AUGUST EVENTS

   Aug.  1   6:00 p.m. - Kaballat Shabbat at Connelley's

   Aug.  4   7:00 p.m. - Adult Education at Rosenfield's

   Aug.  9   7:00 p.m. - Havdallah & Social at M & R Uri's

   Aug. 10  7:00 p.m. - TBT Board Meeting

   Aug. 16  9:00 a.m. - Munch & Torah

              10:45 a.m. - Shabbat Morning Torah service

   Aug. 17 12:00 p.m. - Annual TBT Picnic at Pioneer Park

   Aug. 22  7:00 p.m. - Erev Shabbat Service

   Aug. 24 11:59 p.m. - September Newsletter deadline

   Aug. 27  7:00 p.m. - Rosh Chodesh Elul & Cemetery

                               Marker Dedication

   Aug. 30  9:00 a.m. - Men's Club River Rafting Expedition

 

ON THE HORIZON

   September 12th - Kabbalat Shabbat BBQ at Jollo's

   September 18th - Serving at Bethlehem Inn

   September 24-25 - Rosh HaShanah

   October 3-4 - Yom Kippur

   October 25 - Bar Mitzvah of Jared Charney Cohen

    

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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My family in Israel are primarily settlers in the West Bank.  During the days of the British Mandate they were Jewish terrorists...literally terrorists.  My cousin Chanah nursed her son, Yossi, sitting in a rocking chair while British soldiers routinely searched her house for members of the Stern Gang, the Lechi.  The floorboards beneath her rocker were movable and beneath them lay lists of names, guns, and grenades she and her husband had indeed stored for the Lechi. 

 

Her husband, Max, manned the only machine gun of its caliber in Jerusalem during the War of Independence, darting from one end of the city to the other to make it seem like there were multiple Jewish units with such machine guns and not just one. 

 

His brother, Dudu, was captured by the British literally in the act of attempting to murder the governor general of Palestine.  He was imprisoned in Djibuti until the end of the War of Independence because the British considered him an escape risk.  He had broken out of British jails in Palestine many times. 

 

Max and Chanah eventually moved to the United States with their four sons.  Dudu eventually settled in the West Bank, where he married, raised children, and was a superintendent for the school system in Judea and Samaria in the eighties and first half of the nineties.

 

When I visited Israel in high school, and again in my college and graduate school years, I did not really click with my Israeli family, but I did very much fall in love with the country.  As a young woman interested in becoming a rabbi, I offended the religious sensibilities of my family.   Among my peers, I found a sense of home and belonging in the Jewish state that I simply never felt as a Jew anywhere else in the world. 

 

I also found the peace movement in Israel, Jews and Arabs, committed to coexistence, committed to two-state solutions, committed to life affirming values and conduct. I never felt that my interest in human rights or nonviolence conflicted with my Zionism. 

 

Unfortunately the past two decades of discourse about Israel in the diaspora has narrowed the continuum of acceptable responses to what is happening in Israel and Gaza right now. 

 

I share my thoughts with you, with an invitation to write back and share  your perspective as well.

 

First and foremost,  NO HYPERBOLE!

 

What concerns me most as I browse through the news feed of my Facebook account is the hyperbole that every side has engaged to make its points.

 

It seems to me that the situation is dire enough, disturbing enough, brutal, and morally challenging enough that we don't need to use hyperbole to make a case for Zionism, for human rights, for security and safety, or for self-determination.

 

Hamas showers Israel with rockets.  These rockets are not exactly precise.  They cause damage, they can cause death, and they certainly have increased the level of stress in daily life exponentially.

 

Hamas seems to have surprised Israel with its recently developed system of tunnels for the purpose of entering Israel to perpetrate more frequent, more proximate, and more deadly attacks on the population.

 

Hamas' defense tactics force Israeli soldiers to knowingly injure and kill civilians. 

 

Still, Israel's military and political might and sophistication far exceed that of Hamas.  Israel has control of this situation.  Israel will not lose.  Israel is not in danger of being wiped off the face of the map.

 

Let's not pretend that war will solve this problem.

 

Golda Meir, said during the 1973 war, that we can forgive the Arab world for killing our sons, but we cannot forgive the Arab world for forcing us to kill their children.  The insidious evils of this war will last long after the headlines.  Israeli soldiers will have to come to terms with the kind of warfare that forced them to knowingly kill children and women, noncombatants. 

 

I don't believe that war is just.  Ever.

 

I don't believe that war is always avoidable either.

 

I don't have "the" answer to the matzav, the situation in Israel. 

 

But I do know that the rabbis of the Talmud challenge us to pursue peace, even and especially during wartime.

 

It seems to me that we have plenty of peace to pursue, while governments figure out how to solve issues of governance.

 

Here and now, we begin with ourselves.

 

Only we can make the choice not to descend into the crisis mode that our brothers and sisters in Israel are forced to face daily.  We are very lucky to live in beautiful, Bend, Oregon.  I don't mean we should close our eyes to what is happening outside, but rather take advantage of the conscious choice we made when we decided to live here, and not there. 

 

Sometimes distance allows us to see things we can't see when we are in the middle of all the action.  Our safety and ease of life, in Bend, should give us a sense of comfort and confidence.  We should not feel like we are on the brink of annihilation, because we are not. 

 

From our place of safety and sanity, we can access a wide array of resources for information about what is happening in Israel.  We are far away enough to filter the information we receive.  To weigh different sources and agendas.  To choose media that report responsibly and not get caught up in the hyperbolic waves of fear and victimization that so easily spread on Facebook and other social media.  We can check in to gather information and then check out, take a break every so often.  Hysteria does not serve us. 

 

Here and now, turn to others.

 

We should take care of our relationships here and now.  We should love each other a little more when images from abroad remind us how fragile life and relationships truly are.  We should reach out to our neighbors and colleagues, demonstrate human concern for one another.  Indifference is not OK.  We should love one another, smile at one another, say hello, make eye contact, connect.  The more we exercise our muscles of compassion, shared experience, curiosity and kind social intercourse, the harder it is to not care when others suffer.

 

We should reach out. 

 

We should make a connection with a synagogue or community center in Israel.  We should correspond and visit one another.  Develop a relationship that lasts over time, so that we have generations of shared experiences to draw upon.  We can be a source of peace, friendship, and encouragement. 

 

We should extend hospitality to Muslims and Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, and atheists, the Latino and Native American communities in Central Oregon.  It is important that we build relationships founded on mutual respect and genuine curiosity.  Once we get to know one another better, we will begin to see shared values and agendas around which we can harness our energies and resources as partners. 

 

While in principle, we are fully committed to the idea of tikkun olam, that we are responsible for making the world a better place, we are new at partnering in our efforts to do so.  When we work together for a greater good, our relationships become stronger, more meaningful, and indifference dissipates.

 

Od yavo shalom aleynu, peace will emerge again, this situation is not permanent... 

 

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Members & Friends ~

 

I hope you are enjoying another beautiful summer in Central Oregon.  July was certainly a very busy month with so many events - 4th of July Fireworks, SummerFest, Cascade Cycling Classic, Balloons Over Bend, Tour of Homes, Oregon Classic Horse Jumping Competition, and more.  Temple Beth Tikvah also had a full schedule of activities - Munch & Torah Study, two Social Action activities: a BBQ dinner cooked & served by the Men's Group at the Bethlehem Inn and the Back Door Café breakfast prepared & served at the Church, Kabbalat Shabbat Family Picnic and service in Shevlin Park, and the lovely Bat Mitzvah of Corinne Smith.  These wonderful events required the extraordinary volunteer efforts of many members to make them all so successful, and we Thank everyone for their time and effort.

 

Fortunately, we have more great events in August - Kabbalat Family Shabbat at the Connelley's, Adult Education hosted by the Rosenfields, a Havdallah social at the Uri's, Munch & Torah Study, our Annual TBT Family Picnic in Pioneer Park, Back Door Café breakfast for the needy, Erev Shabbat service, a special Rosh Chodesh Elul service and dedication of the new Gan Shalom cemetery marker, and a family river rafting outing.  Come join us and see how much fun and meaningful being Jewish can be in Central Oregon.

 

In our six short years of existence, we feel that we have accomplished quite a lot in building a warm, welcoming, vibrant, Reform Jewish community.  Apparently, it has not gone unnoticed.  Temple Beth Tikvah just recently received a most generous anonymous gift from a total stranger.  This benefactor has made donations to 126 different synagogues throughout the United States, so far.  How or why we were chosen is not known.  But, I would like to think that all the fine work, welcoming, caring, educating, and community building that we have exhibited must have caught this person's attention.  If you are interested, there is a website (Chai Minded) that explains the mission and lists the recipients at http://chaiminded.org/.  Since the TBT Board and leadership are currently in the process of planning our short and long term goals, we will hold off on any specific uses for these unexpected funds until we complete that work.  Of course, we will make sure to honor the donor's mission that we "provide a spiritual haven and comforting community for members and guests".

 

Finally, it is hard to ignore all the news about the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians in Gaza.  Unfortunately, getting accurate information and a true understanding of the events is very difficult with the bombardment of opinionated broadcasts in various media.  How to respond to the situation in Israel is a personal choice that we each have to make for ourselves.  I conclude with a prayer from Rabbi John Rosove that is posted on the URJ website:

 

Eternal God, receive our prayers for the peace and security of the State of Israel and its people.

Spread blessing upon the Land and upon all who labor in its interest.

Protect Israeli soldiers as they defend our people against missiles and hate.

Protect the innocent among the Palestinian people, that they may be safe and free from death and injury.

Inspire Israel's leaders to both defend our people and follow the ways of righteousness and compassion.

Remove from the hearts of our people fear, hatred, malice, strife, and vengeance.

May the Jewish people scattered throughout the earth stand strong in solidarity with the state of Israel in times of war and peace, and may they be infused with the ancient hope of Zion.

May our people be encouraged by the symbol of Jerusalem as the eternal city of peace.

May the State of Israel be a blessing to all its inhabitants and to the Jewish people everywhere,

May she be a light to the nations of the world.

Amen!

 

 B'Shalom,

    Mark Schindel

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The Central Oregon Great Giveaway is a community service effort to collect usable items of clothing, household items, bedding and other goods to give and share with those in need. Everyone is welcome! Items are collected from the community and then given away to anyone who needs them for FREE!!!
 

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We began July with another Munch and Torah followed by Shabbat morning Torah service with Rabbi Hershenson. On Friday, July 11th, we all gathered for what ended up being a lovely evening in Shevlin Park for a Shabbat Kabbalat Picnic. The pot luck side dishes were a great addition to the BBQ hot dogs and hamburgers. Thanks to Miriam Snyder, Lynne Connelley's daughter for joining Rabbi Hershenson in leading the singing and prayers for the service. It was well-attended.

 

Also at the end of July was the Erev Shabbat and Bat Mitzvah of Corinne Smith. Mazal Tov to her and her family.

 

Friday, August 1st brings our next Kabbalat Shabbat at the home of the Connelleys. Please respond to the Evite if you have not yet done so. Also, August 4th is an Adult Education evening at the home of Ann and Michael Rosenfield, and a Havallah and Social on August 9th at Marcia and Ralph Uri's home. We will end the month with an Erev Shabbat Service on August 22nd and Rosh Chodesh Elul and dedication of a marker at the cemetery on Wednesday, August 27th.

 

Again, we hope you are enjoying our monthly services at a private home or park, taking advantage of our wonderful surroundings in Bend. Let us know what you think about how it is going.

 

Back Door Café

As part of the Temple Beth Tikvah Social Action Program, a group of up to 10 of our members serves breakfast one Wednesday each month at the Back Door Café located at the Methodist Church fellowship hall. Our effort is greatly appreciated by the recipients. If you would like to participate in this mitzvah, please contact Jeanne Freeman at jfreeman@bendbroadband.com. Monthly notices go out to those interested in working asking for signups.

 

This month we'll be serving breakfast on Wednesday, August 20th.

 

Thanks to Bonnie Ruby, Burt Litman, Jeanne Freeman, Jerry Greenbach, Joe Jezukewicz, Ann and Michael Rosenfield, Kathy Schindel, and Terry Reynolds who cooked, served and cleaned in July.

 

Bethlehem Inn

Thank you to the Beth Tikvah Men's Group for cooking and serving a barbecue dinner to the residents of Bethlehem Inn.

 

Our next dinner is scheduled for September 18th. Watch for information coming soon.

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

The TBT Men's Club will be holding two events in August - a family river rafting trip, and the Annual TBT Summer Picnic.

The Men's Club will once again host the Annual TBT Picnic at Pioneer Park on Sunday, August 17th, beginning at noon. Please join us for this all-ages fun-filled event that is always one of the highlights of the summer.  Just bring yourselves and let the Men's Club handle the rest!

Details for the August 30th river rafting trip can be found above in this newsletter. 

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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. 

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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.  

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