Bikkurim

Congregation Shir Tikvah has matured from a small start-up into a community of more than 200 households, and we are an engaged and committed congregation. After years of planning, our community seized on an opportunity afforded to us by the pandemic.  After almost 20 years in various rental locations, we were able to seize an opportunity afforded to us by the pandemic and move into a bright, airy space on Portland's East side.

Now we can hold all of our programs under one roof. It was a stabilizing move for us and the beginning of a rich collaboration with the Eastside Jewish Community. We will foster the next iteration of study, prayer and acts of loving kindness; create an inviting, open space for the next generation of those who seek Jewish learning in the Portland metro area; and assume the awesome responsibility of solidifying, and stewarding, Congregation Shir Tikvah’s future. We cannot wait to show you the new space, and invite you to share your vision. 

This move requires investment in our collective future. Bikkurim are the first fruits of the harvest brought to the temple during the festival period. Here, the term represents your contribution to this collective effort.  Through Bikkurim, Congregation Shir Tikvah offers you an opportunity that includes growing our thriving membership, creating an endowment, and building a legacy for future generations. 

We are seeking $1.1 million to generate interest revenue that will help to afford our new space, thereby freeing up operating capital for current and future programs and events, staff development and membership growth. 

Shir Tikvah exists as a meaningful community through listening to each other, learning, and working together, alongside others who value spirituality as grounding for the ethical challenges of our time. Our mission is clear: to keep our doors open to everyone who wants to walk the Jewish path with us. 

Rabbi Ariel Stone is our spiritual leader, recognized across the region and nation for her work on civil rights and social justice. Rabbi Stone supports the most progressive values within Jewish tradition, and puts herself on the frontline to advance progressive causes. She not only has the longest tenure as a congregational rabbi in the Portland area but is the first woman in Oregon to lead a congregation. 

Bikkurim’s goals are ambitious and appropriate, and we are serious and committed to meeting them. Led by a team of dedicated Shir Tikvah volunteers, the Endowment will be built from contributions from Shir Tikvah members, their families and friends, and community members who are inspired to help us meet our goal.

All are needed to support our campaign; no contribution is too great or too little. Our success will come from each individual’s joyful participation, like a room full of the glorious diversity of our Jewish Community on Shabbat. 

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