Welcome to Temple Rodef Shalom’s Caring Community, where compassion thrives and connections flourish. We are dedicated to fostering a supportive environment that strengthens bonds within our congregation. Join us in embracing the values of kindness, empathy, and unity as we navigate life’s journey together with warmth and understanding.
For information on these programs or initiatives, please get in touch with us using our website contact form.
Temple Rodef Shalom is a caring community. Whether we deliver meals to a family dealing with chronic illness, call a friend to offer encouragement, or make sure an elderly friend gets to an appointment on time…we understand that we are responsible for one another.
Caring Cohorts is an initiative designed to provide peer-led support for our members who are navigating various life challenges. They bring together members who share similar experiences, creating a space to connect, share and support one another. Whether you’re caring for an aging parent, navigating chronic illness or healing from a loss, you’ll find a community of understanding peers who are walking a similar path. Please click here to read more!
Take Them a Meal : Cooking and delivering a meal: Congregants confronting health challenges or crises need healthy meals to sustain them through these difficult times. Volunteers prepare and deliver or arrange for meals to be delivered to Congregants’ homes. Volunteers receive opportunities by email through Take Them A Meal, and can sign up for specific dates and recipients.
Mitzvah Meals: Mitzvah Meals supplements the work of our Take-Them-A-Meal program and allows us to have homemade and delicious meals available on demand for our congregants who need them. Volunteers sign up to make a preselected recipe that freezes easily. We provide the recipe and the storage containers, and you bring the filled containers back to TRS to have on hand in the freezer to distribute to fellow congregants as needed. This allows you to cook whenever you have time without having to choose a recipe and to deliver it to the Temple at your convenience.
Click here for more information or to volunteer for Take Them a Meal or Mitzvah Meals.
Volunteering for Caring Community activities is for members only. Please click here for more information about membership.
Our friendly call program will connect volunteers with congregants at home who would benefit from a weekly call. This program, primarily aimed at seniors, allows our volunteers to build deeper connections with congregants who may feel isolated or disconnected. To sign up, please get in touch with us using our website contact form.
“Next Steps” Group (for widows/widowers): This support/education/discussion group is for TRS widows and widowers beyond the initial stages of grief (i.e., post 6-12 months). Discussions focus on the practical, emotional, and social issues related to moving ahead as a single widowed person. “Next Steps” is not a drop-in group. Instead, we ask that you commit to attending four consecutive weekly sessions (with the possibility of 6 weeks). The group may continue to meet informally without the facilitator after the initial four weeks, generally for dinner, to share experiences, information, resources, and support and to be together. More cohorts will be announced in the future.
Rodef Reach is a volunteer-driven initiative at Temple Rodef Shalom that connects members of our community with meaningful opportunities to support one another. Whether it’s lending a hand with small household tasks, helping to sort mail, providing friendly tech support, or additional opportunities (other than driving or cooking), Rodef Reach pairs volunteers with fellow congregants in need of a helping hand.
Rodef Rides is a program that connects adults in our congregation who cannot transport themselves with volunteer drivers willing to give them a lift to Temple events or other places they need to go. This service makes our community more welcoming and inclusive and allows congregants to participate more fully in our Temple community, especially those who struggle to get to the Temple or may feel isolated and stuck at home—Rodef Rides partners with NV Rides to coordinate these rides. Email if you are in need.
At Temple Rodef Shalom, we strive to uphold the Jewish values of hospitality (hachnasat orchim) and community (kehillah).
Table of Togetherness helps connect members who have an extra seat (or more) at their table with those looking for a welcoming place to celebrate, most often around Passover and the High Holy Days. If you can offer a seat or need one, be on the lookout on our Mitzvah Opportunities calendar for registration dates and we will do our best to make a meaningful match. Together, we can share the warmth and joy of the holidays as one community.
The Caring Committee of Temple Rodef Shalom, under the direction of the Director of Caring, is a group of dedicated volunteers who provide non-urgent assistance to members who could benefit from home visitation, temporary meal delivery, or other short-term support.
The Caring Committee coordinates and encourages the following specific acts of loving kindness (G’milut Chasadim) for our Temple congregants in times of need. You can volunteer for any of the below by filling out the volunteer form.
Please use this volunteer form to indicate your areas of interest if you would like to be added to our list of volunteers.
Rodef Rides is a program that connects adults in our congregation who cannot transport themselves with volunteer drivers willing to give them a lift to Temple events or other places they need to go. This service makes our community more welcoming and inclusive and allows congregants to participate more fully in our Temple community, especially those who struggle to get to the Temple or may feel isolated and stuck at home—Rodef Rides partners with NV Rides to coordinate these rides. Volunteers will receive opportunities to give rides by email and can accept the opportunities that suit them. Email RodefRides@templerodefshalom with any questions.
Congregants confronting health challenges or crises need healthy meals to sustain them through these difficult times. Volunteers prepare and deliver or arrange for meals to be delivered to Congregants’ homes. Volunteers receive opportunities by email through Take Them A Meal, and can sign up for specific dates and recipients.
Brighten the day of a fellow congregant who needs it with a delivery of fresh flowers, challah for Shabbat, books from the Temple library, or a holiday gift. Volunteers will pick up items from the Temple for delivery and deliver them to congregants’ homes. Volunteers will receive opportunities to sign up by email and can choose the opportunities that work best for their schedules.
Our friendly call program will connect volunteers with congregants at home who would benefit from a weekly call. This program, primarily aimed at seniors, allows our volunteers to build deeper connections with congregants who may feel isolated or disconnected. Volunteers will participate in training conducted by the Director of Caring before making phone calls.
If you know of anyone who may benefit from the friend-to-friend call, please contact us using our website contact form.
