BETY Shabbat Dinner and Scout ShabbatFriday, February 9, 5:30 p.m.Join us for a special family Shabbat dinner hosted by our Beth El Temple Youth! Best of all? It's free! Registration is required. The menu theme is Super Bowl Shabbat, featuring sliders, nachos, tailgate tots, seven-layer dip, potato skin bites, spinach artichoke football challah, and veggie cups. This event is open to all members of the congregation. Be sure to stay after the dinner for a special Scout Shabbat service. Any Jewish scouts are encouraged to wear their uniforms. Questions? Contact Madi at madi@tbetacoma.org.
Sisterhood UFO Work Session
Saturday, February 10, 5:00–8:00 p.m.
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No! It's Sisterhood's upcoming UFO work session! Join us in the TBE social hall and bring your UnFinished craft Objects (UFOs) to work on. Get help, inspiration, and design advice from your sisters and friends. Please bring potluck snacks to share. Pescatarian or vegetarian food is great! Questions? Please call or text Bunny Peters at (408) 757-5671.
Volunteer Service Project
Sunday, February 11, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Working collaboratively with Diane Reineman, a dedicated volunteer with a heart for service, we aim to make a significant impact on our local food bank. Diane has ingeniously repurposed discarded rice bags into reusable shopping
bags, addressing a critical need for clients who often arrive without their own bags. To support this initiative, we are organizing a volunteer work party. We envision a day where volunteers, spanning various generations, come together to measure, cut, fold, and sew grocery bags from the repurposed rice bags. Please contact Madi at madi@tbetacoma.org with any questions.
Belong Partners: Building Equitable Learning Opportunities and Nurturing Growth (Zoom)
Monday, February 12, 4:30–6:30 p.m. (Multiple Sessions)
Belong Partners, located in Puget Sound, is offering a series of workshops on resilience. Part I of this series, Using a Trauma Lens, focuses on helping children feel safe, connected and develop quality learning skills. This same workshop is also being offered on the Mondays of February 26, May 7, and May 14 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. For more information and to register, click here.
Brotherhood Meeting
Tuesday, February 13, 6:30 p.m.
All this cold and gray have you wanting to wear flannel and grab your axe? We won’t be splitting logs, but we will be demolishing old wooden tables as part of our next meet up. Join us (tools & PPE provided) for a little destruction followed by some building of bonds at Loose Wheel Pizza. This event is being coordinated by our very own John Barnes. If you have questions please reach out to brotherhood@tbetacoma.org. TBE Brotherhood is open to all genders. If you need transportation to events, please contact us so we can help coordinate with you.
Speaker Series: Stand With Us
Thursday, February 15, 11:00 a.m.
Join us online or in person for the February session of TBE’s Speaker Series. This month, we will be joined by Randy Kessler, Regional Director of
StandWithUs Northwest. StandWithUs is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that educates about Israel and fights antisemitism. In his visit to TBE, Randy will share stories from his work that illustrate how our world has changed since October 7. If you’d like to contact the Speaker Series program, please reach out to program members: Carol Umbehocker, carolumbe@comcast.net, (253) 719-8040, or Trish McCloy-Ross, pmccloyross@gmail.com, (253) 691-6294. Please RSVP to Lana at frontdesk@tbetacoma.org. This is a free event, sponsored by Lamed Vav. Donations are appreciated.
JCRC: Jewish Community Lobby Day
Friday, February 15, 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
Join the Jewish Community Relations Council and your Jewish community as we gather for Lobby Day. Whether you're a first-time advocate or an experienced lobbyist, this is your chance to actively participate in the democratic process. Advocacy focus: combating antisemitism and hate crimes; protecting and supporting immigrants and refugees; ensuring the safety of our Jewish community institutions, and more. Come hear from influential legislators, gain insights into key community issues, and meet with Representatives and Senators to influence change. Contact Aliza Mossman at alizam@jewishinseattle.org with any questions.
Home of Peace Annual Membership Meeting
Sunday, February 25, 12:00 p.m.
Attention Home of Peace members—the Annual Membership Meeting for the Home of Peace Cemetery Association will be held on Sunday, February 25, at 12:00 p.m. in the temple chapel. If you need a Zoom link, contact info@homeofpeacecemetery.org. All members of the Home of Peace Cemetery Association are encouraged to attend.
Sisterhood: Caramel Crew
Wednesday, February 28, Multiple Sessions
February 28: Caramel Crew: Learn to create sweet creamy caramels by helping to stir, cut, wrap, and package, all while working and laughing (and maybe sampling) with others. Recipe provided. Volunteer shifts are available for morning, afternoon, and early evening. Can’t make it on the 28th? Donations of ingredients are much appreciated. To volunteer, please contact Deb Freedman at debfreetacoma@gmail.com.
Save the Date
Understanding Israel & Gaza (ReformJudaism.org)
Sunday, March 3, 9:00–10:30 a.m.
This educational program will cover the historical context of Israel and Gaza and the origins and ongoing development of the conflict. This special session will be taught by Rabbi Lawrence Englander, Rabbi Emeritus of Solel Congregation in Mississauga, Ontario and co-editor of The Fragile Dialogue: New Voices in Liberal Zionism. The fee for this program is $25. Registration includes options for reduced fees for those who are unable to pay the full amount. Register here.
Song as a Channel for Blessing with Batya Levine (Temple Beth Hatifilot)
Sunday, March 3, 1:30–3:00 p.m.
Drawing on the concept of aliyot - being called up to bless and be blessed by the chanting of the Torah - this program will interweave song with ritual in a co-created group space to call prayers into the song, and call the song into our prayers. This program will explore the concept of blessings, learn melodies, and have space to give and receive the blessing of song together. To register, click here. For questions, call Temple Beth Hatifilot at (360) 754-8519.
Sisterhood Hamantaschen Bake
Sunday, March 10, 12:00–3:00 p.m.
Join us in the social hall for Sisterhood's annual hamantaschen bake. The hamantaschen that you make will be sold at the Purim carnival, in support of our community! Many volunteers are needed; this event is open to all adults of the TBE community. If you have any questions and/or would like to volunteer, contact Kerry Geffen at kgeffen@gmail.com or at (253) 228-4105.
Cantor Fine's Retirement Weekend
Friday May 3, 5:30 p.m. and Saturday May 4, 5:00 p.m.
Save the dates for Cantor Geoffrey Fine’s retirement celebration weekend.
There will be a Friday evening family Shabbat with a pre-oneg sponsored by the Shir Simcha choir, and a retirement dinner and fundraiser at TBE Saturday evening. More information to come soon. For questions, contact Alice Greenwood at mom.greenwood@gmail.com or Sue Burget at sueburget@gmail.com.
