Rabbi Joseph Wolf
Rabbi Joseph Wolf
Rabbi Joseph Wolf came to Havurah Shalom in 1987, where he discovered a community hard at work at teaching Torah in a contemporary idiom, along with inventing a spiritual path that took pluralistic cultural opportunities into account. What’s more, he was immediately engaged by activist leaders intent on developing a collaborative model for decision-making and participation. Joey is fervently committed to the idea that all Jews determine what it means to pray and do meaningful work in the world, not just the professional clergy. While teaching texts and both traditional and innovative spiritual practices, he has brought local and global social change issues to the forefront. In particular, he has been a supporter of conflict reduction in the Middle East, and has advocated for strategies to combat poverty.
He grew up in Boston, and he received his BA from Brandeis University in 1973, his MA and ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in 1979, and an honorary doctorate from that institution in 2005. Additionally, Rabbi Joey also spent two separate years studying at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, during 1971-2 and 1976-7. He credits his early years growing up around Boston, time spent with extraordinary peers and mentors in a hotbed of radical inquiry and experimentation, as formative for the work that he does today.
He has served on numerous commissions and boards in the metropolitan Portland area, including an involvement with workers’ rights panels for Jobs With Justice, the Metropolitan Alliance for the Common Good (a coalition of faith-based communities and labor unions working on healthcare, livable wage and housing issues), the founding board of Black Parent Initiative. In 2001, he was a co-founder of a local dialogue group which probed relationships and affinities between Jewish and Muslim and Arab leaders in the community. Joey was recently a member of the national board of Rabbis for Human Rights and serves on the Rabbinic Advisory Cabinet for J Street. He participated in one of the original rabbinic cohorts of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality. In this context, he has invigorated his work to ground Jewish identity in the study of deep texts and intentional spiritual practice. He has led trips to Israel, on which fellow travelers have met with like-minded progressives who pride themselves on their own critical social discourse. In 2008, he led an American Jewish World Service work service trip of Havurahniks to eastern Uganda, which initiated an examination of what it might mean for Jews to confront the extraordinary challenges of a developing world in a way that is honest and meaningful.
Rabbi Joey considers it a privilege to serve alongside the vibrant and creative chorus of voices in Havurah, whose ideas – intellectual, spiritual, political – spark his own. In his spare time, he loves to hike, do yoga, meditate, cook, listen to music, and read and write – and then read some more. He lives in Hillsdale with his wife Lisa, and is the proud father of four children – Simeon, Sarah, Amelia and Gavriella.
Sat, October 18 2025
26 Tishrei 5786
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Upcoming Events
IP = In person only (normally at Havurah Shalom);
ZM = On Zoom/online only;
HYB = In person and online; and
ANN = In person at Havurah's Annex.
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Saturday ,
OctOctober 18 , 2025
Shabbat, Oct 18th 10:00a to 12:00p
Please join us for Shabbat morning services, including welcoming Brandon Keys as a Bar Mitzvah and member of our community. This service includes davening, Torah reading, and discussion. Join us afterward for a light community brunch. Free childcare is provided. For Zoom information, please email info@havurahshalom.org. -
Monday ,
OctOctober 20 , 2025
Monday, Oct 20th 1:00p to 4:00p
Just for Havurah members, our Mahjong Group is a fun, social activity that builds community, encouraging new friendships and cementing old ones. And while some of us may play elsewhere as well, we all agreed that restoring its place as an ongoing congregational activity will be a good fit for Havurah and those of us who play or want to learn the game. -
Monday ,
OctOctober 20 , 2025
Monday, Oct 20th 5:30p to 6:30p
All are welcome! Havurah members and non-members alike are invited to join us in this slow, section-by-section reading of "Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Story from Despair to Possibility." Click and RSVP. Attend any or all of these HCAT (Havurah's Climate Action Team) Book Group discussions about "Not Too Late." -
Monday ,
OctOctober 20 , 2025
Monday, Oct 20th 7:00p to 8:30p
Learn about the historical contexts behind Oct. 7, 2023, as well as the response that has resulted in massive destruction of life and society in Gaza. Led by Joel Beinin. -
Tuesday ,
OctOctober 21 , 2025
Tuesday, Oct 21st (All day)
Havurah members, click to learn how to submit your contributions to our monthly newsletter, Hakol. -
Tuesday ,
OctOctober 21 , 2025
Tuesday, Oct 21st 11:30a to 1:30p
What is Coming Home to Solidarity? Coming Home to Solidarity is a workshop designed to help us create a culture and community where all members freely show up as their authentic selves; where all are valued, appreciated, and have a sense of belonging. The workshop is an opportunity for white-bodied or white-identifying congregants to come together in a supportive and caring environment to reflect, learn and unlearn, heal from the ways we have been impacted by white supremacy, and start to recognize new possibilities for taking action. Havurahniks, click to learn more and RSVP. -
Tuesday ,
OctOctober 21 , 2025
Tuesday, Oct 21st 6:30p to 8:30p
Steering members and staff will meet to consider matters of governance. All Havurah Shalom members are invited to attend Steering Committee meetings. A link to a draft agenda, accessible only to logged-in members, will be posted here in advance of the meeting. -
Tuesday ,
OctOctober 21 , 2025
Tuesday, Oct 21st 7:00p to 9:00p
What is the meaning of life, especially when you're living the same day over and over? In this two-part class, we’ll explore the themes of futility, impermanence, and transformation in the book Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) alongside the 1993 film Groundhog Day. Led by Rabbinic Intern Noah Lind. -
Tuesday ,
OctOctober 21 , 2025
Tuesday, Oct 21st 7:30p to 8:30p
Each grade meets on zoom to build consensus around expectations, lesson planning and group culture. Facilitated by staff. -
Wednesday ,
OctOctober 22 , 2025
Wednesday, Oct 22nd 3:30p to 5:00p
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