To help the children of CAST families gain the skills necessary for success when starting kindergarten, the shul’s Tikkun Olam Initiative (TOI) group purchased 20 bilingual copies of “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” for the 3-year old group, and 20 copies of “Rainbow Fish” for the 4-year-olds.

Each book is labeled inside, announcing (in Spanish and English) that the book was donated by Congregation Tifereth Israel.

“Helping these children gain the literacy skills that their English-speaking classmates already understand is a focus of CAST’s ParentChild+ program. “We are so proud of these youngsters, and proud that our group on behalf of our shul can contribute to this important learning,” said Veronica Kaliski, chair of the TOI.

Veggies for CAST clients

Madelyn Rothman, who monitors the plantings at Common Ground, told The Shofar that Tikkun Olam is trying some new efficiency methods in connection with the beds the group maintains at the community garden. The goal is to produce a greater harvest this year because of increased demand for the vegetables and herbs. Onions, carrots, cucumbers, zucchini and peppers are the most popular veggies.

The group is always open to more volunteers to help with the garden beds. Those interested can contact Veronica Kaliski by emailing ctigreenport@gmail.com with a message for Veronica.