Our Annual Theme
5783 Theme: Teshuvah/Returning
Teshuvah—repentance, though literally return—is the core practice of our most sacred season. It is also a foundational practice of our lives. The gates of teshuvah, say the sages, are always open. We can always choose to turn toward learning and growth, toward acknowledging harm, making amends and holding each other lovingly accountable. We return seasonally, daily, hourly.
Teshuvah means discovering our most essential and generous selves, remembering our deepest aspirations, and coming back to one another in new ways. As we return to community in person, each of us at our own pace, we can embrace this moment as one of genuine teshuvah.
We return to what is, not what was. How will we move forward toward our next incarnation—as individuals, as communities, and as a society? What must we bring with us, and what do we need to leave behind?
Previous years' themes...
5782 Theme: Shleimut v'Shever
שְׁלֵמוּת וְשֶׁבֶר
Wholeness & Brokenness
Tradition tells that for the entire journey in the wilderness, alongside the second set of tablets bearing the ten commandments, our ancestors also carried the fragments of the first set which Moses had smashed. In our present time of rupture and fragmentation, this image reminds us to make room for the broken along with the whole — in our lives and in our world. Often we can find in the fractured places pathways to wholeness. What is broken can become the foundation for healing and regeneration.
In moments of brokenness, we can help one another find comfort amidst loss, meaning in the face of upheaval, and agency when our values have been breached. However brokenness manifests, we can support each other to turn toward it with compassion and courage, so that we might discover wholeness alongside or even within it.
5781 Theme: Nishmat Kol Ḥai
נשמת כל חי
The Breath of Every Life
We are sustained in every moment by our breath. When it is compromised or restricted, our lives are in jeopardy. Yet we mostly take it for granted until that occurs. This year’s theme, Nishmat Kol Ḥai: The Breath of Every Life, turns us toward fuller awareness and appreciation of this vital life force and all it sustains.
Neshamah means "breath" and also "soul." It is our essence, through which we are connected to one another and to all life. Nishmat Kol Ḥai asks us to listen closely for the breath that is not our own, to awaken to the preciousness of each breath and each soul.
Collectively, we are witnessing the tragic consequences of breath constricted, through illness and through violent oppression. All breath is not yet equally valued. Nishmat Kol Ḥai demands that we expand our notions of kinship and work to ensure that everyone can breathe freely, and every soul can flourish.
5780 Theme: Hineinu
Our theme for 5780 – Hineinu: We Are Here.
היננו
Our ancestors responded to calls at pivotal moments in Torah with Hineini, “Here I am.” Hineinu is how we answer the call to be present as we are needed in this moment, as individuals and as a community. We can say Hineinu by comforting each other amidst hardship and loss; by rejoicing together however possible; by listening and communicating honestly as we navigate discomfort; by finding each other amidst vulnerability; and by cultivating resilience and compassion in response to injustice, oppression, and despair. This is how we say Hineinu: We are here.
5779 Theme: Panim el Panim
Our theme for 5779 – Panim el Panim: Encountering One Another.
פָּנִים אֶל־פָּנִים
Panim el panim, literally “face to face,” directs us to recognize and honor how we live in relation to one another. From the intimate, one-on-one connections that exist within Havurah, to the broader partnerships and networks of which we are a part, this relationality is at the heart of who we are. To live panim el panim is to genuinely encounter one another, sometimes to affirm and sometimes to challenge.
When we build relationships with people from whom we differ as well as those like us, striving to know the other for who they are, we grow as individuals and enhance our potential as a community. Through meeting one another in this way, we make room for connection and holiness. And amidst tensions in the world, the notion of panim el panim challenges us to perceive our interdependence and build bridges however possible.
5778 Theme: Edut
Our theme for 5778 – Edut: Witness.
עֵדות
In selecting a theme, Havurahniks seek to find common language to help us consider what animates our community and to set an intention for the year. Our theme is both a conceptual framework as well as an operational commitment.
In this time in which we are confronting vastly divergent representations of reality, we need to continually notice, be willing to bear witness, and stay present with our own truths. This requires showing up, both physically and spiritually, and returning - over and over again.
One more outgrowth of this root is the word oded, “to encourage and strengthen.” Ultimately, the actions of returning, building continuity, and bearing witness create strength within us, as individuals and as a community. What encourages you to continually show up and to speak your truth? How do we create a community that strengthens our ability to know and testify about what is right and good?
Sun, January 29 2023
7 Shevat 5783
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Havurah Updates
Hineinu: Shabbat Minyan Lunch is Back, Helping a Community Member, Spread the Word about Hiring
Regular Happenings
Thank you for following our safety requirements at in-person gatherings.
Zoom Room links can be
Hineinu: A Time for Everything
Masks Optional and Stay Home if You Are Feeling Sick
With Covid transmission levels "low" in Multnomah County, and a decl
Hineinu: Lots Going On at Havurah Shalom!
Kabbalat Shabbat Service and Dinner
6:00 - 8:30, Friday, Jan. 13
We're gathering in person to welcome Shabbat. All are
Upcoming Events
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Monday ,
JanJanuary 30 , 2023
Monday, Jan 30th 7:00p to 8:15p
In this four-week introductory class, we will delve into the history of Jewish mysticism, sample ancient Kabbalistic texts and contemporary mystical writings, become acquainted with Hasidic rebbes and their enduring stories, and explore selected mystical concepts and practices. Led by Tivona Reith, Rabbinic Chaplain and Mashpiah Ruchanit. -
Tuesday ,
JanJanuary 31 , 2023
Tuesday, Jan 31st 5:30p to 7:30p
The Metropolitan Alliance for Common Good (MACG) Havurah Core Team hope you will consider registering for the 5-session virtual course “Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization.” This course has been developed and presented by local Indigenous leaders in Washington, Montana, two Canadian provinces, New Zealand and Australia. The course is very powerful and moving. Please spread the word wide and far within our community and beyond. . Since Havurah is a MACG member, there is no cost for members. -
Wednesday ,
FebFebruary 1 , 2023
Wednesday, Feb 1st 6:30p to 8:30p
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Wednesday ,
FebFebruary 1 , 2023
Wednesday, Feb 1st 7:00p to 8:30p
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Wednesday ,
FebFebruary 1 , 2023
Wednesday, Feb 1st 7:00p to 8:15p
A selection of Palestinian voices in their own terms—unmediated by Western or Israeli media or organizations with a political agenda—using a selection of films, poetry, prose, and music (and depending on Covid conditions, food). We will include well known figures like Edward Said, Ghassan Kanafani, and Mahmud Darwish as well as representatives of the youthful generation of feminist authors, such as Hala Alyan, Farah Chamma, and Rafeef Ziadah. The emphasis throughout is on cultural expression rather than historical narrative or political analysis. However, to provide a common point of departure, we will begin with a film that surveys the history since British Mandate Palestine (1922-1948) to about 2000. Led by Joel Beinin. -
Thursday ,
FebFebruary 2 , 2023
Thursday, Feb 2nd 5:30p to 7:30p
The Metropolitan Alliance for Common Good (MACG) Havurah Core Team hope you will consider registering for the 5-session virtual course “Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization.” This course has been developed and presented by local Indigenous leaders in Washington, Montana, two Canadian provinces, New Zealand and Australia. The course is very powerful and moving. Please spread the word wide and far within our community and beyond. . Since Havurah is a MACG member, there is no cost for members. -
Friday ,
FebFebruary 3 , 2023
Friday, Feb 3rd 7:30p to 8:30p
We will join congregations nationwide in dedicating our Shabbat services to honoring refugees and asylum seekers. -
Saturday ,
FebFebruary 4 , 2023
Shabbat, Feb 4th 10:00a to 12:00p
Please share in our joy as Havurah Shalom’s Adult B’nai Mitzvah group is called to the Torah. After services, please join us for a luncheon sponsored by the B’nai Mitzvah group, with the help of the Havurah Community and our friends and family. Please RSVP by Jan. 19. -
Saturday ,
FebFebruary 4 , 2023
Motzei Shabbat, Feb 4th 7:00p to 9:00p
Teens! Come hang out with your friends at Havurah! Activities include board games, gaga, cornhole, etc. Ice cream sundae bar for dessert, and music with DJ Saul. -
Sunday ,
FebFebruary 5 , 2023
Sunday, Feb 5th 1:00p to 3:00p
Join us for a joyful, family-friendly hike from Tryon Creek Nature Center through trails to the Tryon Farm, about 20 minutes. A short Tu B'shvat seder (under cover of a large yurt if rainy or too cold), followed by return hike back to the nature center. The hike will be led by forest activist Brenna Bell. Seder will be led by Harriet Cooke and Karen Ballard. RSVP