Havurah Shalom: Portland's Reconstructionist Community
Havurah Shalom is a Reconstructionist Jewish community based in Portland, Oregon. During the last 40 years, we have grown from a small group of families meeting in each other's homes to our current membership of 500 households.
Our mission is to provide a vibrant, diverse, participatory Jewish community steeped in spirituality, learning, and acts of social responsibility. As we enact our mission, we are guided by these values.
Our many committees and teams are organized in the following six groups we call clusters. Members are invited to join as many as they feel comfortable participating in.
Affiliated with Reconstructing Judaism, Havurah's progressive approach to Jewish life integrates traditional, communal Jewish practices with the intellectual and political impulses of democracy and pluralism. We are open to all who want to connect with Judaism; we welcome all identities.
Empowered and supported by our staff, Havurah members take leadership roles in governing, educating, providing music, taking social action, davening and reading Torah on Shabbat, and leading and leyning during High Holiday services.
Our High Holiday services, attended by over 1,000 people each year, are open to the public with no payment or tickets required.
Our emphasis on active involvement distinguishes us from most other congregations and allows members to become truly engaged in Jewish community. It enriches individual experience, deepens family relationships and friendships, and creates a strong, intertwined community. Each member has the opportunity to determine the direction and goals of our organization.
All are welcome at our High Holidays services, Shabbat services, and holiday celebrations.
Havurah Clusters & Committees
Community Brochure for 2023-24 / 5784
This year's community brochure lists many of the events, classes, and activities planned for the year 5784.
Affiliations
Reconstructing Judaism – The Jewish Reconstructionist movement sprang from 20th century American concerns about egalitarianism, the democratic process, and a focus on the community as arbiter of Jewish imaginative practice and theology.
Community of Welcoming Congregations (CWC) – An association of congregations in the Portland metropolitan area that welcome and affirm people of all sexual orientations and identities.
Metropolitan Alliance for the Common Good (MACG) – An organization of community-based institutions in and around Portland that works to create a strong, non-partisan civil sector voice to address economic, social, and environmental issues affecting our community.
Transparency & Inclusivity
Havurah Shalom aspires to be a transparent and inclusive community. To that end, we have developed guidelines to evaluate our communication and processes — a set of reminders that we employ in our effort to be as transparent and inclusive as possible. See our Transparency & Inclusivity Guidelines.
Long Range Plan
Havurah is currently working on a new Long Range Plan. Our previous Long Range Plan, published in 2014, highlights our vision for the coming years. You can find a one-page Overview of the Plan here and the entire Long Range Plan here. We are currently working on a new Long Range Plan.
Growth Report
Tom Berg and Deborah Eisenbach-Budner prepared this insightful report about Havurah’s growth and the decisions Havurah needs to make based on those projections.
Fri, March 29 2024
19 Adar II 5784
Need Help? If you are a Havurah member in need of help, log in to find resources here.
Havurah Updates
Hineinu: Nosh and Learn, Rosh Ḥodesh, Havurahniks Around Town
Thanks for celebrating Purim together!
A Seat at Your Seder?
Pesach is coming soon! As you are planning your seder, p
Hineinu: Seder Hosts Wanted, Purim Celebration is Saturday, and More
Havurah Purim Celebration
6 pm to 8 pm on Saturday, March 23 at Havurah Shalom
Come as you aren't! All are welcome! Fun f
Upcoming Events
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Saturday ,
MarMarch 30 , 2024
Shabbat, Mar 30th 10:00a to 12:00p
Led by community members and Rabbi Benjamin, this service includes davening, Torah reading, and discussion. For Zoom link (Zoom Room Aleph), email info@havurahshalom.org. -
Saturday ,
MarMarch 30 , 2024
Shabbat, Mar 30th 10:30a to 11:30a
Young children (0-5) and parents celebrate with singing, movement, blessings, and storytelling. All are welcome. -
Sunday ,
MarMarch 31 , 2024
Sunday, Mar 31st 10:00a to 12:00p
Email Rachel (info@havurahshalom.org) for more information. -
Monday ,
AprApril 1 , 2024
Monday, Apr 1st 1:00p to 4:00p
We are excited to bring mahjong back to Havurah. It is a fun, social activity that builds community, encouraging new friendships and cementing old ones. And while some of us may play elsewhere as well, we all agreed that restoring its place as an ongoing congregational activity will be a good fit for Havurah and those of us who play or want to learn the game. So please don't hesitate to join us! -
Tuesday ,
AprApril 2 , 2024
Tuesday, Apr 2nd 7:30p to 8:30p
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Wednesday ,
AprApril 3 , 2024
Wednesday, Apr 3rd 7:00p to 8:30p
Facilitated by Rabbi Benjamin. In this class, we’ll be exploring various ways in which the Divine is represented and imagined in Jewish tradition. Beyond simply the intellectual, our lens will be more one of spiritual reflection and practice. In other words: As we encounter and interact with the metaphors that the tradition offers for experiencing and connecting with God/Spirit/Life, what do we notice within our hearts and minds? How do particular images shape our consciousness and perception? As a guide for this exploration we will read Rabbi Toba Spitzer’s book, God is Here, which should be purchased for the class (contact Rabbi Benjamin for a free copy if needed). RSVP here by March 1. -
Thursday ,
AprApril 4 , 2024
Thursday, Apr 4th 7:00p to 8:30p
Rabbi Benjamin and Joel Beinin will offer three sessions on “Understanding October 7, 2023” – the Hamas attack on Israel and Israel’s response. The class will offer space for people to express their personal feelings about the events as well as explore the historical context of the events of October 7. Integrated into our examination of this moment, we will engage with a variety of Jewish texts: on grief and loss, on holding multiple truths, and on questions of fundamentalism and fixed views. -
Saturday ,
AprApril 6 , 2024
Shabbat, Apr 6th 10:00a to 12:00p
Led by community members and Rabbi Benjamin, this service includes davening, Torah reading, and discussion. For Zoom link (Zoom Room Aleph), email info@havurahshalom.org. -
Saturday ,
AprApril 6 , 2024
Shabbat, Apr 6th 3:00p to 5:15p
This program gives children a foundation for lifelong Jewish learning and engagement while integrating parents and children in a caring Jewish community. -
Saturday ,
AprApril 6 , 2024
Shabbat, Apr 6th 3:10p to 4:00p
Parents explore the hopes and fears that inspire, inform, and complicate the planning process. Led by Adela Basayne and Laura Orgel, psychologist and child/family therapist.