Posted on March 8, 2019
A small group of healthcare professionals in our Temple Beth-El community met last year to discuss how to advance the good work of the TBE Caring Network. We are pleased to update the community on two initiatives that emerged from insights they shared and our collective brainstorming.
Mental Health Initiative
– In his Yom Kippur sermon this past fall, Rabbi Gluck spoke about mental health issues and that our TBE community is a place where people should feel comfortable talking about their challenges and issues. Here is a link to Rabbi Gluck’s Yom Kippur sermon, “When Choosing Life is Hard”.
On the opening day of religious school, Rabbi Gluck continued this theme by beginning a dialogue with parents about mental health for our teens. On Dec. 12, 2018, the dialogue continued with TBE hosting a program facilitated by Betsy Stone called “Protecting the Mental Health of Young People.” Betsy Stone’s program was funded by the Ariel E. Malberg Memorial Fund. The discussion was well-attended, with many questions raised about our teens’ mental health and how to refine our parenting skills. Rabbi Gluck invited a smaller group to join him in his office to continue discussing this topic, with more than 20 people attending, including some of the mental health professionals in our TBE community. A second speaker program is being planned for late March. Stay tuned for more details. This initiative, and the way it has been so warmly received, is more evidence that our hard work building relationships at TBE is making a difference.
Ladles of Love – In October 2018, we launched our pilot initiative called Ladles of Love. This program involves
two components: community cooking sessions in the TBE kitchen to prepare soups and sweet breads, and delivering
this food to members of our TBE community who need a little extra tender loving care, whether recovering from surgery or an illness, grieving a loss or celebrating a birth. Eighteen volunteer chefs have participated in three community cooking sessions, producing more than 60 quarts of soup and more than 55 loaves of sweet bread. Many of our tasty recipes have come from our TBE community. The next community cooking session is March 31 – sign up at https://tinyurl.com/TBELadlesofLove-March. Stay tuned to the TBE weekly e-blast for additional cooking dates for spring 2019. To date, more than 27 Ladles of Love care packages have been delivered. Our dedicated volunteer delivery crew has reported how grateful the recipients have been and how gratifying it is to do the delivery work. Ladles of Love is generously underwritten by the Jules Swickle Chesed [Kindness] Fund. To volunteer for deliveries or for more information, email Andrea Bradley at abradley616@gmail.com. Ladles of Love is creating a positive “buzz” and building new and caring relationships in our TBE community.
If you, or someone you know, would benefit from a Ladles of Love care package, please contact the TBE office. And, as always, if you, or someone you know, needs pastoral care, please contact Rabbi Gluck or Cantor Pincus.
Originally published in the March-April 2019 issue of the Shofar. For more issues of the Shofar, visit the Shofar archives.
