First Hebrew’s Social Action committee is dedicated to helping those in need in our local community. We also provide a forum for informational programming on issues like gun safety and drug abuse. We have also sponsored annual Refugee Shabbat services, highlighting the issues of those who come to the United States after fleeing challenges in their countries of origin to seek a better life here. We have also conducted a series of Mitzvah Challenges, involving our community in addressing specific needs as they come up.
We team up with the Sisterhood for the annual Operation Isaiah to collect food for the local food pantry- in 2023 collecting over 500 pounds of food donated by our First Hebrew Community! A crucial part of our mission is providing monthly meals (second Monday of the month) for the local Soup Kitchen for approximately 80 people. Meals can no longer be prepared by outside groups or individuals so we provide financial resources for the soup kitchen to feed those in need.
We always welcome new volunteers to this committee. Any assistance you might wish to provide, whether by donating money, scrip gift cards to local supermarkets, or helping to plan a program is appreciated. If you would like to help in any way, please contact Fran Olmsted, Social Action Committee chair, at (845) 424-4077 or oesenv@aol.com.
