Havurah Updates

Feb. 14 - Love & Community

Feb. 14 Email - Love, Community & the Chai Life

HAVURAH HAPPENINGS - (1) Upcoming Shabbat (2) Jewish Parenting: What is Going on in There Anyway? (3) Last Thursday IMIrJ I.C.E. Vigil (4) Music MeetUp - A Time to Play (5) Book Discussion Group (6) Purim 2018: Live the Chai Life! (7) Portland Homeless Family Solutions (8) March Kabbalat Shabbat (9) March Movie Night (10) Community Seder (11) Hand in Hand (12) Fundraising Party

ANNOUNCEMENTS - (1) Shabbat Morning Service-Maker Volunteers (2) Rosh Chodesh Openings (3) After School Tutoring (4) English Conversation Hour (5) January Steering Committee Minutes (6) New Name for Reconstructionist Rabbinical College & Jewish Reconstructionist Communities

Wishing you the gift of love and community on this Valentine's Day!

(1) Upcoming Shabbat, Community Minyan, Saturday, Feb. 17, 10:00 am-12:00 pm - This Saturday, Olivia Silverman, daughter of Alana Silverman, will be called to the Torah as a Bat Mitzvah. Please join us in celebrating and welcoming Olivia as a member of our community!

(2) Jewish Parenting: What is Going on in There Anyway? Windows into Adolescent Development, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 7:00-8:30 pm - Laura Orgel will help us clean some shmutz off the windows so that we can see more clearly. What is the work of adolescence? What physiological, mental, emotional, and behavioral changes might accompany that work? How do we, as parents, know when to sit tight (or loose) and when to worry? Deborah Eisenbach-Budner will provide a Jewish values and community framework for our learning about adolescent development. All parents and grandparents are welcome to participate in this frank and non-judgmental workshop. Led by Laura Orgel, Child & Family Therapist and Havurahnik, and Deborah Eisenbach-Budner, Education Director. Please RSVP here.

(3) Last Thursday IMIrJ I.C.E. Vigil - Thursday, Feb. 22, 10:00 am, Portland I.C.E. Building/Headquarters, 4310 SW Macadam Ave - All are welcome to gather in vigil as we express our support and love for families affected by I.C.E. detentions in Oregon. Join this monthly gathering to lift up the reality of what happens every day at the Portland I.C.E. facility - and participate in various, interfaith expressions and ritual in solidarity. Carpooling is encouraged as parking is very limited.

(4) Music MeetUp - A Time to Play, Sunday, Feb. 25, 4:00-7:00 pm, Havurah - A great way to end the weekend! And a great way to meet fellow Havurah folks who love making music. Any kind of music. Bring your voices, an instrument or two, a favorite song or two to share, and perhaps a nosh or beverage to share. Please RSVP to Ilene at ilene.safyan@havurahshalom.org with your name and how many people are coming ... and if you might be bringing something for potluck.

(5) Book Discussion Group, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 7:00-8:30 pm - Please join us for a discussion of The Yiddish Policeman’s Union by Michael Chabon. After 60 years of prosperity for Jewish refugees and their descendants in the "temporary" safe haven of Sitka, created in the wake of the Holocaust, their home is set to revert to Alaskan control. Homicide detective Meyer Landsman has enough problems in his life, his marriage, and his career. But as he investigates a murder that is committed in the hotel where he lives, Landsman contends with all the powerful forces of faith, obsession, evil, and salvation that are his heritage. The discussion will be led by Maud Naroll, who says “One of my favorites, this is an alternative reality, detective, love story, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny page turner.” RSVP here.

(6) Purim 2018: Live the Chai Life!, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 6:00-8:30 pm - Come one, come all, for a night of joy, masquerade, and retelling the story of some courageous individuals from long ago whose valor saved the Jewish People. We will interweave some chanting of the Megillah with dramatic narration and off-the-wall spieling. Get ready to make some noise as we recount the fateful events that led to the spoiling of the wicked plot of you-know-who! Followed by dancing, revelry, pomp, circumstance and l'chaiims. Havurah will provide pizza, and people with last names starting with A-L are asked to bring a salad or side dish to share. People with last names starting with M-Z are asked to bring a dessert. All food should be on plates or in bowls ready to be served. RSVP here!

Tzedakah - Please consider making a cash donation for Portland Homeless Family Solutions to support family homeless shelters or bring a book for children ages 1-10 to read at a local community center. Spanish or bilingual English/Spanish books are preferred. These books do not have to be new; well-loved books will also be treasured.

(7) Portland Homeless Family Solutions (PHFS), Volunteers Needed at Three Sites - A New Temporary Family Winter Shelter (FWS) at Congregation Beth Israel (CBI) is open nightly, 6:00-9:00 pm, through April. Next orientation (required before volunteering) is Feb.15, 4:30-5:30 pm. The 75-space capacity shelter is for families with children and is starting with only adult volunteers (18 years and older). Daily 25 people from the FWS are invited to the 13 Salmon Day Shelter, 1010 SW 13th Ave, so more volunteers are needed there, too. Havurah also is continuing our Adopt-a-Night volunteering at Goose Hollow Shelter, 1838 SW Jefferson. Orientation is required and the next one will be held at 1838 SW Jefferson on Feb. 15, at 5:00 pm. RSVP to bethany@pdxhfs.org with name of shelter and date of orientation. For general information about PHFS, contact Gloria Halper, losninos6@gmail.com, or John Devlin, john.t.devlin@gmail.com.

(8) Kabbalat Shabbat, Friday, March 9, 7:30-8:30 pm - Join one of Portland’s most musical and spirited Shabbat gatherings. Led by Rabbi Benjamin and our talented Havurah musicians. Childcare is available. The service is preceded by a catered dinner, which requires advance registration. RSVP for the dinner here. No RSVP is required for the service at 7:30 pm. All are welcome!

(9) March Movie Night, "Living While Dying," Sunday, March 18, 7:00-9:00 pm – Havurah's Ma'avar Committee will present the film "Living While Dying" followed by a panel discussion. Death is a big mystery, yet the outcome is 100 percent certain. Filmmaker Cathy Zheutlin tells the stories of four friends with terminal illness who chose to live out their final days at home with creativity humor and courage. The film is loving, hopeful and full of joy. Despite cultural norms that death is meant to be vanquished, “Living While Dying” transforms sorrow and fear into inspiration and beauty. After the film, we will have a panel discussion with the following experts: Charles Blanke, Havurah member and OHSU oncologist; Karen Erde, Havurah member and palliative care physician; Susan Hedlund, Director of OHSU Knight Cancer Patient and Family Service Dept; and Rabbi Benjamin. Learn more and RSVP here .

(10) Passover Community Seder, Saturday, March 31, 6:00-8:30 pm, Havurah Shalom - Adults and children of all ages are welcome at Havurah's community seder! The dinner will be vegetarian, with gluten-free, nut-free, and dairy-free options. The cost is $30 per adult, $20 for children ages 6-12, and free for children five and under. RSVP here by March 23.

(11) Kabbalat Shabbat Service with Hand in Hand, Friday, April 13, 7:30 pm - On Friday, April 13, we will host three representatives from Hand in Hand: Center for Jewish-Arab Education in Israel: Noa Yammer, a senior Hand in Hand staff member, and Alma Saporta (who is Jewish) and Vicky Makhoul (who is Arab), both recent graduates of Hand in Hand’s flagship school in Jerusalem. They will join us for Shabbat dinner and will speak after the short Friday evening service. Hand in Hand was founded by Havurah member Lee Gordon, and it has established a network of integrated schools and shared communities for Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel.

(12) Fundraising Party, May 6, 4:00-8:00 pm - Let's celebrate! and raise some money! We've come a long way and have lots more to do. Come enjoy the company of your fellow Havurahniks, eat, drink and be merry, and help raise a bunch of money so we can continue to be the great community that we all love so much.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(1) Shabbat Morning Service-Maker Volunteers – Our community Shabbat services are lay-led and rely on a core of volunteers with Rabbi Benjamin. We want to make sure everyone is aware of the opportunity to contribute and learn. We want to expand and diversify the cohort who make Shabbat morning community services happen. If you are interested in learning more about how to plug-in click here.

(2) Havurah Shalom Rosh Chodesh Group, Meets once a month on Rosh Chodesh (Jewish new moon), Location rotates among different members' homes - Calling all Havurah female-identified teens and women! Did you know Havurah Shalom has a Rosh Chodesh group? Every month we gather to celebrate the new moon, learn about the events/holidays/history of each Jewish month, and enjoy a nosh. Our group has openings for two new members. Contact Liz Schwartz at schwartzelizabeth@yahoo.com for more information.

(3) After School Tutoring, Wednesday & Thursdays, 3:00-4:15 pm, Baltazar Ortiz Community Center, 6736 NE Killingsworth - Can you devote an hour or two once a week to tutor some of the city’s most disadvantaged children? You'll enjoy every minute with these great kids. As a Sanctuary congregation, Havurah partners with the Ortiz Center, a Multnomah County health facility working with Latino and East African refugees and immigrants. No teaching experience is needed, just a knowledge of basic math and reading. We know you can't be there every week. We will work with you on scheduling. RSVP to rosenthalpdx@comcast.net or moskovitzj@gmail.com with your name and dates you are available. The county asks people to complete a background check form and provide a copy of their driver's license.

(4) English Conversation Hour, Tuesdays, Noon-1:00 pm - Our Sanctuary work is growing at the Ortiz Community Center. When we began with this diverse immigrant group, we stepped in to keep their ELL program going. During class the issue of practicing English arose, which has led to another volunteer opportunity! Come join a group of animated, enthused people as they work their way through our complicated language during an hour of conversational activities. Tuesdays, Noon-1:00 pm, 6736 NE Killingsworth. Please RSVP to Julie Hastings at julie.hastings64@gmail.com to let her know which Tuesday you are coming.

(5) January 2018 Steering Committee Minutes - You can read the minutes from Havurah's January Steering Committee Meeting here.

(6) New Name for Reconstructionist Rabbinical College & Jewish Reconstructionist Communities - A new name has been chosen for the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College & Jewish Reconstructionist Communities: Reconstructing Judaism! Read about it here.

Please use this form to submit stories for this weekly community email. Submissions are due by noon on Tuesday each week.

Havurah Shalom is a vibrant, egalitarian, and diverse Jewish Reconstructionist community. Steeped in Jewish values, Havurah promotes spirituality, learning, and acts of social responsibility.

Find our calendar and learn more at www.havurahshalom.org.

825 NW 18th Ave, Portland, OR 97209
503-248-4662

Havurah Shalom
825 NW 18th Ave
Portland, OR 97209

Feb. 7 - Kabbalat Shabbat, Lev Tahor

Feb. 7 Email - Live the Chai Life!, Kabbalat Shabbat, Lev Tahor

HAVURAH HAPPENINGS - (1) Upcoming Shabbat (2) Live the Chai Life!: A Purim Celebration (3) Call for Actors, Writers, Chanters & Musicians! (4) Fundraiser Planning Meeting (5) Lev Tahor (Pure Heart) Chanting (6) Portland Homeless Family Solutions (7) February Book Discussion

ANNOUNCEMENTS - (1) Shabbat Morning Service-Maker Volunteers (2) After School Tutoring (3) English Conversation Hour (4) Rising Voices Fellowship (5) Community Concert-Neshama Carlebach

(1) Upcoming Shabbat, Kabbalat Shabbat Service, Friday, Feb. 9, 7:30 pm - Join us for an evening of music and celebration with Rabbi Benjamin, Havurah Music Coordinator Ilene Safyan, and Havurah musicians Scott Snyder, Andrew Ehrlich, Chaim Wolin, Chava Wolin, Steven Sandberg-Lewis, John Duke, and Tanja Lux. All are welcome! Above photo of Kabbalat Shabbat Service was taken by Barbara Gundle.

Shabbat Family Service, Saturday, Feb. 10, 10:30 am-12:00 noon - Especially for families with children in grades K-6. Our community will gather together for an uplifting morning of family activities including Torah exploration, singing, and celebration - and a little nosh, too! This service will have a bare bones liturgy with a 30-minute teaching in which families will be in small groups by grade. We'll have only one aliyah at this service. Everybody is absolutely welcome. There will, of course, be mourner’s Kaddish. RSVP here.

(2) Purim 2018: Live the Chai Life!, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 6:00-8:30 pm - Come one, come all, for a night of joy, masquerade, and retelling the story of some courageous individuals from long ago whose valor saved the Jewish People. We will interweave some chanting of the Megillah with dramatic narration and off-the-wall spieling. Get ready to make some noise as we recount the fateful events that led to the spoiling of the wicked plot of you-know-who! Followed by dancing, revelry, pomp, circumstance and l'chaiims. Havurah will provide pizza, and people with last names starting with A-L are asked to bring a salad or side dish to share. People with last names starting with M-Z are asked to bring a dessert. All food should be on plates or in bowls ready to be served. RSVP here!

Tzedakah - Please consider making a cash donation for Portland Homeless Family Solutions to support family homeless shelters, or bring a book for children ages 1-10 to read at a local community center. Spanish or bilingual English/Spanish books are preferred. These books do not have to be new; well-loved books will also be treasured.

(3) Calling All Actors, Writers, Chanters & Musicians for PURIM!

This year we will do a few short skits and musical numbers. Be a part of a group that rehearses in advance or one that just meets earlier on Feb. 28 for an improv performance. Screenwriter? Great! Write a script! Rehearsal dates TBD. Everyone welcome! Questions? Contact Ellen Regal, ellenregal@yahoo.com, 503-288-5042.

If you are interested in learning to chant a few verses of the Megillah, please contact Rabbi Benjamin at benjamin.barnett@havurahshalom.org.

(4) Planning Meeting for Havurah Fundraiser, Thursday, Feb. 8, 7:00-8:30 pm - Join us to help plan for our fundraising event on May 6. We have the basic framework set up and need your ideas to flesh out the picture. Fran Berg and Nancy Becker are coordinating. We love to plan parties and raise money and want to share the joy! Questions? Contact Nancy at nancyjbecker@gmail.com or Fran at bergfr@gmail.com. RSVP here if you can come to the meeting. And Save the Date! May 6, 4:00-8:00 pm - Let's celebrate! and raise some money! We've come a long way and have lots more to do. Come enjoy the company of your fellow Havurahniks, eat, drink and be merry, and help raise a bunch of money so we can continue to be the great community that we all love so much.

(5) Lev Tahor (Pure Heart) Chanting, Monday, Feb. 12, 7:00 pm - We will gather to lift sacred phrases through melody, harmony, and rhythm in order to open our hearts, clarify our minds, and cultivate qualities such as gratefulness and compassion. Interspersed with periods of silent meditation, the chanting will be guided by teachings and intentions from Rabbi Benjamin. Each of these gatherings on the second Monday of the month is open to anyone – no experience, musical ability, or commitment necessary. Lev Tahor chanting is free for members; non-members are asked to make a small donation to Havurah.

(6) Portland Homeless Family Solutions (PHFS), Volunteers Needed at Three Sites - A New Temporary Family Winter Shelter (FWS) at Congregation Beth Israel (CBI) is open nightly, 6:00-9:00 pm, through April. Orientations required before volunteering are Feb. 7 & 15, 4:30-5:30 pm. The 75-space capacity shelter is for families with children and is starting with only adult volunteers (18 years and older). Daily 25 people from the FWS are invited to the 13 Salmon Day Shelter, 1010 SW 13th Ave, so more volunteers are needed there, too. Next orientation at 13 Salmon is Feb. 8, 6:15 pm. Havurah also is continuing our Adopt-a-Night volunteering at Goose Hollow Shelter, 1838 SW Jefferson. Orientations are required, and will be held at 1838 SW Jefferson on Feb. 12 & 15, at 5:00 pm. RSVP to Bethany@pdxhfs.org with name of shelter and date of orientation. For general information about PHFS, contact Gloria Halper, losninos6@gmail.com, or John Devlin, john.t.devlin@gmail.com.

(7) Havurah Book Discussion Group, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 7:00-8:30 pm - Please join us for a discussion of The Yiddish Policeman’s Union by Michael Chabon. After 60 years of prosperity for Jewish refugees and their descendants in the "temporary" safe haven of Sitka, created in the wake of the Holocaust, their home is set to revert to Alaskan control. Homicide detective Meyer Landsman has enough problems in his life, his marriage, and his career. But as he investigates a murder that is committed in the hotel where he lives, Landsman contends with all the powerful forces of faith, obsession, evil, and salvation that are his heritage. The discussion will be led by Maud Naroll, who says “One of my favorites, this is an alternative reality, detective, love story, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny page turner.” RSVP here.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(1) Shabbat Morning Service-Maker Volunteers – Our community Shabbat services are lay-led and rely on a core of volunteers with Rabbi Benjamin. We want to make sure everyone is aware of the opportunity to contribute and learn. We want to expand and diversify the cohort who make Shabbat morning community services happen. If you are interested in learning more about how to plug-in click here.

(2) After School Tutoring, Wednesday & Thursdays, 3:00-4:15 pm, Baltazar Ortiz Community Center, 6736 NE Killingsworth - Can you devote an hour or two once a week to tutor some of the city’s most disadvantaged children? You'll enjoy every minute with these great kids. As a Sanctuary congregation, Havurah partners with the Ortiz Center, a Multnomah County health facility working with Latino and East African refugees and immigrants. No teaching experience is needed, just a knowledge of basic math and reading. We know you can't be there every week. We will work with you on scheduling. RSVP to rosenthalpdx@comcast.net or moskovitzj@gmail.com with your name and dates you are available. The county asks people to complete a background check form and provide a copy of their driver's license.

(3) English Conversation Hour, Tuesdays, Noon-1:00 pm - Our Sanctuary work is growing at the Ortiz Community Center. When we began with this diverse immigrant group, we stepped in to keep their ELL program going. During class the issue of practicing English arose, which has led to another volunteer opportunity! Come join a group of animated, enthused people as they work their way through our complicated language during an hour of conversational activities. Tuesdays, Noon-1:00 pm, 6736 NE Killingsworth. Please RSVP to Julie Hastings at julie.hastings64@gmail.com to let her know which Tuesday you are coming.

(4) Rising Voices Fellowship for Female-Identified 10th-12th Graders - Calling all female-identified teens in grades 10-12 who are passionate about feminism, Judaism, social justice, and writing! Jewish Women's Archives is now accepting applications for the 2018-19 Rising Voices Fellowship. Applications, FAQ and more information about the fellowship can be found at jwa.org/risingvoices. Applications are due by March 28.

(5) PDX Community Concert with Neshama, Sunday, Feb. 11, 4:30 pm, Congregation Neveh Shalom - Join Neshama Carlebach and her full band at Congregation Neveh Shalom for a soulful concert that will raise the spirits of Portlanders of all ages. Neshama Carlebach, a leading superstar in Jewish entertainment, is continuing the legacy established by her father, Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach. Questions? Contact Saul Korin at skorin@oregonjcc.org. Buy tickets online here.

Please use this form to submit stories for this weekly community email. Submissions are due by noon on Tuesday each week.

Havurah Shalom is a vibrant, egalitarian, and diverse Jewish Reconstructionist community. Steeped in Jewish values, Havurah promotes spirituality, learning, and acts of social responsibility.

Find our calendar and learn more at www.havurahshalom.org.

825 NW 18th Ave, Portland, OR 97209
503-248-4662

Havurah Shalom
825 NW 18th Ave
Portland, OR 97209

Purim 2018: Live the Chai Life!

Come one, come all, for a night of joy, masquerade, and retelling the story of some courageous individuals from long ago whose valor saved the Jewish People. We will interweave some chanting of the Megillah with dramatic narration and off-the-wall spieling. Get ready to make some noise as we recount the fateful events that led to the spoiling of the wicked plot of you-know-who! Followed by dancing, revelry, pomp, circumstance and L'chaiims. All are encouraged to wear costumes!!

Havurah will serve pizza, and families with last names beginning with A-L are asked to bring a vegetarian salad or side dish. Families with last names beginning with M-Z are asked to bring a vegetarian dessert. All food should be brought on plates or in containers, ready to be served, and please provide a list of ingredients if your dish is nut-free, gluten-free, and/or dairy-free.

If you're interested in learning to chant a few verses of the Megillah, please contact Rabbi Benjamin at benjamin.barnett@havurahshalom.org. If you can help with script writing, acting or music, please contact Ellen Regal at ellenregal@yahoo.com. Volunteers are needed for these important roles!

We have two tzedakah projects to choose from this year! Please either make a cash donation for Portland Homeless Family Solutions to support family homeless shelters, or bring a book for children ages 1-10 to read at a local community center. Spanish or bilingual English/Spanish books are preferred. These books do not have to be new; well-loved books will also be treasured.

Please RSVP here and include number adults and kids attending.

Jan. 31 Community Email - Tu B'Shevat

Jan. 31 Email - Tu B'Shevat, Tot Shabbat & Kabbalat Shabbat

HAVURAH HAPPENINGS - (1) Tu B'Shevat (2) Upcoming Shabbat (3) Papers: Stories of Undocumented Youth (4) PHFS Adopt-A-Night + CBI Shelter (5) B'nai Mitzvah Planning Basics + B'nai Mitzvah: Why, When, How? (6) Kabbalat Shabbat (7) Calling All Purim Writers, Actors & Musicians (8) Fundraiser Planning Meeting & Save the Date! (9) Family Shabbat (10) Lev Tahor (Pure Heart) Chanting

ANNOUNCEMENTS - (1) After School Tutoring (2) English Conversation Hour (3) Awaken Your Inner Keyboard (4) Rising Voices Fellowship (5) Community Concert - Neshama Carlebach (6) Guides for Rachel's Well

In Gmail, click on "View Entire Message" in the lower left to read entire email.

(1) Today is Tu B'Shevat, the Jewish holiday celebrating trees. Following months of gray skies, the days have begun to lengthen, sap is rising, and buds are forming on trees and shrubs. It's an opportunity to feel hope and gratitude! Below is a photo of The Lawrence Tree, by Georgia O'Keeffe, from the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. (The painting isn't upside down. The artist saw this scene while on her back, looking up.)

(2) Upcoming Shabbat - Community Minyan, Saturday, Feb. 3, 10:00 am - Join Maria Lisa Johnson, Beth Hamon, Sam Sirkin, Rabbi Benjamin and other Havurah leaders and Torah readers this Saturday. We will daven and discuss parsha Yitro, in which Moses' father-in-law Jethro (Yitro in Hebrew) advises Moses to appoint others in the community to assist him in governing, a timely message as Havurah is enhancing our governance structure to empower cluster and committee leaders and to integrate their work more intentionally and effectively.

Tot Shabbat, Saturday, Feb. 3, 10:30-11:30 am - Join us for a Tu B'Shevat Tot Shabbat! Young children and their parents celebrate Shabbat with singing, movement, blessings, and storytelling. We touch on the main highlights of the Shabbat morning service: wonder, fun, song, listening to the world, dancing, and Torah. Tot Shabbat is fashioned for the under-six crowd, but older kids are welcome (and can help tell a story, etc.). Afterwards, we enjoy an informal potluck oneg nosh and the chance to play and schmooze. Led by Deborah Eisenbach-Budner. Please RSVP here.

(3) Papers: Stories of Undocumented Youth - Screening and Panel Discussion, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 6:30-8:30 pm - Join Havurah's middle and high school students for a special screening of an important and timely documentary. "Papers: Stories of Undocumented Youth" highlights the challenges faced by young people without legal status. A panel discussion will follow the film, led by producer Rebecca Shine of Graham Street Productions and joined by two youths deeply affected by these issues. Every day 122 Dreamers may lose their DACA status, making them undocumented in the only country they have known. Come be part of this vital discussion, hosted by the Havurah Sanctuary Committee. No RSVP is required. Questions? Contact shari.raider@gmail.com.

(4) Portland Homeless Family Solutions (PHFS), Volunteers Needed at Three Sites - A New Temporary Family Winter Shelter (FWS) at Congregation Beth Israel (CBI) is open nightly, 6:00-9:00 pm, through April. Orientations required before volunteering are Feb. 7 and 15, 4:30-5:30 pm. The 75-space capacity shelter is for families with children, and is starting with only adult volunteers (18 years and older). Daily 25 people from the FWS are invited to the 13 Salmon Day Shelter, 1010 SW 13th Ave, so more volunteers are needed there, too. Next orientation at 13 Salmon is Feb. 8, 6:15 pm. Havurah also is continuing our Adopt-a-Night volunteering at Goose Hollow Shelter, 1838 SW Jefferson. Orientations are required, and will be held at 1838 SW Jefferson on Feb. 12 and Feb. 15, at 5:00 pm. RSVP to Bethany@pdxhfs.org with name of shelter and date of orientation. For general information about PHFS, contact Gloria Halper, losninos6@gmail.com, or John Devlin, john.t.devlin@gmail.com. The next Adopt-a-Night is Thursday, Feb. 1, 6:30 pm, at Goose Hollow Shelter.

(5) B'nai Mitzvah Planning Basics, Saturday, Feb. 3, 3:15 pm - The logistics of B’nai Mitzvah planning and set up at Havurah is the focus of this workshop. Parents will learn about reserving and using Havurah’s spaces and the items in them (like tables, plates, etc.) from Havurah Office & Facilities Manager Rachel Pollak. A new addition to this workshop is a deeper dive into “event planning,” led by Havurah member, Chari Smith. RSVP here.

The B'nai Mitzvah: Why, When, How? on Sunday, Feb. 4, 10:00 am - This workshop was formerly known as Date Selection Meeting, and it is specifically for families in the 2019-20 cohort and families who do not yet have a B'nai Mitzvah date. This workshop intends to launch families on the B’nai Mitzvah journey. Rabbi Benjamin will begin with a focus on the rite of passage itself, and then families will learn about the date selection process. Rabbi Benjamin, David Newman, and Michael Evans will lead this workshop. RSVP here.

(6) Kabbalat Shabbat Dinner & Service, Friday, Feb. 9, 6:30 pm Dinner, 7:30 pm Service - Our next Kabbalat Shabbat Dinner & Service will be Friday, Feb. 9, 6:30 pm (dinner) and 7:30 pm (service). Join us for an evening of music and celebration with Rabbi Benjamin and Havurah musicians. The catered vegetarian dinner begins at 6:30 pm, with nut-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free options, followed by the service at 7:30 pm. Registration is required for the dinner. PLEASE RSVP BY THE DEADLINE to help our Kabbalat Shabbat planners prepare for the evening. If you miss the deadline, your name can be added to a wait list, so you can be notified if we have cancellations. Register here! No RSVP is required for the 7:30 pm service; all are welcome! Questions? Email rachel@havurahshalom.org.

(7) Purim 2018: Live the Chai Life!, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 6:00-8:30 pm - Come one, come all, for a night of joy, masquerade, and retelling the story of some courageous individuals from long ago whose valor saved the Jewish People. We will interweave some chanting of the Megillah with dramatic narration and off-the-wall spieling. Get ready to make some noise as we recount the fateful events that led to the spoiling of the wicked plot of you-know-who! Followed by dancing, revelry, pomp, circumstance and l'chaims. Havurah will provide pizza, and people with last names starting with A-L are asked to bring a salad or side dish to share. People with last names starting with M-Z are asked to bring a dessert. All food should be on plates or in bowls ready to be served. RSVP here!

Calling All Actors, Writers, Chanters & Musicians for PURIM!

This year we will do a few short skits and musical numbers. Be a part of a group that rehearses in advance or one that just meets earlier on Feb. 28 for an improv performance. Screenwriter? Great! Write a script! Rehearsal dates TBD. Everyone welcome! Questions? Contact Ellen Regal, ellenregal@yahoo.com, 503-288-5042.

If you are interested in learning to chant a few verses of the Megillah, please contact Rabbi Benjamin at benjamin.barnett@havurahshalom.org.

(8) Planning Meeting for Havurah Fundraiser, Thursday, Feb. 8, 7:00-8:30 pm - Join us to help plan for our fundraising event on May 6. We have the basic framework set up, and need your ideas to flesh out the picture. Fran Berg and Nancy Becker are coordinating. We love to plan parties and raise money and want to share the joy! Questions? Contact Nancy at nancyjbecker@gmail.com or Fran at bergfr@gmail.com. RSVP here to let us know if you are coming.

Save the Date! May 6, 4:00-8:00 pm - Let's celebrate! and raise some money!
We've come a long way and have lots more to do. Come enjoy the company of your fellow Havurahniks, eat, drink and be merry, and help raise a bunch of money so we can continue to be the great community that we all love so much. Details forthcoming.

(9) Family Shabbat Morning, Saturday, Feb. 10, 10:30 am-12:00 noon - Especially for families with children in grades K-6. Our community will gather together for an uplifting morning of family activities including Torah exploration, singing, and celebration - and a little nosh, too! RSVP here.

(10) Lev Tahor (Pure Heart) Chanting, Monday, Feb. 12, 7:00 pm - We will gather to lift sacred phrases through melody, harmony, and rhythm in order to open our hearts, clarify our minds, and cultivate qualities such as gratefulness and compassion. Interspersed with periods of silent meditation, the chanting will be guided by teachings and intentions from Rabbi Benjamin. Each of these gatherings is open to anyone – no experience, musical ability, or commitment necessary. Second Monday of each month. Lev Tahor Chanting is free for members; non-members are asked to make a small donation.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(1) After School Tutoring, Wednesday & Thursdays, 3:00-4:15 pm, Baltazar Ortiz Community Center, 6736 NE Killingsworth - Can you devote an hour or two once a week to tutor some of the city’s most disadvantaged children? You'll enjoy every minute with these great kids. As a Sanctuary congregation, Havurah partners with the Ortiz Center, a Multnomah County health facility working with Latino and East African refugees and immigrants. No teaching experience is needed, just a knowledge of basic math and reading. We know you can't be there every week. We will work with you on scheduling. RSVP to rosenthalpdx@comcast.net or moskovitzj@gmail.com with your name and dates you are available. The county asks people to complete a background check form and provide a copy of their driver's license.

(2) English Conversation Hour, Tuesdays, Noon-1:00 pm - Our Sanctuary work is growing at the Ortiz Community Center. When we began with this diverse immigrant group, we stepped in to keep their ELL program going. During class the issue of practicing English arose, which has led to another volunteer opportunity! Come join a group of animated, enthused people as they work their way through our complicated language during an hour of conversational activities. Tuesdays, Noon-1:00 pm, 6736 NE Killingsworth. Please RSVP to Julie Hastings at julie.hastings64@gmail.com to let her know which Tuesday you are coming.

(3) Writing Group - Awaken Your Inner Keyboard - Do you like to write? David Kertzner and Sharon Reyes are organizing a Havurah adult writers workshop for anyone who wants to explore writing from any level. They want to bring people together for eight sessions culminating in a Friday night reading and oneg in June. Dates TBD, but they expect to meet every other week for two-hour sessions, starting mid-late February or March, at Havurah and/or willing participants’ homes. David has offered to lead the sessions which will include a warm-up activity, followed by sharing of writing and supportive feedback. Writers may continue meeting after the reading. They’d like to cap the group at eight. Questions? Email (or RSVP to) David, dkertzner@proactive-english.com, or email Sharon, adelmanreyes12@yahoo.com.

(4) Rising Voices Fellowship for Female-Identified 10th-12th Graders - Calling all female-identified teens in grades 10-12 who are passionate about feminism, Judaism, social justice, and writing! Jewish Women's Archives is now accepting applications for the 2018-19 Rising Voices Fellowship. Applications, FAQ and more information about the fellowship can be found at jwa.org/risingvoices. Applications are due by March 28.

(5) PDX Community Concert with Neshama, Sunday, Feb. 11, 4:30 pm, Congregation Neveh Shalom - Join Neshama Carlebach and her full band at Congregation Neveh Shalom for a soulful concert that will raise the spirits of Portlanders of all ages. Neshama Carlebach, a leading superstar in Jewish entertainment, is continuing the legacy established by her father, Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach. Questions? Contact Saul Korin at skorin@oregonjcc.org. Buy tickets online here.

(6) Guides Needed for Rachel's Well - We were excited to celebrate the Grand Opening of Rachel’s Well Community Mikvah a week ago Sunday. This was the culmination of a great deal of planning and the input and efforts of many in our community to bring to life a mikvah that is open and accessible for traditional and contemporary use. The mikvah has been in operation for nearly three months, and we’ve learned many things along the way to better serve our community’s mikvah needs. One of the most important: WE NEED MORE GUIDES! To learn more, call 503-245-6449.

Please use this form to submit stories for this weekly community email. Submissions are due by noon on Tuesday each week.

Havurah Shalom is a vibrant, egalitarian, and diverse Jewish Reconstructionist community. Steeped in Jewish values, Havurah promotes spirituality, learning, and acts of social responsibility.

Find our calendar and learn more at www.havurahshalom.org.

825 NW 18th Ave, Portland, OR 97209
503-248-4662

Havurah Shalom
825 NW 18th Ave
Portland, OR 97209

Jan. 24 Community Email

Jan. 24 Email - Dorot, Discovering Shabbat Morning & More

HAVURAH HAPPENINGS - (1) Upcoming Shabbat (2) Jewish Parenting Workshop: Mindfulness In Parenting (3) IMIrJ Last Thursday Vigil at ICE (4) Community Havdalah at Rose Schnitzer Manor (5) Havurah Leadership Retreat (6) Papers: Stories of Undocumented Youth (7) Kabbalat Shabbat RSVP Deadline (8) Tu B'Shevat Tot Shabbat (9) B'nai Mitzvah Planning Basics (10) B'nai Mitzvah: Why, When, How? (11) Portland Homeless Family Solutions (12) Calling All Purim Writers, Actors & Musicians

ANNOUNCEMENTS - (1) Photos, Thanks & Welcome - Rabbi Benjamin's Installation (2) Lotsa Helping Hands Leads Needed (3) Tikkun Adelante Volunteers (4) Awaken Your Inner Keyboard (5) Never Again: A Jewish Response to the Rohingya Crisis (6) Weekend In Quest

In Gmail, click on "view entire message" at bottom left to see entire email.

(1) Upcoming Shabbat - Dorot Shabbat, Friday, Jan. 26, 6:00-7:30 pm - Join us for this casual, family-friendly, and music-filled service. Beginning with candle lighting, Kiddush and challah, the service continues with prayers and music, followed by a vegetarian potluck dinner. Led by Jacob Mandelsberg, Sarah Shine, Gabe Adoff, Tanja Lux, and Ilene Moss. 6:00 pm Service, 6:45 pm Potluck. Please RSVP here.

Discovering Shabbat Morning Learners’ Minyan, Saturday, Jan. 27, 10:00-11:30 am - Join this upbeat workshop/minyan, led by Rabbi Benjamin, where we will walk through the Shabbat morning service, learn about the general structure of the service, the key themes and prayers, and some of the choreography. We will practice some prayers together and answer questions. This service is especially for families with youth in grades five and up who are in the B’nai Mitzvah process, all adults who are curious or perplexed, and anybody else. Childcare is available every Saturday morning for children 0-9. Please RSVP in advance for childcare. The above image is a visual outline of the Shabbat morning service created by Deborah Eisenbach-Budner.

(2) Jewish Parenting Workshop: Mindfulness In Parenting, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 7:00 pm - The journey of parenting is both highly demanding and profoundly rewarding. Through contemplative spiritual practice, Jewish and otherwise, we are given tools to help us more capably meet its challenges and appreciate its blessings. In this session, Rabbi Benjamin will lead us through some basic techniques of mindfulness practice, and we will reflect together about how we might utilize them in our parenting.

(3) IMIrJ Last Thursday Vigil at ICE, 4310 SW Macadam Ave, Portland, Thursday, Jan. 25, 10:00-11:00 am - All are welcome to gather in vigil as we express our welcome, support and love for families affected by I.C.E. detentions. Join this monthly gathering to lift up the reality of what happens every day at the Portland I.C.E. facility. This vigil will be the beginning of a week of action recognizing the one-year anniversary of the Muslim Ban. The next event is Saturday, Jan. 27: Protest at the Portland International Airport, 1:00 pm. Questions? Contact Robert Brown, rebrown47@gmail.com. No RSVP needed. Just show up!

(4) Community Havdalah at Rose Schnitzer Manor, Zidell Hall, Saturday, Jan. 27, 6:30 pm – Flip Frisch, Music Leader from Congregation Kol Ami in Vancouver, WA, will lead the service. Refreshments and socializing will follow. Free and open to all, with no RSVP required. Sponsored by Jewish Women’s Round Table and its member organizations, including Havurah Shalom. Questions? Contact Adele Thompson at adeledt@live.com.

(5) Havurah Leadership Retreat, Sunday, Jan. 28, 12 noon - Steering Committee, staff, and committee chairs will meet at Havurah for a day of planning.

(6) Papers: Stories of Undocumented Youth - Screening and Panel Discussion, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 6:30-8:30 pm - Join Havurah's middle and high school students for a special screening of an important and timely documentary. "Papers: Stories of Undocumented Youth" highlights the challenges faced by young people without legal status. A panel discussion will follow the film, led by producer Rebecca Shine of Graham Street Productions and joined by two youths deeply affected by these issues. Every day 122 Dreamers may lose their DACA status, making them undocumented in the only country they have known. Come be part of this vital discussion, hosted by the Havurah Sanctuary Committee. Questions? Contact shari.raider@gmail.com. No RSVP necessary.

(7) Kabbalat Shabbat Dinner RSVPs Due Friday, Feb. 2: NEW EARLIER RSVP DATE - Our next Kabbalat Shabbat Dinner & Service will be Friday, Feb. 9, 6:30 pm (dinner) and 7:30 pm (service). Join us for an evening of music and celebration with Rabbi Benjamin and Havurah musicians. The catered vegetarian dinner begins at 6:30 pm, with nut-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free options, followed by the service at 7:30 pm. Registration is required for the dinner and needs to be received in the Havurah office no later than Friday, Feb 2. Please note that the RSVP DEADLINE IS EARLIER than it has been in the past. If you plan to mail a check, please email rachel@havurahshalom.org before Feb 2 to ensure your seats. Late registrations will be added to a wait list. Please register here. Questions? Contact Rachel Pollak at rachel@havurahshalom.org.

(8) Tot Shabbat, Saturday, Feb. 3, 10:30-11:30 am - Join us for a Tu B'Shevat Tot Shabbat! Young children and their parents celebrate Shabbat with singing, movement, blessings, and storytelling. We touch on the main highlights of the Shabbat morning service: wonder, fun, song, listening to the world, dancing, and Torah. Tot Shabbat is fashioned for the under-six crowd, but older kids are welcome (and can help tell a story, etc.). Afterwards, we enjoy an informal potluck oneg nosh and the chance to play and schmooze. Led by Deborah Eisenbach-Budner. Please RSVP here.

(9) B'nai Mitzvah Planning Basics, Saturday, Feb. 3, 3:15 pm - The logistics of B’nai Mitzvah planning and set up at Havurah is the focus of this workshop. Parents will learn about reserving and using Havurah’s spaces and the items in them (like tables, plates, etc) from Havurah Office & Facilities Manager Rachel Pollak. A new addition to this workshop is a deeper dive into “event planning,” led by Havurah member, Chari Smith. RSVP here.

(10) The B'nai Mitzvah: Why, When, How?, Sunday, Feb. 4, 10:00 am-12:15 pm - This workshop was formerly known as Date Selection Meeting, and it is specifically for families in the 2019-2020 cohort and families who do not yet have a B'nai Mitzvah date. This workshop intends to launch families on the B’nai Mitzvah journey. Rabbi Benjamin will begin with a focus on the rite of passage itself, and then families will learn about the date selection process. Rabbi Benjamin, David Newman, and Michael Evans will lead this workshop. RSVP here.

(11) Portland Homeless Family Solutions (PHFS), Volunteers Needed at Three Sites - A New Temporary Family Winter Shelter (FWS) at Congregation Beth Israel (CBI) is open nightly, 6:00-9:00 pm, through April. Orientations required before volunteering are Jan. 24, Feb. 7, and Feb. 15, 4:30-5:30 pm. The 75-space capacity shelter is for families with children, and is starting with only adult volunteers (18 years and older). Daily 25 people from the FWS are invited to the 13 Salmon Day Shelter, 1010 SW 13th Ave, so more volunteers are needed there, too. Next orientation at 13 Salmon is Feb. 8, 6:15 pm. Havurah also is continuing our Adopt-a-Night volunteering at Goose Hollow Shelter, 1838 SW Jefferson. Orientations are required, and will be held at 1838 SW Jefferson on Feb. 12 and Feb. 15, at 5:00 pm. RSVP to Bethany@pdxhfs.org with name of shelter and date of orientation. For general information about PHFS, contact Gloria Halper, losninos6@gmail.com, or John Devlin, john.t.devlin@gmail.com.

(12) Purim 2018: Live the Chai Life!, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 6:00-8:30 pm - Come one, come all, for a night of joy, masquerade, and retelling the story of some courageous individuals from long ago whose valor saved the Jewish People. We will interweave some chanting of the Megillah with dramatic narration and off-the-wall spieling. Get ready to make some noise as we recount the fateful events that led to the spoiling of the wicked plot of you-know-who! Followed by dancing, revelry, pomp, circumstance and l'chaiims. Havurah will provide pizza, and people with last names starting with A-L are asked to bring a salad or side dish to share. People with last names starting with M-Z are asked to bring a dessert. All food should be on plates or in bowls ready to be served. RSVP here!

If you are interested in learning to chant a few verse of the Megillah, please contact Rabbi Benjamin at benjamin.barnett@havurahshalom.org.

Calling All Actors, Writers, and Musicians for PURIM SPIEL!

This year we will do a few short skits and musical numbers. Be a part of a group that rehearses in advance or one that just meets earlier on Feb. 28 for an improv performance. Screenwriter? Great! Write a script! Rehearsal dates TBD. Everyone welcome! Questions? Contact Ellen Regal, ellenregal@yahoo.com, 503-288-5042.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(1) Installation of Rabbi Benjamin - Thank you to everyone who made Rabbi Benjamin's installation ceremony on Jan. 20 so inspiring: Rabbi Joshua from Ashland, Deborah Eisenbach-Budner, Ken Lerner, Bill Kwitman, Ilene Safyan, Alicia Jo Rabins, Andrew Erhlich, Tanja Lux, Chaim Wolin, Scott Snyder, Beth Hamon, Fran Berg, Susan Lazareck, Amanda Coffey, Loree Devery, Miryam Brewer, Adela Basayne, Karen Westerman, and all who represented the waves and generations of Havurah. And thank you, Barbara Gundle, for these photos of the evening. Most of all, thank you and welcome to Rabbi Benjamin and his family! The above photo is of the passing of theTorah through the generations and waves of Havurahniks.

(2) Pastoral Care/Lotsa Helping Hands - The Pastoral Care Team is taking Lotsa Helping Hands under our wing, and we're looking for a couple of people to manage and expand the helping network. Time commitment is less than an hour per community need, and the technology is fairly easy. We'd love at least two people representing more than one age cohort. This is a perfect opportunity for someone skilled in social outreach who can assess needs and communicate them to our helping community. If you're interested and/or have questions, please contact Sandy Ramirez at sandylou29@yahoo.com.

(3) Tikkun Olam Adelante, Tues./Thurs., 2:00-4:00 pm - Tikkun Olam Adelante, a project developed from our Sanctuary work, helps specifically, yet not limited to a Latino Women's Group at the Ortiz Community Center in the Cully neighborhood. We are seeking at this time just speakers of Spanish, and conversational level is sufficient. For more info, contact Gloria Halper at losninos6@gmail.com. To RSVP, please choose a date you can come to observe a Tikkun Olam session.

(4) Writing Group - Awaken Your Inner Keyboard - Do you like to write? David Kertzner and Sharon Reyes are organizing a Havurah adult writers workshop for anyone who wants to explore writing from any level. They want to bring people together for eight sessions culminating in a Friday night reading and oneg in June. Dates TBD, but they expect to meet every other week for two-hour sessions, starting mid-late February or March, at Havurah and/or willing participants’ homes. David has offered to lead the sessions which will include a warm-up activity, followed by sharing of writing and supportive feedback. Writers may continue meeting after the reading. They’d like to cap the group at eight. Questions? Email (or RSVP to) David, dkertzner@proactive-english.com, or email Sharon, adelmanreyes12@yahoo.com.

(5) Never Again: A Jewish Response to the Rohingya Crisis, Monday, Jan. 29, 6:30-8:30 pm, Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, 724 NW Davis St, Portland - The Royingya are a majority Muslim ethnic minority who have been ruthlessly oppressed by the Myanmar military, suffering indiscriminate killings, forced evacuations, rape and other forms of violence. Approximately 700,000 Royingya have been forced to flee their homes since August and only about 400,000 Rohingya remain in Myanmar. 120,000 of those are kept in concentration camps. Learn more about the evening here.

(6) Weekend in Quest - This year's Weekend In Quest has reached maximum registration. Learn more at www.weekendinquest.org. To add your name to the wait list, email mimiepstein42@comcast.net.

Please use this form to submit stories for this weekly community email. Submissions are due by noon on Tuesday each week.

Havurah Shalom is a vibrant, egalitarian, and diverse Jewish Reconstructionist community. Steeped in Jewish values, Havurah promotes spirituality, learning, and acts of social responsibility.

Find our calendar and learn more at www.havurahshalom.org.

825 NW 18th Ave, Portland, OR 97209
503-248-4662

Havurah Shalom
825 NW 18th Ave
Portland, OR 97209

Jan. 17 Community Email

Jan. 17 Email - Rabbi Benjamin's Installation & Food Call

HAVURAH HAPPENINGS - (1) Upcoming Shabbat & Installation of Rabbi Benjamin (2) Music Rehearsal (3) PHFS Volunteering (4) Parents, Let's Talk Race (5) Book Discussion (6) Dorot: Short & Sweet Shabbat (7) Discovering Shabbat Morning Learners' Minyan (8) "Papers: Stories of Undocumented Youth" (9) How to Love with All Your Heart, Soul & Might

ANNOUNCEMENTS - (1) Rachel's Well Mikvah Grand Opening (2) Lotsa Helping Hands Leads Needed (3) Awaken Your Inner Keyboard (4) Creative Energy Abounding! (5) Steering Committee Minutes (6) Never Again: A Jewish Response to the Rohingya Crisis (7) Weekend In Quest

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(1) Upcoming Shabbat - Community Minyan, Saturday, Jan. 20, 10:00 am - This Saturday, Rabbi Benjamin, Deborah Eisenbach-Budner, Sam Sirkin, Emily Simon, Marty Brown, and Barbara Sevde will lead prayers and read Torah at our community minyan, and Tot Shabbat families will join us for the Torah service. The last three plagues occur in this week's parsha, Bo, and Pharaoh finally releases the Israelites, who leave Egypt so quickly they have to take unleavened bread with them. The trek through the wilderness has begun.

Tot Shabbat, 10:30 am - We will celebrate Shabbat with singing, movement, blessings, and storytelling. We touch on the main highlights of the Shabbat morning service: wonder, fun, song, listening to the world, dancing, and Torah. Tot Shabbat is fashioned for the under-6 crowd, but older kids are welcome (and can help tell a story, etc.). Afterwards, we enjoy an informal potluck oneg nosh and the chance to play and schmooze. Please plan to bring a small snack to share.

Installation of Rabbi Benjamin, 5:15 pm, Pizza and Veggies; 6:00 pm, Ceremony- This Saturday, Havurah will officially welcome Rabbi Benjamin and his family in an installation ceremony, and we want you to join the festivities! This will be a participatory, multigenerational event, inclusive of all ages and abilities.

The celebration will begin after Shabbat School, around 5:15 pm, with pizza and veggies. This event is BYOB--bring your own beer or wine. The installation ceremony, centered on the Havdalah ritual, will include music (of course!) and a passing of the Torah through generations to Benjamin.

PLEASE BRING FOOD: 1. Veggies must be cut and plated. 2. No dips are needed because Havurah will provide dairy and non-dairy dips. 3. All desserts must be easy to pick up with fingers (cut into small sizes), ready to serve, and labeled if they contain nuts or are gluten free or vegan. 4. BYOB - We will have an adult beverage table and Havurah will provide water and La Criox soft drinks. Contact Fran Berg for food-related needs at bergfr@gmail.com.

(2) Music Rehearsal for Installation, Thursday, Jan. 18, 7:00 pm - If you didn't attend the installation rehearsal on Monday, please plan on attending on Thursday. No RSVP is necessary, though Ilene would like to know who wants to participate. You can email her at ilene.safyan@havurahshalom.org.

(3) Portland Homeless Family Solutions (PHFS) Every Night, 6:00-9:00 pm, Beth Israel - A new temporary winter night shelter is operated by PHFS at Congregation Beth Israel (CBI) through April 30. The 75 space capacity is for families with children.The shelter is starting with only adult volunteers (18 years and older). Volunteers are needed! Orientations at CBI: Jan.18 at 1:00 pm and Jan. 24 at 4:30 pm.There will be more orientations. If you are interested in attending an orientation, email losninos6@gmail.com with orientation date.

Direct Service Project, One Thursday a Month, 1838 SW Jefferson - Havurah is continuing our Adopt-a-Night volunteering at Goose Hollow Shelter. To volunteer, an hour-long orientation is required. On Jan. 22, 5:00-6:00 pm, an orientation is offered at Goose Hollow, 1838 SW Jefferson.Please RSVP to Bethany@pdxhfs.org. For more info about PHFS, contact Gloria Halper or John Devlin.

(4) Parents - Let's Talk Race, Sunday, Jan. 21, 1:00-4:00 pm - This is an anti-racism workshop for parents and caregivers of young children, facilitated by and for parents who benefit from white privilege. It is organized by the Portland Chapter of Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ), Family Action. SURJ is a national group of individuals and groups organizing white people for racial justice. Learn more about the objectives and expectations of the workshop, and RSVP here.

(5) January Book Group Discussion, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 7:00-8:30 pm - Please join us for discussion of The Mathematician’s Shiva by Stuart Rojstaczer. A prominent Russian mathematician dies. The story is written from the point of view of her son, who tries to understand his brilliant mother. The 400 eminent mathematicians who show up to honor her want to see if she left clues to solve an important math enigma. The book includes pieces written by the mother as well as interactions among the family and the mathematicians. This discussion will be led by Carolina Martinez. Please RSVP here.

(6) Dorot: Short & Sweet Shabbat, Friday, Jan. 26, 6:00 pm - Join us for this casual, family-friendly, and music-filled service. Beginning with candle lighting, Kiddush and challah, the service continues with prayers and music, followed by a vegetarian potluck dinner. Led by Jacob Mandelsberg, Sarah Shine, Gabe Adoff, Tanja Lux, and Ilene Moss. 6:00 pm Service, 6:45 pm Potluck. Please RSVP here.

(7) Discovering Shabbat Morning Learners’ Minyan, Saturday, Jan. 27, 10:00-11:30 am - Join this upbeat workshop/minyan, led by Rabbi Benjamin, where we will walk through the Shabbat morning service, learn about the general structure of the service, the key themes and prayers, and some of the choreography. We will practice some prayers together and answer questions. This service is especially for families with youth in grades 5 and up who are in the B’nai Mitzvah process, all adults who are curious or perplexed, and anybody else. Childcare is available every Saturday morning for children 0-9. Please RSVP in advance for childcare.

(8) Papers: Stories of Undocumented Youth - Screening and Panel Discussion, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 6:30-8:30 pm - Join Havurah's middle and high school students for a special screening of an important and timely documentary. "Papers: Stories of Undocumented Youth" highlights the challenges faced by young people without legal status. A panel discussion will follow the film, led by producer Rebecca Shine of Graham Street Productions and joined by two youths deeply affected by these issues. Every day 122 Dreamers may lose their DACA status, making them undocumented in the only country they have known. Come be part of this vital discussion, hosted by the Havurah Sanctuary Committee. Questions? Contact shari.raider@gmail.com. No RSVP necessary.

(9) How to Love with All Your Heart, Soul, and Might: Listening to the Shema, Wednesdays, March 7, 14, 21; April 11, 18, 25; May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 - The words of the Shema, and the prayers surrounding it in every service, are about love—how to give love, how to receive love, how to live with love at the center of our personal and cosmic universes. There is no Hallmark fluff, here, though! These prayers are pragmatic and visionary, affirming and aggravating. Word-by-word, we will study these few prayers to understand their complex meanings as well as our own sensibilities. Participants need to be able to sound out Hebrew words. (See our Hebrew class taught in January-February.) Taught by Deborah Eisenbach-Budner. Register here.

ANNOUNCEMENTS - (1) Grand Opening of Rachel's Well Community Mikvah (ritual immersion bathhouse), Sunday, Jan. 21, 3:00 pm, 6655 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland – Friends and supporters and those just curious are invited to the grand opening of Rachel’s Well. Short tours are available by reservation only from 2:00-3:00 pm at mikvah@jewishportland.org; Ribbon cutting, speakers and refreshments at 3:00 pm; "A Conversation About Mikvah" panel discussion, with Havurah's Deborah Eisenbach-Budner as facilitator, at 4:00 pm. Learn more about Rachel’s Well at tinyurl.com/yaqk487s. Questions? Contact Deborah at deborah@havurahshalom.org. Photo below is from Oregon Jewish Life.

(2) EXTRA: Pastoral Care/Lotsa Helping Hands- The Pastoral Care Team is taking Lotsa Helping Hands under our wing and we're looking for a couple of people to manage and expand the website. Time commitment is less than an hour per community need and the technology is fairly easy. We'd love at least two people representing more than one age cohort. This is a perfect opportunity for someone skilled in social outreach who can assess needs and communicate them to our helping community. If you're interested, please email Sandy at sandylou29@yahoo.com.

(3) Writing Group - Awaken Your Inner Keyboard - Do you like to write? David Kertzner and Sharon Reyes are organizing a Havurah adult writers workshop for anyone who wants to explore writing from any level. They want to bring people together for eight sessions culminating in a Friday night reading and oneg in June. Dates TBD, but they expect to meet every other week for two-hour sessions, starting mid-late February or March, at Havurah and/or willing participants’ homes. David has offered to lead the sessions which will include a warm-up activity, followed by sharing of writing and supportive feedback. Writers may continue meeting after the reading. They’d like to cap the group at eight. Questions? Email (or RSVP to) David, dkertzner@proactive-english.com, or email Sharon, adelmanreyes12@yahoo.com.

(4) Creative Energy Abounding! - Let’s meet for two hours (come late/leave early) to work on individual art or arts & crafts projects. Time/ frequency to be determined. If interested, contact Eileen Deerdock by email or text: Deerdock@aol.com or 503-928-1910 (I'm a new member, but my photo is in the directory.)

(5) Steering Committee Meeting Minutes, Dec. 2017 - You can read the minutes from our Steering Committee Meeting in December here.

(6) Never Again: A Jewish Response to the Rohingya Crisis, Monday, Jan. 29, 6:30-8:30 pm, Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, 724 NW Davis St, Portland - The Royingya are a majority Muslim ethnic minority who have been ruthlessly oppressed by the Myanmar military, suffering indiscriminate killings, forced evacuations, rape and other forms of violence. Approximately 700,000 Royingya have been forced to flee their homes since August and only about 400,000 Rohingya remain in Myanmar. 120,000 of those are kept in concentration camps. Learn more about the evening here.

(7) Weekend in Quest, March 2-4, Holiday Inn Express, Astoria - The 12th annual Shabbaton of study and community. This year's Topic: Jewish Masculinity & Femininity in the Premodern World. Scholars: Rena Lauer & Yiftach Osterloh of OSU. Register and pay at www.weekendinquest.org or pick up a brochure at Havurah use the form to mail in your check. For more information, email mimiepstein42@comcast.net. REGISTRATION IS NOW FULL, BUT YOU CAN ADD YOUR NAME TO THE WAITLIST BY CONTACTING MIMI.

Please use this form to submit stories for this weekly community email. Submissions are due by noon on Tuesday each week.

Havurah Shalom is a vibrant, egalitarian, and diverse Jewish Reconstructionist community. Steeped in Jewish values, Havurah promotes spirituality, learning, and acts of social responsibility.

Find our calendar and learn more at www.havurahshalom.org.

825 NW 18th Ave, Portland, OR 97209
503-248-4662

Havurah Shalom
825 NW 18th Ave
Portland, OR 97209

Jan. 10 Community Email

Jan. 10 Email - Kabbalat & Dorot Shabbat, Installation, Race

(1) Upcoming Shabbat (2) Climate Action Team Planning Meeting (3) Phone Bank & Canvass for Measure 101 (4) Music Rehearsals (5) Rabbi Benjamin's Installation (6) Parents, Let's Talk Race (7) January Book Discussion (8) Portland Homeless Family Solutions (9) Dorot: Short & Sweet Shabbat (10) Discovering Shabbat Morning Learners' Minyan (11) "Papers: Stories of Undocumented Youth"

COMMUNITY EVENTS
(1) Weekend In Quest (2) Poetry Reading (3) Mikvah Grand Opening (4) Never Again: A Jewish Response to the Rohingya Crisis (5) Reconstructionism Today

In Gmail, click on "view entire message" at bottom left to see the entire email.

(1) Upcoming Shabbat, Kabbalat Service, Friday, Jan. 12, 7:30 pm - This Friday's short, joyful service will be led by Rabbi Benjamin and an array of talented musicians: Beth Hamon, guitar and vocals; Scott Snyder, mandolin; Steven Sandberg-Lewis, mandolin or guitar; Jacob Mandelsberg, guitar; Tanja Lux, violin; Karen Stolzberg, cajon; Barry Lavine, melodica; Chava Wolin, ukulele; and Chaim Wolin, clarinet. Join us! Above photo was taken by Barbara Gundle.

Bar Mitzvah of Alex Joffe, Saturday, Jan. 13, 10:00 am - Alex Joffe, son of Liz Joffe and Nora Beck, will be called to the Torah as a bar mitzvah this Saturday. Join us as we celebrate with Alex and his family and welcome him to our community!

(2) Climate Action Team Planning Meeting, Thursday, Jan. 11, 7:00-8:30 pm - The Climate Action Team invites you to our January planning meeting. We will be discussing ideas for making Havurah events more sustainable, planning outreach, and deciding on events for the coming year. We would love to hear your thoughts and input. If you would like to participate but can't make it, we have the ability to do teleconferencing that evening, or you can share your ideas via phone or email. Please RSVP to Elianne Lieberman at elianne97202@yahoo.com.

(3) Phone Bank & Canvass for Measure 101, Jan. 14-15 - We had a great telethon in support of Measure 101 on Sunday, Jan. 7. Let's keep up the energy! Havurah has joined a designated day of action for the community on Sunday, Jan. 14, with a kickoff rally with Sen. Jeff Merkley at 10:00 am, followed by canvassing. To sign up for canvassing or phone banking, or for more information, click here or here . Questions? Contact Nancy Becker at nancyjbecker@gmail.com.

(4) Music Rehearsals, Monday, Jan. 15, Thursday, Jan. 18, 7:00 pm - Saturday, Jan. 20, is the Installation for Rabbi Benjamin. If you'd like to be a part of the music for that evening, please get in touch with Ilene Safyan atilene.safyan@havurahshalom.org. We will have two rehearsals next week. Please plan on attending either on Monday, Jan. 15, or Thursday, Jan. 18. No RSVP is necessary, though Ilene would like to know who wants to participate.

(5) Rabbi Benjamin's Installation Ceremony, Saturday, Jan. 20, 5:15 pm - Havurah will officially welcome Rabbi Benjamin and his family in an installation ceremony, and we want you to join the festivities!

This will be a participatory, multigenerational event, inclusive of all ages and abilities. The intention is for us to come together as a community and officially mark our transition and growth, as well as formally install Benjamin as our rabbi. The celebration will begin after Shabbat School around 5:15 pm with pizza and veggies. The installation ceremony, centered on the Havdalah ritual, will include music (of course!), a passing of the Torah through generations to Rabbi Benjamin, and a few other components. EVERYONE is welcome and encouraged to attend this important moment in Havurah's past, present and future. More details will follow in the Havurah weekly emails. RSVP HERE. Questions? Email Fran Berg at bergfr@gmail.com. Remember to mark your calendars and join us on JANUARY 20!! —The Rabbi Transition Team

(6) Parents - Let's Talk Race, Sunday, Jan. 21, 1:00-4:00 pm - This is an anti-racism workshop for parents and caregivers of young children, facilitated by and for parents who benefit from white privilege. It is organized by the Portland Chapter of Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ), Family Action. SURJ is a national group of individuals and groups organizing white people for racial justice. Learn more about the objectives and expectations of the workshop, and RSVP HERE.

(7) January Book Group Discussion, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 7:00-8:30 pm - Please join us for discussion of The Mathematician’s Shiva by Stuart Rojstaczer. A prominent Russian mathematician dies. The story is written from the point of view of her son, who tries to understand his brilliant mother. The 400 eminent mathematicians who show up to honor her want to see if she left clues to solve an important math enigma. The book includes pieces written by the mother as well as interactions among the family and the mathematicians. This discussion will be led by Carolina Martinez. Please RSVP here.

(8) Portland Homeless Family Solutions (PHFS), Every Night, 6:00-9:00 pm, Beth Israel - A new temporary winter night shelter is operated by PHFS at Congregation Beth Israel (CBI) through April 30. The 75 space capacity is for families with children.The shelter is starting with only adult volunteers (18 years and older). Volunteers are needed! Orientations at CBI: Jan.18 at 1:00 pm and Jan. 24 at 4:30 pm.There will be more orientations. If you are interested in attending an orientation, email Gloria Halper at losninos6@gmail.com with orientation date.

PHFS Goose Hollow Shelter Direct Service Project, One Thursday a Month, 1838 SW Jefferson - Havurah is continuing our Adopt-a-Night volunteering at Goose Hollow Shelter. To volunteer, an hour-long orientation is required. On Jan. 22, 5:00-6:00 pm, an orientation is offered at Goose Hollow, 1838 SW Jefferson.Please RSVP to Bethany@pdxhfs.org. For more info about PHFS, contact Gloria Halper or John Devlin.

New Volunteer Resource: Goose Hollow Kid Time Host Training - This article from the July-August issue of Hakol, by Stefanie Hausman, gives great advice on providing effective support for parents and kids at the Goose Hollow Shelter.

(9) Dorot: Short & Sweet Shabbat, Friday, Jan. 26, 6:00 pm - Join us for this casual, family-friendly, and music-filled service. Beginning with candle lighting, Kiddush and challah, the service continues with prayers and music, followed by a vegetarian potluck dinner. Led by Jacob Mandelsberg, Sarah Shine, Gabe Adoff, Tanja Lux, and Ilene Moss. 6:00 pm Service, 6:45 pm Potluck. Please RSVP here.

(10) Discovering Shabbat Morning Learners’ Minyan, Saturday, Jan. 27, 10:00-11:30 am - Join this upbeat workshop/minyan where we will walk through the Shabbat morning service, learn about the general structure of the service, the key themes and prayers, and some of the choreography. We will practice some prayers together and answer questions. This service is especially for families with youth in grades 5 and up who are in the B’nai Mitzvah process, all adults who are curious or perplexed, and anybody else. Childcare is available every Saturday morning for children 0-9. Please RSVP in advance for childcare. Led by Rabbi Benjamin.

(11) Papers: Stories of Undocumented Youth - Screening and Panel Discussion, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 6:30-8:30 pm - Join Havurah's middle and high school students for a special screening of an important and timely documentary. "Papers: Stories of Undocumented Youth" highlights the challenges faced by young people without legal status. A panel discussion will follow the film, led by producer Rebecca Shine of Graham Street Productions and joined by two youths deeply affected by these issues. Every day 122 Dreamers may lose their DACA status, making them undocumented in the only country they have known. Come be part of this vital discussion, hosted by the Havurah Sanctuary Committee. Questions? Contact shari.raider@gmail.com. No RSVP necessary.

COMMUNITY EVENTS
(1) Weekend in Quest, March 2-4, Holiday Inn Express, Astoria - The 12th annual Shabbaton of study and community. This year's Topic: Jewish Masculinity & Femininity in the Premodern World. Scholars: Rena Lauer & Yiftach Osterloh of the University of Oregon. Register and pay at www.weekendinquest.org or pick up a brochure at Havurah use the form to mail in your check. For more information, email mimiepstein42@comcast.net. Photo below is of Yiftach Osterloh and Rena Lauer.

(2) Poetry Reading by Frances Payne Adler, of her new book, The Making of a Matriot, 2nd Edition, Tuesday, Jan. 16, 7:00 pm, Broadway Books, 1714 NE Broadway, Portland - Matriot (ma' - tri - at) noun. 1. One who loves his or her country. 2. One who loves and protects the people of his or her country. 3. One who perceives national defense as health, education, and shelter for all of the people in his or her country, and the world. (Orig. FPA, 1991) Poet and Havurah member Frances Payne Adler is the author of five books and four exhibitions, including "Dare I Call You Cousin," about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a collaboration with Israeli artists, Michal Fattal and Yossi Yacov.

(3) Grand Opening of Rachel's Well Community Mikvah, Sunday, Jan. 21, MJCC, 6651 SW Capitol Hwy - 2:00-3:00 pm - Tours available by reservation; 3:00 pm - Ribbon Cutting, Speakers and Refreshments; 4:00 pm – “A Conversation About Mikvah” panel discussion at the MJCC. RSVP to mikvah@jewishportland.org. Learn more about Rachel’s Well: www.jewishportland.org/mikvah.

(4) Never Again: A Jewish Response to the Rohingya Crisis, Monday, Jan. 29, 6:30-8:30 pm, Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, 724 NW Davis St, Portland - The Royingya are a majority Muslim ethnic minority who have been ruthlessly oppressed by the Myanmar military, suffering indiscriminate killings, forced evacuations, rape and other forms of violence. Approximately 700,000 Royingya have been forced to flee their homes since August and only about 400,000 Rohingya remain in Myanmar. 120,000 of those are kept in concentration camps. Learn more about the evening here.

(5) Reconstructionism Today - Read the new issue of Reconstructionism Today HERE.

Please use this form to submit stories for this weekly community email. Submissions are due by noon on Tuesday each week.

Havurah Shalom is a vibrant, egalitarian, and diverse Jewish Reconstructionist community. Steeped in Jewish values, Havurah promotes spirituality, learning, and acts of social responsibility.

Find our calendar and learn more at www.havurahshalom.org.

825 NW 18th Ave, Portland, OR 97209
503-248-4662

Havurah Shalom
825 NW 18th Ave
Portland, OR 97209

Jan. 3 Community Email

(1) Upcoming Shabbat (2) RSVP for Kabbalat Shabbat Dinner by Monday! (3) Volunteers Needed for Measure 101 Telethon (4) Exploring Our Assumptions: How Do We Live in a Diverse World? (5) Orientations for PHFS Shelters (6) Volunteering with Tikkun Olam Adelante (7) Installation of Rabbi Benjamin (8) Parents, Let's Talk Race (9) January Book Group Discussion (10) Never Again: A Jewish Response to the Rohingya Crisis (11) Creative Energy Abounding (12) Goose Hollow Kid Time Host Training

(1) Upcoming Shabbat, Community Minyan, Saturday, Jan. 6, 10:00 am - Emily Simon, Marty Brown, Ellen Regal, Susan Brenner, and Roger Brewer will lead and leyn this Saturday, when we read the parsha Shemot, Hebrew for “names.” Among the stories in Shemot that we hear at least twice a year are the enslavement of the Israelites, Pharoah's order that all baby boys be killed, the saving of Moses, and Moses' encounter with the burning bush. Pictured at left is a painting by Pedro Américo of Jochebed and her baby, Moses.

Community Minyan Kiddush Lunch Is Back - After we feed our souls, it’s time to feed our bellies! What’s for lunch? The Spiritual Life Committee will provide a veggie lasagna and tossed greens. We welcome you to contribute side salads, fruit, cookies, etc. We’re also looking for some people to help with set up and clean up. Let’s eat!

Shabbat School and Hebrew classes start up again this Saturday.

(2) Kabbalat Shabbat, Friday, Jan. 12, 6:30 pm Dinner & 7:30 pm Service - Join us on Jan. 12 for our next Kabbalat Shabbat dinner and service. The service will be led by Rabbi Benjamin and an array of talented musicians: Beth Hamon, guitar and vocals; Scott Snyder, mandolin; Steven Sandberg-Lewis, mandolin or guitar; Jacob Mandelsberg, guitar; Tanja Lux, violin; Karen Stolzberg, cajon; Barry Lavine, melodica; Chava Wolin, ukulele; Chaim Wolin, clarinet. The vegetarian Kabbalat Shabbat Dinner begins at 6:30 pm, followed by the service at 7:30 pm. We offer dairy-free, gluten-free, and nut-free choices, and all are invited to bring wine or juice to celebrate Shabbat. Childcare is available for kids age 2 to 8. Please RSVP here by Jan. 8. Cost adjustments are available by calling 503-248-4662.

(3) Yes on Measure 101 Telethon, Sunday, Jan. 7, 12:00-3:00 pm - YOUR HELP IS NEEDED. On Jan. 23, Oregon voters will decide whether to ensure that the state’s most vulnerable citizens continue to have access to health care. Voting YES on Measure 101 will enable Oregon to continue insuring low-income Oregonians. Measure 101 protects health care coverage for one in four Oregonians, including 400,000 kids. Havurah has joined over 100 groups in endorsing Measure 101. Your help is needed to ensure it passes. Please come and help call your fellow Havurah members to ask them to vote for Measure 101. A good time is guaranteed. Pizza and snacks provided. If you are able to volunteer, please contact David Newman at davnew2@earthlink.net to be put on the list.

(4) Exploring Our Assumptions: How Do We Live in a Diverse World?, Tuesdays, Jan. 9, 16, 23, 30 and Feb. 6, 13, 7:00-9:00 pm - The first step in embracing diversity is acknowledging that we all carry assumptions and experiences that influence the way we interpret and interact with people we perceive as “not like us” or “the other." We will explore our personal and collective perspectives about diversity within an accepting and open format, using the book Waking Up White: And Finding Myself in the Story of Race, by Debby Irving, to provide an initial structure for discussion. Participants will read sections of the book prior to each class. We will use the ideas to prompt participants to explore their own assumptions and biases and discuss how our collective biases impact our interactions in a diverse world. Please RSVP here. Questions? Contact Susan Lazareck or Judy Steinberger.

(5) Portland Homeless Family Solutions (PHFS) New Temporary Winter Shelter at Beth Israel - A new temporary winter shelter operated by PHFS at Congregation Beth Israel offers overnight shelter to our homeless neighbors until April 30. The shelter will start with only adult volunteers (18 years and older). Volunteers are needed! If you are interested in attending an orientation, email Bethany Rocci.

Adopt-a-Night at PHFS Goose Hollow Shelter - Havurah is continuing our Adopt-a-Night volunteering at Goose Hollow Shelter. To volunteer, an hour-long orientation is required. On Jan. 8, 6:15-7:15 pm, an orientation will be offered at 13 Salmon (the PHFS day shelter receiving 25 more people each day from the new winter shelter at Beth Israel). On Jan. 18, 5:00-6:00 pm, an orientation is offered at Goose Hollow, 1838 SW Jefferson. Please RSVP to Bethany@pdxhfs.org with your name and the date and location of the orientation you're interested in attending. For more info about PHFS, contact Gloria Halper or John Devlin.

(6) Volunteering with Tikkun Olam Adelante, Tuesdays & Thursdays, 2:00-4:00 pm (volunteering with a group of Latino women and men once or twice a month) - The group Tikkun Olam Adelante grew out of Havurah's Sanctuary work. We wanted to work with Latinos who were and continue to be targeted. We meet our clients on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:00-4:00 pm, who come in with a variety of issues: U visa help, job seeking, desire to start a small business, etc. You can sign up for once a month or more. If you are interested, please note that there is also the expectation of some time spent outside of a Tues./Thurs. shift. Please contact Gloria Halper. Pictured above are members of Havurah's Adelante group.

(7) Save This Date! Rabbi Benjamin Installation Ceremony, Saturday, Jan. 20, 5:15 pm - Havurah will officially welcome Rabbi Benjamin and his family in an installation ceremony, and we want you to join the festivities! This will be a participatory, multigenerational event, inclusive of all ages and abilities. The intention is for us to come together as a community and officially mark our transition and growth, as well as formally install Benjamin as our rabbi.
The celebration will begin after Shabbat School around 5:15 pm with pizza and veggies. The installation ceremony, centered on the Havdallah ritual, will include music (of course!), a passing of the Torah through generations to Rabbi Benjamin, and a few other components. EVERYONE is welcome and encouraged to attend this important moment in Havurah's past, present and future. More details will follow in the Havurah weekly emails. RSVP HERE. Questions? Email Fran Berg at bergfr@gmail.com. Remember to mark your calendars and join us on JANUARY 20!! —The Rabbi Transition Team

(8) Parents - Let's Talk Race, Sunday, Jan. 21, 1:00-4:00 pm - This is an anti-racism workshop for parents and caregivers of young children, facilitated by and for parents who benefit from white privilege. It is organized by the Portland Chapter of Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ), Family Action. SURJ is a national group of individuals and groups organizing white people for racial justice. Learn more about the objectives and expectations of the workshop, and RSVP HERE.

(9) January Book Group Discussion, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 7:00-8:30 pm - Please join us for discussion of The Mathematician’s Shiva by Stuart Rojstaczer. A prominent mathematician dies. She is a Russian woman, one of the most eminent brilliant mathematicians ever. The story is written from the point of view of her son who tries to understand his brilliant mother. There are 400 eminent mathematicians who show up to honor her, who also want to see if she left clues to solve a brilliant math enigma. The book includes pieces written by the mother herself as well as interactions among the family and the mathematicians. This discussion will be led by Carolina Martinez. Please RSVP here.

(10) Never Again: A Jewish Response to the Rohingya Crisis, Monday, Jan. 29, 6:30-8:30 pm, Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, 724 NW Davis St, Portland - The Royingya are a majority Muslim ethnic minority who have been ruthlessly oppressed by the Myanmar military, suffering indiscriminate killings, forced evacuations, rape and other forms of violence. Approximately 700,000 Royingya have been forced to flee their homes since August and only about 400,000 Rohingya remain in Myanmar. 120,000 of those are kept in concentration camps. Learn more about the evening here. The above photo of a Rohingya family is from VOA News.

(11) Creative Energy Abounding! - Let’s meet for two hours (come late/leave early) to work on individual art or arts and crafts projects. Time/ frequency to be determined. If interested, contact Eileen Deerdock by email or text: Deerdock@aol.com or 503-928-1910 (I'm a new member, but my photo is in the directory.)

(12) New Volunteer Resource: Goose Hollow Kid Time Host Training - This article from the July-August issue of Hakol, by Stefanie Hausman, gives great advice on providing effective support for parents and kids at the Goose Hollow Shelter. It is a must-read for anyone interested in volunteering with Portland Homeless Family Solutions at Goose Hollow. Questions? Contact Gloria Halper at losninos6@gmail.com or Rachel Pollak at rachel@havurahshalom.org.

Please use this form to submit stories for this weekly community email. Submissions are due by noon on Tuesday each week.

Havurah Shalom is a vibrant, egalitarian, and diverse Jewish Reconstructionist community. Steeped in Jewish values, Havurah promotes spirituality, learning, and acts of social responsibility.

Find our calendar and learn more at www.havurahshalom.org.

825 NW 18th Ave, Portland, OR 97209
503-248-4662

Havurah Shalom
825 NW 18th Ave
Portland, OR 97209

Dec. 20 Community Email

Assumptions, Shelter Help, Adelante & Art

(1) Upcoming Shabbat (2) Orientations for PHFS Shelters (3) Adelante Volunteering (4) Office Closures (5) Meditation & Morning Minyan (6) No Community Email Next Week (7) Havurah Dues & Donations (8) Learn to Read Hebrew (9) Exploring Our Assumptions (10) Measure 101 Telathon (11) Installation of Rabbi Benjamin (12) Parents, Let's Talk Race (13) Creative Energy Abounding! (14) Moishe House Opening for Resident Age 22-30

(1) Upcoming Shabbat - Community Minyan, Saturday, Dec. 23, 10:00 am - Join Maria Lisa Johnson, Beth Hamon, Diane Chaplin, Harriet Cooke, Karen St. Clair, Marty Brown, and Roger Brewer at this Saturday's Community Minyan, where they will lead and read Torah. This week's parsha is Vayegash, in which Judah offers to take his captured brother Benjamin’s place, an act that leads Joseph to reveal his identity to his brothers. (Above Wikimedia photo is of a painting by Jacopo Pontormo.)

(2) Portland Homeless Family Solutions (PHFS) New Temporary Winter Shelter at Beth Israel: Orientation, Thursday, Dec. 21, 4:00-5:30 pm - A new temporary winter shelter operated by PHFS at Congregation Beth Israel offers overnight shelter to our homeless neighbors until April 30. The shelter will start with only adult volunteers (18 years and older). Volunteers are needed! If you can attend the orientation on Dec. 21, RSVP to Bethany Rocci.

Adopt-a-Night at PHFS Goose Hollow Shelter - Havurah is continuing our Adopt-a-Night volunteering at Goose Hollow Shelter. To volunteer, an hour-long orientation is required. On Jan. 8, 6:15-7:15 pm, an orientation will be offered at 13 Salmon (the PHFS day shelter that will be receiving 25 more people each day from the new winter shelter at Beth Israel). On Jan. 18, 5:00-6:00 pm, an orientation is offered at Goose Hollow, 1838 SW Jefferson. Please RSVP to Bethany@pdxhfs.org with your name and the date and location of the orientation you're interested in attending. For more info about PHFS, contact Gloria Halper or John Devlin.

The above photo is of Havurah second graders serving dinner at Bud Clark Commons earlier this month.

(3) Volunteering with Tikkun Olam Adelante, Tuesdays & Thursdays, 2:00-4:00 pm (volunteering with a group of Latino women and men once or twice a month) - The group Tikkun Olam Adelante grew out of Havurah's Sanctuary work. We wanted to work with Latinos who were and continue to be targeted. We meet our clients on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:00-4:00 pm, who come in with a variety of issues: U visa help, job seeking, desire to start a small business, etc.One can sign up for once a month or more. If you are interested please note that there is also the expectation of some time spent outside of a Tues./Thurs. shift. Please contact Gloria Halper.

(4) Office Closures - Havurah's office will be closed on Dec. 25 and Jan. 1 for the holidays.

(5) Meditation & Morning Minyan - We will gather for Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation on Dec. 26 from noon to 1:00 pm, and we will have Morning Minyan at 8:30 am on Wednesday, Dec. 27.

(6) No Community Email - Due to the winter holiday, we will have no community email next week. The next issue will be sent on Jan. 3.

(7) Havurah Dues and Donations for 2017 - The end of 2017 is rapidly approaching. If you wish to have any dues payments or other donations to Havurah included in your year-end tax letter, be sure to make your payment well before the end of December. Checks should reach the Havurah office by Dec 29. Credit card payments can be made (on line) up until Dec 31. Stock donations need to arrive in Havurah's Ameritrade account by Dec 26 to allow time for the sale and settlement of the transaction. Contact Karen Westerman at 503-421-4533 with questions or if you need stock donation instructions. Thank you!

Thank you to all who made our Dec. 15 celebrations possible, including (but not limited to) Rabbi Benjamin, Ilene Safyan, Sacha Reich, Aaron Pearlman, Sarah Shine, Tanja Lux, Jacob Mandelsberg, Scott Snyder, Steven Sandberg-Lewis, Chaim Wolin, Larry Reichman, Mimi Epstein, Gloria Halper, and Nancy Weintraub.

(8) Begin with Aleph: Learn to Read Hebrew, Wednesdays, Jan. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 and Feb. 7, 7:00-8:30 pm - This course is for beginners, even those who have “begun” before. Focusing on basic reading competency, we will uncover bits of Judaism that are only accessible through its original language. Our text has online home practice. Taught by Deborah Eisenbach-Budner. RSVP here.

(9) Exploring Our Assumptions: How Do We Live in a Diverse World?, Tuesdays, Jan. 9, 16, 23, 30 and Feb. 6, 13, 7:00-9:00 pm - The first step in embracing diversity is acknowledging that we all carry assumptions and experiences that influence the way we interpret and interact with people we perceive as “not like us” or “the other." We will explore our personal and collective perspectives about diversity within an accepting and open format, using the book Waking Up White: And Finding Myself in the Story of Race, by Debby Irving, to provide an initial structure for discussion. Participants will read sections of the book prior to each class. We will use the ideas to prompt participants to explore their own assumptions and biases and discuss how our collective biases impact our interactions in a diverse world. Please RSVP here. Questions? Contact Susan Lazareck or Judy Steinberger.

(10) Yes on Measure 101 Telethon, Sunday, Jan. 7, 12:00-3:00 pm - YOUR HELP IS NEEDED. On Jan. 23, Oregon voters will decide whether to ensure that the state’s most vulnerable citizens continue to have access to health care. Voting YES on Measure 101 will enable Oregon to continue insuring low-income Oregonians. Measure 101 protects health care coverage for one in four Oregonians, including 400,000 kids. Havurah has joined over 100 groups in endorsing Measure 101. Your help is needed to ensure it passes. Please come and help call your fellow Havurah members to ask them to vote for Measure 101. A good time is guaranteed. Pizza and snacks provided. If you are able to volunteer please contact David Newman at davnew2@earthlink.net to be put on the list.

(11) Save This Date!

(12) Parents - Let's Talk About Race, Sunday, Jan. 21, 1:00-4:00 pm - This is an anti-racism workshop for parents and caregivers of young children, facilitated by and for parents who benefit from white privilege. It is organized by the Portland Chapter of Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ), Family Action. SURJ is a national group of individuals and groups organizing white people for racial justice. Learn more about the objectives and expectations of the workshop, and how to RSVP HERE.

(13) Creative Energy Abounding! - Let’s meet for two hours (come late/leave early) to work on individual art or arts & crafts projects. Time/ frequency to be determined. If interested, contact Eileen Deerdock by email or text: Deerdock@aol.com or 503-928-1910 (I'm a new member, but my photo is in the directory.)

(14) Moishe House Portland Seeking New Resident, Aged 22-30 - Moishe House Portland is seeking a new resident and accepting applications through the end of December at www.moishehouse.org/apply. After being part of Havurah High School and graduating from Colorado College, I have moved into Moishe House Portland. My four housemates and I host Shabbat dinners, holiday celebrations, Jewish learning and social events for the young professional Jewish community in Portland seven times a month, supported by the national Moishe House non-profit organization. One of our housemates is moving on so we are looking for a new community builder aged 22-30 to live with us and create events starting in March. Benefits include Jewish learning scholarships and retreats, programming budget, and a rent subsidy. Please get in touch with any questions and/or recommend someone that you think would be a good fit. Thanks! - Jake Sullivan, jake.moishepdx@gmail.com.

Please use this form to submit stories for this weekly community email. Submissions are due by noon on Tuesday each week.

Havurah Shalom is a vibrant, egalitarian, and diverse Jewish Reconstructionist community. Steeped in Jewish values, Havurah promotes spirituality, learning, and acts of social responsibility.

Find our calendar and learn more at www.havurahshalom.org.

825 NW 18th Ave, Portland, OR 97209
503-248-4662

Havurah Shalom
825 NW 18th Ave
Portland, OR 97209

Dec. 13 Community Email

Dec. 13 Community Email - Happy Chanukah!

HAVURAH HAPPENINGS
(1) Upcoming Shabbat (2) Energy Efficiency in Dark Times (3) Las Posadas (4) Begin With Aleph: Learn to Read Hebrew (5) Exploring Our Assumptions (6) Mindfulness & Meditation (7) Morning Minyan (8) Rabbi Benjamin's Installation

ANNOUNCEMENTS
(1) Adelante Volunteering (2) Songs to Warm a Winter's Night (3) PHFS Direct Service (4) Weekend In Quest (5) Steering Committee Meeting Minutes (6) No Weekly Email Last Week in December (7) Havurah Dues & Donations (8) Moishe House Opening

HAVURAH HAPPENINGS

(1) UPCOMING SHABBAT
Chanukah Celebration & Kabbalat Shabbat, Friday, Dec. 15 - Chanukah Celebration for All Ages, 6:00-6:45 pm: Candle lighting, singing, storytelling, led by Rabbi Benjamin, Deborah Eisenbach-Budner, and Ilene Safyan. In addition to Ilene Safyan, musicians for the evening include Sarah Shine, Tanja Lux, Jacob Mandelsberg, Scott Snyder, Steven Sandberg-Lewis, Chaim Wolin, and Larry Reichman. Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 7:45-8:30 pm. Tzedakah: Please bring a book for children ages 1-10 to read at a local community center. Spanish or bilingual English/Spanish books are preferred. These books do not have to be new; well loved books will also be treasured.

Bat Mitzvah of Moriah Cordova, Saturday, Dec. 16, 10:00 am - This Saturday, Moriah Cordova, daughter of Lisa and Allan Cordova, will be called to the Torah as a bat mitzvah. Please join us in celebration with Moriah and her family and welcome Moriah as a member of our community.

(2) Energy Efficiency in Dark Times, Wednesday, Dec. 13, 7:00-8:30 pm - This session, facilitated by the Lifelong Learning Committee, will offer reflection, encouragement, and renewal as we celebrate the second night of Chanukah. Please join us in community as we acknowledge challenges, tap into cultural sources that offer perspective, and find ways to mend, rededicate, and move forward. Tikkun olam comes in a variety of sizes, from the very personal to the global. Bring on the light! RSVP here. Above photo is from Wikimedia.

(3) Annual Las Posadas Community Building Event, Sunday, Dec. 17, 6:00 pm, in the Cully Neighborhood - Las Posadas are an opportunity to reflect, celebrate, and grow in relationship and mutual accompaniment with our immigrant neighbors in Cully! A different congregation joins each night to share cultures including food. It’s a beautiful opportunity to receive hospitality and share in a tradition that is meaningful to those hosting while bringing some of our own traditions and wisdom and considering our collective work for justice. As the visiting congregation, we'll share briefly about our Sanctuary work, and we will light Chanukah candles. We bring sweet snacks and, as a bonus, we bring an activity/craft for the kids. The host then usually serves food to everyone. Please RSVP so we can tell you where to meet on Dec. 17. Questions? Bob Brown, rebrown47@gmail.com.

(4) Begin with Aleph: Learn to Read Hebrew, Wednesdays, Jan. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 and Feb. 7, 7:00-8:30 pm - This course is for beginners, even those who have “begun” before. Focusing on basic reading competency, we will uncover bits of Judaism that are only accessible through its original language. Our text has online home practice. Taught by Deborah Eisenbach-Budner. RSVP here.

(5) Exploring Our Assumptions: How Do We Live in a Diverse World?, Tuesdays, Jan. 9, 16, 23, 30 and Feb. 6, 13, 7:00-9:00 pm - Open for registration now. The first step in embracing diversity is acknowledging that we all carry assumptions and experiences that influence the way we interpret and interact with people we perceive as “not like us” or “the other." We will explore our personal and collective perspectives about diversity within an accepting and open format, using the book Waking Up White: And Finding Myself in the Story of Race, by Debby Irving, to provide an initial structure for discussion. Participants will read sections of the book prior to each class. We will use the ideas to prompt participants to explore their own assumptions and biases and discuss how our collective biases impact our interactions in a diverse world. Class is limited to 18 participants. RSVP here. Questions? Contact Susan Lazareck or Judy Steinberger.

(6) Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation, Tuesday, Dec. 19, Noon - We gather on Tuesdays, from 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm, to find some moments of quiet and shalom.

(7) Morning Minyan, Wednesday, Dec. 20, 8:30 am - Please join us for this focused minyan for people who are saying Kaddish and/or want to incorporate a regular prayer practice in their life.

(8) Saturday, Jan. 20, 5:00 pm - Join us for the installation of Rabbi Benjamin Barnett! More details to come.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(1) Volunteering with Tikkun Olam Adelante, Tuesdays & Thursdays, 2:00-4:00 pm (volunteering with a group of Latino women and men once or twice a month) - The group Tikkun Olam Adelante grew out of Havurah's Sanctuary work. We wanted to work with Latinos who were and continue to be targeted. We meet our clients on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:00-4:00 pm, who come in with a variety of issues: U visa help, job seeking, desire to start a small business, etc.One can sign up for once a month or more. If you are interested please note that there is also the expectation of some time spent outside of a Tues./Thurs. shift. Please contact Gloria Halper.

(2) Songs to Warm a Winter's Night, Sunday, Dec. 17, 7:00-9:00 pm, Neveh Shalom, 2900 SW Peaceful Lane - A Night of music with Havurah Music Coordinator Ilene Safyan and Havurah member Barry Lavine. Join us for a memorable evening of music that will touch your soul and soothe your heart while indulging in fine wines and scrumptious desserts. $36 per person. Click here for tickets. Questions? Contact Marina Vidrio, 503-246-8831.

(3) Portland Homeless Family Solutions (PHFS) Direct Service - A new temporary winter shelter, operated by PHFS, opened at Congregation Beth Israel (CBI) Dec. 11, 2017, and will close April 30, 2018. The shelter is starting with only adult volunteers (18 years and older). Havurah will continue our Adopt-a-Night at Goose Hollow as well as volunteer at the temporary winter shelter. If interested in volunteering at either Goose Hollow or the winter shelter, an hour-long orientation is required. Questions about orientations? Email Bethany Rocci. For more info about PHFS, please contact Gloria Halper.

(4) Weekend In Quest - Check out this article about Weekend In Quest in Oregon Jewish Life! The theme for the 12th Annual Weekend In Quest, which is sponsored by the Institute for Judaic Studies and many other Jewish organizations, including Havurah Shalom, will be "Masculinity and Femininity in the Premodern World." Weekend in Question will be held at the Holiday Inn Express, Astoria, March 2-4. It will feature Professors Rena Lauer and Yiftakh (Kevin) Osterloh of OSU. Shabbat Services will be led by Rabbi Joshua Rose of Congregation Shaarie Torah.
Learn more and register at www.weekendinquest.org or download a flier here.
Questions? Contact Mimi Epstein at mimiepstein42@comcast.net.

(5) Steering Committee Meeting Minutes - You can read the minutes from our November Steering Committee Meeting here .

(6) No Weekly Email the Week of Wednesday, Dec. 27 - Due to the winter holidays, no weekly community email will be delivered the week of Dec. 27.

(7) Havurah Dues and Donations for 2017 - The end of 2017 is rapidly approaching. If you wish to have any dues payments or other donations to Havurah included in your year-end tax letter, be sure to make your payment well before the end of December. Checks should reach the Havurah office by Dec 29. Credit card payments can be made (on line) up until Dec 31. Stock donations need to arrive in Havurah's Ameritrade account by Dec 26 to allow time for the sale and settlement of the transaction. Contact Karen Westerman at 503-421-4533 with questions or if you need stock donation instructions.
Thank you!

(8) Moishe House Portland Seeking New Resident, Aged 22-30 - Moishe House Portland is seeking a new resident and accepting applications through the end of December at www.moishehouse.org/apply. After being part of Havurah High School and graduating from Colorado College, I have moved into Moishe House Portland. My four housemates and I host Shabbat dinners, holiday celebrations, Jewish learning and social events for the young professional Jewish community in Portland seven times a month, supported by the national Moishe House non-profit organization. One of our housemates is moving on so we are looking for a new community builder aged 22-30 to live with us and create events starting in March. Benefits include Jewish learning scholarships and retreats, programming budget, and a rent subsidy. Please get in touch with any questions and/or recommend someone that you think would be a good fit. Thanks! Jake Sullivan, jake.moishepdx@gmail.com.

Please use this form to submit stories for this weekly community email. Submissions are due by noon on Tuesday each week.

Havurah Shalom is a vibrant, egalitarian, and diverse Jewish Reconstructionist community. Steeped in Jewish values, Havurah promotes spirituality, learning, and acts of social responsibility.

Find our calendar and learn more at www.havurahshalom.org.

825 NW 18th Ave, Portland, OR 97209
503-248-4662

Havurah Shalom
825 NW 18th Ave
Portland, OR 97209

It Takes a Village

It Takes a Village: A Tikkun Olam Committee Sponsored Event
Sunday, Dec. 10, 2:00-4:00 pm
Havurah Shalom

The Rafiki Village Project (RVP) is featured in this month's Oregon Jewish Life. You can read the OJL story here, beginning on page 44.

Do the problems of the developing world seem overwhelming? What can we realistically do to help? When there is so much that needs to be done in our own community, why should we help people who live far away?

The Rafiki Village Project (RVP) is a Portland-based non-profit that is working to help Gijega Village, a community of about 2000 people in Tanzania. Rooted in the idea that the problems associated with poverty in the developing world are less overwhelming when broken down to the village level, the RVP is partnering with the villagers to address their problems one project at a time.

Please join us for a presentation and discussion about the RVP, economic justice, the problems facing Gijega and the meaning of Tikkun Olam.

Learn more here .

Questions: David@rafikivp.org.

Above photo was taken by David Newman.

Weekend In Quest

Check out this article about Weekend In Quest in Oregon Jewish Life!

The theme for the 12th Annual Weekend In Quest, which is sponsored by the Institute for Judaic Studies and many other Jewish organizations, including Havurah Shalom, will be "Masculinity and Femininity in the Premodern World."

Weekend in Quest will be held at the Holiday Inn Express, Astoria, March 2-4, and will feature Professors Rena Lauer and Yiftakh (Kevin) Osterloh of OSU. Shabbat Services will be led by Rabbi Joshua Rose of Congregation Shaarie Torah.

Learn more and register at www.weekendinquest.org or download a flier here.

Questions? Contact Mimi Epstein at mimiepstein42@comcast.net.

Dec. 6 Community Email

Dec. 6 - Lev Tahor, Climate Change, Chanukah Celebrations

HAVURAH HAPPENINGS
Update on Rabbi Joey (1) Upcoming Shabbat (2) PHFS Direct Service (3) Climate: Do We Need to Change? Can We Change? (4) It Takes a Village (5) Lev Tahor (Pure Heart) Chanting (6) Energy Efficiency in Dark Times (7) Night of Joy & Light (8) Las Posadas (9) Begin With Aleph: Learn to Read Hebrew (10) Rabbi Benjamin's Installation

ANNOUNCEMENTS
(1) Tikkun Olam Adelante (2) Havurah Dues & Donations (3) Water Is Life Videos (4) Photos of ICE Vigil (5) Reconstructionism Today

UPDATE ON RABBI JOEY - Rabbi Joey is going home today! All of our prayers and support continue to be greatly appreciated.

HAVURAH HAPPENINGS

(1) Upcoming Shabbat - Human Rights Community Minyan, Saturday, Dec. 9, 10:00 am - Human Rights Shabbat is honored by many Jewish communities every year on the Shabbat closest to International Human Rights Day. At Havurah, during our drash and discussion, we will reflect together upon Jewish values connected to human rights. Through engaging with texts and images from the tradition which embody these values, we will consider how they might inform and inspire our work for human rights. Our intention is that this discussion will be part of an ongoing exploration of how we can more meaningfully infuse our efforts in the world with Jewish values, thus imbuing those efforts with holiness, strengthening our connections with one another, and enhancing our capacity to make positive change. Parenting & Grandparenting Class for Chanukah, December Dilemmas, Dec. 9, 3:10-4:30 pm - Join Rabbi Benjamin for a frank conversation about what it means to parent in Jewish families at this time of year, be a Jew in Portland, be a non-Jew in a Jewish family. RSVP here.

(2) Portland Homeless Family Solutions (PHFS) Direct Service - A new temporary winter shelter will be opening at Congregation Beth Israel (CBI) Dec. 11, 2017, closing April 30, 2018. PHFS will operate it. The shelter will start with only adult volunteers (18 years and older). We will continue our Adopt-a-Night at Goose Hollow as well as volunteer at the temporary winter shelter. If interested in volunteering at either Goose Hollow or the winter shelter, an hour-long orientation is required. Goose Hollow Orientation: Dec. 6 at 5:00 pm, at 1838 SW Jefferson. Orientations at the winter shelter are at Beth Israel: Dec. 7 at 7:30 pm, Dec. 10 at 12:30 pm. RSVP to Bethany Rocci with name, date of orientation and which shelter. For more info about PHFS, please contact Gloria Halper.

(3) Climate - Do We Need to Change? Can We Change?, Thursday, Dec. 7, 7:00-8:30 pm - Please join Deb Lev for a presentation titled 'Climate – Do we need to change? Can we change?' Deb is from the Climate Reality Project, and is an active member of 350PDX, and a Havurah member. The presentation is sponsored by the Havurah Climate Action Team, part of Tikkun Olam. There will be a Q&A session and discussion following the presentation. RSVPs are welcome. Questions? Please contact Steve Birkel at sjbirkel@gmail.com.

(4) It Takes a Village: A Tikkun Olam Committee Sponsored Event, Sunday, Dec. 10, 2:00-4:00 pm, Havurah Shalom - Do the problems of the developing world seem overwhelming? What can we realistically do to help? When there is so much that needs to be done in our own community, why should we help people who live far away? The Rafiki Village Project (RVP) is a Portland-based non-profit that is working to help Gijega Village, a community of about 2000 people in Tanzania. Rooted in the idea that the problems associated with poverty in the developing world are less overwhelming when broken down to the village level, the RVP is partnering with the villagers to address their problems one project at a time. Please join us for a presentation and discussion about the RVP, economic justice, the problems facing Gijega and the meaning of Tikkun Olam. Learn more . Questions: David@rafikivp.org. Above photo taken by David Newman.

(5) Lev Tahor (Pure Heart) Chanting, Monday, Dec. 11, 7:00 pm - We will gather to lift sacred phrases through melody, harmony, and rhythm in order to open our hearts, clarify our minds, and cultivate qualities such as gratefulness and compassion. Interspersed with periods of silent meditation, the chanting will be guided by teachings and intentions from Rabbi Benjamin. Each of these gatherings is open to anyone – no experience, musical ability, or commitment necessary. Second Monday of each month. Lev Tahor Chanting is free for members; non-members are asked to make a small donation.

(6) Energy Efficiency in Dark Times, Wednesday, Dec. 13, 7:00-8:30 pm - This session, facilitated by the Lifelong Learning Committee, will offer reflection, encouragement, and renewal as we celebrate the second night of Chanukah. Please join us in community as we acknowledge challenges, tap into cultural sources that offer perspective, and find ways to mend, rededicate, and move forward. Tikkun olam comes in a variety of sizes, from the very personal to the global. Bring on the light! RSVP here.

(7) Joy & Light, 4th Night of Chanukah, Friday, Dec. 15 - Chanukah Celebration for All Ages, 6:00-6:45 pm: Candle lighting, singing, storytelling, led by Rabbi Benjamin, Deborah Eisenbach-Budner, and Ilene Safyan. In addition to Ilene Safyan, musicians for the evening include Sarah Shine, Tanja Lux, Jacob Mandelsberg, Scott Snyder, Steven Sandberg-Lewis, Chaim Wolin, and Larry Reichman.

Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 7:45-8:30 pm (See musicians listed above.)
Tzedakah for Chanukah Celebration: Bring a book for children ages 1-10 to read at a local community center. Spanish or bilingual English/Spanish books are preferred. These books do not have to be new; well loved books will also be treasured.

(8) Annual Las Posadas Community Building Event, Sunday, Dec. 17, 6:00 pm, in the Cully Neighborhood - Las Posadas are an opportunity to reflect, celebrate, and grow in relationship and mutual accompaniment with our immigrant neighbors in Cully! A different congregation joins each night to share cultures including food. It’s a beautiful opportunity to receive hospitality and share in a tradition that is meaningful to those hosting while bringing some of our own traditions and wisdom and considering our collective work for justice. As the visiting congregation, we'll share briefly about our Sanctuary work, and we will light Chanukah candles. We bring sweet snacks and, as a bonus, we bring an activity/craft for the kids. The host then usually serves food to everyone. Please RSVP so we can tell you where to meet on Dec. 17. Questions? Bob Brown, rebrown47@gmail.com.

(9) Begin with Aleph: Learn to Read Hebrew, Wednesdays, Jan. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 and Feb. 7, 7:00-8:30 pm - This course is for beginners, even those who have “begun” before. Focusing on basic reading competency, we will uncover bits of Judaism that are only accessible through its original language. Our text has online home practice. Taught by Deborah Eisenbach-Budner. RSVP here.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(1) Direct Service Volunteering with Tikkun Olam Adelante, Tuesdays & Thursdays, 2:00-4:00 pm (volunteering with a group of Latino women and men once or twice a month) - The group Tikkun Olam Adelante grew out of Havurah's Sanctuary work. We wanted to work with Latinos who were and continue to be targeted. We meet our clients on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:00-4:00 pm, who come in with a variety of issues: U visa help, job seeking, desire to start a small business, etc.One can sign up for once a month or more. If you are interested please note that there is also the expectation of some time spent outside of a Tues./Thurs. shift. Please contact Gloria Halper.

(2) Havurah Dues and Donations for 2017 - The end of 2017 is rapidly approaching. If you wish to have any dues payments or other donations to Havurah included in your year-end tax letter, be sure to make your payment well before the end of December. Checks should reach the Havurah office by Dec 29. Credit card payments can be made (on line) up until Dec 31. Stock donations need to arrive in Havurah's Ameritrade account by Dec 26 to allow time for the sale and settlement of the transaction. Contact Karen Westerman at 503-421-4533 with questions or if you need stock donation instructions.
Thank you!

(3) Water Is Life Videos - If you missed the November 'Water Is Life' event, or if you'd like to relive it, check out this video of the evening made by Steve Birkel and this video produced by the Klamath Tribes, entitled "No LNG Pipeline!," which was shown that evening.

(4) Photos of Last Week's ICE Vigil - Last Thursday Havurah led the monthly interfaith vigil at the local ICE office. Here are photos Barbara Gundle took at the vigil, which was led by Rabbi Benjamin and Beth Hamon, and organized by Shari Raider and Bob Brown.

(5) Reconstructionism Today - Check out this month's Reconstructionism Today.

Please use this form to submit stories for this weekly community email. Submissions are due by noon on Tuesday each week.

Havurah Shalom is a vibrant, egalitarian, and diverse Jewish Reconstructionist community. Steeped in Jewish values, Havurah promotes spirituality, learning, and acts of social responsibility.

Find our calendar and learn more at www.havurahshalom.org.

825 NW 18th Ave, Portland, OR 97209
503-248-4662

Havurah Shalom
825 NW 18th Ave
Portland, OR 97209

Nov. 29 Community Email

Nov. 29 Email - Update on Rabbi Joey, ICE Vigil, Chanukah

HAVURAH HAPPENINGS
** Update on Rabbi Joey ** (1) Upcoming Shabbat (2) ICE Vigil Led by Havurah (3) PHFS Goose Hollow Shelter (4) Chanukah Parenting Classes for Parents & Grandparents (5) Climate: Do We Need to Change? Can We Change? (6) It Takes a Village (7) Energy Efficiency In Dark Times (8) A Night of Joy & Light Chanukah Celebration & Kabbalat Shabbat (9) Begin With Aleph: Learn to Read Hebrew (10) Rabbi Benjamin's Installation on Jan. 20

ANNOUNCEMENTS
(1) Havurahniks Who Need Help - Our Pastoral Care Team (2) Awakening the Divine Spirituality Retreat Jan. 2-7 (3) Weekend in Quest in March (4) Want to Be a Havurah Tutor? (5) October Steering Committee Minutes (6) Fair Trade Judaica Gelt (7) 'Digging Torah' with Gail Sherman

UPDATE ON RABBI JOEY - We have good news to share: Rabbi Joey has been moved to Robison Health & Rehabilitation Center. His progress is slow, but he seems to be well on the road to recovery. All of our prayers and support are profoundly appreciated. - Rabbi Benjamin

HAVURAH HAPPENINGS

(1) Upcoming Shabbat - Community Minyan, Saturday, Dec. 2, 10:00 am - Join Rabbi Benjamin, Roger Brewer, Sam Sirkin, Michele Goldschmidt, Marty Brown, and other Havurah leaders and leyners as we daven and discuss Torah. In this week's parsha, Vayishlach, Jacob meets Esau after 20 years of living apart. Jacob fears retaliation from Esau, but the brothers greet each other and part ways in peace. Jacob wrestles with a non-human being and is named Israel. Join us for an engaging discussion about this pivotal parsha.

(2) Vigil at ICE Office, Thursday, Nov. 30, 10:00-11:00 am - Join Rabbi Benjamin, Illene Safyan, and the Havurah Sanctuary team as we lead the monthly "Last Thursday Witness" Vigil on Nov. 30 at ICE offices. Through song and prayer we will lift our voices together to express our solidarity with our immigrant brothers and sisters. Meet at 4310 SW Macadam Ave from 10:00-11:00 am. The Vigil will happen rain or shine. Questions, please contact Bob Brown rebrown47@gmail.com or Shari Raider shari.raider@gmail.com.

(3) Portland Homeless Family Solutions (PHFS), Goose Hollow Shelter Direct Service Project - Come to an hour-long orientation to learn how Goose Hollow offers families temporary housing and helps them become stable and no longer homeless. Orientations: Nov. 30 at 4:00 pm, Dec. 6 at 5:00 pm, at 1838 SW Yamhill. RSVP to Bethany Rocci. From a PHFS volunteer: “Being a Kid Time Host is more than just playing a game with the kiddos. You have the opportunity to offer emotional support, peer contact, confidentiality, and skill-building in self-assertion and conflict resolution. Kids need to know that the trauma is not their fault and that adults are working to fix it.” For more info re: PHFS please contact Gloria Halper.

(4) Parenting & Grandparenting Classes for Chanukah Dec. 2 & 9: Climate Change Activism with Our Children, Saturday, Dec. 2, 3:10-4:30 pm -
How can we engage ourselves, our families, our youth and our Havurah community in learning about, finding solutions and taking action on the Climate Crises? For those who are new to thinking about climate change to folks already taking action, this workshop is for you. An interactive workshop where we will get inspired, feel empowered and leave with a plan of action. RSVP here. December Dilemmas, Saturday, Dec. 9, 3:10-4:30 pm - Join Rabbi Benjamin for a frank conversation about what it means to parent in Jewish families at this time of year, be a Jew in Portland, be a non-Jew in a Jewish family. RSVP here.

(5) Climate - Do We Need to Change? Can We Change?, Thursday, Dec. 7, 7:00-8:30 pm - Please join Deb Lev for a presentation titled 'Climate – Do we need to change? Can we change?' Deb is from the Climate Reality Project, and is an active member of 350PDX, and a Havurah member. The presentation is sponsored by the Havurah Climate Action Team, part of Tikkun Olam. There will be a Q&A session and discussion following the presentation. Questions? Please contact Steve Birkel at sjbirkel@gmail.com.

(6) It Takes a Village: A Tikkun Olam Committee Sponsored Event, Sunday, Dec. 10, 2:00-4:00 pm, Havurah Shalom - Do the problems of the developing world seem overwhelming? What can we realistically do to help? When there is so much that needs to be done in our own community, why should we help people who live far away? The Rafiki Village Project (RVP) is a Portland-based non-profit that is working to help Gijega Village, a community of about 2000 people in Tanzania. Rooted in the idea that the problems associated with poverty in the developing world are less overwhelming when broken down to the village level, the RVP is partnering with the villagers to address their problems one project at a time. Please join us for a presentation and discussion about the RVP, economic justice, the problems facing Gijega and the meaning of Tikkun Olam. Learn more . Questions: David@rafikivp.org. Above photo taken by David Newman.

(7) Energy Efficiency in Dark Times, Wednesday, Dec. 13, 7:00-8:30 pm - This session, facilitated by the Lifelong Learning Committee, will offer reflection, encouragement, and renewal as we celebrate the second night of Chanukah. Please join us in community as we acknowledge challenges, tap into cultural sources that offer perspective, and find ways to mend, rededicate, and move forward. Tikkun olam comes in a variety of sizes, from the very personal to the global. Bring on the light! RSVP here.

(8) Joy & Light, 4th Night of Chanukah, Friday, Dec. 15 - Chanukah Celebration for All Ages, 6:00-6:45 pm: Candle lighting, singing, storytelling, led by Rabbi Benjamin, Deborah Eisenbach-Budner, and Ilene Safyan. RSVP by Dec. 4.
- Kabbalat Shabbat Dinner, 6:45-7:45 pm - Bring a chanukiah if you wish! RSVP by Dec. 4. This RSVP deadline is earlier than usual.
- Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 7:45-8:30 pm (No RSVP required)

Tzedakah for Chanukah Celebration: Bring a book for children ages 1-10 to read at a local community center. Spanish or bilingual English/Spanish books are preferred. These books do not have to be new; well loved books will also be treasured.

(9) Begin with Aleph: Learn to Read Hebrew, Wednesdays, Jan. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 and Feb. 7, 7:00-8:30 pm - This course is for beginners, even those who have “begun” before. Focusing on basic reading competency, we will uncover bits of Judaism that are only accessible through its original language. Our text has online home practice. Taught by Deborah Eisenbach-Budner. RSVP here.

(10) Save the Date! Installation of Rabbi Benjamin on Saturday, Jan. 20, 5:00 pm

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(1) Havurahniks Who Need Help - Pastoral Care Team - Earlier this year, Havurah members with pastoral care training and experience formed a Pastoral Care Team (PCT) to support members during the months when we had no rabbi. Rabbi Benjamin and the PCT have now begun a conversation about continuing their work to support him in providing pastoral care to our community. PCT Co-chairs Allan Cordova and Sandy Ramirez will meet with Rabbi Benjamin soon to lay the groundwork for this support system. Click here to learn about current developments and how to help Havurah members facing challenges right now, including Nick Fish and Patricia Schechter.

(2) Awakening the Divine Jewish Spirituality Retreat, Jan. 2-7 - Rabbi Benjamin will co-lead this five-day retreat from Jan. 2-7 in Pennsylvania, alongside other skilled teachers of contemplative Jewish practice. Rabbi James Jacobson-Maisels, the retreat’s lead teacher, is one of the foremost teachers of meditation in the Jewish world today. This is Rabbi Benjamin’s third year teaching at this retreat, and he would be happy to answer any questions for those who are interested.

(3) Weekend in Quest, March 2-4 - Read about Weekend in Quest here.

(4) Want to Be a Havurah Tutor? - Can you devote an hour or two once a week to tutor some of the neediest children in our city? As part of Havurah’s commitment to being a sanctuary congregation, we are partnering with the Baltazar Ortiz Community Center (6736 NE Killingsworth St), a Multnomah County health facility that works with refugees and immigrants and is a safe gathering place for the Latino and East African communities that surround it. Havurah has been asked to create an after school tutoring program for some of the neighborhood elementary school age children. Learn more here.

(5) Steering Committee Meeting Minutes - You can read the minutes from Havurah's October Steering Committee Meeting here.

(6) Fair Trade Judaica Chanukah Gelt - This year support Kuapa Kokoo, a Fair Trade cooperative in Ghana who are co-owners of Divine Chocolate. Fair Trade standards prohibit the use of child labor. Learn more and order gelt here.

(7) 'Digging Torah' Series, Gail Sherman, 'Joseph the Dreamer: Literary, Chasidic, & Psychological Approaches,' Dec. 4, at PJA's Beit Midrash - Learn about this Dec. 4 event and an upcoming 'Digging Torah' event in February here on this flier.

Please use this form to submit stories for this weekly community email. Submissions are due by noon on Tuesday each week.

Havurah Shalom is a vibrant, egalitarian, and diverse Jewish Reconstructionist community. Steeped in Jewish values, Havurah promotes spirituality, learning, and acts of social responsibility.

Find our calendar and learn more at www.havurahshalom.org.

825 NW 18th Ave, Portland, OR 97209
503-248-4662

Havurah Shalom
825 NW 18th Ave
Portland, OR 97209

Nov. 22 Community Email

Nov. 22 Email - ICE Vigil, Pastoral Care, Lots of Chanukah

HAVURAH HAPPENINGS
(1) Upcoming Shabbat (2) Office Closures (3) Silver Falls State Park Hike (4) Book Discussion (5) ICE Vigil Led by Havurah (6) PHFS Goose Hollow Shelter (7) Chanukah Parenting Classes for Parents & Grandparents (8) Climate: Do We Need to Change? Can We Change? (9) It Takes a Village (10) Energy Efficiency In Dark Times (11) Joy & Light Chanukah Celebration & Kabbalat Shabbat (12) Save the Date - Jan. 20, 5:00 pm - for Rabbi Benjamin's Installation

ANNOUNCEMENTS
(1) Havurahniks Who Need Help - Pastoral Care Team (2) Awakening the Divine Spirituality Retreat Jan. 2-7 (3) Want to Be a Havurah Tutor? (4) Fair Trade Judaica Gelt (5) Video of Havurah and Tribal Youth, Photos of Water Is Life

HAVURAH HAPPENINGS

(1) Upcoming Shabbat - Text & Torah: The Torah and Gender Identification, Saturday, Nov. 25, 10:00 am - Come early to grab a breakfast nosh before we examine gender diversity in the Torah. Did you know that Classical Judaism identifies six categories of gender? We will read and discuss both ancient and contemporary Judaism’s views around non-binary genders.

(2) Office Closures for Thanksgiving - Havurah's office will be closed for Thanksgiving this Thursday and Friday, Nov. 23-24.

(3) Silver Falls State Park Hike, Tuesday, Nov. 28 – Are you interested in exploring Oregon’s natural areas with other Havurahniks? Join the new Havurah Naturalists Group! Jeff Gottfried will lead the group’s first hike on Tuesday, Nov. 28, in Silver Falls State Park. The group will leave Portland at 8:30 am from Jeff’s house, 7040 SW 84th Ave, and drive through Silverton to Silver Falls. Learn more here.

(4) Book Discussion, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 7:00-8:30 pm - Join us for a discussion led by Stacy Hankin of The Luminous Heart of Jonah S. by Gina Nahai. This book tells the story of an Iranian Jewish family that is tormented for decades by a crafty and unscrupulous financier who has futilely claimed to be an heir to the family's fortune. Forty years later he suddenly disappears. Learn more and RSVP on our website calendar to help the discussion leader plan. Questions? Contact marjoriewalters@gmail.com.

(5) Vigil at ICE Office, Thursday, Nov. 30, 10:00-11:00 am - Join Rabbi Benjamin, Illene Safyan, and the Havurah Sanctuary team as we lead the monthly "Last Thursday Witness" Vigil on Nov. 30 at ICE offices. Through song and prayer we will lift our voices together to express our solidarity with our immigrant brothers and sisters. Meet at 4310 SW Macadam Ave from 10:00-11:00 am. The Vigil will happen rain or shine. Questions, please contact Bob Brown rebrown47@gmail.com or Shari Raider shari.raider@gmail.com.

(6) Portland Homeless Family Solutions (PHFS), Goose Hollow Shelter Direct Service Project - Come to an hour-long orientation to learn how Goose Hollow offers families temporary housing and helps them become stable and no longer homeless. Orientations: Nov. 30 at 4:00 pm, Dec. 6 at 5:00 pm, at 1838 SW Yamhill. RSVP to Bethany Rocci. From a PHFS volunteer: “Being a Kid Time Host is more than just playing a game with the kiddos. You have the opportunity to offer emotional support, peer contact, confidentiality, and skill-building in self-assertion and conflict resolution. Kids need to know that the trauma is not their fault and that adults are working to fix it.” For more info re: PHFS please contact Gloria Halper.

(7) Parenting & Grandparenting Classes for Chanukah Dec. 2 & 7: Climate Change Activism with Our Children, Saturday, Dec. 2, 3:10-4:30 pm -
How can we engage ourselves, our families, our youth and our Havurah community in learning about, finding solutions and taking action on the Climate Crises? For those who are new to thinking about climate change to folks already taking action, this workshop is for you. An interactive workshop where we will get inspired, feel empowered and leave with a plan of action. RSVP here. December Dilemmas, Saturday, Dec. 9, 3:10-4:30 pm - Join Rabbi Benjamin for a frank conversation about what it means to parent in Jewish families at this time of year, be a Jew in Portland, be a non-Jew in a Jewish family. RSVP here.

(8) Climate - Do We Need to Change? Can We Change?, Thursday, Dec. 7, 7:00-8:30 pm - Please join Deb Lev for a presentation titled 'Climate – do we need to change? Can we change?' Deb is from the Climate Reality Project, and is an active member of 350PDX, and a Havurah member. The presentation is sponsored by the Havurah Climate Action Team, part of Tikkun Olam. There will be a Q&A session and discussion following the presentation. Questions? Please contact Steve Birkel at sjbirkel@gmail.com.

(9) It Takes a Village: A Tikkun Olam Committee Sponsored Event, Sunday, Dec. 10, 2:00-4:00 pm, Havurah Shalom - Do the problems of the developing world seem overwhelming? What can we realistically do to help? When there is so much that needs to be done in our own community, why should we help people who live far away? The Rafiki Village Project (RVP) is a Portland-based non-profit that is working to help Gijega Village, a community of about 2000 people in Tanzania. Rooted in the idea that the problems associated with poverty in the developing world are less overwhelming when broken down to the village level, the RVP is partnering with the villagers to address their problems one project at a time. Please join us for a presentation and discussion about the RVP, economic justice, the problems facing Gijega and the meaning of Tikkun Olam. Learn more . Questions: David@rafikivp.org. (Above photo taken by David Newman.)

(10) Energy Efficiency in Dark Times, Wednesday, Dec. 13, 7:00-8:30 pm - This session, facilitated by the Lifelong Learning Committee, will offer reflection, encouragement, and renewal as we celebrate the second night of Chanukah. Please join us in community as we acknowledge challenges, tap into cultural sources that offer perspective, and find ways to mend, rededicate, and move forward. Tikkun olam comes in a variety of sizes, from the very personal to the global. Bring on the light! RSVP here.

(11) Joy & Light, 4th Night of Chanukah, Friday, Dec. 15 Chanukah Celebration for All Ages, 6:00-6:45 pm: Candle lighting, singing, storytelling, led by Rabbi Benjamin, Deborah Eisenbach-Budner, and Ilene Safyan. RSVP by Dec. 4.
- Kabbalat Shabbat Dinner, 6:45-7:45 pm - Bring a chanukiah if you wish! RSVP by Dec. 4. This RSVP deadline is earlier than usual.
- Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 7:45-8:30 pm (No RSVP required)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(1) Havurahniks Who Need Help - Pastoral Care Team - Earlier this year, Havurah members with pastoral care training and experience formed a Pastoral Care Team (PCT) to support members during the months when we had no rabbi. Rabbi Benjamin and the PCT have now begun a conversation about continuing their work to support him in providing pastoral care to our community. PCT Co-chairs Allan Cordova and Sandy Ramirez will meet with Rabbi Benjamin soon to lay the groundwork for this support system. Click here to learn about current developments and how to help Havurah members facing challenges right now, including Nick Fish and Patricia Schechter.

(2) Awakening the Divine Jewish Spirituality Retreat, Jan. 2-7 - Rabbi Benjamin will co-lead this five-day retreat from Jan. 2-7 in Pennsylvania, alongside other skilled teachers of contemplative Jewish practice. Rabbi James Jacobson-Maisels, the retreat’s lead teacher, is one of the foremost teachers of meditation in the Jewish world today. This is Rabbi Benjamin’s third year teaching at this retreat, and he would be happy to answer any questions for those who are interested.

(3) Want to Be a Havurah Tutor? - Can you devote an hour or two once a week to tutor some of the neediest children in our city? As part of Havurah’s commitment to being a sanctuary congregation, we are partnering with the Baltazar Ortiz Community Center (6736 NE Killingsworth St), a Multnomah County health facility that works with refugees and immigrants and is a safe gathering place for the Latino and East African communities that surround it. Havurah has been asked to create an after school tutoring program for some of the neighborhood elementary school age children. Learn more here.

(4) Fair Trade Judaica Chanukah Gelt - This year support Kuapa Kokoo, a Fair Trade cooperative in Ghana who are co-owners of Divine Chocolate. Fair Trade standards prohibit the use of child labor. Learn more and order gelt here.

(5) Youth Video & Water Is Life Photos - The Stop Fracked Gas/PDX group worked with local youth, including two Havurahniks, Solomon Duke and Sandro Alvarez, to create this video to let Governor Brown know that we stand behind her in protecting the environment and saying no to any new fossil fuel projects in Oregon. Check out these photos Michael Heumann took at last week's 'Water Is Life' event at Havurah. Thank you, Jan Zuckerman, and many others for organizing the successful well-attended event featuring tribal and Havurah youth.

Please use this form to submit stories for this weekly community email. Submissions are due by noon on Tuesday each week.

Havurah Shalom is a vibrant, egalitarian, and diverse Jewish Reconstructionist community. Steeped in Jewish values, Havurah promotes spirituality, learning, and acts of social responsibility.

Find our calendar and learn more at www.havurahshalom.org.

825 NW 18th Ave, Portland, OR 97209
503-248-4662

Havurah Shalom
825 NW 18th Ave
Portland, OR 97209

Nov. 15 Community Email

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HAVURAH HAPPENINGS
(1) Upcoming Shabbat (2) Lev Tahor (Pure Heart) Chanting (3) No Meditation Next Tuesday (4) Text & Torah (5) Silver Falls State Park Hike (6) Book Discussion (7) ICE Vigil Led by Havurah (8) PHFS Goose Hollow Shelter (9) Energy Efficiency In Times of Darkness (10) Chanukah Celebration & Kabbalat Shabbat

ANNOUNCEMENTS
(1) Welcoming Andi, Havurah Shalom Program Director (2) 'Homeward' by Ari Shapiro (3) Moishe House Discussion for 20s & 30s (4) Sign Up Now for Lift Urban Portland Christmas Dinner (5) Fair Trade Judaica Gelt (6) Just Energy Transition Initiative Video (7) Jewish Spirituality Retreat & Weekend In Quest

HAVURAH HAPPENINGS

(1) Upcoming Shabbat -

Dorot Shabbat, Friday, Nov. 17, 6:00 pm - Join Havurah families for a casual family-friendly and music-filled service. Beginning with candle lighting, Kiddush and challah, the service continues with prayers and music led by Jacob Mandelsberg, Sarah Shine, Gabe Adoff, Tanja Lux, and Ilene Moss. A vegetarian potluck dinner will follow the service. Please bring a dish to share! Questions? Contact Karen Pomerantz. Please RSVP here by Nov. 15.

Community Minyan, Saturday, Nov. 18, 10:00 am - Join Rabbi Benjamin, Susan Brenner, Sam Sirkin, Emily Simon, Noah Goldenberg, Richard Goldenberg, and David Koff in davening, reading Torah, and discussing Torah this Saturday. In parsha Toldot, Jacob secures his brother's birthright and steals his blessing, then flees to escape his brother's anger.

Tot Shabbat, Saturday, Nov. 18, 10:30-11:30 am - Young children and their parents celebrate Shabbat with singing, movement, blessings, and storytelling. We touch on the main highlights of the Shabbat morning service: wonder, fun, song, listening to the world, dancing, and Torah. Afterwards, we enjoy an informal potluck nosh and the chance to play and schmooze. Led by Deborah Eisenbach-Budner and Rabbi Benjamin. RSVP here by Nov. 15.

(2) Lev Tahor (Pure Heart) Chanting, Monday, Nov. 20, 7:00-8:00 pm - We will gather to lift sacred phrases through melody, harmony, and rhythm in order to open our hearts, clarify our minds, and cultivate qualities such as gratefulness and compassion. Interspersed with periods of silent meditation, the chanting will be guided by teachings and intentions from Rabbi Benjamin. Each of these monthly gatherings is open to anyone – no experience, musical ability, or commitment necessary. RSVPs are welcome.

(3) No Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation Next Tuesday - But, we continue bravely forward after that! It is amazing how this little group has sustained. This is the first Tuesday that we aren’t meeting for a whole year. Wishes for good health and thankfulness for all of us. - Deborah

(4) Text & Torah: The Torah and Gender Identification, Saturday, Nov. 25, 10:00 am - Come early to grab a breakfast nosh before we examine gender diversity in the Torah. Did you know that Classical Judaism identifies six categories of gender? We will read and discuss both ancient and contemporary Judaism’s views around non-binary genders.

(5) Silver Falls State Park Hike, Tuesday, Nov. 28 – Are you interested in exploring Oregon’s natural areas with other Havurahniks? Join the new Havurah Naturalists Group! Jeff Gottfried will lead the group’s first hike on Tuesday, Nov. 28, in Silver Falls State Park. The group will leave Portland at 8:30 am from Jeff’s house, 7040 SW 84th Ave, and drive through Silverton to Silver Falls. Learn more here.

(6) Book Discussion, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 7:00-8:30 pm - Join us for a discussion led by Stacy Hankin of The Luminous Heart of Jonah S. by Gina Nahai. This book tells the story of an Iranian Jewish family that is tormented for decades by a crafty and unscrupulous financier who has futilely claimed to be an heir to the family's fortune. Forty years later he suddenly disappears. Learn more and RSVP on our website calendar to help the discussion leader plan. Questions? Contact marjoriewalters@gmail.com.

(7) Vigil at ICE Office led by Havurah Shalom, Thursday, Nov. 30, 10:00-11:00 am - Join Rabbi Benjamin, Illene Safyan, and the Havurah Sanctuary team as we lead the monthly "Last Thursday Witness" Vigil on Nov. 30 at ICE offices. Through song and prayer we will lift our voices together to express our solidarity with our immigrant brothers and sisters. Meet at 4310 SW Macadam Ave from 10:00-11:00 am. The Vigil will happen rain or shine. Questions, please contact Bob Brown rebrown47@gmail.com or Shari Raider shari.raider@gmail.com.

(8) Portland Homeless Family Solutions (PHFS), Goose Hollow Shelter Direct Service Project - Come to an hour-long orientation to learn how Goose Hollow offers families temporary housing and helps them become stable and no longer homeless. Orientations: Nov. 30 at 4:00 pm, Dec. 6 at 5:00 pm, at 1838 SW Yamhill. RSVP to Bethany Rocci. From a PHFS volunteer: “Being a Kid Time Host is more than just playing a game with the kiddos. You have the opportunity to offer emotional support, peer contact, confidentiality, and skill-building in self-assertion and conflict resolution. Kids need to know that the trauma is not their fault and that adults are working to fix it.” For more info re: PHFS please contact Gloria Halper.

(9) Energy Efficiency in Dark Times, Wednesday, Dec. 13, 7:00-8:30 pm - This session, facilitated by the Lifelong Learning Committee, will offer reflection, encouragement, and renewal as we celebrate the second night of Chanukah. Please join us in community as we acknowledge challenges, tap into cultural sources that offer perspective, and find ways to mend, rededicate, and move forward. Tikkun olam comes in a variety of sizes, from the very personal to the global. Bring on the light! RSVP here.

(10) Joy & Light, 4th Night of Chanukah, Friday, Dec. 15, 6:00-8:30 pm
- Chanukah Celebration for All Ages, 6:00-6:45 pm: Candle lighting, singing, storytelling, led by Rabbi Benjamin, Deborah Eisenbach-Budner, and Ilene Safyan. RSVP here by Dec. 4.
- Kabbalat Shabbat Dinner, 6:45-7:45 pm - Bring a chanukiah and candles for your dinner table if you wish! RSVP here by Dec. 4. Please note that this RSVP deadline is a week earlier than our usual RSVP deadline for dinner.
- Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 7:45-8:30 pm (No RSVP required)
You can download a flier here.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(1) Welcoming Andi, Havurah Shalom Program Director - We are thrilled to let you know that Andi Bales Molnar will begin at Havurah on Monday, Nov. 27, as Havurah Program Director. This position was identified long ago as critical to supporting our growing community and contributing to a sustainable organizational infrastructure for staff, lay leaders, and members of Havurah. Remodeling is happening currently in the Gan room to create an office for Andi as well as to modify the Kerem classroom for Shabbat School. Read more here.

(2) 'Homeward,' Nov. 16 & 17 at 7:30 pm, and Nov. 18 at 7:00 & 9:00 pm, World Trade Center #2, 121 SW Salmon - Ari Shapiro, son of Havurah members Len and Elayne Shapiro, will present 'Homeward,' his new one-man show with music. Learn more about Ari and the show in this month’s Oregon Jewish Life.

(3) Moishe House Discussion, Games & Drinks for People in their 20s & 30s, Sunday, Nov. 19, 1:00-5:00 pm - The Jewish People Policy Institute will lead a discussion on Israel-Diaspora Relations at Moishe House in NE Portland. Discussion is from 1:00-3:00 pm. Games and cozy drinks from 3:00-5:00 pm. Learn more here.

(4) Sign Up Now for Lift Urban Portland Christmas Dinner - Havurah members often help serve Christmas dinner to NW Portland residents in need at Lift Urban Portland’s Community Christmas Dinner. If you would like to volunteer this year, sign up here.

(5) Fair Trade Judaica Chanukah Gelt - This Chanukah, we can support Kuapa Kokoo, a Fair Trade cooperative in Ghana who are co-owners of Divine Chocolate. Fair Trade standards prohibit the use of child labor. Learn more and order gelt here.

(6) If you missed the Just Energy Transition Initiative Conversation at Havurah on Oct. 27, you can watch it here!

(7) Jewish Spirituality Retreat & Weekend In Quest – Click here to learn about 'Awakening the Divine Jewish Spirituality Retreat' and 'Weekend In Quest.'

Please use this form to submit stories for this weekly community email. Submissions are due by noon on Tuesday each week.

Havurah Shalom is a vibrant, egalitarian, and diverse Jewish Reconstructionist community. Steeped in Jewish values, Havurah promotes spirituality, learning, and acts of social responsibility.

Find our calendar and learn more at www.havurahshalom.org.

825 NW 18th Ave, Portland, OR 97209
503-248-4662

Havurah Shalom
825 NW 18th Ave
Portland, OR 97209

Nov. 8 Community Email

Weekly Community Email, Nov. 8

HAVURAH HAPPENINGS
(1) Upcoming Shabbat (2) Kristallnacht Tribute to Leonard Cohen (3) Last Chance to Help with Courtyard Mosaic (4) Alter Rockers Happy Hour (5) Hakol Deadline (6) PHFS Goose Hollow Shelter (7) Water Is Life (8) Dorot Shabbat (9) Tot Shabbat (10) Book Discussion (11) Energy Efficiency In Times of Darkness (12) Chanukah Celebration & Kabbalat Shabbat

ANNOUNCEMENTS
(1) Reconstructionism Today (2) Outside the Frame's 'Leaving Home' (3) 'Homeward' by Ari Shapiro (4) Moishe House Discussion for 20s & 30s (5) Sign Up Now for Lift Urban Portland Christmas Dinner (6) Jewish Spirituality Retreat & Weekend In Quest

HAVURAH HAPPENINGS

(1) Kabbalat Shabbat, Friday, Nov. 10, 7:30 pm - Rabbi Benjamin and Havurah musicians Margie Rosenthal, Tanja Lux, Sarah Shine, Steven Sandberg-Lewis and Larry Reichman will lead this short and musical Kabbalat Shabbat service. Community Minyan, Saturday, Nov. 11, 10:00 am - Rabbi Benjamin will give a drash about this week's parsha Chayei Sarah, and Havurah members Maria Lisa Johnson, Arleen Slive, Marty Brown and others will lead and read Torah. Join us!

(2) “A Broken Hallelujah,” Tribute to Leonard Cohen on The Night of Broken Glass (Kristallnacht), Thursday, Nov. 9, 7:00 pm, Congregation Beth Israel, 1972 NW Flanders St - A community gathering of music, poetry and reflection, with Beth Israel Cantor Ida Rae Cahana and Havurah Music Coordinator Ilene Safyan, Havurah members Sacha Reich and Andrew Ehrlich and more. Sponsored by the Institute for Judaic Studies, Beth Israel, Havurah Shalom, Neveh Shalom, and OJMCHE.

(3) Last Chance to Help With Courtyard Mosaic - Havurah members have one more opportunity to help finish our new courtyard mosaic: Sunday, Nov. 12, between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm. Learn more and RSVP here!

(4) Alter Rockers Happy Hour, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 5:00 pm - Alter Rockers are gathering Tuesday evening at 5:00 pm for a casual happy hour with Rabbi Benjamin. Please bring an appetizer to share and whatever you like to drink, and come meet the rabbi. Please RSVP to Sarah Rosenberg.

(5) Hakol Deadline, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 12:00 noon – Please submit all articles and photos via email to Rachel.

(6) Portland Homeless Family Solutions (PHFS), Goose Hollow Shelter Direct Service Project - Interested in direct service, face to face with the people you intend to help? Check out the PHFS website or attend a short, a one-hour orientation on Nov. 14 or 30, at 4:00 pm. All orientations are at the Goose Hollow shelter, 1838 SW Jefferson. RSVP to Bethany Rocci. An even simpler way to see how the program is run, meet other Havurahniks, PHFS staff, and some of the families being served, is to sign up to help with a meal. Meal Providers don't need to attend an orientation! To arrange to be a part of the meal provider group, contact Elayne Shapiro or Len Shapiro. All other questions: Havurah member Gloria Halper.

(7) Water Is Life, Thursday, Nov. 16, 6:30-9:00 pm - Come hear a unique perspective on the proposed Pacific Connector fracked gas pipeline and its implications for water and climate. Panelists will include youth from the Yurok, Hoope and Karuk tribes, traveling all the way from Northern California to share their perspective and a video recently produced by the Klamath tribe in southeast Oregon. The event is free and the public is invited. Learn more here. Havurah High and Middle School students are also invited to a dinner with the tribal youth at 5:30 pm. Click here to learn more about the dinner.

(8) Dorot Shabbat, Friday, Nov. 17, 6:00 pm - Join Havurah families for a casual family-friendly and music-filled service. Beginning with candle lighting, Kiddush and challah, the service continues with prayers and music led by Jacob Mandelsberg, Sarah Shine, Gabe Adoff, Tanja Lux, and Ilene Moss. A vegetarian potluck dinner will follow the service. Please bring a dish to share! Questions? Contact Karen Pomerantz. Please RSVP here by Nov. 15.

(9) Tot Shabbat, Saturday, Nov. 18, 10:30-11:30 am - Young children and their parents celebrate Shabbat with singing, movement, blessings, and storytelling. We touch on the main highlights of the Shabbat morning service: wonder, fun, song, listening to the world, dancing, and Torah. Afterwards, we enjoy an informal potluck nosh and the chance to play and schmooze. Led by Deborah Eisenbach-Budner and Rabbi Benjamin. RSVP here by Nov. 15.

(10) Book Discussion, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 7:00-8:30 pm - Join us for a discussion led by Stacy Hankin of The Luminous Heart of Jonah S. by Gina Nahai. This book tells the story of an Iranian Jewish family that is tormented for decades by a crafty and unscrupulous financier who has futilely claimed to be an heir to the family's fortune. Forty years later he suddenly disappears. Learn more and RSVP on our website calendar. (RSVPs help discussion leaders plan.) Questions? Contact marjoriewalters@gmail.com.

(11) Energy Efficiency in Dark Times, Wednesday, Dec. 13, 7:00-8:30 pm - This class will offer reflection, encouragement, and renewal as we celebrate the second night of Chanukah. Please join us in community as we acknowledge challenges, tap into cultural sources that offer perspective, and find ways to mend, rededicate, and move forward. Tikkun olam comes in a variety of sizes, from the very personal to the global. Bring on the light! RSVP here.

(12) Joy & Light, 4th Night of Chanukah, Friday, Dec. 15, 6:00-8:30 pm
- Chanukah Celebration for All Ages, 6:00-6:45 pm: candle lighting, singing, storytelling, led by Rabbi Benjamin, Deborah Eisenbach-Budner, and Ilene Safyan. RSVP here by Dec. 4.
- Kabbalat Shabbat Dinner, 6:45-7:45 pm - Bring a chanukiah and candles for your dinner table if you wish! RSVP here by Dec. 4. Please note that this RSVP deadline is a week earlier than our usual RSVP deadline for dinner.
- Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 7:45-8:30 pm (No RSVP required)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(1) Reconstructionism Today – This month’s issue includes news about Havaya Arts Camp and a podcast with Rabbi Shefa Gold on chanting. Read more here.

(2) Outside the Frame Gala Screening: 'Leaving Home,' Monday, Nov. 13 - Doors open at 5:30 pm with beverages and snacks provided; Seating at 6:00 pm; Portland Center Stage at The Armory - Join Outside The Frame for a special screening of new films by and with youth experiencing homelessness in Portland, presented with Outside In and Prosper Portland. Filmmakers will be in attendance. Reserve your tickets online here. Questions? Contact Nili Yosha at nili@otfpdx.org.

(3) 'Homeward,' Nov. 16 & 17 at 7:30 pm, and Nov. 18 at 7:00 & 9:00 pm, World Trade Center #2, 121 SW Salmon - Ari Shapiro, son of Havurah members Len and Elayne Shapiro, will present 'Homeward,' his new one-man show with music. Learn more about Ari and the show in this month’s Oregon Jewish Life.

(4) Moishe House Discussion, Games & Drinks for People in their 20s & 30s, Sunday, Nov. 19, 1:00-5:00 pm - The Jewish People Policy Institute will lead a discussion on Israel-Diaspora Relations at Moishe House in NE Portland. Discussion is from 1:00-3:00 pm. Games and cozy drinks from 3:00-5:00 pm. Learn more.

(5) Volunteer Opportunities at Lift Urban Portland Christmas Dinner - Havurah members often help serve Christmas dinner to NW Portland residents in need at Lift Urban Portland’s Community Christmas Dinner. If you would like to volunteer this year, sign up here.

(6) Jewish Spirituality Retreat & Weekend In Quest – Click here to learn about 'Awakening the Divine Jewish Spirituality Retreat' and 'Weekend In Quest.'

Please use this form to submit stories for this weekly community email. Submissions are due by noon on Tuesday each week.

Havurah Shalom is a vibrant, egalitarian, and diverse Jewish Reconstructionist community. Steeped in Jewish values, Havurah promotes spirituality, learning, and acts of social responsibility.

Find our calendar and learn more at www.havurahshalom.org.

825 NW 18th Ave, Portland, OR 97209
503-248-4662

Havurah Shalom
825 NW 18th Ave
Portland, OR 97209

Nov. 1 Community Email

Weekly Community Email, Nov. 1

HAVURAH HAPPENINGS
(1) Upcoming Shabbat (2) Nov. 6 Deadline to RSVP for November Kabbalat Shabbat Dinner (3) Refugee Support Meeting Tomorrow (4) Recurring Happenings: Tuesday Meditation, Wednesday Morning Minyan (5) Sanctuary Committee Meeting (6) Whose Bat or Bar Mitzvah Is It Anyway? (7) A Broken Hallelujah, Tribute to Leonard Cohen (8) One Last Chance to Help With Courtyard Mosaic Project (9) Dorot Shabbat (10) Water is Life (11) Book Discussion Group (12) New Submission Guidelines for Weekly Emails

ANNOUNCEMENTS
(1) Premiere of Documentary 'Priced Out' Tonight (2) Outside the Frame's 'Leaving Home' (3) 'Homeward' by Ari Shapiro (4) Awakening the Divine Jewish Spirituality Retreat

HAVURAH HAPPENINGS

(1) Upcoming Shabbat, Community Minyan, Saturday, Nov. 4, 10:00 am - Leaders and leyners at this Saturday’s community minyan include Rabbi Benjamin, Moriah Cordova, Susan Lazareck, Michele Goldschmidt, Diane Chaplin, Sam Sirkin, and Marty Brown. This week’s parsha Vayera includes a few notable moments, such as the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Isaac’s birth, Hagar and Ishmael’s banishment, and the near sacrifice of Isaac, all of which should make for an interesting discussion.

(2) RSVP by Nov. 6 for Kabbalat Shabbat Dinner & Service on Nov. 10 - Havurah musicians Margie Rosenthal, Tanja Lux, Sarah Shine, Steven Sandberg-Lewis and Larry Reichman will join Rabbi Benjamin in leading our Nov. 10th Kabbalat Shabbat service. The catered, vegetarian dinner is from 6:30 to 7:30 pm. Dairy-free, gluten-free, and nut-free options will be available, and you’re invited to bring wine or juice to celebrate Shabbat. Childcare is available for kids age 2 to 8. Please RSVP here for the dinner by Nov. 6. Cost adjustments are available at 503-248-4662.

(3) Refugee Support Meeting, Thursday, Nov. 2, 6:30-8:00 pm - This is an opportunity for new and veteran Catholic Charities volunteers from our congregation to meet for support, information, and inspiration. Please join us, even if you aren’t yet a volunteer and are simply curious. Questions? Email Rebecca Darling-Budner at rbudner@yahoo.com. Please RSVP here.

(4) Recurring Happenings: Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation, Tuesday, Nov. 7, at noon, and Morning Minyan, Wednesday, Nov. 8, at 8:30 am.

(5) Havurah Sanctuary Committee Meeting, Tuesday, Nov. 7, 7:00-9:00 pm - Let us continue together our work for immigrant justice. Join us for the next meeting of Havurah's Sanctuary Committee. Come hear how we are engaging with immigrant communities as well as political actions you can be involved with. We will discuss our plans for the Nov. 30th Vigil at the ICE offices, hear about IMIrJ Accompaniment work, and learn more about rapid response networks. We will continue our discussion about activities we can do as a congregation to educate and energize our community to continue to be engaged with our Sanctuary work. Questions? Contact Bob Brown (rebrown47@gmail.com) or Shari Raider (shari.raider@gmail.com).

(6) Whose Bat or Bar Mitzvah Is It Anyway?, Wednesday, Nov. 8, 7:00-8:15 pm - Led by Deborah Eisenbach-Budner, Education Director, and Laura Orgel, Child & Family Therapist - This workshop is not about logistics or expectations: It is about the meaning of B'nai Mitzvah and its power as a rite of passage for the whole family. We will explore the hopes and fears that inspire, inform and complicate the preparation and planning process. How can we feel more connected to our child in this process? Our partner or ex-partner? Our family of origin? The rituals and liturgy? The community? How do we celebrate the occasion in a way that honors these connections, and our values? This frank and non-judgmental workshop is about the big questions and how they impact the concrete decisions that parents and youth are called upon to make. RSVP here by Nov. 2.

(7) “A Broken Hallelujah,” Tribute to Leonard Cohen on The Night of Broken Glass (Kristallnacht), Thursday, Nov. 9, 7:00 pm, Congregation Beth Israel, 1972 NW Flanders St - A community gathering of music, poetry and reflection, with Beth Israel Cantor Ida Rae Cahana and Havurah Music Coordinator Ilene Safyan, and with the following special guests: Havurah members Sacha Reich and Andrew Ehrlich, Wendy Westerwelle, Courtney Von Drehl, Ralph Huntley, Ji Tanzer, and Ben Sandler. Sponsored by the Institute for Judaic Studies, Beth Israel, Havurah Shalom, Neveh Shalom, and the Oregon Jewish Museum & Center for Holocaust Education. Light reception and discussion to follow. Suggested donation of $10. (Above poster was designed by Hannah Westerman.)

(8) Last Chance to Help Finish Courtyard Mosaic - This is when it all comes together! Check out Barbara Gundle's photos of artist Lynn Takata and Havurah members applying the tiles and glass that Havurahniks made to the backing board. This is one of the last steps before the murals will be installed in our courtyard. Havurah members have one more opportunity to help: Sunday, Nov. 12, between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm. Learn more and RSVP here!

Above photo taken by Barbara Gundle.

(9) Dorot Shabbat, Friday, Nov. 17, 6:00 pm - Join Havurah families for a casual family-friendly and music-filled service. Beginning with candle lighting, Kiddush and challah, the service continues with prayers and music led by Jacob Mandelsberg, Sarah Shine, Gabe Adoff, Tanja Lux, and Ilene Moss. A vegetarian potluck dinner will follow the service. Please bring a dish to share! Questions? Contact Karen Pomerantz at karen_pomerantz@yahoo.com. Please RSVP here by Nov. 15.

(10) Water Is Life, Thursday, Nov. 16, 6:30-9:00 pm - Join us to hear a unique perspective on the pipeline and its implications for water and climate. Panelists will include youth from the Yurok, Hoope and Karuk tribes, traveling all the way from Northern California to share their perspective and a video recently produced by the Klamath tribes in southeast Oregon in opposition to the massive proposals to pipe, liquefy, and export fracked gas through the Northwest. All are invited to the evening. Learn more here and how to RSVP for the evening. Havurah high school and middle school students are also invited to a dinner with the tribal youth at 5:30 pm. Click here to learn more about the dinner.

(11) Havurah Shalom Book Discussion Group, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 7:00-8:30 pm - Please join us for discussion led by Stacy Hankin of The Luminous Heart of Jonah S. by Gina Nahai. This book tells the story of an Iranian Jewish family that is tormented for decades by Raphael's son, a crafty and unscrupulous financier who has futilely claimed to be an heir to the family's fortune. Forty years later he has nearly achieved his goals when he suddenly disappears, presumed by many to have been murdered. "Lyrical, shrewd, and daring, novelist Nahai ... writes with acute emotional and nearly anthropological perception, laser-wit, and deep compassion." Contact marjoriewalters@gmail.com if you have questions. An RSVP through the Havurah website will help the discussion leader know how many will be attending.

(12) New Guidelines for Submitting News for Weekly Emails - We are an increasingly active community, so we have a growing number of posts in our weekly emails. To make it easier for Havurah members to find the news they're interested in, we're asking that future email submissions not exceed 125 words. You'll find the email submission form here and on our website. You can submit longer descriptions for our online calendar using the same link. Just indicate that the longer description is for our online calendar. Also, please select a maximum of three dates when you'd like your email to be in the weekly email. To request an exception, please email teri@havurahshalom.org. Thank you for your understanding!

Above photo taken by Michael Heumann.

Fun Photos of Singing in the Sukkah, Havurahniks of All Ages - Photos of Havurahniks singing in our sukkah on Oct. 8 just came in. Check them out here!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(1) Premiere of Documentary Film 'Priced Out,' Wednesday, Nov. 1, 7:00 pm, Whitsell Auditorium in the Portland Art Museum, 1219 SW Park Ave – 'Priced Out,' the new film edited and co-produced by Havurah member Eric Maxen, will premiere at the 44th annual Portland Filmmakers Festival. The film is about gentrification and its impact on the African American population in Portland's Albina neighborhood, and is a sequel to the 2002 film 'Northeast Passage.' For more details about the premiere and to buy tickets: https://nwfilm.org/films/priced-out/. For more details about the film: www.PricedOutMovie.com. Questions? Contact Rachel Plotinsky, plotinsky@hotmail.com.

(2) Outside the Frame Gala Screening: 'Leaving Home,' Monday, Nov. 13 - Doors open at 5:30 pm with beverages and snacks provided; Seating at 6:00 pm; Portland Center Stage at The Armory - This show is for all ages! - Join Outside The Frame for a special gala screening of new films by and with youth experiencing homelessness in Portland, presented with Outside In and Prosper Portland. Filmmakers will be in attendance. A Lifetime Achievement Award this year will be presented to Tia Plympton to recognize her decades of work and mentorship with homeless youth. The theatre will undoubtedly fill up, so reserve your tickets online here. Questions? Contact Nili Yosha at nili@otfpdx.org.

(3) 'Homeward,' Nov. 16 & 17 at 7:30 pm, and Nov. 18 at 7:00 & 9:00 pm, World Trade Center #2, 121 SW Salmon - Ari Shapiro, son of Havurah members Len and Elayne Shapiro, will present 'Homeward,' his new one-man show with music, on Nov. 16, 17 and 18. Learn more about Ari and his one-man show in this month’s Oregon Jewish Life.

(4) Awakening the Divine Jewish Spirituality Retreat, Jan. 2-7 - Rabbi Benjamin will co-lead this five-day retreat on the East Coast in January, alongside other skilled teachers of contemplative Jewish practice. Rabbi James Jacobson-Maisels, the retreat’s lead teacher, is one of the foremost teachers of meditation in the Jewish world today. This is Rabbi Benjamin’s third year teaching at this retreat, and he would be happy to answer any questions for those who are interested. You can learn more on this flier.

Please use this form to submit stories for this weekly community email. Submissions are due by noon on Tuesday each week.

Havurah Shalom is a vibrant, egalitarian, and diverse Jewish Reconstructionist community. Steeped in Jewish values, Havurah promotes spirituality, learning, and acts of social responsibility.

Find our calendar and learn more at www.havurahshalom.org.

825 NW 18th Ave, Portland, OR 97209
503-248-4662

Havurah Shalom
825 NW 18th Ave
Portland, OR 97209

Oct. 25 Community Email

Weekly Community Email, Oct. 25

HAVURAH HAPPENINGS
(1) Upcoming Shabbat (2) Thank You to Our Sukkah Take-Down Crew (3) Wednesday Events (4) Thursday Events (5) Refugee Support Meeting (6) A Broken Hallelujah - Tribute to Leonard Cohen on Kristallnacht (7) Whose Bat or Bar Mitzvah Is It Anyway? (8) Nov. 10 Kabbalat Shabbat with Dinner - RSVP Now!

ANNOUNCEMENTS
(1) Premiere of Documentary 'Priced Out' (2) Outside the Frame's 'Leaving Home' (3) Awakening the Divine Jewish Spirituality Retreat (4) Weekend in Quest (5) Developing an Eastside Jewish Commons

HAVURAH HAPPENINGS

(1) Upcoming Shabbat

Erev Shabbat with Portland Just Energy Transition Initiative, Friday, Oct. 27, 7:00 pm - The Havurah Climate Action Team invites you to this Erev Shabbat service, where we will be joined by Jo Ann Hardesty, President of the Portland NAACP, and Anaïs Tuepker, from 350PDX, who will lead a presentation after services about the Portland Just Energy Transition Initiative. The initiative has been developed by a diverse group of local organizations representing communities of color and the climate movement in Portland. Come, learn more, and find out how you can help. Questions? Contact Michael Heumann (503-880-2226) or Elianne Lieberman (503-422-6402). RSVP here.
Bar Mitzvah of Ari Mesulam, Saturday, Oct. 28, 10:00 am - This Saturday, Ari Mesulam, son of Steve Mesulam and Julia Lager-Mesulam (Havurah's Vice President), will be called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah. Please join us in celebrating with Ari and his family, and welcome Ari to our community. Mazel tov!

(2) Thank You, Sukkah Take-Down Team! - Many thanks to Michael Alter, Daniel Cogan, Andy Waxman, Daniel Raider, and Ken Lerner for spending Sunday morning taking down our sukkah and cleaning up our courtyard! Special thanks to Michael Alter for being Havurah's lead point person for the sukkah, for helping Tivnu build the sukkah and for leading the take-down team. (Above photo was taken by Estee Segal during Sukkot this year.)

(3) Wednesday, Oct. 25

Training to Volunteer at Portland Homeless Family Solutions (PHFS) Goose Hollow Shelter, 5:00 pm, 1838 SW Jefferson - If you'd like to attend a training so you can join other Havurah members on our volunteer night at Goose Hollow Shelter, RSVP to Bethany Rocci at bethany@pdxhfs.org. An even simpler way to see how the PHFS program is run and to meet other Havurahniks, staff, and some of the families being served: Sign up to help with a meal. Meal Providers do not need to attend an orientation! Contact Elayne Shapiro, elayneshapiro@gmail.com or Leonard Shapiro, lenshap@gmail.com. All other questions: Gloria Halper at losninos6@gmail.com.
Middle School & High School, 6:30 pm
Ongoing Narrative of Torah Class, 7:00 pm

(4) Thursday, Oct. 26 (details on Havurah's website calendar)

Last Thursday Witness, IMIrJ I.C.E. Vigil, 10:00 am
Tikkun Olam Equity Meeting, 7:00 pm
MACG Delegates Assembly, 7:00 pm

(5) Refugee Support Meeting, Thursday, Nov. 2, 6:30-8:00 pm - This is an opportunity for new and veteran Catholic Charities volunteers from our congregation to meet for support, information and inspiration. Please join us, even if you aren’t yet a volunteer and are simply curious. Questions? Email Rebecca Darling-Budner at rbudner@yahoo.com. Please RSVP here.

(6) “A Broken Hallelujah,” Tribute to Leonard Cohen on The Night of Broken Glass (Kristallnacht), Thursday, Nov. 9, 7:00 pm, Congregation Beth Israel, 1972 NW Flanders St - A community gathering of music, poetry and reflection, with Beth Israel Cantor Ida Rae Cahana and Havurah Music Coordinator Ilene Safyan, and with the following special guests: Havurah members Sacha Reich and Andrew Ehrlich, Wendy Westerwelle, Courtney Von Drehl, Ralph Huntley, Ji Tanzer, and Ben Sandler. Sponsored by the Institute for Judaic Studies, Beth Israel, Havurah Shalom, Neveh Shalom, and the Oregon Jewish Museum & Center for Holocaust Education. Light reception and discussion to follow. Suggested donation of $10. (Above poster was designed by Hannah Westerman.)

(7) Whose Bat or Bar Mitzvah Is It Anyway?, Wednesday, Nov. 8, 7:00-8:15 pm - Led by Deborah Eisenbach-Budner, Education Director, and Laura Orgel, Child & Family Therapist - This workshop is not about logistics or expectations: It is about the meaning of B'nai Mitzvah and its power as a rite of passage for the whole family. We will explore the hopes and fears that inspire, inform and complicate the preparation and planning process. How can we feel more connected to our child in this process? Our partner or ex-partner? Our family of origin? The rituals and liturgy? The community? How do we celebrate the occasion in a way that honors these connections, and our values? This frank and non-judgmental workshop is about the big questions and how they impact the concrete decisions that parents and youth are called upon to make. RSVP here by Nov. 2.

(8) Kabbalat Shabbat Dinner & Service, Friday, Nov. 10, 6:30 pm Dinner, 7:30 pm Service - Our catered, vegetarian Kabbalat Shabbat Dinner begins at 6:30 pm, followed by a musical Kabbalat Shabbat Service at 7:30 pm. For dinner, we offer dairy-free, gluten-free, and nut-free choices, and you’re invited to bring wine or juice to celebrate Shabbat. Childcare is available for kids age 2 to 8. Please RSVP here for the dinner by Nov. 6. Cost adjustments are available at 503-248-4662.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(1) Premiere of Documentary Film 'Priced Out,' Wednesday, Nov. 1, 7:00 pm, Whitsell Auditorium in the Portland Art Museum, 1219 SW Park Ave – 'Priced Out,' the new film edited and co-produced by Havurah member Eric Maxen, will premiere at the 44th annual Portland Filmmakers Festival. The film is about gentrification and its impact on the African American population in Portland's Albina neighborhood, and is a sequel to the 2002 film 'Northeast Passage.' For more details about the premiere and to buy tickets: https://nwfilm.org/films/priced-out/. For more details about the film: www.PricedOutMovie.com. Questions? Contact Rachel Plotinsky, plotinsky@hotmail.com.

(2) Outside the Frame Gala Screening: 'Leaving Home,' Monday, Nov. 13 - Doors open at 5:30 pm with beverages and snacks provided; Seating at 6:00 pm; Portland Center Stage at The Armory - This show is for all ages! - Join Outside The Frame for a special gala screening of new films by and with youth experiencing homelessness in Portland, presented with Outside In and Prosper Portland. Filmmakers will be in attendance. A Lifetime Achievement Award this year will be presented to Tia Plympton to recognize her decades of work and mentorship with homeless youth. The theatre will undoubtedly fill up, so reserve your tickets online here. Questions? Contact Nili Yosha at nili@otfpdx.org.

(3) Awakening the Divine Jewish Spirituality Retreat, Jan. 2-7 - Rabbi Benjamin will co-lead this five-day retreat on the East Coast in January, alongside other skilled teachers of contemplative Jewish practice. Rabbi James Jacobson-Maisels, the retreat’s lead teacher, is one of the foremost teachers of meditation in the Jewish world today. This is Rabbi Benjamin’s third year teaching at this retreat, and he would be happy to answer any questions for those who are interested. You can learn more on this flier.

(4) "Jewish Masculinity and Femininity in the Premodern World" with Professors Rena Lauer and Yiftakh (Kevin) Osterloh of OSU, March 2-4 - The Institute for Judaic Studies presents the 12th Annual Weekend in Quest at the Holiday Inn Express, Astoria. Shabbat Services led by Rabbi Joshua Rose of Congregation Shaarie Torah. Learn more and register at www.weekendinquest.org. You can download a flier here. Questions: Contact Mimi Epstein at mimiepstein42@comcast.net.

(5) Developing an Eastside Jewish Commons - Community leaders have been actively discussing developing a shared Jewish community space on Portland's Eastside. The Jewish Eastside Commons initiative envisions a large enough space to accommodate multiple programs at the same time. The project team is seeking input from the Eastside Jewish community. Please join one of two remaining community conversations: Sunday, Nov. 12, 2-4 pm, Taborspace, 5441 SE Belmont St; Tuesday, Nov. 14, 6-8 pm, McMenamins Kennedy School, 5736 NE 33rd Ave. RSVP at http://bit.ly/2xJlUjj as space is limited.

Please use this form to submit stories for this weekly community email. Submissions are due by noon on Tuesday each week.

Havurah Shalom is a vibrant, egalitarian, and diverse Jewish Reconstructionist community. Steeped in Jewish values, Havurah promotes spirituality, learning, and acts of social responsibility.

Find our calendar and learn more at www.havurahshalom.org.

825 NW 18th Ave, Portland, OR 97209
503-248-4662

Havurah Shalom
825 NW 18th Ave
Portland, OR 97209

Oct. 18 Community Email

Weekly Community Email, Oct. 18

HAVURAH HAPPENINGS
(1) Upcoming Shabbat (2) Ambiguity & the Multiple Narratives of Torah (3) A Wonderful Simchat Torah (4) The Settlers (5) Courtyard Mosaic Project (6) Book Group Meeting (7) Erev Shabbat with Portland Just Energy Transition Initiative (8) PHFS Goose Hollow Direct Service Project (9) Refugee Support Meeting (10) A Broken Hallelujah - Tribute to Leonard Cohen on Kristallnacht (11) November Kabbalat Shabbat with Dinner

ANNOUNCEMENTS
(1) Awakening the Divine Jewish Spirituality Retreat (2) Weekend in Quest (3) Reconstructionist Podcasts (4) Developing an Eastside Jewish Commons (5) Jewish Pride Greater PDX Happy Hour

HAVURAH HAPPENINGS

(1) Upcoming Shabbat, Saturday, Oct. 21, Community Minyan, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm – Join Rabbi Benjamin, Barbara Slader, Roger Brewer, Chaim Wolin, Chris Coughlin, Laura Orgel, and Karen St. Clair this Saturday to daven, and to read and discuss Parsha Noah. Tot Shabbat families will join the minyan during the Torah service.

Tot Shabbat, 10:30 - 11:30 am – Young children and their parents celebrate Shabbat with singing, movement, blessings, and storytelling. We touch on the main highlights of the Shabbat morning service: wonder, fun, song, listening to the world, dancing, and Torah. Tot Shabbat is fashioned for the under-6 crowd, but older kids are welcome (and can help tell a story, etc.). Afterwards, we enjoy an informal potluck oneg nosh and the chance to play and schmooze. Led by Deborah Eisenbach-Budner. Please RSVP by Wednesday, Oct. 18.

(2) Ambiguity & the Multiple Narratives of Torah, Taught by Rabbi Benjamin, Wednesdays, 7:00-8:30 pm, Oct. 18, 25; Nov. 1, 8, 15, 29 - The Hebrew Bible is rich with ambiguity. While we carry many assumptions about its points of view, the Torah is in fact multilayered and nuanced. Through close readings of particular Biblical narratives, including those of Abraham, Hagar, Jacob, and David, and with the aid of ancient and contemporary responses, we will re-read the literature that is Torah, exploring its artistry and reflecting on the ways in which it expresses and comments upon the nature of humanity. Please RSVP here.

The above photo from our Simchat Torah celebration was taken by Ellen Regal. Click here to see more photos in our Facebook photo album.

(3) Thank You For a Wonderful Simchat Torah! - Many thanks to all who made our Simchat Torah celebration so joyful: Rabbi Benjamin, Ilene Safyan, Deborah Eisenbach-Budner, Holidays Co-Chairs Patricia Schwartz and Gaby Saunders, Lead Simchat Torah Organizer Beth Shreve, and her team of Marian Rhys, Elise Granek, Sandy Ramirez, and Beverlee Cutler.

From Ilene Safyan to all the Simchat Torah musicians: "So many thanks to our “Havurah Party Band” that assembled for our Simchat Torah celebration. To Jacob Mandelsberg, guitar and vocals; Chaim Wolin, clarinet; Gabe Adoff, standup bass; Roger Brewer, guitar and vocals; Karen Stolzberg, percussion; Kate Dreyfus, vocals; Sacha Reich, vocals; Aaron Pearlman, guitar and vocals; Miriam Reshotko, vocals; Rabbi Benjamin, vocals and guitar ... your music put smiles on our faces, and raised our spirits, voices, and our energy! Thanks so much for the beautiful, spirited music. It added so much!"

(4) Israeli Film "The Settlers" Screening, Sunday, Oct. 22, 2:00 pm, Neveh Shalom, 2900 SW Peaceful Lane - Join us for a screening of the film, "The Settlers," previously shown at the Jewish Film Festival. “Opens a rare window into the reclusive and politically explosive ‘hilltop youth’ movement. … Chronicles the germination of the early settler movement after Israel captured the West Bank from Jordan in 1967, including the ideas and religious zeal that fueled it. … One of the first close-up views of the motives and personalities in a group that rarely opens up to outsiders.”- James Glanz, The New York Times. Refreshments and discussion to follow screening. Free and open to the public. This event is co-sponsored by Havurah’s Tikkun Olam Committee. Questions? Contact Nancy Becker at nancyjbecker@gmail.com. Learn more on this flier.

Above photo of tile making at Havurah was taken by Barbara Gundle.

(5) Courtyard Mosaic Project, Oct. 22-24 - Come help with our mosaic art project! We will apply the tiles and glass that we made several months ago to the backing board in preparation for the installation of our new murals. Let us know on this doodle poll, tinyurl.com/HSmosaic, when you'd like to join us by selecting the time(s) and day(s) that work for you.

(6) Book Discussion Group, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 7:00-8:30 pm - Please join us for a geography lesson of the heart. Ruth Feldman will lead us in a discussion of The Best Place on Earth (HarperCollins Canada), a collection of short stories by Ayelet Tsabari. A child of the 1970s and 1980s, Tsabari was born in Israel to a family of Yemeni descent. “I grew up not seeing myself and my family in literature,” she says, “so writing The Best Place on Earth was a way to create the characters that were missing from my childhood stories." Learn more and RSVP here if you can come.

(7) Erev Shabbat with Portland Just Energy Transition Initiative, Friday, Oct. 27, 7:00 pm - The Havurah Climate Action Team invites you to this Erev Shabbat service, where we will be joined by Jo Ann Hardesty, President of the Portland NAACP, and Anaïs Tuepker, from 350PDX, who will lead a presentation after services about the Portland Just Energy Transition Initiative. The initiative has been developed by a diverse group of local organizations representing communities of color and the climate movement in Portland. Come, learn more, and find out how you can help. Questions? Contact Michael Heumann (503-880-2226) or Elianne Lieberman (503-422-6402). Learn more and RSVP here.

(8) Portland Homeless Family Solutions (PHFS) Goose Hollow Direct Service Project - If the concept of direct service, that is meeting face to face with the people you intend to help, has meaning for you, check out PHFS. How? On their website or by attending a very short orientation -- only 1 hour. Next orientation: Oct. 25, at 5:00 pm, at the Goose Hollow shelter, 1838 SW Jefferson. RSVP to Bethany Rocci at bethany@pdxhfs.org. An even simpler way to see how the program is run and to meet other Havurahniks, as well as staff and some of those families being served, is to sign up to help with a meal. Meal Providers do not need to attend an orientation! Contact Elayne Shapiro, elayneshapiro@gmail.com or Leonard Shapiro, lenshap@gmail.com. All other questions: Gloria Halper, losninos6@gmail.com.

(9) Refugee Support Meeting, Thursday, Nov. 2, 6:30 - 8:00 pm - This is an opportunity for new and veteran Catholic Charities volunteers from our congregation to meet for support, information, and inspiration. Please join us, even if you aren’t yet a volunteer and are simply curious. Questions? Email Rebecca Darling-Budner at rbudner@yahoo.com. Please RSVP here.

(10) “A Broken Hallelujah,” Tribute to Leonard Cohen on The Night of Broken Glass (Kristallnacht), Thursday, Nov. 9, 7:00 pm, Congregation Beth Israel, 1972 NW Flanders St - A community gathering of music, poetry and reflection, with Cantor Ida Rae Cahana and Ilene Safyan, and with special guests Sacha Reich, Wendy Westerwelle, Courtney Von Drehl, Ralph Huntley, Andrew Ehrlich, Ji Tanzer, and Ben Sandler. Sponsored by the Institute for Judaic Studies, Beth Israel, Havurah Shalom, Neveh Shalom, and the Oregon Jewish Museum & Center for Holocaust Education. Light reception and discussion to follow. Suggested donation of $10.

(11) Kabbalat Shabbat Dinner & Service, Friday, Nov. 10, 6:30 pm Dinner, 7:30 pm Service - Our catered, vegetarian Kabbalat Shabbat Dinner begins at 6:30 pm, followed by a musical Kabbalat Shabbat Service at 7:30 pm. For dinner, we offer dairy-free, gluten-free, and nut-free choices, and you’re invited to bring wine or juice to celebrate Shabbat. Childcare is available for kids age 2 to 8. Please RSVP here for the dinner by Nov. 6. Cost adjustments are available at 503-248-4662.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(1) Awakening the Divine Jewish Spirituality Retreat, Jan. 2-7 - Rabbi Benjamin will co-lead this five-day retreat on the East Coast in January, alongside other skilled teachers of contemplative Jewish practice. Rabbi James Jacobson-Maisels, the retreat’s lead teacher, is one of the foremost teachers of meditation in the Jewish world today. This is Rabbi Benjamin’s third year teaching at this retreat, and he would be happy to answer any questions for those who are interested. You can learn more on this flier.

(2) "Jewish Masculinity and Femininity in the Premodern World" with Professors Rena Lauer and Yiftakh (Kevin) Osterloh of OSU, March 2-4 - The Institute for Judaic Studies presents the 12th Annual Weekend in Quest at the Holiday Inn Express, Astoria. Shabbat Services led by Rabbi Joshua Rose of Congregation Shaarie Torah. Learn more and register at www.weekendinquest.org. You can download a flier here. Questions: Contact Mimi Epstein at mimiepstein42@comcast.net.

(3) Reconstructionism Today Podcasts - Click here to listen to podcasts from the RRC/Jewish Reconstructionist Communities.

(4) Developing an Eastside Jewish Commons - Community leaders have been actively discussing developing a shared Jewish community space on Portland's Eastside. The Jewish Eastside Commons initiative envisions a large enough space to accommodate multiple programs at the same time. The project team is seeking input from the Eastside Jewish community. Please join one of three community conversations: Sunday, Oct. 22, 4-6 pm, Mt Scott Community Center, 5530 SE 72nd Ave; Sunday, Nov. 12, 2-4 pm, Taborspace, 5441 SE Belmont St; Tuesday, Nov. 14, 6-8 pm, McMenamins Kennedy School, 5736 NE 33rd Ave. RSVP at http://bit.ly/2xJlUjj as space is limited.

(5) Jewish Pride Greater PDX Happy Hour & Trivia Game Night, Thursday, Oct. 26, 6:30 pm, Hobo’s Bar, 120 SW Third Ave, Portland – First drinks and appetizers are on Jewish Pride PDX!

Please use this form to submit stories for this weekly community email. Submissions are due by noon on Tuesday each week.

Havurah Shalom is a vibrant, egalitarian, and diverse Jewish Reconstructionist community. Steeped in Jewish values, Havurah promotes spirituality, learning, and acts of social responsibility.

Find our calendar and learn more at www.havurahshalom.org.

825 NW 18th Ave, Portland, OR 97209
503-248-4662

Havurah Shalom
825 NW 18th Ave
Portland, OR 97209

Havurah Shalom

Feb. 14 - Love & Community

Feb. 7 - Kabbalat Shabbat, Lev Tahor

Purim 2018: Live the Chai Life!

Jan. 31 Community Email - Tu B'Shevat

Jan. 24 Community Email

Jan. 17 Community Email

Jan. 10 Community Email

Jan. 3 Community Email

Dec. 20 Community Email

Dec. 13 Community Email

It Takes a Village

Weekend In Quest

Dec. 6 Community Email

Nov. 29 Community Email

Nov. 22 Community Email

Nov. 15 Community Email

Nov. 8 Community Email

Nov. 1 Community Email

Oct. 25 Community Email

Oct. 18 Community Email

Havurah Updates

Hineinu: Learn & Connect; May 9 & 10 Musical Shabbaton with Aly Halpert

Hineinu: Solidarity Shabbat, Jewish Ethical Responses to Racism, Musical Shabbaton w/ Aly Halpert, and More

Hineinu: Seders on Friday, Pesach Yizkor, Grandparent/Parent Huddle, and More

Upcoming Events

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