Our Staff
Rabbi Benjamin Barnett
Prior to joining Havurah Shalom in August 2017, Benjamin Barnett served as the Rabbi of Beit Am, a pluralistic Jewish Community in Corvallis. Originally from the Chicago area, he received his BA in English from the University of Michigan and his rabbinic ordination from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Philadelphia.
In leading a diverse congregation, Rabbi Barnett draws from years of living and learning in Jewish communities across the religious spectrum. Prior to entering rabbinical school, he worked with mentally ill adults, led wilderness expeditions for teenagers, and lived, worked and studied in Israel. He is a devoted practitioner and teacher of Jewish contemplative prayer and meditation, practices through which he strives to cultivate wisdom and compassion, and to respond maturely to the challenges of life and community. He works to build relationships across religious and cultural lines in the name of creating a less violent world. He and his wife Rachel live in Portland with their children: Lev, Arava, and Judah.
Hear or read some of his drashot: Erev Rosh Hashanah 5782 // Erev Yom Kippur 5782
benjamin.barnett@havurahshalom.org
Adela Basayne
Adela Basayne, Program Director, joined the Havurah staff in 2018, bringing with her experience as an educator, trainer, mediator, organizational development consultant, and body-centered therapist. Adela earned a BA in Theater Arts, minor in Religious Studies, from the University of California at Santa Cruz, and an MA in Whole Systems Design/Organizational Systems Renewal from Antioch University, Seattle. In all her different arenas of work, the through line has been commitment to nurturing the human capacity to make and sustain desired changes, supporting growth, and diminishing suffering; Adela is passionate about group process and systems analysis.
Adela moved from New York to Portland in 1987 and has been a participatory member of Havurah Shalom ever since, celebrating life cycle events, teaching in Shabbat School, serving on countless committees, including a stint as co-president. Adela brings excitement and joy to her role with Havurah. She and her husband, Nick Iliinsky, have three adult children, Noah, Alexis and Megan.
adela@havurahshalom.org
Deborah Eisenbach-Budner
Deborah Eisenbach-Budner became Havurah Shalom’s first Education Director in 2001. Since then, she has worked with hundreds of Havurahniks of all ages, enabling them to connect more deeply with Judaism. She has created and nurtured a wide variety of educational programs, generated innovative holiday and Shabbat experiences, and contributed to the vibrant growth of the community.
Deborah is passionate about making Judaism and Jewish life accessible and enriching. She has experienced and witnessed the transformative power of Jewish narratives, practices, values, and community. But, more importantly, she employs Judaism as a tool to cultivate our humanity and to provoke us to become the most whole people we can be. Read more here.
deborah@havurahshalom.org
Rachel Pollak
Rachel Pollak, Havurah Shalom’s Office and Facilities Manager, moved to Portland in 2007 from Los Angeles and got to know the Portland Jewish community through the Melton School, where she was operations manager and then director. She earned her BA in English and political science at American Jewish University in Los Angeles (back when it was the University of Judaism), and her MA in English in 2012, right here at Portland State. She started at Havurah in January 2017.
rachel@havurahshalom.org
Carrie Kirschner
Carrie has been our Assistant Coordinator of Education for multiple years and assists in all education programs, including Shabbat School and our Middle School and High School programming.
ace@havurahshalom.org
Joey Wolf, Rabbi Emeritus
Rabbi Joey built a career based on mediating Torah – imaginative teaching, cogent ideas, responsibility for the earth and its people – over 30 years at Havurah Shalom. Involvements and leadership roles in T’ruah - The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, American Jewish World Service, Institute for Jewish Spirituality, Americans for Peace Now, Black Parent Initiative, and as a co-founder of the local Muslim-Jewish Dialogue attest to his priorities towards building bridges.
His relationships within the community have encouraged honest reflection and a commitment to justice and are reflected in the kindness, truthfulness and good humor of the people around him. He stands at a crossroads where traditional elements of prayer and study stimulate a new celebration of human spirituality. Mining Jewish ideas and minding Jewish practice are for him ongoing sources of enthusiasm, and he honors this wonderful community for its pursuit of what it means to be Jewish in the world. Taking care of that world and the people who remain on the fringes are an abiding concern for him, as are the ancestral queries and adventures that have led him on the path of learning over a lifetime. You can read more about Rabbi Joey, who retired in April 2017, here in The Oregonian. You can hear his drash on Rosh Hashanah 5282.
Sat, July 2 2022
3 Tammuz 5782
Need Help? If you are a Havurah member in need of help, log in to find resources here.
Upcoming Events
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Saturday ,
JulJuly 2 , 2022
Shabbat, Jul 2nd 10:00a to 12:00p
Please join us in welcoming Megan Rose and Elijah Moss as B'nei Mitzvah and members of our community. -
Monday ,
JulJuly 4 , 2022
Monday, Jul 4th 1:00p to 4:00p
We are excited to bring mahjong back to Havurah. It 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. But for mahjong at Havurah to work we all need to be willing to support it by participating as often we can, especially early on. So please don't hesitate to join us! -
Monday ,
JulJuly 4 , 2022
Monday, Jul 4th 5:30p to 6:30p
We are a group of Havurah members interested in climate social justice. We will be reading "Braiding Sweetgrass" to connect to indigenous wisdom about life and social action around the environment. We are reaching out to see if new people want to join our lively and joyful book discussions. Open to non-members as well as members. We will meet every other Monday through July 4. -
Wednesday ,
JulJuly 6 , 2022
Wednesday, Jul 6th 7:00p to 8:30p
Informal summer study sessions for the ABM cohort. -
Thursday ,
JulJuly 7 , 2022
Thursday, Jul 7th 10:00a to 12:00p
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Thursday ,
JulJuly 7 , 2022
Thursday, Jul 7th 6:30p to 8:00p
Join the Havurah Climate Action Team for a discussion about the crisis facing these wild fish and learn what we can do about this together. We will meet by Zoom on Thursday, July 7th, at 6:30pm. Register on the Havurah Calendar to get the Zoom Room. Contact: Michael Heumann -
Friday ,
JulJuly 8 , 2022
Friday, Jul 8th 10:00a to 12:00p
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Friday ,
JulJuly 8 , 2022
Friday, Jul 8th 10:45a to 12:00p
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Saturday ,
JulJuly 9 , 2022
Shabbat, Jul 9th 10:00a to 12:00p
Led by community members, this service includes davening, Torah reading and discussion. It takes place in person and in Zoom Room Aleph. Contact info@havurahshalom.org for login info. -
Friday ,
JulJuly 15 , 2022
Friday, Jul 15th (All day)
Please submit your content using the form (News >> Submit News & Requests) or send to Rachel Pollak/rachel@havurahshalom.org. We love photos too.