June 2020     
 
    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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Celebrations
TBT Board Members
 Co-Presidents:
   Sheila Luber  
   Ann Rosenfield 
   
 Secretary: 
   Terry Hoogstede
     
  Treasurer:  
   Mark Schindel
    
 Members-at-Large:
     Lester Dober
     Paul Jacobs
    Kerrie Zurovsky
   
TBT Committee Chairs
Budget & Finance
   Chuck Shattuck

Membership 
     Terry Reynolds
    Michael Rosenfield

Program Oversight
    Kathy Schindel

TBT Team Leaders
Adult Learning
    Mel Siegel

Bikur Cholim
     Suzanne Schlosberg
    Evie Lerner
    Linda Brant

Calendar Keeper
    Kathy Schindel

Chevra Kadisha
    Ralph Uri

Communications & PR
    Kathy Schindel
    Shiela Luber

Connections
    Sheila Luber

Fundraising
    TBD

Music
    Julie Geveshausen

Newsletter
    Eileen Katz

Onegs
    Jan Freeman-Bauer

Religious Education
    Sara Jo Slate

Rituals
    TBD

Social Action
    Lynne Connelley

Venue Logistics
    Mark Schindel

Webmaster
    Jeanne Freeman
   
Newsletter Sponsors



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Quick Links
June Calendar of Events 
 

 Events and Activities
   June 9 -  1:00 pm - Board Meeting
   June 12 - 6:00 pm - Special Shabbat
   June 13 - 7:00 pm - Havdallah with a Maven
   
Kabbalat Shabbat Fridays via Zoom, 6:00 pm 
   6/5, 6/12, 6/19, 6/26
       
  Rabbinic Judaism in the age of Hellenism.
    Thursdays via Zoom 4:00 pm - 6/4, 6/11, 6/18, 6/25 


Leadership News
                   Message From  Co-Presidents  
Sheila Luber and Ann Rosenfield
Though it's been difficult these past two months in lockdown, many of us over 65 now face new discomfort as Governor Brown transitions stay-at-home orders into and beyond a phase 1 reopening plan. We both are committed to physical distancing, wearing masks and avoiding crowds until COVID-19 is managed. Ann gently ventures into town to pick up groceries and produce. She is also hiking and biking along with yoga. Sheila has left her house only to walk three or so miles in her neighborhood with lots of pajama time in between. We both agree that Instacart and curbside delivery is amazing!

As trees shimmer and temperatures warm, parts of humanity are dipping their toes into communal activities. Downtown and Old Mill are abuzz with happy people. And there's the rub. We must now make very individual, personal decisions. More wiggle room-more choices. It's one thing when everyone you know is all in. Another when many folks are out and about because they can be. For us, it's when and how, plus not so fast!

Which leads us to TBT. While rules may relax, your leadership plans to stay on the course of slow and cautious for everyone's health and safety. This we know - the First Presbyterian Church is closed through the summer. After 21 days of compliance from the Phase 1 reopening on May 15, Deschutes County may move into Phase 2, which should loosen restrictions further.  As of this writing, Phase 2 details have not been finalized and will be guided by data collected in Phase 1. The state of Oregon will not go to Phase 3 allowing large gatherings until reliable treatment or prevention of COVID-19 is widely available.

Whatever the phase, your Board will decide with your input when the time is right to assemble and how. There is no rush. Tiny gatherings of no more than 10 sound lovely. (Okay... maybe just six.) Outdoors appears to be safer, but masks and distance is still required. The point is that together we will figure out what to do and how to do it. Thoughtful, safe execution is what matters most. Baby steps. In the meantime, please join us at the special Zoom Shabbat on June 12. It is all about thanks and gratitude, for each other.

What do you need more of right now? Please let us know.


L'Shalom,
Sheila and Ann

Divrei Tikvah  RJohannaHeadShot
From Rabbi Johanna Hershenson

As Memorial Day weekend escorts winter out and ushers in a summer state of mind, we Americans take note that our nation's death toll related to the Covid-19 pandemic soon will reach 100,000 souls. This same weekend, our Torah reading cycle reached the start of the book of Numbers...a summary of the census taking of men of fighting age among the ancient Israelites en route to their Promised Land. Soul-counting themes converge...
 
Why take note of the loss of life? Isn't it depressing? Wouldn't it be better to focus on facts like, even though there has been much death, the overwhelming majority of people who carry Covid-19 experience mild or no symptoms. There's more of it out there than we originally thought which means death results in fewer cases per capita than we thought. Shouldn't we celebrate?
 
It is impossible to celebrate because the count of those who have died so far as a result of this pandemic is too sobering. Too many people in too short a time. Our humanity calls us to reflect, particularly during Memorial Day weekend. We have fought wars that lasted for years and lost less than 100,000 souls in three months. Taking pause feels so right.
 
Personally, I am also sobered by the breast cancer related deaths of two female colleagues of mine in the past two weeks. One was a colleague with whom I had a nice relationship. The other was a dear friend and mentor in my early Rabbinic school days. Both women were diagnosed with breast cancer as I was completing my year of aggressive treatment for triple negative/BRCA positive breast cancer. I coached them both as they embarked on their treatment regimens saying things like "you've got this" and "it sucked but it wasn't that bad." Well, both their journeys went differently than mine. Two more souls, gone.
 
I am entering into this summer feeling very small, humbled by circumstance and grief. It is not a usual way of entering in to summer. Ordinarily summer means shedding layers and spending a lot of time outside: hiking, floating, kayaking, music festivals.... It is loud and proud and frivolous. This summer I do not feel loud, particularly proud, or at all frivolous.
 
As we begin making our way into public life again, I invite us to do so treading lightly and with patience and curiosity. Things changed while we sheltered in our homes. The air got cleaner. Passers-by made eye contact and smiled. Baby boomers learned to connect with one another through technology like Generation Z'ers. People lent a hand to their neighbors, delivering food and toilet paper and kindness. We all learned to live with less.
 
I don't want to lose what I gained during weeks of fluidly responding to quarantine restrictions. I want to continue to sit outside and watch a storm roll in or a rainbow or a sunset. I want to make sure I connect consistently with people I love. I want to continue to be patient standing in line and continue to be cognizant of the space I take up in the spaces I share with others. I want to think about my health and what I can do to care for my immune system and general strength and wellbeing. I want to be thoughtful and compassionate with regard to public health and the wellbeing of others.
 
I think all of these musings are why we take pause to remember lost lives. Whether by war or pandemic, our shared human experience of humility and powerlessness opens us to new ways of being together, and apparently new ways of being apart. Taking stock of what has happened here in Central Oregon, in the United States, and in the world, can only help us put matters into perspective and prepare communal and individual contingencies for the future.
 
When the dust of this chaotic moment in time settles, I have no doubt we will see more clearly. I look forward to the ideas that take hold. Healthier living. Healthier gathering. Healthier communities. Healthier humanity.

Amen.
 
  ~~ 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.


TBT Highlights
New Board Member Jillian Frankl
Mark Schindel
As previously reported to the congregation, the Nominating Committee is thrilled with our selected candidate, Jillian Frankl, who accepted the invitation for the sole open Board position this coming year . The Nominating Committee worked through a focused process of first identifying key qualities that the committee felt a good Board member should have, and then seeking candidates who would best exemplify those qualities, and finally offering the position to Jillian, who after careful consideration and due diligence accepted.
 
For those who may not yet know Jillian, she has worked extensively with our youth groups these past several years. But, to get to know her better, she has kindly shared this information about herself:

"I currently live in Sisters Oregon with my husband, Paul and our two children, Chase (15) and Mya (12). I work at Sisters High School as the Principal's Secretary and Special Events Coordinator. When not working, I love spending time with my family (family game night is my favorite), enjoying the beautiful outdoors or a really good book. 

I was raised in the Midwest (Philadelphia/Cleveland/ Chicago) where I attended several Conservative Temples. I was called to the Torah as a Bat Mitzvah in the Fairmont temple in Cleveland. In my youth I was actively involved in BBYO and, to a greater extent, NFTY. I was a camper at JCC Camp Wise and later a Counselor and then Supervisor. Camp Wise not only solidified my love for Judaism, Shabbat Services and Prayer with an acoustic guitar, it also gave me the love of my life - it is there, at Camp Wise, that I met my husband, Paul. After college, I took a Fellowship Position with Hillel at Kent State University where I oversaw Freshman Recruitment and On-Campus Programming.

Our life brought us to Oregon in 2005, and to Central Oregon in 2016 where we were thankful to find the Temple Beth Tikvah Congregation. We have been members of the Congregation, and my son is an active participant of its youth group, COJY, since. It is truly an honor to have the opportunity to serve the congregation as a Board Member for the 2020-2021 Year, and I hope to contribute in any way that I can while learning from those who have been involved in making our community the wonderful place that it is."
 
This month was to be the special celebration of Mya's Bat Mitzvah. Unfortunately, with the pandemic, the family had to postpone it until next year. We look forward to Mya finally getting that honor. In the meantime, we will be privileged to experience the many great ideas and contributions that Jillian will bring to our Board starting in July.
 
TBT Nominating Committee,
   Mark Schindel (chair)
   Ari Halpern
   Jan Freeman-Bauer

 
Special Shabbat
June 12
6:00 pm
Come join us for a special Zoom Shabbat on June 12 to celebrate our many members whose time and talents enrich our temple lives. Please join us to say hello and to give (and receive) some gratitude!

 Save the date; more information to follow.
 
Gary Reynolds Memorial Fund
Terry Reynolds
Earlier this year, in memory of my beloved husband, and with help from our treasurer, I established the Gary Reynolds Memorial Fund for Temple Beth Tikvah. Money was donated last year for the start of this fund but it took me time to figure out what it could mean for Gary's memory and how best it could be used for TBT.
 
The Gary Reynolds Memorial Fund is intended to honor the memory and legacy of Gary and his commitment to Temple Beth Tikvah, the outdoors and environment, our young members, and the arts. The fund is also designed to provide funds to fix what is broken (whether material items or people in need).
 
The use of this fund is meant to be flexible but true to the spirit of Gary. So, if there are unbudgeted needs within Temple Beth Tikvah that seem to fit the appropriate usage, the Board could vote to use the funds. If you have a need or suggestion, please make your request to the treasurer.
 
Examples of appropriate use of money from the Gary Reynolds Memorial Fund would include, but not be limited to, scholarships or financial support for youth in our congregation to attend a Jewish camp; special projects related to the outdoors, environment, arts and theater; repairs to our Ark, Torah, or other TBT assets; and other similar type requests.
 
Please consider this fund when you make donations to TBT.
 
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Board and Committee News
TBT Board Notes
Next Board Meeting:  June 9,   1:00 to  3:00 p.m. 
Location:  Via Zoom; information will be sent to members

Your TBT Board meets monthly and members are invited to attend. Dates and times of Board meetings are on the TBT calendar at:  https://bethtikvahbend.org/events/

If you would like to read minutes of previous board meetings, you can request a copy from Board Secretary, Terry Hoogstede  [email protected] .
 
Adult Education
Havdallah with a Maven
Mel Siegel 

June 13
7:00 pm

"Zoom" in for a fascinating evening in which  Lawrence Schechter will share with you highlights from our October 2019 trip to Egypt.  Lawrence, his wife Lorraine and I joined a tour group visiting some of Egypt's ancient sights.

Save the date; more information to follow.


July 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 Eileen Katz:  [email protected] by 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,
Eileen
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Community News
June is PRIDE Month
Rabbi Johanna Hershenson

June is a month in which we celebrate PRIDE in Central Oregon and all over the globe. Our doors and hearts are open to LGBTQI identifying individuals. 
 
Keshetonline.org, which provides resources to synagogues committed to inclusivity, advocates the following:
 
"To be an ally is to support and work towards a more inclusive world for all individuals, regardless of their identity. "
 
Temple Beth Tikvah wishes all its members a happy month of PRIDE!

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TBT Tributes
Temple Beth Tikvah gratefully acknowledges the following contributions:

 

  • Kathy & Mark Schindel In Memory of Roger Lerman
  • Kathy & Mark Schindel In Memory of Aaron Jack Schindel


 

Donations listed above were made to the Temple's general 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 by clicking here, 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:

   - General Fund
   - Gary Reynolds Memorial Fund
   - Youth Education Fund
   - Music Fund    
   - TBT's Goodwill Fund
   - Social Action/Tzedakah Fund
   - or the Corrie Grudin Memorial Fund
   

About Temple Beth Tikvah

For Jewish families, retirees and singles at every level of faith in Central Oregon, Temple Beth Tikvah provides a comforting embrace for the soul of your DNA. We are a dynamic Reform Jewish congregation with friendly, giving, active people drawn to Bend and Central Oregon because of the active lifestyle we find here.
 
We come together in different ways, inspired and informed by our common thread of Jewishness. Whether you were born Jewish, love someone who is Jewish or choose to be Jewish. Practice Judaism a little, a lot or not at all. TBT can serve as the heart of your vibrant, connected life.
 
We can be your primary source of friendship, purpose, spiritual and intellectual pursuit. Or a side note adding flavor and dimension how and when you want. Whichever you choose, TBT offers an inclusive, communal foundation on which to build your relationships, experiences and practice. From social activities to social action, worship to study, participation to leadership. It's your choice, in this community of yours.  

Please contact us at 541-388-8826 or [email protected] for more information.
 
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