community as well.
Temple Chai has three primary Social Action Committees focusing on three strategic priority areas: Housing and Food Insecurity, Immigration Reform, and General Mitzvah Projects.
Temple Chai is proud to be a pilot of the Anti Defamation League’s national Kulanu program, which empowers communities to combat antisemitism. This group works together to educate our community and beyond through informative webinars and events.
to learn how Kulanu is empowering parents to protect their children from antisemitism — one of the many resources the Kulanu Committee provides to empower and educate our community.”
Join us in this New Year as we put our Jewish values into action. We can contribute to the sustainability of our community by helping to lower our carbon footprint. By utilizing eco-friendly actions such as recycling, building community gardens, buying plant-based foods and more, we can all make a difference! Help us make this happen! We welcome all ages, all ideas. Co-chairs: Nona Siegel (602-326-8851) and Ingrid Gold.
The Ellen Woodnick non-profit Mitzvah Mall promotes G’milut Chasadim (Acts of Loving Kindness) within our community and provides a meaningful holiday gift-giving alternative. Every student in our Religious School and community members participate in the Mitzvah Mall by shopping in the represented charities. A purchase of $1-$18 in each participating charity generates a certificate to hand out explaining what the funds will go towards.
Bring boxes of macaroni and cheese to use as groggers at our Purim celebrations. After Purim, all the mac and cheese will be donated to Just 3 Things.
Our 10th grade Confirmation students travel to Washington, DC to get an up-close view of the machinery of the United States government. Through group topic selection and speechwriting, they lobby our legislators regarding issues of importance to them.
L’Taken Social Justice Trip
Temple Chai collects over 10,000 lbs. of food for the Paradise Valley Emergency Food Bank. This initiative is led by the teens at Temple Chai and gives them the opportunity to make a difference by actively participating at the food bank. We also collect grocery store gift cards that help PV Emergency Food Bank essentials.
Annual High Holy Days Food Drive
On December 24th, join a few hundred of your Temple Chai friends to make peanut butter and fluff sandwiches for the St. Vincent de Paul kitchen. Each year, Temple Chai donates more than 14,000 sandwiches to help feed the hungry.
Temple Chai engages in year-round collections for several local organizations. Please contact the Temple Chai office to schedule a time to drop off a donation in one of our collection bins at (602) 971-1234. Organizations and items we collect on an ongoing basis:
o longer needed computer parts, desktops or older laptops, even if they don’t run or turn on, and transforms them into extremely powerful and useful tools that will help refugees get back on their feet. Click
– NourishPHX (formerly known as ICM Food & Clothing Bank) provides services for the working poor in Phoenix. Click
Clothing and Household Goods
– We collect nonperishable food items for two important local organizations: Just 3 Things and Paradise Valley Emergency Food Bank. Click
Non-perishable Food Items
Paradise Valley Emergency Food Bank
Thank you for the generous grant to underwrite Social Action staffing and programming at Temple Chai. Your support allows Temple Chai to deepen our work in tikkun olam and guide us toward success in addressing the most critical issues affecting our society.
