Havurah Shalom’s Core Crisis Team has now conducted two Community Forums on the topic of re-opening our building for services, community-wide B’nei Mitzvah, celebrations, and events. The CCT shared the three possibilities that are under consideration for returning to indoor settings:
Level 1 – masks optional for vaccinated persons; masks mandatory for unvaccinated persons
Level 2 – masks preferred for vaccinated persons; masks mandatory for unvaccinated persons
Level 3 – masks mandatory for all
Many members attended the forums and shared their thoughts and feelings about re-opening under these different protocols. The events were recorded on Zoom and are available here:
If you have any questions about the choices under consideration, or have a comment for the CCT, please send an email to info@havurahshalom.org and a member of the CCT will get back to you.
Havurah Needs Consulting
Havurah is hiring a consulting team to help us move our anti-racism and belonging work forward. While we think it is best to engage a consulting team that doesn’t include Havurah members, we are asking for help to find a consulting team. If you have contacts who you think would be a good match, please share our Statement of Work. If you have questions, please contact Bob Brown or Chris Coughlin. Watch for more information in the August Hakol.
Upcoming Events
Bar Mitzvah of Ezra Webb Saturday, July 24, 10 am – Room Aleph
Please join us in welcoming Ezra Webb as a Bar Mitzvah and member of our community!
Film Screening & Discussion: "Other Side of the Hill" Monday, July 26, 7 pm – Room Bet
"Other Side of the Hill" explores the impacts of a changing climate as seen through the eyes of local leaders on the ground in rural Oregon. The film amplifies the voices of rural communities often left unheard, and shines a light on stories of progress and hope. In a time of unprecedented cultural divide between rural and urban communities, this film finds common ground in an urgency to address a changing landscape. The film will be available for free online viewing July 10-25. Register here to view the film at home. RSVP here to attend the discussion. Contact Michael Huemann with questions. This event is put on by our Havurah Climate Action Team.
Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation Tuesday, July 27, 12 pm – Room Bet
We gather to find some moments of quiet and shalom. Led by Rabbi Benjamin, Adela Basayne, or Nancy Becker.
Book Group Journey From the Land of No: A Girlhood Caught in Revolutionary Iran Tuesday, July 27, 7 pm – Room Bet
In Journey from the Land of No, Roya Hakakian recalls her childhood and adolescence in pre-revolutionary Iran with candor and verve. The result is a beautifully written coming-of-age story about one deeply intelligent and perceptive girl’s attempt to find an authentic voice of her own at a time of cultural closing and repression. Remarkably, she manages to re-create a time and place dominated by religious fanaticism, violence, and fear with an open heart and often with great humor. Discussion led by Mischa and Salome DuPont.
Morning Minyan Wednesday, July 28, 8:30 am – Room Aleph
For all who want a regular prayer practice and for people saying Kaddish. Led by Liz Schwartz.
AlteRockers Happy Hour Thursday, July 29, 4:30-6 pm – Room Heh
Come schmooze with us. And mark your calendars for monthly schmoozes the last Thursday of the month!
Community Minyan Saturday, July 31, 10 am – Room Aleph
Please join us for Shabbat morning! Led by J.D. Kleinke and Emily Simon this week. This service includes davening, Torah reading, and discussion.
Tikkun Olam
Particpate in the Racial Justice Committee There is a group of people who have been meeting to discuss and define a Racial Justice Committee within the Tikkun Olam Cluster. We have met twice. If you are interested in participating and have not been included in the previous meetings, contact Bob Brown via email at tikkunolam@havurahshalom.org and he will include you in communications about this effort.
Congregation Neveh Shalom COVID-19 Outreach and Services (CNSCOS)
CNSCOS can help you make sense of all there is to know about the pandemic, testing, and vaccines. 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.
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 who support others in concrete ways, such as grocery shopping or running other errands, please contact Rabbi Benjamin.
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!
Havurah Zoom Rooms
To see our full Zoom room instructions, click here. Member sign-in required.
Daily Shofar Blast Sunday, Sep 14th (All day) Hear the Sound of the Shofar each day of Elul (except Shabbat): Andrine, Diane & Howard (& sometimes Dominic & Wesley) help prepare us for Rosh Hashanah with shofar, deep thoughts, and a touch of kavanah (intention). Videos will be posted daily on Havurah's YouTube and Facebook pages.
(IP) Birding Walk Sunday, Sep 14th 10:00a to 12:00p Join experienced birders Cindy and Andrew Merrill to see how many different bird species we can find and identify at Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge in Sherwood. We’ll meet behind the Visitor Center, and then take a leisurely walk on the gravel/dirt trails. Birding expertise is not required. Bikes and pets are not permitted.
(IP) Annual Teen Picnic & Volunteer Kick-Off Sunday, Sep 14th 2:00p to 4:00p Join us for our annual Teen Engagement Committee Teen Picnic and Volunteer Kick-Off. We’ll have snacks, drinks, games, and kehillah-building icebreakers. Feel free to bring sports equipment to enjoy.
(IP) "Circus on the Streets": Jewish Family Stories of the Lower East Side Sunday, Sep 14th 2:00p to 3:30p Sarah Stein takes her audience back to the bustling streets and colorful characters of the famous Lower East Side of New York City during the 1930s and 1940s as seen through the eyes of her family. Her performance is an inspiring blend of laughter and grace. Recorded music and slides accompany the performance.
Havurahnik Mahjong Group Monday, Sep 15th 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) High Holiday Safety Training Monday, Sep 15th 6:30p to 7:30p All Havurah members are invited to this important safety training. High Holidays event manager Rachel Pollak will cover the procedures and practices that keep us safe at the Tiffany Center and at the Havurah building, and Secure Community Network Regional Security Advisor Jessica Anderson will teach us situational awareness and de-scalation. There will be time for questions at the end. All High Holiday greeters, ushers and event monitors are especially encouraged to attend this training. It will be recorded for those not able to attend.
(ZM) Climate Change Book Group Slow Reading of "Not Too Late" Tuesday, Sep 16th 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) Story Turning: Harvesting Joy in the Past Tuesday, Sep 16th 7:00p to 8:15p Teshuvah is the ongoing process of Turning and Returning. Using brief, simple, playful forms: sound, movement, story, stillness—which EVERYONE can do—we'll discover and shape our own tales of transformation and renewal.
Together we’ll play with a few classic Jewish tales and find our own voices, visions, ancestors, light, and revelations. This is not a performance class. No experience is required, just a willingness to be curious and a little silly.
Led by Cassandra Sagan, a twice-ordained Maggid (Jewish storyteller/teacher), and a lifetime creative process/poetry/arts educator.
