Kabbalat Shabbat Friday, Feb. 12, 7 pm – Room Aleph
Please join us for our spirited and joy-filled Kabbalat Shabbat Service, led by Leah Shoshanah and Rabbi Benjamin. Music will be provided by our talented Havurah musicians.
Text & Torah Shabbat Study Saturday, Feb. 13, 10 am – Room Aleph
Shabbat Shekalim is the first special Shabbat leading up to Pesach. Join us as we explore what these special days are, how we observe them in modern times, and what they meant historically. One-hour of study and discusssion followed by short Shacharit and Torah service. Led by Diane Chaplin.
Refa’einu: A Healing Circle Saturday, Feb. 13, 5-6 pm – Room Aleph Facilitated by Tivona Reith and Rabbi Benjamin We will gather via Zoom to create sacred space and time to focus on healing and wholeness. Through contemplative teachings, meditation, prayer, and sharing, we encircle ourselves with healing energy—however it is needed in our lives, our families, our communities, our planet. There will be a hand-washing ritual during the gathering, so please have a bowl of water, small pitcher or cup, and towel if you would like. RSVP here.
Mountains of Evidence? Sunday, Feb. 14, 11 am – Room Bet
Nations start out as ideas before they’re anything else: writing history is about the future of the nation as much as it is about the past. There’s no better example than the state of Israel, and no more classically Israeli story than the fall and rise of Masada. But this founding myth of Israel is not always what it seems, and history and political storytelling can be pretty strange bedfellows. We’ll take a hard look at fact and fantasy and ask the difficult questions about what Israel’s 20th Century history needed, and whether those needs are the same today. Taught by David Feder. RSVP here.
Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation Tuesday, Feb. 16, 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, Feb. 17, 8:30 am – Room Aleph For all who want a regular prayer practice and for people saying Kaddish.
Lev Tahor Chanting Circle Wednesday, Feb. 17, 7 pm – Room Gimel
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. RSVP here.
B'nei Mitzvah: Beginning the Journey & Date Selection Sunday, Feb. 21, 10 am – Room Bet
This workshop for parents intends to launch families on the b’nei mitzvah journey. We will focus on the rite of passage itself, then families will learn about the date selection process. Led by Rabbi Benjamin, Deborah Eisenbach-Budner, and the B’nei Mitzvah Committee. RSVP here.
Poverty & Homelessness Committee Presents Discussions on Homelessness Sunday, Feb. 21, 4 pm – Room Bet Jenn Louis will share her experiences in developing relationships with various homeless camps. Getting to know the regulars, bringing needed food, clothing, and ‘tent’ items. Facing our fears and awkwardness in talking to folks. Learning to acknowledge and respect people whose lives are different from ours, but who share many similar needs. Join us for an honest and probing discussion.
Havurah Song Share Sunday, Feb. 21, 5 pm– Room Aleph
This month, in honor of Purim, we are singing songs about the topsy-turvy, the inside-out, the "not-what-you'd-expect" and the upside-down! Bring your voice and your instruments. All are welcome. If you are interested in sharing a song, please email leah.shoshanah@havurahshalom.org.
Second Meeting of the Israel/Palestine Committee Sunday, Feb. 21, 7 pm– Room Heh
The Israel/Palestine committee will meet to firm up plans for possible film discussions, the beginnings of a list of books to suggest to the Havurah book club, and other tentative programming ideas. This is a working committee not a forum for discussion about Israel/Palestine issues. New committee members are welcome. Contact Elinor Gollay with questions via the Havurah Member Directory.
Book Group: Shadowlands by Anthony McCann Tuesday, Feb. 23, 7 pm – Zoom Room Bet In 2016, a group of armed, divinely inspired right-wing protestors led by Ammon Bundy occupied the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in the high desert of eastern Oregon. Encamped in the shadowlands of the republic, insisting that the Federal government had no right to own public land, the occupiers were seen by a divided country as either dangerous extremists dressed up as cowboys, or as heroes insisting on restoring the rule of the Constitution. Read more here. Discussion led by Marjorie Walters.
Jewish Understandings of Slavery & Freedom: The Passover Seder Evolves Wednesdays, Feb. 24; Mar. 3, 10, 17, 7-8:30 pm – Zoom Room Bet
One of the four names for Pesach is Hag ha-Herut (The Feast of Freedom). Jews in different historical contexts have understood Mitzrayim (the narrow space) differently and therefore freedom has looked different in different generations. We will look at this evolution; one focus will be on the liberation of gender, which has been a hallmark of contemporary seders. Taught by Deborah Eisenbach-Budner. Register here.
AlteRocker's Happy Hour Thursday, Feb. 25, 4:30 pm – Room Heh
Come schmooze and celebrate Purim!
Knitting Class Postponed
This class is being postponed until such a time that we are able to meet in person. Zoom is not appropriate for teaching the knitting stitches used in this class, or fostering the desired interaction among knitters. We will let you know when it is rescheduled.
Want to Share Your Songs?
We are looking for folks to share songs at our upcoming monthly song-share on Feb. 21. The theme this month is everything inside-out, upside-down, and all-around Purim! All kinds of songs are encouraged. To become a song sharer, email Leah Shoshanah at leah.shoshanah@havurahshalom.org.
B'nei Mitzvah Projects
Learn about and Support the work that our B’nei Mitzvah students are doing in order to give back to the community and express their values.
Photo by Barbara Gundle
I foster Hamsters and Gerbils who needed a new home. I take them in, give them the love and care that they need and supply them with a healthy environment (500 square inch cages with 6 inches of bedding, toys, water, and food). I hand tame them if needed. I have very cute and social animals who are looking for their FURever home! Contact Roza Eisenbach-Budner at TinyPawsRescueandFoster@gmail.com if you would like to adopt one. Thank you.
– Roza
Songwriter Spotlight Recording
Did you miss the concert with Ilene, Leah and Beth last month? A replay is now available on Youtube. Visit this link to watch.
Planning Classes at Havurah
The Lifelong Learning Committee (LLC) oversees our educational programs for adults. It is our goal to offer classes that fit into one of three categories: historical/cultural, hands-on/expressive, or spiritual/religious. We make sure that each season of classes includes a blend of offerings from each of these categories. We are extremely grateful to all the members who have stepped up to offer their knowledge and skills to keep Havurahniks engaged in meaningful Jewish learning experiences. Do you have an idea for a class you would be in- terested in teaching? Please email Eve Berry or Joel Beinin via the Havurah Member Directory.
Tikkun Olam Updates
Our Homeless Neighbors
Thank you all for so much support, the kindness and sense of care is well-received. Most of the people I am serving are seeming more settled and well with their basic needs mostly met. Help is still needed. Here is what is needed most:
Men's pants
Women's leggings
Socks, men and women
Canned foods, food and meals to reheat (non-perishable)
Blankets and comforters
Please see jennlouis.com (homeless relief) for more information on how you can participate.
Poverty and Homelessness Committee Volunteer Opportunity
Tikkun Olam's Poverty and Homelessness Committee has been a part of the lunch brigade program at the Bybee Lakes Hope Center (BLHC) since September. We, along with six other congregations from the Interfaith Alliance on Poverty, have delivered daily lunches to those in shelter at BLHC. Sunday is our day. If you would like to participate with a small group of other Havurahniks there are Sundays in February and March available. Please contact Gloria Halper via the Havurah Member Directory.
Gift Card Donations Needed for Displaced Families Eight families lost everything in a fire at Hacienda's Clara Vista apartments. Several Havurah members, as part of the Tikkun Olam community, have been volunteering for the past four years at the Ortiz Center and many of the families we have served live in these apartments. The Ortiz director, Nabil, explained that one way to help is to donate Visa gift cards or cards for Winco or Fred Meyers. The Ortiz Center will make sure that the displaced families receive the gift cards. For more information, contact Judi Kloper via the Havurah Member Directory; she will deliver them for you when she volunteers every Wednesday, or you can bring them to the Ortiz Center as well. Thank you!
Community Events & Offerings
Uncovering the Hidden History of Discrimination in Oregon Feb. 23 & March 8
In this time of national and local reckoning with our country and city’s grim legacy of discrimination and hate, we have come together as a broad coalition of friends and allies to create a series of public programs to confront hate. We have been reminded almost daily that our communities of color, immigrants, and LGBTQ persons, as well as many of our neighbors of various religious faiths, are frequent targets of vicious hatred. Nevertheless, we have also seen seeds of hope. We have witnessed an upsurge of people ready to stand in solidarity with those who are targets of discrimination and hate—people who are eager to listen, to learn, and to take action to make Portland a place that truly protects the lives, well-being, and dignity of all who live here.See more info here.
Through a Reconstructionist Lens: An Adult B- / Re- Mitzvah Program March 1, 2021 - March 27, 2022
As a prequel to our 2022 Convention and in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Judith Kaplan Eisenstein becoming a Bat Mitzvah, we are offering a once-a-month virtual class for those who are studying for their B-Mitzvah or recommitting to Reconstructionist learning. The goal of this class is for adult learners to engage with the movement in exploring evolving Reconstructionist thought and practice. More info on the registration page here.
2021 Weekend in Quest Circus Jews Under National Socialism: A Lecture & Performance Sunday, March 7, 11 am Scholar in Residence Stav Meishar
2021 Weekend in Quest is a free virtual program that honors the roots of the program as a Shabbaton Study Weekend. This year’s program has shifted to a webinar format with Scholar in Residence Stav Meishar. The true stories of Jewish circus artists between the world wars are told with sensitivity and humor by Stav Meishar, a circus artist and academic. The lecture is based on over seven years of extensive research and combines photos from personal albums, recorded testimonies, and personal stories. Additionally, Meishar will present excerpts from her show "The Escape Act", a show based on one of the stories she uncovered–that of a Jewish acrobat who survived the Holocaust hiding in a German circus. Stav Meishar is a theatre maker, multidisciplinary performer, academic researcher and educator, working across circus, theatre, and contemporary performance. Register for Weekend in Quest at OJMCHE website.
Community COVID-19 Assistance
Congregation Neveh Shalom COVID-19 Outreach and Services is here to help! 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.
COVID-19 Vaccine Waitlist
Kaiser Permanente is offering to sign up members and non-members of their insurance program to a waitlist for COVID-19 vaccines. Visit their webpage here to sign up. Vaccines will be based on priority groups. See more information about priority groups and the vaccine at the OHA COVID-19 vaccine website here.
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 emotional or 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 or emotional 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 Rabbi Benjamin.
Havurah Zoom Rooms
To see our full Zoom room instructions, click here. Member sign-in required.
(HYB) Shabbat Morning with Bar Mitzvah of Brandon Keys Shabbat, Oct 18th 10:00a to 12:00p Please join us for Shabbat morning services, including welcoming Brandon Keys as a Bar Mitzvah and member of our community.
This service includes davening, Torah reading, and discussion. Join us afterward for a light community brunch. Free childcare is provided. For Zoom information, please email info@havurahshalom.org.
Havurahnik Mahjong Group Monday, Oct 20th 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) Climate Change Book Group Slow Reading of "Not Too Late" Monday, Oct 20th 5:30p to 6:30p All are welcome! Havurah members and non-members alike are invited to join us in this slow, section-by-section reading of "Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Story from Despair to Possibility." Click and RSVP. Attend any or all of these HCAT (Havurah's Climate Action Team) Book Group discussions about "Not Too Late."
Hakol Deadline is Tuesday, October 21 Tuesday, Oct 21st (All day) Havurah members, click to learn how to submit your contributions to our monthly newsletter, Hakol.
(ZM) Cohort D of Coming Home to Solidarity Tuesday, Oct 21st 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.
(HYB) Steering Meeting (Oct. 21) Tuesday, Oct 21st 6:30p to 8:30p Steering members and staff will meet to consider matters of governance. All Havurah Shalom members are invited to attend Steering Committee meetings.
A link to a draft agenda, accessible only to logged-in members, will be posted here in advance of the meeting.
(IP) Torah and Film: Ecclesiastes and Groundhog Day (1993) Tuesday, Oct 21st 7:00p to 9:00p What is the meaning of life, especially when you're living the same day over and over? In this two-part class, we’ll explore the themes of futility, impermanence, and transformation in the book Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) alongside the 1993 film Groundhog Day. Led by Rabbinic Intern Noah Lind.
