A PLACE CALLED HOME: THE WRJ PACIFIC DISTRICT
SENIOR HOMELESSNESS PROJECT
“You shall rise before the aged and show deference to the old…” --Leviticus 19:32
It is rare to find anyone in 2021 who can say for certain they’ll never find themselves without a place to call home. Illness strikes, families fall apart, jobs are lost. No one escapes life’s tragedies, and for someone who has reached their 60s, 70s, or 80s—whether they’ve worked all their lives or have taken care of others—it is frightening. While seniors only represent a small fraction of the American and Canadian homeless population, many lose permanent housing at a time when they become increasingly vulnerable physically and emotionally. The ensuing isolation and depression can cause a downward spiral. Judaism teaches deference to the aged, but many are left to fend for themselves because their loved ones can’t care for them, or after being independent all their lives, they’re simply too embarrassed to ask for help. Instead, they may live in their cars in parking lots, sleep on chairs in church basements, or at last resort, camp out on the street.
There is an old saying: “Pray as though it depends on God. Act as though it depends on you.” The homelessness problem is massive, but journeys really do begin with a single step. As it is written in the Talmud, “Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief…You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.”
Women of Reform Judaism has a long and illustrious history of being steeped in the fight for social change, from women’s suffrage to LGBTQ rights. With three of our Pacific District states registering homeless rates at twice the national average (Hawaii, Oregon, and California), we hope our sisters in the entire PD—the largest geographical district in the WRJ--will join in the fight against homelessness. If we all work together, who knows what impact we could have?
We wish you well as you begin your journey, and we stand with you.
The WRJ Pacific District Programming Committee
June, 2021
There is an old saying: “Pray as though it depends on God. Act as though it depends on you.” The homelessness problem is massive, but journeys really do begin with a single step. As it is written in the Talmud, “Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief…You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.”
Women of Reform Judaism has a long and illustrious history of being steeped in the fight for social change, from women’s suffrage to LGBTQ rights. With three of our Pacific District states registering homeless rates at twice the national average (Hawaii, Oregon, and California), we hope our sisters in the entire PD—the largest geographical district in the WRJ--will join in the fight against homelessness. If we all work together, who knows what impact we could have?
We wish you well as you begin your journey, and we stand with you.
The WRJ Pacific District Programming Committee
June, 2021
