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Jan. 11 Community Email

Snow, Solidarity With Our Muslim Neighbors, Having the Conversation

  • Upcoming Shabbat
  • Cancellations Because of Snow
  • This Week: Solidarity & Kinship Gathering at Muslim Educational Trust, Preparing Books for Kids for MLK Weekend of Service, Community Sanctuary Assembly, Dare I Call You Cousin
  • Next Week: Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation, Wednesday Morning Minyan, Hakol Deadline
  • Upcoming Justice & Advocacy: Praying With Our Feet Solidarity March, Forging a Pro-Israel Agenda in the Trump Era, Raising Diverse Voices of Faith to Strengthen Oregon Communities
  • Calling all Shabbat School Parents!
  • Having the Conversation: Discussing What Quality Means at the End of Life
  • March 19 Rescheduled Glazing Workshops
  • In the Community: Not Our President-Women Writers Against Trump, Displaced, Rites-A One Woman Show, Weekend In Quest, Pacific NW Reconstructionist Shabbaton, Calling Young Jewish Artists
  • Rabbi Search News

UPCOMING SHABBAT

Bar Mitzvah of Owen Jablonski
Saturday, Jan. 14
10:00 am
Havurah Shalom 

On Saturday, Jan. 14, Owen Jablonski, son of Debra and Bryan Jablonski, will be called to the Torah as a bar mitzvah. Please join us in celebrating with Owen and his family, and welcome Owen as a member of our community. Mazel tov!


CANCELLATIONS BECAUSE OF SNOW

Havurah's office is closed today because of the snow, and today's Wednesday Morning Minyan, Spiritual Life Committee Meeting, and Havurah High have been cancelled. Please watch Havurah's website or Facebook group page for scheduling updates.

Below photo was taken last night at Havurah.

THIS WEEK

Solidarity & Kinship Gathering With Our Muslim Neighbors
Saturday, Jan. 14
5:30 pm
Muslim Educational Trust
10330 Scholls Ferry Rd, Tigard

The Muslim Educational Trust invites Havurah Shalom to a solidarity and kinship gathering with our Muslim neighbors on Saturday, Jan. 14, at 5:30 pm. We’ll have ample time for socializing and light food, and we’ll watch the hour-long PBS film “Enemy of the Reich” together. The film is about Noor Inayat Khan, a courageous Muslim woman in Nazi-occupied Paris, who was recruited as a covert operative into Winston Churchill’s Special Operations Executive. She worked underground on behalf of the allies, was betrayed eventually by a French collaborator, resisted Gestapo interrogations, and escaped twice – only to be recaptured and sent to her death at Dachau.

Please show up to demonstrate our solidarity and our kinship with our Muslim neighbors here in the Portland area. The Muslim Educational Trust is at 10330 Scholls Ferry Rd., in Tigard, about a half a mile beyond the 217 beltway. You'll see the center on your left, surrounded by a low, white picket fence. Turn left off Scholls Ferry at a traffic light specifically for the center's large parking lot. Please RSVP here so we know how many people to expect.

Above photo is from the Muslim Educational Trust website.

Prepare Books for Kids! Children's Book Harvest (ages 15+)
Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend of Service
Saturday, Jan. 14
1:00 - 4:00 pm

NE Portland School TBD

Join us in honoring the legacy of Dr. King through meaningful service to our community: "Everybody can be great... because anybody can serve."  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Book Gap: For children in poverty, one of the biggest obstacles to literacy development (which begins at birth) is the scarcity of books in the home. While the ratio of books to children in middle-income neighborhoods is approximately 13 books per child in a household, the ratio in low-income neighborhoods is a mere 1 book per 300 families.

The Children's Book Bank and Portland Public Schools believe every child can learn to read. You can help support literacy in our community by volunteering to mend, clean, and organize the ~30,000 gently-used books recently collected during the Children’s Book Harvest book drive. Book “mending” involves erasing scribbles, taping tears, removing stickers, etc. The project begins with a detailed training process on how to mend books, so volunteers should plan to be on time. This project is sponsored by the Tikkun Olam Committee.

***There is still room to sign up for this project. To learn more about the MLK service project or our Goose Hollow Havurah Adopt-A-Night project please contact Gloria Halper: losninos6@gmail.com.***

Community Sanctuary Assembly
Sunday, Jan. 15 (originally planned for Jan. 8)
3:00 – 5:00 pm
First Christian Church
1314 SW Park Ave, Portland

Please RSVP here.

The idea of "sanctuary" has received much attention since the election because many people of faith and conscience feel that people of color, immigrants, Muslims and others will be vulnerable. As a community, how do we demonstrate our welcome and provide safe haven to vulnerable people?

Havurah Shalom has joined the New Sanctuary Movement by signing this pledge to be a Sanctuary Congregation. But our Steering Committee's action is a first step in our understanding of what this means to our community. Read more here.

Above photo is from UNHCR Canada.

Dare I Call You Cousin

Opening on Friday, Feb. 3
6:00 - 8:30 pm
West Hills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

8470 SW Oleson Rd, Portland

 

The “Dare I Call You Cousin” exhibition opening is 6:00 to 8:30 pm on Friday, Feb. 3, at West Hills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 8470 SW Oleson Rd. At 7:30 pm, Havurah member and poet Frances Payne Adler will give a brief poetry reading, followed by an artist talk. The exhibition includes poems, photographs and videos compassionate to the struggle of Israelis and Palestinians on both sides of the Green Line.

 

On Sunday, Jan. 22, Fran will give a presentation during the service, which is from 10:30 am to noon. The exhibition can be viewed before and after the service that day, from 9:30 to 10:30 am, and noon to 1:00 pm. It can also be viewed at these same times on Sundays throughout January and February.

 

"Dare I Call You Cousin" is a collaboration by three artists: Portland poet Frances Payne Adler, Jerusalem photographer Michal Fattal, and Tel Aviv videographer Yossi Yacov.
 


NEXT WEEK

Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 12:00 noon

We gather on Tuesdays, from 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm, to find some moments of quiet and shalom. Come when you can. Click here and scroll down to learn more, or contact Deborah for more information.

Hakol Deadline, Tuesday, Jan. 17

The deadline for the February Hakol is Tuesday Jan. 17. Please send articles and photos to info@havurahshalom.org.

Morning Minyan, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 8:30 am

Join us for this weekly focused minyan for people who are saying Kaddish and/or want to incorporate a regular prayer practice in their life.


CALLING ALL SHABBAT SCHOOL PARENTS

 

We Need Your Help & Participation!
Saturday, Jan. 21 & Feb. 25
3:15 - 4:15 pm
Foyer of Havurah Shalom


Join Shabbat School parent and Give Back to the Future Committee member Julia Lager-Mesulam and Give Back to the Future Co-Chair David Fuks to hear about the campaign, why it exists, how you can participate, and why it is vital to the future of our Havurah. Snacks will be provided. See you there!


UPCOMING JUSTICE & ADVOCACY

Praying With Our Feet - Solidarity March
Saturday, Jan. 21
10:00 am, Community Minyan at Havurah Shalom
12:00 noon, Meet to March at Japanese Historical Plaza

As Abraham Joshua Heschel said after the Selma Civil Rights March in 1965, led by Martin Luther King, Jr. to demand voting rights for African Americas at the Alabama state capitol: I felt my legs were praying.

Havurah will join up with the Portland and Oregon Community on Jan. 21 in a show of solidarity with our sisters marching in Washington DC and across the country. Everybody who supports women's rights and civil justice is invited to "a march which is not a protest, but a show of love and support in a time of uncertainty and vulnerability for many people in our country."

Read more here about the minyan and the rally. 

Forging a Pro-Israel Agenda in the Trump Era
Monday, Feb. 6
7:00 – 9:00 pm
Havurah Shalom

Please join J Street and Havurah folks for an informative and thoughtful evening. Alan Elsner, J Street Special Advisor, will offer a program that will examine the American Jewish community’s response to the election of Donald Trump and how to respond to the new administration's appointments, especially his nominee for U.S. Ambassador to Israel. The discussion will focus on what a Trump presidency may mean for Israel, the region, and the two-state solution. Mr. Elsner will lead this informative program and subsequently open the session to discussion. For more information, contact Nancy Becker at 503-422-2482.

Raising Diverse Voices of Faith to Strengthen Oregon Communities
Interfaith Advocacy Day
Tuesday, Feb. 7

Please consider joining a group from Havurah Shalom and other members of the Portland interfaith community in a lobbying activity in Salem to advocate with legislators and their staff for compassionate legislation regarding various areas of our common concern.  

These meetings provide a first-hand opportunity to express your beliefs in a setting where you can make a difference—directly influencing legislation.  The exchanges with legislators can be enlightening and potentially satisfying. This is also an unusual opportunity to have contact with other faith groups, which is especially meaningful right now. The goal of the Interfaith Advocacy Day is to build together a just, inclusive and hope-filled future for all Oregonians.

Register and buy tickets-$20, at emoregon.org. Tikkun Olam will reimburse registration cost: please contact Chris Coughlin - chriscoughlin60@gmail.com to submit for reimbursement. For carpooling, and to RSVP for the event so we know who is coming from Havurah, and to get information on where the carpools will meet, the Havurah contact person is Marjorie Walters – marjoriewalters@gmail.com.

The keynote speaker will be Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum. You can read more here about the issues to be addressed and the event's sponsors and endorsers.


HAVING THE CONVERSATION: DISCUSSING WHAT QUALITY MEANS AT THE END OF LIFE

Option 1: Sundays, Feb. 12, 10:00 – 11:30 am & Feb. 26, 10:00 - 11:30 am
Option 2: Thursdays, Feb. 16, 7:00 - 8:30 pm & March 2, 7:00 - 8:30 pm

Many of us spend a great deal of time thinking about how we want to live our lives, but many of us avoid thinking about how we would like our end of life care to go. Havurah will be facilitating a two-part workshop in February to help community members begin to think about what quality means at the end of life. Working from The Conversation Project model, we will support each other as we explore this challenging topic. Prior to the workshops, on Saturday, Feb. 4, Diane Chaplin will lead a Text & Torah study and discussion of "Jewish Traditions of Mourning and the Afterlife." 

If you would like to join us, we ask that you commit to both workshops. The deadline to register is Jan. 23. Learn more and register here.

Above photo is from www.theconversationproject.org.


SCREENING OF "THE LOST BOYS OF PORTLANDIA"

Screening of “The Lost Boys of Portlandia”
& Panel Discussion With Youth Who Have Experienced Homelessness
Wednesday, March 1
7:00-8:30 pm
Havurah Shalom

Hosted by the Tikkun Olam Committee of Havurah Shalom
Free, for all ages. Refreshments provided.


Join us for a screening of Outside the Frame's documentary "The Lost Boys of Portlandia" and a panel discussion with youth who have experienced homelessness. Homeless youth in Portland debate if and how to return to mainstream society while creating their own film version of the iconic story of Peter Pan.  

“On its surface, it’s a film about the making of a film, but the backdrop is flooded with one of Portland’s most pressing social issues.” - KGW-TV

The nonprofit Outside the Frame was founded and is directed by Havurah High teacher Nili Yossi. The evening is sponsored by the Tikkun Olam Committee of Havurah Shalom, Oregon Film, KBOO Community Radio.

Watch the trailer here. For more information visit Outside the Frame's website or the Facebook event page.


 

RESCHEDULED CERAMIC GLAZING WORKSHOPS

Sunday, March 19
Adults: 10:00 am - 12:00 noon (RSVP here.)
Kids 5-10: 11:00 am - 12:00 noon (RSVP here.)
Teens: 1:00 - 3:00 pm (RSVP here.)

Please come back & finish glazing your creations!


IN THE COMMUNITY

Not Our President: Women Writers Against Trump
Friday, Jan. 20
7:00 – 9:00 pm
Ford Food & Drink
2505 SE 11th Ave, Portland

Havurah member and poet, composer and Torah scholar Alicia Jo Rabins will be the first of many writers to read at Portland's "Women Writers Against Trump" at Ford Food & Drink on Jan. 20. The event is one of many "Not Our President: Women Writers Against Trump" gatherings in cities across the country on the eve of the inauguration.

DISPLACED by Eliza Jane Schneider
January 20, 21, 26, 27 & 28 at 8:00 pm; Jan. 22 at 3:00 pm
Portland Abbey Arts
7600 N Hereford Ave, Portland

General Admission: $20.00 / Student (with ID): $15.00

Eliza Jane Schneider, the woman responsible for all the female voices on Comedy Central's South Park, presents as part of the Fertile Ground Festival a new multi-media performance bringing to life people living homeless throughout the world. The show is produced by CompassWorks. Tickets are available at www.fertilegroundpdx.com and www.boxofficetickets.com. Havurah member Gloria Halper will join others in the lobby to provide information for people who want to help.

RITES: A One Woman Show
Friday & Saturday, Jan. 27 & 28, 8:00 pm
The Siren Theater, 315 NW Davis, Portland
Tickets: $12 in advance, $16 at the door

Havurah member Marjorie Rosenthal Hutsell’s sister, Rachel Rosenthal, will perform during Bad Reputation Production’s “Lone Wolves: A Night of Solo Sketch Comedy,” at The Siren Theater on Jan. 27 and 28. Visiting from NYC, Rachel is bringing her bat mitzvah-inspired solo comedy show, RITES: A One Woman Show, to Portland. Learn more about the show or purchase tickets.

Weekend In Quest
March 3 - 5
Astoria, Oregon

The 11th annual Weekend in Quest, a Shabbaton (study weekend), will be held March 3-5 in Astoria, Oregon. It is sponsored by The Institute for Judaic Studies of the Pacific Northwest in Portland and co-sponsored by Havurah Shalom. The scholar-in-residence is Professor Roger Porter, Emeritus Professor of English and Humanities at Reed College. Professor Porter’s program is entitled “Who is the Jew?” Anti-Semitism in Shakespeare and Philip Roth. 

For more information, to download a brochure and to register, go to http://weekendinquest.org  and/or contact Havurah member Mimi Epstein at mimiepstein42@comcast.net.

Photo below is of Astoria, Oregon, where Weekend in Quest is held.

Pacific NW Reconstructionist Shabbaton
May 5 - 7
Camp Solomon Schechter

Register online here for the Pacific NW Reconstructionist Shabbaton Weekend, May 5-7. Celebrate Shabbat at Camp Solomon Schechter with members of the five Pacific Northwest Reconstructionist congregations!

  • Be inspired by rabbis and educators, including visiting faculty from Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
  • Enjoy programming for all ages
  • Share music, meals, and more!

See the attached flier for more details.

Drawing below is of Camp Solomon Schechter, where the Shabbaton will be held.

Calling Young Jewish Artists

ORA Northwest Jewish Artists is proud to sponsor the first Young Artists Show, Sunday, Feb. 26 – Friday, March 3. The show will be held in the Mittleman Jewish Community Center’s lobby. It will be the first event to kick off the monthlong Jewish Arts Month which runs through the end of March and features art by ORA members.

Children in grades 5-8 are invited to submit up to five pieces of art, of any medium, for jury review and consideration for the show. Prizes will be awarded in each grade level. Young artists must submit their artwork for jury consideration on Sunday, Feb. 12, between 10:30 am and 12:00 pm at Neveh Shalom, Room 105.

Application and details can be found here. For more information, email youngartistsshow@gmail.com.


RABBI CANDIDATE NEWS

Thank you to all who attended services and other gatherings with Rabbi Micah Becker-Klein last weekend, despite the challenging weather, and to all who watched the videos sent to Havurah members on Sunday. Please be sure to complete the survey about Rabbi Micah by tomorrow, Thursday, Jan. 12.

This Friday, Jan. 13, you will receive another email from the Rabbi Search Committee with links to all videos made during Rabbi Benjamin's and Rabbi Micah's visits. It will also contain a rabbi candidate evaluation. Please complete the evaluation by Thursday, Jan. 17. Your input is very important!

This blog post answers questions that Havurah members have asked about the process of our rabbi selection.

Thu, March 28 2024 18 Adar II 5784