Hineinu, April 16, 2025

Two Friday, April 18 Seder Opportunities:
Reach Out by Noon on Friday

As we move through Passover, are you a Havurahnik interested in joining a seder this Friday, April 18?

To be part of a very non-traditional Zoom (online) seder, with opportunity for discussion, send Havurahnik Elinor Gollay an email saying you'd like to participate. Be sure to email Elinor by noon on Friday to get the Zoom link. This virtual gathering will start at 5 pm on Friday and finish around 6 pm. (Your Havurah Shalom member login is required to access our member directory.)

Or, for a very family-friendly (and everyone-friendly), short-and-sweet community potluck seder in SE Portland/Sellwood, reach out to Tara Anderson (tara@havurahshalom.org) by noon on Friday to request the potluck seder sign-up sheet provided by the hosts. This big community potluck seder in Sellwood, whose generous hosts include some Havurahnik and Havurah-adjacent families.This community seder potluck begins at 6 pm on Friday.

Passover Seder Resources
Social Justice themed resources for your Seder are available here, on our Havurah website. Havurah Shalom's Tikkun Olam Committees are updating with the latest to add to your Seder from organizations working on Climate Change, Immigrant and Refugee Rights, Racial Justice and other Social Justice areas. Havurahniks, if you have a suggestion of something to add, please email tikkunolam@havurahshalom.org.

A Sweet Pesach Opportunity to Support Refugee and Immigrants
If you're at Havurah this week, pick up a sweet treat for Passover made by Havurah's middle and high schoolers and help support the Refugee and Immigrant Fund! Look for the poster about the Refugee and Immigrant Fund in the entranceway, pick up a bundle of chocolate matzo, and scan the QR code to make a donation. (You can also click here to visit our Refugee and Immigrant Fund donation page.)

Zissen Pesach!

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. 

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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. No prior knowledge or study is necessary. All viewpoints are welcome as we try to draw lessons from our holy books. All are welcome. We also have a monthly Multi-synagogue Torah Study on Saturday, April 26 (normally held on third Saturdays). Led by Emily Simon. 

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. (On Saturday, April 19, there will be a Yizkhor during our Shabbat Morning services.)

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 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

Passover Yizkor
On Saturday, April 19, there will be a Yizkhor during our Shabbat Morning service. Our Shabbat Morning service is from 10 am to 12 pm, both  in person at Havurah Shalom and in Zoom Room Aleph. For the Zoom info, email info@havurahshalom.org in advance.

Parenting Huddle: How Do We Parent/GrandParent Right Now?
3:10 to 4:35 pm, Saturday, April 19 — Havurah Shalom
How do we parent/grandparent right now? How do we sustain our strength, values, and connections when they are being attacked? We gather to share ourselves, wisdom, and support. (This gathering takes place during Shabbat School at Havurah Shalom; all Havurah Shalom parents/grandparents welcome.) RSVP

Progressive Israel Network (PIN) Sessions
Sundays, April 20 (at 3 pm), April 27 (at 3 pm), and May 4 (at 11 am) — Zoom Room Bet
Havurah members, join for any or all of the remaining Zoom gatherings in this four-session series to learn about the Progressive Israel Network. Ask questions and learn how we can plug in. The April 20 speakers are from T'ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights and J Street; the April 27 speakers are from Reconstructing Judaism and New Israel Fund; and the May 4 speaker is from New Jewish Narrative. Learn more and RSVP

Writing (and Drawing) for Peace and Reconciliation, Within and Between Us
6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, Sundays, April 20 and May 4 — Havurah Shalom 
Commemorate the last day of Pesach and Yitzkor in community. Passover not only invites us to retell our ancient story but to look at our current reality and ask: what is our mitzrayim today? The obstacle in our personal and communal life? Where can we break through in an act of courage and compassion? Join Harriet Cooke for a writing/drawing group to explore this theme along with Yitzkor, the Sephirot and Counting the Omer. All are welcome, Havurah members and non-members alike. It is recommended to attend either just the first session (April 20) or both sessions (April 20 and May 4). Learn more and RSVP

B'Khol Levav'kha Gathering (Being Together Wholeheartedly)
7 pm to 8 pm, Monday, April 21 (third Mondays) – Havurah Shalom

All Havurah members are invited to come together for our B’khol Levav’kha gatherings. In these unprecedented and unsettling times, we are each invited to check in with ourselves, get quiet, name what we need, and have our group hear and acknowledge us. These gatherings are an opportunity to take care of be taken care of by our community. All this is followed by noshing. Read the full event description & RSVP. Facilitated by Ben Anderson-Nathe and Cara Ungar. Questions? Contact Cara Ungar.

Submissions Deadline for the May 2025 Issue of Hakol
Havurahniks, Monday, April 21 is the submissions deadline for the May 2025 issue of our monthly newsletter, Hakol.

Havurah's Book Group: Slavery's Capitalism, edited by Sven Beckert and Seth Rockman
7 pm to 8:30 pm, Tuesday, April 22 — Zoom Room Bet
Join with Havurah's Book Group to discuss essays in Slavery’s Capitalism: A New History of American Economic Development, edited by Sven Beckert and Seth Rockman (nonfiction, 416 pages). Discussion led by Holly Hoffnung. Non-Havurah members welcome; Learn more & RSVP for Zoom info.

Solidarity Kabbalat Shabbat
5:45 pm Hearty Potluck Nosh; 6:15 pm Grounding & Introduction; 6:30 pm Service; 7:30 pm Kiddush & Shmooze, Friday, April 25 (and fourth Fridays) — Havurah Shalom (w/ Zoom Room Aleph option starting at 6:30 pm for Grounding & Intro and Service)
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. Please review Havurah's Brit Kavod for our community guidelines. Masks strongly encouraged and provided. All are welcome. Learn more & RSVP. (Havurahniks, consider helping out at this April 25 gathering. Most shifts just 10 or 15 minutes.)

Multi-synagogue Torah Study
9 am to 10 am, Saturday, April 26 – 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 April 26 this month.)

Shabbat Morning with Bat Mitzvah of Dora Fortgang
10 am to 12 pm, Saturday, April 26 -– Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Aleph
Please join us for Shabbat morning services, including welcoming Dora Fortgang as a Bat Mitzvah and member of our community. All are welcome.

Rosh Ḥodesh Tov! Gender-Inclusive New Moon Ritual (Nisan)
7 pm to 8:15 pm, Sunday, April 27 — RSVP for location updates (either in Zoom Room Heh or North Portland)
A gender-inclusive New Moon group, learning and celebrating each Rosh Ḥodesh with ancient and contemporary ritual. Led by Andrine de la Rocha. RSVP

Havurah's Climate Action Team's Monthly Meeting (HCAT)
5 pm to 6:30 pm, Monday, April 28 – Zoom Room Bet
Havurahniks, join the Climate Action Team's monthly meeting on last Mondays. (Havurah members, click for our Zoom room login info page; log in to your Havurah member account for access.)

Palestinian Justice Letter Writing Group
6 pm to 7:30 pm, Monday, April 28 —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.

Steering Meeting (Budget)
6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, Monday, April 28 — Havurah Shalom
Havurah Shalom's Steering Committee will meet an extra time this month to discuss the budget.

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[RSVP Ahead of Time] 
Jewish Ethical Responses to the Problem of Racism
6:30 pm to 7:45 pm, Monday, May 5 — Havurah Shalom
We will address topics such as countering white nationalism and antisemitism, Jewish perspectives on reparations, repairing Jewish pioneer memory, and responding to racial microaggressions. Facilitated by Karen Sherman and Adela Basayne. RSVP

[Save the Date & RSVP Soon] 
Song Circle with Musician-in-residence Aly Halpert
4:30 pm and closing with the havdalah ritual, Saturday, May 10 — Havurah Shalom
Rising Song Records artist Aly Halpert concludes our music shabbaton with a Song Circle, a space to enjoy our voices together as we learn new and ancient Jewish songs and niggunim together. Aly Halpert is at the epicenter of a resurgence of Jewish music-making– introducing new tunes, new words, and new ways of bringing music into davening and community-buildinng. RSVP
(Learn more from "Musical Shabbaton Featuring Musician-in-Residence Aly Halpert, May 9 and 10," on page 8 of the most recent issue of Hakol.)

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)

Out in the Community

Chag Pesach Sameach!

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 (a) Bikkur Holim (Visiting the Sick) Committee for spiritual support, (b) Lotsa Helping Hands for help with food, transportation, or errands, or (c) Rabbi Benjamin*, for spiritual and moral support. *Note that Rabbi Benjamin will be on sabbatical until 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.