Hineinu, May 15, 2024

Annual Cemetery Beautification Day: May 19
1 pm to 3 pm, Sunday, May 19 – 5656 SW Humphrey Blvd., Portland, Oregon
(Click here for driving directions and public transportation options to get to Havurah's cemetery)
To beautify our cemetery, please bring garden implements and wear appropriate clothing. (Also from Havurah's Cemetery Committee, the committee is seeking stories; learn more here.)

Havurah Members: Join Our Annual Congregational Meeting on Sunday, June 2
10 am to noon, Sunday, June 2 – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Aleph
Please plan to join us—virtually or in person! All Havurah members in good standing are welcome to attend, participate, and vote on the budget. As is our custom, we will connect with each other through music, discussion, learning, and a little food for those attending in person. This event is for Havurah Shalom members only. Childcare will be provided at Havurah. RSVP

Jewish Women's Round Table Song of Miriam Brunch: Sunday, June 9 (Register by Mail)
10 am to noon, Sunday, June 9 – Mittleman Jewish Community Center (6651 SW Capitol Highway, Portland, Oregon)  [To enter the MJCC, bring photo ID and be ready for potential bag inspections.]
Join other Havurahniks at the Song of Miriam Brunch, sponsored by the Jewish Women's Round Table, to celebrate the contributions of Havurahnik Sarah Shine and 17 other stellar volunteers from the local Jewish community.
* Advanced registration and pre-payment are needed to join this brunch. Please print the registration form and mail the filled-out form—along with your check made out to the JWRT—to the the mailing address provided on the registration form. (Sorry, checks only; credit cards cannot be accepted.)
* Regular tickets cost $32 (or $34 after May 29). Children 12 or younger: $10. Patron/sponsor: $45.
Havurahniks, Adele Thompson is happy to answer your questions and tell you more about the Song of Miriam Brunch.

Save the Date: Shavuot - Celebrate the Giving of the Torah!
7 pm to 11 pm, Tuesday, June 11 – Havurah Shalom
Join us at Havurah for our Shavuot celebration: a night of noshing, music, and learning! Bring a dairy dessert, or some other sweet noshing, or just yourself! Keep an eye on the June 11 Tikkun Leyl Shavuot calendar event page for further details and updates.

Check Out the "Safety Corner," "More Tikkun Olam," and "Out in the Community" Sections of This Newsletter
Just scroll down further down in this issue of Hineinu, our weekly newsletter, to learn more. ​​This week, featured events in these sections include opportunities to become certified in the administration of Narcan to someone who is overdosing (one-hour training); a request for a car seat for an Afghan refugee family; an Eastside Jewish Commons musical gala; and more from the Burned Piano Project (including public concerts).

General Info

Thank you for following our COVID safety guidelines for in-person gatherings, which were updated on June 15, 2023. 

Contacting your fellow Havurah members: If a member's name is hyperlinked, you can go directly to their contact page in the directory by clicking on their name and then logging into your Havurah account. Or search in the online Havurah member directory (log into the website and go to the Contact tab). 

Zoom Room links can be found near the end of this email.

Regular Havurah Happenings

Weekly Torah Study​ 
9 am, Saturdays – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Bet
An in-depth look at the weekly Torah reading, led by congregants. No prior knowledge or study is necessary.

Shabbat Morning
10 am, Saturdays – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Aleph
All are welcome at our Shabbat services, including b'nei mitzvah services. Upcoming b'nei mitzvah (Nadine Luker, May 25) are listed below and in the website calendar. (There will be a Tot Shabbat from 10:30 am to 11:30 am on Saturday, June 1. RSVP)

Mahjong Group
1 pm, first and third Mondays – Havurah Shalom Library
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. To receive Mahjong Group updates, ask Leah to add you to the email list.

Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation
12 pm, Tuesdays – Havurah Shalom (Sanctuary or Library) and Zoom Room Bet
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 Ria de Neeve.

Morning Minyan
8:30 am, Wednesdays – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Aleph
For all who want a regular prayer practice and those saying Kaddish. All are welcome.

Upcoming Havurah Events

Annual Cemetery Beautification Day
1 pm to 3 pm, Sunday, May 19 – 5656 SW Humphrey Blvd., Portland, Oregon
(Click here for driving directions and public transportation options to get to Havurah's cemetery)
To beautify our cemetery, please bring garden implements and wear appropriate clothing.

Regular Monthly Meeting of Palestine Justice Working Group
7 pm to 8:30 pm, Sunday, May 19 (third Sundays) – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Bet
The agenda for our regular monthly meeting of the Palestine Justice Working Group will be distributed in advance on the listserv. If you are interested in being added to the listserv, please email David Lewis.

Fiddler on the Roof Sing-Along
7 pm to 8:30 pm, Monday, May 20 – Havurah Shalom
Join us at Havurah, with Barry Lavine accompanying on the piano! Sing-alongs are for everyone who enjoys singing to circle round and join voices together. No expertise is needed, just the desire to sing. Costumes optional! RSVP

Hakol Deadline for the June 2024 Hakol: Tuesday, May 21
The deadline for submissions to the June 2024 issue of our monthly newsletter, Hakol, is Tuesday, May 21, 2024. Havurah members: To read the submission guidelines and submit your short articles,  go to HavurahShalom.org > News > Submit News & Requests > Click on the Hakol Submission Form. Or click on this link to go directly to the Hakol submission form. Reach out to Tara Anderson (tara@havurahshalom.org), Havurah Participation and Publications Coordinator, if you have questions.

Teen Engagement Tikkun Olam Project
6 pm to 8:30 pm, Wednesday, May 22 – Havurah Shalom
Organized by the Teen Engagement and Poverty & Homelessness commitees, Havurah teens (7th to 12th grade) are invited to come to Havurah for a pizza dinner followed by social crafting time: making no-sew fleece blankets for recipients of services of Community Warehouse, a local furniture bank that provides donated furniture and household items to neighbors seeking the comfort and dignity of a furnished home while overcoming adversity. Making no-sew blankets is easy (see this 36-second video), and the process will be guided by Havurahnik Julie Hastings. Havurahnik parents/guardians of Havurah teens, RSVP by May 19. (Parents are welcome to drop off their teens or stay and schmooze.)

Shabbat Morning with Bat Mitzvah of Nadine Luker
10 am to 12 pm, Saturday, May 25 – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Aleph 
Please join us for Shabbat morning services, including welcoming Nadine Luker as a Bat Mitzvah and member of our community.

Memorial Day Office Closure
Monday, May 27
The Havurah office is closed on Monday, May 27 (Memorial Day).

Book Group Discussion: Whatever Happened to Antisemitism? By Anthony Lerman
7 pm to 8:30 pm, Tuesday, May 28 – Zoom Room Bet
The public, academics, journalists, activists and Jewish people themselves are divided over the meaning of antisemitism. Antony Lerman shows that this is a result of a 30-year process of redefinition of the phenomenon, casting Israel, problematically defined as the “persecuted collective Jew,” as one of its main targets. This political project has taken the notion of the “new antisemitism” and codified it in the flawed International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s “working definition” of antisemitism. This text is the glue holding together an international network comprising the Israeli government, pro-Israel advocacy groups, Zionist organizations, Jewish communal defense bodies and sympathetic governments fighting a war against those who would criticize Israel. The consequences of this redefinition have been to suppress free speech on Palestine/Israel, legitimize Islamophobic right-wing forces, and politicize principled opposition to antisemitism. Discussion led by Joel Beinin. Nonmembers welcome. RSVP for Zoom info.

Tot Shabbat
10:30 am to 11:30 am, Saturday, June 1 – Havurah Shalom
Young children (0-5) and parents celebrate with singing, movement, blessings, and storytelling. All are welcome. RSVP

Havurah's Congregational Meeting
10 am to 12 pm, Sunday, June 2  – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Aleph
Please plan to join us — virtually or in person! All members in good standing are welcome to attend, participate, and vote on the budget. As is our custom, we will connect with each other through music, discussion, learning, and a little food for those attending in person. This event is for Havurah Shalom members only. Childcare will be provided at Havurah. RSVP

Check-in Meeting of the Palestine Justice Working Group
7 pm, Sunday, June 2 (first Sundays) – Zoom Room Bet
In addition to our regular third Sunday meetings at Havurah and in Zoom Room Bet, we also meet on the first Sunday of the month, in Room Bet, for a Zoom check-in. If you are interested in being added to the listserv, please email David Lewis.

Steering Meeting
6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, Tuesday, June 4 – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Gimel
All Havurah Shalom members are invited to join for Steering Committee meetings. This hybrid Steering meeting is taking place a bit earlier in the month than usual due to the Shavuot holiday the following week. (Havurahniks: If you'd like to join via Zoom Room Gimel, log in to the website and then visit havurahshalom.org/zoom or call the office in advance for assistance, 503-248-4662.)

Safety Corner

Get Certified in Just an Hour to Administer Narcan to Someone Having an Overdose
9 am, Thursday, May 16 (RSVP) or 5 pm or Tuesday, May 21 (RSVP) — Zoom by RSVP
This Community NARCAN Training is a hands-on opportunity to learn about how substance use affects the Jewish community (spoiler: much, much more than you think it does, and yes - if you’re wondering, you definitely know someone at risk of overdose right now), to become certified in the use and application of NARCAN to reverse a drug overdose, and to encounter Jewish wisdom to inspire us as harm reduction ambassadors. Each participant can choose to receive a NARCAN kit upon completion of the training.

Countering Active Threat Training
7 pm, Monday, May 20 — Zoom by RSVP
We will learn best practices for how to counter an active threat at this training developed for faith-based institutions and houses of worship. Provided by Jessica Anderson of the Secure Community Network. RSVP

More Tikkun Olam 

Sanctuary Committee
Car Seat Needed for a Two-Year-Old
The two-year-old member of our Afghan family needs a new or gently-used car seat. It must meet safety standards. Please be in touch by email with Robbin Isaacson DeWeese. Thank you from the Afghan Family Support Group!

Havurah Shalom Tikkun Olam Partners:
Path Home (formerly PHFS): Volunteer for our monthly Path Home dinner | Interfaith Alliance on Poverty (IAP) | Lift UP | MACG | Jewish Coalition for Immigrant Justice NW ​​​​​​ | Rose Haven | Oregon Food Bank

Out in the Community

Music for the Jewish Soul: A Klezmer, Sephardic, & Eastern European Musical Gala
Sunday, May 19, 6:15 pm to 9 pm – Eastside Jewish Commons (2420 Northeast Sandy Boulevard)
This is a fundraiser for P'nai Or of Portland and a social event with fantastic music for all of Jewish Portland. Held at the EJC, this fancy gala will feature music by Michelle Alany and The Mystics, plus special guest Eric Stern. There will be appetizers and drinks, a silent auction. dancing, and schmoozing. Please wear fancy/dressy clothes! Ticket cost is on a sliding scale, $36-250 per person in advance ($40-250 at the door), and includes drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and appetizers. Attendance limited by the capacity of the space, so get your tickets early! Register here.

 

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.

Havurah Zoom Rooms​​​​​​​

To see our full Zoom room instructions, click here. Member sign-in required.