Erev Shabbat Friday, November 14 Growing Shabbat!, Dinner 5:30 pm /Service 6:30 pm In Person Everyone is welcome to join us for family-friendly dinner, young kids story time, and a service. Register for the dinner below. Registration closes tonight at midnight! Registration is free, but required to help with planning.
Torah Readings Parashat Chayei Sara Torah Portion: Genesis 23:1-25:18 Haftarah: I Kings 1:1-31
Shabbat Morning Saturday, November 15
Mussar, 10:00 am Online Please join us for Mussar Torah Study. The Parashat for our study will be Chayei Sarah- Genesis 23:1 – 25:18. The middah or soul trait for this parashat is M’nuchat HaNefesh / Equanimity: Calming the soul amid the storms of life. “Rise above the good and the bad,” is our phrase for this middah. Be a part of a lively discussion. Our study is from 10 AM to 11:30 AM on Zoom. We are looking forward to being with you. - Michele & Richard Jackman
To follow the shifting of the seasons, Erev Shabbat Services begin generally at 6:30 pm starting November 1st. Later services resume in May 2025.
Sigd Movie Night Wednesday, November 12, 6:00 - 8:00 pm In Person -- corrected
Sigd Movie Night! TBH presents Fig Tree, Wednesday, Nov 12, 6-8pm. Snacks and tea provided. Hosted by Michael Dennis and Anjali Silva
About the movie: Ethiopian-Israeli writer-director Aäläm-Wärqe Davidian makes a startlingly confident feature debut with this story of lives torn asunder by civil war. Set in Addis Ababa in 1989, Fig Tree follows a teenage girl's harrowing coming of age.
Donate Used Judaica for New Homes! For the Hanukkah Bazaar on Sunday, November 16
Our "Judai-kitsch Swap" is focused on finding new homes for used Judaica. If you have items that you would like to contribute, bring them by TBH before or on the day!
Help Make the November 16th Bazaar Bake Sale a Success!!
Do you enjoy baking desserts? Do you want to help support TBH? You can do both at the same time! This year, we need people to bake treats and to help staff the booth. If you have a favorite recipe you’d like to bake for the sale OR, if you have a couple of hours to help staff the booth, please contact David Hanig at 360-451-1850 or DavidHanig@gmail.com.
At last year’s bazaar, the bake sale was one of the most successful features – we sold out of everything and raised over $1,300. This year, we hope to exceed that amount with more goodies for sale including a category for pet treats!
If you would like to participate or have any questions, please contact David.
Hanukkah Bazaar Sunday, November 16, 11am-4pm In Person
FEATURING:
ARTISAN VENDORS Find that unique gift for that special someone! Booths feature jewelry, woodwork, photographic arts and crafts, glass art, textiles, leatherwork, pottey, hand-printed items, and much more by many of the area’s finest artists and artisans.
HANUKKAH SHOP The TBH Hanukkah Shop will be up and running for all of your Hanukkah supplies and essentials. "JUDAI-KITSCH" SWAP Our "Judai-kitsch Swap" is focused on finding new homes for used Judaica. If you have items that you would like to contribute, bring them by TBH before or on the day!
BAKE SALE Baked goods for sale to make your holiday season sweet!
Book Group Tuesday, November 18, 6:30 pm In Person
November 18 – I Seek a Kind Person: My Father, Seven Children, and the Adverts that Helped Them Escape the Holocaust by Julian Borger. In 1938, Jewish families are scrambling to flee Vienna. Desperate, they take out advertisements offering their children into the safe keeping of readers of a British newspaper. Borger traces the remarkable stories of his father, the other advertised children, and their families, each thrown into the maelstrom of a world at war. (3 TRL + 2ebooks)
Join us for any book(s) that you're interested in talking about. This year we will meet in person every other month on the 3rd Tuesday at 6:30pm, with a bonus meeting in April. The list below includes how many copies are available in the Timberland Regional Library (TRL). Contact Linda Rubin at linda.rubin23@gmail.com with questions. Please don't be shy, come join us!
Lunch & Learn: Weekly Torah Portion Study Every Wednesday, 12:00 pm Online
New this year: Join Rabbi Seth every Wednesday from 12-1 on Zoom for a look at the weekly Torah portion. Log in from work or home or on the road for an hour of learning and community. Feel free to eat your lunch (or not). No prior knowledge (or Hebrew) needed!
Sigd Celebration Thursday, November 20, 6:00 - 8:00 pm In Person--corrected
Come celebrate the Beta Israel holiday of Sigd with Ethiopian food, story, crafts, and music! All are welcome. If you are interested in making food, please contact Michael Dennis mdennisa3@gmail.com or Anjali Silva anjalinaja@hotmail.com
Sigd is a celebration of the Ethiopian Jews as the idea of accepting the Torah and yearning for Israel and the Temple. It became a national Israeli in 2008. The Beta Israel community asks that Jews around the world commemorate this holiday to highlight the Ethiopian Jewish people.
Bingo Night Saturday, December 13, 7:00 pm In Person
Why was the bingo player smiling so much? Because they were having a ball! Come for a TBH FUNdraiser. Play some bingo, enjoy some nosh, and win the best white elephant prize in the room.
TBH will provide tasty snacks and beverages. Bring your favorite mouthwatering dessert or closet-cleaning party gift for the prize table! Bingo cards $10 each (cash appreciated, CC accepted) Wrapping not required for prize table donations
COMMITTEE UPDATES
Beit ha'Keshet A message from Beit ha'Keshet, TBH's own community for 2SLGBTQ+ Jews:
Every year, people in our community gather on or around November 20th to honor Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR). TDOR began in 1999 as a way to commemorate and honor all trans and nonbinary people who have died due to transphobic violence and hatred across the world. While we will never have an accurate death count due to misgendering and families hiding the gender of their loved ones, at this time it is estimated that, within the last year, there have been 77 trans people killed for being trans within the USA and approximately 330 reported worldwide.
This day offers a somber reminder of why we in the trans community need strong, outspoken allies who are unafraid to speak out when they witness transphobic violence. It also highlights why safe spaces for trans people, such as those provided by TBH, are so vitally important. While we do not have the capacity to organize a full memorial, we thought it appropriate to offer this call to awareness within the TBH community newsletter.
It is on this day that we express gratitude for the presence of the trans community at TBH and beyond. We celebrate those of us who are still living and bless the memories of our trans siblings who are no longer with us.
If you want to offer a donation in support of trans lives, please consider donating to Pizza Klatch (local support space for 2SLGBTQ+ middle and high school students), the Trevor Project (national 2SLGBTQ+ youth suicide hotline) or Point of Pride (national organization that supports trans people in accessing gender-affirming healthcare).
See below in the community events section for an interfaith opportunity for in-person remembrance.
Immigrant and Refugee Task Force
Food Drive Unfortunately, ICE agents have been targeting the food bank making it an unsafe location for our immigrant neighbors. TBH is collecting food to be distributed from an alternate undisclosed location. You will see a box for this purpose in the entryway. Thank you so much for helping.
Food requested: Maseca-corn masa flour, dry or canned beans and lentils, rice, oil, shelf stable vegetables-potatoes, onions and chilies, canned vegetables, pozole-hominy, Canned chicken and chili
Monetary donations are also appreciated.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
NEW Shabbat Volunteer Sign-Up Sheet
For 5786, we have integrated our various sign up sheets into one google sheet, so that all the volunteer roles are in one place. Here is a short description of TBH volunteer roles, and here is the sign-up for Shabbat volunteers (with other volunteer opportunities on additional tabs). Contact Kayla with any questions!
THANK YOU!
Contributions
Sustaining Fund Zoe Curlee Strauss Dustin and Jane Zemel in honor of Rabbi Seth
Stars of David Laura and Sam Schrager
Rabbi's Discretionary Fund Joel Levin and Esther Warkov in memory of Rita Levin
Fall Giving Campaign Dana Wilcox
Unity Commons Sponsorship Doreen Garcia
Thank you to our Rabbi's Discretionary Fund donors to help us provide food cards to community members.
Volunteers
ForKids Food Packing Tikva Glantz Tessa Taft Elora Breuer Tilly Breuer Amber Holley Laura Hurtado-Webb Frances Caplan Betty Goldstein Michele Jackman Richard Jackman Beth Dubey Linda Blustein Ricki Koppel Janet Lawson Seth Coan Paige Brown Monica Colling Debra Taylor Abigail Taylor Michael Koppel
Paul Baer Eugerie Narcisse Nancy Brzycki Minnie Levinson Esther Pollock Milton Josephson Berkeley Garrison Leroy Hittle Mary Parker Bernard Shelan Lois Arnold Gale Walter Benjamin Reichman Ronald David Goodman Ronald David Goodman Esther Schwartz Raven Lidman Charlotte Grotsky Reichman Tom Georges Roslyn Cohen Ann Baldwin Rose Robinson Margolis Margaret Urstadt Harold Melman George Neff
Happy Birthday!
12 Sarah DeStasio 12 Natalie Wolff 13 Kate Melman 14 Joel Levin 16 Sue Prince 16 Saul Petersky 17 Jane Zemel 18 Leslie Gates 18 Cobie Whitten 18 Suzanne Simons
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 kiverson@bethhatfiloh.org.
Mi Sheberach Updates
During Shabbat services, we always include a prayer for healing and maintain a list on behalf of members who want to include names in the healing prayers (as well as offering them verbally during services). Fill out this form to add a name to the list. May all be blessed with a refua shleyma, a complete healing of body, mind, and spirit.
COMMUNITY EVENTS/RESOURCES: Note: These are not officially sponsored or endorsed by TBH, but they are listed as they have Jewish content and/or may be of interest to our community.
Trans Day of Remembrance Thursday, November 20, 7:00 pm In Person at The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd
Interfaith Works: Resetting Our Sacred Table Sunday, November 23, 2:00 pm In Person at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd
This annual gathering continues to grow and evolve as we celebrate community through music, food, and storytelling—deepening our awareness, connection, and engagement with regional Tribal history and culture.
This year’s gathering invites us into a new experience—one centered not on presentations, but on connection and conversation. Together, we will explore our guiding values and how they can help us meet the challenges of our time.
In a moment when deep listening is itself a form of peacebuilding, this evening offers space to practice that art. Through two interactive sessions, each guided by a reflective prompt, participants will have time at their tables to share, listen, and learn from one another in a spirit of respect and genuine encounter.
Free to the public, a family-friendly, in-person only event. Seating is limited, so please RSVP to reserve your place at the table. RSVP at https://www.interfaith-works.org/events.
Temple Beth Hatfiloh, 201 8th Ave SE, Olympia, WA 98501
