by Greg Levine, on behalf of the Davis Center Steering Committee
In his book “Justice and Judaism: The Work of Social Action” (1956), Temple Sinai’s Rabbi Eugene Lipman dedicated an entire chapter to the important role synagogues and their members should play in supporting public education. He encouraged congregants to become active in local PTAs, to support government funding of public schools, to promote intergroup and intercultural educational programs, and, in words that seem eerily prescient in 2023, to defend public schools from unfair attacks and efforts to ban “modern” or “subversive” books from libraries. He also wrote of the severe toll our society pays when citizens are not sufficiently vigilant in protecting and promoting public education.
Rabbi Lipman’s vision of social justice and social action went well beyond education, of course. It encompassed housing, civil rights, civil liberties, criminal justice, immigration, economic justice, food insecurity, and environmental stewardship, among other topics. Each year, Temple Sinai honors Rabbi Lipman’s vision and leadership by inviting local nonprofit organizations to apply for grants to support their social justice work. This year, following careful review of grant applications by the Davis Center Steering Committee and approval by the Temple Sinai Board, we are making grants to 12 organizations. Please take a moment to learn about all of these worthy grantees on our Davis Center website.
While many of the grantee organizations are repeat recipients of Lipman Grants, well known to many Temple Sinai members, we would like to highlight one of this year’s first-time Lipman Grant recipients. Turning the Page (TTP) is an organization that engages parents of public school students in D.C. Wards 7 and 8 as educators through resource-rich programming. Working with parents and caregivers in six public schools, TTP offers individualized support and resources to support students’ academic growth and achievement. It provides a variety of support and assistance to parents of students in these economically disadvantaged schools, including:
• Mobile meetings: one-on-one phone and Zoom consultations and conversations to enable parents to connect their children to educational resources in the community and assistance building more effective relationships with their children’s teachers;
• Author Visits that build excitement about reading;
• Home Library Building with high quality books that TTP makes available;
• Workshops on topics such as writing and science; and
• A Digital Resource Hub that provides parents with learning resources shared daily in subjects such as reading, science, and math.
Since 1998, TTP has engaged more than 7,400 families, held more than 1,000 Community Nights, distributed more than 130,000 books, taken families on more than 100 Summer Learning Trips, and trained and supported more than 200 parents to become successful change makers in their schools and communities. Parent leaders have formed and strengthened their local PTAs, implemented school resources and science fairs, sustained cross-generational service projects, advocated for improved after school programming, and participated in bullying prevention programs. This is important work that we are proud to support through a Lipman Grant.
As the People of the Book, Rabbi Lipman wrote, Jews throughout their history have maintained a “thirst for learning.” By supporting TTP, Temple Sinai honors that history and Rabbi Lipman’s legacy.
