For 40 years now, Havurah Shalom has opened our High Holidays services to the community. Admission is free and no tickets are required. Last year about 1,000 people attended their services. Havurah’s progressive approach to Jewish life integrates traditional, communal Jewish practices with the intellectual and political impulses of democracy and pluralism. They are open…
Sharon Fendrich’s debut new age/neo-classical album Red Sky Prairie has been submitted by a member of the Recording Academy for consideration for the New Age Grammy 2020. With deep roots in Portland’s Jewish community, Sharon was profiled in Oregon Jewish Life’s January 2016 issue 2016. Her children Talia and Max attend religious school at Neveh…
On Purim people gather to hear “the Megillah,” also known as the Book of Esther, which tells how the Jews in ancient Persia were saved from the wicked Haman through the leadership of Queen Esther and her cousin Mordecai. When the name of Haman is read, people stomp their feet, hiss, boo or shake noisemakers…
Jewish classical pianist Florence Deutsch began playing piano in her native Romania at age 6. Raised in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, Sergio Botelho has been playing the guitar since age 10. As Duo Becar, the musicians will perform at the 11th annual Sounds of Brazil PDX March 31. Florence followed an international path to Brazilian…
Havurah Shalom is hosting an interactive workshop on white nationalism and anti-Semitism 7-9 pm, Thursday, Dec. 20. Over the past two years, there has been a marked rise in the presence of visible white nationalism in the United States. Since the 2016 elections, Oregon has had the highest increase in reported hate crimes of any…
Two Oregon congregations are participating in the Oct. 19-20 HIAS National Refugee Shabbat. Havurah Shalom in Portland and Temple Beth Israel in Eugene both plan special Shabbat programs focused on the plight of refugees. HIAS, the global Jewish movement that protects refugees, is sponsoring the National Refugee Shabbat, a series of weekend-long events taking place…
PHOTO: Filmmaker Cathy Zheutlin “This film chose me,” says filmmaker Cathy Zheutlin of her surprisingly uplifting 45-minute documentary “Living While Dying.” When the film premiered last November, she handed out a questionnaire and asked people to share three words that came to mind about the film. The words repeated most often were beautiful, honest, loving,…
When David Newman, 63, took his son, Seth, to Tanzania for a safari and a cultural safari, they expected to be moved by the grandeur of Africa’s wildlife. What David did not expect was that he would be so moved by the humans he met that he would come home to Portland and start a…
PHOTOS from left: Rabbi Benjamin Barnett, Mike Martynowicz and Chef Clyde Gregory Rabbi Benjamin Barnett Leads Havurah Shalom On Aug. 1 Rabbi Benjamin Barnett becomes the new rabbi of Portland’s Havurah Shalom, replacing Rabbi Joey Wolf, who retired earlier this year after leading the Reconstructionist congregation for 30 years. Rabbi Barnett previously served as rabbi…
If you check out the winning designs of this year’s SukkahPDX competition at the Oregon Jewish Museum on Northwest Kearney (see box), you might see another new sukkah two blocks away at Havurah Shalom. The Reconstructionist congregation Havurah Shalom has grown from a handful of families who first met informally at each other’s homes 36…
