Passover marks the halfway point of our calendar, the perfect time to take stock of all that we have accomplished since the High Holy Days and hope to continue to do until Elul and the High Holy Days come around once again. The Center for Tikkun Olam proudly reports to the Wise Board of Directors regularly — so we thought now would be the perfect time to share the report so that our entire community can reflect on the ways we have all helped change the world this year.

Homelessness and Hunger:

  • A delegation attended the Days of Compassion University held by the Los Angeles Mayor’s office to teach about how we can be more effective advocates for Supportive Housing in our city. Many of our Wise delegation visited an LA Family Housing Permanent Supportive Housing complex for emotionally and intellectually handicapped adults. Our group was quite impressed by the quality of the facility.
  • Semi-monthly lunch-making for LA Family Housing regularly brings 20 Wise volunteers together to assemble and deliver meals.
  • We held a successful Baby-to-Baby drive to collect gently-used baby items during the week leading up to our Purim carnival. We nearly filled a truck with the items we collected.
  • The Wise Parents Association is holding a “SOVA Market” to accompany the Passover SOVA Drive (March 12-16). Children will bring bags full of Passover items for donation to SOVA during the week. At the “market” (Friday, March 16), parents can donate money to fill a bag full of needed items.
  • Homes for Heroes purchased 20 microwaves for veterans moving into permanent housing.
  • Working with the Ella Fitzgerald Foundation we also provide dozens of books to the VA for newly-housed veterans.

Refugee Aid and Relief

  • Save the Syrian Children. The Wise shipment of medical supplies and clothing (collected last fall in our Early Childhood parking lot through #TheBigFill) is close to Syria and will be delivered to the war zone. Tragically, the fighting and suffering continues.  We hope that our donation of medical supplies and gently-used clothing and toys will bring comfort to the distressed families.
    • Numerous synagogues in LA have emulated our work and are also doing their version of #TheBigFill.
  • Wise will co-sponsor the LA Jews for Refugees assembly with HIAS and area synagogues. Click here to learn more.

Education

  • The Junior Literacy Leaders of Wise Readers to Leaders is hosting a Chocolate Seder this March.
    • Scholars’ families will join us for a fun Passover Seder and ecumenical Easter recognition.
  • Wise Readers to Leaders is hiring staff and recruiting JLL volunteers for our summer program. Click here to support WRTL as a volunteer or with a donation.

Sensible Gun Control

  • Wise is advocating for sensible gun control legislation and anti-violence initiatives with the Giffords Project, Women Against Gun Violence, Rabbis Against Gun Violence and other synagogues in the city. For more information contact Rabbi Stern.