Kol Chai has a small group of volunteers who do what they can to support members of the Community who are
unwell, bereaved, or in any way in need of assistance.
During the year, members of the Care Group make regular phone calls, visit members at home or in hospital, send cards and flowers, and provide transport. It is not possible for us to provide all the help some members require but we always try to be there to listen and offer what support we can. Rabbi Michael, through his day to day interaction with members, is often the first to hear when some help and support is required. However, other members, and even occasionally outside professionals, also contact the Care Group with concerns about members in need.
Those wishing to contact the Care Group will find names and phone numbers listed in Koleinu or these may be obtained via the Synagogue office. The group endeavors to keep up-to-date with changes to legal responsibilities and shares good practice with other Reform communities. The group is always very interested to hear from other members of the Community who feel that they would be able help, so that care and support can be provided when needed.
Another way in which a concern may reach the Care Group is through the twice yearly call round. In these times when attendance at synagogue on Shabbat is not always the norm, other means of contact with members of the Community are even more important. Our Community Contact Group (COMNET) telephones or emails every member twice each year, before Pesach and the High Holydays. Our calls to members are purely pastoral in nature but allow us to wish members well, enquire whether they need any assistance and pass on information to them from the Management Committee. These exchanges with members mean we can reach some members not contacted in any other way and acts as a periodic check on our Community database.
The Group relies on its reliable, conscientious and long-serving callers to make these calls and send the emails;
and our thanks go out to them and to Synagogue Administrator Debbie, who maintains the membership
database.
