Finding opportunities to perform with the flute is not unusual for Hazzan Jeremy Stein of Congregation Beth Israel Ner Tamid. But he recently set his sights higher than usual – on the roof of the synagogue, specifically.
On Aug. 4, Stein and his jazz combo – name pending – took to the roof of the Glendale congregation’s building for a concert dubbed “Swingin’ on the Roof.” The performance featured jazz impressions on the musical “Fiddler on the Roof,” offering entertainment for a cause.
The program, which drew more than 100 guests, aimed to raise both awareness and funds as the congregation reimagines its approach to social action.
Under the guidance of Rabbi Joel Alter, the conservative synagogue is taking a new tack with its social action committee.
Previously, its work largely had provided financial support to different organizations and causes. CBINT now is taking a more hands-on approach.
The work began around the start of the year, said Don Bass, who co-chairs the committee with Jodie Honigman and Felicia Miller. The committee is focusing its attention on mental health for two years and has selected a group of organizations with which it can partner.
Examples include Pathfinders, which works with at-risk youth, social services agency Jewish Family Services and the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
“Some of them were firms that we were supporting on a financial basis before, but we weren’t doing anything to actually help them with their programming,” Bass said. “The step that we’re taking is really to educate the community about what each organization does, and people may feel motivated to give to them because of that on a financial basis.”
Some of this year’s activities have included educational programs, Bass said. A synagogue group called Marge’s Mitzvah Knitters also will be working with Jewish senior living provider Ovation, another of the committee’s partners, spotlighting the therapeutic benefits of knitting in a social setting, he said.
In addition, Bass said, the committee is working with NAMI to develop a peer-led support group for family members of people who are affected by mental illness. CBINT also is considering a support group for people who themselves are affected by mental illness.
Stein’s “Swingin’ on the Roof” concert drew attention to the committee’s efforts. The cantor said the goal was to draw volunteers to the group’s work, as well as to The Redress Movement, an organization he works with that is focused on fair housing and housing discrimination.
The free concert was recorded, Stein said, and those who donate to the social action committee will receive a copy of the recording. Copies can be preordered for a suggested donation of $18 to benefit the committee by contacting Stein at hazzanstein@cbintmilwaukee.org.
As the social action committee continues with its new approach, Bass said the synagogue aims to have a long-term impact.
“I hope we’ll be able to point to various examples of how we’ve been able to make a difference in the community, how we’ve been able to impact mental well-being, both within our synagogue community and in the greater Milwaukee community,” he said.
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A committee at a local synagogue is focusing its attention on mental health for two years and has selected a group of organizations with which it can partner.
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