Hineinu, September 7, 2022

Correction:

The following event takes place on Sept. 14, not in October, as had been published earlier. We hope you will be able to attend!

Israel/Palestine Committee “Expanding the Conversation” Continues
First Event: Rashid Khalidi, “The 100 Years War on Palestine”
5 pm, Wednesday, Sept. 14 – offsite Zoom RSVP
 

As we travel through this month of Elul, the building is exemplifying renewal—yesterday afternoon, we had four simultaneous activites take place. 

The kitchen partial rennovation is complete (all our dishes will be washed and replaced on shelves soon), thanks to Fran Berg's incomparable project management and the work of the committee.

And the front door is now repaired—no more plywood—with glass and shatter-resistant film.

Come by to see for yourself. Gather for services or a class, or just to visit. It's wonderful to run into each other in our beloved space!
 

High Holidays

Review the service schedule and other info in the 
High Holiday Information Packet

Sign up to help out before, during or after the holidays. It takes many, many hands to provide services and programming to our community! We have about 240 spots left to fill!
Volunteer Signup

Tell Your Friends!
High Holidays at Havurah Shalom is always free to everyone, no tickets required!
 

Gatherings

Thank you for following our safety requirements at in-person gatherings. 

Zoom Room links, including the High Holiday rooms Neshamah and Shofar, can be found near the end of this email.

Regular Happenings

Weekly Torah 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. Upcoming b'nei mitzvah are listed below and on the website calendar.

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.

Hear the Sound of the Shofar!
11:30-11:45 am, Aug. 28 through Sept. 23 (except Shabbat) – Zoom Room Shofar 
"When the Shofar is sounded, hear, all you inhabitants of the world." Isaiah 18:13 It is customary to hear the sound of the Shofar every day of Elul. To observe this custom, Andrine de la Rocha, Howard Patterson and Diane Chaplin will sound the Shofar every afternoon during the month of Elul, except for Shabbos. They will use the traditional Shofar calls and give a bit of kavanot each time. Each session will last only a few minutes, so be prompt or you’ll miss it! RSVP to be sent a link to the special High Holiday Zoom Room Shofar.

Upcoming Events

Tonight:  Contemplative Practice to Support Teshuvah
7 pm, Wednesday, Sept. 7 — Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Neshamah
In these sessions we will gather to engage with the sacred work of this season: Teshuvah — repentance and repair. Working with the spiritual tools of Mussar — applied Jewish ethics — and Meditation, we will practice and reflect together, examining where we have caused harm and lovingly holding ourselves accountable to make amends and grow as we enter the new year. Led by Rabbi Benjamin
RSVP to be sent a link to the special Zoom Room Neshamah

Racial Justice Committee Meeting
7-8:30 pm,  Sept. 8 — Zoom Room Gimel
Please join the Racial Justice Committee to learn what we have been up to and what we hope to work on in the future. Join us and be part of this new(ish) committee at Havurah!

Anti-Racisim and Belonging Discussion Groups for White Members not in other groups
Friday, Sept. 9, 10:00 - 11:15 -- Zoom Room Bet -- RSVP here
Sunday, Sept. 18, 10:00 - 11:15 -- Zoom Room Bet -- RSVP here
We invite you to embark with us on gaining a better understanding of how anti-racism and belonging shows up within the congregation through this small group conversation. All conversation groups are structured by self-selected shared identity. This conversation is for white members not in other groups. Led by Havurah consultants Tabitha and Adam St. Bernard-Jacobs.  Learn more here.

This Is Real and You are Completely Unprepared:  Book Study Group
7pm — Sept. 11 and Oct. 9 — Zoom Room Bet
Whether you’ve read the book before, or this is your first time, R. Alan Lew’s book can deepen our experience of the High Holidays as a journey of personal transformation. We’ll meet four times to share our reflections on the ideas and practices in different chapters. Come to one, some or all. Led by Adela Basayne and Deborah Eisenbach-Budner.

• Sept. 11, 7-8:30 pm, Zoom Room Bet — Coming towards Rosh Hashanah and the Days of Awe (Chapters 5, 6, 7) — RSVP here
• Oct. 9, 7-8:15 pm in the Havurah Sukkah — Yom Kippur and Sukkot (Chapters 8, 9, 10 and epilogue) — RSVP here

Anti-Racisim and Belonging Discussion Group for Parent Teachers and Staff Teachers
Sunday, Sept 11, 10:00 - 11:15 -- Zoom Room Bet -- RSVP here
See item above for description. This conversation is for current and past teachers in Shabbat School, Middle School, and Havurah High.

Banot Mitzvah of Naomi Granek-Brown and Margot Kirshbaum
10 am, Saturday, Sept 17 — Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Aleph
Please join us in welcoming Naomi Granek-Brown and Margot Kirshbaum each as a Bat Mitzvah and member of our community.

Teens (7th - 12th grade) Pizza Party
5 pm, Sunday, Sept. 18 – Upper Sellwood Park - RSVP by Monday 9/12
All Havurah 7th-12th graders are invited to a Teen Pizza Party! Come meet up for a Teen only event (except chaperones) of pizza, drinks and dessert. Catch up with old friends or meet new ones. This will be a chance to hang out and play games. There will be a voting booth/suggestion box for you to tell Havurah Shalom what type of events and activities are interesting to you. Meet near the baseball bleachers next to the parking lot at SE 7th & Malden St. Sponsored by the Teen Engagement Committee.
 

"The U.S. and the Holocaust": Watch the new Ken Burns' PBS series together at Havurah
Sunday, Sept. 18 thru Tuesday Sept. 20, 7:30 -10:30 pm -- Havurah Sanctuary
Just ahead of the High Holidays, PBS will broadcast a 3-part, 6 hour documentary by Ken Burns & colleagues exploring the U.S. role in the Holocaust (https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/us-and-the-holocaust/ ). The filmmakers state "the United States proved unwilling to open its doors to more than a fraction of the hundreds of thousands of desperate people seeking refuge." Come together with others at Havurah to watch and share reactions to this important series. Hosted by Life Long Learning, discussion led by Kristine Munholland and David Dropkin.
RSVP here

Book Group Discussion: The Third Man
Tuesday, Sept. 20th, 7 pm to 8:30 pm – Zoom Room Bet 
Please join us for a discussion of The Third Man by local Portland author Randolph Splitter. The author will be joining us for the discussion. Based on massive historical research, this is as much a memoir as a novel. The plot begins in pre-World War II Vienna and revolves around the Kindertransport from Vienna to Britain. The principal characters are two Viennese Jewish families, but the book gradually focuses on two individuals who survived the Holocaust and their moral choices. The plot is refracted through the lens of the 1949 film noir “The Third Man.” Contact David Newman with questions.
 
Israel/Palestine Committee “Expanding the Conversation” Continues
First Event: Rashid Khalidi, “The 100 Years War on Palestine”
5 pm, Wednesday, Sept. 14 – offsite Zoom RSVP
The Israel/Palestine Committee is once again co-sponsoring the free Zoom series "Expanding the Conversation about Israel/Palestine." The fall the series will focus on Palestinian Voices. Details about the series and registration information are available in Hakol and through the portal link on Committee web page. The first event will feature Rashid Khalidi, author and Columbia University Professor, discussing "The 100 Years War on Palestine." Contact Joel Beinin for more information.

Tikkun Olam Updates

Above, a worker with the Common Good Project collects trash in Portland. Photo courtesy Jenn Louis.

 Rose Haven and The Common Good Project Share Their Experiences
Sunday, Oct. 16, 4:30 - 6:00 in the Havurah Sukkah, or inside if it's raining
RSVP here.
The Poverty and Homelessness Committe has invited Jenn Lewis with the Common Good Project  and a representative from the Rose Haven Day Center for Women and Children to share their experiences with us.  The Common Good Project twice weekly provides  direct service of bringing food and clothing to about 8 tent pod communities in NE Portland. Rose Haven, which provides meals, clothing, computer use, laundry, showers, medical care, and various classes, as well as just a safe warm space to be in during the day when shelters are not open.

Perhaps you might want to volunteer? Maybe you just want to know more about homeless populations? Or you have thoughts about the homeless folks who often use our courtyard?  Please join us to talk about this important issue.
For more informationontact Marcia Suttenberg/Jenn Louis.

News From the Streets: 

The Lullaby Project
2 pm, Sunday, Sept. 11 – Lents Park
For the fourth year in a row, Portland Homeless Family Solutions is partnering with the Oregon Symphony on the Lullaby Project. This innovative program brings professional singer-songwriters and Oregon Symphony musicians together with parents from Family Village to co-create lullabies for their kids. This live community concert will debut this year's songs. Park entrance is on SE 92nd and Steele. The concert is open to the public and no tickets are needed.
 
Elul Food Drive for The Common Good Project
11-1 am, Sunday, Sept. 18 – Havurah Shalom
Elul is approaching, giving us time to prepare for the High Holidays. In thinking about others, Our Poverty and Homelessness Committee is conducting a food drive during the month of Elul to benefit The Common Good Project. See the food list here.
 
High Holiday Tzedakah Project
Drop off at Tiffany Center during High Holiday services
Havurah's Tikkun Olam Poverty and Homelessness Committee is organizing the High Holiday Tzedakah Project. We have selected two of our partner nonprofit organizations whose mission and values we feel strongly reflect those of Havurah: Rose Haven and The Common Good Project. Learn more about these organizations, and see the items needed and Tiffany Center drop-off info here. Thank you, Havurah, for your support!

News & Events From Our Tikkun Olam Partners

Portland Homeless Family Solutions (PHFS): volunteer for our monthly PHFS dinner | Interfaith Alliance on Poverty (IAP) | Lift UP | MACG | Jewish Coalition for Immigrant Justice NW ​​​​​​ | Rose Haven ​​​​​​​

Announcements

So many volunteer opportunities available:
In the building, come learn to use the new sanitizer and help us make all the dishes clean. Let us know you're coming at info@havurahshalom.org.

For High Holidays, so many ways to help!  Look here  to make your contribution to the TIffany Center barn raising.

We are looking for volunteers to lead a few tasks for Kabbalat Shabbat, which is resuming monthly for nine months beginning Oct. 14. In our new format, the catered dinner will take place after the service instead of before. This will hopefully make the service accessible to a wider group of people, including families with children. There will be a light oneg/nosh available 30 minutes before the service. Dinner, for folks with reservations, will follow the service. We are looking for people to coordinate volunteers for these tasks: greeters/door monitors; set-up and take-down of the oneg/nosh; set-up for dinner; and clean-up after dinner. These are easy, fun tasks and provide an opportunity to get to know and connect with others at Havurah. Co-leads are welcome! Volunteer leads will not be involved in recruitment, just organizing the volunteers the day of the event. Please contact Marni Glick and Sally Hersh.

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.