Be sure to submit your completed dues renewal form by Sunday, June 30.
Have questions about your dues? Contact Havurah's Finance Manager, Shari Raider, at shari.raider@havurahshalom.org.
Barry Sutton Burial: Service Scheduled for 2:30 pm 2:30 pm to 3 pm, Wednesday, June 26 – Havurah Cemetery (5656 SW Humphrey Blvd, Portland, Oregon - directions) Barry Sutton's cremains will be buried in Havurah's Cemetery. Barry, a regular Havurah Shalom participant for over 30 years, died September 24, 2023, Erev Yom Kippur. His life was celebrated on November 16 by over 200 people from religious communities across Portland. This is Barry's story, as told by the Oregonian's Tom Hallman.
Havurah's Pride Shabbat in the Park 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm (6:30 pm Service, 7:30 pm Potluck Dinner), Friday, July 19 – Columbia Park (4503 N. Lombard Street) Celebrate queer and Jewish joy with a special Kabbalat Shabbat service at Columbia Park! Led by Rabbi Benjamin and Havurah musicians. We’ll enjoy a potluck dinner together afterward. Beverages will be provided. BYOB. RSVP & Learn More | Sign Up to Bring Food | Sign Up to Help Out Questions? Email Maggie Weller and Percy Wise.
Havurahniks, Want to Enhance our Safety? Scroll down to the recurring "Safety Corner" section in our weekly Hineinu newsletter to learn about upcoming opportunities. This week, featured upcoming safety training opportunities (all on Zoom) include a situational awareness training on July 2 - RSVP; a training on countering active threats on July 17 - RSVP; and a Narcan-administration training (for drug overdose reversal) on July 24 - RSVP.
General Info
Thank you for following ourCOVID 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. All viewpoints are welcome as we try to draw lessons from our holy books. 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 (Noa Isabel Zaragoza, July 6) are listed belowand in the website calendar. 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, pleaseRSVP 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
It's Dues Rewewal Time: Havurahniks, Please Make Your Dues Commitments for 2024-2025 by Sunday, June 30! Click here to fill out and submit your member dues renewal form for 2024-2025. Do you have questions about your dues? Reach out to Havurah Shalom's Finance Manager, Shari Raider, at shari.raider@havurahshalom.org.
Office Closure: Fourth of July Thursday, July 4 The Havurah office is closed for the Fourth of July.
Shabbat Morning with Bat Mitzvah of Noa Isabel Zaragoza 10 am to 12 pm, Saturday, July 6 – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Aleph Please join us for Shabbat morning services, including welcoming Noa Isabel Zaragoza as a Bat Mitzvah and member of our community.
Rosh Ḥodesh Tov! Gender-Inclusive New Moon Ritual 7 pm to 8:15 pm, Sunday, July 7 – In Person or Zoom Room Heh (to be announced) Our gender-inclusive New Moon group celebrates each Rosh Ḥodesh with learning and ancient and contemporary ritual. Everyone is invited to connect with our closest heavenly body, the Moon. Gatherings take place on or near the new moon of each Hebrew month. Attend any or all sessions. RSVP to be updated on the location and other details throughout the year.
Teen Engagement Committee Meeting 7 pm, Monday, July 8 – Zoom Room Bet Monthly meeting for the Teen Engagement Committee leadership. Havurah teens and their parents are welcome.
Steering Meeting 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, Tuesday, July 9 – Zoom Room Gimel All Havurah Shalom members are invited to join for Steering Committee meetings. (Havurahniks: If you'd like to join, log in to the website and then visit havurahshalom.org/zoom or call the office in advance for assistance, 503-248-4662.)
Healing the Heart, Soothing the Soul 5:30 pm to 7 pm, Thursdays, July 11 to August 15 – Zoom Room Dalet The Havurah Ma’avar Committee is offering a six-week grief process-support group for Havurah members in any stage of grief. Chaplain Candi Wuhrman will facilitate the 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. (This group will be limited to eight participants.) RSVP Havurah's Pride Shabbat in the Park 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm (6:30 pm Service, 7:30 pm Potluck Dinner), Friday, July 19 – Columbia Park (4503 N. Lombard Street) Celebrate queer and Jewish joy with a special Kabbalat Shabbat service at Columbia Park! Led by Rabbi Benjamin and Havurah musicians. We’ll enjoy a potluck dinner together afterward. Beverages will be provided. BYOB. RSVP & Learn More | Sign Up to Bring Food | Sign Up to Help Out Questions? Email Maggie Weller and Percy Wise.
Safety Corner
BeAware: Introduction to Situational Awareness 7 pm, Tuesday, July 2 — Zoom by RSVP Learn observation skills and best-practice techniques to recognize and react to various situations in your everyday life – from going to synagogue and dropping off children at school, to going to the gas station or an ATM. It will help you protect yourself, your family, and your community. RSVP
Countering Active Threat Training Session 7 pm, Wednesday, July 17 — Zoom by RSVP Learn how to counter an active threat event in this hourlong training developed for faith-based institutions and houses of worship. Provided by Jessica Anderson of the Secure Community Network. RSVP
Get Certified to Administer Narcan to Someone Having an Overdose 9 am, Wednesday, July 24 — 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. RSVP
High Schooler Opportunity: 2024-2025 Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation Now Accepting Applications Early bird registration ends Sunday, June 30 From OJCYF: The Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation (OJCYF) is a program of the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation (OJCF), designed to encourage a lifelong passion for Jewish philanthropy, leadership, and community. Through OJCYF, high school students develop a deep understanding of the importance and operations of nonprofit organizations. OJCYF students evaluate local Jewish and secular organizations through site visits as well as plan and lead a fundraising event. Last year's participants granted over $66,000! Learn More | Apply
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.
Daily Shofar Blast Sunday, Sep 14th (All day) Hear the Sound of the Shofar each day of Elul (except Shabbat): Andrine, Diane & Howard (& sometimes Dominic & Wesley) help prepare us for Rosh Hashanah with shofar, deep thoughts, and a touch of kavanah (intention). Videos will be posted daily on Havurah's YouTube and Facebook pages.
(ZM) Climate Change Book Group Slow Reading of "Not Too Late" Tuesday, Sep 16th 5:30p to 6:30p All are welcome! Havurah members and non-members alike are invited to join us in this slow, section-by-section reading of "Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Story from Despair to Possibility." Click and RSVP. Attend any or all of these HCAT (Havurah's Climate Action Team) Book Group discussions about "Not Too Late."
(ZM) Story Turning: Harvesting Joy in the Past Tuesday, Sep 16th 7:00p to 8:15p Teshuvah is the ongoing process of Turning and Returning. Using brief, simple, playful forms: sound, movement, story, stillness—which EVERYONE can do—we'll discover and shape our own tales of transformation and renewal.
Together we’ll play with a few classic Jewish tales and find our own voices, visions, ancestors, light, and revelations. This is not a performance class. No experience is required, just a willingness to be curious and a little silly.
Led by Cassandra Sagan, a twice-ordained Maggid (Jewish storyteller/teacher), and a lifetime creative process/poetry/arts educator.
(IP) My Soul Thirsts for You: Elul Watercolor Workshop Wednesday, Sep 17th 7:00p to 8:15p Elul opens the gates of return. It’s a time when we are invited to soften, reflect, and seek out closeness with the Divine. In this workshop we'll explore watercolor, which is an especially effective medium for holding and expressing emotion. Our learning will center on the 13 Attributes, a sacred text recited throughout the High Holiday season, as we invite in qualities of compassion, honesty, and patience. No art experience needed, just a willingness to experiment and be present. All materials provided. Led by Noah Lind, Rabbinic Intern.
Hakol Deadline is Thursday, September 18 Thursday, Sep 18th (All day) Havurah members, click to learn how to submit your contributions to our monthly newsletter, Hakol.
(HYB) Torah Study for the High Holy Days Thursday, Sep 18th 7:00p to 8:30p During the High Holy Days we read four sections of the Torah. This series of study sessions will give us an opportunity to read the texts and explore their meanings. We will look at what our teachers before us thought of the readings, as well as investigate modern commentators. We also will come up with our own thoughts and see how we can understand the texts for our lives today.
Led by David Dropkin. No experience necessary. Please join us.
