Calendar

Sep
1
Tue
Hebrew for Prayer – Sample Class @ Congregation Neveh Shalom
Sep 1 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm

This is a free “Taste of” our Hebrew for Prayer course. Learn the 50 most commonly used words in the siddur–what they  mean and how to recognize them–to increase your understanding of what we say when we pray. Understand what we say when we pray-an in-depth look at Hebrew vocabulary and construction of prayers and their meanings. Taught by Deb Freedberg. The actual course begins Oct. 13 and meets weekly on Tuesdays at 6:30pm for Level 1 and at 7:30pm for Level 2. Course materials fee $50.

Sep
8
Tue
Adult Hebrew Free Sample Class @ Congregation Neveh Shalom
Sep 8 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Meet the teachers of Machon Ivrit, our Adult Hebrew Learning Program. Check out the curriculum and get a taste of what our three levels have to offer!

Our “Starting from Scratch” level welcomes those who are NEW to Hebrew with a gentle pace. Students ease into Hebrew beginning with Alef-Bet letter recognition and decoding skills, then move on to build a basic vocabulary of words and dialog phrases. This course is a perfect first step to get a really comfortable grasp of reading, speaking, and writing in Hebrew, perfect for those wanting to be able to read road signs in Israel, the Hebrew siddur (prayerbook), or your child’s Hebrew homework!  Next step course: Machon Ivrit “Ready to Read” or Siddur Basics.

Our “Ready to Read” level is for those who already have a working knowledge of the Alef-Bet, possibly with some familiarity of synagogue Hebrew (no vocabulary or comprehension skills necessary). This course begins with a faster-paced review of Alef-Bet and vowel sounds, but then gets right to the business of learning Modern Hebrew. Students will work on building a basic vocabulary, exercise dialogue skills, and learn grammar and syntax rules needed to speak Modern Hebrew.

Our “Conversational” level is for those who are ready to expand their Hebrew skills into the practical arena of real life. Students will view and discuss modern media such as news articles, advertisements, and television shows to hone their ability to read, speak, hear and comprehend Modern Hebrew and its context in Israeli culture.

This year we really have something for EVERYONE. Choose the level that works for you and join us this Fall!

Dec
31
Thu
Women in Torah @ Havurah Shalom
Dec 31 @ 7:16 pm – 8:16 pm

“Women in Torah”
Mondays, Feb. 22 & 29; March 7, 14 & 28; April 4 & 18; May 2, 9 & 16
12:00 – 1:30 pm

Register at RSVP@havurahshalom.org with subject line “Women in Torah” by Feb. 8.

This spring, Havurah member Alicia Jo Rabins will guide us through the complicated lives of ten Biblical women. Alicia’s Women in Torah workshop will use creativity and conversation to explore characters from Eve to Yiftach’s daughter. This is the first full-length pilot course of Alicia’s Girls in Trouble curriculum, created around her critically acclaimed Girls in Trouble song cycle (indie-folk songs about women in Torah).

A poet, violinist, and Torah scholar, Alicia created the one-woman show A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff, which she performed recently at Disjecta. Her new collection of poems, Divinity School, won the 2015 American Poetry Review/Honickman First Book Prize.

With Alicia’s expertise, we will examine these famous and not-so-famous women in ways that might inspire us in moments of struggle and in the context of our own lives. Each of the ten sessions will explore one woman and is relatively independent of the others within the overarching theme of the course.

–Ruth Feldman

This course is free for Havurah members, $15/class for non-members.

Aug
22
Mon
Chabad Hebrew School of NE Portland Open House! @ Center for Jewish Life
Aug 22 @ 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Chabad Hebrew School of Northeast Portland invites you to join us for our annual open house.

Meet the directors, see our new space, hear about our exciting curriculum, and become part of our little community.

Learn more about Chabad Hebrew School of Northeast Portland at www.JewishNortheast.com/CHS

Jan
8
Tue
Moments of the Heart: 8-week class @ Congregation Neveh Shalom
Jan 8 @ 7:30 pm – 1:26 am
Moments of the Heart- The 4 Relationships Everyone Must Have
Join educator and author Dorice Horenstein for this eight-week class (Tuesdays, 7:30-8:30 pm, Jan. 8-Feb. 26).
Explore how to live life wholeheartedly. Moments of the Heart/ Rigei Lev is her upcoming book, focusing on Jewish thought and practice, Hebrew language and spiritual connection. Our heart has a tremendous influence on how we view life, how we act and how we build relationships. Just as the heart has four chambers, we will explore four different types of relationships: with oneself, with others, with the Creator, and with special and once-in-a-life time moments that define us, that give us the essence of who we are.
Dorice  arrived in Portland,  from Israel, after meeting her soon-to-be husband while volunteering on a kibbutz. In the States, she received her BA in English Literature and a certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language. She taught hundreds of children and adults, Jews and non-Jews, the gems of Judaism, with an emphasis on the Hebrew language. Dorice has worked in synagogues and a private school, led sessions for NewCAJE and Spring Conference of the North by Northwest Region of Women’s League of Conservative Judaism organizations, and was the Education Director at a synagogue in Portland for 16 years. Together with her husband, Bob, Dorice has three children. She enjoys dancing in her spare time.
Moments of the Heart is about the four relationships one should experience in their life-time! It is a book that encourages readers to live fully and wholeheartedly. Our heart has a tremendous influence on how we view life, how we act, and how we build relationships. In the Bible, the word heart—or in Hebrew, lev (לב)—is mentioned no fewer than 202 times. If one takes the first and last letter of the Torah, the word created is lev, heart. And so, my book is a compilation of entries that enable us to find inspiration, direction, concepts and encouragement to live a better life. It is about the universal experience of being human-through the Jewish lens. Join us to find out what are the four relationships that will help create the best YOU possible!