May 2018      
 
    הקשר HaKesher  
                                                 "The Connection"      
  



   Come be a part of our growing Reform synagogue. All are welcome!
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In This Issue
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Join Our Mailing List

Celebrations
TBT Board Members
Board Officers:

 President:
   Jeanne Freeman
    
 Vice President:
   Sheila Luber
  
 Secretary: 
   Mary Jane Eisenberg
   
 Treasurer: 
   Lester Dober
   
 Members-at-Large:
   M arilynn Jacobs
   Chuck Shattuck
     Kerrie Zurovsky
   
   
TBT Commitee Chairs
 Adult Education
   Mel Siegel
   
 Bikkur Holim
   Suzanne Schlosberg
            -and-
   Evie Lerner
             -and-
   Linda Brant
   
 Calendar Keeper
   Ann Rosenfield
  
 Chevra Kadisha
   Ralph Uri
     
 Communications & PR
   Eileen Katz 
   
 Facilities
   Mark Schindel
  
 Finance
   Chuck Shattuck
   
 Finding Our Connections
   Sheila Luber
   
 Fundraising
   Char Diamond
            -and-
   Kerrie Zurovsky
   
 Library
   Beverly Adler
  
 Membership & 
 Member Engagement
   Vivian Freeman
   
 Music
   Julie Geveshausen
   
 Newsletter
   Marilynn Jacobs
   
 Onegs
   Jan Freeman Bauer
    
 Rituals
   Alex Charney Cohen
     
 Religious Education
   Kathy Schindel
     
 Social Action
   Lynne Connelley 
     
 Webmaster
   Mark Schindel
  
 Youth Group
    Jillian Frankl
  
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Havdallah and a Movie 

Date: Saturday 
May 12
Time:  6pm to 9pm
Location:  Marcia and Ralph Uri






PLEASE NOTE: 
ONLY A FEW SPACES REMAIN! EMAIL MEL SIEGEL TO RSVP   
mws@cmu.edu

Come watch a screening of the film The Struma .
David Stoliar was the sole survivor of the sinking of the refugee ship Struma. The ship was on its way from 1942 German-run Romania to Palestine when it was torpedoed by a Soviet submarine in the Black Sea. Stoliar eventually moved to Bend, and died in 2014. He stars in the movie. His wife Marda will be with us to speak and answer questions.
 
Those attending are asked to bring appetizer or dessert.
 
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Reserve Now to Attend TBT's 
10
th 
Anniversary!
 
Date:  Sunday, May 20
Time: 5pm
Place: SpringHill Suites
551 SW Industrial Way, Bend

This event is for TBT Members Only!
 
Come celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Temple Beth Tikvah, our wonderful Jewish Reform congregation.  Enjoy a delicious barbecue buffet dinner catered by Baldy's. There will be veggie options available too.

* Listen to talented TBT musicians play!
* Schmooze a bunch!
* Eat too much!
* Make new friends! 
* And learn how TBT came to be!


 
RSVP by Monday, May 7:

$15.00 / Adult
$ 7.50 / Child 6-12
FREE / Child 5 and under
 
RSVP May 8-11 (note price increase):
$20.00 / Adult
$12.50 / Child 6-12
FREE / Child 5 and under



Click here for more information and
to make your reservations!
 
 
Space is limited; reservations and payment  must be received by May 11.

   
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TBT's Year-End Social Gathering & 
Congregational Business Meeting
  

We've  turned our Annual Meet ing into a fun social 
gathering that includes childcare with fun activities provided!

 
When: Sunday, June 3rd 
3:45 PM - 6:00 PM 
 
Where: First Presbyterian Church, 230 NE 9th St. 
Wellness Room (Downstairs)
   
Come and schmooze with the TBT members you know and meet our newcomers! Find out what's going on with your synagogue.

Highlights of our gathering include:
*Appetizers and dessert from Kebaba - BYOB!
*Games for young and old
 
Please RSVP to Mary Jane Eisenberg maryjanee112@yahoo.com
including regrets - by Monday, May 28! (Let Mary Jane know how many people are attending and if you need child care.)

If you can't make it for the social, please arrive by 4:45 p.m. for our TBT Board election and budget approval.  
 
Board nominees and the proposed 2018-2019 Annual Budget will be mailed to all members prior to the meeting.
  
We look forward to seeing you there! 
    
    
Help Wanted for Annual Meeting
 
The Board of Directors needs helpers for our annual TBT meeting to be held on Sunday, June 3rd!  Our board is responsible for putting this event together. Since last year's event was a great success, we have the template and will replicate it for this year, so planning should be easy.  We just need a few more people to help.  And it's a fun event!
 
If you would like to help, please contact Marilynn Jacobs
mkjsend2bend@bendbroadband.com or 541-797-2066 .
 
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Divrei Tikvah  RJohannaHeadShot
From Rabbi Johanna Hershenson


April showers bring May flowers... Mother Nature has certainly been teasing us with her sun's radiance, warm winds, and soaking rains. Verdant greens are sprouting in all the spots the sun touches in our local forests and meadows. Spring's rebirth, renewal, hope...
 
In our Jewish calendar, we find ourselves wandering in the wilderness from Egypt on a roundabout journey to the Promised Land. At this moment we, ancient Israelites camp out at the foot of Sinai. Exhaustion replacing the Adrenalin rush of Passover's liberation. Now, counting days of the Omer, counting down the days until Shavuot when Moses receives the Torah, we face doubt and boredom. We twiddle our thumbs waiting for Moses to bring us some sign that we will all be okay in the end.
 
Shavuot, the festival holiday of the season, falls on May 20th. Passover was on March 30 th. From Passover's second day until Shavuot, we Jews, count the days of the Omer. Forty nine days of counting. The mitzvah is to recite a blessing for counting the days of the Omer and then to acknowledge which day of the Omer it is. Blessed are You YHWH our God, who sanctifies us with mitzvot, commanding us to count the days of the Omer. Today, May 1 st, is the fourth week and third day, the 31 st day of the Omer. That's it! That's the mitzvah!
 
I didn't understand the Omer until I went to rabbinical school. I can't say I fully understand it now. But lately I've been thinking about counting the Omer as an early mindfulness practice. Think about what it means to count days. Counting up, or counting down? Does counting the days mean that they count more than other days of the year? One of my favorite singer/songwriters, Billy Bragg, recently wrote these lyrics: Not everything that can be counted, counts. And not every thing that counts can be counted.
 
The Jewish mystics infused the counting of the Omer with kabbalistic reflection prompts. Each day of the Omer, the mystic looks at how different kabbalistic virtues play out in relationship to one another. For instance one day we look at how compassion relates to discipline and another day we might look at how initiative relates to wonder.
 
I like looking at the entire period of days (sometimes I forget to count, despite apps with notifications) in their context between two holy days. What happens between liberation and revelation? What is the journey between taking a risk and understanding what taking the risk was really all about?
 
The ancient Israelites left Egypt because they could no longer bear slavery. They left a taskmaster to connect with a stronger force. Did they know it would take time to adjust to freedom? Did they know self-determination would require so much? Did they know that they'd have to develop a legal and justice system to mitigate human greed and fear and anger? Did they realize that their courage to leave when they left began long before that day? How long does it take for an idea to spread? For people to coordinate and rely on one another? How long does it take before human nature kicks in and doubt or loss of trust of some individuals in the collective affect the entire collective?
 
Between Passover and Shavuot, I like to reflect on changes I am making in my life and what might be the course of those changes over time. How do they affect my relationships, my work, my sense of self? Where am I headed and what might I need to learn to keep moving forward?
 
We are always making slight changes, slight improvements in our behaviors and priorities. We get excited about new opportunities and we avoid or overdo all the steps that will get us to what we've decided we want. This time of year in our calendar is a time for paying attention. Revelation will only come to those open to new learning, to those who pay attention.
 
Spring makes it easy to pay attention as the transition from dormancy to verdant life naturally attracts the eye. We are wired to notice beauty. The Omer is about noticing the beauty and the spaces in between what's beautiful. Practicing noticing. Because that's when revelation happens.

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

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President's Message
From TBT President Jeanne Freeman  

This past year has been a wonderful year for Temple Beth Tikvah. We've had joyous celebrations and warm moments together. We've introduced new music and a more intimate setting for our Shabbat services. We've come together to learn and to serve. Our social action programs continue to provide food for those in need, and we have found new ways to help in the greater community.

Soon TBT's Program Committee gathers to schedule our services, adult education and social action programs for the 2018 - 2019 year. We won't be planning the programs just yet, but laying out the calendar - working in the year's cycle of Jewish holidays and Shabbat services; determining the timing for adult education and Havdallahs with movies and mavens; scheduling our ongoing social action programs and setting dates for quarterly programs. We'll also determine the help we need to produce programs that are educational, engaging and enjoyable for everyone - for the presenters, the volunteers, the Rabbi, and especially for our participants, our members.
 
With a new year will come new opportunities for each of us - to learn, to connect, to participate with our TBT family. We'd love to have your help. How do you want to be involved?
 
We are looking for people who are happy to host a Shabbat@Home or Havdallah, to help setup for an Oneg, to work on planning a holiday party, or an adult ed program. We need people who would like to be on a committee to share their ideas for programs and to help put on the events and services.
 
Please come to our annual meeting on June 3rd and learn more about what our committees are doing. We're going to have signup sheets for tasks big and small. Sign up to share your experience. Sign up to use your skills for TBT. Join a committee or take on a single project.
 
We are an all-hands-on congregation. Our synagogue runs on the goodness and spirit of our volunteers. We hope that each of you will step in and take a role in the coming year.
 
B'Shalom,
Jeanne
 
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Board and Committee News
TBT Board Notes
Next Board Meeting:  TBD - notification will be sent Time: 3:30 p.m. 
Location:  TBD 

Your TBT Board meets monthly 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 Mary Jane Eisenberg  maryjanee112@yahoo.com.
 
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Ritual (Religious) Committee News
Alex Charney Cohen colorful star
   
I cannot believe that May is just around the corner! There are a couple of holidays this month for which TBT is NOT having a celebration: Lag B'Omer on May 3 and Shavuot on May 20. I have both fond and unpleasant memories of La B'Omer from our 3 years in Israel: Watching the neighborhood kids collect (hoard?) firewood for weeks leading up to the big night, wandering around the neighborhood on Erev Lag B'Omer, from fire to fire, the next one bigger and more impressive than the last. And then of course there was the smoke, which makes Bend fire season seem pretty tame - everyone had to close up their windows no matter the temperature and be sure to get the hanging laundry in before the fires started, or EVERYTHING smelled smoky/burnt the next day. I encourage you all to mark the day in your own way, and if you are looking for a Jewish communal celebration, I hear Chabad has a backyard barbeque on the 3 rd at 5:30PM. As for Shavuot, we will not celebrate the giving and receiving of the Torah at Sinai, because we will be busy celebrating the 10 th Anniversary of TBT! (Maybe you could read a little of the Book of Ruth before you come to the Anniversary Celebration.)

Ritual Committee events this month include:
  • Torah Service and Study on May 5 (10:00 to 11:30 AM, with Torah Chanting before at 9AM)
  • Two Friday Evening Services (Erev Shabbat) on 5/11 (7:30 PM) and 5/25 (5:15-7:15 PM) which will be a special Memorial Day Shabbat, meeting at the Veterans Memorial on Greenwood/Newport at the Deschutes River.
I would also like to give an early plug for Shabbat @Home which is going to be in early June (6/8). This is always a wonderful event and a fantastic opportunity to get to know other members through conversation and laughter over dinner. I hope that you will consider joining and/or hosting.
Have a great month!  

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10th Anniversary Committee
Terry Reynolds


Make Your Reservations Now for TBT's 10th Anniversary Celebration
 
This event is for TBT members only and perfect for kids of all ages.
 
 
Ten years ago, 25 founders fulfilled their vision to establish a Jewish Reform congregation serving Central Oregon, and they named it Temple Beth Tikvah - House of Hope. Today, more than 80 families contribute to a vibrant, warm and welcoming community.
 
It 's  been  an  amazing  ten  years for TBT and  every  temple member  gives  us  reason  to  celebrat e. You and your family are invited to enjoy a delicious Sunday night dinner catered by Baldy's Barbecue with lots of choices for meat-lovers and vegetarians. Come and listen to talented TBT musicians play. Schmooze a bunch. Eat too much. Make new friends. And learn how TBT came to be.
 
Doors open and party starts at 5 pm on Sunday, May 20, at the Springhill Suites on Industrial Way in Bend.

RSVP by Monday, May 7:
$15.00 / Adult
$ 7.50 / Child 6-12
FREE / Child 5 and under
 
RSVP by May 7th, before price increases on May 8:
$20.00 / Adult (May 8-11)
$12.50 / Child 6-12 (May 8-11)
FREE / Child 5 and under

Space is limited! Don't Delay! Reserve Early!
Last day for RSVP's is May 11.
 
Credit card or check payments must be received by May 11 to secure reservations so please pay early; space is limited and Baldy's needs time to prepare. Payments not accepted at the door. Click here to make your reservation

No member will be turned away for inability to pay. To discuss your confidential request, please contact our Treasurer, Lester Dober, at TBTtreasurer@gmail.com .
 
Questions about reservations? Contact Suzanne ( schlos1@gmail.com ) or (541)788-5337.


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June Newsletter Deadline:  June 24th 

This newsletter is emailed to both members and non-members each month.  If you have something you want to include in the newsletter, please e-mail it to Marilynn Jacobs: mkjsend2bend@bendbroadband.com no later than the 24th of each month for the following month's publication.  As always, you will continue to receive "e-minders" before important events take place.

Shalom,
Marilynn
 
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Taizé Service
Next Taizé: May 3 (last one until October)

All TBT members are invited to Taizé - an evening of Interfaith prayerful meditation, peace, and silence. Taizé services are held the first Thursday of each month, October through May, 7:00 p.m. at St. Clare's Chapel, St. Francis Catholic Church, 2450 NE 27th St. in Bend, OR. Everyone is invited to attend and participate. Sponsored by the Sacred Art of Living Center and the Interfaith Community of Central Oregon.

 

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TBT Tributes
Temple Beth Tikvah gratefully acknowledges the following contributions:
  • Arthur and Helen Bobgrove in honor of Joe Jezukewicz's Birthday
  • Vivian Freeman in honor of the B'nai Mitzvah of Jake and Zack Olander in Israel.
  • Terry and Gary Reynolds in memory of Pauline Siegal, Terry's grandmother
  • Phyllis and Gerald Greenbach in memory of Arthur Greenbach
  • Lester and Diane Dober in honor of Jake and Zack's B'nai Mitzvah
  • Vivian Freeman in honor of Jake and Zack's B'nai Mitzvah which was held in Jerusalem!
Donations listed above were made to the Temple's general purpose fund unless otherwise specified.

You may honor the lives and achievements of friends and relatives via a tribute with a donation to TBT. You can do this online, or by sending a check and the name and address of the person being honored to TBT at P.O. Box 7472, Bend, OR, 97708.

Donations may be designated to a specific fund, including:
   - the Youth Education Fund,   
   - the Music Fund - including Adopt-a-Musician, 
   - the Library Fund, 
   - the Rabbi Fund, 
   - the Rabbi's Caring Fund, 
   - the Social Action Fund, 
   - the Corrie Grudin Memorial Fund,
   - or to the General Fund.
 
(The youth group is a separate entity. Donations for the youth group should be made out to "Central Oregon Jewish Youth" and mailed c/o Naomi Chudowsky.)


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About Temple Beth Tikvah

Temple Beth Tikvah is a growing Jewish congregation based in Bend, Oregon. We are affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism and are excited to be the first Reform synagogue in Central Oregon.

Our members come from a range of Jewish backgrounds including Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist, and Renewal. Temple Beth Tikvah welcomes interfaith families and Jews by choice. We are committed to providing a Jewish education for our children as well as stimulating educational activities for adults. We value social action and strive to provide a Jewish cultural, social, and religious experience in Central Oregon.

Temple Beth Tikvah is a warm and enthusiastic community that includes families, singles, and "empty nesters." We are a mix of long-time Bend residents and newcomers from around the country who moved here to enjoy Central Oregon's beauty, active lifestyle, and quality of life.

Please contact us at 541-388-8826 or info@bethtikvahbend.org for more information.
 
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