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.
(HYB) Shabbat Morning Shabbat, May 3rd 10:00a to 12:00p Led by community members and Rabbi Benjamin (who is on sabbatical until July 1, 2025), this service includes davening, Torah reading, and discussion. Join us afterward for a light community brunch provided by the Lunches and Noshes Committee! Free childcare is provided. For Zoom information, please email info@havurahshalom.org.
(IP) Shabbat School Shabbat, May 3rd 3:00p to 5:15p This program gives children a foundation for lifelong Jewish learning and engagement while integrating parents and children in a caring Jewish community.
(ZM) Progressive Israel Network Sessions Sunday, May 4th 11:00a to 12:00p Havurah Shalom is hosting a four-session series from the Progressive Israel Network. Come learn in collaboration with representatives from five to six of the participating Progressive Israel Network organizations, including T’ruah, New Jewish Narrative, Partners for Progressive Israel, New Israel Fund, J Street, and Reconstructing Judaism.
All perspectives on Israel-Palestine, as well as all curious people, are welcomed and encouraged. Our guests will give presentations and take questions. You can register for all sessions, below, but it's okay if you can't attend all three sessions.
(Reconstructing Judaism, the central organization of the Reconstructionist movement, of which Havurah Shalom is a part, is a member of the Progressive Israel Network.)
(IP) Writing for Peace and Reconciliation, Within and Between Us Sunday, May 4th 6:30p to 8:30p Commemorate the last day of Pesach and Yitzkor in community Passover not only invites us to retell our ancient story but to look at our current reality and ask: what is our mitzrayim today? The obstacle in our personal and communal life? Where can we break through in an act of courage and compassion? April 20th & May 4th, 6:30 PM at Havurah, join Harriet Cooke for a writing/drawing group to explore this theme along with Yitzkor, the Sephirot and Counting the Omer. (It is recommended to attend either just the first session or both sessions.)
(IP) Jewish Ethical Responses to the Problem of Racism Monday, May 5th 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.
(CANCELED) Collage Art with Jewish Symbols Wednesday, May 7th 6:30p to 7:45p This class has been canceled by the instructor. If you are interested in doing art at Havurah, please reach out to Adela Basayne (info@havurahshalom.org). Bring your crafts and creativity out for making collage art with Jewish symbols. We will create hamzas, stars of David, trees of life, and images for blessing the home. All ages are invited! Led by Carolina Martinez.
(IP) Hebrew as a Tool: Prayer and Torah (registration closed) Wednesday, May 7th 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.
