We are sustained in every moment by our breath. When it is compromised or restricted, our lives are in jeopardy. Yet we mostly take it for granted until that occurs. This year’s theme, Nishmat Kol Ḥai: The Breath of All Life, turns us toward fuller awareness and appreciation of this vital life force and all it sustains.
Neshamah means breath and also soul. It is our essence, through which we are connected to one another and to all life. Nishmat Kol Ḥai asks us to listen closely for the breath that is not our own, to awaken to the preciousness of each breath and each soul.
Collectively, we are witnessing the tragic consequences of breath constricted, through illness and through violent oppression. All breath is not yet valued equally. Nishmat Kol Ḥai demands that we expand our notions of kinship and work to ensure that everyone can breathe freely, and every soul can flourish.
And with this, add your voice to High Holidays!
As we did last year, we invite you once again to add your voice to our prayer and celebration at High Holidays by submitting a “mini-drash” or kavanah (intention). These are short reflections or sharing of life experience, 2-3 minutes long, either in response to this year’s theme (above), or connected to the annual themes of teshuvah (returning/renewal/repentance) or forgiveness.
Through your contributions we will include more voices and reflect more diversity of experience as we journey through Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur together.
Deadline for contributions is August 21.
Send to Rachel at rachel.pollak@havurahshalom.org with the subject line: “Mini-drash 2020”
Kabbalat Shabbat Friday, July 24, 7:30 pm– Room Aleph
Welcome in Shabbat with a musical service led by Ilene Safyan.
Community Minyan Saturday, July 25, 10 am– Room Aleph Join our Community Minyan in celebrating Shabbat. Led by community members and Rabbi Benjamin, this service includes davening, Torah reading, and discussion, as well as an opportunity to say Kaddish.
Havdalah with Music Coordinator Candidates Saturday, July 25, 6-7 pm – Room Aleph
Please RSVP here and join us to experience two candidates for the Music Coordinator position as they lead brief Havdalah services. We'll send you a short survey following this demonstration for your feedback!
Judaism and the Green New Deal Sunday, July 26, 4 pm
Please join the Havurah Climate Action Team and Congregation P’nai Or for a Zoom presentation and discussion on the Green New Deal. Learn the key elements of this deep vision for our future and how we can help make this a reality. Register here.
Four Wise Biblical Women (And They Aren't Who You Think They Are) Monday, July 27, August 10 & 24, 3-4 pm – Room Gimel
Please join Emily Simon as she features two more wise women who are entwined - Deborah and Yael (this is two classes worth). Please read Judges 4 & 5 and make sure to have a tanach available during the class. RSVP here.
And for extra credit: this portion is read as the Haftarah to parshat Beshlach. (Exodus 13:17 through 17:16). Even a quick perusal of the parsha (think chapter 15) should give you a big hint for why that might be.
Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation Tuesday, July 28, 12 pm – Room Bet
We gather to find some moments of quiet and shalom. Led by Rabbi Benjamin, Adela Basayne, and Nancy Becker.
Book Group Discusses An Oasis in Time Tuesday, July 28, 7pm – Room Bet
Please join us for a special book discussion! We will be discussing the book An Oasis in Time by Marilyn Paul. Marilyn, the author, will be joining us via Zoom!
Morning Minyan Wednesday, July 29, 8:30 am – Room Aleph
For all who want a regular prayer practice and for people saying Kaddish.
Alte Rockers Zoom Happy Hour Thursday, July 30, 5pm – Room Bet Let's have another Alte Rockers Zoom Happy Hour! Following last month's event, we are going to arrange a happy hour each month to check in with our wonderful group. Grab your favorite drink and appetizer and join others from Alte Rockers in socializing. I don't know about you, but I am sure interested in how you have learned to enjoy life during the time of COVID-19. How have you been using your time? Have you come up with new food dishes? What are you doing this summer? If you have any questions, please contact Ted Scheinman via the member directory.
Grief Support Group: Online Drop-In Wednesday, Aug. 5 & 19, Sept. 9 & 23, 12:30 pm - 2 pm
Havurah Shalom is initiating a facilitated Grief Support Group. Participants receive support and are invited to share feelings and experiences in a confidential peer-group setting. Each session also includes grief education focused on a theme, such as common grief reactions or coping with stress. Participants are asked to pre-register for each individual session they wish to attend, and may attend as many or as few sessions as needed. Sessions start promptly at 12:30pm and are limited to 10 people, age 18+. The Zoom Room will be given out with the registration confirmation email. To register, click your desired date(s) below:
This is a new initiative by Havurah Shalom. Consideration will be given to extending these sessions through the end of 2020 or beyond if they appear to meet congregant needs and if in-person gatherings are still curtailed. Contact Tivona Reith at bikkurholim@havurahshalom.org with any questions.
Havurah Zoom Rooms
For info on Zoom rooms, click here. You must sign-in after you visit the link.
Photo by Brad Pector
Updates Inside Havurah
Why Did We Choose Slack for Our Havurahood Groups?
See these helpful slides explaining why Slack was chosen for our community.
Volunteer for High Holidays!
You may have heard that Havurah will be holding High Holiday services online this year. We are busily developing meaningful programming to span the month of Elul through the end of Sukkot and Simchat Torah. We look forward to telling you more very soon.
In the meantime, the need arises for High Holiday volunteers. In normal years, over 200 volunteers come together to make High Holidays happen in person at the Tiffany Center. This year, the need is for fewer people, with new skill sets.
Our service leaders will be leading the services from home, so we need production assistants to help them set up great lighting, sound and video.
Many of our musical offerings will be pre-recorded, so we need audio editors to optimize the sound quality of their recordings.
Some of our visual offerings will also be pre-recorded, so we need video editors who know a thing or two about how to make video look and sound nice.
All of the volunteer positions above are remote and would take place through the beginning of September. Choose how much and how often you help — even a little bit is a lot! Audio and video editing sought is very basic, nothing fancy. Teens welcome! Please click here to sign up!
More volunteer positions will be advertised later in the summer. Contact Rachel Pollak at rachel@havurahshalom.org with any questions.
Book Group News
Would you like to look at the schedule of books to be read this year? Looking at the schedule will help you plan ahead for your reading. You will find it on the new Book Group webpage found here. You can also go to the Havurah website and hover over the Clusters tab to find Limud, and then hover over Limud to the Book Group page. The Book Group webpage also has tips for discussion leaders, and a list of previously read books. Enjoy reading!
Sign Up to Be a Host or Scroller
You have probably attended a service, class, meditation, or other Havurah event on Zoom by now. Have you ever wondered how we manage to get such a great experience for everyone, or who is scrolling through the siddur? Our hosts and scrollers are volunteers, and you can join them! Just sign up on the Hosts & Scrollers tab of this form. No experience? We can train you! Please sign up today, or contact Karen Westerman for more info.
COVID-19 Resources Check out our COVID-19 resource pageon our website for more information.
Tikkun Olam
Bend the Arc's Jewish Town Hall Sunday, July 26, 11am– Special Zoom Room
Join Bend the Arc: Jewish Action Portland at our upcoming Townhall. This will be the second event of the Portland Bend the Arc Moral Minyan and is sponsered by Havurah's Tikkum Olam Cluster, and we are very excited to get together with you and our wider community to spend time getting to know one another and connect about how we want to show up in the current moment of uprising and beyond. RSVP here.
Whether or not you are associated with a specific organization, we would love to hear how you are showing up during this time. In order to prepare for this Townhall please fill out this form. If you don’t have an answer to some of the questions, take the time between now and our meeting to reflect on what you want to see in our community.
Join the meeting by clicking here or by entering the following info. Meeting ID: 847 0785 6179
Passcode: 1818
Letter and Petition Sponsored by Portland United Against Hate
Portland United Against Hate has put out a letter and petition pertaining to Portland police brutality and the actions of Trump's federal agents here, and any Havurah members who are so moved are invited to sign on to this letter. Rabbi Benjamin and a number of other rabbis (including rabbis Daniel Isaak and Deborah Kolodny) along with other faith leaders and numerous progressive organizations are sponsoring this letter. Please see the letter here and scroll down to bottom to sign.
Interfaith Alliance on Poverty Updates
Here are three different links about Argyle Garden, 72 units of very affordable housing and the FIRST modular housing permitted in Portland.
The Metro Transit-Oriented Development Program (not Bond or Supportive Housing) donated $340,000 and Transition Projects developed it. Check it out, it's cool!
Interfaith Alliance on Poverty's July Newsletter
A lot of good information on current issues and programs regarding poverty in Portland. View the issue here.
Volunteers Needed to Increase Voter Turnout One effective way to increase voter turnout for November: Volunteer with Vote Forward. Research shows that registered voters who receive a personalized letter a few days before the election have increased likelihood of going out to vote. A larger turnout is essential, especially in swing states.
Sign up with Vote Forward and you can choose from a number of states and download prepared letters with names and addresses of registered voters and then stamp and address these to be mailed in late October. Consider choosing one of the following states: North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan or Wisconsin. You can prepare as few or as many letters as you have time for.
Here is an article that explains the rationale for this letter-writing strategy.
Please email or call Lee Gordon with questions and to let him know if you choose to do this, so we can keep track of how many Havurah folks have volunteered.
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 at susanlazareck@gmail.com and Rabbi Benjamin at the email above.
Reconstructing Judaism
Recon Connect & Virtual Shabbat Box
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!
(HYB) Shabbat Morning Shabbat, May 3rd 10:00a to 12:00p Led by community members and Rabbi Benjamin (who is on sabbatical until July 1, 2025), 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.
(IP) Shabbat School Shabbat, May 3rd 3:00p to 5:15p This program gives children a foundation for lifelong Jewish learning and engagement while integrating parents and children in a caring Jewish community.
(ZM) Progressive Israel Network Sessions Sunday, May 4th 11:00a to 12:00p Havurah Shalom is hosting a four-session series from the Progressive Israel Network. Come learn in collaboration with representatives from five to six of the participating Progressive Israel Network organizations, including T’ruah, New Jewish Narrative, Partners for Progressive Israel, New Israel Fund, J Street, and Reconstructing Judaism.
All perspectives on Israel-Palestine, as well as all curious people, are welcomed and encouraged. Our guests will give presentations and take questions. You can register for all sessions, below, but it's okay if you can't attend all three sessions.
(Reconstructing Judaism, the central organization of the Reconstructionist movement, of which Havurah Shalom is a part, is a member of the Progressive Israel Network.)
(IP) Writing for Peace and Reconciliation, Within and Between Us Sunday, May 4th 6:30p to 8:30p Commemorate the last day of Pesach and Yitzkor in community Passover not only invites us to retell our ancient story but to look at our current reality and ask: what is our mitzrayim today? The obstacle in our personal and communal life? Where can we break through in an act of courage and compassion? April 20th & May 4th, 6:30 PM at Havurah, join Harriet Cooke for a writing/drawing group to explore this theme along with Yitzkor, the Sephirot and Counting the Omer. (It is recommended to attend either just the first session or both sessions.)
(IP) Jewish Ethical Responses to the Problem of Racism Monday, May 5th 6:30p to 7:45p We will address topics such as countering white nationalism and antisemitism, Jewish perspectives on reparations, repairing Jewish pioneer memory, and responding to racial microaggressions. Facilitated by Karen Sherman and Adela Basayne.
(CANCELED) Collage Art with Jewish Symbols Wednesday, May 7th 6:30p to 7:45p This class has been canceled by the instructor. If you are interested in doing art at Havurah, please reach out to Adela Basayne (info@havurahshalom.org). Bring your crafts and creativity out for making collage art with Jewish symbols. We will create hamzas, stars of David, trees of life, and images for blessing the home. All ages are invited! Led by Carolina Martinez.
(IP) Hebrew as a Tool: Prayer and Torah (registration closed) Wednesday, May 7th 7:00p to 8:15p (This class will now be starting on January 8.) Using an in-depth, word-by-word approach, we discover literal meaning(s), ancient layers of understanding, and our own personal interpretations that stem from the nuances of the Hebrew text. Basic Hebrew decoding skills necessary.
