Our Initiatives

Breaking Bread on Broad

Breaking Bread on Broad began in 2017 as a summer program to provide neighborhood children with free breakfast and lunch, along with a program of fun and learning, within the walls of Rodeph Shalom.  The advent of the pandemic required us to redesign our program to serve the ongoing needs of our neighbors suffering from food insecurity and lack of basic supplies for daily living.  Breaking Bread on Broad (BBoB) now provides food, diapers, and feminine hygiene supplies to up to one hundred families in need each Wednesday morning outside our Green Street entrance.  BBoB partners with a variety of Philadelphia non-profits and our own RS members to obtain and distribute these necessary items.  We fulfill our RS mission to create profound connections within our RS community as we join together in this sacred work of tikkun olam and within our neighborhood through our partnerships with other organizations and our relationships with the families we serve.      

Our volunteers find working with BBoB a deeply moving and enriching experience.

For more information on Breaking Bread on Broad, or to volunteer, contact bbob@rodephshalom.org. Click here to read the Breaking Bread on Broad Prayer by Ellen Poster. 

To make a gift to Breaking Bread on Broad Fund, click here

Gun Violence Prevention Task Force

Rodeph Shalom's Gun Violence Reduction Task Force is a founding member of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Coalition of Synagogues to Reduce Gun Violence.  We have joined with numerous synagogues in the five-county region, including:
 
Congregation Beth Am Israel-Penn Valley
Beth Chaim Reform Congregation-Malvern
Beth David Reform Congregation-Gladwyne
Har Zion Temple-Penn Valley
Congregation OhevShalom-Wallingford
Or Hadash-Fort Washington
Congregation Beth Or-Maple Glen
Or Zaur-Havertown
Germantown Jewish Centre-West Mt. Airy, Philadelphia
Main Line Reform Temple-Wynnewood
Temple Beth Zion-Beth Israel-Center City, Philadelphia 
 
Our mission is to raise our collective voices to promote awareness, advocacy and action to reduce gun
violence and lessen its devastating impact on families and communities in the region.
 
We have been cross-promoting our member congregations' programs to reduce gun violence, and on November 19, 2023 we held our first Coalition event.  We hosted a Youth Forum at Rodeph Shalom.  This event was a great success and consisted of three components.  First, we brought professional facilitators to lead an interactive discussion with children ages 12 to 18.  Second, we provided suicide prevention training to adults over age 18.  Third, we hosted a variety of non-profit organizations to offer opportunities to engage to youth and adults alike.
 
We continue to work on these initiatives and support CeaseFire PA's Common Agenda to reduce gun violence by passing common sense legislative reform.
 
Congregants should feel free to email me at dougrosenblum@gmail.com with questions or a desire to engage.

POWER (Philadelphians Organized to Witness, Empower, and Rebuild)

An Interfaith initiative transforming the social and economic policies that are impacting our families and neighborhoods. Contact Rabbi Freedman if you are interested in learning more.