July 3 - "God of Vengeance" Readings, New Progressive Israel Network
(1) Upcoming Shabbat: Bat Mitzvah of Maddie Teitelman (2) Office Closure this Thursday (3) Reconstructing Judaism Is a Founding Member of the New Progressive Israel Network (4) Hebrew Teacher for Youth Needed (5) Book Discussion of Tortilla Curtain (6) National Jewish Education Conference in Portland (7) Play Reading of "God of Vengeance" in Preparation for "Indecent" Shabbaton (8) Shabbat in the Pool (9) Middle School for 2019-20 (10) Havurah High for 2019-20 (11) Reconstructing Judaism Annual Report Video (12) Ruth Bader Ginsburg Awards $9,000 to Hand in Hand
The above art about Korach is by David Baruch Wolk. In this week’s parsha, Korach leads a rebellion against Moses, after which the earth swallows all of the rebels except those who offered incense, who are consumed by fire.
(1) Upcoming Shabbat: Bat Mitzvah of Maddie Teitelman, Saturday, July 6, 10:00 am-12:00 pm – This Saturday Maddie Teitelman, daughter of Andrew Teitelman and Chandra Basham, will be called to the Torah as a bat mitzvah. Please come celebrate with Maddie and her family, and welcome Maddie as a member of our community.
(2) Office Closure for July 4th Holiday – Havurah's office will be closed tomorrow for the July 4th holiday.
(3) Reconstructing Judaism Is a Founding Member of the New Progressive Israel Network – Reconstructing Judaism is one of ten leading organizations representing Americans who are committed to pursuing democracy, equality, and peace in Israel, and who announced the launch of the Progressive Israel Network. The new coalition will provide a strong, unified voice in support of its members’ common goals: democracy and equal rights, religious freedom and pluralism, and a two-state solution that would secure a peaceful future for Israel and end the 52-year-long occupation. Click here for more information.
(4) Hebrew Teacher for Youth Needed – Havurah Shalom seeks a part-time teacher for youth ages 8-10, who can teach beginning Hebrew reading with a very clear Tora Aura curriculum. Hours of instruction are 16 Saturdays (already scheduled) between Sept. 21 and May 9, 1:30-2:40 pm, at Havurah. 7-14 children per class. Competitive compensation. Please contact Deborah Eisenbach-Budner, Education Director, deborah@havurahshalom.org; describe your experience and expertise.
(5) Book Discussion Group: The Tortilla Curtain, Tuesday, July 23, 7:00-8:30 pm – Originally published in 1994, The Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle is very topical now. Topanga Canyon is home to two couples on a collision course. Los Angeles liberals Delaney and Kyra Mossbacher lead an ordered sushi and-recycling existence in a newly gated hilltop community: he is a sensitive nature writer, she an obsessive realtor. Mexican illegal immigrants Candido and America Rincon desperately cling to their vision of the American Dream as they fight off starvation in a makeshift camp deep in the ravine. And from the moment a freak accident brings Candido and Delaney into intimate contact, these four and their opposing worlds gradually intersect in what becomes a tragicomedy of error and misunderstanding. The book is about middle class values, illegal immigration, xenophobia, poverty and environmental destruction. In 1997 it was awarded the French Prix Medicis Etranger prize for best foreign novel. Discussion led by Susan Lazareck.
(6) National Jewish Education Conference in Portland, Sunday-Wednesday, July 28-31, Reed College – Look at the fabulous workshops on Jewish education coming to Portland with NewCAJE10. (NewCAJE’s mission is to connect, inspire and affirm all Jewish educators to build a stronger Jewish community.)
• Pre-conference Shabbat: July 26-27
• 450 Jewish educators
• 200+ workshops
• Networking, learning, prayer, and entertainment
See the schedule here. If you're interested and need financial assistance, contact Deborah Eisenbach-Budner at deborah@havurahshalom.org.
(7) Play Reading of "God of Vengeance" In Preparation for "Indecent" Shabbaton, Wednesdays, Aug. 7 and Aug. 14, 7:00 pm, Havurah Shalom – To support the joint Shabbaton over Labor Day weekend with Temple Emek Shalom, Emily Simon will lead an informal, participatory play reading of "God of Vengeance," the play on which "Indecent" is based. Act I will be read on Aug. 7, and Act II will be read on Aug. 14. The evenings will begin with a short show introduction by Emily, who will then assign the parts based upon who shows up and what part they want to read. Hopefully there will be enough time after the reading to then discuss the play. Everyone is welcome to participate in either evening event (no need to attend both), whether they are attending the Shabbaton, seeing "Indecent" at another time, have already seen it, or are not seeing it at all. Please RSVP here for Aug. 7 and RSVP here for Aug. 14.You can read a pdf of the play here.
(8) Shabbat in the Pool, Saturday, Aug. 10, 5:15-7:30 pm– We've got the Sellwood Pool to ourselves for Shabbat games followed by a potluck picnic and Havdalah. Music? Yes! Fun for everyone? You bet! RSVP here to save your spot and help us know how many lifeguards to request.
(9) Middle School for 2019-20 – We are planning for Havurah Middle School and hope you will join us. Havurah Middle School is for those who will be in Grades 7 and 8 in the autumn. The goals of Havurah Middle School are Kehillah and Kesher: Community and Connection. The Havurah Middle School program aims to be fun and help students expand their circle of relationships and community. It is structured to accommodate the fact that many families are involved with Bar/Bat Mitzvah preparation or other transitions. The classes and activities tend toward a Jewish cultural focus, rather than religious, and expose the students to diverse ways of being Jewish. There is always a good dose of Jewish cooking and food!
We will meet on the following Wednesdays: Sept. 25; Oct. 16, 23, 30; Nov. 6, 13, 20; Dec. 4, 11; Feb. 5, 12, 19, 26; March 4, 11, 18. Watch for a special email coming soon with more information about Middle School and a link to a registration form.
(10) Havurah High for 2019-20 – We are planning High School for next year and look forward to welcoming new and returning students in the fall. The coming year promises to be an exciting and engaging one with opportunities for students to learn from each other and our High School Educator, David Feder. In Havurah High, teens in grades 9-12 explore, challenge, and reflect on questions that arise from their multi-faceted identities as teens, Jews, Americans, and modern people with particular experiences and perspectives. The curricular focus comes from expressed student interest as well as the educator’s expertise.
Havurah High School classes meet on the following Wednesday nights: Sept. 25; Oct. 16, 23, 30; Nov. 6, 13, 20; Dec. 4, 11; Jan. 8, 15, 29; Feb. 5, 12, 19, 26; March 4, 11, 18; April 1,15, 22. Watch for a special email coming soon with more information about Havurah High and a link to a registration form.
(11) Reconstructing Judaism Annual Report Video– Have you seen the most recent Reconstructing Judaism Annual Report video? Check out the background at two minutes and 21-24 seconds to find a Havurahnik in the background.
(12) Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to Donate $9,000 to Hand in Hand– The following was posted yesterday by JTA: "The Times of Israel announced today that US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said she is donating $9,000 to a network of bilingual Hebrew and Arabic schools in Israel. "The grant to schools operated by Hand in Hand comes from prize money that Bader Ginsburg, who is Jewish, was awarded in winning the 2019 Gilel Storch Award from a Stockholm-based organization called Jewish Culture in Sweden, Haaretz reported." Read the full story 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.
Book Discussion Group: Three Floors Up Tuesday, Sep 24th 7:00p to 8:30p An Israeli bestseller, this book is set in a Tel Aviv apartment building. A resident on each floor tells a story in 1st person narrative. Arnon is a tormented, retired military officer who fought the First Intifada. Conditioned to kill or be killed, he continues to make things worse for himself as he obsesses about his daughter’s safety. Hani, whose husband’s lucrative job keeps him traveling while she cares for their two children at home, brings emotional excitement into her life by risking hiding her brother-in-law from the police. Devora, a retired former judge, joins a social movement, tries to reconnect with her estranged son, and falls in love with a man who isn't what he seems.
The apartment building is a metaphor/microcosm of community in Israel, where individual backgrounds are often diverse, the sense of paranoia, the fear of neighbors being ready to inform on you, is tacit in each of these stories. Nevo is a well-recognized writer in Israel.
Discussion led by Sandy Bacharach.
Hashiveinu: Musical and Spiritual Preparation for the Days of Returning Thursday, Sep 26th 7:00p to 8:30p We will interweave singing High Holiday melodies with reflecting upon and discussing the themes and meaning of this sacred time. Everyone is welcome, whether or not you consider yourself a singer. Facilitated by Rabbi Benjamin and others.
Erev Rosh Hashanah/Evening Service Sunday, Sep 29th 7:30p to 9:00p Havurah’s High Holidays services are open to all. Join us for vibrant, egalitarian, diverse, engaging services.
Rosh Hashanah First Day Services Monday, Sep 30th 9:30a to 1:00p Havurah’s High Holidays services are open to all. Join us for vibrant, egalitarian, diverse, engaging services..
Rosh Hashanah Family Service (especially with children ages 0-10) Monday, Sep 30th 9:30a to 10:15a This upbeat and participatory Rosh Hashanah service is for the whole family! Enjoy stories and skits, soulful prayers and contemporary songs – as we all begin the year anew, together. Please RSVP.
