Social action at Temple B’nai Sholem is alive and well!!
Some of our members are descendants of Holocaust survivors so it is appropriate that we have both a Holocast Memorial Torah and a vey moving set of four paintings by Temple member Paul Fields depicting the stuggle for life in the concentration camps. Genocide is still with us as evidenced by actions in Darfur. Member Mitch Lewis has a travelling sculpture exhibit “Towards Greater Awareness” currently showing in the Unitied States. Click here for the exhibition schedule.
Holocaust Quartet – Paul Field
Mitch is also the North Carolina coordinator for the One Million Bones project. In the spring of 2013 one million bones, made by artists, activists and students will flood our nation’s capital to recognize the millions of victims and survivors killed or displaced by ongoing genocide and humanitarian crises in the Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, and Burma. Many of our congregation have participated in bone making workshops in New Bern.
At the local level, we participate in supporting local food banks and in February 2013 will participate in the Empty Bowls program. This is a joint outreach of Religious Community Services and the Craven Arts Council & Gallery designed to fight hunger, personalized by artists and art organizations on a community level. Local restaurants and religeous organizatons will make, serve and donate soup and bread to serve at the event; and individuals and local artists will donate pottery bowls and paintings of bowls. Attendees get to have some soup and bread and choose a one-of-a-kind pottery bowl or painting to take home. Temple B’nai Sholem will provide and serve chicken matzo ball soup and challah.