Hineinu: Hanukah at Havurah and an Ode to Educators
Author
Date Added
Toda Rabbah to Educators
Dear Educators in the Havurah Community,
When you decided to become an educator, you couldn't have anticipated upending your years of training to reinvent the teaching practices that you've adopted and honed. The transition was abrupt, unclear and uncharted.
In a short amount of time, you adapted curricula to new teaching platforms and tools that you previously had no experience using.
Thank you for sticking by your students throughout this tumultuous time and greeting each one with a smile every morning. Thank you for creating an environment of safety and regularity in their days. Thank you for communicating with families beyond your normal working hours. Thank you for your empathy, patience and perseverance.
We see you and thank you for your selflessness. Todah Rabbah!
Sincerely,
The Havurah Limud (Learning) Cluster
News
A Note from Our Program Director
Hello, dear hevre. I am well on the mend from last month’s surgery. Thanks so much for your expressions of care; I know you speeded my healing. I have been slowly ramping up to being back for the last couple weeks. Please expect me full time at Havurah by Dec. 5. May the lights of Hanukah be felt within and without, this year.
2. Vaccination/testing requirement on an honor system is being considered by Steering. The CMT has recommended that Steering adopt a vaccination/testing requirement for people in our building and that this requirement be administered on an honor system. The Steering Committee considered this recommendation at its Nov. 9 meeting and it will be on the agenda again on Dec. 12. For more details about this update, click here for a longer explanation.
As always, if you have questions, comments, or concerns about any COVID policy issues, please send an email to info@havurahshalom.org. Your email will be shared with the CMT and one of the members will get back to you.
Latkes & Storytelling
Tuesday, Nov. 30, 6:30 pm – Room Aleph
Join us for an evening of candle lighting, latke making, and storytelling! We will have 3 storytellers and also invite attendees to share a favorite Hanukah memory (1-3 minutes per person). While we listen to stories, a few people will be making latkes in their kitchen for everyone to see. RSVP
Hanukah Swap Meet Shopping: Part 2
Saturday, Dec. 4, 1:30-3:15 pm at Havurah
There are many lovely gift items from our swap meet that still need a good home: games, puzzles, books, jewelry and more. Stop by Havurah for your last minute shopping for the final two nights of Hanukah! To be COVID safe, masks are required and dress for the weather, as you may have to wait outside before you can enter. Do not bring any new items.
Rededicate to Immigrant Justice: A Hanukah Solidarity Day at the Northwest Detention Center Sunday, Dec. 5, 12 pm, at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Wash.
Please join the Havurah Sanctuary Committee, Never Again Seattle, The Jewish Coalition for Immigrant Justice NW and La Resistencia for a Hanukah Solidarity Day at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma. See the Facebook invitation here. Please contact Shari Raider for more info or to coordinate carpooling.
Hanukah Song Share Sing-a-long
Sunday, Dec. 5, 6:30 pm – Room Aleph
Come sing-a-long with members of the Havurah Music Makers Collective, as we light candles and gaze at the fully lit menorah for the 8th night of Chanukah, also known as “Zos Chanukah”. We will share an array of Chanukah themed music to help bring light into our homes and hearts, as the days grow shorter and winter approaches. RSVP
What are your favorites?
The Hanukah planning team is collecting favorite latke recipes and story books to share with the Havurah community! You can submit your favorite recipes and/or books through this link.
Upcoming Classes and Events
The Havurah office will be closed for Thanksgiving and the day after.
Bar Mitzvah of Gavin Galderisi Saturday, Nov. 27, 10 am – Room Aleph
Join us in welcoming Gavin Galderisi as a Bar Mitzvah and member of our community.
Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation Tuesday, Nov. 30, 12 pm – Room Bet
We gather to find some moments of quiet and shalom. Led by Rabbi Benjamin, Deborah Eisenbach-Budner, or Nancy Becker.
Morning Minyan Wednesday, Dec. 1, 8:30 am – Room Aleph
For all who want a regular prayer practice and for people saying Kaddish.
Hand in Hand: Israel/Palestine Committee Event Sunday, Dec. 5, 10:30 am – RSVP to receive Zoom link
Come join Havurah's Israel/Palestine Committee as we host two principals from Israel's Hand-in-Hand integrated schools, serving Jewish and Palestinian Arab citizens. Manar Hayadre, who is Palestinian-Israeli, and Efrat Meyer, who is Jewish-Israeli, will share personal and professional stories. Feel free to invite friends. We've invited other Reconstructionist synagogues in Oregon/Washington. This is not a fund-raising event. For more info, go to the Israel/Palestine Committee portal.
Havurah Ambassador Training Tuesday, Dec. 7, 7 pm, Zoom Room Dalet — RSVP
People love Havurah! If you would like to help staff by chatting with folks who contact us with general inquiries, please RSVP for a training session. You will learn about what questions tend to be asked and how to answer them, where to refer folks for questions you can't answer, and about Havurah's process for becoming a new member. If you decide to volunteer in this way, Havurah staff will support you all the way!
Shmita Year Winter Art Class Sunday, December 12, 7-9 pm – RSVP to receive Zoom link
A drawing class that will help with your Shmita year relaxation. Adults and children are welcome. No prior art experience necessary. Carolina Martinez will lead you in creating a picture that incorporates your style and uses a minimal amount of art supplies! Art supply list will be provided after RSVP.
A Shmita for Hearts and Minds Support Group Monday, Dec. 13, 5 pm – Zoom Room Bet
Join the support group on Shmita for Hearts and Minds to help counter the anxiety and discouragement that can come with our climate and social justice work. Cultivate a balance of rest, personal care, activism, and faith in community with others. We’ll have time for sharing and discussion, a guided meditation, and planning for future meetings. All are welcome to attend, whether or not you attended the first workshop held in October.
Open Meeting on Hybrid Gatherings Monday, Dec. 13, 6 pm – Zoom Room Dalet
When Havurah eventually transitions back to gathering in person, we will remain committed to the expanded access provided by the Internet. But what will access look like? How do we hold events, classes and services in person and online at the same time? Over the summer, a group of Havurahniks met to begin this conversation and were very productive. To continue this work, we will meet and share our thoughts about modes of attendance, meaningful participation, the role technology plays in experience, and most of all, what works for us. (We won't be discussing specific technologies or immediately making any decisions.) Join us to help imagine the Havurah gatherings of tomorrow. For more information, please contact Rachel Pollak.
Tikkun Olam Updates
Refugee Support Collection Drive Now until Nov. 21 at Portland Refugee Support Group 10175 SW Barbur Blvd Suite 102B, 9:30-3 pm M-F
Donation of new or gently used winter clothes to help support Refugee families for the coming winter months. Coats, hats, gloves, raincoats, jackets, and scarves all needed.
Join Us for the First Meeting of the the Racial Justice Committee Thursday, Dec. 9, 6:30-8 pm – Zoom Room Bet – RSVP
Earlier in November, after months of groundwork and the input of many voices, the Racial Justice Committee became Tikkun Olam's newest official committee, thanks to a unanimous vote by Steering. Through two workgroups–Social Justice Advocacy and Individual Education/Reckoning–we will provide a container within Havurah to educate ourselves and to seek opportunities to work toward racial justice. Please join us for the first official meeting of this new committee! Questions or want to be added to the committee email list or join a workgroup? Contact Bob Brown for more info.
Order Guilt-Free Hanukah Gelt from T'ruah
T’ruah is partnering with Divine Chocolate USA to bring you kosher, guilt-free chocolate gelt made from Fairtrade cocoa grown by family farmers in Ghana. Order here. Divine Chocolate USA is co-owned by cocoa farmers who share in its profits. When you order gelt from Divine Chocolate USA this Hanukah, you’re making a commitment to value small-scale farmers by buying a product made of Fairtrade cocoa with no palm oil and no GMOs. When you buy Guilt-Free Gelt — available in both milk chocolate and dark chocolate — you will also be supporting T’ruah. Ten percent of all sales ordered through this link go directly to T’ruah.
Musical & Artistic Opportunities for Convention Deadline Dec. 15 for video premiere March 23-27
Calling all Reconstructionist singers, musicians, dancers and artists to participate remotely in a video that will premiere at Convention. Deadline to indicate interest is Dec. 15.
Seeking new/recent Jewish music by writers connected to the Reconstructionist movement for inclusion in a Convention program. Deadline to submit is Dec. 31. More info here.
Reconstructing Judiasm Together Convention March 23-27, 2022 in Washington DC and online
Come gather from March 23–27, 2022 for B’Yachad: Reconstructing Judaism Together. During Convention, we will be together both in-person and virtually to learn from and with experts, scholars and lay leaders. We will engage in conversations, ask questions, and listen. We will pray together, sing together, dance together and celebrate all that we do every day in our communities to reconstruct Judaism. More info here .
COVID-19 Vaccines & Assistance
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 cnscos@nevehshalom.org or call 971-990-5652 if you need COVID-19 assistance or info.
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!
To see our full Zoom room instructions, click here. Member sign-in required.
(IP) Torah and Film: Ecclesiastes and Groundhog Day (1993) Tuesday, Oct 28th 5:00p to 9:00p What is the meaning of life, especially when you're living the same day over and over? In this two-part class, we’ll explore the themes of futility, impermanence, and transformation in the book Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) alongside the 1993 film Groundhog Day. Led by Rabbinic Intern Noah Lind.
(ZM) Book Group: "Enter Ghost" by Isabella Hammad Tuesday, Oct 28th 7:00p to 8:15p (Note that the October 2025 book to be discussed is now "Enter Ghost" by Isabella Hammad. Joel Beinin will lead the discussion.) The Havurah Book Group is a venue for discussion of complex, controversial issues. We encourage members to engage one another through sharing ideas and knowledge. Books chosen by the group are discussed in monthly meetings. Members come to discussions that interest them.
(IP) B'nei Mitzvah Cohort Wednesday, Oct 29th 6:30p to 8:30p Youths being called to the Torah will build community and ask, “What does being Jewish and becoming bar, bat, or b’nei mitzvah mean to me?” Led by Rabbi Benjamin.
(IP) B'nei Mitzvah Logistics Workshop Wednesday, Oct 29th 7:30p to 8:30p Go over building logistics with Carrie Kirschner, the B’nei Mitzvah Program Coordinator.
(IP) The Stories of Abraham Thursday, Oct 30th 7:00p to 8:30p Explore the biblical figure Abraham using sources from all three Abrahamic Religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) to enrich our understanding of Judaism’s founding patriarch. After the class, take part in an optional opportunity to write a drash about Abraham to read at the Torah service! Led by former PJA Jewish Studies Teacher Benjamin Foote.
(HYB) Shabbat Morning Shabbat, Nov 1st 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.
