Detailed Event Information

There has been exciting progress with Beth Shalom’s partnership in “ONE Wake” (formerly called Wake Sponsors). ONE Wake is a grassroots organization working to improve Wake County while forming bonds between congregations across faiths. About 40 institutions have joined so far, and 3,000 residents have been involved in identifying, crafting, and beginning work on specific issues of concern to Wake residents. The group is non-partisan (not affiliated with any political party) and offers a way for our congregation to make our voices heard on issues important for life in Wake County. We are working with the help of organizers to develop clear and shared next steps to advance our grassroots agenda.

Based on listening sessions conducted with over 3,000 county residents, three big problems in our community have been selected—Education, Affordable Housing, and Access to Quality Jobs—to be the focus of ONE Wake in 2020. The Education Team is focusing on two areas: the intersection of mental health and education; and barriers to accessing after school activities. The Affordable Housing Team is using methods employed in Durham to address the shortage of affordable housing across many areas in Wake, while also developing a long-term solution to this, a problem plaguing many cities across the nation. The Jobs Team is working with industry, Wake Tech, and local governments to develop win-win-win scenarios. Beth Shalom is proud to have representatives participating in each of these subcommittees. Over the next 3 months, we will be researching issues, generating proposals, and meeting with key government, business, and community leaders to effect change.

Interested in Learning More? Beth Shalom has a core team that has been trained, regularly attends ONE Wake meetings, and is eager to answer your questions or let you know how you can get involved. We are asking for Beth Shalom congregants to attend the “Founding Assembly” on May 31 at 5:00 pm (location TBD). Key power players in Wake County will be in attendance to witness the launch of the organization, and ONE Wake leaders will present issue proposals to relevant decision makers for their reaction. This should be an uplifting meeting, filled with good people hoping to help others, and no prior participation in ONE Wake is needed to attend. This will be an ideal event for kids and teens to learn about civic engagement. Turnout at this event is key! The higher the turnout, the stronger our impact will be on the decision makers. Please RSVP by clicking here. 

Sincerely,
Ross Tabachow, Greg Bennett, Melissa Rosenstock, Hal Zenick, and Rabbi Edery