Tikkun Olam

Temple Beth El deeply cares for the community and offers many opportunities to participate in the mitzvah of “Repairing The World”.  Please join us — get involved with one of our many Social Action projects. Your energy, empathy and strength are much needed.

Social Action Committee Co-Chairs:

Carol Werblin – cwerblin@hotmail.com

Sue Seiler – sseiler27@gmail.com

Tikkun Olam Opportunities at Temple Beth El

Give and Receive:  Are you moving? Downsizing? Please donate your used furniture and household items (especially twin beds, dressers, pots and pans, and small appliances)! We have developed a sophisticated distribution network where we act as a liaison between social service agencies, community agencies, shelters and the clients they serve. To make your donation, contact Carol at cwerblin@hotmail.com.

  • Hotline: If there is ever a community emergency that cannot be met by the ‘Give and Receive’ program, a hotline has been established, activated by an email with “Give and Receive” as the subject line. To sign-up for this email alert, please add your name to the list posted in the Temple atrium.
  • Food Donations: If you have leftover food from a family event (Shiva, B’nei Mitzvah or other occasion), please consider donating it to a community member or shelter. If you are unable to bring the food item(s) yourself, please contact Carol at (631) 261-6029 or cwerblin@hotmail.com or Sue at sseiler27@gmail.com.

Project H.O.P.E. of Temple Beth El (Helping Other People Eat):  Project H.O.P.E. is a community outreach program that began in 2004. It was founded by the youth of St. Hugh’s Parish to help the hungry in the Huntington Station area and in 2012, Temple Beth El began partnering with St. Hugh’s. We continue to feed the food-insecure in the area by delivering 30 individual meals to Paumanack Village in Greenlawn and 20 family trays to the Tri-CYA in Huntington. We are proud of the many temple congregants who volunteer to set up, cook and serve our guests at these suppers. We are especially proud of our temple youth and students who play a large role in this activity.  If you, your family or group would like to volunteer or donate to Temple Beth El Project H.O.P.E., please reach out and we will try to accommodate you. Contact Sue at sseiler27@gmail.com.

H.I.H.I. (Huntington Interfaith Homeless Initiative):  For 14 years, Temple Beth El has partnered with other houses of worship and the Family Service League to serve as a H.I.H.I. respite center for homeless men and women in the Huntington area who lack emergency housing services. The program was founded on the basic principles of human need: to ensure that everyone in the Town of Huntington has a night’s respite during the coldest winter months. We provide food and a warm place to stay on Wednesday nights. Please  support this effort – people’s lives depend on it. Sign up to volunteer by adding your name to the poster in the temple atrium.  Contact Carol Werblin with any questions at cwerblin@hotmail.com.

H.I.H.I. Supply Drive: Every fall, Temple Beth El holds a supply drive to prepare for its upcoming H.I.H.I. respite season. We gather much needed items like clothing (hooded sweatshirts, new warm socks, knit hats), toiletries (disposable razors, chap stick, personal size deodorant), and kitchen supplies (salsa, hot chocolate, sugar, cleaning supplies, paper towels.) Fill a bag of supplies and leave it at the designated drop-off station inside the temple.

Community Thanksgiving Dinner and Boutique:  The Temple Beth El Annual Holiday Feast and Celebration for the local community is always held on the Sunday just before Thanksgiving. Our fantastic cadre of volunteers shop, cook, serve, drive, bake and distribute free clothes in the clothing ‘boutique’.  To volunteer, contact Carol at cwerblin@hotmail.com.

Larry Sommers Food Pantry:  Every day, at any time, you can make a difference by feeding a hungry family. Help keep the Food Pantry stocked simply by stopping by the temple with one or more non-perishable items:

  • Canned fruit
  • Pasta and sauce
  • Canned vegetables
  • Hearty canned items (like Beef-a-Roni, Tuna Fish or Chili)
  • Macaroni and cheese
  • Peanut butter and Jelly
  • Cleaning supplies, toiletries and paper goods

High Holy Days Food Drive:  On average, our congregation donates over 200 bags of groceries to feed our neighbors. In addition to stocking our own pantry, we also donate over 350 lbs. of food to Island Harvest or Long Island Cares, plus an additional 350 lbs. to the Tri CYA, a local agency supporting at-risk youth. Collect your empty brown bags on Rosh Hashanah and bring them back on Yom Kippur, filled with groceries.

Mother’s Day Baskets:  Every Mother’s Day, Temple Beth El volunteers distribute approximately 35 gift baskets to mom’s in local Huntington shelters. In addition to toiletries, we collect small mirrors, make-up and make-up bags, frames, candles, scarves and jewelry. These beautiful baskets are assembled by a loving Temple member. Your donations can be placed in the ‘shopping cart’ in the atrium during the month of April.

Annual Baby Boutique:  During Purim, Temple Beth El holds its annual Baby Boutique. Moms (and expectant moms) who are referred from the Dolan Family Health Center and Family Service League’s Manor Field Family Center, are invited to ‘shop’ for their young children and newborns.  All of the moms leave the boutique with the things they need for their toddlers and newborns. You can help by donating much needed items in the ‘baby bassinet’ in the atrium. We always need new or gently used maternity clothing, baby clothes, diapers, strollers, highchairs, swings, bouncy seats, car seats and of course, formula. To volunteer to help set up the boutique and to help our moms shop, contact Carol at cwerblin@hotmail.com.

Community Spaghetti Dinner and Boutique: on hold til further notice

Community Barbecue and Boutique: on hold til further notice

Religious Action Center (Hub of Justice and Social Action for the Reform Judaism Movement):  The RAC is the de facto organization for social justice and legislative activity for the Reform movement in the United States. The RAC advocates for more than 70 different issues, including economic justice, civil rights, religious liberty, Israel and more. As a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, the RAC’s advocacy work is completely non-partisan and pursues public policies that reflect the Jewish values of social justice that form the core of our mandate. The RAC offers an abundance of opportunities for college students passionate about social justice. Learn more. 

The RAC falls under the auspices of the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism, a joint instrumentality of the Central Conference of American Rabbis and the Union for Reform Judaism and its affiliates.*

* American Conference of Cantors, Association of Reform Zionists of America, National Association of Temple Administrators, National Association of Temple Educators, Men of Reform Judaism, Women of Reform Judaism, North American Federation of Temple Youth.


2019 Thanksgiving Dinner

Almost 200 guests were served a delicious dinner by our TBE volunteers, with help from Senator Jim Gaughran and Legislator William Spencer.

Rise Against Hunger

Meal Packaging Event – June 2nd, 2019

We Are All Immigrants

A special event honoring those who brought H.I.H.I. to Temple Beth El – June 17th, 2017