Racial Justice Committee Monthly Meeting
7 pm to 8:30 pm, Thursday, January 11 – Zoom Room Bet
Please join the racial justice committee at our monthly meeting as we plan for ways to educate ourselves and our community, and work towards partnering with groups in our broader community in an effort to achieve racial justice.
Rosh Ḥodesh Tov! Gender-Inclusive New Moon Ritual
7 pm to 8:15 pm, Thursday, January 11 (and recurring with each new moon) - Zoom Room Heh (for the January 11 gathering)
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. Gatherings take place monthly on or near the new moon of each Hebrew month a 7 pm, either on Zoom or in person - outdoors in inner North/East Portland - depending on seasonal shifts in the weather. Attend any or all sessions. RSVP to be updated on location and other details throughout the year. The Jan. 11 meeting will take place online, in Zoom Room Heh. RSVP to receive the Zoom link in a confirmation email. RSVP
Kabbalat Shabbat Celebration
6 pm Oneg; 6:30 pm Service; 7:30 pm Dinner, Friday, January 12 – Havurah Shalom (and also Zoom Room Aleph for the 6:30 pm service)
We hold Kabbalat Shabbat celebrations on the second Friday evening of each month from October through May: All are welcome at this family-friendly oneg followed by a service led by Rabbi Benjamin and Havurah musicians, with a registration-based dinner afterward.
Register for the dinner, while dinner slots are still available. (For the oneg and service only, no RSVP is needed.) Take a volunteer shift during the Kabbalat Shabbat Celebration.
Shabbat Morning with Bat Mitvah of Sophie Wice-Budner
10 am to 12 pm, Saturday, January 13 – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Aleph
Please join us for Shabbat morning services, including welcoming Sophie Wice-Budner as a Bat Mitzvah and member of our community.
Racial Justice Movie Event: I Am MLK Jr. (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)
3 pm to 6 pm, Monday, January 15 – Havurah Shalom
In celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Havurah Shalom will show the feature-length (1 hr 35 minutes) film I Am MLK Jr. The film tells the story of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the important beginnings of the Civil Rights movement. The movie will be shown at Havurah, followed by a discussion and food. Teenage members in particular, their families, and all other members are invited for this opportunity to connect our lives with the struggle for freedom and equality. Please RSVP by Friday, Jan. 12 so we can order sufficient pizza for everyone. RSVP
Let's Sing Songs of Peace and Justice (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)
7 pm to 8:30 pm, Monday, January 15 – Havurah Shalom
This is a time for anyone who enjoys singing to circle round and join voices together (no expertise needed, just the willingness to sing). We will make music in recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and our deep desire to see peace and justice honored in our world. RSVP
Havurah Office Closure: Administrative Holiday
The Havurah Shalom office will be closed on Monday, January 15 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Palestine Solidarity Letter-writing
6 pm to 8 pm, Thursday, January 18 – Havurah Shalom (in Room Pardes)
Hosted by the Palestine Justice work group and open to Havurah members, we will gather to write letters and emails to elected representatives in support of a ceasefire in Gaza. Bring a laptop, some stationary and envelopes, and pens. We'll discuss how to write effective letters. Questions? Contact Sally Goldman.
Hakol Deadline: Thursday, January 18
The deadline to submit materials for the upcoming month's Hakol newsletter is the third Thursday of the month. The deadline for the February 2024 issue of Hakol is Thursday, Janary 18. Havurahniks, click here to learn more about how to submit to Havurah's Hakol monthly newsletter.
MACG Leadership Trainings at Havurah Shalom
1 pm to 5 pm, Sunday January 21 and 1 pm to 5 pm, Sunday, January 28 – Havurah Shalom
These trainings are free for all members of Havurah Shalom, as Havurah is institutional partners with the Metropolitan Alliance for the Common Good (MACG). If you have participated in previous trainings, we invite you to be a table group facilitator at these sessions. Havurahnik Michael Heumann is happy to answer any questions you may have, and strongly encourages you to consider joining this MACG Leadership Institute series. Learn more and register here. (Again, Havurah Members: The $100 non-member fee does not apply to you, as Havurah Shalom is a MACG Institution.)
Special Multi-synagogue Torah Study Session
9 am, Saturday, January 20 – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Bet
An in-depth look at the weekly parsha; no prior knowledge or study is necessary. This is a wide-open discussion of the weekly parsha. All viewpoints are welcome as we try to draw lessons from the torah. On January 20, the usual weekly Torah study will be supplemented by a joint, multi-synagogue Torah study led by Havurah's Emily Simon. Members of Havurah will be joined by members of Emek Shalom in Ashland. We may even have some folks joining us from other parts of the country and maybe the world. These combined Torah study events have always been informative and a good way to build the Jewish community. Join us!
Tot Shabbat
10:30 am to 11:30 am, Saturday, January 20 – Havurah Shalom
Young children (0-5) and parents celebrate with singing, movement, blessings, and storytelling. All are welcome. RSVP
Parenting Huddle - Tough Questions Jews Ask: Israel
3:10 pm to 4:30 pm, Saturday, January 20 – Havurah Shalom
Explore real-life questions that we face as parents, with some guidance from our Jewish texts and values, and each other. With Deborah Eisenbach-Budner, a discussion about Israel.
Tu B'Shvat Seder
1 pm to 3 pm, Sunday, January 21 – Tryon Life Farm (and Tryon Creek State Park vistor's center for hike) - RSVP for seder, as space is limited.
This year, HCAT (Havurah Climate Action Team) invites our community to celebrate Tu B' Shevat for a family friendly seder at Tryon Life Farm. We'll hike from Tryon State Park visitors center to the farm where we will hold the seder before hiking back to the park. The hike is about 20-30 minutes one way and includes a slope down to the creek and up to the farm. For those unable to hike a slope, limited parking is available at the farm and off of Boones Ferry Rd at the entrance to the farm. The farm is rugged and not wheelchair accessible. Space is limited at the seder; please learn more and RSVP.
Havurah Climate Action Team (HCAT) Monthly Meeting
5:30 pm, Monday, January 22 – Zoom Room Gimel
Join the Climate Action Team's monthly meeting. Special HCAT Note: Jewish Earth Alliance is sponsoring a Lobbying Day, by Zoom, for the holiday of Tu B’Shevat. Havurah’s Climate Action Team (HCAT) will be meeting with Senators Merkley and Wyden’s staff in late January, early February. We’ll have a practice session before the actual meeting, where everyone will be assigned a role: timekeeper, note taker, making the “ask,” listener, etc. If you'd would like to join us, or have questions about it, email Harriet Cooke (use the email subject: JEA Tu B'Shevat Event).
Havurah Book Group: The Best Strangers in the World
7 pm to 8:30 pm, Tuesday, January 23 – Zoom Room Bet
From the beloved host of NPR's All Things Considered, a stirring memoir-in-essays that is also a love letter to journalism. Nonfiction. 256 pages. In his first book, broadcaster Ari Shapiro takes us around the globe to reveal the stories behind narratives that are sometimes heartwarming, sometimes heartbreaking, but always poignant. He details his time traveling on Air Force One with President Obama, or following the path of Syrian refugees fleeing war, or learning from those fighting for social justice both at home and abroad. As the self-reinforcing bubbles we live in become more impenetrable, Ari Shapiro keeps seeking ways to help people listen to one another; to find connection and commonality with those who may seem different; to remind us that, before religion, or nationality, or politics, we are all human. The Best Strangers in the World is a testament to one journalist’s passion for Considering All Things—and sharing what he finds with the rest of us. Discussion led by Beth Kaye. Nonmembers welcome. RSVP for Zoom info.
Tu B'Shvat
Tu B'Shvat begins at sundown on Wednesday, January 24 and ends at nightfall on Thursday, January 25.
Shabbat Morning with Banot Mitvah of Ellora Thornley and Stella Reid
10 am to 12 pm, Saturday, January 27– Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Aleph
Please join us for Shabbat morning services, including welcoming Ellora Thornley and Stella Reid as a Banot Mitzvah and members of our community.
Teen Dance Party and Ice Cream Social
7 pm to 9:30 pm, Saturday, January 27 – Havurah Shalom
Havurah Teens (Grades 7-12), come join us for a fun evening of dancing, gaga (in our new portable gaga pit), games and ice cream sundaes. Teens, bring your clean playlist to play your favorites. Parents can stay to talk with other teen parents in a separate area or just drop your teen off. RSVP
Healing the Heart, Soothing the Soul
Thursdays, February 1 to March 14 – Zoom Room Dalet
The Havurah Ma'avar Committee is offering a seven-week grief process support group for Havurah members. Chaplain Candi Wuhrman will facilitate this online group with a focus on the dying experience, the impact of the relationship, the things unsaid, making peace within ourselves, forgiveness, and continuing the relationship after death. The group is open to Havurah members at any stage and with any type of grief. The group will be limited to eight participants, and participants are strongly encouraged to attend all sessions. Questions? Contact Chaplain Candi Wuhrman. RSVP
Ceramic Seder Plate Workshop
6:30 pm to 8 pm, Thursdays, February 1 to February 22 – Havurah Shalom
We will look at traditional seder plates from cultures around the world and learn the meanings of their different elements, as well as about new traditions that have become significant in recent years. We'll then design and hand-build a seder plate using additive and subtractive techniques. While you may already have a seder plate, you are welcome to create a gift or create a seder plate that incorporates elements that are meaningful to you and your family. Led by Anna Mafchir. RSVP
