Oregon Jewish Life October 2018 Vol. 7/Issue 6 by JewishLifeMagazine

OCTOBER 2018

INSIDE

WANDER NO MORE

2018 2019

SPECIAL SECTIONS: Women Today Bar & Bat Mitzvah Israeli NASCAR driver at the top of his sport Ehud Barak speaks on Israel at 70 in Portland

MARLEE MATLIN Actor/Author/Activist featured at JNF National Conference

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 1

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OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 3

WANDER NO MORE

CO N TE N TS Oc tober 2018 | Tishrei- Cheshvan 5779 | Volume 7/Issue 6

COVER STORY

WOMEN TODAY

Marlee Matlin, Actress and Activist 20 JNF plants roots in Portland, PNW 27

Nili’s pop music a synagogue draw? Early, cheap test for cancer #MeToo and a place to heal Healthy snacking Facing a gray divorce Bigger, better bra Fashion: Fall trends

FEATURES

JEWS WITH ATTITUDE Israeli race car driver an ambassador 10 Quartet plan extraordinary community trip 12 BUSINESS Ins & Outs FOOD Chef’s Corner: “Creamy” pesto and chicken NW Nosh: Sarah Schneider’s popularity

38 40

FRONT & CENTER Celebrate art 42 Portland & Jewish museums collaborate 43 “Fires in the Mirror” in NY and at PCS 44 YOUNG ADULT SWU fellows ready for challenging year UO BDS resolution statement

45 45

ACTIVELY SENIOR Culinary veteran cookin’ for seniors 46 JFCS seeking Holocaust survivors 47

KIDS & TEENS/ BAR & BAT MITZVAH Evolution of the bat mitzvah Trends for b’nai mitzvah Bar mitzvah: Journey of faith Celebrating in Israel Kids Calendar Maayan Torah begins year in new school Team Oregon at JCC Maccabi Kids Calendar

COVER: Marlee Matlin

COURTESY: MARLEEMATLIN.NET

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48 50 52 55 56 56 58 58

JLIVING Ehud Barak to speak on Israel at 70 59 Heritage tour from Rome to Riga 60 Chaitons leave legacy in their wake 62 Hanukkah essay contest announced 62 Kahns to receive Stampfer Award 63 Jewish book celebration begins 63 FACES & PLACES 64 Calendar 66

COLUMNS Chef’s Corner by Lisa Glickman NW Nosh by Kerry Politzer

28 30 32 33 34 35 36

38 40

503-535-4000

www.CedarSinaiPark.org OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 5

PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE

WANDER NO MORE

CINDY SALTZMAN Publisher

arlee Matlin is an actress and activist that is known worldwide, so we were thrilled to learn that she would be speaking at the JNF National Conference being held in Arizona this month. And we were even more pleased when she agreed to a no-holds-barred interview for our cover story.

We are also celebrating women in this issue. We explore some of Oregon’s remarkable Jewish women and will continue to do so in future issues and on orjewishlife.com. In Judaism, one of the most important coming-of-age moments is becoming a bar/bat mitzvah. The preparation to become a bar/bat mitzvah is often a gateway to a more meaningful Jewish life and future. It marks the transition from childhood to adulthood and connects us to our past and our future, and reminds us that we are part of a larger Jewish community every day.

Subscriptions: orjewishlife.com/magazine-subscription Newsletter: orjewishlife.com, click on“Subscribe Now!” Facebook: @ojlife Twitter: @ORJewishlife Call: 503-892-7402 6 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018

In this issue we highlight ceremonies and the celebrations that mark this accomplishment; from intimate gatherings to over-the-top parties in lavish hotels. Though no matter what your background is, the ceremony itself is remarkably similar. Fortunately, our traditions and beliefs have prevailed through the centuries and keep us connected. One of the best speeches I ever heard at a bat mitzvah was my favorite for two reasons; first of all, it was short, and secondly, it was incredibly wise in its simplicity and insight. To paraphrase : “Know that you are smarter and stronger than you think and braver than you feel. Keep calm and mitzvah on.” Congratulations to all of the b’nai mitzvah this coming year and for years to come.

Email us: publisher@ojlife.com advertise@ojlife.com distribution@ojlife.com editor@ojlife.com subscriptions@ojlife.com

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 7

WANDER NO MORE

OCTOBER 2018 Oregon Jewish Life | Tishrei- Cheshvan 5779 | Volume 7/Issue 6

PU B LI S H E R

H OW T O R E AC H U S

Cindy Salt zman

503- 892-7402

A DV E R TI S I N G A N D E D ITO R I A L D I R EC TO R

EDITORIAL: 503- 892-7402 or editor @ojlife.com ADVERTISING SALES: adver tise@ojlife.com

Cindy Salt zman

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E D ITO R- I N - C H I E F

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COLUMNIS TS

Home deliver y of Oregon Jewish Life Magazine is $12 for an annual subscription or $20 for two years. Subscribe online at orjewishlife.com/magazine-subscription. Complimentar y copies of Oregon Jewish Life magazine are available at dozens of retail locations including Jewish agencies, synagogues, New Seasons grocer y stores, enter tainment venues, restaurants and professional of fices.

PU B L I C ATI O N A N D D E A D L I N E S

Lisa Glickman Kerr y Polit zer Helen Rosenau

Oregon Jewish Life magazine is dis tributed on the fir s t of the month. Stor y ideas for features and special sec tions are due 45 - 60 days prior to public ation.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

BIZ INS & OUTS: Busines s news is due about 25 days before public ation.

Rich Geller Gloria Hammer Jenn Direc tor Knudsen Priscilla Kos tiner J. Wandres Shuly Wassers trom Teddy Weinberger

FACES & PL ACES: Photos from past events are due 20 days prior to publication. E VENTS: Information about upcoming event s is due about 20 days prior to public ation. C ALENDAR: Please pos t event s on our online c alendar. Relevant event s that are pos ted by the 10 th of the month before public ation will be included in the magazine. To reques t fir s t-time authorization to pos t event s online, go to orjewishlife.com and scroll down to the “c alendar acces s reques t ” link under “quick links” on the right. Af ter you submit the form, you’ ll receive an email with ins truc tions for pos ting future event s.

A Prince Hal Produc t ion ( TGMR18)

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The content and opinions in Oregon Jewish Life do not necessarily reflec t those of the publishers, staf f or contrac tors. Ar ticles and columns are for informational purposes only and not intended as a substitute for professional advice. Although ever y ef for t is made to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, Oregon Jewish Life, and its agents, publishers, employees and contrac tors will not be held responsible for the misuse of any information contained herein. The publishers reser ve the right to refuse any adver tisement. Publication of adver tisements does not constitute endorsement of produc ts or ser vices.

Open a donor advised fund with OJCF and simplify your giving. wTax deduction upon making gift wConvenient monthly grant cycles enable you to

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Jewswith

Attitude

Alon Day

Israeli NASCAR driver ambassador for Israel and sport By Deborah Moon

Long before auto racing was legal in Israel, Alon Day was winning races in Europe and Asia. Now 27 years old, Israel’s first NASCAR driver has become an ambassador for the sport in Israel and for Israel on racetracks worldwide. “I am the ambassador of this track,” says Alon of the racetrack that will open this fall in Beersheva. “We need to build from zero. Until one year ago there was no race track in Israel.” The Knesset voted to legalize auto racing in 2005, but it took until 2011 to formalize the regulations that allowed racing to begin in Israel. In 2016 Alon was named Israel Athlete of the Year, drawing attention to the sport in his homeland. Israel has recently started to televise NASCAR races. Alon says every time he races in the United States he is surprised by how pro-Israel the fans are and how they support an Israeli driver. He notes the sport is especially popular in the South, where many of the churches are pro-Israel. “That’s 10 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018

what I love about NASCAR – it can bring Israel and America together.” NASCAR is the third motor sport in which Alon has found success. He began winning European go-cart races at 14. By 17 he was a Formula One Champion. In 2012 he began racing stock cars when NASCAR arrived in Europe. He was one of 11 drivers selected for the 2016 class of NASCAR Next, young drivers with proven success and the talent necessary to ascend to NASCAR’s highest level. This year he already has five firstplace finishes in Europe. His name is on the NASCAR Hall of Fame Wall, and last year he competed in Sonoma, CA, becoming the first Israeli to race in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the highest level of NASCAR competition. He hopes to return to U.S. tracks and become a full-time Cup Series driver, but that is an expensive proposition. Unlike most other professional athletes who are paid by their teams to compete, in NASCAR it is the drivers’ responsibility to raise funds, typically through corporate sponsorships, to en-

able them to race. Drivers need to bring to their teams between $200,000 and $1 million per race. He is being aided in that effort by Jewish-American attorney David Levin. “Without David, I wouldn’t be sitting behind the steering wheel,” says Alon. “He’s had the desire to bring an Israeli athlete to NASCAR.” David had contacted NASCAR and asked if they knew any Israeli drivers he could help reach the top. When Alon was named to the 2016-17 class of NASCAR Next, David brought Alon to Ohio to compete. He drove in two oval races in the Xfinity Series, NASCAR’s second tier. In his first Xfinity Series race, at the Mid-Ohio Sports-Car Course, he started 22nd in a 40-car field and finished 13th, which is considered a success. “When I first met Alon in 2016, it was my hope that Alon’s racing in NASCAR could bring a very positive image for Israel

to NASCAR’s European Series to defend his title. His European season got off to a great start with his victories in the season’s first four races, with a fifth win in July. The season culminates Oct. 20-21 in Belgium when Circuit Zolder hosts the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Finals. His international career had one roadblock drivers from other nations do not face. Mandatory military service at age 18 often limits or curtails Israeli athletes’ sporting careers. Alon was the first motor-sport athlete to obtain Outstanding Athlete status from the Israeli Defense Forces. The status gives athletes time to train and compete. Alon says many Israeli athletes with the designation request duty assignments that will easily accommodate their sporting careers. But coming from a military family, Alon says he “did normal service in the Air Force. They just gave me permission to fly to races.” A self-proclaimed G-force junkie, Alon says he would have

and instill pride among Jews of all ages worldwide,” says David. “Alon had been very successful in NASCAR’s sanctioned series in Europe. In fact, he won the series championship in 2017. Alon’s highly publicized exploits on a weekly basis competing in America’s number 2 most watched sport had the opportunity to promote Israel and Jews in a very effective manner. … It is my firm belief that if I can simply tell our story to the right person or persons with either the financial resources or the contacts we need, Alon will become legendary.” At the start of the 2018 NASCAR season, Alon was offered the opportunity to return to the NASCAR Cup Series with a team that offered him a more affordable buy-in. However, when fundraising efforts failed to meet that goal, Alon returned

wanted to be a fighter pilot if he were not a race car driver. Since he earned the designation, several other Israeli drivers have also been granted Outstanding Athlete status. While he loves speed, Alon says, “Outside of the track, I drive totally different. On the track I am driving with professional drivers and control. I am a scared driver on public roads. I am not really enthusiastic about sports cars.” In addition to supporting Alon’s efforts personally, David has created a website, RacingForIsrael.org, to raise the additional funds needed to help Alon “make history and honor Israel’s 70th birthday by competing at NASCAR’s highest level.” Donations are tax deductible. racingforisrael.org/donate-1 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 11

Quartet plan extraordinary community trip

By Deborah Moon

Kathy Davis-Weiner, Michael Weiner, and Priscilla and Tony Kostiner co-chaired the 2008 Portland Community Mission to Israel. They had so much fun that they returned to Israel last spring to hunt out some special places to take family and friends – about 500 of them. The two couples are co-chairing PDX>Israel 2020, the kickoff event to a year of celebrating the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland’s centennial year. To help reduce the financial barriers for their current and future friends, the co-chairs and federation have raised substantial funds to subsidize the cost of the trip. Early bird land pricing for adults, teens and youth is available through Nov. 15. To ensure PDX>Israel is family friendly, the trip overlaps the Oregon school spring break, and the co-chairs are working with Kenes Tours to have family friendly content and youth counselors. “We look forward to sharing the great excitement of celebrating the federation’s centennial with family and friends, making this the trip of the century,” according to Priscilla and Tony in a joint email. The two add they plan to bring their children and grandchildren on this community trip. “Michael and I are talking about bringing family members, even though our children have all experienced Israel on their own,” says Kathy. “This trip is an exciting opportunity for 12 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018

parents to bring children and grandchildren, and any other family member 5 years and older. We purposefully timed it over spring break to allow for minimal school disruptions, and the generous sponsorships have made this trip extraordinarily affordable. Special arrangements are being made for children's activities. There is no better way to further the generational love and respect for Israel than to experience it with a family member.” Though all four have been to Israel multiple times – Priscilla taking top honors with 40 trips – they each discovered new places and experiences on their planning trip. “In the few years since the 2008 mission, there is an amazing amount of new Israel to be explored,” says Michael, mentioning high-tech, archeological, educational and agricultural sites that reflect Israel’s prowess in those areas. Kathy says her favorite new site was the Innovation Center in Tel Aviv: “One thousand new innovations occur within a 6-mile radius of this center. Examples of some of the innovations are demonstrated at this center, from medical technology to environmental and much more. I could have stayed there all day – it was so fascinating and impactful.” Tony and Priscilla also enjoyed the State of Mind Israel Innovative Center, calling it a “Start Up Nation” museum. New cultural highlights the Kostiners enjoyed include a Graffiti Tour in Tel Aviv, the Sound and Light Show at Tower of David Museum in Jerusalem and great wine tasting at the

PDX>Israel 2020 Co-chairs Priscilla and Tony Kostiner, and Kathy Davis-Weiner and Michael Weiner toured Israel in March hunting for exciting experiences and spectacular sights to share with some 500 participants who they hope will join them for the trip of the century in March 2020.

Pelter Winery in the North. Priscilla was also taken with a hike along the Burma Road, focusing on some of the more challenging aspects of Israel’s complex creation and the effects on the outcome of the 1948 War of Independence. Of that hike, Michael says, “As a history buff, I was enthralled to be led through the Burma Road – the backroad link to Jerusalem used by Israeli troops to liberate the city in 1948. The detailed explanations brought this historical site to dramatic life.” In addition to the new experiences the two couples discovered, they also revisited old favorites. “There are many other opportunities for visits and hands-on experiences, most of which we’ve done before, but for most of the mission participants, these will be ‘new,’ ” says Priscilla. Even for repeat visitors, returning to visit a familiar place offers the opportunity for a different perspective. “I have been to Israel many times, but in an interesting way,

every time is like the first time,” Michael says. “There is so much to see, so many new places, so many new interpretations of old places, that I cannot wait to go again. I can see Masada for the seventh, or 10th, time and still learn something about the history or the geography; … I can go to Ceasarea and see it as a Roman ruin or now as a scuba opportunity. I can go to the Golan Heights and overlook the Syrian border and put the current tragedy into new perspective.” Priscilla and Tony say they look forward to helping first-timers find “a sense of ownership and relationship that cannot be experienced elsewhere.” “Participating on a community mission helps build relationships and connections as we strengthen community ties,” says Priscilla. Kathy adds, “I want Portland Jews to see and understand the remarkable journey, the history, from a Middle Eastern desert to the thriving modern country it is today.” She also wants to help first-time visitors understand Israel’s historical struggles as well as its current ones. Michael adds, “Community is the key to this trip. A community trip to Israel will, I am certain, cement the bonds between Portland and Israel, while at the same time strengthening the bonds within the Jewish community in Portland.” Part of the community-building experience will involve visits to some of the projects funded by Portland campaign dollars sent to Israel to improve the lives of everyday Israelis. “We went to explore special experiences for the 2020 trip, and I can guarantee an exciting experience,” promises Michael. Tony and Priscilla echo that pledge: “We’re planning an extraordinary experience, and we want you to come with us. Don’t miss it.”

PDX>ISRAEL 2020 WHAT: Community trip to Israel WHEN: March 18-29, 2020 EARLY BIRD COST (land only): Adults/$2,500, Teens (14-18)/$2,000; Youth (5-13)/$1,800 INCLUDED: Deluxe accommodations; Shabbat experiences in both Tel Aviv & Jerusalem; family friendly (children ages 5 and up) and multi-generational. OPTIONS: Multiple interest tracks in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem; choice of days in the north or south; opportunities for bar/bat mitzvah celebrations for people of all ages. CONTACT: pdxisrael.org | 503-245-6219 pdxisrael2020@jewishportland.org

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 13

BIZ

INS & OUTS

Michael Jeser

Rabbi Barry Cohen

Michael Jeser leaves Portland to head San Diego Federation Jewish Federation of Greater Portland’s Michael Jeser has been named president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of San Diego. Michael has served JFGP as director of financial resource development for the past 2½ years. Michael concluded his work at JFGP on July 27. “Michael has been an incredible asset to our team ever since he arrived,” says JFGP President and CEO Marc Blattner. “His efforts strengthened our Campaign for Community Need. He worked to develop our LGBTQ outreach efforts (including taking community members on a trip to Israel) and was the creator of our very successful Pathways program (young adult mentoring and networking cohort) – plus so much more.” In San Diego Michael succeeds Michael Sonduck, who retired in June after a 12year tenure including six years as CEO. In 2013, the San Diego Federation announced its shift from an umbrella organization, which primarily allocated funds to other Jewish organizations, to a nonprofit that collaborates with partner organizations to identify the community’s unmet and greatest needs. It is this shift that led Michael to apply for the position. “San Diego’s Federation is on the cutting edge of the entire federation system,” says Michael. “I was deeply inspired by its bold decision to focus on developing and supporting services that strengthen the local Jewish community. I’m especially proud to join a federation that is demonstrating tremendous commitment to connecting donors with the impact of their philanthropy.” Jewishportland.org

Rabbi Barry Cohen hired as Community Chaplain The Jewish Federation of Greater Portland has hired Rabbi Barry Cohen to serve as Community Chaplain as of Sept. 4. This new full-time positon is funded by the Jewish Federation in partnership with several donors. As a JFGP employee, the community chaplain works in coordination with the Oregon Board of Rabbis and Jewish Family and Child Service to provide pastoral care/counseling and to serve as a resource for all Jews across our community. Rabbi Cohen will build relationships with individuals and families and attend to their pastoral/spiritual needs as well as to teach, inspire and motivate. He visits local area hospitals, nursing homes and senior facilities. He is working with hospice and is available to assist with lifecycle events for unaffiliated Jews. Rabbi Cohen received his ordination at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. 14 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018

Marissa Wolf

PHOTO BY TESS MAYER/THE INTERVAL NY

Rabbi Hannah Laner

He began his career in Scottsdale, AZ, as a congregational rabbi. In 1999 he joined the Jewish News of Greater Phoenix, first as community editor and then as editor. In 2004, Cohen returned to congregational life in Oklahoma. He then moved to Chicago, and after serving a local congregation as associate rabbi, he founded Right Hand Rabbi to respond to the needs of those who had not been able to find their niche in the congregational world. “I am thrilled to start a new chapter in my family’s life and my professional career,” says Rabbi Cohen. “In addition, I look forward to fostering sacred relationships, as together we celebrate, navigate crisis, mourn and heal.” Rabbi Cohen and his two children moved here from Chicago in August. 503-892-7407 | chaplain@jewishportland.org

Marissa Wolf New Artistic Director of Portland Center Stage Marissa Wolf became the new artistic director at Portland Center Stage at The Armory on Sept. 15. Marissa, most recently the associate artistic director at Kansas City Repertory Theatre, previously served as the artistic director at San Francisco’s innovative Crowded Fire Theater. Marissa told the Kansas City Jewish Chronicle that her Jewish background reflects her work as an artist in that it is an inherent part of who she is and how she sees the world. “I think I ask some of the questions I do because of my Jewish background,” she said. “Judaism gives me sense of belonging. I think it gives me a lens through which to question, to wrestle with hard questions around identity, family and social justice.” Marissa joins Managing Director Cynthia Fuhrman as coleader of the city’s leading professional theater. “It is the dream of a lifetime to step into the artistic director position at Portland Center Stage at The Armory,” said Marissa. “I am honored to build on Chris Coleman’s powerhouse legacy of adventurous theater in the breathtaking,

Sue Greenspan

historic Armory, and I am thrilled to lead this extraordinary company into the next chapter of growth and vitality.” 503-445-3700 | pcs.org

Rabbi Hannah Laner is new rabbi at P’nai Or Rabbi Hannah Laner has been hired as the rabbi for Portland’s Congregation P’nai Or, a vibrant, egalitarian Jewish Renewal congregation. Joyous worship is infused with singing, chanting and dance. A diversity of Jewish experience and expression is reflected in the congregation’s membership; all are welcome. P’nai Or is a place where a Jewish spiritual perspective can flourish. Rabbi Laner has more than 25 years of experience as rabbi and cantorial soloist, creating and leading services for High Holidays, Shabbat and other holidays. She is a professional Jewish educator who infuses her teaching with a passionate love of Torah and tradition. As an officiant of lifecycle rituals, she engages students, families and couples in meaningful rites of passage. She is also a certified psychotherapist with skills at counseling students, families and couples. She has led services for Congregation Nevei Kodesh – a Jewish Renewal congregation in Boulder, CO – since 1988 and has also served as High Holy Days leader at several other congregations in the Boulder area. She received smicha (ordination) from the ALEPH (Jewish Renewal) rabbinic training program in 2013, and she has engaged in study through the Pardes Institute in Israel, the ALEPH Davenen Leadership Training Program, and the Maggidah program taught by Maggidah Devorah Zaslow and Rabbi David Zaslow. She has studied with Reb Zalman in Naropa University and completed a year of intensive training in Rabbi Tirzah Firestone’s Ma’ayan Raz program. Pnaiorpdx.org

Sue Greenspan joins SHJ Board Kol Shalom, Community for Humanistic Judaism in Portland, has selected Sue Greenspan to be its representative on the OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 15

BIZ

I N S & O UTS

Rabbi Debra Kolodny

Chris Vitron, Gail Mandel and Tara Siegman. PHOTOS BY NAIM HASAN PHOTOGRAPHY

board of the National Society for Humanistic Judaism. Sue will attend the twice-annual SHJ Board meetings in Farmington Hills, MI. She replaces Mary Raskin as Kol Shalom’s representative on the SHJ Board. Mary has now become vice-president of the SHJ. Elly Adelman, president of Kol Shalom, expressed pleasure and gratitude that Kol Shalom has such fine representation in the national leadership of the Humanistic Judaism movement. Sue grew up in southern California and was raised in Reform Judaism through confirmation. As she and her husband, Dan, raised their family they moved and joined synagogues in Los Angeles, San Rafael and New Jersey. She became active in these synagogues serving in roles ranging from Sisterhood president to congregation president. Eight years ago after moving to Tualatin to be closer to children and grandchildren, Sue and Dan became active in the Jewish community; they joined Kol Shalom two years ago. Both Sue and Dan became Kol Shalom board members with Sue as membership chair and Dan as an at-large member. Kol Shalom has been an affiliated member with the national society since 1993. Kol Shalom will celebrate its 25th anniversary of becoming a nationally affiliated organization this fall. info@kolshalom.org | shj.org

Portland’s UnShul becomes full-service congregation On June 10, UnShul members opted to transition from an event- and activity-based model to a congregation soaked in ecstatic and contemplative prayer, mystical Jewish learning, psycho-spiritual healing and radical political engagement in the Renewal tradition. Launched in January 2016, the UnShul looked for ways to engage the Jewish soul with the best that Portland has to offer, including Torah Hikes, Dance Davening, Jewish meditation, Musar in the Bar, Kol Isha and Great Minds Think Alike (a comparative theology class). It used a pay as you go model with active inclusion of LGBTQIA+ people, Jews of color and interfaith families. As time passed, the UnShul experimented with more traditional Shabbat and Holy Day offerings and found that 16 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018

those drew consistent participation: 5778 High Holy Days drew 50 people as did the community’s three Queer Passover Sederim. The congregation meets two Shabbat mornings a month on the west side. UnShul President Rivka Gevurtz says the congregation’s commitment to social, economic, racial and gender justice is the foundation of all we do. Rabbi Debra Kolodny (Rabbah D’vorah) and members attend rallies, marches, City Council hearings and more as if our lives depended on it – because they do! Rabbah D’vorah is a founding member of Portland United Against Hate. She is a member of Portland’s Interfaith Clergy. Portland’s UnShul launched as a congregation with 30 active members. An additional 50 people have participated and expressed interest in more regular engagement. RabbiDebra@AsTheSpiritMovesUs.com | UnShulRivka@ AstheSpiritMovesUs.com | asthespiritmovesus.com/unshul/ | facebook.com/groups/Pdx.UnShul

OJCF promotes three staffers The Oregon Jewish Community Foundation has promoted three of its professional team members in recognition of their work on behalf of the organization. Chris Vitron has been promoted to chief financial officer. He joined the OJCF team in late 2013. Vitron’s responsibilities include oversight for general and fund accounting, budget management, investments and handling noncash charitable gifts. Gail Mandel, who has been with the foundation since 2010, has been promoted to director of philanthropy. She focuses on fund development, managing the Life & Legacy and Professional Advisors Group programs. She also directs OJCF’s marketing and communications efforts. Tara Siegman has been promoted to director of donor relations and grants. She joined the foundation staff in 2014. Her responsibilities include working closely with fund holders on their giving priorities and managing OJCF’s grants and scholarship programs. “I am proud of the professionalism and passion that Chris Vitron, Gail Mandel and Tara Siegman bring to their work for the foundation and our community,” says OJCF President

Lindsay von Colditz

Linda Cohen

Joanie Quinn and Betsy Kauffman of Spilt Milk

and CEO Julie Diamond. “Each of them has demonstrated outstanding knowledge, dedication and creativity in their years with OJCF. It will be exciting going forward to see them empowered to serve our donors, partner organizations and community members in their new and expanded roles.” 503-248-9328 | ojcf.org

Neveh Shalom hires membership director Congregation Neveh Shalom welcomes Lindsay von Colditz as the incoming membership and engagement director. She takes over for Daniela Meltzer, who is relocating to Denver with her family. Lindsay is a fourth-generation Oregonian. A Beaver Believer married to a Duck, she will cheer for both teams as long as they are not playing each other. Lindsay has spent her professional life in government administration, most recently in city management, and retail and corporate customer service training. She worked with the Dougy Center, as well as a similar organization in Denver, as a volunteer facilitator to support children who are navigating a significant grief loss. The loss of her mother at a young age to breast cancer, along with the lifeline of support she found in family and community in the time after her passing, sparked a passion for community building, engagement and the importance of taking time to learn people’s stories. Lindsay lives with her husband, their almost 2-year-old son, who attends Foundation School, and their crazy dog in Lake Oswego. programs@nevehshalom.org

Linda Cohen leads speakers association Linda Cohen assumed her term as the president of the National Speakers Association Oregon chapter on July 1, 2018. She has served on the NSA chapter board for the last two years and was elected the Chapter Member of the Year in 2017. The National Speakers Association serves more than 4,000 members and is the recognized voice of the speaking profession, setting the benchmark for platform excellence

worldwide. Cohen, also known as the “Kindness Catalyst,” works with businesses and associations on cultivating kindness in the workplace through her highly interactive program: The Economy of Kindness: How Kindness Transforms Your Bottom Line. “I found NSA when I was writing my first book, 1,000 Mitzvahs: How Small Acts of Kindness Can Heal, Inspire and Change Your Life, and was launching my speaking career,” says Linda. “I enrolled in the two-year Speaker Academy program and knew I had found my people. The association is filled with mensches; fellow speakers share resources, expertise and refer clients to each other. There isn’t a feeling of competition but the belief that if we help each other we can build a bigger pie.” The NSA community is known for the concept of removing competition by building a bigger market for all speakers. lindacohenconsulting.com | nsaoregon.org

Spilt Milk moves to Lake Oswego theater Now that O’Connor’s in Multnomah Village has closed, Betsy Kauffman and Joanie Quinn are moving their Spilt Milk comedy show (minimum age 18) to the Lake Theater & Café in Lake Oswego. Betsy was featured in Oregon Jewish Life in November 2015. “This is an exciting opportunity for us,” says Betsy. “O’Connor’s was a sweet venue, but this past year, we were busting out at the seams there. We had a fun last O’Connor’s show in May where we gave out some ‘Not our last show!’ commemorative coffee mugs. We had capacity for about 50 people. Now we’ll have room for 90.” The comedy duo will be at the Lake Theater the second Thursday of each month. Doors open at 5:30 pm, the show starts at 7. “Come early to eat, come to drink, come to soak in the view from the lakeside deck ... and come to laugh till you cry,” says Betsy. The theater features cabaret-style seating on the main floor and traditional velvet seating in the balcony. Food and drink can be enjoyed in the theater. Designed by celebrated local architect Richard Sundeleaf, the Lake Theater first opened its doors in 1940. spiltmilkpdx.com OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 17

BIZ

I N S & O UTS

Lisa Schroeder

Society Hotel team from left: Matt Siegel, Jonathan Cohen, Jessie Burke, Gabe Genauer and Carrington Barrs.

Mother’s Bistro to open new location in November After 18 years in her downtown location, Mother’s Bistro and Bar owner/chef Lisa Schroeder has signed a lease on a new location inside of the Embassy Suites in downtown Portland. The new restaurant is expected to open by November 2018. Lisa attended high school at Akiba Hebrew Academy in Philadelphia and Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She is a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America. She says Mother’s was “bursting at the seams” at the Stark Street location. The new place will be much more spacious. Lisa plans to keep Mother’s original menus as well some design elements from the original space. New menu items (pizza and more) will eventually be added, but longtime guests can expect to find the same menu they’ve grown to love including Lisa’s matzah ball soup. “We’ve had an amazing run here at the original Mother’s location,” says Lisa. “However, we’ve officially outgrown the space and in the interest of all of our 75 employees’ comfort and creativity, and to continue to make sure our guests are receiving the highest level of hospitality possible, moving is the right choice.” Mother’s will continue to operate out of the existing space at SW Stark under the name “Mother’s Velvet Lounge and Cafe” and will offer a limited Southern comfort-focused menu. mothersbistro.com

Society Hotel to open in Bingen The owners of The Society Hotel in Portland are putting their successful modern-meets-historic, hostel-meetsboutique-hotel model into their latest project: The Society Hotel-Bingen, located in Bingen, WA, in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Renovations of what was originally an 80-year-old historic schoolhouse began in spring 2018. The retreat-meets-spa property will include a range of hospitality options including European-style hotel rooms, bunkhouses and standalone cabins, as well as saltwater soaking pools and event spaces for conferences and retreats. It is slated to open 18 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018

Ivan Gold

in summer 2019. Hood River resident and contractor Carrington Barrs joins Portland Society Hotel owners Jessie Burke, Jonathan Cohen, Gabe Genauer and Matt Siegel as owners of the new hotel. The four Portland partners have strong ties to Jewish Portland. Matt’s children attend camp at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center; Jonathan and Jessie’s children attend Hebrew school at Congregation Beth Israel; and the Northeast Portland Chabad started its Hebrew school in Gabe’s basement. Adventurous travelers are drawn to the Gorge for its incredible diversity of activities in a stunning setting – from outdoor sports to wine, beer and cider tasting, to exploring the famous Hood River County Fruit Loop and nearby Mount Hood and Mount Adams. Located in downtown Bingen, just five blocks from the Amtrak train station (two stops from Portland) and just across the Columbia from Hood River, the hotel will offer affordable rates and old-school, concierge-style service. thesocietyhotel.com

Ivan Gold new chair of Cedar Sinai Park Cedar Sinai Park installed a new chair and elected three new members to its board of trustees at the annual meeting June 31. Portland attorney and arts community activist Ivan Gold moved from chair-elect to chair of the nonprofit organization’s board. He has served on the board since 1997. A Pittsburgh native and Oregon resident since 1971, Gold had been a partner at Perkins Coie LLP prior to his retirement last year. Gold said the three new trustees – David Hirsch, Deb Friedman and Steve Rallison – “bring talent, expertise and energy to our board as we strengthen and expand services to our community.” As leader of a Kaiser Permanente financial analytics team, David brings fiscal expertise to Cedar Sinai Park’s executive board. Deb has enjoyed a long career in sports marketing and currently serves as Nike’s senior director for brand marketing in women’s sports. Steve is the founder and CEO of PIR Healthcare, which assists health-care systems, hospitals and physicians groups in performance improvement, information technology and physician practice management.

Enhancing Jewish Life for Youth & Teens by Supporting Jewish Experiences Chai Israel Scholarships - Teen and Gap Year Israel Experiences The Jewish Federation of Greater Portland offers Chai Israel funding for summer and gap year programs in Israel jewishportland.org/travelisrael

One Happy Camper Federation’s One Happy Camper program provides new campers funding toward their first Jewish overnight camp experience. Grants range from $700 to $1,000. Campers can choose from 155 overnight Jewish camps across the continent. jewishcamp.org/one-happy-camper/

Jewish Right Start Federation provides early Jewish education incentive grants to offset the cost of a child’s first year of Jewish preschool. Right Start grants range between $500 to $2,000 per child. jewishportland.org/rightstart

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COVER STORY

MARLEE MATLIN Breaking barriers and following her dreams BY MALA BLOMQUIST

arlee Matlin was only 21 years old when she received the Academy Award for her role in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Children of a Lesser God.â&#x20AC;? She played Sarah Norman, a young deaf woman who is speechless by choice and working as a janitor at a school for the deaf and hard of hearing where she meets the new speech teacher, James Leeds, played by William Hurt. She won the Oscar for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role on March 30, 1987, and has held the title of youngest winner for that category ever since. She is also the only deaf Academy Award recipient in any category. Paramount Pictures had wanted to produce a movie based on the Broadway play of the same name for years and had been searching for someone to play the lead. An agent sent a tape to Paramount of the whole company who had been performing the play in Chicago. Ironically, Marlee did not consider herself as a leading lady when someone spotted her in the background of that tape and asked her to audition. That audition led her to the role in the film.

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“I am happy to have the opportunity to speak in front of other members of the Jewish community and talk about my story, and how I basically wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for my Jewish upbringing.” –Marlee Matlin

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 21

COVER STORY

M A R L E E M AT L I N

got nominated for an Academy Award.” Marlee has been clean and sober since Jan. 10, 1987. “When I came out and stood on that stage with the Oscar in my hand I was clean and sober,” she remembers. “I started (using) when I was 13 up until I was 21. Now I’m clean and sober for more than 30 years.”

A STAR IS BORN

Marlee credits Director Randa Haines with helping her tap into personal experiences to create the very intense emotional scenes you see in the film. “Randa knew where to find the spots and corners in my acting soul to pull from and bring to the table for the performance,” says Marlee. After the movie was released, Marlee came to a serious realization. “I decided that regardless of the fame and attention that I was getting, I was going to get myself to a point where I could be clean and sober,” she recalls. “The day after I won the Golden Globes I admitted myself into rehab at the Betty Ford Center, and that is where (I found out) I

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Many people aren’t aware that Marlee wasn’t born deaf. Her parents discovered her hearing loss when she was 18 months old. “My grandmother alerted my parents because her friend thought I was deaf. My dad claimed that I was just stubborn,” jokes Marlee. The family had been visiting California, so when they returned to Chicago, they took Marlee to the doctor. He confirmed the grandmother’s diagnosis. “They don’t know what the cause was; whether it was a fever exacerbated by the plane flight or whether I just became deaf,” she says. She says her parents didn’t focus on why it happened, but more on what to do once they knew. Growing up north of Chicago in the suburb of Northbrook, Marlee attended an oral school where she learned to speak, and at age 5 she learned American Sign Language. “That opened up my world,” she remembers. She then went on to attend a mainstream school that offered programs for the deaf. “I didn’t go to a school for the deaf because they were too far away and my mom and dad wanted to keep me at home.” Marlee started acting when she was 7 years old. “I was at summer camp, and they asked me if I wanted to go on the stage and perform in sign language with some girls,” she says. She didn’t even know what a stage was at the time, but she agreed to do it. “The response that I got from the audience and their smiling faces hooked me in.”

FAMILY FIRST

Opposite page clockwise: Marlee won a Golden Globe for “Children of a Lesser God” in Jan. 1987; Movie poster from the film; Marlee as character Sarah Norman; Marlee with her Oscar at the 1987 Academy Awards. Inset: Marlee with friend Henry Winkler. This page: Marlee and Kevin Grandalski on their wedding day in 1993; Family holiday card, from left, Isabelle, Brandon, Sara, Kevin, Tyler and Marlee. She then started acting at a nearby community theater that served both deaf and hearing children and at the Center on Deafness in Northbrook. Her first play was the “Wizard of Oz” where she got the lead in an unorthodox way. “I walked in and said, ‘I want the lead,’ and they gave it to me,” says Marlee. A pivotal moment in her early acting career happened when she turned 13. Henry Winkler came to watch a performance at the Center on Deafness. Afterward, he stayed to meet the young actors. Marlee was enamored with him and insisted on meeting him. She told him that she wanted to be an actor in Hollywood just like him. She also remembers that her mother wasn’t so sure that acting was a good idea. She wanted Marlee to go to college and have a stable career. But what Henry Winkler told her that day made an impact. He said to her, “You know Marlee, you can be whatever you want to be, just follow your heart and your dreams will come true.” Eight years later she was onstage accepting an Academy Award.

Marlee dated her co-star, William Hurt, for two years. In her 2009 autobiography, I’ll Scream Later; she goes into detail about their tumultuous and sometimes violent relationship. “I had never had an abusive relationship before, and as soon as I became clean and sober I realized that that was something I wouldn’t accept any longer,” says Marlee. On Aug. 29, 1993, Marlee married law enforcement officer Kevin Grandalski. They met as he was monitoring traffic while she was filming the television show “Reasonable Doubts.” “I saw him, and I was hooked! It must have been the uniform,” jokes Marlee. “He’s not Jewish, but I believe that we can share both our beliefs in a household together,” says Marlee. “We celebrate both holidays, and we were married by both a rabbi and a priest on the front lawn at Henry Winkler’s house.” Because Marlee and Kevin raise their four children: Sarah, Brandon, Tyler and Isabelle in an interfaith home, they let the kids make their own religious decisions. “If, at any time, they want to go on Birthright they will,” she says. She says none of the children have had a bar or bat mitzvah, but she did. Marlee grew up in a Reform household and became a bat mitzvah at Congregation Bene Shalom in Skokie, IL, a synagogue for both deaf and hearing Jews. “I had the benefit of a rabbi who could sign,” she says. “I learned how to speak Hebrew phonetically, and I signed and spoke.” With four children in the house (three of them are teenagers), a working husband and her travel schedule, Marlee keeps busy. They also have a cat and a dog. She admits that they have a very supportive community and in-laws who are close by and happy to lend a hand. When her kids have expressed an interest in acting, she has impressed upon them that they should finish school first. “I don’t want them to miss school to go act,” says Marlee. “If they want to act in school, if they want to take drama or theater, that’s fine with me. But I don’t want to take them out of school to act. I think that they need to finish school first.” Her son Tyler has done theater in school and been cast as the lead in some plays. Her youngest daughter, Isabelle, is a cheerleader. Marlee remembers, “My best friend and I auditioned for the cheerleading squad, but they didn’t want us because we were deaf. Little did they know that we knew what we were doing – I still remember my cheer.”

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 23

COVER STORY

M A R L E E M AT L I N A VARIETY OF ROLES

“I decided that regardless of the fame and attention that I was getting, I was going to get myself to a point where I could be clean and sober.” – Marlee Matlin

Marlee has starred in many television films including “Bridge to Silence,” “Against Her Will: The Carrie Buck Story,” “Dead Silence,” “Freak City,” “Where the Truth Lies” and “Sweet Nothing in My Ear.” She has also been nominated for four Emmy awards for her appearances on “Seinfeld,” “Picket Fences,” “The Practice” and “Law and Order: SVU.” Some of her roles came about through serendipitous encounters. For example, she got her part in “The West Wing” over a Chinese lunch with Aaron Sorkin. She had called him and told him how much she had enjoyed the premiere episode of the show and he suggested that they meet for lunch. Over Chinese food in Beverly Hills, he explained his upcoming plans for the show. “A few days later, he had written a scene for me and the next thing I knew I was on the set of ‘The West Wing.’ That was one of my most wonderful experiences working on that show,” shares Marlee. She played Joey Lucas, a California-based pollster and political operative on all seven seasons of that show. A similar thing happened when she was offered a part on “Code Black” with Michael Seitzman, She went to a party following the roast of Rob Lowe on Comedy Central. Marsha Gay Harden wanted Marlee to meet her boss, Michael Seitzman. He expressed an interest in having Marlee work on the show. “I said, ‘Let’s meet and talk about it,’ and he said, ‘No, I’m just going to write it,’ and the next thing I knew, he had already written a part for me on ‘Code Black.’ ” Working with Michael led to her most recent part as Jocelyn Turner, an ex-FBI agent whose hearing was lost when a bomb blew up near her on “Quantico.” This last season, Michael wanted to share her character’s backstory, so he dubbed her voice and had her play a person with full hearing. “It was a great challenge and a very different kind of acting experience for me,” says Marlee. “I have to thank Michael for creating that challenge that’s never been

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Clockwise: Cast of “Quantico”; Marlee received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2009; Her return to the stage in “Spring Awakening” on Broadway in 2015; Marlee’s 2009 best seller, I’ll Scream Later; Marlee with Lady Gaga at Super Bowl 50 in 2016, after Gaga sang and she signed the National Anthem; Marlee with the late deaf actress, Phyllis Frelich, in an episode of “CSI” in 2011 and Marlee at Yad Vashem during her visit to Israel in 2017.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 25

M A R L E E M AT L I N Netflix, and it remains very popular with the teen demographic. “When I would come out of the theater at “Spring Awakening” half the audience or more were all “Switched at Birth” fans,” recalls Marlee.

CHARITABLE WORK

Marlee Matlin (left) and Katie Leclerc in ‘Switched at Birth’

“I have to thank Lizzy Weiss for giving television audiences the freedom to watch a deaf person perform in a language they’re comfortable with, as opposed to being translated all the time, which is the old way of doing things.” ~Marlee Matlin on her experience during the television series “Switched at Birth” done before, but now that we’ve done it, I think we can do it again.” In 2015, she returned to her acting roots onstage, performing in the revival of “Spring Awakening” on Broadway. The play featured actors that both spoke and used American Sign Language. But Marlee admits that the challenge of such an intense schedule of working at nights and being away for so long discourages her from doing it again. “After being in the film business for such a long time, I like the idea of working large chunks and then having time off to do things with the family,” she says. ”Theater is for people who live there or who have the freedom to be away from their family. I was gone from August to January, and that was much too long.” From 2011 to 2017, Marlee played guidance counselor Melody Bledsoe in the popular ABC Family (now Freeform) series “Switched at Birth.” On that show, she performed in American Sign Language with English subtitles. “I have to thank Lizzy Weiss for giving television audiences the freedom to watch a deaf person perform in a language they’re comfortable with, as opposed to being translated all the time, which is the old way of doing things,” says Marlee. The show has gained new fans since being released on

26 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018

Marlee works with many charitable organizations. She has been a national spokesperson for the American Red Cross for years, and she has been named as an honorary board member of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. This board position is one near and dear to her as her father passed away from Multiple Myeloma in 2013. Most recently, she is collaborating with Route 66 Promotions, an online retailer started by two deaf men in a garage in 2012. “Each month I develop a charity to donate the funds to and (in August) it was to Gallaudet University, the only liberal arts college for the deaf in the U.S.,” says Marlee. She received an honorary doctorate from Gallaudet in 1987. Marlee’s involvement also includes various Jewish organizations, appearing at many fundraising events. She will be in the Valley for the Jewish National Fund’s National Conference, Oct. 26-28 at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix. She will be part of the opening plenary on Oct. 26, along with JNF Chairman of the Board, Emeritus, Ronald S. Lauder. “I am happy to have the opportunity to speak in front of other members of the Jewish community and talk about my story, and how I basically wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for my Jewish upbringing,” says Marlee. Marlee went to Israel for the first time during the summer of 2017. While she was there, she received the Morton E. Ruderman award for her work promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities in Hollywood. During her 10-day visit, she met with television executives, politicians and advocates in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Nazareth. “I was speaking to various groups and government officials about the importance of inclusion and diversity on behalf of Israel’s deaf and disabled population,” says Marlee. Marlee was impressed by how welcoming, open and warm the people were. She was also very impressed by the level of dedication by the government and the people to diversity and inclusion. “Did you know that the Israel military welcomes people with disabilities and finds suitable positions for them depending on their skills?” she asks. “That doesn’t happen here in the U.S. The commercial sector as well was very open to discussing ways to increase diversity and inclusion.” To further promote inclusion, Marlee is an executive producer on the new A&E documentary “Deaf Out Loud,” which premiered Sept. 12. The series will follow three predominantly deaf families as they raise their children in a hearing world. She hopes this series will raise awareness further in respect of those who are deaf and hard of hearing. It’s just the latest step of Marlee’s tireless dedication and advocacy to prove to others what she’s known all along: not to let your challenges dictate your future or deter your dreams.

JNF GROWING IN PORTLAND, PACIFIC NW

ollowing a rather common path for Jewish teenagers, Dan Spear “dropped out” of organized Jewish life after his bar mitzvah in New Jersey. Then he planted a tree in Israel. Now 39, Dan is spearheading the local effort to engage young adults in the Jewish National Fund. As a volunteer, he has coordinated several JNFuture events for Portlanders aged 25-40, including a Tu B’Shevat cider tasting, a happy hour, a preHanukkah party and a Shabbat Under the Trees potluck. JNFuture is a national initiative created to introduce a new generation to JNF’s work in Israel. Since its founding in 2007, JNFuture has grown from one city to more than 20 across the United States and Israel. This year, nationally, JNFuture is expected to reach 1,000 donors giving in excess of $1.5 million, a 15% increase over 2017. “In the Pacific Northwest, we are witnessing growth of about 28% in terms of number of donors and giving received,” says Josh Lipsky, director of the JNF Pacific Northwest region (Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Hawaii). JNF has had a Pacific Northwest office since 2015. The Seattle office has two staff members – Josh and Israel Programs Admission Director Alissa Hartnig. In addition to Israel programs for adults, Alissa recruits high school students for the Alexander Muss High School, which JNF purchased three years ago. The JNF National conference is in Phoenix this year, which Josh says is much more accessible for the Pacific Northwest region than past conferences. Since Josh’s mother, Toni Dusik, is co-chair of the conference, Josh is especially eager to take a large contingent from the region to the Oct. 26-28 conference. Dan plans to attend this month’s conference and hopes to take about a half dozen other Oregonians. “I can introduce them to the people I know. I’ve made a ton of true blue friends from all over the country,” says Dan, who has been on two JNFuture missions to Israel and attended JNF’s national conference last year. “It’s a chance to meet fantastic, dedicated people from across the States.” With conference registration just $240

for everyone younger than 40, Dan urges his peers to attend the national conference. In addition to new friendships, Dan says two other draws are Zionism and amazing projects. “It a chance to learn about and be a part of an organization doing meaningful work to improve the welfare and well-being of Israel,” says Dan. Dan works for the Bonneville Power Administration focusing on the Endangered Species Act mitigation, so it is perhaps natural that he is especially drawn to JNF projects such as environmental stability, water sustainability and reclamation, and creating communities in desert environments. He is also impressed by JNF’s work to promote the inclusion of people with special needs into the fabric of everyday life in Israel. Portlanders might also be interested to go the conference and hear speaker Captain (Res.) Libby Weiss, former IDF spokesperson. Libby is a graduate of Portland Jewish Academy and was featured on the December 2016 cover of Oregon Jewish Life. Dan says his journey to discovery of all that JNF does began with a happy hour. He had joined a former college friend on a vacation to Israel and was struck by how at home he felt immediately. So when he saw two happy hours the same evening, he choose the one featuring a discussion about water in Israel. At the happy hour, he heard about JNF trips to Israel and signed up for a 2016 JNFuture volunteer mission to Israel. In addition to planting a tree, he worked on building paths and plant trellises and other “small but meaningful projects.” “It meant so much to go to places where JNF is involved and to be there with passionate, educated Jews.” A year later he joined another JNF trip and, when he returned to Portland, he began planning events to introduce other young adults to JNF. He hopes they find the same magical connections that he has discovered. Josh Lipsky: JLipsky@jnf.org or 206-760-1188 ext. 940 Dan Spear: danspear7@yahoo.com or 971-570-9005

By Deborah Moon

On his second JNFuture mission to Israel, Dan Spear visits the tree he planted on his first mission the year before.

Josh Lipsky, JNF PNW director

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 27

Nili Isenberg:

Can her melding of music and prayer inspire a generation? By Gloria Hammer

WOMEN TODAY INSIDE 28 MELDING MUSIC & PRAYER 30 EARLY CANCER TEST 32 #METOO & HEALING 33 HEALTHY SNACKING 34 FACING A GRAY DIVORCE 35 BIGGER, BETTER BRA 36 FASHION: FALL TRENDS

28 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018

ili Isenberg didn’t set out to be part of a musical movement to encourage other young Jews to appreciate Jewish prayer and attend synagogue – it was an organic occurrence. Nili grew up in Portland, the daughter of Charlie Schiffman, z”l, who retired in 2013 after leading the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland for 23 years. Now living in Los Angeles, she is an educator, singer, Orthodox Jew, mother and more. After her father’s unexpected death in Israel in July 2015, Nili said Kaddish daily for a year. As the prayer and a hit tune merged in her mind, she created a YouTube recording (youtube.com/watch?v=XjV08jdkK7I) of the Mourners Kaddish set to Adele’s “Hello.” By summer 2018, the recording had 135,507 views. It was featured in an article in New York Jewish Week entitled Pop Goes the Synagogue in April of this year. Writer Ted Merwin, a professor of religion and Jewish studies at Rickerson College, writes of Nili, “I can’t stop listening to the haunting and interpretive version of the Mourners Kaddish set to Adele’s ‘Hello.’ Hello from the other side. I’ve said these words a thousand times. Chanting this prayer for the thousand and first time, with a tune imported from the secular realm, reincarnates it brilliantly in a way that brings out new resonances, new associations and new meanings for our modern times.” The article inspired me to ask Nili her thoughts on Merwin’s article and her part in what he describes as the potential bridge that pop music can build to bring younger Jews to the synagogue. The following Q&A has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity. How did you come to record the Kaddish to Adele’s “Hello?” I dedicated myself to saying Kaddish at least once a day for a year after my father’s passing. It was an appropriate tribute to my father, a pious man who dedicated his entire being to Judaism and the Jewish people. I loved the idea of being surrounded by a community at this difficult time and having the

Ted Merwin suggested perhaps synagogue services based on the music of Ed Sheeran or John Legend are just around the corner. As a model for this kind of service, Merwin turned to my Kaddish and concluded that this form “reincarnates it in away that brings out new resonances, new associations and new meanings for our modern times.” I would agree. Could incorporating more pop melodies in the liturgy help attract the younger generation? For me, the synagogue experience is about a lot of different things. I love going to see my friends, hear the speeches and see the synagogue’s important community work. Singing gives me the spiritual experience. If the music is old and stale, that’s a big problem for me. I don’t know if more pop melodies in the liturgy would help attract the younger generation, but I do think that people can be more inspired and connected by new melodies quiet of a minyan to reflect on a daily basis on when the tunes fit the my memories of my father. words. Kaddish was running through my mind Familiar music can be regularly, and at the same time Adele’s a powerful point of entry. “Hello” had just come out and it was playing Someone asked if this everywhere, so the two pieces came together. connection between secular I made a rough recording of it late one night. music and religious words I played a karaoke version of the song on is sacrilegious. I’m not a my laptop and recorded the instrumental musicologist, but I would music along with myself singing on my iPad. expect that a scholar would I just wanted to share it with some friends say that this is something on Facebook. After I posted it, my friends that has always been done, commented and praised it. The YouTube video in any culture where Jews had over 200 views! have lived throughout the A month later I took out my phone to generations. check on the song, and my jaw dropped. The With your gift of song jumped from hundreds to thousands and singing, do you have time just kept climbing. I was blown away by the to perform? extent to which strangers were touched. People Nili as a child with her father, Charlie Schiffman, z”l. I try to continue singing were dedicating the song to their relatives whenever I can. It has and friends who had passed away and finding always been a serious hobby. In college and after, I performed comfort and a new connection to the prayer. I could never have with a variety of Jewish a cappella groups. Now in LA, I perform imagined that it would reach so many people. musical theater with the Jewish Women’s Repertory Company. Have you taken other prayers and sung them to popular When I played Golde in “Fiddler on the Roof,” I dedicated songs? my performance to the memory of my father, a man just like I was inspired by YouTube subscribers to put together two Tevye – family man, a lover of god and tradition, a leader of the other songs, “Unetana Tokef ” and “Aneinu,” but neither has been community, funny with a beautiful voice and a heart of gold. as popular as the first. The mix of a wildly popular secular song How do you balance religious practice, family, career and by Adele with a classically familiar Jewish prayer was a killer other activities? combination. Excuse my pun. OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 29

WOMEN Being in these productions takes a toll on my family, and it is difficult to balance everything. I especially thank my wonderful husband, Ethan, who picks up the slack. I wish I could find more time to sing, but sometimes I make do with singing along passionately at Shabbat services. Can you reflect on growing up in Portland? My family moved to Portland in 1987 when my dad became director of the Jewish Federation. My family was always involved in the Jewish life of the community. I feel that in my career in Jewish education, I am following directly in my father’s footsteps. I developed my love for singing and theater in Portland. I was involved in the theater program at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center, led by Eileen Mejia, who nurtured talent and produced incredible shows. I sang with local Jewish celebrities such as Amy Shapiro and Barbara Slader – wonderful musicians, friends and mentors. I left Portland in 1995 for college at Boston University. I hear the community has blossomed in so many ways. I know my father would be proud. After my father’s passing, my mother, Marsha, came to live with us. She has been an invaluable help and support. She delights in the grandchildren. The youngest was born shortly after my father’s death and is named after him. We trust that he and his brothers will grow to uphold the legacy of their beloved Zaydie. Do you ever feel at a loss by the restrictions placed on women within the Orthodox practice? I attend a Modern Orthodox synagogue; women are not involved in leading the prayers, but I do feel that my voice makes a difference. I am regularly approached by people who thank me for making their prayers more meaningful. The truth is that I have never had a desire to be a formal leader of services. As a child I didn’t even want to have a bat mitzvah; my parents eventually won out, and I ended up leading the Friday night Kabbalat Shabbat at Shaarie Torah at the time when it was more traditional, though no longer affiliated with the Orthodox movement. At the time, having a woman lead this part of the service was a serious innovation. Today this type of pushing boundaries within Orthodoxy continues. Modern Orthodox seminaries enable women to become rabbis in Israel and America. Some Orthodox women make a career out of performing music for all-female audiences, in observance of the modesty laws that prohibit men from listening to the vocal performances of women. I felt that making music into a career would take away all the joy. I’ve always found my community within Orthodoxy, and I have never felt restricted by the place of women, though I applaud all the progress I see being made for those who seek opportunities. Tell us about your family today. My husband, Ethan, grew up in LA. We have three adorable sons ages 8, 5 and almost 3, who keep us very busy. Our middle child has a rare genetic condition called Angelman Syndrome, which is an additional challenge. Nili encourages people to consider a donation to cureangelman.org/can/donate 30 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018

Breath and urine tests can detect breast cancer early

esearchers have discovered that exhaled breath and urine samples can provide a fast and inexpensive breast cancer diagnosis. This early and accurate breast cancer screening is being done using commercially available technology. The researchers were able to isolate and accurately identify breast cancer biomarkers using breath and urine analysis. Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Soroka University Medical Center used an inexpensive electronic nose gas sensors (e-nose) and gaschromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for urine analysis. In their study, researchers detected breast cancer with more than 95% average accuracy using an inexpensive commercial electronic nose (e-nose) that identifies unique breath patterns in women with breast cancer. In addition, their revamped statistical analyses of urine samples submitted both by healthy patients and those

diagnosed with breast cancer yielded 85% average accuracy. “Breast cancer survival is strongly tied to the sensitivity of tumor detection; accurate methods for detecting smaller, earlier tumors remains a priority,” says Prof. Yehuda Zeiri, a member of Ben-Gurion University’s Department of Biomedical Engineering. “Our new approach utilizing urine and exhaled breath samples, analyzed with inexpensive, commercially available processes, is non-invasive, accessible and may be easily implemented in a variety of settings.” Besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women. About 1 in 8 U.S. women will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. In 2018, an estimated 266,120 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the United States, along with 63,960 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer. About 40,920 women in the U.S. are expected to die in 2018 from breast cancer, though death rates have been decreasing since 1989, due in part to earlier detection. Mammography screenings, which are proven to reduce breast cancer mortality significantly, can't always detect small tumors in dense breast tissue. In fact, typical mammography sensitivity, which is 75 to 85% accurate, decreases to 30 to 50% in dense tissue. Current diagnostic imaging detection for smaller tumors has significant drawbacks: dual-energy digital mammography, while effective, increases radiation exposure, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is expensive. Biopsies and serum biomarker identification processes are invasive, equipment-intensive and require significant expertise. “We’ve now shown that inexpensive, commercial electronic noses are sufficient for classifying cancer patients at early stages,” says Zeiri. “With further study, it may also be possible to analyze exhaled breath and urine samples to identify other cancer types, as well.”

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WOMEN

Marva Zohar: Creating a place for women to heal By Deborah Moon

“Trauma we can heal from. What killed them was there was no place for them to heal.” ~ Marva Zohar

32 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018

suicide letter moved activist, midwife and poet Marva Zohar to found a nonprofit to create a healing place for women. “When the seventh friend committed suicide, she left a letter … (blaming) ‘those who did not create a place for me to heal,’ ” says Marva. “The next day I got the paperwork to start a not-forprofit.” All seven Israeli women, like Marva, were suffering from the trauma of sexual violence. “What killed them was not the trauma,” said Marva during a fund-raising and awareness-raising event in Portland this summer. “Trauma we can heal from. What killed them was there was no place for them to heal.” So Marva founded OLEHA, whose first project will be “Land Where Women Heal,” a rehabilitation village for women suffering from trauma resulting from sexual violence. Marva is on a coast-to-coast North American tour on the heels of successful fund-raising trips in Israel and Europe that have raised a quartermillion dollars to support her dream. The Portland event was a reunion for Marva with the host of the event, Hermine Hayes-Klein. The two women met in 2012 when Marva attended the first Human Rights in Childbirth conference at The Hague – a conference Hermine organized. About 15 women participated in the Portland gathering including midwives, doulas, a naturopath, artists and Jewish activists. Marva envisions a place where traumatized women can live and heal for free in a setting near “the healing power of nature.” Evidence-based trauma care will be provided by practitioners who have the tools and training to help women heal through art, music and other healing modalities. Marva has been offered property near a kibbutz and a nature reserve in northern Israel. She hopes to raise $1 million to build the village and train staff. More fund-raising will be needed to run the pilot program for the first year. Ultimately she believes the village can be self-sustaining. In addition to the treatment services, the village will also provide income-generating activities at a retreat center using the village’s healing resources such as a spa, mikvah, massage and arts programs. “In the initial phase of recovery, it is important to focus on our feelings,” says Marva. “But as women recover, they may start to take on more and help with the farm, library, kitchen, etcetera.” Her greatest regret is that the village will not be able to accommodate all the women who need to heal. “But we have to start somewhere, and once there is an answer to a need, it is replicated,” she says. Marva had become a midwife and helped women

in Africa, before she returned to Israel and realized she had to deal with her own “very violent trauma,” which had occurred when she was very young and she was told by the adults in her life to be silent. When she tried to find help as an adult to deal with that childhood trauma, she found constantly busy crisis lines and long wait lists for counseling. When she ultimately checked herself into a mental hospital to get help, she found that added to her trauma. “There was a gap between what could be and what I experienced,” she says. She believes the time and place are both favorable to launch a program for healing. The #MeToo movement has raised awareness of the extensive victimization of women; now Marva hopes to “piggyback on that to talk about what we need to survive and heal.” She also believes people pay attention to innovations from Israel. She says that starting a healing village in the Start-up Nation could launch “a whole revolution in mental health” around issues of trauma. Since arriving in the United States in April, she has a new sense of urgency. “The day I landed in Atlanta, I got a call another friend committed suicide,” says Marva. “It’s a race against the clock to bring income and support to make it happen.”

The #MeToo movement has raised awareness of the extensive victimization of women.

Donate at: http://bit.ly/Support_LWWH

Healthy snacking made fun and tasty

ctive lifestyles require nutrition to support your body; now snacks can be part of that healthy diet. Two women have introduced options for flavorful, fun snacks that have enough protein to fuel your active life. ENERGY BARS Triathlete and outdoors enthusiast Kellie Lee began researching clean eating as she sought new ways of fueling her body for adventure after being thrown a medical curveball. “I was worried I wouldn’t be able to live the life I wanted after having my gallbladder removed and being diagnosed with hypothyroidism,” explains Lee. “My diet and gut health were something I could control, and it empowered me to find my solution.” Her research led her to the gut-health superfood Yacon Root. This prebiotic powerhouse was the alternative sweetener she needed to create low-glycemic, high flavor bars for energy on the trail, the stage or in the office. The Rowdy Bar is the first all natural energy bar in newly emerging prebiotic marketplace featuring Yacon Root.

“Our digestive health thrives only when we have both pro- and prebiotics,” explains Lee. “They strengthen our immune system, help us absorb more vitamins and minerals, and keep us revved and ready to go.” Each Rowdy Bar is made with 10 or fewer whole food ingredients and no artificial flavors. The bars are paleo-friendly, non-GMO, and free of gluten, soy and dairy. Rowdy Bars are available in Chocolate Coconut Cashew, Peanutty Dark Chocolate and Sunflower Butter N’ Berries. rowdyprebiotics.com ANIMAL CRACKERS Instead of reaching for a protein bar, now you can satisfy the kid in you and grab a bag of animal crackers. Good Zebra is a woman-led brand focused on disrupting the snack food industry. Founder and CEO Erika Szychowski wants to bring these tasty protein bar alternatives to briefcases and backpacks across the nation. Good Zebra animal crackers have 12 grams of protein but no refined sugar or artificial ingredients. The crispy, satisfying and fun snacks come in five flavors: vanilla, lemon, chai, peanut butter and chocolate. The snacks are packaged in a re-sealable zip-top bag for snacking on-the-go or at the office. goodzebra.com OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 33

WOMEN

Facing a gray divorce By Mala Blomquist and how much money is coming into the household. Understanding these expenses prior to the divorce proceedings begin gives you an advantage during negotiations. PRIORITIZE YOUR OTHER SPENDING Look at some of your “extras.” Are you paying monthly for a gym membership or classes that you don’t attend? Do you buy your morning coffee or lunch every day? Cancel that unused membership and consider making your coffee and brown bagging it and put the savings towards bills that need to be paid.

e are all used to the saying, “50% of marriages end in divorce,” but recent research pins the figure between 42%-45%. The main contributing factor seems to be that fewer people are getting married. Many are opting to live together instead of tying the knot. There is one demographic, however, where divorce rates seem to be on the rise, even doubling – for those over age 50. This phenomenon is known as the “gray divorce.” Divorce is painful for both parties but can be more difficult for women over 50. It’s especially hard if the woman has not been in the workforce for many years depending on their spouse’s salary or stayed home with children instead of advancing in their career. If you are faced with such a life-altering event, there are some steps that you can take right away to help ensure your financial stability moving forward. GET LEGAL AND FINANCIAL ADVICE Some couples try to forgo hiring an attorney to save costs and do the divorce paperwork themselves. This route may work if there are not a lot of assets, or if you both can agree 100% on how to divide things. If your situation is more complicated (if you believe that your spouse may have hidden assets or you need to figure out child support and spousal support), hiring a professional can often lead to a better outcome. FIGURE OUT YOUR EXPENSES List what your living expenses are (rent/mortgage, food, utilities) 34 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018

PROTECT YOURSELF If you are covered on your spouse’s health insurance, your coverage could be canceled. That may also apply to auto, home or life insurance if your spouse pays the premiums. See if your employer offers a plan or if you can stay on his health insurance until you can make other arrangements. Insurance brokers can assist in “shopping” coverage, at no charge to you because the insurance companies pay them. INVEST IN YOUR FUTURE If you are not already enrolled, talk to your employer about their 401(k) plan. If they don’t offer a plan, you can set up an individual retirement plan yourself. Both the IRS and U.S. Department of the Treasury has information on their website regarding individual retirement accounts including traditional and Roth IRAs. You can set up an IRA with a bank, financial institution, life insurance company or stockbroker. The point is to save as much as you can as soon as you can. BECOME MORE INVOLVED Investing in your time can be just as valuable as investing with your money. Women often become engaged in their community for personal support, while men participate for financial support, mentorship and networking. Utilizing your network can help you succeed in both your personal and professional life. Surrounding yourself with an active community and becoming more involved with areas outside your comfort zone can help keep you busy during and after a divorce, and create a support system that you can lean on in times of personal and financial stress.

“Overly blessed” entrepreneur creates supportive sports bra By Deborah Moon

n avid runner, dancer and yoga instructor, Elyse Kaye says being “overly blessed” in terms of breast size made it impossible to find a sports bra that supported her active

lifestyle. Fortunately, she had the support of her Jewish community when she decided to take on the challenge of developing a sports bra that enabled large-breasted women to exercise in comfort. “They have been the pillar of my growth, spreading the word and supporting me on this crazy journey from my synagogue to sorority legacy and camp friends,” writes Elyse in an email to Oregon Jewish Life. Elyse lives in the Bay Area and has cousins in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. “Hebrew Free Loans helped pay for the patent,” she adds. Elyse introduced Bloom Bras with a Kickstarter campaign in 2016, asking for $20,000 in seed money. She met the goal in 82 hours and ultimately raised $50,000 on the site. The name Bloom comes from her late paternal grandmother,

Frances Bloom Kaye Tartar, with whom she was close. Frances died of breast cancer, and Elyse says she got her love of food and travel – as well as her figure – from her. She later learned that her greatgrandmother Bloom sold corsets, a fitting ancestry for a bra developer. “I have tried every sports bra available in my size, and each one had its flaws – from making me feel like I was in a suit of Elyse Kaye armor, to having my girls right under my chin, to feeling like I was falling out of the bottom,” says Elyse in an email interview. “Plus, my body is constantly changing. I wanted a bra that was comfortable, breathable, adjustable, sexy and without awful underwire or Velcro. It was an engineering challenge, not a design flaw.” So she recruited a team that was up to the engineering challenge. Elyse not only partnered with NASA and shipping and packaging experts, but also with celebrity corset designer Camilla Huey. Huey’s Garment District atelier has produced designs for Oprah Winfrey, Adele, Cate Blanchett and Katy Perry. Elyse had spent 20 years working in product innovation for companies such as Black & Decker, HoMedics, Nine West, P&G and House of Marley before launching her own brand. Bloom Bras offers sizes 28D to 50K, so women can now find truly supportive and customizable workout bras that will make them look as good as they feel. “Most larger-busted women know all too well the day-to-day struggle of standard sports bras when working out,” notes Elyse in a press release. “Problem areas often include the dreaded uni-boob, painful chafing and those God-awful red lines underneath shoulder straps and around rib cages. One of the hardest pain points to deal with is that self-conscious feeling that comes with being 100% unsupported as she hits the treadmill or any topsy-turvy yoga pose.” The Bloom Bra uses state-of-the-art compression materials and cooling, moisturewicking power mesh combined with a reinforced front zipper to “lift, not squish.” Working like a shelf to lift the breasts rather than squash them, the Bloom Bra distributes weight throughout the back and sides rather than putting pressure over the shoulders and across the ribs, allowing for natural movement of the breast. The key to the Bloom Bra’s design is an adjustable “lifting strap and cinching cup,” making it perfect for women with one breast being larger/smaller than the other. For more information about Bloom Bras, visit bloombras.com. OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 35

WOMEN

FALL TRENDS TO FALL FOR By Tori Rosenblum

A NEW SEASON

means a new excuse to try your hand at the most fabulous fall trends. But if you’re someone who usually stays true to your own unique style, and shies away from the hot new fashions, then you’ll be interested in the most wearable trends of the season.

FASHION TIP: Color works well on simple and structured silhouettes. Without other distractions, the color does the talking.

BOLD COLOR

Fall means cooler weather and with that comes layers like statement coats, big knits and other outerwear. Don’t fade into the background in a classic black jacket. Choose a pop of color like an orange wool coat or a steel blue trench.

36 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018

LOVELY LAVENDER

Embrace the lighter side of fall with the must-have tone of the season, lavender. This soft purple hue is feminine, so try it in menswear-inspired silhouettes like a dress pant or a baggier blouse. Dark tones are the typical choice when dressing for fall, but this season it’s all about lavender.

FALL FLOWERS

Keep the freshness of spring flowers moving forward into fall with dark floral sweaters, pants or dresses. Look for darker hues that combat the femininity of the typical floral print. Layer a floral maxi dress with a leather jacket and a studded bootie. These masculine and feminine elements always play well together.

UNLIKELY PAIRS

Take a look in your closet and marry your classic stripes and plaids together. As long as the prints are different enough from one another, they’ll stand out against each other. Polka dots, gingham, ditsy prints – mix and match them all for a style uniquely you.

HELPFUL HINT: When pairing prints: choose patterns with the same colors.

ANIMAL PRINT

Nothing says confidence like animal print! This season, replace a pop of color with a pop of primal leopard print. These spots were all over the runways, and I’m loving this revival as leopard print is an eye-catching pattern for the new season. But treat these spots carefully. Be selective in only choosing one or two patterned pieces per ensemble.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 37

Lisa Glickman is a private chef and teacher who lives in Portland. She has made TV appearances on COTV in Central Oregon and appeared on the Cooking Channel’s “The Perfect Three.” She can be reached at lisa@lisaglickman.com. 38 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018

Embrace food restrictions and get creative By Lisa Glickman

very year I look forward to the end of summer when the temperature returns to comfortable instead of stifling. I can finally turn off the central air conditioning that my husband and I constantly fight about. I believe that just because it is 90 degrees outside, my home doesn’t have to feel like the inside of a meat locker! He argues that when the temperature outside is sweltering, 65 degrees inside feels perfectly comfortable. We end up in the same battle every summer, adjusting the thermostat when the other isn’t looking. Fall is also back-to-school time. Time to return to the weekly routine of drop-offs, pickups, tutors and practices. Our son always kept us running to keep up with his crazy routine. Not this year. For the first fall in 18 years, I will no longer have a schedule that pivots around my son. He is off to his new life at the University of Oregon (Go Ducks! Sniff, sniff ), and I am forced to face the reality of life without him around. No more 6 am breakfasts and daily sack lunches for me. For well over a decade, snacks, cookies and cold cereal were always staples in my house. Pancakes and cheese omelets were regular breakfast fare for my growing teenager, but not something I nor my husband need to indulge in on a routine basis. Lately, we have been eating a mostly Paleo diet of predominantly protein and vegetables. A Paleo diet excludes grains, gluten, dairy and sugar and has had a pretty dramatic effect on both of us. We have both lost some weight, find ourselves feeling more energetic and even sleeping a little better. Paleo recipes are easy the find on the web. I am actually embracing the restrictions and getting even more creative in the kitchen. I’m not about to say that pizza and ice cream will never cross my lips again, but I like the changes it has made for the two of us. I can indulge when my kid comes home for winter break … after all, a mom HAS to bake cookies when her kid comes home from college, right?

PAN ROASTED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH “CREAMY” PESTO SAUCE INGREDIENTS

2 cups raw cashews Boiling water to cover Kosher salt to taste 1/3 cup water, approximate VEGAN PESTO: 2 cups fresh basil leaves 2/3 cup toasted pine nuts 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast 3 tablespoons olive oil (light flavored) 3 tablespoons water Salt and pepper to taste 6-8 boneless chicken thighs (depending on size) 2 tablespoons olive oil Kosher salt Pepper DIRECTIONS

Place cashews in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit at least a couple of hours. Drain and place in a blender or food processor (I use my Vitamix to get it extra creamy) and add just a bit of water, about 1/3 cup. Process until the consistency is creamy, adding a bit more water if necessary. I like the consistency of thick cream. Add a touch of salt to taste. Place pesto ingredients in a food processor and blend to a paste. Add 1/2 cup pesto to cashew cream and blend. (Save remaining pesto for another use.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet to medium high on stove. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Sear chicken in hot pan until nicely browned on both sides, about 5-6 minutes per side. When browned, spoon creamy pesto over each piece of chicken. Place in oven and roast until thoroughly cooked, about 30 minutes. OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 39

NWNosh

Chef Sarah Schneider in high demand By Kerry Politzer

California-born chef Sarah Schneider took a circuitous route

to end up in Portland. After growing up in San Francisco, she moved here to attend culinary school, but soon found herself back in the Bay Area, where she worked at famed restaurant

Coast called her back, and she moved to

Portland three years ago to serve as sous

Sarah Schneider. Photo by Cheryl Juetten

chef at Renata.

Currently, Sarah reigns as the “kitchen queen” at The Night-

Foreign Cinema.

wood Society, a unique place that operates as both event space

Sarah says. She went on to hone her pastry skills at CatHouse

month, her talents were featured at two Feast Portland events.

“(Chef ) Gayle Pirie helped me develop my flavor profile,”

in Las Vegas and cook on a cruise ship. The chef then became

and community center. She is increasingly in demand; last

The woman-owned-and-operated Nightwood Society, which

an expert in whole-animal butchery, working at the famed

seats 72, hosts everything from bar mitzvahs (“We have two

open a restaurant in upstate New York. However, the West

camps. “We are an event space, so we are able to do a number

Marlowe & Daughters deli in Brooklyn, and she also helped 40 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018

coming up,” says Sarah) to cookbook launches, to kids’ cooking

of different things,” explains Sarah. “We have had weddings

and different community-building events … Nike might come in and have a class. We had a birthday party recently for a

gentleman’s 40th, and he wanted his family and friends to come in and cook different parts of the dinner. So we set up different stations, and everybody got to make pasta and cook fish and stretch mozzarella.”

Earlier this year, Sarah teamed with Kachka’s Bonnie Mo-

rales at the space to cook a giant Passover seder. “I made matzo ball soup, because that was always my job with my family. I

made brisket as well, really yummy, low and slow, smoked for eight hours and then braised for eight hours.”

Sarah was originally inspired to cook by her Jewish paternal

grandmother, who took her to Paris when she was 20. “She

showed me a new side of food and beverage and got me into

the idea of being a chef. I learned a lot of the tricks of the trade from my nana; schmaltz saved my life!”

When asked about her future plans, Sarah says, “People are

always coming up to me and saying, ‘Oh my goodness, what did you make, what is this, give me this recipe!’ One day we’ll get a cookbook out there.” She is also interested in spreading the concept of The Nightwood Society to other cities.

The Nightwood Society: 2218 NE Broadway, 971-236-2267, thenightwoodsociety.com OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 41

FRONT & CENTER

Celebrate art at ORA's 13th annual party and exhibit

By Deborah Moon

Wendelin Russell will be one of 24 juried artists displaying their creations at this month’s Celebration of Art at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center. In addition to being an artist herself, Wendelin is the secretary of ORA: Northwest Jewish Artists, which presents the 13th annual art party and exhibit in collaboration with the MJCC and Jewish Federation of Greater Portland. The party Saturday evening brings together ORA's talented artists, plus free food and beverage tastings. Partygoers can meet the artists and see and buy new and affordable art including photography, fabric, fused and stained glass, jewelry, paintings, pencil drawings, pottery, wood sculpture and quilts. ORA's 13th annual holiday art show continues through Sunday. With Hanukkah beginning Dec. 2, the show is an opportunity to find many one-of-a-kind holiday gifts. “We are all excited about the show this year,” says Wendelin. “Our membership has been steadily growing. We have new artists who will show. ORA truly helps artists to expand themselves.” “I would encourage any Jewish artist in the Northwest to consider joining – it is a very supportive group,” she says. Wendelin is also the coordinator of Jewish Arts Month held at the JCC every March. JAM is another opportunity for member artists to exhibit their work. A member of Congregation Shaarie Torah, Wendelin says she feels art offers her a special connection with her Judaism and God. “I experience art as a prayer – it is a visual prayer and experience,” she says, noting she primarily paints with acrylics but also paints ‘Light Writings’ on silk. “All my paintings have berakhah of shalom. My greatest desire is when one sees my 42 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018

paintings it allows a person to inhale and exhale deeply and allows the beauty to come in. It is very healing.” “Before I begin every painting, I place my hand on the canvas and say a little prayer,” she adds. Wendelin studied art and business at East Carolina University. “Although I paint abstractly, I enjoy pondering questions like: What if light had a language, what would it look like? What did the Hebrew letters look like as they were forming? How did the Siforet form and how did that look? I paint my landscapes in a way that looks meditative: Is the sun setting or

rising?” Recently, I have been playing with photography. I was inspired last spring when I went back home to the South Carolina beaches and walked along the shoreline at sunrise. Now I go to the Oregon coast and riverbanks and find sand images. I enlarge the prints and the sand begins to look like drawings. She invites the community to come to the Celebration of Art to see the diversity of creative expression that she and all her fellow ORA members will have on display.

Celebration of Art

WHEN: Party, 7-9:30 pm, Oct. 27; Exhibit, 10:30 am4:30 pm, Oct. 28 WHERE: MJCC 6651 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland ADMISSION: Free CONTACT: northwestjewishartists.org choosearttoday@gmail.com

Museums collaborate on Lodz Ghetto exhibits This fall, in partnership for the first time, the Portland Art Museum and Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education present Memory Unearthed (at PAM) and the Last Journey of the Jews of the Lodz Ghetto (at OJMCHE). Together, these exhibits offer an extraordinarily rare glimpse of life inside the Lodz Ghetto through the lens of Polish Jewish photojournalist Henryk Ross (1910-1991). Situated in the heart of Poland, the city of Lodz was occupied by German forces in 1939. More than 200,000 people were forcibly relocated and moved through the ghetto during its four years of operation. Upon liberation by the Red Army in 1945, only 877 Jews remained alive in Lodz Ghetto. Henryk Ross, confined to the ghetto in 1940, was forced to serve as a bureaucratic photographer, making official photographs for Jewish identification cards and images used as propaganda promoting the ghetto’s efficiency. At great risk to himself, Ross also documented the brutal realities of life under Nazi rule, culminating in the deportation of tens of thousands to death camps at Chelmno and Auschwitz. Hoping to preserve a historical record, Ross buried more than 6,000 of his negatives in 1944. Returning after Lodz’s liberation, he found more than half had survived, and he spent the rest of his life sharing the images. Some 125 of these photographs are included in Memory Unearthed, a visual and emotional meditation on a harrowing moment in history – one that points to the power of the photograph. “These powerful images reveal, as well as remind us, of the unfathomable suffering inflicted upon millions during World War II. It also confirms how essential museums are in our community, providing public forums for us to confront and learn about our shared humanity,” says PAM Director Brian Ferriso. “We are indebted to the courage of photographer Henryk Ross, and I am honored that the Portland Art Museum has the opportunity to partner with the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education on this significant exhibition.” The companion exhibition, on view at OJMCHE, explores Ross’ work in creating The Last Journey of the Jews of Lodz, published 1961-62 by S. Kibel Publishing, Tel-Aviv. This multi-language book about life in the ghetto is illustrated with his photographs.

Lodz Ghetto. Boy walking to deportation in a group, wearing cap, satchel and backpack, February 1944. Photo by Henryk Ross. ©Art Gallery of Ontario, gift from the Archive of Modern Conflict.

The exhibition features modern prints from Ross’ original negatives that juxtapose his official work for the ghetto’s Administrations Statistics Department with the clandestine images he shot of the real life of the ghetto; it also includes archival documents from the period in the Lodz Ghetto. The publication of The Last Journey of the Jews of Lodz came shortly after Ross testified at the trial of the Holocaust mastermind, Adolf Eichmann, at which Ross’ photographs of inflicted cruelties were presented as evidence. “Similar to the survivor testimonies in our oral history collection, Ross’ photographs transcend time and place,” says OJMCHE Director Judy Margles. “Using his camera as a tool of resistance, he emboldens the viewer to envision the complexity of human experience in the ghetto. ‘Normal’ activities such as birthday and wedding celebrations butt up against the misery of living in constricted space and the pain of separation from family members. We are grateful to be partnering with the Portland Art Museum on the presentation of these timely exhibitions.” Together, PAM and OJMCHE serve as the first West Coast venues for this critical body of work, and both will offer a full slate of exhibition-related programming through the run of the exhibitions. portlandartmuseum.org or 503-226-2811 | ojmche.org or 503-226-3600

EXHIBITS

Memory Unearthed: The Lodz Ghetto Photographs of Henryk Ross, Portland Art Museum Oct. 27, 2018-Feb. 24, 2019 The Last Journey of the Jews of Lodz Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education Oct. 9, 2018-Feb. 24, 2019 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 43

What started the “Fires in the Mirror”

FRONT & CENTER

Council; Lettie Cottin Pogrebin, a founding editor of Ms. Magazine; the New York City is a collection of neighborhoods Rev. Al Sharpton; and Carmel Cato, called home by diverse ethnic and cultural populathe late Gavin Cato’s father. When tions. In Crown Heights more than a quarter-cendistilled and edited, Smith produced tury ago, those cultural differences went up in a series of themed monologues titled smoke. "Fires in the Mirror.” On Monday, Aug. 19, 1991, a police escort was New York Times’ reviewer David leading a motorcade that carried Lubavitcher Richards called Smith “the ultimate Rebbe Menachem Schneerson back to his home impressionist: she does people’s souls.” in Crown Heights. All but the last car made it He added that Smith lays up “one idea through the intersection of Utica Avenue and Presat a time, one temperament at a time, Anna Deavere Smith. ident Street on the green light. Bringing up the rear builds up a rich panoramic canvas of a Photo by Mary Ellen Mark of the motorcade in his station wagon was 22-yearnational trauma.” old Yosef Lifsh. He may have been trying to beat But is it a play? To hip hop artist the light, but he suddenly swerved to avoid a vehicle on Utica David Rush, "Fires" is a post-modern work with no actual Avenue. The station wagon careened onto a sidewalk, then ran author. over two children at play. Gavin Cato, 7, was crushed and died. “Fires in the Mirror” does enunciate several themes, includHis cousin, 7-year-old Angela, was pinned under the car and ing identity – of being part of a whole (in a community or severely injured. Both were children of immigrant families from neighborhood) while still holding onto one’s “selfness.” Rivkah Guyana Siegal spoke about the requirement for married Orthodox Word of the accident spread with the speed of a grass fire. A women to cover their hair with a wig so as not to appear attraccrowd, mostly black teenagers, converged on the accident site. tive in public, and how that makes them feel separate. Rapper Some tried to lift the car off the kids. Others turned on the Monique ‘Big Mo’ Matthews said that women in the hip hop car’s driver. Soon the crowd morphed into a mob. culture need to not accept “being viewed as sexual objects.” What followed was four days and nights of racially fueled Ms. Magazine editor Letty Pogrebin said that “blacks attack rioting – blacks against Jews – and the aftermath. The initial Jews because Jews are the only ones that listen to them and NYPD response could not contain the cauldron of hate. By the do not simply ignore their attacks.” Rabbi Spielman says he time quiet was restored on Aug. 24, more than 1,800 police and believes “blacks lied about events surrounding the ‘murder’ of emergency responders had been called out. Yankel Rosenbaum, young Cato in order to start anti-Semitic riots.” an Australian student in Brooklyn, was stabbed and died. More Tigard-based writer J. Wandres lived in Park Slope, than 250 police and 38 civilians suffered injuries. Property Brooklyn, from 1969 to 1981. damage would be estimated at more than $1 million. Nine months later, playwright Anna Deavere Smith was compelled to find out what really happened in Crown Heights. She set out with a tape recorder to collect memories and interpretations. Smith interviewed personalities as well as anonymous witnesses Profile Theatre’s double season with Lisa Kron and who had been at that intersection. Among comments offered Anna Deavere Smith were those from Ntosake Shange, the African-American WHEN: 7:30 pm, Oct. 12-21; 2 pm, Oct. 20 and 21 playwright; Angela Davis, an advocate for African-American WHERE: Artists Repertory Theatre, 1515 Morrison St., Portland rights; Rabbi Joseph Spielman, who spoke for the Lubavitch TICKETS: $36; special pricing for students community; Rivkah Siegal, a Lubavitcher woman; Michael profiletheatre.org Miller, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations By J. Wandres

Fires in the Mirror

44 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018

YOUNG ADULTS

StandWithUs NW meets challenges of 2018-19 school year

jected in part or entirely, or it could be approved. (See box for excerpt from the statement from the UO president opposing the bill). That bill is what brought Chasen to the Fellowship. He says he “hopes to educate the student body on the facts and the positive impact Israel has on the international community. The conference better educated me and further connected me with Jewish students nationwide." When the initial vote passed 12-6 in the spring, Oregon Hillel Executive Director Andy Gitelson said, “Our kids did an amazing job … but many senators were set on passing From left: Matt Levin, SWU Pacific-Northwest Campus Coordinator at the this. The students put in a tremendous amount of work. Our August conference with SWU Emerson Fellows: Jackson Anderson-Kovacs, Oregon State University; Chasen Daniels, University of Oregon; and Moussa petition that we created in opposition to the resolution had Kone, Portland State University. 879 signatures on it; the pro-BDS petition had 73.” This fall, Chasen will join the effort to help ensure the resolution is rejected. StandWithUs Northwest Jackson Anderson-Kovacs says he wants to is poised to again meet the “bring a positive dialogue about Israeli culture challenges of the 2018-19 and history to Oregon State University and be a school year with its campus resource in defending our growing campus Jewish Emerson Fellows and High community from anti-Semitism.” School Interns. Portland State University’s Moussa Kone says he Both programs select joined the Emerson Fellowship “to be part of the and train 90 student leaders change that SWU wants to bring across the globe. from 90 schools throughout The BDS movement is huge at Portland State. I North America to educate want to bring more awareness of the issue." their peers about Israel. The Tigard High School’s Nicole Mazzeo says she SWU High School Intern Nicole Mazzeo, Tigard High Emerson Fellows also comSchool (left), and Carmel Alon, SWU Pacific-Northjoined to "grow myself, my advocacy skills and my bat anti-Israel rhetoric. The west High School Coordinator at the SWU August Jewish identity. … I am passionate about effectively conference. high school internship educating about and defending Israel in tough prepares students for the situations.” challenges they may face at university about Israel. At their respective August training conferences in Los Angeles, the students learned organizational, leadership and debate skills; how to run effective programs and form coalitions with other groups; how to counter boycott, divest, sanction campaigns and to use SWU's resources including the legal department and social media. One session explained when legitimate criticism of Israel crosses the line into anti-Semitism. The students also bonded with their new coordinators – Carmel Alon for high school and Matthew Levin for campus. Chasen Daniels, the University of Oregon Fellow, has an immediate challenge when he arrives on campus. Last spring, the UO student government passed a BDS bill. This fall the bill goes to the Law Com (judicial arm of the student government) to ensure that it meets the necessary criteria. It could be re-

Excerpt from UO President Schill’s statement on BDS resolution

The Associated Students of the University of Oregon recently approved a resolution in which they endorsed the boycott, divest, sanction (BDS) movement against Israel and resolved to prohibit the purchase of products from certain firms because of those companies’ presumed connections to Israel. The nonbinding resolution refers only to expenditures and purchases of the ASUO, and encourages the broader campus community to follow suit. Regardless of the relative merits of the Palestinian Authority and the State of Israel, it is important that all of us make every effort we can to avoid dividing our community along the lines of ideology, religion or national origin. To many Jewish people, myself included, the BDS movement not only seeks to criticize the policies of the current Israeli government, but also calls into question the very right of the State of the Israel to exist. As ASUO considers future legislative actions on behalf of the student body, I hope our student leaders will seek ways to band together in support of our common humanity. OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 45

ACTIVELY SENIOR

Culinary veteran gets things cookin’ Residents at Cedar Sinai Park will taste the difference as John Morris, CEC, becomes the senior care organization’s executive chef. Morris oversees food service and nutrition programs for the assisted-living, long-term care and rehabilitation facilities on the nonprofit’s Southwest Portland campus. European trained in classical cuisines, Morris brings more than 20 years of culinary experience from around the world to his new position. Originally from England, but no stranger to the Portland food scene, he has held positions as instructor at Le Cordon Bleu/Western Culinary Institute and corporate chef at Fargo Rose (Rose’s Restaurants and Bakeries). Most recently, he was executive chef and food services director at West Hills Senior Community. As Cedar Sinai Park’s top chef, Morris will be responsible for every culinary aspect for the more than 200 campus residents. While he will provide his skill and creativity to Cedar Sinai Park, he will also gain something from the organization – experience with a kosher kitchen. Cedar Sinai Park was founded 98 years ago as a home for Jewish elders. Today CSP serves people of all faiths, but its food and kitchen still adhere to traditional Jewish dietary laws. “I’m looking forward to exploring my creativity with kosher cuisine,” Morris says. “Even though there are strict rules around ways food must be selected and prepared, one needs to think of new and exciting ways to cook each item. Attention must be paid to every component that makes up a plate.” As the recipient of numerous awards and certifications, Morris is up to the job. The highly respected American Culinary Federation has honored him with lifetime certification as an executive chef (CEC), and Chefs of America voted Morris “One of America’s Outstanding Chefs.” Cedar Sinai Park CEO Marty Baicker cites the new chef ’s 46 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018

Cedar Sinai Park Executive Chef John Morris

extensive experience and says, “John will bring a fresh approach to our culinary services. He believes strongly in listening to the voice of his customers.” On his decision to cook for a community of seniors, Morris cites what he calls a “resurgence of understanding and respect for our elders today. They’re sophisticated diners. They know what good food is. They expect and deserve a fine dining experience, and that’s what I want to give them.” While his responsibilities are diverse, Morris looks forward to focusing on the 15 to 20 cooks he will oversee. Still the instructor, he plans to teach his cooks to take personal pride in the preparation of each dish. He says he has learned through his work and training that “you can prepare food healthily and nutritiously and still have it taste delicious.” Founded in 1920 as the Jewish Old People’s Home, Cedar Sinai Park is one of Oregon’s oldest and most inclusive senior care organizations. The southwest suburban Portland campus enjoys continued growth and broad community support. The organization encompasses the state’s largest assisted-living facility, Rose Schnitzer Manor; a newly completed post-acute rehab center, Robison Health and Rehabilitation; and Oregon’s first Green House model of family-style settings for long-term care, the Harold Schnitzer Center for Living. Cedar Sinai Park outreach programs include Sinai In-Home Care and Adult Day Services. The organization also provides housing with services for people with low incomes or special needs.

locate and help secure the well-being of these unserved survivors. The work is pressing, and

time is growing short, notes Kerry. Many are at risk for social isolation, depression, and other

physical and mental health conditions that often

stem from the atrocities they experienced during the Nazi era.

Specialized services for Holocaust survivors

must be recognized as a community priority, says Kerry. “We now have the opportunity to redeem ourselves by helping to make the last stage of

these individuals’ lives as comfortable as possible.” JFCS Director of Social Services Anthony An-

toville adds, “Most of our survivors spent decades living in societies where the message was ‘You

have no value whatsoever.’ So for people to care and invest in them is a remarkable experience.” Holocaust survivors enjoy socializing, dining and dancing during the Cafe Europa gathering on June 28 on the Portland Spirit. The social program meets monthly at different locations.

JFCS seeking Holocaust survivors

aantoville@jfcs-portland.org | 503-226-7079, ext. 121 | jfcs-portland.org/services/holocaust-survivor-services/

Each month, Portland-area Holocaust survivors gather for

Cafe Europa, a social program presented by Jewish Family & Child Service.

JFCS Development Manager Kerry Goldring, who runs

Active Independent Senior Living

of community is important for the aging survivors. JFCS pro-

RARE OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE NOW

Cafe Europa, says the chance to socialize, nosh and feel a sense vides services to 100 or so Holocaust survivors in metropolitan Portland, just half of the estimated 200 Holocaust survivors in

Oregon. The survivors currently being served range in age from 74 to 96 and most live under the poverty line. Most of the

survivors and refugees are eligible for JFCS services that in-

clude home care, emergency assistance, social events and help

accessing available reparations from the German government. Following an article about Holocaust survivor needs in

the Oregonian in May, JFCS received more than $72,000 in donations – $53,000 for their emergency aid fund for aging

Holocaust survivors and $19,000 to support Holocaust survi-

vor services including cooking, cleaning and home care to help seniors age in place.

With the local donations, JFCS has redoubled its efforts to

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Evolution of the bat mitzvah By Shuly Wasserstrom

he tradition of girls having bat mitzvah ceremonies in the United States is relatively new. Bat mitzvahs werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t customary until the 1960s, and it took until the 1980s for it to be commonplace for girls to read from the Torah. The Reform movement in the United States embraced the change early, and the Conservative movement slowly came on board. But most Orthodox communities still do not hold full bat mitzvah ceremonies for girls. The most widely recognized first bat mitzvah in the United States took place in 1922 for the daughter of Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, the founder of Reconstructionist Judaism. According to Ellen Eisenbergâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s The Jewish Oregon Story, the first recorded bat mitzvah in Portland was at Ahavai Sholom, a Conservative synagogue. Linda Potter celebrated her bat mitzvah in 1953. Next, Karen Sue Shulkoff became the

first bat mitzvah at the Reform Congregation Beth Israel in 1956. Lifelong Portland resident Eddy Shuldman became a bat mitzvah at Congregation Neveh Shalom in Portland in 1966. She says her bat mitzvah was at a time when Conservative synagogues were performing the ceremony for more and more girls. “I wasn’t allowed to read out of Torah, but was allowed to do aliyah and haftorah,” she says. Today in the Conservative movement, most girls read from the Torah. “It was really upsetting to older men in particular when the girls started being called up to the Torah. They would walk out of shul,” Eddy says of Neveh Shalom. She recalls her father telling her “so what, let them walk out,” even in regard to her own bat mitzvah ceremony. “Rabbi (Joshua) Stampfer was very positive and very supportive of it,” she recalls. Eddy remained involved at Neveh Shalom and now teaches bar and bat mitzvah students as they prepare. She’s been doing so for 30 years. Francine Abolofia became a bat mitzvah at Congregation Neveh Shalom in 1965. Her bat mitzvah story was featured in a 2013 exhibit at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, in which she was quoted recalling her mother asking Rabbi Stampfer, “Does my daughter need to do this?” He replied that if Francine wanted to do it, then the clergy would support her. Her ceremony was on a Friday night. She made a speech and helped lead the Shabbat service. She remembers that “her gifts weren’t as numerous or nice as those that her brother received from his bar mitzvah; perhaps they didn’t know what to get (because bat mitzvah was a new idea) or that a girl’s ceremony

LEFT: Francine Hodes (Abolafia) with her bat mitzvah cake (1965). ABOVE: Eddy Shuldman and her parents at her bat mizvah (1966).

wasn’t as important.” The white dress Francine wore for her bat mitzvah was on display at the museum for the exhibit. Eddy says she sees a lot of changes in the way students connect with their ceremonies today compared to when she and Francine had their ceremonies. “The movement in general is empowering kids to do more learning,” she says. “It’s more service proficient, possibly doing even a little more in-depth study.” For girls, this also helps establish a deeper connection to Judaism and dig roots in the community. “I think there’s been a little more effort in that regard,” she says. “It isn’t just asking kids to be involved in the one year they are training, rather they can understand that tzedakah or social justice requires commitment beyond this year.” Another noticeable change is the way the ceremonies are celebrated. Today, kids host large parties, often with DJs and extravagant gifts. Back then, a Friday night dinner celebration was more common. Invitations to the ceremonies were always formal, Eddy says. The main difference today is the spike in evite usage. “The bigger change of course now is everyone using the internet for invitations. They are more informal and leave room for more creativity,” she says. OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 49

BAR & BAT MITZVAH

Trending now By Mala Blomquist Planning for a bar or bat mitzvah can become practically a full-time job with all of the decisions that need to be made from the venue to the favors. We searched party planning sites, Pinterest and blogs to see what some of the hottest trends happening in celebrations for 2018 are. We are happy to share them with you in hopes that it helps inspire an idea for your child’s bar/bat mitzvah.

#MYMITZVAH Since everything “trends” on social media, why not assign a hashtag (#) to your bar/bat mitzvah. If you share this hashtag with your guests at the beginning of the event, it will make it easy to collect photos that people have taken after the event is over. Merely search Twitter or Instagram after the party for pictures tagged with that hashtag and save your favorites. You can even set up a screen where all the photos posted on social media with that hashtag are displayed in real time. This way guests can see their photos immediately and encourages them to use the hashtag.

BALLOONS: DECORATION OR SNACK? It seems like balloons have always been a mainstay in party decorating. Balloons are not going anywhere, and manufacturers are just getting more creative. Today, you can find them in all shapes and sizes. You can frame an entranceway with a traditional balloon arch, incorporate balloons into a garland or make them into table centerpieces. A unique twist is using lighted balloon columns as accents at each corner of the dance floor.

CREATING WITH COLOR The Pantone Color of the Year for 2018 is Ultra Violet. This trending color is striking and can be found in both natural and artificial decorating options. Flowers and succulents with purple undertones can be used in table arrangements, and everything from hanging paper lanterns to the frosting on the cake can be reproduced in this color. A new trend is to use color as a “theme.” The party can be tied together using a single color or a color palette. If you like the Pantone color for this year, you can modify it by using lighter shades of purple for a summer party, or a deeper, darker tone for a winter celebration.

50 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018

Did you know that you can make an edible balloon? By using a mixture of sugar, cornstarch, corn syrup, water, salt, gelatin to create the “balloon” and then adding helium, you can produce an edible decoration for your guests.

BAR & BAT MITZVAH

SAY “CHEESE” For entertaining guests, the photo booth has been a party staple for many years now, and the experience is becoming more high tech than just producing a strip of photos. Today’s photo booths can create shareable GIFs, video messages and slideshows. The latest craze to hit is a 360 photo booth. Guests can stand in a designated area, and a camera will shoot 360-degree photos. These photos can then be turned into a video and shared with your guests. Whatever option you choose, your guests will be able to upload their photos and videos and share them on social media (using your personalized hashtag).

FOOD FUN What’s a Jewish celebration without food? Interactive food buffets are a growing trend at bar and bat mitzvahs. You can set several snack buffets up and let guests choose their favorite item to nosh. Set up a bagel bar with a variety of sweet and savory cream cheese spreads; a nacho bar with tortilla chips and salsa, guacamole and cheese; a hot pretzel station with dipping sauces like mustard and nacho cheese or have a popcorn bar with flavored seasonings like grated cheese or cinnamon sugar. For more of a substantial meal, offer guests meat skewers with a variety of dipping sauces (eliminate dairy-based sauces for those that keep kosher) or for a meatless option, provide a pasta bar with variously shaped pasta, vegetables and sauces. The options for dessert are endless. Set up a sundae bar with ice cream, toppings and sauces; design your own doughnut with glazes and sprinkles; s’mores can be kicked up a notch by offering flavored marshmallows, milk or dark chocolate and assorted graham crackers. Or, go all out on an elaborate candy buffet.

S.W.A.G. S.W.A.G (stuff we all get) or party favors are a must at a teen’s celebration. The biggest trend in favors right now is personalization. Think outside of the traditional name or child’s initial. Use the hashtag you created or consider designing a logo for the event. Choose items that the guests will really use, like sunglasses, water bottles, beach towels, phone chargers, playing cards, etc. Hopefully, every time your guest uses the item, they will think back on the good time they had that day. OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 51

BAR & BAT MITZVAH

Bar mitzvah, journey of faith

By Rich Geller

father is thanking G-d for relieving him erhaps the most iconic of liability for any offenses committed ritual in Judaism, the bar by his son. While this sentiment may mitzvah is steeped in seem rather callous to contemporary meaning and tradition. For ears, it is an acknowledgement of the generations Jewish boys, and more boy’s independence from his father and recently girls, have heard the call his transition to adulthood. of the Torah and stepped up to the The bar mitzvah ceremony expanded bimah, ready to assume the mantle of over time to incorporate additional adult responsibility within the Jewish ritual elements. Along with the Torah community, just as their parents did reading and its attendant blessings before them. (aliyah), the maftir (concluding Torah Recently, while contemplating the reading) and the haftarah and their upcoming b’nai mitzvah (plural form of related blessings were added. The bar mitzvah) of my twin sons, I found mitzvah project so beloved today myself wondering how this ritual began had its origins in tzedakah given to and how it has changed over time. local charitable organizations by the Some of the answers I found along the parents on behalf of their son. Another way may surprise you. inclusion was the d’var Torah. The bar Despite the common perception that mitzvah boy expounds upon either the the bar mitzvah is a timeless rite of week’s Torah portion or some other the Jewish people handed down from point of Jewish theology or doctrine. antiquity, the Torah does not mention The bar mitzvah evolved again when bar mitzvah. The Torah tells us that Jews reached the New World. Initially the age of Jewish adulthood is 20, all Jewish congregations in the New because that was the earliest age that an World were traditional, or what we Israelite man could serve in the military might refer to today as Orthodox, and pay taxes. In Pirkei Avot or “Ethics as Reform had not yet emerged as a of the Fathers” in the Mishnah, 13 movement in Europe. By the midis designated as the age for learning 19th century, however, a large influx of the Torah’s 613 commandments or German Jews brought new strains of mitzvot. Some people consider this Judaism that were evolving in Europe. the reason 13 became the age for By the latter half of the 19th century, becoming a bar mitzvah. The Hebrew The author’s bar mitzvah party featuring Mr. Reform Judaism had become the term bar mitzvah translates to “son Jiggs the chimp was an example of over-the-top dominant branch of the Jewish practice of the commandments.” Bar mitzvah extravaganzas popular in the 1970s and 1980s. in America. Reform congregations is sometimes translated as “subject to began replacing the traditional bar mitzvah with a new ritual called the commandments,” because it is the age when a Jewish boy can confirmation. Modeled on the Christian ceremony, Reform Judaism fully participate in Jewish life and rituals. He has attained all the rights and responsibilities of being a Jewish man simply by virtue of held that age 13 was too early to be considered an adult; therefore, the ceremony took place at age 16. The bar mitzvah was deemed having turned 13. In addition, he is bound by the ethical precepts and teachings of the Torah. He can read from the Torah scroll, wear an atavistic holdover from the Old World. In emulating their Protestant neighbors, Reform Jews adopted confirmation as a more tefillin and be counted in a minyan. dignified, solemn and modern ceremony. Confirmation was also an The bar mitzvah ceremony originated in 13th century France; egalitarian occasion decades before the earliest bat mitzvahs, with however, it did not become prevalent across Europe until the 16th girls participating as equals alongside their male peers. century. It was then firmly entrenched within the Jewish life cycle. While confirmation may have eclipsed the popularity of the bar Initially, it was a simple, austere ceremony. The bar mitzvah boy mitzvah for a time, the trend in Reform circles after World War was called to read from the Torah, and the father placed his hands II gravitated toward a revival of ritual and aspects of traditional on his son’s head while reciting the following blessing: “Blessed be observance. Thus, the bar mitzvah, which never entirely disappeared, the One who has freed me from punishment because of him.” The

52 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018

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54 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018

made its triumphant return as the preeminent Jewish rite of passage. The return of the bar mitzvah in the Jewish life cycle, combined with postwar affluence, created the perfect storm in the form of the contemporary American bar mitzvah party. What had originated in Medieval Europe as a Kiddush and a light nosh at the home of the bar mitzvah boy expanded to become a festive meal in the boy’s honor. The rising prosperity of Jews in the 20th century ultimately led to opulent displays of conspicuous consumption. The phenomenon of the ostentatious bar mitzvah may have reached its zenith in the late 1970s and early 1980s as evidenced in the highly entertaining book Bar Mitzvah Disco, which takes a fondly nostalgic view of such overthe-top celebrations. My own bar mitzvah in 1981 was emceed by a performing chimpanzee named Mr. Jiggs, who wore a tuxedo, drank cocktails, smoked cigars, rode a small motorcycle and roller-skated among the guests while snapping pictures with a camera. Not exactly PETA approved, but it was a blast! The 20th century brought a shift in women’s fortunes. The roaring ’20s ushered in an era of sweeping social change that began in 1920 with the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote. With the confirmation ceremony already having established the precedent of a Jewish coming-of-age ceremony for girls, girls soon insisted on participating in Jewish life on equal footing with the boys (see article on the evolution of the bat mitzvah on following pages). The first recorded bat mitzvah took place in New York City, when Reconstructionist Judaism founder Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan’s daughter, Judith, became a bat mitzvah on March 18, 1922. Remarkably, my daughter Sela’s 13th birthday falls on March 18, 2022, exactly 100 years after Judith Kaplan’s historic bat mitzvah. The b’nai mitzvah offers young people a forum to express themselves and have their voices heard in a manner befitting their newfound adult status. My sons are studying with a tutor, Aaron Peterson, as they prepare for their b’nai mitzvah. Aaron says the bar mitzvah can help kids with their confidence and self-esteem. “Ideally, you want to give them that experience, just so they have it as part of their identity, of coming to adulthood and having the responsibility of leading the service and leading Torah chanting, that’s a big step. … I think it kind of hits them, ‘whoa, I’m actually in front of all these people, and showing them what I’ve learned, and I’m being given an aura of respect because of what I’ve done.’ It’s something that a lot of students don’t get to have as they grow up – a platform where they can give a speech where they state their opinion.” As I watch my children go through their b’nai mitzvah journey, I can’t help but marvel at the journey of the bar mitzvah itself. From its humble origins in Medieval Europe to grandiose extravaganzas, it has been a journey of faith. After nearly eight centuries, the one constant of the bar mitzvah is change. Yet no matter how the ritual has evolved over time, the essence of the original ceremony has been retained – that of marking the passage from childhood to adulthood. The bar mitzvah ensures the continuity of the Jewish people by passing the torch to the next generation. After all, it is said in the Talmud that “Whoever teaches his son teaches not only his son, but also his son’s son; and so on to the end of generations.”

BAR & BAT MITZVAH

Celebrating b’nai mitzvah in Israel By Teddy Weinberger

ou might be surprised to learn that egalitarian prayer services, including celebrations of bar/bat mitzvahs, continue regularly at the Kotel (Western Wall). Lost amid the controversy concerning the Government of Israel’s decision to renege on and then in late August partially restore its commitment to the "Western Wall compomise," is the fact that the egalitarian section of the Kotel continues to be open for business. Inaugurated in August 2004 and renovated in 2013 under then Minister of Religious Services Naftali Bennett, who named it “the area for all of Israel” (Azarat Yisrael), the prayer space hosts egalitarian prayer services on a regular basis. My friend David Ebstein has helped more than 1,000 families

celebrate a bar/bat mitzvah in Israel, almost all of them opting to hold the ceremony at Azarat Yisrael. David is an ordained Conservative rabbi and a licensed tour guide (israelbarbatmitzvah.com; davidebstein@gmail.com). I asked David to reflect on his wealth of experience with families celebrating a bar/bat mitzvah in Israel and to provide some helpful tips for people thinking of doing so. David works in partnership with his wife, Rena Magun (who formerly worked in Jewish communal service and Zionist education). What follows was written jointly by them. We never cease to be amazed at the magic that is created at b’nai mitzvah celebrations at Azarat Yisrael. Regardless of their knowledge base, the families

A girl celebrates her bat mitzvah at the Western Wall with Women of the Wall. PHOTO BY MIRI TZACH

we work with are lovers of Israel. They love walking through the narrow alleyways of Jerusalem’s Jewish Quarter, seeing the remains of Jewish resistance on Masada and sunbathing along the Mediterranean coast. They are certainly aware of the political situation here in Israel, and their ears are highly attuned to warnings about terror, but that is not the focus of their journey. Our b’nai mitzvah families are not here to make a statement. This 10-day trip is not a political act but rather a spiritual one. Much more than just another family vacation, for most of the families we work with this is an experience of a lifetime and part of a spiritual and educational pilgrimage. Crafting this magic takes clear thinking and planning. What follows are just a few tips that we have learned over the years: 1. The first step in planning your trip is to decide on your dates of travel. Once you have those selected, then choose your rabbi. Next, schedule the date of your celebration according to the rabbi’s availability. Then build the itinerary around that date. Sadly, many people build an itinerary first and then try to fit in the bar/bat mitzvah – only to find that the rabbi

they want is unavailable. 2. Try very hard not to hold your simcha the day after you land, as your child will be exhausted. However, do not wait until the end of your trip, as your child may be too nervous and unable to fully enjoy the journey beforehand. The ideal time for the bar/bat mitzvah is about one-third of the way into your trip. 3. Don’t let restaurants determine your schedule; there are scores of good restaurants in Jerusalem to choose from. If there is a conflict between the rabbi of your choice and a particular restaurant’s availability, go with the former. It’s not about the food. 4. If this is your family’s first time travelling in Israel, consider working with a licensed tour operator who will create an itinerary that is educationally sound. If you are on a budget, drop down a hotel star but don’t give up on the professional planning. It is the touring before and after the bar/bat mitzvah that will help to create a meaningful and fun trip for everyone. 5. Don’t wait until the last minute to begin teaching your child how to read Hebrew and to chant Torah. Give him/her plenty of time (at least a year) so that they are not pressured. Along with all of our colleagues in Israel, in addition to strengthening Jewish identity and marking a lifecycle event, our overall goal is to help you and your family create a lifelong relationship with Israel. We want you to get to know your homeland, have fun and be aware that you are not just a tourist – you are also a pilgrim on a spiritual journey. What better place to begin that journey than in Israel, the homeland of the Jewish people?

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 55

Students and parents check out a classroom in their new school during Maayan Torah's Ice Cream Social Sept. 2.

Maayan Torah starts year in new home By Deborah Moon

Maayan Torah Day School began the school year Sept. 4 in a new home – a dedicated school building with a host of indoor and outdoor amenities. Maayan’s new home at 2 Touchstone Dr. in Lake Oswego is a 12,270-square-foot school featuring large classrooms and dedicated space for a variety of uses including a lunchroom and performing arts stage. The 1.2-acre campus boasts a garden area, outdoor playground and basketball court. “Even before school started, kids and parents stopped by excited and curious about their new school," says Maayan Principal Aviel Brodkin. "Their eyes pop open wide seeing the garden, play areas and bigger classrooms. One family even redesigned our garden space for special toddler use.” “Eager students, little and big, volunteered to help over the summer, because they are so excited to call this place ‘my school.’ They like having a place to hang out and play ball after school, have personal lockers and grow things in our new garden. Having a school of their very own has meant more to them than we anticipated.” Maayan Torah launched in 2011 with one preschool class of 10 students. This year, 95 children from eight congregations are enrolled in preschool through eighth grade with a waiting list for preschool. The school is accredited for K-12 by AdvancED. In 2017, Maayan students averaged a combined 86.1% on Oregon standardized assessments of reading and math – 7.5% higher than the two closest public schools. “We are so excited about the new school,” says Maayan 56 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018

parent Jodi Garber-Simon, who, with her husband, Neil Simon, served on the committee to find a new site. “Maayan has really grown, and this new space will allow the students to have their own designated classrooms, a gymnasium, a stage for performances, multiple outdoor play spaces and room to grow more. The teachers will be able to decorate their classrooms.” Rabbi Kenneth Brodkin is the dean of MTDS. “Every year, we have had to turn away kids from the preschool, which is a feeder into the elementary grades,” he notes. With the larger space, he expects preschool and day school enrollment to continue their rapid growth. In addition to the school’s excellent secular education, he says families are attracted to Maayan’s values-based education and the strong Hebrew and Judaic programs. With more space and amenities, the school is poised to attract more families. Rabbi Brodkin says most of the current families live within 10 minutes of the new location, so they did not lose any students due to the move. For its first seven years, the day school had leased space from Congregation Neveh Shalom. Due to the combined growth of Maayan and Neveh Shalom programs, Maayan began to search for a new home in January. When the building then housing Touchstone School became available in March, school leaders, the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland and local donors stepped up to help Maayan win the bid for the lease over five other schools. “As we were looking for a new home, federation wanted to be engaged and help create a great solution,” says Rabbi Brodkin. “They are a great partner, and this would not have been possible

KIDS CALENDAR

Oct. 1, 2, 12 & 29

VACATION CAMPS AT MITTLEMAN JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER,

6651 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland for ages 3-11. Need something for your kids to do during school breaks? Keep them busy and having fun at the MJCC with sports, swimming, gymnastics, arts and crafts, games, and more! Kids must be potty-trained. Half-day: 8 am-1 pm; $30 ($25 members); full-day: 8 am-5 pm; $55 ($45 members). 503452-3436 or oregonjcc.org

Oct. 6 & 20

KIDDUSH CLUB AT CONGREGATION NEVEH SHALOM, 2900 SW Peaceful Lane, Portland at 10:15 am.

Join other families with children in grades K-3 for prayer, singing, conversation and fun followed by an indoor picnic style lunch. 503246-8831, nevehshalom.org

Oct. 9

STORYTELLING WORKSHOP WITH CASSANDRA SAGAN: Family Stories at Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for

Holocaust Education, 724 NW Davis St., Portland at 7 pm. This is the first in a three-part series that focuses on the art and craft of storytelling. The workshops can be taken independently and in this first workshop the focus is on Family Stories. $8 OJMCHE members, $10 general public. 503-226-3600, ojmche.org

Oct. 10

CHAI BABY + PJ LIBRARY INDOOR PLAYGROUND at

Mittleman Jewish Community Center, 6651 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland from 10 am to noon. For parents/caregivers and their children up to 5 years old. Play, meet friends, run, have a kosher snack, sing and listen to stories. Have a blast! 503-535-3555, oregonjcc.org

Oct. 11

Inspiring passionate learners PreK-12 Join us to learn more about our schools:

High School • HS Info Night, Thursday, Nov. 1 • Shadow Days through February Grade School • K-3rd Grade Q&A, Jan. 25 • Tours through February Find more details and register on our website. Limited space for non-resident students − enrollment request forms due Feb. 15. Teaching students to be thoughtful in their education, about each other, and for their community.

HIKE FOR THEIR HEALTH at Tryon Creek State Natural Area, 11321 SW Terwilliger Blvd., Portland at 4:30 pm. Hike to support Novel Interventions in Children’s Healthcare, a program of OHSU to reduce costs and improve care and health in our most vulnerable youth.

Oct. 26

FOURTH FRIDAY at Congregation Neveh Shalom, 2900 SW Peaceful Lane, Portland at 5:15 pm. Rabbi Eve Posen leads this interactive home service that welcomes Shabbat through song and stories. RSVP to Rabbi Eve at eposen@ nevehshalom.org

Oct. 30-Nov. 27

INFANT FEEDING SUPPORT GROUP at Mittleman Jewish Community Center, 6651 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland from 10 to 11:30 am. Connect with other nursing parents to share the joys and challenges of breastfeeding. Join the group if you are breastfeeding, formula feeding, pumping, bottle feeding, or supporting a breastfeeding parent. Get answers from Lara Greenberg, a board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC). Healthy snacks and activities for older siblings provided. 503-535-3555, oregonjcc.org

503-262-4847 • www.riverdaleschool.com Grade School • 11733 SW Breyman Ave., Portland High School • 9727 SW Terwilliger Blvd., Portland

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 57

without them.” JFGP Chair Ed Tonkin says he is proud of the role federation played in finding a new physical space for MTDS, one of three Jewish day schools in the community. “The community pulled together, and we were able to get Maayan Torah Day School into a beautiful property thereby ensuring a vibrant future for the school, which will allow it to grow even larger.” “The school had basically one week to put their bid in on the building,” says JFGP President and CEO Marc Blattner. “We recognized the need to raise funds (the school needed about $70,000 a year in commitments for the next five years from donors). Federation leadership and Rabbi Brodkin raised that money in two days. At same time, Ed called a special federation board meeting for the Jewish federation to serve as a guarantor (no funds needed) on the five-year lease. The board voted unanimously to serve as the guarantor. Two days later, Maayan Torah won the bidding process.” Rabbi Brodkin says the school has a five-year lease, the option to renew for a second five years and the first right of refusal on any sale of the building. “Neveh Shalom was such a fantastic space to start the school and to grow it, and we are so appreciative of the partnership we had with the synagogue,” says Jodi. “However, there is something so special about now having a school building all to ourselves – our own space where we can hang a sign out front and create the campus and atmosphere that reflects our school.” “Now we are at the stage where it is important to have our own space,” says Rabbi Brodkin. “I’m happy to be able to take it to the next level.” Fundraising continues to purchase technology, art supplies, science equipment, playground equipment and other supplies. 503-245-5568 | info@maayanpdx.org | Maayanpdx.org

Maayan Torah Day School began the new school year Sept. 4 in its new location at at 2 Touchstone Dr. in Lake Oswego. The ribbon cutting featured (from left) Rabbi Yerachmiel Kalter, director of Judaic studies and development; Principal Aviel Brodkin; State Senator Rob Wagner; Yossi Malka; Lake Oswego Mayor Kent Studebaker; Board President Sandy Katz; State Representative Andrea Salinas; and Rabbi Ken Brodkin.

58 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018

Team Oregon has successful trip to JCC Maccabi

By Lenny Steinberg

From Aug. 5 to 10, 16 athletes and artists traveled to Southern California to participate in the 2018 JCC Maccabi Games and ArtsFest to represent Team Oregon. They joined 3,047 athletes, artists, coaches and delegation heads as they marched into Santa Ana Stadium in Orange County, CA, on Aug. 5 for Opening Ceremonies, more than at any other Opening Ceremonies in 36 years of JCC Maccabi. They entered banners waving, brimming with hopes and dreams of the competition and showcase to come. To the sound of raucous cheers and near-constant applause, they marched in, delegation by delegation, from 69 JCCs across Canada and the United States, Panama, Israel, Mexico and the United Kingdom. “During Opening Ceremonies, when I saw how many Jewish people came out to be a part of JCC Maccabi, I felt extremely proud of my Jewish heritage,” says Evan Horwitz, a member of Oregon’s 14u (under 14) Boys Basketball team. The competition was fierce but spirited. Pride in achievement was coupled with grace in both victory and defeat. Chests swelled in the face of dazzling musical talent, poetry in motion through dance and the creation of inspired works of art. JCC Cares, an opportunity for participants to enhance their experience by taking a few hours out of their daily schedule to partake in a community service project, found every artist and athlete working hand-inhand with peers from local organizations. And all along the way came magical hang-time moments, each one strengthening the ties between North American Jewry and the state of Israel. It was a remarkable experience for these 16 athletes and artists, and many are coming home having experienced great success in their skill or sport. Our teens came to compete, perform and meet new Jewish friends and, most importantly, to have fun! We are so impressed with our delegation and all of their accomplishments during the week. Here are some of the highlights: Gold Medal - 16u Boys Baseball 8 Gold Medals – 16u Boys Track and Field Silver Medal - 16u Boys Lacrosse Bronze Medal - 14u Boys Soccer Bronze Medal - Table Tennis Singles Bronze Medal - Table Tennis Doubles Incredible performance at ArtsFest in Rock Band If you are interested in getting involved next summer for the 2019 JCC Maccabi Games and ArtsFest, contact me, Lenny Steinberg, at 503-535-3555 or lsteinberg@oregonjcc.org.

Ehud Barak to speak on Israel at 70

L iving

By Deborah Moon

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Israel have shared a journey over the past 70 years. Born on a kibbutz six years before Israel became a state, Barak has memories of all of Israel’s wars – playing important roles in many – and has helped shepherd the country through challenges and accomplishments that have led it to become one of only 36 nations admitted to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Barak says OECD members are nations with advanced economies and open societies. “We are the Start Up Nation – a powerhouse for creative thinking with an economic system for innovation and advancement,” he said in a telephone interview with Oregon Jewish Life in mid-August. The soldier, politician and statesman recently released his memoir, My Country, My Life: Fighting for Israel, Searching for Peace, which he says reflects the fact that “My story is the story of country.” This month he is coming to the United States to share the story of Israel at 70 with Portland’s Jewish community. He emphasizes this appearance is not part of a book tour – he is coming specifically to enhance Portland’s celebration of Israel at 70. “Our community is honored to have Prime Minister Ehud Barak join us for our annual Gala,” says JFGP CEO and President Marc N. JFGP Gala Celebration 2018 Blattner. “This event highlights the generosity FEATURING: Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak speaking on “Israel at 70” of our Jewish community as well as celebrates WHEN: 7-10 pm, Oct. 14 Israel’s 70th birthday. The Jewish Federation is WHERE: Mittleman Jewish Community Cenproud to bring one of Israel’s greatest leaders to ter, 6651 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland Portland for this historic night.” INCLUDES: Appetizer reception, cocktails Speaking in August, Barak said many issues and dessert are brewing that he will address while he is in TICKETS: $118 per person at jewishportland. Portland. He will have up-to-the-minute reports org/gala or 503-245-6219 on issues such as the situations in Syria and Gaza, control of the Orthodoxy on civil life and the recent passage of the Nationality Law. He plans to end his Portland talk on an optimistic note, reflecting on all that unites the Jewish people in Israel and the United States. “When Israel was very young, decades ago, we needed every Jewish voice to repeat what the Israeli government said,” says Barak. “But nowadays, we are strong enough to debate issues.” “We have different views… we should not be so worried about disputes,” he says. “Israel is metaphorically the government of Jews around the world. So we need to listen to Jews around the world. … They deserve to be respected as Jews. There is a need for tough debate; it helps the irreplaceable bond between us.” While Israel as a whole has developed a strength and confidence that enables it to accept and thrive in the face of divergent views, it has become an especially confident player in emerging technologies. OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 59

L iving

Barak now plays an active role in Israel’s high-tech sector and is involved in several Israeli start-ups, primarily in the cyber and public safety fields. With a bachelor’s degree in physics and mathematics from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and a master’s in engineering-economic systems from Stanford University, he fits smoothly into the world of Israeli innovation. “It is very satisfying and refreshing to deal with young people who are so eloquently fluent and confident in these new areas,” says Barak. The strength and confidence of Israel makes its 70th birthday a true celebration. And the support of the Jewish people around the world and of the Jewish federation system make them fitting partners in the celebration, says Barak. “We are now at a good point in our life to look back,” says Barak, noting that looking back really extends to 50 years before the founding of the state, when the First Zionist Congress called for the creation of a homeland for the Jewish people in Eretz-Israel. “I will discuss our achievements and challenges.”

EHUD BARAK Ehud Barak has served Israel as a soldier, statesman and entrepreneur. Before entering politics, he completed an illustrious 36year career in the Israeli Defense Forces. His parents signed a release enabling him to enlist in the IDF before turning 18. He led a commando unit in the 1967 Six-Day War, commanded a tank battalion during the Yom Kippur War and led Israel’s elite anti-terrorist unit for many years. As IDF chief of staff, he was involved in the negotiation and implementation of the 1994 peace treaty with Jordan. When he was, as he says, “called into politics by Rabin’s assassination” in 1995, he was the most decorated soldier in the IDF’s history. A global statesman, Prime Minister Barak’s government was devoted to the peace process. In May 2000 he ordered the withdrawal of the IDF from South Lebanon, ending 18 years of Israel’s presence there. With the participation of President Bill Clinton, he led efforts to negotiate peace agreements, first with Syria and later with the Palestinian Authority. As Israel’s 10th prime minister, Barak led the country out of prolonged recession and into an economic boom, with 5.9% annual growth, record foreign investments, near zero inflation and significantly decreased external debt.

60 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018

Heritage tour to explore art, culture and Jewish life

By Deborah Moon

Whether you have ancestral roots in Italy or Northern Europe or are interested in the history or culture of either region, a Jewish cultural tour this spring could be just the ticket. Two Jewish University of Oregon faculty members will lead participants on the April 30-May 14, 2019, tour “From Rome to Riga: Jewish Culture and Diaspora in Europe” on an exploration of Jewish life in Italy and Latvia, both historic and modern. The trip is open to all adults, though participants must be members of the UO Alumni Association, which is open to all for an annual fee ranging from $30 to $55. “This gives the breadth of Jewish experience in Europe in two very different situations,” says Eric Benjaminson, whose family roots are in Latvia. Eric was an American career diplomat from 1982 to 2013 before becoming UO’s senior advisor for global partnerships. In 2000 he took his father, who was born in South Africa, on a carefully researched tour of the

Eric Benjaminson’s father stands on the site of his father’s house in Kuldiga, Latvia; the house was destroyed in World War II.

family’s hometown in Latvia. He also was the history lecturer on two National Geographic cruises, one of which was to the Baltic countries including Latvia. Lisa Calevi moved to Florence to study renaissance art history and lived in Italy for 14 years. For several years, including after she came to the University of Oregon to earn her Ph.D. in art history, she led Jewish heritage tours in Italy. Though her own roots are in Eastern Europe, she has a deep connection

PREVIEWS

Eric Benjaminson

Lisa Calevi in Fernzi, Italy.

to Italy that extends beyond her love of Italian art and culture. Her Italian husband’s father showed her their family tree tracing to the 1500s and told her he believed the family were Jews forced to convert. Calevi means house of Levi. As the assistant director for institutional relations at Global Education Oregon, the UO study abroad office, Lisa stopped by Eric’s office to welcome him when he joined the program. The two discovered a shared passion for studying and exploring Jewish life in Europe. When Eric was developing a syllabus for a proposed UO class on Baltic Jewish life, Lisa persuaded him the lecture would be much better if it were delivered in Latvia. And with that the two began planning what has become the tour from

Rome to Latvia. “In many ways it is like we are taking friends and family to places that have great memories to us,” says Lisa. “These places carry a certain degree of emotion; we want to weave in the personal where it is relevant.” Lisa has maintained an extensive network in the ghetto in Venice and has arranged for a musical event during the tour in an area normally closed to the public. “The goal is not to show the superficial but to go underneath – to meet people who have lived this reality,” she says. Lisa last led a heritage tour to Italy five years ago and is looking forward to seeing the new national museum of Italian Judaism. “It’s the first time I’ll get to see it,” she says. Eric says that in recent years the Latvian government has been very open about delving into the nation’s role in World War II. Eric was one of several Jews with roots in Kuldiga, Latvia, who the town invited to help determine what to do with the town’s synagogue since no Jews live there now. The Nazis had used the synagogue as an armory, so it was not destroyed in the war. The visitors recommended keeping the architecture intact and using it as a library with a museum. Eric says the Latvians were very respectful of the visitors and the building and adopted the recommendation. “If people on the trip have family from Northern Europe, this trip is a placeholder – Latvia and Poland had the same experience in wartime and post war,” says Eric. “Pre-war, the Jews and Latvians had 300 years of normalized relations. They were much more integrated than we think.” During World War II, 90% of Latvia’s Jewish population perished. The tour will look at both pre-war and post-war Jewish life in Latvia. “Many Jews now in Latvia came after World War II from Russia,” says Eric, who notes his wife, who is from Russia, will serve as a translator on that part of the tour.

uoalumni.com/rometoriga2019

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 61

Departing Chaitons leave legacy of learning the progenitor to Maimonides Jewish Day School. Rabbi Yosef Chaiton has a reputation for “She is the reason my kids love Judaism,” putting a positive spin on everything. Even the said Rosenberg, whose three children now are weather. young adults. “She always brought warmth and He and his wife, Rochel, recently relocated to love and creativity to the classroom, and it was Las Vegas after 32 years in Portland. They leave impossible not to love her” (and her challah and behind a legacy of advancing Jewish education eggplant salad, too). and learning across all denominations and Moshe Wilhelm – who came to Portland among the unaffiliated, joy in their work and two years before the Chaitons – is credited with general positivity. bringing the rabbi to Portland. Devora Wil“Let’s put it this way,” Rabbi Chaiton said in helm, wife of the Chabad patriarch, organized a a phone interview from his new home in sizbittersweet farewell for the Chaitons. Maimonzling Las Vegas. “I got a very warm welcome.” ides hosted the Aug. 5 open-mic event attendRabbi Chaiton demurs when asked how ed by 200 people. Rabbi Yosef Chaiton many students – children and adults alike – he Chaiton knows his Portland-based resume had in his 32 years in Portland. "Some say it's a is long and distinguished – teaching across the generation and a half of students, but I don't know." Jewish community regardless of affiliation, shoring up Portland A grandfather whose son lives in Las Vegas with his young Area Jewish Educators (PAJE, a Jewish Federation of Greater family, Chaiton, 53, said an opportunity to help expand Vegas’ Portland program), and helping Jewish educators themselves burgeoning Jewish community via Chabad of Southern Nevada grow in their own profession – but the farewell event was a bit was the catalyst for his and Rochel’s move. overwhelming. He is assistant principal for the elementary school at Desert “It was amazing for us,” Rabbi Chaiton said. “We didn’t realTorah Academy, a school of about 325 students in pre-kinderize the impact – and the continuous impact – we’ve had on the garten through high school. Rochel is teaching the academy’s community over the years … both directly and indirectly.” 4-year-olds. Melissa Bloom, who was featured in a “thank-you” video “They were looking for someone to help foster growth,” shown at the farewell event, said what seems to be on many Chaiton said. Jewish Portlanders’ minds, “I wish you both a lot of luck in According to Portlanders who benefited from all he accomVegas, because I know you’re going to win big there.” plished, Chaiton is the right rabbi for the job. “Whether you spent two minutes or 30 years with Rabbi Chaiton, you gained something,” said Susie Gouz, a Congregation Neveh Shalom member who’s known the Chaitons for three decades. Gouz’s kids, at ages 6 and 8, won a raffle to attend Camp Maimonides Jewish Day School in Southwest Portland Gan Israel, which Chaiton had helped establish in Portland. announces Oregon’s second annual Hanukkah essay contest. After their first experience there, “the camp became a regular Oregon students in third to sixth grades are encouraged to part of our summer,” and now all three grandkids attend, she write an essay of 150 words or fewer about “What Freedom said. Means to Me.” The Jewish Federation of Greater Portland is a Chaiton prepared Steven, now 36, for his bar mitzvah. As the contest partner. service concluded, Gouz recalls that then-senior Rabbi Daniel A winner will be selected for third-fourth graders and Isaak remarked, “He was flawless.” fifth-sixth graders. Submit essays via email between Oct. 22 Keith Berne of Congregation Shaarie Torah has been friends and 5 pm, Nov. 25, to Office@PortlandJewishSchool.com. Put with the Chaitons since 1990. He and the rabbi taught in “Hanukkah Essay Contest 2018” in the subject header. Include Shaarie Torah’s high school for 10 years, and Berne substituted the student’s name, age and grade, and the school’s name and in some of rabbi’s classes at Portland Jewish Academy, where phone number. Chaiton taught for 21 years, part of which time he was director Winners will be announced Nov. 29. Winning students will of Hebrew and Jewish studies. be invited to read their pieces at the annual Menorah Lighting “It was so clear he was so dedicated to the continued success Ceremony at Director Park in downtown Portland the first of the Jewish people,” Berne said. “Whatever he could (do), he night of Hanukkah, after sundown on Dec. 2. Winners also did for the love of the Jewish people.” receive a hoverboard. Rochel, whom Gouz describes as “the quiet bundle of energy Award-winning Jewish children’s author Eric A. Kimmel in (Portland’s Jewish) community,” also made a huge impact. and Oregon’s Poet Laureate Kim Stafford both endorse this Kim Rosenberg says Rochel taught preschool for two of her year’s writing exercise. three children when they attended the Aleph Bet Day School, By Jenn Director Knudsen

Hanukkah essay contest announced

62 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018

Kahns to be honored for enriching community

the Western Trial Lawyers Association (president 1972-73). He was elected to the Oregon State Bar Board of Governors (1986-89). He served as president of the Oregon State Bar Judith and Garry Kahn’s commitment to community will (1988-89). Garry was appointed by Governor Barbara Robbe recognized this month when they receive the Rabbi Joshua erts as a Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge in 1991. He Stampfer Community Enrichment resigned after two years, returning to Award. The Kahns are well known private practice. Since retiring in 2016, throughout the community for the Garry has represented clients referred many roles they have played in both by Oregon Legal Aid Services on a pro religious and secular circles. bono basis. The Rabbi Joshua Stampfer CommuIn the 1980s, the Kahns sponsored nity Enrichment Award was initiated a 12-member refugee family from by Dr. Merritt Linn (z”l) in 1999 to Vietnam, providing shelter in their own honor Rabbi Stampfer on the 50th home until housing and work could anniversary of his ordination. The award be found. They continue to work with is sponsored by the five organizations international refugee programs as well Rabbi Stampfer helped establish: the as Meals on Wheels. Institute for Judaic Studies, the OreGarry and Judith Kahn Married in 1959, Judith and Garry gon Jewish Museum and Center for have four children and 10 grandchilHolocaust Education, Camp Solomon Schechter, the Harold dren. They believe their offspring have become mensches, as Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies at Portland State evidenced by their sense of “giving back to the community.” University and Congregation Neveh Shalom, where he served This is a Dor l’Dor family, as one generation teaches the next. for 40 years. The award honors an individual(s) or organization that has enriched Jewish culture, educational and/or community life with the dedication exemplified by Rabbi Stampfer. The honoree(s), chosen by a committee of past awardees and the five organizations noted above, can be Jewish or non-Jewish, living HONOREES: Judith and Garry Kahn WHEN: 6 pm, Oct. 25 or deceased, and can be recognized for lifetime achievement or WHERE: Congregation Neveh Shalom for a specific project. COST: $60 includes dinner Judith Kahn, a Portland native, says her focus in life has RSVP: meverett@nevehshalom.org or 503-293-7318 always been family and community. She holds a degree in teaching ESL and Spanish. In addition to her teaching career, Judith was the administrator for Camp Solomon Schechter for six years, the program director for USY and the Shabbat Club Jewish Book Celebration begins Nov. 4 at Neveh Shalom, and the executive director of the Oregon The eighth annual Many Stories, One Community: Portland Jewish Book Celebration begins with a focus on one Chapter of the American Jewish Committee. book: The Book Smugglers: Partisans, Poets and the Race to Save She served as president of the Portland/Ashkelon Sister City Jewish Treasures from the Nazis by David Fishman. Program initiated by Portland’s City Hall. She also chaired The Book Smugglers is the true, nearly unbelievable story Portland’s Jewish Federation Partnership 2000 with Kiryat of ghetto residents of Vilna, who rescued thousands of rare Malachi and Hof Ashkelon. Together, she and Garry particibooks and manuscripts and cultural treasures – first from the pated in Sar-El, the National Project for Volunteers in Israel. Nazis and then from the Soviets – by hiding, burying them With her deep love of education, Judith served on the Board and smuggling them across borders. The Book Smugglers will of the Jewish Education Association and was co-president of be featured in November and January. The book celebration the Melton Jewish Education Board, receiving the Song of continues in March 2019 when the Mittleman Jewish ComMiriam Award in 2014 for her work with that organization. munity Center hosts three authors. She now serves on the education committee on the board of the On, Nov. 4 at 4 pm Neveh Shalom hosts a Pages and Pixels Institute for Jewish Studies. A perpetual student, she continues Book and Film Discussione. Discuss The Book Smugglers then to study at PSU. view the 2011 film Aftermath (Poklosie), a fictional account Garry Kahn was born in San Francisco. The family moved to of a real event in a Polish town in 1941 and its aftermath in Portland in 1945. After graduating from Grant High School, the present. kgoldhammer@nevehshalom.org Garry spent three years in the U.S. Marine Corps. Back in At noon, Nov. 8, join a Brown Bag Lunch Discussion with Portland, he attended PSU and Northwestern College of Law. Rosalyn Kliot at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Garry’s career as a trial lawyer spanned 54 years, during Holocaust Educationd. Rosalyn share her story, from Vilna which he volunteered in various capacities including many and Lodz, to Oregon. ojmche.org committees of the Oregon State Bar. He was active in the oregonjcc.org/arts-culture/jewish-book-celebration. Oregon Trial Lawyers Association (president 1968-69) and By Priscilla Kostiner

Rabbi Stampfer Community Enrichment Award

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 63

L iving

SOUL BOXES – Fourteen members of Jewish Federation of Greater Portland’s Women’s Philanthropy group came together to participate in the Soul Box Project, a national community art project raising awareness about the gunfire epidemic. The women including (pictured) Emily Benoit and Tamar Davis made 113 boxes. The hand-folded paper boxes each represent a person killed or injured by gunfire in the United States since 2014. The first large-scale installation of 36,000 Soul Boxes – representing the average number of people shot every year in the U.S. – will be displayed at the Oregon State Capitol on Feb. 15, 2019. Leslie Lee, local visual artist and Soul Box founder, has a vision for 200,000 boxes to be on the National Mall by 2020. soulboxproject.org

ISRAELI TECH FOR GOODWILL – Lior Vaknin spoke at the University of Oregon May 31 as part of his tour to promote Israel in all 50 states. In June 2017, Lior left his job at Israeli Startups NYC when he saw the increase in anti-Israel and anti-Semitic incidents around the country. He left his New York apartment, bought an RV and began his tour to share with local communities how Israeli tech can help us present Israel in the best way possible. He anticipates he will finish his self-funded tour next summer. You can support his mission at vakninlior.com/50states. 64 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018

FACES & PLACES

OREGON TEENS IN ISRAEL – Oregon teens at the NCSY Summer Program Celebration in Israel were from left: Eli Brenner, Ross Holmes, Ari Becker, Max Cullen, Talia Rosenbloom, Elianna Spilman and Sara Berkovich; and not pictured Elana Welter, Moriah Berkovitch, Indigo Paris, Rivka Zigman and Eliel Saffran. A dozen Oregon teens were among the participants from 32 states, Canada, United Kingdom and Israel at the Orthodox Union’s Yom NCSY, a record event with 2,500 summer program participants from the full Jewish religious spectrum.

A TEMPLE GROWS IN BEND – Temple Beth Tikvah in Bend celebrated its 10th anniversary in late May. TBT is Central Oregon’s only Reform Jewish congregation and welcomes Jews by birth and Jews by choice. More than 80 families connect, learn and grow through Shabbat services, tot Shabbats, Shabbat@home dinners, adult education, Torah study, social action, Sunday school, Hebrew school, bar/bat mitzvah training, family picnics, Havdalahs with a maven and more. Rabbi Johanna Hershenson is the congregation’s spiritual leader. The congregation now meets at First Presbyterian Church, 230 9th St. in Bend. Bethtikvahbend.org

MR. MEZUZAH — Kenneth Helphand curated this summer’s exhibit of the mezuzah collection of his parentsin-law, Elaine and Norman Winik, who bequeathed the collection of 169 mezuzahs to the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education in 2017. Helphand, the Philip H. Knight professor of landscape architecture emeritus at the University of Oregon, turned his research skills to mezuzot in order to identify the era and source of many of the mezuzahs the couple collected on their numerous visits to Israel and other Jewish communities. Upon Thy Gates, was in the Solomon and Rosalyn Menashe Gallery June 7-Sept. 23.

FACES & PLACES

CSP ROSE FESTIVAL – Cedar Sinai Park residents kicked off their annual Rose Festival with a 1950s’ diner-themed barbecue in June. Life Enrichment Team members, from left, Phoenix Barrow, Heather Sprinkle and Sarah Whisenhunt pose in front of one of the classic cars on display launching the “Through the Decades” Rose Festival celebration at CSP. CSP’s celebration also included selecting a CSP Rose Court. Steve Madsen was crowned king and Mavis Pfeiffer was crowned queen at the coronation at the Harold Schnitzer Center for Living.

NATURE IS ART FOR THE SPIRIT – Jordan Ackerson ws the featured artist of the month for August at The Trainer's Club in Lake Oswego. A member of P’nai Or member who has visited Israel on Birthright, Jordan brings unique eye for detail to his iPhone photo exhibit is entitled "Nature is Art for the Spirit." The exhibit reflects his love for all aspects of nature.

VOLUNTEERS CELEBRATED: This year the Jewish Women’s Round Table honored 21 women volunteers at the 26th Annual Song of Miriam Awards Brunch June 3 at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center. From left, honorees are (front): Gabrielle Williams, Liz Jacobs, Becky Eiseman, Jill Slansky, Rebecca King, Marcia Lancaster; (middle) Paula Krane, Basha Rothstein Brewer, Amy Blauer, Jennifer Coury, Chris Coughlin, Nancy Fruchtengarten; and (back) Ellyce Whalen, Melinda Holtzman, Debra Frank, Stacey Oller, Harriet Cooke, Miriam Lambert, Jennifer Kalenscher, Lynn Gelber and DeBi Strode. Since the first Song of Miriam Awards were presented in 1993, JWRT and its participating organizations have honored more than 400 women for their extraordinary volunteer contributions. For more information in this year’s honorees visit orjewishlife.com/2018-som/.

FUN AT COMIC CON David, Barkley and Dane Saltzman at Rose City Comic Con in Portland. " I'll never grow up" says David.

OJMCHE HONORS REFUGEES – New U.S. citizens, family and friends celebrate after a naturalization ceremony held at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education on June 20. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Portland Field Office conducted a naturalization ceremony to highlight World Refugee Day, which brings attention to the approximately 14 million refugees throughout the world. OJMCHE is currently displaying photographs from the Immigrant Story series "Who We Are," an exhibit honoring Muslim women in our community. The Immigrant Story is a volunteerled nonprofit organization based in Portland that documents and archives stories of immigrants. Photos by Paige Stoyer of The Immigrant Story OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 65

Through Dec 20

OCTOBER CALENDAR

“Witness: Themes of Social Justice in Contemporary Printmaking and Photography from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation” exhibit at Hallie Ford Museum of Art at Willamette University, 700 State. St., Salem. Drawn from one of the legendary contemporary print collections in the United States, “Witness” explores issues of race, identity and social justice in contemporary printmaking and photography. 503-370-6855, willamette.edu/arts/hfma/exhibitions

Oct. 1-31 Monthly Mitzvah Project at Mittleman Jewish Community Center, 6651 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland. Each month, the MJCC and PJA communities collect items for different area organizations in Portland. In October, they will be collecting Thanksgiving foods for Jewish Family and Child Services (JFCS). Items may be dropped off in the blue bin in the MJCC Lobby near the Member Services Desk. 503-535-3555, oregonjcc.org

Oct. 3, 17, 24 & 31 Israeli Dancing at Mittleman Jewish Community Center, 6651 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland from 7 to 8 pm. Fun Israeli folk dance class. All levels are welcome. Six people needed to run class. $100 Members + Guests. Drop-in Fee: $15 per class. Register at oregonjcc.org/registration.

Oct. 4, 11, 18 & 25 Introduction to Judaism Course at various local synagogues from 7 to 9 pm weekly. This 18-week course is taught by members of The Oregon Board of Rabbis, representing a variety of Jewish affiliations. A carefully constructed curriculum includes Jewish history, life cycle events, holidays, ritual and daily practice, theology, study of Torah and contemporary Jewish America. oregonboardofrabbis.org

Oct. 5 Brown Bag Lunch: Eli’s Town at Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for holocaust Education, 724 NW Davis St., Portland from noon to 1 pm. Join photographer Elliot Burg as we discuss his photographs on view in the East Gallery (starting Oct 4). In early 2017, photographer Elliot Burg decided to seek out and capture images of the place in Eastern Europe where his Jewish grandfather and namesake Eli (pronounced “Ellie”) had come from. The exhibition is the story of that journey. ojmche.org

66 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018

PAGE 58

Oct. 7

Oct 12

JGSO: Jewish Life in Poland at Congregation Ahavath Achim, 3225 SW Barbur Blvd., Portland at 2 to 4 pm. The Jewish Genealogical Society of Oregon invites you, your family and friends to its upcoming program “Jewish Life in Poland” by Avraham Groll. 971-266-0005, sites.rootsweb. com/~orjgs

Fires in the Mirror. See page 44.

Oct. 14

JFGP Gala Celebration 2018. See page 59.

Oct. 17

Concert: Amos Hoffman and Noam Lemish at Oct. 8 Mittleman Jewish Community Center, 6651 SW Mussar with Rabbi Joshua Rose at Mittleman Jewish Community Center, 6651 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland from 2:30 to 3:30 pm. Mussar is an approach to self-awareness and personal development that is grounded in deep reflection on Jewish texts and on spiritual practices that guide us toward greater control over our thinking and behaviors. 503-535-3555, oregonjcc.org

Oct. 9 City Council Candidate Forum at Mittleman Jewish Community Center, 6651 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland from 7 to 8:30 pm. Featuring Jo Ann Hardesty and Loretta Smith, the top two candidates from the May primary, vying for the open seat on the Portland City Council being vacated by Dan Saltzman. 503-245-6496

Capitol Hwy., Portland at 7 pm. Internationally renowned jazz guitarist and oud virtuoso Amos Hoffman and world-class pianist/composer Noam Lemish will be touring the west coast of the US with their quartet to celebrate the release of their latest album. 503-244-0111, oregonjcc.org

Oct. 19 North Coast Shabbat Group at Seaside Senior Center, 1225 Avenue A, Seaside at 8 pm. Rabbi David Kosak will lead this service that is open to all. 503-244-7060

Oct. 20

Tiferet Shabbat Congregation Shaerie Torah, 920 NW 25th Ave., Portland from 9:15 am to 12:15 pm. Join Congregation Shaarie Torah for a special Shabbat morning service. At this service, we will Oct 9-Feb 24 include new melodies, explore the service with some reflections on the prayers themselves, and The Last Journey of the Jews of Lodz. See page 43. chant according to the Triennial cycle of Torah readings. 503-226-6131, shaarietorah.org Oct. 10, 16, 23 & 30 Israel Film Series at Mittleman Jewish Community Center, 6651 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland at 7 pm. Featuring an array of Israeli films focusing on the topic of homelessness. A discussion with Q&A will follow each film, please see film details for specifics. 503-535-3555, oregonjcc.org/film

Oct. 11 Nosh + Drash with Rabbi Eve Posen at Mittleman Jewish Community Center, 6651 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland from 3 to 4 pm. A monthly discussion covering a wide range of topics that draw on our experiences. 503-535-3555, oregonjcc.org Speaker for National Coming Out Day: Captain Ofer Erez at Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for holocaust Education, 724 NW Davis St., Portland at 7 pm. In honor of National Coming Out Day, a Wider Bridge is bringing Captain Ofer Erez to Portland. Ofer is the first transgender service member to rank as an officer in the Israeli Defense Forces. $10 per person. 503-226-3600, ojmche.org

Oct. 22 Hanukkah Essay Contest. See page 62.

Oct. 24 The Great Big Challah Bake at Mittleman Jewish Community Center, 6651 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland from 7:15 to 8:15 pm. Annual event to make challah in celebration of Shabbat with other across the world. $18. eve@portlandkollel.org

Oct. 25-Nov. 15 Memoir Writing Workshop at Mittleman Jewish Community Center, 6651 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland from 11 am to 12:30 pm. Learn to write your story in a supportive atmosphere with a writing coach. $50. Register at oregonjcc.org/ writingworkshop Rabbi Stampfer Community Enrichment Award. See page 63.

Oct. 27-28 Celebration of Art. See page 42.

Oct. 6 Fruit Geode Book Launch/Performance at Mother Foucault’s Bookshop, 523 SE Morrison St., Portland at 7 pm. Celebrate the arrival of Alicia Jo Rabin’s second poetry book. aliciajo.com

SEE KIDS CALENDAR

Spilt Milk at Lake Theater & Café, 106 N State St., Lake Oswego at 7 pm. Comedy show for ages 18 and up featuring Betsy Kauffman and Joanie Quinn. $15 per person. 503-482-2135, spiltmilkpdx.com

Oct 27-Feb 4 Memory Unearthed: The Lodz Ghetto Photographs of Henryk Ross. See page 43.

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68 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018