Community Sanctuary Assembly
Community Sanctuary Assembly
Sunday, Jan. 15
3:00 – 5:00 pm
First Christian Church
1314 SW Park Ave, Portland
Please RSVP here.
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.
"Sanctuary is much more than providing a physical space for someone at risk of deportation - it is a strategy and set of actions for faith communities, faith-based organizations, and people of conscience."
Be a part of the conversation. Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice (IMIrJ) is hosting a community wide Sanctuary Assembly on Jan. 8. Attend to learn more about Sanctuary as part of the broader movement for immigrant justice and accompaniment. Attend to begin that discussion with other people from Havurah. This flier provides more information.
Have questions or need more information? Contact Bob Brown.
Dec. 28 Community Email
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Chanukah Gatherings, Community Minyan, Rabbi Becker-Klein
UPCOMING SHABBAT Community Minyan This Saturday Rabbi Joey, Maria Lisa Johnson, Elyse Hill, Jake Birkel, Debbi Nadell, Chris Coughlin, Marty Brown, and Arleen Slive will lead us in davening and reading Torah, and help us unravel the mysteries of this week's Torah portion. In Miketz, Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s dreams, Pharaoh makes him his adviser, and Joseph oversees the storing of food for an upcoming famine. During the famine all of Joseph’s brothers except Benjamin travel to Egypt to buy food, but they don't recognize Joseph. Joseph detains his brother Simeon and demands that the other brothers bring Benjamin to Egypt to prove they aren't spies. They bring Benjamin to Egypt, and as the brothers set off for home, Joseph puts a goblet in Benjamin’s bag and accuses him of stealing it. Drama and intrigue. Join us! NEXT WEEK AT HAVURAH Monday Office Closure on Jan. 2 Havurah's office will be closed on Monday, Jan. 2, for the New Year's holiday. Morning Minyan Please join us for this focused minyan for people who are saying Kaddish and/or want to incorporate a regular prayer practice in their life. CHANUKAH GATHERINGS, DEC. 29 & 30
A Chanukah Celebration for All Ages Our Dec. 29th Chanukah Celebration offers fun for all ages: a potluck oneg of plate-free desserts, storytelling and candle lighting led by Rachel Duke and Deborah Eisenbach-Budner, and singing led by Beth Hamon, Aaron Pearlman, Barbara Gundle, and other Havurah musicians. Afterward, Susan Lazareck will lead an interactive storytelling about making latkes for families with kids ages 7 and under. We'll also have dreidel playing, including multigenerational tables playing for fair trade Chanukah gelt and grownups playing for money, led by Jack Lazareck. In addition to bringing a plate-free dessert for the oneg, bring a favorite adult drink to share with the adult-aged crowd if you wish. We’ll add lots of light and laughter to the evening! RSVP here. Coming Together in Dark Times We invite you to join us on Friday, Dec. 30, to welcome Shabbat, spread the light of the Chanukah candles, and share our feelings, fears, and hopes for the difficult times we are facing as a country. For those of us who came together on the Sunday after the election (photo below), it was a powerful expression of community, and there have been requests to identify some next steps. It continues to feel premature to launch a specific action plan. Instead, it seems more appropriate to gather in community, listen to how we are doing, and continue conversations about our hopes and fears about areas such as immigrants and refugees, poverty and homelessness, climate change, equity, and gun control. Havurah members who are involved with many of these issues will be available to share information about ongoing work on these and other topics. We will begin by lighting the Chanukah and Shabbat candles, welcome Shabbat with kiddush and motzi, and then spend our time talking and listening. There will not be a formal Friday night service. Please RSVP here. Email chriscoughlin60@gmail.com if you are interested in getting more information but can’t attend on Dec. 30.
Photo taken by Rabbi Joey at Havurah's post-election gathering in November RABBI BECKER-KLEIN'S VISIT JAN. 6-7 & THE COOKIE CALL Please RSVP Havurah members will have a chance to meet Rabbi Micah Becker-Klein on Jan. 6-7. Please RSVP here so we know which events you will attend. You can read more about both Rabbi Barnett, who visited Havurah in December, and about Rabbi Becker-Klein here. The Cookie Call ... Once Again Thank you to ALL who baked desserts for our first rabbi candidate visit with Rabbi Barnett. Your delicious treats were well received and much appreciated. Now round two ... Please join in welcoming our second rabbi candidate, Rabbi Becker-Klein, on Friday Jan. 6 and Saturday, Jan. 7, with another amazing Havurah cookie/dessert table. We need YOUR help by baking those delicious cookies/brownies and sweet breads. (Suggested: pumpkin, banana, zucchini, carrot, date-nut, and more ...) We also need a few fruit trays or the fruit to make the trays. Learn more here. If you have questions, please contact Fran Berg at bergfr@gmail.com or 503-757-4839. LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation Circle Continues Bird's Eye View of Jewish History Do you have a vague sense that a lot happened to the Jews between the exodus from Egypt and our modern era, but you aren’t sure what actually happened, where, or why? Have you ever wondered how and why Jewish people dispersed from one small land in the Middle East to live in every part of the globe? Have you ever wondered what brought your ancestors to live in the United States? Using illustrations and maps, we will enjoyably learn the themes, geography, and journey of the Jewish people.
Please obtain Barnavi's A Historical Atlas of the Jewish People from the Time of the Patriarchs to the Present in advance. Havurahnik Roger Brewer, a lifelong student of Judaism and Jewish History, will teach this course. Register here. Above photo by Capungaero 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. 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. "Sanctuary is much more than providing a physical space for someone at risk of deportation - it is a strategy and set of actions for faith communities, faith-based organizations, and people of conscience." Be a part of the conversation. Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice (IMIrJ) is hosting a community wide Sanctuary Assembly on Jan. 8. Attend to learn more about Sanctuary as part of the broader movement for immigrant justice and accompaniment. Attend to begin that discussion with other people from Havurah. This flier provides more information. Have questions or need more information? Contact Bob Brown. 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.
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." First we will gather for community minyan at 10:00 am at Havurah, and then, for those who wish, we’ll join the march as a group under the Havurah banner. Emily Simon personally assures everyone that we will get out in time to join up with other Havurahniks who are going to the march, and will shorten up the Torah readings or the service accordingly. Our mantra for the community minyan, which is 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? Read more here. Portland Homeless Family Solutions Goose Hollow Shelter Tikkun Olam Direct Service News From Bethany Rocci, Volunteer Manager at Goose Hollow Shelter "We are very grateful to each of you for volunteering your time at our Holiday Village Party on Dec. 16! Thank you to all of our set-up volunteers who created a beautiful party space and for organizing all of the toys! Thanks to our activity station volunteers for engaging our kids in crafts and fun activities. Thank you to our volunteers who kept an eye on our energetic kids while their parents went and shopped — I know for some, that was a very busy role! :) And clean-up was a breeze, thanks to your speedy work! And special thanks to our volunteer groups from inkShift, Kaiser, Portland Volunteer Vixens, PSU, and our many volunteers from Havurah Shalom!" Join us in our volunteer work at the Goose Hollow homeless family shelter! To volunteer, attendance at an hour orientation is the only requirement. Next orientation: Dec. 28, 5:00 – 6:00 pm at the shelter: 1838 SW Jefferson. Meal provider questions: Len and Elayne Shapiro, elayneshapiro@gmail.com. All other Goose Hollow issues: Gloria Halper, losninos6@gmail.com. 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. Interfaith Advocacy Day, Tuesday, Feb. 7 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.
These meetings provide a first-hand opportunity to express your beliefs in a setting where you can make a difference—directly influencing legislation. The exchanges with legislators can be enlightening and potentially satisfying. This is also an unusual opportunity to have contact with other faith groups, which is especially meaningful right now. You can learn more about the day here, and register and buy tickets-$20 here. The Tikkun Olam Committee will reimburse registration costs, so please contact Chris Coughlin to submit for reimbursement. For carpooling, and to RSVP for the event so we know who is coming from Havurah, the Havurah contact person is Marjorie Walters.IN OUR 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 5 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. 5, 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. 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. Shabbat services will be led by Rabbi Yitzhak Husbands-Hankin, Emeritus Rabbi at Temple Beth Israel, Eugene. Catered kosher-style meals include a festive Erev Shabbat dinner, Kiddush lunch and Saturday evening dinner, with round-table discussions, social time and entertainment woven throughout the weekend. 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.
RABBI CANDIDATE NEWS As most Havurahniks know, the Rabbi Search Committee selected two candidates for the position of rabbi at Havurah Shalom. Rabbi Benjamin Barnett visited Havurah on Dec. 2-3, and Rabbi Micah Becker-Klein will visit Havurah on Jan. 6-7. Please be sure to RSVP here for the events on Jan. 6-7 so you can meet Rabbi Becker-Klein. This blog post provides answers to questions that Havurah members have asked about the process of our rabbi selection. |
Dec. 21 Community Email
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CHAG SAMEACH! TWO NIGHTS OF CHANUKAH, SANCTUARY MOVEMENT, SOLIDARITY MARCH
Photo taken at Havurah's Chanukah celebration last year UPCOMING SHABBAT Text & Torah - Chanukah Esoterica Diane Chaplin will lead this Saturday's study of Chanukah. We will serve breakfast and coffee, including bagels and lox and gluten-free options. Please arrive early to eat before the study session begins at 10:00 am. The study will be followed by a shortened morning service led by Havurah lay leaders and Rabbi Joey. NEXT WEEK AT HAVURAH Monday Office Closure & Short Days Havurah's office will be closed on Monday, Dec. 26, for the Christmas holiday. Next Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, the office will close at 2:00 pm. Morning Minyan Please join us for this focused minyan for people who are saying Kaddish and/or want to incorporate a regular prayer practice in their life. Chanukah Hakol Mailing A great event for your holiday break! Join us next Wednesday for a Chanukah Hakol mailing, with Chanukah treats for all of our wonderful volunteers. If you can come, please RSVP to info@havurahshalom.org. TWO NIGHTS OF CHANUKAH AT HAVURAH
Photo by Fran Berg of tasty guilt-free gelt (Divine Chocolate) for our Dec. 29th celebration A Chanukah Celebration for All Ages Our Dec. 29th Chanukah Celebration offers fun for all ages: a potluck oneg of plate-free desserts, storytelling and candle lighting led by Rachel Duke and Deborah Eisenbach-Budner, and singing led by Beth Hamon, Aaron Pearlman, Barbara Gundle, and other Havurah musicians. Afterward, Susan Lazareck will lead an interactive storytelling about making latkes for families with kids ages 7 and under. We'll also have dreidel playing, including multigenerational tables playing for fair trade Chanukah gelt (pictured above) and adults playing for money, led by Jack Lazareck. In addition to bringing a plate-free dessert for the oneg, please bring a favorite adult drink to share with the adult-aged crowd if you wish. We’ll add lots of light and laughter to the evening! RSVP here.
Photo taken at last year's Havurah Chanukah celebration Coming Together in Dark Times We invite you to join us on Friday, Dec. 30, to welcome Shabbat, spread the light of the Chanukah candles, and share our feelings, fears, and hopes for the difficult times we are facing as a country. For those of us who came together on the Sunday after the election (photo below), it was a powerful expression of community, and there have been requests to identify some next steps. It continues to feel premature to launch a specific action plan. Instead, it seems more appropriate to gather in community, listen to how we are doing, and continue conversations about our hopes and fears about areas such as immigrants and refugees, poverty and homelessness, climate change, equity, and gun control. Please RSVP here. Email chriscoughlin60@gmail.com if you are interested in helping with planning, or if you want to help but can’t attend on Dec. 30.
RABBI BECKER-KLEIN'S VISIT JAN. 6-7 & COOKIE CALL Please RSVP Thank you again for attending so many events at Havurah during Rabbi Benjamin Barnett's visit - and thank you for your feedback on the weekend. We're looking forward to meeting Rabbi Micah Becker-Klein on Jan. 6-7. Please be sure to RSVP here so we know which events you will attend. You can read more about both Rabbi Barnett and Rabbi Becker-Klein here. The Cookie Call ... Once Again Thank you to ALL who baked for our first rabbi candidate visit with Rabbi Barnett. Your delicious treats were well received and much appreciated. Now round two... Please join in welcoming our second rabbi candidate Rabbi Becker-Klein on Friday Jan. 6 and Saturday, Jan. 7 with another amazing Havurah cookie/dessert table. We need YOUR help by baking those delicious cookies/brownies and sweet breads. (Suggested: pumpkin, banana, zucchini, carrot, date-nut, and more ...) We also need a few fruit trays or the fruit to make the trays. Learn more here. If you have questions, please contact Fran Berg at bergfr@gmail.com or 503-757-4839. LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation Circle Continues
Photo by Capungaero Bird's Eye View of Jewish History Do you have a vague sense that a lot happened to the Jews between the exodus from Egypt and our modern era, but you aren’t sure what actually happened, where, or why? Have you ever wondered how and why Jewish people dispersed from one small land in the Middle East to live in every part of the globe? Have you ever wondered what brought your ancestors to live in the United States? Using illustrations and maps, we will enjoyably learn the themes, geography, and journey of the Jewish people. Please obtain Barnavi's A Historical Atlas of the Jewish People from the Time of the Patriarchs to the Present in advance. Havurahnik Roger Brewer, a lifelong student of Judaism and Jewish History, will teach this course. Register here. 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. TIKKUN OLAM Lift Urban Portland Christmas Dinner Every year Congregation Beth Israel hosts Lift Urban Portland’s community holiday dinner on Dec. 25, and Havurah Shalom supports the dinner. You can sign up here to help. Havurah member Mike Feldman serves on Lift’s board of directors, which met at Havurah earlier this week. Portland Homeless Family Solutions Goose Hollow Shelter Tikkun Olam Direct Service News From Bethany Rocci, Volunteer Manager at Goose Hollow Shelter "We are very grateful to each of you for volunteering your time at our Holiday Village Party last Friday evening! Thank you to all of our set-up volunteers who created a beautiful party space and for organizing all of the toys! Thanks to our activity station volunteers for engaging our kids in crafts and fun activities. Thank you to our volunteers who kept an eye on our energetic kids while their parents went and shopped — I know for some, that was a very busy role! :) And clean-up was a breeze, thanks to your speedy work! And special thanks to our volunteer groups from inkShift, Kaiser, Portland Volunteer Vixens, PSU, and our many volunteers from Havurah Shalom!" Join us in this volunteer work at the Goose Hollow homeless family shelter! To volunteer, attendance at an hour orientation is the only requirement. Next orientation: Dec. 28, 5:00 – 6:00 pm at the shelter: 1838 SW Jefferson. Meal provider questions: Len and Elayne Shapiro- Elayne Shapiro, elayneshapiro@gmail.com. All other Goose Hollow issues: 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. "Sanctuary is much more than providing a physical space for someone at risk of deportation - it is a strategy and set of actions for faith communities, faith-based organizations, and people of conscience." Be a part of the conversation. Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice (IMIrJ) is hosting a community wide Sanctuary Assembly on Jan. 8. Attend to learn more about Sanctuary as part of the broader movement for immigrant justice and accompaniment. Attend to begin that discussion with other people from Havurah. This flier provides more information. Have questions or need more information? Contact Bob Brown. 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. 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." First we will gather for our community minyan at 10:00 am at Havurah, and then, for those who wish, we’ll join the march as a group under the Havurah banner. Emily Simon personally assures everyone that we will get out in time to join up with other Havurahniks who are going to the march, and will shorten up the Torah readings or the service accordingly. Our mantra for the community minyan, which is 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? Read more here.
Interfaith Advocacy Day, Tuesday, Feb. 7 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. These meetings provide a first-hand opportunity to express your beliefs in a setting where you can make a difference—directly influencing legislation. The exchanges with legislators can be enlightening and potentially satisfying. This is also an unusual opportunity to have contact with other faith groups, which is especially meaningful right now. IN OUR COMMUNITY ... Jews of Portland Support You are invited to the first “Jews of Portland Support” on Tuesday, Dec. 27, the fourth night of Chanukah. Jews of Portland and our allies will gather at Pioneer Square in downtown Portland to show that we, as a community, will stand up for the rights and civil liberties of all humans, regardless of their race, religion, nationality, and sexual orientation. This will be an opportunity for us to let the country know that we care, and we will do as much as we can to protect the lives of humans, our beloved environment, and just as importantly, ourselves. If city permitting allows, we will also light the menorah and sing some songs of peace and celebration together. There will be time for community leaders to share a few words of inspiration. This event is family friendly and people from all walks of life are welcome. Questions? Call 954-980-0501. 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. Shabbat services will be led by Rabbi Yitzhak Husbands-Hankin, Emeritus Rabbi at Temple Beth Israel, Eugene. Catered kosher-style meals include a festive Erev Shabbat dinner, Kiddush lunch and Saturday evening dinner, with round-table discussions, social time and entertainment woven throughout the weekend. 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, 2017. Celebrate Shabbat at Camp Solomon Schechter with members of the five Pacific Northwest Reconstructionist congregations!
See the attached flier for more details. RABBI CANDIDATE NEWS As most of you know, the Rabbi Search Committee selected two candidates for the position of rabbi at Havurah Shalom. Rabbi Benjamin Barnett visited Havurah on Dec. 2-3, and Rabbi Micah Becker-Klein will visit Havurah on Jan. 6-7. Please be sure to RSVP here for the events on Jan. 6-7 so you can meet Rabbi Becker-Klein. This blog post provides answers to questions that Havurah members have asked about the process of our rabbi selection. |
Praying With Our Feet - Solidarity March
Praying With Our Feet - Solidarity March
Saturday, Jan. 21
10:00 am, Community Minyan at Havurah
12:00 noon, Meet with Other Havurahniks at Japanese Historical Plaza
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.
Havurah will join up with the Portland and Oregon community on Saturday, 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."
- Gather for a special Community Minyan at 10:00 am at Havurah. For those attending the Community Minyan, Emily Simon personally assures everyone that we will leave in time to join up with other Havurahniks at the march. Our mantra for the community minyan, which is 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.
- Meet under the Havurah banner at 12 noon at the Japanese Historical Plaza, just a bit north of the Burnside Bridge, near the intersection of Couch and Naito Parkway. (The plaza has a series of stone carvings with poems and recollections on them.) The rally begins at 1:30 pm, under the Burnside Bridge.
The organizers of the rally have requested that people RSVP to help them create a strong and effective safety and security plan. Please RSVP for the rally here.
If you can give one or two Havurahniks a ride to the Japanese Historical Plaza (Couch and Naito Parkway), where Havurah members will meet at noon, please RSVP here on Havurah's website. An email will be sent to all who RSVP so carpools can be arranged.
Dec. 14 Community Email
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Snow & Ice, RSVP for Jan. 6-7, Chanukah Celebration & Tikkun Olam
UPCOMING SHABBAT Bat Mitzvah of Ravit Pearlman This Saturday, Ravit Pearlman, daughter of Sacha Reich and Aaron Pearlman, will be called to the Torah as a bat mitzvah. If you attended some of our Saturday services over the past several weeks, you probably heard Ravit lead many parts of the service beautifully. Please join us in celebrating with Ravit and her family as she becomes a bat mitzvah and welcome her to our community. Mazel tov! CLASS CANCELLED TONIGHT & INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY The class "Being Jewish Makes a World of Difference" which was scheduled for tonight, has been cancelled because of the snow. Also, Havurah's office will be closed on days when Portland Public Schools close due to weather. For more information about closures and cancellations at Havurah, call 503-248-4662. The voicemail will include the latest updates. You can also visit www.havurahshalom.org for updates. CHANUKAH: ADDING LIGHT TO THESE DARK DAYS - DEC. 28, 29 & 30 Chanukah Hakol Mailing On Wednesday, Dec. 28, we'll have a Chanukah Hakol mailing gathering at Havurah, with Chanukah treats for all of our wonderful volunteers. If you can join us, please RSVP to info@havurahshalom.org. Photo below was taken at a Havurah Chanukah Celebration last year.
A Chanukah Celebration for All Ages Our Dec. 29th Chanukah Celebration will offer fun for all ages: a potluck oneg of plate-free desserts, storytelling and candle lighting led by Rachel Duke and Deborah Eisenbach-Budner, and singing led by Beth Hamon, Aaron Pearlman, Barbara Gundle, and other Havurah musicians. Afterward, we'll have several tables of dreidel playing for those who want to play - including multigenerational tables playing for fair trade Chanukah gelt and a table of adults playing for money. In addition to bringing a plate-free dessert for the oneg, please bring a favorite adult drink to share with the adult-aged crowd if you wish. We’ll add lots of light and laughter to the evening! RSVP here. Photo below was taken at a Havurah Chanukah Celebration last year.
Coming Together in Dark Times We invite you to join us on Friday, Dec. 30, to welcome Shabbat, spread the light of the Chanukah candles, and share our feelings, fears, and hopes for the difficult times we are facing as a country. For those of us who came together on the Sunday after the election, it was a powerful expression of community, and there have been requests to identify some next steps. It continues to feel premature to launch a specific action plan. Instead, it seems more appropriate to gather in community, listen to how we are doing, and continue conversations about our hopes and fears about areas such as immigrants and refugees, poverty and homelessness, climate change, equity, and gun control. Please RSVP here so we will know if this date will work for people who are interested. Email chriscoughlin60@gmail.com if you are interested in helping with planning, or if you want to help but can’t attend on Dec. 30. RSVP FOR RABBI BECKER-KLEIN'S VISIT JAN. 6-7 Thank you again for attending so many events at Havurah during Rabbi Benjamin Barnett's visit - and thank you for your feedback on the weekend. We're looking forward to meeting Rabbi Micah Becker-Klein on Jan. 6-7. Please be sure to RSVP here so we know which events you will attend. You can read more about both Rabbi Barnett and Rabbi Becker-Klein here.
LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES & UPDATES
Thank You, Stacy Hankin! At last Saturday's Shabbat School, parents and students celebrated Stacy Hankin's time as Assistant Coordinator of Education (ACE). Thank you, Stacy, for all you've done for Havurah's education programs. We will miss you! High Holidays Readings Thank you to all the Havurah members who led prayers, read Torah, blew shofarim, led music, organized services, led Tikkun Olam talks, and gave readings or drashot during the High Holidays services this year. And thank you to those of you who shared your readings and drashot with Havurah so the rest of us could read what was spoken during High Holidays. These writings and readings offer inspiration during difficult times. Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation Circle Continues Bird's Eye View of Jewish History Do you have a vague sense that a lot happened to the Jews between the exodus from Egypt and our modern era, but you aren’t sure what actually happened, where, or why? Have you ever wondered how and why Jewish people dispersed from one small land in the Middle East to live in every part of the globe? Have you ever wondered what brought your ancestors to live in the United States? Using illustrations and maps, we will enjoyably learn the themes, geography, and journey of the Jewish people. Please obtain Barnavi's A Historical Atlas of the Jewish People from the Time of the Patriarchs to the Present in advance. Havurahnik Roger Brewer, a lifelong student of Judaism and Jewish History, will teach this course. Register here by Jan. 4. Having the Conversation: Workshops to Discuss Quality at 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. TIKKUN OLAM
Interfaith Advocacy Day, Tuesday, Feb. 7 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. These meetings provide a first-hand opportunity to express your beliefs in a setting where you can make a difference—directly influencing legislation. The exchanges with legislators can be enlightening and potentially satisfying. This is also an unusual opportunity to have contact with other faith groups, which is especially meaningful right now. Lift Urban Portland Christmas Dinner Every year for the past 30 years, Congregation Beth Israel has hosted Lift Urban Portland’s community holiday dinner, and Havurah Shalom has supported Lift Urban Portland and the holiday dinner for more than a decade. Currently, Havurahnik Mike Feldman is a member of Lift’s board of directors. Volunteers are needed before, during and after the dinner. You can sign up here. Portland Homeless Family Solutions Tikkun Olam Volunteer Project Next new volunteer orientation is Dec. 28, 5:00 - 6:00 pm, at the Goose Hollow Shelter, 1838 SW Jefferson. Please RSVP to Bethany (contact info below). Join us! Questions regarding volunteering at Goose Hollow? To help with meal preparation: Len Shapiro at lenshap@gmail.com. Any other PHFS questions, Gloria Halper, Tikkun Olam Committee member, losninos6@gmail.com. Volunteer at Goose Hollow Holiday Village on Dec. 16 Want to celebrate with our homeless families this holiday season? Join us at our Holiday Village event on Dec. 16 at the Goose Hollow shelter. Every year, Portland Homeless Family Solutions hosts a holiday party for the families in shelter and any families who accessed services earlier in the year. They'll have dinner, music, crafts and games for kids, the opportunity for parents to shop for presents, and lots of holiday cheer! Volunteers are needed for the following roles:
Shift times are approximate and may change as the event date gets closer. Can't volunteer but want to donate items towards our other donation needs? Ready to volunteer at Holiday Village? Contact Bethany. IN OUR COMMUNITY ... Education Opportunities at PSU Read about PSU’s Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies and Winter 2017 classes 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. Shabbat services will be led by Rabbi Yitzhak Husbands-Hankin, Emeritus Rabbi at Temple Beth Israel, Eugene. Catered kosher-style meals include a festive Erev Shabbat dinner, Kiddush lunch and Saturday evening dinner, with round-table discussions, social time and entertainment woven throughout the weekend. 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 Online registration is open now 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 and register here. RABBI CANDIDATE VISITS & UPDATES As most of you know, the Rabbi Search Committee selected two candidates for the position of rabbi at Havurah Shalom. Rabbi Benjamin Barnett visited Havurah on Dec. 2-3, and Rabbi Micah Becker-Klein will visit Havurah on Jan. 6-7. Please be sure to RSVP here for the events on Jan. 6-7 so you can meet Rabbi Becker-Klein. More answers have been added to this blog post regarding the process of our rabbi selection. Please check out the updates here. |
Having the Conversation Workshops
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.
The Conversation Project is dedicated to helping people talk about their wishes for end-of-life care. Too many people are dying in a way they wouldn’t choose, and too many of their loved ones are left feeling bereaved, guilty, and uncertain. It’s time to transform our culture so we shift from not talking about dying to talking about it. It’s time to share the way we want to live at the end of our lives. And it’s time to communicate about the kind of care we want and don’t want for ourselves. The Conversation Project offers people the tools, guidance, and resources they need to begin talking with their loved ones about their wishes and preferences, before a medical crisis – “at the kitchen table,” not in the intensive care unit.
If you would like to join us, we ask that you commit to both workshops. RSVP here by Jan. 23, 2017. Times and dates below:
Workshop Option #1
Sunday Feb. 12, 2017, 10:00 – 11:30 am
Sunday Feb. 26, 2017, 10:00 – 11:30 am
Workshop Option #2
Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Thursday, March 2, 2017 7:00 – 8:30 pm
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Ma’avar Co-chairs: Keren McCord and Sidney Gold.
Interfaith Advocacy Day, 2/7/17
Interfaith Advocacy Day, 2/7/17, "Raising Diverse Voices of Faith to Strengthen Oregon Communities" - Update
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.
These meetings provide a first-hand opportunity to express your beliefs in a setting where you can make a difference—directly influencing legislation. The exchanges with legislators can be enlightening and potentially satisfying. This is also an unusual opportunity to have contact with other faith groups, which is especially meaningful right now. The goal of the Interfaith Advocacy Day is to build together a just, inclusive and hope-filled future for all Oregonians.
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
Here are the specifics:
7:30 am - Meet in Portland at a specified location to form carpools going to Salem.
8:30 am - Interfaith groups* will congregate in Salem at the sanctuary of the St. Mark Lutheran Church near the Capitol, 790 Marion Street NE.
9:15 am - Keynote speaker: Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum
10:00 am – Attend general training on lobbying and workshops on each of the focus issues.** People will attend the workshop of their choice. Current possible legislation on each focus issue will be explained, and talking points for use with legislators will be offered.
Noon - Lunch will be served.
Early afternoon – Participants will march to the Capitol to meet with their pre-assigned legislators. Appointments have been pre-set. Each group will discuss various issues with legislators. Assignments will be primarily constituent-based.
4:00 pm - Carpools will reconvene at the Capitol between 4:00 pm and 5:00 pm to return to Portland.
**Focus issues for lobbying activity include:
Confronting Poverty: Housing
Confronting Poverty: Hunger
Economic Equality: Wage Theft
Expanding health care
Gun Violence prevention
Climate Justice
*Co-sponsors and Endorsers include:
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SPONSORS |
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Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon |
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First A.M.E. Zion Church, Portland |
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Interfaith Council of Greater Portland |
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Islamic Society of Greater Portland |
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Jewish Federation of Greater Portland |
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Muslim Educational Trust |
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Oregon Center for Christian Voices |
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Oregon Unitarian Universalist Voices for Justice |
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United Methodist Women of the Oregon-Idaho Conference |
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ENDORSERS |
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Allen Temple CME Church, Portland |
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Augustana Lutheran Church, Portland |
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Christ Church Episcopal Parish, Portland |
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Community of Christ, Portland |
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Congregation Beth Israel, Portland |
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Congregational Church of Lincoln City UCC |
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Covenant Presbyterian Church, Portland |
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Dharma Rain Zen Center |
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Episcopal Diocese of Eastern Oregon |
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Episcopal Diocese of Oregon |
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Havurah Shalom, Portland |
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Jewish Federation of Lane County |
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Multnomah Friends Meeting (Quakers) |
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Oregon Alliance for Gun Safety |
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Parkrose Community United Church of Christ |
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SnowCap Community Charities |
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St. Luke Lutheran Church, Portland |
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St. Mark Lutheran Church, Salem |
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St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church, Portland |
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St. Paul's Epsicopal Church, The Dalles |
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Tivnu: Building Justice |
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Vermont Hills United Methodist Church, Portland |
- Marjorie Walters
Dec. 7 Community Email
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Feedback On Rabbi Barnett Due Tomorrow, Adding Light In These Dark Times
UPCOMING SHABBAT Community Minyan Leaders and leyners at this week's Community Minyan include Sacha Reich, Ravit Pearlman, Susan Brenner, Sam Sirkin, Roger Brewer, and Marty Brown. We will read and discuss Parsha Vayeitzei, in which Jacob travels to his Uncle Laban's home, where he works many years before he marries Leah and additional years so he can marry Rachel. On his way to Laban, he dreams of a ladder to heaven on which angels ascend and descend. God tells him that he and his descendants will inherit the promised land, and that he will protect Jacob until he returns. Join us for davening, Torah reading, and engaging discussion. Painting below by Marc Chagall
FOLLOWING UP ON RABBI BARNETT'S VISIT Important Message From Our Co-Presidents Dear Havurahniks, We hope you had the opportunity to meet Rabbi Benjamin Barnett over the weekend and see him in action at services or one of the other events. If you missed him, you can find the links to videos from the weekend in an email sent on Sunday. Mark your calendar for the weekend of January 6-7 to meet our second candidate, Rabbi Micah Becker-Klein, and please RSVP here on our website. Many of you may have questions about how the selection process will work, and we hope to answer them here. If you have other questions that need answering, please send them to info@havurahshalom.org and we will respond on the website and include them in a future email. Read questions and answers here. Also, please be sure to complete this feedback survey about Rabbi Barnett by tomorrow, Dec. 8. Important Message From Our Shabbat School Leaders Dear Parents, Please read this very important message about how Havurah's new rabbi will be engaging with Shabbat School! For those that were able to attend events over the weekend, including the conversation during Shabbat School, with the first rabbinical candidate, Rabbi Benjamin Barnett, thank you. For all of you, please read this important message from our Shabbat School leaders.
CHANUKAH: ADDING LIGHT IN THESE DARK TIMES - DEC. 10, 29 & 30 Hope, Action & Chanukah We were originally scheduled, December 10, 3:15 - 4:40 pm, to do a parenting session called "Will the Real Chanukah Please Stand Up" to look at the roots, evolution, and current identities of Chanukah - especially as they intersect with Christmas, commercialism, American life, religious tolerance and intolerance. At this point, we will follow up on the conversation from the last Shabbat School session (about "Parenting In These Times – Post Election") and see how it relates to Chanukah and the meanings that we can bring to the holiday this year. Please come, whether you were part of the discussion last time, or not, and whether you are a parent or not. Here are a few things to think about, if you get a chance to read them. Chanukah Celebration for All Ages This year's Chanukah celebration will offer fun for all ages. It begins with a potluck oneg of plate-free desserts, followed by candle lighting, storytelling, and singing led by Beth Hamon, Aaron Pearlman, Barbara Gundle and other Havurah musicians. If you have a dreidel or chanukiot and candles, please bring them with you. The more light and laughter the better! We also plan to have tables of dreidel playing for both the younger crowd and the older crowd, with a monitored table for adult drinks too. RSVP here if you can come. We need a few more volunteers for the celebration. If you can help set up the chanukiot before the celebration, oversee the dessert table, greet guests at the door, or help straighten the kitchen after the party, please email Gaby Saunders, Patricia Schwartz or Seth Kaplan. Thank you for making this celebration possible! Coming Together in Dark Times We invite you to join us on Friday, Dec. 30 to welcome Shabbat, spread the light of the Chanukah candles, and share our feelings, fears, and hopes for the difficult times we are facing as a country. For those of us who came together on the Sunday after the election, it was a powerful expression of community, and there have been requests to identify some next steps. It continues to feel premature to launch a specific action plan. Instead, it seems more appropriate to gather in community, listen to how we are doing, and continue conversations about our hopes and fears about areas such as immigrants and refugees, poverty and homelessness, climate change, equity, and gun control. Please RSVP here so we will know if this date will work for people who are interested. Email chriscoughlin60@gmail.com if you are interested in helping with planning, or if you want to help but can’t attend on Dec. 30.
WHO'S WHO IN HAVURAH'S OFFICE We already miss Rachel Palmer in the Havurah office, of course, but thankfully Debbi Nadell is filling in until we hire a new Office & Facilities Manager. Other Havurah members are also helping. Depending on when you call or come in to Havurah, you might reach Fran Berg, Susan Lazareck, Joni Kutner, Margaret Nathe, or Debbi Nadell. For now, the best way to reach someone about office and facilities issues is to use this email address: debbihavurah@gmail.com. If you are interested in the position of Office & Facilities Manager at Havurah, read the job description here. To apply, please send cover letter and resume to info@havurahshalom.org. Pictured above are Rachel and Debbi on Rachel’s last day at Havurah, Friday, Dec. 2.
Glazing Workshop for Courtyard Art Project RSVP here if you can join this final glazing workshop to leave a legacy of art in Havurah's courtyard. Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation We gather on Tuesdays, from 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm, to find some moments of quiet and shalom. We start with a brief teaching and gentle song, then have a sitting or walking meditation that is guided, in silence. This is for folks either with experience in meditation or for those with curiosity but no experience. Please contact Deborah Eisenbach-Budner for more information. Wednesday Morning Minyan This weekday service is for people who want to integrate prayer in their daily lives and for those saying Kaddish, or not. Please join us!
Assembly & Commemoration of the International Migrant Day The Portland Immigrants Rights Coalition (PIRC) is hosting a Popular Assembly (Asamblea Popular). Trump has promised to: Inform yourself; hear from the affected communities. We will have experts that will speak about these issues with a goal of defining an action plan based on the needs of the community. You will be able to hook up with others to develop actions that will be needed in the near future.
Refugee Resettlement Program Posadas Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice (IMIrJ) and Vecinos en Alerta are organizing the celebration of the annual Las Posadas tradition in the Cully neighborhood. This event is a beautiful celebration of community, with its special focus on honoring and lifting up the immigrant experience in Portland, in the U.S., and across the world. This is also a great opportunity for Havurah to connect our faith tradition with others in celebration of dignity and human rights. Las Posadas fiesta is also a good event to include children since there will be lots of children attending from Vecinos en Alberta families. As part of the Christmas celebration, these traditional Mexican fiestas (posadas - inns) are held for family, friends, and neighbors. Please let Bob Brown know if you are interested: rebrown47@gmail.com Lift Urban Portland Christmas Dinner for Our NW Neighbors Every year for the past 30 years, Congregation Beth Israel has hosted Lift Urban Portland’s community holiday dinner, and Havurah Shalom has supported Lift Urban Portland and the holiday dinner for more than a decade. Currently, Havurahnik Mike Feldman is a member of Lift’s board of directors. Volunteers are needed before, during and after the dinner to prepare and decorate, fill gift bags, greet guests, serve meals, and clean up. You can sign up here. Portland Homeless Family Solutions Tikkun Olam Volunteer Project Next new volunteer orientation is Dec. 28, 5:00 - 6:00 pm, at the Goose Hollow Shelter, 1838 SW Jefferson. Please RSVP to Bethany (contact info below). Join us! Questions regarding volunteering at Goose Hollow? To help with meal preparation: Len Shapiro at lenshap@gmail.com. Any other PHFS questions, Gloria Halper, Tikkun Olam Committee member, losninos6@gmail.com. Volunteer at Goose Hollow Holiday Village on Dec. 16 Want to celebrate with our homeless families this holiday season? Join us at our Holiday Village event on Dec. 16 at the Goose Hollow shelter. Every year, Portland Homeless Family Solutions hosts a holiday party for the families in shelter and any families who accessed services earlier in the year. They'll have dinner, music, crafts and games for kids, the opportunity for parents to shop for presents, and lots of holiday cheer! Volunteers are needed for the following roles:
Shift times are approximate and may change as the event date gets closer. Can't volunteer but want to donate items towards our other donation needs? Ready to volunteer at Holiday Village? Contact Bethany. Interfaith Advocacy Day, Tuesday, Feb. 7 With the theme, "Raising Diverse Voices of Faith to Strengthen Oregon Communities," Interfaith Advocacy Day 2017 will bring together people of many religious traditions from throughout Oregon for a day of prayer, dialogue and advocacy with state legislators. Join us in addressing housing, hunger, health care, gun safety, and climate justice. Sponsored by Havurah Shalom, Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, First AME Zion Church, Portland Interfaith Council of Greater Portland, Islamic Society of Greater Portland, Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, Muslim Educational Trust, Oregon Center for Christian Voices, United Methodist Women of the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference. Register here.
Wednesdays, Jan. 11, 18 & 25, and Feb. 1 Do you have a vague sense that a lot happened to the Jews between the exodus from Egypt and our modern era, but you aren’t sure what actually happened, where, or why? Have you ever wondered how and why Jewish people dispersed from one small land in the Middle East to live in every part of the globe? Have you ever wondered what brought your ancestors to live in the United States? Using illustrations and maps, we will enjoyably learn the themes, geography, and journey of the Jewish people. Please obtain Barnavi's A Historical Atlas of the Jewish People from the Time of the Patriarchs to the Present in advance. Havurahnik Roger Brewer, a lifelong student of Judaism and Jewish History, will teach this course. Register here by Jan. 4.
Education Opportunities at PSU Click here to learn about upcoming educational opportunities at PSU's Institute for Judaic Studies. Reconstructionism Today Click here to read the latest issue of Reconstructionism Today. 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. Shabbat services will be led by Rabbi Yitzhak Husbands-Hankin, Emeritus Rabbi at Temple Beth Israel, Eugene. Catered kosher-style meals include a festive Erev Shabbat dinner, Kiddush lunch and Saturday evening dinner, with round-table discussions, social time and entertainment woven throughout the weekend. 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
Online registration is open now 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 and register here.
As most of you know, the Rabbi Search Committee selected two candidates for the position of rabbi at Havurah Shalom. Last weekend one of the candidates, Rabbi Benjamin Barnett, visited Havurah and met with Havurah members at numerous events. We hope you were able to participate in some of the events and/or to watch the videos of each event, which were sent to all Havurah members on Sunday. Please remember to complete this feedback survey about Rabbi Barnett by tomorrow, Dec. 8! You can read the lastest update on the rabbi search process here. Rabbi Becker-Klein will visit Havurah the weekend of January 6-7. You can RSVP for weekend events with Rabbi Becker-Klein here. Click here for more information about both Rabbi Benjamin Barnett and Rabbi Becker-Klein. The process to determine which candidates to invite started with the focus groups and your participation. Click here to see the focus group report. A job description was then developed based on the feedback we received from the focus group and your input. Click here to see the job description.
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Rabbi Selection Process Q & A
Dear Havurahniks,
We hope you had the opportunity to meet Rabbi Benjamin Barnett over the weekend and see him in action at services or one of the other events. If you missed him, you can find the links to videos from the weekend in an email sent yesterday. Mark your calendar for the weekend of January 6th and 7th to meet our second candidate, Rabbi Micah Becker-Klein, and please RSVP on our website.
Many of you may have questions about how the selection process will work, and we hope to answer those in this email. If you have other questions that need answering, please send them to info@havurahshalom.org and we will respond on the website and include them in a future email.
How do we make a final decision on which Rabbi to hire?
According to our by-laws, “All decisions with regard to employment and selection of a rabbi shall be made at a congregational meeting, upon the recommendation of the Steering Committee.”
This important Congregational Meeting will be on Sunday, February 12th, 1:00 – 3:00. Please note this is a different date than the originally published date in March. Make sure you put February 12th on your calendar if you plan to attend.
At this meeting, the congregation will vote to confirm the Steering Committee recommendation to hire one of the candidates to begin at Havurah on August 1, 2017.
So, I don’t get to vote directly on which Rabbi I prefer?
That is correct. At the Congregational Meeting, you will vote Yes or No to accept the Steering Committee recommendation.
How do I give my input?
Following each of the Rabbi candidate visits, all Havurah members will be sent a survey soliciting your opinions about that candidate. Don’t delay – you only have five days to complete the surveys after each visit. In mid-January, after both candidates have visited, there will be a third survey where you will be able to make your preferences clear.
What if I didn’t see both candidates?
We are taping services and other events with both Rabbi candidates and you can watch the sessions by following the links that will be sent out after the visits.
What happens with the survey results? What other input is being factored into the decision?
The Rabbi Search Committee will be reviewing all survey input as part of their final evaluation. The committee is conducting extensive interviews with each candidate, and our staff, Steering Committee, and a variety of other lay leaders are also meeting with them. All of the input generated will be used by the Rabbi Search Committee to support their recommendation to the Steering Committee.
So Steering makes the final recommendation?
Yes. We expect to receive the recommendation from the Rabbi Search Committee mid to late January. The Rabbi Search Committee has been so thorough in their role, that we don’t expect there to be any issue with Steering accepting their recommendation.
However, the final recommendation to the congregational membership comes from the Steering Committee, not the Rabbi Search Committee. If the Steering Committee needs to, we will work with the Rabbi Search Committee to resolve any possible concerns about our recommendation.
How will the congregation get more info about the recommendation before the Congregational Meeting in February?
As quickly as possible following Steering’s decision on the recommendation – which we expect to be on approximately January 22nd – we will send material about the recommendation and results from the survey, interviews, etc. out electronically and through the regular mail to all congregants. You should receive this information with sufficient time to review it before the Congregational Meeting.
What if I can’t be at the Congregational Meeting?
Our by-laws do not have a provision for proxy voting, so only those members who attend the Congregational Meeting will be able to vote. Our congregational values are rooted in consensus building. As with other decisions made at congregational meetings, members need to be part of the discussion before voting. If you can’t attend on February 12th, be sure to complete the surveys so your feedback can be considered by the Rabbi Search Committee.
Why was the Congregational meeting date changed?
The Rabbi Search Committee (RSC) has been in regular contact with the Director of the Placement Center at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College throughout this entire process getting advice, direction and assistance. The RSC was advised that the period of time between the interviews and the congregational meeting was unusually long. To ask any candidate to wait 2-3 months after an interview to receive notification about the job was considered unprofessional and detrimental to both the candidate and Havurah. We could risk losing a great candidate due to the length of time. So the RSC made the recommendation to Steering to change the date of the congregational meeting to an earlier date.
What if both candidates “score evenly” based upon the survey results? How will a candidate be chosen?
The Rabbi Search Committee (RSC) is not just looking at the survey data to make a recommendation to Steering. The RSC is also carefully looking at both interviews, Skype and Formal (in which the Co-Presidents and Past President participated), the references, their writings, and staff impressions. Based on all that data, the RSC will make a recommendation to Steering.
What if neither Rabbi is a good fit for Havurah?
If the Rabbi Search Committee, Steering Committee and congregation decide that neither of the candidates is the right person for Havurah Shalom, Steering will need to make some immediate plans and decisions. We would most likely need to restart a search process, which would take us out another year with a Rabbi starting no sooner than August 2018. Steering could decide we will operate without a Rabbi for the longer time, or we could find an interim Rabbi, who we could hire for one to two years. Interim Rabbis are not candidates for a permanent position, but generally fill in while a congregation does a search for a permanent candidate. We would be likely to solicit help from the Reconstructionist Rabbinic College in finding an interim rabbi.
You haven’t answered all of my questions. Where can I get more info?
Please email info@havurahshalom.org with additional questions. You will get a direct answer back and we will also add the question and answer to the website.
We appreciate the support of the congregation as we go through this process. This time of transition is very exciting and also somewhat anxious for our community. We hope to make everyone feel as informed as possible as we go through the next few months.
B’shalom,
Shelley Sobel and Bill Kwitman
Havurah Co-presidents
Nov. 30 Community Email
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RABBI BARNETT'S VISIT THIS WEEKEND, CHANUKAH PARTY, BIRD'S EYE DATES
UPCOMING SHABBAT Meet Rabbi Benjamin Barnett This weekend Havurahniks have an opportunity to meet one of the candidates for Havurah's next rabbi, Rabbi Benjamin Barnett. This schedule was mailed to every Havurah member so they could make plans to attend services and discussions with our rabbi candidates. Click here to read Rabbi Barnett's bio and to read his writings. Click here to RSVP for the weekend gatherings that you plan to attend. Door Greeters/Monitors Needed! The organizers of our rabbi candidate visits would like to have front door greeters/monitors to ensure that everything runs smoothly. Four events require assistance:
If you're planning to attend any of these events and are willing to be a greeter/monitor for part of the time, please sign up here. You'll just need to arrive 20 minutes early for a brief training. And if you have any friends who would like to help with this, that would also be great. Thank you!
As we try to process the results of our presidential election, it can help to read our teachers' comments.
Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation We gather on Tuesdays, from 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm, to find some moments of quiet and shalom. We start with a brief teaching and gentle song, then have a sitting or walking meditation that is guided, in silence. This is for folks either with experience in meditation or for those with curiosity but no experience. Please contact Deborah Eisenbach-Budner for more information. Morning Minyan This weekday service is for people who want to integrate prayer in their daily lives and for those saying Kaddish, or not. Please join us!
This full-time position provides critical functions in our administration and contributes to the success of the community. Click here to see the job description. To apply, please send cover letter and resume’ to info@havurahshalom.org. - Havurah Shalom Steering Committee Here is a message from outgoing Office and Facilities Manager Rachel Palmer.
Don't miss this weekend's opportunity to glaze the tiles that Havurahniks of all ages have created for our courtyard art. Spaces are still open for this Sunday. The Dec. 4 and 11 workshops are for people ages 10 to adult. Sunday, Dec. 4 Sunday, Dec. 11 View photos here of Havurah members creating our courtyard art together. The above photo was taken at a November workshop at Havurah.
Thursday, Dec. 29 Our Chanukah celebration offers fun for all ages. It begins with a potluck oneg of plate-free desserts, followed by candle lighting, storytelling, and singing led by Beth Hamon, Aaron Pearlman and other Havurah musicians. If you have a dreidel, chanukiot and candles, please bring them with you. The more light and laughter the better! RSVP here if you can come.
Las Posadas - Dec. 19 The Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice (IMIrJ) and Vecinos en Alerta are organizing the celebration of the annual Las Posadas tradition in the Cully neighborhood. This event is a beautiful celebration of community, with its special focus on honoring and lifting up the immigrant experience in Portland, in the U.S., and across the world. This is also a great opportunity for Havurah to connect our faith tradition with others in celebration of dignity and human rights. Las Posadas fiesta is also a good event to include children since there will be lots of children attending from Vecinos en Alberta families. As part of the Christmas celebration, these traditional Mexican fiestas (posadas - inns) are held for family, friends, and neighbors. Please let Bob Brown know if you are interested: rebrown47@gmail.com Lift Urban Portland Holiday Dinner - Dec. 25 Every year for the past 30 years, Congregation Beth Israel has hosted Lift Urban Portland’s community holiday dinner, and Havurah Shalom has supported Lift Urban Portland and the holiday dinner for more than a decade. Currently, Havurahnik Mike Feldman is a member of Lift’s board of directors. Volunteers are needed before, during and after the dinner to prepare and decorate, fill gift bags, greet guests, serve meals, and clean up. You can sign up here. The photo below was taken at a Lift Urban Portland holiday dinner.
Portland Homeless Family Solutions Tikkun Olam Direct Service Project Next new volunteer orientation is Dec. 6, 5:00 - 6:00 pm, at the Goose Hollow Shelter, 1838 SW Jefferson. Please RSVP to Bethany (contact info below). Join us! Questions regarding volunteering at Goose Hollow? To help with meal preparation: Len Shapiro at lenshap@gmail.com. Any other PHFS questions, Gloria Halper, Tikkun Olam Committee member, losninos6@gmail.com. Volunteer at Goose Hollow Holiday Village on Dec. 16 Want to celebrate with our homeless families this holiday season? Join us at our Holiday Village event on Dec. 16 at the Goose Hollow shelter. Every year, Portland Homeless Family Solutions hosts a holiday party for the families in shelter and any families who accessed services earlier in the year. They'll have dinner, music, crafts and games for kids, the opportunity for parents to shop for presents, and lots of holiday cheer! Volunteers are needed for the following roles:
Shift times are approximate and may change as the event date gets closer. Can't volunteer but want to donate items towards our other donation needs? Ready to volunteer at Holiday Village? Contact Bethany. Save the Date for Interfaith Advocacy Day 2017 Tuesday, Feb. 7 With the theme, "Raising Diverse Voices of Faith to Strengthen Oregon Communities," Interfaith Advocacy Day 2017 will bring together people of many religious traditions from throughout Oregon for a day of prayer, dialogue and advocacy with state legislators. Join us in addressing housing, hunger, health care, gun safety, and climate justice. Sponsored by Havurah Shalom, Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, First AME Zion Church, Portland Interfaith Council of Greater Portland, Islamic Society of Greater Portland, Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, Muslim Educational Trust, Oregon Center for Christian Voices, United Methodist Women of the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference. Registration and more details coming soon.
Wednesdays, Jan. 11, 18 & 25, and Feb. 1 Apologies for posting the wrong dates for this class in last week's email. The above dates are correct. Do you have a vague sense that a lot happened to the Jews between the exodus from Egypt and our modern era, but you aren’t sure what actually happened, where, or why? Have you ever wondered how and why Jewish people dispersed from one small land in the Middle East to live in every part of the globe? Have you ever wondered what brought your ancestors to live in the United States? Using illustrations and maps, we will enjoyably learn the themes, geography, and journey of the Jewish people. Please obtain Barnavi's A Historical Atlas of the Jewish People from the Time of the Patriarchs to the Present in advance. Havurahnik Roger Brewer, a lifelong student of Judaism and Jewish History, will teach this course. Register here by Jan. 4.
Online registration is open now 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 and register here.
Emily G. Gottfried Human Rights Awards Please join us as we honor Joyce Harris, Causa, and Sean Davis at the Emily G. Gottfried Human Rights Awards event on Friday, Dec. 2. The cost is $25, and all proceeds go to charities working for human rights in our community. Buy your tickets today at this link. Fair Trade Chanukah Gelt Buy fair trade Chanukah gelt that tastes great! Scroll down this email from Fair Trade Judaica to order your gelt.
Season of Lights Havurahniks Ilene Safyan, Andrew Ehrlich, and Ed Kraus are part of a benefit concert for the Alzheimer's Association on Dec. 3, 2016. Learn more 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. Shabbat services will be led by Rabbi Yitzhak Husbands-Hankin, Emeritus Rabbi at Temple Beth Israel, Eugene. Catered kosher-style meals include a festive Erev Shabbat dinner, Kiddush lunch and Saturday evening dinner, with round-table discussions, social time and entertainment woven throughout the weekend. 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.
The Rabbi Search Committee is pleased to announce that we have two candidates for the position of rabbi at Havurah Shalom. They will be visiting with us in December and January. Unfortunately, our third candidate had to withdraw his application due to family circumstances. These are the two weekends when our candidates will visit:
Click here to see their bios and links to materials they have written found on the rabbi search website.
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COURTYARD ART WORKSHOP THIS SUNDAY
Jacob's Self-Delusion by Rabbi Joey
By Rabbi Joey
Some say Jacob dreamed about angels ascending and descending a ladder because he was unevolved, even delusional. How many times have we heard it that he was a deceiver? How many times have novices in a synagogue protested against this kind of a role model? He ran from his brother, but he was also running from himself. He lived in an echo chamber and was susceptible to self-aggrandizing models of behavior. He didn’t have the physical traits of Esau, so he pretended to be like him.
Think about it. Where was this lead character headed when the sun set and God came to him in a nighttime reverie? You guessed it – Haran. He was moving in a backward direction to Abraham’s place of departure, and there he’d immediately find himself in hot water with Laban the ultimate trickster. The rabbis despised Laban, thought less of him than of Pharaoh.
I like it that Laban (Lavan, in Hebrew) means white. And here we all are submerged in whiteness after an election that took us backward. So the hero of the story gets the keys (and the nuclear codes) and Jacob gets to see God, even though he was shocked and ill-prepared for an epiphany.
Again, he’ll enter a period of whiteness. It’s all drudgery and the exploitation of women. After all, they serve as Laban’s bargaining chips. It’s bait and switch – first it’s Leah whom we learned in Hebrew school had “weak eyes” (derogatory), and yet a better translation might be “soft eyes” which connotes a gentle, less judgmental, gaze. Never mind – her story is submerged. Jacob really craves Rachel, who won’t be known substantively until it’s too late. She dies on the way home and symbolizes (in the Prophets) the endless path between exile and home. She embodies the circumnavigation of the text.
And what of us? We are up in the middle of the night too and looking for a stairway to heaven. The president-elect (I have trouble using his name) objectifies women. Some say he’s essentially a racist, a megalomaniac, a demagogue. But first and foremost, he is a misogynist. He is someone who never got past a pubescent understanding of men and women and the nature of desire. In the case of Jacob, he was smothered as a toddler by Rebecca, and I don’t write this to assign her blame for it, as much as to recognize that he lacked demonstrable skills and needed a boost. Otherwise, the kinds of prizes that usually come from unenlightened dads (Isaac was blind, don’t forget) who arrive at football weekends to celebrate sons on the field might not be rewarded.
Jacob got a blessing he really didn’t particularly, at this point, deserve. Our president-elect inherited $200 million from his father’s estate. He’s an impetuous character, to say the least.
Again, everything is white up ahead. There is little room for discernment – inclusionary politics is a matter of resentment, something to be scorned. Women are the key in which this song (can’t call it a symphony, a drinking song?) is played. There is no accountability, because he never showed us his tax reports. Like a magician, he hasn’t explained to us how his tricks work. But what we know for sure is that in this society that loves to hear what is soothing and self-justifying, we live in a hall of mirrors. We get the news stream that gives us what we already expect to hear.
The person who cuts my hair tells me that "all those protestors" out there making a fuss about this offensive man we have elected are paid professionals. I encourage her to say more, because I’d like to get paid too. Actually, I want to ask her how she can be so enamored of a character that has made a career of routinely defaming and defacing her sex?
But the angels go up and come back down. It will take a whole chapter to get past this detour. Jacob will go the route of deception and asset-acquisition and women will be traded, used as pawns, to further the goals of a patriarchal narrative.
I am left to wonder how we get beyond the imagery of manifest destiny. What will it take? This year Genesis is painful to read. We can only hope that after a period of time in a white house, it dawns on a grown-up man that leading a country like ours means waking up to the citizens who depend on one another to be hospitable and fair-minded. In the meantime, crassness requires whiteness to obscure its impact. But the world is colorful and imperfect, after all, and sooner or later conquerors come home to the realization that by sharing what we have, we learn about true joy. Okay, maybe joy is a lofty goal. Let’s shoot for justice, as Jacob will one day come home, make peace with Esau, and they will both allow one another to live and let live.
I will not wait for this to happen, nor should you. We have work to do – let’s say we’ll edit the story. Too many lives are at stake, and I want to make sure the next chapter comes soon!
--Rabbi Joey
Hope, Action & Chanukah
By Deborah Eisenbach-Budner
I am writing this on November 15, the end of what we can call Election Shiva (initial 7 day mourning period). I am wondering: does hope create action or does action create hope? Do we strive for one in order to stimulate the other? How do we do this individually, within ourselves, and together in community?
And how can we call upon Jewish ritual and life to help us at this time?
In sync with the instincts of many cultures, we kindle our Chanukah lights amidst the longest nights. And this year, Chanukah begins December 24 three days after the Winter Solstice, truly the time of least daylight. Leaving aside, for now, the complicated and problematic evolution of Chanukah – replete with religious extremism, civil war among Jews, accommodating and fighting colonialism, etc. – let us recall how it feels and what it takes to tend a productive flame.
When one tries to keep a fire going for a significant chunk of time, like half a day, it takes continual attention to the flames, the airflow, and the burning materials. Some luck helps, too. Sometimes the flames reach high, generating light and heat – sometimes too much heat - and sometimes they just don’t catch or sustain themselves. You must continually feed the fire, bringing it more fuel. No fuel, no fire. It is tedious and devoted work.
As Josh Fixler writes: “Hope is not a thing that happens to you. It is not only a noun. It is a verb. It is a thing you choose every day… Hope is an audacious choice. It is a countercultural choice. It is a revolutionary choice.” At this time of the least light, Jewish tradition enjoins us to “celebrate a miracle of light. But not only a miracle. A choice. The Maccabees found [enough] oil to last a single day, and they needed eight days to purify a new batch… And they lit the lamp anyway. That is the audacious choice of hope. To know that the oil won’t last and to light the lamp anyway.”
Here are eight candles to light in this season, just as a start. Please share what else you are doing or hoping to do with others as well.
Seek out Models of Resilience in the Past, in the World Around You.
Give yourself and maybe some friends or family members the gift of a story or song or news article about people overcoming difficult personal and/or collective hardships. Notice the cycles of plant-life and other creatures, the leaving and the returning. Notice human capacity for renewal. It is all around us, if we train our eyes to see it.
Diversify Your Information Sources.
If you notice that you are living in an echo chamber, expand your channels for input. Go out of your way, and your comfort zone, to speak with and listen to people who voted differently than you. If you are only reading the New York Times, listen to/watch Democracy Now, with Amy Goodman, and hear from a much wider swath of America, especially lesser known citizen activists who are accomplishing grassroots-level changes. Color of Change has an action orientation, focusing on injustice in the lives of people of color. On the other end of the spectrum, listen to some podcasts on Commentary Magazine or read some articles in the National Review. This provides a great opportunity to cultivate listening skills and compassion.
Discover/Remember What You Care About and Commit to Doing Something Doable.
There are so many needs right now, with so many critical issues we must pay attention to. Yes, give some consideration and become better informed. But, then, just pick something! Giving whatever you can to one cause is better than not doing anything because all your energy is used up by being overwhelmed. You can always shift your focus, later. We all have something to contribute. We all must do something if we want to make change or protect what we have. Talk to people about what you are doing. Ask them what they are doing or hope to do.
I have some buttons for anybody who wants them. They say “Ask: What can YOU do to help protect justice for all?”
Here, too, compassion can be helpful. Try having self-compassion for the conflict between all that we want to do and the limiting factors of our time, our responsibilities, and our resources.
Intensify Your Acts of Chesed (kindness).
Letting somebody in before you at the entrance to the bridge, giving food, visiting a shelter, calling a relative that you usually don’t find time for - these acts help us realize that as we do acts of Chesed we bring good upon ourselves and the world around us.
Confront Systemic Problems.
Pay attention to what is going on beneath the surface, as scary or intractable as it seems. We are affected whether or not we look down there. Guilt or fear robs us of energy that could be turned into action. Whether we must confront our own oppression, or our privilege and complicity (or all of them) there are others doing this same work. Racism, Economic Inequality, Elitism, Hate Crimes (Southern Poverty Law Center), Climate Injustice (talk with Havurahnik Michael Heumann), Islamophobia (mpowerchange.org), Homophobia (Basic Rights Oregon), Misogyny (NOW, Planned Parenthood, MS, YWCA), Anti-Semitism (American Anti-Defamation League), Voter Repression (read George Palast in Rolling Stone: ‘The GOP’s secret scheme begins purge of a million minority voters from voter rolls’), Electoral Reform (learn about the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which 10 states have already adopted; it has passed the Lower House in Oregon numerous times but not been adopted. Wikipedia has a comprehensive and neutral article about it).
None of it is pretty but all of it is real. And we are affected, sooner or later. (And I am just focusing on work that needs to be done in the USA!)
Keep Returning to Community.
Keep returning for your own sake. Return for the sense of connectedness and affirmation that can combat isolation and disempowerment. And for the sake of showing others that we have strength in our coming together. Whether it is protests, or coming to Havurah, or other community gatherings, it is like pirsumay nisa (see below), a way of taking in the light and bringing the light outwards.
Take a Break.
Listen to yourself. Know when it is time to turn off NPR (or whatever station) and stop checking your newsfeed. This is the eternal wisdom of Shabbat. We all need a chance to stop, appreciate, be with what is, and recharge. We do this for sustainability, to stay in the game. And we do this for the inherent goodness of noticing good and blessings in the world.
Kindle Your Chanukiah – Share the Light.
Surprisingly, there is almost no instruction in the Talmud about Chanukah. What does exist is narrowly focused on pirsumay nisa, making public the miracle. “For the rabbis, the lights must be kindled (in the window or entryway) where they are to be displayed…. and appropriate placement of the burning lights means making them visible from the public thoroughfare … Because the purpose of the lights is to make a public statement, the only time that a person is allowed to light the candles “on his table” is in a time of danger.” (Michele Alperin, in MyJewishLearning.com)
Whether you understand this as an ancient way of saying that we have power on our side, or have been taken care of, or a contemporary way of being ‘out’ as a Jew, lighting the menorah makes a difference.
-- Deborah
PS. I was writing this through a particularly long and loud rainstorm in the dark and early hours of the morning. When I was almost done I gave myself a short break outside and guess what I saw? Yes, a huge and bright rainbow across the whole clearing sky – our quintessential Jewish symbol of hope. Quoting the Torah portion, Noach, from only 10 Days (That Shook the World!) ago:
“And God said: 'This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations. I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between Me and the earth…; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.” Genesis 9: 12-15.
Without getting too Hallmarky on myself, and you, I was reminded that sometimes simplicity is best. Hope – that is what we can pursue. And then action follows. But, then again, I had to walk outside to see the rainbow. So, maybe action engenders hope.
Correct Dates for Bird's Eye View Class
The dates printed in last week's community email for the upcoming Bird's Eye View of Jewish History class were incorrect. Please note the correct dates below. Apologies for the confusion!
A BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF JEWISH HISTORY
Wednesdays, Jan. 11, 18 & 25; Feb. 1
7:00 - 8:30 pm
Havurah Shalom
Do you have a vague sense that a lot happened to the Jews between the exodus from Egypt and our modern era, but you aren’t sure what actually happened, where, or why? Have you ever wondered how and why Jewish people dispersed from one small land in the Middle East to live in every part of the globe? Have you ever wondered what brought your ancestors to live in the United States? Using illustrations and maps, we will enjoyably learn the themes, geography, and journey of the Jewish people.
Please obtain Barnavi's A Historical Atlas of the Jewish People from the Time of the Patriarchs to the Present in advance. Havurahnik Roger Brewer, a life-long student of Judaism and Jewish History, will teach this course. Register here by Jan. 4.
Nov. 23 - Community Email
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NEW BABY, RABBI BARNETT, CHANUKAH PARTY, DECEMBER ART WORKSHOPS
UPCOMING SHABBAT Community Minyan In this week's parsha, Chayei Sarah, Sarah dies and is buried in the Machpelah Cave in Hebron. Abraham’s servant goes to Charan to find a wife for Isaac, and meets Rebecca, the daughter of Abraham’s nephew. Rebecca travels with the servant to the land of Canaan, where they see Isaac praying in the field. Isaac marries Rebecca, loves her, and is comforted over the loss of his mother. NEXT WEEK AT HAVURAH Talmud Lite Talmud Lite is led by Rabbi Joey. We are currently studying a section from Tractate Brachot, which grapples with the ordering for familiar rituals, such as Kiddush and Havdalah and the washing of the hands – and how we lend structure to the passage of sacred time. Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation We gather on Tuesdays, from 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm, to find some moments of quiet and shalom. We start with a brief teaching and gentle song, then have a sitting or walking meditation that is guided, in silence. This is for folks either with experience in meditation or for those with curiosity but no experience. Led by Deborah Eisenbach-Budner, who completed a two year training in Jewish Mindfulness and Meditation with the Institute for Jewish Spirituality and by Michelle Bobowick, who is a trained teacher of Mindful Self-Compassion workshops and has been practicing and teaching mindfulness for over 15 years. Please contact Deborah Eisenbach-Budner for more information. Currently scheduled dates are: Nov. 29 and Dec. 6 and 13. Come when you can. Havurah Book Discussion Morning Minyan This weekday service is for people who want to integrate prayer in their daily lives and for those saying Kaddish, or not. Please join us! Hakol Mailing Party This is our last Hakol folding and mailing with Rachel Palmer. Please join us for this important project and opportunity to say farewell to Rachel. Email Rachel if you can come. MAZEL TOV & WELCOME, AVIVA SHIRA Mazel tov to Havurah members Sarah Liebman and Channing Dodson on the birth of their daughter, Aviva Shira. And mazel tov to Aviva Shira's grandparents, longtime Havurah members Robert Liebman and Elaine Friedman. OPENING FOR OFFICE & FACILITIES MANAGER AT HAVURAH This full-time position provides critical functions in our administration and contributes to the success of the community. Click here to see the job description. To apply, please send cover letter and resume’ to info@havurahshalom.org. - Havurah Shalom Steering Committee Click here to read a note from outgoing Office and Facilities Manager Rachel Palmer COURTYARD ART WORKSHOPS IN DECEMBER Glazing Workshops for Ages 10 to Adult ... Sunday, Dec. 4 Sunday, Dec. 11 You can see photos here of Havurah members creating our courtyard art together.
SAVE THE DATE! CHANUKAH CELEBRATION DEC. 29 Thursday, Dec. 29 Our Chanukah celebration will offer fun for all ages. It will begin with a potluck oneg of plate-free desserts, followed by candle lighting, singing and dreidel playing for those who are interested. If you have a dreidel, chanukiot and candles, please bring them with you. We'll have lots of tasty guilt-free gelt! RSVP here if you can come. TIKKUN OLAM What We Can Do - From Deborah Eisenbach-Budner Discover/Remember What You Care About and Commit to Doing Something Doable. There are so many needs right now, with so many critical issues we must pay attention to. Yes, give some consideration and do some research. But, then, just pick one! Giving whatever you can give to a group, organization, or cause is better than not doing anything because you use too much energy being overwhelmed by all the needs. Talk to people about what you are doing. Ask them what they are doing or hope to do. I have some buttons for anybody who wants them. They say “Ask: What Can YOU do to help protect justice for all?” Email me if you would like a button. Las Posadas The Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice (IMIrJ) and Vecinos en Alerta are organizing the celebration of the annual Las Posadas tradition in the Cully neighborhood. This event is a beautiful celebration of community, with its special focus on honoring and lifting up the immigrant experience in Portland, in the U.S., and across the world. This is also a great opportunity for Havurah to connect our faith tradition with others in celebration of dignity and human rights. Las Posadas fiesta is also a good event to include children since there will be lots of children attending from Vecinos en Alberta families. What are "Las Posadas?" As part of the Christmas celebration, these traditional Mexican fiestas (posadas - inns) are held for family, friends, and neighbors. A posada is the reenactment of the pilgrimage to Bethlehem by Mary and Joseph (los peregrinos) in search of a room. From Dec. 15 through Dec. 23, families will hold a posada party one evening in each of their homes. During the reenactment, the posada hosts act as the innkeepers while their guests act as the pilgrims (los peregrinos). Each group takes turns singing verses to each other. What we need to do. 1. Choose an evening between 12/15 and 12/23 that will be the Havurah night. Please let Bob Brown (rebrown47@gmail.com) know if you are interested and if there any evenings that do not work for you. Bob will coordinate dates with IMIrJ and the host family for our date. 2. Create a short activity based on themes suggested by Vecinos. Themes range from immigrants’ rights to health, to education, to affordable housing. Activities are brief, perhaps 15 minutes, and can be a story, a song, a poem. 3. Share some snacks. (optional) 4. Enjoy warmth and community! Please contact Bob Brown (rebrown47@gmail.com) if you are interested in participating and if there are any evenings that do not work for you. We need to pick the date that we want. Lift Urban Portland’s Annual Holiday Dinner on Dec. 25 Every year for the past 30 years, Congregation Beth Israel has hosted Lift Urban Portland’s community holiday dinner, and Havurah Shalom has supported Lift Urban Portland and the holiday dinner for more than a decade. Currently, Havurahnik Mike Feldman is a member of Lift’s board of directors. Volunteers are needed before, during and after the dinner to prepare and decorate, fill gift bags, greet guests, serve meals, and clean up. You can sign up here. The photo below was taken at a Lift Urban Portland holiday dinner.
Portland Homeless Family Solutions Tikkun Olam Direct Service Project Volunteer at Holiday Village on Dec. 16 Want to celebrate with our families this holiday season? Join us at our Holiday Village event on Dec. 16 at Goose Hollow. Every year, Portland Homeless Family Solutions hosts a holiday party for the families in shelter and any families who accessed services earlier in the year. They'll have dinner, music, crafts and games for kids, the opportunity for parents to shop for presents, and lots of holiday cheer! Volunteers are needed for the following roles:
Shift times are approximate and may change as the event date gets closer. Can't volunteer but want to donate items towards our other donation needs? Ready to volunteer at Holiday Village? Contact Bethany. Questions? To help with meal preparation: Len Shapiro at lenshap@gmail.com. Any other PHFS questions, Gloria Halper, Tikkun Olam Committee member, losninos6@gmail.com. Save the Date for Interfaith Advocacy Day 2017 Tuesday, Feb. 7 With the theme, "Raising Diverse Voices of Faith to Strengthen Oregon Communities," Interfaith Advocacy Day 2017 will bring together people of many religious traditions from throughout Oregon for a day of prayer, dialogue and advocacy with state legislators. Join us in addressing housing, hunger, health care, gun safety, and climate justice. A BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF JEWISH HISTORY Wednesdays, Nov. 30, Dec. 7 & 14; Jan. 3, 10 & 17 Do you have a vague sense that a lot happened to the Jews between the exodus from Egypt and our modern era, but you aren’t sure what actually happened, where, or why? Have you ever wondered how and why Jewish people dispersed from one small land in the Middle East to live in every part of the globe? Have you ever wondered what brought your ancestors to live in the United States? Using illustrations and maps, we will enjoyably learn the themes, geography, and journey of the Jewish people. Please obtain Barnavi's A Historical Atlas of the Jewish People from the Time of the Patriarchs to the Present in advance. Havurahnik Roger Brewer, a life-long student of Judaism and Jewish History, will teach this course. Register here by Jan. 4. PACIFIC NW RECONSTRUCTIONIST SHABBATON Online registration is open now 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 and register here. There's priority registration for those who register by today, Nov. 23! IN THE COMMUNITY ... Fair Trade Chanukah Gelt Buy fair trade Chanukah gelt that tastes great! Scroll down this email from Fair Trade Judaica to learn more and order your gelt.
Season of Lights\ Havurahniks Ilene Safyan, Andrew Ehrlich, and Ed Kraus are part of a benefit concert for the Alzheimers Association on December 3, 2016.
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. Shabbat services will be led by Rabbi Yitzhak Husbands-Hankin, Emeritus Rabbi at Temple Beth Israel, Eugene. Catered kosher-style meals include a festive Erev Shabbat dinner, Kiddush lunch and Saturday evening dinner, with round-table discussions, social time and entertainment woven throughout the weekend. 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. RABBI CANDIDATES VISITS & PROCESS The Rabbi Search Committee is pleased to announce that we have two candidates for the position of rabbi at Havurah Shalom. They will be visiting with us in December and January. Unfortunately, our third candidate had to withdraw his application due to family circumstances. These are the two weekends when our candidates will visit:
Click here to see their bios and links to materials they have written found on the rabbi search website.
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Opening for Office & Facilities Manager
Immediate Opening at Havurah Shalom for Office and Facilities Manager. This full-time position provides critical functions in our administration and contributes to the success of the community. Click here to see the job description.
To apply, please send cover letter and resume’ to info@havurahshalom.org.
Havurah Shalom Steering Committee
Nov. 16 Community Email
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RABBI JOEY'S PRAYER, DOROT SHABBAT, ART WORKSHOPS, MOVIE NIGHT
UPCOMING SHABBAT Dorot Shabbat Service Havurah's 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. Our fabulous Shabbat School parents, Jacob Mandelsberg, Sarah Shine, Tanja Lux and Gabe Adoff, will lead us in bringing in Shabbat together with music and prayer. Bar Mitzvah of Lev Wolin This Saturday, Lev Wolin, son of Tera and Chaim Wolin, will be called to the Torah as a bar mitzvah. Please join us in celebrating with him and his family, and welcome him to our community! Mazel tov! LAST WEEKEND & A PRAYER FROM RABBI JOEY
On Friday, Nov. 11, Havurah members came together to welcome Shabbat. The above photo, which includes Rabbi Joey and Havurah musicians Andrew Ehrlich, Margie Rosenthal, Jacob Mandelsberg, and Larry Reichman, was taken on Friday. Click here to read Rabbi Joey's prayer based on Psalm 30, which he read Friday night. Last Saturday, Sophie Beck's bat mitzvah brought Havurah members together again for a spiritied discussion and heartfelt recognition of our future as we celebrated Sophie's entrance into the Havurah community. Sunday evening more than a hundred Havurah members gatherered at Havurah to process the recent election and discuss next steps. The photo below was taken at our Sunday night discussion.
A KIPPAH IN THE CARIBBEAN Tonight - Wednesday, Nov. 16 This hour-long documentary is in Dutch with English subtitles, but don’t let that stop you. The film is co-sponsored by the Institute for Judaic Studies and the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, and there is a fee: $8 for the general public; $5 for students or members of Havurah, IJS, or OJMCHE. The film is free for Havurah High and Middle School Students. Please pay and reserve here. Havurah students, your seats are already reserved! For more information, contact Ruth Feldman.
COURTYARD ART WORKSHOPS All Havurah members are invited to help create ceramic artwork for the Havurah Shalom courtyard. These free art workshops with artist Lynn Takata are sponsored by Havurah's Design Committee. Refreshments will be provided at each workshop. Please register for the workshop of your choice below: Adult Art Workshop Teen Art Workshop Glazing Workshops for Ages 10 to Adult: Sunday, Dec. 4 Sunday, Dec. 11 The photo below was taken by Barbara Gundle at the first art workshop on Sunday, Oct. 30. You can see more photos here of Havurah members creating our courtyard art together.
NEXT WEEK AT HAVURAH Morning Minyan This weekday service is for people who want to integrate prayer in their daily lives and for those saying Kaddish, or not. Please join us! Thanksgiving Holiday Havurah's office will be closed on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 24 and 25, for the Thanksgiving holiday. ADULT LEARNING Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation Havurah Book Discussion Join the Havurah Book Discussion Group to read and discuss both fiction and nonfiction books by Jewish authors on a variety of themes. In our next session, we will discuss The Marrying of Chani Kaufman by Eve Harris. The Marrying of Chani Kaufman is a fictional story of 19 year-old Chani Kaufman who lives in an ultra-orthodox community. As the book opens, Chani has been betrothed to Baruch, a young man she barely knows. Having never had physical contact with a man, she approaches the upcoming marriage with a mixture of trepidation and anticipation. Chani receives advice from the Rebbetzin about the duties of a Jewish wife. But Chani and Baruch are not a typical orthodox couple. Secrets, fears, and sexual longing surface along with a desire for liberation. This book is a fascinating exploration of the boundaries for romantic love and sexuality within the ultra-orthodox Jewish community. Please join us. Feel free to bring a nosh. RSVP here. Bird's Eye View of Jewish History Do you have a vague sense that a lot happened to the Jews between the exodus from Egypt and our modern era, but you aren’t sure what actually happened, where, or why? Have you ever wondered how and why Jewish people dispersed from one small land in the Middle East to live in every part of the globe? Have you ever wondered what brought your ancestors to live in the United States? Using illustrations and maps, we will enjoyably learn the themes, geography, and journey of the Jewish people. Please obtain Barnavi’s A Historical Atlas of the Jewish People from the Time of the Patriarchs to the Present in advance. Havurahnik Roger Brewer, a life-long student of Judaism and Jewish History, will teach this course. Register here by Jan. 4. TIKKUN OLAM Lift Urban Portland’s Annual Holiday Dinner on Dec. 25 Every year for the past 30 years, Congregation Beth Israel has hosted Lift Urban Portland’s community holiday dinner, and Havurah Shalom has supported Lift Urban Portland and the holiday dinner for more than a decade. Currently, Havurahnik Mike Feldman is a member of Lift’s board of directors. Volunteers are needed before, during and after the dinner to prepare and decorate, fill gift bags, greet guests, serve meals, and clean up. You can sign up here. The photo below was taken at a Lift Urban Portland holiday dinner.
Portland Homeless Family Solutions Tikkun Olam Direct Service Project Volunteer at Holiday Village on Dec. 16 Want to celebrate with our families this holiday season? Join us at our Holiday Village event on Dec. 16 at Goose Hollow. Every year, Portland Homeless Family Solutions hosts a holiday party for the families in shelter and any families who accessed services earlier in the year. They'll have dinner, music, crafts and games for kids, the opportunity for parents to shop for presents, and lots of holiday cheer! Volunteers are needed for the following roles:
Shift times are approximate and may change as the event date gets closer. Can't volunteer but want to donate items towards our other donation needs? Ready to volunteer at Holiday Village? Contact Bethany. Questions? To help with meal preparation: Len Shapiro at lenshap@gmail.com. Any other PHFS questions, Gloria Halper, Tikkun Olam Committee member, losninos6@gmail.com. KITCHEN UPGRADE We have upgraded the Havurah kitchen! A big thank you goes out to Fran Berg for organizing the table purchase and to Tom Berg and Al Westerman for putting the table together.
PACIFIC NW RECONSTRUCTIONIST SHABBATON Online registration is open now 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 and register here. There's priority registration for those who register by Nov. 23!
IN THE COMMUNITY ... Be The Match Havurah member Karen Labinger’s son is raising money to support bone marrow donations through “Be The Match,” a walk/run on Nov. 19. The company Jason works for, Emerald Health Services, supports Jason's fundraising efforts. Karen hopes some Havurah members will consider donating to this cause through her son’s team. You can make an online donation through Jason’s team HERE. Fair Trade Chanukah Gelt Buy fair trade Chanukah gelt that tastes great! Scroll down this email from Fair Trade Judaica to learn more and order your gelt.
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. Shabbat services will be led by Rabbi Yitzhak Husbands-Hankin, Emeritus Rabbi at Temple Beth Israel, Eugene. Catered kosher-style meals include a festive Erev Shabbat dinner, Kiddush lunch and Saturday evening dinner, with round-table discussions, social time and entertainment woven throughout the weekend. 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. RABBI CANDIDATES VISITS & PROCESS The Rabbi Search Committee is pleased to announce that we have two candidates for the position of rabbi at Havurah Shalom. They will be visiting with us in December and January. Unfortunately, our third candidate had to withdraw his application due to family circumstances. These are the two weekends when our candidates will visit:
Click here to see their bios and links to materials they have written found on the rabbi search website. As always, if you have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at rabbisearch@havurahshalom.org. |
A Prayer - Based on Psalm 30
By Rabbi Joey Wolf, November 11, 2016 (The next time the moon will be this close is in 2034.)
I cry out to you looking for healing.
Lift me up. A tower, a penthouse on a broad avenue, just for a moment.
I know this is a moment: in time, a period of years, a political season.
And moments don’t last forever, God knows. We’ve all had our moments.
But under this bowl of soup in the sky I’m drowning with your light
it is milky-white and irrefutable and I turn away and
even when I’m awake I’m doleful a panhandler empty-handed
distraught: I’ve got explanations for everything but not for this.
The sun will come up, I know.
I’ve always said that to anyone who’d listen, like a hit tune you’d hear
for the first time where did that come from?
Reassurances are everywhere, in choruses like Halleluyah and
his love is everlasting. To the point that
we never thought we’d be in this place and we’re scared.
(It’s always been like this, indigenous and undocumented, descendants of slaves tell us,
what do they tell us, um um?
Just look at the economy, the backyard pollution the depletion of our
best nature, we’re all in chains and there’s a master.)
You know, I’ve been for the most part
rock-solid, cock-sure, indolent, sitting on top of the world.
Now, God, in this moment I’m desperate for your help.
Loosen this sackcloth of lies and taunts and ruptured syntax.
Turn my mourning into choreographed action.
Unclench my fists curl my fingertips into
the embrace of brothers and sisters in resistance.
May I bank my dreams in heaven’s vault full of praises,
loving in so many ways and orders and algorithms
we can’t even imagine for the world we will make
in truth, fiercely, with kindness more precious than marble and gold.
Post-election Conversation on Sunday
Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016 The results from the national election have aroused strong feelings across our community. Individually and as a nation we are just beginning to absorb the social and political implications of this emerging sea change. Havurah Shalom is one of those few places where we can come together with a sense of purpose and spirit to share our respective viewpoints and reactions. This is a reminder that we are hosting a Post-election Conversation at Havurah on Sunday evening, 7:00-8:30 pm. Our community represents a rainbow of experiences, perspectives and culture. We believe in the possibility for positive change. We want to act as a bright light amidst the anger and despair which currently grips our national spirit. This gathering will be an opportunity to share your perspective, humbly listen and actively learn so we can build and support new pathways for change in our community. This will be a facilitated conversation, with an opportunity to share feelings and perspective about the broader election results and, if we choose to, focus more deeply on several related social action themes:
Please RSVP ... and come even if you don’t RSVP! Please invite others to come along with you. Let’s come together to heal and inspire action towards real, lasting and difficult change. Layton Borkan & Wendy Weissman
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Nov. 9 Community Email
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KABBALAT SHABBAT, SHWMAE HAVERIM, RABBI CANDIDATE VISITS
UPCOMING SHABBAT Kabbalat Shabbat Service At this time when our nation is divided and the future uncertain, it's especially important for us to come together to support each other. Join us this Friday for our musical Kabbalat Shabbat Service led by Rabbi Joey and Havurah musicians Andrew Ehrlich, Margie Rosenthal, and Larry Reichman. Bat Mitzvah of Sophie Beck This Saturday, Sophie Beck, daughter of Liz Joffe and Nora Beck, will be called to the Torah as a bat mitzvah. Sophie has been a welcome presence at our community minyans during the past few months, and has led parts of the service beautifully. Join us in celebrating with her and her family and in welcoming her as a member of the Havurah community! The above photo was taken at last Saturday's community minyan when Tot Shabbat kids and families came up to the Torah for the first aliyah. In addition to a big turnout at the minyan, we had 20 or more Alter Rockers who braved the pouring rain last Saturday night to drink, snack and chat, and play poker, Settlers of Catan at Havurah. SHWMAE HAVERIM FROM RACHEL PALMER
Shwmae Haverim! That’s Welsh for "Hello Haverim." Unfortunately, after too short a time with this amazing community, I’ve made the difficult decision to return to Wales in December.* As some of you know I moved to Portland from Wales after living in in Cardiff for 6 years. I have loved living in Portland and especially getting to know so many wonderful Havurahniks. I consider myself so lucky to have found a job with this group of intelligent, passionate, active, interesting, spiritual, professional… and just plain incredible people. The Havurah community is unique and special and I only wish that you were the Reconstructionist Community of Cardiff so I could keep working here forever. Read more of Rachel's message and a message from our Steering Committee HERE. * This note was written and the decision was made before Nov. 8. THIS WEEK AT HAVURAH Havurah High & Middle School Whose Bar or Bat Mitzvah is it Anyway? NEXT WEEK AT HAVURAH Post Election Debrief at Havurah Morning Minyan This weekday service is for people who want to integrate prayer in their daily lives and for those saying Kaddish, or not. Please join us! Havurah High & Middle School MORE PHOTOS & UPCOMING ART WORKSHOPS Barbara Gundle took some wonderful photos of the first group of Havurahniks (kids ages 5-9 and their families) who created tiles for Havurah's courtyard art project. Check them out in this photo album! Don't miss your chance to leave a legacy for Havurah. Sign up for a Nov. 20, Dec. 4 or Dec. 11 workshop here. ADULT LEARNING Talmud Lite Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation Davenology 101
A Kippah in the Caribbean This hour-long documentary is in Dutch with English subtitles, but don’t let that stop you. The film is co-sponsored by the Institute for Judaic Studies and the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, and there is a fee: $8 for the general public; $5 for students or members of Havurah, IJS, or OJMCHE. The film is free for Havurah High and Middle School Students. Please pay and reserve here. Havurah students, your seats are already reserved! For more information, contact Ruth Feldman. Havurah Book Discussion At the next Havurah Book Discussion on Nov. 29, we will discuss The Marrying of Chani Kaufman, a fascinating novel by Eve Harris. Learn more about the evening and RSVP here. TIKKUN OLAM Lift Urban Portland’s Annual Holiday Dinner on Dec. 25 Every year for the past 30 years, Congregation Beth Israel has hosted Lift Urban Portland’s community holiday dinner, and Havurah Shalom has supported Lift Urban Portland and the holiday dinner for more than a decade. Currently, Havurahnik Mike Feldman is a member of Lift’s board of directors. Volunteers are needed before, during and after the dinner to prepare and decorate, fill gift bags, greet guests, serve meals, and clean up. You can sign up here. The photo below was taken at a Lift Urban Portland holiday dinner.
Portland Homeless Family Solutions Tikkun Olam Direct Service Project Volunteer at Holiday Village on Dec. 16 Want to celebrate with our families this holiday season? Join us at our Holiday Village event on Dec. 16 at Goose Hollow. Every year, Portland Homeless Family Solutions hosts a holiday party for the families in shelter and any families who accessed services earlier in the year. They'll have dinner, music, crafts and games for kids, the opportunity for parents to shop for presents, and lots of holiday cheer! Volunteers are needed for the following roles:
Shift times are approximate and may change as the event date gets closer. Can't volunteer but want to donate items towards our other donation needs? Ready to volunteer at Holiday Village? Contact Bethany. Questions? To help with meal preparation: Len Shapiro at lenshap@gmail.com. Any other PHFS questions, Gloria Halper, Tikkun Olam Committee member, losninos6@gmail.com.
PACIFIC NW RECONSTRUCTIONIST SHABBATON Online registration is open now 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 and register here. There's priority registration for those who register by Nov. 23! IN THE COMMUNITY ... Be The Match Havurah member Karen Labinger’s son is raising money to support bone marrow donations through “Be The Match,” a walk/run on Nov. 19. The company Jason works for, Emerald Health Services, supports Jason's fundraising efforts. Karen hopes some Havurah members will consider donating to this cause through her son’s team. You can make an online donation through Jason’s team HERE. Fair Trade Chanukah Gelt Buy fair trade Chanukah gelt that tastes great! Scroll down this email from Fair Trade Judaica to learn more and order your gelt.
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. Shabbat services will be led by Rabbi Yitzhak Husbands-Hankin, Emeritus Rabbi at Temple Beth Israel, Eugene. Catered kosher-style meals include a festive Erev Shabbat dinner, Kiddush lunch and Saturday evening dinner, with round-table discussions, social time and entertainment woven throughout the weekend. 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. RABBI CANDIDATES VISITS & PROCESS The Rabbi Search Committee is pleased to announce that we have two candidates for the position of rabbi at Havurah Shalom. They will be visiting with us in December and January. Unfortunately, our third candidate had to withdraw his application due to family circumstances. These are the two weekends when our candidates will visit:
Click here to see their bios and links to materials they have written found on the rabbi search website.
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