Havurah Music Makers Survey

We are assembling a database of all Havurah members who make music and want to share it. It will be used to identify singers and musicians for regular and special services, Shabbat school activities, holidays, song-shares, and other events. If you or anyone in your family is a musicmaker — experienced, fledgling, or aspirational, all ages welcome — and would like to be included in the database. Click the button below to take the survey!

Upcoming Events

Kabbalat Shabbat
Friday, March 12, 7 pm – Room Aleph
Please join us for our spirited and joy-filled Kabbalat Shabbat Service led by Susan Brenner with Miriam Reshotko, Sarah Shine, and Barbara Slader.

Family Shabbat
Saturday, March 13, 10:30 am – Room Aleph
Please join together for a morning of singing, storytelling, Torah, and connections. Especially for families with youth in Grades K–6 or those who want a boost of youthful energy. Led by Rabbi Benjamin, Leah Shoshana, and Adela Basayne, this Shabbat service is in place of Shabbat School. There will be Hebrew classes as usual, but no Shabbat School this Saturday.

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.

Family-Friendly Letter Writing Party to Save the Planet!
Sunday, March 14, 5 pm – RSVP for join info

Help save the planet by writing personal letters to our U.S. Senators and Members of Congress. We will be including movement, music and art to make the gathering fun for all ages. The topic is protecting the climate by phasing out hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) that are used in air conditioning. We are asking the Senate to ratify the international treaty called the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol to protect the ozone layer, which phased out chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Facilitated by Rebecca Darling-Budner and Marianna Grossman.

Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation
Tuesday, March 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, March 17, 8:30 am – Room Aleph
For all who want a regular prayer practice and for people saying Kaddish. Led by J.D. Kleinke.

Uncovering the Hidden History of Discrimination in Oregon

Thursday, March 18, 7 pm – RSVP here
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.

Writers Workshop Oneg
Friday, March 19, 7 pm – Room Aleph
Participants in this year's Havurah Writers Workshop will share readings of their work from the past two months at an Oneg for the Havurah community and guests. The evening will include candle lighting, a few songs and other parts of Friday night service.

Bat Mitzvah of Sanna Berkson-Klaus
Saturday, March 20, 10 am – Room Aleph
Please join us in welcoming Sanna Berkson-Klaus as a Bat Mitzvah and member of our community!

Song Share with the Havurah Music Maker's Collective
Sunday, March 21, 5 pm – Room Aleph
This month the Havurah Music Maker's Collective sings songs of liberation in honor of Passover! Bring your voice and instrument. All are welcome. If you'd like to share a song, please email Leah at leah@havurahshalom.org.

Israel-Palestine Film Discussion
Sunday, March 21, 7 pm – Room Aleph
The Israel/Palestine Committee will host discussions about films that help illuminate the I/P situation. The first film will be "Wanted 18", a Palestinian-Canadian animated documentary. It can be viewed on Kanopy, Apple TV, YouTube, or VUDU. Please watch the film prior to the discussion. RSVP required here. 

Book Group: Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
Tuesday, March 23, 7 pm – Room Bet
Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut hospital with more than twenty years experience. During her shift, Ruth begins a routine checkup on a newborn, only to be told a few minutes later that she's been reassigned to another patient. The parents are white supremacists and don't want Ruth, who is African American, to touch their child. With incredible empathy, intelligence, and candor, Jodi Picoult tackles race, privilege, prejudice, justice, and compassion—and doesn't offer easy answers. Small Great Things is a remarkable achievement from a writer at the top of her game. Discussion led by Gloria Halper and Ruth Feldman.

Song Share Needs Sharers

Passover Is Coming Up!

Here's a sneak preview of what's to come for Passover opportunities at Havurah:
There will be 4 virtual seders you can attend: Two on the first night of Passover and two on the second night. There will be a song sharing event on March 21 and a Passover focused Tot Shabbat on April 3. There will be a link on our website for songs to listen to, recipes to use, stories to enjoy and links for Haggadot as a way to enhance your Passover experience. Look for the link in Hineinu on March 17. Chag Sameach!

Shabbat School Enrollment

We are currently planning for next year’s Shabbat School, our cooperative Jewish education program for children and families. If you or somebody you know has a child entering grades K-6 in the autumn of 2021-2022 and are considering participation in Shabbat School, please note that May 1 is the enrollment deadline for Shabbat School, with families being members of Havurah Shalom by April 18. Please read all about Shabbat School here. After that, contact Deborah Eisenbach-Budner, Education Director.

Space Jam Update

Building Up at Our Current Site
Havurah Shalom retained architect Richard Brown (who designed our current building) to conduct a feasibility study with respect to “building up” on our current site. We now have his Expansion Opportunities Report, which we reported on in the February Hakol and are summarizing here. The Report gives us some rough cost estimates and conceptual drawings for three options:

Option 1: Adding one story to the South side of the building, which would give us roughly 13,000 square feet total space and cost approximately $3.6 million.
Option 2: Adding two stories to the South side of the building, which would give us approximately 17,000 total square feet and cost approximately $3.8 million.
Option 3: Completely replacing our building with a new, 3-story building that would give us about 23,000 total square feet of space at a cost of about $9.3 million.

This gives us a realistic estimate of what it would take to increase the space in our current building and it also gives us real dollar amounts to compare to other properties we might want to consider purchasing.

New Committee for Teenagers

Teenagers are an integral part of Havurah Shalom and it is important to ensure their continued sense of Jewish identity and community with the synagogue. With that in mind, a new committee is forming. The committee will be focused on the needs of young people, aged 13-18. The vision is that this committee will be made up of parents of teens, teens themselves, and adults who have an expertise working with teens. If you or your child is interested in becoming involved in creating and serving on this committee please contact Galit Reilly or Eve Berry via the Havurah Member Directory.

Tikkun Olam

Interfaith Alliance on Poverty: Resources
Five Things to Know About Homelessness in Portland

Article in the Fall 2018 issue of the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhood's newspaper, which takes a deep dive into the subject through the perspectives of those who live and work in it.

Community Events & Offerings

April 15-18
How can we draw from the healing capacities of Jewish contemplative practice? What are the spiritual tools that can nurture healing, that make room for it in our lives, our communities and our world? See further details and registration information here.

COVID-19 Vaccines & Assistance

Congregation Neveh Shalom COVID-19 Outreach and Services (CNSCOS)
Congregation Neveh Shalom COVID-19 Outreach and Services can help you make sense of all there is to know about the pandemic, testing, and vaccines. 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.

Assistance for Seniors
If you have seniors in your organizations who need help signing up for vaccinations JFCS is partnering with Positive Charge! PDX to get them their appointments. Here is the link to the sign up form.

Do You Need Help?

Havurah Zoom Rooms

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

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 anonymously publish your question in Hakol and then answer that question. Everyone in our community benefits from this clarity!