Tonight's Zoom Rooms
The schedule has been rearranged a bit. If you're attending an event tonight, here is a reference for you:

Room Aleph: Lev Tahor Chanting with Rabbi Benjamin (open to all)
Room Bet: Sanctuary Committee Meeting
Room Gimel: High School
Room Dalet: (nothing scheduled so far)
Room Heh: Israel/Palestine Committee Meeting (open to all)

The shiva service for Dick Mastbrook, of beloved memory, has been postponed until next week, with more details to come. Chevra Kavod Hamet is sitting Shmira virtually and welcomes additional shomrim. Sign up here.

Upcoming Events

Lev Tahor Chanting Circle
Wednesday, Feb. 17, 7 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. RSVP here.

Kabbalat Shabbat
Friday, Feb. 19, 7 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, Feb. 20, 10 am – Room Aleph
In Parashat Terumah, the people of Israel are instructed to contribute fine materials with which to adorn and beautify the Sanctuary in the desert. Simon Yohalem-Ilsey will lead this Torah service, with drash by Tivona Reith and additional leading by Barbara Slader and Ken Lerner. 

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, and we are eager for new songs! If you are interested in sharing a song, please email leah.shoshanah@havurahshalom.org.

Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation
Tuesday, Feb. 23, 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. 23, 8:30 am – Room Aleph
For all who want a regular prayer practice and for people saying Kaddish.

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.

New Class on Passover Telling, Liberation, and Slavery
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. RSVP here.

AlteRocker's Happy Hour
Thursday, Feb. 25, 4:30 pm – Room Heh
Come schmooze and celebrate Purim!

Purim Celebration
Thursday, Feb 25, 6:00 pm  - 8:00 pm -- Room Aleph
Family fun, the megillah, and learning -- all rolled into one!  Let's celebrate the topsy-turvy upside-down-ness of Purim together.  Come in costume with the kids, come to dance and listen to the story,  and/or come for the megillah and the learning.
6:00 Music with Leah Shoshana
6:15 Costume and dance party with Sol Korin
6:45 Story time with Maggid Cassandra Sagan
7:15 Megillah chanting interspersed with Purim teachings from Rabbi Benjamin and Deborah Eisenbach-Budner
RSVP here.

Forests are Life
From Ecstasy to Anger to Healing: Oregon Forests, Climate Change and Community Advocacy
Sunday, February 28, 4-6 pm – Special Zoom Room, RSVP for link
Our forests are crucial ecosystems that sustain many plants and animals, provide us with beauty and respite, and help keep climate change in check. But human activities and climate change itself are threatening our forests. A panel of local experts from the Coast Range Association, Forest Waters, KS Wild, and Tax Fairness Oregon provide an inspiring overview of what is happening and what we can do to help. Sponsored by Havurah's Climate Action Team. Questions? info@havurahshalom.org. RSVP here.

Gefilte Fish Class with Rachel Shimshak
Sunday, March 14, 2 pm  – Room Gimel
To overcome your years of hesitation, join Rachel Shimshak to learn how to make her mother’s gefilte fish. It will impress those in your pod. With so many of us spending increased time at home cooking almost all of our meals, it’s time to take the plunge and give homemade fish a try. RSVP here.

Tikkun Olam Updates

Portland Homeless Family Solutions (PHFS) Zoom Orientations
Monday, March 1, 5:30 pm  
Wednesday, March 3, 12:00 pm
Wednesday, March 3, 5:30 pm
During COVID-19, PHFS is welcoming new Meal Providers and Grounds Crew volunteers. Orientations and trainings are occurring virtually over Zoom. Contact Volunteer Coordinator TC Schumacher (tc@pdxhfs.org) to RSVP and/or for questions. PHFS shows its appreciation of its volunteers in many ways. Your orientation will be a window not only into their work but also into the values of this organization. 

Supplies for Our Homeless Neighbors
From Jenn Louis: 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:
 

• Women's leggings
• Men's pants
• 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.

Lunch Brigade 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.

Committee and Teaching Opportunities

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.

Havurah History Committee Seeking Members
Sunday, February 28, 5-6:30 pm
Yes, Havurah has a history! In 2018, we celebrated our 40th anniversary, and although much of our past has been recorded in photographs and oral histories, much remains to be done, and much of what has already been done needs to be organized. If you would like to be part of this effort, plan to attend the next meeting of the just-forming History Committee, 5-6:30 p.m., Sunday, February 28. For more information, contact Becky Seel or Marian Rhys.

Suggest or Offer a Class for Adult Learning
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 interested in teaching? Please email Eve Berry or Joel Beinin via the Havurah Member Directory.

Space Jam Update – Q&A

The Space Jam Committee is exploring options to meet Havurah's space needs. The March Hakol will have an article sharing and explaining the Expansion Opportunity Report from our architect on "build up" options and that report will also be posted on our website. In the meantime, we want to share some Q&As in Hineinu that have come up in various meetings. Here is the first in a series.

Q: Hasn't Covid changed our perception of space needs?
A: Havurah's post-pandemic shift to Zoom has definitely opened our eyes to online options and it is certain that we will be developing ideas for hybrid gatherings that combine "live" and "virtual" experiences. That said, it's important to remember that the Space Jam's charge is to identify options that will meet our needs on a long-term basis. We are on a multi-year path that will involve finding good options and working with other committees and leadership to develop a process to validate the best option. Ultimately, a separate committee will need to be formed to raise the necessary money to move forward on any selected option. We will certainly be well-past our current Covid life by then, with a better sense for how the hybrid model impacts our needs.

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

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.

Do You Need Help?

Havurah Zoom Rooms

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