Tikkun Olam, or repairing the world, is a central part of our mission at Temple Rodef Shalom. We express our Jewish values and deepen our connections by helping others, both within our congregation and in the larger community. We invite you to join a scheduled event or find an ongoing activity to participate in regularly.
Want to know more about the different ways to help? Click on the calendar events or on the drop down menu under “More Mitzvah Opportunities.”
Click below to see more ways to get involved, many with flexibility to choose your own time!
We have established a relationship between TRS and Bailey’s Elementary School in Falls Church, a Title I school where 70 percent of the students are low-income and often immigrants. Our initial projects involved collecting jewelry for children to select as mother’s day gifts (thank to WOTRS for contributing jewelry), helping staff the jewelry selection at the school, and contributing large cabinets to be used for a pantry that supports families whose children attend Bailey’s Elementary School, as well as organizing the pantry. For anyone who is interested in helping out with Bailey’s Elementary School and has not yet indicated their interest, email us for more information. In the future this relationship could involve helping out during teachers’ appreciation week, supporting the mothers’ day jewelry project, or helping periodically with the pantry, among other activities.
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. Click here to receive more information or to register to help.
Volunteering for Caring Community activities is for members only. Please click here for more information about membership.
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 (TRS members) 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 click here for more information or to volunteer. Volunteering for Caring Community activities is for members only. Please click here for more information about membership.
Do You Have the Drive? Support our Nondriving Congregants
The Caring Committee is looking for volunteer drivers to support our non-driving congregants! Volunteer drivers give the gift of a lift by providing needed rides to Temple services and events. By being part of a network of drivers, you can help us ensure that fellow congregants—primarily seniors—can fully participate in Temple activities, and that no congregant misses out for lack of transportation. Join Rodef Rides as a volunteer driver and provide a mitzvah!
Click here for more information or to volunteer for Rodef Rides.
Volunteering for Caring Community activities is for members only. Please click here for more information about membership.
Are you interested in preserving history? Join us in the important work of inventorying and digitizing our physical archive items and curating the best to make them reachable in our online Archives portal. If you are interested in joining our growing team, please click here to get in touch.
Click here for this month’s Mitzvah Box donation needs.
Seeking 1–2 Volunteers to Lead Our Mitzvah Box Efforts!
We’re looking for one or two dedicated volunteers to help coordinate our monthly Mitzvah Box collections. This includes coordinating with recipient organizations, and helping ensure donations are delivered. It’s a meaningful way to support our community and make a lasting impact — and you won’t be doing it alone! For more information, please email .
Interested in the rewarding, urgent work of supporting refugee families settling in our own NoVA community? Opportunities might range from one-time apartment set-up and airport greetings or organizing a clothing drive, to longer-term and regular commitments through tutoring/mentoring programs and/or with individual families. Some training/orientation might be required. If we haven’t found you yet, please click here to email us.
Add interest form for signing up to serve on committees.
Come together to make a difference. Mitzvah Day is usually in January and you can join fellow TRS congregants for a meaningful day of community service filled with hands-on activities for all ages. Whether you’re assembling hygiene kits for shelter residents, crafting cozy blankets and dog toys, or helping prepare food essentials like beans and rice, there’s a way for everyone to lend a hand and share the spirit of giving.
Prefer to step out into the community? A variety of off-site volunteer opportunities will also be available. It’s a beautiful way to connect, give back, and live our shared values—together.
Keep an eye out for more information in December!
Help provide warmth, nourishment, and dignity this winter. In December, TRS volunteers support a local hypothermia prevention shelter by preparing and serving meals, assisting staff, and offering a compassionate presence to guests in need.
This is a powerful opportunity to bring comfort and kindness to those experiencing homelessness—your time and care can make a real difference.
Keep an eye out for information in December!
