An in-depth look at the weekly Torah reading, led by congregants. No prior knowledge or study is necessary. At Havurah Shalom and in Zoom Room Bet. Email info@havurahshalom.org for Zoom link.

Please join together for a morning of singing, storytelling, Torah, and connections. Especially for families with youth in Grades K–6 or those who want a boost of youthful energy. Led by Rabbi Benjamin, Leah Shoshana, and Adela Basayne, this Shabbat service is in place of Shabbat School -- there will be Hebrew classes as usual, but no Shabbat School this Saturday. Please contact the office to connect: info@havurahshalom.org.

High schoolers, bring a sack lunch for socially distanced hikes and/or outdoor explorations with David Feder.

The famous Jewish cook Joan Nathan says that, “for many Jews of Eastern European roots, Passover without gefilte fish is like Chanukah without latkes.” Making classic “Northwest” gefilte fish is not that hard, and it tastes very different from that awful stuff that comes in a bottle (thanks to the presence of salmon). To overcome your years of hesitation, join Rachel Shimshak to learn how to make her mother’s gefilte fish. It will impress those in your pod. With so many of us spending increased time at home cooking almost all of our meals, it’s time to take the plunge and give homemade fish a try. This class will take place in Room Gimel.

Help save the planet by writing personal letters to our U.S. Senators and Members of Congress. We will be including movement, music and art to make the gathering fun for all ages. The topic is protecting the climate by phasing out hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) that are used in air conditioning. We are asking the Senate to ratify the international treaty called the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol to protect the ozone layer, which phased out chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). The Jewish Earth Alliance provides us background (see the link here) and will combine letters to amplify our Jewish voice on the urgency of action to protect the climate. Facilitated by Rebecca Darling-Budner and Marianna Grossman For more great information about Jewish climate advocacy check out these webinars: January 27, 2021: The Climate on Capitol Hill: A Roadmap for Jewish Advocacy in the 117th Congress https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_vkXLxEwLw&t January 31, 2021: Secrets of Successful Climate Organizing and Advocacy, a session at the Big Bold Jewish Climate Fest https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdJ4Ku_XiKY Questions?: Marianna Grossman. This event will take place in a special Zoom Room; RSVP for join info.

Use the Submit tab on the website menu to send in news, photos, and announcements. For questions, email Brad Pector (brad@havurahshalom.org).

In this workshop, Rabbi Benjamin will guide students and parents in responding to the text with our own questions and learning how to craft a drash that connects Torah to our lives.

This class will focus on the modern history of the Jewish communities of the Middle East and North Africa, roughly from 1860 to the present. To orient ourselves, we will begin with a brief discussion of Spanish Jewry (Sephardim) and the Jewish communities of Iraq, Iran, Yemen and Ethiopia. We will devote particular attention to the communities of Morocco, Algeria, Iraq and Egypt. We will examine the complex relationship between these Jewish communities, the local cultures and European colonialism. We will also discuss the sociology, politics and culture of these communities in Israel today. Taught by Joel Beinin. This class takes place in Zoom Room Bet. Please see the weekly Hineinu newsletter for the link.

We gather to find some moments of quiet and shalom. Led by Rabbi Benjamin, Adela Basayne, Deborah Eisenbach-Budner, Nancy Becker, or Ria de Neeve. We will meet both in-person (Havurah Sanctuary or Library) and in Zoom Room Bet. Log in to the website and then visit havurahshalom.org/zoom or call the office for join info (503-248-4662). All are welcome.

For all who want a regular prayer practice and for people saying Kaddish. We meet both in person and streaming online in Zoom Room Aleph. All are welcome. Please email info@havurahshalom.org for join info.

One of the four names for Pesach is Hag ha-Herut (The Feast of Freedom). Jews in different historical contexts have understood Mitzrayim (the narrow space) differently and therefore freedom has looked different in different generations. We will look at this evolution; one focus will be on the liberation of gender, which has been a hallmark of contemporary seders. Taught by Deborah Eisenbach-Budner. This class takes place in Zoom Room Bet. Please see the weekly Hineinu newsletter for the link.

Would you like to improve your ability to speak conversational Hebrew? Can you already read Hebrew but don't always know what you're reading? Did you take Hebrew lessons ages ago or did you participate in an Ulpan experience in Israel but have forgotten all you learned? Would you like to laugh and learn with fellow Havurahniks? Come join Racheli Ross as she continues a beginning Hebrew class in which the focus is on functional Hebrew conversations and vocabulary development. Thursdays, 7-8:00 pm, with an optional 8-8:30 practice session, starting on January 14, and continuing until March 18. This will be in Zoom Room Heh.

In this time of national and local reckoning with our country and city’s grim legacy of discrimination and hate, we have come together as a broad coalition of friends and allies to create a series of public programs to confront hate. We have been reminded almost daily that our communities of color, immigrants, and LGBTQ persons, as well as many of our neighbors of various religious faiths, are frequent targets of vicious hatred. Nevertheless, we have also seen seeds of hope. We have witnessed an upsurge of people ready to stand in solidarity with those who are targets of discrimination and hate—people who are eager to listen, to learn, and to take action to make Portland a place that truly protects the lives, well-being, and dignity of all who live here. We are hosting monthlyish webinars representing people who have historically—and continually—been the targets of discrimination and hatred in Oregon. These webinars are presented by a broad group of organizations and speakers in our greater Portland community. This will culminate in a half day virtual summit on May 26th on Confronting Hate in Oregon. More info: https://www.jewishportland.org/uncovering

This year's Havurah Writers Workshop will lead Friday night’s Shabbat Service with workshop participants reading from their work of the past two months. Readers include Judi Kloper, David Striar, Carolina Martinez, Elianne Lieberman, Michelle Sobel, Marianna Grossman, Kate Dreyfus and David Kertzner. Barbara Slader and David Kertzner will facilitate the service which will include candle lighting and music. This event will take place in Zoom Room Aleph. Please email info@havurahshalom.org if you need Zoom join info.

An in-depth look at the weekly Torah reading, led by congregants. No prior knowledge or study is necessary. At Havurah Shalom and in Zoom Room Bet. Email info@havurahshalom.org for Zoom link. **Note that Multi-Synagogue Torah Study, led by Emily Simon, will be on February 22 and March 22 this year. In April 2025, Multi-Synagogue Torah Study will again be held on the third Shabbat morning (third Saturday) of the month**

Please join us in welcoming Sanna Berkson-Klaus as a Bat Mitzvah and member of our community.