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Contact Us
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Temple Beth Tikvah
P.O Box 7472
Bend, OR 97708
541-388-8826
Make a secure online donation or payment to Temple Beth Tikvah
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April Celebrations
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Celebrations in April honor the following:
Birthdays:
Naomi Chudowsky Apr. 3
Evie Lerner Apr. 3
Audrey Ellen Cook Apr. 4
Joe Jackman Apr. 6
Lynne Connelley Apr. 8
Gary Reynolds Apr. 8
Alex Charney Cohen Apr. 15
Tully Ellsberg Apr. 15
Hallie Smith Apr. 16
Shelley Grudin Apr. 17
Marcia Garon Apr. 18
Kayleigh Mahony Apr. 22
Stephen Johnson Apr. 25
Bonnie Ruby Apr. 27
Mark Hershenson Apr. 28
Sid Rafilson Apr. 30
Anniversaries:
Gail & Stan Fridstein
April 28th
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Board Officers:
President:
Jeanne Freeman
[email protected]
Vice President:
Naomi Chudowsky
Secretary:
Treasurer:
Lester Dober
Members-at-Large:
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Adult Education
Mary Jane Eisenberg
Bikkur Holim
Suzanne Schlosberg
Calendar Master
Ann Rosenfield
Chevra Kadisha
Ralph Uri
Communications/PR
Ann Rosenfield
Facilities
Mark Schindel
Finance
Mark Schindel
Fundraising
- TBD -
Membership Engagement
Terry Reynolds
-and-
Marilynn Jacobs
Religious Education
Kathy Schindel
Rituals
Ralph Uri
Social Action
Burt Litman
Website Development
Sheila Ross Luber
Youth Group
Naomi Chudowsky
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TBT Event Planning
Quick Guide
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Step One:
Step Two:
with date, time, location, & details to have event added to the calendar.
Step Three:
If there are any changes to your event date, time, or location, email Ann so calendar can be updated ASAP.
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Special Interest Group Contacts
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Book Club
Marilyn Shattuck
[email protected]
Cross Country Skiing
Ann Rosenfield
ann@rosenfield
online.com
Downhill Skiing
Larry Barker and
Jo Ann Ray
joannbray1940
@gmail.com
Families With Young
Children
Allison Cogen
allisoncogen@
gmail.com
Knitting & Yarn Arts
Sara Charney Cohen
[email protected]
Mah Jongg
Beverly Adler
fiberartist@
bendcable.com
Movie Club
Sara Charney Cohen
[email protected]
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Quick Links
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April Calendar of Events
APRIL EVENTS SCHEDULE
Apr. 2 10:00 a.m. - Sunday School
Apr. 3 12:00 p.m. - Weekly Torah Study
5:00 p.m. - Adult Hebrew Class
4:00 p.m. - Hebrew School
Apr. 8 9:00 a.m. - Adult B'nai Mitzvah Judaica Class
10:30 a.m. - Shabbat Torah Service
Apr. 17
5:00 p.m. - Adult Hebrew Class
Apr. 18 4:00 p.m. - Hebrew School
Apr. 19 7:30 a.m. - Back Door Cafe
Apr. 21 7:00 p.m. - Erev Shabbat Service
Apr. 23 10:00 a.m. - Sunday School
Apr. 24 12:00 p.m. - Weekly Torah Study
5:00 p.m. - Adult Hebrew Class
11:59 p.m. - Deadline for May Newsletter
Apr. 25 4:00 p.m. - Hebrew School
ON THE HORIZON
May 6th - Havdallah and a Movie
May 27th - Bat Mitzvah of Camille Smith
June 24th - Bat Mitzvah of Leila Slate
April Torah Study
Weekly-Monday noon: 4/3, 4/24, not held during Pesach
April School Activities - at Shalom Bayit unless noted otherwise
Sunday School - 10:00 a.m: 4/2, 4/23
Hebrew School - Tues. 4:00 p.m: 4/4, 4/18, 4/25
For more details about any TBT events, see our complete schedule of Services, School activities, and Events online:
www.bethtikvahbend.org/calendar
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TBT's Member & Guest Passover Seder - 1st Night of Passover,
Monday, April 10th
Join Temple Beth Tikvah for this year's Passover Seder. Come for
an inter-generational event with learning and discussion for
adults, performance by the kids, music and song for all, a taste
of the Seder plate and a delicious buffet dinner. And it's all being
held at the Mt. Bachelor Village conference center.
Rabbi Hershenson will lead our annual Passover Community Seder on Monday, April 10th. The event is open to members and their guests. Doors open at 5:00 p.m., and the Seder begins promptly at 5:45 p.m.
The meal includes all the tastes of Passover - hard-boiled eggs, haroset, matzo ball soup, horseradish and a very special treat of the Rabbi's homemade gefilte fish. Dinner buffet includes your choice of salmon, chicken, or a vegetarian entree.
The Seder is open to TBT members and their guests, by prior reservation, at a cost of $32 for adults, $15 for children 6 - 12, and no charge for children age 5 and under.
Wine for the dinner table is available from Mt. Bachelor for $22/bottle, or you're welcome to bring your own bottle for a $15 corkage fee.
For more information about the Seder:
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 to please bake for us. Please contact Janet Lichtenberg at [email protected] to let her know what you can bring. We need finger-food goodies, such as Passover macaroons, bars and cookies.
Janet is also coordinating the haroset makers. Please let her know if you'd like to make a batch at [email protected].
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Counting the Omer:
Kabbalah and Sephirot Explained
Adult Education Class
April 18th, 2017
Time: 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Location: Home of Evie Lerner
Please park in Evie's driveway or on the opposite side of the street
Snacks and Drinks are Welcome!
Sneak preview for the May 16th Adult Education Class:
The topic will be: Israel - Then and Now
For this class Rabbi has asked that we read Ari Shavit's book: "My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel." For
more info, see the Adult Ed section in Committee News
below. Save the date and get reading!
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Bat Mitzvah of Eliana Cañas Katz
Please join Stephen and Eileen Katz
in celebration of the
Bat Mitzvah
of their granddaughter
Eliana Cañas
Saturday, April 22nd
10:00 a.m.
All
TBT
members are welcome.
Kiddush luncheon following service.
RSVP for luncheon needed by April 12th.
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Holocaust Remembrance Day
April 24th at COCC
Holocaust Remembrance Day
April 24th, 4:00 p.m.
Hitchcock Auditorium at COCC.
This year we will be screening "Denial,"
a film about the Holocaust on Trial.
Following the film, Dr Jessica Hammerman
will lead a discussion about history, memory,
and the importance of factual evidence.
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Divrei Tikvah 
From Rabbi Johanna Hershenson
April
means Passover. The commandment for observing Pesach
is to eat matzah
on the first night and to remove chametz
, all forms of food with leavening from our diet and homes throughout the festival week.
The rabbis are serious about removing chametz
from our homes. First we carefully clean every place in our house where food is eaten or prepared. The cleaning is followed up by b'dikat chametz
, the search for chametz
before Passover begins. This ceremonial investigation is performed by candlelight with a feather. It can be a lot of fun with young children.
The obsessive search and removal of chametz
from our homes has spiritual as well as ritual overtones.
For the ancient rabbis, yeast symbolizes arrogance.
On account of yeast, bread rises above the level of lowly matzah.
Yeast is not necessary. We can eat matzah and be satisfied. Yet it brings us great pleasure to eat yeasty breads.
The rabbis continue, identifying yeast as a symbol of the restless force of yetzer hara
, the inclination within us to excessively serve our own interests.
Just as yeast causes fermentation in bread and wine, it also turns them sour when not controlled. Similarly, the instinctual forces, desire and ambition, can contribute to progress but also to discontent and corruption.
The medieval Spanish rabbinic scholar, Abravanel, taught that eating matzah during Passover recalibrates our measure of simplicity.
Our freedom is inextricably linked to a rejection of the "fleshpots of Egypt."
The ritual practice of rejecting the luxury of breads and beers during the week of Passover is an opportunity to exercise discernment about what we really need in life and what we consume without thought.
Have fun cleaning the chametz
from the house! And also, take some time to consider the chametz
in life that takes the form of gluttony and narcissism. Let it go as well! Spring cleaning for the soul...
~~ 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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 President's Message
From TBT President Jeanne Freeman
Dear TBT members & friends, We've been talking about Finding Our Connections this year; about connecting our community. But just what does that mean? First, it is attendance. Coming to TBT events - Shabbat services, holiday parties, adult ed programs, Tot Shabbats, Kabbalat Shabbats, b'nai mitzvahs and more. It's also playing mahjong, attending a book group, or sharing dinners. It is coming together with other members -- to belong, to engage, for spiritual fulfillment, for opportunities to learn, for joyous celebrations, for socializing. Being a member gives each of us the opportunity to share our best selves with each other, to expand our circle of friends, to claim a larger family. Connection is more than just being there, it is participating with others. Singing the Shabbat prayers together as a community; welcoming someone you've never seen or haven't seen in a while; introducing yourself to someone you haven't met before; exchanging ideas; sharing in conversation. Engaging with others opens us to new ideas, new friendships, to finding something that we have in common. Connection is involvement, beyond the interactions. Teaching our Sunday School students a new skill in the Chugim program; organizing the Purim party; planning the Passover Seder; becoming an active member of one of our many organizing committees. Becoming involved gives us the opportunity to set direction for TBT, to make decisions about the present and the future, to determine how we will grow as a Jewish community. Connection is commitment -- to ourselves, to each other, to our community, to our Judaism. Developing new programs; improving processes; creating opportunities for the community to come together; stepping up to make a difference. Making a commitment to Temple Beth Tikvah ensures that a Jewish community, an extended family, will exist, not just for us, but for the generations that follow. In the next weeks we begin the process of nominating candidates for the board of directors. The term of four members of the current board is coming to an end. Please consider joining the board and helping to direct the future of TBT. Thanks to all who joined in the first of our "Finding Our Connections" programs. We learned from Elad Vazana how to be present, to share our stories and to listen to the stories of others. You can read more about the program in this newsletter. Our next program is scheduled for Sunday, May 21st. Our goals: to arm people with the tools for engaged, respectful discussion; for each of us to be our best selves in the discussion; to frame our program in the context of Jewish values; and to bridge our differences by finding our commonalities. I hope to see you there. B'shalom,
Jeanne
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TBT Board Notes
Next Board Meeting: Tue. April 4th, 3:30 p.m.
Location: Stonebriar Apartments Clubhouse
Your TBT Board meets on the first Tuesday of each month 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].
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Upcoming Adult Education Events
Mary Jane Eisenberg
April 18th, 2017
Counting the Omer:
Kabbalah and Sephirot Explained
--AND--
Save the Date!
Adult Education Class - May 16th, 2017
Location: Lynne and Ed Connelley
Time: 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Topic: Israel: Then and Now
For this class Rabbi has asked that we read Ari Shavit's book:
But - PLEASE COME TO THIS ADULT ED CLASS! - even if you only read the Introduction, or a few chapters, or did not have time to read the book at all - please join us for class! This will be the last adult ed class before fall.
Snacks, Appetizers, and Drinks are Welcome!!
Also in May: Havdallah and a Movie
The theme for May's events is
"Contemporary Israel"
While preparing to enter the Israeli military for his compulsory service, young Joseph Silberg learns he was accidentally switched at birth with the son of an Arab couple from the West Bank -- a shocking revelation that sends both families reeling. (Netflix) The Director is Lorraine Levy
May 6th, 2017
Location: First Presbyterian Church
Time: 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Snacks and Beverages are welcome!
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Shalom Teva Youth Group News 
Our high school BBYO chapter "Shalom Teva" and middle school youth group-COJY are growing and we welcome new participants! We now have members representing all 3 high schools and most of the middle schools in Bend. If you know a tween or teen in grades 6-12 who might be interested in participating, please contact Naomi Chudowsky:
[email protected]
;
no temple affiliation required.
On March 3rd, the high school and middle school groups joined forces to cook and serve dinner at Family Kitchen. Chuck Shattuck and Burt Litman shared their recipes and processes for getting dinner out to a large group of hungry diners in need of a healthy meal. Shalom Teva continued its community service efforts by helping the Bend Food Project one Saturday morning. They hung tags on front doors of homes in Northwest Crossing asking for food donations.
Upcoming events:
- Passover sleepover retreat on April 8th-9th for the middle school group. Cooking, games, mock seder, and movie. Please contact Jillian Frankl at [email protected] for more details.
- BBYO "Election Conclave" convention April 28th-30th in Seattle. Inspirational speakers, leadership training, regional BBYO planning. Shalom Teva has a group going and more are welcome. If interested please contact Naomi Chudowsky at [email protected].
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"Finding Our Connections" Program
Builds Community
Nearly 50 synagogue members met at the church on March 18th for a special community event under TBT's program initiative-Finding Our Connections. We came together to hear an Israeli peacemaker and dialogue facilitator, Elad Vazana, speak about his life and ended up sharing our own stories.
We made new friends, strengthened existing relationships and learned about ourselves in the process. It was serious and fun, engaging and insightful.
We experienced how good it feels to have someone listen deeply to a personal story we tell, and to happily return the honor. Practicing open, respectful communication, we connected with each other and discovered what we have in common.
Many thanks to Elad for his wonderful workshop presentation, Our Stories: The Bridge Between Humans, and to the TBT members who participated. Here's what a few attendees had to say:
"The energy of the room completely shifted during the session with Elad. People came in with chatty, superficial connection, mostly from their head. During the workshop, the community grounded themselves and became present. At the end, the energy was heartfelt connection with people feeling truly heard. Or I could just say God walked into the room." ~ Marlis Beier
"
I left my time with Elad feeling inspired to listen more than to talk. I was also further inspired to seek out those in my community and my country who have differing views, differing experiences, and differing backgrounds than myself. I was inspired to see their humanity and to seek out our similarities." ~ Ari D. Halpern
"
I felt that the presentation at the Connections workshop was very professional. Those in attendance felt it was an extremely positive experience. My hope for the future is that we will repeat this experience and expand it to those who were unable to attend this first workshop." ~ Liz Levinson
A Lovely Poem
Florence Beier was instrumental in bringing Elad to TBT, having heard of him through mutual friends. On
Sunday morning, the day after the event, she walked along the Deschutes River with Elad and his family. Inspired by nature, her experience with Elad, and the workshop activities she enjoyed, Florence wrote the following poem to encourage us all to continue finding our connections:
Connections
Pine needles, path laden,
Cross, pile, scatter.
Fallen yet connected,
Each supporting next.
Sand and soil create art
At shallow river's edge.
Tan streaks touch together
On brown background.
Minerals erupted long ago,
Merged to basaltic boulders,
Hosting lichen community
Fungus, algae, intimate moss.
Humans strewn, unlinked,
Failing to face or hear
Others unlike us,
Can listen one-to-one
Randomly walk in silence,
Open eyes-to-eyes,
Join hands in all directions,
Making connections.
~ Florence Beier
Your Great Ideas
Based on the success of this event and requests for more by most everyone attending...The Steering Committee is planning other events throughout the coming year. Please email your ideas and suggestions to Naomi Chudowsky at
[email protected]
or Sheila Luber at
[email protected]
.
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MAY Newsletter Deadline: April 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 Sara:
[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,
Sara Charney Cohen
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Get to Know Your URJ:
Why - and How - Should We Embrace Audacious Hospitality?
By Carly Goldberg, DSW, LCSW, 3/21/2017
The Reform Movement's
Audacious Hospitality work seeks to understand and support the realities of modern Jewish life. At the heart of our team's holy work is the belief that all of us can stand stronger when we welcome
and
incorporate Jewish diversity into all facets of Jewish communal life.
And yet, Audacious Hospitality is a paradox. Here are three opposing ideas we encounter regularly in our work - and why we're working to embrace them:
1.
Urgency and Spaciousness: To meet congregations' diverse needs, we feel a real urgency to "get it right." We hurry to check off all the boxes to be able to say, "OK, we've got this!" before moving on to the next task. At the same time, this work requires time and space for evaluation and observation. We need to learn to build relationships so that the work we're doing isn't merely transactional - focused on tasks in return for rewards solely to maintain the status quo. Rather, we must concentrate on creating transformational change by building trust, intimacy, and relationships, all of which will move the congregation toward meaningful growth.
2.
Knowing and Not Knowing: As this adage, attributed to Aristotle, rightly states, "The more you know, the more you know you don't know." As we continue to learn about differences across lines of race, gender, sexuality, ability, class, and age, we've come to realize that we can never fully know any one person's reality or experience. Even as we attain a certain level of subject matter expertise, it's equally important that we be comfortable in our "not knowing." As such, it's OK not to know about the identity, needs, or reality of every person we encounter. At the same time, we are learning to listen deeply, ask respectful questions, and admit when we're wrong or have made a mistake.
3.
Safety and Vulnerability: Typically, when we engage in business as usual, we know what to expect and how to respond, but engaging in the work of audacious hospitality pushes us up against our own uncomfortable thoughts and feelings. We may encounter our own biases, prejudices, or blind spots in our knowledge about others and their experiences - all of which may leave us feeling ashamed or guilty, resentful or contemptuous. Left unexplored, such feelings may lead us to lean heavily on tradition, forsake experimentation, or withdraw from the community. Feeling unsafe or vulnerable can also inhibit our compassion or be a barrier to forming close, meaningful relationships.
Despite the challenges that inhibit us from doing this work as effectively or comprehensively as we might like, we must learn to embrace the paradox and live in the tension between opposing ideas. Only in that space can we truly transform our communities by fostering understanding, connecting deeply, and facilitating meaningful and memorable experiences for
all
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Embracing these tensions takes courage! By being courageous, by being comfortable not knowing, and by embracing our vulnerabilities, we are learning to invite opportunities for innovation and leadership.
~~Carly L. Goldberg, DSW, LCSW
is the associate director for the URJ's Audacious Hospitality initiative.
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Save This Date!
Shabbaton Weekend with Rabbi Shefa Gold
Healing the Spirit, Transforming the Mind, Deepening the Love 
September 8th-10th, 2017
Shalom Bayit Synagogue,
Bend Oregon
"Chant is
the bridge between the inner life and the outer expression,
between the solitary practice and the shared beauty of fellowship."
In preparation for the High Holy Days. this Shabbaton Weekend Includes:
*Friday night service*
*Enchanting Saturday morning Torah Service*
*Saturday afternoon Women's Workshop exploring sacred phrases through study, melody, harmony, rhythm and meditation*
*Evening Havdalah celebration and catered dinner*
*Sunday - applying the magic of Hebrew Chant*
Cost: $36 for Friday night only, $72 for entire Shabbaton weekend
(For info: Tully Ellsberg 541-410-9044 or Ellyce Whalen [email protected])
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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,
- the Youth Group Fund,
- or to the General Fund.
Donations listed below were made to the Temple's general purpose fund unless otherwise specified.
Temple Beth Tikvah gratefully acknowledges the following contributions:
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From
Alyson Belcher, in memory of Geralyn Belcher.
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From Mary Jane Eisenberg, in memory of Richard Eisenberg.
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From Tully Ellsberg, in memory of Lillie Mae Winecoff.
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From Vivian Freeman, in memory of Helen Cohen Malorius and Obie Malorius.
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From Shelley Grudin, in memory of Leo Grudin.
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From Beverly Adler, in memory of Randi Zlatkus's father.
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From Randi & Zac Zlatkus, in memory of Sheri G. Trachman and Irving Trachman.
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From Susie Richman, in memory of Beatrice Richman.
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From Terry and Gary Reynolds, in memory of Pauline Siegal.
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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.
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