CHILD SAFETY COMMITTEE UPDATE

As you may recall from Rob Patchen's recent email, Beth El is pleased to announce the formation of a Child Safety Committee focused on implementing best practices to safeguard the children in our community. The committee is participating in the Aleinu Campaign through Sacred Spaces, which provides Jewish youth-serving organizations with the education and tools necessary to prevent child maltreatment and to take responsible actions should instances of abuse emerge. Our Committee is broken down into three sub-committees: marketing and communications, policy and procedures, and training. The marketing committee will be updating the congregation on the progress of each sub-committee in the Bulletin. In addition, updates will also be posted to https:// www.bethelnr.org/childsafety, along with more information about the Aleinu campaign and resources for the community.

The Policy and Procedure Sub-Committee has undertaken several actions including creating a streamlined screening process for staff and volunteers, and the development of standardized reference and interview questions that address child safety. They are currently in the process of creating a child safety policy to guide us.

The Training Sub-Committee has conducted an assessment of the existing training requirements and materials used by the various synagogue departments and is now working to determine additional training opportunities for both employees and congregants. The Child Safety Committee is excited to share all that has been happening to date, and looks forward to sharing all of our work with you.

VOLUNTEER AT BETH EL!

Calling all volunteers! Calling all volunteers! Beth El is looking to expand our volunteering efforts in the following areas: social action, chesed, and community building/social programming. If you are someone who is looking to get more involved please contact Michal Schaefer at mschaefer@bethelnr.org.