Hineinu, January 15, 2025

High Holiday Survey Report
Curious about the results of the post-High Holidays Survey? You can now read all about them in an Executive Summary developed by the High Holidays Core Team, which is composed of Ericka Kimball, Bija Gutoff, Adela Basayne, and Rachel Pollak. The summary and accompanying slides and visual digest show us what we can learn from the 112 survey responses. The focus this year was on Youth and Families, Music, Participation, and Jewish Wisdom and Practice, with an overall concern for creating a community of care shaped by our values, as articulated in the proposed Brit Kavod. Please read and send any questions to info@havurahshalom.org.

Executive Summary | Survey Result Slides | Visual Digest

Rabbi Benjamin's Sabbatical Begins Feb. 1
From the Havurah Presidents Team: Rabbi Benjamin will take part one of a well-deserved sabbatical for five months, beginning on February 1, 2025, and returning to our thriving community on July 1, 2025. During this time, the many functions of his position will be picked up by … everyone – as a participatory community is compelled to do. Many will take on these responsibilities, from our staff and lay leaders to committee chairs and congregants who have pastoral skills, are musically inclined, or otherwise want to help lead services. What an opportunity for us to stretch and grow!

Click here to see a list of some of the Havurahniks who are stepping up. For their contact info, please see the member directory (member login is required) or reach out to staff.

Finally, if you have questions or need to communicate with Rabbi Benjamin, please reach out to him before the last minute.

Wings of the Dove Campaign for Havurah Shalom January Engagement Sessions — Seeking Your Input on Havurah's Future
For years, Havurah volunteers have been working on plans for our space and staffing needs. Now it is your time to step forward and give us some input. Your participation in one of the upcoming Wings of the Dove Engagement sessions will give us the feedback needed to create a campaign that assures Havurah will thrive as a participatory commu-nity while addressing our growing needs. Thank you to the over 200 members who have already given their input. Please take note of the upcoming engagement session dates in January and watch your email for final details:
• NW Neighborhood Session – Thursday, January 16, 7 pm, RSVP
• SW Neighborhood Session – Wednesday, January 22, 7 pm, RSVP
• Zoom Session – Sunday, January 26, 7 pm, RSVP
• SE Neighborhood Session – Members in SE will receive a personal invitation
• NE Neighborhood Session – Members in N/NE will receive a personal invitation
Note that these are not fundraising sessions. We are seeking input on our goals and plans. Thank you.

Havurah Shalom – More Coming Up Very Soon

Multi-Synagogue Torah Study, Led by Emily Simon, at 9 am, on Saturday, January 18, at Havurah Shalom and in Zoom Room Bet. See calendar.

Shabbat Morning with Bar Mitzvah of Nathaniel "Nat" Fox, at 10 am on Saturday, January 18, at Havurah Shalom and in Zoom Room Aleph. See calendar.

Teen Tikkun Olam: The Friends of Seasonal and Service Workers (FSSW) Coat Sort, at 11 am on Monday, January 20, at Lewis & Clark College.
For Havurah teens and parents. Learn more & RSVP.

Organizing for Justice in the Era of Trump 2.0: A Conversation with Rabbis Benjamin Barnett, Sarah Brammer-Shlay, and Elliott Tepperman, at 5 pm, on Tuesday, January 21. Learn more & RSVP.

B’khol Levav’kha: Meeting this Moment Wholeheartedly – An Evening of Meditation and Connection, at 7 pm, on Tuesday, January 21, at Havurah Shalom and in Zoom Room Aleph. Learn more & RSVP. (Note the recent time and date change.)

History of the Sephardic Jews and Their Language, Ladino, at 7 pm, on Thursdays, January 23, January 30, and February 6, at Havurah Shalom. Learn more & RSVP.

Solidarity Shabbat on Friday, January 24, including 5:45 pm Hearty Potluck Nosh, 6:15 pm Grounding & Introduction, 6:30 pm Service, and 7:30 pm Kiddush & Schmooze, at Havurah Shalom (w/ the 6:15 pm Grounding & Introduction and 6:30 pm Service also in Zoom Room Aleph). Learn more & RSVP.

Havurah's Participation & Leadership Retreat on Feb. 9
This year our Participation and Leadership Retreat will be held Sunday, February 9 from 10 am to 3 pm at Havurah Shalom. We are inviting Havurah community members who are already involved with a committee, or those who would like to become involved, to join us. We ask that participants commit to attending the entire time. Please RSVP at this link by January 29. Questions? Contact Debbi Nadell, co-chair of Havurah's Leadership Development Committee.

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.

Coming to Havurah Shalom by bicycle? Feel free to bring your bike inside our building while you're at Havurah.

Weekly/Biweekly 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. All are welcome. 
(On the third Shabbat of each month, there will be a multi-synagogue Torah Study led by Emily Simon, including on Saturday, January 18.)

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 are listed below and in the website calendar. All are welcome. (On January 4, there will be a Text and Torah Shabbat: Rituals of Shabbat. Also, note that the Tot Shabbat for January is now taking place a on Saturday, January 11. 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. Prospective members of Havurah Shalom interested in our mahjong group are invited to attend a game to become better acquainted with our group, but we ask that you already know how to play before coming. Please contact the Havurah office to schedule your visit. Havurah members, reach out to Leah Hershey if you want to be added to the group email list and receive notices of meeting changes.

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, Deborah Eisenbach-Budner, 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.

More Upcoming Havurah Events

Multi-Synagogue Torah Study, Led by Emily Simon
9 am to 10 am, Saturday, January 18 (Third Saturdays) – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Bet
On the third Saturday of the month (Shabbat morning), we have a multi-synagogue Torah Study, led by Emily Simon. Other congregations joining Havurah Shalom include Temple Sholom in Monticello New York, Emek Shalom in Ashland, Oregon, and Mayim Shalom in Coos Bay, Oregon. We may even have some folks joining us from other parts of the country and maybe the world. No prior knowledge or study is necessary. All viewpoints are welcome as we try to draw lessons from our holy books.

Shabbat Morning with Bar Mitzvah of Nathaniel "Nat" Fox
10 am to 12 pm, Saturday, January 18 -– Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Aleph
Please join us for Shabbat morning services, including welcoming Nathanial "Nat" Fox as a Bar Mitzvah and member of our community. All are welcome.

Havurah Shalom Office Closure: January 20 (MLK Day)
The Havurah office will be closed on Monday, January 20 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Teen Tikkun Olam: The Friends of Seasonal and Service Workers (FSSW) Coat Sort
11 am to 2 pm, Monday, January 20 – Lewis & Clark College in the Stamm Dining Hall (Located in the Fowler Student Center)
Tikkun Olam opportunity for Havurah teens on MLK, Jr. Day! Join us to sort coats being donated to various charities by Columbia Sportswear, or-ganized by Teen Engagement Committee and the Friends of Seasonal and Service Workers. RSVP

Organizing for Justice in the Era of Trump 2.0: A Conversation with Rabbis Benjamin Barnett, Sarah Brammer-Shlay, and Elliott Tepperman
5 pm to 7 pm, Tuesday, January 21 – Offsite Zoom, RSVP for link
Presented by Reconstructionists Expanding Our Conversation on Israel/Palestine (RECIP), co-sponsored by Havurah Shalom, join for this online conversation. From RECIP: How should we, as Jews, confront the second Trump presidency? Can Jews be co-conspirators in progressive coalitions and stand in solidarity with communities directly targeted by the Trump administration – immigrants, people of color, LGBTQ people? What should be the place of the struggle for Palestinian rights and for the right to speak out on this issue in the agenda of the broad array of forces that must be mobilized to resist the “America First” MAGA program? How can we navigate staying in progressive political alliances when Israel/Palestine is either strategically used as a wedge issue or there are real differences of opinion? RSVP

[NEW DATE & TIME] B’khol Levav’kha: Meeting this Moment Wholeheartedly – An Evening of Meditation and Connection
7 pm to 8:30 pm, Tuesday, January 21– Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Aleph
We’ll gather for spiritual practice and spiritual community as we enter this new chapter in our country. Interweaving guided meditation, song, and space for reflection and sharing, we’ll draw from our tradition’s spiritual resources as we accompany and support each other during this time of transition. We’ll also leave some time for informal connection and community. Contact Rabbi Benjamin with questions. All are welcome. RSVP

History of the Sephardic Jews and Their Language, Ladino
7 pm to 8:15 pm, Thursdays, January 23, January 30, and February 6 – Havurah Shalom

Who are the Sephardic Jews? What is their history and what is their language? We will focus on the Jews expelled from Spain and Portugal who settled in the Ottoman Empire and their language, Ladino.  You will learn where they lived, the communities they formed, and what happened to them in the Holocaust and post-Holocaust. You will be exposed to Sephardic culture, music, and literature. You will get a taste of the Ladino language, how it formed, how it was used, its literature, and its proverbs. If you speak modern Spanish, you should take this class. If you don’t speak modern Spanish, you should take this class. Led by Roger Brewer. RSVP

Solidarity Shabbat
5:45 pm Hearty Potluck Nosh, 6:15 pm Grounding & Introduction, 6:30 pm Service, 7:30 pm Kiddush & Schmooze, Friday, January 24-– Havurah Shalom (w/ the 6:15 pm Grounding & Introduction and 6:30 pm Service also in 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. Questions? Contact Rocky Cohen or Nat Lerner (member login required to access directory) or leave a question in your registration notes. Visit the RSVP page to register to attend and learn more, including potluck and snack buffet specifics, masking requests, and community guidelines. Looking forward to seeing you there!  RSVP

Havurah's Climate Action Team's Monthly Meeting (HCAT)
5 pm to 6:30 pm, Monday, January 27 -– Zoom Room Bet
Havurahniks, join the Climate Action Team's monthly meeting. (*Havurah members: For Zoom room info, go to HavurahShalom.org/Zoom and log in to your member account.*)

Palestinian Justice Letter Writing Group
6 pm to 7:30 pm, Monday, January 27 -– Zoom Room Heh
We hold monthly letter-writing group Zoom gatherings (last Mondays) to write letters to our lawmakers for Israel/Palestine justice. Feel free to drop in any time!  
Questions? Email Dale Oller (member log-in required to access directory). Non-Havurah-members very welcome to join as well. There’s no need to RSVP; however, please do RSVP if you need the Zoom login.

Book Group: Tracing Homelands: Israel, Palestine, and the Claims of Belonging by Linda Dittmar
7 pm to 8:30 pm, Tuesday, January 28 – Zoom Room Bet
The Havurah Shalom Book Group meets monthly to discuss fiction and nonfiction books voted on by Havurah members. All are welcome to any and all meetings. Copies of our upcoming books can be checked out by members in the Havurah library. A list of the 2024-25 books is available here. For January, we invite you to read and discuss… Tracing Homelands by Linda Dittmar (nonfiction, 240 pages). From the publisher: "A raw and courageous memoir of the 1948 war and its aftermath, and a searing personal journey to uncover the suppressed traumas, facts, and myths that undergird the so-called Israeli-Palestinian conflict. When author Linda Dittmar stumbles upon the ruins of an abandoned Palestinian village, she is faced with a past that sits uneasily with her Israeli childhood memories—and the history she was raised never to question. Tracing Homelands is an intimate, beautifully written account that uncovers inconvenient truths about an embattled Israeli-Palestinian history that is often buried in silence." Discussion led by Barbara Hershey. Nonmembers welcome. RSVP for Zoom info.

Healing the Heart, Soothing the Soul
5:30 pm to 7 pm, Thursdays, Jan. 30 to March 3 – 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. If we reach capacity, that will be indicated here on the RSVP page.)
RSVP

Reparations Shabbat: Exploring Our Relationships with Indigenous Peoples.
10 am to 2:30 pm, Saturday, February 1 – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Aleph
(Please RSVP by Tuesday, January 28 if you plan to stay for lunch and/or use our free childcare at this gathering.)
All are invited to a Shabbat Morning Service, Reparations: A Journey. The focus of our Shabbat service (including a drash and mini drashot) will be hearing Havurah members describing their individual journeys of reckoning with their relationships with Indigenous Peoples. Lunch will follow. This Reparations Shabbat is presented by Havurah's Racial Justice Committee. Questions? Please contact Kathy Gordon or Julia Lager Mesulam (member login required to access the directory). RSVP.

Tot Shabbat
10:30 am to 11:15 am, Saturday, February 1 – Havurah Shalom
Young children (0-5) and parents celebrate with singing, movement, blessings, and storytelling. All are welcome! Please RSVP when you plan to come. We provide free childcare for those staying to enjoy the full Shabbat service that ends at noon and which is followed by a light community brunch. Email info@havurahshalom.org to learn more. RSVP

Safety Corner

 

More Tikkun Olam 

 

Havurah Shalom Tikkun Olam Partners:
Rose Haven (day shelter for women, children, and marginalized genders) | Path Home (family transitional shelter) |
Interfaith Alliance on Poverty (IAP) | Lift UP | MACG |Jewish Coalition for Immigrant Justice NW ​​​​​​| Jewish Earth Alliance | IMIrJ (Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice)

Out in the Community

25th Annual Community Havdalah Service from Jewish Women's Round Table and Cedar Sinai Park
7 pm to 8 pm, Saturday, January 25 -– Rose Schnitzer Manor, Zidell Hall (6125 SW Boundary, Portland)
Havdalah Service led by Rabbi Eve Posen and Cantor Eyal Bitton both of Congregation Neveh Shalom at Rose Schnitzer Manor. Co-sponsored by the Jewish Women's Round Table and Cedar Sinai Park. In-person only. Public is welcome! More info here. To learn more from a Havurahnik about this event, contact Adele Thompson (member login required to access directory).

Havurah Zoom Rooms

Havurah Zoom Rooms

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

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.