Erev Shabbat Friday, December 27 Zoom Shabbat, 6:30 pm Online Our Shabbat services, on Zoom! Join us to light candles and gather in virtual community to celebrate Shabbat.
Shabbat Morning Saturday, December 28 Morning Service, 10:00 am In Person Join us for a Shabbat morning service. There is no Moving Traditions b'nai mitzvah class this week.
Communal Lunch, 11:30 am In Person
Talmud Study, 1:00 In-Person 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.
THIS WEEK AT TBH
January Member Connect Entries Due
Our January issue of Member Connect will be coming out next week. Please send your entries to Kayla for inclusion!
Annual Warm Clothing Drive at TBH Through the end of December
Tis the season for the TBH annual warm clothing drive! We will collect warm winter clothing and blankets throughout the month of December. There are bins located in the hallway outside the social hall.
Our donations will be taken to the Saint Michael's Church clothing bank in January. We will also be accepting donations at the Fiddler On The Roof singalong on Christmas Day at the Olympia Film Society.
"Living Jewishly with Tzedakah" Canned Tuna Drive Through January
Bernie Friedman's fall Darchei Noam youth class "Living Jewishly with Tzedakah" is collecting cans of tuna for Thurston County Food Bank. Help us by bringing Tuna next time you come to TBH. Let's line our walls and window sills with Tuna. Tzedakah=Righteous.
Fiddler on the Roof at OFS Wednesday, December 25, 4:00 pm In Person @ Capitol Theatre
Temple Beth Hatfiloh and OFS present: Fiddler on the Roof + Coat and Blanket Drive + Costume Contest! The film tells the life-affirming story of Tevye (Topol), a poor milkman whose love, pride and faith help him face the oppression of turn-of-the-century czarist Russia. Come in costume! Temple Beth Hatfiloh will be holding a warm coat and blanket drive, so bring your donations to the theater the day of the movie!
Hanukkah Party Sunday, December 29, 6:00 pm In Person
Hanukkah Sameach! We are celebrating with our annual party, including latkes, crafts for the kids and menorah lighting with songs. Latke makers, craft helpers, and set-up volunteers need: no experience is necessary, just a willingness to help. Reach out to Catherine at beitseifer@bethhatfiloh.org if you are available! Remember to bring your menorah and candles to light.
COMING UP AT TBH
Teva Sharing Circles Saturday, January 4, 3:00 pm In Person
The word tevah is used in the Torah to refer to Noah’s ark as well as the basket that Moses was placed in. Our circle will be a safe and confidential space to express what’s on your hearts and minds, both about our Jewish world and about our wider world so rife with hatred and conflict. At the outset we’ll agree to some basic ground rules to give us structure and safety. Each participant will have an opportunity to speak while holding the talking stick (actually a silver sugar bowl).
Evan Ferber and Eliana Stockwell-Ferber will facilitate. They both have training and experience in small group facilitation. No registration is required. Please come, including those of you who’ve come to past teva circles. We’ll be meeting at three pm upstairs in the Temple chapel on the first Shabbat, the next three months.
Dates: Shabbat January 4th, Shabbat February 1st
Where: the Temple chapel, from 3pm to 4:30 pm
For more information, please email Evan or Eliana at evanpferber@gmail.com or elianasf1@gmail.com
Winter Darchei Noam Trimester Registration is Open Sundays, starting January 5 In Person
Register your kids for the Winter Trimester of our Darchei Noam program. This trimester includes course options like Weaving Connections, Like a Prayer, Living the Parsha, and more! Register here>>
Winter Trimester Adult Education Registration is Open! Learn Torah Trope with Rabbi Seth Starts Sunday, January 5, 2:40 pm (6 sessions through March) In Person
The course is offered over in-person 6 sessions. Meeting Dates: January 5, 12 & 26, February 2 & 23, March 2
Do you want to learn how the chant from the Torah? It is a wonderful way to deepen your relationship with our sacred text while also developing the skills to serve the community as a ba’al koreh (“Torah reader”). Over six sessions you will learn the system of cantillation. Basic reading knowledge of Hebrew (decoding—not necessarily understanding) required. Register>>
Trampled Manuscripts: The Lost Klezmer Music of the An-ski Expeditions Tuesday, January 14, 7:00 pm In Person
A chance encounter in Tokyo in 2017 led to the sharing of a unique corpus of klezmer music manuscripts from the Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine that haven’t seen the light of day in about a century.
Over the last five years, volunteers around the world have worked together to digitally notate and translate these manuscripts. This concert is an adventure in creative engagement with this previously unknown treasure trove of Ashkenazic musical heritage.
The program is co-created by Christina Crowder in collaboration with Shpilkis trombonist Jimmy Austin, Violinist Mae Kessler, and additional featured guests from the Seattle klezmer world. Together we’re exploring S. An-ski’s radical vision that the folklore of the Jewish people is an oral Torah as important as the Talmud of the sages, which inspired his ethnographic expeditions between 1912-1914 and created the backdrop for An-ski’s most famous work, The Dybbuk. An-ski hoped that the Jewish people would become Zamlers (collectors) who would continue to engage with Ashkenazic folklore as a living, breathing legacy. We invite you to join our “community expedition” into this extraordinary discovery!
A Special Gift For Hanukkah - Homelessness Task Force
Are you looking for a gift for a special someone this Hanukkah? The TBH Homelessness Task Force invites you to make a donation in their name to support neighbors experiencing homelessness in Olympia.
The Task Force is raising funds so TBH can sponsor a tiny home in the New Horizons Communities (formerly Quixote Village). To raise funds for yearly upkeep on a home, we invite you to purchase a $50 share ($51.50 if paid by credit card) in honor of your friend/spouse/child.
Thanks to our generous donors, we have raised over the $1500 needed to sponsor a tiny home, but additional gifts are welcome and will benefit New Horizons.
To make your donation, please go to https://www.bethhatfiloh.org/donate.html and indicate the gift is for New Horizons Communities in the comment section.
FROM THE OFFICE
Member Post-Op Meals Requested
A new member to TBH, Andy, is having surgery at the end of this month and has requested meal support as they go through their recovery! Since they live in Grays Harbor, we will be collecting frozen meals at TBH through the next few weeks, and that way they can transport them all at once. From Andy: "I would absolutely love it if someone would be willing to make matzo ball soup as that is my most favorite comfort food." Since TBH is the collection site, the synagogue's food policies for vegetarian food (and some fish dishes) will be followed. Please reach out to Kayla to arrange drop off!
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.
5785 Fall Giving Campaign
Your gift today ensures a bright year for our Jewish community in Olympia in 5785.
Our Fall Giving Campaign will close December 31st. Our goal is to raise $36,000—double chai!
Thanks to our generous donors, we have already raised over $34,000!
Anonymous Donors Marcela Abadi Bret Anderson Joseph K Aptaker Sam Armour Ava Asher and Daniel Gruber Jim Bamberger and Nancy Eastham Martin Bard Brandon Barnes in honor of Kris Barnes Patricia Bartley Edie Bean Thomas & Karen Bean Mitch Becker Isa Bella Dahlia Bernal Jeff, Ericka, Madeline Birkenstein Linda Blustein Simone Boe Denise & James Brennan in honor Celia, Eugene, and Cheryl Blonder Lisa Brodoff & Lynn Grotsky in memory of Raven Lidman
Frances Caplan Thomas Carr & Wren Wolf William Caslar George Chappell & Lynne Alfasso Sherwin Cotler Diane Dakin & Stephen Bray David Deitz & Donna Landry James Dolliver Maxine Dunkelman & Raymond Philen Cheryl Duryea Larry Dzieza Daniel & Jean Farber Susan Finkel Sylvia Fox Ann Frankel Bernie Friedman & Emily Chadwick Will Gallin Leopold Gendelman Karen Gibson Marilyn Gisser Tikva & Cliff Glantz Debra Glasser Robert Godwin Jay Goldstein & Jill Rosenkrantz Karen & Alan Goldstein Leslie Goldstein Rabbi Seth Goldstein & Rabbi Yohanna Kinberg Sue Goldstein Jessi & Donna Goodman in memory of Ron David Goodman (Eliezer David Ben Yitzhak) Rick Hahn Ann & Timothy Hartman Charlene Healy Frank Herman Laura Hurtado-Webb Diane & Laurence Istvan Kayla & Andrew Iverson Richard & Michele Jackman Maggie Jekel-Penn & William Penn Katie Johnson Ricki Kahn Rebecca Kamen in memory of Alan R. Kamen Mark Kaufman Juli Kelen Lori Kishimoto & Craig Wallace Kassie Koledin Michael & Ricki Koppel Jack & Carole Kowitt Michael Krasnokutsky & Mariya Raginsky in honor of Eugenia
Diane Kurzyna & Alan Reichman Roberta Lamb Bonnie Lambert in honor of Morris Schertz Andy Levitt Russell Lidman in honor of Daniel Farber Deborah Loomis Robert Lovitt Keith Mars Susan Mayer in honor of Sarah Feldman Nicklaus McHendry Traci & Jared Moran Zoe Myers Nathan Niederhauser & Mariana Rosenthal Naomi Obie Margaret Okamoto Nicholas & Sandra Parker Helene & Paul Paroff in honor of Rabbi Seth Larry & Susan Poplack Amy Posner Stephen Posner Nancy Powell & Paul Kirschner Jeffery Reiner & Susanne White in memory of Marvin Reiner Janet Roller Suzanne Rose Linda Rubin Edith Rutel Angela Santamaria & Howard Schwartz Gary Schneider & Nancy Snyder Samantha & Nik Schrader Diana Schwartz in honor of Donald Schwartz Charles & Norma Shelan Anjali Silva Suzanne Simons Jane Skinner Brad Smith in honor of Rabbi Seth and Lydia Beth Leimbach Oscar & Barbara Soule in memory of Michael D. Moore Cynthia Spencer Leif Syversen Michael Tobias Len Trabka Raphael Venegas Sarah Weiss & Gordon Pabst The Extended Weiss Family Nancy West Dana Wilcox Joan Wirth Carl & Ellen Wolfhagen Daniel Zeitlin
Greeters Fred & Alex Faveluke in memory of Sue Cordas Joel Levin & Esther Warkov
Sustaining Fund Lowell Cordas
Volunteers
Greeters Vanessa Malapote Rae Michaelson
AROUND THE CONGREGATION
Yahrzeits
Margaret Barnes Pearl Rubin Helene Grossman C. William Chappell Iris Karger Helen Stein Ron Stein Robert Haynes Jr Michael Brocha Jeremiah Ruben Esther Oksengorn Albert Tenenbaum Charlie Burge Beatrice Kalikow Roberta Nelson Shirley Hacken Hilda Katz Sidney Shapiro Henry Matis Patricia Marie Greene Goldie M. Reiner Joanne Royer Suzanne I. Haiby Morton Saul Poplack William Schrager Billie Wolf Hanig Philip Frank
Happy Birthday!
25 Joe Puchot 25 Eric Stein 25 Eliana Stockwell-Ferber 27 Paul Alig 27 Joceile Moore 29 Jacqueline David 29 Marc Wiseman
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.
Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle: Jewish Community Advocacy Email List
Join the Jewish Community Advocacy Email List to receive opportunities to get engaged or take action to support our Jewish community and Jewish communal priorities! Advocacy work can be time-sensitive and this list is the best way to ensure you receive all action alerts from the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle. Sign up now, ahead of January’s start of the legislative session, to ensure your voice is heard and be a critical leader in our community’s advocacy!
Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle: Applications Now Open! Camp Scholarships & First-Time Camper Grants Apply by January 17
Camp fosters independence, lifelong friendships, and a deep connection to Jewish life. Through songs, sports, and outdoor adventures, campers discover what Judaism means to them. Invest in your child’s future today! Children who attend Jewish summer camp are more likely to join synagogues, support Jewish causes, and become future community leaders. Learn more>>
Temple Beth Hatfiloh, 201 8th Ave SE, Olympia, WA 98501
Growing Shabbat! at TBH Friday, Jan 17th 5:30p to 8:00p Everyone is welcome to join us for family friendly dinner catered by Nineveh and a service.
Registration is free, but required for dinner plans.
Please put any dietary requirements in the notes when registering.