How We’ve Engaged the Community Beyond our Walls

By Paul Zakrzewski, Congregation B’nai B’rith Even as the COVID-19 pandemic forced Congregation B’nai B’rith to close its building earlier this spring, we found ourselves springing into action, responding to our community’s needs in entirely new ways… sometimes for the first time in our 92-year history.

This response has run along three tracks: the transition to online events; the expansion of our outreach to our most vulnerable members and those in the local community; and raising money for members through a “COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund.”

MOVING TO A VIRTUAL CAMPUS One of the first and most dramatic changes after our entire campus closed was CBB’s move to virtual events. Suddenly, the word “Zoom” was on everyone’s lips.

Clergy and volunteer teachers have helped lead classes like Lunch & Learns, including Israel Then and Now with Steve Zipperstein, Jewish prayer with rabbinic intern Debi Lewis, Jewish music with Cantor Childs, Monumental Events in Jewish History with Richard Hecht, and Jewish short stories with Mashey Bernstein.

Special one-time events like a discussion on the rise of popular Israeli and Jewish streaming shows like Unorthodox (cosponsored by UCSB’s Taubman Symposium), or a panel by physicians in our community on COVID-19 have drawn over 100 participants each.

“It was inspiring watching the CBB community shift almost immediately to the online platform,” says Rabbi Daniel Brenner. “Within the first two weeks, we had more people on Zoom than we had at the synagogue the whole month before.”

“Of course, it wouldn’t have been possible without community member and Zoom employee Noel Cohen, who provided both technical support and hardware. Our community owes him a great deal of thanks,” he says.

Weekly services and Jewish holidays have also moved online. We held our first ever Zoom community seder, with Rabbi Stephen Cohen leading more than 250 people through the Passover rituals — just like millions of others around the world. Additionally, CBB clergy and staff created an online resource of videos of Passover songs, encouragement, and more. “Unable to travel to others’ homes for seder, many of us had to think about creating one in our own homes for the first time,” says Cantor Mark Childs, who helped spearhead the effort. “It was our goal at CBB to provide as many resources as we thought useful for a successful and meaningful home celebration — everything from ‘How to set your seder table’ to ‘How to sing Chad Gadya.’”

… first ever Zoom community seder…firstever “Zoom mitzvah"

In early April, CBB partnered with Rincon Catering to offer Passover in a Box festive meals for 475 people, including 80 donated by congregants. One highlight this spring was the sight of dozens of cars rolling through CBB’s parking lot, everyone keeping socially distanced as the boxed meals were distributed.

Another highlight from this difficult spring? Surely it was the sight of 13-year-old Ethan Somer reading from a Torah at his home — with dozens of people joining online — for CBB’s first-ever “Zoom mitzvah.”

CBB’S CARING COMMUNITY CONNECTS MEMBERS While the world moved online, we felt it was important that our members not feel isolated and alone. Aided by CBB’s Caring Community, a second initiative also sprang up in mid-March: outreach calls to every member by a clergy, board, or volunteer.

Led by longtime volunteer coordinators Audrie Krause and Nick Woolf, along with Mariela Socolovsky, Director of Engagement, volunteers have been assisting members with grocery shopping and weekly check-in calls for those feeling particularly isolated.

Above: CBB’s first-ever Zoom mitzvah with Ethan Somer and his parents on May 2, 2020. Photo by Jen Lewis

Nick Woolf makes outreach calls to CBB members.

Volunteers have been assisting members with grocery shopping and weekly checkin calls for those feeling particularly isolated.

From there, the Caring Community created a list of individuals who receive weekly calls from a CBB volunteer with skills in compassionate listening. Recipients are mainly people who are isolated or living alone, as well as homebound individuals, seniors, or those facing additional challenges.

Other volunteers have helped to connect members by training them on the Zoom app. Rabbinic intern Debi Lewis assisted several CBB members to set up tablets donated by the Jewish Federation, and Debi continues to keep other members connected with her ongoing technical assistance.

Meanwhile, teens Isabelle Kim-Sherman and Sarah Dent joined forces to expand Challalujah, a project created by Kim-Sherman that delivers challah and a dose of TLC for congregants in need. The pair have baked dozens of small challot and cookies for care bags delivered to congregants.

“CBB members have really stepped up to volunteer, making dozens of calls to members who live alone, delivering soup and challah and helping with shopping and other errands, and alerting us when extra help or support is needed,” says Nick Woolf, Chairman of the CBB Caring Community Committee.

EXPANDING OUR OUTREACH TO THE HOMELESS Soon after the stay-at-home order was implemented, member Amy Katz saw a significant new unmet need in Santa Barbara. Katz, who organizes CBB’s monthly dinners to feed the homeless in Pershing Park, learned that several other non-profits wouldn’t be able to continue their meal deliveries.

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Amy Katz, who has organized weekly meals at Pershing Park for the homeless, with volunteers Kira Weiss, Galit Shani, and Adam McKaig. Photo by Amy Katz

HOW WE’VE ENGAGED THE COMMUNITY BEYOND OUR WALLS

— continued from previous page With support from CBB, Katz and other volunteers began delivering meals on a weekly basis. Meanwhile, she discovered that homeless needed more clothing and jackets so she helped to create a weekly clothing and jacket drive.

“We had to place [food and clothing] in such a way that there was no hand-off, just a pick-up in the safe zone,” says coordinator Amy Katz. “People were so thankful for meals and us, they wanted to get close and talk! But most were very understanding about the need for social distancing.”

At first, Pershing Park fed and clothed 35 to 50 people, but as of mid-April it has been serving at least 100 people each Wednesday.

HOW DONATIONS HELP DRIVE CBB’S OUTREACH None of this work would be possible without the generous donations — financial and otherwise — of CBB members.

For example, CBB established a food and supplies pantry in late March after receiving a large gift of food and supplies from an anonymous donor. Items included nonperishable and canned food; baby food, supplies, diapers, wipes; first aid and hygiene items, and pet supplies. individuals to “shop” for the goods they needed, with the balance of donations being given to the homeless through our Pershing Park project.

Meanwhile, CBB kicked off a “COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund,” permitting CBB to help those who have lost work, homebound seniors, or those with unexpected additional expenses. The grants offer immediate short-term assistance for those faced with layoffs, needing help with rent or living expenses while their income has been reduced. Grants are also helping young families with additional childcare expenses due to closed schools. Some need the money to pay rent or living expenses while their income has been drastically reduced.

“I am incredibly proud of the CBB community for coming together so quickly to respond,” says Elizabeth Gaynes, Executive Director. “In just a matter of weeks, we formed a COVID-19 fund committee and raised more than $60,000 which is being dispersed as short-term grants and gift cards to individuals and families.”

Donations range from $18 to $15,000 which “reflects the generosity of our community at all levels — generosity that includes all of the volunteers who have been working as a caring community to provide love, food and connection to our homebound seniors,” she says.