Congregation Brith Sholom will bring the Bethlehem community together this November for a weekend focused on social justice. Topics addressed will include poverty and food insecurity.

On Friday, Nov. 9, the Rev. Dr. Peter Pettit, director of the Institute for Jewish-Christian Understanding at Muhlenberg College, will speak during services beginning at 6 p.m. On Saturday, Nov. 10, at 9 a.m., Dr. Gregory J. Edwards, senior pastor of the Resurrected Life Community Church, will deliver the d’var Torah.

Saturday’s services will be followed by two workshops: “The Biblical Roots of Social Justice” and “From Social Action to Social Justice,” presented by Adina Alpert and Sarah Waldbott, Avodah fellows.

“I see this event as a way of reminding all of us that there are real problems of homelessness, hunger and poverty affecting our community that we are not addressing,” said Hannah Zabitz, Brith Sholom member and chair of the event. “It’s time for us to acknowledge the issues and try to find answers to alleviate the inequities that exist. We must strive to make emet, tzedek and tikkun olam the path forward.”

Brith Sholom’s Rabbi Michael Singer sees the Shabbaton as a first step to bring together members of different faiths in Bethlehem.

“We have a community of churches and people of good will and heart that are all around us and there is a wonderful opportunity to work together … to bring our congregations closer together,” he said. “Our goal is to tackle one issue that I think we can all rally around which is hunger and food insecurity and see what we can do to change and move the bar.”

The Shabbaton is made possible by a Community Impact Grant from the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley and co-sponsored by Jewish Family Service.