We are having to hold so much right now, navigating what continues to be a deeply unsettling time. The insurrection last week left us with horrific images, including the Confederate flag being paraded through the Capitol and a noose erected outside it, and betrayed once again the cruel and unjust distinctions between our nation’s policing of white and non-white people. For us as Jews, witnessing anti-Semitism displayed so brazenly feels profoundly troubling and, for many I imagine, frightening. So, first and foremost, I hope you are each taking time and reaching out to care for yourselves as needed.
In Torah we are beginning our liberation story once again. This week, in Parashat Va’era, we witness the first several plagues. They are meant to erode the will of Pharaoh, but each time he seems broken, his heart once again becomes heavy and hardened. So it is with Pharaohs. So instead, we turn toward the power within and amidst us, the redemptive capacities of the human heart and our collective spirit.
Thankfully, we are nurturing this power beautifully right now. Just look at what all those grassroots organizers in Georgia have accomplished (thus far!), through decades of work and the building of wholesome power. And while the attempted coup was enraging and frightening, it did not help that movement bring more people on board with their lies and malice. Which is not to say that we mustn’t be diligent. We must. But those of us fighting for a multiracial, inclusive democracy can also seize this moment, as one to build consensus against these hateful ideologies and the violence they produce.
Returning to the Exodus reminds me that we have ancestors whose spirits imbue our pursuit of freedom from violence and oppression. And looking around to other groups who have been targeted and who still yearn for freedom and safety, I am reminded that we are not alone. While cruelty continues, so does courage and resilience and devotion to what is true and loving. So, as we roll the scroll into Exodus once again, let’s remind ourselves that we too — as a People, as a community, and each of us as individuals — are part of something larger, something beautiful.
– Rabbi Benjamin
Upcoming Classes
“My Word is Like Fire”: The Vision, Theology, and Voice of the Prophets Wednesdays, January 13, 20; February 3, 10, 7 pm – Room Bet 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.
Upcoming Events
Dorot Shabbat Friday, Jan. 15, 5:30 pm – Room Aleph Musical, family focused, short and sweet service to welcome Shabbat. Led by Leah Shoshanah and Dan Reid.
Kabbalat Shabbat Friday, Jan. 15, 7:30 pm – Room Aleph
Please join us for our spirited and joy-filled Kabbalat Shabbat Service, led by J.D. Kleinke and Margie Rosenthal. Music will be provided by our talented Havurah musicians.
Bat Mitzvah of Ariel Carroll Saturday, Jan. 16, 10 am – Room Aleph
Please join us in welcoming Ariel Carroll as a Bat Mitzvah and member of our community! Please email info@havurahshalom.org if help connecting is needed.
First Israel/Palestine Working Committee Meeting Sunday, Jan. 17, 4-6 pm– Room Bet The new Israel/Palestine Committee will hold its first meeting since becoming an official committee. We will begin planning future events. This is a meeting of a working committee, not an event to discuss Israel/Palestine issues. Any member of Havurah is welcome to work with us. If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact one of the co-chairs: Joel Beinin, Elinor Gollay, or Lee Gordon (contact info is in the member directory). The meeting will take place in Zoom Room Bet. Members only, please. RSVP here.
Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation Tuesday, Jan. 19, 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, Jan. 20, 8:30 am – Room Aleph For all who want a regular prayer practice and for people saying Kaddish.
Events Next Week
Discovering Shabbat Learner's Minyan Saturday, Jan. 23, 10 am – Room Aleph
This upbeat, interactive service, led by Rabbi Benjamin, focuses on the structure and key themes and prayers of the morning service.
Songwriter Spotlight Featuring Leah Shoshanah, Ilene Safyan and Beth Hamon Sunday, Jan. 24, 4:30 pm – Room Aleph
Join us for a special concert featuring our own Havurah songwriters. They will share their music, both secular and Jewish.
Book Group Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love, by Dani Shapiro Tuesday, Jan. 26, 7 pm – Room Bet
Dani Shapiro's memoir unfolds at a breakneck pace – part mystery, part real-time investigation, part rumination on the ineffable combination of memory, history, biology, and experience that makes us who we are. A haunting interrogation of the meaning of kinship and identity, written with stunning intensity and precision--Dani Shapiro's most intimate and compelling work yet. Discussion led by Barbara Hershey.
The Nominating Committee has started work to nominate candidates for the 2021-2022 Steering Committee. This spring, we’ll be submitting nominations for the following positions:
• Vice-President (four year commitment) • Corporate Secretary
• Avodah (Spiritual Life) Cluster Lead
• Kehillah (Community) Cluster Lead
We are looking for motivated Havurah members who want to be involved in a hands-on manner with our governance and planning. With the exception of Vice-President, the other candidates will serve from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2023.
If you are interested in being on the Steering Committee or have questions about the available positions, please contact one of the Nominating Committee members:
Eve Berry
Janice Kettler
Julia Lager-Mesulam
Debbi Nadell
Aaron Pearlman
Ben Walters
A Special Event Later This Month
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
Help Needed for Our Houseless Neighbors
Current needs include:
warm clothes for men and women (wool sweaters, thermal tops and bottoms, pants, coats)
sleeping bags
tents
sleeping pads
non-perishable food (snacks, peanut butter, tuna, canned items, hot beverages)
An Amazon wishlist has been started and will be updated regularly based on needs.
Thank you for all of your help! Contact Jenn Louis via the Havurah Member Directory if you have questions.
Vaccine Q&A: Hosted by Congregation Neveh Shalom COVID-19 Outreach & Services Thursday, Jan. 14, 7 pm via Zoom
With COVID-19 vaccines being administered across the country, we’re sure you have many burning questions. Join CNSCOS to ask questions to two experts on vaccines. The expert panel consists of Sam Stampfer MD, PhD, a medical researcher at Emory University studying vaccines, and Erin Ross, the lead COVID-19 reporter for OPB who can give an Oregon-specific perspective on vaccine rollout and distribution. You can submit up to three questions ahead of the event here. Join the meeting by clicking here.
Introduction to Judaism Class Thursdays, Jan. 21 (and continuing for 18 weeks), 7-9 pm via Zoom Taught in rotation by Oregon rabbis, curriculum includes: Jewish history, lifecycle, holidays, ritual and daily practice, theology, Torah study and contemporary Jewish America. While not a conversion class, is great for students studying toward conversion, and others. This term will be held via Zoom. Register online here or contact JoAnn Bezodis, Class Facilitator, at 971-248-5465, or by email at info@oregonboardofrabbis.org.
Jews, Race, and Religion: A Lecture Series from Reconstructing Judaism Starting Jan. 28, 1:30 pm (recordings will be posted to their website)
Racism is one of the most pressing ethical challenges of our time. This site provides resources for studying race and racism through the prism of Jewish experience. It accompanies a lecture series co-sponsored by the Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies. Leading scholars in Jewish Studies, Critical Race Studies, and Religious Studies will share cutting-edge research that deepens the conversation about race, racism and anti-racism in contemporary society, both American and Jewish. The lecture series is free and open to the public. Recordings of the lectures will be posted on this site after they occur. Find out more and get access here.
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. Congregation 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.
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.
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.
(HYB) Solidarity Shabbat Friday, May 23rd 5:45p to 8:00p Join Havurah members and friends for a Solidarity Shabbat service and potluck nosh. This is a spiritual space for community members working in solidarity with Palestinians - and for the liberation of all peoples - to come together to pray, build connections, and renew ourselves on Shabbat to continue our justice work. Please review Havurah's Brit Kavod for our community guidelines. Masks strongly encouraged and provided.
Shabbat Morning with Bat Mitzvah of Maya Rosenbaum Shabbat, May 24th 10:00a to 12:00p Please join us for Shabbat morning services, including welcoming Maya Rosenbaum as a Bat Mitzvah and member of our community.
(HYB) Rosh Ḥodesh Tov! Gender-Inclusive New Moon Ritual Sunday, May 25th 7:00p to 8:15p A gender-inclusive New Moon group, learning and celebrating each Rosh Ḥodesh with ancient and contemporary ritual. Open to any and all genders, inviting each to connect with our closest heavenly body, the Moon. An introductory meeting will happen on the full moon of Elul on Wednesday, Aug. 30 outdoors—weather permitting—in North Portland. Subsequent meetings will be on or near the new moon of each month either in person in North Portland or on Zoom, depending on seasonal shifts in the weather. Attend any or all sessions. RSVP to be updated on location and other details throughout the year.
CANCELED - Palestinian Justice Letter Writing Group Monday, May 26th (All day) We are taking May off for Memorial Day. See you in June! We hold monthly letter writing group Zoom gatherings to write letters to our lawmakers for Israel/Palestine justice. Questions? Email Dale Oller (member log-in required to access directory). Feel free to drop in any time! There’s no need to RSVP, but please do RSVP if you need the Zoom login. Non-Havurah-members very welcome as well.
(ZM) Book Group: A Day in the Life of Abed Salama by Nathan Thrall Tuesday, May 27th 7:00p to 8:30p The Havurah Shalom Book Group meets monthly to discuss fiction and nonfiction books voted on by Havurah members. All are welcome to any and all meetings. Copies of our upcoming books can be checked out by members in the Havurah library. *This is the last meeting for the year. We will start up again in September 2025.*
(IP) Hebrew as a Tool: Prayer and Torah (registration closed) Wednesday, May 28th 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.
(HYB) Shabbat Morning Shabbat, May 31st 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.
