Etz Chayim Areivut Committee
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The Etz Chayim Areivut Committee is an umbrella committee and focal point for the community support and social justice work we do at Etz Chayim.
Areivut (עריבות) translated from Hebrew, means "responsibility” or guarantee -- responsibility to one's community and responsibility to the world. We live in a time of intense individualism. Jewish tradition points towards seeing ourselves as part of a large whole and that we are jointly responsible for one another. Our tradition expresses this in a simple story
“The people of Israel are similar to a ship. If there is a hole in the lower hold, one does not say, ‘Only the lower hold has a hole in it.’ Rather they must immediately recognize that the ship is liable to sink and that they care for one another. If one of us in trouble, we must all join together to repair the hole. (Tanna De Bei Eliyahu Rabbah Chapter 11)
The committee is comprised of a Chairperson, Rabbi Koritzinsky and leaders of independent "impact teams" that formulate team agendas and drive outreach and action in their areas. The Areivut Committee meets regularly and includes the impact team leaders and members at large. Currently we are focusing on these issues in the diagram. We are constantly evolving so that we can continue to focus on emerging issues.
- Browse the Social Action Bulletin Board
- Sign up on the Etz Chayim Social Action Email List
- Check out our Local Resources List
Impact Teams Serving our responsibility to Etz Chayim Community
One of the first "committees" formed by our congregation, Mitzvah Chavurah has been serving up meals and supporting congregants at shiva minyanim for 25 years. Mitzvah Chavurah consists of congregants on a Google-list, who are willing to sign up to help other congregants as needs arise. Mitzvah Chavurah volunteers might give rides to services, deliver home-cooked meals, run errands or do shopping for someone who is ill and unable to, or call and/or visit someone isolated at home
Impact Teams Serving our responsibility to Etz Chayim Community and to Our Local and World Community
Kol Yisrael
If you’re interested in joining us, please contact Mark Balch/Shai Tsur/Solange Tajchman.
Kol Yisrael is a group of congregants who are proud and inspired by the accomplishments and contributions of Israel and Jews, We both articulate the positive aspects and work to refute misunderstandings. We build bridges between people in the US and people in Israel.
Spark Church/Congregation Etz Chayim Racial Justice Impact Coalition (SERJIC)
If you’re interested in joining us, please contact Jana Gold/Arleen Ballin.
Spark Etz Racial Justice Impact Coalition: To express our moral commitment and moral courage, in coalition with our partners in the Spark Church community, to address issues of race, racism, and implicit bias directed toward all people of color by:
- Sponsoring educational programs highlighting issues of racial injustices, locally and nationally.
- Creating space for deeper exploration, introspection and awareness of our biases in order to do our personal part toward dismantling racism.
- Seeking deeper understanding and awareness of structural injustices, as we partner with "feet on the ground" organizations to amplify our impact.
- Providing opportunities to build relationships, create and strengthen friendships and foster community between our faith communities.
- Building coalitions with like-minded congregations and communities for learning and action.
- Organizing and guiding direct action for racial justice in the Etz Chayim/Spark Church community, the local community, and nationally.
Impact Teams Serving our responsibility to Our Local and World Community
The Housing Impact Team is working on initiatives to alleviate the housing crisis in our area, focusing on both short and longer-term initiatives to provide safe and affordable housing. We have worked on local efforts to provide safe parking for vehicle dwellers, advocated for local affordable housing, and alternative financing approaches to keep housing affordable.
Food for the Hungry
To get involved with the Ecumenical Hunger Program or the Jewish Family & Children's Services contact Brian Burns. To get involved with Second Harvest Food Bank drives contact the Synagogue office.
The Food for the Hungry impact team conducts regular fundraising drives for the Second Harvest Food Bank and the annual Kol Nidre canned food donations for the Ecumenical Hunger Project. In addition, we also volunteer with the Jewish Family and Children's Services (JFCS) which helps seniors, refugees, the homeless and other families and individuals in need via a spectrum of services. We have done food pantry organizing events, online drives for cleaning supplies, packaged holiday gift bags, made holiday greeting cards and done food drives.
The Immigration Impact Team has been working to find meaningful ways to support recent immigrants and refugee resettlement efforts. Over the past few years, Etz Chayim has provide direct support to recent immigrants locally as well as at the Southern border, done advocacy work to affect state and national immigration and hosted speaker and events, independently and jointly with Spark Church, related to recently arrived refugees, undocumented immigrants, sanctuary cities, DACA and border detention camps. in the Bay Area, as well as address the refugee crisis at the Southern border. We have partnered with Spark Church to help new Americans in the US. Together we have hosted speakers and hosted joint events related to recently arrived refugees, undocumented immigrants, sanctuary cities, DACA and border detention camps.
Teen Chai Tikkun Olam Projects - Youth Activism/Involvement
For more information contact Abra Greenspan at Teen Chai.
Etz teens in grades 9 through 12 have the opportunity to engage in hands-on tikkun olam projects & events with Etz teens in a social environment through Teen Chai. Bar/t Mitzvah students each have their own Tikkun Olam Habits. They write about them in their commentary booklets and post them on the bulletin board outside the Learning Team office.
Emerging Programs: We are a group of congregants who are interested in facilitating and enabling community wide climate action and education by and for members of the Etz Chayim community. These span a range of areas including energy use, sustainable transportation, restoring/creating native ecosystems, food and agricultural practices, and climate equity.
