Sept 26 - Simchat Torah, The Teaching of Martin Buber, Kabbalat Shabbat
(1) Upcoming Shabbat (2) Encountering the Other: The Teaching of Martin Buber (3) Alter Rockers Happy Hour in the Sukkah (4) The Poetry of the Soul (5) Shemini Atzeret (6) Simchat Torah (7) Sheridan to NORCOR Pilgrimage Day in Portland (8) Chag Sameach! Thanks to Our Sukkah Decorators, Come Enjoy (& Help Take it Down Next Week) (9) Phone Banking & Canvassing Against Measure 105 (10) Havurah Ballot Measure Endorsements (11) Kabbalat Shabbat Dinner & Service (12) Screening of "The Reluctant Radical" (13) Having the Conversation: What Quality Means at the End of Life (14) Early Deadline for Oct. 3 and 10 Community Emails (15) August Steering Committee Minutes & Reports (16) Registration Opens for Weekend In Quest
Chag Sukkot Sameach!
(1) Upcoming Shabbat: Bar Mitzvah of Charlie Kirschner, Saturday, Sept. 29, 9:30 am– This Saturday Charlie Kirschner, son of Carrie and Mitchell Kirschner, will be called to the Torah as a bar mitzvah. Please note the early start time of 9:30 am. Join us in celebrating with Charlie and his family, and welcome Charlie as a member of our community. Mazel tov!
(2) Encountering the Other: The Teaching of Martin Buber, Wednesdays, Oct. 3, 10 & 17, 7:00-8:30 pm – Martin Buber taught that “all actual life is encounter.” He insisted on our relating to the other as subject rather than object. During these sessions, half in the fall and half in the spring, we will engage with some of the wisdom of this 20th century Jewish theologian and teacher, aiming to shed light on our lives and the world today through considering his teachings, and exploring together the vision of community and society which they inspire. Taught by Rabbi Benjamin. Free for members, $10/class for non-members. RSVP here.
(3) Alter Rockers Happy Hour in the Sukkah, Wednesday, Sept. 26, 4:00-7:00 pm – Come any time between 4:00 and 7:00 pm. Bring a nosh and whatever you are drinking, and spend some time shmoozing with friends, old and new. Please RSVP to sarah.r.rosenberg@gmail.com so we have an idea about setting up.
(4) The Poetry of the Soul Begins Thursday, Sept. 27, 12:00-1:15 pm – In this class, 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.
(5) Shemini Atzeret Service, with Yizkor, Monday, Oct. 1, 8:00-9:30 am – Our Shemini Atzeret service begins at 8:00 am on Monday, Oct. 1. Please note that this will be our weekday service for the week, and we will not have a Wednesday morning minyan on Oct. 3. You can learn about Shemini Atzeret here.
(6) Simchat Torah Celebration, Monday, Oct. 1, 6:30-8:30 pm – Join us for a family-friendly, joyous evening! We'll have potluck desserts from 6:30-6:50 pm, followed by music, dancing, and celebrating Torah. Please bring fruit or sweets to share that don'trequire plates and flatware. Gluten-free and dairy-free options are welcome. We'll have an adult drinks table, too, so bring the beverage of your choice to share. RSVP here!
(7) Sheridan to NORCOR: Unshackle Oregon, 7 Day Pilgrimage (Sept. 30-Oct. 6) with Rural Organizing Project and IMIrJ, All Day In Portland, Thursday, Oct. 4, 10:00 am – Meet up with us at Elizabeth Caruthers Park and march a few blocks to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, where we’ll make our message clear: end the contracts in NORCOR and Sheridan. Join rural and urban Oregonians as we come together and march to several locations along the water, throughout downtown, and across the bridge where we’ll close in front of our congressional delegation offices at Holladay Park at 3:30 pm. All are invited to join us for all or part of the day. For more information on stops and a detailed agenda to share with your group, please fill out the registration form. Find all details here.
(8) Chag Sameach! We Appreciate Our Sukkah Donors & Decorators – Thanks to the following who helped create our beautiful sukkah: Daniel Raider and Michael Alter for building the structure, Daniel and Shari Raider for donating corn stalks, Shelley Sobel for donating greenery and lavender, Monica Moriarty for providing greenery from our Yom Kippur flower arrangements, Laine Schipper for decorating (and humming as she did), two unknown visitors who added schach and decorations, and John Schultz for securing the bamboo material to our roof. And thanks to sing-along organizers Judy Heumann and Susan Rosenthall, Havurah musicians, and all who came out Sunday to sing folk songs in the sukkah, and to Sarah Rosenberg for rallying the Alter Rockers for a happy hour in the sukkah today. Please come by to eat or rest in our sukkah during Sukkot! (Photos of the sing-along will be posted soon on our Facebook group page.)
Taking Down the Sukkah, Wednesday to Friday, Oct. 3-5 – We need help taking down the sukkah banners, decorations, greenery and roofing next week. Please email Rachel if you can help, or just drop by. Your help is greatly appreciated!
(9) Measure 105 Phone Banking & Canvassing – Havurah is taking an active role in defeating Measure 105, which would end Oregon’s 31-year-old Sanctuary law. We have set up three dates for our community to do phone banking together (it’s more fun that way!) and two for canvassing. Please sign up and help defeat this racist profiling ballot measure. RSVP for one or more shifts to Nancy Becker.
Phone banking (1259 Lloyd Center)
Thursdays, Oct. 4, 11 and 18, 5:30-8:30 pm, Lloyd Center (reminder calls, not persuasion calls)
Canvassing
Sunday, Oct. 14, 11:30 am-2:00 pm, 3645 SE 32nd (AFL-CIO)
Thursday, Oct 18, 5:30-8:30 pm, 1259 Lloyd Center
(10) Havurah Ballot Measure Endorsements – One way we live Havurah’s mission to promote acts of social responsibility is through political action. Havurah’s Steering Committee has voted to take positions on four ballot measures based on the close alignment of these critical ballot measures with work happening in our Tikkun Olam work groups. There are other measures on the ballot that also need our attention. Please read your voter pamphlet and make sure to vote! See this document for details about the measures we are supporting.
(11) Kabbalat Shabbat Dinner & Service, Friday, Oct. 12, 6:30 pm Dinner, 7:30 pm Service – Our catered Kabbalat Shabbat dinner begins at 6:30 pm, followed by a brief, musical service at 7:30 pm led by Rabbi Benjamin and Havurah musicians. All are welcome at the service, and no RSVPs are required. Advance registration is only required for the dinner. RSVP here for the dinner by midnight on Sunday, Oct. 7. Cost adjustments are available at 503-248-4662.
(12) Screening of “The Reluctant Radical," Tuesday, Oct. 16, 6:30 pm, Havurah Shalom – Doors open at 6:30 pm for time to mingle and enjoy delicious snacks, and program begins promptly at 7:00 pm. "The Reluctant Radical" is an intimate portrait of climate activist Ken Ward as he wrestles with life choices in deciding which direct actions he should take. As a last resort and with great trepidation, he elects to break the law to fulfill what he sees as his personal obligation to future generations. The film is an intimate look at how one person’s values and beliefs are put into action. We will have the opportunity to discuss Ken's choices with Ken after the screening. For more information, please contact Michael Heumann, heumanncycle@gmail.com or 503-880-2226. Presented in partnership with Congregations P’nai Or and Kol Shalom.
(13) Having the Conversation: What Quality Means at the End of Life, Sundays, Oct. 21 and Nov 4, 10:00 am-12:00 pm– Previous year's Having the Conversation workshops have been so well attended and appreciated that Havurah's Ma'avar (Transitions) Committee is offering them again this fall. Using materials provided by The Conversation Project, trained Ma'avar workshop leaders will help people plan for conversations with their loved ones about what quality means for them at the end of life. Please RSVP here by Sept. 28 if you're interested. You can learn more about The Conversation Project at theconversationproject.org.
(14) Early Deadlines for Upcoming Community Emails – Because the staff member who composes our weekly community emails will be out of town from Sept. 30 through Oct. 11, please submit your posts for the Oct. 3 and Oct. 10 community emails by Friday, Sept. 28. Thank you for your understanding.
(15) Steering Committee Minutes – You can read the August Steering Committee minutes and reports on our Governance web page. (Scroll down the page to find them.)
(16) Registration Opens for Weekend in Quest 2019, March 1-3 – Modern Jewish Writers Reinterpreting Tradition – A Shabbaton: Weekend of Study & Community with Scholar-in-Residence Professor Naomi Sokoloff with the University of Washington. She will present four lectures entitled: Hey, Izzy, Listen Up! New Takes on the Shema; The Blessings of Women Poets; 13 ways of Looking at the Kaddish; and Prayer Shawls: Making Space for Prayer in Poetry. Professor Sokoloff will share her deep knowledge of Jewish literature and liturgy. Weekend also includes Shabbat services led by Ilene Safyan. Learn more and register at www.weekendinquest.org. Questions? Email mimiepstein42@comcast.net.
Please use this form to submit stories for this weekly community email. Submissions are usually due by noon on Tuesday. However, due to a staff absence, the deadline for submissions for the Oct. 3 and Oct. 10 weekly emails is noon this Friday, Sept. 28.
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) Jewish Ethical Responses to the Problem of Racism Monday, May 19th 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.
(IP) Last Music Jam of the Season! Monday, May 19th 7:00p to 8:30p Join your fellow Havurah musicians for our last jam of the season. We'll play and sing Jewish and secular songs, just for the joy of it! Everyone has the opportunity to choose and lead songs from a wide range of artists and eras. Hope to see you there! Please RSVP.
(IP) Hebrew as a Tool: Prayer and Torah (registration closed) Wednesday, May 21st 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.
(HYB) Solidarity Shabbat Friday, May 23rd 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.
Shabbat Morning with Bat Mitzvah of Maya Rosenbaum Shabbat, May 24th 10:00a to 12:00p Please join us for Shabbat morning services, including welcoming Maya Rosenbaum as a Bat Mitzvah and member of our community.
(HYB) Rosh Ḥodesh Tov! Gender-Inclusive New Moon Ritual Sunday, May 25th 7:00p to 8:15p A gender-inclusive New Moon group, learning and celebrating each Rosh Ḥodesh with ancient and contemporary ritual. Open to any and all genders, inviting each to connect with our closest heavenly body, the Moon. An introductory meeting will happen on the full moon of Elul on Wednesday, Aug. 30 outdoors—weather permitting—in North Portland. Subsequent meetings will be on or near the new moon of each month either in person in North Portland or on Zoom, depending on seasonal shifts in the weather. Attend any or all sessions. RSVP to be updated on location and other details throughout the year.
