Updates and more information on the two wings--staff expansion and space--of the Wings of the Dove campaign.
Fundraising as Community Connection
The Wings of the Dove Campaign is about more than fundraising--it’s about building community and shaping the future of Havurah together. While raising funds is certainly part of the effort, the heart of this campaign is about deepening relationships and creating new connections across our community. This is the Havurah way. Our shared values drive our asking and our giving.
We know that talking about money can feel uncomfortable. Many of us worry about asking for too much, being too forward, or making assumptions about what others can give. It can feel awkward or transactional, especially when it's tied to personal relationships.
But the Havurah way—all gifts are anonymous and arise from our feelings of connection to our community and our own ability to give—can transform the awkwardness into gratitude. We celebrate participation in the campaign, above all, knowing that pulling together is Havurah’s strength and our strength.
The truth is, the success of the Wings of the Dove Campaign is essential to supporting our growing community. Expanding our staff and space will help Havurah continue to thrive and serve us all in meaningful ways.
Through the Wings of the Dove Campaign, we hope to enhance our sense of shared purpose that invites each of us to invest in a vision we believe in. Our goal is to have personal conversations with every Havurah member, centered in connection and community.
Message from the Presidents team August 26, 2025
Hevre,
We wanted to give you an update on the status of the property in Sellwood (7880 SE Milwaukie Ave.) and let you know that we could not reach an agreement with the seller about the terms of the offer. As a result, Havurah will not be moving forward on that building. We want to thank Loree Devery and Mike Morris, who did extensive work in the negotiating process.
What happens next? We will continue to explore property opportunities to meet our growing needs, and we will continue fundraising to support staff and space expansion. On a positive note, we have raised over $1.6 million in pledges from 100 Havurah households for the Wings of the Dove Campaign.
If you have questions, or would like to help reach out to fellow Havurah members about the Campaign, please contact Herman Asarnow or Rachel Shimshak.
L’shalom,
The Presidents Team
Keren McCord
Andrea Sanchez
Sarah Wetherson
David Kertzner
Message from the Presidents June 30, 2025
The offer we made to purchase the property in Sellwood (7880 SE Milwaukie Avenue) has been orally accepted, but not yet signed. In other words, we have tentatively reached an agreement with the seller on the terms we offered. However, this is not yet a “done deal,” and we are still awaiting documentation from the seller. We hope to have a signed acceptance of our offer in the next week or so.
What’s next? We will let you know if and when the documents get signed. It is only after documents are fully executed that the Due Diligence period begins. We will be sharing much more about Due Diligence and community engagement once our offer has been officially accepted.
L’shalom,
The Presidents Team
Keren McCord
Andrea Sanchez
Sarah Wetherson
David Kertzner
June 12, 2025
The Havurah Steering Committee voted to make an offer on a property in Sellwood (located at 7880 SE Milwaukie Ave.), which meets many of our community needs.
$2.9 million
17,662 sq ft
Built in 1950
Two-story
Ample classrooms
Multiple offices
Large social hall with stage
Outdoor space
Kitchen (needs renovate to commerical)
Parking (27 spaces and neighborhood)
Transit access via #70 and #40
Bikeable via Springwater Trail
While the Due Diligence process will take a few months, the exact amount of time we will have will not be known until the terms of our offer are finalized.
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Physical: property and maintenance records, structural, environmental and seismic inspections, HVAC, and architectural changes.
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Financial: determining operational costs and engaging in rigorous capital campaign fundraising.
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Havurah Community: community open houses and engagement opportunities to discuss the building and give feedback; and
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Pro-Forma budget: developing an informed budget to better understand the long-term impact on the Havurah budget.
The Steering Committee will seek congregational approval before making a decision to purchase this property.
June 8, 2025
This Wings of the Dove update was shared at the Congregational meeting on June 8, 2025.
- 218 members participated in a community engagement session to share their thoughts and provide feedback on space and staff priority needs.
- 126 members have participated in a personal conversation about the capital campaign.
- 80 members have made a pledge to the campaign.
We have raised $1.5 million in pledges.
Of those who have made pledges:
- 47% are long standing members who donated to the current building
- 53% are newer members who have joined Havurah since 2004.
Our goal is to meet with every member by the end of 2025.
We would not have had such great success without all of the campaign volunteers. Thank you for all of your work!
June 5, 2025
Hevre,
You may be wondering: Is Havurah moving?
Thanks for asking! Many Havurah volunteers (the Space Jam, Property Opportunity, Staffing, and Wings of the Dove workgroups) have spent the past several years studying our needs for space and staff—and we have built a capital campaign to bring the best options to fruition. We have looked at many pieces of real estate, and have evaluated options for building up in our current space.
Not yet, maybe, but .... A few weeks ago, we toured a church in Sellwood that checks a lot of our boxes and has better space for our spiritual, cultural, and educational activities. It is promising, but no decisions have been made. Careful analysis is underway.
Next, our Havurah Shalom Steering Committee will need to authorize any offer that we might make on the property.
Making an offer does not mean the deal is closed. Rather, it is only the first, necessary step to allow us to engage in a rigorous, multi-faceted due diligence process to determine whether to move forward. The process for deciding if we should purchase this building will very much include meaningful opportunities for input from our Havurah Shalom congregation.
Meanwhile, many of us have already had conversations with the volunteers who are working on our Wings of the Dove Campaign to raise money for these two priorities.
Please note: The more contributions we have in hand, the easier it will be to move forward on new space and staff.
So please respond when you get a call about the campaign! We are off to a great start, and we want to keep the momentum growing.
Stay tuned for additional updates.
Questions? Email Rachel Shimshak and Herman Asarnow (log in to your member account to access our directory).
Sincerely,
Rachel Shimshak and Herman Asarnow,
Wings of the Dove Campaign