For RSVP and/or host questions, contact Evie at [email protected].

For questions about the study, contact Rabbi Johanna at [email protected].

 

Havdallah With a Purpose - Jan. 20 

 

6:30 - 9:00 p.m.

At the Home of

Lynne and Ed Connelley

Come schmooze with TBT friends and learn more about Mt. Star Family Relief Nursery as Kayla Rotunno, Mt. Star's Development Director, explains the organization. Mt. Star is the only program in Central Oregon providing crisis intervention, family support and the therapeutic services targeted at protecting young children ages zero to 5 from abuse and neglect. 

TBT Ski Days Begin January 11th

Tot Shabbats

Desperately Seeking Editor 

Happy 2018! Happy twenty-chai! As the gematria suggests, may this new year be a year of life, health, and abundance!

 

Since the High Holy Days, we have been bringing attention to mindfulness in our services. We have taken time to sit quietly and notice our breath, notice the tension and discomfort we carry unwittingly, notice that we have the capacity to notice, that we are significantly more than the projections of our minds.

 

Our worship services are always a balance between traditional and innovative modes of creating a shared experience that connects us to one another and whatever it is that is beyond us but also pulses through us. Some of our melodies and verses are ancient, others are new and unpolished but resonate deeply.

 

While we will continue to hold space in our services for mindfulness, for drawing attention to everyday obstacles and gifts, we will further explore Jewish modes of mindfulness practice outside our regular worship opportunities.

 

Beginning January 20th, our monthly Saturday mornings will begin an hour earlier, at 9:00 a.m. rather than 10:00 a.m. From 9:00 until 9:30 a.m. we will learn trope (Torah chanting) together, and then from 9:30 until 10:00 a.m. we will practice sitting meditations, utilizing a combination of Jewish mindfulness techniques. Once we have learned the Torah trope, the entire hour, 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. will be dedicated to alternating meditative chanting and guided sitting practices. At 10:00 a.m. our monthly Shabbat morning service and Torah study will take place.

 

Also take note of our adult learning series beginning in January, on Wednesday evenings. We will take a look at Jewish mindfulness practices, some from rabbinic and medieval sources, and many from neo-chasidic and early Jewish Buddhist writings. In this course, we will explore and discuss the practices, and perhaps experiment a little bit. Saturday mornings will be for the actual sitting and practice.

 

Returning to the theme of cultivating balance with traditional modes of study and worship, our weekly Torah study begins again on January 19th, Friday mornings. Together we will explore the classic Torah commentary of Rashi. Rashi's commentary on the Torah builds the next layer of a foundational understanding of Jewish intellectual history following the stories of the Torah in their own context. As our congregation and Torah study regulars mature, so does our study of Torah increase in sophistication. Rashi integrates what he considers the most important ancient rabbinic exegesis with an emerging consciousness of the subtleties of language. He compares languages and word usage in a driven desire to promote an "accurate" understanding of the Torah.

 

Opening ourselves to what emerges freely in mindfulness practice and simultaneously filtering our regular reading of Torah through the lens of a teacher like Rashi will hopefully create a dynamic tension from which we might learn something new together this year. It is by connecting with others within the context of a whole that we experience the fullness we individually seek...

~~ 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  

Another New Year. Another opportunity for teshuvah. Turning to look back and then looking forward. Do we need to make corrections or adjust the course that we are traveling? When we created our Mission and Vision Statements more than seven years ago it was about creating the community that we wanted to become. Did we succeed?

    

Our Mission:  

Community - Gemilut Chasadim

Our Mission:

Worship - Tefilah

We sincerely cherish uplifting religious experiences in Jewish observances and events, enlivened by musical instrumentation and our congregation united in song.

Our Mission:

Social Action - Tikun Olam

B'Shalom,

 Jeanne

 

Next Board Meeting:  February 6th, 3:30 p.m. 

 

Ritual (Religious) Committee News

Happy New Year! I want to wish you and your families a happy, healthy and interesting (in the best possible way) new year! I am very excited by a few upcoming events on our calendar in the next two months. In chronological order:

1)Shabbat Shiraz (Jan 26th): A twist on our traditional Shabbat Shirah which has been a highlight of the year for our Shabbat services. This year, instead of focusing on performances by our wonderful professional musicians, we are asking anyone in the congregation who has an interest (or at least willingness) in participating, to step up and share their gifts with us all. If you are interested, please contact Alex Charney Cohen, Julie Geveshausen, or the Rabbi.

This past quarter, we partnered with the Assistance League to provide Secret Santa gifts for people in 8 care facilities in Bend and 4 in Redmond. These residents are on Medicaid and have little or no family in the area. The ALB identifies qualifying residents and delivers hundreds of gifts to those residents. These gifts may well be the only ones they receive during the holiday season. Thank you to the Assistance League (and its president, our own Bev Adler,) for allowing us to participate in this wonderful program. And a huge thank you to our members who bought gifts, wrapped them, and delivered them: Gail Fridstein, Marcia Uri, Kerrie Zurovsky, Rabbi Johanna, Mel Siegel and MJ Krohn, Susie Richman, Marilyn Shattuck, Bev Adler, Linda Brant, and Leslie Conley. A successful mitzvah indeed.

In the first quarter of 2018 we will turn our caring to the Mt. Star Family Relief Nursery. Established in Eugene in the 1980s, it has expanded all over the state of Oregon.  Mt. Star has four campuses in Central Oregon - two in Bend, one in Prineville and one in Madras. Their mission is, "Strengthening Families to Keep Children Safe." They are the only program in Central Oregon providing crisis intervention, family support and therapeutic services targeted at protecting young children from abuse and neglect. They have classrooms for kids from infancy through 5 years old, and safety net services for the children and their families. Mt. Star is often what keeps these families out of the foster care system.

We have several ways our members will help this amazing organization, and you will be introduced to them at Havdallah With A Purpose on January 20th at the home of Lynne and Ed Connelley.  Look for further info in the weekly email.  We are excited to be part of this program.  Please contact Lynne Connelley by email [email protected], or phone, 541-408-6720, to volunteer for social action activities in connection with Mt. Star, or to get more information in advance of HWAP.

  

Bikkur Holim: the care and feeding of the Jewish Community

We have added another member of our 'caring' committee: Linda Brant joins Suzanne Schlosberg and Evie Lerner to help organize meal trains, rides, visits and any other needs for members of our synagogue, and sometimes others in the unaffiliated larger community. 

However, we can't help if we don't know about it, so please let us know if you hear of anyone who is ill, facing surgery, having a baby, major unexpected home disasters, or even someone who just needs a ride to services.  Helping each other out is part of our family obligation.

SAVE THE DATE

Feb 2-3, 2018 (sleepover)

Shalom Teva Shabbaton

at Chase Frankl's house in Sisters

Mark your calendars, more info coming soon!

We have a discussion group on Facebook that is private for TBT members for purposes of sharing celebrations, honors, discussions, general Judaic information, reminders of happenings, and whatever anyone wants to share. It is named Temple Beth Tikvah Bend, Or -Members Group. The administrators are Kerrie, Evie, Sara, and Jeanne.   

 

We share information (i.e.birthday greetings) only if it is noted on your public facebook page - never information you have chosen to keep private on facebook.  

 

(If you don't get a birthday greeting in the group on your birthday, it's because you haven't opted to share your birthday on facebook. You can change this in your profile privacy settings if you wish.) 

 

It's great if you post to the group too - kids graduations, vacations, great recipies, recommendations around town, anything really. Since we don't all have a chance to meet in person regularly, at least we can get to know each other through this medium.   Happy facebooking!

 

 

Please note: We also have a public facebook page where anyone - Members and non-members/public - can get information about TBT. If you haven't already done so, please check out and "Like" our public page too: https://www.facebook.com/TempleBethTikvahBendOr/  

Breakfast & Civil Discourse Event Wrap-up and Feedback 

"People who are heard...are more likely to hear "    

 

That's one temple member's description of a lesson learned after attending Breakfast & Civil Discourse, our November 4th Finding Our Connections event. On a Saturday morning, 38 congregants enjoyed a tasty breakfast with plenty of schmoozing, then took their seats for a workshop facilitated by Bryn Hazell, a local communication expert.

 

As co-founder of Bend-based Center for Compassionate Living, Bryn has enabled hundreds of people in Central Oregon to communicate better with family, friends and colleagues. Building on Rabbi Johanna's introduction on Jewish values, Bryn helped us understand and practice how to listen and speak with compassion and respect. Everyone was engaged and talkative during the group discussion, small group brainstorming, and two-person exercises. Two BBYO teens provided onsite childcare for three children, allowing their parents to experience this enriching adult time.

 

Twenty-four members that attended the workshop (of 38) responded to a post-event questionnaire giving us feedback, including:

Answering the survey question-what did you like most about the workshop-an attendee answered, "format, information, energy." Another... "Honest dialog. Bryn's presentation" That pretty much sums it up. Considering that the workshop was three hours plus breakfast, it was surprising to read that a few folks thought the workshop could have been longer, even all day.

 

The FOC committee is proud, happy, and relieved that response and participation was so positive. We've needed a little break and will soon meet again to plan the next event. To quote one more thoughtful workshop participant..."You don't have to be right. Listen, repeat, process, and look for others' needs."

 

If you have suggestions or constructive feedback for the next Finding Our Connections event, please email Sheila Ross Luber at [email protected] .

MARCH & APRIL Newsletter Deadline:  February 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

 

Get to Know Florence Beier 

By Jana Zvibleman and Florence Beier 

 

Florence Beier and her husband, Rolf, visited Bend since 1983 to spend time with daughter Marlis and family, and to ski, camp, and hike. They moved here in 2014. After Rolf died a year later, Florence continued many of her same interests.

BendFilm presents...In Case You Missed It:  "BIG SONIA"  

 

Thursday, January 11th

5:30 p.m. - doors open 4:30   

McMenamins St. Francis School 

Tickets are $12

 

Jewish Masculinity and Femininity  

 

in the Premodern World

 

Professors Rena Lauer and Yiftakh (Kevin) Osterloh, Oregon State University

 

Sponsored by the Institute for Judaic Studies of the Pacific Northwest

 

Session 1: Masculine Mythologies and Diplomatic Realities: Jewish Foreign Policy in the Days of the Hasmoneans (Maccabees)
Session 2: Jewish Manliness and the 'Effeminate' Greek: How Ancient Jews Imagined Self and Other

Session 3: How Medieval Jewish Women Fought (and Used) the Patriarchy
Session 4: Converts, Lovers and Litigants: Finding the Women in Medieval Jewish-Christian Relations

 

In addition to the study sessions, we will gather for

• Shabbat services Friday evening and Saturday morning, led by Rabbi Joshua Rose of Congregation Shaarie Torah, Portland
• five meals together: Friday and Saturday dinners, Saturday lunch, and (for those staying overnight at the hotel) Saturday and Sunday breakfasts
• enjoyable Saturday evening program

For questions and further information, visit www.weekendinquest.org  or contact Mimi Epstein 503-203-2671, [email protected].

 

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.