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TES Weekly
October 20 - 27, 2015   

Rabbi's Message
10/22/2015  -  9 Chesvan 5776

Many in our TES community know Hillary Gorson and her family. Among other things, Hillary was a leader in efforts to get our Teen Group off the ground. Her father, Craig, z"l, did so much for our congregation, especially around auction time each year. Hilary, 22, has a dangerous and rare medical condition and is soon to undergo a highly specialized surgery. When Craig died several years ago from a heart attack, the family lost everything including their home. It would be a wonderful mitzvah, whether you know the Gorsons or not, to click on this link, read Hillary's story, and consider making a donation to help her afford her surgery.
 
 
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On another note, I know we all have been praying for peace in Jerusalem, and disturbed by the growing violence in Israel. Israelis going about their daily lives have been randomly and brutally attacked in recent days; stabbed, run over by cars, and targeted in a variety of scary ways. There have been over 30 attacks since October 1st.
 
This last Shabbat was a Shabbat of solidarity with Israel, across denominational lines. TES member Emily Simon brought my attention to an article from Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, responding to friends in Israel who asked him for any words support and courage.
 
Rabbi Sacks writes, "What do you do when terror strikes, when all sense of security is lost, when you feel yourself surrounded by hate, when the voice of reason is drowned out by the clamour of rage, when all hope for the future seems lost and the world around you has turned dark? That, they told me, is how it has felt to be in Israel these past few days and weeks." He goes on to invoke the patriarch Jacob - who never lived in peace, "but somehow took all the fear and pain and loneliness and isolation and turned them into a vision of heaven and found God in the very midst of that place and moment of danger...and who somehow endowed us, his descendants, to the end of time, with an inner strength that is almost beyond belief." Rabbi Sacks ended, "To be a Jew in whom beats the spirit of our ancestors and the hopes of generations to come is to feel the pain and yet carry on, to know fear and to refuse to be intimidated, to be surrounded by hate and yet to have the courage not to answer it with hatred in return."
 
In the midst of this time of unrest, many of us have experienced what could be put into the "adding insult to injury" category: the way that we read about the conflict in the press. Blame seems like it is being squarely put onto Israel. Yossi Alpher writes that the "contrast that stands out is between the Palestinian politicians' and media's totally one-sided version of every incident, wherein the knifer is always the victim."
 
It is good and heartening to read about alternate reactions on the ground. My colleague, Rabbi Donna Kirschbaum, who lives in Omer, Israel (a place some of you know well!), sent the following press release this week, which was signed by nearly every one of the municipal leaders in the northern Negev, including the mayors of Beersheva, Dimona, Arad, and their Arab counterparts in Rahat and Hura, as well as by a number of regional council heads and directors:
 
We the undersigned, municipal leaders from across the Negev region, call for maintaining both calm and quality of life in our region. Even in times of crisis, residents of the Negev, Jews and Arabs, know how to be good neighbors and how to model tolerance.  We condemn in no uncertain terms any and all acts of violence in the South and elsewhere. And so we call on all community leaders and educators in the region to teach, to encourage, and to work for tolerance and mutual respect. The responsibility for relations between Jews and Arabs in the Negev falls on everyone's shoulders, and in this [difficult] period, it is more than ever our duty to preserve those relations.
 
In Rabbi Sacks' words, "let us be strong and strengthen one another, until the city whose name means peace at last becomes a true home of peace."
 
Join us for Torah Study and Shabbat Morning services this Saturday.  

L'shalom,



Rabbi Joshua Boettiger

Upcoming Services
Saturday, October 24
Torah Study, 9:00AM
Shabbat Morning Services, 10:00AM
Torah Portion for This Week
This week's Torah portion is Lech-Lecha (Genesis 12:1 - 17:27) and the haftarah is Isaiah 40:27 - 41:16.
This Week at TES
Member-led Torah Study  Tuesdays at 6:00PM

Jewish Meditation
Wednesdays at 8:00AM.

Jewish Meditation at Rose Yoga in Ashland Fridays  at 3:00PM.
Announcements

Mussar: The Ancient Jewish Path to Living a Life of Goodness with Rabbi Ira Stone, October 30 & 31
Temple Emek Shalom is pleased to present this special Shabbat with Scholar-in-Residence, Rabbi Ira Stone.
Rabbi Stone will be speaking on Mussar as part of both the Friday evening service on Oct. 30 at 7:00PM and the Saturday morning service on Oct. 31 at 10:00AM, followed by a vegetarian catered lunch at 12:15PM.

Please register in advance by calling Kathy at the TES office at 541-488-2909 or by e-mail to [email protected]. Sliding scale of $10-$20 per person. Click here for a printable flyer.



Ean Roby series continues next Wednesday,  
October 28 at 7:15PM  (please note time change) 
"At the Mercy of Strangers:  Ancient Israel and Her Neighbors," a four-part series with OLLI instructor, Ean Roby, 7:15 - 8:45 PM at TES. See under Adult Education below for more details.    

     
Message from TES Member in Need
Long-time member (23 yrs.) in serious need of an affordable rental.  Current home for sale by owner and his hefty rent increase is impossible for the tenant to pay, given her fixed income.  She has an "exemplary" referral/rating from her current property manager as rent has been paid on time for years and home has been kept in excellent condition.  Would like to remain in Ashland, although Talent is perfectly acceptable.  Looking for two bedrooms yet open to all possibilities....apartment, cottage, small house, etc. Please contact Kathy in the TES office at 541-488-2909 if you can help.


Member Peter Quince's Play, "Divine Lunacy" continues performances at TES, October 22, 24, 25
Creativity and madness can often go hand-in-hand, and this new musical explores this relationship while shining a spotlight on mental-health issues, and meantal-health resources in the valley. Performance dates are October 22 and 24 at 7:00PM, and October 25 at 2:00PM.

Special offer for TES members and attenders: As a thank you for your support -  $5 off per ticket at the door. Just mention "Mel Brooks sent me" (secret code).

A playgoer writes: "Divine Lunacy. It's not just a wild concept anymore, but a Fan-TAS-tic play. Really. A most serious plea to you reading this to go see this fantastic production. The voices alone will wow you. It's funny, it's difficult, it's familiar maybe, and above all, needed. Pertinent. Therapeutic. (Oh gawd, the therapy sketch alone should be a must see). I've seen this play in its incubation stage. Now it's ON the stage. And that's crazy good. Bravo, David King-Gabriel, Rose Passione, Nathan Monks, Katie Warner, and Peter Quince."

Visit www.divinelunacy.org or call 541-944-6450 for more info.


A Day of Mindfulness, November 7
Cultivating Your Inner Sanctuary:  A Day of Mindfulness in the Plum Village Tradition
co-sponsored by Temple Emek Shalom & Havurah Shir Hadash, to take place at the Havurah
Led by Alexa Singer-Telles
A day of rest and restoration: mindful sitting and walking meditation, deep relaxation, Dharma, Torah and Poetry, mindful converation.
Sliding scale: $40-$45, includes vegetarian lunch
Call 541-488-7716 to register or e-mail [email protected].  Alexa writes:

"Dear Friends, I am delighted to be coming to Ashland to share a day of mindfulness with your community.  As some of you know, I have been weaving together Jewish and Buddhist practices for many years and find they enrich each other greatly.  The inspiration for this event includes bringing our spiritual communities together - the Havurah, the Temple, TES meditation groups and the Plum village meditation communities- to experience connectivity, beauty and peace.   I've been exploring the interconnection between a day of mindfulness and Shabbat and find them completely in synch with each other.  I will also be sharing the unique practices that Thich Nhat Hanh has developed to deepen our sense of the beloved community.   Consider giving yourself this day to nourish yourself and experience the joy of practicing with friends in your Ashland community."    




The Beauty of Our Lives, November 8
The TES Sisterhood Committee invites you to a special Sunday morning event of ritual, creativity, and community for women.  Inspired by the week's Torah portion, "Sarah's Life", we will gather together to explore the wisdom of our own lives through meditation, SoulCollage (r), and a circle of sharing.  SoulCollage (r) is a creative arts process of cutting and pasting images that call to you, creating a collaged card, and expressing the voice of the card in writing and speaking to offer you insight, inspiration, and support for your own life.  As a group we will then honor the many facets of women's lives in a sacred circle.

Alexa Singer-Telles is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, a Dharma Teacher in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh and Plum Village, and a registered SoulCollage (r) Facilitator.  She is a member of Temple Beth Israel in Redding and honors and expresses her Jewish roots in her teaching.  Her workshops weave meditation, expressive arts and women's spirituality together for community building, self exploration and reflection.  She discovered SoulCollage (r) as a way "to bring the beauty of spirit into form."  Please contact Alexa with any questions at [email protected].

Sunday, November 8, at TES, 10:30 am-1:00 pm, snacks provided.
Cost: TES & Havurah Members $25/Non-members $30
Please contact the TES office at 541-488-2909 or [email protected] to register.  Pre-registration is required as space is limited. 


Temple Emek Shalom's Synagogue Bat Mitzvah Celebration, November 14
As we are approaching our bat mitzvah year at 1800 E. Main, we plan to celebrate with a special bat mitzvah ceremony on Saturday morning, November 14th at 10:00AM honoring those who made the building possible. Our ceremony will be followed by a festive lunch. In addition to a beautiful Shabbat morning service with prayers, singing, and Torah, we will have two special speakers: longtime TES member and renowned actor, Tony Heald; and new TES member and former Dean at Hebrew Union College's Cincinnati Campus, Rabbi Kenneth Ehrlich. They will provide both an historical perspective as we honor our builders, and a look towards the future as we look to build an even more stable community.

Mark your calendars and please join us in giving thanks. If you are able to make a donation towards the cost of the luncheon, that would be greatly appreciated. And an RSVP to the TES office at (541) 488-2909 or [email protected] by November 1 will enable us to plan. Todah rabah!
 

TES/Havurah Member offers Hebrew Chant Group. Next Meeting is on Sunday, October 25, 2:00-3:30pm, in the Havurah sanctuary.

Elizabeth Markell facilitates a group to practice Jewish chant in the tradition of Rabbi Shefa Gold's teachings and work.  Chant is used as a vehicle for devotional and contemplative practice, for prayer, healing and transformation, alternating times of singing and silence.  Elizabeth says: "The simple repeated phrases offer opportunity for us to open our hearts and deepen in connection with each other and the Divine."  Elizabeth completed the Kol Zimra  Chant Leader training in January 2014, and with gratitude shares this body of work. No musical experience is necessary- All voices welcome!  Donations will be gratefully accepted.  Please call or e-mail to let Elizabeth know if you plan to come, and also with any questions.  Elizabeth's contact info: 541-778-6155, [email protected]



Kirtan Rabbi in Concert, November 14 at the Havurah
Known as the "Kirtan Rabbi," Andrew Hahn, Ph.D., brings together two ancient traditions to form a new, spiritual voice through music. Blending sacred Indian chants with Hebrew texts, he creates a unique, mystical experience touching religious seekers everywhere.   Performing with Rabbi Andrew Kahn will be Benjy Wertheimer on tabla and Bibi McGill on guitar.  Bibi McGill teaches yoga in Portland and is the guitarist in Beyonce's band. For more details and tickets, go to stclairevents.com or call (541) 535-3562.



Deepening Your Experience of Kirtan, A Workshop with Andrew Kahn, the "Kirtan Rabbi", at TES, November 15
Kirtan Rabbi's Hebrew kirtans tend to use niggunim and zemirot (tunes and songs) which already feel familiar - even if you've never heard them before! He uses the kirtan form - call-and-response - in traditional Jewish modes of notation. These are drawn from both European and Eastern sources, as well as from contemporary composers. He also tends to set the chants in non-Western modalities. Kirtan Rabbi plays a harmonium and uses it as a kind of movable background drone.

Along with the music, Rabbi Hahn will pepper the workshop with helpful meditation techniques learned from his martial arts practice, along with short teachings, which explain the source and meaning of the language.  For more details and to register for the workshop, go to stclairevents.com or call (541) 535-3562.


The Hearth Presents "Down and Out",  October 29th at TES 
Breakdowns, breakups, and flat broke. Stories for our fall Hearth event will explore all the ways life goes wrong. Come out and hear six local community members share riveting stories of living through hard times. Thursday, October 29th from 7 to 9pm at Temple Emek Shalom. Tellers include Claudie Alick, Leigh Madsen, Kelly Cruser, Fred Grewe, Lucinda Weatherby, and Lauren Cutler. Music by Mark Gostnell, Sam Cuenca, Bob Evoniuk, Wendi Stanek and Duane Whitcomb. Cost is $5 and proceeds at the door will benefit Uncle Foods Diner. Hosted by Mark Yaconelli. Refreshments available. For more information visit: www.thehearthcommunity.com.  


 
Member News TES members, don't be shy. Please send us your news, accomplishments, joyous events, etc. for us to put in the monthly newsletter to share with the congregation. Please contact Kathy at the office at 541-488-2909 or [email protected].              
      
Honor Family and Friends with a Gift to TES
You can easily and quickly make donations to all funds, to remember and honor family, friends and loved ones. Visit the donation page and see the possibilities. Click here  
Adult Education
Ean Roby, Professor Emeritus at Ohlone College,
returns to TES with a fascinating topic of ancient history that speaks to us today:  "At the Mercy of Strangers:  Ancient Israel and Her Neighbors." 
 
These lectures will investigate the history of ancient Israel from the entry into the land until the great rebellions in the Roman period. The intention of these talks will be to show the different relationships which Israel had with neighboring powers and how those relationships led to significant historical consequences. For example, we will look at the Philistines and how David was able to eventually overcome them. Similarly, when turning to the later Assyrians and Babylonians, we will encounter a dramatically different situation, one which eventually led to deportation of the ten northern tribes and, later, to the Babylonian exile.

We will also investigate over two centuries of peaceful Persian rule, the subsequent Selucid kingdom (whose provocations sparked rebellion and the establishment of a new Jewish state), and the era of ever-tightening Roman control. Taken together, these lectures should provide a deeper appreciation of ancient Jewish history.
 
Ean Roby's adult education classes at OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Southern Oregon University) on the history of Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Indian Religions (except Buddhism), and Ancient Greek philosophy and history are very popular and fill up quickly.  If you're one of those who has tried to attend and was told the class was already full, here's your chance to enjoy an informative and lively program at TES.
 
This four-session class will meet in the TES conference room on consecutive Wednesdays,  
October 14, 21, 28 and November 4,
7:15 PM - 8:45 PM.  


Thursday Night at the Movies   
With two down and two to go, the Thursday Night at the Movies series resumes on November 12th with "Witness for the Prosecution," based on Agatha Christie's play and starring Tyrone Power. Nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Motion Picture, the film is another example of writer-director Billy Wilder's finest work.
 
In its review of the film, the New York Times called Wilder's courtroom scenes "splendid and splintering" and credited much of the film's triumph to the "first-rate performance" by Charles Laughton.
 
At the conclusion of the screening, TES member Ron Silverman will lead yet another exciting, informative discussion of the film and of Wilder himself.
 

Click here for a printable flyer with all the dates and details or see below.
    
Social Action Opportunities

Over 1,000 pounds collected! 
Thank you, everyone, for all the donations of food that you have brought in over the last 2 months for the Ashland Emergency Food Bank. TES collected 1,419 pounds of food in this year's High Holy Days food drive!! You may continue to bring non-perishable food items to the TES lobby or take them directly to the Food Bank. The need continues all year long and every bit is appreciated.

Winter is Coming and Volunteer Opportunities Abound 

1. Ashland Emergency Food Bank - TES staffs the Food Bank each year in November and December,
providing teams of two people for each Tuesday throughout these two months. Volunteers arrive for their shift at 9am for a brief training for a 3-hour shift. Folks generally sign up for two dates, but the Food Bank will happily receive whatever volunteers wish to offer. Volunteers will walk around with shoppers, assisting them in their shopping excursion. Hence they are called 'Shopping Volunteers'. The same small pool of people have been doing this each year, so it would be great to have more congregants participate, including younger folks too. Volunteers must be 18 years of age to be a shopping volunteer at the AEFB. Please contact Pat O'Scannell at [email protected] to sign up.

2. Winter Homeless Shelter -- Temple Emek Shalom and the Unitarian Fellowship will be co-hosting Tuesday and Thursday nights at the shelter, which will be opening soon at Pioneer Hall in Ashland. November 17th will be our first night, and April 14th will be the last for this season.

There are two types of volunteering at the shelter: 1) Overnight Host or 2) being a part of the Food Ninjas by providing breakfasts on Friday Mornings.   
 
There will be a shelter volunteer training on November 11th.  Anyone from our congregation who is volunteering should attend this training.   
 
 
The shelter also needs help in the evenings when we open from 7:30pm until 9 or 10pm.  We would love some help serving food, making hot beverages, handing out pads and blankets, getting guests to sign in and just visiting with the guests.  We also need help in the morning, packing everything up and cleaning the floors and bathrooms (just a wipe down, light cleaning.)  
 
Please contact Sharon Harris with any questions about Overnight Hosting at 208-215-1422.

Food Ninjas: please contact Pat O'Scannell at [email protected] to help with providing breakfasts. 
 

Fundraiser for Families in Need, November 7 
It is hard to believe but over 18% of our fellow Ashland citizens live below the poverty level. There are over 200 people who do not have a bed to lay down on each night. They need help to move from just barely surviving to thriving in our community. With our help they can achieve stability.

Option for Homeless Residents of Ashland (OHRA) is sponsoring its 2nd annual SLEEP OUT Fundraiser on November 7, 2015. The event will take place at the athletic field of the former Lincoln Elementary School at Beach and Henry Streets. You can help OHRA meet its $30,000 goal for this event by either making a donation or being a pledge gatherer yourself by asking others to make a donation to OHRA. You can collect pledges even if you do not sleep out overnight.
Stop by and listen to music, eat, drink some hot chocolate and if you can help, set up tents. We would love to have you join us.

Donations collected will be used by OHRA at the Ashland Community Resource Center (ACRC) located at 572 Clover Lane next to the Ashland Emergency Food Bank.  
 
Save the date of November 7, 2015 to Sleep Under the Stars to raise dollars to help Ashland Homeless and those living in poverty. Contact Regina Ayars at 541-482-5019 or at [email protected] for more information. Or go to www.homelessoptions.org to donate. Please note in the comments that the donation is for the SLEEP OUT.  Options for Homeless Residents of Ashland (OHRA) is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Thank you!

Yahrzeits for this Week
October 18 - 24, 2015 / 5 - 11 Chesvan

Sylvia Fein Farber
Herbert Hamrell
Rose Lipschutz
Sidney Berkowitz
Rose Moss
Murna Sonkin
Leonard Gutman
Jewel Kitto
Dorothy Lindenbaum
Benjamin Greenfeld
Rose Muller
Joseph Dratch

Business Sponsors








RogueValleyCounseling.com


Medicare Specialist




Quick Links


Services This Week


Saturday, October 24

Torah Study
9:00AM

Shabbat Morning Services
10:00AM

 
Temple Emek Shalom | 541-488-2909 | http://emekshalom.org