March 7 Email - Kabbalat Shabbat, Discovering Shabbat, Pesach
HAVURAH HAPPENINGS (1) Upcoming Shabbat (2) Cooking for Goose Hollow (3) Portland Homeless Family Shelter Orientations (4) Not an Auction! Planning Meeting for Havurah Shindig (5) Lev Tahor (Pure Heart) Chanting (6) How to Love With All Your Heart, Soul, and Might: Listening to the Shema (7) Dorot Shabbat (8) Tikkun Olam Listening Opportunity (9) "Living While Dying" - March Movie Night (10) Book Group Discussion (11) Immigration Seder/Vigil (12) Welcoming Our Fellow Havurahniks for Passover
ANNOUNCEMENTS (1) Photos & Thanks for Live the Chai Life Purim Celebration (2) "Desert Wounds" Movie (3) Share Your Hopes for Havurah (4) Fair Trade Organic Kosher for Passover Chocolate
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(1) UPCOMING SHABBAT
Kabbalat Shabbat, Friday, March 9, 7:30-8:30 pm- Dinner RSVP Deadline is Noon Today- RSVP here! 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. 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.
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. Deborah Eisenbach-Budner will be leading, along with other community members. Childcare is available every Saturday morning for children 0-9. Light lunch provided afterwards with your RSVP here.
Mosaic Unveiling, Saturday, March 10, 4:45 pm, Bet Knesset & Courtyard - Join with us in unveiling our community art project, the courtyard mosaics. Working with artist, Lynn Takata, many in the congregation community have helped to create this beautiful addition to our entrance courtyard. Be there on Saturday, March 10, after Shabbat School Havdalah, to sing and bless our artistic creation. Questions? Contact Joan Peck atjoan.peck@icloud.com. The above photo by Barbara Gundle is of one of the tiles in the mural.
(2) Cooking for Goose Hollow & Family Winter Homeless Shelter, Thursday, March 8, 10:00 am-12:30 pm and 3:30-5:00 pm - Tivnu, a nonprofit started by Steven Eisenbach-Budner, is bringing a group of Jewish students from Palo Alto to Portland during the first week in March. On March 8, some of these students, under the guidance of Kathy Jaffe, will prepare and cook dinners to be served at the Goose Hollow and Family Winter Homeless shelters. We would like to have two more adults helping at each of the two shifts: 10:00 am-12:30 pm, and 3:30-5:00 pm. Please contact Kathy Jaffe if you can help.
(3) Portland Homeless Family Solutions Volunteer Orientations, March 11, 12, 20 & 21 - Lots of homeless folks out there, lots of Havurahniks wanting to help! If you are one of those Havurahniks who has not yet taken the one-hour orientation at any of PHFS' three shelters, here are some more opportunities (RSVP is required to Bethany Rocci, with date of orientation): Family Winter Shelter, Beth Israel, Sunday, March 11, 2:00 pm, and Wednesday, March 21, 4:00 pm; and Goose Hollow, 1838 SW Jefferson, Monday, March 12, 5:00 pm, and Tuesday, March 20, 4:00 pm. For more info, contact Gloria Halper at losninos6@gmail.com.
(4) Not an Auction! Shaping our Havurah Shindig, Monday, March 12, 4:00 pm - We're off and running - shaping the Havurah Shindig for May 6. We have new ideas, quirky and fun plans, and we'd like YOU to participate! Our meeting will focus on big and little ways that you can be involved. All are welcome. Questions? Contact Nancy Becker at nancyjbecker@gmail.com.
(5) Lev Tahor Chanting, Monday, March 12, 7:00 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 of these gatherings is open to anyone – no experience, musical ability, or commitment necessary. Second Monday of each month. Lev Tahor Chanting is free for members; non-members are asked to make a small donation.
(6) How to Love with All Your Heart, Soul, and Might: Listening to the Shema, Wednesdays, March 14 & 21; April 11, 18 & 25; May 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30, 7:00-8:30 pm - The words of the Shema, and the prayers surrounding it in every service, are about love—how to give love, how to receive love, how to live with love at the center of our personal and cosmic universes. There is no Hallmark fluff, here, though! These prayers are pragmatic and visionary, affirming and aggravating. Word-by-word, we will study these few prayers to understand their complex meanings as well as our own sensibilities. Participants need to be able to sound out Hebrew words. Taught by Deborah Eisenbach-Budner. Free for Havurah members, $100 for non-members. RSVP here.
(7) Dorot Shabbat, Friday, March 16, 6:00-7:30 pm - Join us for this casual, family-friendly, and music-filled service. Beginning with candle lighting, Kiddush and challah, the service continues with prayers and music, followed by a vegetarian potluck dinner. Led by Jacob Mandelsberg, Sarah Shine, Gabe Adoff, Tanja Lux, and Ilene Moss. 6:00 pm Service, 6:45 pm Potluck. RSVP here.
(8) Tikkun Olam Listening Opportunity: Tell Us What Issues Are Important to You, Sunday, March 18, 10:30 am-12:30 pm - Events happening around us may cause you to wonder or be concerned about justice, fairness, or compassion. The Metropolitan Alliance for Common Good (MACG) Core Team of the Tikkun Olam Committee wants to hear from you. What are the pressures that directly affect you, your family or friends? For example, do you have an adult child who cannot find affordable housing? Are your children talking with you about their concerns about the environment and climate change? Do you have friends afraid to leave their homes because of ICE? Is something going on in the public schools that you think isn’t right? You are invited to this Sunday morning gathering to share your perspectives through dialogue with other Havurah members. Bagels and lox (and more) will be provided. RSVP to Michael Heumann at heumanncycle@gmail.com if you can come and let him know if you'll need childcare.
(9) “Living While Dying," March Movie Night, Sunday, March 18, 7:00-9:00 pm - Death is a big mystery, yet the outcome is 100 percent certain. How do you plan for the unknown? Filmmaker Cathy Zheutlin tells the stories of four friends with terminal illness who chose to live out their final days at home with creativity humor and courage. It is loving, hopeful and full of joy. "Living While Dying" transforms sorrow and fear into inspiration and beauty.
The film will be followed by a panel discussion with Rabbi Benjamin, Havurah member and OHSU oncologist Charles Blanke, Havurah member and palliative care physician Karen Erde, and Susan Hedlund, Manager of Patient and Family Support Services at the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute. The discussion will be moderated by Keren McCord, Havurah member and LCSW, Knight Cancer Institute. Learn more and RSVP here.
(10) Book Discussion Group, Tuesday, March 27, 7:00-8:30 pm - Please join us for a discussion of Rivington Street by Meredith Tax. This sprawling historical novel follows the fortunes of four enterprising, courageous Jewish women on New York's Lower East Side. Hannah Levy masterminds her family's escape, despite her radical husband's objections, from czarist Russia after the Kishinev pogroms; elder daughter Sarah becomes a union organizer and a socialist while the younger Ruby rises to the top of the fashion design world; their friend Rachel abandons her ultra-Orthodox background to work for The Jewish Daily Forward. Through their lives, loves, and convictions, Meredith Tax draws the reader irresistibly into the explosive events that shaped women's possibilities in the early twentieth century. Sharon Reyes, who will lead the discussion, says, “this book, an engaging read, is a lovely complement to The Family that we read previously.” RSVP here.
(11) Immigration Seder/Vigil, Thursday, March 29, 10-11:00 am at 4302 SW Macadam - The Sanctuary Committee of Havurah Shalom, along with other Jewish congregations, will be hosting a symbolic Seder vigil at the ICE immigration building as part of the monthly IMIrJ (Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Rights) vigils.
We will share how our Jewish story of being slaves in Egypt, to being refugees for a generation, to finally reaching liberation, is directly connected to the plight of immigrants in our country today. Passover comes at a time this year when decisions about DACA will be having a major impact on so many families. We invite you to attend this meaningful gathering and to lift our collective voices to denounce the persecution of immigrants and show our support. Questions? Contact marciasuttenberg@comcast.net.
(12) Welcoming Our Fellow Havurahniks for Passover - This year for Passover, instead of hosting a community seder at Havurah, we are linking Havurah members in search of a seder with Havurah members who can welcome additional guests at their seder. This is a great opportunity to get to know other Havurah members better and to make our community connections stronger! If possible, we will try to link people with seders in their neighborhoods.
If you are hosting a seder in your home this year, and you have room for one or more guests, please complete the form below. Then if a Havurah member calls our office in the hope of attending a seder, we can tell you about the member's interest, and you can extend an invitation to them yourself and provide any additional information they need to know about your seder. Thank you for helping bring our Havurah family closer together!
Check out this Facebook album of photos that Eliana Temkin, Cindy Merrill, and Barbara Gundle took at last week's Purim celebration. A BIG THANK YOU goes to the many amazing Purim planners and performers, who are named in the photo album. (In Barbara Gundle's photo on the right, Rabbi Benjamin "Esther" Barnett reads the Megillah while upside down, with a little help from his/her friends.)
(2) “Desert Wounds,” Sunday, March 11, 2:00 pm, Oregon Jewish Museum & Center for Holocaust Education, 724 NW Davis Street - West Coast premiere of Nili Dotan's film "Desert Wounds." With an international refugee crisis afflicting the entire globe, “Desert Wounds” follows the specific journeys of two women from Sudan and Eritrea, who are fleeing war, dictatorship, and religious persecution in their countries. Over a five-year period, they seek asylum in Israel, later in Uganda, attempting to build new lives while still remaining under the constant threat of deportation. A Q&A will follow the film. Tickets: $5 OJMCHE Members, $8 General Public, Free for Students with valid ID. Tickets and more information: www.neveragaincoalition.org/events
(3) Sharing Your Hopes- Thank you to the 82 people who already completed our annual survey! For those of you who didn't see the "Share Your Hopes" email two weeks ago, 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.
(4) Fair Trade Organic Kosher for Passover Chocolate - Fair Trade Judaica is excited to partner with T'ruah and Equal Exchange to bring Fair Trade Organic Kosher for Passover chocolate to you. These products are included on the Conservative Movement Rabbinical Assembly's Approved for Passover 5778 list. Please place your order with Equal Exchange by Monday, March 19, to assure it arrives before Passover. Click here to learn more and place your order.
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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 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.
