Feb. 21 - Music MeetUp, Purim for Grownups, Purim for All
HAVURAH HAPPENINGS - (1) Upcoming Shabbat (2) Purim Celebration (3) Jewish Parenting: What is Going on in There Anyway? (4) Last Thursday IMIrJ I.C.E. Vigil (5) Music MeetUp - A Time to Play (6) Book Discussion Group (7) Portland Homeless Family Solutions (8) Kabbalat Shabbat (9) Discovering Shabbat Morning (10) Save the Date for Havurah's Premiere Fundraising Party
ANNOUNCEMENTS - (1) Share Your Hopes for the Coming Year (2) Shabbat Morning Service-Maker Volunteers (3) Rosh Chodesh Openings
(1) Upcoming Shabbat
Community Minyan, Saturday, Feb. 24, 10:00 am-12:00 pm - This Saturday, Maria Lisa Johnson, Roger Brewer, Michele Goldschmidt, Laura Orgel, Arleen Slive, and Sam Sirkin will lead, drash, and read Torah as we explore the parshaTetzaveh ("You Shall Command"). In addition to reading about the priestly garments and the mysterious urim and thummim in the parsha, we will read a passage in Devarim describing the defeat of Amalek. We read this each year just before Purim, as Haman is thought to be a descendent of Amalek. "Purim" means "lots," and some have speculated that the urim and thummim might have been used to cast lots. (Above photo is from the We Are In Israel website.)
Kiddush Lunch after Community Minyan - After a morning of tefillah (prayer) and Torah, the body gets hungry! The Spiritual Life Committee invites you to please stay for a Kiddush lunch or nosh after services this Shabbat. Come eat, schmooze, and connect. All are welcome.
Purim for Grownups, Saturday, Feb. 24, 3:00 pm - This adult education class will be facilitated by Rabbi Benjamin, and it is open to everyone. In certain circles, Purim is thought of primarily as a children’s holiday. And while there is ample fun to be had for kids on that day, the themes of Purim are quite adult. The Scroll of Esther tells of a terrifyingly precarious chapter in the history of our people, and the name of the festival itself means “lots” or chance. In this way, Purim begs us to encounter life’s uncertain and precarious nature. In this session, we will engage with texts and themes connected to Purim, and reflect together upon the ways in which it asks us to engage with our lives.
(2) Purim 2018: Live the Chai Life!, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 6:00-8:30 pm - Come one, come all, for a night of joy, masquerade, and retelling the story of some courageous individuals from long ago whose valor saved the Jewish People. We will interweave some chanting of the Megillah with dramatic narration and off-the-wall spieling. Get ready to make some noise as we recount the fateful events that led to the spoiling of the wicked plot of you-know-who! Followed by dancing, revelry, pomp, circumstance and l'chaiims. Havurah will provide pizza, and people with last names starting with A-L are asked to bring a salad or side dish to share. People with last names starting with M-Z are asked to bring a dessert. All food should be on plates or in bowls ready to be served. RSVP here!
All are encouraged to bring hamantaschen and adult beverages to share!
Tzedakah - Please consider making a cash donation for Portland Homeless Family Solutions to support family homeless shelters or bring a book for children ages 1-10 to read at a local community center. Spanish or bilingual English/Spanish books are preferred. These books do not have to be new; well-loved books will also be treasured.
(3) Jewish Parenting: What is Going on in There Anyway? Windows into Adolescent Development, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 7:00-8:30 pm - Laura Orgel will help us clean some shmutz off the windows so that we can see more clearly. What is the work of adolescence? What physiological, mental, emotional, and behavioral changes might accompany that work? How do we, as parents, know when to sit tight (or loose) and when to worry? Deborah Eisenbach-Budner will provide a Jewish values and community framework for our learning about adolescent development. All parents and grandparents are welcome to participate in this frank and non-judgmental workshop. Led by Laura Orgel, Child & Family Therapist and Havurahnik, and Deborah Eisenbach-Budner, Education Director. Please RSVP here.
(4) Last Thursday IMIrJ I.C.E. Vigil - Thursday, Feb. 22, 10:00 am, Portland I.C.E. Building/Headquarters, 4310 SW Macadam Ave - All are welcome to gather in vigil as we express our support and love for families affected by I.C.E. detentions in Oregon. Join this monthly gathering to lift up the reality of what happens every day at the Portland I.C.E. facility - and participate in various, interfaith expressions and ritual in solidarity. Carpooling is encouraged as parking is very limited.
(5) Music MeetUp - A Time to Play, Sunday, Feb. 25, 4:00-7:00 pm, Havurah - A great way to end the weekend! And a great way to meet fellow Havurah folks who love making music. Any kind of music. Bring your voices, an instrument or two, a favorite song or two to share, and perhaps a nosh or beverage to share. Please RSVP to Ilene at ilene.safyan@havurahshalom.org with your name and how many people are coming ... and if you might be bringing something for potluck. (The above photo from Wikimedia is of a painting by Gerard van Honthorst.)
(6) Book Discussion Group, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 7:00-8:30 pm - Please join us for a discussion of The Yiddish Policeman’s Union by Michael Chabon. After 60 years of prosperity for Jewish refugees and their descendants in the "temporary" safe haven of Sitka, created in the wake of the Holocaust, their home is set to revert to Alaskan control. Homicide detective Meyer Landsman has enough problems in his life, his marriage, and his career. But as he investigates a murder that is committed in the hotel where he lives, Landsman contends with all the powerful forces of faith, obsession, evil, and salvation that are his heritage. The discussion will be led by Maud Naroll, who says “One of my favorites, this is an alternative reality, detective, love story, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny page turner.” RSVP here.
(7) Portland Homeless Family Solutions (PHFS) Goose Hollow Shelter, Havurah Volunteer Night - Havurah's next monthly Adopt-a-Night volunteering at Goose Hollow Shelter, 1838 SW Jefferson will be on Thursday, March 1. For information about PHFS, contact Gloria Halper, losninos6@gmail.com, or John Devlin, john.t.devlin@gmail.com.
(8) Kabbalat Shabbat, Friday, March 9, 7:30-8:30 pm - Join one of Portland’s most musical and spirited Shabbat gatherings, led by Rabbi Benjamin and our talented Havurah musicians. Childcare is available. The service is preceded by a catered dinner at 6:30 pm, which requires advance registration. Due to space limitations, we must limit seats for the dinner, so please sign up as soon as possible to be assured of a seat. Registration will close when seats are filled; however, RSVP no later than noon on Wednesday, March 7. If your RSVP is being mailed, please let the office know. RSVP for the dinner here. All are welcome to attend the service at 7:30 pm - no RSVP required. If you are unable to attend the dinner, we hope you will join us for services starting at 7:30 pm.
(9) Discovering Shabbat Morning, Saturday, March 10, 10:00-11:30 am - Join this upbeat workshop/minyan where we will walk through the Shabbat morning service, learn about the general structure of the service, the key themes and prayers, and some of the choreography. We will practice some prayers together and answer questions. This service is especially for families with youth in grades 5 and up who are in the B’nai Mitzvah process, all adults who are curious or perplexed, and anybody else. Childcare is available every Saturday morning for children 0-9. Please RSVP in advance for childcare.
(10) Save the Date, May 6, for Havurah's Premier Fundraising Party! - Make connections, meet old and new friends, and have a good time! Join us in shaping/creating this event. We welcome you to join the planning committee to help create a beautiful, fun and community building event at our building. We’ll need your energy and input to make this a success! Please contact Nancy Becker at nancyjbecker@gmail.com or Fran Berg at bergfr@gmail.com to tell us how you’d like to participate in the planning. We welcome everyone, no matter how big or small your efforts may be. It’s gonna be fun!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
(1) Sharing Your Hopes - Thank you to the 65 people who already completed our annual survey! For those of you who didn't see the "Share Your Hopes" email last Friday, here's a summary of it and a link to the survey: As Passover and Spring approach, Havurah members are invited to share their hopes for the coming year to help in planning upcoming programs and activities. This year’s survey reflects a wide range of activities – some old, some new, some just being formed. Inspiring plans are underway! Please take a moment to share your ideas and interests with us.
(2) Shabbat Morning Service-Maker Volunteers – Our community Shabbat services are lay-led and rely on a core of volunteers with Rabbi Benjamin. We want to make sure everyone is aware of the opportunity to contribute and learn. We want to expand and diversify the cohort who make Shabbat morning community services happen. If you are interested in learning more about how to plug-in click here.
(3) Havurah Shalom Rosh Chodesh Group, Meets once a month on Rosh Chodesh (Jewish new moon), Location rotates among different members' homes - Calling all Havurah female-identified teens and women! Did you know Havurah Shalom has a Rosh Chodesh group? Every month we gather to celebrate the new moon, learn about the events/holidays/history of each Jewish month, and enjoy a nosh. Our group has openings for two new members. Contact Liz Schwartz at schwartzelizabeth@yahoo.com for more information.
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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.
[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.
