Calendar

Aug
9
Sun
Sunset Dinner at Grizzly Peak Winery, Benefit for the Havurah Synagogue
Aug 9 @ 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm

The Havurah invites the community to a Sunset Dinner at Grizzly Peak Winery in Ashland; The Best of Both Worlds, on Thursday, August 27 at 6:00 PM with light jazz by the Paul Schmeling Trio. Ashland Gourmet will provide appetizers from the Middle Eastern kitchen with delights such as tabouli, hummus, baba ganoush and more, followed by an entrée from the Spanish Sephardic tradition of Chicken Marbella and dessert of fresh fruit and baklava. The all inclusive price per person, which includes the wonderful wines of Grizzly Peak, is $60, and tables of eight can be reserved for $440. All reservations must be made in advance no later than August 19 by calling 541-488-7716. The event is a benefit for the Havurah.

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.

Nov
29
Tue
Women’s Tallit Making Program @ Congregation Neveh Shalom
Nov 29 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Wrap yourself in “herstory!” Ever thought about making your own Tallit? Come learn more about them, and make one yourself! Sisterhood is hosting a Women’s Tallit program, where you can learn about the history of women’s use of a talllit, as well as the basics of making your own. If you have a Tallit you wear, or have made, please bring to share! We will re-convene at a later date and plan to tie our “tzitzit” together. For more information contact Dana at otrbanana@frontier.com.

Dec
10
Sat
Women’s Torah Study @ Congregation Neveh Shalom
Dec 10 @ 12:30 pm

An uplifting hour of study on Shabbat! Delve into biblical and midrashic text, with a group of other women to find meaning from our traditions that relate to our lives. All levels of experience welcome. Taught by Mel Berwin. Free.

Dec
11
Sun
Music to Light the Night with Ilene Safyan @ Congregation Neveh Shalom
Dec 11 @ 7:00 pm

Please join us for a very special evening of great music, fine wines, and delicious desserts for a beautiful end to your weekend. You will be treated to the musical gifts of Ilene Safyan, award winning singer and composer and talented, versatile pianist, Barry Lavine. They will perform some of your favorite music, including Jazz standards, contemporary favorites and some wonderful new surprises. This will be an evening to remember! $36.00. Tickets at: tinyurl.com/lightthenight2016.

Sep
14
Thu
Rivkah & Nica’s Dream Jazz @ The 1905
Sep 14 @ 6:00 pm
Rivkah & Nica's Dream Jazz @ The 1905
Jewish Jazz drummer Rivkah Ross will perform with the all-female Nica’s Dream jazz group.
Rivkah currently sits on the board of Beth Israel’s Jews Next D’or.

Rivkah began to play drums after being inspired by a Sevendust concert in Miami, FL. After a few years of being self-taught and playing in local bands, she attended Broward College in Davie, FL, as a music major and studied jazz drum set and classical percussion. Rivkah played and recorded with a variety of South Florida artists, including Andrew Bayuk, the four-time winner of the American Idol Underground Folk Competition.

In 2008, Rivkah moved to Los Angeles to study drumming at Musicians Institute. While being a student at Musicians Institute, she went on tours around California with Jeff Hershey and the Heartbeats, a 1960’s soul-rock band, and recorded and played with many other local artists. Rivkah opened for Dick Dale, the B-52s, and The New Mastersounds with Jeff Hershey and the Heartbeats. The band went on to complete three European tours, performing multiple dates in Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, and Switzerland. After touring with the band, Rivkah returned to Los Angeles and continued to play and record with two unique all-female jazz bands, Lady Jazz and the Hard Bop Chicks, as well as other artists. She gained an endorsement through Soultone Cymbals while living in Los Angeles, and performed with Stevie Wonder as part of a drum ensemble on Stevie Wonder’s Annual House of Toys at the Nokia Theater. In 2016, Rivkah relocated to Portland, Oregon, where she continues to perform.

Rivkah loves to teach and is a Certified Facilitator for The Rhythmic Arts Project, a non-profit organization that teaches life skills to students with disabilities using hand drums and specialized curriculum. She has worked with students with disabilities, as well as disadvantaged and chronically ill students, and she has a special interest in working with students who face challenges. Rivkah holds a Master of Education with emphasis in Special Education from Southern New Hampshire University.

Rivkah enjoys being out in nature, spending time with loved ones, writing stories, traveling, dancing, hiking, and inspiring and teaching others, especially girls and women, to play drums. Her favorite drummers are Roy Haynes, Cindy Blackman, Terri Lyne Carrington, Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, and Sean Reinert.

Oct
26
Thu
IMPACT @ Mittleman Jewish Community Center
Oct 26 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Federation Women Make an IMPACT!

Women’s Philanthropy welcomes producer, Nancy Spielberg https://www.facebook.com/whowillwriteourhistory/ to present at IMPACT. Women’s Philanthropy provides a place in the Portland Jewish community for all women.  We represent the diversity of women from all ages and stages of life.   Women are thoughtful, powerful and caring as individuals and make a difference when we collaborate and unite…we have IMPACT! Join us October 26 @ 7 pm at the MJCC and make your IMPACT!

Apr
21
Sat
Casino Night @ Celebrate Conference Center
Apr 21 @ 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm

Beit Haverim is having a Casino Night including Black Jack, Craps and Roulette.   It should be fun and tasty! There are some spectacular prizes, including:  a weekend at a beach house, Blazer tickets, a private party at Portland distillery, restaurant gift cards, wine tastings, Timber tickets, ice skating and bowling parties, clothing store gift cards and more!

Everyone is welcome, and the more we have, the more fun it will be.