Abraham Lincoln best described democracy as "government of the people, by the people, and for the people." For that government to be "by the people," however, requires that the people decide who shall be their leaders.
Here's some information to help you fulfill this right and privilege.
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2009 Temple Family Reunion
What a fantastic time we had together ... from golfing, Services and an incredible Shabbat dinner on Friday night, to the picnic, games, pool, schmoozing with family and friends and the great evening at the Bricktown Ballpark ... the entire weekend was so much fun.
One of the highlights was the magnificent Temple archives housed in the Merkaz. In just a few short weeks, John Greiner and Harriet Carson assembled a wealth of information including family histories, photos, interviews and more that tell the story of our Temple family.
While many families have filled out the Family History Form online, the Reunion Committee is continuing to gather this important information. If your family is not included, REGISTER HERE FOR THE ARCHIVES to make sure your family is well represented in the new permanent archive area in the Temple.
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RJ Blog
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Feb 6, 2012 12:00 AM
by Rabbi Leora Kaye I’m a rabbi, and my husband’s an atheist. My husband Doug’s atheism is well thought-out. He’s a loving, intelligent guy who doesn’t believe in God and hasn’t since he was eleven. He is moral, compassionate and Jewish, and he does not believe that his ethics are related to God. We believe parenting should be deliberate and purposeful, much like Reform Judaism. Choices should be based on knowledge, specifically knowledge about what kind of parent you want to be, what works in your family system and what works for your son or daughter. In this week’s Jewish Parenting Podcast, psychologist Richard Weissbourd says that while most parents do care about raising moral children, few make it their number one priority. Outside of the conversations my husband and I had trying to decide if a relationship between an atheist and a rabbi could work, we had one discussion [...]
RJ Blog
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Feb 6, 2012 12:00 AM
The first I ever heard of Debbie Friedman was to see her name printed on the inside covers of my synagogue’s prayer books, naming her the author of the modern Mi Shebeirach tune. Growing up, that was all I ever knew of her – just a name above the words on a page. I grew up attending a Reform congregation, but I did not grow up “in the Movement,” per se. My mother and I were members of a small congregation in Northeast Ohio where there was no organized youth group, no NFTY or BBYO. There were just six students in my bat mitzvah class, and though we considered ourselves friends, we all attended different schools, which made friendships difficult outside of synagogue-related activities – and at my suburban public school, I was one of just two Jewish students. Needless to say, though I always identified as Jewish, I did [...]
RJ Blog
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Feb 6, 2012 12:00 AM
by Lucy H. F. Dinner This year, I have the pleasure of studying the Book of Exodus together with the lay-led Hebrew Bible study group at Temple Beth Or in Raleigh, North Carolina, where I serve as senior rabbi. Thisd’var Torah draws on comments and realizations from members of the study group. The Ten Commandments, iconic through the ages, open with a statement of God’s redeeming power. The Israelites are poised at the base of Mount Sinai; a thick cloud has descended. God’s Voice bellows in the thunder: “I the Eternal am your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods besides Me” (Exodus 20:2–3). Some say that the first two commandments were all that the Israelites actually heard. The rest were transmitted to them through Moses. Rabbi Hezekiah b. Manoah, who compiled an anthology of earlier commentators, explains: [...]
RJ Blog
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Feb 5, 2012 12:00 AM
by Susan Wiener I can still remember the day, my daughter Tracey ran into the house and announced my neighbor, Nancy, would like Jacob to be Adam’s mitzvah project for his bar mitzvah. Before I could even open my mouth and scream NO, my father, who was visiting, quietly said “be nice, say ok”. I swallowed my words and said “ok”. But it wasn’t. Next time I went to my synagogue I saw my Rabbi and tried to rationalize this request, but ended up pleading with him to agree with me “my son is not a mitzvah project”. In the end I had to tell my neighbor that this wasn’t going to work. A couple of years later the town in which I live in began an alternative sports league for children with disabilities. The program has a head coach and the opportunity for teens to volunteer for their mitzvah [...]
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FOR YOUR INFORMATION . . . Did you know that you could make a contribution to one of three Temple related funds and have it matched dollar for dollar up to $5,000 per fund? You can, through the Oklahoma City Community Foundation’s John Kirkpatrick Centennial Endowment Challenge. The Oklahoma City Community Foundation is home to a variety of funds, including three from our Temple: The Erna Krouch Preschool Fund, The Sisterhood of Temple B’nai Israel Fund, and The Temple B’nai Israel Centennial Fund. Donors can support any fund’s charitable goals. This matching grant opportunity honors the 100th Birthday of Mr. Kirkpatrick and applies to new money donated between now and December 31, 2008. The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions are fully tax deductible and checks must be made to “Oklahoma City Community Foundation.” From helping fund scholarships to Erna Krouch Preschool to supporting the Holocaust section at the Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library through the Temple’s Centennial Fund, the Oklahoma City Community Foundation helps donors realize their charitable goals. Please indicate from the funds listed below which endowment your donation is being made.
- Erna Krouch Preschool Fund '
- Sisterhood of Temple B’nai Israel Fund
- Temple B’nai Israel Centennial Fund
For more information, please contact the Temple Office at 848-0965.
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At Temple B''nai Israel, we strive to be a house of community or beit knesset. The freedom that we enjoy in America provides us with an opportunity to carry out Judaism's ethical obligations such as traditional categories of tzedakah or righteousness and justice. 
, or repairing the world, enables us to fulfill our commitment as Jews to improving our community. Acts of tikkun olam provide us with channels through which we can apply our Jewish response to contemporary issues such as helping the victims of Hurricane Katrina, contributing to the Sept. 11th disaster relief efforts or assisting children and families right here in Oklahoma.
