Stepping up to the Plate
By
The Jewish Advocate
At Temple Emanuel in Newton on Sunday, one witnessed a community on action. Hundreds gathered to address the needs of their neighbors, friends and people who are only acquaintances.
Through Hillel's Call to Action, congregants joined the ranks of other area synagogues, including Temple Isaiah of Lexington and Temple Beth El of Sudbury, which are looking inward to help each other as external forces strike.
With money tight in places from local households to state governments, the solution to a drained wallet is the kindness of the neighbor. It's old-fashioned, but it just might work. This is an example of Jewish community leveraging the strengths of one another, and it comes at a particularly relevant time. With $425 million cut from the state budget last month, and then 41.4 million restored last week, it appears that we can rely on financial instability. The organizations that help us, whether it's through vocational services or caregiver agencies, are increasingly strapped for cash, placing increased emotional and physical stress on us.
On Sunday, people testified to the high cost of providing care to loved ones during the most difficult days of their lives. One person said that it cost $60,000 when her husband received extended hospice care. Another recalled the anxiety as a long-distance caregiver. The point of the event was not only to voice concerns in a supportive environment but to also motivate the congregation to aid people who are hard hit. State Representative Kay Kahn told the Advocate that, "The government can't do it all. We can't just totally depend on government."
And Abby Flam, a social action chair at Emanuel, said that we should take care of our own community. "We need to turn to each other as resources," she said.
That's an even better reason why, as members of the Jewish Community, we should step up-and accelerate-our efforts to helping struggling families. Whether it's a person going through a divorce or a woman who has to work full time while caring for her ailing mother, we can always provide a hot dinner and that extra carpool. As Rabbi Hillel said: "If I am not only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?"
We cannot rely on the government in helping out in times of personal crisis. It's time we really banded together as a community.
