Hineinu: Interested in Learning to Read Hebrew? Jewish Genealogy?
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Passover Events
The Last Chance Seder Saturday, April 3, 6 pm with Andrine de la Rocha, Diane Chaplin, and Howard Patterson
Join us on the last evening of Pesach as we follow our family Haggadah on the Exodus from Egypt to Freedom. With ritual foods, modern commentary, songs and witty banter. Suitable for adults and high school students. BYOMatzo. RSVP here.
A special event for wee Jews
Pesach Tot Shabbat Saturday, April 3, 10:30-11 am – Room Bet
Join us for a short and sweet Passover Shabbat morning with singing and stories. Especially for families with wee Jews (0-5). Led by Leah Shoshanah and Adela Basayne.
Accompanying Maria & Carlos
This season of Pesach, as we commemorate our exodus from Mitzrayim, we also reflect on those still struggling in the narrow places. Havurah is sponsoring Maria and Carlos, Guatemalan asylum seekers whose search for safety echoes our own foundational story. If you are able, please consider contributing to our fundraiser to support Maria and Carlos as they prepare to move from the home of a Havurah family and into an apartment of their own.
Upcoming Classes
Begin with Aleph: Learn to Read Hebrew Wednesdays, April 7 - May 12, 7 pm – Room Bet
This course is for beginners, even those who have "begun" before. Focusing on basic reading competency, we will uncover bits of Judaism that are only accessible through its original language. Our text has online home practice. Taught by Deborah Eisenbach-Budner.Sign up here.
Jewish Genealogy Class Sunday, April 11, 18, 25, 10 am – Room Gimel
This Jewish genealogy introduction will show you that there is much evidence remaining to discover about your own family history. Over our three sessions, you will learn about your family history and how to use the tools to continue gathering information on your own. Please rsvp in advance so Barbara Hershey can collect information to help direct the class and send you a Family Group Sheet to organize basic information about already known family members.Sign up here.
Upcoming Events
Kabbalat Shabbat Friday, April 2, 7 pm– Room Aleph
Please join us for our spirited and joy-filled Kabbalat Shabbat Service led by Leah Shoshanah and Rabbi Benjamin.
Community Minyan Saturday, April 3, 10 am– Room Aleph
Join us for an uplifting morning service. Led by J.D. Kleinke, Ken Lerner, Susan Brenner, Rabbi Benjamin, and Barbara Slader.
Community Havdalah Saturday, April 3, 5 pm– Room Aleph
Join Shabbat School for a community celebration of Havdallah! Led by Leah Shoshanah, Rabbi Benjamin, and Deborah Eisenbach-Budner.
Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation Tuesday, April 6, 12 pm – Room Bet
We gather to find some moments of quiet and shalom. Led by Rabbi Benjamin, Adela Basayne, or Nancy Becker.
BIPOC Community Meetup Tuesday, April 6, 7 pm – Room Heh
If you identify as Black, Indigenous, or other person of color, we hope you will join us. This will be a casual get together with the sole purpose of listening to, learning from, and supporting one another. This meeting requires no ongoing commitment. Please RSVP here, or just show up. If you're unable to make it but like this idea, or have other ideas as a BIPOC community member, please contact Yshai Boussi via the Havurah Member Directory.
Morning Minyan Wednesday, April 7, 8:30 am – Room Aleph
For all who want a regular prayer practice and for people saying Kaddish. Led by Liz Schwartz.
Bar Mitzvah of Simon Ilsley Saturday, April 10, 10 am– Room Aleph
Please join us in welcoming Simon Ilsley as a Bar Mitzvah and member of our community.
April Family-Friendly Letter Writing Party Sunday, April 11, 5-6 pm– RSVP for details
On Passover we celebrate redemption from slavery and entry into the Promised Land, where we could derive our livelihood from the land of milk and honey. Now climate change threatens our food system. Farmers need the tools to rebuild the soil and make our food system resilient. Join our fun, family-friendly multi-generational party to write to our members of Congress to fund climate solutions in agriculture. Check out the Jewish Earth Alliance for more information. Facilitated by Rebecca Darling-Budner and Marianna Grossman from the Havurah Climate Action Team.
Saving Lives, Saving Dignity Monday, April 19, 7-8:30 pm– Room Bet
Modern medical technology allows us to prolong life, but often in a way that directly contraindicates what a patient wants at the end of life. Dr. Molk an Emergency Physician and Author will share his thoughts to help you fully understand the emotional and financial costs, as well as the potential benefits and/or disadvantages in medical decisions. His talk will give you insights and empower you to make your decisions intelligently. This event is organized by the Ma'avar Committee. RSVP here.
PNW Reconstructionist Community Shabbaton April 30 & May 1
Join (online) together for services, learning, yoga, meditation and discussion with communities from Ashland to Seattle. Featuring Reconstructionist movement ethicist and Talmudist Dr. Mira Wasserman as Scholar-in-Residence, topic TBA. Shabbaton will include Friday evening and Shabbat morning communal prayer and gathering options as well as keynote late Saturday afternoon, with discussion and Havdalah Saturday evening. Further details and registration info coming soon.
COVID Gathering Guidelines
We are all seeing in the news that vaccine availability and eligibility is increasing. We want you to know that Havurah’s crisis team is regularly meeting to review the rapidly changing environment. We are committed to having our practices aligned with Jewish values and the most current information about COVID’s spread from reliable sources. As such, we’ve made a couple minor adjustments to Havurah’s Covid Gathering Guidelines, which you can find here.
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 here to take the survey!
Tikkun Olam
Interfaith Alliance on Poverty's Monthly Meeting: Shelters in PDX Thursday, April 1, 12-1:30 pm Plan to join April’s First Thursday meeting for an extensive update on the work of Shelter NOW. The session will highlight the various issues and opportunities that Shelter NOW is engaged in. RSVP and more info here. This event is run by a Havurah partner who works with our Poverty & Homelessness Committee.
Third Annual Fair Fight Bond Fund Virtual Fundraiser Sunday, May 2, 6 pm Havurah's Sanctuary Committee is co-sponsoring this virtual event which is being put on by The Jewish Coalition for Immigrant Justice NW. The organization's purpose is to secure the release of immigrants from the NW Detention Center. The fund is a revolving community bond fund that gives immigrants a 70% increased chance of winning their case by bonding them out of detention so they can gather evidence. To date, 40 people have been bonded out. RSVP here.
Healing the Heart: A Jewish Meditation Retreat with Rabbis Yael Levy, Joshua Boettiger, and Benjamin Barnett 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.
Jewish Arts Month: Virtual Show April 18 - May 8
Northwest Jewish Artists for its tenth Jewish Arts Month (JAM) art show — this year it is virtual! At your leisure, view seventeen artists’ fiber work, beadwork, metal art pieces, glass, ceramics, painting, and more. You can purchase unique artwork and Mother’s Day gifts online for yourself or family and friends. This year’s show takes place virtually online here. Everything displayed will be for sale.
Chronicling These Times
Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education just announced the second phase of a project to document these extraordinary times through a powerful oral history project and is looking for the help of the Jewish community. Through a short online interview you can become part of a national project that will provide a snapshot for researchers and future generations of the Jewish experience during these unprecedented times. Jewish community members of all ages and backgrounds who live throughout Oregon can participate by contacting Alisha Babbstein, OJMCHE archivist ababbstein@ojmche.org. The full story of the Chronicling These Times oral history project can be found here on OJMCHE’s website.
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 to Get Vaccinated
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?
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.
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!
(IP) Elul Gallery Art Drop-Off Sunday, Aug 17th 12:00p to 3:00p As part of our annual holiday cycle, Havurah members are invited to share our own reflections on the themes and stories of the High Holiday season. In addition to prose or poetry that may be shared on the bima at High Holiday services, we are putting out a call for artistic expressions in any visual medium, including paintings, drawings and photography. We welcome your reflections on any aspect of the High Holidays experience, whether they arise from our tradition’s core concepts of teshuvah (return) or seliḥah (forgiveness), or from any other aspect of your own process of looking inward during the time leading into the holiday season. The Elul and High Holiday Gallery is a project of the High Holidays Committee and the Design Committee, led by Joan Peck and Marcia Suttenberg.
(ZM) Climate Change Book Group Slow Reading of "Not Too Late" Monday, Aug 18th 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."
(ZM) Healing the Heart, Soothing the Soul: A Grief Process Support Group Tuesday, Aug 19th 5:30p to 7:00p **Note: Registration for this group is now closed.** During the month of Elul, we are guided to examine our souls, explore our relationships, reflect on our actions with God and others, and prepare ourselves spiritually to begin a new year. With the Spirit of Elul, we will journey into exploring the aspects of grief. For Havurah members only. Limited to 8 people. Participants are strongly encouraged to attend all sessions.
(IP) Israeli Dancing Wednesday, Aug 20th 7:30p to 8:30p Join us to learn Israeli dancing! We’ll teach the steps and tell the stories behind Israeli dances while you enjoy the catchy rhythms, creative body movements, and spending time with friends.
Led by Havurah members Cindy Merrill and Gail Schwartz with dance instructor Rhona Feldman.
Hakol Deadline is Thursday, August 21 Thursday, Aug 21st (All day) Havurah members, click to learn how to submit your contributions to our monthly newsletter, Hakol.
(HYB) Solidarity Kabbalat Shabbat Friday, Aug 22nd 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.
(HYB) Shabbat Morning Shabbat, Aug 23rd 10:00a to 12:00p Led by community members and Rabbi Benjamin, 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.
(HYB) Rosh Ḥodesh Tov! Gender-Inclusive New Moon Ritual Sunday, Aug 24th 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.
