Hesed — Lovingkindness
Hesed is how we take care of each other. It is the safety net that catches us when we fall. It is phone calls before Shabbat, holiday visits to the homebound, and cooking for a shiva or a new baby. Hesed is our best Jewish selves caring for our community.
BJ organizes volunteer affinity groups that coalesce around gemilut hasadim, or acts of lovingkindness. These groups include the Bikkur Holim (Visiting the Sick) Committee and the Hevra Kadisha (Comforting Mourners) Committee, which can be found at the bottom of this page.
Communities of Lovingkindness
Jewish tradition teaches us to treasure each day, especially the moments of growth and transition in our lives. The community of B’nai Jeshurun considers it a privilege to mark and share important stages in a person’s life and support them in both sadness and joy.
Involvement and connections with our Rabbis and Hazzan create an environment of solidarity and comfort at difficult moments in members’ lives, and provide sustenance during joyful times. Rabbis are available for pastoral counseling.
Our staff and member volunteers offer support to members who are in need of assistance, experiencing loss, or meeting other life challenges through the Bikkur Holim (Visting the Sick) and the Hevra Kadisha (Comforting Mourners) Committees.
In cases where needs are greater than can be provided by our members we provide referrals to the appropriate social services agencies and groups. When circumstances warrant additional assistance BJ members come together to make special arrangements as happened after the 2008 economic crisis.
Keep the Life Cycle Team updated on the events in your life and the lives of other community members for which you or they would like community support. To let the whole BJ community know about family events such as a birth, weddings, bar/bat mitzvah, or other significant milestones, contact Billie Di Stefano.
Our Hesed committees allow for volunteers to engage in gemilut hasadim, or acts of lovingkindness. For more information, please click on one of the groups below.
