Hineinu

Our Liberation from the Narrow Places
Why is this night different from all other nights? Where should we begin? This Passover will be different from any we have ever had in our lifetime. Most of us cannot physically be with all the people we usually share a table with on this holiday and some of us will virtually be with friends and family that we haven’t been with in years. We are wearing masks and gloves when we food shop or ordering our food online, figuring out how to do our jobs from home while making sure our children are occupied and welcoming our college aged children home for longer time than they and we had planned. We find ourselves in what can look like and at times feel like a very narrow place. We are not being able to hug those we love, having to only see each other on a screen while living with the fear of what will happen to our loved ones, our community and ourselves.

As we begin our journey towards freedom out of the narrow places our ancestors traversed, let us call upon their strength, spirit and know that we too will move from this narrow place that we are in today. We have already seen evidence of moving from the narrow places when we witness the way our community has come together virtually for a number of services, Shabbat School, B’nei Mitzvah and shiva minyans. This demonstrates our strength as a community and our commitment to connecting as people in good and bad times. We want to make special mention of our incredible staff – Rabbi Benjamin, Deborah, Adela, Brad, Rachel, and Carrie, who responded to our new reality with grace and speed all while holding our values of being a supportive and welcoming community. A special thank you to Steve Birkel and Karen Westerman who have helped out with our newest IT needs and made it possible for us to connect and to Michael Heumann who has lent his public health expertise to guide our decision making through this ordeal.

We wish you all a meaningful journey from your narrow spaces to your liberation!

Chag Sameach,
Miriam Restotko, Julia Lager-Mesulam, Ken Lerner, and Ben Walters

Join a Virtual Seder!

Thanks to Havurah families who are inviting community members to virtually join their Seder! We have a variety of gatherings planned for adults and families with children of all ages. Check below for the options and follow the links to RSVP. Limited space will be available for these gatherings. Also, here is the link to the recording of the Passover Sing-a-long, which occurred this past Sunday.

Wednesday, April 8: First-Night Seder Options

Seder hosted by Ken Lerner and Katherine McDowell, 5:30 – 9 pm
Appropriate for adults and families with kids 10 and older. Ken and Katherine’s Seder will combine some of the usual Haggadah with readings, games, singing and a break for dinner. RSVP here.

Seder hosted by Oren Kosansky and Julie Hastings, 6 – 9 pm
Appropriate for adults and families with teenagers and young adults. Join Oren and Julie for a "pot-luck" Seder where everyone will be invited to share a song, tradition, teaching, or reflection that is meaningful to them. Dinner break included. RSVP here.

Seder hosted by Debbi Nadell and Steve Birkel, 6 – 9 pm
Appropriate for adults and families with high schoolers. Seder will include traditional and modern Haggadah readings, music, and a break for dinner. RSVP here.


Thursday, April 9: Second-Night Seder

Second Night Seder hosted by Sam, Jesse and Zoe Sirkin, 7 – 9:30 pm
Appropriate for adults and families with kids 10 and older. Join Sam, Jesse and Zoe to travel through the Reconstructionist Haggadah for the second night of Passover.  Come ready to sing and share a favorite tune if you’d like. RSVP here.


Sunday, April 12: Happy Hour Seder

Seder hosted by David Feder, 4 – 5:15 pm
Appropriate for adults and families with high-schoolers. A cocktail-hour read-through of David's innovative Storyteller’s Haggadah, including a short meal break for hors d’oeuvres and snacks. RSVP here.


Sunday, April 12: ‘Seder’, Songs, and Sharing

‘Seder’ hosted by Sacha Reich and Aaron Pearlman, 7:30 – 9 pm
Appropriate for adults and families with high schoolers. Join Sacha and Aaron for a "Seder" composed of Songs & Sharing from the group. Have your wine & dessert (this is an after dinner gathering) ready, and each family or person should bring a reading, song or joke to share related to redemption. We will kick things off with "Redemption Song" and then go around the zoom room. RSVP here.


Monday, April 13: Participatory Seder

Sixth night Seder hosted by Laine and Joel Schipper, 5 – 7 pm
Appropriate for adults and families with kids B’nai Mitzvah age and older. Laine and Joel will use a Haggadah that is gender inclusive, socially aware, spiritually alive and grounded in tradition connected to history and ritual. We offer thoughtful questions based in the Haggadah so that participants can reflect and share ‘In this Generation and this time of pandemic as we come out of Egypt.’ Dinner on your own after the Seder. RSVP here.

More Passover Resources from Reconstructing Judaism

Virtual Passover Box - Here you will find several additions and suggestions for each step of the traditional Passover seder. 

A Night of Questions Haggadah - The digital version of the Reconstructing Judaism haggadah is available for your family to use.

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Upcoming Events
Dates, Times, and Zoom Rooms Listed Below

Although we are not publishing these links broadly, please feel free to invite your family and friends to any of our events below.

Community Minyan
Saturday, 10 am – Room Aleph
Our Community Minyan is a welcoming and spirited service that includes davening, Torah reading and discussion. Led by Rabbi Benjamin or community members.

Make a Joyful Noise!
Sunday, 4 pm – Register here.
Join RRA rabbis and leaders across the Reconstructionist Movement for a Celebration of Passover Hallel Sing-Along. Register above for access.

Counting the Omer: Spiritual Practice for Precarious Times
Tuesdays (until May 26), 12 pm – Room Bet
During these seven weeks of Counting the Omer, the period linking Pesach with Shavuot, our Tuesday meditation will focus on the sefirot, or qualities, associated with each week. Rabbi Benjamin will guide us in reflecting on and practicing with these attributes, as tools for resilience and support in this moment. Everyone is welcome to any or all of these sessions. Facilitated by Rabbi Benjamin.

Morning Minyan with Yizkor (date adjustment)
Thursday, April 16, 8:30 am – Room Aleph
For all who want a regular prayer practice and for people saying Kaddish.

The Havdallah Sessions: Singing Our Way into a New Week Together
Saturday, April 18, 7:30 pm – Room Aleph
Singing together has always been a way for people to gather together to lift our collective spirits whether in difficult or joyous times. While we are physically isolated, our community can still bring our voices together in song. We invite you as we join our voices and our spirits in a campfire sing-a-long.

Find the Havurah Zoom rooms here once you sign in.

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A Note from Havurah Staff

From the staff of Havurah, we wish all of you a Chag Sameach. In whatever ways, large or tiny, you celebrate this Pesach, may you discover some sweetness and connection. In the midst of this narrow time in which we find ourselves, may we each experience moments of joy and liberation, and may those blessings radiate out into the world for all who need them.

The Havurah Office will be closed Thursday and Friday, April 9 and 10, for Passover. The following week, we will be closed Wednesday and Thursday, April 15 and 16, for Passover as well. Also, there will only be one Hineinu email this week and next week due to Passover.

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Updates Inside Havurah
Making changes now that COVID-19 has affected our events

Can You Help Keep the Courtyard Trash-Free?
During this difficult time, the courtyard of our building has become a resting place for many more houseless folks than usual. Are you able to come to the building periodically to pick up what's being left behind? Havurah will provide gloves, trash picker and bags. Please be in touch with Rachel at rachel@havurahshalom.org if you can help. Thanks.

Get One, Give One: Purchase Our New Machzor!

We're so close! Help us reach the finish line. Kol Haneshamah Machzor Leyamim Nora’im from the Reconstructionist Press is our machzor of choice. Thanks to generous donations made so far, we have enough funds to acquire approximately 550 new machzors. Our goal is as many as 700 to replace our current set. Consider participating in this effort by purchasing your own, purchasing one for the community, or making a donation to the machzor fund. $40 covers a copy, shipping, book plate, and future song inserts. Deadline May 1. Click here to order!

Introducing Neighborhood Groups
Our community has grown tremendously in the last few years. We are grateful for the riches that accompany growth. One of those riches is the opportunity to build strong connections among our diverse membership. To further that opportunity, we have grouped members into 26 neighborhoods. with the goal of creating social, emotional, and spiritual connections among neighbors. Soon, you will receive a welcome from a Neighborhood Captain.  Once each group is established, there will be opportunities to get together (virtually for now), check in with each other, and ask for assistance, if you need it. We are still building this network and are looking for Neighborhood Captains. Contact Stacy Hankin if you are interested.

Can You Help Others with Technology?
Because of the major shift in Havurah activities, a lot of members are still wanting to participate in our programs, but have little to no experience with Zoom or our website. Please contact Brad, our Communications & Membership Coordinator, at brad@havurahshalom.org to be added to this new group devoted to helping members with technology!

Book Group Needs Recommendations
Book suggestions are still being accepted until April 15. We encourage people to submit more suggestions until then. After that, we will be compiling and sending the list out for voting in May. Please contact Marjorie Walters via the Havurah member directory on our website if you would like to recommend a book.

Our Weekly Emails
If you have something you think should be included in Hineinu, please submit to the weekly email form here.

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Donations Needed

Portland Homeless Family Solutions Seeks Donations
PHFS is seeking food donations for their shelter and for food boxes to be delivered to clients. More information here. In addition, to help with our monthly food commitment, coordinated by Len and Elayne Shapiro, sign up here.

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Other Resources for You
From Our Siddur to a Havurah Website Guide

Digital Copy of Shabbat Vehagim
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Digital Copy of the Daily Prayerbook
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COVID-19 Resources Spreadsheet
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Oregon Jewish Life COVID-19 Resources
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A Spreadsheet of Livestreaming Services, Torah Study, and more
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Community Resources During COVID-19
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Daily Online Jewish Mindfulness Sit with Institute for Jewish Spirituality
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Recon Connect: A Hub for Live Experiences from Reconstructing Judaism
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Meditations, Blog Posts & Podcasts to Help Adults Coping with Uncertainty & Anxiety
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This Can Be Our Finest Hour, But We Need All Of You (COVID-19 article)
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How to Explain Coronavirus to a Child with Anxiety
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A Guide to Havurah Website Resources (including how to access the member directory)
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Ritualwell Coronavirus Articles (a website by Reconstructing Judaism)

Click on the image above to read the April issue of Hakol!