Nashville, TN — In a time of need, when children, men and women are hungry, without shelter, troubled or without hope, and many have lost their jobs or homes, The Temple - Congregation Ohabai Sholom recently renewed its pledge to help others, giving a financial boost to 12 charities in the Greater Nashville area.

The Social Action Committee of The Temple has been making donations through its permanent Social Action Funds to area charities since 1971, and this year is no exception, says Chair Carol Fradkin.

Gifts totaling $15,000 were allocated among 12 local charities: Alive Hospice, Better Decisions, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Homework Hotline, Jewish Family Service of Nashville, Nashville Adult Literacy Council (NALC), Nashville Cares, Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC), Planned Parenthood of Middle & East Tennessee, The Temple's Room in the Inn, Tennessee Justice Center, and Youth Villages.

Just in the past 12 years, The Temple has donated over $260,000 to local charities from its Social Action Funds. Those funds include the Lee & Thresa Kuhn Social Action Fund, Calvin A. Buchman Fund, Memorial Tablet Fund and additional funds generated through direct donations by members in honor of various life cycle events.

Reaching out to those in need is central to the Jewish faith, notes Senior Rabbi Mark Schiftan of The Temple.

"In Judaism, charity giving is viewed as an obligation in Jewish law and tradition," Rabbi Schiftan said. "Jews have a mandate within our Torah and Talmud to improve the world in which we live, called 'tikkun olam.' Tikkun olam is achieved through the performance of good deeds; our Social Action Committee was founded on those principles."

The Temple’s Social Action Committee was founded by past board member Fred Goldner, M.D. and Rabbi Emeritus Randall M. Falk in 1960, and was inspired by the establishment of the Reform Judaism Movement’s first social action center in Washington D.C. in October 1959, called the Religious Action Center (RAC) for Reform Judaism. Since its establishment, the RAC has served as an advocate in Congress on issues ranging from Israel and Soviet Jewry to economic justice; from civil rights to international peace and religious liberty, and continues to be an integral part of some of the most important political and social developments in recent history.

In addition to supporting its local community in a monetary way, The Temple’s Social Action Committee also educates and mobilizes its Temple members on social concerns within the Nashville community on such issues as homelessness, while also performing acts of kindness and good deeds, like participating in a Habitat for Humanity build, providing temporary shelter for homeless women with its onsite Room in the Inn, or holding blood drives.

Founded in 1851, The Temple, Congregation Ohabai Sholom (www.templenashville.org), is Nashville’s oldest and largest Jewish congregation. As a reform congregation, The Temple has over 750 member families and serves the Middle Tennessee region, including Davidson, Rutherford, Sumner and Williamson counties, and southern Kentucky. Mark Schiftan serves as its senior rabbi, Shana Mackler as its associate rabbi, and Bernie Gutcheon as cantor.