Tikkun Olam
Towards Peace, Freedom and Justice for All
Tikkun Olam, repairing the world, is a hallmark of Reform Judaism and one of the defining aspects of Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom’s mission. We believe that human beings are God’s partners in improving the world. Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom is a community of dedicated individuals who are committed to taking an active role in working toward bringing peace, freedom and justice to all people. We believe that part of the role of a religious community is to help us live our best values, contributing to our community and our world.
We are proud of the work of our Temple Committee against Human Trafficking (TCAHT), which received the Irving J. Fain Award from the Religious Action Center of the Union of Reform Judaism in 2007 for our work in advocacy and education. In this and in all our endeavours, we value our interfaith relationships deeply. Ever since the days of Rabbi Harry Joshua Stern, Temple has been a place for people of different faiths to come together, to learn from each other, and to act.
We aspire to be a home for significant conversations about values and society. In 2013, we hosted the first Temple forum, an interfaith gathering on the proposed Charter of Quebec Values. Hundreds of people filled our sanctuary to make their voices heard. In 2015, our Temple forum was on Quebec’s end-of-life legislation. In this and other ways, we present a progressive religious voice, in partnership with other thought leaders in Quebec.
What it means to be québécois
Dr. Victor Goldbloom stars in a stirring video with a powerful message.
True to our shared values of Tikkun Olam, bridge-building, and open dialogue about issues that affect not only our community but the world at large, we are proud to share the following video entitled Être québécois, qu’est-ce que ça veut dire?
Created by Christian-Jewish Dialogue of Montreal and spearheaded by Rabbi Grushcow, the video stars Victor Goldbloom, CC, O.Q., M.D., esteemed Temple member and past president of our congregation.
We are also increasingly involved in hands-on efforts to take part in building a better Montreal. Every other week, our Caring Cooks gather to make soup and stew for Share the Warmth, helping to alleviate hunger in our city. We have taken part in Habitat for Humanity, to build affordable housing. And on our spring Mitzvah Day, we have a range of intergenerational activities, including collecting toiletries for women in shelters, to painting pots and delivering plants to seniors.
So that we keep thinking about how best to do this holy work, we have started a Social Justice Reading Group, and we continue to be open to new ideas.
If you are interested in taking on an active role in our ongoing social justice efforts, please contact Rabbi Grushcow at rabbigrushcow@templemontreal.ca.