Tikkun Olam

Judaism is a religion of action, rather than merely a religion of belief. Pirkei Avot, The Ethics of our Fathers, teaches that one right action, mitzvah, leads to another. At Temple B'nai Torah, we believe our mission is to make the world a better place, one mitzvah at a time.  We have a decades-long history of leading social action initiatives in the Pacific Northwest. Our goal is to educate our community, advocate on behalf of our Jewish values, and activate our members to participate in meaningful acts of tikkun olam, repairing the world.

At TBT, we center our social justice work around key areas where we believe we can make a meaningful impact. Our current primary focus areas are: fighting hunger, promoting immigrant rights, and pursuing environmental stewardship and sustainability. At the same time, we proudly support a range of additional initiatives that resonate deeply with our TBT family. Over the years, our community has engaged in efforts to promote gun responsibility, combat homelessness, advocate for racial equality, support our LGBTQ+ community, promote voting rights, advocate for reproductive justice, and support mental health education.

TBT’s Sisterhood supports Women of Reform Judaism’s focus on the issues of reproductive justice, access to abortion care, gender-based violence, gun violence against women, and pay equity. For the last three years, our Sisterhood has created care kits of necessary supplies, comfort items, and cards of support to be given to patients at Cedar River Abortion Clinic. 

TBT’s religious school students, parents, and volunteers collaborate on a variety of social action projects, such as removing litter from our neighborhood with Bellevue's Adopt-a-Street program, making and delivering meals to Tent City, and donating produce from our Mitzvah Garden out front. 

We also partner with Faith Action Network a statewide, multifaith partnership that strives for just, compassionate, and sustainable communities through courageous advocacy and public action. Another one of our partners, Eastside Interfaith Social Concerns Council, provides a forum to educate, advocate, initiate, and coordinate to improve the quality of life of the citizens living in the east side communities of Bellevue, Kirkland, Issaquah, Renton, and Redmond. 

Throughout the year, speakers are invited to our temple from local organizations to share advocacy information and educate members on local bills and initiatives.

As a proud member of the Union for Reform Judaism, we strive to support and amplify all Religious Action Center initiatives. 

Our Social Action Committee currently meets virtually on the first Tuesday of the month from 6:30pm - 7:30pm. If you want to make a difference in the community, email Rachel (socialaction@templebnaitorah.org) to get involved.