Yom Kippur at TBH Friday, October 11 - Saturday, October 12
Erev Yom Kippur: October 11 6:30 pm - Evening Service (childcare available) | Hybrid
Yom Kippur: October 12 9:30 am - Morning Service | Hybrid 9:30 am - Youth Programs (registration required) 1:45 pm - Yizkor Service at the TBH Cemetery | Hybrid 4:00 pm - Healing Service | In Person 5:00 pm - Mincha Workshops: Text Study, Yoga, Meditation | In Person 6:00 pm - Neilah | In Person 7:15 - Havdalah and Break fast (bring a dish to share!) sponsored by Gidon Bach in memory of Malinda Lamm | In Person
Zoom Information (1 link for all High Holiday Hybrid Services): Join Meeting>> Meeting ID:875 6627 1445
Food Drive Transport - Volunteer Drivers Needed! Sunday, October 13, 1:00 pm In Person, start at TBH
Food will be collected until the morning of October 13, the Sunday after Yom Kippur when the collection will go to the Food Bank. Join us on Sunday at 1:00 pm at TBH to deliver our Food Drive bags. We will gather first at TBH to pack and transport, and then sort food on site for the Food Bank.
Unity Commons Meal Preparation and Sponsorship Sunday, October 13
TBH prepares a monthly meal for 60 at the Unity Commons Shelter on Martin Way. Unity Commons is a supported housing apartment operated by Interfaith Works. For more information: https://www.iwshelter.org
Funding for our meals is currently only partially covered under the TBH budget. It would be wonderful if this effort was funded by community donations. We hope that community members might wish to donate a meal in honor of a loved one, or simcha. The cost to put on a meal is approximately $250. This includes the food, as well as the disposable pans for transporting food to the shelter.
To sign up to be a cooking volunteer, email tbh@bethhatfiloh.org.
It’s time for our annual High Holiday Food Drive! All non-perishable food is welcome. Foods in high demand include: high protein foods such as Peanut Butter, Pasta, Grains, rice and beans, Cereal, Canned fruits in natural juices, Low salt canned vegetables, Mac and cheese, and Canned proteins (chili, fish, chicken, stew). Donations can be left in the old foyer, and checks made out to the Thurston County Food Bank can be left in the TBH mailbox.
COMING UP AT TBH
Libby Michaelson Bat Mitzvah Project
Hi, I'm Libby Michaelson! I'm currently a 7th grader at Dr. Claudia Thomas Middle School. I'm a cellist, I play JV tennis and basketball for my school, and I'm involved in robotics. My Bat Mitzvah is coming up on November 9th. I chose to partner with Raising Girls for my Mitzvah Project. I am collecting menstrual hygiene products to help people experiencing period poverty. This cause has always meant a lot to me because everyone deserves access to hygiene even if they can't afford it. I appreciate your donations of pads, liners, and tampons. I have a bin set up in the entry way for your donations!
Decorating the Sukkah and Pizza in the Hut Wednesday, October 16, 6:00 pm In Person
Come prepare the TBH sukkah with decorations and crafts to make our communal space festive and ready for the holiday. Pizza will be provided.
Sukkot Tisch Friday, October 18, 6:00 pm In Person
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 around a big table (“tisch” is table in Yiddish). Soup will be provided; please bring some dairy/vegetarian food or drink to share.
Blessing the Ballots Tuesday, October 22, 5:30 pm In Person @ Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd (1601 North St SE)
Join Rabbi Seth and other local clergy as we celebrate voting as a spiritual practice! This interfaith, nonpartisan gathering will include music and prayer as we do our part to create the world that we want. Bring your sealed ballots to put in the voting Dropbox if you like.
COMMITTEE UPDATES
FORKids Food Packing
A big thank you to our volunteers who came out to the Food Bank on October 1st! They are: Tikva Glantz, Michael Koppel, Ricki Koppel, Emily Chadwick, Bernie Friedman, Sue Goldstein, Donnis Ross, Betty Goldstein, Brad Smith, William Gallin, and Evan Ferber. We need additional volunteers! Please join us on the 1st Tuesday of each month, 4:00 - 5:30 pm, to fill bags for needy children.
Immigrant and Refugee Task Force
The Jewish Coalition for Immigrant Justice wishes you and your loved ones a sweet New Year with justice for all. Read our latest newsletter to learn about upcoming events and volunteer opportunities.
Chevra Kadisha
Rosh Hashanah Brings New Co-Lead to our Chevra Kadisha: Sonja Dordal
As we welcome 5785, we would also like to welcome new leadership to our Chevra Kadisha, or Holy Society at TBH. For the past five years, Leslie Shore has served as co-lead along with Bernie Friedman, after working on the Chevra for more than 20 years. We now welcome TBH stalwart, Sonja Dordal to this new role as co-lead of the Chevra Kadisha and will serve along with Bernie this year.
Sonja has been an active and hard working member of the Chevra for many years. She is a Certified Hospice Volunteer and a Certified Nursing Assistant, which brings expansive knowledge to our temple to aid congregants when death visits a Jewish home. The Chevra offers key services to our community, including: Tahara (sacred ritual cleansing/dressing), Shiva support for families, Chesed meals and assistance; as well as compassionate bedside presence for the dying. In serving as a Tahara volunteer, it is critical that anonymity is upheld while performing this Last Mitzvah: the one that cannot ever be repaid.
We would like to extend our thanks to Leslie who took over as co-lead in 2019 during covid and after some two decades as a tahara volunteer, she also served alone in the Tahara room during lockdowns when others were concerned about being exposed to the disease. Leslie also was editor and writer of Blessed Memory: A Jewish Death, Dying and Mourning Guide available on our TBH website, along with limited print copies in the foyer. Sonja, additionally, stepped up to proof-read the entire Blessed Memory guide and is very familiar with the wise Jewish mourning practices that bind our community in a time of profound need.
Leslie and Sonja will work together on Tahara, as partners during this transitional period as they also serve with new ritual team members. Sonja will then take over as lead in Tahara and Leslie will be an on-call volunteer along with others. TBH wants to thank Bernie Friedman for leading fun Tahara training programs this past year at both TBH and Funeral Alternatives. We held three successful workshops and rebuilt our teams that became scattered during the covid pause. These were also videotaped, and digital files are available for viewing when new training cycles begin. We want to thank TBH volunteers who stepped up to train in Tahara this year and value the importance of "healing in community."
The Chevra's next plans include the creation of a Bereavement Response Committee (BRC) to answer congregant needs quickly and compassionately after a death occurs. The BRC is in very early stages and the Chevra will be reaching out to the community for volunteer grief therapists (and other healers) to help guide our program and train members in compassionate listening and responding practices. If you want to join our Chevra Kadisha there are sign-up sheets in the building, along with all other committee tables. If you have questions or concerns, please contact our new co-lead Sonja Dordal: sonjadordal@gmail.com.
FROM THE OFFICE
Hebrew Teacher Needed!
We need one more Hebrew teacher for our fall trimester of Darchei Noam (meets Sunday afternoons 2:40-4:00 pm). Contact Catherine if interested.
Share your Torah Thoughts!
Each week we have the opportunity to share thoughts and teachings about the weekly Torah portion as part of our services. And we want to hear your wisdom! Rabbi Seth invites you to deliver a d’var Torah at an upcoming service, no experience necessary—and he can help you craft your message. (Also look for a d’var Torah workshop over the summer). If you are interested, sign up here..
THANK YOU!
Contributions
Yizkor Book Ezra Katz Jim Bamberger & Nancy Eastham Nicholas & Sandra Parker Mary-Lynne Reiner Elie & Beth Halpern Doreen & Nicolas Garcia Tikva & Cliff Glantz Robert Haynes Andrew Cooper & Liz Prince David & Felicia Hanig Allyson Brooks Amy & Nita Posner Cindy Levy Stephanie Hoffman & Joel Sacks Lisa Brodoff & Lynn Grotsky
Break Fast Sponsor Gidon Bach in memory of Malinda Lamm
Sustaining Fund Maryrose Asher in memory of Dan Asher Mark Kaufman
Fall Giving Campaign Anonymous Donors Dana Wilcox Leopold Gendelman Edie Bean Mark Kaufman Ann & Tim Hartman Larry Dzieza Maxine Dunkelman Marcela Abadi David Deitz & Donna Landry Denise & Jim Brennan in honor of Celia, Eugene & Cheryl Blonder
Rabbi's Discretionary Fund Tanya Gould & Jeremy Finkle in honor of the naming of Miriam Bess Finkle Frank
Rosh Hashanah Volunteers Thank you to the dozens of folks who put in their time and energy for our Rosh Hashanah observance. After the High Holidays, we will send out a special note of thanks to honor your contributions!
William Albert Benjamin Robinson Malinda Lamm Don Finkel Adolph Goldstein Ben Goldstein Abe Robinson Clarence Pollock Nathan Levy Faina Kogan Carl W. Connors David Robinson Jack Friedman Lubov Shats Thomas Stevenson Jane Pate Eastham Nuce Nathan Donald Adam
Happy Birthday!
10 Mary Stevenson 12 Ari Lipson 13 Molly Moran 14 Rona Ruben 15 Paul Parker
Yahrtzeit Updates & Additions
Members are able to view, edit, and add Yahrtzeits on the member portal of the TBH website here (requires log in). If you need assistance, please feel free to send any updates to tbh@bethhatfiloh.org.
COMMUNITY EVENTS/RESOURCES: Note: These are not necessarily officially sponsored or endorsed by TBH, but they are listed as they have Jewish content and/or may be of interest to our community.
Spoken Word Poetry Tour at Orca Books Sunday, October 20, 7:00 pm In Person @ Orca Books Cooperative
The wider Olympia Jewish community is invited to an upcoming spoken word poetry performance. Zach Goldberg and his pressmate Ollie Schminkey will be touring the PNW and celebrating their new book releases in Olympia on Sunday 10/20 at Orca Books Co-op.
Zach's book and poetry are very focused on Jewish identity and spirituality. Ollie and Zach are both veterans of the national poetry slam community and put on a great, engaging show. They will be reading poems from their recent releases Where I Dry the Flowers and I'd Rather Be Destroyed, both out through Button Press.
Camp Solomon Schechter: Ruach PNW
Camp Solomon Schechter is thrilled to invite you to Ruach PNW, an immersive, two-day retreat from Sunday, December 22, to Monday, December 23 where the focus is on finding YOUR ruach - your unique spirit that drives connection and creativity in your work in our Jewish community!
This weekend invites you to tap into your spirit through different lenses: song, education, outdoor experiences, mindfulness, and more. It’s about finding the way you connect most deeply to ruach and bringing that energy back to your community. The retreat is co-chaired by Kim Schneiderman (Chief Community & Jewish Life Officer at BB360, Artist-in-Residence at Congregation Beth Israel in Portland) and Josh Niehaus (Artist-in-Residence at Temple De Hirsch Sinai and Camp Solomon Schechter). The cost is $118 per person, which includes four meals and lodging for one night at Camp Solomon Schechter.
We can’t wait to see how you discover and share your ruach! This retreat is made possible due to the generous support of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle. Visit our website for more information, including additional faculty and presenters:
https://www.campschechter.org/ruach/
Temple Beth Hatfiloh, 201 8th Ave SE, Olympia, WA 98501
