Dorot Shabbat Friday, Dec. 6, 6 pm - 7:30 pm
Short and sweet, casual, family-friendly and music filled, led by Rabbi Benjamin. The service begins at 6pm with candle lighting and kiddush. Followed by potluck dinner at 6:45pm.
Bar Mitzvah of Levi Mandelsberg & Community Minyan Saturday, Dec. 7, 10 am - 12 pm
Please join us in welcoming Levi Mandelsberg as a Bar Mitzvah and member of our community.
Winter Welcome Tea for New and Prospective Members Sunday, Dec. 8, 11 am - 1 pm
(Artwork by Cassandra Sagan.)
A chance to connect for new and prospective members seeking more connection. We'll come together to schmooze, nosh, kibbutz, and learn about Havurah happenings. Join the Welcome Committee as we show up to build and enrich our relationships to one another in the spirit of Hinenu: We Are Here! Sign up for the event on our website by clicking here.
END GAME: A Film & Panel Discussion About the End of Life Sunday, Dec. 8, 4 pm - 6 pm
The Ma'avar committee will be showing END GAME. It is a film that share three stories of choices people make for their end of life and sometimes the choices that overtake them. Following the film, there will be a panel of folks where people who work in the field of palliative care, medical oncology social work, and hospice care will be present. All are welcome, including relatives and friends. You can RSVP here.
Cookie Call: Bakers Needed for This Event! 3-4 dozen cookies baked per person.
Please bring cookies to Havurah to be plated on Sunday morning. Please mark your cookies for dietary needs non-dairy (V), gluten-free (GF), nut-free (NF). Contact Fran Berg at bergfr@gmail.com or 503-757-4839 to let her know if you'll bring them in.
Havurah Events
Jewish Mindfulness and Meditation Tuesday, Dec. 10, 12 pm - 1 pm
We gather on Tuesdays, from 12 pm to 1 pm, to find some moments of quiet and shalom. Led by Deborah Eisenbach-Budner, Rabbi Benjamin, Adela Basayne, and Nancy Becker.
Morning Minyan Wednesday, Dec. 11, 8:30 am - 9:00 am
For all who want a regular prayer practice and for people saying Kaddish.
Human Rights Shabbat Next Friday and Saturday Friday, Dec. 13, 6:30 pm Dinner (RSVP only), 7:30 pm Service (open)
Saturday, Dec. 14, 10 am - 12pm
Join us as we gather for Human Rights Shabbat, observed on the Shabbat closest to International Human Rights Day. T’ruah is inviting congregations to use Human Rights Shabbat 2019 as part of ongoing work to examine and undo the inherent racism in all our communities and systems. Services will include elements that open up the questions and realities, both historical and present, we must confront. We hope that this Shabbat will be a meaningful step in exploring how our community can engage with racial justice and combat racism. Please join us to pray, sing, learn, and talk about engaging with anti-racism work. Questions? Email Chris Coughlin.
Deadline to RSVP for Kabbalat Shabbat Dinner is midnight Sunday, December 8! Enjoy a catered pescatarian meal with your friends and family as we welcome in Shabbat! RSVP here.
December Dilemmas or "Will the Real Chanukah Please Stand Up?"
Saturday, Dec. 14, 3:30 pm
This is for parents of children of any age, and for parents of all backgrounds, Jewish and non-Jewish. We’ll look into the contentious historical roots of Chanukah, many of which parallel questions of cultural and religious identity that we still contend with today! We will try to articulate what we want Chanukah to really be about for our families as well as how to generally reclaim the holiday from commercialism and cooptation. We will discuss the particular challenges that our diverse families face at this time of year, as well. Bring your thoughts, questions, family traditions, favorite children's Chanukah books, etc. Facilitated by Deborah Eisenbach-Budner. Please RSVP by Dec. 11.
Havurah Leadership Training Sunday, Dec. 15; Jan. 12; March 15, 2 pm - 4:30 pm
Please note that we are changing the time of our Leadership Training Classes to the afternoon. The new time is 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm on all three dates. More information on the three sessions can be found in the November HaKol or here.If you have questions about the training, contact Debbi Nadell at debbinadell@gmail.com.
Hanukah Neighborhood Celebrations Sunday, Dec. 22-30, various times - sign up!
This year, we are trying something different. Instead of one large Havurah Hanukah party, we will get together in smaller groups to light candles, sing songs, play dreidel, and eat latkes. If you are already hosting a Hanukah party, why not add some Havurahniks to your guest list? Or, if you would like to attend a neighborhood Hanukah party, let us know and we will find you a party to join.
Havurah Writers Workshop: Sign Up Now! Thursdays, Jan. 16, 23, 30, Feb. 6, 13, 20, 27, March 5; 7 pm - 9 pm; Public reading at a Friday Oneg, March 6
The Havurah Adult Writers Workshop begins on January 16, 2020 – three weeks earlier than listed in the 2019-2020 Havurah calendar. The workshop is for anyone who wants to explore their interest in prose writing – and is not a published writer or seeking feedback on a writing project.
Havurah member David Kertzner leads the workshop which focuses on memoir writing. We generate short pieces each week. Participants develop one piece in depth to share at a culminating Friday Oneg.
Limited to 8 participants, we meet for 8 sessions on Thursdays. Call David at 503-231-2906 to sign up, or if you have questions.
Inside Havurah
Dues & Donations for 2019 Tax Credit
Sometime in late January, we will send out the 2019 tax letter showing your donations (including dues) for the year. If you wish to make a donation or pay/pay off your dues, please make sure the funds reach the Havurah office by Dec. 31. If you are paying with stock, allow for a three-day settlement period. If you wish to pay online, use this link. If you are mailing in a check, please drop it off at the office or mail it with enough time for a 12/31 arrival. Thank you. Contact Karen Westerman at karen.westerman@havurahshalom.org with questions.
Are You a Descendant of German Speaking Jews?
Do you have documents or artifacts from pre-WWII Europe that are in a box somewhere? The Leo Baeck Institute in NYC may be interested in archiving and preserving your items. They have approached me to help them identify folks who have artifacts, photos, and documents to potentially donate for preservation, research, and scholarship. Please contact Nancy at nancyjbecker@gmail.com if you are interested in finding out more or have any questions.
For Lovers of Music
Chari Smith offers two opportunities to sing our Jewish stories together.
Teens and adults welcome. Questions? Contact Chari.
Music Workshop - Songs from Freedom the Untold Story of Moses by Chari Smith
Sunday, Jan. 5, 4pm – 5pm Do you love to sing and are looking for a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon? Come join this one-time musical workshop, exploring songs from my new musical, Freedom: The Untold Story of Moses. This special afternoon gathering will focus on exploring the songs, piloting the harmonies, and spending time hearing a brand new piece of art. The music ranges from rock‘n‘roll to blues, lots of opportunities for singers of any range! And if you love what you hear, you can join us for an extended workshop series January to March 2020. Register here.
Musical Theater New Works Workshop led by Chari Smith and Kelly Lyons
Rehearsals on Mondays, January 13, 20, 27; February 3, 10, 17, 24; March 2, 16, 30; 7-8:30 pm; Performance date: Sunday, April 5, 2 pm and 7 pm If you consider yourself a creative actor/singer who loves musical theater and trying new things, then please join us for this first ever musical theater workshop series. We are writing a musical—Freedom: The Untold Story of Moses—and want to work with a group of passionate performers to develop a physical, spiritual, and musical language for the piece. You can be a part of bringing the script to life and pick up a few tips and tricks to musical theater performance along the way! This will culminate in a staged reading performance of the first act at Havurah Shalom. Please register here.
Tikkun Olam
Poverty & Homelessness
Interfaith Alliance on Poverty monthly meeting will be Dec. 5th. For more details contact Gloria Halper or Steve Rudman.
Portland Homeless Family Solutions Offering Open House Tours of Their New Lents Shelter! Dec. 12, 4-7 pm; Dec. 14, 10 am-1 pm. For more info, contact Gloria Halper or John Devlin.
Tikkun Olam Adelante
Volunteers Needed to Teach English!
Havurah volunteers continue in our 3rd year teaching English at the Ortiz Center in NE Portland to men and women from Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Beginning in January, two more volunteers are needed, one just until the first week in April. We teach on Monday mornings from 10am to 12pm. Requirements: Willingness to engage with people from other countries and cultures and a cheerful disposition. You do NOT have to have an education degree! For more information, please contact Judi Kloper at JudiKloper@gmail.com.
Havurah Climate Action Team
Climate Change: Is It a Jewish Issue? Wednesday Dec. 11, 7 pm - 8:30 pm
Mittleman Jewish Community Center, Schnitzer Family Campus
6651 SW Capitol Highway, Portland
Join us for a panel discussion on the Climate Crisis from a Jewish perspective. The conversation will be led by Rabbi Tziv Fischer, Rabbi David Kosak and key experts.
The Havurah Climate Action Team is a cosponsor of this event with the Jewish Community Relations Council, MJCC, Portland Kollel, and Community Neveh Shalom. RSVP here.
Needed for the LIFT UP Community Christmas Dinner Drop off at Havurah by December 20
Each year, several hundred guests come for dinner on Dec. 25 and each guest is given a toiletry kit and makes a choice for a hat, scarf, gloves and a pair of socks. We've noticed that there aren't enough large sizes and that many of our guests prefer dark colors. Are you a knitter? Can you make some hats and scarves? Or can you pick up some gloves and socks to donate? Please bring your (purchased) gloves and socks and your (hand-knitted) hats and scarves to Havurah. Thank you!
Volunteer for Lift UP Community Christmas Dinner Wednesday, Dec. 25, 11:30 am - 2:30 pm
Congregation Beth Israel, Goodman Hall
Congregation Beth Israel is again hosting the Lift Urban Portland Community Christmas Dinner. This beloved neighborhood event is attended by several hundred guests and is a popular volunteer opportunity. Last year over 200 people helped to make the dinner a success. This event will take place on Christmas Day in Goodman Hall, located on NW Flanders in the Schnitzer Family Center. Dinner will be served from 12 pm - 2 pm. Meals are also delivered to homebound individuals. Many volunteers are needed to make this event happen, including drivers to deliver meals. Delivering meals can be a family activity. Sign up to volunteer here!
Other Events in the Community
Fighting Homelessness One Tiny House at a Time with Tivnu Wednesday, Dec. 11, 10 am - 3 pm
A field outside the MJCC, on Capitol Highway, opposite the Federation
Build a better Portland for all of us, one tiny house at a time! Join Havurah's longtime partner Tivnu: Building Justice along with PJA and Cascadia Clusters. Let's make this a New Year of security, opportunity, and community, working alongside the folks who really need it. Tivnu and partners will bring the tools and the construction coach; you bring the hands and the heart. Sign up now!Questions? Email Erik at Erik@Tivnu.org.
Jewish Life & Learning
Weekend in Quest: The Dreyfus Affair Friday, March 6, 3:00 pm and ending at noon on Sunday, March 8; Holiday Inn Express, Astoria, Oregon
The Institute for Judaic Studies Presents the 14th Annual Weekend in Quest—Friends, Foes, Fanatics and Proto-Fascists: The Dreyfus Affair in Fin-de-Siècle* France (1894-1906). Professor Evlyn Gould of the University of Oregon will present 4 lectures. Shabbat Services & Saturday evening program will be led by Havurah’s own Beth Hamon & Liz Schwartz. (*Fin-de-siècle = End of the century) Register here.
Make sure your Chanukah Includes Guilt-Free Gelt!
Once again, T’ruah is partnering with Divine Chocolate USA to bring you the opportunity to stand with farmworkers and order your fair-trade, guilt-free kosher gelt. The chocolate industry is rife with child and slave labor, with more than 2.3 million children working in the cocoa fields in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire alone. This Chanukah, you can take one concrete step toward the "miracle" of protecting the human rights of all workers, and help empower farmers and activists to end the labor abuses in the cocoa industry. Plus: When you buy Guilt-Free Gelt —available in both milk chocolate and dark chocolate—you will also be supporting T’ruah. Ten percent of all sales ordered through this link go directly to them and will go directly to their work advancing human rights in North America, Israel, and the occupied Palestinian territories.
Volunteer at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education Deadline: Dec. 8, 2019
The Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education (OJMCHE) is currently looking to expand our group of trained volunteer educators. As part of the Education Team, docents play a critical role in helping thousands of visitors and school groups engage with museum content each year. Docents participate in in-depth educational sessions on the Holocaust, Oregon Jewish history, and the history of discrimination and resistance in Oregon as well Jewish art and culture. In the museum, docents lead conversation style tours of core exhibitions as well as national and international temporary exhibits.
If you are interested in expanding your knowledge and giving back to the community as part of a like-minded group of volunteers, follow this link to fill out an application before the deadline.
Bend the Arc's Jeremiah Fellowship
Applications are open for the 2020 cohort of the Jeremiah Fellowship, Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice’s national leadership program for young adult Jews who want to mobilize their community to fight for progressive change. Click here to start your application.
Reconstructing Judaism Newsletter
Interested in what’s happening in the national Reconstructing Judaism movement? Looking for some new ideas? Check out Reconstructing Judaism news here, or listen to the latest podcast.
Have a Question About Havurah?
The Transparency and 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. If you find yourself wondering about something related to Havurah, or if someone shares their question with you, we hope you contact us.
Send your questions to transparency@havurahshalom.org.
Please use this formto 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.
Find our calendar and learn more at havurahshalom.org or call 503-248-4662.
Jewish Power and Powerlessness Sunday, Jan 26th 10:00a to 12:00p “They tried to kill us, we survived, let’s… talk about it.” The 20th century gave us examples of the most extreme Jewish powerlessness and unheard-of Jewish power as well. But the history of Jews and political, military and social power — especially so-called “soft power” — is much more complicated, much more nuanced than popular consciousness has led us to believe. How did Jews use communal wisdom and the concerted application of influence to ensure centuries of survival? Where was the Church, the Reformation, the growth of secular power and the emergence of modern society for all of this? There are several perspectives to consider, and we’ll break it down, from Philo to philo-Semitism. Taught by David Feder. 10-11:30 am, Sundays, Jan. 19 & 26
Refa’einu Healing Circle Sunday, Jan 26th 3:00p to 4:15p Refa’einu: A Healing Circle
The Refa’einu Healing Circle will be offered periodically on Sunday afternoons. The purpose of this circle is to provide sacred space and time to focus on healing and wholeness. Through contemplative teachings, sacred chant, guided and silent meditations, and prayer, we open to healing energy—however it is needed in our lives, our families, our communities, our planet. Tivona Reith will lead the first of these circles on Sunday, January 26, from 3:00-4:15pm.
Refa’einu, Yah, v’neirafei — Heal us, Source of All Healing, and we will be healed.
(In case of inclement weather, efforts will be made to notify those who has RSVP'd and the Healing Circle will be rescheduled.)
Musical Theater New Works Workshop Monday, Jan 27th 7:00p to 8:30p If you consider yourself a creative actor/singer who loves musical theater and trying new things, then please join us for this first ever musical theater workshop series. We are writing a musical - Freedom: The Untold Story of Moses – and want to work with a group of passionate performers to develop a physical, spiritual, and musical language for the piece. You can be a part of bringing the script to life and pick up a few tips and tricks to musical theater performance along the way! This will culminate in a staged reading performance of the first act at Havurah Shalom.
Performance dates: Sunday, April 5, 2pm and 7pm
10 spaces open to adults.
Questions? Contact Chari Smith
