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.
Please use this form to submit stories for this weekly community email. Submissions are due by noon on Tuesday each week.
Havurah Shalom is a vibrant, diverse, participatory Jewish community steeped in Jewish values promoting spirituality, learning, and acts of social responsibility.
Israeli and Palestinian Literature Tuesday, May 26th 7:00p to 8:30p Literature offers a perspective on Israel/Palestine that centers the human dimension and reminds us of the vibrancy a of both modern Hebrew and Palestinian Arab culture. We will read four works of fiction whose themes and plots revolve around the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. This class was designed with those who have already taken “Thinking About Israel/Palestine” in mind. But this background is not required, as the literature speaks in its own terms. This class will take place in Zoom Room Dalet.
Tikkun Leyl Shavuot Thursday, May 28th 10:00p to 11:59p In partnership with Temple Emek Shalom in Ashland, with Rabbi Joshua Boettiger of TES and Rabbi Benjamin. Through the Gate of Praise: Love and Fear, Intimacy and Retreat - We often understand praise to mean heaping accolades upon a Divine being. But perhaps praise in the deepest sense is a singing from the heart, whether in grief or joy. We will explore texts ancient and contemporary expressing praise and inviting us into reimagining its relevance in our lives.
RSVP for Zoom join info. A password will be emailed to you.
Shavuot Celebration Friday, May 29th 7:00p to 9:30p Shavuot, which begins at sunset on May 28, commemorates the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai after the Exodus from Egypt. Also originating in an ancient pilgrimage holiday celebrating the grain harvest, today it’s a community observance, with Jews coming together to read the Book of Ruth, eat blintzes, and participate in Tikkun Leil Shavuot, study sessions lasting into the night. Those who attended Havurah’s Shavuot celebration last year will remember the festive spring greenery decorating the sanctuary and the poetry readings and late-night learning we enjoyed together.
Please join us via Zoom on Friday the 29th, as we celebrate Shavuot during this extraordinary time, when we need our community more than ever. We’ll begin with a short and sweet Shabbat service at 7:00, led by Rabbi Benjamin. Then stick around for a poetry reading and discussion featuring poems on this year’s congressional theme, Hineinu: we are here. Following the poetry, Rabbi Benjamin and Deborah will lead Leil Shavuot learning beginning at 9:15.
This celebration will take place in Zoom Room Aleph. Find the link in the weekly email, Hineinu, or contact the office at rachel@havurahshalom.org or 503-248-4662.
Community Minyan Shabbat, May 30th 10:00a to 12:00p Join our Community Minyan in celebrating Shabbat. Led by community members and Rabbi Benjamin, this service includes davening, Torah reading, and discussion, as well as an opportunity to say Kaddish. We will meet virtually through Zoom Room Aleph while COVID-19 precautions are being observed. Log in to the website and then visit havurahshalom.org/zoom or call the office for join info (503-248-4662 ext. 2).
And the Walls Came Tumbling Down Monday, Jun 1st 3:00p to 4:00p A follow up to Emily Simon's May class “Staying Inside/Staying Alive” but can easily be taken independently. In the book of Joshua, we read of spies, G-D drying up a body of water for us to cross over into the Promised Land, and social disruption. Does any of this strike a familiar chord??? We also read (and will focus on) an absolutely heroic woman, Rahab (and for those of you who took the prior class - the antithesis of Lot's daughters) and her role in the walls tumbling down. Join us as we explore the first six chapters of the book of Joshua. Having a Tanach with you during the class will be very helpful. If you are feeling particularly inspired, you can read any part of the first six chapters prior to the class. And whether you have or haven’t, please feel free to join. This class will take place in Zoom Room Bet.
Book Discussion Group Monday, Jun 1st 7:00p to 8:30p This activity will take place in Zoom Room Bet. Join info for members is in the weekly email. Please be in touch with the office otherwise at 503-248-4662.
Discussion of Dr. Katharine Hayhoe's Keynote Earthday Presentation Wednesday, Jun 3rd 7:00p to 8:30p Join Havurah Climate Action Team for a discussion of Dr. Katharine Hayhoe’s thought-provoking and hopeful Earth Day Keynote Address, titled Healthy People, Healthy Planet. Her presentation, sponsored by Citizen’s Climate Lobby, is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prsCP44oitc&feature=youtu.be. The 40-minute keynote starts at 5 minutes. Dr. Hayhoe is a climate scientist who believes together we can fix global warming because many of the solutions are already in our backyard. This discussion will take place in a special Zoom Room to allow for public attendance. Please be in touch with the Havurah office for more info: info@havurahshalom.org.
