The Voice | June-July 2020

By: Amy Payne, Member Relations Specialist Chesed

CORONA

in the time of

A year-and-a-half: that’s approximately how long it took Beth El’s leadership to contemplate all that the congregation is, challenge its limitations, and consider ways it should grow in the future. The end result was a meticulously crafted mission statement and set of core values, which clearly articulated the culture of Beth El Congregation, one that thoroughly encapsulated all that is exceptional about its sacred community. While Beth El’s mission, vision, and values guided the congregation through the best of times, the congregation’s culture became a vital lifeline throughout the evolving COVID-19 crisis. In the blink of an eye, as society shifted so drastically to accommodate stay-at-home orders, Beth El rapidly deployed an initiative to keep its sacred community connected through a robust schedule of digital content and virtual gatherings, known as Beyond the Walls. Beth El’s professional staff, guided by the synagogue’s values, immediately took action. Technology platforms like Facebook and Zoom allowed the congregation to live its values of Torah and kedusha through virtual prayer experiences, distance learning environments, and remote lifecycle celebrations. Less clear, was how Beth El would act on its value of chesed . One thing was certain: there was never a more appropriate or necessary time for the generosity, and kindness that are hallmarks of Beth El’s culture. While Beth El prioritized social action long before social distancing, chesed took on greater importance during the outbreak. One such pre-closure campaign to be repurposed was Caring Calls, a chesed effort organized by Cantor Melanie Blatt to make connections with congregants who were not able to come to Shabbat services. These simple calls to members were fulfilling to both the callers and the called. The effort quickly shifted from Shabbat calls to wellness check-ins, once the governor executed state-wide stay-at-home orders. According to Cantor Blatt, “a simple phone call can bring light to anyone’s day.” The first two-rounds of quarantine calls included 18 volunteers who made 600 calls to remind congregants - particularly elderly members who were most at risk for contracting COVID-19 - how loved and seen they were by

their synagogue community. Next, Cantor Blatt trained six “calling captains” to manage the growing team of volunteers, who now had the added responsibility of documenting the needs of homebound congregants. Callers were given resources to help homebound congregants trouble-shoot any challenges they might mention. Soon, there were more than 70 callers, including Beth El clergy, members, board members, and staff, who made over 2,000 calls. Renee King is a Beth El member on the Caring Calls team. “In a time when we are missing our communities and voices from outside our homes, receiving a call from a Beth El member says: we are thinking of you,” Mrs. King observed. “But this has also been so fulfilling to the callers whose normal lives suddenly stopped.” Sheryl Title fondly recalled one phone call and all of the good feelings of connectedness that it created. The husband who answered the phone told Mrs. Title that his wife was at her sewing machine, making face masks to donate to the University of Maryland Hospital, to supplement the supply for the hard-working hospital staff. Through Caring Calls, one act of kindness led to another, spinning a cycle of joyful connections. Beth El’s core values not only informed internal chesed initiatives, but also helped staff members prioritize their involvement in communal campaigns throughout the shutdown. Senior Events Manager Tali Adelstein sprang into action when she learned of the Jewish Volunteer Connection’s “Bunches of Lunches” campaign, which provided brown bagged lunches to those families struggling with the economic impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. Mrs. Adelstein quickly assembled a team to organize Beth El’s participation, thereby turning the Beth El kitchen into a production line of complete, nutritious lunches and creating a drop off system for those donating lunches to do so at a safe social distance. Beth El members donated over 4,000 bagged lunches - some ornately decorated with messages of hope - during the first and second collections. The Talmud instructs every Jewish person to look out for each other, especially marginalized individuals, like the stranger, widow, orphan, as well as the sick, or isolated. Beth El, empowered by the value of chesed , practiced this teaching very well.

19 June-July 2020 | Nisan-Iyyar 5780