(1) Upcoming Shabbat (2) Show Up to "Let Our People Go" (3) Why Rabbi Joey & Rabbi Benjamin Will Protest Tomorrow (4) Join the Welcoming Team Kick-Off Meeting (5) Selichot Service this Saturday (6) Erev Rosh Hashanah Member Dinner RSVP Period Extended (7) Spiritual Preparation for the Days of Awe (8) Help Sudanese and Eritrean Asylum-Seeking Families in Israel (9) Havurah Takes a Stand Against Racial Profiling (10) High Holidays Tzedakah Project (11) The Poetry of the Soul (12) Kabbalat Shabbat Leaders Needed (13) Hebrew Teacher Needed (14) Shalom to Andy Gordon

(1) Upcoming Shabbat: Bar Mitzvah of Aviv Ross, Saturday, Sept. 1, 10:00 am – This Saturday Aviv Ross, son of Racheli and Josh Ross, will be called to the Torah as a bar mitzvah. Please join us in celebrating with Aviv and his family and welcome him as a member of our community. 

(2) Show Up to "Let Our People Go," Thursday, Aug. 30, 10:00 am, Caruthers Park, 3508 SW Moody Ave – Join a growing group of clergy and faith leaders from around the state, including Rabbi Benjamin and Rabbi Joey, who will march to ICE because: Dozens remain detained at the NORCOR (Northern Oregon Regional Correctional Facility) in Sheridan, and every day matters; Sheriffs and county commissioners on the board of NORCOR are willingly balancing the budget of their county jail on the backs of immigrants through their ICE contract; and there will be increased fear and family separation on the horizon if Measure 105 passes. (Read about Measure 105 below.) Come prepared for prayerful presence and meaningful action as the IMIrJ (Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice) “August of Action” concludes and a new statewide campaign is launched. Learn more here.

(3) Message from Rabbi Joey: Why He & Rabbi Benjamin Will Protest Tomorrow – To my dear friends in Havurah: Not out of joy or exhilaration, Rabbi Benjamin and I will stand in protest this Thursday. We will join other faith leaders in our community in demanding that this branch of Homeland Security “let our people go.” 

Click here to read the complete message from Rabbi Joey.

(4) Join the Welcoming Team Kick-Off Meeting, Thursday, Aug. 30, 7:00 pm – Join us to discuss ways that we, as a synagogue, can be more welcoming to new and current members. This is especially important due to our upsurge in membership. Help us strategize a plan and take action. All mensches welcome! We need your energy and ideas. Led by Stefanie Hausman.

(5) Selichot Service, Saturday, Sept. 1, 8:00-9:30 pm, Havurah – Traditionally, Jews gather on the Saturday night before Rosh Hashanah to initiate the process of Selichot, “Forgiveness,” in preparation for the Ten Days of Teshuvah (“Returning/Repentance”). We will use some traditional Selichot prayers, as well as contemplative music and prayer, in order to access forgiveness and compassion as we move further into this sacred time. RSVPs welcome but not required.

(6) Member Dinner RSVP Period Extended – We're extending the deadline to RSVP for the Erev Rosh Hashanah member dinner. Reserve your tasty vegetarian/vegan/GF/DF dinner here by Sunday, Sept. 2. And don't miss out on the chance to volunteer at High Holidays or to get your family a lulav and etrog of their own. The deadline for ordering your lulav and etrog has been extended to Friday, Aug. 31. Click here for more information on all our High Holidays programming.

(7) Returning Again: Spiritual Preparation for the Days of Awe, Wednesdays, Sept. 5 & 12, 7:00-8:30 pm – During the month preceding the High Holidays, our tradition instructs us to look closely at our lives. We devote ourselves to teshuvah, literally “returning”— to the path of our most wholesome selves and sincerest intentions. In these sessions, we will come together in support of this sacred work. Through close readings of texts on teshuvah, as well as contemplation and deep listening — to one another and to our own hearts and minds — we will aim to nurture the seeds of teshuvah within and amidst us. Taught by Rabbi Benjamin. RSVP here.
 

(8) Join the NW Effort to Help Sudanese and Eritrean Asylum-Seeking Families in Israel Find Safe Homes on a Kibbutz – There are currently 35,000 African asylum seekers living in Israel after fleeing violence and genocide in Sudan and Eritrea. Life in Israel has been very difficult for asylum seekers. In response, kibbutz communities around Israel recently stepped forward to help families currently living in dire conditions in South Tel Aviv. The Consortium for Israel and the Asylum Seeker wants to resettle 100 families before Sukkot, when we celebrate temporary shelter, and the kibbutzim need help to cover initial costs of moving, job training, apartment repairs, counseling, school supplies, and other expenses. Washington and Oregon have a goal of collectively raising $5,000 to cover one family’s resettlement by Sukkot. If you would like to help, please visit the Never Again Coalition's website ​​​​​​​ for more information on where to send a check. (Photo above is of Eritrean Asylum-Seekers.)

(9) Havurah Takes a Stand Against Racial Profiling – Measure 105 on the November ballot would throw out Oregon’s Sanctuary law, which passed more than 30 years ago with overwhelming bipartisan support. The law provides clear guidance to local police on how to handle immigration issues. It was introduced to combat racial profiling while keeping the local police focused on protecting communities. If Measure 105 passes, Oregon will be left without this guidance and these important protections. Havurah Shalom has made a formal decision to oppose Measure 105, and Rabbi Benjamin is an endorser of the Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice (IMIrJ) voters pamphlet argument in opposition. (Look for it when you get your voters pamphlet.) Havurah Shalom is an endorser of the Oregonians United Against Profiling Campaign. Learn more here.

(10) High Holidays Tzedakah Project – High Holidays tzedakah project items can be brought to the Tiffany Center on the first day of Rosh Hashanah and on Yom Kippur. We will have containers at Havurah for the second day of Rosh Hashanah. In our endeavor to support the homeless in Portland, we volunteer with Portland Homeless Family Solutions (PHFS). PHFS’s recent purchase of a building will expand its ability to help more parents, guardians, and their children. From serving eight families at the '13 Salmon' and Goose Hollow shelters, PHFS will soon be serving 26 families in just one location in the Lents neighborhood. Our High Holidays tzedakah project this year is to help supply PHFS with needed items for this transition. Please note that all items on this list must be new. Questions? Email losninos6@gmail.com or john.t.devlin@gmail.com. Thank you!

(11) The Poetry of the Soul, Thursdays beginning Sept. 20, 12:00-1:15 pm – We will read the Psalms closely, one by one. How they lend voice to our oscillating emotions, engagement with a sublime Other, and a longing for refuge will help us honor our own truths. We will use English translations and commentaries and refer to the Hebrew. Taught by Rabbi Joey. RSVP here.

(12) Kabbalat Shabbat Planning Leaders Needed – Our monthly Kabbalat Shabbat dinners followed by a short service have become quite popular. For the past several years a committee of three has been responsible for the logistics of these evenings. We are looking for a few more people to join us. Currently we need 2-3 people willing to take on tasks during the evening with a minimal amount of outside prep time. Meetings are not required! Want more info? Please contact Gloria Halper.

(13) Hebrew Teacher for Youth Needed, 16 Saturdays, Sept. 22, 2018, to May 11, 2019, 1:30-2:40 pm – Are you interested in working with youth, devoting some time to your own Hebrew learning? We need somebody who can teach beginning Hebrew reading with a very clear curriculum to children. Hours of instruction are 16 Saturdays before Shabbat School (already scheduled) between September 22 – May 11, 1:30-2:40 pm. 7-14 children per class. Competitive compensation. Please contact Deborah Eisenbach-Budner, Education Director. Describe your experience and expertise.

(14) Shalom to Andy Gordon – This month Havurah said shalom, but not good bye, to longtime Havurah member Andy Gordon, who moved with his wife June to Redmond, Washington. During his 25 years at Havurah Shalom, Andy has supported both Havurah and the Reconstructionist movement during times of change. At Havurah, he worked on a long range plan that guided the congregation as it developed its identity and served on a committee that led to Havurah’s being affiliated with the Reconstructionist movement. He also chaired the logistics committee the last year Havurah held High Holidays services at the MJCC, the three years that services were held at the art museum, and the first year they were held at the Tiffany Center. Read more here.
 

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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.

Find our calendar and learn more at www.havurahshalom.org.

825 NW 18th Ave, Portland, OR 97209
503-248-4662