I am wishing you each blessings of shalom amidst these shifting times. I am struck by the level of uncertainty that pervades this moment. None of us knows how this situation will unfold, which of course, can feel quite unsettling. This sense of uncertainty is something we deeply share right now.
I have been drawn once again by the moment when the Divine calls out to Moshe from the Burning Bush. I spoke about it this past Yom Kippur, and it felt appropriate to share some of that again here:
Hineini (Here I am), Moses answers. And God tells him to return to Pharaoh and demand that he let the people go… Understandably, Moses asks for God’s name…
God’s answer: “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh — I Will Be What I Will Be.”
The closest I can get [to my name] is, Becoming. That is my name. My essence — which is to say, the nature of Reality — is in flux. I cannot tell you exactly what you are getting into here. I cannot give you a picture of precisely what will happen.
To say Hineini often means stepping out into the unknown…
But then God adds: Eyheh imakh — I will be with you. And, I will send your brother Aaron to meet you. To say Hineini is to place ourselves in relationship. When we truly say it, we remind ourselves that we are not alone.
This past Shabbat, I was so moved by the sense of connection we co-created. I have heard from several of you who felt similarly. It felt like a powerful reminder of how life-giving it is when we genuinely reach across whatever divides exist and find one another. While we do not know what will happen, we know that collectively we can continue to do this, and that it will continue to sustain us and bring meaning and healing into our lives. This we know.
In response to those feelings of uncertainty, I have been turning (as best I can!) to kindness. I have been moving toward whatever small way I can let someone know I am with them and thinking about how I can alleviate someone’s burden. I have been touched by the various ways in which I have witnessed others (including many of you) do the same. In this great unknowing, we can help each other remember that while we do not know where this road will lead, we know that we can travel it together.
Many of you have asked about the kindness we can extend toward those in our community who are in need right now. Thank you. Please contact me at benjamin.barnett@havurahshalom.org if you are able to help.
Lastly, one of the greatest acts of kindness and care we can exhibit right now is helping to slow the spread of this virus. I imagine that many of you have seen this article by now. The author, a physician and public health leader, is a good friend of my brother’s and someone whose perspective I greatly respect. I know that his recommendations may feel austere to some of you, but I urge us all to take them seriously and follow them as best we can. One of the most powerful and effective means we have to ease the discomfort of uncertainty is to be able to act. And right now we can. What we do over these days and weeks can actually save lives. So please, for the benefit of all who are vulnerable, for everyone we know and everyone we do not know, let us each play our part by being physically distant and finding other ways to be in relationship.
To those of you for whom these steps present particular difficulty, please be in touch with me or another staff member and let’s see how our Havurah network can provide you support.
L'shalom, Rabbi Benjamin
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Upcoming Virtual Events Dates, Times, and Zoom Rooms Listed Below
Morning Minyan, Wednesday, 8:30 am – Room Aleph Deborah’s Returning to Israel Talk, Wednesday, 5:45 pm –Room Aleph Shabbat Evening Home Rituals with Alicia Jo Rabins, Friday, 5:30 pm –Room Bet HIAS Refugee Shabbat, Saturday, 10 am –Room Aleph
If you're a member, login here to access these virtual rooms.
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Other Resources You May Like From Meditations to Reconstructing Judaism Articles
(HYB) Shabbat Morning Shabbat, Nov 1st 10:00a to 12:00p Led by community members and Rabbi Benjamin, this service includes davening, Torah reading, and discussion. Join us afterward for a light community brunch provided by the Lunches and Noshes Committee! Free childcare is provided. For Zoom information, please email info@havurahshalom.org.
(HYB) Chanukah: Not Just For Kids Anymore Sunday, Nov 2nd 10:30a to 12:00p We all think of kids, gelt and dreidels when we think of Chanukah. But in reality, is Chanukah just a kids holyday? Join us as we discover the ways in which Chanukah is a holyday for adults! Emily Simon will lead us as we study sections of the Book of Macabees and other Chanukah-related texts. We will learn things about Chanukah that Hebrew school did not teach us. All are welcome. Please RSVP below. Our class will include participants from a variety of congregations around Oregon, Washington and the USA. Facilitated by Emily Simon with assistance by David Dropkin. Please note that the start date for this class has been changed to Nov. 2.
(IP) Teen Challah Baking Sunday, Nov 2nd 11:00a to 1:00p Havurah teens will learn how to braid, bake, and make challah in this multi-step tutorial. With prepared dough, your guide will teach you how to braid and bake challah for this month’s Kabbalat Shabbat congregants. While the challah is in the oven, you’ll make your own dough to take home and practice your new skills, providing a freshly baked challah for your family’s Shabbat celebration.
Havurahnik Mahjong Group Monday, Nov 3rd 1:00p to 4:00p Just for Havurah members, our Mahjong Group is a fun, social activity that builds community, encouraging new friendships and cementing old ones. And while some of us may play elsewhere as well, we all agreed that restoring its place as an ongoing congregational activity will be a good fit for Havurah and those of us who play or want to learn the game.
(HYB) Rosh Ḥodesh Tov! Gender-Inclusive New Moon Ritual Monday, Nov 3rd 6:00p to 7:15p A gender-inclusive New Moon group, learning and celebrating each Rosh Ḥodesh with ancient and contemporary ritual. Open to any and all genders, inviting each to connect with our closest heavenly body, the Moon. An introductory meeting will happen on the full moon of Elul on Wednesday, Aug. 30 outdoors—weather permitting—in North Portland. Subsequent meetings will be on or near the new moon of each month either in person in North Portland or on Zoom, depending on seasonal shifts in the weather. Attend any or all sessions. RSVP to be updated on location and other details throughout the year.
(ZM) Cohort D of Coming Home to Solidarity Tuesday, Nov 4th 11:30a to 1:30p What is Coming Home to Solidarity? Coming Home to Solidarity is a workshop designed to help us create a culture and community where all members freely show up as their authentic selves; where all are valued, appreciated, and have a sense of belonging. The workshop is an opportunity for white-bodied or white-identifying congregants to come together in a supportive and caring environment to reflect, learn and unlearn, heal from the ways we have been impacted by white supremacy, and start to recognize new possibilities for taking action. Havurahniks, click to learn more and RSVP.
(IP) B'nei Mitzvah Cohort Wednesday, Nov 5th 6:30p to 8:30p Youths being called to the Torah will build community and ask, “What does being Jewish and becoming bar, bat, or b’nei mitzvah mean to me?” Led by Rabbi Benjamin.
