Help Wanted for an Adar Photo Treat
Do you know a little Publisher or Illustrator? The office has received so many photos that we need help putting them together in an attractive PDF to share with the community. Volunteers can come in and use a computer if you don’t have the software. We are excited to put out a post-Purim Mishloach Manot treat for everybody! Please contact Rachel.
Zoom Room links can be found near the end of this email.
Weekly Torah Study 9 am, Saturdays — Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Bet
An in-depth look at the weekly parsha, led by congregants. No prior knowledge or study is necessary. Join Havurah for a community-led study session of the weekly Torah reading at 9 am before each Community Minyan service.
Shabbat Morning Service Saturdays, 10 am, Zoom Room Alef & 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, In Person & Zoom Room Bet with some exceptions (check the calendar)
We gather 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, Nancy Becker, or Deborah Eisenbach-Budner.
Kabbalat Shabbat Service and Dinner Second Fridays, 6:00 - 8:30 PM, Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Aleph
All are welcome as we gather to bring in Shabbat.
These monthly celebrations are held on the second Friday, from October through May. A light, pre-service oneg will be followed by a spirited, all-ages service led by Rabbi Benjamin and Havurah musicians, with dinner afterward for those who wish to stay.
6 pm Light Snack
6:30 Service (Join us remotely in Zoom Room Aleph)
7:30 Dinner
Morning Minyan Wednesdays, 8:30 am, Zoom Room Aleph & In Person
For all who want a regular prayer practice and those saying Kaddish.
Mahjong Group 1 pm, first and third Mondays — Havurah Shalom Library (to receive updates and changes, contact Leah Hershey to be put on the email list)
Mahjong is a fun, social activity that builds community, encouraging new friendships and cementing old ones. If you want to learn how to play, please contact Leah Hershey for teaching resources. If you are ready to join a game, please RSVP on the calendar .
Book Study: Finding The Mother Tree, Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest 5:30 pm, first and third Mondays — Zoom Room Bet
We’ll meet the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month, until we finish Suzanne Simard's inspiring and illuminating exploration of the complex, interdependent world of trees. Join us whenever you can. For information, contact Michael Heumann, Havurah Climate Action Team. RSVP here
Upcoming Events
Sanctuary Committee and Temporary Housing Needed for Asylum Seekers 7 pm, Thursday, March 16 — Zoom Room Dalet
At our next Sanctuary Committee meeting, one agenda item will cover the escalating needs for temporary housing for hundreds of recently-arrived asylum-seekers in Portland. Natalie Lerner and KellyAnn Cameron will share their experiences and opportunities for Havurah members to get involved. You can also learn more by emailing Natalie.
The Conversation Project and Advanced Directives 7 pm, Thursday, March 16 — Havurah Shalom
The Conversation Project focuses on learning and considering the types of healthcare decisions that may need to be made in a medical crisis and/or at the end-of-life, and most importantly having conversations with your loved ones and your healthcare provider about your preferences. Our first meeting will focus on types of health decisions and preparing to have a conversation with your loved ones. The second meeting will focus on writing your own Advance Directive. Sessions will be led by Ericka Kimball, PhD, LCSW and Karen Erde, MD. RSVP
Family Shabbat 10:30 am, Saturday, March 18 — Havurah and Zoom Room Aleph
Fabulous morning of singing, storytelling, and Torah learning. Especially for families with youth in Grades K-6. All are welcome.
Havurah 101 7 pm, Tuesday, March 21 in Zoom Room Bet (RSVP)
Join members of the Leadership Development Committee for a chance to learn about Havurah's governance structure and history. We look forward to helping you better understand our unique community and the ways we are all able to support each other in our participatory culture. All members are welcome to join us!
Tot Shabbat 10:30 am, Saturday, March 25 — Havurah Shalom
Young children (0-5) and parents celebrate with singing, movement, blessings, and storytelling.
Book Group: A Girl is a Body of Water by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi 7 pm, Tuesday, March 28 — Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Bet
Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi sets her blazing new novel, “A Girl Is a Body of Water,” in the conflicted nation of her adolescence: 1970s Uganda, under the brutal rule of dictator Idi Amin. In her twelfth year, Kirabo, a young Ugandan girl, confronts a piercing question that has haunted her childhood: who is my mother? Discussion led by David Newman. Nonmembers welcome. RSVP
Introduction to the Joint Memorial 7 pm, Sunday, April 2 — Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Bet
Joined by Rabbi Benjamin, we will discuss the background for the Join Israeli and Palestinian Memorial and the impact of the current Israeli government on the organizers, followed by poetry readings, small group discussions, and final words and song by Rabbi Benjamin. Refreshments will be provided after the meeting. Learn more and register for the Joint Memorial livestream and recording. RSVP
Tikkun Olam
The Interfaith Alliance on Poverty
Havurah Shalom has been a partner member of the Interfaith Alliance on Poverty for several years through the Poverty and Homelessness committee of Tikkun Olam. The IAP provides education and advocacy to help people overcome obstacles that make rising out of poverty difficult. This is done at both the local and state level through actions that include letter writing, making public comment and testimony, attending city meetings and legislative hearings and informing member congregations of our actions for their own advocacy.
The IAP’s has a virtual meetings on the first Thursday of the month are open to all. The agenda for these meetings is published in Hineinu and includes the registration link. You can also go directly to the IAP website and sign up to receive their newsletter and the email to directly pre-register for the First Thursday meetings
Volunteer ESL Teachers Needed!
For more than three years, Havurah members volunteered teaching English at the Ortiz Center in the Cully Neighborhood; we taught people who are immigrants and refugees and we were just as excited as they were for this opportunity. Then Covid shut the class down. We'd like to start up again but we need at least three volunteers. We will likely meet weekly on Thursdays, possibly morning, for two hours. Please contact Judi Kloper for more information. (And you don't have to be a teacher to volunteer!)
Israel’s Minister of Justice introduced a legislative package that would overhaul Israel’s judicial system, sparking widespread protests and acts of military refusal.
This article can help explain the Judicial Reform initiative as well as lead you to various pieces of analyses.
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 Zoom Rooms
Room Alef
PC/Mac/Smartphone: Click here to join.
Note for all devices: You can also open your Zoom app first, click “Join a Meeting” then enter meeting ID 604560503 and "call via device audio." The passcode is 5472.
Cell/Landline: Dial +1 669-900-6833 and enter meeting ID 604560503.
Room Bet
PC/Mac/Smartphone: Click here to join.
Note for all devices: You can also open your Zoom app first, click “Join a Meeting” then enter meeting ID 291215092 and "call via device audio." The passcode is 5472.
Cell/Landline: Dial +1 669-900-6833 and enter meeting ID 291215092.
Room Gimel
PC/Mac/Smartphone: Click here to join.
Note for all devices: You can also open your Zoom app first, click “Join a Meeting” then enter meeting ID 502586440 and "call via device audio." The passcode is 5472.
Cell/Landline: Dial +1 669-900-6833 and enter meeting ID 502586440.
Room Dalet
PC/Mac/Smartphone:Click here to join.
Note for all devices: You can also open your Zoom app first, click “Join a Meeting” then enter meeting ID 472484392 and "call via device audio." The passcode is 5472.
Cell/Landline: Dial +1 669-900-6833 and enter meeting ID 472484392.
Room Heh
PC/Mac/Smartphone:Click hereto join.
Note for all devices: You can also open your Zoom app first, click “Join a Meeting” then enter meeting ID 87852542099 and "call via device audio." The passcode is 5472.
Cell/Landline: Dial +1 669-900-6833 and enter meeting ID 87852542099.
To see our full Zoom room instructions, click here. Member sign-in required.
(ZM) Havurah's Climate Action Team (HCAT) Meeting Monday, Oct 27th 5:00p to 6:30p Havurah members, join the next monthly meeting of Havurah's Climate Action Team (HCAT) in Zoom Room Gimel, from 5 pm to 6:30 pm. ***For Havurah members who are not already on HCAT, RSVP/register to be emailed the agenda for our next meeting when it's ready. You don't have to commit to attending all the meetings listed.*** Questions? Contact Elianne Lieberman or Marianna Grossman.
(ZM) Cohort D of Coming Home to Solidarity Tuesday, Oct 28th 11:30a to 1:30p What is Coming Home to Solidarity? Coming Home to Solidarity is a workshop designed to help us create a culture and community where all members freely show up as their authentic selves; where all are valued, appreciated, and have a sense of belonging. The workshop is an opportunity for white-bodied or white-identifying congregants to come together in a supportive and caring environment to reflect, learn and unlearn, heal from the ways we have been impacted by white supremacy, and start to recognize new possibilities for taking action. Havurahniks, click to learn more and RSVP.
(IP) Torah and Film: Ecclesiastes and Groundhog Day (1993) Tuesday, Oct 28th 5:00p to 9:00p What is the meaning of life, especially when you're living the same day over and over? In this two-part class, we’ll explore the themes of futility, impermanence, and transformation in the book Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) alongside the 1993 film Groundhog Day. Led by Rabbinic Intern Noah Lind.
(ZM) Book Group: "Enter Ghost" by Isabella Hammad Tuesday, Oct 28th 7:00p to 8:15p (Note that the October 2025 book to be discussed is now "Enter Ghost" by Isabella Hammad. Joel Beinin will lead the discussion.) The Havurah Book Group is a venue for discussion of complex, controversial issues. We encourage members to engage one another through sharing ideas and knowledge. Books chosen by the group are discussed in monthly meetings. Members come to discussions that interest them.
(IP) B'nei Mitzvah Cohort Wednesday, Oct 29th 6:30p to 8:30p Youths being called to the Torah will build community and ask, “What does being Jewish and becoming bar, bat, or b’nei mitzvah mean to me?” Led by Rabbi Benjamin.
