Temple Beth Tikvah Home
 January 2017
Temple Beth Tikvah News
 
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January Celebrations
TBT Board Members
Board Officers:

 President:
   Jeanne Freeman
   jgfree925@gmail.com

 Vice President:
   Naomi Chudowsky
  Secretary:
   Marijane Krohn
   mak11@pitt.edu 
 
 Treasurer:
   Lester Dober
   tbttreasurer@gmail.com

 Past President:    
   Mark Schindel
   schindelme@yahoo.com
 

 Members-at-Large:

    
   Marilynn Jacobs
   mkjsend2bend@
   bendbroadband.com

   Chuck Shattuck
   ckshat@aol.com 
   
TBT Commitee Chairs
 Adult Education
   Mary Jane Eisenberg 
   maryjanee112
   @yahoo.com  

 Bikkur Holim
   Suzanne Schlosberg
 
 Calendar Master
   Ann Rosenfield
 Chevra Kadisha 
   Ralph Uri
 
 Communications/PR
   Ann Rosenfield 
 
 Facilities
   Mark Schindel

 Finance
   Mark Schindel
   schindelme@yahoo.com                   
 Fundraising 
   - TBD - 

 Library
   Beverly Adler
   fiber12@gmail.com

 Member Engagement
   Marilynn Jacobs
   mkjsend2bend@
   bendbroadband.com

 Membership
   Terry Reynolds
   tlrsboard@yahoo.com

 Men's Group
   Joe Jezukewicz
   joe38jez@gmail.com

 Music
   Lauren Olander
 
 Onegs
   Tully Ellsberg
   tullyell@gmail.com
            -and-
   Jan Freeman Bauer
   janetlynnfreeman
   bauer@gmail.com
            -and-
   MJ Krohn
   mak11@pitt.edu 
 
 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
Special Interest Group Contacts
Quick Links
January Calendar of Events 

JANUARY EVENTS SCHEDULE 
M  Jan.  2  12:00 p.m. - Weekly Torah Study
                  5:00 p.m. - Adult Hebrew Class
T   Jan.  3   3:30 p.m. - TBT Board Meeting
                 4:00 p.m. - Hebrew School
Su  Jan.  8  10:00 a.m. - Sunday School
M   Jan.  9  12:00 p.m. - Weekly Torah Study
                  5:00 p.m. - Adult Hebrew Class
T   Jan. 10   4:00 p.m. - Hebrew School
                  6:30 p.m. - Adult Education Evening
F   Jan. 13   6:00 p.m. - Tot Shabbat
                 7:00 p.m. - Erev Shabbat Service w/Roland
                                  Roth's JNF Presentation
M   Jan. 16  12:00 p.m. - Weekly Torah Study
                  5:00 p.m. - Adult Hebrew Class
T   Jan. 17    4:00 p.m. - Hebrew School
W  Jan. 18    7:30 a.m. - Back Door Cafe breakfast
Sa  Jan. 21   9:00 a.m. - Adult B'nai Mitzvah 
                                   Judaica Class
                 10:30 a.m. - Shabbat Torah Service
                  6:30 p.m. - Havdallah With a Maven
Su  Jan. 22  10:00 a.m. - Sunday School
M   Jan. 23  12:00 p.m. - Weekly Torah Study
                   5:00 p.m. - Adult Hebrew Class
T    Jan. 24   4:00 p.m. - Hebrew School
                 11:59 p.m. - February Newsletter Deadline
F    Jan. 27   6:00 p.m. - Family Shabbat Service
M   Jan. 30  12:00 p.m. - Weekly Torah Study
                   5:00 p.m. - Adult Hebrew Class
T    Jan. 31   4:00 p.m. - Hebrew School

ON THE HORIZON
   Feb. 4th - Havdallah and a Movie
   Feb. 24th - Shabbat@Home
   Mar. 10th - Purim Family Service

January Torah Study
Weekly-Monday noon: 1/2, 1/9, 1/16, 1/23, 1/30

January School Activities - at Shalom Bayit unless noted otherwise
Sunday School - 10:00 a.m:  1/8, 1/22
Hebrew School - Tues. 4:00 p.m:
                          1/3, 1/10, 1/17, 1/24, 1/31

For more details about any TBT events, see our complete schedule of Services, School activities, and Events online:
www.bethtikvahbend.org/calendar
  
 AdultEd
TBT Highlights
A MITZVAH State of Mind

Adult Education Evening

January 10th, 2017

Location: Liz and Paul Levinson's home

Time: 6:30 - 8:30 pm

RSVP to Mary Jane Eisenberg at maryjanee112@yahoo.com or 415-572-1741.

Snacks and Beverages are welcome!
  
  JNF                                                                              Back to Top
JNF Presentation - Jan. 13th

TBT has been collecting and donating funds through JNF "blue" boxes. Though people are more familiar with planting trees in Israel, we have instead been dedicating these funds to more urgent water source projects. On Friday, Jan. 13th, Roland Roth, Director of the Pacific Northwest region for Jewish National Fund, will join us at our 7 p.m. Erev Shabbat service and talk to us about JNF and and the vital projects our donations support. 
  
Havdallah With a Maven - Jan. 21st

Cascadia Rising
Oregon Air National Guard Lt. Col. Alex Charney-Cohen, left, and Oregon Army National Guard Lt. Col. Michael Moffit, CERFP commander, right, confers the set up area for equipment and materials in the exercise village at Camp Rilea during Cascadia Rising exercise, Warrenton, Ore., June 9, 2016. Cascadia Rising scenario is a 9.0 magnitude earthquake along the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) resulting in a tsunami, testing first responders, emergency management and public safety officials in the Pacific Northwest. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. John Hughel, 142nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs/Released)



Havdallah with a Maven - Alex Charney Cohen

Date: Saturday, January 21st, 2017

Location: Clubhouse 2 at Stonebriar Apartments

Time: 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Alex Charney Cohen will talk about disaster preparedness and his military unit, which has a disaster response mission. Alex will also discuss the Cascadia Subduction Zone, which is likely to cause the most devastating earthquake and tsunami in modern history.

We are very excited about this program and hope that you will attend!

Please RSVP to Mary Jane Eisenberg at maryjanee112@yahoo.com or 415-572-1741.

Appetizers, desserts, and beverages are welcome!
   
TBT Joins Amazon Smiles Program 

Now you can be a Shopping Hero all year long! We're excited to announce that  Temple Beth Tikvah is now a recipient of Amazon Smiles, which has donated  nearly $38 million dollars to various charities.

Every time you shop at Amazon, a portion of your money is given to TBT. There's no additional cost to you, just a benefit to your synagogue. Register at https://smile.amazon.com and select Temple Beth Tikvah in Bend, OR (There's more than one TBT, so pick the right one!)

Then Bookmark or Add to Favorites https://smile.amazon.com so that every time you shop and buy something on Amazon, 0.5% of the price of your purchase will be donated. That may not sound like much, but it adds up quickly. Remember, you must shop at Smile.Amazon.com for your purchases to count.
  
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Divrei Tikvah  RJohannaHeadShot
From Rabbi Johanna Hershenson

With every New Year come rituals of renewal. During Rosh Hashanah we call it making  teshuvah, fixing our mistakes and recalibrating our habits. January 1st is a time of celebration  and resolutions, goal setting. Rituals are important. They remind us of our history, culture, and  values. They are shared moments that allow us to bond with one another through experience,  right-brained moments.

This January and February we will explore the themes of ritual and practice in Judaism and our own lives. What is the difference between ritual and practice? What do holiday and life cycle rituals teach us about living? What is a mitzvah really, beyond the ever quoted good deed and commandment?

I think that rituals are mini-dramas, words and gestures that focus our intentions onto a single moment. That moment grows rich with meaning as we acquire family stories, our people's history, and spiritual lessons attached to the ritual.

Practice is the will and volition we bring to the rituals we observe. Chasidic literature includes a story about a man who travels a great distance to a location he saw in a dream about a hidden treasure. He arrived, found a place to stay and eat, found the exact location and dug and dug and dug. A local saw the man and asked him what he was looking for. Upon learning the man's dream the local laughed and said he also had a dream about a hidden treasure. When he described his dream the man recognized his own home and yard. The man returned home, dug and found the treasure.

What we bring to what we do matters. We prefer to be judged by our deeds. But let's be honest. Our intentions lead to our deeds. It's easier to do well when we think well.

Remember, the ancient rabbis understand us to be comprised of two wills, one that leads us to order and ease and one that leads us to unchartered territory and chaos. Both wills are essential. Still the will that leads us to unchartered territory and chaos has to be carefully managed by the will that leads us to order and ease. In other words, progress and growth require brief embraces of chaos and entrees into unchartered territory. We are safe in those moments when we remember to seek the order and ease in them....that is, when we learn the rituals that are appropriate to them.

Many non-Orthodox Jews have lost familiarity with the role of ritual and practice in a well-lived life. Unfortunately our early Reformers saw ritual as superstitious and within the realm of Jewish life in the shtetl. They seriously undervalued the effect attention to ritual and practice can have on our mental and spiritual health.

We all seek meaning. And I would argue that we all seek belonging and camaraderie. Ritual and practice are tools for creating meaning and shared experience. It is my prayer for us as we enter into a new Gregorian year, that we create some meaningful moments together and grow in intimacy as a community as a result. Happy New Year!!
  

~~ 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  

Celebrating two New Year holidays is a blessing that doubles the opportunity for self- reflection and positive change.

The Jewish New Year is my spiritual benchmark, allowing me to assess my connections with family and friends over the past twelve months. To determine if I treated people fairly, listened openly to what they said, appreciated their perspectives even when different from mine. Relationships. With my fellow humans. With my Judaism. To practice teshuvah, to repent if I found myself lacking.

The second, our secular New Year, represents something quite different. Ordinarily, I make resolutions that address more physical issues of control and improvement -- exercise and healthy eating. But on this New Year's Eve, just three months past Rosh Hashanah, I want to initiate a second spiritual renewal, rather than wait the full year.

I think that this year especially, I want to gauge myself more closely to make sure I am on course as I enter 2017. Am I treating people with kindness? Am I tempering my words? Am I listening without judgement? I want a second chance at teshuvah. To look back. To apologize. To accept. To forgive. To move forward with more grace.

And as usual with New Year's Eve, I want to give thanks. Thank you all for being my community. For the joy of sharing with you in our many wonderful services, holiday celebrations, adult education programs, and social action projects. So many people stepping up to lead, to guide, to help, to volunteer. Thank you to our strong leaders, our hard workers, our active participants. You make Temple Beth Tikvah, a warm, loving and thriving spiritual home.

If you have not yet experienced all that TBT offers, please veer from your routine to expand and explore a new event or activity in the coming year. Just once. And you'll see. Judaism, and a rich Jewish life, is sustained through the strength of family and synagogue. 

May your New Year be happy and healthy!

Shalom,
Jeanne

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URJ Spotlight
With the Israeli-Palestinian two-state solution front and center in the news, we share with you Rabbi Rick Jacobs' response:

"Runaway Freight Train" Of Settlement Expansion Endangers Two-State Solution: Union for Reform Judaism President Rabbi Rick Jacobs Responds To Secretary Of State John Kerry's Middle East Remarks

New York, NY; December 28, 2016 -- Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) President Rabbi Rick Jacobs released the following statement in response to Secretary of State John Kerry's remarks on Middle East peace:
  
Secretary of State John Kerry's comprehensive remarks today were a powerful affirmation of the bipartisan bedrock of American policy in the Middle East, and of our own approach: support for a two-state solution. That support was, rightly, cast in some of the staunchest pro-Israel language and most forceful denunciations of Palestinian instigation of violence that we have ever heard from the podium at the State Department.
   
Secretary Kerry is right to highlight the danger of allowing the status quo to continue to slide toward a one-state solution. We agree that "trends on the ground... are combining to eliminate hope, leading to a one-state solution" that neither the Israeli or Palestinian public wants. The Secretary was right, too, to shine a spotlight on Palestinian incitement of violence and the veneration of terrorists, and on the runaway freight train of the settlement expansion, driven by the most right-wing elements in Israeli politics and supported by the Israeli government.
   
Secretary Kerry is also correct, of course, that the U.S. should not, and cannot, dictate a solution. But his speech today reminds us that the United States has an indispensable role to play. It is difficult to imagine progress without vigorous American leadership, and the principles Secretary Kerry laid out today are a useful example of that leadership.
   
We continue to believe that the administration was wrong to abstain from voting on Resolution 2334 at the United Nations last week. Though we share the administration's concern about settlement expansion, and, of course, its commitment to addressing Palestinian violence, it does not follow that the United Nations Security Council is the right place to have that discussion. In fact, we believe that the United Nations, with its long, consistent, and unchecked record of anti-Israel animus, has disqualified itself from playing a constructive role. Still, nothing justifies the outrageous, vitriolic, and unprecedented language that has been directed at President Obama and others in the wake of the UN vote.
   
We are mindful, as we must be, that Secretary Kerry's remarks come on the eve of a new American administration. We are convinced that a constructive American role is essential, and so we must acknowledge that we are not heartened by what we have heard thus far from the President-Elect and his team. We hope the Trump administration will recognize the necessity of two states as the only way to sustain a Jewish, democratic, and secure Israel. 


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Board and Committee News
TBT Board Notes 
 
Next Board Meeting:  Tue. Jan. 3rd, 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:  mak11@pitt.edu.
 
Interfaith Representative Wanted    

Are you interested in representing Judaism in the larger Central Oregon interfaith community? Do you have an interest in promoting peace, understanding and friendship to a wider audience? Are you able to give a few hours a month to the Interfaith Network of Central Oregon?

We are looking for a representative from Temple Beth Tikvah to sit on the INCO board. If you would like to help to re-establish an interfaith community within Central Oregon, please contact Jeanne Freeman at jgfree925@gmail.com.
      
Social Action Update    tikkun olam earth
Burt Litman, Social Action Chair

December 21st was the Holiday Party at Back Door Cafe and TBT members provided a  nutritious breakfast for over 150 people as well as providing gifts for several of those  attending. We thank Jeanne Freeman, Jeff Adler, Joe Jezukewicz, Jonah Henneberg  and Kerrie Zurovsky, Mark Schindel, Marilyn and Chuck Shattuck, Linda and George  Brant, and Burt Litman for preparing and serving breakfast at BDC. Jonah is one of our  youth members and hopes to return to help at BDC.

For those of us participating in BDC, Stacy Witte will be doing a volunteer orientation to the services provided by the First United Methodist Church in the near future. The dates will be announced in the newsletter.

If you have an interest in participating in Social Action activities, please contact Burt Litman at bjlitman@gmail.com.

Fundraising: Now 3 Ways to be a Year-Round Shopping Hero!    

You can help Temple Beth Tikvah earn donations just by shopping. With the addition of the Amazon Smiles program ( see above,) we now have three easy ways to help earn funds for TBT:

1. Sign up for the Fred Meyer Community Rewards program,
choose Temple Beth Tikvah as your favorite non-profit, and when you shop, TBT gets a donations from Freddie's


2.Sign up for the eScrip Online Mall, choose TBT as your favorite non-profit, and TBT gets up to 16% back from your purchases.


3. Sign up for the Amazon Smiles program, choose Temple Beth Tikvah in Bend, OR as your designated non-profit. Then, when you shop through the Smiles.amazon.com website, TBT will receive a donation from the AmazonSmiles Foundation. 
  
All three programs earn funds for TBT at no additional cost to you! Visit 
  http://www.bethtikvahbend.org/donations/fundraising to learn more or start shopping today.
   
Central Oregon Jewish Youth
Naomi Chudowsky

The Central Oregon Jewish Youth group is going strong! 

On December 12th, the high school group, Shalom Teva, held a Hanukkah party for the middle schoolers. Sid Rafilson made lots of delicious latkes that were enjoyed by all. There were also games and a silly gift exchange. Thank you to the Rafilson family for hosting the party at their house.

Coming up: 
Several of our teens will be attending a BBYO spirit convention the weekend of  January 13-16 on the Oregon coast. Many thanks to Jerry and Phyllis Greenbach for providing financial assistance and making it possible for all interested teens to attend. For more information about the convention, see:  http://b-linked.bbyo.org/event/88104_Ruach_Convention_2017

The next middle school event will be a party at the new indoor trampoline park, Mountain Air, on  January 28th. More info to come. 

Please contact Naomi Chudowsky at   naomic@bendbroadband.com or Jillian Frankel at   j.frankl@hotmail.com if you know of someone in grades 6-12 who would be interested in participating in Jewish youth group activities. All are welcome; no temple affiliation is required. 


FEBRUARY Newsletter Deadline:  January 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: sarrava@gmail.com 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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TBT Tributes
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. 

Donations listed below were made to the Temple's general purpose fund unless otherwise specified.

Temple Beth Tikvah gratefully acknowledges the following contributions:
  • From  Susie Richman, in memory of Max E. Richman.
  • From  Jeff and Beverly Adler, in memory of Max, son of Artie Cantor.
  • From  Chuck and Marilyn Shattuck, in memory of Dick Pick.
  • From  Lester and Diane Dober, in memory of Ida Livstone.
  • From  Gary and Terry Reynolds, in memory of Helen Reynolds.
  • From  Gary and Terry Reynolds, in memory of Herb Hochstetter.
  • From  Gary and Terry Reynolds, in memory of Dina Lewinter.
  • From  Murray Kitner, in honor of Terry Reynolds' Birthday. 
  • From  Larry Barker in memory of Celia May Barker.
  • From  Chuck and Marilyn Shattuck, in honor of all our first responders.

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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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