Friday: Erev Shabbat Service (Multi-access) Friday, March 1, 6:30 p.m. Everyone is invited to join us online or in person for an Erev Shabbat service. Join us before the service for an oneg at 5:45 p.m., sponsored by Howard and Alice Greenwood in honor of the beginning of their sixtieth year of marriage.
Live streaming services: – The Erev Shabbat Facebook event can be found here. – You can watch services on the TBE YouTube channel here. – The streaming player for online services can be found on our website here (click "play" and this feature will work after services begin).
Saturday: Torah Study and Shabbat Service (Multi-access) Saturday, March 2, 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Our Saturday worship experience begins with Torah study from 9:00–9:45 a.m. This will be followed by services, beginning at 10:00 a.m. (online and in person). All are invited! At the conclusion of the service, all are invited to join in for a pescatarian potluck kiddush luncheon!
Saturday, March 9, 5:00–8:00 p.m. Join us for snacks, mocktails, and a teen-created playlist. Havdalah begins at 5:00 p.m., and the dance will start at 5:15 p.m. Tickets are $5/person or $20/family. All ticket proceeds will go directly to the youth service event for April 2024. Please buy your tickets here. Tickets are also available on Sundays after school or at the door. Questions? Contact Madi at madi@tbetacoma.org.
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 atkgeffen@gmail.com or at (253) 228-4105.
Speaker Series: A Rapid Review of Tacoma’s Reform Rabbis Thursday, March 21, 11:00 a.m. Join us online or in person for the March session of TBE’s Speaker Series, featuring local author and history buff: our very own Deb Freedman. Please plan to join Deb for a fast-paced and slightly irreverent look at the many rabbis who have conducted services in Tacoma. (Or, as Deb calls it, going down the Rabbi Hole.) The presentation is based on research for her recent work, Tacoma’s Reform Congregation Temple Beth Israel. Copies are available at the TBE Judaica Shop for $27. To contact the Speaker Series program, please reach out to program members Carol Umbehocker atcarolumbe@comcast.net, (253) 719-8040, or Trish McCloy-Ross at 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.
Schmooze Before the Spiel Saturday, March 23, 5:30 p.m. Join us in costume for beer, wine, and nibbles before our Purim spiel and M'gillah reading at TBE! This event is open to adults ages 18+ with ID. Please buy tickets and RSVPhere by Friday, March 22 at 4:00 p.m. Tickets are $10/member and $15/non-member. Babysitting is availble for an additional fee, pre-registration by March 10 required. Cost at the door is $15/member and $20/non-member as long as food and drink are available. For questions, contact Lana at frontdesk@tbetacoma.org or (253) 564-7107.
Save the Date Jewish Book Club Tuesday, April 2, 11:00 a.m. Join us in the meeting room, next to the sanctuary, as we discuss Bread Givers by Anzia Yezierska. Do you like to read good books about Jewish subjects or by Jewish authors? Join the book club on the first Tuesday of each month. Please contact Carol Umbehocker at (253) 719-8040 or carolumbe@comcast.net to RSVP, get more information, or to be put on the Temple Beth El Jewish book club email list.
Volunteer Appreciation Shabbat: Nominate a Candidate for Volunteer of the Year Friday, April 12, 6:30 p.m. Our community runs on the power of volunteers! To honor the hard work and dedication of our volunteers, we will have a special Shabbat service, and we are currrently looking for nominations for a Volunteer of the Year. If you know someone who has gone above and beyond in the past 12 months, please email Becca at becca@tbetacoma.org with a short description of your nominee's volunteer accomplishments (self-nominations are welcome). Nominate someone today!
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 TBE fundraiser on Saturday evening. See the March Bulletin for registration, fundraising sponsorship and tribute information. More information to come soon. For questions, contact Alice Greenwood at mom.greenwood@gmail.com or Sue Burget at sueburget@gmail.com.
Opportunities
Custodial Coverage Needed Our faithful Mazriel Pimentel Diaz is taking well-earned time off between Monday, March 25–Sunday, April 14. We're looking for someone to cover his custodial duties during this time. This will be a temporary, paid gig. If you're interested, especially if you have previous custodial experience, please contact Becca at becca@tbetacoma.org.
Hillel International: Campus Antisemitism Legal Hotline Hillel International joined other leading national Jewish organizations and world-renowned law firms to create a dedicated, free legal helpline for Jewish students and faculty impacted by antisemitism on campus, named the Campus Antisemitism Legal Line (CALL). With antisemitism in the U.S. and on campus reaching all-time highs in the wake of the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel, this new resource comes at a critical moment for the Jewish community, and for Jewish college students and families. Requests for legal assistance can be submitted through their website here, or by texting “CALLhelp” to 51555 to receive free, 24/7 support.
Petition to Condemn Sexual Violence Against Israeli Women Help end the silence and increase awareness by signing a petition launched by Hadassah to condemn the sexual violence against Israeli women by Hamas on October 7. To sign the petition to ask the United Nations to conduct a thorough, independent, and unbiased investigation for these war crimes, click here. For more information on the scope of the violations, click here.
Sisterhood's Mishloach Manot Fundraiser It’s been said that only Robinson Crusoe had all his work done by Friday. In recognition of how busy our lives are, Sisterhood’s Mishloach Manot Committee has extended the reply deadline through Monday, March 11. Every TBE member household will receive a free gift box of treats and candies. For that to go smoothly, we need everyone to respond to a few simple questions: Do you require gluten-free hamantaschen due to health restrictions? Will you be available to pick up your box between March 22 and 24? Would you prefer to donate your box to charity? To reply, use the order form in the bulletin, or click here. All donations aid in Sisterhood’s support of the Jewish community. There are still a few additional boxes available for purchase for friends and family. If you have questions, please contact Mady Plumer atmadshell33@icloud.com.
Mishloach Manot Volunteers Needed Many hands make light work, so please help Sisterhood assemble and distribute Mishloach Manot. Join us for one or more of the upcoming volunteer opportunities: March 10: Hamantaschen Bake (see the Upcoming Events for more info) March 14–19: Fill the Purim boxes with wonderful, donated treats. Contact Alice Greenwood atmom.greenwood@gmail.com. March 22–24: Distribute boxes at TBE and/or deliver boxes to those who can't come in, contact Jaqueline Kleiner at jaqueline.kleiner@gmail.com.
Musicians Needed for Memory Care Center Are you a budding or experienced musician? Are you willing to practice in front of a small, appreciative audience? Are you part of a band? Do you sing with a group? The Garden House memory care center, residence of Temple member Josh Kay, welcomes musicians of all abilities and ages to perform for their residents. You'll need to bring your own instrument (no piano is available) and enough repertoire to last 45–60 minutes. Microphone and amplification are provided. Garden House is located at the new Merrill Gardens at Wright Park in Tacoma. Please contact Garden House supervisor Jackalynn Braziel at (503) 498-1904 to schedule your performance.
Nominate a Hero (StandWithUs) StandWithUs invites community members to nominate a heroes that have been champions for Israel or made an impact in our community since October 7. Heroes will be recognized as part of the StandWithUs Northwest Community Reception, which will be on Sunday, April 7, at Seattle Town Hall. Possible areas of service for recognition include enlisting in the IDF, organizing rallies for Israel, working to fight antisemitism, bringing awareness to the hostages, or raising money for a cause. Honorees and a guest will be invited to attend the reception at no charge. For more information and to nominate a hero for recognition, click here.
Volunteers Needed for Youth Cooking Classes Do you have a passion for cooking? Looking for members of the TBE community to lead our students in learning to cook the foods of our people. Email Madeline Pimentel Diaz at madi@tbetacoma.org for additional information.
Information
Update: Cantorial Search Committee In anticipation of Cantor Fine’s retirement at the end of June, the board of trustees has tasked the Cantorial Search Committee (CSC) with the following: developing and implementing a coverage plan for cantorial activities during the interim period between cantors and developing a long-term plan for cantorial practice at TBE that addresses the needs of the congregation and is fiscally responsible. Since it typically takes up to a year to recruit a new cantor, the CSC’s initial focus will be on the interim coverage plan. The CSC has identified four areas of coverage: High Holy Days, Shabbat services, b’nai mitzvah tutoring, and leadership of the Shir Simcha choir. The CSC is made up of 14 members of the congregation led by Brad Steinfeld. They have met twice and will be meeting every two weeks going forward. Updates on this plan will be posted as they occur. While we are all going to miss Cantor Fine, the CSC aims to have a coverage plan that will meet the cantorial needs of the Congregation. If you have any questions, please contact Brad Steinfeld at (253) 682-9131 or bsteinfleo@aol.com.
If you attend Saturday services online and wish to purchase your own copy of the Mishkan T'filah (the prayer book used at our Shabbat services), the Judaica Shop has them in stock. Come and check out our Pride items and sale table. Jewelry Sale: all items are 20% off. Purim items on sale now!
Submitting an event or announcement to Shabbat Shalom
If you have an item you would like included in this weekly bulletin, please email it to olivia@tbetacoma.orgby noon on Wednesday. Submissions must adhere to the guidelines, which may be found here.
For the URJ's transliteration guidelines,click here. Please note that submissions that do not follow these guidelines may not be accepted.
To have a copy of the guidelines emailed to you, simply reply to this email with a message to that effect.
