June 27, 2018 - Celebrating Art with the Bikur Cholim Committee
Last night, The Bikur Cholim committee organized an Arts Night Read more »
Bikur Cholim translates from Hebrew to visiting the sick and our mission is to connect congregants in need with those who want to extend their kindness.
Among the acts of caring that are obligatory and meritorious in Jewish law and ethics, visiting the sick is especially significant. Its importance is underscored by its appearance in our daily prayer book’s top three texts for the Torah study blessing, “These are the things”, that familiar Mishnaic list of the good deeds that yield dividends to the doer in this world, while the capital is stored for the world to come. A classic midrash portrays God as modeling this mitzvah when God appears to Abraham in Genesis 18, a narrative that comes just after the story of Abraham’s circumcision: God is visiting the recovering patient. (source: myjewishlearning.com)
The act of Bikur Cholim is a mitzvah and by fulfilling it, we enrich each other’s lives. Bikur Cholim is so much more than visiting the sick, it is a sacred way of strenghtening our Kehillah Kedoshah, our holy community. Here is some of what our volunteers do:
- We support Temple members and their families during times of illness, loss and isolation by providing visits, phone calls, soup or meals.
- We bring Temple members together through outreach programs that build community connections and support fellow members through activities such as Soup Night.
- We help Temple members know they are important to our community and can be supported during times of need.
Our volunteers have a range of involvement allowing for either a brief or ongoing commitment. We are always looking for:
Phone Callers to check in with senior members who may be isolated and in need of outreach.
Visitors who are able to meet fellow members in their homes or in residential facilities. The aim is to be a smiling face to those in need of company.
Meal Providers who, on an as needed basis, can prepare a meal for a Temple family dealing with illness or loss.
Bikur Cholim Stories
August 8, 2016 - Help us welcome our HBT Syrian Refugee Families!
We are asking for your words in helping to welcome these families... Read more »
