A maqam -- cognate with Hebrew MAKOM, literally PLACE -- is an Arabic and Ottoman Turkish musical mode. Mizraḥi and Sephardic Jewish communities traditionally made religious and secular music using these modes. This class will give a short background to maqams and how they work and explore some examples from Jewish communities in the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey, and Greece. The instructor will demonstrate some of the music on the oud. There will be opportunities for singing, and musicians who want to join in are encouraged to bring an instrument. -- Guitars will work for some pieces, but instruments that can play microtones such as the violin family, clarinet, etc. are recommended.-- Led by Channing Dodson.

We will study the history and meaning of the hamsa symbol and its part in Jewish life and culture. Then we will design a piece for our homes. You may choose to make it from clay, mixed media, drawing, painting, or fabric. You will see examples of hamsa designs, how they are decorated, and their crucial elements. Led by Carolina Martinez.

Alte-Rockers! Are you struggling deciding about whether you should change your Medicare Insurance? We are being bombarded with all sorts of information, but perhaps we can share our experiences with different policies to make better decisions. So join us: We will meet to share our experiences on Zoom at Havurah. Hopefully, we will have an insurance broker joining us to clarify the issues.

We’ll meet the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month, until we finish Suzanne Simard's inspiring and illuminating exploration of the world of trees. She reveals that trees are a complex, interdependent circle of life; that forests are social, cooperative creatures connected through underground networks by which trees communicate their vitality and vulnerabilities with communal lives not that different from our own. We’ll start by reading the first 44 pages. Join us whenever you can. RSVP to get group updates.

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.

A three-part series on the history, beliefs, and practices of the Reconstructing Judaism movement with which Havurah Shalom is affiliated. Led by Rabbi Maurice Harris, Associate Director for Thriving Communities and Israel Affairs Specialist at Reconstructing Judaism. Click into event for more information!

Youths being called to the Torah this year will build community and ask, “What does being Jewish and becoming bar, bat, or b’nei mitzvah mean to me?” Led by Rabbi Benjamin.

Havurah members, join the Racial Justice Committee for our monthly meeting (2nd Thursdays, 7 pm to 8:30 pm, Zoom Room Bet). We will make plans to create learning opportunities for our community and engage in learning together during the meeting. Questions? Contact Julia Lager Mesulam. *Log in to your Havurah member account on our website and look under the Contact tab for the Member Directory and Zoom Room login info.*

Tap into your creative side with this writing workshop open to writers and non-writers alike. Writing prompts and short writing sessions will get your creative juices flowing in this non-judgmental environment. You can use these prompts to discover important things about yourself and your family, or you can just have some fun writing a zany story about Jewish robots and matzoh. Participants can (optionally) develop a piece from the workshop and share it at a reading at the end of the session. Group size limited to 8. Led by Yuvi Zalkow, author of two novels and a bunch of stories.

Join us in practicing Hebrew and learning new vocabulary through listening to Israeli songs and watching short video clips. In class, we will discuss lyrics, make connections to different topics, and practice using the new vocabulary through games and conversations. Requirement: Reading and writing Hebrew. Can hold basic conversations and understand the three tenses. Led by Racheli Ross.

We're gathering in person to welcome Shabbat. All are welcome! These monthly celebrations will be held on the second Friday, from October through June. A light, pre-service oneg will be followed by a spirited, all-ages service led by Rabbi Benjamin and Havurah musicians, with dinner afterward for those who wish to stay.

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 us in welcoming Aleeza Stein as a Bat Mitzvah and member of our community.