JUNE EVENTS

   June  1  10:00 a.m. - Sunday School

               10:00 a.m. - Song of Miriam Awards in Portland

   June  3    4:30 p.m. - Hebrew School

                 7:00 p.m. - Adult Education

   June  7    5:30 p.m. - Progressive Dinner

   June  8  10:00 a.m. - Sunday School

                5:05 p.m. - Men's Club - Bend Elks Game Night

   June 10   4:30 p.m. - Hebrew School

                5:30 p.m. - Annual Congregational Meeting

                                        sign-in 5:30, business begins 6:00

   June 20   5:00 p.m. - Thanksgiving on Shabbat at Evie's

   June 21   9:00 a.m. - Munch & Torah

               10:30 a.m. - Shabbat Torah Service

   June 22   7:00 p.m. - TBT Board Meeting

   June 23  11:59 p.m. - July Newsletter Deadline

   June 27   7:00 p.m. - Erev Shabbat Service

   June 28  10:30 a.m. - Bat Mitzvah of Abi Hershenson

ON THE HORIZON

   July 26th - Bat Mitzvah of Corinne Smith

   August 17th - Annual TBT Picnic at Pioneer Park

JUNE School Activities:

Sunday School: (10:00 a.m. Shalom Bayit):  6/1, 6/8

Hebrew School:  (4:30 p.m. Shalom Bayit):   6/3, 6/10

For more details about any TBT events, see our complete schedule of Services, School activites and Events online:

http://www.bethtikvahbend.org/calendar.

Our Annual Congregational Meeting is coming up on Tuesday, June 10th. It is important that we get a quorum of members in attendance to vote for TBT's new Board members and next year's budget.

There are several changes in this year's program.  The meeting itself will be a little more casual and streamlined.  We will be meeting in the Social Hall of the church.  Instead of sitting in rows of chairs, we will be seated at tables to be more conducive to eating and socializing. There will be snacks and appetizers to munch on before and during the meeting.  We are inviting people to arrive between 5:30 and 5:45 p.m. to sign-in, get some snacks, and schmooze with friends.  The actual business session will start promptly at 6:00 p.m., assuming we have a quorum, with the objective of finishing by 7:00 p.m.

Prior to the Annual Meeting, members will be sent a packet of information that will include the Agenda, the Proposed Budget for 2014-15, Reports from each of the Committees on their accomplishments and plans, and Notes from the Leadership Development Workshop that took place in the beginning of May.  Please read the information packet before the meeting. This will alleviate taking time during the meeting to present this information.

We look forward to your presence and participation at our upcoming Annual Congregational Meeting.  It is a unique opportunity to play an intimate role in the governing and leadership of this organization.  As an added bonus, this will be the first time our Rabbi will be in attendance and involved in our meeting.  If there are any general questions, please contact Mark Schindel: 

schindelme@yahoo.com or any of our Board Members.

It is June and June is the month for our annual congregational meeting!

In addition to electing a new board, accepting a new budget, and congratulating ourselves for a job well-done last year, the congregational meeting is a time for people to weigh in on where it is we are going as a Jewish organization in the future.

Of course, we have the ongoing responsibility of creating space for celebrating Shabbat and Jewish holidays, continuing our own Jewish learning, and supporting a community religious school that prepares young Jews to begin cultivating their own Jewish identities.

I wonder what more we can do.  I dream about what more we might mean to one another and to the greater community. 

In addition to providing services, we ought to be building relationships that transcend the superficiality we have with neighbors and colleagues but don't carry the baggage of family history.  We ought to be a recognizable asset to our beautiful city and contribute in some way to the quality of life here in Central Oregon, furthering our shared values and visions.

In order for us to develop and mature in a meaningful way, we need to take time and really reach out to get to know one another.  We need to find the common ground upon which people can really explore what being Jewish means today and experiment with sharing that part of our identity with others.

At our last board meeting I asked board members and committee chairs what they think increasing the level of engagement in our congregation means.  Here are some of the ideas that were shared:

More engagement in the congregation means:

~ More members step up to the plate and take charge.

~ More people show up at events.

~ More interaction among members at events and outside events.

~ More people feel they are part of TBT.

More engagement in the congregation is important because:

~ We get to meet more Jews.

~ Everything doesn't fall on the rabbi or the same lay leaders.

~ It means our synagogue will be inclusive.

~ It means we can reach our potential as a welcoming, warm Jewish community.

~ We do more events that people want.

If nothing changes about the level of member engagement at TBT:

~ I would keep trying.

~ I would be surprised.

~ We will fall apart or rely on hiring more people.

~ We will lose members and not retain our ability to be an extended family.

~ I would still support the congregation because it is that important to me.

I learned that our board members and committee chairs really do care about Temple Beth Tikvah and want to share their feelings of pride about the past six years and optimism about the future with more Jewish Bendites. 

Please come to the congregational meeting and share your ideas.  If you can't make it, write me, johannahershenson@me.com.  There is a lot we can do together. Like any relationship, we'll get from it in proportion to what we put into it.

Rabbi Hillel taught:  If I am not for myself, who will be for me?  If I am only for myself, what am I?  We each have a gift, a talent, a skill that we can give Temple Beth Tikvah.  And we each deserve to be nourished in return.  A community organization can choose to be a force in the lives of its members. In the end, this is what I hope for...that Temple Beth Tikvah should mean something special to everyone who either passes through our midst or engages with us for the long term. 

TBT Members & Friends ~

As we wind up our sixth year as a congregation, and look forward to our "sabbatical" (seventh) year, we have so much for which to be thankful and proud.  This was our first year with a resident Rabbi; and what a difference that has made.  Rabbi Hershenson has brought such an amazing new energy and spirit to our congregation.  I personally want to thank her for the leadership and counsel she has provided me in helping guide TBT throughout this past year.

While we are a relatively new and still fairly small Congregation, we are very large in terms of what we accomplish and the many activities we offer.  We are able to achieve these great opportunities because of the dedication, time, and effort supplied by our many volunteers.  By my rough estimate, about 75% of our members have volunteered in some way on various activities - in leadership roles, on committees, simply helping out on events, or in other support capacities.  That is an amazing level of participation and I want to make sure they know how much we appreciate their time and contributions.  We could not function without all this work.

There are a few key people who go above and beyond the normal efforts often taking on multiple leadership or support roles.  To my fellow Board members, Committee Chairs, and other key individuals, we truly owe a great debt of gratitude for the many long hours and extra efforts that you provide that allow all of us to benefit from the varied activities and events we enjoy.

One of our most important events took place in May, with the Dynamic Jewish Organizational Leadership Development Workshop retreat that was largely the result of the Rabbi's tireless efforts in planning, leading, and summarizing the information.  We gratefully thank the many members who gave of their time and ideas at this session.  The informative discussions to improve our organizational structure, to better define key roles and responsibilities, and to gather goals and objectives for our future direction have provided a strong starting point for our next year's focus.  We will be sharing this information with the entire congregation, looking to inspire more ideas and involvement as we strive for even greater accomplishments in the coming years.

June also has a significant event coming up, our Annual Congregational Meeting on the 10th.  We hope to see all our members at this session, where we elect our new Board members, approve our new Budget, and deal with other key matters.  In addition to our regular activities of services, Torah Study, and Adult Education, we have some other very special events.  On June 7th, there will be a Progressive Dinner.  These have been especially fun and enjoyable gatherings in the past.  We appreciate the Social Committee, under the direction of Diane Dober, for all the planning; and for the hosting homes for making people feel so welcomed.  On June 28th, Abi Hershenson will become a Bat Mitzvah.  We look forward to supporting her and her family on this special occasion.

Looking ahead into the summer, there are plans for several outdoor services, picnics, and other fun events.  We hope you will participate and enjoy what it means to belong to such a wonderful, caring community.

Finally, on a bittersweet note, on behalf of all of TBT, I want to extend to Pastor Thom all our best wishes as he moves on to a new chapter in his life.  Reverend Larson has been the Pastor at the First United Methodist Church all the years TBT has been there.  His gracious, welcoming, and supportive friendship has allowed us to feel at home sharing their space.  We wish Pastor Thom and Cindy a most enjoyable and relaxing retirement.  We will forever be grateful to him and the entire Church staff and congregation for helping us get our start.

B'Shalom,

Mark Schindel

We started May with a wonderful small plates Shabbat dinner at the home of Johanna and Mark Hershenson.  It was well-attended and gave us all an opportunity to eat and socialize.  We also had a Munch and Torah study and service.  We ended the month with a wonderful musical Erev Shabbat service led by Rabbi Hershenson with special guest, Marshall Voit.

June will be a busy month.  Adult education will be held on Tuesday, June 3rd at the Hershenson home.  The topic of discussion will be Tikkun Layl Shavuot.

We have a special evening planned for Friday, June 20th.  Evie Lerner is hosting Thanksgiving on Shabbat at her home.  We will be feasting on turkey, mashed potatoes and all the trimmings, plus enjoying a short service, playing games, and singing.

Saturday Munch and Torah study and service will be held on June 21st at the church. 

Finally, we will end the month celebrating the Bat Mitzvah of Abi Hershenson.  Friday evening services will be held at the church at 7:00 p.m. followed by an Oneg.  Saturday morning will be Abi's Bat Mitzvah, followed by a light reception in the social hall.

This summer there are other events to put on your calendar.  Don't miss the annual Shabbat service and picnic at Shevlin Park on Friday, July 11th.  Corrine Smith will celebrate her Bat  Mitzvah on July 26th.  We will hold another outdoor Shabbat service on Friday, August 8th, and a Havdallah social event at the home of Marcia and Ralph Uri on Saturday, August 9th.

In the month of May TBT members participated in preparing meals for both the residents of Bethlehem Inn and the Back Door Cafe. 

Bethlehem Inn: The adult b'nai mitzvah class of 2010 holds firm the bond created in their shared accomplishment.  They continued this bond by working together to cook, purchase and serve dinner for the residents of the Bethlehem Inn on Thursday, May 15.  We thank those participating:  Beverly Adler, Leslie Conley, Jeanne Freeman, Corrie Grudin, Ceil Herman, Terry Reynolds,  Ann Rosenfield, Lorraine and Lawrence Schecter, Kathy Schindel, Shari Winicki, and Burt Litman who worked with the group.

Back Door Cafe:  BDC has a dedicated group of TBT member volunteers.  Guests were served breakfast on Wednesday, May 21 by a group of TBT's seasoned kitchen crew. Many thanks to Jeff Adler, Vivian Freeman, Jerry Greenbach, Joe Jezukewicz, Ann & Michael Rosenfield, Bonnie Ruby, Kathy Schindel, and Ralph Uri.

If you are interested in participating in Social Action activities please contact Burt Litman: blitman@bendbroadband.com

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 23rd of each month.  As always, you will continue to receive "e-minders" before important events take place.

Shalom,

Sara Charney Cohen

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.

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.