April 24 - Passover Minyan, Drawdown, New Members Happy Hour
HAVURAH HAPPENINGS: (1) Upcoming Shabbat, Community Minyan (2) Drawdown Discussion Group (3) Office Closure this Friday (4) Happy Hour for New & Newish Members (5) Death Cafe (6) Annual Cemetery Beautification Day (7) 350PDX Climate Change Talk by Mary DeMocker: The Parents’ Guide to Climate Revolution (8) Travel Through Jewish History & Food the Portland Way (9) 40th Anniversary Celebration (10) Have a Question About Havurah? (11) Submitting Posts for Weekly Community Email
COMMUNITY NEWS: (1) Eastside Commons End of Passover Celebration (2) Yom Hashoah Commemorative Celebration (3) Poverty in Portland: Root Causes & Strategies (4) Packing Food Boxes for Lift Urban Portland (5) A Former Member's Passing
(1) Community Minyan, Saturday, April 27, 10:00 am – This Saturday's service is on the last day of Passover and will include Hallel and Yizkor. The service will be led by Susan Brenner, Cindy and Nathan Merrill, Rabbi Benjamin, Arnie Wuhrman, Emily Simon, Sam Sirkin, and others.
(2) Drawdown Book Discussion, Thursday, April 25, 7:00 pm – There is way out of the climate change disaster, and there are many things we can do to have an impact. These actions are addressed in-depth in the New York Times best seller, Drawdown. The editor and creator is Paul Hawken, and the Drawdown Project was developed by an international coalition of almost 200 researchers, professionals, and scientists from 22 countries. They came together to offer a set of realistic and bold solutions to climate change that are already successfully being done and need our support to scale up. The Havurah Climate Action Team invites you to join us for a series of book discussion sessions at Havurah about this ground breaking book on April 25 and May 23. You can attend these sessions even if you missed the first session in March. Please prepare for the April 25 meeting by reading the sections on Buildings and Cities, Land Use, and Transport. For more information, contact Andy Beers at andy@andybeers.com or 425-985-0997. Everyone is invited. RSVPs are appreciated but not required.
(3) Office Closure on Friday, April 26 – Havurah's office will be closed on Friday, April 26, for Passover.
(4) Death Cafe at Havurah Shalom, Sunday, May 5, 10:00 am-12:00 noon – At a Death Café folks gather to converse about the ever so many aspects of dying and death, including but not limited to end-of-life paperwork, the multitude of feelings about caring for one who is ill/dying, what might a good death look like, grieving, celebrating and any/everything else this topic inspires for you. This is not a therapy or counseling group. Feel free to speak or just listen. Or both. Completely confidential. For those who are 21 and over. Refreshments will be available. Please join us. RSVP here with your email address and preferred phone number. Questions? Email Buff Neretin at aurorasilks@gmail.com.
(5) Annual Cemetery Beautification Day, Sunday, May 5, 1:00-3:00 pm, 5656 SW Humphrey – We will gather at our cemetery to garden and honor our relatives who are no longer with us.
(6) Happy Hour for New, New-ish & Prospective Members, Sunday, May 5, 4:30-6:30 pm, Havurah Shalom – Happy Hour: A chance to connect for new members, new-ish members, prospective members, and all members seeking more connection. In the spirit of Panim el Panim: Encountering one Another, we'll meet face-to-face to shmooze, nosh, kibbutz, and learn about Havurah happenings ... and we'll leave with something "more" in us as we embrace Panim el Panim. According to Philosopher Martin Buber, a face gazing into another face is a moment of "revelation." Childcare provided. RSVP here if you can join us! Please include names and ages of children when you RSVP.
(7) 350PDX Climate Change Talk by Mary DeMocker: The Parents’ Guide to Climate Revolution, Tuesday, May 7, 7:00-8:30 pm – Join us for an inspiring evening filled with practical advice that will leave you and your family feeling empowered to engage in positive climate solutions, no matter how busy you are. Mary DeMocker’s book The Parents’ Guide to Climate Revolution: 100 Ways to Build a Fossil-Free Future, Raise Empowered Kids, and Still Get a Good Night’s Sleep, is a finalist for the 2019 Oregon Book Award and has been featured on Yale Climate Connections and recommended in The New York Times. DeMocker is the co-founder and former creative director of 350 Eugene and has written about climate recovery for many publications, including The Sun and The Oregonian. Visit marydemocker.com to learn more. Sponsored by NW Neighborhood Team of 350PDX, The Wetlands Conservancy, ECO (Ecology in Classrooms & Outdoors) and Havurah Shalom Climate Action Team. Questions? Contact Steve Birkel at sjbirkel@gmail.com.
(8) Travel through Jewish History and Food the Portland Way, Wednesdays, May 8, 15, and 22, 10:00 am-12:00 noon – Travel the world. (And eat it!) Join Jewish educator David Feder to look at the travelogues of Benjamin of Tudela (900 years ago), Doña Gracia Mendes Nasi (500 years ago), and the Roden family (100 years ago) for a fascinating look into Jewish history that stretches from Spain and German to Persia and China. But this is not idle historical inquiry: we’ll turn primary sources into a lunch menu each day. Portland’s finest food carts will serve up the last piece of our study as we re-create our subject’s travels with our own forage through delicious downtown. If you think history can seem dry, you’ll love this look at our Jewish world travelers. Plus, you can always order the soup. Participants pay for their own food. Please RSVP here by May 1. Questions? Email David Feder at davidfeder@sbcglobal.net.
(9) Havurah 40th Anniversary Celebration, Sunday, May 19, 5:00-8:00 pm, Havurah – Havurah Shalom is 40 years old! Join us to celebrate and support your favorite community with shmoozing, food, drink and music! Whether you've been a member for one year or for 40, our party will be a great time to reflect on our history and look forward to the next 40 years! Party is for members ages 21 and over. If you aren't available on May 19, you can donate to our Mitzvah Moment at the RSVP link below. Questions? Contact Debbi Nadell, debbinadell@gmail.com. RSVP here.
(10) 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.
(11) Submitting Posts for this Weekly Community Email – If you would like to submit an announcement for this weekly e-mail, please use this form to make your submission. Using the form collects all submissions in one place, which reduces the chance that a post might accidentally be overlooked. It also clarifies which three Wednesday emails you want your post to appear in and exactly what the text should be. Please direct any questions about the weekly email to Teri Ruch at teri@havurahshalom.org. Thanks!
COMMUNITY NEWS
(1) Eastside Jewish Commons End of Passover Celebration, Saturday, April 27, 7:00-11:00 pm, Washington High School (1300 SE Stark) – Havurah encourages our Eastside members to join in this fun community-wide celebration which is the Inaugural Event of the Eastside Jewish Commons (EJC). EJC invites the Eastside Jewish community to an End of Passover celebration. We will say “goodbye” to Passover and “hello” to Chametz as we celebrate a growing and thriving community on the Eastside. Live music, dancing, and food and drink respectful of the holiday will be provided. Kids of all ages are welcome. The event is free, but RSVPs are required to attend. Questions? Contact Mia Birk at miabirk1@gmail.com). RSVP here.
(2) Yom Hashoah Commemorative Service, Wednesday, May 1, 7:00 pm, Congregation Neveh Shalom, 2900 SW Peaceful Lane – Yom Hashoah commemorates those who perished and those who survived the Holocaust, and the generations that have carried on the legacy of our community. The topic is heavy but our focus is hopeful. Join in a musical performance of two songs by Cantor Eyal Bitton. We invite all generations of descendants of the Holocaust as well as anyone else who would like to participate to join for a performance rehearsal on Monday, April 29, at 7 pm, in the Stampfer Chapel at Neveh Shalom. The service is sponsored by the Oregon Board of Rabbis and the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education.
(3) Interfaith Alliance on Poverty presents Poverty in Portland: Root Causes & Strategies, Monday, May 13, 6:30-8:30 pm, Madeleine Parish Center, 3123 NE 24th Ave, Portland – 6:30 pm pizza, beverages, cookies; 7:00 pm Mayor Ted Wheeler’s presentation with time for Q & A; 8:00 pm small table debriefs. Please register by May 6 to bonniejgregg@msn.com. Childcare available, pre-registration required. No charge, but free-will offering appreciated. Havurah Shalom is a partner with the Interfaith Alliance on Poverty in Portland.
(4) Packing Food Boxes for Lift UP, Wednesday, May 22, 2:00-3:30 pm, Lift UP warehouse (in U-Store facility), 2860 NW 29th Ave, Portland– DATE CHANGE! Our food box packing at Lift Urban Portland’s warehouse has changed from May 15 to May 22 at 2:00 pm. We’ll be packing boxes to be delivered to residents in low-income housing in northwest and downtown Portland. The warehouse is at 2860 NW 29th Ave. This will take about 60-90 minutes, no heavy lifting, families welcomed. WE NEED MORE VOLUNTEERS. Havurah Shalom is a supporter of Lift UP. Questions? Please contact Ruth Feldman at 503-530-0072 or ruthtenzerfeldman@gmail.com. Thanks!
(5) Helen Sherman Cohen – Many Havurah members may remember former Havurah member Helen Sherman Cohen, who passed away on April 2. You can read her obituary here.
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Havurah Shalom is a vibrant, diverse, participatory Jewish community steeped in Jewish values promoting 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
