Current Notices and Announcements
Coalition To Create the MV Housing Bank (CCMVHB)
Letter from Director Laura Silber:
WOW! Landslide votes for the Housing Bank in OB, Edg, and WT yesterday -- amazing. It's a YES in all three towns! This is the power of community organizing -- what a momentous week for the Island. Thank you to everyone who has worked tirelessly over the last year and a half to get the Island to this point, to our community partners, local government leaders and committee/board members, and town staff who have been diligently handling all the paperwork and procedural details. 1) Now we turn our attention to Chilmark & Aquinnah, and finally the Tisbury ballot vote. Upcoming dates are here: Chilmark Town Meeting April 25 Town Election April 27 Aquinna Town Meeting May 10 Town Election May 12 Tisbury Town Election May 24th If you will NOT be on- island for your town election, please REQUEST AN ABSENTEE BALLOT, ASAP. Please also remind your friends/colleagues: those ballots will all be counted, so let's not get complacent!! Wide margins in all of these towns will underscore the votes in the first 3 towns and send a VERY STRONG signal to the state legislature. 2) Please continue to keep your eyes on articles in the Gazette and Times and add those positive comments in there. 3) We will be drafting a "Next Steps" document as we get through the upcoming votes, so the Select Boards and community have a clear understanding of how the process continues after the town votes are completed. We hope to have that available next week. I wish you all a happy and healthy holiday weekend if you are celebrating something, and safe travels to those of you heading off Island for school break. With gratitude from myself and the whole the Steering Committee --- Laura
GLOBAL TZEDAKAH FUND
Thank You from Temple Beth Shalom, Puerto Rico: Dear MVHC, On behalf of the Board of Directors and the whole congregation of Temple Beth Shalom, I would like to express our sincere gratitude for your generous donation of $250 towards hurricane relief. This has been a very trying time for us, as well as for all of Puerto Rico. It is heartening to know that people like you are genuinely concerned for our welfare. Your contribution is deeply appreciated. Sincerely, Dr. Emily Krasinski, President Global Tzedakah Fund made a significant donation to the Jewish Family Services of Metrowest (Framingham, MA) in support of their Syrian Refugee Humanitarian Project which provides material support for refugee families settled in Massachusetts. Federal funding for agencies helping refugees and immigrants is now being severely cut. These charitable donations are needed more than ever. Thank you for your donations and please keep them coming. ISLAND FOOD PANTRY - IT'S BEEN A HARSH WINTER Thank you so much for your generous response to our appeal last week. Click here for photo. The need is still great this winter, so please keep those donations coming. Please drop off non-perishables in the purple box in the lobby. Our neighbors are counting on us. You may also make a direct monetary donations here. SUMMER FOOD FOR KIDS PROGRAM The second Summer Food For Kids Program will be starting up soon, and we need volunteers to coordinate the program. Please contact Social Action Committee chair Robert Herman at rwhermandmd@gmail.com if you are interested. |
ACTION ALERT: Help Pass the NO HATE Act We are writing to ask you to urge your congressional representatives to support The Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act of 2021. If passed, it will help law enforcement officials track and prevent hate crimes. TAKE ACTION This call for action to combat hate and discrimination is not new. Over two months ago at our virtual trip to Washington, we pressed Congress to hold hearings and develop a "comprehensive approach to addressing rising antisemitism." Next, together with a coalition of more than 30 national Jewish communal organizations, we led a letter to Congress highlighting the need to take concrete steps and stand with Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) communities, including those in our own community who identify as Asian Jews, following skyrocketing hate incidents. Now, JFNA is calling on lawmakers to provide the tools needed to address the threat of antisemitism, rising hate crimes against AAPI and the urgent need to protect all at-risk communities through the swift passage of the bipartisan NO HATE Act of 2021. Join us. Learn more here. DONATE A SIDDUR OR CHUMASH
The Congregation needs more prayer books for Shabbat. Think about donating a Siddur or Chumash (Torah and Commentaries) in honor or in memory of a loved one. They make great tzedakah gifts! Kol Haneshama Siddur $35; Etz Hayim Chumash $79. Click here to donate.JOIN THE MITZVOTH CREWCo-chairs, Herb Foster and Paul Rashba invite you to be on call and help others when a minyan is needed. If available and interested please contact the office. RIDES NEEDED TO SERVICES We have elders in our community who occasionally need a ride to Shabbat Services, Holiday celebrations, or other events. The Social Action Committee and the office are gathering a list of volunteer drivers whom we may call when the need arises. If enough of us are on the list, we are more likely to find someone to complete this mitzvah. Please call (508-693-0745) or email the office (office@mvhc.us) to add your name. You can make a difference to a friend! SPONSOR A KIDDUSH - [suspended until we re-open] Volunteer to provide just one Saturday Kiddush during the Winter and Spring months. Please call the office to sign up, or make a donation to our Kiddush Fund. Click here for more information. HOUSES OF GRACE The winter shelter program sponsored by our island faith communities, is looking for few more adult volunteers. If you would like to volunteer, please email dorie.godfrey@gmail.com For details and donations click here. |
