Weekly Parsha Study Saturdays, 9 am, Zoom Room Bet & In Person
Join Havurah for a community-led study session of the weekly Torah reading before each Shabbat service.
Shabbat Morning Service Saturdays, 10 am, Zoom Room Aleph & In Person
All are welcome at our Shabbat services, including b'nei mitzvah services. You don't need to receive an invitation. Just come celebrate with the b'nei mitzvah, their family, and the community! Check our online calendar for details about all Shabbat services.
Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation Tuesdays, 12 pm, Zoom Room Bet & In Person
We gather mostly via Zoom to find moments of quiet and shalom in a welcoming space. Various styles of Jewish meditation are explored. No meditation experience necessary. All are welcome to drop in. Led by Rabbi Benjamin, Adela Basayne, or Nancy Becker.
Morning Minyan Wednesdays, 8:30 am, Zoom Room Aleph & In Person
For all who want a regular prayer practice and those saying Kaddish.
Upcoming Events
Bat Mitzvah of Charlotte Wise Saturday, July 30, 10 am – Zoom Room Aleph & In Person
Please join us in welcoming Charlotte Wise as a bat mitzvah and member of our community. No invitation is required. All are welcome!
Monday is Mahjong at Havurah Monday, Aug. 1, 1-4 pm
Mahjong meetups are scheduled on the first and third Monday of the month. Experienced players are usually available to mentor beginners, explain the rules, and offer guidance at a separate table during our regularly scheduled game. New players are welcome to join the regular group when they feel ready. Learn more. Contact: Leah Hershey
AlteRockers Movie and (Optional) Dinner Afterward – Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song Thursday, Aug. 4, 4 pm, Cinema 21, 616 NW 21st Ave
We will watch the film "Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song," about one of the most influential songwriters, singers, poets, and spiritual leaders of our lifetimes. The interviews and the previews of this film are tremendous. We will meet for the matinee, followed by an optional dinner afterwards. Please RSVP to Ted Scheinman with your name and the number in your party. (See Directory for contact information.)
Anti-Racism & Belonging Conversation Group for Havurah Staff Wednesday, Aug, 24, 10 am, Zoom Room Aleph
Havurah staff will embark on gaining a better understanding of how anti-racism and belonging shows up within Havurah through a small group conversation. Led by Havurah consultants Tabitha and Adam St. Bernard-Jacobs. Register here.
Tikkun Olam Updates
News From the Streets: Elul Food Drive for Homeless Camps
Elul approaches, giving us time to prepare for the High Holidays. Thinking of others, our Poverty & Homelessness (P&H) Tikkun Olam Committee is conducting an Elul food drive for The Common Good Project. The Common Good Project has been providing food to several NE homeless shelters for over 18 months. (See below post about The Common Good Project.) The August edition of Hakol will have an article with details including the food list.
Volunteer Projects with The Common Good Project
We would love your help! There are many opportunities to work with our homeless neighbors in a safe and effective way. YOU ARE NEEDED.
We have established an Amazon Wish List and will continue to update it as needs change. Please consider purchasing an item or two if you can.
Some of you have time and resources to help cook. Sign up here.
Some people have offered to donate funds. That's really kind and so very, very helpful. Venmo = @jenn-louis
Tuesday delivery caravan is always in need of drivers. Sign up here.
Lastly, the website has been updated to include information on this homeless initiative. Please go to jennlouis.com for more information and links. Contact: Jenn Louis
Gun Safety Success!
The Havurah-sponsored, gun safety initiative by Lift Every Voice Oregon collected 161,485 signatures! They started out with 2 petitions but dropped one (IP 18) to focus on requiring permits, background checks, training, and a ban on large-capacity ammunition magazines (IP 17). This is what you will have the chance to vote into law this fall. You can watch Barbara Gundle travel to Salem with the LEVO group to deliver the petitions here.
Come Sing with Us!
The residents at Robison love to sing each Wednesday at 11 am. But we need more volunteers to help lift them in song. Just one hour a week can make a huge difference. We have a fabulous pianist and easy lyrics for well-known songs. Please contact Kim.Hughes@cedarsinaipark.org. We are excited to have you come sing with us!
Antisemitism & Israel-Related Speech: Resources from the Joint Israel Commission (JIC) of the Reconstructionist Movement This web page features links to five different contemporary definitions of antisemitism that address Israel-related speech. Each of the five texts also presents different opinions about when statements and actions that relate to Israel “cross the line” into antisemitism. Without endorsing any of the competing definitions, Reconstructing Judaism's resource is designed to help Reconstructionists learn, discuss, and give careful thought to this matter.
Judy Chicago Exhibition Tour and Rooftop Reception Thursday, Aug. 4, 5:30 pm, For People Ages 45 and Under: Register here Tuesday, Aug. 23, 11 am, For People Ages 45+: Register here
OJMCHE and the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland invite you to join them for a special summer event for younger adults ages 45 and under on Aug. 4 or a special event for people ages 45+ on Tuesday, Aug. 23 Take a guided tour of "Turning Inward: JUDY CHICAGO,” from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation, which traces Judy Chicago’s development as an artist and Jewish woman across six decades. Both events will be followed by a reception on the museum’s stunning rooftop patio. Cost is $10/person.
Resources
Do You Need Support?
If you are facing emotional, financial, or health challenges and would welcome support, please consider contacting the (a) Bikkur Holim (Visiting the Sick) Committee for spiritual support, (b) Lotsa Helping Hands for help with food, transportation, or other errands, or (c) Rabbi Benjamin, for spiritual and moral support – benjamin@havurahshalom.org or 503-248-4662 ext. 3. If you're interested in being on a list of people who support others in concrete ways, such as grocery shopping or running other errands, please contact Lotsa Helping Hands. To request that the name of a relative or Havurah member be read during the Misheberach (healing prayer) at Shabbat services, please use this Misheberach Request Form.
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 Shalom
825 NW 18th Ave
Portland, OR 97209
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.
(HYB) Torah Study for the High Holy Days Thursday, Sep 18th 7:00p to 8:30p During the High Holy Days we read four sections of the Torah. This series of study sessions will give us an opportunity to read the texts and explore their meanings. We will look at what our teachers before us thought of the readings, as well as investigate modern commentators. We also will come up with our own thoughts and see how we can understand the texts for our lives today.
Led by David Dropkin. No experience necessary. Please join us.
(HYB) Shabbat Morning Shabbat, Sep 20th 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.
Daily Shofar Blast Sunday, Sep 21st (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) Teen Honey Cake Baking Sunday, Sep 21st 10:30a to 12:30p Bake honey cake muffins to share with family and friends and start the New Year with a sweet treat.
(HYB) Rosh Ḥodesh Tov! Gender-Inclusive New Moon Ritual Sunday, Sep 21st 7:00p to 8:15p A gender-inclusive New Moon group, learning and celebrating each Rosh Ḥodesh with ancient and contemporary ritual. Open to any and all genders, inviting each to connect with our closest heavenly body, the Moon. An introductory meeting will happen on the full moon of Elul on Wednesday, Aug. 30 outdoors—weather permitting—in North Portland. Subsequent meetings will be on or near the new moon of each month either in person in North Portland or on Zoom, depending on seasonal shifts in the weather. Attend any or all sessions. RSVP to be updated on location and other details throughout the year.
(HYB) Erev Rosh Hashanah Service Monday, Sep 22nd 7:30p to 9:00p We usher in the new year together with song, prayer, and reflection, setting the tone for our Days of Awe journey.
All are welcome. Our Erev Rosh Hashanah service will take place at the Tiffany Center. The service will also stream on Youtube.
