Tikkun Olam

Common Ground gardeners Tom Byrne and Veronica Kaliski, left, and Madelyn Rothman have been planting and harvesting veggies and herbs in the CTI beds, then donating the crops to CAST, which according to the charity is now serving 1,490 families in Southold Town. The group could use a couple of extra hands for gardening chores. Those interested can contact Veronica at ctigreenport@gmail.com/. Also from Tikkun Olam, the group has donated $400 from its operating budget, allocated by the shul, to purchase chickens for CAST clients. Coming up, the graduation ceremony for the ParentChild+ Program, which is supported by our shul.   TOI photos

Greenport High School Students Benefit

Following its successful campaign to provide warm clothing to the homeless men who depend on John’s Place at St. Agnes Church in Greenport, the Tikkun Olam group pitched in with an ambitious group of volunteers to ready the yellow candles in time for the shul’s May 5 program.

In March, the group gathered at the shul to package the candles, carefully attaching to each one the name of a child who had died in the Holocaust. A letter accompanying the candle explained that as each candle is lighted, the recipient could think of that child and memorialize his or her untimely death.

On May 5, our shul will join with members of the North Fork Reform Synagogue and two South Fork synagogues in a joint program to honor the Six Million lost in the Holocaust.

The program is divided into three parts: First, we will meet in Andrew Levin Park to dig a grave in which to bury the names of children lost in the Holocaust. Then, we will head into our shul building for commentary and prayers by Rabbi Gadi of our shul, and Rabbi Barbara Sheryll of the North Fork Reform Synagogue to honor those who were lost amid the horrific acts of aggression that vanquished Jewish populations in major cities and peaceful villages across Europe. And finally, shul member Leah Friedmann will read one of her plays on the Yom Ha Shoah theme.

The Greenport High School Connection

The shul is grateful to our long-time member Chuck Simon for introducing the Yellow Candle Project to our shul. In the three years CTI has participated, the program has expanded beyond our shul to Greenport High School. At the conclusion of the 10th-grade unit on the Holocaust, this year’s students were bused to the Holocaust Museum in Glen Cove, where they toured the museum and spoke with a Holocaust survivor. Money collected from our members donating funds as a thank-you for the candles are turned over to the high school to help pay for the bus to the museum.

On April 19, our shul welcomed three of those students — Stefany Chapeton, Glenn Heidtman, and Gabrielle Luna — and their history teacher, Brian Toussaint, at our Shabbat service, and talked with the young people about their thoughts surrounding Jewish experiences during WWII and the antisemitism that continues to prevail today. The students talked freely about their shock at what had transpired.

Plans are underway to further expand the Yellow Candle Project to other synagogues on Long Island and to other North Fork high schools

And now, Veronica Kaliski, chair of Tikkun Olam, reminds us that gardening at Common Ground on behalf of CAST has begun. To date, beds 18 and 19 have been weeded, and mulch has been spread, and seedlings provided by Treiber Farms and Marion Garden Herbs will be planted soon.

And who is doing all of this gardening? A small and dedicated group, Veronica says, pointing out that additional help is welcome. Those interested in getting their hands in the dirt for a good cause can contact the shul at ctigreenport@gmail.com and leave a message for Veronica Kaliski.

Tikkun Olam members Veronica Kaliski, center, and Madelyn Rothman, right, deliver purchases and contributions of men’s clothing to Alex Zimardo, coordinator of John’s Place at St. Agnes Church in Greenport. In a thank-you letter to the group, the coordinator wrote, “Having other organizations willing to support our efforts with this vulnerable population is truly a blessing. We are grateful to be a part of a community that cares.”

John’s Place provides a safe, warm and dry place to sleep, also hot showers, nourishing meals, and warm winter clothing for homeless men.

Tikkun Olam spearheaded a February campaign at our shul, seeking contributions of men’s clothing for the shelter housed within the church.

Many Tikkun Olam campaigns throughout the year benefit CAST’s charitable work. When the group learned about the need at John’s Place, they added that charity to their work in the community on behalf of our shul.

Members of Tikkun Olam are Veronica Kaliski, Susan Rosenstreich, Madelyn Rothman and Cookie Slade.

For more information about the group, email ctigreenport@gmail.com with a message for Veronica Kaliski.

John’s Place photo

Shul members spearheading Tikkun Olam at our shul have designated February as the time they will initiate a drive to provide gently-used warm winter outerwear plus T-shirts, socks and underwear to the 30-40 homeless men who seek out John’s Place every Tuesday night.

John’s Place, located in the Parish Hall of St. Agnes Church in Greenport, provides the men with a warm place to sleep, hot showers, and clothing from November through April. John’s Place also provides dinner at night, morning breakfast, and a brown-bag lunch to-go.

Tikkun Olam will place a large container at the kitchen door on Thursday, Feb. 1, to be stationed there through February and emptied throughout the month when filled. Tikkun Olam is hopeful that shul members will respond as generously to the drive for clothing (M-L-XL) for John’s Place as they have for various CAST drives, most recently Toys For Tots, which was so successful in December that CAST personnel had to empty the overflowing big red barrel several times during the drive.

Veronica Kaliski told The Shofar that if people have items to donate but can’t get to the synagogue to deposit them in the barrel, she will provide pick-up service. To arrange for pickup, email ctigreenport@gmail.com with a message for Veronica Kaliski

This year’s “School Supply Drive” for the children of CAST clients was a success beyond anyone’s wildest expectation. According to Veronica Kaliski, speaking for the shul’s Tikkun Olam group, she had to ask CAST to empty the big red barrel by the kitchen door twice during the campaign, and still school supplies kept coming — pencils, glue sticks, paperclips, notebooks, dividers, rulers, scissors, index cards, markets, pens and backpacks to hold all that stuff.  The campaign ended on August 21.

Tikkun Olam had asked shul members to fill the bin to overflowing, not thinking the bin would be filled to overflowing three times. Tikkun Olam thanks all contributors for helping kids get a head start on a successful school year with all the new supplies to inspire them.

Also overflowing are the veggie beds at Common Ground, harvested by Madelyn Rothman, and contributed to CAST.