Our Community

“My House shall be a house of prayer (beit tefilah) for all peoples.” –Isaiah 56:7

Temple Beth Hatfiloh serves the Jewish community of greater Olympia.

We are a diverse and egalitarian congregation, fully committed to gender equality. Everyone is encouraged to participate in the spiritual and communal life of the congregation. At TBH we strive to build a community of inclusion, one that is welcoming to Jews from a wide variety of backgrounds and levels of observance, both within our congregation and visitors. Our community includes both wholly Jewish and mixed-faith families.

We welcome individuals and families who are committed to the creative exploration of Jewish tradition and practice, and who are engaged in discovering how Judaism can animate their own lives. We encourage ongoing learning about our Jewish heritage. We provide opportunities for our membership to further their exploration of Jewish culture, religion and language.

We believe that the Jewish values of tzedakah (righteous action, justice), mitzvot (commandments which offer opportunities for holiness) and tikkun olam (repairing the world) are central to Jewish existence. We take seriously the dictum kol yisrael areivim zeh ba zeh (all Jews are responsible for one another). Our members realize this form of collective responsibility by supporting each other in our celebrations and in times of sorrow. We also acknowledge our responsibility to maintain a Jewish presence in the larger community through acts of interfaith service and dialogue. We recognize our connection to the greater Jewish community in the United States, in Israel and throughout the world.

TBH is affiliated with Reconstructing Judaism, the central organization of the Reconstructionist movement. Reconstructionists define Judaism as the evolving religious civilization of the Jewish people. Reconstructionist Judaism therefore is progressive, pluralistic, democratic and communal. It embraces all forms of Jewish expression: spiritual, cultural, social, intellectual. Reconstructionists approach Judaism — and life — with deep consideration of the past and a passion to relate it to the present. Reconstructionists seek to create warm and welcoming synagogue communities that are respectful of traditional Jewish practice yet open to new interpretation and creative forms of religious expression. Reconstructionism emphasizes participatory and democratic decision-making around issues of communal observance and practice, and encourages individuals to find their own connection to Jewish life.