(1) Upcoming Shabbat (2) Reconstructing Judaism President Rabbi Deborah Waxman Speaks at Havurah Tonight (3) Video of Reconstructing Judaism Conference (4) Tikkun Olam Global Meeting (5) PHFS Volunteer Orientations (6) The Poetry of the Soul (7) RESCHEDULED: Tu B'Shvat Book Reading (8) Dorot Shabbat (9) Tot Shabbat (10) Making Family Space for Tikkun Olam (11) Last Thursday Witness IMIrJ Vigil (12) Discovering Shabbat Morning (13) Annual Community Havdalah Service & Social (14) Beginning the B'nai Mitzvah Journey (15) Eye-opening & Unexpected Stories from Jewish History (16) Kabbalat Shabbat (17) Have a Question About Havurah? (18) Talking Points about Sanctuary
Rabbi Deborah Waxman, Ph.D., President of Reconstructing Judaism, will speak at Havurah tonight. Read more below.
(1) Upcoming Shabbat, Community Minyan, Saturday, Jan. 26, 10:00 am– Rabbi Benjamin, Emily Simon, Barbara Slader, and Susan Brenner will lead, leyn, and drash at this Saturday's service. We will explore Parsha Yitro, in which Moses’ father-in-law gives Moses advice about governing, the Israelites experience God as thunder and lighting, and Moses receives the Ten Commandments. Join us!
(2) Rabbi Deborah Waxman Speaks Tonight, Wednesday, Jan. 23, 7:00 pm – Reconstructing Judaism President Rabbi Deborah Waxman, Ph.D., will speak at Havurah about the Reconstructionist movement and resilience. The first woman rabbi to head a Jewish congregational union and a Jewish seminary, Rabbi Waxman became president of Reconstructing Judaism in 2014 and is the movement’s leading voice in the public square. In addition to being a cum laude graduate of Columbia College, Columbia University, and a recipient of a rabbinical ordination and a Master of Arts in Hebrew letters from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, she received a Ph.D. in American Jewish history from Temple University. She is also the sister of Havurah member Andy Waxman.
(3) Reconstructing Judaism Video – Ten Havurahniks attended the Reconstructing Judaism conference in November. Can you find some of them in this video about the conference?
(4) Tikkun Olam Global Meeting, Sunday, Feb. 3, 1:00 pm– I hope you will join us for the second Tikkun Olam Global meeting where we will continue our discussion of our mission and start talking about a project to take on. Tikkun Olam Global takes a global perspective on Havurah's Tikkun Olam work. We are looking at the challenges faced by the developing countries of the world and thinking about how Havurah can make a difference. This is an opportunity to get on the ground floor of an exciting new Havurah initiative. - David Newman, davnew2@earthlink.net.
(5) Portland Homeless Family Solutions (PHFS) New Volunteer Orientations, Feb. 4 at 1:00 pm, Feb. 13 at 6:00 pm, Feb. 21 at 5:00 pm, 6220 SE 92nd– So you've been reading about Havurah's volunteering with Portland Homeless Family Solutions for some time now. An orientation could be your first step to becoming a volunteer or an opportunity to learn more about homelessness in Portland and the work that PHFS does. Children can attend if they will be volunteering too, but their attendance at the orientation is not required. RSVP with your name and which orientation date to Bethany Rocci at bethany@pdxhfs.
(6) "The Poetry of the Soul" Begins Again, Thursdays, Jan. 24, 31, Feb. 14, 21, 28, March 7, 12:00 noon-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. Please RSVP here if you plan to attend, even if you RSVPed for the fall classes previously.
(7) RESCHEDULED: Tu B'Shvat Book Reading– The Tu B'Shvat Book Reading by Alicia Jo Rabins and Rebecca Clarren originally scheduled for Jan. 24 will be rescheduled for an upcoming Friday night at Havurah. Please watch Havurah's website, emails, and Facebook notices for the new date and time.
(8) Dorot: Short & Sweet Shabbat Service, Friday, Jan. 25, 6:00-7:30 pm – A casual, family-friendly, and music-filled service, followed by a vegetarian potluck dinner. Led by Jacob Mandelsberg, Sarah Shine, Gabe Adoff, Larry Reichman, and Tanja Lux. RSVP by Jan. 23.
(9) Tot Shabbat, Saturday, Jan. 26, 10:30-11:30 am – Young children (0-5) and their parents celebrate Shabbat with singing, movement, blessings, and storytelling. You can stay for an informal oneg nosh and the chance to play and schmooze. Led by Deborah Eisenbach-Budner. RSVP by Jan. 23.
(10) Overwhelmed by the World's Needs? Making Family Space for Tikkun Olam, Saturday, Jan. 26, 3:10-4:30 pm (for parents with children of all ages) –
How do we balance our parenting desire to create a cozy nest for our children, in which they feel safe and that the world is good, and our acute knowledge of the great pain and need in our world? How do we, as a family, choose amongst the myriad needs and possibilities, to get involved in a positive way that works with the temperament and ages of our child(ren)? How do we as adults model engagement with Tikkun Olam in a healthy way? Discussion and concrete ideas for families to consider. Workshop led by Laura Orgel, Child and Family Therapist, parent, and long-time Tikkun Olam worker and wonderer. Minimum number of participants is 4. RSVP here.
(11) Last Thursday Witness - IMIrJ I.C.E. Vigil, Thursday, Jan. 31, 10:00 am, Portland ICE Headquarters, 4310 SW Macadam Ave. – Gather in vigil as we express our support and love for families affected by ICE detentions. Join this monthly gathering to lift up the reality of what happens every day at the Portland ICE facility and participate in solidarity in various interfaith expressions and rituals. Carpooling is encouraged as parking is very limited.
(12) Discovering Shabbat Morning, Saturday, Feb. 2, 10:00-11:30 am – Join this upbeat workshop/minyan where we will walk through the Shabbat morning service and answer questions. This service is especially for families with youth in grades 5 and up and all who are in the B’nai Mitzvah process. Childcare is available every Saturday morning for children 0-9. Light lunch provided afterwards. Led by Susan Brenner and Deborah Eisenbach-Budner. RSVP here.
(13) 19th Annual Community Havdalah Service and Social, Saturday, Feb. 2, 7:00 pm, Cedar Sinai Park, 6125 SW Boundary Street – Havdalah service with music, refreshments, conversation, and Israeli dance demonstration (including Havurah member Cindy Merrill). Rabbi Ariel Stone will lead the service. Event is sponsored by Jewish Women's Round Table in cooperation with Cedar Sinai Park and area synagogues and Jewish organizations. Questions? Contact Adele Thompson at adeledt@live.com.
(14) Beginning the B’nai Mitzvah Journey: Why, When & How, Sunday, Feb. 3, 10:00 am-12:00 pm – This workshop for parents intends to launch families on the b’nai mitzvah journey. Rabbi Benjamin will begin with a focus on the rite of passage itself, then families will learn about the date selection process. Rabbi Benjamin, David Newman, and Michael Evans will lead this workshop. RSVP by Jan. 28.
(15) Eye-opening and Unexpected Stories from Jewish History, Sundays, Feb. 3, 10, 24, 10:00-11:30 am – Educator David Feder, who also happens to be our Havurah High teacher, will lead a series of classes that span knowledge of ancient, medieval, and modern Judaism and explore how stories of diversity and problem-solving can unite us going forward. Register here.
(16) Kabbalat Shabbat, Friday, Feb. 8, 6:30 pm Dinner, 7:30 pm Service –
Our catered vegetarian Kabbalat Shabbat dinner begins at 6:30 pm, followed by a short, joyful, and musical Kabbalat Shabbat service at 7:30 pm, led by Rabbi Benjamin and Havurah musicians. RSVP here for the dinner no later than Feb. 6. All are welcome at our 7:30 pm service, and no RSVP is required. Childcare is available. For cost adjustments for the dinner, please call 503-248-4662.
(17) Have a Question About Havurah? – The Transparency/Inclusivity Committee welcomes your questions! We will find the answer and publish the question (but not the questioner) and answer in an upcoming Hakol. It is our intention at Havurah that what you know and understand about our congregation should not be a function of who you know. So if you find yourself wondering about something related to Havurah, or if someone shares their question with you, we hope you will send your question to transparency@havurahshalom.org.
(18) Elevator Talking Points for Havurah's Sanctuary Committee – Havurah’s Sanctuary Committee has been wrestling with this thorny issue: How do we respond to statements about immigrants and immigration that conflict with our community’s welcome philosophy? We decided to develop “Elevator Talking Points” so we could feel more informed and knowledgeable about current events and be able to respond when faced with questions and statements that raise emotions and leave us feeling uncertain. We realize that we need to listen to others rather than enter into a debate and hope that having some facts at our disposal might help us be open to the "other." We hope these talking points will clarify some facts about immigration, walls, and sanctuary. For more detailed information about immigration issues, the Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice (IMIRJ) has created additional resources, which are available here. We'd like to know if these are useful to you. Questions? Contact Sandy at sandylou29@yahoo.com.
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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.
[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 **Note: Registration for this group is now closed.** 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.
