Hevre,

Although our Havurah building is still closed, we are updating our COVID Safety Guidelines to provide greater clarity around limited building use exceptions and outdoor gatherings. Please note that these guidelines are subject to revision as case numbers of COVID-19 change and new guidance is received from local and state health authorities.

If you have any questions, please contact our Presidents, Miriam Reshotko or Ben Walters. We will be putting out a full webpage explaining our process soon.

– Core Crisis Response Team

Join the Non-Writers Workshop!

The Writers Workshop (for Non-Writers!) begins January 14, 2021, for 8 Thursdays through March 4. The commitment is for 8 sessions. We focus on memoir writing generated through prompts and discussion. Our process examines personal exploration from any perspective, including the Jewish experience. Participants may choose to read at a culminating Friday Oneg for the Havurah community. Led by David Kertzner. Sign up here! Only 8 slots available. Contact David via the Havurah Member Directory with questions.

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

Thanksgiving Shabbat: Gratitude Here & Now
Friday, Nov. 27, 7:30-8:30 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!

Bar Mitzvah of Eitan Feder
Saturday, Nov. 28, 10 am – Room Aleph
Please join us in welcoming Eitan Feder as a Bar Mitzvah and member of our community!

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.

BIPOC Community Meetup
Tuesday, Dec. 1, 7-8:30 pm – Room Gimel
If you identify as Black, Indigenous, or other person of color, we hope you will join us. This will be a casual get together with the sole purpose of listening to, learning from, and supporting one another. This meeting requires no ongoing commitment. Please RSVP here, or just show up. If you're unable to make it but like this idea, or have other ideas as a BIPOC community member, please contact Yshai via the Havurah Member Directory.

Morning Minyan
Wednesday, Dec. 2, 8:30 am – Room Aleph
For all who want a regular prayer practice and for people saying Kaddish.

Video and Discussion on White Supremacy, White Nationalism, and Anti-Semitism
Thursday, Dec. 3, 7 pm – Room Gimel
Havurah’s Countering White Nationalism cohort invites you to join us for a conversation about the differences between white supremacy and white nationalism, including the role anti-semitism plays within the white nationalist movement. We will show the first 36 minutes of a talk by Eric Ward (password: 8K?.4$f4), Executive Director of the Western States Center, as the starting place for our conversation. This is a repeat of the October 7 program.

Drop-In Grief Support Groups
Thursdays, 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.

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. RSVP here for Zoom info.

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

Lev Tahor Chanting Circle
Monday, Dec. 7, 7pm – Room Aleph
Facilitated by Rabbi Benjamin. As the light continues to decrease, and in preparation for our Festival of Lights, we will draw from the wisdom of this season and the teachings of Hanukah as intention for this evening of chanting and meditation. While clearly different over Zoom, we will still gather in community and lift each of our voices as we draw strength from one another through the practice. Everyone is welcome – no experience or musical ability required!

Tikkun Olam Events

Interfaith Alliance on Poverty Monthly Meeting: "Reimagine Oregon"
Thursday, Dec. 3, 12-1:30 pm via Zoom
Imagine a place where everyone has an opportunity to succeed! Imagine a place where social and economic justice rules! Imagine a place where the past injustice is acknowledged and ameliorated by the future! Let’s help to create that community by joining those who aim to “Reimagine Oregon."

Recognizing that systemic racism is a clear and persistent root cause of poverty in communities of color, the Alliance formed a small team to explore the project’s mission, focus, and specific strategies, including legislative proposals. And now, the team brings its conclusions and its strategies for Alliance action in support of the project to our “First Thursday” meeting. Interested? Contact Gloria Halper or Steve Rudman.

Tikkun Olam Updates

More Online Tutors Needed!
The Havurah-Ortiz Virtual Tutoring project is off to a good start. We have 8-10 students involved! We have several families with little or no English, so we need some Spanish speaking tutors. You do not need to be "fluent" but simply "conversational." We still need non-Spanish-speaking tutors! The Ortiz Center has received many requests for tutors for students in all grades. In response, we have created 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 match each student to the preferences of each tutor. These students are almost all children of immigrants and 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
We will be collecting again this year hand knit scarves and hats for the Lift Up Community Gift Market (formally known as the Lift Up Holiday Dinner). Please drop off your knitted items to the Havurah Collection Box that will be stationed inside the Havurah doors. Hours will be M/W/Th/F: 1-6 pm and Tuesdays: 10-6pm. Purchased hats and scarves are also accepted if you can't knit. Please try to include some children sizes as well as adults size hats. Last day for collection for items is Dec. 7. Please contact Fran Berg with any questions.

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

Interfaith Alliance on Poverty Book Group Starting!

The Interfaith Alliance on Poverty's Transition to Stability Action Team is starting a book group in January based on The Alternative. Check it out here. If interested contact Dave Albertine. Please let Dave know you are a member of Havurah Shalom.

Havurah's BLM Resource Page
Check out our Black Lives Matter resource page!

Do You Need Help?

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

To see our full Zoom room instructions, click here. Member sign-in required.