Tikkun Olam (a term in Hebrew roughly meaning 'repairing the world') has been an important concept in nearly all modern strands of Judiasm. From the mystics of Safed in the 16th century to the socialist kibbukzniks in 20th century Israel, from the hasid of Eastern Europe starting the 18th century to the freedom marchers of the 1960s, and for all the rest of us today, Tikkun Olam is about millions of small acts to repair the world and work towards a just and tolerant society. It is all about responding with action.
In the United States, Jewish organizations carry out Tikkun Olam principally through social action and community outreach. Our Agudath Sholom community in Lynchburg is no exception. Lynchburg has a proud tradition of combating social injustice and intolerance, of caring for the needs of the entire community. Our temple's members have been actively involved in Tikkun Olam here in Lynchburg, through the good works of our Brotherhood and Sisterhood outreach organizations, or as individual citizen activists.
Here are a few recent projects sponsored by our community: •Starting a library at White Rock Community Center. We refurbished a room in their building, painted, repaired windows, decorated walls, put up curtains, book shelves, and filled it with about 1,000 children's books. •Residential rooms at the YWCA We painted, redecorated, supplied new curtains, bedspreads, pillows...etc. for five residential rooms at the YWCA. •Legacy Museum We restored the beautiful staircase at the Legacy Museum (our city's African American History Museum), removing veneer and revarnishing.
Congregation Agudath Sholom is a proud member of Interfaith Outreach Association, Lynchburg's ecumenical service organization formed in the 1960s to provide educational and recreational assistance to inner-city children. Since then, more than 60 local religious organizations have joined to provide all types of needed support for our neighbors.
Rosel Schewel provided information for this article
