FROM OUR CALENDAR 1 Upcoming Shabbat - Dorot in the Park this Friday Emanuel Ben-David, Scholar in Residence, this Saturday 2 Tisha b'Av Service 3 Tuesday Jewish Mindfulness Meditation 4 Wednesday Morning Minyan 5 Book Discussion Group
Weekly Community Email, July 12
FROM OUR CALENDAR (1) Upcoming Shabbat - Dorot in the Park this Friday & Emanuel Ben-David, Scholar in Residence, this Saturday (2) Tisha b'Av Service (3) Tuesday Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation (4) Wednesday Morning Minyan (5) Book Discussion Group (6) Kabbalat Shabbat Service with Rabbi Benjamin on Aug. 11 (7) Havdalah & Potluck Picnic to Welcome Rabbi Benjamin & Family on Aug. 19
ANNOUNCEMENTS (1) New Baby Girl for the Brewers (2) Stefanie Hausman's Article in Hakol (3) Are You the Handy-Person for Havurah? (4) Messages of Love, Hope & Gratitude (5) You Are Awesome
1) Upcoming Shabbat
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.
Above photo is of Emanuel Ben-David and his wife, Connie.
Scholar In Residence Emanuel Ben-David, Saturday, 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. As 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. Childcare will be available for the morning service. (Please arrive on time.) Learn more and RSVP here.
2) Tisha b'Av Service, Monday, July 31, 8:30 - 9:30 pm, Havurah - In these times of political turmoil and tragedy, Tisha b’Av, one of the most important days of fasting and contemplation in the Jewish calendar commemorating the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem on two separate occasions, takes on added significance. Join us on July 31 for a short Ma’ariv and Tisha b’Av service. We will then listen together to to Leonard Bernstein's Jeremiah Symphony (24 minutes), the third movement of which includes excerpts from the Book of Lamentations (Eicha), traditionally read on Tisha b’Av. Please bring a pillow and flashlight. The service will be led by Steve Goldberg and Susan Brenner.
3) 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 can come.
4) Wednesday Morning Minyan, 8:30 - 9:00 am - This weekly service is for those who wish to incorporate daily practice in their lives and those saying Kaddish, or both. Please join us.
5) Book Discussion, Tuesday, July 25, 7:00 - 8:30 pm - Barry Kast will lead 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.
Join us Friday, Aug. 11 for a Kabbalat Shabbat Service with Rabbi Benjamin, and Saturday, Aug. 19 for a Havdalah & Potluck Picnic to welcome him & his family!
6) Kabbalat Shabbat Service, Friday, Aug. 11, 7:00 - 8:30 pm, Havurah - Watch Havurah's online calendar for details. Meanwhile, save this date so you can join us for the first Shabbat service Rabbi Benjamin will lead at Havurah as our new rabbi.
7) Havdalah Picnic to Welcome Rabbi Benjamin & His Family, Saturday, Aug. 19, 5:30 - 8:00 pm, Laurelhurst Park in SE Portland - At this potluck picnic and Havdalah celebration, we will welcome Rabbi Benjamin and his family. 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 Girl - Mazel tov to new grandparents Miryam and Roger Brewer, and to the new parents, Ben Brewer and Rachel Hershenberg! Ben and Rachel, who live in Atlanta, just welcomed a healthy baby girl to the world and will reveal her name soon, so watch for updates.
2) Mittleman Jewish Community Center Summer Concert Series
Havurah Shalom is helping support the MJCC’s Summer Concert Series. The first concert, featuring Kim Schneiderman, is Sunday, July 16.
The MJCC's summer concerts will be held on the lawn of the MJCC, and the first one is this Sunday at 5:00 pm, featuring Kim Schneiderman. A teacher, storyteller, and musician, Kim has spent the last 15 years singing, creating, and making music with young families from all over. She has just released her new album, "Walk Around the Block," a labor of love, tears, truth and beauty. Learn more and buy tickets here.(Above photo is from the MJCC website.)
3) Stefanie Hausman - A clarification about our July-August Hakol: The article "Tips for Helping Children Heal Through Play" was written by Stefanie Hausman. Thank you, Stefanie, for your thoughtful and helpful tips!
4) Could You be the Handy-Person for Havurah? - Are you good with tools, small repairs, and solving problems? Havurah is seeking a handy-person who can be on call for odd jobs related to the building and grounds. This can be either a paid or volunteer position, depending on your preference. For more information, email Rachel.
5) Messages of Love, Hope and Gratitude at the Hollywood Transit Center Memorial - Havurah member and photographer Ellen Regal joined Judy Brodkey and others to create this inspiring e-book about the Hollywood Transit Center tributes to two Muslim women and the men who defended them. (Above photo is from OregonLive.)
6) You Are Awesome - We have many wonderful photos in our online directory now. Thank you to all who uploaded photos to help Rabbi Benjamin learn our names and to enhance our security. You can add your or your family's photo to the directory by logging into your account, scrolling down and clicking on "Setup Your Directory Listing" in the "Manage People" section, and clicking 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. Thank you for helping Rabbi Benjamin get to know all of us!
Please use this form to submit stories for this weekly community email. Submissions are due by noon on Tuesday each week.
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.)
