Bend’s Temple Beth Tikvah hires Rabbi Ettman

By JEWISH REVIEW

article created on: 2010-08-01T00:00:00

Temple Beth Tikvah in Bend hired Rabbi Glenn Ettman to lead the Central Oregon Reform congregation beginning in July.

Ettman spends four full days in Bend each month to lead services, adult education programs and children’s activities. He also holds regular office hours and helps train lay leaders as the congregation continues to grow.

“We are excited that Rabbi Ettman will be our religious leader in the coming year,” said Beth Tikvah President Lisa Uri. “He brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm and we are confident he will be a central part of our future growth and programming.”

In addition to his duties at Temple Beth Tikvah, Ettman is the director of bereavement for the Skirball Hospice in Los Angeles, Calif., where he presently lives. Prior to joining TBT, Ettman was a rabbi at Congregation Beth Israel in San Diego, Calif. He earned a BA from Brandeis University with honors in Theatre and Judaic Studies, a master’s in performance and performance studies from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and was ordained by Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion in 2006, where he also received a master’s degree in Hebrew letters.

Ettman has previously served congregations in Arizona, Santa Monica, Santa Ana and Irvine, Calif. While in rabbinical school, he received the Cantor William Sharlin Award from HUC for excellence in liturgy. His rabbinic thesis, entitled “Stage of Torah: A Congregational Guide to Bibliodrama,” melds his two great loves, theatre and Judaism.

In describing his Rabbinate, Ettman said, “Rabbis are people who identify with people; we are people who are mindful of individuals’ potential faults and failings but ever convinced of their potential for greatness. I am a rabbi who believes in people. My rabbinate has allowed me to listen to the needs of the human spirit and to help lead towards the paths of peace and wholeness. Igniting a spark in people of all ages is what drives me, inspires me, and keeps me vibrant as a rabbi. It is my work to shed a new light on our ancient and beautiful tradition.”

Previously, the young congregation was led by Rabbi Alan Berg, who came from Portland three days a month to help launch Beth Tikvah. Berg also serves as the part-time rabbi of Beit Haverim/SMJC in Lake Oswego.

The congregation began meeting in 2008 and became a member of the Union of Reform Judaism the next year.

Temple Beth Tikvah is a Jewish congregation founded in 2008 in Bend. Temple members come from all of the Central Oregon communities, including Bend, Redmond, Sisters, LaPine and Sunriver. Officially affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism, it is the only Reform synagogue in Central Oregon. Members come from a range of Jewish backgrounds, including Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist and Renewal. Interfaith families and Jews by choice are welcome in the community. For more information, visit www.bethtikvahbend.org.