Havurah Community-wide Meetings on Gate Proposal for Courtyard and Kearney Street
There are is one remaining Havurah community-wide meetings (one-hour long): 7 pm on Thursday, January 4 – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Gimel
At the December Steering meeting, the Gate Resolution Work Group (GRWG) proposed that Steering approve installation of a gate in the courtyard entrance walkway and one at the Kearney Street alcove. Proposal details will be shared in a stand-alone email to the community on Thursday, December 14. A Steering vote on the proposal will take place on January 9, 2024. Havurah members can attend three community-wide meetings at Havurah and on Zoom-—on December 21, December 28, and/or January 4—to offer input and ask questions before the vote. The GRWG will reach out starting this week to committees and groups who use the building regularly for input. Contact David Kertzner, Co-President with questions.
Havurah members, click on the links to RSVP for the remaining hybrid, Havurah community-wide meetings: Jan. 4 at 7 pm. Also, to read the Gate Resolution Work Group message that will soon be distributed in Hakol—and which is of relevance in the lead-up to this last community-wide meeting (Jan. 4) and the Steering Committee vote (Jan. 9)—please click here.
Panim el Panim: Another Havdalah Gathering to Listen and Share Our Thoughts and Feelings about the Current Situation in Israel/Palestine
7 pm to 8:30 pm, Saturday, January 6 – Havurah and Zoom Room Gimel
As the heartbreak and precariousness of this moment continues, we are convening another opportunity to gather with each other to share and listen. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to participate, whether or not you attended the gathering in November. Once again, the intention will be for us each to name what we are experiencing, to be heard and hear one another without confrontation or pressure to identify any particular positions. We will again provide clear guidelines, so that each person will have equal opportunities to speak and equal responsibility to listen. Hopefully we are each continuing to tend to our needs in this trying moment. For some, encountering different perspectives may not be what you need. But if you are moved to join, we look forward to being together as we continue to build trust with one another. This hybrid gathering is intended for members of Havurah Shalom. Learn more and RSVP.
Good Grief?!? Welcoming the Complexity of Grief with an Open Heart
11 am to 12:30 pm, Sunday, January 7 – Havurah Shalom
The intention of this educational conversation is to help keep our hearts open in times when it's easier to be hardened. We are all carrying grief that has been exacerbated by the current event. Grief impacts people in different ways and different times. We discuss the many layers of grief and facilitate a conversation about the nature of grief as a process including the fear that prevents people from grieving. RSVP
Havurah Music Jams Rock On!
7 pm to 8:30 pm, Monday, January 8 (second Monday of each month) – Havurah Shalom (in the Pardes classroom)
Come sing and play in community! Songsheets will be provided and the jam will include a mix of country, folk, Jewish folk, liturgical and popular songs. Bring your instrument, your voice and your enthusiasm! Check the Havurah calendar for info on future second-Monday jams. RSVP for the January 8 Havurah Music Jam.
Making Loss Matter
7 pm to 8 pm, Mondays, January 8 to February 12 – Zoom Room Bet
This six-week class is inspired by Rabbi David Wolpe’s book Making Loss Matter: Creating Meaning in Difficult Times, which explores six kinds of loss — home, dreams, self, love, faith, and life. In his book, Rabbi Wolpe examines how we can use loss as a source of strength rather than despair, and as a generator of purpose and hope. Woven throughout each class session are teachings from a variety of traditional and contemporary Jewish sources, teachings from other traditions (particularly Buddhism), experiential practices, storytelling, and opportunities for self-reflection and chevruta/small-group discussion. Led by Tivona Reith, a retired hospice chaplain. Learn more and RSVP.
Steering Committee Meeting
6:30 pm, Tuesday, January 9 – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Gimel
All Havurah members are invited to attend the monthly meetings of the Havurah Steering Committee.
Letter by Letter: Using the Alef-Bet for Self-Knowledge
7 pm to 8:15 pm, Tuesdays, January 9 to February 6 – Zoom Room Heh
Explore how to use Hebrew letters as a tool to access inner wisdom, taking a careful look at their meanings, connections to Time, Space, and Body/Soul. No knowledge of Hebrew necessary. This is not a course on reading or writing, nor explicitly about mysticism, but an exploration of the symbolism of the Alef-Bet and how to use it for reflection and illumination. Bring curiosity and an open heart. Led by Andrine de la Rocha. Learn more and RSVP.
Burned: Are Trees the New Coal? Movie Screening
6:45 pm meet-up; 7 pm to 9 pm film, Monday, January 8 – Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton Street, Portland, Oregon
Join Havurah's Climate Action Team (HCAT) as we gather to watch Burned: Are Trees the New Coal? at the Clinton Street Theater in South East Portland. Details here. This is a timely movie, as we prepare to oppose the Drax Biomass proposal in Longview, Washington. For basic info about biomass click here. Contact Harriet Cooke if you are interested in carpooling to the movie. To facilitate meeting up together a bit before the film starts, please RSVP.
Racial Justice Committee Monthly Meeting
7 pm to 8:30 pm, Thursday, January 11 – Zoom Room Bet
Please join the racial justice committee at our monthly meeting as we plan for ways to educate ourselves and our community, and work towards partnering with groups in our broader community in an effort to achieve racial justice.
Rosh Ḥodesh Tov! Gender-Inclusive New Moon Ritual
7 pm to 8:15 pm, Thursday, January 11 (and recurring with each new moon) - Zoom Room Heh (for the January 11 gathering)
A gender-inclusive New Moon group, learning and celebrating each Rosh Ḥodesh with ancient and contemporary ritual. Open to any and all genders, inviting each to connect with our closest heavenly body, the Moon. Gatherings take place monthly on or near the new moon of each Hebrew month a 7 pm, either on Zoom or in person - outdoors in inner North/East Portland - depending on seasonal shifts in the weather. Attend any or all sessions. RSVP to be updated on location and other details throughout the year. The Jan. 11 meeting will take place online, in Zoom Room Heh. RSVP to receive the Zoom link in a confirmation email. RSVP
Kabbalat Shabbat Celebration
6 pm Oneg; 6:30 pm Service; 7:30 pm Dinner, Friday, January 12 – Havurah Shalom (and also Zoom Room Aleph for the 6:30 pm service)
We hold Kabbalat Shabbat celebrations on the second Friday evening of each month from October through May: All are welcome at this family-friendly oneg followed by a service led by Rabbi Benjamin and Havurah musicians, with a registration-based dinner afterward.
Register for the dinner, while dinner slots are still available. (For the oneg and service only, no RSVP is needed.) Take a volunteer shift during the Kabbalat Shabbat Celebration.
Shabbat Morning with Bat Mitvah of Sophie Wice-Budner
10 am to 12 pm, Saturday, January 13 – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Aleph
Please join us for Shabbat morning services, including welcoming Sophie Wice-Budner as a Bat Mitzvah and member of our community.
Racial Justice Movie Event: I Am MLK Jr. (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)
3 pm to 6 pm, Monday, January 15 – Havurah Shalom
In celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Havurah Shalom will show the feature-length (1 hr 35 minutes) film I Am MLK Jr. The film tells the story of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the important beginnings of the Civil Rights movement. The movie will be shown at Havurah, followed by a discussion and food. Teenage members in particular, their families, and all other members are invited for this opportunity to connect our lives with the struggle for freedom and equality. Please RSVP by Friday, Jan. 12 so we can order sufficient pizza for everyone. RSVP
Let's Sing Songs of Peace and Justice (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)
7 pm to 8:30 pm, Monday, January 15 – Havurah Shalom
This is a time for anyone who enjoys singing to circle round and join voices together (no expertise needed, just the willingness to sing). We will make music in recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and our deep desire to see peace and justice honored in our world. RSVP
Havurah Office Closure: Administrative Holiday
The Havurah Shalom office will be closed on Monday, January 15 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Palestine Solidarity Letter-writing
6 pm to 8 pm, Thursday, January 18 – Havurah Shalom (in Room Pardes)
Hosted by the Palestine Justice work group and open to Havurah members, we will gather to write letters and emails to elected representatives in support of a ceasefire in Gaza. Bring a laptop, some stationary and envelopes, and pens. We'll discuss how to write effective letters. Questions? Contact Sally Goldman.
Special Multi-synagogue Torah Study Session
9 am, Saturday, January 20 – Havurah Shalom and Zoom Room Bet
An in-depth look at the weekly parsha; no prior knowledge or study is necessary. This is a wide-open discussion of the weekly parsha. All viewpoints are welcome as we try to draw lessons from the torah. On January 20, the usual weekly Torah study will be supplemented by a joint, multi-synagogue Torah study led by Havurah's Emily Simon. Members of Havurah will be joined by members of Emek Shalom in Ashland. We may even have some folks joining us from other parts of the country and maybe the world. These combined Torah study events have always been informative and a good way to build the Jewish community. Join us!
Tot Shabbat
10:30 am to 11:30 am, Saturday, January 20 – Havurah Shalom
Young children (0-5) and parents celebrate with singing, movement, blessings, and storytelling. All are welcome. RSVP
Parenting Huddle - Tough Questions Jews Ask: Israel
3:10 pm to 4:30 pm, Saturday, January 20 – Havurah Shalom
Explore real-life questions that we face as parents, with some guidance from our Jewish texts and values, and each other. With Deborah Eisenbach-Budner, a discussion about Israel.
Tu B'Shvat Seder
1 pm to 3 pm, Sunday, January 21 – Tryon Life Farm (and Tryon Creek State Park vistor's center for hike) - RSVP for seder, as space is limited.
This year, HCAT (Havurah Climate Action Team) invites our community to celebrate Tu B' Shevat for a family friendly seder at Tryon Life Farm. We'll hike from Tryon State Park visitors center to the farm where we will hold the seder before hiking back to the park. The hike is about 20-30 minutes one way and includes a slope down to the creek and up to the farm. For those unable to hike a slope, limited parking is available at the farm and off of Boones Ferry Rd at the entrance to the farm. The farm is rugged and not wheelchair accessible. Space is limited at the seder; please learn more and RSVP.