As of this writing, Joe Biden is sitting at 306 electoral votes and has a lead of 5 million in the popular vote, yet President Trump is refusing to concede the election. As the lawsuits he has had filed challenging the vote count are being dismissed, it seems likely that Biden will assume the presidency on January 20 without incident. However, if something unexpected occurs, if Trump refuses to leave office as the U.S. Constitution requires, secular and religious groups nationwide are making contingency plans to show nationwide support for our system of democracy and the peaceful transition of presidential power. Havurah has formed an ad hoc committee that is in contact with the local and national coalitions monitoring the situation. The committee will serve as a conduit of information to Havurah members who may wish to become involved if there is a call to action. We certainly hope that this committee turns out to be of no use, but stay tuned! Please contact us for more information or to get involved with this ad hoc post-election monitoring effort.
– Bob Brown & Chris Coughlin
Adult B'nei Mitzvah Group Forming
We have a new Adult B’nei Mitzvah Group forming! Are you interested in deepening your knowledge and commitment to Torah, Tefillah (Prayer) and Kehillah (Community)? Expanding your Jewish literacy skills, confidence, and sense of connection with Judaism? Nourishing your intellect and spirit, individually and within the context of an ongoing learning community. Then consider joining the new Adult B'nei Mitzvah Group!
This group will study together from early April 2021 – February 2023, almost two years, with Havurah Education Director, Deborah Eisenbach-Budner, Rabbi Benjamin, and other teachers. If anything above sparks your interest, please contact the Havurah Education Director, Deborah Eisenbach-Budner at deborah@havurahshalom.org soon!
Upcoming Events
Zoom room links and codes can be found at the bottom of the weekly email.
Drop-In Grief Support Groups Thursdays, Nov. 19, Dec. 3, Dec. 24, 7-8:30 pm – Room Heh
As we approach the winter holidays, especially in this time of COVID, Havurah Shalom supports members grieving a death. Drop-in grief group sessions are facilitated by Havurah Shalom members experienced in grief support and confidential group facilitation. Pre-registration is required by Thursday noon the day of each session. Each session is limited to 10 people. Additional details will be sent to those registered. RSVP via the links on the dates above.For more information, contact Tivona Reith at bikkurholim@havurahshalom.org.
Kabbalat Shabbat Friday, Nov. 20, 7:30 pm – Room Aleph
Please join us for our spirited and joy-filled Kabbalat Shabbat Service led by J.D. Kleinke. Music will be provided by our talented Havurah musicians.
Community Minyan Saturday, Nov. 21, 10 am – Room Aleph
Please join us for Shabbat morning! Led by community members or Rabbi Benjamin, this service includes davening, Torah reading and discussion.
Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation Tuesday, Nov. 24, 12 pm – Room Bet
We gather to find some moments of quiet and shalom. Led by Rabbi Benjamin, Adela Basayne, or Nancy Becker.
Morning Minyan Wednesday, Nov. 25, 8:30 am – Room Aleph
For all who want a regular prayer practice and for people saying Kaddish.
Thanksgiving Shabbat Friday, Nov. 27, 7:30 pm – Room Aleph You are warmly invited to be a part of Shabbat Hoda'ah: Gratitude In This Place led by Leah Shoshanah, Barbara Slader, and Sarah Shine. Come light candles together, sing, and share gratitude with your Havurah community! Please invite your friends and family, near and far, to join us – everyone will fit around this table. If you can, let your Zoom camera “see” your lighted candles, Shabbat flowers, or autumn leaves, to warm our souls with light and color. See you there!
Hanukah Song Share with Leah Shoshanah and the Havurah Music Collective Sunday, Nov. 29, 4:30-6 pm – Room Aleph Join our Music Coordinator, Leah Shoshanah and musicians from the Havurah Musician’s Collective for an evening of learning and sharing songs. This month, our theme focuses on resilience, justice and light in honor of the upcoming holiday of Hanukah. We will be sharing a mix of classic Hanukah songs, Sephardic songs, secular songs, and new Hanukah songs by contemporary composers. We will provide song sheets, chord sheets and a brief singing/playing tutorial so that folks can continue playing these songs in their own homes. While not a kid-focused event, this is a kid-friendly event, and we encourage families to join us. RSVP here.
West Coast Collaborative Shabbat with Emek Shalom of Ashland and Or Shalom of San Francisco Friday, Dec. 4 & Saturday, Dec. 5
Connect with other kindred spirits on the West Coast as we share shabbat music, learning and practice with a triad of Reconstructionist communities. Each community will host a service with some guest leadership from the other congregations.
Dec. 4, 7 pm: Kabbalat Shabbat hosted by Temple Emek Shalom
Dec. 5, 10 am: Shabbat morning hosted by Havurah
Dec. 5, 7 pm: Havdalah hosted by Or Shalom
Registration for Zoom links coming soon. For now save the dates!
Tikkun Olam Updates
Online Tutors Needed: Spanish Speakers
The Havurah-Ortiz Virtual Tutoring project is off to a good start. We have eight students involved! We have several families with little or no English, so we need Spanish speaking tutors. You do not need to be "fluent" but simply "conversational". Community Center has received many requests for tutors, from students in all grades (K-12). In response, we are organizing a "virtual" tutoring program. We are interviewing the parents and students, to verify their computer and Internet access, to establish scheduling needs/preferences, and to learn about specific homework needs (e.g., specific subjects for high school students). We will then match each student to the preferences of each tutor. These students are almost all children of immigrants, very motivated to succeed in school just like all of our own families. Questions? Contact Jay Moskovitz.
Requesting Donations of Knit Hats, Scarves, and More
Knitters: Lift UP, Congregation Beth Israel, and Havurah Shalom are putting together gift bags for houseless individuals in Portland. We are looking for handmade or store-bought hats and scarves. Can you contribute? Items are requested by Dec 7. For knitted items (pick up or drop off) please Sally Rosenfeld at srosenfeldfrank@gmail.com.
We are also looking for donations of the following:
- Small toiletries
- Toothbrushes and toothpaste
- Small pocket-sized calendars
- Candybars or something sweet
Contact Nikki Director at directornk@comcast.net if you are able to donate these items!
Can You & Your Friends Help with a Food Drive?
Lift UP is looking for donations for their pantry and warehouse. Can you ask 10 friends to ask 5 of their friends for canned foods and donations? This is how we work together and make big change! Contact Brett Williams at brett@lifturbanportland.org for more info.
URGENT NEEDS FOR PANTRY
o Proteins (peanut butters/tuna/canned chicken/etc)
o Breakfast Items (cereal, oats, granola)
o Canned vegetables
o Low sodium items (tunas/pastas/canned beans or veggies)
o Ensure or protein bars
o Dairy/non-dairy shelf stable milk
o Whole grain pasta/brown rice
o Gluten-free pastas/gluten-free breakfast items
o Kosher items of all the items listed above (if applicable)
o Paper bags, egg cartons, rubber bands, Sharpies
If you are facing financial hardship from a loss of employment, decrease in income, or any other impact of our recent crises; 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 and Rabbi Benjamin.
Havurah Zoom Rooms
For info on Zoom links, click here. You must sign-in after you visit the link.
(IP) The Stories of Abraham Thursday, Oct 30th 7:00p to 8:30p Explore the biblical figure Abraham using sources from all three Abrahamic Religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) to enrich our understanding of Judaism’s founding patriarch. After the class, take part in an optional opportunity to write a drash about Abraham to read at the Torah service! Led by former PJA Jewish Studies Teacher Benjamin Foote.
(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.
(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.
