TBS News and Information

The government shutdown enters another week. No matter what your political stance on it may be, I hope we can all agree that real people are suffering real effects from this: missed paychecks, loss of SNAP benefits for food, escalating health care costs, and more. Add to the furloughed workers and military members those who have been affected by federal layoffs, loss of government-adjacent jobs, the impact on private businesses, and the economic turmoil of the past year and there are a lot of people who are hurting.

If you have been impacted by any of this, if you need help with finances, paying bills, purchasing food, or anything else, please know that the Jewish community has funds available. The Hebrew Free Loan Association of Greater Washington has interest-free Unemployment and Furlough loans. Jewish Federation of Greater Washington has grants available for food assistance, housing costs, utility and medical bills, and childcare. Through the generous donations of temple members, my Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund also is available to help. Contact me confidentially (rabbiwidzer@tbs-online.org) and I can help you navigate the best way to getting assistance.

As a congregation committed to caring for one another and the world around us, we hosted a lunch last week for our members who have been affected by all of this. Next week, we will do the same: we’ll meet at CAVA at 5765 Burke Centre Parkway on Wednesday, November 5, at 12:00noon (RSVP to ellen@tbs-online.org). And the following week, on Wednesday, November 12, at 9:30am, enjoy coffee and donuts with me at TBS for a drop-in discussion, networking session, and opportunity to process everything that’s been going on. Also, on our behalf as a congregation, utilizing your tzedakah donations to the Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund, I have sent one donation to our partners at LCAC to support their work in the community, and a second donation to aid Abiding Presence in their food pantry and feeding programs.

We pray that assistance comes speedily and soon to those in need. And we pray that the political echelon will figure a way out of this impasse. In the meanwhile, let us continue to care for one another and work together for a world where people are not treated as pawns in a political game but as human beings.