June 19 - Pride Parade Photos, Job Opening, Membership Renewal
HAVURAH HAPPENINGS
(1) Upcoming Shabbat: Bat Mitzvah of Arava Barnett (2) Portland Pride Parade Photos (3) Renew Your Membership for 2019-20 (4) Spread the Word: Havurah Job Opening (5) Free NW Film Center Tickets (6) Portland Homeless Family Solutions (7) MACG Delegate Assembly & Annual Meeting (8) Book Group Discusses Mornings in Jenin (9) Mid-Year Planning Retreat(10) Take Your Copy of Havurah's Old Siddurim (11) Protecting Members' Contact Information (12) Steering Committee Minutes
COMMUNITY NEWS
(1) International Refugee Day Movie: Root Causes of Migration (2) SURJ PDX Workshops
The above photo was taken by Keren McCord at Sunday's Pride Parade.
(1) Upcoming Shabbat: Bat Mitzvah of Arava Barnett, Saturday, June 22, 10:00 am-12:00 pm – Rabbi Benjamin and Rachel Teadora warmly invite the Havurah community to join them as their daughter Arava is called to the Torah as a bat mitzvah. Please RSVP if you are able to come.
(2) Portland Pride Parade Photos – Thank you to Keren McCord for providing these photos from last Sunday's Portland Pride Parade. And thank you to Evan King and Alanna Hein for leading an inspiring Pride-focused Kabbalat Shabbat service last Friday.
(3) Renew Your Membership for 2019-20! – As our new fiscal year begins, we want to take the time to acknowledge the many ways in which Havurah provides opportunities for us to engage and thrive within a supportive Jewish community. Havurah continues to grow in membership and in programming. We are joined by families of all ages and sizes, excited to find their Jewish home at Havurah Shalom. Read the complete message with form links here.
(4) Please Spread the Word! Havurah Job Opening: Communications and Membership Coordinator – Havurah Shalom seeks a dynamic and culturally competent individual to be responsible for communications with our members and the greater Portland community. Collaboratively with our small staff and highly participatory community, you will produce weekly, bi-weekly and monthly print and e-mail newsletters, support the website and database, welcome new members, connect members to activities of interest, and support volunteers. You can find the complete job description and application process here. Position is full-time, with health insurance, 403(b), and vacation. Salary level: $36,000-46,000, depending on experience. Questions? Email adela@havurhashalom.org.
(5) Free NW Film Center Tickets Available – As a sponsor of the Portland Jewish Film Festival, Havurah has 10 tickets to give away to members! Valid through June 30, these tickets can be redeemed for anything on the NW Film Center schedule. Tickets will be given away on a first come, first served basis. Contact Rachel Pollak at rachel@havurahshalom.org to arrange pick-up.
(6) Portland Homeless Family Solutions (PHFS) – The building in the Lents neighborhood purchased by PHFS is just a few months away from opening its doors to approximately 26 homeless families. These families will not have to move between two buildings for day and night shelter as in the past. Join our very dedicated, active group of Havurah volunteers at the Lents shelter by attending a PHFS orientation. Next one will be held at the Lents building onJune 19 from 5:00-6:00 pm. RSVP at TC@pdxhfs.org. PHFS questions? Email John Devlin (Havurah member and PHFS board member) or Gloria Halper (Havurah member and PHFS coordinator). Their email addresses are listed in Havurah's online membership directory. See below post about how to access the directory.
(7) MACG Delegate Assembly & Annual Meeting, Thursday, June 20, 7:00-9:00 pm, Saint Andrews Church, 5310 NE 42nd, Portland – Havurah is a member organization of MACG, Metropolitan Alliance for the Common Good. MACG is an alliance of faith, labor, health education and community organizations dedicated to building a base of leaders to effectively stand for change they want to see in their communities. MACG works with member organizations to develop campaigns and take action on issues of concern in the tri-county area. All Havurahniks are invited to attend this annual meeting of MACG member organizations to learn more about what MACG is doing and how you can get involved. Learn more at http://www.macg.org/.
(8) Book Group Discusses Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa, Tuesday, June 25, 7:00-8:30 pm – The renowned Palestinian writer Susan Abulhawa describes the creation of Israel and what it meant for those who lived there before. Written as a fictional memoir, it follows a family forcibly removed from their olive-farming village by the new Israeli state, then displaced to canvas tents in the Jenin refugee camp. Cinderblock huts replace their tents. But amidst their loss and fear, hatred and pain, there is always the waiting to return to a lost home. The novel's story is told through the voice of the village patriarch’s granddaughter, a bright, sensitive girl. She makes it out of the camps, yet returns years later, to marry and bear a child. One of her brothers is kidnapped to be raised Jewish, and one will end with bombs strapped to his middle. Discussion led by David Newman.
(9) Mid-Year Planning Retreat for Everyone Planning Events & Programs for the Coming Year, Sunday, June 30, 9:30 am-12:00 pm – Come collaborate across clusters and gain insight and tools to make your program a success! RSVP TODAY (by 6/12). Contact Shelley Sobel with your name and the name of your cluster or committee. Shelley's email address is in the online membership directory. See below post about how to access the directory.
(10) Take Your Copy of Havurah's Old Siddurim – Before switching to our current Kol Haneshama prayer books, Havurahniks put together their own booklet with prayers for Shabbat, including Mincha, Ma'ariv and Havdallah. These are in excellent condition and still quite functional. We are looking to save a few copies for posterity but also to find people who can use them, so they are not sitting in storage anymore. If you would like copies for yourself, your family, or your community, please email Rachel Pollak at rachel@havurahshalom.org to arrange a pick-up time.
(11) Protecting Members' Contact Information– Due to recent phishing using Havurah members' emails, Havurah will no longer include members' email addresses or phone numbers on our website. This includes our weekly community emails, which are posted to our blog and linked to our website, and our website calendar posts. People will be directed to the online membership directory for members' contact information. Any member who is logged in to our website can find the membership directory at the bottom of the drop-down menu under "Community."
Please be aware that any official communication from Havurah Shalom will come from a havurahshalom.org address, so if you receive an email claiming to be from staff which does not come from havurahshalom.org, don’t answer it. Mark it as spam. If you have any questions about whether an email comes from a staff member, please ask by phone or email to info@havurahshalom.org.
Logging in For the First Time
To log in to our website for the first time, click on "login" in the upper right corner of our home page, enter your email address as your ID, and create a password at least eight characters long. After you receive an email confirming that your password has been received, you can log in any time. This both gives you access to the membership directory and allows you to update your personal membership account with current information. Office staff can help if you have questions.
(12) Steering Committee Minutes– Members who log into our website can access Havurah Steering Committee Minutes by clicking on the "Steering Minutes" link at the bottom of the drop-down menu under "About."
COMMUNITY NEWS
(1) International Refugee Day Movie: Root Causes of Migration, Thursday, June 20, 6:30-9:00 pm, SEIU 503, 6401 SE Foster Road, Portland – June 20 is International Refugee Day. A film screening of "Eternos Indocumentados: Central American Refugees in the United States" will be followed by a panel discussion about the migrant-refugee exodus and the history of forced migration from Central America to the U.S. Local community members will share their experiences in working to address the conditions and issues of migration. "Based on interviews with recently arrived Central Americans and organizers leading the struggle on the ground in Central America and the U.S., this film captures the stories of refugees and uncovers the root causes of forced migration as well as migrant incarceration. In the words of revolutionary, Salvadoran poet Roque Dalton, this film captures the lives of los Eternos Indocumentados (the Eternally Undocumented)." See the movie flier here.
(2) SURJ PDX (Stand Up for Racial Justice Portland) is offering the following workshops:
Families, Let’s Talk Race Part 1 Sunday, June 23, 9:00 am-12:30 pm
Wild Lilac Child Development Community
3829 SE 74th Ave, Portland
Families, Let’s Talk Race Part 2 Saturday, September 7, 9:00 am-12:30 pm
Friendly House
1737 NW 26th Ave, Portland
SURJ supports adults in having age appropriate conversations with children about race and the role of white privilege and institutional racism in society. We believe the burden of ending racism should not fall on people of color. We focus on white folks but all are welcome. Register 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.
