FROM OUR CALENDAR 1 Upcoming Shabbat 2 Last Day to RSVP for Erev Rosh Hashanah Dinner Childcare 3 High Holidays Music Group 4 MACG Housing Community Meeting 5 Lev Tahor "Pure Heart" Chanting 6 Climate Action Team Meeting 7 PHFS Goos
Weekly Community Email, Sept. 6, 2017
FROM OUR CALENDAR (1) Upcoming Shabbat (2) Last Day to RSVP for Erev Rosh Hashanah Dinner & Childcare (3) High Holidays Music Group (4) MACG Housing Community Meeting (5) Lev Tahor ("Pure Heart") Chanting (6) Climate Action Team Meeting (7) PHFS Goose Hollow Shelter Volunteering (8) Interested in Work Around Privilege & Equity? (9) Seliḥot Service (10) Book Group Discussion Moved from Sept. 26 to Oct. 24 (11) Having the Conversation
ANNOUNCEMENTS (1) Lost Tallit (2) How You Can Support Victims of Hurricane Harvey (3) High Holidays Tzedakah Project (4) It Takes a Village: A Benefit Concert for Tanzania
FROM OUR CALENDAR
(1) Upcoming Shabbat
Kabbalat Shabbat Service, Friday, Sept. 8, 7:30 pm - Join Rabbi Benjamin and Havurah musicians Beth Hamon, Scott Snyder and Chaim Wolin as we welcome Shabbat together this Friday. A catered dessert oneg will follow the service. Please RSVP here.
Community Minyan, Saturday, Sept. 9, 10:00 am - This Saturday we will read and discuss parsha Ki Tavo, which describes the practice of tithing as well as blessings and curses, and concludes with an observation from Moses that only now, forty years after becoming a nation, have the people of Israel attained “a heart to know, eyes to see and ears to hear.” (Image below of Moses seeing the Promised Land is from Political Theology Today.)
(2) Last Day to RSVP for Erev Rosh Hashanah Dinner - Today is the last day to RSVP for Erev Rosh Hashanah Dinner and High Holidays Childcare. RSVP herefor the dinner. And don't forget to to sign up for your volunteer role during High Holidays. Your help is essential to Havurah's ability to welcome all to our High Holidays services!
(3) High Holidays Music Gatherings, Wednesdays, Sept. 6 & 13, 7:00-8:30 pm - We have a wonderful group of singers that have met the past couple of weeks. We have two more Wednesday night gatherings scheduled, and an additional gathering whose day and time will be determined at tomorrow night's meeting. If you are considering playing an instrument on Erev Rosh Hashanah, please be in touch with Ilene Safyan (privately) so we can try our best to set up a date when you are able to attend practice.
(4) MACG Housing Community Meeting, Sept. 10, 1:30–3:00 pm, Havurah Shalom, and Monday Sept. 11, 7:00-8:30 pm, St. Charles Catholic Church, 5310 NE 42nd Ave. - The housing action team of MACG (Metropolitan Alliance for Common Good) has had many successes and has built a positive reputation with the City of Portland's Housing Bureau. One of these successes is our work to pass the historic $258M Affordable Bond Measure last November. The promise was for 1300 affordable units focused on the lowest income people that other housing efforts do not address. Promises need actions to make them real. MACG has been asked to gather community feedback about the draft framework for how the bond money should be spent from MACG institutions in Portland. Learn more and RSVP here.
(5) Lev Tahor ("Pure Heart") Chanting on Monday, Sept. 11, 7:00-8:00 pm - We will gather to lift sacred phrases through melody, harmony, and rhythm in order to open our hearts, clarify our minds, and cultivate qualities such as gratefulness and compassion. Interspersed with periods of silent meditation, the chanting will be guided by teachings and intentions from Rabbi Benjamin. Each monthly gathering is open to anyone – no experience, musical ability, or commitment necessary. Generally second Monday of each month. RSVPs are welcome.
(6) Climate Action Team Meeting, Thursday, Sept. 14, 7:00 pm, at Havurah - This is a change of date. All interested Havurah members are invited to join us as we discuss and plan future activities. Contact Elianne Lieberman at elianne97202@yahoo.com for questions.
(7) Portland Homeless Family Solutions (PHFS) Goose Hollow Shelter Direct Service Project - Prospective Goose Hollow Shelter volunteers only need to attend an hour orientation. Please RSVP to the PHFS volunteer coordinator: Bethany Rocci, bethany@pdxhfs.org. Next Orientations: Sept. 11 at 5:00 pm, Sept. 27 at 5:00 pm. Gloria Halper-Havurah's PHFS Goose Hollow coordinator: losninos6@gmail.com.
(8) Interested in Work Around Privilege and Equity at Havurah and/or with Havurah Folk?Wednesday, Sept. 13, 7:00 to 8:30 pm - Those of us who were part of the class last winter on Privilege & Equity would love you to join us September 13 (Wednesday night). We will be using a process to narrow our many options for next steps into those that most 'resonate' with folks. Click here to learn some of the options that have come up from our meetings so far, and who to contact if you are interested in this work or have questions.
(9) SeliḥotService, Saturday, Sept. 16, 8:00-9:30 pm, Havurah Shalom - Traditionally, Jews gather on the Saturday night before Rosh Hashanah to initiate the process of Seliḥot, “Forgiveness,” in preparation for the Ten Days of Teshuvah (“Returning/Repentance”). We will use some traditional Seliḥot prayers, as well as contemplative music and prayer, in order to access forgiveness and compassion as we move further into this sacred time.
(10) Book Group Discussion Has Moved From Sept. 26 to Oct. 24 - Please see our online calendar for details and to RSVP.
(11) Having the Conversation: Workshops to Discuss What Quality Means at the End of Life, Sundays, Oct. 29 and Nov. 12, 10:00 - 11:30 am - It’s not easy to talk about how you want the end of your life to be, but it’s one of the most important conversations you can have with your loved ones; it can make decision-making at the end of life less painful and overwhelming. With the help and guidance of your fellow congregants who have been trained in end-of-life care, we will work together in two supportive workshops to help people talk about their values around quality of life. Please contact Teri if you are interested in registering.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
(1) Lost Tallit - Rabbi Benjamin found this tallit outside Havurah last Saturday. Please let us know if it's yours.
(2) Support Victims of Hurricane Harvey - You can support people impacted by Hurricane Harvey bydonating here through the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland.
(3) High Holiday Tikkun Olam Tzedakah Project Donations - High Holiday Tikkun Tzedakah Project Donations can be dropped off in containers on the fourth floor of the Tiffany Center during High Holidays. Over this past year, Havurahniks have volunteered countless hours of direct service with two local organizations helping families get settled in new homes. Portland Homeless Family Solutions (PHFS) supports homeless families at the Goose Hollow Family Shelter transition to new homes, and Catholic Charities supports new refugees arriving in Portland. To further support this work, this year's Havurah High Holiday Tikkun Olam Tzedakah Project will be, as it was last year, to collect household items that will be used by PHFS and Catholic Charities in creating Welcome Baskets for the families each organization helps. Read more here about donation needs.
The photo above was taken by David Newman.
(4) It Takes a Village: A Benefit Concert for Tanzania, Saturday, Sept. 16, 6:00-10:00 pm - A fun-packed evening at 1711 SE 40th Ave, Portland, benefiting the work of the Rafiki Village Project (RVP). The RVP is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation founded by Havurah member David Newman, working on small-scale, collaborative development projects in rural Tanzania. The Sept. 16 concert features the danceable rhythms of Pa’lante! and The AfroFolk Project, led by Havurah member Jan DeWeese. The evening will include African food, beverages, a silent auction, a raffle and a slideshow about the Rafiki Village Project. Tickets ($30) are on sale at Brownpapertickets/com/event/3056351 Questions? Contact David at davnew2@earthlink.net.
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.
[B'nei Mitzvah Run Through] Friday, Aug 15th 12:00p to 2:00p (This is a closed event and is included in our calendar for space reservation reasons and attendee reference.)
Shabbat Morning with Bat Mitzvah of Natasha Raish Shabbat, Aug 16th 10:00a to 12:00p Please join us for Shabbat morning services, including welcoming Natasha Raish as a Bat Mitzvah and member of our community.
(IP) Elul Gallery Art Drop-Off Sunday, Aug 17th 12:00p to 3:00p As part of our annual holiday cycle, Havurah members are invited to share our own reflections on the themes and stories of the High Holiday season. In addition to prose or poetry that may be shared on the bima at High Holiday services, we are putting out a call for artistic expressions in any visual medium, including paintings, drawings and photography. We welcome your reflections on any aspect of the High Holidays experience, whether they arise from our tradition’s core concepts of teshuvah (return) or seliḥah (forgiveness), or from any other aspect of your own process of looking inward during the time leading into the holiday season. The Elul and High Holiday Gallery is a project of the High Holidays Committee and the Design Committee, led by Joan Peck and Marcia Suttenberg.
(ZM) Climate Change Book Group Slow Reading of "Not Too Late" Monday, Aug 18th 5:30p to 6:30p All are welcome! Havurah members and non-members alike are invited to join us in this slow, section-by-section reading of "Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Story from Despair to Possibility." Click and RSVP. Attend any or all of these HCAT (Havurah's Climate Action Team) Book Group discussions about "Not Too Late."
(ZM) Healing the Heart, Soothing the Soul: A Grief Process Support Group Tuesday, Aug 19th 5:30p to 7:00p **Note: Registration for this group is now closed.** During the month of Elul, we are guided to examine our souls, explore our relationships, reflect on our actions with God and others, and prepare ourselves spiritually to begin a new year. With the Spirit of Elul, we will journey into exploring the aspects of grief. For Havurah members only. Limited to 8 people. Participants are strongly encouraged to attend all sessions.
(IP) Israeli Dancing Wednesday, Aug 20th 7:30p to 8:30p Join us to learn Israeli dancing! We’ll teach the steps and tell the stories behind Israeli dances while you enjoy the catchy rhythms, creative body movements, and spending time with friends.
Led by Havurah members Cindy Merrill and Gail Schwartz with dance instructor Rhona Feldman.
Hakol Deadline is Thursday, August 21 Thursday, Aug 21st (All day) Havurah members, click to learn how to submit your contributions to our monthly newsletter, Hakol.
(HYB) Solidarity Kabbalat Shabbat Friday, Aug 22nd 5:45p to 8:00p 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.
