March 15 Community Email
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Havurah Sanctuary Community Meeting on April 2, Deborah on NPR, April 5 Event
UPCOMING SHABBAT Bar Mitzvah of Jesse Litwin This Saturday Jesse Litwin, son of Jennifer and Seth Litwin, will be called to the Torah as a bar mitzvah. Please join us in celebrating with Jesse and his family, and welcome Jesse as a member of our community. PURIM PHOTOS, VIDEO & THANKS We had a fun and full house of Purim Pandemonium on March 11. Click here to see the names of all the people who made the party possible, in addition to Saul Korin, lead organizer, and Dan Reid, lead spiel writer. Here are wonderful photos taken by Barbara Gundle and a video of the spiel. In case you missed it, you can hear NPR's story about Purim here, which includes great quotes from Havurah Education Director Deborah Eisenbach-Budner. TIKKUN OLAM Rabbi Joey & Black Parent Initiative Founder Charles McGee On Friday, March 24, Havurah will host a short Shabbat service followed by a conversation between Rabbi Joey and Charles McGee, co-founder and president of the Black Parent Initiative. This is the first of several events honoring Rabbi Joey as he leaves his decades-long role as Havurah Shalom's rabbi.
Above photo is of Charles McGee. The conversation between Charles McGee and Rabbi Joey will be facilitated by Steve Goldberg, with Michael Eric Dyson's book Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America as a launching point. The conversation will explore the history that Jews and African Americans have in common and the possibilities of supporting each other. You can learn more about Charles McGee here in Street Roots. Please RSVP here if you can come! You can also use the link to RSVP for other events planned for April 20-22 in honor of Rabbi Joey. Sierra Club Presentation on Closing PGE Coal-Fired Power Plants The Havurah Climate Action Team will host a presentation by Gregory Monahan, Ph.D., from the Sierra Club. Dr. Monahan will discuss the implications of Portland General Electric’s proposal to replace the Carty-Boardman coal-fired power plant with two gas-fired power plants. This decision would lock Oregon into decades more o climate-disrupting fossil fuel energy just when clean and renewable energy sources like wind and solar are more affordable than ever. Become more informed about the issues and options, and have your questions answered. Please plan to join us for this informative presentation. For more information, contact Michael Heumann (503-880-2226, heumanncycle@gmail.com). Please RSVP here if you can come. How Does Havurah Realize our Sanctuary Commitment? Did you know that in 2016, Havurah Shalom signed the Sanctuary Pledge to be a Sanctuary Congregation? (See the pledge here.) We joined dozens of Portland Faith Communities, supported by Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice, pledged to stand in solidarity and support with immigrant and refugee communities who are facing extreme pressures to their everyday existence. By signing this pledge, we are dedicated to educating ourselves, speaking out and taking action. But what does being a Sanctuary Congregation mean to Havurah? It is important and timely for the larger Havurah community to become involved in establishing what we can and are willing to provide toward this effort. Questions? Contact Kathy at farvergordon@gmail.com, or Shari at shari.raider@gmail.com, or Bob at rebrown47@gmail.com. Please join us for an important community meeting to explore our next steps. Please RSVP here. It's In Our Hands: Intergenerational Activism Fair for Reproductive Justice
Purchase beautiful hand-made items to benefit Planned Parenthood (providing reproductive healthcare), Momentum Alliance (inspiring youth), and Western States Center (building diverse reproductive justice leadership). Delight in the creativity of your community. Bring your checkbook, cash, and/or open heart! New Email List for Rallies Havurahniks, there's nothing like a Trump presidency to inspire action! So, are you interested in attending rallies, protesting, calling senators, writing postcards, etc. with other Havurah folks? If so, the Tikkun Olam email list (separate from the committee list) is being repurposed, and instead Rebecca Darling-Budner is now facilitating an email list that will be solely used for organizing ourselves to take action together. To join the list, just shoot her an email requesting to be a member, rbudner@yahoo.com.
Portland Homeless Family Solutions Goose Hollow Shelter Project What does one experience as a volunteer with Portland Homeless Family Solutions at their Goose Hollow evening shelter? The good feeling of knowing you are helping families in need; direct service volunteering locally; joining with other Havurah volunteers on a monthly basis; stretching past your comfort zone. Curious about Goose Hollow? Have you been thinking about this project for awhile? Start with an orientation – it's just one hour at the shelter: 1838 SW Jefferson, April 11, 4:00 pm. For more information about this Tikkun Olam sponsored project please contact Gloria Halper: losninos6@gmail.com. Save the Date - Climate Action & Info Fair Havurah will host the first ever Havurah Climate Action & Information Fair. Come to learn how we are impacting our environment and our health, and how we can easily make a difference to help reduce the worst aspects of climate chaos that will also make our communities healthier and our homes more comfortable. Havurah is bringing experts and service providers from local agencies and organizations to present information about a range of actions and activities that we can participate in to improve our lives and that of future generations here in the Pacific Northwest. This is a family-friendly event that will have something for the people of all ages (including childcare). We will have a bagel nosh for your brunch.
For more information Please contact Michael Heumann (heumanncycle@gmail.com 503-880-2226). This action and information fair is sponsored by the Havurah Climate Action Team, which is part of your Tikkun Olam Committee. Please RSVP here.
SHEMA HAVURAH! Shema Havurah! Answer the call! Phone-a-thons for our Give Back to the Future! endowment campaign will take place Thursday evening, March 16; Sunday morning March 19; and Thursday evening, March 23. Fellow Havurahniks will be calling all members yet to donate, explaining the campaign and asking for your participation, at whatever level fits your family. Read this letter, visit the Give Back to the Future! website for details, and look for our letter with a pledge card in your snail mail. Please—hear and answer the call! CEMETERY MITZVAH Here’s a chance to do a mitzvah. For over 20 years I have been selling grave sites at our beautiful cemetery. Most of the time it is a leisurely stroll with a family, finding the right spot for themselves or their loved ones. On rare occasion, there is an unexpected death and an emergency burial needs to be dealt with. Since I now do a lot of traveling, we need one or two people willing to fill in when I’m gone. All that is necessary is knowing the layout of the cemetery, being knowledgeable about the map, and knowing our price structure. The funeral home and Metro do the hard work. It’s very easy and it is a wonderful mitzvah to be able to help families when they need it most. If you’re interested or feel you need more information, please call me at (503) 293-6806, or email at dave3082@aol.com. Thanks, JEWISH MUSIC JAM WITH SINGING Saturday, March 18 Everyone is welcome to join Jacob Mandelsberg and Chari Smith for a music workshop. No musical ability is required. If you play an instrument, feel free to bring it along. If you have song(s) to share, please feel free to bring a chord chart and/or lyrics. For questions or to RSVP, contact Shira Organizers: Jacob Mandelsberg, jacobm@sonic.net, 510-220-8871, or Chari Smith, charismith@comcast.net, 971-409-5036. CREATE A LEGACY FOR OUR COURTYARD Three Ceramic Glazing Workshops
Above photo was taken by Barbara Gundle at a fall tile making workshop. Remember the ceramic workshops so many of us enjoyed last fall and winter? Check out these photos from the workshops on Havurah's Facebook page. Now it's time to glaze the tiles so they can be installed this spring! Please sign up below for one of the glazing workshops. The workshops with artist Lynn Takata are free and sponsored by Havurah's Design Committee. Refreshments will be served.
HAVURAH BOOK DISCUSSION Thursday, March 23 The next book group will meet at Havurah to discuss The Family by David Laskin. This is the story about the author’s own genealogy, which details three different paths that his family members took across the span of 150 years. One branch emigrated to America and founded the Maidenform Bra Company; one branch went to Palestine as pioneers and participated in the birth of the State of Israel; and the third branch remained in Europe and endured the Holocaust. Published in 2013, the book has been very well received, with good reviews. Please come and share you your thoughts and reactions about the book in the company of fellow Havurahniks. Bring a small snack if you like. Please RSVP here if you plan to attend. L'HITRAOT JOEY RSVP here for all of the "L'hitraot Joey" events except the April 19 screening of “Torah Treasures & Curious Trash.” Please RSVP here for April 19.
To help with planning, greeting, baking or lunch, contact Debbi at debbinadell@gmail.com. HAVURAH COMMUNITY SEDER Tuesday, April 11 Back by popular demand, Havurah’s very own Beth Hamon and Adela Basayne will lead our community seder on Tuesday, April 11, at 6:00 pm. Adults and children of all ages are welcome! The dinner will be vegetarian, with gluten-free, nut-free and dairy-free options. Reservations are required by April 5. Cost adjustments are available by contacting the Havurah office at rachelp@havurahshalom.org or 503-248-4662 ext 2. TROPE FOR NEW & REFRESHING SKILLS Wednesdays, April 19 & 26, May 3 & 10 This class is for Havurah members who want to read Torah or refresh their trope skills. Basic Hebrew reading skills are required. The goal is for each student to learn how to chant a short aliyah from the Torah. Taught by Ken Lerner. Limited to eight participants. Register here by April 5. IN THE COMMUNITY Ritual Unmoored Opening, March 22, 5:00-7:00 pm, PSU Broadway Gallery Good Deeds Day, April 2 Volunteer with family and friends, putting into practice the simple idea that every single person can do something good. Projects are available all day, including Passover food boxes, blanket-making for vulnerable children, food preparation for the hungry, card-crafting to cheer seniors and more. Family-friendly options are available. All projects will be held at the Schnitzer Family Campus (MJCC/PJA). Calling all 6-12th graders to join us for J-Serve and The Butterfly Project as part of Good Deeds Day Community service hours available! The Butterfly Project uses the lessons of the Holocaust to educate teens about the dangers of hate and bigotry through the painting of ceramic butterflies memorializing each of the 1.5 million children who perished in the Holocaust. 6th-12th graders are invited to create a Portland installation of butterflies and learn the importance of #NeverAgain. PSU Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies Click here to read the March newsletter listing upcoming classes and events. Tivnu Resident Advisor Opening Tivnu: Building Justice is seeking a Resident Advisor (Madrich/ah) for the 2017-18 cohort. Beginning in late August 2017, the Resident Advisor will join Tivnu's dedicated staff and create a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for participants on the Tivnu Gap Year. Live on-site with 8-15 participants and support their success as they create a pluralistic Jewish communal home and intern at grassroots nonprofit organizations. Learn more about this position and apply by sending your resume and cover letter to steve@tivnu.org and anna@tivnu.org. Learn more about the job opening here. Reading at Annie Bloom's Books, April 20 Havurah members Ruth Feldman and Amber Keyser will read from their new novels, "Seven Stitches" and "Pointe, Claw," at Annie Bloom's Books, 7834 SW Capitol Hwy, on Thursday, April 20, at 7:00 pm.
M’Yad L’Yad: From Hand to Hand — The Chain of Our Tradition How does Judaism get passed on within communities, from person to person and from one generation to the next?
As we celebrate Shabbat in a beautiful PNW setting, we will look at the challenges we face now, with a focus on inclusivity and hopes for the future, informed by traditional wisdom and a Reconstructionist lens. |
Purim Thanks, Video, Photos & NPR
So many people to thank for making our March 11 Purim Party possible! Thank you to everyone listed below, and to any and all whose names are unintentionally missing.
Most of all, thank you to Saul Korin for being the lead organizer as well as the eveing's DJ, and to Dan Reid, for creating an amusing and contemporary spiel. And thank you to Barbara Gundle for taking the wonderful photos that you can see here in our Facebook album. (You don't have to have a Facebook account to see them.)
If you missed the spiel, you can watch it here.
Did you hear Deborah Eisenbach-Budner on NPR last Saturday? Listen to the story about Purim here.
| Jody | Anderson |
| Nancy | Becker |
| Mark | Berkson |
| Eve | Berry |
| Essie | Bertain |
| Barbara | Block |
| Michelle | Bobowick |
| Naomi | Brown |
| Adam | Caniparoli |
| Jacob | Caniparoli |
| Don | Caniparoli |
| Jeremy | Cohen |
| John | Devlin |
| Laura | Ehrlich |
| Deborah | Eisenbach-Budner |
| Julie | Endress |
| Jacob | Endress |
| Elise | Granek |
| Mike | Heidling |
| Mary | Guertin |
| Debra | Jablonski |
| Greta | Klungness |
| Saul | Korin |
| Stephan | Linder |
| Abigail | Marble |
| Lisa | Menachof |
| Aaron | Pearlman |
| Ellen | Regal |
| Dan | Reid |
| Sarah | Rosenberg |
| Teri | Ruch |
| John | Schultz |
| Patricia | Schwartz |
| Beth | Segal |
| Liza | Springgate |
| Holly | Telerant |
| Phil | Walters |
| Marjorie | Walters |
| Emily | Weltman |
| Leila | Wice |
| Deborah | Wise |
| Joey | Wolf |
| Beth | Yohalem-Ilsley |
| Simon | Yohalem-Ilsley |
March 8 Community Email
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Purim Party, Black Parent Initiative Founder & Rabbi Joey, It's In Our Hands, Trope
Above photo is of Nili Yosha's March 1 screening at Havurah of "Lost Boys of Portlandia" and panel discussion with Portland homeless youth. Photo taken by Michael Heumann. UPCOMING SHABBAT Our Last Kabbalat Shabbat Service with Rabbi Joey Don't miss our last Kabbalat Shabbat with Rabbi Joey on Friday, March 10. The musical and inspiring service will be led by Rabbi Joey and our talented Havurah musicians, Margie Rosenthal, Scott Snyder Steven Sandberg-Lewis, John Duke and Chaim Wolin. Join us! Community Minyan At this Saturday's Community Minyan, we will read and discuss Tetzaveh, which covers the special garments worn by the priests and high priest when serving in the Tabernacle, and much more. We will also read Deuteronomy 25:17-19 and Samuel 15:1-34, remembering the Amalekites' plot to destroy the Jewish people as we prepare to celebrate the defeat of Haman on Purim. All are welcome. Havurah Holy Pandemonium Purim Party
4:30 pm - Singing, Spieling (Interactive Purim storytelling) & More! Cheese pizza will be provided (including gluten-free options). Bring a vegetarian salad (please list ingredients) to share, plus drinks (L'chaims) for young & old. Please help us create a playlist for the Purim dance! Tell our DJ your favorite dance numbers. Email song titles to info@havurahshalom.org. Also, bring some money for a raffle to benefit the ACLU and refugee resettlement programs. RSVP here. REVENGE, JUSTICE, SURVIVAL & CELEBRATION Wednesdays, March 15, 22 & 29 Our joyous and beloved Purim and Pesach traditions are mixed with strains of revenge. Complicated questions echo throughout our texts and celebrations: what are the lines between revenge and justice, survival and subjugating others, self-love and selfishness? The Mekhilta, an ancient midrash collection, which tends to be more universalist and human-centered than most, will be our starting place. Taught by Deborah Eisenbach-Budner. Register here by March 8. RABBI BENJAMIN UPDATE
Rabbi Benjamin expressed appreciation for the collaborative contract negotiation process and, now that it is concluded, looks forward to the next steps in his move to Portland. Stacy Hankin and Amanda Coffey have agreed to co-chair the Rabbi Transition Team and will begin organizing the effort to support Rabbi Benjamin and his family as they plan their relocation as well as exploring ways to foster a smooth transition. We will continue to share updates on this effort through the summer months. Our Spiritual Life Committee has begun plans for Shabbat services in August to meet/welcome and engage with our new rabbi. HAKOL DEADLINE - TUESDAY, MARCH 14 Please submit all articles and photos for the March Hakol via email to Rachel Pollak. If you have any photos of Havurah events over the last few weeks please send them, too. JEWISH MUSIC JAM WITH SINGING Saturday, March 18 Everyone is welcome to join Jacob Mandelsberg and Chari Smith for a music workshop. No musical ability is required. If you play an instrument, feel free to bring it along. If you have song(s) to share, please feel free to bring a chord chart and/or lyrics. For questions or to RSVP, contact Shira Organizers: Jacob Mandelsberg, jacobm@sonic.net, 510-220-8871, or Chari Smith, charismith@comcast.net, 971-409-5036. CREATE A LEGACY FOR OUR COURTYARD Three Ceramic Glazing Workshops
Above photo was taken by Barbara Gundle at a fall tile making workshop. Remember the ceramic workshops so many of us enjoyed last fall and winter? Check out these photos from the workshops on Havurah's Facebook page. Now it's time to glaze the tiles so they can be installed this spring! Please sign up below for one of the glazing workshops. The workshops with artist Lynn Takata are free and sponsored by Havurah's Design Committee. Refreshments will be served.
HAVURAH BOOK DISCUSSION Thursday, March 23 The next book group will meet at Havurah to discuss The Family by David Laskin. This is the story about the author’s own genealogy, which details three different paths that his family members took across the span of 150 years. One branch emigrated to America and founded the Maidenform Bra Company; one branch went to Palestine as pioneers and participated in the birth of the State of Israel; and the third branch remained in Europe and endured the Holocaust. Published in 2013, the book has been very well received, with good reviews. Please come and share you your thoughts and reactions about the book in the company of fellow Havurahniks. Bring a small snack if you like. Please RSVP here if you plan to attend. RABBI JOEY & BLACK PARENT INITIATIVE FOUNDER CHARLES MCGEE Friday, March 24 On Friday, March 24, Havurah will host a short Shabbat service followed by a conversation between Rabbi Joey and Charles McGee, co-founder and president of the Black Parent Initiative. This is the first of several events honoring Rabbi Joey as he leaves his decades-long role as Havurah Shalom's rabbi.
Above photo is of Charles McGee. The conversation between Charles McGee and Rabbi Joey will be facilitated by Steve Goldberg, with Michael Eric Dyson's book Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America as a launching point. The conversation will explore the history that Jews and African Americans have in common and the possibilities of supporting each other. You can learn more about Charles McGee here in Street Roots. Please RSVP here if you can come! You can also use the link to RSVP for other events planned for April 20-22 in honor of Rabbi Joey. L'HITRAOT JOEY Our farewell and thank you to Rabbi Joey, L'hitraot Joey, begins with the March 24 service described above and continues with the events listed below. RSVP here for all of the events except the April 19 screening of “Torah Treasures & Curious Trash.” Please RSVP here for April 19.
To help with planning, greeting, baking or lunch, contact Debbi at debbinadell@gmail.com. SIERRA CLUB PRESENTATION ON CLOSING PGE COAL-FIRED POWER PLANTS Monday, March 27 The Havurah Climate Action Team will host a presentation by Gregory Monahan, Ph.D., from the Sierra Club. Dr. Monahan will discuss the implications of Portland General Electric’s proposal to replace the Carty-Boardman coal-fired power plant with two gas-fired power plants. This decision would lock Oregon into decades more o climate-disrupting fossil fuel energy just when clean and renewable energy sources like wind and solar are more affordable than ever. Become more informed about the issues and options, and have your questions answered. Please plan to join us for this informative presentation. For more information, contact Michael Heumann (503-880-2226, heumanncycle@gmail.com). IT'S IN OUR HANDS Intergenerational Activism Fair for Reproductive Justice
The Reproductive Health Equity Act (RHEA) ensures that Oregonians, regardless of income, citizenship status, gender identity or type of insurance, have access to the full range of preventive reproductive health services, including family planning, abortion, and postpartum care. The groundswell of support is growing in Salem and around the state, and there was an Action and Lobby Day on Feb. 28 with over 450 participants, including numerous Havurahniks. RHEA been recently highlighted in the NY Times, Mother Jones and Time magazine because of the exciting policy that Oregon is moving towards. HAVURAH COMMUNITY SEDER Tuesday, April 11 Back by popular demand, Havurah’s very own Beth Hamon and Adela Basayne will lead our community seder on Tuesday, April 11, at 6:00 pm. Adults and children of all ages are welcome! The dinner will be vegetarian, with gluten-free, nut-free and dairy-free options. Reservations are required by April 5. Cost adjustments are available by contacting the Havurah office at rachelp@havurahshalom.org or 503-248-4662 ext 2. TROPE FOR NEW & REFRESHING SKILLS Wednesdays, April 19 & 26, May 3 & 10 This class is for Havurah members who want to read Torah or refresh their trope skills. Basic Hebrew reading skills are required. The goal is for each student to learn how to chant a short aliyah from the Torah. Taught by Ken Lerner. Limited to eight participants. Register here by April 5. PORTLAND HOMELESS FAMILY SOLUTIONS GOOSE HOLLOW SHELTER Every night of the year at Goose Hollow a few walls on wheels are rolled out, one connecting to the next, until there are four units created on two walls in a church basement. (See photo below.) Inside the approximate 8' by 8' unit are foam pads, sheets, pillows and blankets that each of the eight families is given to create their "bedroom" for their night's sleep. The "door," a curtain, shuts out the vision of the gymnasium in which they will share a breakfast table the following morning before heading out to another day of being a homeless family in Portland, Oregon.
Next two volunteer Goose Hollow orientations at the shelter:
To attend an orientation, contact Bethany Rocci, Goose Hollow Volunteer Coordinator. For any other Goose Hollow issue, contact Gloria Halper. ARE YOU 45-60 YEARS OLD & INTERESTED IN JEWISH ACTIVITIES? Havurah member Carolina Martinez is interested in forming a group of Havurah members between the ages of 45 and 60 to enjoy activities centered around Jewishness. The group could attend films, holiday dances, the Jewish museum, Jewish musical events or comedies, or host Shabbat and holiday dinners together. Other possibilities include creating Judaica together, hiking or camping, or discussing midlife issues. If you’re interested, please email 68.carolina@gmail.com. IN THE COMMUNITY Spanish & Sefardic Music, March 14, 7:00 pm, Beth Israel LeeAnn McKenna (flute) and Peter Zisa (guitar), both extraordinarily talented musicians, will perform a program of Spanish and Sefardic music wih Cantor Ida Rae Cahana. This free program is open to the public. Ritual Unmoored Opening, March 22, 5:00-7:00 pm, PSU Broadway Gallery Good Deeds Day, April 2 Volunteer with family and friends, putting into practice the simple idea that every single person can do something good. Projects are available all day, including Passover food boxes, blanket-making for vulnerable children, food preparation for the hungry, card-crafting to cheer seniors and more. Family-friendly options are available. All projects will be held at the Schnitzer Family Campus (MJCC/PJA). Good Deeds Day is held in conjunction with J-Serve Day of Teen Service for 6th-12th Graders, and presented by the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland in partnership with the Mittleman Jewish Community Center and our many project sponsors and community supporters. Pre-registration required here. Questions? Call 503-245-6449 or email caron@jewishportland.org. Tivnu Resident Advisor Opening Tivnu: Building Justice is seeking a Resident Advisor (Madrich/ah) for the 2017-18 cohort. Beginning in late August 2017, the Resident Advisor will join Tivnu's dedicated staff and create a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for participants on the Tivnu Gap Year. Live on-site with 8-15 participants and support their success as they create a pluralistic Jewish communal home and intern at grassroots nonprofit organizations. Learn more about this position and apply by sending your resume and cover letter to steve@tivnu.org and anna@tivnu.org. Learn more about the job opening here. Reading at Annie Bloom's Books, April 20 Havurah members Ruth Feldman and Amber Keyser will read from their new novels, "Seven Stitches" and "Pointe, Claw," at Annie Bloom's Books, 7834 SW Capitol Hwy, on Thursday, April 20, at 7:00 pm.
M’Yad L’Yad: From Hand to Hand — The Chain of Our Tradition How does Judaism get passed on within communities, from person to person and from one generation to the next?
As we celebrate Shabbat in a beautiful PNW setting, we will look at the challenges we face now, with a focus on inclusivity and hopes for the future, informed by traditional wisdom and a Reconstructionist lens. |
Last Kabbalat Shabbat With Rabbi Joey
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RSVP TODAY FOR OUR LAST KABBALAT SHABBAT WITH RABBI JOEY!
Kabbalat Shabbat Don't miss our last Kabbalat Shabbat Dinner & Service with Rabbi Joey this Friday. Music will be provided by our talented Havurah musicians, Margie Rosenthal, Scott Snyder, Steven Sandberg-Lewis, John Duke, and Chaim Wolin.
All are welcome to enjoy fifty minutes of musical bliss at our joy-filled Kabbalat Shabbat Service following the dinner, at 7:30 pm. Childcare is available for kids ages 2 to 8. Join us!
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M'Yad L'Yad: From Hand to Hand
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As we celebrate Shabbat in a beautiful PNW setting, we will look at the challenges we face now, with a focus on inclusivity and hopes for the future, informed by traditional wisdom and a Reconstructionist lens.
This email content is from the Jewish Reconstructionist Communities in association with the Havurah Shalom's contact for the Pacific NW Shabbaton is Lisa Ellenberg. |
March 1 Community Email
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'Lost Boys' Tonight, Havurah Speaks Out for Immigrants, Purim Pandemonium
UPCOMING SHABBAT Dorot Shabbat
Dorot Shabbat is specifically welcoming to families with children, and also creates a space for all generations to enjoy Shabbat together. Join us for this relaxed, meaningful and sweet way to end a busy week and start Shabbat. Our fabulous Shabbat School parents Jacob Mandlesberg, Sarah Shine and Gabe Adoff will lead us in bringing in Shabbat together with music and prayer. After a short, sweet service, we'll enjoy a vegetarian potluck dinner. Please bring a kid-friendly main dish. RSVP here if you can come. Feel free to invite friends and family to join in as well. The more the merrier! Community Minyan Rabbi Joey and Havurah leaders and leyners at our Community Minyan this Saturday as we read and discuss the Torah portion Terumah, in which Moses receives the ten commandments on stone tablets and is instructed to create a dwelling place for Hashem. Among other things, the mishkan (tabernacle) should include an ark, two cherubs, curtains, and a menorah. SCREENING OF "LOST BOYS OF PORTLANDIA" & NEW FILM FROM OUTSIDE THE FRAME Hosted by the Tikkun Olam Committee of Havurah Shalom, this event is free and for all ages. Refreshments will be provided. HAVURAH SPEAKS OUT AT PRESS CONFERENCE SUPPORTING IMMIGRANTS
The above photo taken by Havurah member Marjorie Walters shows Havurah member Shari Raider speaking on behalf of immigrant rights at last Friday's press conference. From an article in the Portland Occupier: "On Friday February 24, representatives from over 15 faith congregations and justice organizations held a press conference at Augustana Lutheran Church to make known their intention to protect and stand with immigrants facing deportations. Attended by 100 defenders of immigrants and immigrant rights, it was as much a statement of support of bedrock religious principles as it was a unified voice against the bigotry, racism, and xenophobia at the heart of Trump’s policies. It was a clarion call to resistance. ... "Shari Raider of Havurah Shalom connected that timeless call for justice to the ancient texts and history that guide her and her congregation today. “We know these executive orders to be unjust,” she stated. “And as Jews, we understand them to be in conflict with our values, both from the perspective of Torah which teaches us to welcome the stranger, and personal facts that many of our own family histories include stories of immigration. We are here to listen, learn, and yes, to act. To be part of a sanctuary movement in Oregon is to stand in solidarity with our immigrant brothers and sisters, and with all communities feeling under threat by this administration. We know what it means when borders are closed, when fingers are pointed, and we say never again.” Read the full story here. The press conference was also covered by KOIN 6 News and other news outlets. Check out our Tikkun Olam web page to learn how you can get involved. MAZEL TOV TO OUR YOUNG HAVURAH ARTISTS Congratulations to these Havurahniks whose paintings, drawings, and other artistic expressions are on exhibit at the MJCC through Friday in the special juried art exhibit by fifth-eighth graders: Miles Smith, Ravit Pearlman, Jasmine Yohalem-Ilsley, and Isaac Bechtel! At the exhibit, you can read each artist's statement about her or his art. HOUSING LOBBY DAY Thursday, March 2 Show your support for: - Ending no-cause evictions that make tenants vulnerable to the whims of landlords And if you want the full experience, stay for the House Committee on Human Services and Housing hearing and show your support. Lobby Days will provide you with the tools you need to understand the issues and meet with your legislators. You can tell them how important it is to take action through their votes to end the housing crisis. Car pools: Meet at 10:30 am at the MACG office at St. Andrew Catholic Church, 4940 NE 8th Ave., Portland, OR 97211. RSVP to Bob Brown (rebrown47@gmail.com) with your name and address. OUR LAST KABBALAT SHABBAT WITH RABBI JOEY Friday, March 10 Don't miss our last Kabbalat Shabbat with Rabbi Joey on Friday, March 10. Our catered vegetarian dinner will be from 6:30 to 7:30 pm, with a musical, celebratory service beginning at 7:30 pm. The service will be led by Rabbi Joey and our talented Havurah musicians Margie Rosenthal, Scott Snyder Steven Sandberg-Lewis, John Duke and Chaim Wolin. RSVP here for the dinner by Monday, March 6. PLEASE SEND YOUR FAVORITE DANCE TUNES & RSVP
Havurah Holy Pandemonium Purim Party 4:30 pm - Singing, Spieling (Interactive Purim storytelling) & More! Cheese pizza will be provided (including gluten-free options). Bring a vegetarian salad (please list ingredients) to share, plus drinks (L'chaims) for young & old. Please help us create a playlist for the Purim dance! Tell our DJ your favorite dance numbers! Email song titles to info@havurahshalom.org. Also, bring some money for a raffle to benefit the ACLU and refugee resettlement programs. Don't wait to RSVP! Please let us know if you plan to join us so we know how much pizza to order. REVENGE, JUSTICE, SURVIVAL & CELEBRATION Wednesdays, March 15, 22, 29 (starting date has changed) Our joyous and beloved Purim and Pesach traditions are mixed with strains of revenge. Complicated questions echo throughout our texts and celebrations: what are the lines between revenge and justice, survival and subjugating others, self-love and selfishness? The Mekhilta, an ancient midrash collection, which tends to be more universalist and human-centered than most, will be our starting place. Taught by Deborah Eisenbach-Budner. Register here by March 8. CREATE A LEGACY FOR OUR COURTYARD Ceramic Glazing Workshops
Above photo was taken by Barbara Gundle at a fall tile making workshop. Remember the ceramic workshops so many of us enjoyed last fall and winter? Check out these photos on Facebook. Havurahniks of all ages created beautiful tiles for the courtyard art installation planned for this spring. Now it's time to glaze the tiles we made! Please sign up below to come glaze your creations or tiles created by others so they can be installed in the spring. The workshops with artist Lynn Takata are free, sponsored by Havurah's Design Committee, and refreshments will be served.
HAVURAH BOOK DISCUSSION Thursday, March 23 The next book group will meet at Havurah to discuss The Family by David Laskin. This is the story about the author’s own genealogy, which details three different paths that his family members took across the span of 150 years. One branch emigrated to America and founded the Maidenform Bra Company; one branch went to Palestine as pioneers and participated in the birth of the State of Israel; and the third branch remained in Europe and endured the Holocaust. Published in 2013, the book has been very well received, with good reviews. Please come and share you your thoughts and reactions about the book in the company of fellow Havurahniks. Bring a small snack if you like. Please RSVP here if you plan to attend. AN EVENING WITH RABBI JOEY & CHARLES MCGEE Friday, March 24
On Friday, March 24, Havurah will host a short Shabbat service followed by a conversation between Rabbi Joey and Charles McGee, co-founder and president of the Black Parent Initiative. This is the first of several events honoring Rabbi Joey as he leaves his decades-long role as Havurah Shalom's rabbi. A short service will be followed by a conversation between Charles McGee and Rabbi Joey facilitated by Steve Goldberg, with Michael Eric Dyson's book Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America as a launching point. The conversation will explore the history that Jews and African Americans have in common and the possibilities of supporting each other. You can learn more about Charles McGee here in Street Roots. Please RSVP here if you can come! You can also use the link to RSVP for other events planned for April 20-22 in honor of Rabbi Joey. IT'S IN OUR HANDS Intergenerational Activism Fair for Reproductive Justice
Purchase beautiful hand-made items to benefit Planned Parenthood (providing reproductive healthcare), Momentum Alliance (inspiring youth), and Western States Center (building diverse reproductive justice leadership). Delight in the creativity of your community. Bring your checkbook, cash, and/or open heart! Download a flier here. L'HITRAOT JOEY Our farewell and thank you to Rabbi Joey, L'hitraot Joey, begins with the March 24 service described above and continues with the events listed below. RSVP here for all of the events except the April 19 screening of “Torah Treasures & Curious Trash.” Please RSVP here for April 19.
To help with planning, greeting, baking or lunch, contact Debbi at debbinadell@gmail.com. PORTLAND HOMELESS FAMILY SOLUTIONS GOOSE HOLLOW SHELTER
Every night of the year at Goose Hollow a few walls on wheels are rolled out, one connecting to the next, until there are four units created on two walls in a church basement. (See photo above.) Inside the approximate 8' by 8' unit are foam pads, sheets, pillows and blankets that each of the eight families is given to create their "bedroom" for their night's sleep. The "door," a curtain, shuts out the vision of the gymnasium in which they will share a breakfast table the following morning before heading out to another day of being a homeless family in Portland, Oregon. Next two volunteer Goose Hollow orientations at the shelter:
To attend an orientation, contact Bethany Rocci, Goose Hollow Volunteer Coordinator. For any other Goose Hollow issue, contact Gloria Halper. IN THE COMMUNITY Reconstructionist Communities News Click here to read the latest Jewish Reconstructionist Communities News. "Seven Stitches" & "Pointe, Claw" Havurah member Ruth Feldman will read from her new novel "Seven Stitches" at Broadway Books on March 1, and will join Havurah member Amber Keyser at Annie Bloom's Books on April 20, where both authors will read from their new novels.
Ritual Unmoored Opening, Wednesday, March 22 Ritual Unmoored features six noted Oregon Jewish artists who fashion vessels, abstract or figurative sculptures, and wall pieces to reimagine the ritual object and other traditional forms. Sponsored by the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education and Portland State University’s College of the Arts and organized by Willa Schneberg, the exhibition includes work by Patricia Berman, Linda Bourne, Betty Feves, Kenneth Pincus, Willa Schneberg, and Maria Simon. Pacific NW Shabbaton — M’Yad L’Yad: From Hand to Hand — The Chain of Our Tradition
Check out the speakers and schedules for May 5-7 here - and register, too!
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Feb. 22 Community Email
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UPCOMING SHABBAT
Community Minyan Join us this Saturday as leaders and leyners Emily Simon, Shelley Sobel, Marty Brown, Sam Sirkin, Carmella Ettinger, and Arlene Slive help us daven and discuss the Torah portion Mishpatim, which covers laws related to slavery, personal injury, loans, property, and more. LOST BOYS OF PORTLANDIA Wednesday, March 1 Outside the Frame will also premiere its new film about the Right to Rest Act, a bill calling for people not to be criminalized for existing in public, with the awesome organizers from the Western Regional Advocacy Project, Sisters Of The Road, Right 2 Survive, and Street Roots. Hosted by the Tikkun Olam Committee of Havurah Shalom. Free, all ages. Refreshments provided. HOUSING LOBBY DAY Thursday, March 2 Show your support for: - Ending no-cause evictions that make tenants vulnerable to the whims of landlords And if you want the full experience, stay for the House Committee on Human Services and Housing hearing and show your support. Lobby Days will provide you with the tools you need to understand the issues and meet with your legislators. You can tell them how important it is to take action through their votes to end the housing crisis. Car pools: Meet at 10:30 am at the MACG office at St. Andrew Catholic Church, 4940 NE 8th Ave., Portland, OR 97211. RSVP to Bob Brown (rebrown47@gmail.com) with your name and address. OUR LAST KABBALAT SHABBAT WITH RABBI JOEY Friday, March 10 Don't miss our last Kabbalat Shabbat with Rabbi Joey on Friday, March 10. Our catered vegetarian dinner will be from 6:30 to 7:30 pm, with a musical, celebratory service beginning at 7:30 pm. The service will be led by Rabbi Joey and our talented Havurah musicians Margie Rosenthal, Scott Snyder Steven Sandberg-Lewis, John Duke and Chaim Wolin. RSVP here for the dinner by Monday, March 6. SEND US YOUR FAVORITE DANCE TUNES & RSVP
Havurah Holy Pandemonium Purim Party 4:30 pm - Singing, Spieling (Interactive Purim storytelling) & More! Cheese pizza will be provided (including gluten-free options). Bring a vegetarian salad (please list ingredients) to share, plus drinks (L'chaims) for young & old. Please help us create a playlist for the Purim dance! Tell our DJ your favorite dance numbers! Email song titles to info@havurahshalom.org. Don't wait to RSVP! Please let us know if you plan to join us so we know how much pizza to order. REVENGE, JUSTICE, SURVIVAL & CELEBRATION Wednesdays, March 15, 22, 29 (starting date has changed) Our joyous and beloved Purim and Pesach traditions are mixed with strains of revenge. Complicated questions echo throughout our texts and celebrations: what are the lines between revenge and justice, survival and subjugating others, self-love and selfishness? The Mekhilta, an ancient midrash collection, which tends to be more universalist and human-centered than most, will be our starting place. Taught by Deborah Eisenbach-Budner. Register here by March 8. IT'S YOUR COURTYARD Ceramic Glazing Workshops
Remember how sunny our courtyard can be? Imagine it with two beautiful mosaics on the walls - one near this bench and the other opposite the courtyard door. The last workshops before our new courtyard art mosaics can be installed will be Sunday, March 19. If you created ceramic pieces for the mosaic, please come glaze your ceramic art. If you didn't have a chance to create ceramic tiles for the mosaic, please come glaze tiles that need finishing before the installation. Sign up below for your age range. HAVURAH BOOK DISCUSSION Thursday, March 23 The next book group will meet at Havurah to discuss The Family by David Laskin. This is the story about the author’s own genealogy, which details three different paths that his family members took across the span of 150 years. One branch emigrated to America and founded the Maidenform Bra Company; one branch went to Palestine as pioneers and participated in the birth of the State of Israel; and the third branch remained in Europe and endured the Holocaust. Published in 2013, the book has been very well received, with good reviews. Please come and share you your thoughts and reactions about the book in the company of fellow Havurahniks. Bring a small snack if you like. Please RSVP here if you plan to attend. AN EVENING WITH RABBI JOEY & CHARLES MCGEE Friday, March 24
On Friday, March 24, Havurah will host a short Shabbat service followed by a conversation between Rabbi Joey and Charles McGee, co-founder and president of the Black Parent Initiative. This is the first of several events honoring Rabbi Joey as he leaves his decades-long role as Havurah Shalom's rabbi. A short service will be followed by a conversation between Charles McGee and Rabbi Joey facilitated by Steve Goldberg, with a launching point being Michael Eric Dyson's book Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America. The conversation will explore the history that Jews and African Americans have in common and the possibilities of supporting each other. You can learn more about Charles McGee here in Street Roots. Please RSVP here if you can come! You can also use the link to RSVP for other events planned for April 20-22 in honor of Rabbi Joey. L'HITRAOT JOEY It's finally, sadly, almost upon us - our farewell and thank you to Rabbi Joey: L'hitraot Joey. It begins with the March 24th service described above and continues with the events listed below. Please RSVP for the events you plan to attend. RSVP here for all of the events except the April 19 screening of “Torah Treasures & Curious Trash.” Please RSVP here for the April 19th movie screening.
To help with planning, greeting, baking or lunch, contact Debbi at debbinadell@gmail.com. IT'S IN OUR HANDS - REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE CRAFT FAIR
Purchase beautiful hand-made items to benefit local nonprofits. Delight in the creativity of your community. Bring your checkbook, cash, and/or open heart! Download a flier here. And please RSVP here! PORTLAND HOMELESS FAMILY SOLUTIONS (PHFS) What does one experience as a volunteer with Portland Homeless Family Solutions at their Goose Hollow evening shelter? The good feeling of knowing you are helping families in need; direct service volunteering locally; joining with other Havurah volunteers on a monthly basis; stretching past your comfort zone. In addition, PHFS offers training for volunteers working with those experiencing trauma in their lives, as well as three "Solution Salons.” The trauma workshop is a full day and is based on the latest understanding of homelessness. The salons are attended by volunteers from around the city who, like you, come to learn more about the issue of homelessness. There is a guest speaker with experience in the field - sometimes someone who has experienced homelessness in his/her own life. These salons are short, well paced, and packed full of information. Lunch is provided by a non-profit group that works with homeless folks, teaching them cooking skills. Curious about Goose Hollow? Have you been thinking about this project for awhile? Start with an orientation. It's just one hour at the shelter: 1838 SW Jefferson.
For more information about this Tikkun Olam sponsored project please contact Gloria Halper: losninos6@gmail.com IN THE COMMUNITY Dare I Call You Cousin The “Dare I Call You Cousin” exhibition includes poems, photographs and videos compassionate to the struggle of Israelis and Palestinians on both sides of the Green Line. You can see it at West Hills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 8470 SW Oleson Rd, before and after services, from 9:30 to 10:30 am, and noon to 1:00 pm, on Sundays in February. "Dare I Call You Cousin" is a collaboration by three artists: Portland poet and Havurah member Frances Payne Adler, Jerusalem photographer Michal Fattal, and Tel Aviv videographer Yossi Yacov. "Seven Stitches" & "Pointe, Claw" Havurah member Ruth Feldman will read from her new novel "Seven Stitches" at Broadway Books on March 1, and she will join Havurah member Amber Keyser at Annie Bloom's Books on April 20, where both authors will read from their new novels.
Weekend In Quest The 11th annual Weekend in Quest, a Shabbaton (study weekend), will be held March 3-5 in Astoria, Oregon. It is sponsored by The Institute for Judaic Studies of the Pacific Northwest in Portland and co-sponsored by Havurah Shalom. The scholar-in-residence is Professor Roger Porter, Emeritus Professor of English and Humanities at Reed College. Professor Porter’s program is entitled “Who is the Jew?” Anti-Semitism in Shakespeare and Philip Roth. For more information, to download a brochure and to register, go to http://weekendinquest.org and/or contact Havurah member Mimi Epstein at mimiepstein42@comcast.net. Ritual Unmoored Opening, Wednesday, March 22 Ritual Unmoored features six noted Oregon Jewish artists who fashion vessels, abstract or figurative sculptures, and wall pieces, to reimagine the ritual object, and other traditional forms. Sponsored by the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education and Portland State University’s College of the Arts and organized by Willa Schneberg, the exhibition includes work by Patricia Berman, Linda Bourne, Betty Feves, Kenneth Pincus, Willa Schneberg, and Maria Simon. Pacific NW Reconstructionist Shabbaton Register online here for the Pacific NW Reconstructionist Shabbaton Weekend, May 5-7. Celebrate Shabbat at Camp Solomon Schechter with members of the five Pacific Northwest Reconstructionist congregations!
See the attached flier for more details. |
Feb. 15 Community Email
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CAMP HAVURAH, HOLY PANDEMONIUM PURIM PARTY, WEEKEND PARKING
THIS SHABBAT Camp Havurah
We’re planning a super fun musical "Camp Havurah" Shabbat morning service, great for all generations of Havuraniks. Please come! Enjoy lots of great singing in Hebrew and English. Perfect for families with kids fourth grade and up, minyan “regulars,” singles and empty nesters alike. Childcare is available for younger kids. A shortened Torah service will cap the morning’s prayer. Led by Havurah musicians and leaders, Susan Brenner, Jacob Mandelsberg, Sarah Shine, Tanja Lux, Roger Brewer and more. A coordinated kiddush lunch will follow with Havurah providing main dishes and cookies. Please bring sides and salads. Shabbat Shalom! Download a flier here. LAST SUNDAY'S CONGREGATIONAL MEETING A well attended gathering of Havurah members met to consider the recommendation of the Steering Committee to select Rabbi Benjamin Barnett to serve as rabbi for Havurah Shalom. The motion to offer the position to Rabbi Barnett was brought to the congregation via a unanimous vote of the Rabbi Search Committee and of the Steering Committee.
The Congregational Meeting began with recognition of the work done by the Rabbi Search Committee. There was an attentive and respectful discussion exploring pros and cons of this recommendation. There were ~135 members in attendance, and the motion to extend an offer of employment to Rabbi Barnett passed with a strong majority. There were seven "no" votes and three abstentions. At the Congregational Meeting at 10:00 am on April 16, we will have further discussion about what is needed to help integrate a new rabbi into Havurah and the diversity of perspectives in our community. Next steps include entering into negotiation of a three-year contract with Rabbi Barnett and creating a Rabbi Transition Team (a one year Disappearing Task Force, DTF) to help welcome the rabbi and his family to Portland and to Havurah. A more complete summary will be included in next month's Hakol. A very sincere thank you to all who attended and to those who shared their thoughts and concerns. Shelley Sobel SPIRITUAL LIFE MEETING FEB. 19 & HIGH HOLIDAYS LEADERS & READERS
Havurah's Spiritual Life Committee will meet at Havurah this Sunday, Feb. 19, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. We will discuss our service calendar, details about transitioning with the new rabbi, and other items relating to services at Havurah. You don’t need to be a Spiritual Life Committee member to attend. We’re really happy to have any interested people at our meetings, so please come if you can! Yes, the High Holidays are more than half a year away, but now is the time that we start planning for September’s services. This year, with our transition to a new rabbinic presence, High Holiday leaders and other service participants will be coordinated by a team made up of Spiritual Life Committee members and others who are interested. Here is what we are gathering together:
Diane Chaplin, co-chair of the Spiritual Life Committee, is coordinating the HH Liturgy Team. Please contact her at cellochaplin@gmail.com if you can contribute or if you have questions or comments. HAVURAH HOLY PANDEMONIUM PURIM PARTY A Joyous, Capricious, Justice Celebration For All Ages
4:30 pm - Singing, Spieling (interactive Purim storytelling) and more! DANCE your woes away at our PURIM DANCE PARTY! Cheese pizza will be provided (including gluten-free options). Bring a vegetarian salad (please list ingredients) to share, plus drinks (L'chaims) for young & old. Send song requests to our DJ at info@havurahshalom.org. It's free, but please RSVP. COURTYARD CERAMIC ART GLAZING WORKSHOPS Sunday, March 19 The last workshops before our new courtyard art mosaic can be installed will be at Havurah on Sunday, March 19. If you created ceramic pieces for the mosaic, please come glaze your ceramic art. If you didn't have a chance to create ceramic tiles for the mosaic, please come glaze tiles that need finishing before the installation. Sign up below for your age range! HAVURAH BOOK DISCUSSION Thursday, March 23 The next book group will meet at Havurah to discuss The Family by David Laskin. This is the story about the author’s own genealogy, which details three different paths that his family members took across the span of 150 years. One branch emigrated to America and founded the Maidenform Bra Company; one branch went to Palestine as pioneers and participated in the birth of the State of Israel; and the third branch remained in Europe and endured the Holocaust. Published in 2013, the book has been very well received, with good reviews. Please come and share you your thoughts and reactions about the book in the company of fellow Havurahniks. Bring a small snack if you like. Please RSVP here if you plan to attend. AN EVENING WITH RABBI JOEY & CHARLES MCGEE Friday, March 24 On Friday, March 24, Havurah will host a short Shabbat service followed by a conversation between Rabbi Joey and Charles McGee, co-founder and president of Black Parent Initiative. This is the first of several events honoring Rabbi Joey as he leaves his decades-long role as Havurah Shalom's rabbi.
The short service will be followed by a conversation between Charles McGee and Rabbi Joey facilitated by Steve Goldberg, with a launching point being Michael Eric Dyson's book Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America. The conversation will explore the history that Jews and African Americans have in common and the possibilities for them to support each other. You can learn more about Charles McGee here in Street Roots. Please RSVP here if you can come! You can also use this link to RSVP for other events planned for April 20-22 in honor of Rabbi Joey. TIKKUN OLAM Interfaith Advocacy Day Rabbi Joey joined about 15 members of Havurah in addition to some prospective members at last Tuesday’s Interfaith Advocacy Day in Salem. Havurah members David Fuks and Hank Kaplan provided leadership on workshop panels. Overall, roughly 450 people from Oregon’s faith communities attended the event, listening first to reassuring and rousing words from Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, then meeting in separate spaces for workshops about the legislative issues of hunger, homelessness, climate change, wage theft, health care, and gun safety. Marjorie Walters, who organized Havurah's participation in the day of advocacy, felt the experience of exercising her rights as a citizen in talking to her legislators, and getting to know them within their setting of the State Capitol, made it feel possible for her to return to the Capitol to continue forming an alliance to work with her legislators. Havurah's Direct Service Project at Goose Hollow Shelter Havurah started volunteering at the Portland Homeless Family Solutions (PHFS) Goose Hollow night shelter in July 2015. Sometimes I (Gloria Halper) am asked why this organization. Please read Tiffany's story, just one of the hundreds of families helped by PHFS to get into stable housing after being homeless. The next Goose Hollow orientations for those interested in joining our once a month Havurah Adopt-a-Night direct service project are March 13 and 22, from 5 to 6 pm, at the Goose Hollow Shelter, 1838 SW Jefferson. Since July 2015, Havurah has participated in PHFS' Adopt-A-Night program at their Goose Hollow nighttime shelter. On our monthly volunteer evening, 10 -12 Havurah volunteers fill all of the needed volunteer positions. Some of our volunteers also give their time at Goose Hollow on other nights, as well as at PHFS' daytime shelter, called 13 Salon. Information about these two shelters, their next orientation at each shelter, and so much more than PHFS does can be found on their website: PDXfhs.org. Gloria Halper coordinates this Tikkun Olam project: losninos6@gmail.com. Lost Boys of Portlandia Join us for a screening of Outside the Frame's documentary, The Lost Boys of Portlandia, and a panel discussion with youth who have experienced homelessness. Homeless youth in Portland debate if and how to return to mainstream society while creating their own film version of the iconic story of Peter Pan. Come see what youth experiencing homelessness have to say. We will also premiere our new film for the Right to Rest Act, a bill calling for people not to be criminalized for existing in public, with the awesome organizers from the Western Regional Advocacy Project, Sisters Of The Road, Right 2 Survive, and Street Roots. Hosted by the Tikkun Olam Committee of Havurah Shalom. Free, all ages. Refreshments provided. It’s in Our Hands
Purchase beautiful hand-made items to benefit local nonprofits. Delight in the creativity of your community. Bring your checkbook, cash, and/or open heart! PHOTOS OF YOUR SONS & DAUGHTERS If you have photos of your children from b'nai mitzvah with Rabbi Joey, please help us collect photos for our celebration of Rabbi Joey on April 21-23. Send your photos to Susan Lazareck. PARKING ON FRIDAY NIGHT & SATURDAY
Thanks to a generous offer from Legacy Health Systems, Havurah members can now park in the Legacy corporate office parking lot, at 1919 NW Lovejoy, on Friday nights and Saturdays - in the "visitor" spaces (marked "V" above) and, at especially large gatherings, in spaces 20-37 along the Lovejoy side of the lot. Please do not park in any other spaces in the parking lot! We are very grateful for Legacy's generous offer of parking spaces during our weekend events, and we want to honor Legacy's request that we not use other spaces in the parking lot. REVENGE, JUSTICE, SURVIVAL & CELEBRATION Wednesdays, March 8, 15 & 22 Our joyous and beloved Purim and Pesach traditions are mixed with strains of revenge. Complicated questions echo throughout our texts and celebrations: what are the lines between revenge and justice, survival and subjugating others, self-love and selfishness? The Mekhilta, an ancient midrash collection, which tends to be more universalist and human-centered than most, will be our starting place. Taught by Deborah Eisenbach-Budner. Register here by Feb. 22. IN THE COMMUNITY Lebedik! Yiddish songs from the old world to the new is a new project by celebrated Latvian singer Sasha Lurje and American violinist Craig Judelman, which explores the songs of their homelands, the journeys of the songs and their singers, and their evolution from raw folk art to the sophisticated and diverse recordings made in 1920s New York. Sasha Lurje is one of the leading voices in the contemporary Yiddish scene, having performed and taught at the genre's biggest festivals - including KlezKanada, Yiddish Summer Weimar, Krakow Jewish Culture Festival, St. Petersburg KlezFest and many others. Growing up speaking Slavic and Baltic languages, she has a unique old world perspective on and affinity to this repertoire, which has helped her become one of the only specialists in the performance of Yiddish lyric songs and ballads. Craig Judelman grew up in Seattle, where he was raised with stories of the places his family had left behind - first Latvia and Lithuania, then Johannesburg, South Africa. Craig currently performs with Litvakus, the sole contemporary klezmer band devoted to Litvak (northern European Jewish) music. "Seven Stitches" Powell's Books writes this about Ruth Feldman's new novel, Seven Stitches: It’s been a year since the Big One – the Cascadia subduction zone earthquake – devastated Portland, and while Meryem Zarfati’s injuries have healed and her neighborhood is rebuilding, her mother is still missing. Refusing to give up hope, Meryem continues to search for her mother even as she learns to live without her in a changed Portland. After she receives a magical prayer shawl handed down from her maternal grandmother, a mysterious stranger appears, and Meryem is called to save a young girl living in slavery – in 16th-century Istanbul. The third companion in Ruth Tenzer Feldman’s Oregon Book Award–winning Blue Thread series, Seven Stitches (Ooligan Press) explores how we recover – and rebuild – after the worst has happened. Ruth will read from her novel at the following locations & times:
Dare I Call You Cousin The “Dare I Call You Cousin” exhibition includes poems, photographs and videos compassionate to the struggle of Israelis and Palestinians on both sides of the Green Line. You can see it at West Hills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 8470 SW Oleson Rd, before and after services, from 9:30 to 10:30 am, and noon to 1:00 pm, on Sundays in February. "Dare I Call You Cousin" is a collaboration by three artists: Portland poet and Havurah member Frances Payne Adler, Jerusalem photographer Michal Fattal, and Tel Aviv videographer Yossi Yacov. LGBTQ Birthright Israel Trip Shorashim is promoting a Birthright Israel LGBTQ Israeli Pride trip again this year, from June 4-14. Sign up here! How to Be a Friend to a Friend Who's Sick Join Portland Hadassah for an evening with the author Letty Cottin Pogrebin. A founding editor and writer for Ms. Magazine, Ms. Pogrebin is also the author of eleven books, including How To Be A Friend to a Friends Who's Sick. Pogrebin's advice about friendship and illness - infused with sensitivity, warmth, and (believe it or not) humor - is interwoven with boldly candid stories from her own journey through the land of the sick and her sometimes imperfect interactions with friends who are sick or suffering. Cost: $36, includes wine, refreshments, and snacks. Register here. Weekend In Quest
The 11th annual Weekend in Quest, a Shabbaton (study weekend), will be held March 3-5 in Astoria, Oregon. It is sponsored by The Institute for Judaic Studies of the Pacific Northwest in Portland and co-sponsored by Havurah Shalom. The scholar-in-residence is Professor Roger Porter, Emeritus Professor of English and Humanities at Reed College. Professor Porter’s program is entitled “Who is the Jew?” Anti-Semitism in Shakespeare and Philip Roth. For more information, to download a brochure and to register, go to http://weekendinquest.org and/or contact Havurah member Mimi Epstein at mimiepstein42@comcast.net. Pacific NW Reconstructionist Shabbaton Register online here for the Pacific NW Reconstructionist Shabbaton Weekend, May 5-7. Celebrate Shabbat at Camp Solomon Schechter with members of the five Pacific Northwest Reconstructionist congregations!
See the attached flier for more details. |
Feb. 8 Community Email
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TRUMP & AHASHVEROSH, CAMP HAVURAH, TU B'SHVAT, RABBI VOTE ON SUNDAY
THIS SHABBAT Kabbalat Shabbat Join us this Friday for a spirited and joy-filled Kabbalat Shabbat Service with Rabbi Joey and our talented Havurah musicians, Ilene Safyan, Scott Snyder, John Duke, and Steven Sandberg-Lewis. Childcare is available for kids ages 2 to 8.
Community Minyan Join Rabbi Joey, Emily Simon, Sam Sirkin, and other Havurah leaders and Torah readers for Saturday's Community Minyan. In Beshalach, Pharaoh releases the Israelites only to pursue them, then drowns with his army in the Sea of Reeds. Miriam leads the women singing and dancing on the other side of the sea, but the people’s joy dissipates after days of wandering without water. Miracles produce water, manna and quail, and the people defeat Amalek’s army. Tot Shabbat families will join the minyan for the Torah service. Tu B'shvat Tot Shabbat This Saturday is Tu B'shvat, the holiday celebrating the 'birthday of the trees.' Why do we celebrate in the middle of winter? Tu B’shvat inspires us to notice subtle new growth and tender beginnings. We remind ourselves to have faith that the rains will cease and the seasons will progress. Even more importantly, we celebrate the internal growth that happens when we aren’t really paying attention. Please bring one of the traditional seven species (something with wheat, barley, figs, grapes, pomegranates, olives, honey) to this Saturday's Tot Shabbat, or some other fruit or nut. Please RSVP today! CONGREGATIONAL MEETING TO VOTE ON OUR NEW RABBI Sunday, Feb. 12 Don't miss this Sunday's Congregational Meeting on Feb. 12. Members who attend will vote on the Steering Committee's recommendation regarding the candidate for our next rabbi. RABBI JOEY ON TRUMP & AHASHVEROSH IN THE TIMES OF ISRAEL In President Trump’s first couple of weeks in office, he targeted seven Muslim nations and insulted refugees, he castigated traditional allies and environmentalists alike, and he frothed at the mouth in situations that require global diplomatic insight. He himself has little, if any. Or perhaps he has other ideas, when it comes to getting what he wants or needs. Why else would he loosen sanctions on Russia in the very moment when the situation in eastern Ukraine has deteriorated? He’s been crowned king, but he’s a clumsy one so far. His feckless tweet-politics embarrasses members of his own party. He makes off-color remarks to women and encourages Holocaust deniers. He transparently draws from a limited supply of favorite adjectives when referencing the “amazing job” Frederick Douglass has “done” at a Black History Month gathering. He imperils public education. Now he’s tampering with our independent judiciary. What next? Read all of Rabbi Joey's commentary here on The Times of Israel blog. HOLY PANDEMONIUM PURIM PARTY A Joyous, Capricious, Justice Celebration For All Ages
4:30 pm - Singing, Spieling (interactive Purim storytelling) and more! DANCE your woes away at our PURIM DANCE PARTY! Cheese pizza will be provided (including gluten-free options). Bring a vegetarian salad (please list ingredients) to share, plus drinks (L'chaims) for young & old. Send song requests to our DJ at info@havurahshalom.org. It's free, but please RSVP. REVENGE, JUSTICE, SURVIVAL & CELEBRATION Wednesdays, March 8, 15 & 22 Our joyous and beloved Purim and Pesach traditions are mixed with strains of revenge. Complicated questions echo throughout our texts and celebrations: what are the lines between revenge and justice, survival and subjugating others, self-love and selfishness? The Mekhilta, an ancient midrash collection, which tends to be more universalist and human-centered than most, will be our starting place. Taught by Deborah Eisenbach-Budner. Register here by Feb. 22.
You'll win Rachel's and Teri's hearts just by logging into your account through our website. By logging in, you can save hours of staff time that would otherwise be spent looking for members' addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses. And you'll have access to an up-to-date membership directory any time of the day or night! Just click here to reach our website, then click on the “login” link in the upper right corner. Enter the email address where you receive emails from Havurah, and make up a password if you haven’t made one up already. (It can be short, long, silly, simple, complex ... your choice!) After you receive a confirmation that your password has been received, you can log in as a member any time. When you log in, click on “community” in the horizontal menu and you'll see our Havurah directory at the bottom of the drop-down list. Then click on the directory link and use the search box to find the member you're trying to reach. Many thanks to all who have logged in and already & won our hearts! SING & CLAP AT CAMP HAVURAH Saturday, Feb. 18
We’re planning a super fun musical "Camp Havurah" Shabbat morning service, great for all generations of Havuraniks. Please come! Enjoy lots of great singing in Hebrew and English. Perfect for families with kids fourth grade and up, minyan “regulars,” singles and empty nesters alike. Childcare is available for younger kids. A shortened Torah service will cap the morning’s prayer. Led by Havurah musicians and leaders, Susan Brenner, Jacob Mandelsberg, Sarah Shine, Tanja Lux, Roger Brewer and more. A coordinated kiddush lunch will follow with Havurah providing main dishes and cookies. Please bring sides and salads. Shabbat Shalom! Download a flier here.
FORMING OUR HIGH HOLIDAY LITURGY TEAM
Here is what we are gathering together:
Diane Chaplin, co-chair of the Spiritual Life Committee, is coordinating the HH Liturgy Team. Please contact her at cellochaplin@gmail.com if you can contribute or if you have questions or comments. HAVURAH MEMBERS SHOW STRENGTH TOGETHER Results of Portland City Council Hearing Last Thursday Numerous Havurah members joined over 75 Metropolitan Alliance for the Common Good (MACG) members to add their voices to the crowd at City Hall last Thursday, successfully supporting a critical emergency Tenant Relocation Assistance ordinance which passed 5-0. It was a victory for stable communities and families in the face of the Portland housing crisis. The new temporary law requires Portland landlords to pay $2,900 to $4,500 to tenants they evict without cause or who have to move as a result of a rent increase of 10 percent or more in one year. Solidarity with Muslim Educational Trust Countless Havurahniks joined our friends at the Muslim Educational Trust in solidarity following the executive order to ban entry to the U.S. by people from seven predominantly Muslim countries. Before the potluck dinner, Muslim Educational Trust President and Co-Founder Wajdi Said gave Rabbi Joey and Lisa Rackner gifts of gratitude (pictured below).
J Street's Alan Elsner at Havurah About 120 people gathered at Havurah on Monday night to hear Alan Elsner, J Street Special Advisor, discuss the new administration and Trump's nominee for U.S Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman. Elsner urged people to challenge the nomination and to educate others about Friedman's blatant disregard for the views of many American Jews. He also encouraged people to remember that numerous leaders have come before Netanyahu and Trump, and more will follow. The current situation won't destroy democracy or Israel if we stay active and vigilant. Our voices for a two-state solution need to be loud and strong! The evening was recorded, and you can see it here. For more information about J Street, contact Nancy Becker at 503-422-2482. Interfaith Advocacy Day in Salem Yesterday Rabbi Joey and several carpools of Havurahniks drove to Salem for Interfaith Advocacy Day. Following a keynote speech by Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, participants met in small groups to receive updates on key issues: housing, hunger, wage theft, health care, gun violence, and climate justice. Afterward, participants met with their legislators to advocate for action. Thank you to the Tikkun Olam Committee and Tikkun Olam Committee member Marjorie Walters for rallying Havurah members to attend this important event. TIKKUN OLAM Havurah Postcard Brigade During Shabbat School, Feb. 11 Please join fellow Havurah members at 3:00 pm on Saturday, Feb. 11, in writing postcards to US Representatives. All you need to bring is a pen! Choose your issue, write your message of protest or support. We will provide addresses for several key members of Congress. We have around 70 blank postcards, complete with postage, that need to be filled out and mailed. Let's give wings to our voices and pray with our pens. – Heidi Grant Waxman Havurah Diaper Drive for Refugees at Shabbat School, Feb. 11 As many of you know, Havurah members have been working with recently arrived families as part of our effort to provide direct services to Portland's refugee community. Two of the families recently had babies. Diapers are prohibitively expensive for some families. Please help contribute to our efforts to support these families with donations of diapers and baby wipes. Gift cards are also welcome. Thanks so much! Portland Homeless Family Solutions Goose Hollow Shelter Direct Service Project News Since July 2015 Havurah has participated in PHFS' Adopt-A-Night program at their Goose Hollow nighttime shelter. On our monthly volunteer evening 10-12 Havurah volunteers fill all of the needed volunteer positions. Some of our volunteers also give their time at Goose Hollow on other nights, as well as at PHFS' daytime shelter, called 13 Salmon. Information about these two shelters, their next orientation at each shelter, and so much more that PHFS does, can be found on their website: PDXfhs.org. Gloria Halper coordinates this Tikkun Olam project: losninos6@gmail.com. "The Lost Boys of Portlandia" on March 1, 7:30 - 8:30 pm, Havurah Join us for a screening of Outside the Frame's documentary "The Lost Boys of Portlandia" and a panel discussion with youth who have experienced homelessness. Homeless youth in Portland debate if and how to return to mainstream society while creating their own film version of the iconic story of Peter Pan. The nonprofit Outside the Frame was founded and is directed by Havurah High teacher Nili Yosha. The evening is sponsored by the Tikkun Olam Committee of Havurah Shalom, Oregon Film, and KBOO Community Radio. Watch the trailer here. For more information visit Outside the Frame's website or the Facebook event page.
IN THE COMMUNITY "Seven Stitches" Powell's Books writes this about Ruth Feldman's new novel, Seven Stitches: It’s been a year since the Big One – the Cascadia subduction zone earthquake – devastated Portland, and while Meryem Zarfati’s injuries have healed and her neighborhood is rebuilding, her mother is still missing. Refusing to give up hope, Meryem continues to search for her mother even as she learns to live without her in a changed Portland. After she receives a magical prayer shawl handed down from her maternal grandmother, a mysterious stranger appears, and Meryem is called to save a young girl living in slavery – in 16th-century Istanbul. The third companion in Ruth Tenzer Feldman’s Oregon Book Award–winning Blue Thread series, Seven Stitches (Ooligan Press) explores how we recover – and rebuild – after the worst has happened. Ruth will read from her novel at the following locations & times:
Dare I Call You Cousin The “Dare I Call You Cousin” exhibition includes poems, photographs and videos compassionate to the struggle of Israelis and Palestinians on both sides of the Green Line. You can see it at West Hills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 8470 SW Oleson Rd, before and after services, from 9:30 to 10:30 am, and noon to 1:00 pm, on Sundays in February. "Dare I Call You Cousin" is a collaboration by three artists: Portland poet and Havurah member Frances Payne Adler, Jerusalem photographer Michal Fattal, and Tel Aviv videographer Yossi Yacov.
LGBTQ Birthright Israel Trip Shorashim is promoting a Birthright Israel LGBTQ Israeli Pride trip again this year, from June 4-14. Sign up here! How to Be a Friend to a Friend Who's Sick Join Portland Hadassah for an evening with the author Letty Cottin Pogrebin. A founding editor and writer for Ms. Magazine, Ms. Pogrebin is also the author of eleven books, including How To Be A Friend to a Friends Who's Sick. Pogrebin's advice about friendship and illness - infused with sensitivity, warmth, and (believe it or not) humor - is interwoven with boldly candid stories from her own journey through the land of the sick and her sometimes imperfect interactions with friends who are sick or suffering. Cost: $36, includes wine, refreshments, and snacks. Register here. Weekend In Quest The 11th annual Weekend in Quest, a Shabbaton (study weekend), will be held March 3-5 in Astoria, Oregon. It is sponsored by The Institute for Judaic Studies of the Pacific Northwest in Portland and co-sponsored by Havurah Shalom. The scholar-in-residence is Professor Roger Porter, Emeritus Professor of English and Humanities at Reed College. Professor Porter’s program is entitled “Who is the Jew?” Anti-Semitism in Shakespeare and Philip Roth. For more information, to download a brochure and to register, go to http://weekendinquest.org and/or contact Havurah member Mimi Epstein at mimiepstein42@comcast.net. Remembering Nehama Leibowitz (z"l): An Evening of Text & Conversation On the 20th yahrzeit of renowned Torah commentator Nehama Leibowitz: “Remembering Nehama Leibowitz (z”l): An Evening of Text and Conversation” with guest speaker Nehama Stampfer Glogower. Nehama Stampfer Glogower was a student of Nehama Leibowitz and will introduce the Portland community to her teacher's unique methodology and approach to Torah study. The event, which is open to women and men, is on Wednesday, March 15, 7:00-9:00 PM at the MJCC. Pacific NW Reconstructionist Shabbaton Register online here for the Pacific NW Reconstructionist Shabbaton Weekend, May 5-7. Celebrate Shabbat at Camp Solomon Schechter with members of the five Pacific Northwest Reconstructionist congregations!
See the attached flier for more details. |
Holy Pandemonium Purim Party
A Joyous, Capricious, Justice Celebration for All Ages!
4:30 pm - Singing, Shpieling (interactive Purim storytelling), and more!
5:15 pm - Juggling, Casting Lots, Eating Pizza, Playing Games
DANCE your woes away with a PURIM DANCE PARTY.
Cheese pizza will be provided (including gluten-free options). Bring a vegetarian salad (please list ingredients) to share, plus drinks (L'chaims) for young & old. Send song requests to our DJ at info@havurahshalom.org. It's free, but please RSVP here.
Don't miss Rabbi Joey's writing about Trump and Ahashverosh in The Times of Israel.
Rabbi Joey on Trump & Ahashverosh
Rabbi Joey's commentary "Voter Fraud," about Trump and Ahashverosh, was published today in The Times of Israel.
In President Trump’s first couple of weeks in office, he targeted seven Muslim nations and insulted refugees, he castigated traditional allies and environmentalists alike, and he frothed at the mouth in situations that require global diplomatic insight. He himself has little, if any. Or perhaps he has other ideas, when it comes to getting what he wants or needs. Why else would he loosen sanctions on Russia in the very moment when the situation in eastern Ukraine has deteriorated?
He’s been crowned king, but he’s a clumsy one so far. His feckless tweet-politics embarrasses members of his own party. He makes off-color remarks to women and encourages Holocaust deniers. He transparently draws from a limited supply of favorite adjectives when referencing the “amazing job” Frederick Douglass has “done” at a Black History Month gathering. He imperils public education.
Now he’s tampering with our independent judiciary. What next?
Our electoral college has delivered us a fraud. He’s a fraud, because he’s set the clock back to the insipid kings in folktales, whose susceptibility to urges and overheard murmurings made them change course in a heartbeat.
By decree, one after another, he’s transforming government from its role of providing for the safety of its citizens to one that gets its richest denizens what they want at everyone else’s expense. Billionaires in the Cabinet will accomplish it smoothly. Have you watched their dulcet-toned “What, who me?” rejoinders, when Democratic senators have attempted to get straight answers? The story gets told the way it’s rehearsed. Ignoramuses get their portfolios.
The Jewish community celebrates the holiday of Purim a month from now. There’s a self-infatuated king who, back in the day, not only governed by edict, but was content to turn over a good deal of control to a dangerous guy: “The King removed his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman.” (Esther 3:10) According to Malbim, this had two effects. The first was that it removed him from any direct culpability for potential violence, and the second was that it meant that someone with an ideological ax to grind could determine our fate.
Like our present-day celebrity, this ancient king is the butt of satirists. We don costumes and act out a reversal of fates. But even though his palace is a farcical scene, what makes us laugh and rouses us to “flip the script” is the will to subvert the order of the day. As readers, we participate in active resistance and see to it that Haman implodes. The king’s role is a lesser comical inconvenience, because his bluster could preoccupy us only for as long as there was a behind-the-scenes agenda.
In the synagogue, we chant the story of Esther in which the king’s advisor had His Majesty’s ear, until his cause was debunked. It is also true that we eat pastries in the shape of Haman’s ear, and it should remind us that the alternative truths we hear daily, in comparison with the stories of America’s immigrants and forgotten ones, are half-baked. They emanate from a source that seeks to undermine our democracy, the pursuit of the truth, the love of learning.
As regulation after regulation protecting the people is repealed, and the whisperers have been positioned inside the National Security Council and on fast-tracks to oil and gas and the concentration of wealth, why shouldn’t we declare the fraud for what it is: the Republicans, chagrined at first, are getting precisely what they have always wanted. They have their idiot king, the treasury to carry out their plans, and a lock on the truth. Let’s encourage our neighbors to hear what’s going on and call out the fraud for what it is. We’ve got a king who is incapable of knowing from moment to moment what he’s doing, and others who will bring on plunder, until we call them out and change the order of the day.
Tu B'shvat Tot Shabbat
Please join us for a special Tot Shabbat – Tu B’shvat, Feb. 11, 10:30 – 11:30 am.
The holiday of Tu B'shvat celebrates the 'birthday of the trees.' But, why do that in the middle of winter rather than during the green blossoming of spring or the harvests of autumn? Tu B’shvat inspires us to notice subtle new growth and tender beginnings. We remind ourselves to have faith that the rains will cease and the seasons will progress. Even more importantly, we celebrate the internal growth that happens when we aren’t really paying attention. Our ancestors, in very different lands, understood this Full Moon of Shvat to be the time when the sap begins to rise again!
You can pass on the invitation to others who might want to join us (grandparents, friends...).
Please bring one of the traditional 7 species (something with wheat, barley, figs, grapes, pomegranates, olives, honey) or some other fruit or nut. For more information on the spiritual and cultural meaning of the 7 species, please see the information on our website.
RSVP here by Wednesday, Feb. 8.
Feb. 1 Community Email
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ADVOCATING FOR JUSTICE IN PDX & SALEM, TOT & KABBALAT SHABBAT
UPCOMING SHABBAT Jewish Traditions of Mourning & the Afterlife This Saturday Diane Chaplin will lead a study and discussion of "Jewish Traditions of Mourning and the Afterlife." The study session will be followed by a shortened Saturday morning service. We will serve coffee, bagels and lox, with gluten-free options. Please arrive early to eat before the study begins at 10:00 am.
Ninety Havurah members have signed up to attend a solidarity and kinship gathering with our Muslim neighbors this Saturday at 5:30 pm. RSVP here if you can come. Also, we just learned that we will have a potluck meal that night, so please bring a vegetarian dish to share. We’ll have ample time for socializing and light food, and we’ll watch the hour-long PBS film “Enemy of the Reich” together. The film is about Noor Inayat Khan, a courageous Muslim woman in Nazi-occupied Paris, who was recruited as a covert operative into Winston Churchill’s Special Operations Executive. The Muslim Educational Trust is at 10330 Scholls Ferry Rd., in Tigard, about a half a mile beyond the 217 beltway. You'll see the center on your left, surrounded by a low, white picket fence. Turn left off Scholls Ferry at a traffic light specifically for the center's large parking lot. Above photo is from the Muslim Educational Trust website. ADVOCATING FOR JUSTICE, HOPE FOR ISRAEL DURING TIME OF TRUMP Justice & Equality for All Portland City Council Hearing Tomorrow at 2:00 pm, the Portland City Council will consider an extraordinary ordinance which requires landlords to pay moving costs of any tenant they evict for “no cause.” The draft emergency ordinance also requires landlords to pay moving costs if they raise the rent by 10% or more within a 12-month period and renters choose to move out. Landlords would have to pay renters between $2,900 and $4,500, depending on the number of bedrooms. Read more here. It’s critical that the Council chambers be filled to overflowing. If you have questions, contact Steve Goldberg at stevengoldberg@comcast.net.
Hope for Israel During the Time of Trump Author Alan Elsner has had a long career at the top ranks of American and international journalism prior to joining J Street. As White House correspondent for Reuters News Agency, Elsner traveled the world with Secretaries of State. His sharp questioning during the Rwanda genocide forced the United States to change its policy and was later highlighted in the Hollywood movie “Hotel Rwanda.” As Reuters National Correspondent, Elsner was the agency’s chief writer on 9/11/2001. RSVP here.
Interfaith Advocacy Day - Tuesday, Feb. 7 Carpools of Havurahniks are headed to Salem next Tuesday, Feb. 7, to join other members of the Portland interfaith community in advocating with legislators and their staff for compassionate legislation regarding areas of our common concern. The keynote speaker will be Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum. Read more here about the issues to be addressed, the schedule for the day, and event sponsors and endorsers.
Register and buy $20 tickets at emoregon.org. Havurah's Tikkun Olam Committee will reimburse registration costs. Contact Chris Coughlin at chriscoughlin60@gmail.com regarding reimbursement. To learn where carpools will meet, contact Marjorie Walters at marjoriewalters@gmail.com. KABBALAT SHABBAT - RSVP BY MONDAY, FEB. 6! First Kabbalat Shabbat Since November Don't miss our first Kabbalat Shabbat since November - next Friday, Feb. 10 - with Ilene Safyan, Scott Snyder, John Duke, Steven Sandberg-Lewis, and Rabbi Joey.
MEET OUR NEW OFFICE & FACILITIES MANAGER Rachel Pollak, our new Office & Facilities Manager, moved to Portland in 2007 from Los Angeles and got to know the Portland Jewish community through the Melton School, where she was operations manager for four years before becoming director in its final year of operation. She earned her BA in English and political science at American Jewish University in Los Angeles (back when it was the University of Judaism), and her MA in English in 2012, right here at Portland State. She started at Havurah last Thursday. Please join us in welcoming her to Havurah! TOT SHABBAT Saturday, Feb. 11 Young children (0-5) 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. Afterward we enjoy an informal oneg nosh and the chance to play and schmooze. Led by Deborah Eisenbach-Budner. Please RSVP here. TIKKUN OLAM Please join fellow Havurah members at 3:00 pm on Saturday, Feb. 11, in writing postcards to US Representatives. All you need to bring is a pen! Choose your issue, write your message of protest or support. We will provide addresses for several key members of Congress. We have around 70 blank postcards, complete with postage, that need to be filled out and mailed. Let's give wings to our voices and pray with our pens. – Heidi Grant Waxman Havurah Diaper Drive for Refugees at Shabbat School, Feb. 11 As many of you know, Havurah members have been working with recently arrived families as part of our effort to provide direct services to Portland's refugee community. Two of the families recently had babies. Diapers are prohibitively expensive for some families. Please help contribute to our efforts to support these families with donations of diapers and baby wipes. Gift cards are also welcome. Thanks so much! Portland Homeless Family Solutions Goose Hollow Shelter Direct Service Project News Since July 2015 Havurah has participated in PHFS' Adopt-A-Night program at their Goose Hollow nighttime shelter. On our monthly volunteer evening 10-12 Havurah volunteers fill all of the needed volunteer positions. Some of our volunteers also give their time at Goose Hollow on other nights, as well as at PHFS' daytime shelter, called 13 Salmon. Information about these two shelters, their next orientation at each shelter, and so much more that PHfS does, can be found on their website: PDXfhs.org. Gloria Halper coordinates this Tikkun Olam project: losninos6@gmail.com. Screening of "The Lost Boys of Portlandia" Join us for a screening of Outside the Frame's documentary "The Lost Boys of Portlandia" and a panel discussion with youth who have experienced homelessness. Homeless youth in Portland debate if and how to return to mainstream society while creating their own film version of the iconic story of Peter Pan.
The nonprofit Outside the Frame was founded and is directed by Havurah High teacher Nili Yossi. The evening is sponsored by the Tikkun Olam Committee of Havurah Shalom, Oregon Film, and KBOO Community Radio. Watch the trailer here. For more information visit Outside the Frame's website or the Facebook event page. CONGREGATIONAL MEETING Sunday, Feb. 12 At our congregational meeting on Feb. 12, members will vote on the Steering Committee's recommendation regarding the candidate for our next rabbi. CAMP HAVURAH Saturday, Feb. 18 Sport your summer camp T shirt and let’s see how many camps are represented. Have a rockin’ good time at "Camp Havurah," a musical, fun, upbeat Shabbat service great for all generations of Havuraniks. This service features sing-a-long style prayers in a mixture of Hebrew and English. Easy to follow, with lots of kavanot (intentional statements), you will enjoy lifting your voices, clapping hands and stomping your feet at this warm Shabbat morning service. It’s an ideal service for families, minyan “regulars," singles and empty nesters alike. We’ll cap the morning’s prayer with a shortened Torah service featuring fun group aliyot. The morning will be led by Havurah musicians and prayer leaders Susan Brenner, Jacob Mandelsberg, Tanja Lux and Sarah Shine along with other Havurah participants. A coordinated kiddush lunch will follow with the Spiritual Life Committee providing main dishes and cookies. Members, please bring sides and salads for lunch. Shabbat Shalom! REVENGE, JUSTICE, SURVIVAL & CELEBRATION Wednesdays, March 8, 15, 22 Our joyous and beloved Purim and Pesach traditions are mixed with strains of revenge. Complicated questions echo throughout our texts and celebrations: what are the lines between revenge and justice, survival and subjugating others, self-love and selfishness? The Mekhilta, an ancient midrash collection, which tends to be more universalist and human-centered than most, will be our starting place. Taught by Deborah Eisenbach-Budner. Register here by Feb. 22. HAVURAH HOLY PANDEMONIUM PURIM PARTY A Joyous, Capricious, Justice Celebration - For All Ages Join us for a Holy Pandemonium Purim Celebration on March 11, from 4:30 to 7:30 pm. We'll have Havdallah followed by a song or two, then a spiel filled with dancing, juggling, Hamantaschen prizes, a raffle for justice, and more. After, we'll eat cheese pizza (including gluten-free options) and potluck side salads. Please list the ingredients in your salads. We'll wrap up with games for the kids and dancing for all, with Saul Korin as DJ. Please send your dancing song requests to info@havurahshalom.org. Please RSVP here if you can join us! IN THE COMMUNITY Reconstructionist Journeys Click here to read the current issue of Reconstructionist Journeys. Dare I Call You Cousin The “Dare I Call You Cousin” exhibition opening is 6:00 to 8:30 pm on Friday, Feb. 3, at West Hills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 8470 SW Oleson Rd. At 7:30 pm, Havurah member Frances Payne Adler will give a brief poetry reading, followed by an artist talk. The exhibition includes poems, photographs and videos compassionate to the struggle of Israelis and Palestinians on both sides of the Green Line.
The exhibition can be viewed before and after services, from 9:30 to 10:30 am, and noon to 1:00 pm, on Sundays throughout February. "Dare I Call You Cousin" is a collaboration by three artists: Portland poet Frances Payne Adler, Jerusalem photographer Michal Fattal, and Tel Aviv videographer Yossi Yacov. LGBTQ Birthright Israel Trip Shorashim is promoting a Birthright Israel LGBTQ Israeli Pride trip again this year - from June 4-14. Sign up for priority registration here before registration officially opens on Monday, Feb. 6. Through Pay it Forward, you can receive an entry to win a five-day getaway for three to Tel Aviv on Shorashim for each person you refer. Calling Young Jewish Artists ORA Northwest Jewish Artists is proud to sponsor the first Young Artists Show, Sunday, Feb. 26 – Friday, March 3. The show will be held in the Mittleman Jewish Community Center’s lobby. It will be the first event to kick off the monthlong Jewish Arts Month which runs through the end of March and features art by ORA members. Children in grades 5-8 are invited to submit up to five pieces of art, of any medium, for jury review and consideration for the show. Prizes will be awarded in each grade level. Young artists must submit their artwork for jury consideration on Sunday, Feb. 12, between 10:30 am and 12:00 pm at Neveh Shalom, Room 105. Application and details can be found here. For more information, email youngartistsshow@gmail.com. How to Be a Friend to a Friend Who's Sick Join Portland Hadassah for an evening with the author Letty Cottin Pogrebin. A founding editor and writer for Ms. Magazine, Ms. Pogrebin is also the author of eleven books, including How To Be A Friend to a Friends Who's Sick. Pogrebin's advice about friendship and illness - infused with sensitivity, warmth, and (believe it or not) humor - is interwoven with boldly candid stories from her own journey through the land of the sick and her sometimes imperfect interactions with friends who are sick or suffering. Register here. Weekend In Quest The 11th annual Weekend in Quest, a Shabbaton (study weekend), will be held March 3-5 in Astoria, Oregon. It is sponsored by The Institute for Judaic Studies of the Pacific Northwest in Portland and co-sponsored by Havurah Shalom. The scholar-in-residence is Professor Roger Porter, Emeritus Professor of English and Humanities at Reed College. Professor Porter’s program is entitled “Who is the Jew?” Anti-Semitism in Shakespeare and Philip Roth. For more information, to download a brochure and to register, go to http://weekendinquest.org and/or contact Havurah member Mimi Epstein at mimiepstein42@comcast.net. Remembering Nehama Leibowitz (z"l): An Evening of Text & Conversation on March 15 On the 20th yahrzeit of renowned Torah commentator Nehama Leibowitz: “Remembering Nehama Leibowitz (z”l): An Evening of Text and Conversation” with guest speaker Nehama Stampfer Glogower. Nehama Stampfer Glogower was a student of Nehama Leibowitz and will introduce the Portland community to her teacher's unique methodology and approach to Torah study. The event, which is open to women and men, is on Wednesday, March 15, 7:00-9:00 PM at the MJCC. Pacific NW Reconstructionist Shabbaton Register online here for the Pacific NW Reconstructionist Shabbaton Weekend, May 5-7. Celebrate Shabbat at Camp Solomon Schechter with members of the five Pacific Northwest Reconstructionist congregations!
See the attached flier for more details. |
Jan. 25 Community Email
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DOROT SHABBAT, THE CONVERSATION, CONCERNED ABOUT ISRAEL?
UPCOMING SHABBAT Dorot - Short & Sweet Shabbat Our Dorot Service is specifically welcoming to families with children and also strives to create a space for all the generations of Havurah to connect and enjoy Shabbat together. It is a relaxed, meaningful and sweet way to end a busy week and start Shabbat. Havurah musicians Jacob Mandelsberg, Sarah Shine, and Gabe Adoff will lead us as we bring in Shabbat together with music and prayer.
Please bring a kid-friendly, vegetarian main dish to share at the potluck after the service. RSVP here if you think you might make it. Feel free to invite friends and family to come too - the more the merrier! Bat Mitzvah of Jasmine Yohalem Ilsley This Saturday Jasmine Yohalem Ilsley, daughter of Beth and Justin Yohalem-Ilsley, will be called to the Torah as a bat mitzvah. Please join us in celebrating with Jasime and her family, and welcome her to our community. Mazel tov! HAVE YOU HAD THE CONVERSATION? Many of us spend some time thinking about how we want to live our lives, but most of us avoid thinking about how we want the end of our lives to be. Avoiding the conversation about end of life has led to too many people dying in a way they wouldn’t choose, and to too many of their loved ones feeling bereaved, guilty, and uncertain. Havurah's Ma'avar Committee will facilitate two sets of workshops at Havurah to help community members think about what quality means at the end of life and how we can discuss it with our loved ones. One set of workshops will be on Sunday mornings and another on Thursday evenings. Our Sunday workshops are full, but we have several open spaces in our Thursday evening workshops: Thursdays, Feb. 16 & March 2, 7:00 - 8:30 pm. Working from The Conversation Project model, we will use this starter kit to support each other and explore this challenging topic. We will receive tools, guidance, and resources to help us begin talking with our loved ones about their wishes and preferences for their end of life, or with loved ones about our wishes and preferences for the end of our lives - before a medical crisis occurs.
Click on the above photo from ABC News to watch a feature on The Conversation Project about a family that had the conversation. Please RSVP here by Monday, Jan. 30, so you can receive reading material before the first workshop. The workshops are free for Havurah members, $40 for non-members. If you have any questions, please contact one of the Ma’avar Committee co-chairs, Keren McCord or Sidney Gold. NEXT WEEK Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation We gather on Tuesdays, from 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm, to find some moments of quiet and shalom. Come when you can. Click here and scroll down to learn more, or contact Deborah for more information. Morning Minyan Join us for this weekly focused minyan for people who are saying Kaddish and/or want to incorporate a regular prayer practice in their lives. KABBALAT SHABBAT Friday, Feb. 10 - RSVP by Feb. 6 Our vegetarian Kabbalat Shabbat Dinner begins at 6:30 pm. We offer dairy-free, gluten-free, and nut-free choices. You’re invited to bring wine or juice to celebrate Shabbat. Please RSVP here by Feb. 6 to attend the dinner. Cost adjustments are available; call 503-248-4662 to learn more.
Whether or not you attend the dinner, we hope you'll join us for our spirited and joy-filled Kabbalat Shabbat Service, which starts at 7:30 pm. The service will be led by Rabbi Joey, with music by Havurah musicians Ilene Safyan, Scott Snyder, John Duke and Steven Sandberg-Lewis. Childcare available for kids ages 2 to 8.
CONGREGATIONAL MEETING Havurah Shalom
At our congregational meeting on Feb. 12, members will vote on the Steering Committee's recommendation regarding the candidate for our next rabbi. TIKKUN OLAM Solidarity March Photos Many clusters of Havurahniks marched in Portland's Solidarity March on Jan. 21. Sixty people also attended the community minyan before the march, where Emily Simon inspired us to resist early, as our people did in Egypt under a new, cruel Pharaoh. Click here to see photos of Havurahniks taken by Debbi Nadell and Heidi Grant Waxman.
Heidi Grant Waxman took the above photo at Portland's Solidarity March on Jan. 21. Oregon Sanctuary Initiative Meeting Seven Havurah members had the opportunity to attend the Oregon Sanctuary Assembly on Jan. 15, joining nearly 400 people from over 40 different faith communities to learn more about Sanctuary as part of the broader movement for immigrant justice. Click here to see photos of Havurah members that IMIrJ took at the assembly. We want to continue to show up and explore what Sanctuary means to us. Through IMIrJ (Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice) we have the opportunity to be part of the Sanctuary Cohort Initiative. For the next six months, IMIrJ will bring us and others from other communities together to explore "what it means to build, be and offer sanctuary and to support one another as we take the steps to make it happen."
We want to identify who from our community is interested in participating in this exploration. For more information see the attached flyer and let us know if you would be interested in being part of a Havurah Cohort. The first gathering will be Monday, Jan. 30, at St. Charles Church. Please RSVP here if you can come. Portland City Council Hearing At 2:00 pm on Thursday, Feb. 2, the Portland City Council will consider an extraordinary ordinance which requires landlords to pay moving costs of any tenant they evict for “no cause.” The draft emergency ordinance also requires landlords to pay moving costs if they raise the rent by 10% or more within a 12-month period and renters choose to move out. Landlords would have to pay renters between $2,900 and $4,500, depending on the number of bedrooms. Metropolitan Alliance for Common Good (MACG) has been working with Portland Tenants United to support this ordinance. Lack of affordable housing was the #1 issue that surfaced during MACG’s 2015 listening campaign. It continues to be a critical issue in Portland, impacting income and racial diversity in our city and contributing to huge rent increases for too many Portlanders. This ordinance is an important step to deal with this issue. Please join us for this hearing. It’s absolutely critical that the Council chambers be filled to overflowing. If you have questions, contact Steve Goldberg at stevengoldberg@comcast.net. Concerned About Israel in These Uncertain Times? Please join J Street and Havurah folks for an informative and thoughtful evening. Alan Elsner, J Street Special Advisor, will offer a program that will examine the American Jewish community’s response to the election of Donald Trump and how to respond to the new administration's appointments, especially his nominee for U.S. Ambassador to Israel. The discussion will focus on what a Trump presidency may mean for Israel, the region, and the two-state solution. Mr. Elsner will lead this informative program and subsequently open the session to discussion. For more information, contact Nancy Becker at 503-422-2482. Raising Diverse Voices of Faith to Strengthen Oregon Communities Please consider joining a group from Havurah Shalom and other members of the Portland interfaith community in a lobbying activity in Salem to advocate with legislators and their staff for compassionate legislation regarding various areas of our common concern. The keynote speaker will be Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum. You can read more here about the issues to be addressed, the schedule for the day, and event sponsors and endorsers.
Register and buy tickets-$20, at emoregon.org. Tikkun Olam will reimburse registration cost: please contact Chris Coughlin - chriscoughlin60@gmail.com to submit for reimbursement. For carpooling, and to RSVP for the event so we know who is coming from Havurah, and to get information on where the carpools will meet, the Havurah contact person is Marjorie Walters – marjoriewalters@gmail.com. Portland Homeless Family Solutions Goose Hollow Shelter Direct Service Project News CompassWorks presents "Displaced," An Innovative Documentary About Homelessness Eliza Jane Schneider, our Portland neighbor and Havurah friend, recently was on OPB's "State of Wonder." Listen to the replay here. Displaced is an innovative documentary theater experience that gives us a new and powerful way to connect with the phenomenon of homelessness. Through live-looped music (performed on a seven-string violin) and character impersonations, Eliza Jane undergoes astounding transformations as she shares the stories of the people she met in her travels around the world, from Liverpool to Seattle to Lagos to Hong Kong, about their lives in the streets. Next Goose Hollow Orientation: Tentative - Monday, Feb. 13, 5:00 - 6:00 pm at the shelter, 1838 SW Jefferson. More info: Havurah member Gloria Halper: losninos6@gmail.com Screening of "The Lost Boys of Portlandia" Join us for a screening of Outside the Frame's documentary "The Lost Boys of Portlandia" and a panel discussion with youth who have experienced homelessness. Homeless youth in Portland debate if and how to return to mainstream society while creating their own film version of the iconic story of Peter Pan.
“On its surface, it’s a film about the making of a film, but the backdrop is flooded with one of Portland’s most pressing social issues.” - KGW-TV The nonprofit Outside the Frame was founded and is directed by Havurah High teacher Nili Yossi. The evening is sponsored by the Tikkun Olam Committee of Havurah Shalom, Oregon Film, and KBOO Community Radio. Watch the trailer here. For more information visit Outside the Frame's website or the Facebook event page. PHOTOS OF RABBI JOEY AT YOUR CHILD'S B'NAI MITZVAH If you have photos of Rabbi Joey from your child’s b’nai mitzvah, please consider sending them, along with the date when they were taken, to Susan Lazareck. Thank you! CAMP HAVURAH Saturday, Feb. 18 Sport your summer camp T shirt and let’s see how many camps are represented. Have a rockin’ good time at "Camp Havurah," a musical, fun, upbeat Shabbat service great for all generations of Havuraniks. This service features sing-a-long style prayers in a mixture of Hebrew and English. Easy to follow, with lots of kavanot (intentional statements), you will enjoy lifting your voices, clapping hands and stomping your feet at this warm Shabbat morning service. It’s an ideal service for families, minyan “regulars," singles and empty nesters alike. We’ll cap the morning’s prayer with a shortened Torah service featuring fun group aliyot. The morning will be led by Havurah musicians and prayer leaders Susan Brenner, Jacob Mandelsberg, Tanja Lux and Sarah Shine along with other Havurah participants. A coordinated kiddush lunch will follow with the Spiritual Life Committee providing main dishes and cookies. Members, please bring sides and salads for lunch. Shabbat Shalom! HAVURAH HOLY PANDEMONIUM PURIM A Joyous, Capricious, Justice Celebration Join us for a Holy Pandemonium Purim Celebration on March 11, from 4:30 to 7:30 pm. We'll have Havdallah followed by a song or two, then a spiel filled with dancing, juggling, Hamantaschen prizes, a raffle for justice, and more. After, we'll eat cheese pizza (including gluten-free options) and potluck side salads. Please list the ingredients in your salads. We'll wrap up with games, such as Purim bean bag toss, for the kids and dancing for all, with Saul Korin as DJ. More details coming soon! RSVP here. IN THE COMMUNITY Calling Young Jewish Artists ORA Northwest Jewish Artists is proud to sponsor the first Young Artists Show, Sunday, Feb. 26 – Friday, March 3. The show will be held in the Mittleman Jewish Community Center’s lobby. It will be the first event to kick off the monthlong Jewish Arts Month which runs through the end of March and features art by ORA members. Children in grades 5-8 are invited to submit up to five pieces of art, of any medium, for jury review and consideration for the show. Prizes will be awarded in each grade level. Young artists must submit their artwork for jury consideration on Sunday, Feb. 12, between 10:30 am and 12:00 pm at Neveh Shalom, Room 105. Application and details can be found here. For more information, email youngartistsshow@gmail.com. Dare I Call You Cousin The “Dare I Call You Cousin” exhibition opening is 6:00 to 8:30 pm on Friday, Feb. 3, at West Hills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 8470 SW Oleson Rd. At 7:30 pm, Havurah member Frances Payne Adler will give a brief poetry reading, followed by an artist talk. The exhibition includes poems, photographs and videos compassionate to the struggle of Israelis and Palestinians on both sides of the Green Line.
The exhibition can be viewed before and after services, from 9:30 to 10:30 am, and noon to 1:00 pm, on Sundays throughout February. "Dare I Call You Cousin" is a collaboration by three artists: Portland poet Frances Payne Adler, Jerusalem photographer Michal Fattal, and Tel Aviv videographer Yossi Yacov. RITES: A One Woman Show Havurah member Marjorie Rosenthal Hutsell’s sister, Rachel Rosenthal, will perform during Bad Reputation Production’s “Lone Wolves: A Night of Solo Sketch Comedy,” at The Siren Theater on Jan. 27 and 28. Visiting from NYC, Rachel is bringing her bat mitzvah-inspired solo comedy show, RITES: A One Woman Show, to Portland. Learn more about the show here or purchase tickets here. How to Be a Friend to a Friend Who's Sick Join Portland Hadassah for an evening with the author Letty Cottin Pogrebin. A founding editor and writer for Ms. Magazine, Ms. Pogrebin is also the author of eleven books, including How To Be A Friend to a Friends Who's Sick. Pogrebin's advice about friendship and illness - infused with sensitivity, warmth, and (believe it or not) humor - is interwoven with boldly candid stories from her own journey through the land of the sick and her sometimes imperfect interactions with friends who are sick or suffering. Register here. LGBTQ Birthright Israel Trip Shorashim is promoting a Birthright Israel LGBTQ Israeli Pride trip again this year - from June 4-14. Sign up for priority registration at israelwithisraelis.com/justgoLGBTQ before registration officially opens on Monday, Feb. 6. Through Pay it Forward, you can receive an entry to win a five-day getaway for three to Tel Aviv on Shorashim for each person you refer.
Reconstructionism Today Click here to read the current issue of Reconstructionism Today. Weekend In Quest The 11th annual Weekend in Quest, a Shabbaton (study weekend), will be held March 3-5 in Astoria, Oregon. It is sponsored by The Institute for Judaic Studies of the Pacific Northwest in Portland and co-sponsored by Havurah Shalom. The scholar-in-residence is Professor Roger Porter, Emeritus Professor of English and Humanities at Reed College. Professor Porter’s program is entitled “Who is the Jew?” Anti-Semitism in Shakespeare and Philip Roth. For more information, to download a brochure and to register, go to http://weekendinquest.org and/or contact Havurah member Mimi Epstein at mimiepstein42@comcast.net. Pacific NW Reconstructionist Shabbaton Register online here for the Pacific NW Reconstructionist Shabbaton Weekend, May 5-7. Celebrate Shabbat at Camp Solomon Schechter with members of the five Pacific Northwest Reconstructionist congregations!
See the attached flier for more details. |
Sanctuary Cohort Initiative, Jan. 30
Seven Havurah members had the opportunity to attend the Oregon Sanctuary Assembly, joining nearly 400 people from over 40 different faith communities to learn more about Sanctuary as part of the broader movement for immigrant justice. Click here to see photos of Havurah members that IMIrJ took at the assembly.
We want to continue to show up and explore what Sanctuary means to us. Through IMIrJ (Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice) we have the opportunity to be part of the Sanctuary Cohort Initiative. For the next six months, IMIrJ will bring us and others from other communities together to explore "what it means to build, be and offer sanctuary and to support one another as we take the steps to make it happen."
We want to identify who from our community is interested in participating in this exploration. For more information see the attached flyer & let us know if you would be interested in being part of a Havurah Cohort. The first gathering will be Monday, January 30th from 6:30 to 8:30 at St. Charles Church (5310 NE 42nd Ave, Portland, OR 97218). Please RSVP here if you can come.
Have You Had the Conversation?
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Many of us spend some time thinking about how we want to live our lives, but we avoid thinking about how we want the end of our lives to be. Avoiding the conversation about end of life has led to many people dying in a way they wouldn’t choose, and to many of their loved ones feeling bereaved, guilty, and uncertain.
Havurah's Ma'avar Committee will facilitate two sets of workshops at Havurah to help community members think about what quality means at the end of life and how we can discuss it with our loved ones. One set of workshops will be on Sunday mornings and another on Thursday evenings:
Option 1 - Sundays, Feb. 12 & 26, 10:00 - 11:30 am
Working from The Conversation Project model, we will use this starter kit to support each other and explore this challenging topic. We will receive tools, guidance, and resources to help us begin talking with our loved ones about their wishes and preferences for their end of life, or with loved ones about our wishes and preferences for the end of our lives - before a medical crisis occurs.
"The Conversation Project is very much about connecting, sharing and being open and loving to each other through a very difficult journey,” says Ellen Goodman, founder and director of The Conversation Project. Click below to hear Ellen describe the personal experience that led her to found The Conversation Project and how having the conversation has helped many people at the end of life. Please RSVP here by Monday, Jan. 30, so you can receive reading material before the first workshop. The workshops are free for Havurah members, $40 for non-members. If you have any questions, please contact one of the Ma’avar Committee co-chairs, Keren McCord or Sidney Gold.
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Jan. 18 Email
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Solidarity March, Rabbi Evaluation Deadline, Dorot & Kabbalat Shabbat
UPCOMING SHABBAT Praying With Our Feet - Solidarity March
As Abraham Joshua Heschel said after the Selma Civil Rights March in 1965, led by Martin Luther King, Jr., which demanded voting rights for African Americans at the Alabama state capitol: I felt my legs were praying. Everybody who supports women's rights and civil justice is invited to the march in downtown Portland on Saturday, Jan. 21, as “a show of love and support in a time of uncertainty and vulnerability for many people in our country." We will gather at Havurah for a special community minyan at 10:00 am. Emily Simon personally assures everyone that we will leave in time to join other Havurahniks at the solidarity march after the service. Our mantra for the minyan, where we will discuss the first chapter in Exodus, will be: Resistance is always easier at the beginning than at the end. What does it mean to resist, and how does the Torah portion suggest that we go about it? So, come to the march and the minyan, just the minyan or just the march. But please, follow your feet where you think that they should go. If you can give one or two Havurahniks a ride from Havurah to the Morrison Bridge, where the march will begin, please RSVP here on Havurah's website. An email will be sent to all who RSVP so carpools can be arranged. You can find more updated information here about general parking, purpose of event, principles, new leadership striving for more inclusivity and diversity. Learn more here about the community minyan and how to march with Havurah. PLEASE WATCH HAVURAH'S WEBSITE FOR ANY LAST-MINUTE UPDATES.
RABBI CANDIDATE EVALUATIONS DUE TOMORROW Last Friday you received an email from the Rabbi Search Committee with links to all of the videos from Rabbi Benjamin's and Rabbi Micah's visits as well as a rabbi candidate evaluation. Please complete the evaluation by tomorrow Thursday, Jan. 19. Your input is very important! This blog post answers questions that Havurah members have asked about the process of our rabbi selection. PARKING FOR HAVURAH HAPPENINGS Please don't park in the Rodgers Law parking lot south of Havurah without specific permission. Our neighbors have allowed us to use their parking spaces on a few occasions, but we cannot park there unless it has been previously arranged through the Havurah office. The Steering Committee and Havurah staff are looking at other parking options in the neighborhood and will keep everyone informed when we find a solution. Thanks for your understanding! NEXT WEEK Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation We gather on Tuesdays, from 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm, to find some moments of quiet and shalom. Come when you can. Click here and scroll down to learn more, or contact Deborah for more information. Morning Minyan Join us for this weekly focused minyan for people who are saying Kaddish and/or want to incorporate a regular prayer practice in their life. Hakol Mailing Join this lively gathering of volunteers to prepare our February Hakol for mailing. RSVP at debbihavurah@gmail.com if you can come.
DOROT - SHORT & SWEET SHABBAT Friday, Jan. 27 Our Dorot Service is specifically welcoming to families with children, and also strives to create a space for all the generations of Havurah to connect and enjoy Shabbat together. Outside of Shabbat School, Dorot Shabbat is a chance to spend time together in a different context. It is a relaxed, meaningful and sweet way to end a busy week and start Shabbat. Please join us from 6:00-7:30 pm at Havurah. Our very own fabulous Shabbat School parents Jacob Mandlesberg, Sarah Shine and Gabe Adoff will lead us in bringing in Shabbat together with music and prayer. After the short and sweet service, we'll enjoy a vegetarian potluck dinner. Please bring a kid-friendly main dish. RSVP here if you think you might make it. Feel free to invite friends and family to join in as well - the more the merrier! If you plan to come, please also send a quick email to the other families in your Shabbat School class letting them know; the kids especially like knowing there will be familiar faces there. SPIRIT IN PRACTICE - A New Podcast from the Reconstructionist Movement Do you wonder how you can show up for challenging times with compassion, courage, equanimity and joy? Spirit in Practice, a podcast miniseries, answers these and other questions through lively discussion among emerging leaders and religious teachers of many faiths who are exploring social activism and spiritual practices. Amidst uncertainty, one thing is clear: How we do our work on the outside depends upon the work we do on the inside. We launched our first of four episodes today! New episodes will arrive in January and February. Learn more here. KABBALAT SHABBAT Friday, Feb. 10 Our vegetarian Kabbalat Shabbat Dinner begins at 6:30 pm, followed by a Kabbalat Shabbat Service at 7:30 pm. We offer dairy-free, gluten-free, and nut-free choices. You’re invited to bring wine or juice to celebrate Shabbat. RSVPs are required for the dinner. Please RSVP here by Feb. 6. Cost adjustments are available; call 503-248-4662 to learn more.
Whether or not you attend the dinner, we hope you'll join us for our spirited and joy-filled Kabbalat Shabbat Service, which starts at 7:30 pm. The service will be led by Rabbi Joey, with music by Scott Snyder, John Duke, Steven Sandberg-Lewis and more of our talented Havurah musicians. Childcare is available for kids age 2 to 8. HAVING THE CONVERSATION: WHAT QUALITY MEANS AT THE END OF LIFE Option 1: Sundays, Feb. 12, 10:00 – 11:30 am & Feb. 26, 10:00 - 11:30 am
Many of us spend a great deal of time thinking about how we want to live our lives, but many of us avoid thinking about how we would like our end of life care to go. Havurah will be facilitating a two-part workshop in February to help community members begin to think about what quality means at the end of life. Working from The Conversation Project model, we will support each other as we explore this challenging topic. Prior to the workshops, on Saturday, Feb. 4, Diane Chaplin will lead a Text & Torah study and discussion of "Jewish Traditions of Mourning and the Afterlife." If you would like to join us, we ask that you commit to both workshops. The deadline to register is Jan. 30. Learn more and register here. The workshops are free for Havurah members, $40 for non-members. Above photo is from www.theconversationproject.org. CAMP HAVURAH Saturday, Feb. 18 Sport your summer camp T shirt and let’s see how many camps are represented. Have a rockin’ good time at "Camp Havurah" Shabbat morning service, a musical, fun, upbeat Shabbat service great for all generations of Havuraniks. This service features sing-a-long style prayers in a mixture of Hebrew and English. Easy to follow, with lots of kavanot (intentional statements), you will enjoy lifting your voices, clapping hands and stomping your feet at this warm Shabbat morning service. It’s an ideal service for families, minyan “regulars”, singles and empty nesters alike. We’ll cap the morning’s prayer with a shortened Torah service featuring fun group aliyot. The morning will be led by Havurah musicians and prayer leaders, Susan Brenner, Jacob Mandelsberg, Tanja Lux and Sarah Shine along with other Havurah participants. A coordinated kiddush lunch will follow with the Spiritual Life Committee providing main dishes and cookies. Members please bring sides and salads for lunch. Shabbat Shalom! TIKKUN OLAM Screening of “The Lost Boys of Portlandia”
Join us for a screening of Outside the Frame's documentary "The Lost Boys of Portlandia" and a panel discussion with youth who have experienced homelessness. Homeless youth in Portland debate if and how to return to mainstream society while creating their own film version of the iconic story of Peter Pan. The nonprofit Outside the Frame was founded and is directed by Havurah High teacher Nili Yossi. The evening is sponsored by the Tikkun Olam Committee of Havurah Shalom, Oregon Film, KBOO Community Radio. Watch the trailer here. For more information visit Outside the Frame's website or the Facebook event page. Portland Homeless Family Solutions Havurah members started volunteering at the Portland Homeless Family Solutions (PHFS)/Goose Hollow night shelter in July, 2015. Sometimes I am asked why we chose this organization. Part of the answer is in Tiffany's story. She and her children are just one of the hundreds of homeless families helped by PHFS to get into a stable housing situation. The next Goose Hollow orientation for those interested in joining our once a month Havurah-Adopt-A-Night direct service project is tentatively set for Monday, Feb. 13, from 5:00 to 6:00 pm at the Goose Hollow shelter. If you are interested in attending or want any more information regarding this project, please contact Gloria Halper, losninos6@gmail.com. The director and author of a play about homelessness called DISPLACED are offering our Goose Hollow Havurah volunteers a chance to table at the six performances of the play. (See description of DISPLACED below.) We will share our experiences as volunteers at a homeless shelter for families as well as share information about PHFS's services. Please consider supporting this effort to give homelessness a face and a voice. Ticket purchase info: fertilegroundpdx.org. Forging a Pro-Israel Agenda in the Trump Era Please join J Street and Havurah folks for an informative and thoughtful evening. Alan Elsner, J Street Special Advisor, will offer a program that will examine the American Jewish community’s response to the election of Donald Trump and how to respond to the new administration's appointments, especially his nominee for U.S. Ambassador to Israel. The discussion will focus on what a Trump presidency may mean for Israel, the region, and the two-state solution. Mr. Elsner will lead this informative program and subsequently open the session to discussion. For more information, contact Nancy Becker at 503-422-2482. Raising Diverse Voices of Faith to Strengthen Oregon Communities Please consider joining a group from Havurah Shalom and other members of the Portland interfaith community in a lobbying activity in Salem to advocate with legislators and their staff for compassionate legislation regarding various areas of our common concern. The keynote speaker will be Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum. You can read more here about the issues to be addressed, the schedule for the day, and event sponsors and endorsers. Register and buy tickets-$20, at emoregon.org. Tikkun Olam will reimburse registration cost: please contact Chris Coughlin - chriscoughlin60@gmail.com to submit for reimbursement. For carpooling, and to RSVP for the event so we know who is coming from Havurah, and to get information on where the carpools will meet, the Havurah contact person is Marjorie Walters – marjoriewalters@gmail.com. IN THE COMMUNITY Not Our President: Women Writers Against Trump Havurah member and poet, composer and Torah scholar Alicia Jo Rabins will be the first of many writers to read at Portland's "Women Writers Against Trump" at Ford Food & Drink on Jan. 20. The event is one of many "Not Our President: Women Writers Against Trump" gatherings in cities across the country on the eve of the inauguration.
Photos copyright Michal Fattal
Dare I Call You Cousin New Opening (rescheduled due to weather) is Friday, Feb. 3 8470 SW Oleson Rd, Portland
The “Dare I Call You Cousin” exhibition opening is 6:00 to 8:30 pm on Friday, Feb. 3, at West Hills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 8470 SW Oleson Rd. At 7:30 pm, Havurah member and poet Frances Payne Adler will give a brief poetry reading, followed by an artist talk. The exhibition includes poems, photographs and videos compassionate to the struggle of Israelis and Palestinians on both sides of the Green Line.
On Sunday, Jan. 22, Fran will give a presentation during the service, which is from 10:30 am to noon. The exhibition can be viewed before and after the service that day, from 9:30 to 10:30 am, and noon to 1:00 pm. It can also be viewed at these same times on Sundays throughout January and February. "Dare I Call You Cousin" is a collaboration by three artists: Portland poet Frances Payne Adler, Jerusalem photographer Michal Fattal, and Tel Aviv videographer Yossi Yacov.
Part of Fertile Ground Festival, Theatre/Music/Multimedia Presented by CompassWorks Displaced is an innovative documentary theater experience that gives us a new and powerful way to connect with the phenomenon of homelessness and the extraordinary value of those who see us, even though we have forgotten that they exist. Through live-looped music (performed on a 7-string violin) and character impersonations by an actress described by Bruce Weber of the New York Times as “capable of astonishing transformations,” Displaced brings the world’s untouchables to life. RITES: A One Woman Show Havurah member Marjorie Rosenthal Hutsell’s sister, Rachel Rosenthal, will perform during Bad Reputation Production’s “Lone Wolves: A Night of Solo Sketch Comedy,” at The Siren Theater on Jan. 27 and 28. Visiting from NYC, Rachel is bringing her bat mitzvah-inspired solo comedy show, RITES: A One Woman Show, to Portland. Learn more about the show here or purchase tickets here. How to Be a Friend to a Friend Who's Sick Join Portland Hadassah for an evening with the author Letty Cottin Pogrebin. A founding editor and writer for Ms. Magazine, Ms. Pogrebin is also the author of eleven books, including How To Be A Friend to a Friends Who's Sick. Pogrebin's advice about friendship and illness - infused with sensitivity, warmth, and (believe it or not) humor - is interwoven with boldly candid stories from her own journey through the land of the sick and her sometimes imperfect interactions with friends who are sick or suffering. Register here. Weekend In Quest The 11th annual Weekend in Quest, a Shabbaton (study weekend), will be held March 3-5 in Astoria, Oregon. It is sponsored by The Institute for Judaic Studies of the Pacific Northwest in Portland and co-sponsored by Havurah Shalom. The scholar-in-residence is Professor Roger Porter, Emeritus Professor of English and Humanities at Reed College. Professor Porter’s program is entitled “Who is the Jew?” Anti-Semitism in Shakespeare and Philip Roth. For more information, to download a brochure and to register, go to http://weekendinquest.org and/or contact Havurah member Mimi Epstein at mimiepstein42@comcast.net. Photo below is of Astoria, Oregon, where Weekend in Quest is held.
Pacific NW Reconstructionist Shabbaton Register online here for the Pacific NW Reconstructionist Shabbaton Weekend, May 5-7. Celebrate Shabbat at Camp Solomon Schechter with members of the five Pacific Northwest Reconstructionist congregations!
See the attached flier for more details. Drawing below is of Camp Solomon Schechter, where the Shabbaton will be held.
Calling Young Jewish Artists ORA Northwest Jewish Artists is proud to sponsor the first Young Artists Show, Sunday, Feb. 26 – Friday, March 3. The show will be held in the Mittleman Jewish Community Center’s lobby. It will be the first event to kick off the monthlong Jewish Arts Month which runs through the end of March and features art by ORA members. Children in grades 5-8 are invited to submit up to five pieces of art, of any medium, for jury review and consideration for the show. Prizes will be awarded in each grade level. Young artists must submit their artwork for jury consideration on Sunday, Feb. 12, between 10:30 am and 12:00 pm at Neveh Shalom, Room 105. Application and details can be found here. For more information, email youngartistsshow@gmail.com. |
Solidarity March on Saturday, Jan. 21
Praying With Our Feet Solidarity March
Saturday, Jan. 21
10:00 am, Community Minyan
Rallies Begin at 11:00 am, March Begins at 1:15 pm
As Abraham Joshua Heschel said after the Selma Civil Rights March in 1965, led by Martin Luther King, Jr., which demanded voting rights for African Americans at the Alabama state capitol: I felt my legs were praying. Everybody who supports women's rights and civil justice is invited to the march in downtown Portland on Saturday, Jan. 21, as “a show of love and support in a time of uncertainty and vulnerability for many people in our country."
We will gather at Havurah for a special community minyan at 10:00 am. Emily Simon personally assures everyone that we will leave in time to join other Havurahniks at the solidarity march after the service. Our mantra for the minyan, where we will discuss the first chapter in Exodus, will be: Resistance is always easier at the beginning than at the end. What does it mean to resist, and how does the Torah portion suggest that we go about it? So, come to the march and the minyan, just the minyan or just the march. But please, follow your feet where you think that they should go.
If you can give one or two Havurahniks a ride to the Morrison Bridge, where the march will begin, please RSVP here on Havurah's website. An email will be sent to all who RSVP so carpools can be arranged.
You'll find more updated information about general parking, purpose of event, principles, new leadership striving for more inclusivity and diversity here.
Schedule of the day's events:
10:00 am: Community Minyan at Havurah
11:00 am: Rally for kids and families with Families for Peaceful Protest at Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Havurah members and the Havurah Banner will be as close to the river as possible.
12:00 noon: Rally under Morrison Bridge. Havurah Banner and folks will be as close to the river as we can be.
1:15 – 1:30 pm: For all who attend the community minyan first, or who don't want to go to the rallies, or can't find the Havurah Banner beneath the Morrison Bridge, we will gather on the northwest corner of 4th and Jefferson, between 1:15 - 1:30 pm to join up with Havurahniks carrying the Havurah Banner when we see it pass. We will try to arrange transportation for those who need it on Saturday am.
1:15 pm: The 1.3 mile march will proceed south on SW Naito Pkwy, turning right on SW Jefferson St, right on SW 4th Ave, and right again on SW Pine St. The march will end with another rally where SW Pine St intersects the park.
Here are some tips for how to prepare for the march.
Jan. 11 Community Email
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Snow, Solidarity With Our Muslim Neighbors, Having the Conversation
UPCOMING SHABBAT Bar Mitzvah of Owen Jablonski On Saturday, Jan. 14, Owen Jablonski, son of Debra and Bryan Jablonski, will be called to the Torah as a bar mitzvah. Please join us in celebrating with Owen and his family, and welcome Owen as a member of our community. Mazel tov! CANCELLATIONS BECAUSE OF SNOW Havurah's office is closed today because of the snow, and today's Wednesday Morning Minyan, Spiritual Life Committee Meeting, and Havurah High have been cancelled. Please watch Havurah's website or Facebook group page for scheduling updates. Below photo was taken last night at Havurah.
THIS WEEK Solidarity & Kinship Gathering With Our Muslim Neighbors The Muslim Educational Trust invites Havurah Shalom to a solidarity and kinship gathering with our Muslim neighbors on Saturday, Jan. 14, at 5:30 pm. We’ll have ample time for socializing and light food, and we’ll watch the hour-long PBS film “Enemy of the Reich” together. The film is about Noor Inayat Khan, a courageous Muslim woman in Nazi-occupied Paris, who was recruited as a covert operative into Winston Churchill’s Special Operations Executive. She worked underground on behalf of the allies, was betrayed eventually by a French collaborator, resisted Gestapo interrogations, and escaped twice – only to be recaptured and sent to her death at Dachau.
Please show up to demonstrate our solidarity and our kinship with our Muslim neighbors here in the Portland area. The Muslim Educational Trust is at 10330 Scholls Ferry Rd., in Tigard, about a half a mile beyond the 217 beltway. You'll see the center on your left, surrounded by a low, white picket fence. Turn left off Scholls Ferry at a traffic light specifically for the center's large parking lot. Please RSVP here so we know how many people to expect. Above photo is from the Muslim Educational Trust website. Prepare Books for Kids! Children's Book Harvest (ages 15+) The Children's Book Bank and Portland Public Schools believe every child can learn to read. You can help support literacy in our community by volunteering to mend, clean, and organize the ~30,000 gently-used books recently collected during the Children’s Book Harvest book drive. Book “mending” involves erasing scribbles, taping tears, removing stickers, etc. The project begins with a detailed training process on how to mend books, so volunteers should plan to be on time. This project is sponsored by the Tikkun Olam Committee. ***There is still room to sign up for this project. To learn more about the MLK service project or our Goose Hollow Havurah Adopt-A-Night project please contact Gloria Halper: losninos6@gmail.com.*** Community Sanctuary Assembly
The idea of "sanctuary" has received much attention since the election because many people of faith and conscience feel that people of color, immigrants, Muslims and others will be vulnerable. As a community, how do we demonstrate our welcome and provide safe haven to vulnerable people? Havurah Shalom has joined the New Sanctuary Movement by signing this pledge to be a Sanctuary Congregation. But our Steering Committee's action is a first step in our understanding of what this means to our community. Read more here. Above photo is from UNHCR Canada. Dare I Call You Cousin Opening on Friday, Feb. 3 8470 SW Oleson Rd, Portland
The “Dare I Call You Cousin” exhibition opening is 6:00 to 8:30 pm on Friday, Feb. 3, at West Hills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 8470 SW Oleson Rd. At 7:30 pm, Havurah member and poet Frances Payne Adler will give a brief poetry reading, followed by an artist talk. The exhibition includes poems, photographs and videos compassionate to the struggle of Israelis and Palestinians on both sides of the Green Line.
On Sunday, Jan. 22, Fran will give a presentation during the service, which is from 10:30 am to noon. The exhibition can be viewed before and after the service that day, from 9:30 to 10:30 am, and noon to 1:00 pm. It can also be viewed at these same times on Sundays throughout January and February.
"Dare I Call You Cousin" is a collaboration by three artists: Portland poet Frances Payne Adler, Jerusalem photographer Michal Fattal, and Tel Aviv videographer Yossi Yacov. NEXT WEEK Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 12:00 noon We gather on Tuesdays, from 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm, to find some moments of quiet and shalom. Come when you can. Click here and scroll down to learn more, or contact Deborah for more information. Hakol Deadline, Tuesday, Jan. 17 The deadline for the February Hakol is Tuesday Jan. 17. Please send articles and photos to info@havurahshalom.org. Morning Minyan, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 8:30 am Join us for this weekly focused minyan for people who are saying Kaddish and/or want to incorporate a regular prayer practice in their life. CALLING ALL SHABBAT SCHOOL PARENTS
We Need Your Help & Participation! UPCOMING JUSTICE & ADVOCACY Praying With Our Feet - Solidarity March
As Abraham Joshua Heschel said after the Selma Civil Rights March in 1965, led by Martin Luther King, Jr. to demand voting rights for African Americas at the Alabama state capitol: I felt my legs were praying. Havurah will join up with the Portland and Oregon Community on Jan. 21 in a show of solidarity with our sisters marching in Washington DC and across the country. Everybody who supports women's rights and civil justice is invited to "a march which is not a protest, but a show of love and support in a time of uncertainty and vulnerability for many people in our country." Read more here about the minyan and the rally. Forging a Pro-Israel Agenda in the Trump Era Please join J Street and Havurah folks for an informative and thoughtful evening. Alan Elsner, J Street Special Advisor, will offer a program that will examine the American Jewish community’s response to the election of Donald Trump and how to respond to the new administration's appointments, especially his nominee for U.S. Ambassador to Israel. The discussion will focus on what a Trump presidency may mean for Israel, the region, and the two-state solution. Mr. Elsner will lead this informative program and subsequently open the session to discussion. For more information, contact Nancy Becker at 503-422-2482. Raising Diverse Voices of Faith to Strengthen Oregon Communities Please consider joining a group from Havurah Shalom and other members of the Portland interfaith community in a lobbying activity in Salem to advocate with legislators and their staff for compassionate legislation regarding various areas of our common concern. The keynote speaker will be Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum. You can read more here about the issues to be addressed and the event's sponsors and endorsers. HAVING THE CONVERSATION: DISCUSSING WHAT QUALITY MEANS AT THE END OF LIFE
Option 1: Sundays, Feb. 12, 10:00 – 11:30 am & Feb. 26, 10:00 - 11:30 am Many of us spend a great deal of time thinking about how we want to live our lives, but many of us avoid thinking about how we would like our end of life care to go. Havurah will be facilitating a two-part workshop in February to help community members begin to think about what quality means at the end of life. Working from The Conversation Project model, we will support each other as we explore this challenging topic. Prior to the workshops, on Saturday, Feb. 4, Diane Chaplin will lead a Text & Torah study and discussion of "Jewish Traditions of Mourning and the Afterlife." If you would like to join us, we ask that you commit to both workshops. The deadline to register is Jan. 23. Learn more and register here. Above photo is from www.theconversationproject.org. SCREENING OF "THE LOST BOYS OF PORTLANDIA"
Screening of “The Lost Boys of Portlandia” The nonprofit Outside the Frame was founded and is directed by Havurah High teacher Nili Yossi. The evening is sponsored by the Tikkun Olam Committee of Havurah Shalom, Oregon Film, KBOO Community Radio. RESCHEDULED CERAMIC GLAZING WORKSHOPS Sunday, March 19 Please come back & finish glazing your creations! IN THE COMMUNITY Not Our President: Women Writers Against Trump Havurah member and poet, composer and Torah scholar Alicia Jo Rabins will be the first of many writers to read at Portland's "Women Writers Against Trump" at Ford Food & Drink on Jan. 20. The event is one of many "Not Our President: Women Writers Against Trump" gatherings in cities across the country on the eve of the inauguration. DISPLACED by Eliza Jane Schneider Eliza Jane Schneider, the woman responsible for all the female voices on Comedy Central's South Park, presents as part of the Fertile Ground Festival a new multi-media performance bringing to life people living homeless throughout the world. The show is produced by CompassWorks. Tickets are available at www.fertilegroundpdx.com and www.boxofficetickets.com. Havurah member Gloria Halper will join others in the lobby to provide information for people who want to help. RITES: A One Woman Show Havurah member Marjorie Rosenthal Hutsell’s sister, Rachel Rosenthal, will perform during Bad Reputation Production’s “Lone Wolves: A Night of Solo Sketch Comedy,” at The Siren Theater on Jan. 27 and 28. Visiting from NYC, Rachel is bringing her bat mitzvah-inspired solo comedy show, RITES: A One Woman Show, to Portland. Learn more about the show or purchase tickets. Weekend In Quest The 11th annual Weekend in Quest, a Shabbaton (study weekend), will be held March 3-5 in Astoria, Oregon. It is sponsored by The Institute for Judaic Studies of the Pacific Northwest in Portland and co-sponsored by Havurah Shalom. The scholar-in-residence is Professor Roger Porter, Emeritus Professor of English and Humanities at Reed College. Professor Porter’s program is entitled “Who is the Jew?” Anti-Semitism in Shakespeare and Philip Roth. For more information, to download a brochure and to register, go to http://weekendinquest.org and/or contact Havurah member Mimi Epstein at mimiepstein42@comcast.net. Photo below is of Astoria, Oregon, where Weekend in Quest is held.
Pacific NW Reconstructionist Shabbaton Register online here for the Pacific NW Reconstructionist Shabbaton Weekend, May 5-7. Celebrate Shabbat at Camp Solomon Schechter with members of the five Pacific Northwest Reconstructionist congregations!
See the attached flier for more details. Drawing below is of Camp Solomon Schechter, where the Shabbaton will be held.
Calling Young Jewish Artists ORA Northwest Jewish Artists is proud to sponsor the first Young Artists Show, Sunday, Feb. 26 – Friday, March 3. The show will be held in the Mittleman Jewish Community Center’s lobby. It will be the first event to kick off the monthlong Jewish Arts Month which runs through the end of March and features art by ORA members. Children in grades 5-8 are invited to submit up to five pieces of art, of any medium, for jury review and consideration for the show. Prizes will be awarded in each grade level. Young artists must submit their artwork for jury consideration on Sunday, Feb. 12, between 10:30 am and 12:00 pm at Neveh Shalom, Room 105. Application and details can be found here. For more information, email youngartistsshow@gmail.com. RABBI CANDIDATE NEWS Thank you to all who attended services and other gatherings with Rabbi Micah Becker-Klein last weekend, despite the challenging weather, and to all who watched the videos sent to Havurah members on Sunday. Please be sure to complete the survey about Rabbi Micah by tomorrow, Thursday, Jan. 12. This Friday, Jan. 13, you will receive another email from the Rabbi Search Committee with links to all videos made during Rabbi Benjamin's and Rabbi Micah's visits. It will also contain a rabbi candidate evaluation. Please complete the evaluation by Thursday, Jan. 17. Your input is very important! This blog post answers questions that Havurah members have asked about the process of our rabbi selection. |
Jan. 4 Community Email
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Rabbi Becker-Klein this Weekend, Solidarity With Our Muslim Neighbors
UPCOMING SHABBAT Meet Rabbi Micah Becker-Klein
Though there's a possibility of inclement weather later this weekend, all events with Rabbi Micah Becker-Klein will be held as planned. In the event changes must be made at the last minute, we will post the information on the home page of www.havurahshalom.org and in the voicemail greeting at 503-248-4662. On Friday and Saturday, Havurahniks will have an opportunity to meet the second candidate for our next rabbi, Rabbi Micah Becker-Klein. Click here to read Rabbi Becker-Klein's bio and his writings, and to view his videos. Click here to RSVP for the weekend gatherings that you plan to attend. We still need a few more small-bite desserts and especially fruit. Please bring your desserts or grapes, small oranges (clementine, mandarin, tangerine, satsuma), melons (cantaloupe and honey dew), and pineapples to the Havurah kitchen this week or Friday evening before the services begins at 7:30 pm. Read more here. NEXT WEEK AT HAVURAH Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 12:00 noon We gather on Tuesdays, from 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm, to find some moments of quiet and shalom. Come when you can. Click here and scroll down to learn more, or contact Deborah for more information. Morning Minyan, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 8:30 am Please join us for this weekly focused minyan for people who are saying Kaddish and/or want to incorporate a regular prayer practice in their life. A Bird's Eye View of Judaism, Wednesday, Jan 11, 7:00 pm Havurahnik Roger Brewer, a life-long student of Judaism and Jewish History, will teach this four-session course, which begins with this class. Today is the last day to register, so RSVP ASAP! SOLIDARITY & KINSHIP GATHERING WITH MUSLIM NEIGHBORS Saturday, Jan. 14
The Muslim Educational Trust invites us to a solidarity and kinship gathering with our Muslim neighbors on Saturday, Jan. 14, at 5:30 pm. We’ll have ample time for socializing and light food, and we’ll watch the hour-long PBS film “Enemy of the Reich” together. The film is about Noor Inayat Khan, a courageous Muslim woman in Nazi-occupied Paris, who was recruited as a covert operative into Winston Churchill’s Special Operations Executive. She worked underground on behalf of the allies, was betrayed eventually by a French collaborator, resisted Gestapo interrogations, and escaped twice – only to be recaptured and sent to her death at Dachau. The above photo is from the Muslim Educational Trust website. TIKKUN OLAM Community Sanctuary Assembly The idea of "sanctuary" has received much attention since the election because many people of faith and conscience feel that people of color, immigrants, Muslims and others will be vulnerable. As a community, how do we demonstrate our welcome and provide safe haven to vulnerable people? Havurah Shalom has joined the New Sanctuary Movement by signing this pledge to be a Sanctuary Congregation. But our Steering Committee's action is a first step in our understanding of what this means to our community. Read more here. Hands On Portland Weekend of Service – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Children's Book Bank and Portland Public Schools believe every child can learn to read. You can help support literacy in our community by volunteering to mend, clean, and organize the ~30,000 gently-used books recently collected during the Children’s Book Harvest book drive. Book “mending” involves erasing scribbles, taping tears, removing stickers, etc. The project begins with a detailed training process on how to mend books, so volunteers should plan to be on time. Praying With Our Feet - Solidarity March As Abraham Joshua Heschel said after the Selma Civil Rights March in 1965, led by Martin Luther King, Jr. to demand voting rights for African Americas at the Alabama state capitol: I felt my legs were praying.
Havurah will join up with the Portland and Oregon Community on Jan. 21 in a show of solidarity with our sisters marching in Washington DC and across the country. Everybody who supports women's rights and civil justice is invited to "a march which is not a protest, but a show of love and support in a time of uncertainty and vulnerability for many people in our country."
Read more here about the minyan and the rally. Forging a Pro-Israel Agenda in the Trump Era Please join J Street and Havurah folks for an informative and thoughtful evening. Alan Elsner, J Street Special Advisor, will offer a program that will examine the American Jewish community’s response to the election of Donald Trump and how to respond to the new administration's appointments, especially his nominee for U.S. Ambassador to Israel. The discussion will focus on what a Trump presidency may mean for Israel, the region, and the two-state solution. Mr. Elsner will lead this informative program and subsequently open the session to discussion. For more information, contact Nancy Becker at 503-422-2482. "Raising Diverse Voices of Faith to Strengthen Oregon Communities" Please consider joining a group from Havurah Shalom and other members of the Portland interfaith community in a lobbying activity in Salem to advocate with legislators and their staff for compassionate legislation regarding various areas of our common concern. The keynote speaker will be Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum. You can read more here about the issues to be addressed and the event's sponsors and endorsers. CHANUKAH THANK YOU & RECLAIMING CHANUKAH Click here to read "'You Don't Look Jewish': A Chanukah Tale" by Finn Plager (known as Allison as a child at Havurah), about (re)claiming Chanukah and Jewishness. Finn’s parents are Constance and Josh Plager.
Thank you to all who made our Chanukah celebration on Dec. 29 successful: Seth Kaplan, Patricia Schwartz, Gaby Saunders, Beth Hamon, Deborah Eisenbach-Budner, Rachel Devlin, Aaron Pearlman, Margie Rosenthal, Barbara Gundle, Jack Lazareck, Susan Lazareck, Leila Wice, Catherine Trevison, Susan Baillet, Sarah Rosenberg, Rick Schwartz, Shelley Sobel, Paul Zapp-Albin, Sandra Goetz, and Jessica Wyse, among others. If you took photos at the celebration, please consider sharing them with other Havurahniks by emailing them to teri@havurahshalom.org. Thank you to Wendy Weissman, Chris Coughlin and Layton Borkan, who organized and led our Dec. 30 Chanukah/Shabbat gathering, and to Bob Brown, Michael Heumann, and Steve Rudman for guiding small group conversations. In the photo above, Chris Coughlin gives a drash on Dec. 30. HAVING THE CONVERSATION Workshops to Discuss What Quality Means at the End of Life Many of us spend a great deal of time thinking about how we want to live our lives, but many of us avoid thinking about how we would like our end of life care to go. Havurah will be facilitating a two-part workshop in February to help community members begin to think about what quality means at the end of life. Working from The Conversation Project model, we will support each other as we explore this challenging topic.
If you would like to join us, we ask that you commit to both workshops. Deadline to register is Jan. 23. Learn more here. Above photo is from www.theconversationproject.org. NEW YEAR, NEW JOB? New Year, New Job? We are still looking for an Office and Facilities Manager to replace Rachel. If you know of anyone looking for a job who has experience as an office manager, planning events, working with vendors, and excellent technical skills, please have them check out our job listing here. If you have questions about the job, contact Debbi at debbinadell@gmail.com. SET UP YOUR ACCOUNT ON HAVURAH'S WEBSITE With your own account, you can view your RSVPs for events, Yahrtzeit dates for your loved ones, and have access to the Havurah Membership Directory. If you haven’t logged in yet, follow these simple steps: 1. Go to www.havurahshalom.org. 2. In the top right hand corner, click on Log In. 3. Choose ‘forgot password.’ 4. Enter the email you use to receive our community email and other announcements. 5. Follow the prompts in the email message you receive to set your password. If you have any trouble, send a message to info@havurahshalom.org and we will help you out! RESCHEDULED CERAMIC GLAZING WORKSHOPS Sunday, March 19 Please come back & finish glazing your creations! IN OUR COMMUNITY ... Dare I Call You Cousin 8470 SW Oleson Rd, Portland
For those of you who missed the "Dare I Call You Cousin," exhibition at Havurah of poems, photographs, and videos, compassionate to the struggle of Israelis and Palestinians on both sides of the Green Line, and those of you who want to see it again, "Dare I Call You Cousin" will open on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2017 at the West Hills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in SW Portland, from 1:30 - 4:30 pm.
"Cousin" is a collaboration by three artists: Portland poet and Havurah member Frances Payne Adler, Jerusalem photographer Michal Fattal, and Tel Aviv videographer Yossi Yacov.
Frances Payne Adler will give a talk during the Fellowship Service preceding the opening, which is 10:30-11:45 am. All are welcome to come to the Sunday Fellowship. Viewing hours will be during the opening on Jan. 8 and on Sundays in January, before and after services: 9:00 - 10:30 am and 12:00 - 1:00 pm.
RITES: A One Woman Show The Siren Theater, 315 NW Davis, Portland Tickets are $12 in advance, $16 at the door Havurah member Marjorie Rosenthal Hutsell’s sister, Rachel Rosenthal, will perform during Bad Reputation Production’s “Lone Wolves: A Night of Solo Sketch Comedy,” at The Siren Theater on Jan. 27 and 28. Rachel’s show, “RITES: A One “Woman” Show,” is the second act. As described by The Siren Theater: Visiting from NYC, Comedian Rachel Rosenthal (The PIT, North Coast, Big Bang Improv) is bringing her bat mitzvah-inspired solo comedy show to Portland! The year was 1992 and Rachel was about to become a “woman.” Travel back in time to fluorescent scrunchies, Boyz II Men hits and Rachel Rosenthal’s own Bat Mitzvah - as she takes us on her journey to womanhood through true stories, bigger than life characters, and obviously - choreographed dances. What does it mean to be a woman? Learn more about the show here, and purchase tickets here. Weekend In Quest The 11th annual Weekend in Quest, a Shabbaton (study weekend), will be held March 3-5, 2017 in Astoria, Oregon. It is sponsored by The Institute for Judaic Studies of the Pacific Northwest in Portland and co-sponsored by Havurah Shalom. The scholar-in-residence is Professor Roger Porter, Emeritus Professor of English and Humanities at Reed College. Professor Porter’s program is entitled “Who is the Jew?” Anti-Semitism in Shakespeare and Philip Roth. For more information, to download a brochure and to register, go to http://weekendinquest.org and/or contact Havurah member Mimi Epstein at mimiepstein42@comcast.net. Photo below is of Astoria, Oregon, where Weekend in Quest is held.
Pacific NW Reconstructionist Shabbaton Register online here for the Pacific NW Reconstructionist Shabbaton Weekend, May 5-7, 2017. Celebrate Shabbat at Camp Solomon Schechter with members of the five Pacific Northwest Reconstructionist congregations!
See the attached flier for more details. Drawing below is of Camp Solomon Schechter, where the Shabbaton will be held.
Calling Young Jewish Artists! ORA Northwest Jewish Artists is proud to sponsor the first Young Artists Show, Sunday, Feb. 26 – Friday, March 3. The show will be held in the Mittleman Jewish Community Center’s lobby. It will be the first event to kick off the monthlong Jewish Arts Month which runs through the end of March and features art by ORA members. Children in grades 5-8 are invited to submit up to five pieces of art, of any medium, for jury review and consideration for the show. Prizes will be awarded in each grade level. Young artists must submit their artwork for jury consideration on Sunday, Feb. 12, between 10:30 am and 12:00 pm at Neveh Shalom, Room 105. Application and details can be found here. For more information, email youngartistsshow@gmail.com. RABBI CANDIDATE NEWS This blog post provides answers to questions that Havurah members have asked about the process of our rabbi selection. |
