TBT's Community Passover Seder

Friday, April 3rd

 ** Reservations due by Wed. March 25th.**

Get ready for a festive, family-friendly Seder! Rabbi Hershenson will again lead our annual Passover Community Seder on Friday, April 3rd at St. Charles Hospital's event room. 

Our Seder is open to members, their guests, and to the public. Doors open at 5:15 p.m., and the Seder begins promptly at 6:00 p.m., followed by dinner. Don't miss out! Reservations are required and can be made online. Reservations close on Wednesday, March 25th.

This year we'll be enjoying a buffet dinner with your choice of Grilled Chicken with Artichoke Hearts, Grilled Salmon with Whole Grain Mustard Vinaigrette or Vegetarian Stew of Tempeh. And, yes, matzo ball soup will be served!

You are welcome to bring wine to enjoy with your dinner for a $6 corkage fee or you can purchase from a selection of fine wines for $20 - $24 per bottle. Ceremonial wine will be provided.

For more information and to make your reservations, please go to http://www.bethtikvahbend.org/worship/jewish-holidays-passover.

The Butcher, the Baker, the Haroset Maker

The best part of any meal is dessert!! This is especially true when the desserts come from the kitchens of our fabulous bakers. For the most delicious of Passover desserts, we are again asking our members and friends to please bake for us. Please call or email Naomi Chudowsky at 541-318-0481 or email at  [email protected] to let her know what you can bring. We need pick-up goodies, like bars and cookies.

Randi Zlatkus is coordinating the haroset makers.

Please let her know if you'd like to make a batch. 541-504-4048 or  [email protected].

If you did not receive your invitation, or for more information please contact Cathy Wynschenk-541-633-7979 or [email protected].

It hasn't been that cold a winter, fortunately, but hunger and cold don't necessarily go hand in hand. At the Back Door Caf� breakfasts served on Wednesday mornings are on the rise. In February, Temple Beth Tikvah members served 110 meals; in January we served 125. On the Wednesdays that our friends from the Methodist Church serve, they are also seeing an increase.

But when I walk among the tables chatting with people, after the early morning rush to the food has slowed, I am always amazed that hunger and homelessness hasn't damaged the spirit of the people we serve.

I've been helping in the kitchen for more than three years; as a group, our members have been helping for more than two years. And in that time, you get to know the people and you worry about them.

I saw "Doris" in January after an absence of weeks; she's in her late 70s, married to the same man for 54 years. They have a place to live, but they are just getting by and Back Door and the other kitchens are a means of eating. We hadn't seen her because she had colon cancer and there were complications and she was hospitalized for quite a while. But she's feeling just fine, and glad to be alive, and soon she hopes to be able to eat more than the oatmeal and scrambled eggs that are easy to digest. And Doris blesses us for cooking breakfast.

"Charlie" is recovering from hernia surgery - "the size of a grapefruit," the doctor told him. He's got his tools and with his buddy "Dave" they're hoping they can buy an old truck and start picking up some jobs on the side. Both men work, they just don't earn enough to get by, but they do tell stories and they do laugh and smile.  And they really appreciate our getting up so early to come cook them a hot meal.

"Tom" calls me "Boston" - he caught my accent my first day at Back Door. My accent! He is serious Boston. He always asks me about my girls; I show him pictures of the snow. We danced at the Patriots victory and cried at the Red Sox loss. And we share a hug every week. He did complain a little during the November storms that his bike got buried and he had to walk a few miles from his tent to get back to the road to get breakfast. But it was delicious and worth the walk.

And "Patty" is playing on the Special Olympics basketball team; "Lisa" is just starting her second trimester and "David" just gushes about her; and everyone is staying out of "Steve's" way because he is obviously off his medications and babbling and belligerent; and yes there is "Jack" who is always grumpy and grumbling and doesn't understand how life has dealt him this blow. There is alcohol abuse and drug abuse and mental illness and disabilities and there are men and women who once had homes and normal lives and have lost everything.

And each and every one of our guests give us a smile, chat or joke, offer us thanks, bless us for our kindness - okay, except for "Jack" who grumbles at us.

It takes 8 - 10 of our members to efficiently prepare, cook, serve and clean up; we are fortunate to have 15 stalwarts who are willing to rotate through on a regular basis. Thank you to our always efficient, always smiling February Back Door Caf� crew - Ann Rosenfield on eggs; Bonnie Ruby on English muffins and serving; Burt Litman for always shopping and filling in at multiple slots; Jeff Adler on the grill; Joe Jezukewicz on ham; Kathy Schindel at the oatmeal station; Mark Schindel egg scrambling; Michael Rosenfield on dishes; Neil Pyne on kitchen prep; Vivian Freeman serving. And thank you also to those who'll be there in the coming months - George and Linda Brant, Gerry and Phyllis Greenbach, and Ralph Uri.

Admittedly, the Temple Beth Tikvah Back Door Caf� kitchen crew is not in need of new members - it's always a full crew. But we are there only one Wednesday per month. Every other Wednesday members of the Methodist Church prepare, cook, serve and cleanup. Ann Hand is in charge of the other days - Jan Freeman Bauer and Larry Freeman work some of those days and I know they can always use the help.

If you'd like information or to join a crew, email Burt Litman at [email protected].

All of the names have been changed; all of the stories are true. And me, they let me think that I'm in charge of the kitchen!

--Jeanne Freeman  

Elections for delegates to the World Zionist Congress, open to ALL Jews, started on January 14th and will run through April 30th.  This is truly a rare opportunity to have a say in the future of Israel and Jewish matters throughout the world.  If you have not voted yet, you should!

The following material is simply for your information and you are free to use it as you see fit.  This is not an endorsement or requirement that you vote for any specific set of candidates. You are free to vote for the delegation of your choice. 

Because we are affiliated with the Union of Reform Judaism, we are sharing with you information from the Association of Reform Zionists of American (ARZA) which is sponsoring a delegation to the World Zionist Congress.  

For information about the election and the ARZA (Reform Movement) delegation, you can directly access their website at:   https://www.reformjews4israel.org/about-us/.

This election is world-wide.  The World Zionist Congress is comprised of three separate sets of delegates:

• Israel - 190 delegates
• United Sates - 145 delegates
• Rest of the world - 165 delegates

Any Jew over 18 is eligible to vote (based on the honor system of self declaration).  To vote in the selection of the delegation from the United States, you also have to be a citizen of the U.S. and pay a $10 fee to cover costs of the election ($5 if you are younger than 30).  The fee can be paid via credit card, eCheck or PayPal.  You are allowed only one vote for whichever delegation group you choose. 

For more information about the election and ALL the slates that are competing in the US, visit the American Zionist Movement web site at:   http://www.azm.org/2015elections.php

Every vote counts, so make a difference.
 
 

If you have any questions regarding the elections, contact Mark Schindel, [email protected]. 

• From Bruce and Susan Levin, to the  Corrie Grudin Memorial Fund.
• From Alyson Belcher, in memory of Geralyn Belcher.
• From Tully Ellsberg, in memory of Cana Ivy.
• From Selma Nichols, to the Music Fund, to help cover the cost of the new Music Director.
• From Mark and Kathy Schindel, in memory of Nathan Bernstein.

• From Jerry and Phyllis Greenbach, Get Well wishes to Lauren.

• From Jerry and  Phyllis Greenbach, Happy Birthday to Burt Litman.

• From Lester and Diane Dober, in memory of Goldie Dober.

• From Lester and Diane Dober, speedy recovery of Lauren Olander.

• From Gary & Terry Reynolds, a speedy recovery to Mindy Lauren Olander.