Our brief Havdalah Service opens our nights of learning, social action, entertainment, and socializing with the warmth and spirituality of our end of Shabbat ritual. Havdalah means to separate, and in this case to separate the sacred rest of Shabbat from the upcoming week with its regular business and worldly obligations. In our service, we bless the light, inhale the fragrant aromas of spices, and taste the sweetness of wine, all in hope of taking the peace and hope of Shabbat into our week. The ritual is followed by noshing – most often a variety of goodies brought by those participating – and then one of our Havdalah programs. Havdalah is a time for TBT members to come together to connect!
Havdalah with a Purpose: We have welcomed and been touched by social service organizations in Central Oregon who reach out to meet the many needs of the community. Our programs have taught us about grief counseling through Art in Bereavement; Mountain Star Nursery – keeping kids safe and parents successful; Ronald McDonald House caring for families of hospitalized children; COVO – Central Oregon Veteran’s Outreach; American Cancer Society and so many more.
Havdalah with a Maven: TBT has a host of experts on a variety of subjects who’ve shared their experiences with us. We learned about robotics and the future of self-driving cars before they were on the road! We’ve explored the inevitability of a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake and how best to respond to it. We’ve learned about a Bend Jewish community member who travelled to Israel to volunteer in support of IDF soldiers, another who was a prisoner of war in Korea, and another who was on a ship torpedoed by a German submarine. And one of TBT’s own gave a stimulating talk about her ayurvedic medicine practice!
Havdalah with a Movie: From portrayals of Jews on television to movies about Jews and Jewish-themed topics, we’ve watched and discussed, for example, “1945” — called “the Jewish High Noon” — about the unanticipated return of Jews to a Hungarian village at the end of World War II, “Shalom Bollywood,” about the key roles played by Indian Jews in the development of their movie industry, and “Atomic Falafel,” a hilarious Israeli comedy about how teenage girls on social media in Israel and Iran (almost) head off nuclear war between their two nations.
Havdalah with a Connection: Join with your TBT family to say goodbye to Shabbat, share a nosh and socialize. It’s an informal gathering where you can meet new people or enjoy old friends.