Hineinu, September 6, 2023

Join an Elul activity!
Havurah is continuing to celebrate the month of Elul with gatherings spanning spiritual, text-based, political, ecological and creative topics.

RSVP for something interesting today!

Preparing for High Holidays 5784
Visit Havurah's High Holidays web page today.

ONGOING NEED
Volunteer during High Holidays! 

We rely on one another to make Havurah's High Holidays programming a success.

Elul or High Holidays Questions?
Contact Rachel Pollak (rachel@havurahshalom.org).

Regular Happenings

Thank you for following our COVID safety guidelines for in-person gatherings, which were updated on June 15, 2023.

If a member's name is hyperlinked below, you can go directly to their contact page in the directory by clicking on their name and then logging into your Havurah account.
Zoom Room links can be found near the end of this email.

Note: Mahjong is cancelled for the month September and will resume the first Monday in October.

Weekly Torah Study​ 
9 am, Saturdays – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Bet
An in-depth look at the weekly Torah reading, led by congregants. No prior knowledge or study is necessary.

Shabbat Morning
10 am, Saturdays – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Aleph
All are welcome at our Shabbat services, including b'nei mitzvah services. Upcoming b'nei mitzvah are listed below (Abraham Cogan, September 9) and in the website calendar.

Mahjong Group
1 pm, first and third Mondays – Havurah Shalom Library (Mahjong is cancelled for September and will resume on Monday, October 2) 
Mahjong is a fun, social activity that builds community, encouraging new friendships and cementing old ones. If you want to learn how to play, please contact Leah Hershey for teaching resources. If you are ready to join a game, please RSVP on the calendar. To receive Mahjong Group updates, ask Leah to add you to the email list.

Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation
12 pm, Tuesdays – 1st, 3rd, and 5th Tuesdays: Zoom Room Bet only; 2nd and 4th Tuesdays: Havurah Shalom (Sanctuary or Library) and Zoom Room Bet.
We gather to find moments of quiet and shalom in a welcoming space. Various styles of Jewish meditation are explored. No meditation experience necessary. All are welcome to drop in. Led by Rabbi Benjamin, Adela Basayne, Nancy Becker, or Deborah Eisenbach-Budner.

Morning Minyan
8:30 am, Wednesdays – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Aleph
For all who want a regular prayer practice and those saying Kaddish. All are welcome.

Upcoming Events

Daily Shofar Blast - Beginning on Rosh Chodesh Elul 5783
Friday, August 18 to Friday, September 15 (except on Shabbat) – Accessible via the Havurah YouTube page and the Havurah Facebook page
Daily Elul Kavannah and Shofar blasts will be posted on the Havurah Shalom Facebook page by Diane Chaplin, Howard Patterson & Andrine de la Rocha. Elul Tov! The daily shofar blasts are being offered as part of Havurah Shalom’s celebration of the Hebrew month of Elul.

A Reparations Primer
6 pm to 7:15 pm, Wednesday, September 6 – Zoom Room Dalet
Considerations about reparations are complicated. This causes any meaningful discussion about reparations not to go anywhere. This discussion will not answer many questions but will provide a framework for thinking about what it means to plan for a reparations program. The hope is that people will learn the language and tools to discuss reparations. This discussion might also motivate people to participate in our 5-part class offering about reparations offered by the Racial Justice Committee in the fall. There may be some short pre-readings. Questions? Please reach out to Bob Brown. All are welcome. RSVP

Safety and Situational Awareness: Useful Skills For Greeters, Ushers, and All Members
6:30 pm to 7:30 pm, Wednesday, September 6 – Zoom Room Heh RSVP
or 1 pm to 2 pm, Sunday, September 10 – Havurah Shalom RSVP
During Elul, all Havurah members are warmly encouraged to sign up for our safety and awareness training, listed in the Elul offerings as Greeter and Usher Training. While anyone who is interested in ushering at High Holidays or in being a greeter at High Holidays and at Havurah throughout the year is encouraged to take this training, it’s not just for greeters and ushers! This training gives you valuable skills around situational awareness, welcoming, and de-escalation (among others) that can benefit everyone. You will learn how to respond appropriately to challenging situations that can come up in anyone’s life — at home, at work, at school, or out in the community. The two remaining class sessions are the same, except one is on Zoom and the other is in person at Havurah. Questions? Contact  Joel Bettridge or Rachel Pollak (rachel@havurahshalom.org). (These trainings are for Havurah members only.)

Growing a Tree of Intentions After the Al Chet
7 pm to 8:15 pm, Thursday, September 7 – Havurah Shalom
How do you make baring your soul (anonymously) fun? By participating in a ribbon tree project! Participate in this kick-off event of the Ribbon Tree Project, a way to inspire each other as we begin the new Jewish year. The Yom Kippur Al Chet prayer has us examine where we “missed the mark” in the past year. After taking a closer look at the prayer, and using a Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) lens and personal reflectional time, we’ll start creating a tree of intentions and hope for the coming year. Led by Elianne Lieberman. All are welcome. RSVP 

Shabbat Morning with Bar Mitzvah of Abraham Cogan
10 am, Saturday, September 9 – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Aleph
Please join us for Shabbat morning services, including welcoming Abraham Cogan as a Bar Mitzvah and member of our community. All are welcome.

Selichot
9 pm to 10 pm, Saturday, September 9 – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Neshamah
The Saturday before Rosh Hashana, we gather to begin to ready our hearts for the compassion and forgiveness the High Holidays ask of us. All are welcome. (See Havurah's High Holidays page for Zoom Room Neshamah log-in info.)

Birding at Bybee
10 am to 12 pm, Sunday, September 10 – Smith & Bybee Wetlands Natural Area in North Portland
Meet outside at Smith & Bybee Wetlands Natural Area in North Portland for a leisurely walk on the paved Interlakes Trail to look for birds. Join experienced birders Cindy and Andrew Merrill to see how many different species we can find and identify together. Birding expertise is not required, but interest in nature is helpful. Wheelchairs and strollers are welcome, but bikes and dogs are not permitted. All are welcome. RSVP

Make Your Own Tzedakah Box
2 pm to 3 pm, Sunday, September 10 – Zoom Room Heh
Make your own tzedakah box using a wooden box from the craft store! All ages are invited, and this is a great project to do with friends or family. All are welcome. RSVP

Havurah Climate Action Team Meeting
5:30 pm, Monday, September 11 – Zoom Room Bet
Join for the Havurah Climate Action Team's monthly meeting, which will take place at 5:30 pm in Zoom Room Bet. (In October, the monthly HCAT meeting will again take place at 5:30 pm on the fourth Monday of the month in Zoom Room Gimel.) Havurahniks are encouraged to join.

Music Maker Jam Session: Jewish and Folk Songs of Returning/Teshuvah
7 pm, Monday, September 11 – Havurah Shalom
Play music with fellow Havurah Music Makers at an Elul themed Jewish and folk music jam session. Bring music to share. Questions? Contact Julie Walcer. RSVP
 
Steering Committee Meeting
6:30 pm, Tuesday, September 12 – Zoom Room Gimel
All Havurah members are invited to attend the monthly meetings of the Havurah Steering Committee.
 
Fall Garden Work Party
1 pm to 4 pm, Thursday, September 14 – Havurah Shalom
Grab your shears and gardening gloves and meet at Havurah to beautify our space! RSVP
 
Racial Justice Committee Monthly Meeting
7 pm to 8 pm, Thursday, September 14 – Zoom Room Bet
Attend the monthly Racial Justice Monthly Committee meeting to connect with each other, hear what we are up to and be part of planning meaningful events for our community. We haven't met since July, so please join us for some important and brief updates. We'll keep the meeting to an hour since it's the night before Erev Rosh Hashanah.

Erev Rosh Hashanah Dinner
6 pm, Friday, September 15 – The Tiffany Center (1410 SW Morrison St., Portland)
Erev Rosh Hashanah Dinner will take place at the Tiffany Center. Note: the RSVP deadline for this dinner was September 4.
 
Erev Rosh Hashanah Service
7:30 pm, Friday, September 15 – The Tiffany Center (1410 SW Morrison St., Portland) and Havurah's YouTube channel
This year, we usher in Shabbat and the new year together with song, prayer, and reflection, setting the tone for our Days of Awe journey. Erev Rosh Hashanah services will take place at the Tiffany Center and will stream on Youtube. All are welcome.

Rosh Hashanah Day 1 Services
9:30 am to 1 pm – The Tiffany Center (1410 SW Morrison St., Portland) and Havurah's YouTube channel
The first day of Rosh Hashanah services will take place at the Tiffany Center and will also stream on Youtube. All are welcome.

A Sweet Year for Wee Jews
9:30 am to 10 am, Saturday, September 16 – The Tiffany Center (1410 SW Morrison St., Portland) (in person only)
A half hour of singing and stories about the holiday for the 0-5 crowd and their parents. We'll be in person at the Tiffany Center. This activity will not be streamed online. All are welcome. RSVP
 
Rosh Hashanah Family Service
10 am to 11:15 am, Saturday, September 16 – The Tiffany Center (1410 SW Morrison St., Portland) (in person only)
Especially for families with children over age 5! This upbeat and participatory Rosh Hashanah service is for the whole family! Enjoy stories and skits, soulful prayers and contemporary songs–as we all begin the year anew, together. This service will be in person only, with no online streaming. All are welcome. RSVP
 
Rosh Hashanah Day 2 Services
9:30 am to 1 pm, Sunday, September 17 – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Neshamah (Go to the Havurah High Holidays page for log-in info for Zoom Room Neshamah.) 
For the second day of Rosh Hashanah, we will hold services at home at our building at 825 NW 18th Ave. We warmly invite you to join us in person or on Zoom. All are welcome.

Community Tashlich Service and Potluck Dinner
4 pm to 5:30 pm, Sunday, September 17 – Foothills Park in Lake Oswego
We will gather by the water at Foothills Park in Lake Oswego to release our mistakes and regrets amid song and community. Bring a little dish for a potluck afterward. Please RSVP to receive updates. All are welcome.

Hakol Deadline: Thursday, September 21
The deadline to submit materials for the upcoming month's Hakol newsletter is the third Thursday of the month. The deadline for the October issue of Hakol is Thursday, September 21. Havurahniks, click here to learn more about how to submit to Havurah's Hakol monthly newsletter.

High Holidays Cemetery Remembrance Service
12 pm to 1 pm, Thursday, September 21 – Havurah Cemetery, 5656 SW Humphrey Blvd., Portland, Oregon
We gather to remember our loved ones, led in song and remembrance. All are welcome.

For more on upcoming High Holidays and Elul gatherings—including Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services—check out theHavurah High Holidays website.

More Tikkun Olam 

• Book Requests for Rose Haven
  Novels, self-help, and art books are all popular. Children’s books and fiction for youth will also be appreciated.​​​​
• ​​​​​​​Food Requests for Lift UP
  Plastic jars of nut butter: peanut, almond, cashew, hazelnut, etc.; rice; whole-grain pasta; easy-to-prepare breakfast items like instant oatmeal cups and granola bars.

News & Events from Our Tikkun Olam Partners

Path Home (formerly PHFS): Volunteer for our monthly Path Home dinner | Interfaith Alliance on Poverty (IAP) | Lift UP | MACG | Jewish Coalition for Immigrant Justice NW ​​​​​​ | Rose Haven

Out in the Community

Coming to Portland in October: theatre dybbuk
From the theatre dybbuk website: “theatre dybbuk creates provocative performances and innovative educational encounters that explore Jewish thought to illuminate universal human experience. We envision a world where people challenge themselves to revel in the complexity of our shared humanity.” There should be a wide array of opportunities for engagement with theatre dybbuk. Information about upcoming residencies with theatre dybbuk can be found here.

Resources

Do You Need Support?
If you are facing emotional, financial, or health challenges and would welcome support, please consider contacting the (a) Bikkur Holim (Visiting the Sick) Committee for spiritual support, (b) Lotsa Helping Hands for help with food, transportation, or other errands, or (c) Rabbi Benjamin, for spiritual and moral support – benjamin@havurahshalom.org or 503-248-4662 ext. 3. If you're interested in being on a list of people who support others in concrete ways, such as grocery shopping or running other errands, please contact Lotsa Helping Hands. To request that the name of a relative or Havurah member be read during the Misheberach (healing prayer) at Shabbat services, please use this Misheberach Request Form.

Questions About Havurah?
​​​​​​​The Transparency & Inclusivity Committee is an avenue within Havurah Shalom to help members find the answers to questions or concerns they have wondered about. Please send your questions to transparency@havurahshalom.org. We will anonymously answer your question in Hakol. Everyone in our community benefits from this clarity.

Havurah Zoom Rooms

To see our full Zoom room instructions, click here. Member sign-in required.

Hineinu, August 23, 2023

Happening Now...Havurah's Elul Gatherings

Havurah is celebrating the month of Elul with gatherings spanning spiritual, text-based, political, ecological and creative topics. We hope you will find them enriching, fun, moving, and worthwhile. Elul gatherings have already begun!
RSVP for something interesting today!

***
Coming Up Soon...5784 High Holidays

Get ready for the 5484 High Holidays by visiting  Havurah's High Holidays webpage today!

Havurahniks, please sign up for High Holidays volunteer slots! We rely on one another to make Havurah's High Holidays programming a success.

Also, RSVP for free High Holidays childcare by September 1, andRSVP for the Erev Rosh Hashanah Dinner by September 4!

Elul or High Holidays Questions?
Contact Rachel Pollak (rachel@havurahshalom.org).

Safety and Situational Awareness:
Useful Skills For Greeters, Ushers, and All Members

All members of Havurah—not least of all those planning to volunteer as 5784 High Holidays ushers and greeters—are urged to attend this one-hour training, aimed at increasing our collective safety and situational awareness.

RSVP for the Wednesday, September 6 session at 6:30 pm in Zoom Room Heh, or RSVP for the Sunday, September 10 session at 1 pm at Havurah Shalom.

Questions? Reach out to Joel Bettridge or Rachel Pollak (rachel@havurahshalom.org).

Want to learn about additional, year-round opportunities to get involved in doing the work of building our community?

Explore some of the many opportunities to volunteer your time, energy, and skills for our Havurah community at HavurahShalom.org/HelpWanted.

Regular Happenings

Thank you for following our COVID safety guidelines for in-person gatherings, which were updated on June 15, 2023.

If a member's name is hyperlinked below, you can go directly to their contact page in the directory by clicking on their name and then logging into your Havurah account.
Zoom Room links can be found near the end of this email.

Weekly Torah Study​ 
9 am, Saturdays, Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Bet
An in-depth look at the weekly Torah reading, led by congregants. No prior knowledge or study is necessary.

Shabbat Morning
10 am, Saturdays, Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Aleph
All are welcome at our Shabbat services, including b'nei mitzvah services. Upcoming b'nei mitzvah are listed below (Roger Veneklase, September 2; Abraham Cogan, September 9) and in the website calendar.

Mahjong Group
1 pm, first and third Mondays, Havurah Shalom Library
Mahjong is a fun, social activity that builds community, encouraging new friendships and cementing old ones. If you want to learn how to play, please contact Leah Hershey for teaching resources. If you are ready to join a game, please RSVP on the calendar. To receive Mahjong Group updates, ask Leah to add you to the email list.

Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation
12 pm, Tuesdays – 1st, 3rd, and 5th Tuesdays: Zoom Room Bet only; 2nd and 4th Tuesdays: Havurah Shalom (Sanctuary or Library) and Zoom Room Bet.
We gather to find moments of quiet and shalom in a welcoming space. Various styles of Jewish meditation are explored. No meditation experience necessary. All are welcome to drop in. Led by Rabbi Benjamin, Adela Basayne, Nancy Becker, or Deborah Eisenbach-Budner.

Morning Minyan
8:30 am, Wednesdays, Zoom Room Aleph & In Person at Havurah
For all who want a regular prayer practice and those saying Kaddish. All are welcome.

Upcoming Events

Daily Shofar Blast - Beginning on Rosh Chodesh Elul
Friday, August 18 to Friday, September 15 (except on Shabbat) – Havurah Facebook Page
Daily Elul Kavannah and Shofar blasts will be posted on the Havurah Shalom Facebook page by Diane Chaplin, Howard Patterson & Andrine de la Rocha. Elul Tov! The daily shofar blasts are being offered as part of Havurah Shalom’s celebration of the Hebrew month of Elul. To access the daily shofar post, visit (and sign up for) the Havurah Facebook page here.

HCAT Book Group is Reading Under the Sky We Make
5 pm to 6:30 pm, typically the first and third Mondays of each month – Zoom Room Gimel
All Havurah members are welcome to become part of the Havurah Climate Action Team (HCAT) Book Group as we engage in reading our next book addressing the climate crisis, Under the Sky We Make, by climate scientist Kimberly Nicholas, PhD. In her best-selling book, Dr. Nicholas offers a hopeful, clear-eyed, and sometimes hilarious guide to affecting real change. The first session took place on August 21 and covered the introduction and first chapter; details for upcoming sessions—including which chapters to read—will be shared in Hineinu and in the calendar. Reach out to  Harriet Cooke if you have questions. (Havurah members only.) RSVP 

Kabbalah for T'shuvah
7 pm to 8:15 pm, Thursdays, August 24 and 31; September 7 and 14 – Havurah Shalom
This is a four-week class for exploring our understanding of and relationship with God for T’shuvah. Through meditation, journaling, reading and discussing excerpts from Rabbi Alan Lew’s book, This is Real and You are Completely Unprepared, and Rabbi Abner Weiss’s book, Connecting to God, Ancient Kabbalah and Modern Psychology, we’ll turn the ideas of Elul into the practice of Elul. Limit 10 participants. Led by Harriet Cooke. All are welcome. RSVP

Return of the Beavers: A Walk Along Fanno Creek
8:30 am to 11 am, Sunday, August 27 – Hideaway Park, Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District
This walk/hike will focus on the environmental transformation of an urban/suburban watershed by beavers. We'll observe and discuss the rise in the water table and resulting growth in vegetation, underground storage of water, flood control and learn about the positive effects of the return of beaver to the Fanno Creek watershed. Please note this program will require walking about 1.5 miles on uneven and at times muddy ground. Led by Jeffry Gottfried. All are welcome. RSVP

Temperature Tapestry Climate Project
10 am to 11 am, Sunday, August 27 – Havurah Shalom RSVP 
or 11:15 am to 12:15 pm, Sunday, August 27 – Zoom Room Heh RSVP
Want to be part of another meaningful art installation at Havurah? Let's gather and get Creative for the Climate! We will be knitting, crocheting, weaving, etc. a tapestry that tracks the temperature during different times in history up to the present for Portland, Oregon. Coordinating colors, we will make stripes representing the temperature. For example, red for the hottest and purple or blue for the coldest, with other colors representing in-between temps. Using weather data, we will make rows that designate the high temperature for that day in Portland. Yarn will be provided; sliding scale payment. Led by Judi Soloway. All are welcome.

Conversation About Our Pilgrimage to the Deep South: Reckoning with Our Shameful History of Racism
3 pm to 4:30 pm, Sunday, August 27 – Havurah Shalom
An informal discussion about the pilgrimage taken by four Havurah members in March to Alabama and Georgia with 200 other Reconstructionist Jews from around the US, including twenty Jews of color, some of whom were rabbis of color. Highlights were Bryan Stevenson’s Legacy Museum and Memorial to lynching victims, the Rosa Parks Museum, hearing from survivors of Bloody Sunday in Selma, and attending Sunday church service at the Ebenezer Baptist church, founded by Martin Luther King, Jr. All are welcome. RSVP

Teen Room Mural Painting & Posters
3 pm to 5 pm, Sunday, August 27 – The Havurah Annex
Calling all Havurah teens (7th-12th grade) for mural painting and poster making! We had a fantastic first day painting a mural on one of the walls in the new Teen Room and the entryway at the Havurah Annex. Join us as we continue painting the murals and begin making posters for the Rose Haven Book Drive. Come reconnect with Havurah friends and meet new teens too! Cupcakes, cookies and drinks provided. RSVP

Ice Cream Social with Our Houseless Neighbors
7 pm to 8:30 pm, Sunday, August 27 – Havurah Shalom Courtyard
The Havurah Poverty and Homelessness Committee will be holding a face-to-face social gathering in the Havurah courtyard for Elul as a way of saying thank you to all who appreciate and respect our courtyard space, and to remind us to recognize each other’s basic humanity. We will sit together and enjoy a treat. Not to discuss social problems, not to offer service, just share with folks who so often can feel invisible—a small way of gaining understanding for all who attend. Check out the event flyer. We believe this event is in the spirit of Tikkum Olam and Teshsuvah. Questions? Contact Marcia Suttenberg or Steve Rudman. All are welcome. RSVP

Meeting for Proposed Havurah Committee for Palestine Justice
7 pm to 8:30 pm, Monday, August 28 – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Bet
Havurah's Steering Committee is considering our (the proposed Havurah Committee for Palestine Justice's) application to become a Tikkun Olam committee. The Steering Committee would like to know how we plan to advocate for Palestinian justice. Please come to this meeting to discuss this and other important topics. Bring your ideas and proposals. (Havurah members only.) Questions? Contact David Newman.

Taking Action Lunch Bunch
12 pm to 1 pm, Tuesday, August 29 – Zoom Room Heh

Do you get emails asking you to contact your elected official, but don’t find the few minutes it takes to call or email them? Looking to connect with other Havurahniks? We have the solution. Together, by Zoom, we’ll eat lunch, chat, and spend a few minutes taking our political action. From climate change to social justice, we’ll have info on who to call or write. Bring your suggestions too. Questions? Contact Elianne Lieberman. (Havurah members only.) RSVP

Peter Beinart: Reparations and the Palestinian Right of Return as a Form of Teshuvah for the Nakba
5 pm to 6:30 pm, Tuesday, August 29 – Offsite Zoom Room
Peter Beinart will take part in a nationally organized conversation with Rabbi Laurie Zimmerman of Reconstructionist Congregation Shaarei Shamayim focused on reparations and the Palestinian Right of Return as a form of teshuvah for the Nakba, a subject which Beinart has also written about here. You can sign up for the August 29 event via this link (or you can RSVP with Havurah to be emailed the sign-up link). A follow-up discussion with Rabbi Benjamin will take place the following week on Tuesday, September 5. Questions? Contact Joel Beinin or Lee Gordon. (All are welcome to this nationwide event that Havurah's Israel/Palestine Committee is co-sponsoring.) 

Also, “Dare I Call You Cousin” exhibition by Havurah member and poet Frances Payne Adler, photographer Michal Fattal, and filmmaker Yossi Yacov, about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, is now published online. Exhibited originally at Havurah.

Rosh Ḥodesh Tov! Gender-Inclusive New Moon Ritual
Evening of Wednesday, August 30 and subsequent new moons starting in October – In Person or Zoom Room Heh (Leader will announce which.)
A gender-inclusive New Moon group, learning and celebrating each Rosh Ḥodesh with ancient and contemporary ritual. An introductory meeting will happen on the full moon of Elul on Wednesday, Aug. 30, outdoors—weather permitting—in North Portland. Subsequent meetings will be on or near the new moon of each month either in person in North Portland or on Zoom, depending on seasonal shifts in the weather. Attend any or all sessions. Please RSVP to be updated on the location and other details throughout the year.

The Play of Turning and Returning
7 pm to 8:15 pm, Wednesday, August 30, 2023 – Havurah Shalom RSVP
or 7 pm to 8:15 pm, Thursday, August 31 – Zoom Room Heh RSVP
Using simple, incremental birthright practices of story, voice, movement, and stillness, we'll enter the text and discover our own personal midrash, stories, chochma flashes (insights, ahas!). Open to everyone: cultural creatives and recovering serious people, newbies and scholars. Childcare will be provided for the in-person version. Led by Cassandra Sagan. All are welcome.

Shabbat Morning with Bar Mitzvah of Roger Veneklase
10 am, Saturday, September 2 – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Aleph
Please join us for Shabbat morning services, including welcoming Roger Veneklase as a Bar Mitzvah and member of our community. All are welcome.

Jonah: A Deep Dive During Elul
7 pm to 8:15 pm, Tuesday, September 5 – Havurah Shalom
Join Emily Simon to learn and discuss many of the myriad interpretations of Jonah—all the way from Herman Melville to feminist theorists, to our very own previous Havurah teen drashes (and if you don’t remember the teen drashes—it’s even more reason to come!). Expect to have a good time, find out what resonates for the class, and then—if you are willing—be prepared to participate in the Mincha service on Yom Kippur. Readings will be emailed ahead of class. Familiarity with the Jonah story is much appreciated but not required. All are welcome. RSVP 

Teen Engagement Commitee Monthly Meeting
7 pm to 8 pm, Tuesday, September 5 – Zoom Room Heh
We need your and your teen's help in keeping the momentum going as, together, we develop engaging opportunities for them to connect. (Havurah members only.)

Rabbi Benjamin Leads a Discussion of the Peter Beinart Presentation
7 pm to 8:15 pm on Tuesday, September 5 – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Dalet
Rabbi Benjamin will lead a Torah and values-based discussion of the complex issues raised by Peter Beinart’s Aug 29 Conversation: “Reparations and the Palestinian Right of Return as a Form of Teshuvah for the Nakba.” You are strongly urged to watch the Beinart conversation live or recorded prior to attending this discussion (to attend the August 29 Peter Beinart talk, you can register via this link). All are welcome. Click here to RSVP for the discussion led by Rabbi Benjamin.

A Reparations Primer
6 pm to 7:15 pm, Wednesday, September 6 – Zoom Room Dalet
Considerations about reparations are complicated. This causes any meaningful discussion about reparations not to go anywhere. This discussion will not answer many questions but will provide a framework for thinking about what it means to plan for a reparations program. The hope is that people will learn the language and tools to discuss reparations. This discussion might also motivate people to participate in our 5-part class offering about reparations offered by the Racial Justice Committee in the fall. There may be some short pre-readings. Questions? All are welcome. Please reach out to Bob Brown. RSVP

Safety and Situational Awareness: Useful Skills For Greeters, Ushers, and All Members
6:30 pm to 7:30 pm, Wednesday, September 6 – Zoom Room Heh RSVP
or 1 pm to 2 pm, Sunday, September 10 – Havurah Shalom RSVP
During Elul, all Havurah members are warmly encouraged to sign up for our safety and awareness training, listed in the Elul offerings as Greeter and Usher Training. While anyone who is interested in ushering at High Holidays or in being a greeter at High Holidays and at Havurah throughout the year is encouraged to take this training, it’s not just for greeters and ushers! This training gives you valuable skills around situational awareness, welcoming, and de-escalation (among others) that can benefit everyone. You will learn how to respond appropriately to challenging situations that can come up in anyone’s life — at home, at work, at school, or out in the community. The two remaining class sessions are the same, except one is on Zoom and the other is in person at Havurah. Questions? Contact Joel Bettridge or Rachel Pollak (rachel@havurahshalom.org). (These trainings are for Havurah members only.)

Growing a Tree of Intentions After the Al Chet
7 pm to 8:15 pm, Thursday, September 7 – Havurah Shalom
How do you make baring your soul (anonymously) fun? By participating in a ribbon tree project! Participate in this kick-off event of the Ribbon Tree Project, a way to inspire each other as we begin the new Jewish year. The Yom Kippur Al Chet prayer has us examine where we “missed the mark” in the past year. After taking a closer look at the prayer, and using a Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) lens and personal reflectional time, we’ll start creating a tree of intentions and hope for the coming year. Led by Elianne Lieberman. All are welcome. RSVP 

Shabbat Morning with Bar Mitzvah of Abraham Cogan
10 am, Saturday, September 9 – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Aleph
Please join us for Shabbat morning services, including welcoming Abraham Cogan as a Bar Mitzvah and member of our community. All are welcome.

Selichot
9 pm to 10 pm, Saturday, September 9 – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Neshama
The Saturday before Rosh Hashana, we gather to begin to ready our hearts for the compassion and forgiveness the High Holidays ask of us. All are welcome.

For more upcoming events—High Holidays and Elul gatherings—check out Havurah's 5784 High Holidays packet.

More Tikkun Olam 

News & Events from Our Tikkun Olam Partners

Path Home (formerly PHFS): Volunteer for our monthly Path Home dinner | Interfaith Alliance on Poverty (IAP) | Lift UP | MACG | Jewish Coalition for Immigrant Justice NW ​​​​​​ | Rose Haven

Out in the Community

Jewish Poetry Book Club (instigated by Havurahnik Betsy Fogelman Tighe)
Wednesdays, 12:30 pm to 2 pm, September 6 & December 6 – Eastside Jewish Commons (2420 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, Oregon)
Love to read poetry? Drawn to Jewish poets writing in English, Hebrew, and Yiddish in translation? Let's lift the poetry right off the page with some communal meaning-making. Join the Jewish Poetry Book Club at the EJC. The September 6th poetry selection is Adrienne Rich's Tonight No Poetry Will Serve: Poems 2007 to 2010.

Please come prepared with comments. Feel free to bring your lunch, and plan on making a small donation to EJC at each meeting. $3-10 is suggested. No one turned away for lack of funds. Under the instigation but not tutelage of Betsy Fogelman Tighe. 

"Bookish: Ceramic Sculpture & Photography" (an exhibition by Havurahnik Willa Schneberg)

Saturday August 12 - Sunday, September 3 – Astoria Visual Arts (Gallery) (1000 Duane St., Astoria, Oregon)

There will be a 5 pm artist talk at the August 12 opening. On September 2, at 2 pm, Havurahnik Willa Schneberg will read from her new collection, The Naked Room, and offer a free poetry workshop from 3 to 4:30 pm, “Developing Radical Empathy Through the Persona Poem.” There will be a 12-participants maximum. Each participant will receive a copy of The Naked Room. If you are interested, please register by emailing astoriavisualarts@gmail.com. Funded in part by a grant by the Ford Family Foundation.
 

Resources

Do You Need Support?
If you are facing emotional, financial, or health challenges and would welcome support, please consider contacting the (a) Bikkur Holim (Visiting the Sick) Committee for spiritual support, (b) Lotsa Helping Hands for help with food, transportation, or other errands, or (c) Rabbi Benjamin, for spiritual and moral support – benjamin@havurahshalom.org or 503-248-4662 ext. 3. If you're interested in being on a list of people who support others in concrete ways, such as grocery shopping or running other errands, please contact Lotsa Helping Hands. To request that the name of a relative or Havurah member be read during the Misheberach (healing prayer) at Shabbat services, please use this Misheberach Request Form.

Questions About Havurah?
The Transparency & Inclusivity Committee is an avenue within Havurah Shalom to help members find the answers to questions or concerns they have wondered about. Please send your questions to transparency@havurahshalom.org. We will anonymously answer your question in Hakol. Everyone in our community benefits from this clarity.

Havurah Zoom Rooms

To see our full Zoom room instructions, click here. Member sign-in required.

Hineinu, August 10, 2023

High Holidays: Seeking an Accessibility Volunteer

Seeking an Accessibility Volunteer who can take the lead on following up on the needs identified in the recent High Holidays Accessibility Survey. You would be available for one meeting to help plan space logistics for the Tiffany Center, Havurah Shalom and Tashlich, as well as participate in setup on Friday morning, September 15, at the Tiffany Center. Our ideal candidate enjoys working collaboratively, has a constructive mindset, and cares deeply about what we can do to enhance people's comfort and inclusion at High Holidays. Please contact Rachel Pollak (rachel@havurahshalom.org) to be a leader in this work!

Explore and Sign Up for Havurah's Elul Gatherings

Havurah is celebrating the month of Elul with gatherings spanning spiritual, text-based, political, ecological and creative topics. We hope you will find them enriching, fun, moving, and worthwhile. Elul gatherings have already begun!

RSVP for something interesting today!

Share Your Reflections…Creatively!

This year we are inviting all members to make art in any medium as another way to reflect your thoughts and feelings as we approach the High Holidays.

Your art can be in response to our annual theme or an expresssion of how you see yourself, our community, your connection to it, or anything else you are pondering as we approach the Days of Awe. Deadline is August 23. Send photos of your art via email to Rachel Pollak (rachel@havurahshalom.org) with the subject line Reflection 2023 and complete this form.

Meaningful, Paid Teaching Opportunities at Havurah
 

Hakol Submission Deadline
The submission deadline for the September issue of Hakol, Havurah's monthly newsletter, has been extended to Monday, August 21, 2023. Please use the Hakol submission form (HavurahShalom.org > News > Submit News & Requests > Hakol Submission Form). Reach out to Tara Anderson (tara@havurahshalom.org) if you have questions. 

Regular Happenings

Thank you for following our COVID safety guidelines for in-person gatherings, which were updated on June 15, 2023.

If a member's name is hyperlinked below, you can go directly to their contact page in the directory by clicking on their name and then logging into your Havurah account.
Zoom Room links can be found near the end of this email.

Weekly Torah Study​ 
9 am, Saturdays, Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Bet
An in-depth look at the weekly Torah reading, led by congregants. No prior knowledge or study is necessary.

Shabbat Morning
10 am, Saturdays, Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Aleph
All are welcome at our Shabbat services, including b'nei mitzvah services. Upcoming b'nei mitzvah are listed in the website calendar.

Mahjong Group
1 pm, first and third Mondays, Havurah Shalom Library
Mahjong is a fun, social activity that builds community, encouraging new friendships and cementing old ones. If you want to learn how to play, please contact Leah Hershey for teaching resources. If you are ready to join a game, please RSVP on the calendar. To receive Mahjong Group updates, ask Leah to add you to the email list.

Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation
12 pm, Tuesdays – 1st, 3rd, and 5th Tuesdays: Zoom Room Bet only; 2nd and 4th Tuesdays: Havurah Shalom (Sanctuary or Library) and Zoom Room Bet.
We gather to find moments of quiet and shalom in a welcoming space. Various styles of Jewish meditation are explored. No meditation experience necessary. All are welcome to drop in. Led by Rabbi Benjamin, Adela Basayne, Nancy Becker, or Deborah Eisenbach-Budner.

Morning Minyan
8:30 am, Wednesdays, Zoom Room Aleph & In Person at Havurah
For all who want a regular prayer practice and those saying Kaddish. All are welcome.
​​​​​​​

Upcoming Events

Safety and Situational Awareness: Useful Skills For Greeters, Ushers, and All Members
Session 1: 1 pm, Sunday, Aug. 13 — Zoom Room Heh RSVP or
Session 2: 6:30 pm, Wednesday, Sept. 6 — Zoom Room Heh RSVP or
Session 3: 1 pm, Sunday, Sept. 10 — Havurah Shalom RSVP

During Elul, all Havurah members are warmly encouraged to sign up for our safety and awareness training, listed in the Elul offerings as Greeter and Usher Training. While anyone who is interested in ushering at High Holidays or in being a greeter at High Holidays and at Havurah throughout the year is encouraged to take this training, it’s not just for greeters and ushers! This training gives you valuable skills around situational awareness, welcoming, and de-escalation (among others) that can benefit everyone. You will learn how to respond appropriately to challenging situations that can come up in anyone’s life — at home, at work, at school, or out in the community. There will be three identical offerings of this one-hour class, two on Zoom and one in person at Havurah. Questions? Contact Joel Bettridge or Rachel Pollak (rachel@havurahshalom.org).

Make Your Own Tallit
4 pm to 5:15 pm, Sunday, August 13  – Havurah Shalom
This is a tallit making class for anyone who has ever wanted to create their own, taught in person at Havurah by Laine Barbanell Schipper and Carolina Martinez. (Members and non-members welcome.) RSVP
 
Life Story Midrash
7 pm to 8:15 pm, Tuesdays, August 15, 22, and 29 – Zoom Room Dalet
The ancient rabbis used midrash—meaning inquiry—to create new stories that explained contradictions, filled in gaps, or explored deeper meaning in Biblical stories. Using Life Story Midrash developed by Rabbi Dayle Friedman, we will inquire into our own life stories through individual writing and chevruta (paired) discussion. We will study traditional midrash, and then creatively reimagine and rewrite personal stories that—as we approach the High Holy Days—beckon our attention, with an eye toward embracing our fragmented stories as a coherent, meaningful narrative. Each class builds on the next, so participants are strongly encouraged to attend all three sessions. Led by Tivona Reith. (Members and non-members welcome.) RSVP

Hebrew for Prayer: A Close Look at Avinu Malkeynu and Other Prayers
6:30 pm to 7:45 pm, Wednesday, August 16 – Havurah Shalom
Led by Patty Magid-Volk. Come explore Avinu Malkeynu and other key prayers of the High Holiday liturgy. We will be looking through the lens of Hebrew grammar and vocabulary in order to gain some translation skills and find essential meanings of the prayer(s). It is helpful to be able to decode the aleph-bet, although not necessary if you are comfortable with transliteration. (Members and non-members welcome.)  RSVP

Family Storytelling for Rosh Hashanah
6:30 pm to 7:30 pm, Thursday, August 17 – Zoom Room Bet
Eric Kimmel will be telling three stories from his Rosh Hashanah book Days of Awe. Join us on Zoom with your elementary-aged kids for a fun way to welcome in the High Holiday season. (Members and non-members welcome.) RSVP

Daily Shofar Blast - Beginning on Rosh Chodesh Elul
Friday, August 18 to Friday, September 15 (except on Shabbat) – Havurah Facebook Page
Daily Elul Kavannah and Shofar blasts will be posted on the Havurah Shalom Facebook page by Diane Chaplin, Howard Patterson & Andrine de la Rocha. Elul Tov! The daily shofar blasts are being offered as part of Havurah Shalom’s celebration of the Hebrew month of Elul. Visit (and sign up for) the Havurah Facebook page here to access the daily shofar post.

Exploring Jewish Humor
2 pm to 3:15 pm, Sunday, August 20 – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Dalet
Author and playwright David Fuks will share his perspective on Jewish humor as a source of resilience and as a response to struggle and anger. David will share a few stories and ten-minute one act plays as well as a few favorite jokes. Please join us for an afternoon of affectionately shared insight. (Members and non-members welcome.) RSVP

Creative Ways to Express Your Grief
Sunday, August 20 from 12 pm to 2 pm and Sunday, September 3 from 2 pm to 4 pm – Zoom Room Bet
Led by Ericka Kimball and Carolina Martinez. In these sessions, which build off of one another, we will develop creative ways to honor and memorialize loved ones we have lost. We welcome you to come into the space at any place emotionally you are at with grief you hold in your heart. We will share ideas for coping that first year and beyond, from a mental/emotional level to a creative level (however that looks for you—all ways are important and valued), and we will hold a safe space for any feelings that come up during our time together to share stories and memories. (Members and non-members welcome.) RSVP

HCAT Book Group to Begin Reading Under the Sky We Make
5 pm to 6:30 pm, Monday, August 21 (subsequent HCAT Book Group Meetings for Under the Sky We Make will typically take place on the first and third Monday of the month) – Zoom Room Gimel
All Havurah members are welcome to become part of the Havurah Climate Action Team (HCAT) Book Group as we embark on our next book addressing the climate crisis, Under the Sky We Make, by climate scientist Kimberly Nicholas, PhD. In her best-selling book, Dr. Nicholas offers a hopeful, clear-eyed, and sometimes hilarious guide to affecting real change. For the August 21 meeting, please aim to read the book's introduction and first chapter. Details on the reading schedule and subsequent HCAT Book Group meetings, including an online meet-the-author event in September, will be posted in the calendar and Hineinu. Reach out to  Harriet Cooke if you have questions. RSVP

Songs of Teshuvah/Turning Sing-Along
7 pm to 8:30 pm, Monday, August 21 – Havurah Shalom
Usher in Elul, the month leading up to High Holidays, with song! Join us at Havurah as we get into the spirit of the season with a full-throated group sing-along. We will till the soil of our souls through songs, both familiar and new, in English and in Hebrew, on teshuvah, transformation, and welcoming the new year. No experience necessary. Just bring your enthusiasm for singing in community! (Members and non-members welcome.) RSVP

Kabbalah for T'shuvah
7 pm to 8:15 pm, Thursdays, August 24 and 31; September 7 and 14 – Havurah Shalom
This is a four-week class for exploring our understanding of and relationship with God for T’shuvah. Through meditation, journaling, reading and discussing excerpts from Rabbi Alan Lew’s book, This is Real and You are Completely Unprepared, and Rabbi Abner Weiss’s book, Connecting to God, Ancient Kabbalah and Modern Psychology, we’ll turn the ideas of Elul into the practice of Elul. Limit 10 participants. Led by Harriet Cooke. (Members and non-members welcome.) RSVP

Return of the Beavers: A Walk Along Fanno Creek
8:30 am to 11 am, Sunday, August 27 – Hideaway Park, Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District
This walk/hike will focus on the environmental transformation of an urban/suburban watershed by beavers. We'll observe and discuss the rise in the water table and resulting growth in vegetation, underground storage of water, flood control and learn about the positive effects of the return of beaver to the Fanno Creek watershed. Please note this program will require walking about 1.5 miles on uneven and at times muddy ground. Led by Jeffry Gottfried. (Members and non-members welcome.) RSVP

Temperature Tapestry Climate Project
Choose a session: 10 am to 11 am at Havurah Shalom or 11:15 am to 12:15 pm in Zoom Room Heh on Sunday, August 27
Want to be part of another meaningful art installation at Havurah? Let's gather and get Creative for the Climate! We will be knitting, crocheting, weaving, etc. a tapestry that tracks the temperature during different times in history up to the present for Portland, Oregon. Coordinating colors, we will make stripes representing the temperature. For example, red for the hottest and purple or blue for the coldest, with other colors representing in-between temps. Using weather data, we will make rows that designate the high temperature for that day in Portland. Yarn will be provided; sliding scale payment. Led by Judi Soloway. (Members and non-members welcome.) 
RSVP for the in-person session. / RSVP for the Zoom session.

Conversation About Our Pilgrimage to the Deep South: Reckoning with Our Shameful History of Racism
3 pm to 4:30 pm, Sunday, August 27 – Havurah Shalom
An informal discussion about the pilgrimage taken by four Havurah members in March to Alabama and Georgia with 200 other Reconstructionist Jews from around the US, including twenty Jews of color, some of whom were rabbis of color. Highlights were Bryan Stevenson’s Legacy Museum and Memorial to lynching victims, the Rosa Parks Museum, hearing from survivors of Bloody Sunday in Selma, and attending Sunday church service at the Ebenezer Baptist church, founded by Martin Luther King, Jr. (Members and non-members welcome.) RSVP

Teen Room Mural Painting & Posters
3 pm to 5 pm, Sunday, August 27 – The Havurah Annex
Calling all Havurah teens (7th-12th grade) for mural painting and poster making! We had a fantastic first day painting a mural on one of the walls in the new Teen Room and the entryway at the Havurah Annex. Join us as we continue painting the murals and begin making posters for the Rose Haven Book Drive. Come reconnect with Havurah friends and meet new teens too! Cupcakes, cookies and drinks provided. RSVP

Ice Cream Social with Our Houseless Neighbors
7 pm to 8:30 pm, Sunday, August 27 – Havurah Shalom Courtyard
The Havurah Poverty and Homelessness Committee will be holding a face-to-face social gathering in the Havurah courtyard for Elul as a way of saying thank you to all who appreciate and respect our courtyard space, and to remind us to recognize each other’s basic humanity. We will sit together and enjoy a treat. Not to discuss social problems, not to offer service, just share with folks who so often can feel invisible—a small way of gaining understanding for all who attend. Check out the event flyer. We believe this event is in the spirit of Tikkum Olam and Teshsuvah. Questions? Contact Marcia Suttenberg or Steve Rudman. (Members and non-members welcome.) RSVP

Peter Beinart: Reparations and the Palestinian Right of Return as a Form of Teshuvah for the Nakba
5 pm to 6:30 pm, Tuesday, August 29 – Offsite Zoom Room
In an event co-sponsored by the Havurah Israel/Palestine Committee, Peter Beinart will take part in a nationally organized conversation with Rabbi Laurie Zimmerman of Reconstructionist Congregation Shaarei Shamayim focused on reparations and the Palestinian Right of Return as a form of teshuvah for the Nakba, a subject which Beinart has also written about here. Questions? Contact Joel Beinin. (Members and non-members welcome.) RSVP here if you'd like to be emailed the sign-up link when it becomes available.

More Tikkun Olam 

A New Request for Maria and Carlos
Well, our ask for a bed for Rosa, Maria's cousin, was answered! But now we are seeking someone with a small pickup to transport it from the Pearl to their Beaverton apartment. We will work on getting young backs to move the bed. Also, they need twin sheets and blankets–and some pillows would be great. If you can help in any way, please contact Kathy Gordon or Debbi Nadel; there may be other ways you can support the family as well.

News & Events from Our Tikkun Olam Partners

Path Home (formerly PHFS): Volunteer for our monthly Path Home dinner | Interfaith Alliance on Poverty (IAP) | Lift UP | MACG | Jewish Coalition for Immigrant Justice NW ​​​​​​ | Rose Haven

Out in the Community

"Bookish: Ceramic Sculpture & Photography" (an exhibition by Havurahnik Willa Schneberg)

Saturday August 12 - Sunday, September 3 – Astoria Visual Arts (Gallery) (1000 Duane St., Astoria, Oregon)

There will be a 5 pm artist talk at the August 12 opening. On September 2, at 2 pm, Havurahnik Willa Schneberg will read from her new collection, The Naked Room, and offer a free poetry workshop from 3 to 4:30 pm, “Developing Radical Empathy Through the Persona Poem.” There will be a 12-participants maximum. Each participant will receive a copy of The Naked Room. If you are interested, please register by emailing astoriavisualarts@gmail.com. Funded in part by a grant by the Ford Family Foundation.
 

Resources

Do You Need Support?
If you are facing emotional, financial, or health challenges and would welcome support, please consider contacting the (a) Bikkur Holim (Visiting the Sick) Committee for spiritual support, (b) Lotsa Helping Hands for help with food, transportation, or other errands, or (c) Rabbi Benjamin, for spiritual and moral support – benjamin@havurahshalom.org or 503-248-4662 ext. 3. If you're interested in being on a list of people who support others in concrete ways, such as grocery shopping or running other errands, please contact Lotsa Helping Hands. To request that the name of a relative or Havurah member be read during the Misheberach (healing prayer) at Shabbat services, please use this Misheberach Request Form.

Questions About Havurah?
​​​​​​​The Transparency & Inclusivity Committee is an avenue within Havurah Shalom to help members find the answers to questions or concerns they have wondered about. Please send your questions to transparency@havurahshalom.org. We will anonymously answer your question in Hakol. Everyone in our community benefits from this clarity.

Havurah Zoom Rooms

To see our full Zoom room instructions, click here. Member sign-in required.

The event listings for our Elul goings-on is here! See the over two dozen classes, gatherings, talks, hikes and more being offered by Havurahniks for the month of Elul!

Hineinu, July 19, 2023

(The HavurahShalom.org website is expected to be down for repairs from about 7 pm to 9:30 pm tonight, July 19, 2023.
Many of the links below may not work during that time!)

High Holidays Accessibility Survey is Open

The High Holidays Planning Team is reaching out to our members to learn more about any accessibility challenges that you may anticipate having or that you may have had in the past in Havurah spaces, such as the Tiffany Center, Havurah Shalom, and Youtube/Zoom.

Please help us make the High Holidays welcoming and accessible by taking this anonymous survey. Your input will help improve everyone's experience during High Holidays.

Please respond by this Friday (July 21). Thank you!

Check out these meaningful, paid teaching opportunities at Havurah:
 

Hakol Submission Deadline: Thursday, July 20
Havurahniks, the deadline to get in your completed submissions for the August 2023 issue of Hakol, Havurah's monthly newsletter, is Thursday, July 20.Click to learn more.

Tisha B'av Service
7 pm, Wednesday, July 26 – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Aleph

On Erev Tisha B'av, Havurah will hold a brief (one-hour) evening service with readings and contemplation about the losses we’ve experienced and the meanings we can make of loss as a community. Click to learn more.

Regular Happenings

Thank you for following our COVID safety guidelines for in-person gatherings, which were updated on June 15, 2023.

If a member's name is hyperlinked below, you can go directly to their contact page in the directory by clicking on their name and then logging into your Havurah account.
Zoom Room links can be found near the end of this email.

Weekly Torah Study​ 
9 am, Saturdays, Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Bet
An in-depth look at the weekly Torah reading, led by congregants. No prior knowledge or study is necessary.

Shabbat Morning Service
10 am, Saturdays, Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Aleph
All are welcome at our Shabbat services, including b'nei mitzvah services. Upcoming b'nei mitzvah (Quinn Mafchir-Werth, July 22) are listed in the website calendar.

Mahjong Group
1 pm, first and third Mondays, Havurah Shalom Library
Mahjong is a fun, social activity that builds community, encouraging new friendships and cementing old ones. If you want to learn how to play, please contact Leah Hershey for teaching resources. If you are ready to join a game, please RSVP on the calendar. To receive Mahjong Group updates, ask Leah to add you to the email list.

Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation
12 pm, Tuesdays – 1st, 3rd, and 5th Tuesdays: Zoom Room Bet only; 2nd and 4th Tuesdays: Havurah Shalom (Sanctuary or Library) and Zoom Room Bet.
We gather to find moments of quiet and shalom in a welcoming space. Various styles of Jewish meditation are explored. No meditation experience necessary. All are welcome to drop in. Led by Rabbi Benjamin, Adela Basayne, Nancy Becker, or Deborah Eisenbach-Budner.

Morning Minyan
8:30 am, Wednesdays, Zoom Room Aleph & In Person at Havurah
For all who want a regular prayer practice and those saying Kaddish. All are welcome.

Upcoming Events

More Tikkun Olam 

Maria & Carlos: Seeking a Bed for a Guatemalan Family We Sponsor
For over three years, Havurah has been accompanying Maria and Carlos, a Guatemalan family seeking asylum. Very recently, they were joined by Rosa, Maria's 27-year-old cousin who fled Guatemala to seek asylum in the U.S. She is living with Maria and Carlos and the family is short one twin bed. There may be other ways to support the family as well. If you are interested in helping, please contact either Kathy Gordon or Debbi Nadel.

News & Events from Our Tikkun Olam Partners

Path Home (formerly PHFS): Volunteer for our monthly Path Home dinner | Interfaith Alliance on Poverty (IAP) | Lift UP | MACG | Jewish Coalition for Immigrant Justice NW ​​​​​​ | Rose Haven

Out in the Community

Disarming Danger: BeAware Situational Awareness Training
11 am to 12:15 pm (Pacific Time), Thursday, July 27 – Zoom (register below)

Join the Secure Community Network for a webinar to learn how to disarm danger before it occurs with our national BeAware situational awareness training curriculum. Led by Jewish communal security training experts, this webinar will also include insight from former FBI Special Agent and Threat Assessment Expert Molly Amman. Click here to register. Questions? Contact Rachel Pollak, Havurah Office & Facilities Manager, at rachel@havurahshalom.org.

"Bookish: Ceramic Sculpture & Photography" (an exhibition by Willa Schneberg)

Saturday August 12 - Sunday, September 3 – Astoria Visual Arts (Gallery) (1000 Duane St., Astoria, Oregon)

There will be a 5 pm artist talk at the August 12 opening. On September 2, at 2 pm, Havurahnik Willa Schneberg will read from her new collection, The Naked Room, and offer a free poetry workshop from 3 to 4:30 pm, “Developing Radical Empathy Through the Persona Poem.” There will be a 12-participants maximum. Each participant will receive a copy of The Naked Room. If you are interested, please register by emailing astoriavisualarts@gmail.com. Funded in part by a grant by the Ford Family Foundation.
 

Resources

Do You Need Support?
If you are facing emotional, financial, or health challenges and would welcome support, please consider contacting the (a) Bikkur Holim (Visiting the Sick) Committee for spiritual support, (b) Lotsa Helping Hands for help with food, transportation, or other errands, or (c) Rabbi Benjamin, for spiritual and moral support – benjamin@havurahshalom.org or 503-248-4662 ext. 3. If you're interested in being on a list of people who support others in concrete ways, such as grocery shopping or running other errands, please contact Lotsa Helping Hands. To request that the name of a relative or Havurah member be read during the Misheberach (healing prayer) at Shabbat services, please use this Misheberach Request Form.

Questions About Havurah?
The Transparency & Inclusivity Committee is an avenue within Havurah Shalom to help members find the answers to questions or concerns they have wondered about. Please send your questions to transparency@havurahshalom.org. We will anonymously answer your question in Hakol. Everyone in our community benefits from this clarity.

Havurah Zoom Rooms

To see our full Zoom room instructions, click here. Member sign-in required.

Hineinu, July 5, 2023

Havurah at the Portland Pride Parade - Sunday, July 16
(parade begins at 11 am; we'll line up at NW Flanders & Park)

Do you want to bring our Havurah banner down to the Portland Pride Parade and help coordinate with Havurahniks wanting to march together on the day of the parade? Or are you a Havurahnik who just wants to march together for any part of the parade? Contact Adela Basayne, Havurah Program Director, at adela@havurahshalom.org or (503) 248-4662, ext. 6 and/or click to RSVP.

And for the afternoon of Sunday, July 16...
​​​​​An Intimate Afternoon with David Fuks: Short Stories and a One-Act Play from a Child of Holocaust Survivors

The postponed short story reading by Havurah member and author/playwright David Fuks will now take place at Havurah and on Zoom on July 16. The program will now also feature the premier reading of David’s 45-minute, one-act play, “For Love," directed by Sarah Lucht and starring Erin Jackson and Tyler Hunt. Co-sponsored by Havurah, Next Generations Group, and the Oregon Jewish Museum and Holocaust Resource Center. Click to learn more and RSVP.

• ​​​Check out the new Havurah Community Mikvah webpage

  (part of the Avodah cluster).

• Learn more on the Rachel's Well Community Mikvah website, including how to schedule and prepare for your visit.
• Reach out to Evan King, our Havurah liason to the Community Mikvah, if you want help or have questions – Evan is a trained mikvah guide whose gender-queer identity has made them a valuable resource for those who have not traditionally felt welcome at mikvahs.

Havurahniks, want to get more involved in building and sustaining the Havurah community?

Go to HavurahShalom.org/HelpWanted for the latest on specific requests for help and involvement from Havurah's committees and groups.

Regular Happenings

Thank you for following our COVID safety guidelines for in-person gatherings, which were updated on June 15, 2023.

If a member's name is hyperlinked below, you can go directly to their contact page in the directory by clicking on their name and then logging into your Havurah account.
Zoom Room links can be found near the end of this email.

Weekly Torah Study​ 
9 am, Saturdays, Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Bet
An in-depth look at the weekly Torah reading, led by congregants. No prior knowledge or study is necessary.

Shabbat Morning Service
10 am, Saturdays, Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Aleph
All are welcome at our Shabbat services, including b'nei mitzvah services. Upcoming b'nei mitzvah (Marissa Keys, July 8; Quinn Mafchir-Werth, July 22) are listed in the website calendar.

Mahjong Group
1 pm, first and third Mondays, Havurah Shalom Library
Mahjong is a fun, social activity that builds community, encouraging new friendships and cementing old ones. If you want to learn how to play, please contact Leah Hershey for teaching resources. If you are ready to join a game, please RSVP on the calendar. To receive Mahjong Group updates, ask Leah to add you to the email list.

Jewish Mindfulness & Meditation
12 pm, Tuesdays, Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Bet, with some exceptions (check the calendar).
We gather to find moments of quiet and shalom in a welcoming space. Various styles of Jewish meditation are explored. No meditation experience necessary. All are welcome to drop in. Led by Rabbi Benjamin, Adela Basayne, Nancy Becker, or Deborah Eisenbach-Budner.

Morning Minyan
8:30 am, Wednesdays, Zoom Room Aleph & In Person at Havurah
For all who want a regular prayer practice and those saying Kaddish. All are welcome.

Upcoming Events

More Tikkun Olam 

News & Events from Our Tikkun Olam Partners

Path Home (formerly PHFS): Volunteer for our monthly Path Home dinner | Interfaith Alliance on Poverty (IAP) | Lift UP | MACG | Jewish Coalition for Immigrant Justice NW ​​​​​​ | Rose Haven