SEPTEMBER EVENTS

   Sept. 12    6:00 p.m. - Shabbat on the River

   Sept. 13    9:30 a.m. - Congregational Development

                                   Workshop

   Sept. 14  10:30 a.m. - Sunday School Meet & Greet 

                                  at Compass Park

                  7:00 p.m. - TBT Board Meeting

   Sept. 16    4:00 p.m. - Hebrew School

   Sept. 21      TBA       - Slichot Happening - Details TBA!

   Sept. 23    4:00 p.m. - Hebrew School

   Sept. 24    7:30 p.m. - Erev Rosh Hashana service

                 11:59 p.m. - Deadline for October Newsletter

   Sept. 25  10:00 a.m. - Rosh Hashana morning service

                   3:00 p.m. - Children's Service

                   4:00 p.m. - Tashlich

   Sept. 28  10:00 a.m. - Sunday School

                    TBA       - Community Dedication of Jewish

                                   Cemetery Marker

   Sept. 29    7:00 p.m. - Women's Mega Challah Baking

   Sept. 30    4:00 p.m. - Hebrew School

                  5:30 p.m. - Men's Club Serving at Bethlehem

                                  Inn, followed by Happy Hour

ON THE HORIZON

   October 3rd - Kol Nidre

   October 4th - Yom Kippur Services

   October 25th - Bar Mitzvah of Jared Charney Cohen

SEPTEMBER School Activities:

All classes at Shalom Bayit unless otherwise noted.

Meet & Greet: 10:30 a.m. at Compass Park on 9/14

Sunday School  10:00 a.m.:  9/28

Hebrew School  4:00 p.m.:  9/16, 9/23, 9/30

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

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

Hebrew school will be meeting weekly on Tuesday afternoons from 4:00 until 5:00 p.m. at Shalom Bayit beginning on September 16th. Children eight years and older are encouraged to enroll in Hebrew.  Third grade is the optimal grade to begin Hebrew studies.  This gives students time to build a solid foundation of vocabulary and reading skills, which in turn makes Bar and Bat Mitzvah learning so much easier and less stressful.

It is critically important that you register your children for religious school as soon as possible. We need to know our numbers to enable us to plan for materials, staffing, and to establish our classes.

This year we are using a single uniform Community Religious School registration form.  These forms are available on the Temple Beth Tikvah website.  Use this link to get forms:

http://www.bethtikvahbend.org/images/Religious_

School_Reg._form_2014-2015.pdf 

Finally, while we offer Sunday school classes for children kindergarten through 7th grade, this year we will be offering a monthly Post B'nai Mitzvah class taught by the three rabbis in our community.  This class is open to students in 8th through 12th grades. Register for this class using the same registration form available on our website.  Day and time for this class is still to be determined. 

We hope to see all of our families both new and returning at our religious school "Meet and Greet" on September 14th at 10:30 a.m. at Compass Park in Northwest Crossing.  Watch for a separate email invitation.  Regular Sunday school classes begin on September 28th. 

For any questions regarding religious school, please contact Kathy Schindel at  schindelke@aol.com. 

The High Holy Days are fast approaching and we invite you to join Rabbi Hershenson, Cantor Nicholson, and our wonderful musicians, Lauren, Julie, and Jo for this year's Services.  We welcome all to attend any or all of our services.  We do ask that everyone, including TBT members, make reservations by going to:

http://www.bethtikvahbend.org/high-holy-days-reservation-form/form/6-high-holy-days-reservation-form

 or by calling TBT at (541) 388-8826.  We would appreciate receiving your reservations as soon as possible, but no later than September 15th.

High Holy Day Services 2014, 5775

Wed. Sept. 24th 7:30 p.m.     Erev Rosh Hashanah

                                         Service

Thurs. Sept. 25th 10:00 a.m.  Rosh Hashanah Service

                           3:00 p.m.  Children and Family Service

                                              at Pioneer Park

                           4:00 p.m   Tashlich Service and picnic

                                             at Pioneer Park

Fri.  Oct. 3rd 7:30 p.m.    Kol Nidre Service

Sat. Oct. 4th 10:00 a.m.  Yom Kippur Morning Service

                     1:00 p.m.   Adult learning/discussion

                                       following the morning

                                       Service

                     2:00 p.m.   Children's Service

                     3:00 p.m.   Yom Kippur Afternoon

                                       Service

                     4:30p.m.    Yizkor Memorial Service

                     5:30 p.m.   Neilah Concluding Service

                     6:30 p.m.   Break-the-Fast Dinner

We look forward to having you join us for High Holy Days services and future TBT events.

L'Shanah Tovah

The Hebrew month of Elul has begun and that means the High Holy Days are just around the corner.  What a busy and exciting time of year!!

The ancient rabbis suggest that we use the entire month of Elul to prepare ourselves for Rosh Hashanah.  This is the time of year when Jews think about what it is we really want in life and are we fulfilling our own expectations. 

It is easy to forget about our big picture goals and aspirations when we get caught up in the busy-ness of life.  I, myself, feel utterly scatter-brained balancing all the back to school preparation in my household with preparations for the High Holy Days and planning for another great programmatic year at Temple Beth Tikvah, not to mention making an effort to grab the last tasty morsels of summer before it's gone.  It's hard to pay attention to esoteric notions like, am I happy?  Do I contribute to a greater whole? 

I appreciate the call of the month of Elul and watching the moon fill and wane as Rosh Hashanah approaches.  I need to be reminded to check in with those big picture goals and aspirations.

Last May, some forty members of Temple Beth Tikvah met to discuss what sort of Jewish community organization we want our synagogue to become under our watch.  From previously documented efforts to define ourselves and the discussions at our leadership development retreat, I developed a report called, Manifesting Communal Wisdom.  In it, I mapped out the many goals and visions we've accumulated in our first six years of institutional existence. 

On Saturday, September 13th, just two weeks before Rosh Hashanah, I invite our current leadership and all interested parties to convene again for the work of prioritizing the many ideas we have about what our community might be and developing action plans, tangible goals for the next year and next 3-5 years.  I'd like to see us create a B'rit Shanah, an action plan for the Jewish year, this year, and every year. 

At High Holy Day Services, all of our membership - current and prospective - will receive an update on this planning work and an invitation to contribute time and effort to realizing the goals our leadership sets for us.  As we prepare for this sacred season, each of us should consider what it is we want from our involvement with Temple Beth Tikvah in the coming year.  People interested in content should commit to facilitating our ritual services, learning opportunities, and community service projects.  Folks interested in social networking ought to help organize special interest group gatherings and communications.  Amateur chefs and bakers and Jewish mothers should feed us at all our events.  Dreamers should get involved in strategic planning for the future.  Organizers should help us streamline our communications, our financial planning, and our technical support options.  There is something to do for everybody.

Keep your eyes out for new information, for new ideas, and new members in our community!  L'shanah tovah tikateyvu...May we write up a few good chapters for the Book of Life in the coming year!  

Members & Friends ~

As summer draws to a close here in Central Oregon, I hope everyone takes advantage of our beautiful weather and outdoors.  With fall around the corner, that means the High Holy Days are fast approaching.  We welcome you to attend any or all of our High Holy Days services and events.  You can get the details regarding this information in the Newsletter and on our website.

Meanwhile, in August, we took advantage of our great summer to have several events outdoors.  We gratefully acknowledge the members who helped make these events so special for all of us.  Lynne & Ed Connelley opened their home for a warm Kabbalat Family Shabbat partially under the stars.  A spirited Adult Education discussion on the Israeli conflict in Gaza was hosted by Ann and Michael Rosenfield.  Marcia and Ralph Uri hosted a Havdallah social in their backyard with delicious appetizers and desserts brought by many of the wonderful cooks we have in our community.  Our annual Family Picnic, coordinated by Lawrence and Lorraine Schechter, was another fun get together in the beautiful setting of Pioneer Park.  On a more solemn note, we had a special Rosh Chodesh Elul (Kever Avot) service at the Jewish cemetery in the Deschutes Memorial Garden.  Finally, a fitting end to the month was a thrilling family river rafting outing organized by Fred Rafilson on behalf of the Men's Group.  With many more enjoyable social, educational, and religious events in the future for all ages and backgrounds, please come join us.

Coming up in September, besides our Rosh Hashanah services and Tashlich picnic, we will be having several other special events of which you will want to make note.  Seana and Ron Jollo will be hosting a backyard Kabbalat Shabbat and potluck dinner at their home on the banks of the Deschutes River.  Be on the lookout for your Evite and please RSVP.  Also, for Selichot, a special Shofar flash mob is being planned, so stay tuned for details on that fun event.  For those with children, our Religious Education programs (Sunday School and Hebrew instruction) will be starting, so please make sure to fill out your registration forms.  You will find further instructions in the Newsletter and on our website.  A formal community-wide dedication ceremony for the new marker at the Jewish cemetery section is planned for the Sunday between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.  Finally, as a follow-up to our initial Leadership Development Workshop back in May, we will be continuing our important work on our leadership structure and objectives in a meeting to be held on Saturday, September 13th.  We hope that all those members who contributed in the original workshop will continue to provide their valuable input, plus we want those who may not have been able to make it the first time, but are most interested in adding their voice, to join us and help prepare for our future.

Whether you attend this Leadership Workshop on September 13th or not, please know that your ideas and involvement are always welcome.  I realize that many members do not see themselves as "leaders", thinking that the Board and Committee Chairs are what we mean by that term.  There is much more to being a "leader".  Actually, there is a "leader' in all of us.  Maybe not in the sense of taking on a role that requires having authority responsibilities, but rather the creative and useful ideas that you can share or the supportive and helpful efforts you can provide that are so critical to making our congregation and community better for all of us.  I realize that often family, work, and other important commitments make it difficult to take on certain roles or responsibilities within TBT; but don't let that be your limitation.  Instead, look for opportunities where you CAN contribute your ideas, assistance, or in some other way support the many great activities and events we provide for this congregation and community.  Know that your involvement will make a difference - for you and for all of us.  We all thank you for your contributions.

L'Shana Tova,

    Mark Schindel

This was the 12th year for the Central Oregon Great Giveaway - COGGA - and the first year that Beth Tikvah members participated. Jerry Greenbach, Burt Litman and Jeanne Freeman moved mounds of goods helping to set up the event. The large hall was filled with tables laden with clothing, sorted by men's and women's, by shirts and pants, and dresses. There were separate areas for both girls' and boys' clothing; a room filled with shoes; one with accessories and purses; a room filled with toys delighting the children; a room that overflowed into the halls with kitchenware - from dishes and flatware to baking needs.

And those who were there in need of goods were finding them. Families, couples and singles searched room-by-room outfitting themselves and their homes. Working to provide breakfast for those in need in Central Oregon at Back Door Cafe, I recognized some of those attending who we had served and knew that COGGA had reached its audience.

By event end, more than 880 people had come in search of goods, and more than 147 volunteers had contributed 961 hours into creating a successful Great Giveaway. 

In support of our Temple Beth Tikvah mission statement: "we provide support for a diversity of non-profit organizations through social action. Our care for the well-being of our broader local community helps to heal the world," we hope you'll join us next year at the Great Giveaway.

The religious committee is pleased to inform the congregation that we received a grant from the URJ to teach a Taste of Judaism class to the greater Bend community.  This grant is a wonderful opportunity for outreach as the class is designed for people who are not members of our congregation or not even Jewish, but interested in learning about our religion.  Rabbi Hershenson will be teaching the three week class in October. Jeanne Freeman will be doing all of the advertising, the cost of which is covered by the grant. Jill Muinch will be the class administrator. On August 12th,  the ladies took an online training class to learn how best to make this outreach successful.  We are pleased that we have this upcoming event opportunity to get our name out to the community and educate more people about our religion.

August was a busy religious month for Temple Beth Tikvah starting with a Kabbalat Shabbat dinner and service at the Connelley home. It was a beautiful evening that was well-attended and very enjoyable. Following that event, the Uri's hosted a Havdallah social and surprise celebration in honor of the Greenbach's anniversary. August also included an adult education, a Munch and Torah, and a lovely Erev Shabbat service. The month ended with an August 27th unveiling of the marker at the Jewish cemetery.  A formal community-wide dedication of the marker is planned for September 28th.

On September 12th, we will celebrate our Sabbath with Shabbat on the River at the Ash/Jollo home. This Kabbalat Shabbat should be a fun event for all ages as it will include a potluck BBQ, a service, games, and a bonfire. Also, September will mark the beginning of the High Holidays. At end of the month, we begin the celebration of our High Holidays with Selichot on Sunday, September 21st and Erev Rosh Hashanah on Wednesday September 24th. On Thursday, September 25th, is the Rosh Hashanah service, and Tashlich service at Pioneer Park.

We have completed the first draft of our calendar of religious events for the coming year.  We have made some changes that we hope will be well-received. First, we plan to have all of our Kabbalat Shabbat services at an outside location or at a member's home. We hope the atmosphere will be more inviting, welcoming, and enjoyable for all ages.  We are still looking for locations for some months of the calendar year, so please let us know if you would like to offer your home or have an idea for a location.  

Second, we are changing the service time for our Erev Shabbat service held in the church sanctuary at the end of each month.  On November 21st, we begin the following schedule: 5:00 p.m. Tot Shabbat; 5:30 p.m. wine, challah, cheese and crackers oneg, open to all ages; followed by a 6:00 p.m. service.  At the conclusion of each service, we are hoping that many of our members will consider going out to dinner together.  Also, beginning in November, we will have monthly themes. Rabbi Hershenson hopes to use the themes in many innovative ways. Stay tuned for themes that will educate, inspire some thought, and just be fun!

Phyllis Greenbach shares her first time at Back Door Café:

Participating in the Back Door Cafe for the first time was even better than expected. I'm all in when it comes to win-win experiences. But this was even better than that! The Back Door Cafe was a win-win-win! Yep, a triple crown winner! A real feel good moment! And with the constant bombardment of bad news, how often can you experience a win-win-win.

In the first place, I can't describe the satisfaction I felt knowing that TBT members - who that morning hadn't eaten breakfast themselves and probably wouldn't go to this much trouble at home - donned aprons, divvied up chores, and worked as a team to produce a wholesome breakfast fit for the most discerning guests.

I'm all for brotherhood. Good Christian-Jewish relations. And this experience warmed the cockles of my heart. I realize it took the cooperation and coordination of the church staff and the advance team of TBT to put it together. Cooperation is possible. This was a testimonial to that simple truth.

And finally, best of all, seeing those in need being treated with dignity to a full breakfast made me realize that once in a while I can forgo my lazy mornings and serve others. The warm fuzzy feeling I got serving breakfast was far better than that second cup of coffee.

From the Social Action Committee:

Breakfast is served every Wednesday at the Back Door Café located in the fellowship hall of our Methodist Church, with Beth Tikvah members running the kitchen one morning each month; the Methodists and other volunteers serving all the other weeks. There is always a need for good kitchen help! Ann Hand oversees the weekly schedule and can use more volunteers. Some TBT members work regularly with the Methodists. To sign up for the TBT week, email Jeanne Freeman at jfreeman@bendbroadband.com or contact Ann Hand at annhand@bendcable.com to volunteer for any other Wednesday.

In August the Beth Tikvah Back Door Café crew cooked and served breakfast for a record-breaking 95 men, women and children. It was non-stop from our 7:30 a.m. arrival till the last dish was washed and put away at 10:15. Thank you to all who volunteered. Bonnie Ruby, Burt Litman, Jeanne Freeman, Jeff Adler, Phyllis and Jerry Greenbach, Joe Jezukewicz, Kathy Schindel, Linda Brant, and Vivian Freeman. We'll be serving again on Wednesday, September 17th. 

TBT has many Rosh Hashanah & Sukkot books waiting for you! Our library is now housed at Evie Lerner's home. 
To arrange for pick-up, contact Evie: 

evielerner60@gmail.com

Rosh Hashana titles:

Apples and Honey: a Rosh Hashanah lift-the-flap book by Joan Holub.  Call no. 239.

Celebrate!: A Book of Jewish Holidays by Judith Gross. Call no. JUV 347

Engineer Ari and the Rosh Hashanah Ride by Deborah Bodin Cohen. Call no. JUV F COH

Even Higher!: A Rosh Hashanah Story by Eric Kimmel.  Call no. 239

A First Book of Jewish Holidays by Sophia Cedarbaum. Call no. JE 236

Gershon's Monster: A Story for the Jewish New Year by Eric Kimmel.  Call no. F KIM

New Year at the Pier: A Rosh Hashanah Story by April Halprin Wayland.  Call no. 239 WAY

Secret Shofar of Barcelona by Jacqueline Dembar Greene. Call no. F GRE

Sukkot Titles

The House on the Roof: A Sukkot Story by David A. Adler. Call no. F ADL

It's Sukkah Time! by Latifa Berry Kropf. Call no. JUV 242.11

Sadie's Sukkah Breakfast by Jamie S. Korngold.  Call no. F KOR

Sammy Spider's First Sukkot by Sylvia A. Rouss.  Call no. F ROU

The Very Crowded Sukkah by Leslie Kimmelman.  Call no. JUV 236.6

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

This year when Temple Beth Tikvah lacked the manpower to have a Relay for Life team, members Jake and Zack Olander decided that sitting back and doing nothing wasn't an option. Jake and Zack, who unfortunately are all too familiar with the effect that cancer has when it creeps into your own home, decided that since the temple wasn't going to form a team, that they were! That is how team Kids Against Cancer came to be.   

They made a conscious decision that only kids could be on this team, as they wanted to prove a point. They decided that they wanted to show the world and the Beth Tikvah community that kids can make a difference and be a part of the fight back against cancer. 

After a few weeks, they decided that they needed to let a few adults join their team, as they needed rides to places to help with their fundraising. They were very selective and decided that the only "other" people allowed on their team were teachers. They invited Mark and Kathy Schindel on the team and Julie and Jo, our temple musicians. Mark and Kathy supported the boys in many of their fundraising efforts. Julie and Jo joined the boys' team and Jo and her band Rare Boots hosted a fundraiser for the boys at Broken Top Bottle Shop, to which many temple members came.

Temple members purchased specially marked bags of Backporch Coffee from the boys that they were selling as a fundraiser. The boys reached out to dear friends Mark and Linda Quon, who played at the temple's fifth year anniversary celebration. Mark and Linda hosted a fundraiser at Silver Moon Brewery. Silver Moon brewed a beer especially for Relay for Life and Linda helped put together a Silent Auction at that event. Jake and Zack and their friends also sent out many emails to friends and family to help raise dollars as well.  

At each fundraising event, the kids were there to help sell and decorate luminaria bags as well as help collect general donations. The boys helped set up their own website and fundraising pages, and Jake was in charge of checking the fundraising pages multiple times a day.  

Relay for Life was held July 18th-19th this year.  For those of you not familiar with Relay, it is a 24-hour event where teams come together to "Celebrate, Remember and Fight Back against cancer."  Jake and Zack were at Relay for approximately 18 hours and went home overnight to get a few hours sleep before coming back the next morning for closing ceremonies.  

At the final count, Jake and Zack's team raised $8676.08, coming in behind Hydroflask and Walmart. The boys individually each raised over $1000.00.

It is amazing what a 9 and 10 year old can accomplish when they set their mind to it and more importantly, they learned the lesson of being able to make a difference.

After the event was over, Zack asked if there would be a cure for cancer in his lifetime. I told him I believed there would be. His response was "that's cool". I asked if he meant a cure for cancer would be cool and he said "No, I mean it's cool that when they find a cure for cancer, Jake and I were a part of that because of what we do with Relay for Life. A lesson to be learned by all of us. 

In July, Eliana Cańas, the granddaughter of members Stephen and Eileen Katz, participated in the New York IMTA (International Modeling and Talent Association) competition in eight talent categories.  The event was held in mid-town Manhattan.  Eliana worked hard for over 8 months preparing for this event and was pleased that she won honorable mention in two categories, performing a TV Commercial and Improvisation. This means that she was one of the top 10 scorers in those categories in her age group.  She received call backs from two agents, and now  has her fingers crossed.   Eliana loves to sing, and during the course of the event she had great fun performing and made several new friends.  Eliana attends the TBT Sunday school.   The picture shows her on the red carpet at the awards ceremony.

During the trip Stephen, Eileen and Eliana had lunch at Katz's Deli (no relation) on Houston Street in the lower East Side and, of course, had a dry salami shipped home.  Stephen reports that the pastrami on hot rye is as good as ever.

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.