Anti-Racism & Belonging
Anti-Racism and Belonging
While Havurah is a wonderful and welcoming community, we shouldn’t assume that we are immune from the racism that is woven into the fabric of our society and is certainly present within predominantly white Jewish communities. The workgroup's goal is to embed anti-racist work throughout Havurah to support the alignment of our actions, beliefs, and values with our identity as a multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural community, so that all members, and especially our members who identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), can show up as their authentic selves, be heard, valued, and appreciated, and have a sense of belonging.
We invite all Havurah members to embark with us in small group conversations to gain a better understanding of how anti-racism and belonging shows up within our congregation. All conversation groups are structured by self-selected shared identity and are led by Havurah consultants Tabitha and Adam St. Bernard-Jacobs. For a schedule of the conversations and RSVP links, click here.
We are committed to:
- Centering the voices of BIPOC members in this work
- Acknowledging that harm has been done, and that it will take time and intentionality to build trust and repair/restore those connections
- Acknowledging that this is long-term, slow work, and that for us to make progress as a community, leadership needs to be visibly committed to the work, and we need to have the support of the broader community
- Being intentional about not replicating systems of oppression and white dominant/supremacist thinking and ways of being
Like most organizations in this country, some of Havurah's current structures may be based in white dominant patterns, thinking, and ways of being that knowingly and unknowingly perpetuate inequities or contribute to patterns of exclusion and harm. For this reason, we have chosen to be a workgroup instead of a committee, so we can have the time and space to explore models of collective organizing that honor and uplift diverse ways of working together.
Members of the Anti-Racism and Belonging Workgroup include Michael Anderson-Nathe, Rabbi Benjamin Barnett, Bob Brown, Chris Coughlin, Alanna Hein, Maria Lisa Johnson, and Karen St. Clair. Bob Brown and Chris Coughlin serve as points of contact. Please reach out to them with any questions.
We hope you have seen some of the Hakol articles about the Anti-Racism and Belonging work we are collectively launching.
If you missed previous Hakol articles about this work, you can find there here:
- Page 4 of the June 2022 Hakol
- Page 3 of the April 2022 Hakol
- Page 3 of the February 2022 Hakol
- Page 4 of the January 2022 Hakol
- Page 4 of the December 2021 Hakol
- Page 5 of the October 2021 Hakol
- Page 11 of the August 2021 Hakol
- Page 8 of the June 2021 Hakol
- Pages 1 and 8 of of the May 2021 Hakol
Launching Our Collective Work
Recognizing that talking about racism can be challenging, the Anti-Racism and Belonging Workgroup has engaged consultants to support our work. Tabitha and Adam St. Bernard-Jacobs will launch the first phase of our anti-racism work during 2022 by engaging in small group conversations with community members over the coming months to gather stories and data from members. More information about the small groups will be available soon.
A Message from Tabitha and Adam
We are honored to work with Havurah Shalom to gain a better understanding of how Havurah members view and approach anti-racism within the congregation. Our goal is to identify issues that encourage and/or hinder belonging among congregants, particularly BIPOC members. Ultimately we hope to identify guideposts for — and a path to — a more equitable community.
In partnership with the Anti-Racism and Belonging Workgroup, we will lead an information gathering process to help expand the vision and deepen the impact of this internally focused work. As part of the process, we will engage in small group conversations with congregants, providing opportunities for you to share your experiences as members and your hopes for the future. Learning from you as the experts of your own experiences will inform our recommendations.
The values that ground us include:
- A focus on relationship-building with the Havurah Shalom community
- Moving at the speed of these relationships
- Providing clarity while accepting a possible lack of conclusion
- Open communication
- A commitment to listening
We lean into the intentional and process-driven nature required of anti-racism work as we reject a quick, results-driven approach. We look forward to helping Havurah Shalom grow into the future with care, belonging, and kehillah (community).
About Tabitha and Adam
Tabitha St. Bernard-Jacobs (she/her) is a Trinidadian-American artist, organizer, and writer of Raising Anti-Racist Kids. She is the founder of Tabii Just Strategies, a consulting firm focused on dismantling racism and creating equitable systems with an approach that targets sustainable, long-term change. She is a member of Kolot Chayeinu’s Race Working Group. Tabitha is a founding organizer of Women’s March. She currently serves as a senior advisor after serving as Deputy Executive Director of Program. She also led the team that organized the historic 2018 National School Walkouts. Tabitha was recognized as one of Glamour Magazine’s 2017 Women of the Year, and one of 200 Women Who Will Change the Way You See the World (book). Tabitha is raising two kids with her favorite human, Adam.
Adam St. Bernard Jacobs (he/him) is a peace educator, nonprofit leader, and proud parent. He was the founding Executive Director of Kids Creative, an arts education program in NYC, and currently leads fundraising efforts at a national education nonprofit. He helped found an elementary school in the Bronx and sits on organizing committees working to dismantle white supremacy. Adam has co-led multiple white caucus groups in Jewish and non-Jewish spaces. He has degrees in International Politics, Peace Education, and Talmud and Rabbinics. He is also a children’s performer musician, performing as Mr. Clown in The Dirty Sock Funtime Band, and was a regular on Nick Jr.
Fri, July 26 2024
20 Tammuz 5784
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Havurah Updates
Hineinu: Pride Shabbat in the Park This Friday, Call for Visual Art, and More
Havurah's Pride Shabbat in the Park
6:30 pm to 8:30 pm (6:30 pm Service, 7:30 pm Potluck Dinner), Friday, July 19
Upcoming Events
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Saturday ,
JulJuly 27 , 2024
Shabbat, Jul 27th 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. -
Monday ,
JulJuly 29 , 2024
Monday, Jul 29th 6:00p to 7:30p
We will resume our monthly letter writing on the last Monday of each month to write letters to our lawmakers for Israel/Palestine justice. Questions? Contact David Lewis. Havurah members and non-members welcome. RSVP for Zoom info. -
Thursday ,
AugAugust 1 , 2024
Thursday, Aug 1st 5:30p to 7:00p
The Havurah Ma’avar Committee is offering a six-week grief process-support group for Havurah members. Each group session will be held virtually Thursday evenings, 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm, beginning July 11 through August 15. Chaplain Candi Wuhrman will facilitate the group with a focus on the dying experience, the impact of the relationship, the things unsaid, making peace within ourselves, forgiveness, and continuing the relationship after death. -
Saturday ,
AugAugust 3 , 2024
Shabbat, Aug 3rd 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. -
Monday ,
AugAugust 5 , 2024
Monday, Aug 5th 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! For Havurah members and prospective members. -
Monday ,
AugAugust 5 , 2024
Monday, Aug 5th 7:00p to 8:15p
A gender-inclusive New Moon group, learning and celebrating each Rosh Ḥodesh with ancient and contemporary ritual. Open to any and all genders, inviting each to connect with our closest heavenly body, the Moon. An introductory meeting will happen on the full moon of Elul on Wednesday, Aug. 30 outdoors—weather permitting—in North Portland. Subsequent meetings will be on or near the new moon of each month either in person in North Portland or on Zoom, depending on seasonal shifts in the weather. Attend any or all sessions. RSVP to be updated on location and other details throughout the year. -
Thursday ,
AugAugust 8 , 2024
Thursday, Aug 8th 5:30p to 7:00p
The Havurah Ma’avar Committee is offering a six-week grief process-support group for Havurah members. Each group session will be held virtually Thursday evenings, 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm, beginning July 11 through August 15. Chaplain Candi Wuhrman will facilitate the group with a focus on the dying experience, the impact of the relationship, the things unsaid, making peace within ourselves, forgiveness, and continuing the relationship after death. -
Friday ,
AugAugust 9 , 2024
Friday, Aug 9th 10:00a to 12:00p
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Saturday ,
AugAugust 10 , 2024
Shabbat, Aug 10th 10:00a to 12:00p
Please join us in welcoming Sebastian Mellman as a Bar Mitzvah and member of our community. -
Monday ,
AugAugust 12 , 2024
Monday, Aug 12th 8:00p to 9:30p
Tisha B’Av is a powerful holy day in our cycle of Jewish time. Yet, it is often overlooked, considered as just a day of mourning for the destruction of the temples. We will look at how Tisha B’Av came to be the collecting point of Jewish loss, grief, and displacement as well as what Alan Lew calls “the moment of turning, the moment when we turn away from denial and begin to face exile and alienation as they manifest themselves in our own lives...Teshuvah – turning is the essential gesture of the entire High Holiday season.” We will also commemorate Tisha B’av with a short ritual that helps us being the process of Teshuvah. All are welcome. Stay tuned for an update on the location/medium of delivery: This event will be at Havurah Shalom and/or on Zoom. Havurahniks, please contact Deborah Eisenbach-Budner, deborah@havurahshalom.org if you would like to help plan this ritual.