Gemilut Chesed (Acts of Loving Kindness) Committee
What is a Chesed Community?
The Gemilut Chesed committee seeks to meet our congregants' chesed needs in a loving, respectful, and effective manner. The committee respects the privacy of those who ask and makes them as comfortable as possible based on our available resources.
As a congregation we have a commitment and obligation to perform acts of Gemilut Chesed both within and outside of our congregational community. Through our Chesed Community, we hope to make it easier to bring our members together to acknowledge the joyful moments in our lives, to comfort the sorrowful in meaningful ways, and to help those that need assistance.
How It Works:
Although we would like to meet any need, however great, that may arise for a community member, we just don't have the resources to meet every type of need. We offer assistance in the areas where we can be effective:
...Home/Hospital Visits
...Shiva Visits
...Meals
...Telephone Reassurance
...Transportation
The Beit Tikvah Gemilut Chesed Committee consists of members who volunteer to coordinate member response to congregant requests for aid. The rabbi will remain available for all congregants' personal and pastoral needs on an ongoing basis.
The committee is responsible for receiving gemilut chesed requests, making sure that the Rabbi is informed, and following up to ensure the need was met.
Here is the process to obtain assistance:
When a member of Beit Tikvah finds themselves in need of help, they will contact the office telephone line at 410-464-9402, and leave a message on the office line asking for Genilut Chesed Committee Chair to contact them, or leave a confidential message on the Rabbi's private voicemail.
Once contact is made, the following step-by-step process will occur:
The Gemilut Chesed Chair, will contact the person who requested aid. She will then contact volunteers from the congregation and organize the needed assistance on a fully confidential basis.
Every member of Beit Tikvah completes the Gemilut Chesed Volunteer Information Form, which appears following this article, with a willingness to be called on should a need arise. Please don't limit yourself to checking only one area of service. Feel free to offer your potential availability throughout the years in many categories. Middle and high school-age members may want to consider volunteerism as a way of earning required community service hours.
GEMILUT CHESED VOLUNTEER INFORMATION FORM
The Gemilut Chesed committee seeks to meet our congregants' chesed needs in a loving, respectful, and effective manner. The committee respects the privacy of those who ask and makes them as comfortable as possible based on our available resources.
As a congregation we have a commitment and obligation to perform acts of Gemilut Chesed both within and outside of our congregational community. Through our Chesed Community, we hope to make it easier to bring our members together to acknowledge the joyful moments in our lives, to comfort the sorrowful in meaningful ways, and to help those that need assistance.
How It Works:
Although we would like to meet any need, however great, that may arise for a community member, we just don't have the resources to meet every type of need. We offer assistance in the areas where we can be effective:
...Home/Hospital Visits
...Shiva Visits
...Meals
...Telephone Reassurance
...Transportation
The Beit Tikvah Gemilut Chesed Committee consists of members who volunteer to coordinate member response to congregant requests for aid. The rabbi will remain available for all congregants' personal and pastoral needs on an ongoing basis.
The committee is responsible for receiving gemilut chesed requests, making sure that the Rabbi is informed, and following up to ensure the need was met.
Here is the process to obtain assistance:
When a member of Beit Tikvah finds themselves in need of help, they will contact the office telephone line at 410-464-9402, and leave a message on the office line asking for Genilut Chesed Committee Chair to contact them, or leave a confidential message on the Rabbi's private voicemail.
Once contact is made, the following step-by-step process will occur:
The Gemilut Chesed Chair, will contact the person who requested aid. She will then contact volunteers from the congregation and organize the needed assistance on a fully confidential basis.
Every member of Beit Tikvah completes the Gemilut Chesed Volunteer Information Form, which appears following this article, with a willingness to be called on should a need arise. Please don't limit yourself to checking only one area of service. Feel free to offer your potential availability throughout the years in many categories. Middle and high school-age members may want to consider volunteerism as a way of earning required community service hours.
GEMILUT CHESED VOLUNTEER INFORMATION FORM
Building a Chesed Community at Beit Tikvah and living our Jewish Values
Our Sages tell us that the world is based on three things --
Torah: study of our sacred texts, Avodah: serving God through our prayers, and Gemilut Chesed: active loving kindness towards others. Pirkei Avot 1:2
Once the Gere Rebbe decided to question one of his disciples: “How is Moshe Yaakov doing?” The disciple didn’t know. ‘What!’ shouted the Rebbe, ‘You don’t know? You pray under the same roof? You study the same book? You serve the same God?- yet you dare tell me that you don’t know how Moshe Yaakov is whether he needs help or advice or comforting? How can that be?’
Here lies the very essence of our way of life: every person must share in every other person’s life, we must not be alone in sorrow or in joy.
Torah: study of our sacred texts, Avodah: serving God through our prayers, and Gemilut Chesed: active loving kindness towards others. Pirkei Avot 1:2
Once the Gere Rebbe decided to question one of his disciples: “How is Moshe Yaakov doing?” The disciple didn’t know. ‘What!’ shouted the Rebbe, ‘You don’t know? You pray under the same roof? You study the same book? You serve the same God?- yet you dare tell me that you don’t know how Moshe Yaakov is whether he needs help or advice or comforting? How can that be?’
Here lies the very essence of our way of life: every person must share in every other person’s life, we must not be alone in sorrow or in joy.
