Rabbi Joey: One of America's Most Inspiring Rabbis, Lost Boys of Portland, Pride Parade

• Forward Chooses Rabbi Joey as One of America's Most Inspiring Rabbis
• Upcoming Shabbat — Community Minyan, Shabbat School Summit
• Next Week — Tuesday Talmud Lite, Tuesday Book Discussion, Wednesday Morning Minyan, Wednesday Hakol Mailing, Thursday Sara Glasgow Cogan Memorial Lecture
• Last Week Thanks & Photos — Shabbat & Women In Torah
• Tikkun Olam — Portland Homeless Family Solutions, Micasa Information Session, Shift in Lift
• Add Your Voice to Our Future — And Meet Your Havurah Neighbors Too
• Reconstructionism Today
• Coming Soon in June — Mom's Demand Action Rally, Song of Miriam Awards Brunch, Lost Boys of Portland, Memoir Readings from a Jewish Perspective, Pride Parade
• Coming in July - Let's Take a Deep Breath on BDS, Portland Thorns vs Seattle Reign
• Accepting Applications for Rabbi through June

RABBI JOEY IS CHOSEN ONE OF AMERICA'S MOST INSPIRING RABBIS

Our very own Rabbi Joey has been chosen by Forward as one of America's 32 most inspiring rabbis!

Photo of Rabbi Joey taken by Barbara Gundle

The following excerpt is from Jane Eisner's front-page story in Forward:

... Once again, our annual call for readers to nominate their most inspiring rabbis has brought hundreds of stories to our attention, from all over the country, across all denominations and traditions. Clearly, American Jews crave spiritual leadership, whether it comes from a young, innovative, recent seminary graduate, or an older rabbi who has shepherded his congregation for decades. What binds these stories is powerful gratitude for human connection. ...

Read. Share. Honor. Be inspired. And be grateful to live at a time when so many men and women are devoted to the best in Jewish life.

The following is Beth Hamon's description of Rabbi Joey in Forward:

UPCOMING SHABBAT

Community Minyan
Saturday, May 21
10:00 am to 12:00 noon
Havurah Shalom

In this week's Torah portion Emor (which means "Speak"), we will continue last week's exploration of holiness, focusing on the holiness of the festivals of Shabbat, Passover, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret. Please join us!

Shabbat School Summit
Saturday, May 21
3:00 to 5:00 pm
Havurah Shalom

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.

NEXT WEEK

One of the stories in the book to be discussed next Tuesday involves an unusually challenging relationship between two women settlers. Above photo is from Wikimedia.

Talmud Lite, Tuesday, May 24, 12:10 to 1:00 pm, Downtown - Talmud Lite is led by Rabbi Joey. The group is currently studying a section from Tractate Brachot, which grapples with the ordering for familiar rituals, such as Kiddush and Havdalah and the washing of the hands – and how we lend structure to the passage of sacred time. We study with the English translation and no previous knowledge is required. Questions? Contact Rabbi Joey.

Book Discussion, Tuesday, May 24, 7:00 pm, Havurah – Havurah's Book Group will discuss What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank, a collection of short stories by Nathan Englander. 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. Please RSVP here if you can come!

Wednesday Morning Minyan, May 25, 8:30 am, Havurah – Join us for this short, focused minyan where you can also say Kaddish.

Wednesday, May 25, 9:00 am, Hakol Mailing, Havurah – If you can join this lively team of Havurah mailers, please email Rachel.

Thursday, May 26, 7:00 pm, Ayelet Waldman, PSU Lincoln Performance Hall – The Sara Glasgow Cogan Memorial Scholarship & Lectures will feature Ayelet Waldman, speaking on "There's No Businss Like Shoah Business: Why Would a Typical Jewish American Princess Be So Obsessed With Her People's Greatest Tragedy?" Read more here.

LAST WEEK PHOTOS & THANKS

Mazel tov to the high school seniors pictured here on our Facebook page, who were honored at our Friday night Kabbalat Shabbat Service. And thank you to our talented Havurah musicians who have given generously of their time and talent to provide beautiful music for us to welcome in Shabbat throughout the year.

Photo of last Friday's Kabbalat Shabbat

Many thanks to all who made last Saturday's Community Minyan engaging, musical and meaningful, and to Alicia Jo Rabins, who inspired many Havurah women through her Women In Torah course. Determined to continue the bond that developed during her class, many of Alicia's students plan to continue meeting regularly for intergenerational study and sharing.

PORTLAND HOMELESS FAMILY SOLUTIONS (PHFS) – HAVURAH'S DIRECT SERVICE AT GOOSE HOLLOW SHELTER

Don't miss your last chance to engage in a discussion on the current homeless state of emergency at our Solution Salon.

Featured Guest: Justin Buri,
Executive Director for Community Alliance of Tenants
Monday, May 23
12:00 to 1:15 pm
Goose Hollow Family Shelter
1838 SW Jefferson, Portland

Free. Lunch will be provided. RSVPs are required as space is limited to 25 people per session. RSVP to emma@pdxhfs.org or 503-504-5902.

Next Goose Hollow Orientation: May 25, 5:00 to 6:00 pm at Goose Hollow (address above). Interested or have questions? Contact Gloria Halper.

MICASA INFORMATION SESSION

Sunday, June 12
6:30 pm
Havurah Shalom

Erika, an unaccompanied child seeking asylum, fled violence in Central America. Until last month, when she turned 18, Erika was supported by Morrison Center's Micasa program, which works with Central American refugees. Now that she has aged out of Micasa’s program, she will no longer receive support them. Erika’s current foster family will support her until the beginning of August. After that, she will need a home until her asylum case is resolved. If no one offers her a home, Erika could be sent to the Tacoma Detention Center. We hope that our community can find resources to support Micasa graduates such as Erika and keep them out of the detention center, which is essentially a privately run prison.

In partnership with the Morrison Center and the Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice, we have identified volunteer opportunities working with unaccompanied children. Read more here.

A SHIFT IN LIFT

Instead of leaving in-kind donations in a Lift Urban Portland bin near our front door, we plan to help Lift purchase the food from the Oregon Food Bank that they need most. Many thanks to all of you who have made donations using the Lift Urban Portland bin over the years! Watch this weekly email for updates about how you can continue to support Lift Urban Portland.

ADD YOUR VOICE TO OUR FUTURE!

Havurah Shalom’s future depends on you! Please SIGN UP HERE for an intimate, invigorating meeting about Havurah’s future. Meetings will be held tomorrow night in NW Portland, this Sunday in SE Portland, and next Thursday 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.

Click here to hear your fellow Havurahniks explain why they want to Give Back to the Future!

RECONSTRUCTIONISM TODAY

Read the latest issue of Reconstructionism Today here. You can subscribe to the newsletter using the link in the upper left corner of the newsletter.

MOMS DEMAND ACTION RALLY

Please Wear Orange!
Thursday, June 2
7:00 pm
First Unitarian Church
1211 SW Main St, Portland

The evening will commemorate Hadiyah Pendleton and all the other young people who have tragically lost their lives to gun violence. Those gathered will proceed to the Morrison Bridge, which will be illuminated in orange light.

SONG OF MIRIAM AWARDS BRUNCH

Sunday, June 5
10:00 am to 12:15 pm
Mittleman Jewish Community Center

Photo of Susan Lazareck taken by Donna Kleinman

Havurah is excited 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.

CONGREGATIONAL MEETING

Sunday, June 5
1:00 to 3:00 pm
Havurah Shalom

At our April 17 Congregational Meeting, we learned about the Gesher (Governance and Staffing Recommendations) team recommendations. The Gesher team was charged to consider and propose a new governance structure and operational framework to help Havurah carry forward our strategic plan and meet the needs and goals of our congregational community.

The Gesher team's data gathering completed earlier this year identified issues around the manageability of volunteer leadership roles, confusion about our decision-making structure, and the need to focus the Steering Committee on policy and strategy issues vs. operational ones. The team decided to follow the framework in Havurah's Long Range Plan and to concentrate Havurah’s organizational structure on these focus areas – Kehillah (Community), Avodah (Spiritual Life), Limud (Lifelong Learning), Hadracha (Governance) and Tikkun Olam.

Read more and submit your comments here.

LOST BOYS OF PORTLAND VIEWING

Tuesday, June 7
7:00 pm
Revolution Hall
1300 SE Stark St, Portland

Outside the Frame presents "The Lost Boys of Portlandia," a new documentary featuring the real lost children of Portland. In a riff on Peter Pan, homeless youth debate if and how to return to mainstream society while creating their own film version of the iconic story. The evening will include original film shorts by homeless youth and a Q&A with the filmmakers. Reserve your FREE ticket at otfpdx.bpt.me.

This event is sponsored by Havurah Shalom. Outside the Frame, directed by former Havurah High School Teacher Nili Yosha, offers film workshops to marginalized youth and video production services to organizations that need a voice. Preview the film here.

MEMOIR READINGS FROM A JEWISH PERSPECTIVE

Friday, June 10
7:00 to 9:00 pm
Havurah Shalom

Join us for an engaging evening of memoir readings by students of Rob Freedman’s workshop, "Memoir Writing from a Jewish Perspective." Each year this eight-week workshop helps participants to discover the stories they want to write and share. The emphasis is on those experiences that are uniquely Jewish in nature, reflective of our culture and identity – whether the writers are Jews by birth or by choice, or among the still perplexed.

The evening will include a short Kabbalat Shabbat service and will be followed by a potluck dessert oneg. If you plan to attend the evening service and reading, please RSVP here by June 6.

Photo from Wikimedia

PRIDE PARADE - MARCH WITH HAVURAH ON SUNDAY, JUNE 19

Why will you march with Havurah this year? Is it because:

• You are a strong advocate for human rights?
• You like to have a good time?
• You believe that Jews need to be represented along with all those who stand for freedom?
• You love to see all the fun, colorful outfits?
• You want to connect with other Havurahniks and get some exercise?
• You are LBGTQIAA (lesbian, bisexual, gay, transgendered, queer, intersexed, asexual, an ally)?

Whatever your reason, come and march with us at Pride. The parade leaves W Burnside and NW Park at 11:00 am. (Our actual "step off" time will be known the week of the parade.) It’s a flat, 1.5-mile walk ending at the Pride Festival, at the waterfront.

Please RSVP here. For more information, contact Sandy Ramirez.

- Evan King

LET'S TAKE A DEEP BREATH ON BDS

Mitchell Plitnick
Thursday, July 21
7:00 to 8:30 pm
Havurah Shalom
Sponsored by J-Street & Havurah Shalom

Mitchell Plitnick is the vice president of the Foundation for Middle East Peace. Previously, he was Director of the US Office of B’Tselem: The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories (2008-2010) and Director of Education and Policy for Jewish Voice for Peace (2002-2008).

His writing has appeared in Ha’aretz, the New Republic, the Jordan Times, Middle East Report, the San Francisco Chronicle, +972 Magazine, Outlook, and other outlets. He was a columnist for Tikkun Magazine, Zeek Magazine and Souciant. He has spoken across the country on Middle East politics, and regularly offers commentary through a wide range of radio and television outlets including PBS News Hour, the O’Reilly Factor and CNBC Asia.

PORTLAND THORNS VS SEATTLE REIGN

Saturday, July 30
6:30 pm – Gather to buy your dinner and eat together
7:30 pm – Game begins
Providence Park

Join us at Providence Park as the Portland Thorns take on the Seattle Reign. We have our own Havurah section reserved on the south end of the field. Get Fired Up! Pick up your family’s dinner and make new Havurah friends as you watch the Thorns and contribute to your favorite synagogue!

Adults - $54
Kids under 13 - $36
Adults receive $5 in Timbers bucks at the stadium.

DON’T WAIT – We sold out all of our seats last year and are limited to 60 Thorns fans for the game. Click here to reserve your seats.

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.