May 15 - Shabbat Picnic, 40th Anniversary This Sunday, Shanghai Diary
HAVURAH HAPPENINGS: (1) Upcoming Shabbat: Shabbat Family Picnic, Community Minyan (2) 40th Anniversary Celebration this Sunday (3) Lev Tahor (Pure Heart) Chanting is Moved from May 20 to June 2 (4) Book Group Discusses Shanghai Diary (5) Help Needed Filling Out Summer Camp Applications (6) IMIrJ Call-In Day (7) Interfaith Alliance on Poverty Monthly Meetings (8) Song of Miriam Awards Brunch (9) Annual Congregational Meeting (10) Shavuot Celebration & Service (11) Poverty & Homelessness Workgroup Update (12) ORA's 13th Annual Celebration of Art
(1) Upcoming Shabbat
Shabbat Family Picnic, Friday, May 17, 6:00 pm, Grant Park in NE Portland– In lieu of our the regular May Dorot service and potluck, we will gather for an informal Shabbat Family Picnic on May 17 at 6:00 pm at Grant Park in NE Portland. Bring a picnic blanket and dinner for your family and together we'll welcome Shabbat with blessings, songs and treats. Challah and popsicles will be provided. Please RSVP to Karen Pomerantz at karen_pomerantz@yahoo.com so we know how many folks to expect.
Community Minyan, Saturday, May 18, 10:00 am – Join us for our Shabbat morning minyan, with Barbara Slader, Susan Brenner, Solomon Barnett, Emily Simon, Tivona Reith, and others leading and reading Torah. We will read and discuss Parsha Emor, in which we learn about laws pertaining to priests and high priests, and the festivals of the Jewish calendar, including Shabbat, Passover, the Counting of the Omer, and more. The minyan will be followed by a light lunch.
(2) Havurah 40th Anniversary Celebration, Sunday, May 19, 5:00-8:00 pm – Havurah Shalom is 40 years old! Join us THIS SUNDAY to celebrate and support your favorite community. We're having a tasty menu along with beer, wine, and a signature cocktail, and non-alcoholic drinks, too. We're excited to feature two Havurah music groups, including some of your favorite musicians. They will accompany our celebration with jazz, klezmer, and dancing to your favorites from 40 years ago!
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! The 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.
(3) Lev Tahor (Pure Heart) Chanting, Sunday, June 2, 7:00 am, Lower Macleay Park– Lev Tahor Chanting scheduled for next Monday, May 20, has been replaced with a contemplative hike on Sunday, June 2.Facilitated by Rabbi Benjamin. We will gather in Lower Macleay Park in the early morning, beginning with some chanting then walking mindfully along the trail. With teachings and intentions from Jewish tradition to guide us, we will intersperse chanting, silence, and reflective sharing as a means to connect within and without, and to wake up more fully in our lives. This will be a short hike at a gentle pace. We will conclude by 8:30 or 9:00 am. Contact Rabbi Benjamin with questions. RSVP here.
(4) IMIrJ Call-In Day, Tuesday May 21 – Your legislators need to hear from you. On Tuesday, May 21, IMIrJ is encouraging people of faith from throughout the state to call our Oregon state legislators to urge them to support the Equal Access to Roads Act (driver's licenses for all) and Equity Corps of Oregon (expanding funding for legal representation). Click here to get the phone number of your Oregon state Senator and Representative. Additional resources, including sample call scripts, can be found on the IMIrJ website at IMIrJ.org. Take a minute, make a call to advance state policies in support of immigrant & refugee justice. Questions? Contact shari.raider@gmail.com.
(5) Book Group Discusses Shanghai Diary by Ursula Bacon, Tuesday, May 28, 7:00- 8:30 pm – Shanghai Diary is an autobiography by a woman who now lives in the Portland area. By the late 1930s, as the Holocaust approached, many Jewish families in Germany fled to one of the only open ports available: Shanghai. Eleven-year-old Ursula Bacon and her family made the difficult 8,000-mile voyage to Shanghai. But instead of a storybook China, they found streets teeming with peddlers, beggars, opium dens and prostitutes. Amid these abysmal conditions, Ursula learned of her own resourcefulness and found within herself the fierce determination to survive. She taught English to Chinese concubines and they became very good friends. She learned about spirituality and herself from a Buddhist monk. She also met the man she eventually married. There are many stories rolled into this one book. Discussion led by Stacey Hankin.
(6) Help Needed Filling Out Camp Scholarships Applications, By Appointment at the Bienestar de la Familia Ortiz Center, 6736 NE Killingsworth St – The families at the Ortiz Center, our Sanctuary community engagement partner, are in need of help filling out summer camp scholarship applications for their children. The families have difficulty reading and writing in English and cannot fill these forms out on their own. Volunteers must have conversational proficiency in Spanish. The Ortiz staff can set up a time to meet with a client that fits into the volunteer's schedule. Contact Deb Kallen at debkall2010@gmail.com.
(7) Interfaith Alliance on Poverty Monthly Meetings, First Thursdays, 12:00 noon-2:00 pm, Member Congregation Locations – Havurah is the latest partner member of the Interfaith Alliance on Poverty (IAP), with approval of the Steering Committee. We had a good showing at their May 13 meeting hosting Portland's Mayor. The Mayor shared stats and more about what Portland has done and continues to do, and future plans to address poverty, specifically the issue of homelessness in our city. Interested in IAP monthly meeting info or joining a sub group of the IAP, please contact Steve Rudman at sdrpdx@gmail.com or Gloria Halper at losninos6@gmail.com. IAP's website: www.allianceonpoverty.org. Also, watch for more from the Poverty and Homelessness Tikkun Olam workgroup in Havurah's community emails and Hakol. Questions? Contact Steve Rudman at sdrpdx@gmail.com or Gloria Halper at losninos6@gmail.com.
(8) Song of Miriam Brunch Honoring Nancy Becker, Sunday, June 2, 10:00 am-12:15 pm, MJCC – Havurah is honoring Nancy Becker at this year's Song of Miriam Brunch. Nancy has been involved in many different areas of Havurah and is known for her Tikkun Olam efforts and for representing us at the Jewish Community Relations Council. Nancy is also our current Fundraising Committee Chair. Register for the brunch using the form linked here. We will be saving a table for Havurahniks. Let Debbi Nadell know (debbinadell@gmail.com) if you want a seat at the Havurah table.
(9) Annual Congregational Meeting, Sunday, June 2, 1:00-3:00 pm – Please join us for music, study, and community building. This will be an excellent opportunity to greet old friends, welcome new ones, and consider what Havurah Shalom means to each of us. We will share the proposed nominations for Steering positions starting July 1 as well as review and approve our annual budget. The budget will be sent out to the congregation the week of May 20, so you will have time to review before the meeting. Please join us, and if you have questions that you would like to have answered at the meeting, email them to transparency@havurahshalom.org by May 30. Questions? Email Julia Lager-Mesulam (lagermes@gmail.com) or Ken Lerner (ken@klerner.com).
(10) Shavuot Celebration, Saturday, June 8, 4:30 pm until late, at Havurah – For Families: We’ll begin at 4:30 pm with paper crafts and a First Harvest Procession to beautify the Sanctuary. At 5:45 pm, we’ll have blintzes and cheesecake for our potluck dinner, followed by Havdalah. For Adults: You are welcome for dinner and Havdalah. From 6:30-8:00 pm, Alicia Jo Rabins and Rebecca Clarren will read from their new books, rescheduled from January. Childcare will be available. For those who want to do Tikkun Leil Shavuot and study into the night: From 8 pm on, Deborah Eisenbach-Budner and Rabbi Benjamin will guide us in text and hevruta. RSVP here.
Shavuot Service with Yizkor, Sunday, June 9, 9:00 am-12:00 pm – Join us for a morning Shavuot service with Yizkor.
(11) Poverty and Homelessness Workgroup Update – On April 30, the Family Winter Shelter (FWS) coordinated by Portland Homeless Family Solutions (PHFS) closed, having met its goal to house throughout our winter whatever number of families comprise the 75-person limit. In the spirit of Tikkun Olam, Havurah played a formidable role in volunteer hours at the shelter as well as meal preparation at home and at Havurah. We will continue to support PHFS at its new site in the Lents neighborhood throughout the year. To volunteer an orientation is required. For info about PHFS orientations please contact Havurah member Gloria Halper at losninos6@gmail.com.
(12) 13th Annual Celebration of Art, Sunday, June 2, Congregation Neveh Shalom – Calling all Jewish artists! Jury for Northwest Jewish Artsists 13th Annual Celebration of Art on Sunday, June 2, at Congregation Neveh Shalom. There is a $25 jury fee that can be applied to the membership of $50. For detailed information and jury application, go to the ORA website: northwestjewishartists.org.
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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.
Daily Shofar Blast Sunday, Sep 14th (All day) Hear the Sound of the Shofar each day of Elul (except Shabbat): Andrine, Diane & Howard (& sometimes Dominic & Wesley) help prepare us for Rosh Hashanah with shofar, deep thoughts, and a touch of kavanah (intention). Videos will be posted daily on Havurah's YouTube and Facebook pages.
(ZM) Climate Change Book Group Slow Reading of "Not Too Late" Tuesday, Sep 16th 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) Story Turning: Harvesting Joy in the Past Tuesday, Sep 16th 7:00p to 8:15p Teshuvah is the ongoing process of Turning and Returning. Using brief, simple, playful forms: sound, movement, story, stillness—which EVERYONE can do—we'll discover and shape our own tales of transformation and renewal.
Together we’ll play with a few classic Jewish tales and find our own voices, visions, ancestors, light, and revelations. This is not a performance class. No experience is required, just a willingness to be curious and a little silly.
Led by Cassandra Sagan, a twice-ordained Maggid (Jewish storyteller/teacher), and a lifetime creative process/poetry/arts educator.
(IP) My Soul Thirsts for You: Elul Watercolor Workshop Wednesday, Sep 17th 7:00p to 8:15p Elul opens the gates of return. It’s a time when we are invited to soften, reflect, and seek out closeness with the Divine. In this workshop we'll explore watercolor, which is an especially effective medium for holding and expressing emotion. Our learning will center on the 13 Attributes, a sacred text recited throughout the High Holiday season, as we invite in qualities of compassion, honesty, and patience. No art experience needed, just a willingness to experiment and be present. All materials provided. Led by Noah Lind, Rabbinic Intern.
Hakol Deadline is Thursday, September 18 Thursday, Sep 18th (All day) Havurah members, click to learn how to submit your contributions to our monthly newsletter, Hakol.
(HYB) Torah Study for the High Holy Days Thursday, Sep 18th 7:00p to 8:30p During the High Holy Days we read four sections of the Torah. This series of study sessions will give us an opportunity to read the texts and explore their meanings. We will look at what our teachers before us thought of the readings, as well as investigate modern commentators. We also will come up with our own thoughts and see how we can understand the texts for our lives today.
Led by David Dropkin. No experience necessary. Please join us.
