March Calendar of Events
MARCH EVENTS
March 3 10:00 a.m. - Sunday School
March 7 5:30 p.m. - TBT Serving at Bethlehem Inn
7:00 p.m. - Taizé Service
March 8 6:00 p.m. - Family Shabbat Celebration
March 17 10:00 a.m. - Sunday School
March 19 5:30 p.m. - TBT Men's Night
March 20 7:30 a.m. - TBT Serving at Back Door Café
March 22 6:30 p.m. - Kabbalat Shabbat Service
March 23 9:00 a.m. - Torah Study
10:30 a.m. - Torah Service
6:30 p.m. - Havdallah Celebration
March 24 7:00 p.m. - Board Meeting
March 25 --- Passover Begins ---
6:00 p.m. - TBT Community Seder
ON THE HORIZON
May 4th - Bar Mitzvah of Jesse Fishkin
June 1st - TBT's Fifth Anniversary Celebration
MARCH School Activities:
Sunday School (10:00 a.m. Shalom Bayit): 3/3, 3/17
Hebrew School:
First Year Tuesdays w/David, 3:45 p.m. at Dudley's:
3/12, 3/19
Second Year Wednesdays w/Ronit, 4:30 p.m. at
Brants': 3/6, 3/13, 3/20
Fourth Year Tuesdays w/Sara, 4:40 p.m. at Dudley's:
3/12, 3/19
For more details about any TBT events, see our complete schedule of Services, School activites and Events online:
http://www.bethtikvahbend.org/calendar.
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Make Your Reservations NOW for TBT's Community Passover Seder
Seder is March 25th
Join TBT for our annual Passover Community Seder on Monday, March 25th at Aspen Hall. Doors open at 5:15 p.m. and the Seder begins at 6:00 p.m. Tate and Tate is again catering a delicious buffet meal. The Seder is open to members and their guests and to the public. You are welcome to bring non-ceremonial wine to enjoy with your dinner; ceremonial wine will be provided and served at each table. For additional information and to make reservations, please visit www.bethtikvahbend.org/worship/jewish-holidays.
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 Terry Reynolds 541-383-1709, to let her know and bring your empty plate to her. Remember to put your name on the bottom of the plate. And, please, no priceless antiques or family heirlooms.
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Greetings From Rabbi Ettman
 Dear Friends,
Debbie and I started work on the same day. She was a wonderful woman with a vibrant personality. She remains, in my opinion, one of the best nurses I have ever seen. She was funny. She was compassionate. She was warm. And she cared - for every one. Debbie was a special soul that inhabited the world in which we live.
I got to work with Debbie for two years until she finally retired to spend more time with her family. Sadly, a year after she left the Hospice, she was admitted as a patient of ours while she was succumbing to her battle with cancer. We tried to give back to her what she gave to many of us - compassion, hope and comfort. I hope we did. Sadly, and way too soon, Debbie's cancer got the best of her and she died.
Her legacy and passion lives on with those who knew her and loved her. At the Hospice, a quarterly award for excellence in patient care is named in her memory. And we do our best to make sure her legacy lives on even in her physical absence. But, honestly, as is the case in any journey through grief, there are days that we do not actively remember her. And equally as honestly, I think that is the way she would have wanted it. She would want us to live our lives to the deepest and fullest we can. And in some deeper cosmic way, she knows the work that we are doing. All of those in our lives who have died do.
And then, a few days ago, I got an email from her email account. It had been hacked and it was spam, but nonetheless, I awoke to Debbie's name in my email inbox. Curiously, it happened to be on my last day at the Hospice. And I could not help but reflect on her, on my work, on the power of memory and importance of life.
I am not going to wax poetic about how there is a deeper meaning to this email, but there may be. I am also not going to simply say it was a coincidence, because maybe it is not. There really is no way to know and frankly, knowing is not the point. The point is that memory is a powerful thing and the impact we have in the world is as well.
At a time of transition, we tend to look back on what was, and look forward to what will be. And my prayer for us is this: that we realize the power and impact that others may have on us, and that we may have on others in our lives. But I hope that we don't need random emails to be that catalyst because these thoughts are too important.
Tonight, as you read this message, I encourage you to take a moment and remember someone special in your life that has died. Take her/his memory into your heart and reflect on what you learned. Hope, legacy and memory can help us get through the days ahead.
Debbie's memory and her email the other day reminded me of the power of life. And for her, as others with whom I come into contact, I will continue to live. May we all be inspired to do so ourselves.
The psalmist teaches us that "weeping may last through the night, but joy comes in the morning".
May that be for each of us.
Always,
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 Rabbi Ettman is available via email. If you want to set up an appointment, please email him at: glennettman@gmail.com. His office hours are Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. |
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President's Message
From TBT President Mark Schindel
TBT Members & Friends,
For being the shortest month, we certainly seemed to pack a lot of great activities into the four weeks of February. It started with another wonderful Shabbat Celebration on the Friday evening of February 8th. With the increasing interest and attendance, these Shabbat Celebrations have had to move from the Wesley Room to the Social Hall to accommodate the many people who attend. A special Thank You to the Chudowsky family for hosting the dinner portion of this past Shabbat Celebration. If you haven't experienced this fun, family-oriented service, I would greatly encourage that you come to one of them. Even those of us without children have an enjoyable time socializing after the short service. In fact, why not come to the one on March 8th, which will have a dinner sponsored by the Arathoon family.
Then, on February 9th, the Chudowsky's hosted a Havdallah With a Purpose to benefit BEAT (Bend Experimental Art Theatre). Monies raised were to provide scholarship funds to allow children in Central Oregon to take part in the performing arts. Also on February 9th, Beverly Adler with Naomi Hall organized and hosted the Jewish Women's Rosh Chodesh gathering for all Jewish ladies in the community. This special event to "feed the soul" provided an opportunity for participants to share an experience about an inspiring woman who impacted their life spiritually, and also to create a handmade paper art amulet that honored someone special in their life. More of these Women's gatherings are planned for the future, so look for those announcements in the months to come.
The monthly Men's gathering, on the other hand, was more about "feeding the stomach". The gathering on February 19th, organized by Lawrence Schechter, was at one of the new breweries in Bend, Crux Fermentation Project. The food and drinks and camaraderie were enjoyed by all who attended.
Of course, the highlight for the month was the weekend visit by Rabbi Ettman, which coincided with the holiday of Purim. The weekend started with a lovely Erev Shabbat Service on February 22nd, that included the Baby Naming ceremony for Zoe Sophia Arathoon. The proud parents, Anne and Chris, along with her big sister, Abby, bestowed her with the Hebrew name of Chaya Minna bat Channa v' Chris. Also, at this service, the entertaining TBT version of the Purim Story slide show gave a glimpse of how it might have looked if Purim had happened in Bend. Our thanks to Lauren Olander for her creative skills, along with the helpful photographic assistance of Jake and Zack Olander.
For Torah study the next morning, the Rabbi's theme for parashat Tetzaveh was "Do the clothes make the person or the person makes the clothes"? That evening, was the highlight of the weekend, the first TBT Purim Masquerade Party. Check out our TBT Members Group page on Facebook to see pictures of the winners of the costume contest: Sonny & Cher; and Him (as Her) & Her (as Him). Also, some of the other costumes included a Priest, King & Jester, Dorothy (from Wizard of Oz), Jesse (from Toy Story II), Fisherman, Baseball twins, Rock star, Elegant Bird, Phantom of the Opera, and Madam of Shushan. It was a most enjoyable evening, to which we owe a great thanks to the Levinson's for hosting the party and the Social Committee for organizing the event.
But, the weekend's festivities were not done! On Sunday, the kids were able to enjoy their own celebration at the Purim Carnival to benefit the Jewish Community Sunday School program. Later in the day, the Rabbi's Adult Education tackled the subject of "Humility and Ego Strength: A Purim Legacy for Today". As always, it was another thought-provoking and informative discussion. If anyone who missed the Torah Study or Adult Education sessions wishes to get copies of those materials, please just let me know.
Finally, on February 26th, a reception was held for Tom Dugan, the actor and playwright of the one-man play, "Simon Wiesenthal: The Conscience of the Holocaust", to be presented at the Tower Theatre on March 1st. It was enlightening to hear from Tom Dugan on how he was inspired to portray the character of Simon Wiesenthal and share how he has taken this material to schools in the area to help educate children on this important subject matter. We greatly appreciate Dan Fishkin (from TBT) and Steve Magidson (from Shalom Bayit), as Board Members of the Tower Theatre, who co-sponsored this reception. But, there is no rest for the weary. Coming up in March is the Community Passover Seder. Hopefully, you have sent in your reservations already. If not, don't wait. This will be another memorable event for TBT members and others in the community. Also, remember that in order to enjoy these extraordinary Jewish opportunities in Central Oregon requires the dedication, assistance, and support from our members. So, for all their hard work and devotion, I personally want to extend my gratitude and appreciation. B'Shalom, Mark Schindel |
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Help Provide Dinner For the Bethlehem Inn - March 7th
Cooks and Servers Needed
TBT will be serving dinner at the Bethlehem Inn on Thursday, March 7th. Food is prepared earlier and brought to the Bethlehem Inn in time to be served by us at 5:30 p.m.
We need people to:
Prepare: Easy chicken dish
Vegetable Rice
Desserts
Rolls & Butter
Salad with cherry tomatoes & dressing
Purchase: Paper goods - large plates, silverware,
napkins, cups
Servers to serve the meal
Please contact Beverly Adler, fiber12@gmail.com, and let her know how you can help!
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Taizé Service - March 7th
You are invited to participate in an hour of prayerful non-denominational Taize music and silence at our monthly ecumenical Evensong Service, 7pm, Thursday, March 7, at St Francis Catholic Center (St. Clare Chapel), 2450 NE 27th St.,Bend. For more information call 383-4179.
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TBT Board Notes
Next Board Meeting: March 24th, 7:00 p.m
Location: Wesley Room, FUMC
Your TBT Board meets monthly and everyone is invited to attend. Dates and times of Board meetings are on the TBT calendar at http://bethtikvahbend.org/calendar.
If you would like to read the minutes of previous board meetings, you can request a copy from Board Secretary Diane Dober: dobersbend@gmail.com.
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Committee News
Rabbi Search Committee Report
Kathy Schindel and Ann Rosenfield, Co-Chairs
The Rabbi Search Committee continues to work towards the goal of finding our next Rabbi, as Rabbi Ettman will be leaving us at the end of June for his new full-time rabbinic position. As mentioned before, our job description is posted on the CCAR (Central Conference of American Rabbis) website stating that we are looking for a once-a-month Rabbi and that residency is not a requirement. Again, the information in our job description is based on results from last year's Focus Groups, direction from the Board, and input from Rabbi Ettman. (If anyone would like to see a copy of the full job description, please contact Kathy Schindel or Ann Rosenfield).
We have been receiving resumes from the CCAR since we posted our position for a once-a-month rabbi. We have conducted initial informal phone conversations with each candidate to glean some preliminary information as we move forward in our process. The committee then met to discuss the phone conversations and to further review resumes in order to determine the next steps we will be taking. Soon we will be scheduling phone/Skype interviews with selected candidates.
As we move ahead with the search process we will keep the congregation informed.
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Back Door Café - A Mitzvah Waiting for You
Burt Litman, Chair - Social Action
We continue to participate in the The Back Door Café at the Methodist Church, which provides breakfast every Wednesday morning for those in need. On February 20, 2013, a group of TBT members served breakfast to over 70 people. Our next breakfast will be served on Wednesday, March 20th.
A second ongoing commitment of our TBT community is to provide dinners for the Bethlehem Inn. This requires participation of members willing to cook, as well as serve the meal. Our next dinner commitment is March 7th.
The recipients in both these outreach programs, which include individuals and families, greatly appreciate our efforts. TBT members who have participated come away feeling grateful for having had the opportunity to be part of these programs.
If you'd like to participate in either of these mitzvot, please call or email. Volunteers for Bethlehem Inn dinner can respond to either myself or Bev Adler. If you'd like to help with Back Door Cafe, please contact me.
Burt Litman: 541-504-5368 blitman@bendbroadband.com
Beverly Adler: fiber12@gmail.com.
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Oneg Help Wanted
Corrie Grudin, Oneg Organizer
If you're a new member you can start getting involved in Beth Tikvah in a small way. Organizing the Oneg Shabbats for the Rabbi weekends does not take a lot of time and you can get to know members at the same time. Please let me know if you're interested by calling Corrie Grudin at 541-389-8772 or email: corriegrudin@bendbroadband.com.
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April Newsletter Deadline: March 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 sarrava@gmail.com by the 24th of each month. As always, you will continue to receive "e-minders" before important events take place.
Shalom,
Sara Charney Cohen
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TBT Men's Night - Tues. March 19th
The TBT monthly Men's Night is generally held on the third Tuesday of each month. The next TBT Men's Night will be Tuesday, March 19th, 5:30 p.m., at Worthy Brewing, located at 495 NE Bellvue Drive, just east of 27th St. on Hwy. 20, 541-639-4776. This is one of Bend's newest breweries. It has been jammed since opening a couple weeks ago with great reviews. All men of TBT are invited. For more info, contact Lawrence at susarch@bendbroadband.com. |
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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 High Holy Days Fund, the Music Fund, the Library Fund, the Rabbi's Caring Fund, or to the General Fund.
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About Temple Beth Tikvah
Temple Beth Tikvah is a growing Jewish congregation based in Bend, Oregon. We are affilliated 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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