Rabbi Hillel said, "If I am not for myself, who is for me? And if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?"
Rabbi Tarfon said, "It is not your duty to finish the task, nor are you free to desist from it."
We learn from these two first-century sages, from the Biblical prophets before them and from our history generally, that Judaism and the Jewish people have embraced a centuries-old commitment to social justice. We champion the cause of the oppressed, the disenfranchised, and the suffering, and often cite as a reminder, whether or not it was actually the case, "that we, too, were once slaves in Egypt."
The legacy of this history and heritage continues to motivate our community to take steps to bring about a better world. We organize a variety of activities throughout the year that may include coat and food donations, visiting a nursing home and singing to the residents, a letter-writing campaign on a particular issue, participation in the annual AIDS Walk and Breast Cancer Awareness Walk, and organizing participants to attend marches.
As we say in our Bar/Bat Mitzvah service, "One person, alone, isn't expected to make everything better, but if everyone works together, much can get done."