Jewish Reconstructionist Federation

THE JRF'S WESTERN REGION MISSION

The JRF’s Western Region mission is to build a Reconstructionist Kehillah shel Kehillot. Our “community of communities” will provide an environment that: celebrates and respects each Kehillah's unique minhag (practices), enables each Kehillah to thrive and achieve its goals, while also stimulating connection, communication, and sharing of best practices within the region.

Regional leadership will serve as the first point of contact for Affiliates, ensuring that they become aware of the JRF’s North American initiatives and available resources. Regional leadership will expedite connections to such resources and other solutions and services that affiliate members value as helpful to achieving their objectives. Leaders will also facilitate synergies within the region and seek opportunities for the Western Region to be an integral part of the entire movement’s Kehillah shel Kehillot, with the intention of fostering growth, innovation and inspiration.

WHO'S THE SCHOLAR: Rabbi Richard Hirsh, author of The Rabbi-Congregation Relationship: A Vision for the 21st Century
and Executive Director of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association

WHERE: All events will take place at Keddem Congregation, 3900 Fabian Way, Palo Alto.

HOW TO REGISTER: Some events require pre-registration; please register by May 1st by contacting us at: 650-494-6400, or by sending e-mail to s-in-r@keddem.org. You are welcome to attend any individual service, meal or talk without attending others on the same day.

SPECIAL THANKS: This event was made possible by a generous donation from Dr. Victor Fuchs.

PROGRAM:

FRIDAY, MAY 16

“If Reconstructionist Judaism Was the Answer, What Was the Question?”

Rabbi Hirsh places Kaplan in his context, the goal being to see what can be extracted from that setting that remains relevant today, in an age of diminishing ideologies and denominationalism.

Service: 6:30-7:15 PM

Dinner: 7:30-8:30 PM (Reservations are required for dinner)

Talk: 8:30

SATURDAY, MAY 17

Torah study 9:00-10:00 AM

Rabbi Hirsh will lead Torah study on the portion of the week

“Meet Me at the Corner of Heart and Mind”

What would Judaism look like if we reconstructed it through an artistic/aesthetic lens of art, poetry, music, theatre, rather than through the prisms of philosophy, theology and sociology?

Service: 10:00 AM

Lunch: 12:00 noon (No charge, but reservations are appreciated)

Talk: 12:45 PM

Temple Beth Hatfiloh in Olympia is scheduled to finish its remodeling project this month. The 7,000-square-foot addition on the left houses offices, meeting space and classrooms to better serve members of the congregation. (Steven M. Herppich/The Olympian)by Lisa Pemberton

This article originally appeared in The Olympian and is reprinted with permission.

Members of Temple Beth Hatfiloh in Olympia have envisioned a new synagogue for about 15 years.

"At one time, the (new building) committee was called TBH 2000," said Beth Halpern of Olympia. "When we first started, it seemed realistic."

The dream soon will come to fruition as workers put the final touches on the 18,000-square-foot temple at Eighth Avenue and Washington Street, formerly the home of a Christian Science church.

RABBI DAVID TEUTSCH AS SCHOLAR-IN-RESIDENCE AT DOR HADASH
APRIL 4-6, 2008

LIVING A JEWISH LIFE: SPIRITUAL JOURNEY AND MORAL CHALLENGE

Rabbi David Teutsch serves as Director of the Center for Jewish Ethics at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Wyncote, Pennsylvania, where he has been a professor of Contemporary Jewish Civilization since 1997. For 25 years, he has been active as a private consultant for Jewish organizations nationwide.
He is the author of numerous books, including Spritual Community: The Power to Restore Hope, Commitment and Joy (2005), and several volumes in the series, A Guide to Jewish Practice, on the topics of Bioethics, the Ethics of Speech, Kashrut and Tzedaka. An additional volume, on Economic Justice and Organizational Ethics, is forthcoming.

Rabbi Teutsch is also the author of a forthcoming textbook on Jewish Leadership and Not-for-Profit Management. He served as editor of the Daily and High Holy Day prayer books published by the Reconstructionist Press (1996 and 1999).

Rabbi Teutsch received his Ph.D. from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and was ordained by Hebrew Union College in New York.

THE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS IS AS FOLLOWS:

CONGREGATION TO COMMUNITY: A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY
Rabbi Teutsch has played a central role in shaping the Reconstructionist movement. He will tell his personal story in a way that will explore key episodes in the development of the movement and its philosophy and practice.

Shabbat Service, Friday, April 4, 7:00 pm. Oneg reception following.

As part of its North American Leadership Series, JRF is proud to present PEARL: Providing Education and Resources for Leadership. Throughout the coming months, we will offer a series of conference calls on a wide variety of topics important to congregational leaders. Topics range from dues structures and running a successful fundraising event to growth and volunteer development to the rabbi-congregation relationship and using Reconstructionism in synagogue processes, and more. These real-time distance learning sessions will be facilitated by a senior member of the JRF staff and will include best practices from selected congregations.

We are pleased to provide this service free-of-charge to all JRF affiliates. It is our belief that by providing congregational leaders with the resources and experiences needed for growth, each of our communities – and the Reconstructionist movement as a whole – will benefit.

Click here for registration and a full list of offerings.

For more information, please contact Isaac Saposnik at isaposnik@jrf.org

Ozi, the son of Rabbi Seth Goldstein, dressed as a zombie from the dream scene in Fiddler on the Roof at the 2004 sing-along. What are your shul’s Christmas-day traditions? For the past few years, the members of Temple Beth Hatfiloh in Olympia, Washington, have gathered for a fun-filled Christmas-day Jewish movie night. Their premiere event in 2004, which featured a showing of Fiddler on the Roof, included a sing-along, costume contest, and a potluck, as well as the now-traditional food and blanket drive benefitting the Olympia Food Bank and other local organizations that support the community.

Kehillat Israel in Pacific Palisades, CA, celebrated the end of its mortgage with a special weekend of celebrations in early October.

Mazel tov!

JRF has created a fund to respond to the needs of any of our affiliated congregations that have been impacted by the Southern California wildfires, as well as to organizations that are providing relief to victims. No administrative expenses are taken on these tax-deductible donations

To donate to JRF's Wildfires Emergency Fund, please send checks only, made out to JRF with "Wildfires" in the memo line, and mail to JRF's national headquarters at Beit Devora, 101 Greenwood Avenue, Suite 430, Jenkintown, PA 19046.

In CALIFORNIA: Chico Havurah; Cong. Dor Hadash, San Diego; Cong. Ner Shalom, Cotati; Havurat Olam, Tarzana; Keddem Congregation, Palo Alto; Kehillat Israel, Pacific Palisades; Malibu Jewish Center & Synagogue; Or Zarua, Berkeley; Sacramento Reconstructionist Havurah; Temple Beth Shalom - South Bay; University Synagogue, Irvine; Whittier Havurah

In COLORADO: Beth Evergreen, Evergreen, CO; B'nai Havurah, Denver, CO

In NEVADA: Valley Outreach Synagogue, Las Vegas, NV

In OREGON: Havurah Shalom, Portland; Temple Beth Israel, Eugene; Temple Beth Sholom, Salem

In UTAH: Chavurah B'Yachad, Salt Lake City, UT

In WASHINGTON: Kadima, Seattle; Temple Beth Hatfiloh, Olympia

JRF WESTERN REGION PLANNERS TEAM

Marlene Bellamy, JRF Board Member-at-Large (Dor Hadash, San Diego, CA)

Mark Bregman, JRF Regional VP (University Synagogue, Irvine, CA)

Andy Gordon, President (Havurah Shalom, Portland, OR)

Ron Glickman, JRF Board Member-at-Large (University Synagogue, Irvine,CA)

Sandy Goldman, JRF Board Member-at-Large and JRF Executive Committee VP

Ros Goldstein, Past President (Dor Hadash, San Diego, CA)

George Greenberg, JRF Board Member-at-Large (Malibu Jewish Center and Synagogue, Malibu, CA)

Barnett Kalikow, JRF Regional VP (Temple Beth Hatfiloh, Olympia, WA)

Rich Levine, JRF Board Member-at-Large (Beth Evergreen, Evergreen, CO)

Linda Schibel, JRF Board Member-at-Large (Kehillat Israel, Pacific Palisades, CA)

Myrna Sigman, JRF Board Member-at-Large (Vail, CO)

JRF REPS

OPEN, Beth Evergreen

Naomi Reshotko, B'nai Havurah

Liz Michelena, Chico Havurah

Dave Wertlieb, Congregation Dor Hadash

OPEN, Chavurah B'Yachad

Roz Witt, Havurat Olam

Sima Kahn, Kadima

Bob Zimmerman, Keddem Congregation

Marty Nislick, Kehillat Israel

Dan Ross, Malibu Jewish Center & Synagogue

OPEN, Ner Shalom

Joan Resnick, Sacramento Reconstructionist Havurah

Richard Levy, Temple Beth Israel

OPEN, Temple Beth Shalom of the South Bay

Wenonoa Spivak, Temple Beth Sholom

Jim Gilbert, University Synagogue

OPEN, Valley Outreach Synagogue