FROM OUR CALENDAR 1 Bar Mitzvah 2 Tuesday Meditation 4 Wednesday Morning Minyan 5 Dorot in the Park 6 Emanuel Ben-David, Scholar in Residence 7 Book Discussion Group 8 Havdalah Potluck Picnic to Welcome Rabbi Benjamin Family ANNOUN
Weekly Community Email, July 5
FROM OUR CALENDAR (1) Bar Mitzvah (2) Tuesday Meditation (4) Wednesday Morning Minyan (5) Dorot in the Park (6) Emanuel Ben-David, Scholar in Residence (7) Book Discussion Group (8) Havdalah & Potluck Picnic to Welcome Rabbi Benjamin & Family
ANNOUNCEMENTS (1) New Baby at Havurah (2) Havurah Member's Art Opening (3) Vote Each Day for PHFS (4) Can You Help Rachel's Well? (5) Is Your Photo the One You Want? (6) High Holy Days Planning has Begun
In this Saturday's Torah portion, Balak receives news from an unexpected source. Photo from Wikimedia.
1) Isaac Kerstetter's Bar Mitzvah, Saturday, July 8, 10:00 am
This Saturday Isaac Kerstetter, son of Jessie and Brad Kerstetter and grandson of Betty and Jacob Reiss, will be called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah. Come celebrate with Isaac and his family and welcome him as a member of our community. Mazel tov!
2) Tuesday Meditation During Summer Months Havurah's Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation group will continue to meet at noon on Tuesdays during the summer whenever at least two people can attend. Deborah will be at Havurah most Tuesdays. Please add your name to this doodle poll to indicate when you plan to come.
3) Wednesday Morning Minyan at 8:30 am Join us on Wednesday mornings for a short service for those who want to make daily practice a part of their lives and those who want to say Kaddish.
4) Dorot Kabbalat Shabbat & Potluck Picnic In the Park, Friday, July 14, 5:30 - 8:30 pm (Service begins at 6:00 pm), Laurelhurst Park Picnic Area "D" (near intersection of SE Ankeny & Cesar Chavez)
Please join our Dorot musicians, Tanja Lux, Sarah Shine, Gabe Adoff and Jacob Mandelsberg, as we bring our family-friendly, musical Dorot service from the sanctuary to the beautiful grounds of Laurelhurst Park. Bring a veggie dish to share and blankets to spread as we welcome Shabbat in true summer-style. Kiddos and parents are welcome to bring a music-making instrument and/or spirit!! We have Picnic Area "D" reserved from 4:00 pm until closing, and the site contains five picnic benches. For questions, contact jmandelsberg@gmail.com or sarah.shine@gmail.com. RSVP here!
5) Scholar In Residence Day with Emanuel Ben-David on July 15 - Community Minyan at 10:00 am, Potluck Lunch & Afternoon Presentations on Israel
Havurah is honored to welcome Emily Simon's good friend from Ashland and Israel, Emanuel Ben-David, as our Scholar In Residence on Saturday, July 15. Emanuel and Emily will lead morning services at 10:00 am, which will be followed by a potluck vegetarian lunch and two afternoon presentations on Israel. Emanuel is studying for the rabbinate, and he and Emily have led services together in Ashland, where he and his wife Connie (pictured above) live now.
Being a native Israeli, Emanuel notices nuances in Hebrew, and as a result his teachings have great depth. His "day job" in Israel involved the technical side of Israeli military defense, and he has a wealth of knowledge on the subject. His 1:30 pm presentation will be a humorous perspective on the "Ten Commandments" of being an Israeli, and his 3:00 pm presentation will focus on Israeli defense technologies and their applications in the medical field. Come to the morning service and potluck lunch, or the afternoon presentations, or both. Learn more and RSVP here. Childcare will be available for all of the events. Please arrive on time.
6) Book Discussion, Tuesday, July 25, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
Join us as Barry Kast leads a discussion of Call it Sleep. Written by Henry Roth in 1934, the novel tells the story of an eight-year-old boy growing up on the East Side of Manhattan as an immigrant from Eastern Europe. As a sensitive and imaginative child, he experienced the security of his mother’s coddling but is now terrified by the world that lies beyond sight and sound of her. The pageantry of the East Side is displayed in all "its polyglot, polychrome crowds" (NY Times, 1935). This book is now regarded as a classic of Jewish literature. RSVP here.
7) Havdalah Picnic to Welcome Rabbi Benjamin & His Family, Saturday, Aug. 19, 5:30 - 8:00 pm, Laurelhurst Park
We are holding a picnic and Havdalah celebration to welcome Rabbi Benjamin and his family on Saturday, Aug. 19. We will have games for children, potluck dinner, music and Havdalah. Come at 5:30 pm to start the games, and dinner will begin around 6'ish. Please RSVP here if you can come!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1) New Baby at Havurah - Eli William Weintraub, son of Ben and Mackenzie and brother of Emmett Weintraub, grandson of Nancy and Frank Weintraub, entered the world on June 28.Mazel tov!
2) Three Days Left to Vote - Portland Homeless Family Solutions (PHFS), Goose Hollow Shelter Volunteer Project News - PHFS is a semi-finalist to receive an Advantis Credit Union GROW Community Fund Grant to expand the Goose Hollow shelter, where Havurah Shalom has been volunteering once a month since July 2015. You can vote here once a day until 5:00 pm on July 7. Thank you so much!
Above photo is from Gallery 114's website.
2) "Human Being" by David Slader with B. Pat, Jerome Sloan & David Drenth, Preview tonight, 6:00 to 8:00 pm at Gallery 114 (1100 NW Glisan), to benefit Oregon Justice Resource Center; Open First Thursday, July 6, 6:00 - 9:00 pm, through July 28 - What do OPB’s Think Out Loud, KBOO’s News In Depth, Street Roots, the Oregon State Bar Bulletin and Oregon Jewish Life have in common? They are all noticing Gallery 114’s "Human Being" exhibit featuring Havaurah member David Slader’s politically inspired paintings of defiant women and the work of three incarcerated guest artists. If you missed OPB’s Think Out Loud interview with David earlier today, you can hear it rebroadcast tonight on FM 91.5. The interview begins at 8:50 pm.
3) Will You Consider Being Havurah's Representative on the New Mikvah Advisory Board? - Please consider representing Havurah on the advisory board of Rachel's Well, Portland's new mikvah. The first Mikvah Advisory Board meeting will be at 9:00 am on Friday, Aug. 11, at the MJCC. Everyone who attends will receive an update on the mikvah, which should be open for viewing by then, and a review of the responsibilities and opportunities available for Advisory Board members. Naomi Malka, the director of the Adas Israel Community Mikvah in Washington, DC, will lead a mikvah guide training on Aug. 13. Please contact Havurah's office to learn more.
Above photo is of Havurah Sanctuary Team members Gloria Halper, Deb Kallen, Robbin Isaacson Deweese, Fran Berg, Kathy Gordon, and Marjorie Walters at the new affordable housing in the Cully neighborhood.
4) Is Your Photo the One You Want? - Thank you to all who have uploaded photos to our online directory to help Rabbi Benjamin get to know us and to increase our security. Additional photos have been added to other directory listings, so please see if your photo is the one you want in the directory. You can always delete the current photo and upload the photo you prefer - or send your preferred photo to Teri at Havurah to upload for you.
You can do it yourself by logging into your account, scrolling down and clicking on "Setup Your Directory Listing" in the "Manage People" section, then clicking on the red button to upload your photo. If you haven't logged into your membership account yet, go to our website, click on "login" in the upper right corner, enter your email address as your ID, and create a password - any password you wish! If you logged in long ago and forgot your password, just create a new one. After you receive an email confirming that Havurah has received your password, you can log in any time. Thank you for helping Rabbi Benjamin get to know all of us!
5) Planning Begins for High Holy Days, a Message from Susan Lazareck - If you're like my family, you're thinking about school being out, warm and sunny days becoming the norm, summer vacations, hanging out and eating dinner with friends on the patio or in the park. We are excited, knowing that the daylight will be lasting longer. But before we all head off into the sunshine, may I suggest you take some time to organize your calendar?
I am talking about the High Holy Days that come at the end of September. Calls and requests have begun to ask members to take on the many parts that make the Days of Awe amazing and beautiful. Havurah Shalom is fortunate to have such a large and creative collective of families. And to our collective of families, I say, come and join the work of preparing and creating our High Holy Days. Go ahead: put the dates on your calendar for services at the Tiffany Center. Read more here!
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Havurah Shalom is a vibrant, egalitarian, and diverse Jewish Reconstructionist community. Steeped in Jewish values, Havurah promotes spirituality, learning, and acts of social responsibility.
Find our calendar and learn more at www.havurahshalom.org.
Rose Haven Walk (register at their 2025 Reigning Roses Walk site) Sunday, May 11th 10:00a to 1:00p Rose Haven supporters and guests will unite to stride a beautiful route through NW Portland on Mother’s Day at the 12th Annual Reigning Roses Walk. Walk with, or in honor of, a special woman in your life – a mother, grandmother, daughter, partner, or friend. 10 am check-in, 11 am begin walking. (We've cancelled the Havurah Teen Engagement plan for this event; just go to the Rose Haven 2025 Reigning Roses Walk website to register!)
(IP) Jewish Ethical Responses to the Problem of Racism Monday, May 12th 6:30p to 7:45p 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.
(HYB) Steering Meeting Tuesday, May 13th 6:30p to 8:30p Steering members and staff will meet to consider matters of governance. All Havurah Shalom members are invited to attend Steering Committee meetings. For Zoom join links, visit havurahshalom.org/zoom (must be logged in) or call the office in advance for assistance (503-248-4662).
(IP) Hebrew as a Tool: Prayer and Torah (registration closed) Wednesday, May 14th 7:00p to 8:15p (This class will now be starting on January 8.) Using an in-depth, word-by-word approach, we discover literal meaning(s), ancient layers of understanding, and our own personal interpretations that stem from the nuances of the Hebrew text. Basic Hebrew decoding skills necessary.
(IP) B’nei Mitzvah Drash and Service Workshop Thursday, May 15th 7:00p to 8:00p Students and parents are guided through responding to Torah in a drash. You will also take a walk through the Shabbat Morning service. Led by Sarah Shine.
(HYB) Text and Torah Shabbat: "Forgotten" Jewish Rituals Shabbat, May 17th 10:00a to 12:00p One hour of text study with Diane Chaplin on special topics, followed by a brief service. 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.
(IP) Shabbat School Summit Shabbat, May 17th 3:00p to 5:15p Summit for all Shabbat School Families. At least one parent/adult from each familiy needs to attend. If you have two adults and children in more than one grade, it is best to have one adult attend per grade.
(IP) New(ish) Member Brunch Sunday, May 18th 10:00a to 12:00p A schmear & schmooze brunch at Havurah Shalom from the Havurah Welcoming Committee for new members, newish members, and any Havurahniks who would appreciate being welcomed in again and learning about new ways to become more connected within the community. Questions? Email Wendy Castineira. Please RSVP!
You can also reach out to Tara Anderson, Havurah's Participation and Publications Coordinator (phone: 503-248-4662, ext. 4; email: tara@havurahshalom.org).
When you register, please let us know in the Notes section about any relevant dietary needs (vegan, gluten-free, etc.)
