Hineinu, March 2, 2022

Rituals of Returning – A Message From Rabbi Benjamin
As we turn toward increased in-person gathering at Havurah, we’ve had discussions among leadership about whether we should mark this transition with some kind of ritual. The truth is, though, that we have been gathering in person in certain contexts for some time now. Shabbat School, Middle and High School, for example, have met in person on and off throughout the school year. Various other groups have also come in to the building here and there. And on the other end of things, some of you may not yet be ready to participate in person.

So the notion of ritualizing one specific moment of return doesn’t seem appropriate. Instead, we invite each of us to mark a moment of returning as it emerges. Which may be the first time, or the next time, you re-enter the building. Or it may be the first or next time you are back for a service or another collective gathering. Whenever it feels right for each of us, we can pause for a moment to recite one or more of the blessings below. We can do so together with others who are there, and in the presence of one another as witnesses. With appreciation for all the ways we have been and, God willing, will continue to be sustained, revived, and protected from harm.

You can download a PDF of the blessings here.

Upcoming Classes & Events

Shabbat Morning Service – Zoom Room Aleph
Saturdays, 10 am
Check our online calendar for details.

Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation – Zoom Room Bet
Tuesdays, 12 pm
We gather to find moments of quiet and shalom. Led by Rabbi Benjamin, Adela Basayne, or Nancy Becker.

Morning Minyan – Zoom Room Aleph
Wednesdays, 8:30 am
For all who want a regular prayer practice and those saying Kaddish.

HIAS Refugee Kabbalat Shabbat – Zoom Room Aleph and In Person
Friday, March 4, 6:30 pm
The fourth annual HIAS Refugee Shabbat will take place this weekend. Please join Rabbi Benjamin and the Sanctuary Committee as we dedicate sacred time and space to refugees and asylum seekers. We will speak aloud our commitment to welcoming the stranger and our dedication to working towards safety for all communities. We will gather both in person and on Zoom (Room Aleph). Our Covid Guidelines now allow for 60 people in the sanctuary. An RSVP is required if you would like to join in person. RSVP here.

HIAS Refugee Shabbat Service – Zoom Room Aleph
Saturday, March 5, 10 am
We will join congregations nationwide in dedicating this Shabbat service to honoring refugees and asylum seekers.

How Can Jewish Values Transform our Economic and Policy Decision-Making from Exploitation to Regeneration? From Planet Hurting to Planet Healing? – Zoom Room Dalet
Monday, March 7, 7 pm
One solution to reversing climate change is to change the way our economy prioritizes short-term economic values above all other values. Join us for an interactive, thought-provoking, and practical guide to how we can elevate and enact changes in our individual and collective decision-making through elevating the Jewish values of being stewards of creation, commitment to social justice, and investing in the well-being of future generations. Sponsored by the Climate Action Team. RSVP here.

Bat Mitzvah of Isla Pomerantz-Roll – Zoom Room Aleph
Saturday, March 12, 10 am
Please join us in welcoming Isla Pomerantz-Roll as a Bat Mitzvah and member of our community.

Book Group: The God of Small Things – Zoom Room Bet
Tuesday, March 22, 7 pm
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy is equal parts a perfectly paced mystery story, family saga, forbidden love story, and piercing political drama. Set in 1969 in Kerela, India, against a background of sexual, racial, and caste conflict that seethes around it like a threatening ocean, it centers on a dysfunctional family. Through the eyes of seven-year-old twins Esta and Rachel, we see the fragilities, contradictions, pettiness, and cruelty of the adult world. Discussion led by David Newman.

Reconstructing Judaism Convention in Washington D.C. 
Wednesday, March 23 – Sunday, March 27

Lev Tahor Chanting Circle – Zoom Room Aleph and In Person
Tuesday, March 29, 7 pm
We’ll gather in community for an evening of contemplative practice, chanting interspersed with silence, guided by teachings from the tradition. Everyone is welcome. While we will still be on Zoom for those who wish, we will also gather in the sanctuary. Facilitated by Rabbi Benjamin. If you are interested in being present in person, please contact Rabbi Benjamin at benjamin.barnett@havurahshalom.org.

AlteRockers Happy Hour – Zoom Room Heh
Thursday, March 31, 4:30 pm
Come schmooze with us. And mark your calendars for monthly schmoozes the last Thursday of the month!

Basic Hebrew Conversation – In Person, Covid Conditions Permitting
Thursday, March 31, 7 pm (and the following four Thursdays)
Let's have a party in Hebrew! We will spend five classes learning and practicing our conversational Hebrew while planning a party. And for the last class, we will hold a party and celebrate together. Hebrew level required: Basic reading and writing (can read and write single words and short sentences), and a vocabulary of about 50 words or more. (If you're unsure, try to list the words you know including colors, simple phrases, food, animals, and some verbs.) Taught by Racheli Ross.Class will meet in person at Havurah Shalom, Covid conditions permitting. Register here.

Literature & Trauma Class – Zoom Room Bet
Monday, April 18, 7 pm (and the following five Mondays)
The ways that we respond, survive or succumb to trauma are as varied as the individuals that experience it. Together we will delve into three novels that ponder the human response to severe trauma: Sophie’s Choice by William Styron, Beloved by Toni Morrison, and The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy. We will pay attention to the historical context of each novel and look at the interplay between personal and collective trauma. We will look at how particular aspects of language allow characters to minimize, assuage, confront, or transform trauma’s impact. We’ll consider some classic and more contemporary theories of trauma and how they do or don’t apply to elements in the books. This six-session class begins on April 18. Class size limited to 12. Register here.

Tikkun Olam Updates

Reduce Gun Violence in Oregon: Volunteers Needed!
Havurah has recently joined an interfaith coalition to place two initiatives to reduce gun violence on the fall ballot. The next signature gathering training is Thursday, March 3, and help is urgently needed. Click here to register for the March 3 training, learn about the coalition, and/or sign the initiative petition yourself. Questions? Contact Barbara Gundle. 

NEWS FROM THE STREETS: POVERTY & HOMELESSNESS

Interfaith Alliance on Poverty's First Thursday Noon Meeting
Thursday, March 3, 12 noon
"Built for Zero" presented by Keith Wilson, CEO of Titan Freight and board member of Shelter Now, and Portland City Commissioner Dan Ryan. A disciplined effort to track houseless people to enable them to leave the streets. Keith will explain the program and Dan will explain how it's being implemented in Portland. Register here. (This is not a Havurah Zoom.)

International Women's Day Open House, Rose Haven
Tuesday, March 8, 5 pm
Rose Haven Day Shelter and Community Center (1740 NW Glisan) will hold an open house to celebrate moving into a new expanded location. They are our neighbors, and the Havurah Poverty and Homelessness Committee is developing an active, ongoing relationship with their program. We invite anyone at Havurah to attend this open house and learn more about Rose Haven. Parking is available at NW Davis between NW 17th and 18th. Contact Marcia Suttenberg for more information.

News & Events From Our Tikkun Olam Partners

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

Havurah Committee News

Reopening – It’s Messy: A Message From Your Presidents
More activities have started happening in person at Havurah. We’re now holding adult ed classes in person as well as Kabbalat Shabbat services. These are happening in addition to other in-person activities at Havurah, such as B’nei Mitzvah services and Shabbat School, which have been occurring for some time now.

With these new activities in the building, a wider range of members are returning physically to Havurah, and some of you may have not been to the building for the past few years. Things have changed downtown, in our neighborhood, and at our building, and the impact of these changes can be seen in our courtyard. Some of these changes began prior to our COVID shutdown, but they have intensified during the past two years.

In January 2021, a Courtyard Task Force was convened to study how Havurah might respond to the changing conditions, with houseless people entering the courtyard. The decision was made to not close the courtyard with a gate, but to post a sign asking for respect in return for offering a haven.

It is not staff’s responsibility to clean the courtyard, and we have hired an on-call service to clean up biohazards around the building. The costs for this service are included in our annual budget. But this company doesn’t clean up all of the trash or waste that might accumulate. And circumstances are such that sometimes, between the time that the company cleans up the courtyard and a Havurah event, another mess occurs.

If you are organizing an activity at Havurah, please consider walking around the courtyard prior to the event. And if someone happens to be in the courtyard, you could let them know that an event will be taking place. Doing so in a respectful, courteous manner is typically met with corresponding gracious willingness to leave.

We will be looking into expanding the clean-up services and having these occur on a more routine basis. Until then, please bear with us. Everyone is doing the best they can to make our home a welcoming, inviting place. 

Learn More About the Budget Process
The Havurah budget is now in process! An explainer by Treasurer Shari Raider was missing from Hakol and can can now be found on page 7 of that issue or as a separate PDF here. Shari walks us through the process and helps us understand Havurah's income and expenses. A must-read.

B'nei Mitzvah Committee Seeking New Members
Have you had children go through the B’nei Mitzvah journey? Are you interested in collaborating with others to help future B’nei Mitzvah families? The B'nei Mitzvah Committee is seeking 4 or 5 new members who can take on specific tasks and help carry the work of the committee forward as longtime members step away, as the congregation continues to grow, and as Covid continues to shape the way we gather to celebrate this significant rite of passage. We invite you to complete this Committee Interest Form by March 31, 2022. Questions? Contact Amanda Coffey, Committee Chair.

A Note from the Safety Committee

As we begin to move back into our building, we need to be mindful of our building safety procedures. Please keep in mind that all entry doors need to be closed and locked at all times. If you are organizing an event, please arrange to have either a greeter at the door or a way for attendees to contact someone who can let them into the building. You can find a copy of the greeter guidelines printed on cards in the building foyer.

Weekend In Quest 2022

How the Soviet Jew Was Made: Literature, Culture, Humor

with scholar-in-residence Sasha Senderovich
March 5-6, 2022 | Registration $18 per household

Now open for registration, the program will be presented virtually, in Zoom format, over the course of two days, honoring the program’s roots as a Shabbaton Study Weekend.

Lectures include:

• Hammer and Pickle: How Soviet Jews Joked - And Were Joked About
• ​​​​​​​Rooted and Rootless: History, Memory and Cultural Mythology
• Scenes of Encounter: How American Jews Imagined Soviet Jews — and Vice Versa
  
  

See more about our program at the Jewish Review.

Havdalah service will be led by Mark Sherman.

This is the second year Weekend in Quest is held under the auspices of the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education. The program was arranged by the Weekend in Quest planning committee, chaired by Mimi Epstein.

Detailed Information and Registration | Questions? Email Gail Mandel.

Reconstructing Judaism

Reconstructing Judaism Convention

March 23-27, 2022 in Washington, DC, and Online

We will come together, both in person and virtually, from March 23 to 27, for B'Yachad: Reconstructing Judaism Together in the Washington, D.C. metro area. During the convention, we will 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. Learn more and register here.

Special Trip to Israel with Reconstructionist Congregations
April 24 to May 6, 2022
Join travelers from other Reconstructionist congregations on this Israel trip geared towards people who want a thorough first introduction to Israel and its complexities. The trip is organized in conjunction with Regarding Israel, a dynamic and reputable tour company, and will introduce participants to key sites and important themes connected to Israeli civil society and conflict and co-existence that will allow people to gain a deeper understanding of some of the key issues affecting Israelis today. Participants must have received their booster shot by March 15. More info here.

Community Happenings

National Discussions About Israel/Palestine
Ongoing – RSVP Offsite
The Havurah Israel/Palestine Committee is encouraging Havurah members to register for and attend all or some of the nine 1½ hour national sessions of Reconstructionists Expanding Our Conversation about Israel/Palestine being offered by Reconstructionist rabbis with a range of perspectives.

Resources

COVID-19 Vaccines & Assistance
Congregation Neveh Shalom COVID-19 Outreach and Services (CNSCOS) provides information about the pandemic, testing, and vaccines, and helps 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. Contact cnscos@nevehshalom.org or call (971) 990-5652.

How can we support each other during the pandemic?
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 questions or concerns  they have wondered about. Please send your questions to transparency@havurahshalom.org. We will anonymously answer your question in Hakol. Everyone in our community benefits from this clarity!

Havurah Zoom Rooms

Room Aleph
PC/Mac/Smartphone: Click here to join.
Note for all devices: You can also open your Zoom app first, click “Join a Meeting” then enter meeting ID 604560503 and "call via device audio." The passcode is 5472.
Cell/Landline: Dial +1 669-900-6833 and enter meeting ID 604560503.
 
Room Bet
PC/Mac/Smartphone: Click here to join.
Note for all devices: You can also open your Zoom app first, click “Join a Meeting” then enter meeting ID 291215092 and "call via device audio." The passcode is 5472.
Cell/Landline: Dial +1 669-900-6833 and enter meeting ID 291215092.
 
Room Gimel
PC/Mac/Smartphone: Click here to join.
Note for all devices: You can also open your Zoom app first, click “Join a Meeting” then enter meeting ID 502586440 and "call via device audio." The passcode is 5472.
Cell/Landline: Dial +1 669-900-6833 and enter meeting ID 502586440.

Room Dalet
PC/Mac/Smartphone: Click here to join.
Note for all devices: You can also open your Zoom app first, click “Join a Meeting” then enter meeting ID 472484392 and "call via device audio." The passcode is 5472.
Cell/Landline: Dial +1 669-900-6833 and enter meeting ID 472484392.

Room Heh
PC/Mac/Smartphone: Click here to join.
Note for all devices: You can also open your Zoom app first, click “Join a Meeting” then enter meeting ID 87852542099 and "call via device audio." The passcode is 5472.
Cell/Landline: Dial +1 669-900-6833 and enter meeting ID 87852542099.

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