November Calendar of Events 

NOVEMBER EVENTS SCHEDULE 

   Nov. 24  11:59 p.m. - December Newsletter Deadline

   Nov. 28  12:00 p.m. - Weekly Torah Study

For more details about any TBT events, see our complete schedule of Services, School activities, and Events online:

  

Adult Education Class

Spinoza's Heresy: 

Free Will vs. Determinism

November 8th, 2016

Location: Deschutes Public Library Downtown Bend 

The Brooks Room

Time: 6:00 - 7:30 pm

RSVP  to Mary Jane Eisenberg at [email protected] or 415-572- 1741

Please do not bring snacks - Due to Library Policy we will not have any food. 

Shabbat@Home 

Friday, Nov. 18th

The ever popular "Shabbat at Home" returns Friday, November 18th. Get to know other TBT members while celebrating Shabbat and enjoying a delicious potluck dinner in a casual home setting.  

COJY/BBYO Winter Warmth Project a Huge Success!

Hello TBT!

Last week, we had your donations go out to the public. We first went around town to the people who were not housed. People on the streets were very appreciative of the clothes and are grateful that they will be warm this winter. Then, the rest of the donations went to the Bethlehem Inn. They were glad we brought them more clothes. We want to thank you for contributing. This was a project that meant a lot to our group and it was very successful. We all had a lot of fun and it couldn't have been done without you! Thank you so much!

Sincerely,

Rachel Uri, Abi Hershenson and Sid Rafilson

Packing up the donations.

	Delivering to homeless.

The crew at the Bethlehem Inn.

Many of us think about the High Holy Day season being Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. While those are the two headliners of the season, technically it continues with Sukkot and Simchat Torah. By the time November blows in with its blustery winds and promise of snow, we are finally past the High Holy Day season.

The next month in the Jewish ritual calendar is Cheshvan. The ancient rabbis called it Mar Cheshvan, bitter Cheshvan. They determined its bitterness to be due to an absence of holidays. After the High Holy Day season, I don't find Cheshvan to be bitter at all. I find it to be a relief. I imagine the many Temple Beth Tikvah volunteers who made sure our High Holy Day season was filled with order, dignity, and good food would agree.

Not only does the Hebrew month of Cheshvan provide us with some rest following our busy time of year, it also challenges us to exercise our free will with regard to Judaism and our congregation. The High Holy Day season is filled with have-to's. We have to hear the sound of the shofar on Rosh Hashanah, fast on Yom Kippur, shake the lulav and smell the Etrog in the sukkah, and roll our Torah scrolls from the very end to the very beginning. After all the have-to's, we now get to choose. Will we integrate some Jewish ritual into our lives? Will we begin making good with regard to the promises we made for the New Year? Will the simplicity of an ordinary Shabbat fulfill our Temple-going nature?

We don't really taste our freedom until we have enough free time to make choices, until we do not because we have to but because we choose to. The word, mitzvah, means commandment. For orthodox Jews, we do the mitzvot because we have to. They are commanded by God. Reason and preference are irrelevant. Among non-orthodox Jews - mitzvot are opportunities to engage with our tradition and rituals that we impose on ourselves. They become a form of self-discipline, tools for bettering our experience in life and for tikkun olam, making the world a better place.

One of the many endearing characteristics of Temple Beth Tikvah that I like best is our start-up vibe. As a young congregation we do not have longstanding traditions that must be upheld in a particular manner. We have room to explore options and experiment with our rituals and celebrations as well as our community service and lifelong learning. Again, an opportunity for each of us to exercise our freedom and engage to make a difference in our community. We have a calendar year planned with monthly informal and formal Shabbat celebrations, Sunday school and adult learning, social gatherings, and ongoing social action projects. Still, there is plenty of room for input.

What's your passion? What do you wish we would do as a synagogue community? Just like the month of Cheshvan leaves room for Jews to find meaning without the hard and fast structure of holidays, Temple Beth Tikvah is young enough and pliable enough for new ideas and practices. Carpe diem. Now is the time!

~~ Rabbi Hershenson's office hours are by appointment. If you would like to set up an appointment, please contact her by email at: [email protected] , or by phone at 541-213-9880.

From TBT President Jeanne Freeman  

Our High Holy Days services, led by Rabbi Hershenson and Rabbi Mike Comins, were  inspirational and spiritually uplifting. Both rabbis delivered heartfelt messages in their  sermons. You can read the full texts of any  of this year's sermons on our website:

http://www.bethtikvahbend.org/worship/sermons .

I'd also like to share my talks with those of you who did not attend our erev holiday services. You can find my talks on our website:

http://www.bethtikvahbend.org/worship/lay-speeches.

Our High Holy Days season ended with two multi-generational holiday celebrations - Sukkot and Simchat Torah.

In the bucolic setting of Marlis Beier and Dean Sharpe's acreage, nearly 60 children and adults decorated our Sukkah with flowers, greenery and vegetation from the surrounding yard and with wreaths and garlands made at the craft table. Never have I seen - or heard - a more beautiful Sukkah, with the sound of the shakers mimicking the rains.

Rabbi Hershenson and Marissa Groza led us in celebration of the holiday, marching around the Sukkah in the crisp fall air. Our celebration included a potluck feast enjoyed by all. Thanks to Ralph Uri and Mark Schindel who built the Sukkah, and to Marlis and Dean, their daughters Marissa and Anneliese, Florence Beier, Tully Ellsberg, Michelle Mahony, Rose Jackman and all who made this such a memorable event for children and adults.

Two days later more than 30 of us convened in the fellowship hall for pizza, cupcakes and to rejoice with the Torah. We sang. We danced. Rabbi Hershenson read the final portion of the book of Deuteronomy from one Torah and the opening of Genesis from the other Torah. And we applied lessons from each of the five books to our daily lives as adults and children wrote the answers to questions our Rabbi posed from each book. Thanks to Ralph Uri and the ritual committee for a joyous celebration.

It is wonderful to see so many people having fun and interacting, especially our youngest members cuddled and comforted by our empty-nesters. It is a delight to assist a three-year-old in creating a wreath, complete with sparkles, to hang in the Sukkah.

There are lots of opportunities for you to participate this month:

• Attend the Men's gathering at Market of Choice on November 2nd.
• Come to Havdallah With a Maven at my house on November 5th. 
• Join the discussion about Spinoza on November 8th.
• Please join us for Shabbat@Home on November 18th. 

Don't be shy. Get to know your fellow members and let us get to know you. It's an opportunity to meet interesting and intelligent people - something that we can all use more of in our lives!

URJ Spotlight

In memoriam, Shimon Peres 

   

Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), released the following statement after learning of the death of former Israeli President Shimon Peres:

TBT Board Notes 

 

Next Board Meeting:  Tue. Nov. 1st, 6:30 p.m. 

Location:  Stonebriar Apartments Clubhouse

Your TBT Board meets on the first Tuesday of each month (please note that this is a change from previous) and everyone is invited to attend. Dates and times of Board meetings are on the TBT calendar at: bethtikvahbend.org/calendar. 

If you would like to read minutes of previous board meetings, you can request a copy from Board Secretary Marijane Krohn:  [email protected].

 

Ritual Committee News    

Ralph Uri, Ritual Committee Chair

October was a very busy month. Thanks to Kathy and her outstanding committee we had very inspiring and introspective Rosh Hashannah and Yom Kippur services. Rabbis Johanna and Mike both delivered very meaningful messages. As usual our musicians Lauren, Julie, and Jo, with the addition of Janet Gesme as well as our cantorial soloist, Eileen, were superb and greatly enriched our services. Sukkot celebration at the Beier/Sharpe residence was well attended. The Sukkah was situated in an absolutely spectacular setting which greatly enhanced the theme of thanksgiving. The following pot luck dinner was amazing. We are truly fortunate to have so much gastronomic talent in our congregation. Simchat Torah was a fun event for all with singing and dancing highlighted by the reading of the last and immediately followed by the first lines of Torah thus indicating an unbroken cycle. Additionally we had our monthly Saturday morning Torah service in an intimate and relaxed setting at FPC.

This month we will celebrate our monthly Saturday morning Torah service on  Nov. 5th at 10:30 a.m. at FPC. Our Erev Shabbat service is scheduled for  Nov. 11th at 7:00 p.m. at FPC, preceded by a Tot Shabbat program at  6:00 p.m.  

On  Friday Nov. 18th we will have our first Shabbat@Home event.  Hopefully you have already gotten an invitation for this event. Please RSVP no later than Nov. 10th as we need to give our hosts ample time to prepare for the evening. Last year the Shabbat@Home celebrations were very well received. I am hopeful that this year will be no different.

On behalf of the Ritual Committee I want to wish you and your families a meaningful Thanksgiving season. We all have so much to be grateful for.

 

Social Action Update   

Burt Litman, Social Action Chair

We continue to participate in Back Door Cafe, helping to provide a nutritious breakfast for ~ 90 people in October. We want to thank Chuck and Marilyn Shattuck, Vivian Freeman, Phyllis and Jerry Greenbach, Jeanne Freeman, Burt Litman, Joe Jezukewicz, Ralph Uri, and Jeff Adler for serving at Back Door Cafe. All recipients are very appreciative of our efforts and many comment on how much they like the meals we prepare.

Although the original goal of Back Door Cafe was to provide a nutritious breakfast for those in need, it has developed into part of the full day service provide by the First United Methodist Church. This includes visiting social worker and medical teams. To develop this service, the church hired Stacy Witte to manage and develop the services offered to those coming to the church in need of food and help with organizing their lives. To see how you can help, please read Stacy's note in this Newsletter.

If you have an interest in participating in these programs, please contact Burt Litman at [email protected].

 

COJY Teen Group News

Rachel Uri, Teen Group Leader

In Central Oregon, we have just started a new Jewish teen group, soon to be a chapter of BBYO. BBYO is an international organization for Jewish youth and we are very excited to be involved. Our section of BBYO is called Shalom Teva. In Shalom Teva, we do community service, have fun weekend get togethers, and eventually, trips nation wide to meet other BBYO members from around the world. So far, we have done a weekend retreat to bond our group together, and we have also gone out and given clothes to the homeless. We plan to continue with twice monthly activities - whether it's for fun, community, or events to become more engaged with our Jewish religion. We hope to grow and give the Jewish youth of Bend a place to feel comfortable, safe, and be a part of something great!

Spread the word to any Jewish teens you know and invite them to join. Anyone who is interested can contact Rachel Uri (teen leader): [email protected], or (adult) club advisers Jillian Frankl:   [email protected]  503-332-7145, or Naomi Chudowsky: [email protected]  541-749-0086 for more information.

Many Thanks to the Behind-the-Scenes High Holy Days Crew

Kathy Schindel, High Holy Days Chair

The High Holy Days of 2016 are behind us. A new year, 5777 has begun and many of you have shared that you enjoyed our High Holy Day services and

related events. As many of you know, these services and events take a lot of
planning and time and the efforts of a lot of people. We don't have the luxury of a large paid staff, but rather rely on the volunteers within our congregation for so many of the tasks involved which result in beautiful and meaningful services and events for our congregation and all of our guests.

We of course all owe our thanks to Rabbi Hershenson for creating and leading such beautiful services which give such deep meaning to the High Holy Day season. And what would our services be without our wonderful music? We are grateful for the countless hours that Lauren, Eileen, Julie, and Jo put into preparing the music which enhances our services and is food for our souls.

There are a number of other folks who work a little more behind the scenes to add to the success and quality of our services and events. Thank you to Lester Dober for contacting and encouraging so many members to participate in our services. People greatly appreciated being included.

The Rosh Hashanah Oneg was organized by Jan Freeman Bauer and Vivian Freeman. Thank you to them and all of those who baked the delicious desserts for that evening. Also, thanks to all who helped with set-up and clean-up.

The Tashlich picnic is always a well-attended and enjoyable event. Thank you to Phyllis and Jerry Greenbach for again sponsoring the picnic and taking care of all the set-up and clean-up details, as well as procuring all of the food and drink. We all had a great time.

Beverly Adler and Liz Levinson were in charge of our Break-the-Fast buffet dinner, with help from Ruth Ruder. Thank you Bev, Liz, and Ruth and all of your dessert bakers and kugel makers! And of course, thank you to those who stayed to clean up.

Thanks to Terry Reynolds for taking charge of the sign-in table and the greeters for our services. Welcoming our members and guests is such an important part of who we are as a TBT community.

Mark Schindel took care of all aspects of facilities at FPC, interfacing with their Administrator, Janet, and custodian, Doug, to make sure things were set up appropriately, as well as doing a lot of the sanctuary set-up and tear-down himself. Thank you Mark.

Thank you Jeanne Freeman for all of your help relating to Rabbi Mike Comins' visit for Yom Kippur. Suzanne Schlosberg and Lawrence Schechter, your generosity in helping with lodging and transportation for Rabbi Mike is much appreciated.

In addition to those named, there were many of you who just pitched in with set-up, clean-up, or providing rides to services and events for those who did not have transportation. Whatever your contribution may have been, it was greatly appreciated.

As the year 5777 unfolds, think about ways in which you might contribute to our TBT community. There are lots of opportunities to help and we welcome whatever time you have to give.

Again, thank you all for making our High Holy Days so meaningful.

   

Letter to TBT From Back Door Cafe and Day Center's Director

Back Door Café and Day Center has a New Director

My name is Stacey Witte; as the new Director of the Back Door Café and Day Center at First United Methodist Church, I would like to thank you for your support. It has had an impact on so many lives. As Steve and Charlene Dimond's daughter, I would like to express my thanks for welcoming my parents into your congregation. They have been touched by your warmth.

Many people ask me does a meal really make a difference? It does when it is served with compassion, care, a listening ear and fellowship. The Back Door Café served over 475 breakfasts during the past 4 weeks. That's a lot of sausage and eggs, but more importantly, that's a lot of conversation for many who needed to be heard and it was a lot of hope for those that need to be reminded that they mattered.

This is what the Back Door Café and Day Center is really all about, building relationships, meeting people where they are and empowering them to move forward to greater independence and self-sufficiency. To provide the best service to those who come to the Back Door Café and Day Center, we need volunteers with skills to help provide the following services:

1. Hairstylists willing to come 1-2 times a year to cut hair so people can look employment-ready and have better self esteem.
2. Mentors who are willing to sit one on one with someone to work on interview techniques.
3. Individuals to work one on one with someone reviewing or creating resumes.
4. Attorneys to answer general questions about tenant laws, employment, LNI, etc.
5. Retired teachers to assist people with studying for their GED or English as a second Language.
6. Manicurists willing to do nails in preparation for job interviews.
7. Podiatrists willing to volunteer their time 2x a year for foot checks.

If you would like to learn how to get involved in becoming a catalyst for change for a person moving forward in their life, please contact Stacey Witte (425) 765-1782 or email [email protected]. I look forward to meeting you.

With the temperature dropping we are desperately in need of

New or gently used

Hats, scarves, gloves, coats, sleeping bags, socks, sweatpants and sweatshirts

for men, women and children.