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TES Weekly
March 8 - 15, 2016   
Rabbi's Message
3/9/2016  - 29 Adar I 5776

The Book of Exodus ends this week with the building of tabernacle being completed at last. This Shabbat, as we finish the book, we will say, chazak chazak v'nitchazek - "Strength, strength, may we be strengthened!" And may it be so.

As we look forward to the next weeks of Spring spreading out before us, we can see wonderful stepping stones along the path. Purim will be on Friday evening, March 25th (the best Donald Trump wig/costume will win extra hamantashen), and our Spring Fest and Community Auction will be the next night - Saturday, March 26th (if you have not already done so, please get your tickets ASAP - we just got ours today!). The Adult Education Committee is about to release its Spring/Summer offerings, which will astound and amaze you in terms of the breadth and depth of what a synagogue of our size is able to pull off. And before we know it, Passover will be here. You will be getting an initial email shortly inviting you to our annual Community Seder on Saturday, April 23rd.

Join us this Shabbat for vibrant lay-led services on Friday evening and Saturday morning.
 
L'shalom,
 

Rabbi Joshua Boettiger

Upcoming Services
Friday, March 11
Kabbalat Shabbat (lay led), 5:30PM

Saturday, March 12
Shabbat Morning Service (lay led)
10:00AM

Torah Portion for This Week
This week's Torah portion is Pekudei (Exodus 38:21 - 40:38) and the haftarah is I Kings 7:51 - 8:21.
This Week at TES
Member-led Torah Study Tuesdays at 6:00PM
(Rabbi-led Torah Study second Tuesday of each month)

Jewish Meditation Wednesdays at 8:00AM.

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

An Exhibit Honoring Women's History Month 
"I want freedom, the right to self-expression, everybody's right to beautiful, radiant things." - Emma Goldman 1869 - 1940

Women's History Month is observed every March in the United States. This year to honor Jewish women Temple Emek Shalom will feature the 18 Jewish Women of Valor Project posters used for discussion and study during Rogue Valley ��Jewish Community Rosh Chodesh (New Moon) gatherings. The posters will be on display in the Temple's Gathering Space and all are welcome to view the exhibit during regular office hours (Tuesday-Friday 10-4). 
    
March 26, 2016
Act Now to Take Advantage
of "Early Bird" Ticket Pricing. 
Register today for this fun-filled evening - go to:  www.emekshalom.org 
Look for the Spring Fest logo. 
Click on "register" and purchase your tickets there. 
Or call the TES office (541) 488-2909 to register by phone.  Ticket prices go up to $70 on March 15.
See you at the Spring Fest!


Origins & Meanings of Hebrew Prayers, March 17
Rabbi Julia Vaughns will be teaching again on March 17th at 7:00PM. She will be teaching about two Shabbat prayers, Bar'chu and Neeshmat Kol chi. She will be looking at the Hebrew roots of words in those prayers and how they evolved in use over our people's history as well as how to approach these prayers and their meaning today. All are welcome. By donation.  
       

Shabbat Simcha, March 19 
A couple of things to note for our Shabbat Simcha this month. 

Regarding simchas, please join us on March 19th to celebrate milestones in the lives of Sally & Maynard Telpner. We will be celebrating Maynard's 88th birthday, 75 years since Maynard's bar mitzvah and Sally & Maynard's 65th wedding anniversary! Vegetarian potluck lunch will follow the Shabbat service that morning. Come help us mark this occasion!

Regarding our guest speaker, Evie Strauss writes:
"Remember "Mediation Works?"  The organization has a new name, a new focus and a new office. The new name is Resolve. The new focus in children and schools. Makes sense, doesn't it? On March 19th, Deltra Ferguson the executive director of Resolve will tell us all the exciting news." 


Purim Carnival Party, Friday, March 25, 5:00PM

Come join us for TES's annual inter-generational Purim Party. There will be many fun activities for adults and kids including short Megillah reading, artisanal whiskey bar (for adults!), bouncy house, photo booth, games, fortune telling, Purim play and more.  Pizza, salad and hamantaschen will be served.  Come in costume! 
Admission is free.  Tickets will be available for purchase for the various activities and food.
 

TES Israel Tour 2017 Plans Are Underway!
We have begun to plan our dates and itinerary for the March 2017 Israel Tour. We will revisit some of the same wonderful sites and many new exciting ones as we spend 14 days in the holy land of our tradition.

Exact dates and itinerary outline should be confirmed soon. Some scholarships for teens will be available. Please send an email to Rabbi Jackie Brodsky at lachayyim@yahoo.com to be put on the list to sign up for the trip. You may also contact Rabbi Boettiger or Rabbi Jackie with any questions.


Temple Emek Shalom Chai Torah Chanters
Message from Gabbai Sasha Borenstein

 "A growing number of TES members are regularly chanting Torah. We welcome all who wish to learn to chant.  

Each person who chants will readily tell you that it takes a goodly amount of time to prepare your portion. This work pays big dividends.  The experience of reading from the Torah is inspiring and palpable, it draws you into an intimate, alive relationship with Torah.

As gabbai, I help each person who requests help - before and during your chanting experience. I will prepare an audio file of your Torah portion, both reading it aloud and having it sung using the trope melody.  I will meet you during the week before your chanting at Emek Shalom so you can chant from the Torah and see what your portion looks like in the Torah.  I will give you feedback and stand by your side as you chant, displaying your Torah portion for reference as you chant.

The reason we are called the Chai Torah Chanters is that after you have chanted 18 times, you will receive your own Yad, a beautiful pointer which is traditionally used to point to each word as you sing it  because we do not touch the Torah with our hands.

I invite any Hebrew readers to learn to chant and join in this mitzvah of supporting our community."


PJ Library Events in March



Oregon Jewish Life Passover Recipe Contest
Oregon Jewish Life Magazine is running a Passover recipe contest with winning recipes to run in their April issue. The deadline is March 11. We hope some of our great chefs and bakers will enter and represent Southern Oregon! Please enter here: http://orjewishlife.com/recipe-contest/

        
      
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 office@emekshalom.org.              
      
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

Many exciting, new Adult Ed programs are in the works! Stay tuned to this space for details soon!

Social Action Opportunities

Second Wind Quartet and Friends Perform March 12 at UCC to Benefit OHRA (Options for Homeless Residents of Ashland) 
Second Wind and Friends present "Hard Times Come Again No More," a concert to benefit Options for Homeless Residents of Ashland (OHRA), at 8:00PM March 12, 2016, at the Ashland First Congregational United Church of Christ, 717 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland.

Second Wind is an Ashland vocal quartet (Laura Barlow, Jim Martin, Scott Nelson, and Harriet Snyder) known for its sweet blend and love of Appalachian harmonies, will be joined by well-known local cellist, singer and artist of the spoken word, Daniel Sperry, assisted by guest singer and collaborator Jeffri Lynn Carrington and popular folk-singing duo Lisa Spencer and Karen Wennlund. The performance, featuring Donna Swanson on piano and Elizabeth Holland on flute, will be hosted by Shirley Patton. Selections will consist of familiar songs of hardship, hope and longing including ballads and hymns from the American South and West as well as more contemporary love songs from both sides of the Atlantic.

A suggested donation of $20 per person can be made at the door. Proceeds will benefit OHRA which operates the Ashland Community Resource Center, serving low income and homeless residents of Ashland.
 

Volunteers Needed for Winter Shelter 
The City of Ashland, The Rogue Valley Unitarian Universalist Church and Temple Emek Shalom partner again for 2015-2016, collaborating once more to host the Winter Homeless Shelter on Winburn Way. Sign up to be a part of this important MITZVAH, by contacting our own 
Sharon Harris:  sharris63@yahoo.com.  The Shelter is open on Tuesday and Thursday nights beginning in mid-November and running throughout the Winter 
months.

Please see Sharon's guest message in the January 26 TES Weekly for more information about the shelter and the ways you can help.  Thanks!  

 
Yahrzeits for this Week
March 6-12, 2016 / 26 Adar ! - 2 Adar II 5776

Abraham Kaplan
Sarah Rosenfeld
Benjamin H. Leibman
Rita Plotnick
Louis Prince
Vicki Norberg-Bohm
Nicole Seiler
Frank Farber
Irene Jacobson
Mendle Saske

Business Sponsors








RogueValleyCounseling.com


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Quick Links


Services This Week


Friday, March 11
Kabbalat Shabbat
 (lay led), 5:30PM

Saturday, March 12
Shabbat Morning Service (lay led)
10:00AM


 
Temple Emek Shalom | 541-488-2909 | http://emekshalom.org
PO Box 1107, Ashland, OR 97520 / 1800 E. Main Street, Ashland

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