Tikkun Olam Steering Committee

The Tikkun Olam Steering Committee is the umbrella group responsible for oversight of all of CRC’s tikkun olam programming. The group is comprised of 10-15 members who meet once a month to select, plan and evaluate CRC's tikkun olam program. Often, individual projects will be delegated to other members of the congregation who agree to lead those projects.

Steering Committee members serve for renewable one-year terms, beginning each January. If you are interested in joining the Tikkun Olam Steering Committee, please contact Jen Bersdale at jennifer@centralreform.org or 314-361-1564 ext. 116.

Background

Beginning in our earliest years as a congregation, CRC’s Social Responsibility Circle planned, coordinated and driven important programming to fulfill our commitment to the holy work of tikkun olam – the repair of the world.

As we grew as a congregation, our commitment to tikkun olam continued to grow. New members pitched in on ongoing programs and brought additional programs and ideas to the congregation as well.

The opportunity to do more work as we grew also brought new challenges to ensure that the projects we do are well-coordinated, evaluated, and promoted in order to maximize our effectiveness on the issues that matter most to us as a congregation. In 2009, the Social Responsibility Circle was re-structured to become the Tikkun Olam Steering Committee.

The Tikkun Olam Steering Committee works strategically to ensure that we meet the goals of our Tikkun Olam Program:

1. Maximize impact on the issues that matter most to CRC members.

2. Maximize involvement of CRC members in tikkun olam work.

3. Engage CRC members in a way that empowers them and allows them to grow their skills.

4. Integrate CRC’s tikkun olam programs with those of other CRC Circles and with the congregation’s ongoing efforts to build and maintain a holy community at CRC.

In order to meet these goals, the Tikkun Olam Steering Committee meets once a month to:

• Provide strategic oversight all of CRC’s tikkun olam programming

• Evaluate ongoing and recent programs for effectiveness

• Review all proposed tikkun olam programs and decides whether and how to implement programs

• Review potential legislative advocacy opportunities as they arise and determines whether Board approval is required

• Identify gaps in tikkun olam programming and identifies projects and leadership to fill those gaps

• Address other tikkun olam related questions and challenges as they arise