Hineinu, March 9, 2022

Updated COVID Safety Guidelines
As you saw in an earlier email today, the COVID Management Team (the “CMT”) met on March 7 to review Havurah’s COVID Safety Guidelines in light of significantly reduced community transmission and hospitalizations related to COVID 19, and updated guidance from the CDC, Oregon Health Authority, Multnomah County, and Portland Public Schools.

After much input and discussion, the CMT agreed to significant updates to the Havurah Guidelines. These changes follow guidance from health authorities and are unanimously supported by the members of the CMT, including the medical and public health professionals in the group.

A full summary of these updates is explained in a longer article that you can find here. The updated Havurah COVID Safety Guidelines reflecting these changes can be found on our website here.

As always, the COVID Management Team is here to answer your questions and address your concerns. Please reach out to us by email at info@havurahshalom.org. Your email will be shared with the entire group and a member of the CMT will get back to you.

Reopening Redux: A Message from the Presidents
Our journey back into the building continues. COVID guidelines are being re-examined, and the Refugee Kabbalat Shabbat occurred last Friday. It was gratifying to be in the sanctuary, gathered with others and raising our voices in song together (with masks). 

As more members come back to our building, concerns have been voiced about conditions in the courtyard, and wondering about the possible implementation of additional security measures, such as the installation of a security gate at the entry off NW 18th. 

A Courtyard Task Force was convened last year to consider questions of how Havurah should respond to changing conditions in our courtyard. Their report was published on page three of the May 2021 Hakol. You can also read about the task force's work here on our website. The Task Force considered a range of options to address security and hygiene issues, including retaining someone to do regular cleanups and improving the outdoor lighting. We installed a sign at the entry, asking those who enter to respect for our garden space, and to keep it clean. We separately signed a contract with a company to clean up hazardous waste. The Task Force also considered installation of a gate but decided to proceed with other steps first. 

Perhaps the time has come in the context of our broader building reopening to evaluate the steps taken previously by the Task Force and discuss whether further, additional steps might be appropriate. If you would be interested in participating in this effort, please contact either Ben Walters or Steve Birkel to let us know. 

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.

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.

BONUS SESSION: Ashkenazic Folk Medicine and Magical Healing Practices – Zoom Room Bet (Online Only)
Tuesday, March 15, 7 pm
Join the Jewish Magical Practices class that Oren Kosansky and Deborah Eisenbach-Budner recently taught for one bonus session with Jonathan Seidel, a scholar of Jewish sacred practices. Jonathan will explore Ashenazic folk medicine and magical practices for individual and communal healing and protection. He will introduce us to textual, ritual, and visual materials about Jewish and intercultural “folk magic” against demonological agents of disease as well as the Evil Eye. He will highlight recent scholarship on Jewish folk medicine in Eastern Europe including Yiddish language research and current gender-oriented historical perspectives. Jonathan Seidel Ph.D. is Aquarian Minyan Rabbi in Residence and Rosh Yeshivah as well as Adjunct Theology Faculty, University of Portland. You can watch the four earlier classes here. RSVPs welcome but not required.

It's a Purim Party!!! – Zoom Room Aleph & In Person
Wednesday, March 16, 6:30-8:30 pm
We’ll dance, we’ll play, we’ll schmooze, we’ll be together. DJ Saulomite will set the party rocking. Pizza will be served in the courtyard at 6:30. Masks are required. If you plan to join us in person, RSVP here so we order enough pizza.

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.

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.

Discovery Shabbat Morning: Learner's Minyan – In Person
Saturday, April 2, 10 am
Rabbi Benjamin will lead this upbeat, interactive service focusing on the structure, key themes, and prayers of the morning service, especially for families with youth in Grades 5-6. All those hoping to become B’nei Mitzvah in Havurah are expected to attend. This is a Shabbat School and Hebrew class day. Talia Stein (Grade 6) and Hannah Treuhaft (Grade 5) are coordinating informal activities for those students staying around between the service and afternoon classes. Please include names of parent(s) and children attending in the notes box when you RSVP.

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 Urgently Needed!
Havurah Meeting, Sunday, March 13, 11 am – Zoom Room Bet
Havurah is an official sponsor to the Lift Every Voice campaign to place Initiative Petitions 17 and 18 on the November ballot. If passed, these common sense gun safety laws would make Oregon safer for us all by banning large ammunition magazines more than 10 rounds, banning the sale and manufacture of all semi-automatic weapons, and strengthening the permit process. YOUR HELP IS URGENTLY NEEDED, even If you can only contribute a small amount of time. To get involved please RSVP hereor call Barbara Gundle. 

Seeking Seder Hosts
Continuing the biblical and congregational tradition of welcoming the stranger, the Pesach Planning Group is looking for Seder hosts. If you can open your home either virtually or in person, please contact me. (Contact information is in the membership directory.) Please let us know what you are considering, such as which day? how many? child-friendly? Zoomed? as well as any other specifics. The committee will have some fresh resources and other Seder supports ready next month. – Adele Thompson

NEWS FROM THE STREETS: POVERTY & HOMELESSNESS

Solutions Salon at Portland Homeless Family Solutions (PHFS)
Tuesday, March 15, 12-1 pm – PHFS Zoom
PHFS Executive Director Brandi Tuck will discuss causes, effects, and solutions of homelessness. Ask questions about this challenging issue and engage in dialogue about what we can do to help. RSVP here for offsite Zoom. Questions? Contact Gloria Halper.

News & Events From Our Tikkun Olam Partners

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

Havurah Committee News

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.

Reconstructing Judaism

100 Years of the Bat Mitzvah: Read the recent Reconstructing Judaism newsletter here.

B'Yachad: Reconstructing Judaism Together Convention
March 23-27, Washington, D.C. Metro Area and Online
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.

Support the Ukranian Jewish Community
The Ukrainian Jewish community needs our support! The Jewish Federation is participating in a continental special campaign to assist Jews in the region. Click here to donate.

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!

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