FROM OUR CALENDAR 1 Upcoming Shabbat Kabbalat Shabbat, Text Torah 2 Tikkun Olam Folk Singing in the Sukkah 3 Alter Rockers Happy Hour 4 Office Closures Oct. 5 6 5 Music Message from Ilene Safyan 6 Lev Tahor Pure Heart Chanting Move
Weekly Community Email, Oct. 4
FROM OUR CALENDAR
(1) Upcoming Shabbat: Kabbalat Shabbat, Text & Torah (2) Tikkun Olam Folk Singing in the Sukkah (3) Alter Rockers Happy Hour (4) Office Closures Oct. 5 & 6 (5) Music Message from Ilene Safyan (6) Lev Tahor (Pure Heart) Chanting Moved to Oct. 16 (7) Morning Minyan Moved to Thursday for Shemini Atzeret (8) Simchat Torah Celebration (9) Ambiguity & the Multiple Narratives of Torah (10) Book Group Meeting (11) PHFS Goose Hollow Direct Service Project (12) Having the Conversation: Workshops to Discuss What Quality Means at the End of Life
ANNOUNCEMENTS
(1) Response to Yom Kippur Tikkun Olam Discussion About Immigration (2) August Steering Committee Minutes (3) Passport to Empowerment (4) Reverend Billy & the Stop Shopping Choir
FROM OUR CALENDAR
(1) Upcoming Shabbat
Kabbalat Shabbat & Potluck Dessert Oneg, Friday, Oct. 6, 7:30 pm - Join us for a Kabbalat Shabbat Service with a Sukkot theme of welcoming the stranger. We'll have a potluck dessert oneg in the sukkah following the service, if weather allows. Please bring a dessert to share. RSVPs are welcome.
Text & Torah, "New Beginnings, The Torah Scroll," Saturday, Oct. 7, 10:00 am - We will serve breakfast and coffee, including bagels and lox and gluten-free options. Please arrive early to eat before the study begins. Study session will be led by Diane Chaplin, and a brief service following it will be led by Rabbi Benjamin and Havurah members. Every year at this time we come full circle with our Torah reading. We’ve just read the final parshah and are about to begin again with Bereshit. At this study session, we’ll delve into some history about the Torah scroll itself and look at Torah reading traditions through the centuries. We’ll also discuss the upcoming celebration of Simchat Torah, "Rejoicing with the Torah.” Childcare will be available.
(2) Tikkun Olam Folk Singing in the Sukkah, Sunday, Oct. 8, 3:00 pm - Join us for an afternoon with singers and musicians to sing folk songs in the sukkah! Bring your voices, your instruments and your spirit! We will have some copies of “Rise Up Singing” to guide us. Questions? Contact Susan at sarosenthall@msn.com or Judy at mjheumann@gmail.com. Please RSVP here.
(3) Alter Rockers Happy Hour & Potluck, Tuesday, Oct. 10, 5:00 pm - The Alter Rockers, those who are retired or are contemplating retirement, or who just want to have fun, have reserved the sukkah for a happy hour. Please bring vegetarian hors d’oeuvres to share and whatever you want to drink. To RSVP, please email Sarah Rosenberg.
(4) Office Closures - Havurah's office will be closed for Sukkot on Thursday, Oct. 5, and Friday, Oct. 6
(5) Music Message from Ilene Safyan - Calling all music folks! Come join the Havurah Party Band for Simchat Torah. Just let Ilene know ahead of time if you’d like to be involved. (ilene.safyan@havurahshalom.org) Simchat Torah is Thursday, Oct. 12. Hope to see you there! Bring your voice or your instrument.
(6) Lev Tahor ("Pure Heart") Chanting has been moved from Oct. 9 to Oct. 16
(7) Morning Minyan next week has been moved from Wednesday to Thursday, Oct. 12, 8:00 am, for Shemini Atzeret with Yizkor.
(8) Simchat Torah, Thursday, Oct. 12, 6:30-8:00 pm - Join us for a family-friendly, joyous celebration! We'll have a dessert buffet from 6:00 - 6:50 pm, followed by music, dancing and celebrating Torah. We will also have an adult beverage table, so please feel free to bring a bottle and/or mixer to share.Please RSVP here.
(9) Ambiguity & the Multiple Narratives of Torah, Taught by Rabbi Benjamin, Wednesdays, 7:00-8:30 pm, Oct. 18, 25; Nov. 1, 8, 15, 29 - The Hebrew Bible is rich with ambiguity. While we carry many assumptions about its points of view, the Torah is in fact multilayered and nuanced. Through close readings of particular Biblical narratives, including those of Abraham, Hagar, Jacob, and David, and with the aid of ancient and contemporary responses, we will re-read the literature that is Torah, exploring its artistry and reflecting on the ways in which it expresses and comments upon the nature of humanity. Please RSVP here.
(10) Book Discussion Group, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 7:00 to 8:30 pm, Havurah - Please join us on October 24 for a geography lesson of the heart. Ruth Feldman will lead us in a discussion of The Best Place on Earth (HarperCollins Canada), a collection of short stories by Ayelet Tsabari. A child of the 1970s and 1980s, Tsabari was born in Israel to a family of Yemeni descent. “I grew up not seeing myself and my family in literature,” she says, “so writing The Best Place on Earth was a way to create the characters that were missing from my childhood stories." The eleven short stories go beyond Israel and investigate the complexities of immigration, identity, and belonging. As Adams writes, “[J]ust try picking up this book without having your preconceived notions prodded into a mess of noisy contradictions. And it’s all done so lightly….” RSVP here if you can come.
(11) Portland Homeless Family Solutions (PHFS) Goose Hollow Direct Service Project - Started in July 2015 with 10 Havurah families volunteering, now we have more than 40 signed up! Been thinking about involving yourself in something new at Havurah? Join our Portland Homeless Family Solutions project by attending an hour-long orientation. There are several volunteer positions that we fill once a month, so not only will you be helping homeless families, you will also be working along side other Havurahniks! Next Orientation: Oct. 17 at 4:00 pm. Orientations are at the shelter, 1838 SW Jefferson Ave. Parking is behind the church.** Please RSVP to Goose Hollow's volunteer coordinator: Bethany Rocci at bethany@pdxhfs.org. Any other questions: Havurah member Gloria Halper: losninos6@gmail.com.
(12) Having the Conversation: Workshops to Discuss What Quality means at the End of Life, Oct. 29 & 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. We will use information from theconversationproject.org to guide us. Please contact Teri Ruch at 503-248-4662 ext. 4 or teri@havurahshalom.org before you register. The workshops are limited to 12 participants. Two more spaces are available.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
(1) Response from Yom Kippur Discussion about Immigration - We had 81 people participate in our Yom Kippur discussion. People asked for specifics about getting involved or participating. The best way to keep up with what is going on is to add your name to our Sanctuary Committee email list. You can do that easily by sending an email to Bob Brown, rebrown47@gmail.com, with "Add Me to the Email List" in the subject line.
(2) August Steering Committee Minutes - Havurah's Steering Committee will be publishing its monthly meeting minutes in our weekly email. You can read the August minutes here.
(3) Passport to Empowerment, Green Empowerment 20-year Anniversary Celebration, Saturday, Oct. 14, 5:00-midnight, North Warehouse, 723 N Tillamook St, Portland - Havurah Shalom's Tikkun Olam Committee is a sponsor for Green Empowerment's "Passport to Empowerment," its celebration of 20 years of social justice through partnering with local NGOs to bring clean water and sustainable electricity to remote villages in Latin American and Asia. Over the past 10 years Havurah members raised funds for a solar water system, latrines, and clean cookstoves in El Jocote, Nicaragua, and during service trips assisted villagers in setting up patio gardens and grey water systems. Join the celebration at the VIP event from 5:00-8:00 pm (tickets are $100; the first ten requesters will be given a free ticket) and/or the party from 7:30 pm-midnight ($40). Christine Ervin, the first President and CEO of U.S. Green Building Council and Assistant Secretary of Energy under President Clinton, will speak at 7:30 pm. Go to www.greenempowerment.org/passport for details on the event. Questions? Contact Linda Boise at boiselinda48@gmail.com.
(4) Boom Arts (directed by Havurah member Ruth Wikler-Luker) presents "Reverend Billy & the Stop Shopping Choir"- First stand-alone concerts in Portland - Directed by Savitri D. - Music Director Nehemiah Luckett. Two Shows Only: Oct. 6 & 7, 7:30 pm, The Old Church, 1422 SW 11th Ave. Obie Award-winning performance artist and activist Reverend Billy and The Stop Shopping Choir are “activists-who-sing” who bring humor, music and their unique DIY spiritual life to the daily struggle of today’s Earth crisis.
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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.
(CANCELED) Collage Art with Jewish Symbols Wednesday, May 7th 6:30p to 7:45p This class has been canceled by the instructor. If you are interested in doing art at Havurah, please reach out to Adela Basayne (info@havurahshalom.org). Bring your crafts and creativity out for making collage art with Jewish symbols. We will create hamzas, stars of David, trees of life, and images for blessing the home. All ages are invited! Led by Carolina Martinez.
(IP) Hebrew as a Tool: Prayer and Torah (registration closed) Wednesday, May 7th 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.
(HYB) Kabbalat Shabbat Celebration Friday, May 9th 5:45p to 8:00p A musical, all-ages Friday night service with family-friendly dessert and hearty nosh before and after. All are welcome! 5:45 pm Hearty Nosh, 6:30 Service, 7:30 Oneg. Free childcare is provided. Those joining on Zoom, please come at 6:30; the in-person hearty nosh portion and oneg will not be televised. For Zoom information, please email info@havurhshalom.org.
(HYB) Shabbat Morning with Music Shabbaton (w/ Aly Halpert) Shabbat, May 10th 10:00a to 12:00p This community minyan will feature the musical contributions of Aly Halpert who is in residence with us this Shabbat. 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@havurahshalom.org.
(IP) Tot Shabbat Shabbat, May 10th 10:30a to 11:15a Young children (0-5) and parents celebrate with singing, movement, blessings, and storytelling. All are welcome! Please RSVP when you plan to come. We provide free childcare for those staying to enjoy the full Shabbat service that ends at noon and which is followed by a light community brunch. Email info@havurahshalom.org to learn more.
(IP) Songs for Liberation Song Circle (w/ Aly Halpert) Shabbat, May 10th 4:30p to 6:30p (Currently this event is for Havurah members only, as registrations are capped at 80 people. Havurah members, be sure to RSVP.) 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-building.
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.
