Get Involved

You can get involved in one or more of Temple Beth Or’s many committees, activities and groups listed below. We have a Book Club, Chavurot for young families and empty nesters, Social Action activities, Adult Education opportunities and more!

Learn more about our committees and activities!

Adult Education

The Adult Education Committee plans and coordinates a variety of adult educational opportunities and programs in conjunction with our rabbis and other interested congregants. Lately, we have sponsored adult Hebrew classes, Introduction to Judaism classes and “Poker and Parashat” evenings.

More information about our Adult Learning opportunities can be found here.
Book Club
Building and Grounds
We maintain our grounds and buildings, and develop construction and renovation projects.

Recent projects include:
- Renovating our garage into classrooms
- Constructing a recycling and refuse outbuilding
- Grading and paving a new parking lot
- Leveling and constructing a play area
- Regrading a slope and constructing an access trail
- Replanting trees
- Landscaping around the front entrance
- Recarpeting our sanctuary and replacing the seating
- Resurfacing the sanctuary bima
- Placing topsoil and sod around the parking lot and play area
College and Military Outreach
The College Outreach program is designed to keep our college students connected to Temple Beth Or and their Jewish k’hilah (community) back home. We assemble and mail three holiday packages for our members’ children who are living away from home while attending college. Students can also receive our twice-monthly ORbits email newsletter and notices of trips and events that may be of interest to them.
Typically, we send packages for:

The High Holidays

Hanukkah

Purim and Passover

All the packages include small gifts and treats that reflect each holiday. We send a Jewish calendar in the fall and a variety of fun handouts or a message from the Rabbi with each package.
The College Outreach program is funded completely through donations; we do not receive money from the Temple. We ask that families with students enrolled on the program make an annual donation (about $40) to cover the costs of gifts and postage.
Communications
The communications team at Temple Beth Or works together to satisfy two primary goals:

Member communication (internal): relaying information about programming, events, and Temple activities to current members to enable participation and increase engagement; and

Marketing and Outreach (external): sharing selected information about Temple Beth Or with non-member interested parties, including prospective members, local/community partners, and the regional Jewish community to build relationships, welcome potential members, and to raise the profile of TBO.

We utilize a variety of tools to accomplish these goals, and each is regularly evaluated to ensure that it is helping to further communications on one or both of these pathways. New communications platforms will also be evaluated to assess how they extend communications to new audiences, increase clarity or reach, replace outdated or underutilized platforms, or simplify usage.

If you are interested in working with us, contact us at communications@templebethor.org
Finance
We coordinate Temple Beth Or’s finances, including;

Developing and overseeing the Temple Budget

Working with members on dues commitments

Collecting income and disbursing expenses

Coordinating with the Fundraising Committee

Staff payroll, benefits and documentation

If you are interested in working with us, contact us at vpfinance@templebethor.org
Fundraising
We contribute to the financial health of Temple Beth Or by coordinating fundraising activities. Past and ongoing activities include:

Eat-Learn-Experience program

eScrip program

Donor social dinner fundraisers

Annual Appeal

Adult Purim Party fundraiser

Temple Beth Or Gift Shop

If you are interested in helping with our fundraising efforts, contact us at vpfinance@templebethor.org
Leadership Development (Atidaynu)
We are very pleased to announce the return of the Atidaynu: Our Future – leadership development program. This program, developed by our own Sonia Siegel Vexler, has been nationally recognized and shared with numerous organizations around the country. Sonia is a coach and facilitator to many congregations using it to ensure their future, and she has volunteered to lead this program for TBO.

Each cohort of the Atidaynu program meets montly for eight months. Class size is limited. The goals of the program are:
- build a cadre of capable, new leaders to ensure our future.
- help current and future leaders be more prepared for leadership roles.
- assist future leaders in developing skills needed to be successful congregational leaders.
- provide opportunities to grow Jewishly.
- create a feeling of connectedness and a sense of ownership of Temple Beth Or.
- have fun and enjoy.
If you are interested in knowing more about the program or joining the next cohort, please contact us.
Life and Legacy
LIFE & LEGACY, a signature program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, is a program to help ensure Jewish tomorrows. In 2016, Temple Beth Or was chosen by the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle to participate in this program.

Last June Temple Beth Or received a $7,500 financial grant from the Grinspoon Foundation and Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle for reaching the goal of securing 18 legacy gift pledges.

Thanks, the generosity of Harold Grinspoon Foundation and Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle we have the opportunity to participate for another year. We are pleased that to date 29 individuals and families made an investment in our Temple Beth Or Family. Please consider joining them. Our goal this year is to reach 25 applications in order to secure a $10,000 financial grant.

Everyone, regardless of age, wealth or affiliation has the ability to leave a legacy and the Life & Legacy process is very easy. It all starts with a conversation with a committee member and they will be happy to share the process with you.

Please consider funding LIFE & LEGACY to perpetuate Temple Beth Or by making us part of your estate plan. We need your support to make the LIFE & LEGACY campaign a success here at Temple Beth Or. These are some examples of ways that you can participate:
- Name Temple Beth Or as one of your beneficiaries of an IRA or other retirement account;
- Name Temple Beth Or as one of your beneficiaries of a life insurance policy;
-  Make a bequest to Temple Beth Or in your Will.
The letter of intent is not a legal obligation and may be changed or modified at any time at your discretion. You do not need to know the giving vehicle or amount of your legacy commitment when you complete the letter. You have up to a full year in which to formalize your intent.

If you have already named Temple Beth Or as a beneficiary, please let us know, as you are already a LIFE & LEGACY donor. If not, please consider becoming a LIFE & LEGACY donor by contacting the Temple Office.

Thank you for your continued support of Temple Beth Or, now and for the future.

I found a fruitful world, because my ancestors planted it for me. Likewise, I am planting for future generations.

— Talmud, Taanit 23a
Library

We solicit, acquire, maintain, organize and catalog books and other media for our library. Our library collection contains over 3,000 items, which is quite extensive for the size of our congregation. We encourage you to use it!

We recently completed cataloguing and organizing our entire collection, and developing a new check-out system. We look forward to hearing from you regarding how well it is working.

We are looking for members to meet quarterly to make general library decisions and to have work parties to sort donated books, shelve returned books, etc. Please contact office@templebethor.org with questions or if you are interested in helping with these projects.
Membership
The membership committee is often the first point of contact for visitors with questions about Temple Beth Or. Our goal is to ensure that all visitors and potential members feel a warm welcome when they contact or visit us. Our activities include:
- Communicating with prospective members
- Coordinating Open House events
- Tracking new member applications
- Hosting New Member Shabbat Dinners
- Providing welcome baskets to our new members
- Conducting membership appreciation events
- Maintaining our member database and directory
If you are interested in working with us to enhance the Temple Beth Or membership experience, contact us at membership@templebethor.org.
Mitzvah Corps
Temple Beth Or’s Mitzvah Corps (Caring Community) has been a hallmark of our congregation. We are the support system for Temple families in times of need. It takes a village to provide a safety net when something turns your life in unexpected directions due to injury, accidents, health issues, or family upsets, to name just a few. The Mitzvah Corps also works closely with the Bereavement Committee and our rabbi during times of need.

We all find ourselves in need of support sometime. You don’t need to know the people you are helping and your first introduction to them can be when you are reaching out to provide support. Sometimes, these strangers will later become close friends. As a volunteer for the Mitzvah Corps, you will never be expected to do more than you can. Many people volunteer once or twice a year and that’s it. Here are a few examples of how the Mitzvah Corps has offered help in the past:
- Preparing meals and deliveries
- Sending cards
- Visitations in homes, hospitals or care facilities
- Phone visits
- Working closely with the Bereavement Committee
How to join: Please click here and then click on “Join This Community”. You will be asked to fill out a very short form. You will then receive a welcome email that will request that you confirm your participation by clicking on a confirmation link. Once confirmed, you will automatically receive occasional emails notifying you of Mitzvah Corps needs.

Please contact us at mitzvah@templebethor.org if you have any difficulties with how to join or if you have needs or questions. Thank you.
Next Chapter Chavurah
“The Next Chapter” is a chavurah (comes from the word haver which means, “friendship”) for adults seeking to form a social community with others who are at the same stage of life and experiencing a home without children and for people looking to build friendship community with others that don’t have children at home. The group will come together monthly to learn, socialize and have fun. Each month, one of the chavurah members will host an event, such as a dinner, outing, meeting or show. Check our calendar for the dates of upcoming Next Chapter events. Contact office@templebethor.org to join our mailing list.

Links:
- Jewish Sacred Aging
- B3: The Jewish Boomer Platform
Social Action

The goal of the Social Action committee is to enhance and maintain Temple Beth Or as a socially aware congregation, bringing activities related to tikkun olam, or transforming ourselves and our world, to our members. Our goal is to have these activities encompass internal, local, national, and international issues.We welcome participation of all our Temple members and encourage you to give us your ideas and time.

Click here for more information about Social Action at Temple Beth Or.
Ruach and Ritual
The Ruach and Ritual Committee works in partnership with our Rabbi to serve the needs of Temple Beth Or’s religiously diverse community. The committee’s mission is to oversee policies and practices for Shabbat, holidays, life cycle events, and ritual observances, including:
- Fostering a meaningful and positive experience for b’nei mitzvah students
- Arranging for Shabbat and holiday music, and coordinating the scheduling of musicians and other religious service volunteers
- Maintaining the temple’s religious objects and prayer books
- Making recommendations for changes in religious practices of our Temple
Youth Education Committee

We work closely with the Religious School principal to create a quality curriculum supported by outstanding teachers for the education of our Temple’s youth. Classes begin for toddlers with TBO Tots and continue through high school and Confirmation. In addition, Hebrew classes are provided for 4th through 8th graders.