OUR LEADERSHIP

TIKVAH TIMES STAFF

• Editor at Large - Alene Schonhaut, Assistant Editor - Madeleine Wolf & Jay Beber - Cover Design & Consultant
• Photography Credits - Jay Beber, Alene Schonhaut & Julie Steiner O'Donnell
• EDITORIAL NOTE - You can click on any picture or article to enlarge it.

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Rabbi Randy Sheinberg

Participate in Tikkun Olam by Voting this Season, and by Helping Others to Do So - As Well

• As September ends and October begins, we turn to the Jewish festival of Sukkot. Sukkot is the holiday on which, some scholars claim, our American holiday of Thanksgiving was based.
• During Sukkot, we celebrate the harvest, and give thanks for the bounty in our lives - both of which come from the land and the myriad of other blessings all around us. As we dwell in our sukkahs - fragile huts or booths, we remember that these blessings are not to be taken for granted…they are precious gifts we should recognize, appreciate, and use.
• By the time you read this issue, Sukkot will just be beginning. The sukkahs, the temporary booths we will build and sometimes dwelt in will remain up for the week; then disappear. However, they will soon be replaced - by a new pop-up “booth”, one that, like its predecessor can also remind us of our blessings. That is the voting booth.
• We generally take the right to vote for granted, but we should not. Although African Americans were granted the right to vote with the enactment of the 15th Amendment in 1870, it took the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to fully enfranchise them. And it was only a century ago this year, in 1920, that women won the right to vote. Voting is both a right and a privilege of citizens living in a democracy.
• The right to vote is not only American; it is also Jewish. Judaism values government, and mandates that we uphold and support it. The duty to create and support government is so important that it is one of the few duties that Jewish law recognizes for all, Jew and non-Jew alike (Talmud Sanhedrin 56a). The Mishnah - the earliest codification of Jewish law, instructs us to “Pray for the welfare of the government, for were it not for the fear/respect of it, humans would swallow one another alive.” (Pirkei Avot 3.2) In the Talmud, our sages teach that the law of the land must be followed as much as, if not more than, Jewish law. By choosing to become citizens of a nation, we enter into a contract with that society. This obligates us to honor that nation’s civil laws in exchange for one's respective government’s protection and benefits.
• Voting is a vital privilege and responsibility of democracy. However, voter suppression has long plagued the U.S. election system, making it far from guaranteed that every person will be able to participate in the system. Communities of color are denied equal access to the ballot on a regular basis. This year, voting is more complicated than usual; because of the pandemic, we need to rely on absentee ballots to enfranchise those whose health would be endangered by voting in person.
• Temple Tikvah is endorsing the Religious Action Center’s (RAC) 2020 Civic Engagement Campaign. The campaign encourages all US citizens to exercise their right to vote and breaks down obstacles that shut some out of the voting booth. Members of our community have already written postcards to encourage voters to vote, and to help them make sure they are registered to do so. This month there will be opportunities to participate in text banks and phone banks on a local level and across the country. We will also be mobilizing voters in our own community.

Every voice counts! - We need all our voices at the polls!

LET's Hear & feel joy!

Temple President

andrea comerchero

Hand and Heart…The Traditions of Tzedakah

• I would like to thank all of you for the opportunity and privilege of being the President of our Congregation. For those of you who do not know, Marc and I have been members of Temple Tikvah since 2009 and have raised our two daughters here. My family’s history dates back to the founding of Temple Emanuel and Marc’s family has a long history at their temple in New Jersey. Judaism has held and always will hold a significant place in our lives and hopefully our children’s as they become adults and have families of their own.
• None of us is certain what our future will bring…How will we make it through the winter with COVID looming, what will the face of businesses look like, how will our children make it through a semester of school? There are so many unanswered questions.
• Theodore Herzl said, “Im tirtzu ein zo agada. - If you will it, it is no dream."
• Temple Tikvah has many strengths. They include providing a home of stability, a place of consistency, and a place of connection to our community. We need and value all of these strengths, especially during the current pandemic and climate. If you will it, it is no dream.
• Through this pandemic Temple has found new ways to connect and care for each other, while at the same time remaining true to our identity and our values. We have worked hard to continue the programing you have come to love and look forward to, as well as to be available to you as a place of spiritual connection.
• In order to continue to be a source of support and comfort, to continue building for our future - we need YOU. With this altered reality we have faced a shortfall of thousands of dollars due to lack of rentals and the financial impact that the pandemic has brought on so many of you.
• This foundation that is part of my family history and part of each of your history and future depends on us. We need to come together in this unique moment to contribute something, so we can secure a future for our children and our children’s children.
• If you will it, it is no dream. These have been difficult times for all of us and we have been faced with extraordinary challenges to meet the needs of our community, but as a community we can overcome them. It is for this reason that I am asking you to participate in tzedakah and help support our Temple Tikvah community. For those of you visiting us, we welcome your support and tzedakah too. Together we can continue to be a vibrant community demonstrating our commitment to Judaism and its future.

L’Shana Tova…Happy, healthy and sweet New Year to all of you and your families.

caring community

Sharon Kahn & Helene schonhaut

Participation is Key!

At this time the meaning and practice of tikkun olam is more important and relevant than ever before. So, we would like to share with you some pertinent information, as written in Learning to Give by Jennifer Noparstak (Learning to Give Website, at http://www.learningtogive.org).

• TIKKUN OLAM - A Jewish concept defined by acts of kindness performed to perfect or repair the world. The phrase is found in the Mishnah, a body of classical rabbinic teachings. It is often used when discussing issues of social policy, insuring a safeguard to those who may be at a disadvantage. In modern Jewish circles, tikkun olam has become synonymous with the notion of social action and the pursuit of social justice.
• IMPORTANCE - The most modern and broadly understood notion of tikkun olam is that of "repairing the world" through human actions. Humanity's responsibility to change, improve, and fix its earthly surroundings is powerful. It implies that each person has a hand in working towards the betterment of his or her own existence as well as the lives of future generations. Tikkun olam forces people to take ownership of their world. It is them, not G-d, who will bring the world back to its original state of holiness. More simply, it is important for Jews to participate in repairing the world by participating in tzedakah (justice and righteousness) and g'milut hasadim (acts of loving kindness). Without their stake in the improvement of their environment, injustice and evil will continue to exist.
• TIES TO THE PHILANTHROPIC SECTOR - Tikkun olam embodies the spirit of philanthropy. Increasing the well-being of humankind is one of the key elements of repairing the world. Helping those who are in need, no matter in what capacity, is crucial and "holy" work. Tikkun olam, as it relates to practical methods, applies to working in all communities, not just Jewish communities. Jews are members of greater society, and as such, their actions are not limited to their own communities. Social welfare and volunteer work, as well as the donation of monetary and physical resources, are ways in which people can be philanthropically involved, and at the same time, be involved in tikkun olam.
• UPCOMING EVENTS: On Thursday, October 1st there will be a ZOOM 1:00pm Meeting of the Afternoon Book Club. The book The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson will be reviewed & On Tuesday, October 13th there will be a ZOOM 7:30pm Meeting of the Book Club. The book Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid will be reviewed • On Tuesday, October 20th there will be a ZOOM 7:30pm Meeting of the Creative Writing Group • The date of the next Caring Community Meeting TBA.

Here is to a healthy, less stressful New Year...STAY WELL & STAY SAFE

social action

Elaine Brooks, Judy Kirschner & Elaine Weiss

Let Us Fix, Not Undo, The World as We Know It

• As we continue into Fall, we will be celebrating a Social Action Shabbat on October 23rd (still online it seems.) The recent High Holidays provided an opportunity for reflection on how we might incorporate social action into such celebrations as Sukkot, Simchat Torah, and the New Year we have begun.
• There are many ways the Social Action Committee practices tikkun olam or repairing our world. Sukkot is a joyful time for many of us, yet it also reminds us of the difficulties some people live with (lack of good housing, healthy food, warm clothing or safety from the potential dangers of our environment, such as the recent fires on our west coast) and there are a variety of ways we can respond, individually or as a group/community. A speaker from the INN (Interfaith Nutritional Network) will be participating in our Social Action Shabbat to inform us of the many services it provides, and especially about The Center for Performative Change.
• One may consider ways to honor farmers and farm workers who provide us with essential foods by perhaps hosting a “warm-up” clothing drive or by informing ourselves further about housing and homeless issues. Temple Tikvah for many years has run a fall rummage sale, where we have collected such items as coats, hats, gloves, scarves, and socks to keep people warm as winter approaches, and we participated in an interfaith service close to Thanksgiving. How would you like to repair the world in this new year? Let us know about your interests and activities, and what you may want to spearhead or join.
• A good way to start is to VOTE on November 3rd if you have not already done so. If you need/want help, let us know. We work best together! We wish you joyful celebrations and a strong spirit for the work ahead.
• Here are suggestions to consider: Historically devastating wildfires in Oregon, California, and Washington are still raging out of control. 500,000 people have been ordered to evacuate in Oregon, with the possibility of more as fires approach Portland. Millions of acres are on fire and whole towns have burned to the ground. Thousands of people have lost their homes and all their possessions, and the COVID-19 Pandemic has hampered relief efforts. There are thousands of families without power, drinkable water, medical supplies, safe shelter, and access to food. If you are looking for ways to aid the relief efforts, please consider giving to these charities assisting victims in California, Oregon, and Washington: United Way of Lane County • Oregon Food Bank • Food Bank Contra Costa & Solano • Latino Community Foundation Wildfire Relief Fund • United Way of Benton & Lincoln Counties • United Way of the Columbia - Willamette • UndocuFund Sonoma County • Okanogan County Community Action Council • United Way of Linn County Ashland Emergency Food Bank (AEFB) • Opportunities Industrialization Center of Washington (OIC) • Food Bank for Monterey County • Redwood Empire Food Bank • Rural Resources Community Action • Marion-Polk Food Share United Community Action Network • Greater Douglas United Way • Puente - Fire Relief Fund • United Way of The Mid - Willamette Valley • United Way of Jackson • Rogue Climate • Rogue Action Center •

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3rd 2020

Every Vote Counts! In the last presidential election only 57% of eligible voters participated.

Voter Registration Deadline - The deadline to vote in this year's elections is Friday, October 9th 2020.

• Make a Difference - Maybe you are not registered, because you have convinced yourself that you should avoid politics. Political decisions will be made for you even if you choose not to participate. When you vote, elected officials have to consider what you think. They may not always do what you want, however they have to listen to your opinions. You can make the system better. It may never be perfect, yet improvement is possible.
• There are 3 ways you can vote: (1)Request ballot by Tuesday, October 7th (LINK #2); (2) Vote EARLY from Saturday, October 24th – Sunday, November 1st (LINK #3); AND (3) VOTE ON ELECTION DAY ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3rd from 6:00pm – 9:00pm.

lifelong learning

Meryl root

As the New Year Begins – Education, Faith & Hope Must Prevail

• Lunch & Learn - Julie Schwietert Collazo, from Immigrant Families Together, has written a memoir entitled, The Book of Rosy along with Rosayra Pablo Cruz. The book starts out in the detention center in Arizona, goes back and chronicles Rosayra's childhood in Guatemala, the post-detention reunification with her sons, and how they are now building a life in New York. • Join us for Lunch & Learn on ZOOM (details will be in the Weekly Update) on Saturday, October 17th at 11:30am. We will meet both Julie and Rosayra, hear a little of the book and how they met, learn about Immigrant Families Together and immigration policy, and have time for Q & A. I hope to see you there.
• Torah Study: Shabbat Morning Torah Study continues every Saturday at 9:00am via ZOOM, with Rabbi Randy Sheinberg. We are coming out of the High Holiday season and resume our Torah reading schedule in mid-October at the very beginning with Genesis, also called B’reishit. We will read the stories of our ancestors once again and see how they, even with their imperfections are still an inspiration to us today. No experience or prior knowledge is required. All are welcome. The ZOOM link will be published in the Weekly Update each week.
• Hyperlinks: All ZOOM information and links are available in the Weekly Updates. Please look to the flyers at the bottom of the Updates for Lifelong Learning Resources with live hyperlinks to a variety of things to do. If you have any suggestions, feel free to share them with me at lifelonglearning@templetikvah.org.

Please continue to remain safe & well.

sisterhood

President - Phyllis Richards

We Vow to Continue Mitzvot As a Group of Committed Women

• At Simchat Torah we are celebrating the Torah cycle being renewed, moving from end to beginning. This year especially we have successfully gone through difficult times and now we must renew our commitment to keep our focus, to find happiness in our lives, and to continue to help those in need of finding that happiness.
• What can Sisterhood do to fulfill its goals of helping our Temple, our members, and various charities when we have to deal with the world in virtual reality? Yes, it is more limiting and difficult, however not impossible when working with a determined group of dedicated women.
• There are many ways we have raised funds and can continue to raise funds to help various charities and our Temple - perhaps you bought honey to send to family and friends, where the proceeds of this sale were given to Temple; or have you been receiving birthday or anniversary greetings from Temple members; or maybe you have been sending Simcha Greetings, which are a great way to acknowledge Temple friends without having the hassle of going to a store to purchase greeting cards in this Covid-19 environment – where all you have to do is look for the next mailing inviting you to participate; or you can even now commemorate a special occasion or memory by sponsoring a Shabbat Simcha. Look for the flyer in the Weekly Updates. Although we cannot physically be together in Temple Tikvah, we certainly can and will acknowledge your special occasions or memories during our well attended virtual services.

“Simchat Torah compels us to be thankful for our family, our friends, our sacred partners in the work of tikkun olam.” - Chris Harrison

brotherhood

president - Marc gold

We are Continuing to Rejoice in Our Faith and One Another

• It is now October 2020 and we are still not quite back inside our sanctuary for services, yet Brotherhood is moving forward one day at a time and staying quite busy.
• In September we honored 3 of Temple Tikvah’s B’nai Mitzvah with gifts.
• Brotherhood also donated once again to the PJ Library. The PJ Library mails free Jewish children’s books and music to families with Jewish children as gifts. We are proud to donate to this wonderful program.
• Our Annual Membership Drive is under way! All men in the Temple should have received a mailing from Brotherhood. Please join us and our Temple Arm, and support Brotherhood. Dues are $50.
• We meet the first Wednesday of each month and currently we are meeting on ZOOM. The ZOOM link is handled by me, so please contact me for the information.
• And finally, as many of you know or maybe you do not, On the Marc Sports Talk is a weekly hour plus sports talk show we do on ZOOM every Thursday at 4pm. We started this over 4 months ago and we are still going strong! We would love to have new people join us. The ZOOM link is in the Temple's Weekly Update. So why not click it and you join us…and it is freebie. You are more than welcome to join in on our conversations or simply just sit back and listen. BTW - if you missed any of our old shows you can now catch-up on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora or Apple TV (podcasts); search for On the Marc Sports Talk and you will find our fancy logo and you can listen.

Do not forget that as we prepare to restart this year’s Torah cycle during these times, we still have alot to celebrate!

donations

• ADULT EDUCATION FUND: Susan & Burton Schall in memory of Lisa Freeman
• CARING COMMUNITY FUND: Helaine & Ed Schachter in memory of Ed Kahn, Lisa Freeman, and Roslyn Lefkowitz
• RABBI’S DISCRETIONARY FUND: Hilda Jackere in memory of Alan Leonard Jackere • Bettelheim Family in memory of Eugene Cohen • Michele & Dennis Baltuch in memory of Shirley Snyder • Michael Stolar & Sheryl Diamond-Stolar in honor of Zoe Albert’s Bat Mitzvah • Ronni & Charles Hollander in appreciation of the Rabbi’s kind words for their Aunt Rita and David Horowitz • Joan Schuster in memory of Shirley Snyder
• SIMCAH FUND: Esther Krivchevsky - A hearty welcome to Cantor Contzius! • Esther Krivchevsky - Thank you to everyone for all of your good wishes on my milestone (ZOOM Celebration) birthday!! • Barbara & Joseph Massey in honor of the upcoming wedding of their son Charles and his fiancée Melissa • Barbara Silberman best wishes on the marriage of Melissa & Charles Massey
• TEMPLE TIKVAH MEMORIAL FUND: Deborah Abramowitz in memory of Shirley Snyder • Lorraine & Lester Bertan in memory of Dr. Arnold Birenbaum • Arnold & Sylvia Bloch in memory of Charles Margolis • Sheila & Martin Bokser in memory of Lillian Lehrman Bokser • Brotherhood in memory of Shirley Snyder and Eugene Cohen • Dr. Martin Cohen & Rabbi Randy Sheinberg in memory of Eunice Cohen, Liz Cohen, Louis Powell, and Martin Cohen • Julie Covelli in memory of Leonard Fischbach • Mindy & Mark Daniels in memory Kay Jedlin • Jody & Arthur Diamond in memory of Ethel Pugach • Elaine Farber in memory of Joseph Roth, Sigmund Roth, Abraham Farber, and Sadye Farber • Sonia Fink in memory of Manfred Fink and Henry Fink • Sharon Fricano in Manfred Fink and Henry Fink • Sue & Bob Gelfand in memory Ann Ader and Frank Gelfand • Libby Glowatz in memory of Benjamin Graff • Muriel H. Gorochow in memory of Shirley Snyder • Dean Hernan in memory of Leonard Hernan • Phyllis & Joe Horne in memory of Cynthia Mittleman and Meryl Wittenberg • Robin & Robert Jacobson in memory of Jacob Jacobson and Lester Sarnoff • Judy & Joe Kirschner in memory of Dr. Arnold Birenbaum, Rebecca Rosenberg, and Bella Kirschner • Leslie Kizner in memory of Abraham Kizner • Gloria & Larry Konstan in memory of Lisa Freeman • Esther Krichevsky in memory of Jacob Krichevsky • Ira & Terry Lepzelter in memory of Frances Lepzelter • Barbara & Joseph Massey in memory of Meyer Katz • Lynn Moser in memory Lisa Freeman • Susan & Kent Moston in memory of Lisa Freeman • Lee Newman & Family in memory of Ira (Bob) Newman • Margery & Edward Orenstein in memory of Harry Friedman • Beverly Osrow in memory of Louis Kerbel • Donald & Lori Panetta in memory of Charles Freeman, Penny Teitelbaum, and Louise Panetta • Sandy & David Peskin in memory of Lisa Freeman and Shirley Snyder • Suzanne Plastrik in memory of Rhea Markus • Phyllis Richards in memory of Arlene Sheff's sister and Mollie Glick • Shari & Rony Rotstein in memory of Ilene Roth • Susan & Burton Schall in memory of Harvey Wald • Barbara & Ron Schreiber in memory of Lisa Freeman • Rosalyn Schwartz in memory of Gertrude Schwartz, Louis Berger, Joseph Weber, and Mary Weber • June & Jack Schwarz in memory of Lisa Freeman • Barbara Silberman in memory of Dr. Arnold Birenbaum • Doris & Irving Silberman in memory of Dorothy Feldman • Janet & Barry Spool in memory of Nathan Kaplan and Geraldine Spool • Felice Tarter in memory of Morris Mandel

A TRIBUTE TO JUSTICE RUTH BADER GINSBURG AND ALL OF OUR LOVED ONES

in loving memory

*october's CALENDAR

• THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1st • Afternoon Book Club - 1:00pm
• FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2nd • EREV SUKKOT • Meditation - 6:45pm • Sukkot Shabbat Service – 7:30pm
• SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3rd • SUKKOT • Torah Study – 9:00am • Outdoor Junior Congregation – 9:30am • Festival Service - 10:30am
• SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4th • Religious School - 9:30am • Tikvah Tots Sukkot -12:30pm
• TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6th • Sisterhood Board Meeting – 7:30pm
• WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7th • Brotherhood Meeting – 7:00pm
• THURSDAY, October 8th • On the Marc Sports Talk – 4:00pm
• FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9th • Consecration/Simchat Torah Family Service – 7:00pm
• SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10th • SHEMINI ATZERET/SIMCHAT TORAH • Torah Study – 9:00am • Festival & Yizkor Service
• TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13th • Evening Book Club – 7:30pm
• THURSDAY, October 15th • On the Marc Sports Talk – 4:00pm
• FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16th • Shabbat Service – 7:30pm
• SATURDAY – OCTOBER 17th • Junior Congregation – 9:30am • Lifelong Learning – 11:30am
• SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18th • Religious School – 9:30am • Social Action Committee Meeting – 10:30am
• TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20th • Writing Group Meeting – 7:30pm
• THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22nd • On the Marc Sports Talk – 4:00pm
• FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23rd • Tikvah Tots – 6:30pm • Shabbat Service/Social Action Shabbat
• SATURDAY, OCTBER 24th • Family Havdalah/Virtual Game Night - 5:00pm
• SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25th • Religious School – 9:30am
• THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29nd • On the Marc Sports Talk – 4:00pm
• FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30th • Meditation – 6:45pm • Shabbat Service – 7:30pm
• SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31st • Torah Study – 9:00am

* PLEASE REFER TO THE WEEKLY UPDATES FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE VIRTUAL INFORMATION *