First Shabbat of 2021

Kabbalat Shabbat
Friday, Jan. 1, 7:30 pm – Room Aleph
This time around the sun, the new calendar year begins with Shabbat! Take a pause between the old year and the new to reflect, refresh, and connect. Led by Barbara Slader and Susan Brenner.

Community Minyan
Saturday, Jan. 2, 10 am – Room Aleph
Please join us for Shabbat morning! Led by Buff Medb Neretin, Barbara Slader, J.D. Kleinke, with a drash by Harriet Cooke. This service includes davening, Torah reading, and discussion.

Upcoming Events

Morning Minyan
Wednesday, Jan. 6, 8:30 am – Room Aleph
For all who want a regular prayer practice and for people saying Kaddish.

Lev Tahor Chanting Circle
Thursday, Jan. 7, 7-8 pm – Room Aleph
Facilitated by Rabbi Benjamin
We will come together for an evening of contemplative practice, chanting interspersed with silence, guided by teachings from the tradition. While clearly different over Zoom, we will still gather in community and lift our voices as we draw strength from one another through the practice. Everyone is welcome – no experience or musical ability required!

Monthly Song Share with the Havurah Musician's Collective
Sunday, Jan. 10, 4:30-6 pm – Room Aleph
Come singers, come musicians, come listeners, come all! At our monthly song share, members of the Havurah musician’s collective share and teach songs based on the monthly theme. This month, the theme is Tu B'shvat, environmentalism, MLK, and civil rights. Bring your ears, your voice and your instrument. This is a kid-friendly (but not kid-focused) event. Want to share a song? Email Leah, our Music Coordinator, at leah.shoshanah@havurahshalom.org.

Upcoming Classes: Register Now!

The biblical prophets left us a legacy of clarion calls opposing inequity and demanding a more just society. Their vision and poetic voice has inspired Jews and others throughout the generations. In this class we will explore the prophets’ theology and worldview, and the language they used to express them. In particular, we will consider the role of the prophetic voice and approach in our own pursuits of justice, examining tensions between truth and compassion, activism and organizing, and confrontation and relationship-building. Taught by Rabbi Benjamin. Register here.

Beginning Conversational Hebrew Class Is Back!
Thursdays, Jan. 14 – March 18, 7-8 pm (optional 8-8:30 pm conversation sessions) – Zoom Room Heh
Would you like to improve your ability to speak conversational Hebrew? Can you already read Hebrew but don't always know what you are reading? Did you take Hebrew lessons ages ago or did you participate in an Ulpan experience in Israel but have forgotten all you learned? Would you like to laugh and learn with fellow Havurahniks? Come join Racheli Ross as she continues a beginning Hebrew class in which the focus is on functional Hebrew conversations and vocabulary development. Register here.
 
Writers’ Workshop (for Non-Writers!)
Thursdays, Jan. 14, 21, 28; Feb. 4, 11, 18, 25; March 4, 7-9 pm
Oneg Reading, Friday, March 19, 7:30 pm – Zoom Room Bet
Explore your interest in memoir writing through guided reflection, engaging prompts and supportive group feedback. Develop a short piece and challenge yourself to read at a wonderful Friday Oneg for the Havurah community. Led by David Kertzner. Register here.

A Special Event in January

Dancing In God’s Earthquake: Book Talk & Discussion with Rabbi Arthur Ocean Waskow
Saturday, Jan. 30, 3 pm
Between climate change, COVID, great social injustice, and more, we are living in powerfully transformative times. Rabbi Arthur Ocean Waskow’s latest book, Dancing In God’s Earthquake, The Coming Transformation of Religion, will help guide us through. He will be joining Havurah & P’nai Or for a book talk and discussion, followed by Havdalah, led by Rabbi Benjamin. RSVP and order the book here if you desire. The book can be preordered through Havurah at a discount: $15 through Jan. 3.

Tikkun Olam Updates

Help Needed for Our Houseless Neighbors

We are feeding houseless Portlanders in tent camps with nutritious hot meals. We asked several people what some of their needs are and they listed the following:

• propane, small camping size (available at Fred Meyer)
• warm blankets and sleeping bags
• hoodies and sweaters
• flashlights or headlamps and extra batteries
• gloves
• hats
• tarps
• thermal tops and bottoms
• bottled water, gallon is ideal

Things we can still use are:

• food donations (feel free to reach out to inquire about what is needed now)
• homemade baked goods, individually wrapped
• individually wrapped snacks: tuna packets and cans, peanut butter, applesauce, jerky

Contact Jenn Louis via the Havurah Member Directory if you have questions.

Community Events & Offerings

Br’iut and B’rachot: A Community Wellness Havdalah

Saturday, Jan. 9, 6 pm
Next month Jewish Federation is delighted to invite the community to Br’iut and B’rachot—A Community Wellness Havdalah. Co-led by Community Chaplain Rabbi Barry Cohen & Cantorial Soloist Ilene Safyan (Havurah member). Start 2021 off coming together to mark the close of Shabbat and the start of a new week. Details and registration here.

This is part of a community-wide effort around mental health and wellness in January. We invite you to join us by programming, promoting and encouraging awareness of the importance of mental wellbeing in these extra challenging times.

We’ve curated a mental health webpage with resources and opportunities, including some shared by you, thank you!

Havurah COVID Guidelines

In early December, Oregon experienced a significant surge in COVID cases which prompted Governor Brown to issue new guidelines on indoor and outdoor gatherings. Havurah’s Core Crisis Team met to review the updated guidance from the health authorities and revise the Havurah COVID Guidelines in light of those changes. The COVID Safety Guidelines for Havurah Shalom (as of December 15, 2020) can be found on the Havurah website under News/COVID-19 Information or by clicking here.
 

The primary changes in the updated Guidelines include reducing the number of persons (and pods) that can attend outdoor events (now down to six people and two pods) and clarifying that our Guidelines only cover Havurah activities and events that are in our building or in public outdoor spaces. The scope of the Guidelines explicitly excludes private homes and private outdoor spaces.

We thank you for your understanding as we navigate these difficult issues and do our best to keep our Havurah community safe. If you have any questions about our Guidelines or our process, please reach out to one or both of the co-presidents, Miriam Reshotko at miriamreshotko@comcast.net or Ben Walters at kidz2@me.com.

Community COVID-19 Assistance

We are seeing surges in COVID-19 cases in the region, and public health officials expect this to continue through at least the end of December. Neveh Shalom COVID-19 Outreach and Services is here to help!

Their available services differ based on whether or not the person seeking assistance has been diagnosed with or exposed to the virus. For those who have been exposed to the virus or tested positive and need to quarantine, CNSCOS can assist with and cover costs for things like grocery shopping, finding housing, childcare, or transportation. For those who have been affected by Covid-19 in an indirect way, CNSCOS can help with finding and applying for financial resources, running errands, accessing food assistance, finding other helpful services, or just calling to chat with folks who are feeling isolated or lonely.

The CNSCOS team also provides timely information online here and via a weekly email here. Contact covid19@nevehshalom.org or call 971-990-5652 if you need COVID-19 assistance.

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!

Questions About Havurah?

The Transparency & Inclusivity Committee is an avenue within Havurah Shalom to help members find the answers to question they have wondered about. Please send your questions to transparency@havurahshalom.org. We will publish your question in Hakol anonymously, and then answer that question. Everyone in our community benefits from this clarity!

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.