The Short Schrift October 2016 Elul - Tishrei 5776 TBH Board President Laura Schrager Vice President Allyson Brooks Treasurer Gary Schneider Secretary Harriet Strasberg Members at Large Michael Blum Tikva Glantz David Hanig Lisa Hoffman Spencer Orman Erin Syversen Youth Ed Rep Bat-Sheva Stein Contact Us 360-754-8519 (Phone) 360-528-2046 (Fax) tbh@bethhatfiloh.org www.bethhatfiloh.org 201 8th Ave. SE Olympia WA 98501 Rabbi Seth Goldstein rabbi@bethhatfiloh.org Director of Family Life and Learning Catherine Carmel beitsefer@bethhatfiloh.org Community Engagement Coordinator Vacant tbh@bethhatfiloh.org The High Holiday season is upon us. From the Rabbi There are so many details that go into preparing for the holidays, the services are more elaborate, the participation greater. Much to keep track of. And yet, as I move toward the holidays keeping track of so many of the moving parts seems easier. This is what comes from repetition, from growing together as rabbi and congregation, from developing our congregational customs and traditions. This is one of the things that we look for when we assemble for the High Holidays the familiarity. The potent liturgy, the familiar tunes, the recognizable language. They call to us, reminding us of what these holidays are all about and allowing us to mark the season in a way that is comfortable. And while we find comfort in the known, we can also be open to the new. This year we will be doing something new with our Torah service. Rather than invite individuals to offer the aliyot (blessings before the Torah reading) we will be inviting groups of people based around themes. This will be an opportunity to increase participation in the services and add new meaning to the reading of our sacred text. I hope you will take this opportunity to mark where you are in your own journey as we celebrate a new year. I look forward to seeing you over the holidays. I hope you will use this time granted to us in meaningful ways as we begin again. L shanah tovah: wishing you a wonderful and sweet new year. For Members Only: Rabbi Seth Goldstein This month we are mailing to all members from last year and renewing members for 2016/2017. Next month we will be mailing only to households that have renewed for 2016/2017. Renew now! If you prefer to continue to only receive an electronic copy, please send a message to the Office at tbh@bethhatfiloh.org or call 754-8519. Short Schrift: October 2016 Page 1 Elul- Tishrei, 5776
HIGH HOLIDAY SCHEDULE 2016/5777 All services unless noted will be at Temple Beth Hatfiloh, 8th and Washington SE The TBH Building will be open by 8:45 a.m. for greeting and schmoozing. Services will start promptly. Erev Rosh Hashanah Sunday, October 2, 2016 Service 7:00 p.m. Sanctuary Rosh Hashanah Day 1 Monday, October 3, 2016 Meditation 8:45 a.m. Room 205 Morning Service 9:30 a.m. Sanctuary Youth Program (ages 6-12) 9:30 a.m. Chapel (Room 201/202) Community Lunch 12:30 p.m. Social Hall Bring your dairy/vegetarian lunch Tot High Holidays (ages 0-5) 3:00 p.m. Sanctuary Tashlikh 4:00 p.m. Meet at TBH to walk to Percival Landing Rain or shine Rosh Hashanah Day 2 Tuesday, October 4, 2016 Hike 10:45 a.m. Priest Point Park, Shelter #2 Text Study and Lunch 12:15 p.m. Priest Point Park, Shelter #2 Shabbat Shuvah Friday, October 7, 2016 Erev Shabbat Service 7:30 p.m. Sanctuary Erev Yom Kippur Tuesday, October 11, 2016 Service/Kol Nidre 6:30 p.m. Sanctuary Yom Kippur Wednesday, October 12, 2016 Meditation 8:45 a.m. Room 205 Morning Service 9:30 a.m. Sanctuary Youth Program (ages 6-12) 9:30 a.m. Chapel (Room 201/202) Yizkor (Memorial Service) 1:45 p.m. Sanctuary Study sessions 2:30 p.m. Various classrooms Healing Service 4:00 p.m. Chapel (Room 201/202) Mincha/Jonah discussion 5:00 p.m. Sanctuary Neilah (Concluding service) 6:15 p.m. Sanctuary Havdalah/Communal Break Fast 7:15 p.m. Sanctuary/Social Hall Short Schrift: October 2016 Page 2 Elul- Tishrei, 5776
October Erev Shabbat Services Erev Shabbat Services on October 7 and 14 will start at 7:30pm. Erev Shabbat on October 21 will be celebrated with a Sukkot Tisch at 6pm. (see October Event Page for details) Erev Shabbat Services on October 28 will start at 6pm. October Shabbat Morning and High Holiday Activities JEWISH WITH MEANING 1st Saturday, October 1 10:30am - 1:00pm The Jewish with Meaning group meets on Saturday, October 1, the day before Rosh Hashanah eve. This is an opportunity to join with others to prepare for the experience of the High Holy Days. We will gather at 10:30 for food, ritual, and discussion. "Where is this thing called Teshuvah (turning) located? the Torah asks. Well, it isn't in heaven, so please don't say, I can't do this thing because I don't know how to get to heaven. And it isn't across the sea, so please don't say, I can't do this thing because I don't have a steamship ticket. "Rather it is exceedingly near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, so you can do it." Don't look off in the distance, and don't look outside yourself either, the Torah is telling us, look at your own heart...what is the pain that is pressing on your heart right this moment? That's what you need to make Teshuvah about.." Rabbi Alan Lew, on parshat Netzavim ROSH HASHANAH See Page 2 for details. Erev Services on Sunday, October 2 start at 7pm. Day 1 Services start at 9:30am on October 3. Day 2 Hike and Text Study are at Priest Point Park, Shelter #2 on October 4. TORAH STUDY 2nd Saturday, October 8 10:00am - 1:00pm Prayer and study are equally holy activities and we will do both. We ll share a Shabbat brunch and study the Torah together. All are invited. No experience is necessary! Meditation is at 9:15am. YOM KIPPUR See Page 2 for details. Erev Services on Tuesday, October 11 start at 6:30pm. Day Services start at 9:30am on October 12. MUSSAR MORNING & SERVICE 3rd Saturday, October 15 Mussar 9:30am, Service 10:30am Mussar is the Jewish school of thought which seeks to root personal character development and right behavior in Jewish tradition and text. We meet monthly to share some food and learn more about this tradition and how it may benefit our lives. TALMUD STUDY 4th Saturday, October 22 9:30am The Talmud is a compendium of law and lore that is the basis on which biblical interpretation and contemporary Jewish practice rest. Rabbi Seth will lead us as we dive deep into this complex and fascinating text. Short Schrift: October 2016 Page 3 Elul- Tishrei, 5776
October Events SENIOR SCHMOOZE Tuesday, October 4, cancelled Next meeting: Tuesday, November 1 12:00pm All seniors (define yourself!) are invited. Because of a conflict with the High Holidays we ll be skipping our usual first Tuesday meeting. We will meet again in November and Rabbi Seth will be providing lunch. Please contact Elie Halpern at 357-8160 or by email at ehalpern@aol.com if you have any suggestions for our December program. Starting in January, Russ Lidman will become the Senior-in-Charge of the Senior Schmooze. FORKIDS PACKING Thurston County Food Bank 2260 Mottman Road SW, Tumwater Tuesday, October 11 3:30pm Join us on the second Tuesday of October as we again fill bags at the Tumwater branch of the Thurston County Food Bank. The FORKids program provides a weekend bag of food to over 2000 elementary and middle school children in Tumwater, Lacey and Olympia. For further information please contact Elie Halpern at 357-8160 or email him at ehalpern@aol.com. SUKKOT TISCH Friday, October 21 6:00pm Join us as we celebrate Sukkot and Shabbat with the annual Sukkot Tisch! We will come together in the TBH sukkah for singing, storytelling, study, and sharing food and drink (including the rabbi s famous etrog liquor) around a big table ( tisch is table in Yiddish). Please bring some dairy/vegetarian food or drink to share. BOOK GROUP Tuesday, October 18 7:00pm Join us as we discuss Great House by Nicole Krauss. Connected solely by a desk of enormous dimension and many drawers that exert s a power over those who possess it or give it away, three people struggle to create a meaningful permanence in the face of loss. Contact Karen Greene at ekgisrael@gmail.com for more information. SIMCHAT TORAH Saturday, October 24 6:00pm Simchat Torah is the celebration when we mark the completion of the annual Torah reading cycle. We end the reading and begin again! It s a time for dancing and singing and we will unroll the entire scroll. (An amazing sight if you have never seen it.) We also use this opportunity to honor our new Beit Sefer students, and all of our kids who will celebrate their bar or bat mitzvah in the coming year. Upcoming Events in Early November Senior Schmooze: Tuesday, November 1 at 12pm Movie: Foreign Letters on Sunday, November 6 at 7pm Ellie, a 12-year-old immigrant girl from Israel, moves to the US in 1982. Her halting English limits her ability to make new friends, as does the fact that she s Jewish. But she finds common ground with a classmate, a Vietnamese refugee. (99 min, Hebrew, Vietnamese and English) Short Schrift: October 2016 Page 4 Elul- Tishrei, 5776
Tikkun Olam Update Important message from Barbara Gross, Chair of Tikkun Olam Following the upcoming High Holiday Food Drive and Mitzvah Morning, I will be stepping down as Chair of the Tikkun Olam Committee. After more than a decade, it is time to pass the baton. We need someone(s) to step up to carry on our traditions or to create new ones that speak to you and the congregation. At the minimum, we need people to take on specific events such as the High Holiday Food Drive, Mitzvah Morning, the Winter Clothing/Blanket Drive, and a new The Other Bank Drive if they are to continue. I am available to pass on all of the how to information we have accrued over the years. Or, you are welcome to develop new pathways and new programs. Tikkun Olam is an important part of our lives as Jews, our congregation and our community. Please don t let this work dwindle away. Please contact me with any questions at bgrosspt@comcast.net. High Holiday Food Drive 2016 The annual HIGH HOLIDAY FOOD DRIVE begins October 2 at Erev Rosh Hashana services! It s time to go shopping and gather nutritious foods to contribute. Bags will be available at Rosh Hashanah services. No need to wait until then--you can fill your own bags at home or, better yet, fill reusable bags to donate and bring them with you to any High Holiday service. We need QUALITY food as well as QUANTITIES of food. These are requested items from the Food Bank: Canned Protein (tuna, chicken, salmon, spam, beef stew; peanut butter); Canned Fruit packed in natural juice; Canned Soup (both vegetarian and meat); Chili (both vegetarian and meat); Boxed cereal; Macaroni and Cheese; Canned Vegetables; Individual-serving items for the FORKids program: individual cereal boxes, breakfast bars, juice boxes (real juice), Beanies & Weenies (flip top cans), Cup of Soup (not spicy), Easy Mac & Cheese, fruit cups, pudding cups. OR you can donate money. Drop your check made out to THURSTON COUNTY FOOD BANK in the secure office drop box. Mitzvah Morning: Sunday, October 16 On the Sunday following each Yom Kippur, we continue our High Holiday spirit by joining in a morning of community service work. These are some of the projects: Farm projects at GRuB, an organization that works with youth and lower income people around issues of food and agriculture. Making of stone soup with Chesed Corps at TBH. Bring fresh produce from your garden (or the store) to make delicious vegetarian soups that are available to any TBH member in need of TLC. Pack, transport, and sort the High Holiday Food Drive goods to the Food Bank as well as help out with other Food Bank tasks. Come to Priest Point Park and join with other volunteers to pull ivy, plant native plants on a new trail, or help with other trail work as needed. You can get more information and sign up at the Tikkun Olam Information table in the sanctuary lobby during the High Holidays. We will meet at TBH at 9am for breakfast on Sunday morning, October 16. The projects will start at their sites by 10, and last until noon. Please join us (even if you don t sign up)! Short Schrift: October 2016 Page 5 Elul- Tishrei, 5776
Thank-you from President Laura Schrager This is a month to reflect on the past year, to bask in the glow of what we as an organization are proud of, and to challenge ourselves to do better. We are a small congregation with a small staff, and we have many needs. We depend on our army of volunteers to get things done. Everything you do--from pulling weeds around the building, hosting an oneg, helping in the office, singing in the choir, to serving blintzes-- contributes to the vibrancy of our community. THANK YOU! At this time, I'd like to give a shout out to the volunteers that serve on standing and ad-hoc committees. These folks operate largely behind the scenes, so I'd like to publicly share their names. Building Stewardship Committee: Scott Krueger, Gary Schneider, Len Trabka Blintzapalooza Committee: Linda Blustein, Alana Carr, Karen Farber, Eliana Stockwell Ferber, Gary and Hannah Franklin, Tikva Glantz, Elie Halpern, Barnett Kalikow, Hannah and Russ Lidman, Jean Mandeberg, Ruby Martin, Paul Paroff, Spencer Orman, Robert Perretz-Rosales, Angela Santamaria, Jim Stevenson, Len Trabka, Stacy Winokur Gala Committee: Judith Barnes, Magdalena Cristo-Frank, Beth Dubey, Sue Goldstein, Mike Krasnokutsky, Scott Royer, Laura Schrager, Erin Syversen Investment Committee: Brian Boyd, Barbara Gross, Andrea Lipper, Larry Poplack, Joel Sacks, Gary Schneider, Charles Shelan Life and Legacy Committee: Brian Boyd, Amy Brockman, Doreen Garcia, Rabbi Seth Goldstein, Russ Lidman, Charles Shelan Safety Committee: Eran Ben-Sira, George Brockman, Marcia David, Tikva Glantz, Melinda Holman, Matt Kennelly, Harriet Strasberg, Len Trabka Tikkun Olam: Jim Bamberger, Kim Dolgin Adelson, Barbara Gross, Beth Halpern, Linda Rubin, Elizabeth Siegel-Browning, Nancy Snyder Ritual Committee: Evan Ferber, Cindy Levy, Sam Kates-Goldman, Myra Paull, Sam Schrager, Howard Schwartz, Nancy Snyder, Lisa Strange, Craig Wallace It is heart-warming to list the names of so many chavarim that have helped make things happen in the past year. But I know that this list is not complete! I've probably omitted names from these committees, and there are other groups such as the Chesed Corp, the Task Force on Homelessness, and the newly forming Kitchen Corp that also operate behind the scenes that I haven't included. To all of you- Todah Rabah -- a very big thank-you. Thank You September Volunteers Database: Judith Barnes Finances: Judith Barnes, Gary Schneider Torah Study Oneg Host: Leslie Goldstein, Laura Hurtado-Webb Senior Schmooze Dessert Host: Pauline Snyder Friday Night Oneg Hosts: Melinda Holman, Barnett Kalikow, Gaute and Erin Syversen Friday Night Lay Service Leaders: Bernie Friedman,Sam Kates-Goldman Social Hall Painters: Brian Boyd, Karen Farber, Julie Frank, Howard Goldberg, Felicia Hanig, Scott Royer, Laura Schrager, Erin, Gaute and Leif Syversen FORKids Volunteers: Beth Dubey, Bernie Friedman, Elie Halpern, Amelia Hamilton, Mari Nowitz Office Volunteers: Jim Kaydus, Phyllis Neff Short Schrift: October 2016 Page 6 Elul- Tishrei, 5776
Family Life and Learning Director Catherine Carmel Shalom y all, the new school year has begun with a wonderful combination of old and new. We are fortunate to have many familiar faces, both on the teaching and learning side of the equation, and have begun some new practices to supplement the best of what we d been doing already. Our PJ Library grant for values instruction in K-2 has been extended through the school year and in the 3-7 grades we are focusing on a monthly Jewish value to carry Jewish practices out into real life. This month we are focusing on kavod, respect, and how we can honor the Divine in everyone we encounter. Rather than expand on those things though, I d like to allow our Sunday Beit Sefer teachers for the 5777 school year to introduce themselves. Shalom! My name is Marlee O Neill, and I am excited to be teaching Shorashim for my third year at TBH. I taught Beit Sefer for many years at Temple De Hirsch Sinai in Bellevue. I have always enjoyed sharing my Jewish knowledge and enhancing my Jewish knowledge through teaching Beit Sefer. At the end of every year, I always wonder if the kids learned as much as I did. I have two children, a third and a first grader, who also attend Beit Sefer. During the week, I work for the Department of Health. Shalom, my name is Ariel Adereth. I am thrilled to be part of the TBH community again this year! To those of you who do not know me, I was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, and moved to New York City with my family with the age of 4. I always felt a personal connection to Judaism, and my hope as a teacher is to spark the same interest and excitement for Judaism in your children. This year Geza im will study Bereshit, focus on how to develop a personal relationship with God and explore various methods to strengthen our communities through individual, positive behaviors. I'm looking forward to a very enjoyable year of education! Welcome to the new school year! My name is Rochelle Rinn and I have been teaching at TBH for 18 years. The main reason I teach at TBH is to be involved in our children's learning about their traditions and culture and then watch them bloom into our future adults in our local Jewish community. I welcome and look forward to working with Anafim in 5777! I m Rabbi Seth and I ll be teaching the Alim class this year. When Bernie decided to step down from teaching, I thought this was a great opportunity to take a more of an active teaching role in the school beyond serving as a resource and leading our morning assembly. I m interested specifically because our curriculum this year is about prayer, and so I am excited to work with our kids not only on learning about the Jewish prayers themselves, but on developing their lives as spiritual beings. To a great year! L shalom, Short Schrift: October 2016 Page 7 Elul- Tishrei, 5776
Happy Birthday, Yom Huledet Sameach October 1 Mark Peckler 3 Barnett Kalikow 5 Keiko Paros 5 Michael Paros 6 Oscar Soule 6 James Stevenson 6 Lynn Urstadt 10 Joan Aronovitch 10 Mary Stevenson 12 Susan Alexander 14 Rona Ruben 15 Paul Parker 17 Laura Chartoff 21 Mike Mondress 23 Frederick Goldberg 23 Tim Lipski 25 Bernie Friedman 27 Rick Hahn 29 Barbara Soule October 3 Lillian Brant 3 Abe Finegold 3 Samuel Greenblatt 3 Jerry Robinson 3 Ben Rome 3 Eleanor Brant Rome 3 Jenny Rome 3 Sam Rome 3 Jacob Rubenstein 3 Molly Rubenstein 3 Selma Shill 3 David Wolfson 5 William Albert 7 Irma Fine 8 Don Finkel 9 Adolph Goldstein 10 Abe Robinson 12 Clarence Pollock 13 Beatrice Adams 13 Arthur Goldberg Yahrzeits 13 Faina Kogan 13 Nathan Levy 14 David Robinson 15 Jay Miram Frank 16 Jane Pate Eastham 16 Nuce Nathan 19 M.L. (Bob) Robinson 22 Milton Bean 23 Hannah Rubenstein 23 Ivens Siegel 24 Leonard Snyder 26 Dolores Franco- Hurtado 27 Bruce Godwin 27 Elsie Sahanow 28 Selma Fransene 29 Samuel Soule 30 David Cohn 30 Charles "Griff" Griffin 30 Aleksandra "Shura" Kompanisz These names will be read from the bimah at Shabbat services before and after the yahrzeit. Bold type denotes those inscribed on a plaque on our Memorial Wall. Thank You For Your Contributions! (September contributions will be listed in the November Schrift) Short Schrift: October 2016 Page 8 Elul- Tishrei, 5776