November 2019 Volume 42, Issue 1
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Hakol November 2019 Volume 42, Issue 1 Photo by Ellen Regal Hineinu: Being Here with Truth From the Rabbi Below are some adapted excerpts from the talk I gave on tyranny when you renounce the difference between what you Erev Rosh Hashanah. The whole talk can be found on our want to hear and what is actually the case.” And so, we must website at tinyurl.com/bbRH5780. be diligent, both in calling out falsehood from others as well ny positive change begins by perceiving the true as interrogating our own perspectives, our own narratives of nature of who we are and how we arrived at this who we are and how we got here. We must be willing to not moment. This can be applied on any level, from know — must be willing to encounter new truths when they A intimate interactions to global ones. Living truth- present themselves. fully means recognizing what has shaped our perspective and This tendency to hide is deep and old within us. From al- environment, and what motivates us to act one way or anoth- most the very beginning of Torah, we hide. After Adam and er. Being with what is true is one way in which we say Eve eat from the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and Hineinu: Here We Are — especially when that truth is un- evil, God asks, Ayeka? “Where are you?” Instead of owning comfortable. what they did, Adam blames Eve, and Eve blames the serpent. In Hebrew, truth is emet. The root of the word is not, as Before blaming Eve, though, Adam explains that they were one might expect it to be, its three letters, aleph-mem-tav. hiding because they knew they were naked. He acknowledges Rather, it is aleph-mem-nun, from the word emunah, faith. the hiding, as if the inclination to confess almost breaks The capacity to encounter and abide in truth emerges out of through. But that is quickly cast aside. I love this detail be- faith and trust — in ourselves, in our loved ones and our rela- cause it acknowledges that we cannot always face the truth tionships, in this life and in its potential for meaning and directly. We cannot always say the full Hineinu, so to speak. wholeness. Sometimes it’s too painful or too scary to be with life as it is. The poet David Whyte offers, “Confession is a stripping But even when we can’t, we can be truthful about our hiding. away of protection; the telling of a truth which might once And that is often the crucial first step. have seemed like a humiliation, becomes suddenly a gateway, Each time we live with truth, we access our potential for an entrance to solid ground; even a first step home… To con- learning and connection, and facilitate healing and transfor- fess is to declare oneself ready for a more courageous road.” mation. Let us link arms and navigate these waters together. Each time we are truthful internally, we condition our- Let us support each other as we take the necessary risks and selves to stand up for truth in the public sphere. Timothy step out onto that “more courageous road.” May we join with Snyder, in his essential little book On Tyranny, puts it simply: one another to boldly and graciously lift the banner of truth “Post-truth is pre-fascism.” He also writes, “You submit to wherever and however we are able. Office Hours Monday — Thursday Friday Contents 10:00 am — 4:00 pm 10:00 am — 3:00 pm The Havurah Office will be closed on: Nov. 28 for Thanksgiving Rabbi’s Erev Rosh Hashanah Drash 1 Events 2 December Hakol Submission Deadline Tuesday, November 12 Thank You to Our Volunteers 3 MACG Addresses Mental Health 4 To find the form, click the “Submit” tab on Havurah’s website at havurahshalom.org. Tzedakah Project, Ortiz Center 4 Weekly Email tinyurl.com/ Deadline: HCAT Book Group & Updates 5 Submission Form HavShaNL Tuesdays, 12 pm Poverty & Homelessness Update 5 Cover photo: Harriet Cooke shows kids a portion of the Torah. Photo by Ellen Regal. Rabbi’s Kol Nidre Drash 6 Growing Our Roots 7 Book Discussion Group 7 The Kitchen Kvetch 8 Weekend in Quest 2020 8 Facebook Commentary 9 Brit Kehillah 9 Roots: On Palestine/Israel 9 Tributes, Leadership Development 10 Deborah Eisenbach-Budner refer- ences the Torah during Simchat Calendar 11 Torah. Photos by Ellen Regal. Fighting Homelessness One Tiny House at a Time with Tivnu Story Swap at the Museum: Events Wednesdays, Nov. 6, 13, 20, 27; Dec. 4, 11, 10 am - 3 pm Resistance 6651 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland Wednesday, Nov. 13, 7 pm, Oregon Jewish Museum, Build a better Portland for all of us, one tiny house at a time! Join 724 NW Davis Street, Portland Havurah's longtime partner Tivnu: Building Justice, along with PJA Please join us for a powerful night of stories on the and Cascadia Clusters at the MJCC. Let's make this a New Year of theme of Resistance. Featured tellers include Jessica security, opportunity, and community, working alongside the folks Beckett, Executive Director of 350PDX.org, Kathi who really need it. Tivnu and partners will bring the tools and the Miller, a Native American fiber artist, Charleigh Shef- construction coach; you bring the hands and the heart. Sign up now: fer, a non-binary artist, hairdresser, and storyteller, and tinyurl.com/TivnuWednesdayBuild. Alaide Vilchis Ibarra, Executive Director of the Inter- faith Movement for Immigrant Justice and a former Questions? Email Erik at [email protected]. Dreamer. Open mic follows the featured tellers! Pur- chase advance tickets here: tinyurl.com/storyswap13. Musical Theater New Works Workshop Series dates: Mondays, Jan. 13, 20, 27; Feb. 3, 10, 17, 24; March Celebrate 40 Years of Shabbat School! 2, 16, 30; 7 pm - 8:30 pm, Havurah Shalom Saturday, Dec. 7, 4 pm - 5:15 pm Performances: Sunday, April 5, 2 pm & 7 pm, Havurah Shalom Shabbat School is in session! Let’s hear and see your If you consider yourself a creative actor or singer who loves musical reflections. We will look back and marvel on 40 years theater and trying new things, then please join us for this first ever of our unique and amazing family cooperative Jewish musical theater workshop series. We are writing a musical called education model, while envisioning our future. Families "Freedom: The Untold Story of Moses.” We want to work with a welcome! group of passionate performers to develop a physical, spiritual, and musical language for the piece. You can be a part of bringing the New & Prospective Member Welcome Tea script to life and pick up a few tips and tricks to musical theater Sunday, Dec. 8, 11 am - 1 pm, Havurah Shalom performance along the way! This will culminate in a staged reading A chance to come together for new members, new-ish performance of the first act at Havurah Shalom. Scripts are used in members, prospective members, and all members the staged reading performances — no line memorization is re- seeking more connection. We'll schmooze, nosh, kib- quired! Ten spaces open to adults on a first come, first served ba- butz, and learn about Havurah happenings. Join the sis. Register here: tinyurl.com/RegisterNewWorks Welcome Committee as we show up to build and en- rich our relationships with one another in the spirit of Want to hear some of the songs or read a script excerpt? Have oth- Hineinu: “We are Here.” Register here: tinyurl.com/ er questions? Contact Chari Smith at [email protected]. DecWelcomeTea. 2 Community Volunteers Made Our World Go Round by Rachel Pollak igh Holidays have come and gone for our partici- To help look after our safety, a team of event monitors patory community. Without the help of many, took watch-shifts, led by Andy Beers and Barry Lavine. Jody many volunteers, we could not have created the Anderson created arts and crafts projects for the kids in child- H spaces that brought us together in so many ways. I care, while Sarah Wetherson managed the teen break room. would like to thank certain people in particular — those who Elianne Lieberman edited the service supplement, ensuring its took on the responsibility to become leads for certain areas: fine quality. Erev Rosh Hashanah Dinner, meanwhile, was a Heidi Bader once again managed the Yom Kippur Break labor of love for Buff Neretin. Fast, a complicated and labor-intensive endeavor. Our Usher 122 other people helped support us, and they took on a Coordinators, David Lewis, Barb Ruben, Sandy Ramirez, and total of 225 volunteer spots! Every spot counted, allowing us Len Shapiro, provided order and leadership in the foyer out- to fulfill our tasks on time and with excellence. Thank you to side of services. Monica Moriarty and her team of flower ar- everyone who volunteered! rangers outdid themselves, as they do every year, by bringing Excited about helping out? Look for volunteer requests beauty to all our spaces. Stacy Hankin managed logistics for over the coming year, and if you’re involved with a Havurah George Rogers Park Tashlich, while Beth Shreve once again group, ask the leaders how you can help. And of course, look put together Tashlich in Cedar Hills — both gatherings sweet for the High Holidays sign-ups late next summer. We always and meaningful. need all hands on deck! People greet one another just before High Holiday Services begin at the Tiffa- ny Center (left). Music is played at a Tashlich gathering (above). We Are So Grateful for Our Service Leaders and Organizers! We would like to acknowledge the following individuals We want to especially recognize Margie Rosenthal, who for their thoughtful planning and beautiful leadership across led, mentored, and collaborated across the service cycle to the High Holiday services: Rabbi Benjamin Barnett, Debo- meaningfully address gaps created by Ilene Safyan's ab- rah Eisenbach-Budner, Ken Lerner, Susan Brenner, Barbara sence this year.