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Celebrations
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Celebrations in August honor the following:
Birthdays:
- Ben Phillips August 6
- Mark Nordstrom August 8
- Janet Lichtenberg August 11
- Chase Frankl August 15
- Lauren Goldstein August 15
- Honey Grace (Gracie) Zurovsky August 23
- Brandon Bauer August 24
- Kurt Brickner
August 24
- Taylor Mahony August 30
Anniversaries:
- Mark & Kathy Schindel
August 4
- Lorraine & Lawrence Schechter
August 5
- Jeffrey & Ginger German August 6
- Marti Fields & Steve Johnson
August 7
- Sami Fournier & Johnathan Hansen August 13
- Sara Jo & Brad Slate
August 13
- Marlis Beier & Dean Sharpe
August 14
- Lester & Diane Dober August 14
- Ed & Evelyn Chernoff August 17
- Michael & Maricela Feldman
August 18
- Jo Ann Ray & Larry Barker August 20
- Randy Danto & Mark Nordstrom
August 21
- Howard & Marcia Koff
August 23
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President:
Sheila Luber
Past President:
Ann Rosenfield
Vice President
Kerrie Zurovsky
Secretary:
Terry Hoogstede
Treasurer:
Mark Schindel
Members-at-Large:
Lester Dober
Jillian Frankl
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Budget & Finance
Chuck Shattuck
Membership
Terry Reynolds
Michael Rosenfield
Program Oversight
Kathy Schindel
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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
Program Coordinator
Lauralei Garrity
Religious Education
Melissa Wikler
Rituals
TBD
Social Action
TBD
Venue Logistics
Mark Schindel
Webmaster
Jeanne Freeman
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Temple Beth Tikvah is pleased to welcome our newest member:
Jynx Frederick
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August Calendar of Events
Events and Activities
August 1 - 7:00 pm - Havdallah in the Park
August 11- 1:00 pm - Board Meeting via Zoom
August 14- 6:00 pm - Kabbalat Shabbat via Zoom
August 22- 7:00 pm - Havdallah in the Park
August 28- Shabbat via Zoom
5:45 pm - Tot Shabbat
6:00 pm - Proneg (an Oneg before Shabbat)
6:20 pm - Erev Shabbat
6:45 pm - Meaningful Conversations
Rabbinic Judaism-Via Zoom
Weekly - Thursdays 4:00 pm - 8/6, 8/13, 8/20, 8/27
ON THE HORIZON
September 18 - Erev Rosh Hashanah
September 19 - Rosh Hashanah
September 27 - Erev Yom Kippur
September 28 - Yom Kippur
For more details about any TBT events, see our complete schedule of Services, School activities, and Events online:
https://bethtikvahbend.org/events/
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Sheila Luber
Aren't we lucky to live in Central Oregon? We have beautiful weather, wide open spaces with myriad lakes, paths and trails, and for a fortunate few...the joy of children and grandchildren, grandparents or parents nearby. The rest of us are thankful for technology connecting us with our loved ones from afar via Zoom, Facebook and FaceTime... and it's no different for those we hold dear right here in TBT. It's a very good time to reach out to others in our temple. Go ahead and try it "old school" with a call, text or email to someone you like though you've not talked for a while or someone you hardly know at all. Say hello and spread some joy while strengthening your circle of friendships. Most likely you will make their day special as you brighten your own.
If you need a little face to face, join our many virtual offerings where we can see each other, talk and listen, and enjoy a Jewish experience together. Jay and I had a wonderful time at our first virtual Shabbat@Home. Rabbi Johanna's service was lovely, and we all chatted for more than an hour over our respective dinners. Frankly, it was surprisingly intimate and fun. We signed off feeling relaxed and fulfilled, like we had gotten together with nice people we wanted to know better and did! For event dates, times and Zoom links, check the TBT Happenings in your inbox every Wednesday. If you need help joining us on Zoom, please contact Mel Siegel at
[email protected]
or Mark Schindel,
[email protected]
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In mid-July, we emailed the results of our In-Person Readiness Survey completed by 67 TBT members between June 18 and June 26. Nearly a quarter indicated they are ready to attend an in-person gathering. Shabbat in the Park was most frequently selected as the event respondents missed most and hoped we'd offer soon. While 69% were possibly, probably or definitely likely to attend an outdoor gathering with 10 people or less.
After much consideration, we decided to hold a very casual Havdallah in the Park on August 1 for up to 10 members at each of two locations. We asked for RSVPs so we could keep track of the numbers and communicate directly with attendees should plans change. We made it clear that any member of Temple Beth Tikvah choosing to attend must follow the guidelines for the health and safety of all. (Or kindly stay home.) Below are the measures implemented for our first in-person gathering since March and any other events we might have in the foreseeable future.
Getting ready at home...
- If you feel sick, please stay home.
- Take your temperature and if the thermometer shows a higher than normal temperature for you or 100.4 F or greater, stay home and call your doctor.
- Wash your hands before you depart (and when you return.)
- Bring your favorite mask and hand sanitizer.
- Grab a beverage and food for your own enjoyment.
- Pack your portable chair to sit comfortably.
When you arrive and during your stay...
- Wear your mask. (Surgical masks are available if you forget yours.)
- Maintain physical distancing at least six feet apart.
- No shaking hands or physical contact.
- Use your hand sanitizer. (Sanitizer is available.)
- Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your elbow.
- Enjoy your beverage and food, and do not share with others.
- Temperature checks may be taken.
- There will be no singing.
Please contact me with any question, concern or suggestion you might have. I'm here for you.
L'Shalom,
Sheila
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Divrei Tikvah 
From Rabbi Johanna Hershenson
For rabbis all over the world, the month of August means time to prepare for the High Holy Days. Rosh Chodesh, the new moon indicating the Hebrew month of Elul has emerged, falls on August 20th. The ancient rabbis suggest that it is with the new moon of Elul that we begin preparing for the Jewish New Year. In this month we reflect and self-assess our own conduct during the past year in relation to personal and professional goals and the way we wish to present ourselves in the world.
No matter how hard we try to live as if life is normal, there is no doubt that the year 2020 has been wrought with challenges that have shaken us all. The Covid-19 pandemic has kept many of us home-bound. Management of how to respond to it has opened social and political wounds that keep us in a state of divisive discourse. At the same time, we've been called to reckon with inequity in our political system. We've witnessed disproportionate police violence used against people of color and other disenfranchised communities. In place of a shared discourse around challenges and opportunities, we find ourselves so divided that which media outlet one receives news from often dictates how we engage in conversation with one another or opt to avoid the discomfort altogether and not talk about it at all.
As a rabbi, I am finding myself challenged in ways I've never been challenged before. It is clear that we will not gather for welcoming in Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur together in synagogue, or "chemple", in our case. While I look forward to the liturgy and music of our High Holy Day services every year, this year I wonder how to present the beauty of our tradition in a manner that moves us to introspection and optimism.
In large urban synagogues the decisions are relatively easy. There are membership numbers and subsequent temple budgets that warrant professionally live-streamed services that are beautiful to watch. Like you, I have viewed streamed services from our country's largest congregations like Beth Am in Palo Alto, and Shaarei Tefillah and B'nai Jeshurun in New York. Cameras move from rabbi to cantor to lay leader seamlessly. Institutional internet bandwidth allows streaming and shared videos to flow and not lag.
As we have explored Zoom and YouTube and other options for streaming content, our experience suggests that as a smaller congregation (both in numbers and budget) we will best accommodate our High Holy Days experience with more radically creative options. Hopefully, that will not set us up for the hiccups we have done our best to manage during Shabbat and Adult learning Zoom gatherings. Streaming without lags requires a certain internet bandwidth that I cannot guarantee either at home or from my office.
In order to deliver the majesty and beauty of the High Holy Days, I am working with our president, Sheila Luber, our program coordinator, Lauralei Garrity, our High Holy Days coordinator, Kathy Schindel, and a team of volunteers with tech know-how to prepare a High Holy Day season of offerings that allow for passive enjoyment of the season as well as opportunities to hear the shofar and gather safely and responsibly.
As the month of August unfolds, watch for information about how we will celebrate the New Year upon its arrival the evening of September 18th. Our main services Erev Rosh Hashanah, Rosh Hashanah morning, Kol Nidrei, and Yom Kippur will be released to members as short films at the times we are accustomed to gathering for in-person services. Both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur morning film releases will be followed by Torah Study and Discussion on Zoom, where we can interact and share thoughts, feelings, and new year's wishes and concerns. On Rosh Hashanah afternoon, we will bring our shofar and birdseed to Pioneer Park and invite members to come by to hear the sounding of the shofar and take a personal moment at the river for letting go of the past year's regrets.
This year's High Holy Days will feel different than they've ever felt before. My promise to you is that I will do my best to make lemonade from the lemons with which we've been dealt. Our short films will include newly recorded music from our ensemble (Julie Geveshausen, Jo Booser, Eileen Heaton, and Janet Gesme, as well as artwork and photography by our members. I invite every Temple Beth Tikvah household to record a 2-minute message for the New Year and send it to me so that we can see each other in our High Holy Days short films. Instructions will be sent out shortly if you have not received them already.
It is my hope that because we cannot do what we normally do, and instead do something totally different, we will find joy and inspiration and creativity, which will bring us emotionally closer to one another in the midst of ongoing physical distancing practices.
~~ 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.
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Ann Rosenfield
Board Member and Past Co-President
This is the first in a series of bi-monthly spotlights on our board members.
Eileen Katz, Newsletter Ed.
When you talk with Ann, you will know that you are talking with someone who is deeply committed to the causes she espouses and who doesn't hesitate to plunge in to get things done. It's no surprise that Ann stayed with TBT from the moment she was committed to its founding over 12 years ago to her most recent service as co-president of the TBT Board.
Ann was born and raised in Shaker Heights, Ohio, home of a large Jewish community. A good percentage of students in her high school were Jewish. From an early age, Ann was committed to Judaism.
Ann attended one year of law school in Cleveland, Ohio before her life made a U-turn. That is when she met her now husband Michael who was attending his third year of medical school. They were married only six months later! Michael completed his medical training in Denver while Ann took positions in commercial construction. Upon finishing his residency and spending a year working in family practice, Michael was offered a position as a family doctor in Prosser, Washington. Ann and Michael knew nothing about Prosser but saw the move as a good opportunity, a way to experience the Northwest. While the commitment was only to be for a year, they ended up living in Prosser (population 4,500) for 25 years and raised their two sons there.
While in Prosser, Ann was a member of the Library Board and wrote and obtained grants to expand the library's offerings to include Spanish language materials to serve
Prosser's large Hispanic population. She also started and served on the board of the local PTA. She served on other boards in Prosser, Yakima and the Tri-Cities, but her favorite board was the Yakima Town Hall Lecture Series where she met prominent speakers from around the United States.
Ann and Michael traveled to the Tri-Cities in Washington to attend services and other events at Congregation Beth Shalom. Ann taught for many years at its Sunday school so her sons, Kevin and Zach could get a Jewish education and study for their Bar Mitzvahs. While her sons were studying Hebrew, Ann met with other parents to also learn Hebrew. After many years of study, Ann eventually had her Bat Mitzvah with three other women from the congregation.
So how did Ann and Michael find their way to Bend? More than 40 years ago, Ann and Michael were taken by friends in Prosser to Bend to ski at Mt. Bachelor. They immediately fell in love with the mountain and purchased a condo at the Inn of the 7th Mountain so they could enjoy skiing and vacations with family. Many years later they purchased a lot in what is now the Widgi Creek Golf Community where they eventually built the home they have lived in for 20 years.
Ann and Michael relocated to Bend permanently in 2000 so that Michael could semi retire. They were active in the Jewish Community of Central Oregon for many years and were instrumental in founding TBT with an initial 30 families. TBT leaders were able to find Rabbi Alan Berg in Portland who was willing to come to Bend once a month to lead our young congregation. From its small beginning over 12 years ago, TBT now has a community of over 100 families, a testament to the commitment of its leaders and its congregation.
When asked why TBT members should consider serving on the board or on a committee, Ann offered:
- It's a great way to meet people
- It is a good way to be involved in the larger Bend community through social action
- It's a good way to understand the workings of TBT
We can all agree that TBT is lucky to have Ann as a guiding presence!
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Toby & Ian Spencer's Two-Part
B'nai Mitzvah!
From: Suzanne Schlosberg and Paul Spencer
 Many members of TBT have known Toby and Ian Spencer since they were born. We were founding members of the temple, which was formed when the boys were just infants.
For years we have been looking forward to celebrating
the boys' B'nai Mitzvah with the congregation they have grown up in. Though the pandemic has derailed our original plans, we have shifted to Plan B and hope that TBT members will help us celebrate!
We have now planned a B'nai Mitzvah in two parts:
First, on August 15, we will be holding a small family ceremony led by Rabbi Hershenson. We will videotape the ceremony, and within a few days will email the congregation a link.
Then, on Sunday, August 23, from 10 a.m. to noon, our family will be parked in lawn chairs, wearing masks, at Pioneer Park, 1525 NW Wall St.
We invite all TBT members and friends to watch the video and come by in person - whether from 6 feet or 60 feet - to wish the boys mazel tov and pick up a mask that says "Toby and Ian's B'nai Mitzvah - L'chaim!"
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Tikkun Olam - A Do-the-Work Group
Temple Beth Tikvah
practices the Jewish value, Tikkun Olam (repairing the world), in the service-oriented work of our Social Action volunteers.
Today we introduce another way to engage in Tikkun Olam.
Jewish tradition teaches us that in order to truly repair the world, we must begin with ourselves. Accordingly, Temple Beth Tikvah invites you to participate in:
Tikkun Olam - A Do-the-Work Group
We will explore the language and discourse around race, ethnicity, gender, and identity in a safe and well-facilitated environment, so that we can be better-informed active participants in building a fair and just society.
Tikkun Olam - A Do-the-Work Group
is a course, a study group, and a support group, all in one. We would meet once or twice a month to discuss how we,
- as Jews,
- as Central Oregonians, and
- as White people (with children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews who are children of color, gay, and transgender)
might participate in repairing the world through shared learning, practice, and communal support.
We were raised to treat all people the same. We hope that by trying our best to treat all people the same, we are eradicating racism and other forms of hate. At the same time, social research indicates that individuals want to be acknowledged for who they are. We understand this sentiment as Jews. We like our Jewishness to be appreciated as part of who we are, rather than ignored. A better world is one in which all are accepted as equal. Our Tikkun Olam -- A Do-the-Work Group is all about facing the discomfort of challenges to the approaches we embraced when we were younger. What would it feel like to explore deep questions like:
- Where did racism come from?
- What is anti-racism? How does one "be" anti-racist?
- What kinds of alliances past and present have Jews made with other non-dominant groups fighting for their rights?
- How does Jewishness interact with Whiteness?
Facilitators will prepare materials for each meeting to guide our conversations and to share information. Materials will impart knowledge from Jewish, Black, Brown, and Queer activists, leaders, and educators. Explicit guidelines, expectations, and best practices will be shared to support the focus of the group and to support those who participate.
Clear boundaries for discussion will:
- keep us focused,
- allow us to communicate honestly,
- open up opportunity for vulnerability,
- protect participants during tense conversations, and
- ensure the achievement of our goals.
Healthy participation is key to the success of Tikkun Olam - Do-the-Work Group.
Tikkun Olam - Do-the-Work Group Facilitators include:
- Lauralei Garrity, Program Coordinator at Temple Beth Tikvah. Lauralei is a Board Member for Embrace Bend, a social justice non-profit working to dismantle White Supremacy in Bend. She works with the local Restorative Justice & Equity Group, bringing restorative justice to our district's schools. She helped organize the 2020 Women's March in Redmond. Since COVID-19 began, Lauralei worked with Mecca Bend, a Latinx resource non-profit, to organize a Mutual Aid fund, distributing relief funds to undocumented families in Central Oregon. With Embrace Bend, she facilitates their Decolonize This Book Club and co-facilitated Embrace's Do the Work Study Group. Lauralei is excited to bring this experience to Temple Beth Tikvah.
- Rabbi Johanna Hershenson, and
- Eliana Cannas, a youth member of the congregation who regularly navigates her intersecting Jewish and Latina identities and lived experience.
All ages are invited to join. In this sacred space - sacred in our shared love for one another and the world - we wish to honor our elders and our youth equally for their unique wisdom and perspectives.
To ask questions and/or sign up for the group, email Lauralei Garrity, TBT Program Coordinator, at
[email protected]
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TBT Mitzvah Madness
An August Effort to Find our Connections
We often think of a mitzvah as a good deed. Those among us who are confident in Torah study might correct us, citing that technically a mitzvah is a commandment.
The honest truth is that both are correct. While the word mitzvah indeed means commandment in Biblical Hebrew, the idea of "doing a mitzvah" in Jewish vernacular means doing something for which one expects nothing in return. Indeed, a mitzvah is both a good deed and a commandment.
We, Jews, perform mitzvot when we celebrate and observe Shabbat and our Holy Days; when we serve in community feeding programs like Open Door Cafe, Family Kitchen, and Bethlehem Inn, or support The Giving Plate; and when we engage in random acts of kindness towards others.
With social distancing, we all miss one another's physical presence. Zoom Shabbat gatherings, Rabbinic Judaism discussions, and Havdallah streams keep us engaged and connected, and yet, we crave the intimacy of being face to face.
How do we generate moments of intimacy that keep us emotionally present and connected to one another as we ease into sharing physical togetherness?
Be on the lookout for evidence of TBT Mitzvah Madness!
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TBT Board Notes
Next Board Meeting: August 11,
1:00 to
3:00 p.m.
Due to COVID-19, all board meetings are being held via Zoom. If you would like to attend, contact Lauralei Garrity at [email protected].
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] .
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Education Report 
Missie Wikler
I am incredibly honored and excited to take over in the role of academic director of our community religious school. Sara Jo has done an amazing job in her role as academic director for the last 2 years and I am pleased that she will continue to be a member of our Religious school as a classroom teacher. I look forward to continuing the work of Sara Jo and our parent advisory committee as we continue to journey through these uncharted waters of education through this pandemic.
My top priority as an educator is first and foremost the safety and well being of our children. We have a lot of decisions to make as to how school will look in the upcoming year. I am closely following guidelines as they are released by the state to make the best decision for our students and families. As we plan for the upcoming school year, I will be working closely with the newly formed governance committee. The governance committee is comprised of parent representatives and education liaisons from all three of our central Oregon congregations. Together we will take on the important role in guiding the school now and into the future. We will be meeting in the near future to develop a plan on how the upcoming year will start and meet the challenges that this pandemic presents.
I am here to serve our families so please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you need anything. I can be best reached by email at [email protected].
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September Newsletter Deadline: August 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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Temple Beth Tikvah gratefully acknowledges the following contributions:
- Liz & Paul Levinson, In Memory of Mollie Magazine & Harry, Joe & Annie Solomon
- Tully Ellsberg, In Memory of Thomas Ellsberg
- Tully Ellsberg, In Memory of Nadine Hatley
- Eileen & Stephen Katz, In Memory of Alice Kollman
- Susan Lazarus, In Memory of Carole Goodfriend
- Bonnie Chaikind, In Memory of Caroline Chaikind
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
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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.
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