Page ContentsEnd of Life
Approaching the end of life, whether for yourself or a loved one, can be a painful, complicated process. Havurah Shalom is here for members undergoing this difficult transition. We offer support through pastoral counseling and grief groups. Whether preparing ahead or nearing that time, our Cemetery Committee will help you select a grave and ensure the preparations are made.
In the Event of a Death
If you are a member of Havurah Shalom and experience a death in the family, please call Rabbi Benjamin at (503) 248-4662. He will help you make funeral, burial, or shiva minyan arrangements, as well as ensure a notice goes out to the congregation. A notice can also be sent out by contacting any staff member. The Bikkur Holim Committee is also available to assist with shiva minyan arrangements.
Planning Ahead
The Havurah Shalom Cemetery is a beautiful hilltop space with trees and a view of the valley below. We encourage families to purchase plots well ahead of time to reduce stress later on. To tour the cemetery and purchase a plot, please reach out to staff by calling (503) 248-4662, ext. 2. For more information on the cemetery, see below.
Funeral Services
Havurah works closely with Holman’s Funeral Service to coordinate funerals at our cemetery. Holman's is located at 2610 SE Hawthorne Blvd. You can call (503) 232-5131 to make arrangements or to learn about preplanning to make the end of life less stressful.
These are some helpful resources for making burial arrangements:
Here are policies that govern the Havurah Cemetery:
Tahara (Preparing the Body)
If this traditional pre-burial ritual is desired, Chevra Kavod haMet is a chevra kadisha for several Jewish communities in the Portland area, and they work frequently with Holman’s Funeral Service. A chevra kadisha is a group of men and a group of women who perform the traditional Jewish ritual of tahara, or preparing individuals for burial. This service is one of chesed shel emet, or ultimate kindness. In order to maintain the dignity of the one who has died, the ritual is performed by chevra members who are the same gender as the deceased. If someone was gender non-conforming, or if the wishes of the deceased are not known, a mixed gender team will perform tahara for them. Respect for the deceased is the utmost value. Your funeral director, particularly at Holman’s, will inquire about having tahara done; no need to reach out to Chevra Kavod haMet directly.
Yahrzeits
Kaddish is recited at all Havurah Shalom services. Please check the calendar to see service times. By adding your loved one's name and date of passing to the yarhrzeit list in your website account, their name will be added to the list of names read ahead of Kaddish on the week of the Hebrew anniversary of their death. We will send you an email notification ahead of time. For help signing into your account or adding names, please call staff at (503) 248-4662.
Directions to the Cemetery
If using an internet map app, search for Jones Cemetery or Westside Vineyard Church. From downtown Portland, head west on Highway 26 toward Beaverton. Take the Sylvan exit and turn left to cross over the freeway. At the second light, turn left onto Humphrey Boulevard. Turn right onto Hewitt Boulevard, then take an immediate left into the entrance of the Westside Vineyard Church parking lot.
At the end of the church parking lot is the cemetery gate. Park, and then walk into the cemetery. If walking is a problem, drive through the gate and park on the driveway inside the cemetery.
Cemetery Committee
Havurah's Cemetery Committee is led by Cindy Merrill. The committee helps Havurah members purchase cemetery plots and manages other aspects of the cemetery. Every year the committee brings the Havurah community together during High Holidays to remember loved ones who have passed away and organizes an annual cemetery beautification day.
More About the Cemetery
This interview with founding member Elden Rosenthal describes how and why Havurah established the cemetery shortly after the congregation was formed and the egalitarian concepts the cemetery reflects. Dave Weil, longtime Cemetery Committee lead and plot seller, has written about the history of the cemetery here (scroll to page 3). In 2021, then graduate student Mira Hayward wrote a well-researched and very interesting paper on Jones Cemetery and Havurah Shalom Cemetery and was kind enough to share it with us.