Social Justice Committee
The passion for social justice is reflected in the ancient words of our prophets and sages and in the declarations of our Movement’s leaders throughout its history. The ancient command “Tzedek, Tzedek Tirdof! Justice, justice shall you seek!” constantly reverberates in our ears. It has become deeply embedded in the Reform Jewish psyche. This charge has led to a long and proud tradition of political activism by the Reform Movement. (RAC)
Social Justice in KI’s History
Let’s look briefly at Tikkun Olam through our KI history.
In 1924 Rabbi Fineshriber became our Senior Rabbi inviting such notables as Margaret Sanger, the founder of the modern birth control movement, to speak at KI and making the Noble prizewinning physicist, Albert Einstein, an honorary member of the Congregation. Einstein’s photo receiving this honor is displayed in our main lobby.
Located at 1717 North Broad Street at Columbia Avenue during World War II KI provided worship services for thousands of soldiers and sailors who were stationed in Philadelphia, or who passed through on their way to other posts. Organizations within KI (such as the Sisterhood and Men’s Club) were involved in blood drives, the preparation of bandages, and the writing of letters to soldiers overseas. Collectively, the Congregation sold over a million dollars’ worth of war bonds.
There was strength in that community!
After the wars we provided care for orphans here in the city, taught arriving refugees how to be better homemakers, and provided education and Interfaith programming to our surrounding communities.
In the 1970’s Rabbi Korn brought KI into active work on behalf of Jews trapped in the Soviet Union.
Our Rabbis continue to be active in our Social Justice pursuits. Our Shabbat Services include an LGBTQ Service, a Social Justice Shabbat, an Inclusion Shabbat and an Israel Shabbat.
There are many reasons for us to pursue social justice at KI, to clarify why we are a community that focuses on Mitzvot, The Torah does not just command us to give to the poor but to advocate on their behalf.
In more recent times KI has become directly involved in advocacy feeding the food insecure on a regular basis through our HaMotzi Program, sharing the produce from our Mitzvah garden, cooking monthly meals for meals on wheels, tutoring students in Cheltenham, (Champions for Cheltenham Program) donating clothing & school supplies when needed, and donating clothes and toys and books through our Mitzvah Menorah at Hanukkah. The list goes on and on.
Many of these programs come under the heading of Social Action, while the “why” we are feeding the food insecure, “why” we are sharing our produce, or tutoring students in our surrounding community, “why” we are inviting Interfaith leaders to speak to our congregation, “what” motivates us to protect the refugee, or speak out about growing anti-Semitism in our country, or “why” without hesitation we openly welcome the LGBTQ community, interfaith families and our special needs community to KI all come under the heading of Social Justice!!
Many of our programs are unique to KI and have included reading contemporary books on Social Action Issues such as On Repentance and Repair by Danya Ruttenberg; celebrating The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr on MLK Day with a celebratory Day of Learning and Shabbat Service; a special reading “What to the Slave is The Fourth of July,” written by Frederick Douglass, on Juneteenth; and our Annual Social Justice Shabbat, this year an update on Immigration with our guest speaker Cathryn Miller-Wilson Executive Director of HIAS Pennsylvania.
We also work closely with the URJ (Union for Reform Judaism) and RAC (Religious Action Center & RAC-Pennsylvania). In the last three years we have been involved in Social Justice Actions writing over 2,500 post cards urging low propensity voters to register and vote, writing letters to state Senators on important budget issues, Lobbying with State Representatives and Senators over Gun Safety issues, Immigration issues, Right to Vote issues, Women’s Right to Choose issues, and LGBTQ issues.
If you are interested in joining us or being added to our mailing list please contact us at:
socialjustice@kenesethisrael.org
or at jschwartzdonahue@gmail.com
L’ Shalom,
Janice Schwartz-Donahue, KI Social Justice Chair
“You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it!" (Pirkei Avot)
SOCIAL JUSTICE SHABBAT JUNE 13, 2025
RABBI BEN DAVID WITH CATHRYN MILLER-WILSON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR HIAS PENNSYLVANIA, & JANICE SCHWARTZ-DONAHUE CHAIR OF KI’S SOCIAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE
JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION AT KI - JUNE 2025
PARTICIPANTS READING FROM “WHAT TO THE SLAVE IS THE 4TH OF JULY”
BY FREDERICK DOUGLASS a speech delivered by Frederick Douglass on July 5, 1852, at Corinthian Hall in Rochester, New York, at a meeting organized by the Rochester Ladies' Anti-Slavery Society.
OUR KI DELEGATION MEETING AND LOBBYING WITH
US REPRESENTATIVE MADELEINE DEAN MAY 2025
CONGRESSWOMAN FROM PENNSYLVANIAS 4TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
STATE SENATOR ART HAYWOOD, PENNSYLVANIAS 4TH DISTRICT HOLDS A TOWN HALL
TO A FULL HOUSE AT KI IN APRIL OF 2025
SHARING OUR INFORMATION AT A KI OPEN HOUSE WITH CONGREGATION KOL AMI
IN THE FALL OF 2024 WE HELD POST CARD PARTIES REMINDING REGISTERED VOTERS IN PENNSYLVANIA TO JUST GET OUT TO VOTE FOR THE CANDIDATES OF THEIR CHOICE!! (POST CARD PARTIES 2022 & 2024)
A COMMUNITY EVENT “WHAT TO THE SLAVE IS THE FOURTH OF JULY”
READ BY CONGREGANTS AND FRIENDS AT WALL PARK, ELKINS PARK
JUNETEENTH 2024
SHABBAT IN SUPPORT OF RAC-PA SOCIAL JUSTICE EFFORTS
OUR GUEST SPEAKER WAS RACHEL BECK - STATE ORGANIZER
PENNSYLVANIA RELIGIOUS ACTION CENTER OF REFORM JUDAISM
SUMMER 2024
RABBI DAVID, JANICE SCHWARTZ-DONAHUE, MARGIE CURTIS COHEN, RACHEL BECK, ALINA DOLITSKY, & MARC COHEN
PROGRAMMING IN 2024-2025 INCLUDED CEASE FIRE PA’S PROGRAM “DEADLY BY DESIGN”
PERSONAL STORIES INCLUDED HOW LOCAL PENNSYLVANIANS ARE IMPACTED BY GUN VIOLENCE!!
OUR ATTENDEES INCLUDED CONGREGANTS FROM KI, OLD YORK ROAD CONGREGATION-BETH AM, AND CONGREGATION KOL AMI
RAC GOES TO HARRISBURG TO ADVOCATE TO END GUN VIOLENCE!!
PHOTO INCLUDES MEMBERS OF KI, OLD YORK ROAD TEMPLE-BETH AM, AND CONGREGATION KOL AMI!!
POST CARDING PARTIES AND COMPUTER CALLS TO VOTERS IN OHIO, VIRGINIA, PENNSYLVANIA 2022 - 2024
POST CARD AND COMPUTER CALLING PARTIES 2022
