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 Brit Kavod helps translate our values into correct relational action.
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.
Sun, July 6 2025
10 Tammuz 5785
Need Help? If you are a Havurah member in need of help, log in to find resources here.
Havurah Updates
Hineinu: Kabbalat Shabbat & More Musical Shabbaton, New(ish) Member Welcome Brunch, Shavuot Approaches!
Join Our Musical Shabbaton, May 9 to 10,
with Musician-in-Residence Aly Halpert
- On Friday evening, May 9, all are welcome
Upcoming Events
IP = In person only (normally at Havurah Shalom);
ZM = On Zoom/online only;
HYB = In person and online; and
ANN = In person at Havurah's Annex.
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Friday ,
JulJuly 11 , 2025
Friday, Jul 11th 11:00a to 2:00p
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Friday ,
JulJuly 11 , 2025
Friday, Jul 11th 6:30p to 8:30p
Celebrate queer and Jewish joy and resistance with a special Kabbalat Shabbat service at Columbia Park! We’ll enjoy a potluck dinner together afterward. Beverages will be provided. BYOB. All are welcome. -
Saturday ,
JulJuly 12 , 2025
Shabbat, Jul 12th 10:00a to 12:00p
Led by community members and Rabbi Benjamin (who is on sabbatical until July 1, 2025), this service includes davening, Torah reading, and discussion. Join us afterward for a light community brunch provided by the Lunches and Noshes Committee! Free childcare is provided. For Zoom information, please email info@havurahshalom.org. -
Monday ,
JulJuly 14 , 2025
Monday, Jul 14th 11:00a to 2:00p
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Tuesday ,
JulJuly 15 , 2025
Tuesday, Jul 15th 6:30p to 8:30p
**Our Steering Meeting this month will be held on Tuesday, July 15 instead of on the usual day (second Tuesdays).** Steering members and staff will meet to consider matters of governance. All Havurah Shalom members are invited to attend Steering Committee meetings. For Zoom join links, visit havurahshalom.org/zoom (must be logged in) or call the office in advance for assistance (503-248-4662). -
Tuesday ,
JulJuly 15 , 2025
Tuesday, Jul 15th 7:00p to 8:30p
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Wednesday ,
JulJuly 16 , 2025
Wednesday, Jul 16th 1:00p to 2:00p
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Saturday ,
JulJuly 19 , 2025
Shabbat, Jul 19th 10:00a to 12:00p
Please join us for Shabbat morning services, including welcoming Sylvia Hartman as a Bat Mitzvah and member of our community. -
Sunday ,
JulJuly 20 , 2025
Sunday, Jul 20th 10:30a to 2:00p
Havurah is marching in Pride! Havurah Shalom is a parade contingent in the 2025 Portland Pride Parade. **Havurahniks, please RSVP to let us know you'll be marching with us in the Portland Pride Parade. It will really help us with planning and communications.** (Note: 10:30 am is when parade organizers have asked marchers to arrive by.) -
Monday ,
JulJuly 21 , 2025
Monday, Jul 21st 7:00p to 8:00p
Join us for our first meeting for the book "Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Story from Despair to Possibility."
Address: 825 NW 18th Ave, Portland OR 97209 Phone: 503-248-4662
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