Committees
Committees: Deepening Tzedek Chicago Leadership
As we move into an intense new phase of growth for Tzedek Chicago, we need to deepen our leadership and broaden involvement. Here, we’re offering information about our committees and other opportunities for involvement in the congregation. For each committee, we’ve indicated a few of the ways a person can get involved: either a lot or just a little.
Committee Descriptions
Membership Committee
The purpose of the Membership Committee is to recruit and maintain an active dues-paying membership, as well as engage and create opportunities for existing and prospective members to be active members of our community.
Contacts: Jim Poznak and Steve Romm
Example Activities
Low-intensity
- Join phone banks to turn members out to the annual meeting and other events.
- assist staff with monthly dues reminders.
Higher-intensity
- Organize new member orientations.
- Organize member events.
- Organize and participate in annual and periodic membership drives
Development Committee
The mission of the Development Committee is to establish a strong financial footing for the congregation by creating and executing fundraising strategies consistent with Tzedek’s values.
Contact: Lindsay Janasiak
Example Activities
Low-intensity
Support work at fundraising events: building turn-out for events; staffing events when in person.
Encourage donations among personal contacts.
Phone bank for event turnout.
Higher-intensity
Participate in the development of clear fundraising goals and plans to meet those goals.
Research to identify potential member and nonmember donors to support ongoing work of congregation.
Participate in campaign strategy.
Chesed Committee
The traditional mission of the Chesed Committee is to support congregation members in need. As a community, we support one another through difficult circumstances. The Committee expanded during covid to check-in on members. We also want to promote a feeling of community. In the future we would like to create opportunities for congregation members to actively serve our community beyond Tzedek.
Contact: Deborah Adelman
Example Activities
Low-intensity
- Volunteer via a meal train or task list to help a congregation member (e.g. with a meal or a ride).
- Respond to a call to volunteer once at a local non-profit.
- Help organize rides for people wishing to volunteer.
Higher-intensity
- Help to delineate goals for the Chesed Committee and call quarterly meetings.
- Be the liaison to a member in need and organize the meal train or sign-up list.
- Plan and organize a one-time opportunity to volunteer at a local non-profit (e.g., sort clothes at Cradles to Crayons).
- Work with Aviva Stein to plan intergenerational opportunities to aid individual members or to aid the wider community.
Immigrant Welcoming Group
The mission of the Immigrant Welcoming Group is to work with our community partners to support immigrants arriving in Chicago. Tzedek has long been a member of the Sanctuary Working Group (made up of other faith groups in the Chicago area). We thank Brian & Wendy Carson, Tina Escobar, and Clara Sheffer for leading and representing Tzedek in this work to support immigrants.
Contacts: Brian Carson and Bek Erl
Example Activities
Low-intensity
- Attend quarterly Immigrant Welcoming Group (IWG) Tzedek meetings and take notes.
- Volunteer to help with a Tzedek IWG service project (e.g., a winter coat drive).
- Volunteer to help a family who is providing temporary housing for an immigrant family by occasionally providing a ride or tutoring the children.
Higher-intensity
- Represent Tzedek by attending a Sanctuary Working Group meeting, taking notes, and reporting back to the IWG.
- Help lead the Tzedek IWG by calling meetings and organizing the agenda.
- Volunteer to provide temporary housing for an immigrant family.
Family/Education Committee
The mission of the Family/Education Committee is to support staff as we develop and implement family and lifelong learning programs. Tzedek is committed to intergenerational learning opportunities such as an all-ages B’nai Mitzvah program. Provide support for all types of Tzedek learning opportunities such as Hebrew Club, the Reading Circle, Torah Study, Intro to Judaism, Family Programs, Midrash makers, etc.
Contact: Anna Goldberger and Aviva Stein
Example Activities
Low Intensity
- Assist one time with a family or general program.
- Volunteer to present/lead a one-time session that is part of the above offerings.
- Assist with special event programming for children (e.g. at the High Holidays or Passover Seder).
Higher-intensity
- Serve on the committee to support a wide variety of educational programs.
- Help to develop curriculum for a new program.
- Be a volunteer teacher for multiple sessions of a program.
Events Committee
Help make events happen! In order to keep our event costs efficient, we need volunteers to help plan events, purchase supplies, set up/serve/clean-up, cook food, review events, etc.
Contact: Carol Muskin
Example Activities
Low-intensity
- Respond to a call to cook a dish/dessert or volunteer for an hour or two at an event.
- Volunteer to purchase and bring supplies and then be reimbursed.
- Help oversee a small group crew for an event (e.g., lead the clean-up crew after a large event).
Higher-intensity
- Be on the planning team for a major event (e.g. organizing High Holiday volunteers or the Passover Seder).
- Volunteer to keep track of the volunteers and send reminders for the event.
- Recruit new volunteers for upcoming events.
- Organize a planning meeting for the events to occur in the next quarter.
- Check on and plan for dietary and accessibility needs for a large event.
Wed, September 11 2024
8 Elul 5784