Back when our congregation hosted Tent City, a few congregants chatted with Tent City residents and learned that most homeless families with jobs lack the first and last month’s rent to secure an apartment. Those conversations inspired our congregants to start H2R (Homeless to Renter) — a partnership fund that continues to move homeless Seattle families off the street and into housing.

As I wrote last time in this column, our congregant Steve took it upon himself to organize a Green Team so that Beth Am can engage in better stewardship of the environment. Our congregants Robby, Tom and others arranged for a large number of Beth Am members to participate in a march on behalf of health care for all. Sally saw that homeless folks near Lake City needed meals, so she teamed Beth Am up with a local church and she and Jo recruit Beth Am members to provide meals. A number of Beth Am folks organized Just Congregations listening sessions to lead congregant action on concrete issues like health care and the environment.

We rabbis feel impassioned by numerous social justice concerns and share those regularly from the bima. But if Beth Am is truly going to speak up for a better world, more of you need to step forward and bring your own passion to issues where we ought to have a voice.

Should Beth Am be silent or should Beth Am be heard?

Should Beth Am sit out the concerns about climate change or should Beth Am stand up? Should Beth Am ignore the reality of poverty or should Beth Am walk the talk of the Torah? Should Beth Am stay silent during the national debate on health care for all or should Beth Am speak out?

Should Beth Am be mute about bringing lasting peace to Israel and her neighbors or should Beth Am participate in the debate? Should Beth Am enjoy our freedom while slavery persists or should Beth Am work to end slavery because we were slaves in Egypt?

During this month of Elul, as we prepare ourselves to start anew and to seek forgiveness, the voice of the shofar calls out. It calls each one of us to identify which of the many causes of social justice stirs our conscience. The voice of the shofar reminds us: There is great power in the individual voice and even greater power in the voice of the community.

On Sunday, October 11 at 10 AM in our Social Hall, our own Just Congregations will sponsor a Tzedek Summit – an opportunity for Beth Am to come together on the subject of health care reform. I hope as many of you as possible will join me in supporting this congregant-led initiative and in numerous opportunities this year for Beth Am to be a voice and for our voice to be heard.

L’shalom,

Rabbi Beth Singer