January 2015

Coming Events at Beit Haverim January 2015 2

Shabbat Service led by Rabbi Berg

7:00PM

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Rabbi Alan Berg 8

Congregational Dessert

7:00PM

Cantorial Soloist Ann Brown

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1:00PM 7:00PM

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Shabbat Services Fridays at 7:00 p.m. at Beit Haverim 1111 Country Club Rd. Lake Oswego, OR 97034

American Red Cross Blood Drive Shabbat Service led by Rabbi Berg and Ann Brown & Birthday Blessings

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Natalie Goldberg Bat Mitzvah

10:00AM

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Religious School Board of Trustees Meeting Hebrew School

2:30PM 2:30PM 4:30PM

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Adult B’nai Mitzvah Class

7:00PM

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Confirmation Class

6:00PM

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Women’s Led Shabbat with Ann Brown

7:00PM

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Service Project at Religious School Bagel Chat—Religion in the Supreme Court: Recent Developments

2:30PM 2:30PM

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Congregational Dessert

7:00PM

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Congregational Dessert

7:00PM

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Shabbat Service led by Rabbi Berg and Ann Brown

7:00PM

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Tot Shabbat Torah Study led by Rabbi Berg

9:30AM 10:00AM

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Religious School Hebrew School Bagels & Blox Congregational Dessert

2:30PM 4:30PM 3:00PM 7:00PM

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Confirmation Class

6:00PM

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Shabbat Service led by Rabbi Berg

7:00PM

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Torah Study led by Rabbi Berg

10:00AM

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Mailing Address: P.O. Box 311 Lake Oswego OR 97034 Rabbi’s Hours: by appointment

Phone: 503-568-1241 Email : office@beithav.org Website www.beithav.org

Beit Haverim is an open, inviting, and spiritually alive Jewish community, located just outside of Portland, Oregon in Lake Oswego. We welcome everyone to our Reform congregation of Jews by birth, Jews by choice and Jews at heart.

FROM Rabbi Alan Berg A Happy Secular New Year Dear Friends, My colleague Rabbi Harold Salzmann from Pittsfield, Massachusetts, even now in his youthful 90s, goes around greeting people at this time Happy secular New Year.

Harold had a point there. Happy Secular New Year? It does have a ring to it.

On the first level, Harold was reminding all of us to keep in mind Jewish time, not that ol’ Roman calendar. And in Jewish time the New Year was a time of deep reflection. It’s not so long ago that we can’t remember the deep devotionality of the Jewish New Year. I also heard implicit in Rabbi Salzmann’s odd comment, a challenge: to give some meaning to this turning of the wheel of time that begins the New Year 2015.

I heard implicit in his words to not let these early months of the winter fly by without a renewed dedication to giving meaning to each day. Perhaps he was suggesting to draw wisdom from the Jewish meaning of what a new year should be – teshuvah – renewal, and to apply a little bit of that holy sensibility, to the ticking of the secular clock.

A happy, safe, healthy, peaceful, prosperous, generous and well cared for secular New Year to all.

Rabbi Berg

January, 2015

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Letter From Our President, Sue Greenspan This month I would like to continue lauding some very creative people at Beit Haverim. These three women add immeasurably to make Beit Haverim a very special place indeed.

Something wonderful happens in the very early evenings at Beit Haverim. The sanctuary of LOUCC (our worship partner) is transformed into a sanctuary of a lovely synagogue. The Ark is put in place, the Ner Tamid is lit, the Shabbat candles are set up, awaiting their blessings, and the symbol of our worship partner is concealed behind a magnificent tapestry. Beit Haverim is now ready for our worshippers.

A beautiful piece of art is the handiwork of Suzanne Causer. She created this cross cover to turn the sanctuary into our synagogue. Further, since joining about three years ago, she has taken it upon herself to add beauty to our space. This year, she presented the congregation with a second cover, to be used only during the High Holy Days. In addition to the two covers, Suzanne also quilted the striking Magen David piece hung in front of the podium where Ann Brown stands.

Besides adding artwork to our sanctuary, Suzanne has hosted the two Ladies’ Teas. She sets the tables with delicate china and silver, and bakes an array of the most delectable tea cakes and cookies.

At the conclusion of our Friday night or Saturday morning services, we proceed to the social hall, where another kind of art work takes places. Rabbi Berg takes the covered plate in his hands and asks “Who made this beautiful challah.”

Yes, baking is an art and the weekly beautiful challahs are made by mother/ daughter team, Robin Kay and Erin David. The moist delicious egg bread is the center of our onegs each Friday night. And like the sweetness of Shabbat, these braided challahs are made with a touch of honey and lots of love.

Both Robin and Erin have been members for many years. Robin was the beloved K/1 teacher for 10 years (recently retired) , and she served on the Board of Trustees. Erin celebrated her Bat Mitzvah and Confirmation at Beit Haverim, and then worked in the religious school in different capacities.

I would like to thank Suzanne, Robin, and Erin for all the beauty they have added to Beit Haverim. You are very special people and add more than you will ever know. We salute you!

January, 2015

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January Events Congregational Desserts January 8, 21, 22, 25 Dear Friends, The temple is important to all of us. It’s time for a check-in with our members.

You will soon receive a letter inviting you to one of five congregation meetings that will be held in January and February.

We are interested in learning your thinking about worship, study, education and community at Beit Haverim. Our goal is have a discussion with you in a relaxed setting to consider how our temple can evolve coherently and cohesively.

Thinking about creating a more deeply rooted and Jewishly dynamic Beit Haverim requires us to think of ourselves as servants of a larger mission.

That is the spirit that motivates these congregational meetings.

What lies ahead for Beit Haverim?

Along with temple leaders, I look forward to seeing you through our discussions, creating that answer together.

What are you seeking at the temple?

These meetings will give you an opportunity to visit with our leadership.

It may be that the most important result of these meetings is just getting to know each other that much better.

Looking forward to great discussions, Rabbi Alan Berg

Blood drive January 9, 1:00-7:00PM

Please consider donating blood at the upcoming Red Cross Blood Drive at Beit Haverim. If you've never donated before, please know that this effort could help save up to three lives. All the money in the world cannot save someone's life who needs blood. Because blood cannot be manufactured -- it can only come from generous donors. The process, including the interview and snack time, only takes about an hour -- an hour that reaps life-saving rewards.

To schedule a time to donate blood, click here and enter the Sponsor Code: BeitHaverim. Sign up early to get the time that works best for you. If you have any questions or need help with sign up, email Dena Gutterman.

January, 2015

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Natalie Goldberg Bat Mitzvah Natalie Goldberg Bat Mitzvah Saturday, January 10, 10:00AM

Hello, my name is Natalie Rose Goldberg and I am a 7th grader attending Lakeridge Junior High School. I have one sister, Lindsey, age 9. My parents are Cary and Matt.

On January 10th, I will become a Bat Mitzvah. My Torah portion is Sh’mot Exodus 1:1-6:1. The verses that I have chosen are 3:1-3:12. My Haftarah is from Isaiah, verses 28:5-28:13. I have been a student at Beit Haverim/SMJC since the fourth grade and have worked very hard towards becoming a Bat Mitzvah.

Over the past several months I have been donating my time helping the Young Survivors Portland support group members. These are women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer before age 40. Because my mom survived stage III breast cancer and had to go to so many doctors’ appointments, I decided to volunteer my time as a babysitter so that moms could not just take care of their health but also go out and have fun too.

I love to play basketball and lacrosse, and I also play the violin. I have been playing for 5 years.

I would like to thank Rabbi Berg and Sami Oberlander for helping me with my Hebrew readings.

I am very much looking forward to sharing my special day with my friends and extended family traveling from New York to be with me as I become a Bat Mitzvah. The entire congregation is welcome to attend on January 10th at 10:00 AM.

Women’s led Shabbat Service Friday, January 16, 7:00PM Join us for a special service led by the women of Beit Haverim. There will be a special story shared from a contemporary midrash written by Jill Hammer. Please bring a dessert to share at the oneg following the service.

January, 2015

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January Events Service Project for Youth Sunday, January 18, 2:30-4:30PM Tikkun olam means "repairing the world" or "healing the world" which suggests humanity's shared responsibility to heal, repair and transform the world. A simple way that our youth can “heal” someone less fortunate is through a service project like blessing bags. These are ziplock bags filled with items that will be donated to Transitional Youth, who actively work to reduce youth homelessness in the Portland/Southwest Washington area. The items below are the suggested items for the bags: Chapstick Toothbrush Toothpaste Gloves Small sewing kits Band aides Floss Hand sanitizer $5 gift cards (example: Dollar Tree, Fast food restaurants, Target,etc.)

Please place the items in the bin at the Temple. If you have questions or would like to help on the day of the project, please contact Heather Kirkbride.

Beit Haverim Bagel Chat: Religion in the Supreme Court: Recent Developments Steven Green, Willamette University College of Law January 18, 2:30-4:00 PM Toward the end of its last term, a sharply divided United States Supreme Court decided two very important religion cases. In Hobby Lobby, the court, by a vote of five-tofour, required the federal government to exempt certain businesses from the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive coverage mandate. The owners of the exempt businesses argued that providing such coverage violated their religious beliefs. In a separate case, the court upheld the practice of a small town — Greece, New York — starting its town council meetings with sectarian, Christian prayers. Again by a vote of fiveto-four, the court rejected the argument that the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause prohibited such prayers in a public setting.

Please join Beit Haverim and Lake Oswego United Church of Christ as we host Steven K. Green, a national expert on the First Amendment and religion and the law, for a discussion of these two cases and related issues. Professor Green is the Fred H. Paulus Professor of Law at Willamette University, Director of the university’s Center for Religion, Law & Democracy, and the former legal director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State in Washington, D.C. The discussion will be moderated by Paul Diller of Beit Haverim, also a professor of law at Willamette University.

Refreshments will be served.

January, 2015

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January Events Tot Shabbat Saturday, January 24, 9:30AM Welcoming all children and their families.

A fun-filled, casual service of songs and stories! Afterwards, a snack and craft. Enjoy Shabbat with your child and get to know other young families at Beit Haverim.

Bagels & Blox Sunday, January 25, 3:00PM The Beit Haverim Religious School welcomes 2, 3, and 4 year-olds and their parents to a celebration of Judaism through creative arts and play. Please come and join the fun!

The Toddler program will be brimming with activities including Hebrew and English sing-a-longs with guitar accompaniment, storytelling, art activities, and more. You and your Toddler will experience firsthand the joys of learning about Jewish holidays and events in a delightful, memorable fashion. The new Toddler program will be held January 25, 2015 from 3:00pm-4:00pm. Please plan on staying for T’Fillah in the sanctuary from 4:00pm-430pm.

For more information about our programs, including our free Toddler program and our once per week K-7 religious and Hebrew school, please contact Heather Kirkbride.

Committee Updates Volunteer Opportunity within the Religious School We are in need of volunteers. YOU are very important to our program! The success of our religious education program depends on the dedicated individuals in our congregation willing to share their time, talents and knowledge with our future, the children. We encourage all our members, as well as parents of children in our program to help.

I am looking for members who would be willing to substitute in the classroom on Sundays, help set up snacks on Sunday, and classroom aides for a second set of hands when needed.

Please let Heather Kirkbride know if you are interested in these or the many other volunteer opportunities that are available.

Friday Night Shabbat Clean Up The Congregation is looking for people that would be willing to come a few minutes early to Shabbat Services and help set up for the Oneg and then spend a few minutes after cleaning up. This would entail setting up the Bema, pouring wine, putting cookies on trays, and wiping down the counters.

If you are interested, please call Allison at the Temple Office at 503-568-1241. She will assign you a date and a board member to work with.

January, 2015

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Committee Updates Tikkun Olam We are so grateful for your donations of toys for Jahleel’s Bar Mitzvah project. Thanks to everyone who brought in a toy for a foster kid.

Tikkun Olam is starting a new project in conjunction with our Women’s Led Shabbat Service on January 16th. As you may recall, we are gathering funds and/or very gently worn large size bras. These are for the women who reside at CODA, a treatment program with which our member, Leslie Peltz, is affiliated. This seems like a fine tie in to our women’s led service and we hope you will generously give to the ‘bra’ fund through Beit Haverim. It would be an esteem builder to have these women look and feel better.

Please continue to participate at whatever level you can, with our attempts to make the world a little better!

And on these chilly days, you might want to pick up the yarn and start knitting scarves and hats for NEXT winter’s knitzvah project. It just never ends, does it? And aren’t we happy to be able to help?

Knitzvah A huge thank you for everyone who participated in the Knitzvah project this year. We outdid ourselves and ended up with 83 hats and scarves and cowls for Lift Urban and their holiday party.

Thank you to Mary Birenbaum, Robin Kay, Erin David, Leslie Bratschi, Sue Greenspan, Gabrielle Williams, Barbara Gold, Gail Feinstein, and those who knitted and gave without revealing themselves!

Keep knitting, please! We still have donated yarn from Masha Sanders that we can turn into more items for next year.

Beit Haverim Cookbook Be the first to order your copy of Bubbe and Zayde Cook. All recipes are from members of Beit Haverim. All tested by families and well loved. Place your order now and get delivery starting at the Women’s led service on January 16th. We are very excited with the results and can’t wait to try all the fabulous recipes.

These will make great gifts and wonderful addition to anyone’s cookbook collection. They are $15 each. Please use this link to place your order.

January, 2015

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Tributes & Memorials In honor of 

Thank you to the Kirkbride family for their donation in honor of the 4/5 grade led Shabbat service

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Thank you to the Williams family for their donation in honor of Nay Nay Taylor’s conversion

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Thank you to Michael Call for your donation in honor of Rabbi Berg

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Thank you to Susan and Alan Rothenberg for your donation in honor of Rabbi Berg

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Thank you to the Sahni family for sponsoring several people for the Chanukah dinner

Donations help your Beit Haverim Community Thrive!

Donations to Beit Haverim can be made in honor of a loved one's simcha (special occasion), in memory of a loved one, or "just because."

Click here to make your on line donation! Thank you!

Community News and Notables Help us share community news and notables. We'll include community members' simchas and acknowledgments of life event struggles and condolences. Let us know if you received an award/honor, earned a promotion, welcomed a new addition to your family, celebrated a special anniversary or occasion, are mourning a special person or healing from an illness or surgery.

Email Gabrielle Williams (photos welcome) or call the office at 503-568-1241. We hope to hear from you!

Pet Loss Support Our member, Sharon Rose, is offering pet loss support for other members of Beit Haverim at no cost. Sharon is certified to do this.

If you need some help, you can just call or email Sharon and she will be happy to talk with you as you go through your grief process. Email Sharon or call her at (503) 352-5045.

Amazon Shopping Earns $'s For Beit Haverim Just use this link here when you make your purchases through Amazon and Beit Haverim earns a percent of your spending. Be sure to share the link with family and friends - it really adds up!

January, 2015

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Spring Fundraiser

January, 2015

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Community Events

Jewish Theatre Collaborative P2S Echoes Jan. 25-27, 7:30PM Milagro Theater, MJCC, Lincoln Hall at PSU An evening conceived by JTC artists in collaboration with Los Porte単os - Portland's Latino Writers Group.

Featuring Songs, Poetry and Readings.

Click here for ticket information.

2015 Havdalah Service at the Rose Schnitzer Manor Saturday, January 31, 6:30PM Rose Schnitzer Manor, Zidell Hall located at 6140 SW Boundary, Portland, OR 97221 The 15th Annual Community Havdalah Service will be held on at the Rose Schnitzer Manor . The service will start at 6:30PM and is open to the public. The service will be led by Rabbi Rachel Joseph along with the children's choir from Congregation Beth Israel, Portland. There is no charge for this event and the community is invited.

January, 2015

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In the Beit Haverim Community Yarzheits

Birthdays Max Libmann

January 1

Naomi Angier

January 4

Melissa Deasis

January 4

Natalie Goldberg

January 5

Barbara Gold

January 7

Natalie Scheele

January 7

Abigail Kirkbride

January 8

Sharon Rose

January 8

Ian McTeague

January 9

Abigail Minch

January 10

Audrey Minch

January 10

David Levine

January 11

Adam Beyer

January 12

Alan Cohen

January 12

Esther Schwartz

January 18

David Wiegler

January 19

Tate Williams

January 20

Gary Stolz

January 21

Lauryn Marks

January 23

Dale Willis

January 24

Jeffery David

January 25

Alex Libmann

January 27

Aaron Rabiroff

January 27

Max Sokol

January 27

Lindsey Goldberg

January 28

Gabrielle Williams

January 28

Gideon Aster

January 30

Ilan Aster

January 30

Paul Jarett

Joshua Albert Bombet

January 4

Nephew of Michelle Minch Jeanette Levy

January 4

Friend of Roberta DeAsis Bette Cohen

January 6

Sister-in-Law of Brian Olson Morris Goldberg

January 9

Grandfather of Matthew & Cary Goldberg Edward Sonnenfeld

January 9

Father of Laurie Sonnenfeld Robert Epsteen

January 14

Father of Stacy Epsteen Lillian Opper

January 18

Mother of Babette Flynn, Grandmother of Liz Cohen Helen"Kiki" Epsteen

January 19

Mother of Stacy Epsteen Gertrude Sondheimer

January 22

Grandmother of Gabe Hunter-Bernstein Solomon Yawnick

January 22

Father of Barbara Gray Morris S. Macovsky

January 24

Father of Louis Macovsky Herman John Feinstein

January 27

Father of Alan Feinstein Phyllis Natale

January 29

Mother of Jo-Ann Moss James Horwitz

January 31

Brother of Barbara Brady

January 31

Anniversaries Edward & Martha Sherman

January 1

Laurie Sonnenfeld & Nicholas Gefroh ‌ January 1 August, 2015 January, 2015

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