Song Shares: Together in Music

For the past several months, we have been holding monthly song shares with the Havurah Music Maker's Collective (HMMC). What is HMMC? It's the name we give to anyone and everyone who makes music in Havurah, from our Carnegie Hall pianists to our shower-singers. Song shares are a sweet time for us all to come together and build our shared knowledge of music. This month, we invite you to join us for our Earth Day Song Share. We'll be sharing songs about anything related to our planet! If you'd like to share a song, sign up via this link.

Upcoming Classes

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.

Sacred Action: Spiritual Practice for Pursuing Justice
Thursdays, April 29 - June 3, 4-5:30 pm
In this cohort, we will explore Jewish spiritual wisdom to guide our pursuit of justice and support our building a more loving world. In trusted community, and utilizing a range of texts and practices, we will focus on particular middot, “soul traits,” and their impact on our relationships and action. Guidance will also be given for practice and reflection in between sessions. To register, contact Rabbi Benjamin directly at benjamin.barnett@havurahshalom.org.

Upcoming Events

Kabbalat Shabbat
Friday, April 9, 7 pm – Room Aleph
Please join us for our spirited and joy-filled Kabbalat Shabbat Service! Led by Barbara Slader and Susan Brenner.

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.

Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation
Tuesday, April 13, 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, April 14, 8:30 am – Room Aleph
For all who want a regular prayer practice and for people saying Kaddish. Led by Ken Lerner.

Community Havdalah
Saturday, April 17, 5 pm – Room Aleph
Join Shabbat School for a community celebration of Havdalah, led by Leah Shoshanah, Rabbi Benjamin, and Deborah Eisenbach-Budner.

Song Share: Coming Together in Music
Sunday, April 18, 5-6:30 pm – Room Aleph
We invite you to join us for our Earth Day Song Share. We'll be sharing songs about anything related to our planet! If you'd like to share a song, sign up via this link. If you'd like to sing or play along, then save the date and we'll see you soon!

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.

Whose B'nei Mitzvah Is It Anyway?
Tuesday, April 20, 7 pm – Room TBA
Parents explore the hopes and fears that inspire, inform and complicate the planning process. Led by Rabbi Benjamin, Deborah Eisenbach-Budner and Laura Orgel, psychologist and child/family therapist. RSVP here.

Israel/Palestine Committee Film Discussion of The Gatekeepers
Sunday, April 25, 7-8:30 pm – Room Heh
Film is available on Prime Video, VUDU, Apple TV, STARZ, Fandago Now, Google Play, and at Movie Madness video store
Participants should have watched The Gatekeepers film but need not be experts on the Israel/Palestine situation. The 2012 Oscar-nominated documentary tells the story of Shin Bet, the Israeli internal security service, from the perspective of six former Directors who recount Shin Bet’s role from the 1967 Arab-Israeli War until their retirement. RSVP here. 

PNW Reconstructionist Community Shabbaton
Friday & Saturday, April 30 & May 1 – RSVP for link & schedule
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, on “The Talmud of Social Justice.” Shabbaton will include Friday evening and Shabbat morning communal prayer and gathering options as well as keynote late Saturday afternoon, with discussions and Havdalah Saturday evening.

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.

Tikkun Olam

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.

News & Events from Our Tikkun Olam Partners

Portland Homeless Family Solutions (PHFS) | Interfaith Alliance on Poverty (IAP) | Lift UP | MACG

Temporary Foster Parents Sought

Community Events & Offerings

Shabbat Services with Reconstructionist Rabbinical Student May Ye
Friday, April 9, 3:45 pm PST
Congregation Bet Haverim (Atlanta, GA, USA) welcomes members of Reconstructionist communities everywhere to join them for Shabbat Services during which Reconstructionist Rabbinical Student May Ye will reflect on how the recent Atlanta area killings of 8 people, including 6 Asian women, strengthened her resolve to weave together her Chinese-American and Jewish identities. Join 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.

Good Deeds Month
Join with fellow Jewish community members in volunteering around Portland this month: from Tivnu, to cleaning parks, to helping homeless folks, and much more! There's something to get everyone engaged in their community. Learn more here.

Jewish Currents Is Looking for Soviet Jewish Stories to Publish
Jewish Currents invites pitches for our Fall 2021 themed issue, which will focus on Soviet Jewish experiences both in the Soviet Jewish diaspora and in the former Soviet Union. We are looking for reported features, investigative pieces, profiles, conversations, and essays; we also welcome tips for stories even if you can’t write the piece yourself. Please email pitches, tips, or finished work to submissions@jewishcurrents.org by April 23 with the subject line SOVIET ISSUE: [description of pitch].

COVID-19 Vaccines & Assistance

So You've Been Vaccinated, Now What?
Monday, April 12, 7 pm
As more Oregonians are becoming eligible for COVID-19 vaccines, you might have questions about the vaccines themselves and what you can do once you are vaccinated. Please join us for a live Q&A session with Rebecca Reveal, a certified physician's assistant from Boost Oregon. Register and submit questions here.

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?

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!