The Isaiah Challenge is a TvO tradition: each year on Yom Kippur afternoon, we bring local community leaders whose work embodies the justice work Isaiah calls us to do alongside ritual. This year we welcomed David M. Sanders Jr. of OAR (Opportunities, Alternatives, and Resources) and Samantha Stevenson of REACH Medical. OAR supports people rebuilding their lives after incarceration; REACH Medical offers healthcare to those our system too often turns away.
How might we carry the call of the Isaiah Challenge into our lives as a congregation throughout the coming year?
Please join us for a screening of this year’s Isaiah Challenge presentation by REACH Medical and OAR. This presentation will be followed by conversation and an invitation to help shape a collective Isaiah Commitment for 2026-27. (If you already saw the presentation, or prefer to watch it ahead of time and just join us for the conversation starting at 4:00pm, please do!)
We are proposing to create a congregational fund called B’tzelem Elohim (In the Image of God), reflecting the inherent dignity of every human being. Through contributions large and small, we hope to build an ongoing relationship with OAR. We envision asking them a simple question a few times each year: “What do you need?” We would then draw upon the fund and the collective resources of our congregation to respond to those needs in practical and meaningful ways.
Our hope is to create a sustained practice of giving, rooted in relationship, responsiveness, and our shared commitment to human dignity. At the end of a year, we will decide whether to continue this model with the same recipient or another one of our choosing.
Come reflect with us and help shape this next step in putting our Jewish values into action.
For more information, contact Miranda Phillips at phillipsville@gmail.com.