by Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback

Our tradition teaches that, in times of crisis, our people do not sit back and pray for a miracle. We instead do everything we can to make the situation better for ourselves, our families, our community, and our world. And right now there are concrete things we can do in this moment of crisis.

  1. There is a shortage of masks at local hospitals. Masks are critical to protecting doctors and nurses, who will in turn protect us. If you have masks at home, perhaps that you purchased after the fires, now is the time to donate them. Keep one or two for your own peace of mind if you need to. But if you have ten, donate eight of them. It will save lives. We have set up a bin outside of the entrance of the Wise administrative offices (in “the circle”) for you to drop them off. The campus will be open Monday–Friday from 8 a.m.–3 p.m. One of the doctors in our congregation will then deliver them to local hospitals.
  2. If you can donate blood, call one of the local hospitals to find out how. I phoned yesterday and made an appointment to donate my blood at UCLA Medical Center. They have crafted procedures designed to keep both donors and hospital staff safe. It’s among the highest mitzvahs of all. This too will save lives.
  3. We know this is a time of financial turmoil as well. If you are in a position to help, the need is great. We’ve set up a Wise Emergency Relief fund to help congregants in need. Our community is counting on us. Additionally, we are working diligently to take care of our staff. I ask every member who can contribute monetarily to Stephen Wise Temple to do so. This will enable us to continue to provide salary and benefits to our teachers, maintenance crew, and other staff who do so much to care for us, educate us and our children, and nourish our spirits. Without your support we will be forced to make significant cuts to our budget. Please click here to donate to our general fund. For other ways to help our broader community, visit our Center for Tikkun Olam page.

Lastly, if you need help, we want to know about it right away. We’ve learned about a lot of the ways members need support now through our phone calls to you and we are following up regularly to provide support. (If you’d like to help reach out to fellow members, email Lucy Harel, Director of Membership.) Let us know what you need and we’ll do our best to provide it. We have members who’ve offered to do grocery shopping for others, make phone calls, and help with technology so that members can easily connect to our online classes.

And, just as important, we are here to nourish you intellectually and spiritually as well. Please join us for our online classes and services—make a special effort to be with us this Friday night at 6:15 p.m.

Friends, we will get through this—together. We are blessed to have a strong community and now is the time when we can all make a difference.