Affordable Housing and Homelessness in Portland
7 pm to 8:30 pm, Thursday, November 14 – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Heh
Homelessness remains one of the most important issues in Portland. To help our community better understand this issue, the Poverty and Homelessness Committee is offering this forum. Havurahnik, Steve Rudman, former director of Home Forward, will convene the forum with Havurah members, Rachael Duke with Community Partners for Affordable Housing, and Andrea Sanchez with Housing Development Center. Looking forward to a lively and informative evening. All are welcome. RSVP
Multi-Synagogue Torah Study, Led by Emily Simon
9 am to 10 am, Saturday, November 16 (3rd Saturdays) – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Bet
All viewpoints are welcome as we try to draw lessons from our holy books. No prior knowledge or study is necessary. Multi-synagogue Torah Study includes engagement from members of congregations in Oregon and New York and beyond. All are welcome. Learn more on the Havurah calendar.
Discovering Shabbat Morning: Learner's Minyan
10 am to 12 pm, Saturday, November 16 – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Aleph
This upbeat, interactive service focuses on the structure, key themes, and prayers of the morning service. Open to all, and especially for those seeking to better understand Shabbat Morning service. (Free childcare is provided.) RSVP
(Note: Learn to Bake Babke, which had been scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 17, has been cancelled. Stay tuned for future offerings of this class.)
Lives Lived, Lessons Learned: An Evening of Stories in Words and Music
7 pm to 9 pm, Sunday, November 17 – Havurah Shalom
Alte Rockers, Havurah’s aptly named group of active seniors, has a gift for you — “Lives Lived, Lessons Learned” an evening of stories in words and music. Four storytellers — Edward Hershey, Cassandra Sagan, Sarah Stein and Yuvi Zalkow — will join musician Steven Mesulam in a program designed to demonstrate the many ways our lives are enriched and informed by the experiences we have. And feel free to share an experience of your own. All are welcome. Questions? Contact Ed Hershey (member login required to access the directory) or leave a note when you register. RSVP
How Precious the Ground on Which We Stand: Jewish Values that Could Save the Earth - A Slow Read w/ Havurah's Climate Action Team Book Group
5 pm to 6 pm, Monday, November 18 – Zoom Room Gimel
Join Havurah’s Climate Action Team (HCAT) for a slow read of How Precious the Ground on Which We Stand: Jewish Values that Could Save the Earth by Rabbi Sheldon (Shelly) Lewis. Dr. Adriane Leveen, Bible Scholar and Climate Activist writes, “Lewis conveys the many ways in which the Hebrew Bible celebrates the natural world as a sacred creation that we must cherish and work to preserve. His words are glorious, his vision illuminating. Reading his book fills me with joy.” Discussion focus: Chapters 1 and 2. Questions? Contact Elianne Lieberman (member login required to access the directory) or leave a note when you register. RSVP.
History of HIAS
7:30 pm to 8:30 pm, Tuesdays, November 12 and 19 – Havurah Shalom
Havurah member Michael Rice will present the storied history of HIAS from documentary sources, with personal insight as the son of James Rice, HIAS executive director 1956-1966. From predecessor organizations dating to 1870 in New York assisting Jews immigrating to the US or fleeing pogroms, HIAS has sheltered and supported refugees for over 150 years. Along with other Jewish organizations, HIAS took on the rescue and resettlement of Holocaust survivors during World War II and the post-war era. In 1965, thanks to the strong advocacy of HIAS and others, the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 ended decades of discriminatory nationality quotas. Now HIAS operates with 1,800 employees in 20 countries in Latin America, Africa, Europe, and Israel, with a large team at our Southern border and in Mexico. Asylum protection, resettlement of Afghan, Ukrainian, Venezuelan and other refugees through Jewish communities, and political advocacy for legal and budget support are ongoing work. All are welcome. (The Nov. 19 session, in person at Havurah, will focus on HIAS history from the 1960s to present times; you're welcome to join even if you didn't attend the first session.) RSVP
Solidarity Shabbat
5:45 pm to 8 pm, Friday, November 22 – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Aleph
Join Havurah members and friends for a Solidarity Shabbat service and potluck nosh. This is a spiritual space for community members working in solidarity with Palestinians - and for the liberation of all peoples - to come together to pray, build connections, and renew ourselves on Shabbat to continue our justice work.
Free childcare provided! Please review Havurah's proposed Brit Kavod for our community guidelines. (Schedule: 5:45 pm - Hearty Potluck Nosh; 6:15 pm - Grounding & Introduction; 6:30 pm - Service; and 7:30 pm - Kiddush & Shmooze.) Masks strongly encouraged and provided; the organizers request that all attendees who are able do so mask during the Grounding & Introduction and Service portions. If possible, please bring a small dish of your choice for the potluck. We are a vegetarian (fish ok) facility. Gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan food and drink welcome! RSVP with your name and how many are attending. When you register/RSVP, in the Notes section, please let us know if you can bring something for the potluck and what it is. Looking forward to seeing you! Questions? Contact Rocky Cohen or Dove Balgley (member login required to access the directory) or ask a question in the registration notes when you RSVP.
Shabbat Morning with Bar Mitzvah of Leo Friedman
10 am to 12 pm, Saturday, November 23 – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Aleph
Please join us for Shabbat morning services, including welcoming Leo Friedman as a Bar Mitzvah and member of our community. All are welcome.
Palestinian Justice Letter Writing Group
6 pm to 7:30 pm, Monday, November 25 (last Mondays) – Zoom Room Heh
We will resume our monthly letter writing on the last Monday of each month to write letters to our lawmakers for Israel/Palestine justice. Non-Havurah-members very welcome as well. RSVP if you need the Zoom info. Otherwise, feel free to drop in anytime! Questions? Contact Dale Oller (member log-in required to access directory) or leave a question in the notes section when you register.
Havurah Book Group: There Was an Old Woman (216 pages, nonfiction) by Andrea Carlisle—Author to Join Discussion!
7 pm to 8:30 pm, Tuesday, November 26 (last Tuesdays) – Zoom Room Bet
Join the Havurah Book Group in discussing There Was an Old Womanl: . We are also pleased to be joined by the author, Andrea Carlisle! (From the publisher’s description) “In these personal essays, Carlisle looks for new ways to bring herself more fully into this time of life. Those curious about approaching or living in old age will find wisdom and insight in her unique perspective. In a voice that rings with clarity, humor, and humility, Carlisle shows us that old age is not another country where we can expect to find the Old Woman grimly waiting, but instead is an expansion of the borders in the country we are most familiar with: ourselves.” Discussion led by Beth Kaye. All are welcome to any and all meetings, members of Havurah and non-members alike. RSVP for Zoom info.
Office Closed November 28 and 29
The Havurah Shalom office will be closed on Thursday, November 28 and Friday, November 29 for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Rosh Ḥodesh Tov! Gender-Inclusive New Moon Ritual: Cheshvan
7 pm, Sunday, December 1 — Meeting in Zoom Room Heh during the winter; future gatherings to take place in Zoom Room Heh or in Inner NE.
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 at 7 pm on the Sunday closest to the New Moon, either on Zoom or in person - outdoors in inner North/East Portland - depending on seasonal shifts in the weather. Attend any or all sessions; all are welcome. RSVP to be updated on location and other details throughout the year.
Dreams in the Torah, Dreams in Our Lives
6:30 pm to 7:45 pm, alternating Tuesdays (six-session class), December 3 to February 18 — Havurah Shalom
Dreams are important messages in the Torah and, some say, from our unconscious minds. We will explore the dreams of our ancestors as a prelude to sharing and learning about our own dreams, using a facilitated process from the Haden Institute, based in Jungian, Gestalt and Jeremy Taylor methodologies. Facilitated by Adela Basayne. Limited to 8 participants. RSVP
