Hineinu

Hevre,  

In working for a better world, I’m a proponent of starting the task in the most intimate way possible: within ourselves, our families, and our communities. So I deeply appreciated reading again words from my wise and inspiring colleague, Rabbi Sandra Lawson. She published an article last week, “I’m a black rabbi. I’ve never been in a Jewish space where I wasn’t questioned,” which should be required reading for all of us. Let’s sit with that: she has never been in a Jewish space where her Jewish identity wasn’t questioned. And lest we think that Havurah is somehow beyond this, I assure you that what Rabbi Sandra is naming is true throughout the Jewish community. We need to pay attention right here, where we are, or we will continue to do harm and fail to make lasting change. While this means that there are no short cuts, no way to just call out injustice without examining ourselves, the good news is that the work can begin, or begin again for the thousandth time, right here in front of us: with our next learning, our next honest conversation, our next moment of vulnerability and sincere self-examination.

I keep returning to the Viola Davis quote I shared last week: “a revolution has many lanes – be kind to yourself and to others who are traveling in the same direction.” In the midst of local and national crises and the rush to respond to them, sometimes we forget about the centrality of kindness. The truth is that we are each facing struggle, are each being called to show up in new ways all the time, whether regarding national issues or in facing loss or uncertainty within our families. So let us not lose track of kindness. It’s kindness, for ourselves and others, that will enable us to honestly start here — examining how we have been in order to move toward how we want to be. It is through the force of kindness, of working in kinship with one another, that we will be able to build communities and a world in which racism and oppression of all kinds can, over time, be dismantled.

– Rabbi Benjamin

Havurah Shalom Dues Commitment
Renewing for FY 2020-2021

Havurah Shalom’s new fiscal year begins July 1, which means it’s time to renew your dues commitment. Please renew before the end of June. A heartfelt thank you for your continued support of, and participation in, our community. We look forward to another year of financial health!

Photo of Havurah's building before renovations

The Congregational Meeting
Virtual and Successful!

Thanks to all who attended Havurah’s successful Congregation meeting. For those who are interested, here is the video recording and here is the chat which shows the questions asked, comments made, and answers provided. For ease while watching the video, here is the agenda so you can move ahead to a topic of specific interest to you. Once the minutes are approved by Steering, they will be available on the website. A couple of critical outcomes from the meeting is an approved budget. There will be a follow up meeting on Sunday, June 28, 1pm - 2:30pm for a discussion about the building opportunity with the Bage Building. Please join us for this conversation! More details below in the events section.

Havurah Job Opening
Music Coordinator

Photo of the Judaean Desert by Amit Lahav on Unsplash

Upcoming Events & Classes
Dates, Times, and Zoom Rooms Listed Below

Kirtan Shabbat
Friday, June 19, 7:30 pm – Room Aleph
Join us this Friday for a kirtan-infused Shabbat service. “Kirtan” is Sanskrit for “repeat” — a simple, call-and-response form of devotional, communal singing that originated in Eastern religious traditions and moved to the west with yoga and meditation. A kirtan Shabbat follows the arc of the tradtional Friday night service, slowed down and simplified to invoke the meditational spirit at the heart of all Jewish prayer.

Bat Mitzvah of Sophie Reilly
Saturday, June 20, 10 am – Room Aleph
Please join us in welcoming Sophie Reilly as a Bat Mitzvah and member of our community.

Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation
Tuesday, June 23, 12 pm – Room Bet
We gather to find some moments of quiet and shalom. Led by Deborah Eisenbach-Budner, Rabbi Benjamin, Adela Basayne, and Nancy Becker.

Israeli and Palestinian Literature
Tuesday, June 23, 7 pm – Room Dalet
Joel Beinin will offer a class on Israeli and Palestinian Literature. See the schedule and readings and RSVP here.   

Morning Minyan
Wednesday, June 24, 8:30 am – Room Aleph
For all who want a regular prayer practice and for people saying Kaddish.

AlteRockers Happy Hour
Thursday, June 25, 5 pm – Room Bet
We have not had an opportunity to get together in person for the past few months, so let's do the next best thing. Grab your favorite drink and appetizer and join others from AlteRockers in socializing. I don't know about you, but I am sure interested in how you have been during our quarantine since March. How have you been using your time? Have you come up with new food dishes? What do you plan to do this summer? If you have any questions, please contact Ted Scheinman.

Bar Mitzvah of Jonathan Williams
Saturday, June 27, 10 am – Room Aleph
Please join us in welcoming Jonathan Williams as a Bar Mitzvah and member of our community.

Should We Buy a Building?
Sunday, June 28, 1 pm – Room Aleph

The Long-Term Space (“Space Jam”) Committee made a presentation at the congregational meeting about our space crunch. If you are interested in learning more about a potential purchase of the property behind Havurah to accommodate our (joyously!) growing congregation, or you would like to lend your voice to this important decision in our midst, please attend this Zoom meeting. It would be helpful if those wishing to attend would RSVP here. Members of Havurah’s Space Jam committee will provide information we have gathered about our needs, the Bage Building as a possible solution, and the effort needed to accomplish this goal. We will also answer questions from members and take a poll. You are all welcome and encouraged to participate. The more voices, the better, so mark your calendars!

Thinking About the Futures of Israel/Palestine
Part II: Sunday, June 28, 10:30 am – Room Dalet
This discussion will focus on the implications of the ambition of the current Israeli government to annex large parts of the West Bank with the approval of the Trump Administration. We will be joined by a panel of progressive Israeli activists and academics, names to be announced. Each of the panelists will speak for 10 minutes and then we will have a general Q&A. RSVP here. 

Uprooting and Rooting: A Jewish Meditation Retreat with Rabbis Benjamin Barnett, Joshua Boettiger, and Yael Levy
July 23-25
Honoring the reality of this time, we are shifting to a three-day retreat guided online. While our contact will be virtual, we will still build a very real community of retreat. A detailed schedule will guide us, including: sitting and walking meditation, prayer, chanting, teachings and instructions, and check-ins with teachers. Information and registration here.

Updates Inside Havurah

Reconstructing Judaism Resources
Visit ReconstructingJudaism.org and click on Recon Connect or the Virtual Shabbat Box. There you will find the community, innovation, spirit and depth that embody Reconstructionist Judaism. Recon Connect is an online hub updated regularly!

COVID-19 Resources
Check out our COVID-19 resource page on our website for more information.

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

Photo by James Eades on Unsplash

Resources for Anti-Racism
Let's Inform Ourselves & Our Community

Juneteenth: Circle Round for Justice
Friday, June 19, 5pm – Schrunk Plaza
Portland Interfaith Clergy Resistance calls for “Juneteenth: Circle Round for Justice" – a sacred space to lift up our voices in prayer for justice, in solidarity with the Movement for Black Lives. Our gathering will include 8 minutes and 46 seconds of silence.

Check Out the Demands and Resources from Local Groups
Care Not Cops and Don't Shoot Portland are both local groups taking a look at how police affects our communities.

Educating Ourselves About Police Accountability & Funding
The Portland African American Leadership Forum has teamed up with Unite Oregon to articulate demands for change regarding the Portland Police Bureau. You can read an analysis from PAALF here, and see details of the campaign here. 

Reconstructing Judaism: Standing Up for Racial Justice & Against Racial Violence
Read RJ's statement on the death of George Floyd and the protests here.

1619: A New York Times Podcast
Exploring American slavery and its legacy. Listen here.

Listening to Jews of Color
Be’chol Lashon
13 Jews of Color to Follow Right Now
I’m a black rabbi. I’ve never been in a Jewish space where I wasn’t questioned
Black Jews Are Grieving, and We Need You to Help Us Mourn​​​​​​​  
‘Believe us’: Black Jews respond to the George Floyd protests, in their own words  
Jews of Color and the Policing of White Space​​​​​​​  

Let's Help Each Other
Do You Need Help or Would You Like to Offer Help?

If you are facing financial hardship from a loss of employment, decrease in income, or any other impact of this crisis; or, if you would benefit from the support of community members for grocery shopping, errands, or any other concrete needs, for any reason, please contact Rabbi Benjamin at benjamin.barnett@havurahshalom.org or 503-248-4662 ext. 3.

If you would like to be on a list of people to support others in concrete ways, such as grocery shopping or running other errands, please contact Susan Lazareck or Rabbi Benjamin at the email above.