Community News, May 4
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UPCOMING SHABBAT Dorot Shabbat This will be the last Dorot Shabbat of the year! Join us for this casual, family-friendly and music-filled service. Beginning with candle lighting, Kiddush and challah, the service continues with prayers and music led by congregants, followed by a vegetarian potluck dinner. Please RSVP here. Bar Mitzvah of Nathaniel Haas On Saturday, May 7, Nathaniel Haas, son of Kate Haas and Bruce Barbarasch, will be called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah. Please join us in celebration and welcome him to our community. Mazel tov! YOM HASHOAH EVENTS TONIGHT & TOMORROW
This annual community-wide ritual of remembrance for those who perished in the Shoah is free and open to the public. It is suitable for all ages. Reading of the Names This annual reflective reading of the names of those who died in the Holocaust is free and open to the public. Above photo is from Oregon Jewish Life. HAVE YOU SIGNED UP YET? Havurah Shalom’s future depends on you! Please SIGN UP HERE for an intimate, invigorating meeting about Havurah’s future. Meetings are scheduled for tonight in SW Portland, tomorrow night in SE Portland, and the coming Monday night in NE Portland. Click here for the addresses of the meetings. Sign up for a small group discussion in your neighborhood and meet the Havurahniks who live near you!
These small group discussions are not fundraising events but conversations about how to ensure Havurah Shalom’s long-term sustainability as a beautiful, vibrant Jewish community while remaining true to the egalitarian, respectful relationships that serve as our community’s foundation. The discussions will inform how we conduct our 'Give Back to the Future' endowment campaign. TIKKUN OLAM - REFUGEE UPDATES
The Hassan Family Moves In! The Hassan Family has moved into their new apartment in Gresham! Thanks to the numerous Havurah members who donated items for the apartment and to the awesome moving and setup crews! A special thanks to Carol Stampfer for letting us use her house to store stuff for longer than we expected, to Jay Moskowitz for taking care of renting and driving the moving truck, and to Rachel Oh for being the team leader and serving as the contact with the family and Catholic Charities. The photos above and below are of the Hassan Family and Havurah members at the Hassan's new home. You can see more photos here.
Eighth Annual Mother’s Day Vigil This annual vigil hosted by the Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice (IMIrJ) honors immigrant families and calls for an end to detentions and deportations. It will be held just outside the NW Detention Center (ICE) in Tacoma, WA, on Saturday, May 7, at 12:00 noon. Learn more about the vigil and carpool opportunities here. Another Opportunity for Cultural Navigator Training Over 15 Havurah members attended the first Cultural Navigator training last week. If you are interested in learning more, but weren’t able to attend the training, there is another opportunity on Thursday, May 12, from 5:30 – 8:30 pm at Catholic Charities, 2740 SE Powell Blvd (4th Floor, Training Room A&B). Please RSVP to Hannah McFarlane by May 10. Let Hannah know that you are with Havurah Shalom and ask her to send you the volunteer application and meeting information. Havurah Joins HIAS Welcome Campaign Havurah Shalom has signed on to the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) Welcome Campaign, though we might not be listed on the HIAS website yet. Along with congregations across the country, we have signed a statement in support of refugees and we are committed to engage our community in refugee issues. TIKKUN OLAM - PORTLAND HOMELESS FAMILY SOLUTIONS “… Jewish law (halakhah) attempts to guarantee housing stability. Though powerless to grant the Jewish people a permanent home, halakhah can at least help to assure individual members a stable place to live.” http://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/judaism-and-the-homeless PHFS Goose Hollow Havurah Volunteer Project News At the first of three PHFS Solutions Salons at the Goose Hollow Shelter, the keynote speaker was Israel Bayer, Executive Director of Street Roots, a passionate speaker. His own journey out of homelessness was aided by being a Street Roots vendor. About the vendor program: Over 120 active vendors buy and resell Street Roots in Portland. More than 20,000 newspapers are sold each month. Vendors purchase the paper for $0.25 and sell it for $1.00, keeping all profits and any tips. Street Roots vendors …
Some of the Street Roots vendors have been or are currently "guests" at Goose Hollow. Please consider supporting them with a purchase of the paper. Find a Street Roots vendor here. Goose Hollow Volunteer Orientations will be held May 9 & 25, from 5:00 to 6:00 pm, at Goose Hollow, 1838 SW Jefferson. Parking is available behind the church. For more information about Havurah's involvement with PHFS, contact Gloria Halper: losninos6@gmail.com. NEXT WEEK Women In Torah on Monday, 12:00 noon – Women In Torah is taught by Havurah member Alicia Jo Rabins. The May 9 class will focus on Ruth. You're welcome to take individual classes without signing up for the entire course. Learn more here. RSVP Deadline for Kabbalat Shabbat Dinner is Monday – May 9 is the deadline to register for the last Kabbalat Shabbat Dinner of the season, where we’ll celebrate our high school graduates. Register here. Talmud Lite on Tuesday, 12:10 pm – Talmud Lite is led by Rabbi Joey at a downtown location. The class is studying Berachot, the first tractate of Seder Zeraim. Please contact Rabbi Joey to learn more. Alter Rockers at Noble Rot on Tuesday – Due to space limits at Noble Rot, the Alter Rockers happy hour next Tuesday night is limited to 30 people – and we already have 30 RSVPs! If you would like to join future Alter Rockers events, and your email address isn’t already on the Alter Rockers list, please email Sarah Rosenberg. Wednesday Morning Minyan, 8:30 am – Join us for this short, focused minyan where you can also say Kaddish. CELEBRATING HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS AT KABBALAT SHABBAT
Kabbalat Shabbat We look forward to celebrating our high school seniors at our first post-Pesach Kabbalat Shabbat celebration on Friday, May 13. Rabbi Joey will lead the service, and inspiring music will be provided by Ilene Safyan, Scott Snyder, Steven Sandberg-Lewis, Chaim Wolin and John Duke. Childcare is available. We won’t have a Kabbalat Shabbat Service in June, so our May 13 service will be the last one of the season. Many thanks to all of the talented and generous musicians who have donated their time and talent to make our Kabbalat Shabbat music so wonderful throughout the year! Please join us for our May Kabbalat Shabbat Service, whether or not you can attend the 6:30 pm dinner before it. If you do plan to join us for dinner, though, RSVP by this Monday, May 9. The vegetarian meal includes dairy-free, gluten-free, and nut-free options. The above photo is from Wikimedia. SHABBAT SCHOOL SUMMIT Saturday, May 21 (RSVP by May 13) Kids will gather for special programming while parents discuss general Shabbat School topics. Then parents will meet in grade groups to plan summer activities and teaching for the upcoming year. At least one parent from each family should attend; two would be better if you have children in multiple grades. RSVP here by May 13 with the names of adults and children attending, as well as children’s ages. Childcare for children 0-5 years old is available with prior reservation. WHAT WE TALK ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ANNE FRANK
Book Discussion Group At the May session of Havurah's Book Discussion Group we will review What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank, a collection of short stories by Nathan Englander. Englander presents a range of eccentric, unforgettable characters, including pot-smoking Hasidim, geriatric vigilantes, tough Jewish kids in the suburbs, and two Israeli mothers who make a desperate bargain. Englander brings wit and wisdom to a variety of themes including desperation, sexual longing, innocence in the face of adversity, and the nature of evil. Register here. Above image is from manoflabook.com. SONG OF MIRIAM AWARDS BRUNCH Havurah is delighted to honor Susan Lazareck this year with the Song of Miriam award! Susan and her husband Jack have been a part of the Havurah community for 30 years, and Susan has worn many, many hats during this time. Read more about Susan here. If you would like to see Susan receive her award at the Song of Miriam Awards Brunch on Sunday, June 5, please use this form to register.
VOTE FOR HAVURAH LEADERS & COMMENT ON GOVERNANCE PROPOSAL Please click here to vote on the ballot of candidates nominated to serve as Officers and Steering Committee Members. At our Congregational Meeting in April, a proposal was made to change the Havurah governance structure. You can review the presentation for the new structure here on our website as well as make comments or recommendations until May 10. The plan is to vote in June on the governance structure, which will create new Steering Committee positions. The present slate of nominees includes officers for a two-year term AND several members who have agreed to extend their current terms on the Steering Committee until the new slate can be presented, reflecting the new structure. Thank you, Shelley Sobel and Debbi Nadell, Co-Presidents DUES NEWS If you haven’t finished paying your dues for 2015-16, please do so. Contact Karen Westerman at 503-236-6095 if you want to discuss dues with her. Every member must complete this form, even if you are not changing the amount of your dues commitment. For those who pay dues via automatic debit, the May debit will occur about a week late so we can compile the dues commitments. Thank you, Karen Westerman and Larry Reichman, Finance Committee Co-Chairs ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR RABBI THROUGH JUNE Based on information from all who participated in Havurah’s rabbi search survey and focus groups, Havurah Shalom has posted this job description on our website for the position of rabbi. Applications for the position will be accepted now through June 30, 2016. The new rabbi’s start date will be August 1, 2017. All inquiries about the job should be directed to Rabbi Joel Alpert, Director of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Placement Center. His contact number is 215-576-0800 ext 304. Please do not send resumes to the committee! Learn more and see the committee’s timeline here. |
