July 4 - What Are the Three Weeks? An Evening of Learning & Action
(1) Upcoming Shabbat (2) Rabbi Joey on the Southern Border with T'ruah (3) Shabbat in the Park (4) An Evening of Learning & Taking Action (5) Tisha B'Av Ritual: A Lament for Tragedy & Suffering (6) Getting Ready for High Holidays – Music Group Gatherings (7) Next MJCC Concert (8) The Conversation Project (9) Do You Enjoy Solving Puzzles? (10) Trip to Israel in 2020 (11) Helping Our Neighbors Who Have No Home (12) Museum After Dark for People 35 and Under
Above Tisha B'Av photo is from BINA.
(1) Upcoming Shabbat - Text & Torah: What are the Three Weeks & Tisha B’Av?, Saturday, July 7, 10:00 am-12:00 pm – Torah study will be led by Diane Chaplin, followed by a shortened Saturday morning service. Breakfast and coffee will be served, including bagels and lox and gluten-free options, and childcare will be available. While some of the food has already been planned, a few items, such as lox and coffee, are still needed. If you can bring food or drinks this Saturday, please click below and sign up. You can be reimbursed by the Spiritual Life Committee unless you wish to make your contribution a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
(2) Rabbi Joey on the Southern Border with T'ruah – Rabbi Joey joined his colleagues with T'ruah (The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights) and Mijente in San Diego on Monday and Tuesday to cross the border together. You can read his commentary, "Why I Am Going to the Southern Border: To Witness Our Government Run Amok," here on Havurah's blog.
(3) Shabbat in the Park, Friday, July 13, 6:00-8:00 pm, Wallace Park, NW 25th & Raleigh – Enjoy a summertime Shabbat in the Park. We’ll gather at 6:00 by the picnic tables and sing the Kiddush and Motzi blessings at 6:30 before eating a potluck supper. Our musical Kabbalat Shabbat service begins at 7:30. Be environmentally friendly by bringing your own plates and utensils. However, we’ll have backup disposable supplies available. All ages are welcome. Shabbat shalom from the Spiritual Life Committee! RSVPs are welcome to help with planning but aren’t required.
(4) An Evening of Learning & Taking Action, Tuesday, July 17, 7:00-8:30 pm – Join us for a fun, informative, and community comment writing event. Members of Stop Fracked Gas PDX will open with a short play, “Folly of Frack,” an informative romp, followed by a community writing workshop. Doors open at 6:30 pm for information table viewing. Youth ages 10 and up are encouraged to attend. Comments are needed to stop Oregon's worst climate-busting proposal, the Canadian company Pembina’s proposed Jordan Cove fracked-gas export terminal & Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline. The 229-mile pipeline and export terminal would impact 485 rivers, streams, and water bodies. We need your voice let our agencies know how you would be impacted by the pollution and degradation of our rivers and streams. Please add your voice! For more information, please contact Elianne Lieberman, elianne97202@yahoo.com, Jan Zuckerman, ses_janz@yahoo.com, or Michael Heumann, heumanncycle@gmail.com.
(5) Tisha B’Av Ritual: A Lament for Tragedy and Suffering, Sunday, July 22, 10:00-11:30 am, Location TBD – As tradition tells it, on the ninth day of Av the Jewish People suffered the destruction of both the First and Second Temples, as well as several other catastrophes. Jews gather each year to commemorate those tragedies, chanting the book of Lamentations to a haunting yet beautiful melody. In response to tragedies in today’s world, as we gather this year we will also acknowledge suffering that individuals and families across the globe are enduring right now. Through reflection, prayer, and ritual, we will open our hearts to these destructions, and turn ourselves toward working for healing and security for all beings.
(6) Getting Ready for High Holidays, Aug. 2, 16, 23, 30; Sept. 6, 7:00 pm (Daytime options TBD) – It may be summer, but the focus is now on High Holidays. Erev Rosh Hashanah begins on Sept. 9. Consider being a part of this year’s music! Typically, a group of singers and instrumentalists participate during Erev Rosh Hashanah and N’eilah, with more limited participation on Kol Nidre. There may be additional opportunities this year … TBD. We begin by exploring the music and themes of the holiday, so we can talk about which songs might be most meaningful to share. If you love to sing and plan to be with us over the holidays, please be in touch. If you can’t make all rehearsals or have concerns about the schedule, let me know. I'm sure we can figure something out. All ages welcome! There's nothing better than singing in the summertime. Ilene Safyan, Ilene.Safyan@HavurahShalom.org
(7) MJCC Summer Concert by Moshav, Thursday, July 26, 7:00 pm – Internationally acclaimed American-Israeli rock group Moshav began when childhood friends Yehuda and Duvid made music together on Moshav Mevo Modlin, a cooperative community of farmers in Israel. As a sponsor of the MJCC Summer Concert Series, Havurah Shalom has been offered four tickets for each concert. If you’re interested in the July 26 concert, please email teri@havurahshalom.org. Cost: $10. Kids 3 and under free. Learn more here.
(8) The Conversation Project – The Conversation Project is dedicated to helping people talk about their wishes and their loved ones’ wishes for end-of-life care. Last year the Ma’avar Committee led workshops at Havurah, guided by materials created by The Conversation Project. We plan to offer workshops again this fall, from 10:00 am to noon on Oct. 21 and Nov. 4. If you are interested in learning more, please check out theconversationproject.org, and contact Teri in the Havurah office if you want to sign up. Recently The Conversation Project created a special resource to help families of people with Alzheimer's or another form of dementia, who want guidance about "having the conversation." We appreciate the extra challenge of having these conversations and would like to offer a separate session for those who are interested. For more information, please contact Sidney Gold at sidney.gold@gmail.com or 503-452-4430.
(9) Are You Someone Who is Curious & Enjoys Solving Puzzles? – The Gesher team is looking for a few people to join them in helping members with great ideas discover paths to create activities that enrich our community. What is Gesher? Guided by Havurah’s long range plan and a volunteer consultant, the Steering Committee created clusters to “house” committees and enhance coordination among them. They established a model for planning called Gesher (bridge), which emphasizes shared leadership, places responsibility for and ownership of programming at the committee level, and emphasizes collaboration and communication among Steering, staff, and all clusters and committees. The current Gesher team is Shelley Sobel, Chris Coughlin, and Julia Lager-Mesulam. The Gesher team will only be needed until the Gesher model becomes the way we do things at Havurah. If you’re interested in helping, please email lagermes@gmail.com.
(10) Trip to Israel in 2020 – The Jewish Federation of Greater Portland is turning 100 in 2020 and celebrating with a deluxe trip to Israel for the Greater Portland community. PDX→Israel 2020 promises to be the trip of the century. First timers and veteran Israel visitors alike will enjoy it, as can the young and young at heart. Track options to delve deeper into particular geographic and topical areas of interest will be available. The trip takes place March 18-29, 2020 and registration has begun. Please contact Bill Kwitman at billkwitman@gmail.com if you have questions.
(11) Helping Our Neighbors Who Have No Home – As we know, poverty and lack of housing is evident all around us, and folks with nowhere else to rest sometimes spend time on Havurah grounds. While it is a value of Havurah to be welcoming, we want to be sure we provide useful, accurate information to our homeless neighbors, and we also want to consider any safety issues that might impact our staff and members. Knowing that we are a talented and skilled community, we are asking if you know of resources that offer immediate suggestions for where folks can go for basic needs such as food and shelter, or if you have experience in de-escalation training that could be offered to our staff and interested members. Please contact our office if you have suggestions. Thank you!
(12) Museum After Dark Event, Wednesday, July 11, 6:00-8:00 pm, Oregon Jewish Museum & Center for Holocaust Education, 724 NW Davis St – This Museum After Dark event is for young adults 35 and under*! Enjoy drinks and small bites on the museum's beautiful rooftop with views of downtown. Then join Bruce Guenther, Adjunct Curator for Special Exhibitions, for a private tour of the R.B. Kitaj, A Jew Etc., Etc. exhibit and visit the museum's permanent exhibits. Tickets are $10 per person and can be purchased through the OJMCHE website. (*35 and under is a suggested age ~ all young adults are welcome!)
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Havurah Shalom is an engaged, vibrant, egalitarian, and diverse Jewish Reconstructionist community. Steeped in Jewish values, Havurah promotes spirituality, learning, and acts of social responsibility.
(HYB) Shabbat Morning Shabbat, May 3rd 10:00a to 12:00p Led by community members and Rabbi Benjamin (who is on sabbatical until July 1, 2025), this service includes davening, Torah reading, and discussion. 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) Shabbat School Shabbat, May 3rd 3:00p to 5:15p This program gives children a foundation for lifelong Jewish learning and engagement while integrating parents and children in a caring Jewish community.
(ZM) Progressive Israel Network Sessions Sunday, May 4th 11:00a to 12:00p Havurah Shalom is hosting a four-session series from the Progressive Israel Network. Come learn in collaboration with representatives from five to six of the participating Progressive Israel Network organizations, including T’ruah, New Jewish Narrative, Partners for Progressive Israel, New Israel Fund, J Street, and Reconstructing Judaism.
All perspectives on Israel-Palestine, as well as all curious people, are welcomed and encouraged. Our guests will give presentations and take questions. You can register for all sessions, below, but it's okay if you can't attend all three sessions.
(Reconstructing Judaism, the central organization of the Reconstructionist movement, of which Havurah Shalom is a part, is a member of the Progressive Israel Network.)
(IP) Writing for Peace and Reconciliation, Within and Between Us Sunday, May 4th 6:30p to 8:30p Commemorate the last day of Pesach and Yitzkor in community Passover not only invites us to retell our ancient story but to look at our current reality and ask: what is our mitzrayim today? The obstacle in our personal and communal life? Where can we break through in an act of courage and compassion? April 20th & May 4th, 6:30 PM at Havurah, join Harriet Cooke for a writing/drawing group to explore this theme along with Yitzkor, the Sephirot and Counting the Omer. (It is recommended to attend either just the first session or both sessions.)
(IP) Jewish Ethical Responses to the Problem of Racism Monday, May 5th 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.
(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.
