July 25 - Shabbat in the Park & Pool, Engaging with Israel Constructively
(1) Upcoming Shabbat (2) Last Thursday ICE Vigil (3) Two Tickets Left for Concert Tomorrow (4) Book Group Discussion of A Tale of Love and Darkness (5) Getting Ready for High Holidays with Music (6) Dorot Shabbat in the Park (7) Shabbat in the Pool - For All Ages! (8) Want to Work on Programming for Families with Young Children? (9) Engaging with Israel Constructively (10) Trip to Israel in 2020 (11) Minutes from June Congregational Meeting (12) Yahrzeit Candles
(1) Community Minyan, Saturday, July 28, 10:00 am – This Saturday, Barbara Slader, Susan Brenner, Cindy Merrill, Emily Simon, and Sam Sirkin will lead, leyn, and guide us in a discussion of the Torah portion Ve'etchanan ("And I Pleaded"). Moses explains that he won’t enter the Promised Land and describes the people’s journey from Egypt, predicting exile and scattering, then return. We also hear the Ten Commandments and the Shema.
(2) "Last Thursday Witness" - Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice (IMIrJ) ICE Vigil, Thursday July 26, 10:00 am, ICE Headquarters, 4310 SW Macadam Ave – Gather in vigil as we express our support and love for families affected by ICE detentions. Carpooling is encouraged as parking is very limited.
(3) Two Tickets Left for MJCC Concert Tomorrow, July 26, at 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 four tickets available for each summer concert. Two more are left for July 26. Email teri@havurahshalom.org if you're interested. Learn more here.
(4) Book Group Discussion of A Tale of Love and Darkness by Amos Oz, Tuesday, July 31, 7:00-8:30 pm – This is a powerful saga of a man, a family, and a nation forged in the crucible of a difficult, painful history. The tale is epic in scope, set mostly during the author's childhood in Jerusalem of the 1940s and '50s, while also following his ancestors back to 19th-century Ukraine, and describing the anti-Semitism and Zionist passions that drove them to Palestine in the early 1930s, where they settled in a rough, dusty, lower-middle-class suburb of Jerusalem. This memoir brims over with metaphors and poetry, drama and comedy, failure and success, unhappy marriages, and a wealth of idiosyncratic characters, all painted lovingly and with humor. Questions? Contact Marjorie Walters at marjoriewalters@gmail.com.
(5) Getting Ready for High Holidays with Music, 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. Contact Ilene Safyan at Ilene.Safyan@HavurahShalom.org.
(6) Dorot Shabbat in the Park, Friday, Aug. 3, 5:30-7:00 pm – Please join Dorot musicians Tanja Lux, Gabe Adoff, Jacob Mandelsberg, and Larry Reichman as we bring our family-friendly, musical Dorot service from the sanctuary to the beautiful grounds of Laurelhurst Park. We have Picnic Area "F" reserved and will meet up at 5:30 pm. Bring a veggie dish to share and your blankets to spread as we welcome Shabbat in true summer style. Kiddos and parents are welcome to bring a music-making instrument and/or spirit! RSVP here. For questions, contact karen_pomerantz@yahoo.com.
(7) Shabbat in the Pool - For All Ages!, Saturday, Aug. 11, 5:15-7:30 pm, Sellwood Park Pool, 7951 SE 7th Ave, Portland – We have the pool to ourselves from 5:15 to 6:15 pm, then gather for Havdalah singing, a story, and BYO picnic under the trees. RSVP here by Monday, July 30, so we can reserve enough lifeguards. This year we are collecting money to help the waterways around us. Please consider making a donation of $5, $10 (or more). All donations exceeding the cost of lifeguards and pool rental will help fund Havurah’s Tikkun Olam work, in honor of the Climate Action Team’s efforts to protect 485 Oregon rivers and streams by stopping the construction of the Jordan Cove fracked-gas export terminal and Pacific Connector gas pipeline.
(8) Want to Work on Programming for Families with Young Children? – What brought you to Havurah? Tot Shabbat? Shabbat in the Pool? These programs introduced many of us to this great community. We are developing a committee to create, promote and implement our Families with Young Children Programming, and we need your support so we can offer this programming for the next generation. We want members of all ages, with children 0-5, older children, or no children at all. Opportunities include being an onsite presence for events and a general schmoozer and connector to all things Havurah, helping with Tot Shabbat, promoting family-focused events, logistics, etc. Rabbi Benjamin and Deborah Eisenbach-Budner, Education Director, are scheduled to lead Tot Shabbats and are happy to include others if they're interested in leading this fun and lively service. Interested? Reach out to Julia Lager-Mesulam at lagermes@gmail.com .
(9) Engaging with Israel Constructively – Havurah is developing programming to engage with Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict intentionally and respectfully. Through education, dialogue, and encounter, we will explore our personal relationships with Israel as well as Havurah’s and the Jewish community’s. All Havurah voices are welcome! To begin, we need a small planning group to work with Rabbi Benjamin, Deborah Eisenbach-Budner, and Chris Coughlin. If you don’t have a strong view about Israel but would like to learn about different views, please consider volunteering. We also welcome folks who feel more supportive of the Israeli government than is often expressed at Havurah, who might, for example, feel closer to the Federation or AIPAC’s views than to J-Street or Jewish Voice for Peace. Please contact Benjamin, Deborah, or Chrisif you’re interested.
(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) Congregational Meeting Minutes – You can read the minutes from the June Congregational Meeting here.
(12) Yahrzeit Candles – Yahrzeit candles are now available in the office. Please drop by if you need one.
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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.
(IP) HCAT & Partners' Climate Action Fair at MJCC Sunday, Apr 28th 12:00p to 4:00p HCAT invites you to continue with our climate action month by attending a community wide Climate Action Fair at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center. Cosponsored by the MJCC and the Jewish Federation’s Climate team, meet dozens of environmental organizations and discover resources for actions you can take. A series of speakers will talk about forestry, electrification, native plants and climate friendly foods. (And let Elianne Lieberman know if you can give someone a ride or are seeking a ride!)
Passover Minyan (Yizkor) Tuesday, Apr 30th 8:00a to 9:15a For all who want a regular prayer practice and for people saying Kaddish. We will observe Yizkor today as well. We meet both in person and streaming online in Zoom Room Aleph. All are welcome. Please email info@havurahshalom.org for join info.
Experience the Omer: Making it Count! Tuesday, Apr 30th 7:00p to 7:30p [RSVP to be emailed a recording of the April 9 intro session.] The Omer is an ancient tradition marking time between the Exodus from the Narrow Place to the Expanse at Sinai. Explore tools and practices to facilitate your own learning and experience from Liberation to Revelation. We will have an intro class followed by half-hour check-ins, one for each Sephira. Led by Andrine de la Rocha. 7 pm, Tuesdays, Apr. 9 (Intro), 23 (Chesed), 30 (Gevurah); May 7 (Tiferet), 14 (Netzach), 21 (Hod), 28 (Yesod); Jun. 4 (Malchut) Led by Andrine de la Rocha.
(ZM) Book Group: Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders Tuesday, Apr 30th 7:00p to 8:30p February 1862. The Civil War is less than one year old. The fighting has begun in earnest, and the nation has begun to realize it is in for a long, bloody struggle. Meanwhile, President Lincoln’s beloved eleven-year-old son, Willie, lies upstairs in the White House, gravely ill. In a matter of days, despite predictions of a recovery, Willie dies and is laid to rest in a Georgetown cemetery. “My poor boy, he was too good for this earth,” the president says at the time. “God has called him home.” Newspapers report that a grief-stricken Lincoln returns, alone, to the crypt several times to hold his boy’s body.
From that seed of historical truth, George Saunders spins an unforgettable story of familial love and loss that breaks free of its realistic, historical framework into a supernatural realm both hilarious and terrifying.
Prayer Flags for Our Planet Thursday, May 2nd 11:00a to 3:00p This exhibit is about science and art.
It is meant to be a learning experience, about the top 60 solutions to climate change, as researched by over 5,000 scientists.
And most importantly it is about hope.
It is about learning about these solutions to climate change and
changing the hearts and minds of those around us,
so that we can all work together.
Anne Nesse, 2024
(ZM) B'nei Mitzvah Event Planning 101 Thursday, May 2nd 7:00p to 8:30p We will break the event planning process into manageable steps. Led by Chari Smith. We will meet in Zoom room Gimel
