Chesed Committee

We care about each and every member of our community. When a family or individual is in need of a helping hand, we are prepared to offer assistance. If you need chesed assistance or know of another Romemu member in need, please contact chesed@romemu.org for a confidential conversation about how we can help.

Not sure what be most helpful? We can help you figure that out too.

Our lay-led Chesed Committee is here to support you. Please know the intake process may require a few days as we assess your needs. If you have a Pastoral Care emergency, such as a death in the family or another issue that requires immediate response from Romemu’s clergy, please contact emergencies@romemu.org or call (212) 580-4294 ext 813. Learn more about Pastoral Care here.

Whenever you think you might benefit from a little extra lovingkindness from your community, contact chesed@romemu.org.

Our Chesed Committee is here to help. Below is a list of some of the needs we can help address.

Support During Shiva

If you have experienced the loss of a loved one, our team can help by coordinating:

• Meals for you and your family throughout the shiva period
• Sign-ups to provide a shiva minyan
• Loans of tables and chairs

Romemu clergy and trained members of our Committee are also available to help with questions about Interfaith or non-traditional shiva practices.

Assistance Getting To and From Romemu for Shabbat Services

If you are a member of the Romemu community who would love to join us for Shabbat services, but need assistance getting to and from shul, we will try to connect you with individuals who can help.

Short-term assistance with meals, errands or other needs

If you are experiencing an illness, preparing for surgery, welcoming a new baby into your family, managing short-term care needs for a family member, or facing another type of personal or family challenge, we are here to help. With sufficient time for planning and implementation we can assist with:

• Coordinating delivery of homemade or restaurant meals
• Coordinating assistance with errands such as pharmacy or grocery pick up
• Accompanying you to the hospital or doctor visits
• Arranging visitors or callers during a hospital stay or convalescence at home
• Coordinating pet care such as dog walking
• Coordinating phone calls or visits to provide support when you feel isolated or vulnerable
• Support for long term needs or ongoing challenges

Long-term or complex assistance

Sometimes you or other members of our community may be experiencing challenges that either require long-term, sustained support or assistance beyond the scope of our ability to provide direct support. In these cases we may refer you to partner organizations that may be able to help. 

Romemu’s Partnership with DOROT

Romemu’s dedicated DOROT social worker Hilary Forest is available to assists adults 60+ with the many service and support programs offered by DOROT.

Learn more about our partnership and all the resources DOROT has to offer here, or contact Hilary by email at  hforrest@DOROTusa.org or phone at (917) 994-1061.

Jewish Board

We also work with social workers at the Jewish Board to provide assistance for members of our community (no age restrictions).

Support available from the Jewish Board includes:

• Case Management
  
• 6-8 weeks of counseling, 12 weeks in support groups or support finding long-term counseling for loss, trauma, addiction, intimate partner violence, relationship and identy issues, caregivers, health and wellness, and isolation.
•  Financial assistance or coordination of resources

General Support

This list of ways we can help is not meant to be exhaustive; it is intended to give you an idea of how we might support you. We recognize that during challenging times, you may not be able to identify or articulate the types of help you require. Romemu clergy and trained members of the Chesed Committee are here to listen and help you determine what forms of support might be most beneficial to you.

Contact us at chesed@romemu.org.

Acts of chesed (lovingkindness) are not the sole purview of the Chesed Committee at Romemu. There are many groups working to support Romemu members and our wider community in times of need.

Romemu members in need of pastoral care can learn more about this type of support and how to request it here.

If you are looking for ways to get involved in other activities that provide support to Romemu members, visit our Communities and Circles web page to learn more about and discover how you can engage with our:

• Chevra Kadisha
• New Member Orientation
• Ambassador Program
• Home Hosting Program
• And more…

If you are seeking ways to increase tzedek (justice) in our wider community, learn more about the Social Action Committee and how you can get involved here.