Israel Education & Advocacy

MTLJ believes in the importance of the existence of the State of Israel and advocates for her survival. We plan regular programs to educate our community on Israel and to help create a bond between us and the citizens of Israel. We also conduct regular congregational trips to Israel. Take a look and see some of the ways we have connected to the State of israel in the past several years.

Congregational Trips to Israel
Scholar in Residence Program: We had the pleasure of hosting Gil Hoffman, the Chief Political Correspondent and Analyst for the Jerusalem Post, who spoke to us about the changing political climate in Israel since the last election–a victory for our Reform movement–as well as how israel is dealing with the threat of the nuclearization of Iran, how Israel is winning its public relations battle on the world stage, and how we can speak to our children to foster interest in the State of Israel.
Continuing Education trip to see HARRY AND EDDIE, THE BIRTH OF ISRAEL: We organized a carpooled temple trip to Manhattan to see a play about how habadasher Eddie Jacobson got his friend and president, Harry Truman, to convince the UN to support Israel becoming a nation in 1948.
Havdalah and… Israel: an educational program where we marked the end of Shabbat through a community Havdalah ritual, and then had a program consisting of Israeli food, Israeli music/singing, and Israeli dancing.
Jerusalem 3000: an event celebrating the 3000’th Anniversary of the establishment of Jerusalem as a city. The temple was literally transformed into the Old City as congregants and guests were able to stroll through an authentic looking shuk and purchase Israeli food items, jewelry, and other Israeli Judaica items.
Yearly participation in the Celebrate Israel (formerly called the Salute to Israel) Parade in NYC
The Monroe Chapter of Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, meets at Monroe Temple the third Thursday of every month (except for the winter months).

Israel Charities:

Click on one of these links to be directed to another webpage where you can make a secure donation to one of these Israeli organizations.

Jewish National Fund: everyone knows them for planting trees, but they also combat forest fires, have water recycling and soil conservation projects throughout Israel, and community development project for new immigrants.
American Friends of Magen David Adom: MDA provides a rapid and skilled emergency response in Israel, which includes emergency, disaster, and blood services, to its 7.8 million people each year.
Israel Religious Action Center: the legal advocacy arm of our Reform movement in Israel, which advances pluralism, and other civil rights in Israel.