Members of Shir Tikvah are very much involved in social justice and political action. One of the congregation's goals is to integrate social justice issues into the life of the synagogue through sermons, discussion of Torah in the context of human rights, and in the religious school.

Our commitment to social justice includes the expectation that all members of Shir Tikvah will be actively involved in at least one issue involving human rights or social justice within the context of synagogue membership. In the past this has included volunteering for local food shelves, aiding the homeless, supporting affordable housing efforts, advocating for the rights of Ethiopian Jews, preventing child abuse and violence against women, working for peace in Israel, and lobbying for a gay and lesbian rights amendment in Saint Paul.

In the past three to four years, members of Shir Tikvah have raised awareness and funds to prevent further genocide in Darfur, helped an immigrant family get settled in Minneapolis during their first year, decreased energy consumption of member households and the synagogue building itself, and participated in foreclosure prevention activities in North Minneapolis. Many projects that began as initiatives of a single member have grown to be a permanent part of Shir Tikvah's social justice efforts, such as cooking at Minneapolis Crisis Nursery and providing back to school backpacks for "Families Together" We also have participated in many efforts organized by Jewish Community Action, such as worker's rights at a meat packing plant in Iowa. We invite anyone who has an idea they want to pursue to contact the committee for assistance.

Social Justice Documents

"Our mission statement reflects our interest in human rights and social justice," said a member of the social action committee. "We will become involved in some projects as a community, but we are also looking for ways to support the work of individual members of our congregation who are active in a number of issues."