TBT Monthly Newsletter

The Friday, April 1 Lay-led service is a Family Service. This will be a short, fun, interactive, musical service for the whole family. B'nai Mitzvah students will be leading some of the prayers. The service begins at 6:00 pm and will be followed by a pizza oneg sponsored by Evie Lerner and Suzanne Schlosberg in honor of Evie's birthday. There will be no separate children's programming for this service.

**Also, if you have a seder plate we can use for the community seder, please remember to bring it to this service. (see below) Thanks!**

April 18th - TBT Community Passover Seder

Seder Tradition - Time to Retell the Things that Befell Us

Get ready for a festive, theatrical, family-friendly Seder, led by Rabbi Glenn ("Moses") Ettman on Monday, April 18^th at the Bend Golf and Country Club. The event is open to members and their guests and to the public. Doors open at 5:00 p.m., and the Seder begins promptly at 6:00 p.m., followed by dinner.

The Seder, meaning "order" in Hebrew, is a lively tradition based on the Biblical verse commanding Jews to retell the story of the Exodus from Egypt. Families and friends gather to celebrate with special blessings, songs and rituals. Seder customs include drinking four cups of wine and eating matzo and other symbolic foods placed on the Passover Seder Plate.

This year we'll be enjoying a served, plated dinner of roasted chicken breast, almond-crusted halibut or quinoa with grilled vegetables. In addition, you can look forward to:

That special first taste of Passover matzo, with delicious haroset and horseradish
Your four cups of wine during the Seder
Matzo ball soup like Grandma used to make
Gefilte fish, horseradish and hard-boiled eggs
A re-enactment of the Ten Plagues by the children
Passover desserts homemade by our membership

Ceremonial wine is provided and served at each table. You are welcome to bring non-ceremonial wine for your table for a corkage fee of $10, paid at the event, or you may purchase wine from the Country Club during the evening.

The Seder costs $30 per adult for TBT members and $35 for non-members. The cost for children under age 12 is $10 for members and $12 for non-member children.

When your response is received, you will be sent an email with the Seder Reservation Form. The form includes your seating requests and meal preference. The reservation form, along with your check, must be received by April 12. We apologize that we cannot accommodate last-minute reservations or payments at the door.

Questions? Contact Suzanne Schlosberg at (541) 330-0609 or schlos1@gmail.com.

Help Wanted -or-

Easy Ways to Help Out with Seder

SEDER PLATES NEEDED:

We're all looking forward to another festive and memorable community Seder. If you have a Seder plate that we can use for the evening, please call Marcia Uri (949-637-3693 cell) to let her know and bring your empty plate to services on Friday, April 1st or Friday, April 15th. Remember to put your name on the bottom of the plate. And, please, no priceless antiques or family heirlooms.

TBT BAKERS WANTED:

The best part of any meal is dessert - and that's especially true when dessert is made with some extra love. While the Bend Golf and Country Club is serving up the meal this year, we are asking our members to again provide desserts. Last year's desserts were delicious and we're looking forward to sampling old and new recipes. Please call Liz Levinson or Corrie Grudin to let them know what you can bring. Pick-up foods - cookies, bars, etc - are what we need. Liz (541) 318-4640, Corrie (541) 389-8772.

Greetings from Rabbi Ettman Rabbi Ettman photo

Dear Friends,

Recently, Thomas Friedman, the New York Times Columnist and alumna of Brandeis University, explained a scene he witnessed. He writes:

"I'm in Tahrir Square [in Egypt], and of all the amazing things one sees here the one that strikes me most is a bearded man who is galloping up and down, literally screaming himself hoarse, saying: "I feel free! I feel free! I feel free." Gathered around him are Egyptians of all ages, including a woman so veiled that she has only a slit for her eyes, and they're all holding up cellphones taking pictures and video of this man, determined to capture the moment in case it never comes again."

The word freedom kind of takes on a new importance in the recent months. The idea of freedom is something that perhaps we take for granted. Freedom...A word that comes to celebrate who we are as a community. A word that, as we watch what is unfolding in Egypt, Africa and even the roots of Libya and the rest of the middle east, bears new significance.

This word and idea is very familiar to us as a community. Each day, three times a day, our Jewish community joins together in words that remind us of the very miracle and blessing of Freedom. These very ancient words in which we sing out, our Mi Chamocha prayer, are the words that were our song of Freedom.

Perhaps a columnist of the ancient world would have described this scene as he recounted 400,000 Israelites crossing through a great big sea, literally screaming ourselves hoarse saying: Mi Chamocha Ba'alim Adonai...I feel Free! I feel Free! I feel Free!

It was an amazing moment then and remains to be one now. And it is truly one of the greatest elements of our upcoming Passover holiday. Passover is the quintessential reminder of the power and importance of Freedom. Each year, every member of the Jewish community on this planet, remembers, celebrates and revels in what it means to be free from an oppressor. The story certainly is old, and even often times challenged in its historicity, but the point of the story is what is paramount. The message of Passover is to celebrate what it means to be free. We have seen this message reverberating through the world community from the cries of civil rights, to apartheid, even most recently to the cries in Tahrir Square, Tunisia and Libya. Passover forces us to remember, for one week every year, what it means to taste freedom for the first time and reminds us to celebrate that very fact.

May each corner of this planet come to know this very feeling of Freedom, this year, more than any other.

With Blessings of joy and celebration.

Always,

President's Message Photo of Lisa Uri
From TBT President Lisa Uri

Aloha!

As I gave some thought to my newsletter piece for the month, I was sitting in beautiful Kauai with a pina colada looking at the ocean waves. There I was in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, with an island population of 65,000. Would you believe that there is a Chabad Rabbi in Lihue who told us there are 1000 permanent Jewish residents on the island of Kauai? The small Jewish community on the island reminded me of our Jewish community in the high desert of Central Oregon.

Even though we are small in number like the Jews of Kauai, we have big ideas and plans for our future. Jews throughout the ages have always been small in number compared to the world population, yet have always had impressive goals and matching motivation. Meeting goals takes a tremendous amount of fortitude, patience and tolerance. I think that, as a congregation, we possess these attributes. So I was disappointed to arrive home to an anonymous letter sent to me with complaints about certain aspects of our congregation and a plea for me to make the changes requested. I want you all to know that I am available to you as much as humanly possible via phone, text or email. If you have any concerns, questions or complaints, I would encourage you to contact me or another member of the board directly. We will certainly never be able to please everyone in the congregation all the time, but we respect everyone's opinion and we think everyone has the right to be heard. But it must be done in a way that can be discussed and addressed in a constructive manner. I appreciate your future consideration in this matter.

I love our small Jewish community and know that we may always be smaller than other places in the world, yet our sense of community and the way we care for each other hold more meaning than any number of members we may have. The love and consideration I have seen from many of our members is overwhelming. I am grateful to know that I am surrounded by so many people who would be there for me at the drop of a hat if I needed it. That kind of unconditional love does not happen very often and we should all consider how fortunate we truly are. We are still in our formative years and we may find smooth sailing or bumpy roads ahead of us. But not knowing our exact future is balanced by the fact that I know we all support each other and I find comfort in the fact that my TBT family is always there for me.

Mahalo and Shalom,

Lisa Uri
President, Temple Beth Tikvah

Classes and Seminars

TBT Members are cordially invited to participate in the following events:

Discussion by Oregonians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty

Saturday, April 16 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

At 1st United Methodist church 680 N.W. Bond.

Pre-registration by April 13, 2011 requested by calling the church office at (541) 382-1672. The program and discussion will be led by members of Oregonians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty whose mission statement is to repeal the death penalty in Oregon as an essential step toward a more cost effective, human and restorative response to violent crime, and thus toward safer, more peaceful and just communities.

Introduction to Judaism -- Jewish Roots of Christianity

This class taught by Rabbi Jay Shupack is an eight-week course held on Wednesday evenings: April 6, 13 20, 27 May: 4, 11, 18, 25 from 6:00 to 7:30 PM at Shalom Bayit Synagogue 21555 Modoc Lane, Bend. You will encounter rabbinic insights into biblical historical images, Jewish music -- modern and traditional. Learn about Yochanan Ben Zakai, Bar Kochba and Shimon Bar Yochai and how they influenced Jewish and Christian history and thought. Also to be taught: Jewish calendar and holidays, ancient beliefs and modern practices. Learn Judaism's core values and how they apply to our lives today. This class for is Jews and non-Jews. The fee is $36.00. Please arrive 15 minutes early to register at first class. Contact: Rabbi Jay at: jshupack@juno.com for more info.

May Preview
Save the dates for these important events!

May 1st - Holocaust Remembrance Day

Please join us for Yom Hashoah Service 7:00 p.m. at First United Methodist Church to hear survivors Les and Eva Aigner as our guest speakers. spring flowers

May 7th - Second Annual Auction and Dinner

Our second annual TBT auction and dinner promises excitement and good food on May 7 at Mount Bachelor Village. This year's auction donations include trips to Africa, Bali, Italy and Hawaii. Many wonderful original works of art by fine local artists, beautiful jewelry, and delicious dinners in your home are among the priceless offerings.

Tickets for the auction are $35 per person and include dinner and a margarita. Come early at 5:30 and browse through 100 silent auction items that include such tasty items as infused vinegars, homemade dog biscuits, a night at the Oxford Hotel, wine, and guided hikes. If you are a guitar enthusiast, you might be interested in a handmade collector's guitar worth over $5000.

For help with auction pick up and delivery please call Harriet Richard 541 382-8754 davidharriet@gmail.com Donated items must be received by Monday, April 11.

TBT Board Notes
Next Board Meeting: April 17th, 9:00 a.m.

Your TBT Board meets monthly and everyone is invited to attend. Board meetings will be on Sunday of the weekend that Rabbi Ettman is in town - location tbd. Dates and times of Board meetings are on the TBT calendar at http://www.bethtikvahbend.org/calendar.html.

If you would like to read the minutes of previous board meetings you can request a copy from Board Secretary Ralph Uri: raduri@bendcable.com

Rabbi Ettman is available via email. If you want to set up an appointment please email him at: rabbiettman@bethtikvahbend.org. His office hours are Fridays from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Committee News

Communications Committee

Jeanne Freeman, Chair

Generating Good Public Relations

Our membership is a force for goodwill in the Central Oregon community and a welcoming home for Jews of all backgrounds to find spiritual fulfillment and a supportive community. The communications and public relations committee is charged with making that reputation known.

This newsletter is an important facet of our campaign and so is our website. We use both to communicate with our current and prospective members, family and friends about all that is happening at TBT and encourage them - and you - to participate.

We also work with local (Bulletin) and regional (Jewish Review) publications to persuade them to write articles about TBT. If you have a story to be told about our Jewish community, please bring it to the PR committee and let us see if we can help.

We're also charged with making sure that we have a clear, consistent and professional image for all our TBT events and communications. A communications committee member will work with our event committees gathering information for press releases, community bulletin boards and calendars, the newsletter and the website so that the widest audience knows about your event. Please call us early - as your committee is forming - so we can be at the initial planning meeting and get the PR ball rolling.

If you've got ideas to get the word out or just want to share your communication thoughts, please let us know. Every idea will be presented and discussed at our PR meeting. Thanks.

May Newsletter Deadline: April 20th

This newsletter is emailed to both members and non-members at the end of each month. If you have something you want to include in the newsletter, please email it to leslie.conley@bendbroadband.com by the 20th of each month. As always, you will continue to receive "eminders" before important events take place.

Shalom,
Leslie Conley

TBT Mens Night - April 26th

The next TBT Mens Night will be Tuesday, April 26th, 5:00 p.m. at The Brickhouse, 803 SW Industrial Way (541) 728-0334. All men of TBT are invited. RSVP to Lawrence susarch@bendbroadband.com.

Tried Paypal Yet?

Check out the TBT website Donations page:

http://www.bethtikvahbend.org/donations.html.

You can either fill in the online form and make your donation through PayPal, or download our donation form, complete and mail it along with your check. Thanks to our own Paul 'The Computer Guy' Spencer for making our web site up to the task.

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 by sending a check and the name and address of the person being honored to TBT at P.O. Box 7472, Bend 97708. Donations are made to the temple's general-purpose fund unless otherwise specified.

Temple Beth Tikvah gratefully acknowledges the following contributions:

From Jonathan G. Basham to the music fund in memory of Debbie Friedman.
From Corrie and Shelley Grudin in honor of Ben Finestone's participation in Special Olympics.
From Terry and Gary Reynolds congratulating Ari Halpern and Lisa Cena on the birth of their child.
From Randi and Zac Zlatkus in honor of the wedding of Scarlett and Nick Davis.

Donations in memory of Tully's daughter, Cana Ivy, from the following:

Ron and Bonnie Ruby
Lawrence Schechter
Steve Morris
Corrie and Shelley Grudin
Ed and Lynne Connelley
Dean Sharpe and Marlis Beier

Donations in memory of Randi Zlatkus' mother, Sheri Trachman, from:

Marcia and Ralph Uri
Harriet Richard and David Dietz
Randi and Zac Zlatkus

Prayer book donations by:

Ralph and Marcia Uri
Burt Litman and Jeanne Freeman

About Temple Beth Tikvah

Temple Beth Tikvah is a new Jewish congregation based in Bend, Oregon. We are affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism and are excited to become 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.