Hineinu, March 5, 2025

Kabbalat Shabbat Celebration - Friday, March 7

5:45 pm Hearty Nosh, 6:30 pm Service, 7:30 pm Continued Hearty Nosh, Plus Dessert, Friday, March 7 — At Havurah Shalom (w/ 6:30 pm Service also in Zoom Room Aleph)
A musical, all-ages Friday night service with hearty nosh before the service and continued hearty nosh plus dessert after. All are welcome! Free childcare is provided! No RSVPs for this event. Learn more.

Havurah members:
Sign up to help out at our March 7 Kabbalat Shabbat!
Most shifts are 15-minutes. Thank you!

On Friday, March 7, Rabbi Joey Wolf is delivering the drash at Kabbalat Shabbat. The service will be led by Sarah Shine and Havurah musicians.

Kabbalat Shabbat is March 7! Spread the word to friends and family!
We moved Kabbalat Shabbat up to Friday, March 7 because of Purim. And next month's Kabbalat Shabbat Celebration will be on Friday, April 4, to avoid overlapping with Pesach.

Havurah's Purim Celebration is Thursday, March 13 — Your RSVPs Help Us Prepare!
6 pm to 8 pm, Thursday, March 13 - Havurah Shalom (w/ Zoom Room Aleph option at 7:10 pm+)

Everyone, whether you're a Havurah Member or not,
RSVP/Register soon, if possible!
And please say in the notes if you're likely to join in person or via Zoom.

Chag Purim, Chag Purim, Chag Gadol Hu La’Yehudim, Masechot Ra’ashanim, Shirim v’Rikudim. 
(Purim, Purim, a great festival for the people, noisemakers, songs, and dances.)  

Purim is a joyous holiday that celebrates the saving of the Jews from a threatened massacre in ancient Persia.
 

Come be together for Purim!
Pizza and healthy (and not-so-healthy) snacks for all!
The Alte Rockers' infamous drinks table!
Purim arts and crafts/games for the kids!
 Costumes! Come dressed up or throw on one of ours.
And, of course, Music and the Purim Spiel!

We'll also have "The Great Yiddish (Hamantashen) Bake Off!"
Havurah members will bake and bring Hamantashen for all.
Havurahniks, learn more on the event page, then sign up to bring Hamantaschen.

And we have more Purim helper and food-bringing opportunities.
Havurahniks, please  sign up to help out. Thanks!
 

 

General Info

 

Havurah members, are you having difficulty logging in to our website? Click here.

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.

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. We also have a monthly Multi-synagogue Torah Study, led by Emily Simon. Note that Multi-synagogue Torah Study will be held on March 22. In April, the usual third Saturday schedule for Multi-synagogue Torah Study will resume. No prior knowledge or study is necessary. All viewpoints are welcome as we try to draw lessons from our holy books. All are welcome.

Shabbat Morning
10 am, Saturdays – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Aleph
All are welcome at our Shabbat services, including b'nei mitzvah services (Hannaleah Lindner, February 15). Upcoming b'nei mitzvah are listed below and in the website calendar. (On Saturday, March 8, there will be a Tot Shabbat, in addition to the regular Shabbat Morning services. On Saturday, March 22, Shabbat Morning will be an Immigrant and Refugee Shabbat.)

Mahjong Group
1 pm, first and third Mondays – Havurah Shalom
For Havurah members. Mahjong is a fun, social activity that builds community, encouraging new friendships and cementing old ones. Reach out to Leah Hershey to be added to the email list.

Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation
12 pm, Tuesdays – Havurah Shalom 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.

Upcoming Havurah Events

Kabbalat Shabbat Celebration
5:45 pm Hearty Nosh, 6:30 pm Service, 7:30 pm Continued Hearty Nosh, Plus Dessert, Friday, March 7 – Havurah Shalom (w/ 6:30 pm Service also in Zoom Room Aleph)
A musical, all-ages Friday night service with hearty nosh before the service and continued hearty nosh plus dessert after. All are welcome! Free childcare is provided! No RSVPs for this event. Learn more.

Book Discussion: The Cost of Free Land: Jews, Lakota, and an American Inheritance
6 pm to 8 pm, Sunday, March 9 – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Bet
Please join us for a book discussion on The Cost of Free Land: Jews, Lakota, and an American Inheritance by Havurah member Rebecca Clarren, whose book was just nominated for an Oregon Book Award! The book is available in all formats. Join us in grappling with the ideas presented in Rebecca's book. If you can, join us at 6 pm for pizza or other nosh, or come at 6:30 pm for the start of the discussion. Clarren’s book—a blend of history, journalism, and memoir—retells how U.S. policy helped her immigrant family at great cost to Native Americans. She grapples with the legacy of those harms today and whether repair is possible. Kirkus Reviews and The Forward named The Cost of Free Land a Best Book of 2023. Please indicate if you will be attending in person or via Zoom in the registration notes. All are welcome. (Questions? Contact Kathy Gordon or Karen Sherman. Member login required to access the directory.). RSVP.

Tot Shabbat
10:30 am to 11:15 am, Saturday, March 8 – Havurah Shalom
Young children (0-5) and parents celebrate with singing, movement, blessings, and storytelling. All are welcome! 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, and note when you plan to come.

Teen Engagement Committee
7 pm to 8:30 pm, Monday, March 10 – Zoom Room Bet
Monthly meeting for the Teen Engagement Committee leadership. Havurah teens and their parents are welcome. Questions? Contact Andy Waxman and Michelle Bobowick. (*Havurah members: For Zoom room info, go to  HavurahShalom.org/Zoom and log in to your member account.*)

Monthly Music Jam
7 pm to 8:30 pm, Monday, March 10 – Havurah Shalom
Join your fellow Havurah musicians for an evening of playing and singing together—for the joy of it! Jams are led by fellow Havurah members and are completely democratic—everyone chooses songs! Our songbook includes both Jewish and secular songs from a wide range of artists and eras. RSVP.

Steering Meeting
6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, Tuesday, March 11 (second Tues-days) – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Gimel
Steering members and staff will meet to consider matters of govern-ance. All Havurah Shalom members are invited to attend Steering Committee meetings. (*Havurah members: For Zoom room info, go to  HavurahShalom.org/Zoom and log in to your member account.*)
 

Book Group Annual Meeting
7 pm to 8:30 pm, Tuesday, March 11 – Zoom Room Bet

The Havurah Book Group will be holding its annual meeting. All Havurahniks are welcome to attend as we consider possible changes in choosing books, scheduling discussions, and anything else book group related. Please RSVP by emailing Shana Elson (member log-in to access the directory). (*Havurah members: For Zoom room info, go to HavurahShalom.org/Zoom and log in to your member account.*)

PURIM! Havurah Shalom Purim Celebration
6 pm to 8 pm, Thursday, March 13 – Havurah Shalom (w/ Zoom Room Aleph option, 7:10+)
A family-friendly Purim Celebration for all. Everyone, Havurah member or non-member, learn more and RSVP!

Interfaith Earth Summit: Climate Safety and Health
1 pm to 4 pm, Sunday, March 16 – Havurah Shalom
Join us at Havurah Shalom as Havurah 's Climate Action Team (HCAT) hosts one of 17 statewide hubs for the 12th Annual Interfaith Earth Summit. The theme of this statewide gathering is “Climate Safety and Health.” Participants will learn what is happening with Oregon’s climate – and hear the responses of faith leaders, youth leaders, scientists and state officials. Free childcare available. Havurahniks with questions about this event can contact Michael Heumann. All are welcome. Learn more and RSVP.
(Havurahniks, can you be a door greeter or help with set-up or clean-up? Sign up to help out at Earth Summit.)

Havurah 101
7 pm to 8:30 pm, Monday, March 17 – Zoom Room Gimel
What does Havurah have to offer me? Where can I find other Havurah members involved in areas I feel passionate about? How do I join a committee, lead a Shabbat service, gather with musicians, find out about Tikkun Olam activities? How are decisions made and what does the Steering Committee actually steer? Join members of the Leadership Development Committee for answers to these questions and whatever you have been wondering abut Havurah.
New and longtime Havurah members welcome. RSVP.

B'Khol Levav'kha Gathering
7 pm to 8 pm, Monday, March 17 (third Mondays) – Havurah Shalom
Havurah members, we welcome you to gather at Havurah Shalom for B'khol Levav'kha ("With All Your Heart"). These Havurahnik gatherings—a chance to be together wholeheartedly—will take place on the third Monday of the month. Read the full event description & RSVP. Questions? Contact Cara Ungar.

Rumble on the River Community Forum
6 pm to 8:30 pm, Thursday, March 20 – Havurah Shalom
Join Havurah's Climate Action Team as we host Rumble on the River Community Forum #21. Doors open, tabling and snacks begin at 5:30 pm. Program starts at 6:30 pm. The panel discussion is about methane gas (also called natural gas, which is what many of us heat our homes with). Learn about the hazards of this gas to our health and the environment, plus actions we can take to support and/or defeat upcoming legislation. Free. All are welcome; open to Havurah members and the greater community. Questions? Contact Elianne Lieberman. RSVP.

Multi-Synagogue Torah Study, Led by Emily Simon
9 am to 10 am, Saturday, March 22 – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Bet
We will again have our monthly 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. (Normally held on the third Saturday of the month, Multi-Synagogue Torah Study will be held on March 22, returning to the usual schedule in April.)

Refugee and Immigrant Shabbat Morning
10 am to 12 pm, Saturday, March 22 – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Aleph
Led by community members and Rabbi Benjamin, this service includes davening, Torah reading, and discussion. Join us afterward for a light community brunch provided by the Lunches and Noshes Committee! Free childcare is provided. For Zoom information, please email info@havurhshalom.org. The March 22 Shabbat Morning will be our Immigrant and Refugee Shabbat. We will have special readings and information from HIAS about the current situation for refugees. Please join us for the service and lunch following.

Havurah's Climate Action Team's Monthly Meeting (HCAT)
5 pm to 6:30 pm, Monday, March 24 – Zoom Room Bet
Havurahniks, join the Climate Action Team's monthly meeting on last Mondays.

Palestinian Justice Letter Writing Group
6 pm to 7:30 pm, Monday, March 24 – 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! There’s no need to RSVP; however, please do RSVP/register if you need the Zoom login. Non-Havurah-members very welcome to join as well.

Book Group: Surviving Autocracy by Masha Gessen
7 pm to 8:30 pm, Tuesday, March 25 – Zoom Room Bet
For February, Havurah's Book Group invites you to read and discuss Surviving Autocracy (288 pages, nonfiction). Masha Gessen is a Russian-American writer, journalist, and activist. Born in Soviet Russia, they moved to the United States in adolescence. After having returned to Russia, Gessen now lives with their family in exile in the United States. They are an opinion columnist for the New York Times and were a staff writer at the New Yorker for many years. Gessen is an outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin and a clear-eyed observer of America’s disjointed and tepid response to threats to our democracy. The author will speak at the Portland Literary Arts next year. Discussion led by Beth Kaye. Nonmembers welcome. RSVP for Zoom info.

Safety Corner

 

Tikkun Olam Corner

 

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)

 

Wings of the Dove

Out in the Community

Kenahorror! Behind the Evil Eye - Jewish Lore that Begat the Horror Genre
7 pm to 9 pm, Wednesday, March 19 – Eastside Jewish Commons (2420 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, Oregon)
Throughout history, the stories, myths, and fears by and about Jewish customs and Jewish people have been used to create literature, film and art, often without the consent of, or input from, the people depicted. In the first film of this upcoming series, we present the Yiddish folktale "The Finger" and screen Tim Burton's Corpse Bride which is based upon this Jewish story, yet never acknowledged. Discussion following the film. (Co-facilitated by Havurahnik Andrine de la Rocha.)
Learn more and get tickets. Sliding scale tickets fee.

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. *Note that Rabbi Benjamin will be on sabbatical from February 1 to July 1, 2025. For pastoral needs during this time, please contact the Havurah Shalom office (info@havurahshalom.org, 503-248-4662) and Rachel Pollak will make the appropriate connection for you.

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.