Oregon Jewish Life Vol.1/Issue 3

APRIL 2012

Serving Oregon and SW Washington

64

FACES OF ISRAEL

LOOKING GOOD AT

Inside:

Portland Jewish Film Festival

Passover

Freedom, Family, Connection

At our table, there is always a seat.

Wishing you a Passover filled with the warmth of family and community.

Stay connected to your community with our new e-newsletter.

Contact us at 503.245.6219 | www.jewishportland.org

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Table of Contents

April 2012/Nissan-Ayar 5772

Volume 1/Issue 3

[COVER STORY/ISRAEL]

22 Faces of Israel 24 Shaliach shares views on Israel and spinach 26 Oregonians connect with modern Israel 30 Israel Discoveries: Birthright, Rotary, Gap Year 34 Oregonians attend record-breaking AIPAC conference [PASSOVER]

26

12 Crossing Over 16 Seder stories 20 Perfect pre-dinner Passover nosh

[PORTLAND JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL]

36 Festival Schedule 38 War-torn romance, escape propel

extraordinary Remembrance 39 5 Broken Cameras [FEATURES]

10 Girl Talk 40 Krav Maga 60 Unique Boutiques [Through the Ages]

42 Youth: Playworks 46 Teens: Community and teens reap rewards

of philanthropy 48 Young Adult: Social Playground 52 Seniors: The Kindness of Strangers

10 [Columns]

54 Life on the Other Side by Anne Kleinberg 56 An Oregonian in Israel by Mylan Tanzer 62 Ask Helen [Connect]

12 4 APRIL 2012 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

8 Letters to the Editor 58 Traditions 64 Volunteers 65 Happenings

The Festival of Passover

9

6

99 ea.

Streit’s Passover or Yehuda Israeli Matzos

2$

1

50

for

ea.

3

Streit’s Matzo Ball Mixes

99

Mrs. Adler’s Gefilte Fish

Kedem Concord Grape Juice

5 lb., select varieties

ONLY

3

99

2$

ONLY

250

for

ea.

5

64 oz., select varieties

Manischewitz Passover Egg Matzos

4.5 oz., select varieties

24 oz., select varieties

399

399

25.4 oz., select varieties, plus deposit where applicable

10 oz., select varieties

Streit’s Macaroons

Kedem Sparkling Juice

12 oz.

Save an additional $1.50 with manufacturer’s mail-in rebate on bottle.

399

399

ea.

Kedem 100% All Natural Apple Juice 64 oz.

399

329

lb.

Farm Stand White Potatoes 5 lb. bag

lb.

Fresh Horseradish Root

Whole Kosher Turkey 10-16 lbs., frozen

“Let all those who are hungry, come and eat.” – Passover Haggadah In the spirit of the Holiday, let’s work to stamp out hunger this Passover season. Buy any Manischewitz® or Season®

items and a portion of your purchase will be donated to the United Soup Kitchens in Israel.

Applies to purchases made March 30 - April 12, 2012. Some exclusions and limitations may apply.

199

299

Streit’s Passover Matzo Meal 16 oz.

Manischewitz Passover Tams 8 oz., select varieties

399

499

Streit’s All Natural Cake Mixes 12 oz., select varieties

549

Guiltless Gourmet Crunches 4.25 oz., select varieties

ONLY

Manischewitz Macaroons 10 oz., select varieties Save an additional $1 with in-store manufacturer’s coupon

125

ea.

for

Savion Marshmallows 5 oz., select varieties

399

Ungar’s Gefilte Fish 22 oz., select varieties, Kosher for Passover

Lieber’s Potato Starch 16 oz., resealable canister

ONLY

150

ea.

ONLY

250

ea.

3

2$ for

Goodman’s Onion Soup 2.75 oz., Kosher for Passover

5

2$ for

Holiday Fruit Slices 8 oz.

ONLY

150

ea.

3

2$ for

Manischewitz Chicken Broth 10.5 oz.

ONLY

150

ea.

399

1

Cucumbers 7-9 ct., 19 oz. can

199

Tabatchnick Passover Soups 15 oz., select varieties

ea.

5

Olives 18-23.76 oz., select varieties

Mrs. Schreiber Chopped Liver

for

3

699

2

Passover Cake 8.8 oz., select varieties

399

Manischewitz Passover Blintzes 13 oz., select varieties

Baron Herzog

750 ml., select varieties

399

299

399

Manhattan Jelly Rings 9 oz., select varieties

1099

Dr. Brown’s Passover Soda 33.8 oz., select varieties, plus deposit where applicable

Glicks Ketchup 24 oz.

Passover Perishables

499

2$

Gold’s Duck Sauce 40 oz., select varieties

Celebrate with Fine Foods from Israel 99 ONLY 2$ 99 for 250 Halutza Osem Osem

Osem Soup Mix 14.10 oz., select varieties

699

5

4$

199

ea.

Barton’s Almond Kiss Passover Tin 10 oz.

ea.

Osem Chocolate Covered Matzos 7 oz., select varieties

ONLY

150

ea.

299

for

299

ea.

Osem Passover Bissli or Bamba Multipack 6 oz., select varieties

399

3

2$

Glicks Potato Chips 6 oz., select varieties

Lay’s Passover Potato Chips 6 oz., select varieties

ONLY

150

ea.

Breakstone’s Butter 8 oz., select varieties, Kosher for Passover

PRICES EFFECTIVE MARCH 30 THRU APRIL 12, 2012 with your Albertsons Preferred Savings Card™.

Some items not available in all stores. While supplies last. No rain checks. For the best selection, please visit our store at 5415 SW Beaverton Hwy., Portland, OR

2$ for

3

Silver Spring Horseradish 5 oz., select varieties, Kosher for Passover

SAVINGS CARD

© 2012 SUPERVALU INC. All Rights Reserved. All proprietary trademarks are owned by SUPERVALU INC. or its subsidiaries. All third party trademarks are owned by their respective owners.

Rain Check: We strive to have on hand sufficient stock of advertised merchandise. If for any reason we are out of stock, a Rain Check will be issued enabling you to buy the item at the advertised price as soon as it becomes available.

Savings may vary. Check price tag for details. We reserve the right to limit quantities. Rain Checks are non-transferable. Original Rain Check required at redemption. Please, No Sales to Dealers. Rain Checks not available on seasonal merchandise. AVAILABILITY: Each of these advertised items is readily available for sale at or below the advertised price in most Albertsons stores while supplies last. Some items may not be available at all stores. Prices for limited hour or limited day sales are effective in-store only and are not available for online shopping. © 2012 SUPERVALU INC. Albertsons, the Albertsons logo, the Sav-on Pharmacy logo, the Osco Pharmacy logo, the 10 for $10 logo, Culinary Circle, the Blue Ribbon Beef logo, the Steakhouse Choice logo, wild harvest, equaline, homelife, essensia, Albertsons Community Partners. Giving back for youth. One Cart at a Time., Java Delight, Pick of the Pros, Pick’d Ripe and Freshness First are trademarks of SUPERVALU INC. or its subsidiaries. All Rights Reserved.

FRONT COVER • 3/30/12 • IMW • Oregon Jewish Life - A

Editor’s Letter

Happy 64th Birthday Israel

As the modern state of Israel prepares to celebrate its 64th birthday, we devote a section of our magazine to celebrating the technical, environmental and human miracles of that tiny nation. The mosaic of faces on our cover represents the diversity of this modern state.

When I realized this issue would focus on both Israel and Passover, I flashed on the refrain from Seder tables around the world, “Next Year in Jerusalem.”

Why wait till next year? The thought, “This year in Jerusalem” offered story ideas for this issue. We spoke to several people about their recent visits and what they learned there.

As Israeli Shaliach Amos Meron says in this issue, “Israel speaks for itself the best.”

The best way to truly understand the miracles and challenges of Israel is to go there. For those who can’t get to Israel now, we’ve tried to provide some insights in this issue.

I’d also suggest reading the book Start-up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle, by Dan Senor and Saul Singer. I started

reading the book just after I was hired as editor of Oregon Jewish Life. It is truly an amazing book that explores how this young, tiny country is able to create more start-up companies than larger and more stable countries such as Japan, China, India, Canada and Britain.

The book begins with a chapter on the formation of A Better Place, which recently launched a nationwide grid to support electric cars with battery swap stations and charging spots. I was reminded of the book when interviewing Oregonians who visited Israel in February. They got to test drive the cars and observe the battery swap procedure, which one man said was faster than filling up his gas tank at a service station in America.

The innovative thinking and willingness to take risks seem so counter to what I’ve read about the corporate culture in America today. It seems this small nation has lessons that stretch well beyond Jewish identity.

So even if it’s too late to get to Israel for Passover, why not visit the Jewish state later this year?

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Columnists Lisa Glickman Anne Kleinberg Helen Rosenau Mylan Tanzer

Contributing Writers Abra Cohen, Michael Fox Gloria Hammer, Bob Horenstein Ken Kwartler, Liz Rabiner Lippoff Lauren Murphy, Josh Nudelman Karl W. Raschkes, Sura Rubenstein Vanessa Van Petten How to reach us: Advertise@ojlife.com 503-892-7403 Art@ojlife.com Distribution@ojlife.com Editor@ojlife.com 503-892-7402 Publisher@ojlife.com 503-892-7403 subscriptions@ojlife.com

Happy Passover from New Seasons Market—Your source for the best in local holiday foods!

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Our stores feature: • Chef-prepared Passover menu in our Deli

• Delicious locally-raised holiday meats • Baked goods from Eena Kadeena (Gluten-free and kosher for Passover)

A Prince Hal Production (TGMR18) The content and opinions in Oregon Jewish Life do not necessarily reflect those of the publishers, staff or contractors. Articles and columns are for informational purposes only and not intended as a substitute for professional advice. Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, Oregon Jewish Life, and its agents, publishers, employees and contractors will not be held responsible for the misuse of any information contained herein. The publishers reserve the right to refuse any advertisement. Publication of advertisements does not constitute endorsement of products or services.

• A selection of quality kosher wines • Plus traditional Passover grocery products!

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Publishers' Message

Come together….

No, this is not just a refrain from the Beatles song, but rather a ritual that has healed and comforted the Jewish people and all people throughout the ages. We come together for every major life event, from birth to death. We come together to mourn, to celebrate, to pray and to play. So during this month of incredible highs and lows, as we remember those we have lost on Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) and Yom Hazikaron (Israel’s Memorial Day) and celebrate our “freedom” during Passover and the birth of Israel on Yom Ha'atzmaut (Israel Independence Day), we will come together again.

This simple act of gathering together has tremendous power… and in many ways has helped preserve the Jewish people. So as we come together this month in remembrance and celebration, remember to gather those in need close, and those you love even closer. Come together… it is our tradition, our preservation and our future.

Wishing you all a wonderful Passover.

Bob Philip & Cindy Saltzman WISHING OUR JEWISH COMMUNITY A

Happy Passover!

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Letters to the Editor: Reading Names on Yom HaShoah “What’s in a name?” Shakespeare’s Juliet mused to herself. I found out while reading them aloud: the Soul.

I stood under a canopy in front of a microphone with a thick packet of pages in my hand consisting of lists of names and ages; these I was to read aloud at the microphone. I began: Nukhim Polyakov, 15, Zinaida Nudel, 14, Golda Miler, 13, Khaim Fishman, 6.

I kept reading. Fishman is my last name by marriage. While continuing to read aloud the names and ages at death, I asked myself, could this be someone in my husband’s family?

I continued: Khaia Fishman, 4, Lifshe Fishman, 6. When I finished reading, I knew it was not just a list of names; it was their very lives we made real.

The day was gorgeous. I had to sit for a while quietly before I could drive or do anything that felt mundane.

I went home and explored family geneaology and Yizkor books.

I wanted to see if I had discovered three children, three very little children with our last name, who might be related. But then, they were all our children.

Sherry Fishman, Portland (NOTE: OAJC and OHRC will host the annual reading of names 11 am-5 pm, April 19 in Pioneer Courthouse Square. An opening ceremony will take place at 10:30 am. Drop by at any point to hear local politicians, faith leaders and community members honor those who were killed during the Holocaust.)

High Places article kindles memory Congratulations on a very especially fine magazine.

I feel a memory relationship to High Places, Deep Roots by Sura Rubenstein (March, OJL).

In 1937 we were excused from Kenton School to watch President Roosevelt drive down Union Avenue (now MLK). He was in the area to dedicate Timberline Lodge and Bonneville Dam. Four years later I joined a number of Portland High School students to work weekends at Timberline Lodge. As a waiter I was paid 25 cents/ hour and raised to 35 cents when I was a fry cook. We also got lodging and meals.

Then there was Hirsch-Weiss (White Stag). My brother-in-law, the late Kurt Schiff, worked for White Stag about 50 years. He and his family (my wife Ilse’s family) escaped Hitler’s Germany in 1940. In 1942 he joined the Army and landed on Normandy Beach on D-Day. Thanks for the memories, Bob Lokting, King City

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[UPFRONT]

Girl Talk Longtime media personality takes her show online

by Lauren M. Murphy

If you’ve lived in the Portland area for some time now, it’s likely you’ve heard the voice of Francine Raften booming through your radio speakers at some point. A local radio personality for nearly three decades, Raften found great success on the airwaves interviewing celebs, politicians and everything in between including then future President Bill Clinton.

“I knew I wanted to be on the radio from the time I was a kid,” says the Oregon native. In fact, her first “big” gig was at the age of 12 interviewing her 4-H leaders for a show aptly named “What’s Happening in 4-H,” which aired on a small station in Gresham.

During her high school and college years, Raften interned at KEX in Portland filling in for DJs when needed and eventually landed her own evening show on KGW. “In those days I was a disc jockey in the true sense of the word playing great records, but there was a lot more freedom. They called it personality radio and you could really embellish that personality. These days radio is very homogenized and it’s hard for air people to break through.”

Raften did just that and she quickly had one of the most recognizable voices in the Portland metro area with her popular morning and afternoon drivetime shows. But as the radio industry evolved over the years, so did Raften’s on-air interests and she soon found herself in front of the cameras and no longer just behind the microphone.

She hosted the public affairs show Crosstalk on WB32, produced Fox News Extra and co-hosted Portland’s first locally produced comedy show Snax: 10 APRIL 2012 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Comedy Tidbits. The success of this comedy show, Raften’s outspoken and humorous personality and the encouragement of friends led her to take a stab at stand-up comedy. Raften’s comedy took off and she toured up and down the West Coast for many years making people laugh along the way. Her biggest comedic success came four years ago in a two-woman show with Wendy Westerwelle called “The Jewish American Princesses of Comedy.”

“The JAP show, as we fondly called it, was a huge hit in the Portland area and we got extended three or four times. It was so amazing working with Wendy [Westerwelle] who is just a legend in this city,” says Raften. “I loved everything about doing that show.”

Though she hasn’t done stand-up in a few years, this May Raften will get to show off her comedic chops once again at a reunion show for the 30-year anniversary of the Leaky Roof, a venue on SW 16th and Jefferson, where some of the first open mic nights were held back in the day. Many of the biggest names in comedy from this neck of the woods, Raften included, got their start at the Leaky Roof.

These days Raften still finds herself in front of the cameras doing a weekly video podcast for the Internet TV network Earth2World. The show, entitled “Tell Me About It,” brings together different female guests each week for an uninhibited conversation about current world and local events.

“I bring fun, accomplished, smart women together and we talk about bizarre topics – the sublime to the ridiculous and back again,” says Raften. One recent outrageous topic was about a woman who spent $50,000 to clone her dog. “But,” Raften continues, “that morphed into a conversation about death, immortality and the ethics that surround it.”

Giving a voice to local women is important to Raften, as are many of the topics that come up on her show, including women’s issues, family issues and civil rights. But she also realizes the importance of the male perspective on some such subjects and plans to incorporate a “man in the hot-seat segment” to her show soon.

Though it’s clear the spotlight loves Raften, she also enjoys putting others in the spotlight. She ran her own PR and marketing firm for many years and worked as a political campaign consultant for congressional, gubernatorial, city council and mayoral candidates. “I had 22 wins out of the 23 campaigns I managed,” Raften, rightfully boasts. She’s also worked for Clackamas County as a citizen involvement liaison and is currently the director of public relations and media at Emerge Medical Spa in Bridgeport.

With the success of her podcast growing every day, it’s likely you’ll be hearing much more from Raften and most likely laughing at the same time. Living in Beaverton with her husband and two kids, Raften humorously likes to quip, “I’m a nice Jewish girl, but I’m only in it for the food.”

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A recent Portland transplant, Lauren Murphy is a lifestyle writer and editor whose articles have been published in Los Angeles Confidential, Aspen Peak, Hamptons Magazine and The New Jersey Star Ledger. A native of the East Coast, she is enjoying getting to know her new city and writing all about it. She can be reached at laurmmurph@gmail.com.

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[[PASSOVER PASSOVER]]

New composition heightens Passover experience by Deborah Moon

Michael Allen Harrison and Rabbi Alan Berg, left, consult on the lyrics for one of Harrison’s compositions for “Crossing Over: A Musical Haggadah.”

Throughout history, humanity has instinctively understood the power of music to heighten emotions. The strident beat of war drums, melodious Torah chants, ethereal church hymns and the ominous rhythm of the Jaws movie theme have all used the language of the soul.

Yet Rabbi Alan Berg says that he has never heard a liturgical composition to heighten the experience of the climax of the most widely celebrated holiday on the Jewish calendar, Passover.

Each year Jews at Seder tables around the world relive the Exodus experience. Despite the proliferation of songs found in nearly every Passover Haggadah, no epic composition targets the seventh day, when the Israelites crossed the Red Sea and moved from slavery to freedom culminating in their acceptance of the Torah at Sinai.

Until now.

Portland pianist and composer Michael Allen Harrison has teamed up with Rabbi Berg to create “Crossing Over: A Musical Haggadah” as a gift to the community from the Oregon Area Jewish Committee, the local affiliate of American Jewish Committee.

“Crossing Over will call the emotions of the seventh day (of Passover) to our heart,” says Berg.

“It has the heart and spirit of the seventh day like nothing I am aware of,” adds Harrison.

On the main stage: a Seder table for the singers and

“Crossing Over will call the emotions of the seventh day (of Passover) to our heart.” – Rabbi Alan Berg

narrators; Harrison and his piano will be in the foreground, and below on the sides, a small orchestra and a guitarist. Wait, a guitar?

Yes, Harrison’s brother Brian will bring his guitar to lend a light-hearted and fun flavor to the Israeli folk song feel of the music for the Four Questions.

“This will be a musical theater experience,” says Harrison, who is well known for his December concerts at The Old Church, his Jazz at Jimmy Mak’s and his annual “Ten Grands” concert, a fund-raiser for his Snowman Foundation to promote music education.

The musical seder will be performed twice at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center April 12 and 15 – the sixth day of Passover and the Sunday after Passover.

The days were chosen in part to enable everyone from across the spectrum to attend the concerts (Orthodox Jews would not be able to attend if it were on the seventh day).

OAJC hopes the concert will bring a true unity to the community by attracting the unaffiliated and the affiliated from Reform to Orthodox for a new spiritual experience.

“We hope people will have the experience of crossing over, not simply observing it,” says Berg. “Crossing over is there to be deepened. It is that deep in tradition, but for many today, the seventh day is elusive. It is the climax of the story. I hope people who attend will get some element of that transformation.”

“This is something we are creating as a gift to the community,” says Harrison. “I am a board member of OAJC. We wanted a way to reach out to the community, and I’ve been sitting on the idea of doing something deeply Jewish for 20 to 25 years. My father (of blessed memory) encouraged me to do ‘my own Jewish project,’ but at that time I didn’t know what it would be.”

Coincidentally the Torah ark created by Harrison’s father, Joe Harrison, is the ark at Beit Haverim, where Berg is now the rabbi. Berg and Harrison first met in the 1970s when Berg was the assistant rabbi at Congregation Beth Israel.

Berg, who collaborated on the PBS Hanukkah at Grover’s Corner special and taught the lyrics of Walt Whitman at the university level, has written the lyrics for Harrison’s Passover compositions.

“I develop lyrics to evoke Yizkor (memorial candles are traditionally lit on the seventh day) and not to get out of line with what might be appropriate Jewishly,” he says.

OAJC President John Moss, who brought Harrison onto the OAJC board to broaden the organization’s perspective by adding artists and other eclectic professionals to the board mix, also has a long history with the composer. He first heard Harrison play the piano when he was in a Portland hotel on a house-hunting trip before moving to Portland more than 20 years ago.

“I can hear Michael’s signature no matter what he plays,” says Moss.

A WORLD PREMIERE CONCERT EVENT

Crossing Over A Musical Haggadah

A Celebration of Passover and Crossing the Red Sea

Music by Michael Allen Harrison Book by Michael Allen Harrison and Alan Berg

Thursday, April 12 at 7:30 PM and Sunday, April 15 at 2:00 PM Mittleman Jewish Community Center - 6651 SW Capitol Hwy. TIC K E TS AT WWW.OA JC ON LIN E.OR G OR C A LL 50 3-295-6761

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OREGON JEWISH LIFE | APRIL 2012 13

3/7/2012 12:52:42 PM

CROSSING OVER: A Musical Haggadah When: 7:30 pm, Thursday, April 12 2 pm, Sunday, April 15 Location: Mittleman Jewish Community Center, 6651 SW Capitol Hwy, 97219 Featuring: Michael Allen Harrison; 12-piece orchestra including Linda Harrison Fintzy, Doddie Harrison, Brian Harrison; 30-member children’s choir; and vocalists Julianne Johnson, Cantor Ida Rae Cahana, Kirk Mouser, Gary Wayne Cash and Anna Heinze Admission: General Admission $36; Youth/Student $15 with festival seating only Patron tickets: $100 Includes preferred reserved seating and “Crossing Over” CD Tickets online at www.oajconline.org; for more information, call 503-295-6761

“We envision this as an ongoing tradition that will be part of the community’s Passover experience every year,” says Harrison. “We also want to publish it in a way that it can be done by other communities.”

Berg adds, “I believe it has the potential to add to what American Jews are able to experience as a community.”

The concert will feature some traditional Passover melodies, but 90% of the music will be original compositions by Harrison, whom Berg describes as a “composer with a Jewish heart.”

“Because this is so grounded in tradition, yet so modern, we think this could become an integral part of people’s experience for Passover,” adds Berg.

“Just as we were all at Sinai, here the Reform and Orthodox can come together for an intensely personal event and new music that ties us all together.” – John Moss

There’s a place for you at our table Community Seder Saturday, April 7 6:00 p.m.

Let us know you’ll be joining us Please call for reservations www.jewishvancouverusa.org 1006-B NE 146th Street Vancouver WA 98685 360-896-8088 14 APRIL 2012 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

“The whole point is, this is a remembrance that feeds our soul. We are going to feast on it in a different way,” says Harrison.

Listening to the Crossing Over theme, Berg calls it “prophetic – it opens you up so much, you can feel something extremely holy.”

Harrison says that view reflects a phrase one of his fans told him, “Your music cleans up my heart.”

Overall, the concert has a classical feel, but one flavored by Harrison’s experience in jazz, folk and Jewish melodies.

“This will be a huge communal experience,” says Moss.

“Just as we were all at Sinai, here the Reform and Orthodox can come together for an intensely personal event and new music that ties us all together. We want this to be for the most orthodox to the most liberal, just like at Sinai.”

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[PASSOVER]

Rabbis Gary Schoenberg and Laurie Rutenberg lead their flock of recently freed slaves to an oasis (a tent decked out as a desert scene) during one of Gesher’s interactive Passover seders at their Southwest Portland home. Photo courtesy of Gesher

Seder stories However you celebrate, Passover means freedom, family, connection

by Sura Rubenstein

Passover is one of the most compelling Jewish holidays.

Jews have struggled to observe it during the most difficult of times and circumstances – whether in grinding poverty, on the battlefields of wars or at the peril of their lives in concentration camps.

Its rituals draw in Jews who have ceased other forms of religious observance, while the story of the Israelites’ journey from slavery to freedom has inspired countless other peoples in their struggles.

16 APRIL 2012 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

richness of the experience and the potency of the message have reached so far into our psyche that this event is hard to miss.”

“Every year, I see the connection – the “dor l’dor (from generation to generation),” says Carol Danish, who this year will celebrate the holiday at her daughters’ homes. “When I look around the table and all my children are celebrating Passover, that is the most nachas (joy) that I get – that we’re still carrying on the tradition.”

Danish, whose family came to Portland in the early 1900s, sets the Seder table with an Elijah’s Cup from her grandfather, Israel Weinstein, who emigrated from Poland, and candlesticks from her grandmother, Pearl Leopold, who came from Odessa, Russia.

The foods, too, honor family: spinach latkes and two kinds of gefilte fish, one boiled, one fried, from each of Danish’s grandmothers. “It’s very important for mothers to pass either a recipe or something else along,” says Danish. “The heritage part of Passover is vital.”

Danish’s daughter, Debra Plawner,

Courtesy of Oregon Jewish Museum

“People love the Seder,” says Emily Georges Gottfried, executive director of the Oregon Area Jewish Committee, which recently conducted its 13th annual Interfaith Seder. “It speaks to the universal ideas of freedom – of being together as a people, and becoming free.”

This Passover season, families and friends will gather together to tell the story, to share familiar and new foods, to celebrate old traditions and perhaps begin new ones. Some will polish heirloom silver and bring out special dishes and treasured melodies. Others may add a Miriam’s Cup, symbolizing Miriam’s Well, and perhaps an orange, symbolizing the fruitfulness of all Jews, including women and gays.

Whatever the specifics may be, the observance celebrates the themes not only of freedom but of family, community and connection.

“The Seder table involves the entire family and the entire person,” says Rabbi Motti Wilhelm, who expects more than 700 attendees at nine Chabad seders to be held throughout the state (www. chabadoregon.com for locations). “The

Miriam's Cup by Mara Schlachter

sees Passover as a “perfect mid-year review,” coming as it does six months after Rosh Hashanah. “It’s an opportunity to ask: ‘How am I doing? In what ways am I not free?’”

She developed a Haggadah to use with her young family and family friends to help make the holiday more meaningful. “It’s a lot of dialogue between grandparents and grandchildren,” she said. “And for the children, they have an amazing sense of pride when they are invited to recite the ‘Mah Nishtanah (the Four Questions).’”

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For Charles and Jo Levy, Passover also is about tradition – but in their family, it’s a combination of Charles’ Sephardic Moroccan traditions and Jo’s American Ashkenazic customs.

“So far,” he jokes, “my wife has the upper hand – but we’re getting there.”

As he describes the traditional foods, it’s easy to see why: fava bean soup with cumin and garlic; fish with preserved lemons and paprika, cilantro, garlic, ginger and saffron; five or six salads; two main courses, perhaps including lamb with Moroccan truffles, and so on. There will be both Ashkenazic and Sephardic charoset. (Some Sephardim eat rice and legumes during Passover; Charles Levy said that in his part of Morocco, only fava beans may be eaten during the holiday.)

One special Moroccan custom: “Right before we start the ‘Ha Lachma Anya (This is the bread of affliction)’ passage in the Haggadah, we take the Seder plate, raise it over each person’s head, and sing the same verse, ending in ‘B’nei Chorin (Free Men).’”

Matzah is particularly evocative for Levy. “Our religion is based on action,” he said.

“We took on the Torah even before we knew what it was.

During Passover, we stop eating bread and we eat matzah. If you want something, you do it.”

For Rabbi Gary Schoenberg of Gesher, matzah is also a means of teaching the Jewish story: “That we were once strangers in a strange land, and that we identify with the most vivid search for home.”

Over the past 22 years, Schoenberg and his wife, Rabbi Laurie Rutenberg, have welcomed hundreds of non-affiliated Jews to their home for interactive, theatrical Passover seders that they hope will become a bridge to greater Jewish connection.

“A generation ago, Yom Kippur was the most observed Jewish ritual,” Schoenberg said. “Today, it’s Passover – because Jews today are more focused on Jewish nourishment and joy, and they need connection to family. Passover is at the center of the map for that.”

Gesher will hold at least four Seders this season (www. ourjewishhome.org for details), dramatizing the Jewish journey from bondage to freedom.

Benjamin, 5, and Isaac Levy, 3½, right, wearing the Moroccan djellabas and caps (bernousses) they will wear during the Passover seder, pose with their father, Charles. On the table are a Moroccan tea set, Haggadah and a matzah cover from their mother’s Ashkenazic family. photo by Sura Rubenstein 18 APRIL 2012 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Carol Danish shares stories about family traditions with granddaughters, from left, Suretta Plawner, Estee Rosenberg and Mimi Plawner. Danish holds a glass “Elijah’s Cup” that belonged to her great-grandfather. Other items include a grandmother’s brass candlesticks and a silver Kiddush cup that belonged to a relative who fled Germany in 1938. photo by Sura Rubenstein

“Like Jews, each faith needs a tradition that celebrates nourishment, joy and a connection to a deep tradition of welcoming the stranger,” Schoenberg said. “Not everything in the world is fair, and with Passover, we identify with the struggle to make the world a more just and caring place.”

Their Seders, as all Seders, will tell the story, and be a link between the Jewish past, the Jewish present and our Jewish future.

Sura Rubenstein is a freelance writer in Portland.

Take (Some of the Work) Out for Passover For more than 30 years, Portland’s Elephant’s Deli (503-299-6304) has been providing Passover takeout to make the holiday more festive.

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“It’s very popular with customers,” she adds. “People want food that aligns with their family recipes – and they like the convenience.”

Elephant’s menu, like those of Portland restaurants that offer special Passover meals, is kosher style, rather than strictly kosher. For those who keep strictly kosher, the Kosher Deli at Albertson’s on SW Shattuck Road (503-246-1713) will have kosher-for-Passover certified take-out.

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[PASSOVER]

Perfect pre-dinner Passover nosh

Lisa Glickman is a private chef and lives in Bend. She is a contributing writer and teacher and also does a weekly cooking segment for COTV’s “Good Morning Central Oregon.”

She can be reached via email through her website at lisa@lisaglickman.com.

by Lisa Glickman Passover is one of my favorite holidays.

I spend days before our Passover Seder rendering chicken skin for the schmaltz in my matzah balls, and slowly poaching homemade gefilte fish. I gather all the necessary items for the Seder plate and look forward to gathering with my family, reading the Haggadah and recalling the story of the Exodus along with enjoying all the traditional Passover foods. We have moved around several times over the years, but we have always managed to belong to a community of friends to celebrate a Passover Seder.

The story of Passover tells of a very pivotal point for the Jewish people. God helped the enslaved Israelites escape slavery by inflicting a series of plagues on the Egyptians. The tenth and last of the plagues was the worst, the death of the first-born. Israelites were instructed to mark the doorposts of their homes with the blood of a spring lamb and upon seeing this, the spirit of the Lord passed over these homes. During the Exodus, the Israelites left in such a hurry that they didn’t have time to wait for their bread dough to rise or leaven and that is the reason matzah, or flat unleavened bread, is such a symbol of this holiday.

One of my husband’s favorite things to cook (OK, even he will admit, basically the only thing he can cook) is Matzah brie and for that reason matzah is a staple in our house all year round. When I found this recipe for homemade matzah, I thought that Passover would be the perfect time to make my own matzah for our Seder. I was surprised how quick and easy it was, and it adds a nice homemade touch to our Seder table. I serve it as my guests arrive along with my own recipe for this delicious and creamy chicken liver pate flavored with apple, allspice and Marsala wine. It’s the perfect pre-dinner nosh. The spelt flour used in the matzah is an ancient whole-wheat flour. It adds a pleasant sweet and nutty flavor.

After Passover, you can use leftover spelt flour in addition to white flour in your favorite pancake or waffle recipe. If you can’t find oat flour, make your own by buzzing rolled oats in the food processor until smooth.

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1 lb chicken livers, trimmed 1 small onion, thinly sliced 1 apple, peeled, cored and diced 1 cup (2 sticks) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted parve margarine ¹/3 cup Marsala wine ¹/₈ teaspoon ground allspice Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper Non-stick spray Fresh bay leafs (or other fresh herbs) for garnish ½ cup chopped pistachios Line a 3-cup soufflé dish or small 6-inch springform pan with plastic wrap. Spray wrap with non-stick spray. Heat sauté pan to medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon margarine and sliced onions; cover and cook for 10-15 minutes until soft and slightly browned.

Add chopped apple and a splash of water, cover and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes until apple is soft and water has evaporated. Remove to the bowl of a food processor. Melt 1 tablespoon of margarine in pan and add chicken livers. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and sauté on medium high until browned, but still slightly pink in the center, about 5-8 minutes. Add Marsala wine and allspice and reduce by two-thirds. Place cooked liver in bowl of food processor along with apple and onion. Process mixture until smooth. Add 1 cup margarine a tablespoon at a time with processor running. Taste and adjust seasoning. Pour mixture into mold and place in refrigerator until firm, at least two to three hours. Unwrap paté and place on a sheet of wax paper. Sprinkle nuts around the outside of the paté and using edges of paper, gently push nuts into sides. Use a spatula to transfer paté to serving platter. Garnish with fresh herbs.

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Homemade Whole-grain Matzah 1 cup all-purpose flour ½ cup spelt flour ½ cup oat flour ½ cup whole wheat flour ½ teaspoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon olive oil About 1 cup water (NOTE: To make matzah kosher for Passover, no more than 18 minutes can pass from the time the flour and water are mixed until the time the matzah dough is put into the oven.)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place flours, salt and olive oil in the bowl of food processor. Pulse to mix. With motor running pour in water and process until a soft, evenly moistened dough forms. If necessary add a bit more water 1 tablespoon at a time. Divide dough into 8 balls, cover with towel and let stand for 2 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough as thinly as possible and prick all over with a fork. Place on baking sheets and bake matzah in upper and middle thirds of the oven for about 10 to 12 minutes. Shift baking sheets halfway through cooking.

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OREGON JEWISH LIFE | APRIL 2012 21

[COVER STORY/ISRAEL]

Faces of Israel Young nation democratic, innovative, compassionate The mosaic of Israeli faces on this month’s Oregon Jewish Life cover depicts the diversity of this modern nation as it prepares for its 64th birthday. The following pages offer glimpses of different aspects of the miracle that is the state of Israel.

As Israel gets ready to celebrate its 64th birthday on Yom Ha’atzmaut, it’s natural to reflect on a time when Israel served as a rallying point for the American Jewish community. Prior to the 1967 Six-Day War, when Israel faced a grave threat from belligerent Arab neighbors and labored under an enormous financial burden as it absorbed hundreds of thousands of new immigrants, Jews in the U.S. stood solidly behind the Jewish state.

Where would we be without Israel?

Drip irrigation, which allows cultivation of crops in arid regions, was invented in Israel.

The cell phone was developed in Israel by Motorola, which has its largest development center in Israel.

Most of the Windows NT and XP operating systems were developed by Microsoft-Israel.

The Pentium MMX Chip technology was designed in Israel at Intel.

The Pentium 4 microprocessor and the Centrino processor were designed, developed and produced in Israel.

Voice mail technology was developed in Israel.

The technology for the AOL Instant Messenger ICQ was developed in 1996 by four young Israelites.

According to industry officials, Israel designed the airline industry's most impenetrable flight security. U.S. officials now look to Israel for advice on how to handle airborne security threats.

Israeli scientists developed the first fully computerized, no-radiation, diagnostic instrumentation for breast cancer.

An Israeli company developed a computerized system for ensuring proper administration of medications, thus removing human error from medical treatment. (Every year in U.S. hospitals 7,000 patients die from treatment mistakes.)

by Robert Horenstein

But today? The discourse on Israel has become so polarized between left and right that some of us avoid talking about it altogether. Due to sharp differences among American Jews on Israeli policies toward the Palestinians, many rabbis no longer feel comfortable giving sermons about Israel lest they alienate congregants who disagree with their views. Astonishingly, a few university Hillels have reportedly refused to display an Israeli flag in their buildings because it may offend the more liberal students.

With so much of the focus on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it may be easy to lose sight of the miracle that is the state of Israel. It’s a classic case of not seeing the forest for the trees (that there are dense forests in Israel is in itself miraculous).

This small country the size of New Jersey, with almost no natural resources and surrounded by enemies, truly represents a triumph of the human spirit. Israel, after all, is a flourishing, productive and compassionate society – one that’s far from perfect but nonetheless merits our deep admiration.

This small country the size of New Jersey, with almost no natural resources and surrounded by enemies, truly represents a triumph of the human spirit. Israel, after all, is a flourishing, productive and compassionate society – one that’s far from perfect but nonetheless merits our deep admiration.

No other modern free society, for example, has come into existence and been shaped under conditions as adverse to liberal democracy as Israel’s. Yet, in some ways, Israeli democracy is more progressive than the much more established American system. Whereas politics in the U.S. is dominated by the two major parties, Israeli voters can typically choose from over a dozen parties representing a wide spectrum of political views.

Prof. Shlomo Mor-Yosef, immediate past director general of the Hadassah Medical Organization, addresses the audience at the moving-in ceremony of the Sarah Wetsman Davidson Hospital Tower March 19 on Hadassah Hospital’s Jerusalem campus.

During a visit to Portland in 2010, Mor-Yosef said, “I present the face of Hadassah Hospital as a place of co-existence. With the hospital’s humanitarian mission, when you walk through the corridors of the hospital, you see the different faces of Israel. Jews, Arabs, ultra-Orthodox and secular are all sitting in the same waiting room to see the same doctors.” The 19-story structure contains 500 beds, 20 operating rooms, 60 intensive care beds, the Heart and Internal Medicine Institutes, all surgical and medical treatment divisions, including all treatment surgical suites and all surgical, medical and cardiac intensive care units. Campaign Co-chair Judy Swartz added, “Surely this magnificent building can be seen as a gift to all mankind; to Jerusalem; to the State of Israel. It will represent pioneering medicine for today and for the future.”

Ironically, Israel is the only Western democracy with a fundamentalist Islamic party holding seats in its parliament!

For the most part, Israeli society is highly pluralistic. Israel recognizes 15 religions (though, regrettably, it has failed to grant official recognition to the non-Orthodox streams of Judaism, a source of frustration for many American Jews).

Notably, it was an Arab judge who recently sentenced the former president of Israel, a Jew, to seven years in prison for rape. Tel Aviv was selected as the “best gay city of 2011,” reflecting an open and vibrant LGBT culture. And Israel is the only Middle Eastern country where the Christian population is thriving instead of disappearing.

In addition to its robust democracy, Israel has one of the most entrepreneurial and innovation-based economies in the world. It’s remarkable how many of the things we use in our everyday life have their origins in Israel. As Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, put it succinctly, “Microsoft is as much an Israeli company as we are a U.S. company.”

Microsoft, HP, Intel, Google – they all have research and development centers in Israel. But computer technology isn’t the only field where Israelis have excelled. Israel is a world leader in agricultural technology. Moreover, there’s virtually no area of medicine and biotechnology in which Israeli innovations haven’t made significant contributions. Thanks to research conducted at the Technion Institute of Technology in Haifa, progress has been made toward slowing the symptoms of degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

For American Jews, there is perhaps no greater source of vicarious pride than Israel’s longstanding tradition of tikkun olam, literally “repairing the world.” Israel and humanitarian relief are practically synonymous. Who could forget that in the immediate aftermath of Haiti’s destructive earthquake in

2010, it was a team of Israeli doctors and nurses that set up the only full-functioning field hospital, saving hundreds of lives?

Last October, despite deteriorating diplomatic relations, Israel was one of the first countries to offer aid to Turkey after it was struck by a massive 7.2-magnitude earthquake.

In Japan, which was devastated by a tsunami a year ago, IsraAID, an Israeli NGO, is continuing to provide intensive therapy to tsunami victims still suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. The NGO was honored for its work recently by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce in New York.

Meanwhile, each year, tens of thousands of Palestinian Arabs from the West Bank and Gaza receive the highest level of care at Israeli medical centers. In 2010, a 4-month-old infant from Gaza was treated in Israel for a life-threatening genetic disorder and became the subject of the award-winning Israeli documentary, “Precious Life.”

None of this, of course, is to suggest that American Jews should refrain from voicing opinions about the IsraeliPalestinian conflict. Nor should we ignore the fact that Israel has its share of domestic challenges, among them an unstable parliamentary system, a widening gap between rich and poor, and a recent wave of radicalization in some ultra-Orthodox communities.

Yet, it’s precisely the aforementioned attributes of Israeli society – democratic, innovative, compassionate – that should give us hope that Israel will overcome both its internal struggles and external conflicts. They should also help us realize that Yom Ha’atzmaut is more than a celebration of the establishment of the Jewish state – it’s a celebration of the vital role Israel plays in making our world a better place.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | APRIL 2012 23

[COVER STORY/ISRAEL]

Shaliach shares views on Israel and spinach

“Israel speaks for itself the best. Even a 10-day trip is better than any program I could do.”

24 APRIL 2012 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

by Deborah Moon For the first time in about 30 years, Portland has a shaliach (emissary) from Israel, thanks to a grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland’s Community Impact Grants. Amos Meron, 24, arrived in Portland Sept. 12, 2011, for his one-year assignment.

Since then he has met with a variety of groups and individuals to create understanding of, and strengthen local ties to, the Jewish state. We sat down with him recently for a question and answer session on the success of his first six months.

Can you briefly define the role of a Shaliach?

Shaliach is a Hebrew word for emissary.

Originally a shaliach worked for the Jewish Agency to promote aliyah (immigration to Israel). Today most are not aliyah shlichim. I am an educator and representative of Israel. I connect the Portland Jewish community to Israel.

Part of my job is to help people make aliyah, but I also help get people to Israel in general – on Birthright, an internship, a trip… Israel speaks for itself the best.

Even a 10-day trip is better than any program I could do.

Do you reach beyond Portland to other parts of Oregon and Southwest Washington?

My work is based in the Portland area, but I’ve been to the University of Oregon and JSUs in Eugene high schools several times. I’ve visited Salem and Kol Ami in Vancouver.

Your position was funded by a federation Community Impact Grant, but are you also affiliated with the Jewish Agency?

All Shlichim are Jewish Agency Shlichim, but we work with a partnership agency. Here that is the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland.

Are you focusing on a specific demographic/age group in your work?

Part of the reason I wanted to come to Portland was the job description was working with young people … and I’m a young adult. I enjoy working with people more or less in my age group.

What kinds of groups have you met?

I speak at synagogues and to all kinds of Jewish organizations and youth groups. Part of the challenge is to outreach to those who are not part of an organized group, so sometimes I meet one-on-one or with a group of friends. Facebook is an amazing tool for shlichim.

But I do two types of outreach. I also talk to the general community.

I was the main speaker at a Salem Rotary event with about 100 people. In McMinnville, I spoke to Oregon Women for Agriculture about agriculture innovation in Israel. They asked me to speak about water problems in Israel and the solutions Israel has found. I talked about drip irrigation, which is well known. And I talked about desalinization. By 2013, most of Israel’s consumption of water will be from desalinization.

Traditional desalinization techniques using heat are expensive and use a lot of energy, but Israel has improved the technology of negative osmosis where sea water is passed through a biological membrane to remove the salts and solids.

What has been your most rewarding encounter so far?

I met one young woman who recently found out her family was Jewish. Her knowledge of Israel was from the non-Jewish community and included a lot of bad lies about the IDF (Israel Defense Force) and what Israel does. After she met me, we started corresponding on Facebook. She started telling me how I changed her mind. You know the saying, “He who saves one soul (life), saves the world entire”? For me, she is that one.

What was your most difficult encounter so far?

When I was on a panel at a high school that hosted DAM (a Palestinian hip-hop group with many anti-Israel lyrics), one of the pro-Palestinian panelists tried to compare Israel to what Nazis did to Jews. I was close to standing up to leave. For me, it was a red line. It was very personal for me – I was an IDF officer and some of my ancestors’ brothers and sisters died in the Holocaust. It was one of the hardest things I had to deal with emotionally. I can talk about the way Israel is NOT similar, but for me it put the level of discussion so low and so personal.

Is there anything about American culture that has surprised you?

Spinach. Does that sound funny? We have spinach in Israel, but I don’t know the last time I ate it there. Here in the U.S., it is so popular. My conception about American culture in general is the same, but it’s the small things that interest me – spinach.

What is your deepest hope for people here to understand about Israel?

Israel is a normal country. Whether people think it is very religious or unsafe or terrible, my message is that yes, the conflict is complicated and we struggle with religious-state issues, but at the end of the day, Israel is a modern country where people have normal problems.

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OREGON JEWISH LIFE | APRIL 2012 25

[COVER STORY/ISRAEL ] ] [COVER STORY/ISRAEL

Oregonians connect with modern Israel

by Deborah Moon Photos by Michael Weiner

R

Portlanders explore the ancient Roman city of Caesarea. From left are Harold Edelman, Rob Small, Lauren Goldstein, Lee Lazurus, Mark Goodman, Rich Meyer and Bob Ingber, who were among 17 Oregonians on a Connect to Israel Mission.

Returnees and first-time visitors alike marveled at the modernity of Israel, perhaps best exemplified by the nationwide network of battery charging and exchange stations for electric cars that opened the week before the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland’s Connect to Israel Mission in February.

“Before our trip, I read about A Better Place in Startup Nation and looked forward to visiting the company,” said Rich Meyer, one of 17 mission participants. “A Better Place is a big, cross-functional endeavor: it’s not just about selling people on the concept of buying an electric car, but it requires a lot of infrastructure to support the system. … If this type of system can work anywhere in the world, then Israel is the place to try it. The business typifies the Israeli experience – they are seeking to defy conventional wisdom by doing what others say is impossible.”

“Perhaps one day this non-oildependent car will be a mainstay in Portland and the rest of the world.”

– Marc Blattner

26 APRIL 2012 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

JFGP CEO Marc Blattner expressed similar sentiments in his Feb. 24 email blast about the trip: “Shai Agassi (Better Place founder) and his team have truly developed an incredible concept, and, perhaps one day this non-oil-dependent car will be a mainstay in Portland and the rest of the world.”

Bob Ingber said he was impressed by the car’s pickup, speed and drivability. He added that the changing stations can swap a battery in five minutes, faster than filling a tank with gas.

“I thought the cars were fantastic; great acceleration, perfectly quiet – but the concept is even more exciting than the cars themselves,” added JFGP Chair Michael Weiner.

While most of their traveling companions were test-driving the electric cars, Steven Kahn and Mark Goodman decided to take a different kind of test drive.

“We actually tried to rent bikes from the bike share program, which has bikes to rent all over Tel Aviv, with rental stands everywhere,” said Kahn, noting their foreign credit cards wouldn’t work at the kiosks so they had to go to a bike shop. (Portland has a similar bike share program in development.) “One of the biggest changes I noticed in Tel Aviv is the growth of cycling as a means of transportation there. It has become a supremely

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ADAPTED BY

KEVIN MCKEON FROM THE NOVEL BY LEO TOLSTOY DIRECTED BY CHRIS COLEMAN

APRIL 3–29

Katy Severstone and Michael Sharon in Anna Karenina.. Photo

by Patrick Weishampel.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | APRIL 2012 27

Portlander Marc Blattner takes a test drive in an electric car a week after A Better Place launched their battery charging/changing network across Israel.

Saltzman & Paul

velvet gloves WEAR when

negotiating real estate

deals.

(To hide their iron fists.)

bike-friendly city, which is hard to believe, given the roads, traffic and the way Israelis drive.”

Kahn, who was last in Israel in 2010, said that the country continues to develop with new roads, new malls and new restaurants.

Meyer added, “Tour guides in Israel joke that the national bird of Israel is the crane, but it’s really true – the place seems to be going through a building boom.”

On his first trip to Israel, Ingber said he was surprised by two things: “How normal and safe it felt … also how beautiful and plush and green” everything was, especially surprising in a desert country.

Goodman, also on his first trip, had three surprises: “Soldiers were younger than I thought, enemy countries much closer than I thought and food much better than I thought.”

Meyer, who said he couldn’t believe he’d waited 29 years to return after visiting Israel on a USY trip while in high school, said that he gained “a much better understanding of life in Israel

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and a new appreciation for the challenges Israel faces as well as for the sacrifices people have made to create a state for the Jewish people.”

All the participants asked said they recommend others visit the Jewish state.

“Every Jew must visit Israel,” said Weiner. “Whether they know it or not, their journey as a Jew is not complete without a visit to Israel.”

“I would highly recommend a trip like this,” said Sue Friedman, who was on her fifth trip to Israel.

Ingber suggested first-time visitors go on an organized mission. “I can’t imagine going alone and understanding it,” he said. “Understanding the whole picture gave me a different view. It personalized it and made it hit home,” he said, adding he hadn’t realized how important water was to them and how many challenges they face.

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Partial Client List Killingsworth Station Astor Pacific, LLC Cascade Restoration & Remodeling The Hasson Company 937 Condominiums Willowcreek Senior Living Ludeman’s Fireplace & Patio Samuels Yoelin Kantor, LLC Inspiration Software, Inc.

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[COVER STORY/ISRAEL]

Israel Taglit-Birthright Israel offers the gift of a free, 10-day educational trip to Israel for Jewish adults between the ages of 18 to 26. Since its inception in 2000, Taglit-Birthright Israel has sent nearly 300,000 Jewish young adults to Israel. (www. birthrightisrael.com.)

The Jewish Federation of Greater Portland has 20 seats for a June 11-21 Birthright trip for 22- to 26-year-olds. For info, contact Josh Lake at jlake@jewishportland.org or 503-892-7415.

Discoveries Jake Reckford on a bluff overlooking Kibbutz Ein Gev.

Exploring your Birthright

by Liz Rabiner Lippoff Jake Reckford caught the travel bug in high school and did want to go to Israel … eventually.

While Birthright seemed a fun, smart way to do it, he had college to finish and then a job to do.

When the job went away, however, and his 24th birthday loomed, the planets aligned and he signed up. What started as a fun trip, however, became an inspiring pilgrimage into his family’s history.

Jake had heard the story many times, and although Jake’s grandfather had translated some historical texts from the Hebrew 30 years ago, some details were missing. Jake knew his great uncle Ephraim Ornstein had been a college student studying civil engineering in 1930s’ Vienna when Hitler rose to power. Still in his 20’s, Uncle Ephraim joined a group of ardent Zionists who helped families move to Israel. In 1939, he finished his studies and emigrated himself, settling at Ein Gev. In advance of his trip, Jake contacted the kibbutz and found historian Yoel Ben-Yosef, whose family had corresponded with Jake’s grandmother since 1939. Jake learned that when Uncle Ephraim arrived at Ein Gev, he met many of the Jews he had helped to relocate. His engineering expertise proved invaluable and, together, they built Ein Gev. Jake’s trip was a moving experience like that of so many others. He felt an emotional connection to a Jewish state. He was overwhelmed by a feeling of holiness at the Western Wall. Still, nothing could compare to standing at his great uncle’s gravesite. Other graves had stones and flowers on them. Uncle Ephraim’s was bare: Jake was the first family member to visit.

“It was a humbling and cathartic experience.”

Liz Rabiner Lippoff is a Portland freelance writer. Contact her at LizRL@rabiner.com www.LizInk.biz.

30 APRIL 2012 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

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marketing Jordan

Matin Contact me Iris and Karl Raschkes stand at the base of the Baha’i Gardens in Haifa.

Rotarians find miraculous, modern country Karl and Iris Raschkes of Salem were part of a group of 10 Rotarians from the Salem, Beaverton, Portland and Vancouver Clubs hosted by Rotary Clubs in Israel.

by Karl W. Raschkes

jmatin@matinrealestate.com matinrealestate.com

971-285-2180 M REALTY | 2211 NW Front Ave, Suite 101 • Portland, OR 97209 Jordan Matin is a licensed broker in Oregon

Our first impression of Israel was of the modern international Ben Gurion Airport. As we drove to Jerusalem we noticed the highway system was as modern as any in the US. Jerusalem is a beautiful hilly city with historic buildings, theaters, parks, museums, modern malls and open-air shopping areas.

The Jewish quarter looked very clean compared with the rest of Upcoming Events the walled city. Our guide explained the ancient-looking buildings, Film Festival April 3rd, “Sarah’s Key” synagogues and streets there were rebuilt after the 1967 war – when Israel took control of the entire city from the Jordanians, Shabbat Speaker Series April 21st. Join us for a lively discussion and a delicious who destroyed the Jewish quarter when it was under their control.

Sephardic lunch.

Jerusalem has excellent public transportation including buses and a new electric tram system.

Installation Dinner Save the Date: June 3rd. Join us for Rabbi Kaplan’s In Haifa, we took an under-the-mountain tram to the top of Mt. • Services conducted installation dinner. Please note the new date.

Carmel and saw magnificent vistas of Haifa – including the Baha’i OregOn’s Original sephardic synagOgue in the Sephardic and • Services conducted in the Shrine. Baha’i is a pacifist religion that moved its headquarters to Wednesday Classes Join us for these upcOming events: Sephardic and Israeli Custom Israeli Custom Israel because of the religious freedom. classes: Hebrew Reading Crash Course Speaker Series & Family • Highly participatory service Shabbat every Wednesday at 6 pm. Sephardic Law We went to a viola recital and noticed the doors to the concert hall • Welcoming Jews of • Friday evening services Film Festival and Customs every Wednesday at 7 pm. were thick steel. The usher explained the hall doubles as a bomb every week at sunset all Dinner background Installation shelter. Security in Israel is very prevalent.

• Shabbat morning services Shabbat Classes Join us every Shabbat Wednesday Classes at 9am, followed by lunch • Friday evening services after lunch for a discussion on Jewish In Tel Aviv we saw a modern city of shops, outdoor cafes, pubs, Shabbat Classes and festive Kiddush every week• atWelcoming sunsetJews of Legal Theory compared to Civil Law. restaurants, malls, theaters and beautiful beaches. It is a city that all backgrounds never sleeps. Israelis like to go out at night and socialize late.

• Shabbat morning We visited an Israeli hospital that specializes in state-of-the-art services at 9Rabbi am,Michael Kaplan heart surgery for infants and children. About 40% of the patients Cell: (503)and 610-3850 followed by lunch are children from Gaza who come for free life-saving cardiac Office: (503) 227-0010 festive Kiddush rabbi@ahavathachim.com surgery. (The day’s news reported rockets were being fired at southern Israeli towns from Gaza.)

Congregation Ahavath Achim Israel is a melting pot of people from all over the world where Achim 3225 SW Barbur Blvd. • Portland, OR 97239 www.AhavathAchim.com the Jewish people miraculously have returned to their ancient homeland after 2,000 years in exile. Israel is a tiny country only 9 Rabbi Michael Kaplan Congregation Ahavath Achim miles across at its narrowest. We hope for the safety and security Office: (503) 227-0010 3225 SW Barbur Blvd of Israel and its people, who seem to thrive despite living in a very Cell: (503) 610-3850 Portland, OR 97239 perilous area of the world surrounded by enemies. rabbi@ahavathachim.com www.AhavathAchim.com

Oregon’s Original Sephardic Synagogue

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | APRIL 2012 31

Portlander finds her passion in Israel

by Rachel Trager Sales

Tova Cohen holds a child at a daycare center in Israel for refugees from Sudan.

32 APRIL 2012 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Masa Israel Journey connects young adults, ages 18-30, to immersive five- to 12- month internship, volunteer and academic programs in Israel. Masa Israel is a project of the government of Israel and the Jewish Agency for Israel.

Visit MasaIsrael.org for more information.

Before Portland-native Tova Cohen began college, she knew she had to participate in Young Judaea Year Course, a Masa Israelaccredited service and academic gap year program.

“Aside from being very involved in Young Judaea growing up, I had also spent a year preparing to work with Sudanese refugees in Israel,” said Tova. As a senior in high school, she planned a fundraising dinner in Portland for the refugee community in Israel.

As a Masa participant, Tova took her service work to a whole new level, participating in a rally for Gilad Shalit in Bat Yam and volunteering with Sudanese refugees in Arad. “One day, my friends and I decided that the Sudanese gan (kindergarten) wasn’t conducive for children, so, in two days, we painted the whole thing,” said Tova.

While living in Jerusalem, Tova interned at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, which inspired her to study politics at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

“I realized that while volunteering enables you to help a small group of people, politics is the best way to make a big impact.”

Now on campus in Boulder, CO, Tova enjoys attending Shabbat dinners with other Year Course alumni. She is also looking forward to studying abroad in Israel.

“My gap year in Israel gave me experiences that set me apart from my peers,” says Tova. “I came to campus knowing what I’m passionate about.”

YOM HA’ATZMAUT Israel Independence Day Celebration

April 25, 2012 - 5 Iyar 5772 5:30 pm at the MJCC 6651 SW Capitol Highway, Portland

Special performance by

IDF Army Band family fun • dancing • food • music

Schedule of Activities 5:30 - 7:30

Craft stations and inflatables for kids operated by BBYO and NCSY teens

6:00 - 7:30 Wednesday Night School for all congregations & PJA teens (grades 6 - 12) Every teen in town welcome! (dinner included) 6:30 - 7:30

Adult programs: Israeli Dancing & Screening of the movie "Israel Inside" (www.israelinsidethemovie.com)

7:30

Main Event - IDF Army Band on stage!!!

* Israeli dinner, including Falafel, available for $5 at the J from 5:30 - 7:30 (Kosher!)

[COVER STORY/ISRAEL]

Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) is surrounded by many of the “Ducks for Israel” who won Activist of the Year honors from AIPAC.

University of Oregon students earn AIPAC activist of year honor

T

From left, Rep. Kurt Schrader, Sen. Jeff Merkley, Ariel Ungerleider, Oregon AIPAC Council Member Sharon Ungerleider and Oregon AIPAC State Chair Ken Kwartler.

Oregonians attend record-breaking AIPAC conference

by Ken Kwartler

Thirty Oregonians joined the recordbreaking 14,000 pro-Israel political activists attending the 2012 AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington, DC, March 4-6.

Activists heard stirring speeches from President Barack Obama, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli President Shimon Peres, Sen. Joseph Lieberman, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and Republican presidential candidates Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich. Dozens of high-level breakout sessions featured insight from scholars, government officials and experts like Elliot Abrams, Donna Brazile, Bret Stephens, Mitchell Bard, Aaron David Miller, Martin Indyk, Frank Luntz, Michael Singh, Robert Satloff and Avi Jorisch.

On March 6, AIPAC activists held a record 530 meetings with members of Congress. The Oregon AIPAC delegation filled the offices of Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, and held individual meetings with all five of Oregon’s House members (Reps. Greg Walden, Earl Blumenauer, Peter DeFazio, Kurt Schrader and Suzanne Bonamici, as well as Vancouver, WA, Rep. Jamie Herrera-Beutler).

During the lobbying sessions, activists

34 APRIL 2012 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

spoke to legislators on behalf of continued U.S. security assistance to Israel and enhanced security cooperation between the two nations, as well as how to stop Iran, the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, from obtaining the world’s deadliest weapons. Specifically, they lobbied for Senate passage of SB 2101 (the companion bill to already passed HB 1905), which would impose more extensive sanctions on Iran; and Senate and House resolutions that would make it U.S. policy to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons capability, and rule out “containment” of a nuclear-capable Iran as a viable option – both points that President Obama emphasized in his address to AIPAC on March 4.

The Oregon AIPAC delegation included State Chair Ken Kwartler; Council members Steve Rosenberg, David Rozansky and Sharon Ungerleider; Federation Community Relations/ Allocations Director Bob Horenstein; and more than a dozen members of Ducks for Israel, a University of Oregon student group.

The upcoming 2012 Oregon AIPAC Community Dinner will be April 29 at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center in Portland. For dinner information, call AIPAC’s Pacific Northwest office in Seattle at 206-624-5152.

Washington, DC – The American Israel Public Affairs Committee recognized the outstanding efforts of pro-Israel students from University of Oregon at the AIPAC Campus Awards Dinner held during its annual Policy Conference in Washington.

Student activists from University of Oregon were presented with the “Activist of the Year” award for their steadfast commitment to pro-Israel politics. Throughout the year, pro-Israel students have actively cultivated strong relations with key campus leaders.

This culminated in a leadership statement in support of the US-Israel relationship.

That statement includes the signatures of a diverse spectrum of mainstream student leaders, including those of five fraternity and sorority presidents on campus. Last December, four UO students met with their representative in his Washington, DC, office and have built a strong relationship that continues to deepen over time.

The award was presented during the 2012 AIPAC Policy Conference, an event that brought together more than 14,000 pro-Israel advocates, including more than 1,600 pro-Israel campus delegates and 217 Geller Student Government Association presidents. Students represented more than 500 campuses, from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. “Activist of the Year” awards were also presented to activists from University of Pennsylvania, Tulane University and University of Colorado-Boulder.

Consistently ranked as the most influential foreign policy lobbying organization on Capitol Hill, AIPAC is an American membership organization that seeks to strengthen the relationship between the United States and Israel. With more than 100,000 members across the United States, AIPAC works throughout the country to improve and strengthen that relationship by supporting U.S.-Israel military, economic, scientific and cultural cooperation.

About AIPAC

O R E G O N

S TAT E

AIPAC COMMUNITY DINNER F E AT U R I N G

Hon. Eli Groner

Israel’s Minister for Economic Affairs to the United States

Save the date

Mittleman Jewish Community Center 6651 SW Capitol Highway Portland, Oregon

Sunday, April 29th 5:00 PM Reception 6:00 PM Dinner & Program Register online at

www.aipac.org/pnw/OregonDinner

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee is the only American organization whose principal mission is to lobby the U.S. government about legislation that strengthens the relationship between the United States and Israel.

Every day, the professional staff and members of AIPAC are hard at work helping to educate members of Congress, candidates for public office, policymakers, media professionals and student leaders on college campuses about the importance of the U.S.-Israel friendship. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the organization has 10 regional offices focused on bringing our message to legislators throughout the country.

AIPAC is registered as a domestic lobby and supported financially by private donations. The organization receives no financial assistance from Israel, any national organization or any foreign group. AIPAC is not a political action committee. It does not rate, endorse or contribute to candidates. Because it is a lobby, contributions to AIPAC are not tax deductible.

For more than 50 years, AIPAC has worked to make a difference. Because of your commitment to AIPAC, together we can continue to make a difference.

For more information, please contact the AIPAC office at 206-624-5152 or sf_office@aipac.org

Oregon Needs a Doctor in the House

Dr. Sharon Meireran, Candidate for State Representative House District 36

The right prescription for our community, for our health and for our schools

Happy Passover www.SharonForOregon.com

PRODUCED BY THE NORTHWEST FILM CENTER AND THE INSTITUTE FOR JUDAIC STUDIES

APR 17 TUES 7 PM TORN ISRAEL 2011

APR 15 SUN 7 PM MABUL (THE FLOOD) ISRAEL 2011

Can a person be a practicing Jew and a Catholic priest at the same time? Raised by a gentile family and ordained as a Polish Catholic priest, Father Romuald Waszkinel discovers years later that he was born Jacob Weksler to Jewish biological parents who were murdered in the Holocaust. See his extraordinary transformation from conducting mass in Poland to life as an observant Jew on an Israeli kibbutz. (72 mins.)

APR 21 SAT 8:30 PM THE RABBI’S CAT FRANCE 2011

Yoni’s life is complicated. His classmates bully him every chance they get, and his parents barely say a word to each other. When his autistic brother Tomer, locked away for years in an institution, returns to live at home with them right before Yoni’s Bar Mitzvah, the already unstable family threatens to crumble. (101 mins.) Followed by A REUBEN BY ANY OTHER NAME (US 2010, dir. Jeremy Dylan Lanni). (4 mins.)

APR 16 MON 7 PM COUNSELLOR AT LAW US 1933 John Barrymore, in one of his best roles, plays George Simon, a high-powered Jewish lawyer who has worked his way up from the tenements to a lofty perch in the Empire State Building by defending accused murderesses, powerful politicians, and hard-luck cases from the old neighborhood while discreetly bleeding wealthy clients. (82 mins.) Marat Grinberg, assistant professor of Russian and Humanities at Reed College, will introduce the film.

Based on Safar’s own hit comic book series, this irreverent and quick-witted tale includes a cat discussing philosophy and Jewish law, among other things. A wonderful family film complete with an array of motley characters who set off on a fantastical Indiana Jones-style adventure into the unknown heart of Africa. (100 mins.)

APR 19 THURS 7 PM DAVID US 2011 A charming coming-of-age tale of tolerance and cross-cultural understanding. Daud is a lonely 11-year-old Muslim boy growing up in Brooklyn until one day he is mistaken for a yeshiva student and befriended by a group of Jewish boys. Daud becomes David to his newfound friends. The ruse soon unravels, however, leaving the conflicted boy struggling to find his place in a complicated world.

(80 mins.) Followed by STARRING DAVID (Netherlands 2010, dir. Ester Gould). (19 mins.) PG-13

APR 22 SUN 4 PM MY ARCHITECT US 2003 Louis I. Kahn, a giant among modernist 20thcentury architects, left a legacy of brilliantly designed and engineered buildings, including the Salk Institute, Kimball Art Museum, and the Yale Center for British Art. Kahn’s personal life was even more mysterious than his work’s inspiration. His son Nathaniel, age 11 at the time of his father’s death, takes us on a personal journey to consider the contradictions of this complicated genius and eccentric parent. (116 mins.)

APR 29 SUN 2 PM THE RESCUERS US 2011

APR 22 SUN 7 PM KADDISH FOR A FRIEND GERMANY 2011 Khasin tells a warm tale about an unlikely friendship between two lonely, displaced characters. Alexander is an 84-year-old Jewish war veteran, and Ali is the teenage son of a neighboring Palestinian family newly arrived from a refugee camp in Lebanon.

The relationship between the feisty pair flits between mutual dislike, understanding, and finally friendship, when they realize that the fragile existence of each depends in a large part on the other. Inspired by a true story. (93 mins.)

APR 25 WED 7 PM FOLLOW ME: THE YONI NETANYAHU STORY US 2011 The famed Operation Entebbe‚ the high-risk mission to save Israeli hostages held by Arab terrorists at the Entebbe, Uganda, airport in 1976‚ was an almost miraculous success, but sometimes forgotten is that the mission was not without casualties. (84 mins.)

APR 26 THURS 7 PM FIVE BROKEN CAMERAS PALESTINE/ISRAEL/FRANCE 2011 Five broken cameras‚ and each one has a powerful tale to tell. Embedded in the bullet-ridden remains of digital technology is the story of Emad Burnat, a farmer from the Palestinian village of Bil’in, which famously chose nonviolent resistance when the Israeli army encroached upon its land to make room for Jewish colonists. Sundance Film Festival (90 mins.)

APR 23 MON 7 PM THE QUEEN HAS NO CROWN ISRAEL 2011 Tomer Heymann’s poignant meditation on family, loss, and the mental maps of homelessness. The film navigates the intimate lives of five brothers and their mother, as they experience the pains of exile and the joys of family bonding. Combining 8mm and 16mm footage with his own work of a decade, Tomer shows how the strength of the Heymann family depends on forces greater than the nuclear family itself. (85 mins.)

A Holocaust historian and anti-genocide activist search the past for solutions to current ethnic persecutions in THE RESCUERS. Globetrotting across 15 countries, Sir Martin Gilbert and Rwandan native Stephanie Nyombayire meet with survivors and descendants of diplomats who interceded to save Jews from Nazi death camps. Best of the Fest Award winner at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.

APR 28 SAT 8:30 PM SALLAH ISRAEL 1964 Sallah Shabati (Topol), a Yemenite Jew, arrives with his family in Israel in 1949, among 49,000 in a secretly organized immigration influx. Broke and lazy by nature, he devises various comic schemes to get money. Through his antics, Sallah exposes the struggles in a young Israeli society. Kishon’s zany satire won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film. (105 mins.)

(94 mins.)

APR 29 SUN 4:30 PM NICKY’S FAMILY CZECH REPUBLIC 2011 Nicholas Winton was just an everyday Englishman looking to make himself useful before the dawn of World War II. Without a real plan, he somehow managed to organize the rescue of 669 Jewish Czech and Slovak children during the outbreak of the war. For more than half a century, Winton never discussed his efforts. (96 mins.)

APR 29 SUN 7 PM REMEMBRANCE GERMANY 2011 The true story of two lovers who meet in a concentration camp in 1944. Tomasz, a Polish prisoner, pulls off a daring rescue escaping from the camp with his Jewish lover Hannah Silberstein.

As the war comes to an end, each believes the other has died. (105 mins.) Followed by CALIFORNIA SHMEER (US 2006, dir. Alan H. Rosenberg). (25 mins.)

General admission: $9, Students and seniors: $8 | Festival Passes: $85 Available online at portlandjewishfilmfestival.org or nwfilm.org. Location: Northwest Film Center’s Whitsell Auditorium inside the Portland Art Museum at 1219 SW Park Ave. Special thanks to our sponsors:

The Consulate General of

ISRAEL S A N F R A N C I S C O

Media sponsor:

[PORTLAND JEWISH FILM FEST] These films screen as part of the 20th Portland Jewish Film Festival, presented by the Northwest Film Center and the Institute for Judaic Studies. The complete line-up, tickets and more information are available at nwfilm.org or see the schedule on pages 36-37 of this issue of Oregon Jewish Life.

Courtesy of Northwest Film Center

War-torn romance, escape propel extraordinary Remembrance

by Michael Fox Personal to those who swore they’d never see another Holocaust-themed film as long as they lived: Rescind your vow, just this once.

The German drama Remembrance (Die Verlerone Zeit) is that good. It’s better than good, in fact. It’s unforgettable.

Anna Justice’s fact-based saga relates a tale of escape from war-torn Poland nearly as incredible as Agnieszka Holland’s jaw-dropping Europa Europa of two decades ago. At the same time, Remembrance cuts between the past and the present (circa 1976) with far greater emotional force than the recent Sarah’s Key mustered.

The generator of all that power is a pressure-cooker love affair portrayed with such urgency, immediacy and intensity that it makes every screen romance you’ve seen in the last 10 years look like a foolish game of Charades.

In other words, Remembrance is the whole package. This is the rare film that’s epic in scale and reach, yet effortlessly capable of touching every viewer.

Remembrance begins in a gray concentration camp in Poland in 1944, where German Jew Hannah Silberstein (Alice Dwyer) scrubs floors in the bakery and tries to be invisible. That’s the best survival strategy, she’s learned, and her mastery of it is a big reason she makes it through the war.

I’m not giving anything away, for we’re immediately, and jarringly, shown her comfortable life in Brooklyn. Now Hannah 38 APRIL 2012 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Levine (Dagmar Manzel), she’s picking up a tablecloth from her neighborhood cleaners for a party that night when she’s stunned to overhear a television interview with a middle-aged Polish ex-partisan.

Her world thrown off its axis, Hannah spends the evening ricocheting between frantic action and distracted reverie, to her husband’s puzzlement and frustration.

Tomasz Limanowski, the gentle non-Jew that Hannah glimpsed on TV, is the other reason she’s alive. He was also a prisoner and they were secretly lovers – which may sound impossible but is presented in an utterly convincing manner. (Bribery, along with Nazi efficiency and fear, kept the camps running, apparently.)

A plan has been concocted to spring Tomasz from the camp with a roll of film exposing Nazi abuses. In an impulsive and breathtaking act of courage and devotion, he takes Hannah with him.

Pam Katz’s smart script deals pithily and succinctly with familiar Holocaust themes – trust and betrayal, Polish antiSemitism, memory and regret, the unwillingness of survivors to discuss the past. We’re told very little but we see everything, in a glance, a gesture, or one of director Anna Justice’s powerfully elegant compositions.

The film purposely throws us into the middle of situations, forcing us to make snap judgments along with Hannah and Tomasz. This approach also has the effect of ratcheting the tension during their flight, a significant accomplishment given that we know their lucky fate at the outset.

The upshot is that it’s impossible to be a passive viewer of Remembrance. Fortunately, Justice (Max Minsky and Me) and Katz are diligent about rewarding our emotional commitment.

They have crafted a Holocaust saga that hits unusual and unexpected notes, and they’ve imbued a cross-cultural love story with historical insight and depth. From beginning to end, from top to bottom, Remembrance is an immersive, intelligent and altogether satisfying experience.

See it, then go ahead and make a new promise.

Michael Fox is a San Francisco film critic and journalist.

5 Broken Cameras explores nonviolent protest of Palestinian villagers

by Abra Cohen

Co-produced by Israeli Guy Davidi and Palestinian Emad Burnat, 5 Broken Cameras was well received at Sundance Film Festival last month and was the recipient of the World Cinema Directing Award. This month it screens at the Portland Jewish Film Festivaal.

Shot from a one-man perspective, 5 Broken Cameras is a refreshing change from other Israeli documentaries that focus primarily on politics. Burnat, who begins the documentary by explaining that he purchased a video camera to film his son after his birth in 2005, ends up filming his village’s non-violent response to Israeli settlement building and construction of the security fence. Over the course of the film, Burnat films with six cameras; five of which are destroyed. Each camera has a unique chapter in the film.

Armed with his video camera, Burnat documents the changing landscape of his village and surrounding area as the security fence is built, settlements spring up and religious Jews move into complexes that tower over Palestinian villages in disputed territory.

A farmer in the small West Bank village of Bil’in, Burnat has a way of constantly paralleling good and bad throughout the film. Alongside Israeli Army raids, Burnat includes footage of his son, Gibreel, and his patient wife. He captures the innocence of childhood with laughter, first words and intimate family moments that illustrate how life continues even in challenging times.

As the documentary progresses, we witness Gibreel grow from a baby to a sensitive boy. The physical separation between the West Bank and Israel is expressed through the eyes of a child. The dichotomy of young boys dressed in peyes and tzitzit

playing in beautiful apartments in the settlements peering down on Palestinian children in semi-permanent Palestinian shacks is a disturbing image that sticks with you throughout the film. Men dressed in suits and black hats throw punches while Burnat films. Even as a Zionist, it is hard to walk away without feeling a sense of frustration and unfairness toward Israeli settlers.

However, while the film focuses on the peaceful demonstration and a nonviolent approach to Palestinian protest, 5 Broken Cameras was light on any explanation as to why Israeli soldiers entered the village of Bil’in and why grenades and tear gas were thrown and houses searched. It is hard to imagine they entered without reason, and offering this information would have strengthened the film tremendously. Offering more Israeli accounts would have explained Israeli army reasoning to the audience.

Davidi and Burnat, who co-produced the film, say it was not created to represent the relationship between Israelis and Palestinians, but instead it was more about the relationship between the two producers and their different privileges, values, ideas and cultural values.

Incorporating Israelis who worked alongside Palestinians was a powerful picture, channeling Burnat and Davidi’s quest for peace. Many viewers at Sundance said this was one of the most powerful documentaries they had seen.

“It takes strength to turn something negative into something positive,” says Burnat.

Abra Cohen is a freelance writer in Eugene who attended this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | APRIL 2012 39

by Debora h

Moon

[FITNESS]

Self-defense,

Israeli-style Instructor Mark Blake demonstrates how to counter an attacker (instructor Tim Hopper) wielding a weapon.

Developed as a close combat technique by the Israel Defense Forces, Krav Maga was founded

by Imi Lichtenfeld, who added street fighting techniques to his formal training in boxing and wrestling when he was faced with ethnic violence on the streets of 1930s’ Prague. After moving to pre-state Israel, he began to synthesize his skills to create a close combat technique for the armed services. When he retired from the IDF in 1964, he began to adapt the technique for civilians.

Instructor Mark Blake demonstrates how to counter an attacker (instructor Tim Hopper) wielding a weapon.

Today Krav Maga (contact combat in Hebrew) is taught for self-defense and fitness around the world. A web search lists five Krav Maga locations in the Portland metro area: Krav Maga Self Defense & Fitness with locations in Beaverton and Milwaukie (kravmagaportland.com); East West Martial Arts with two locations in Vancouver, WA (vancouvermartialarts.com); and 360 Krav Maga in Clackamas (portlandkravmaga.com).

Krav Maga Self Defense opened in 2003 with a location in the Raleigh Hills area. Owner and instructor Mark Blake now has two schools that serve about 475 students. To find out what all the buzz is about, I tried out an introductory class. The noon beginners’ class had about 15 men and five women who started out with a warm-up of laps, crunches, pushups and stretches.

Then Mark demonstrated a series of techniques and students paired up to try each move.

I also talked to Mark about his passion for Krav Maga.

When did you discover Krav Maga?

Mark: I began to take seminars in 1998.

Why did you decide to teach Krav Maga?

Mark: After 30 years as a karate instructor, I wanted to teach adults. Industry surveys show that adults want to get in better shape and learn to defend themselves. Krav Maga really addresses those two issues. The fitness benefits are huge and selfdefense is why it was developed. All the moves are immediately applicable to self-defense.

If it was developed for soldiers, why does it work so well for the average person?

Mark: When Israel was founded, it didn’t have a huge army of gladiators; everyone had to fight. So it’s not based on strength, power or athleticism. It works for smaller people against larger attackers, so it’s very popular for women.

Why is it effective?

Mark: There are no rules when you’re fighting for your life, so we teach “dirty fighting,” striking vulnerable targets such as the eyes, nose, throat, groin and secondarily knees and shins to make the attacker fall. We also teach leverage and position in relation to the attacker.

Why is leverage important?

Mark: If your attacker is stronger, you need to use leverage rather than strength. So we work on techniques to tilt or twist the neck, or bend fingers, elbows or other joints against the direction they normally move.

What is the age range of your students?

Mark: Most people are 25 to 40, but we have some teens and some into their 60s. Everyone gets benefits.

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OREGON JEWISH LIFE | APRIL 2012 41

PLAYWORKS

[THROUGH THE AGES/youth]

All work and no play makes students unruly, unhealthy and uncooperative

Story by Vanessa Van Petten. Photos by Anukul Gurung

A kindergartner hula hoops during a Playworks recess.

42 APRIL 2012 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Some of my worst memories are standing on the elementary school playground hoping to be picked for games. I used to dread recess and would ask the teacher if I could erase the board or organize the blocks instead—I was not a super cool kid.

As an adult reading about the importance of those developmental years and the positive impact of healthy play, I realized I missed out. That is when I discovered Playworks – an organization whose mission is to use meaningful play to improve the health and well-being of children.

As a Playworks volunteer, I’ve discovered the chaotic, aggressive and sometimes violent playground I grew up on no longer has to be the norm. I’ve learned schools can improve all aspects of their students’ daily life by focusing on healthy play.

Playworks is a national nonprofit organization that supports learning by providing safe, healthy and inclusive play and physical activity to schools at recess and throughout the school day.

The organization reaches more than 130,000 students in some 300 schools in more than 23 cities nationwide. In 2009, Jewish Portlander Jonathan Blasher brought the program to Oregon, where it serves 29 schools and reaches nearly 12,000 students daily.

Playworks works to solve a fundamental problem in our schools – not enough time, space and funding for healthy play.

Polls have shown that 1 in 4 elementary schools no longer provide daily recess.

You might wonder why recess is so important. After all, as a society, we tend to emphasize the importance of work and class time. Playworks argues that the right kind of playtime can make class time more effective.

“We don’t encourage just any kind of play; we want kids to spend recess time in a way that is positive and constructive,” says Blasher.

Playworks has devised a groundbreaking in-school program to address three problem areas for today’s youth. First, the rise of technology and sedentary lifestyles has caused a reduction in physical activity for our nation’s youngsters, increasing the risk of obesity and heart disease. Increased use of technology also has weakened the social-emotional skill set of students as their face-to-face interactions decrease.

Chaotic, aggressive and inactive recess time also affects class time. Coach Jory Card, Playworks program coordinator at Marysville Elementary School in Portland, has seen a dramatic shift in kids at his school. “Since we have been at Marysville, there is less bullying on the recess yard because our games teach students to solve their own conflicts and positively support each other,” says Card, who has a degree in family studies.

This means that kids do not come back into the classroom still in conflict from the playground. “They head back to class ready to learn.”

The Playworks philosophy of harnessing the power of play to improve students’ physical health, reduce bullying and reclaim lost teaching time also is backed by a large body of research. A study by the American Academy of Pediatrics addresses the physical, cognitive, social and emotional values of play. It found, “Play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity and physical, cognitive and emotional strength.” The study adds that the right kind of play is essential for brain development in young children and teaches children how to engage and interact with the world around them. [Ginsburg, Kenneth R. “The Importance of Play

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Surveys of principals and teachers in Playworks’ schools reveal: 86% report that incidents of bullying during recess have decreased.

84% of staff report a decrease in the amount of time spent transitioning from recess to the

classroom – which means more time for learning.

85% of schools report students were more engaged in school since having the program.

72% of students report Playworks made them want to attend school more.

89% of school staff reports that Playworks increased the level of cooperation among students

in the classroom.

Portland Playworks Executive Director Jonathan Blasher teaches basketball fundamentals to fourth- and fifth-grade boys at a Playworks’ basketball extravaganza.

in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds,” The American Academy of Pediatrics, No. 1, Jan. 1, 2007, pp. 182-191.]

Playworks and its coaches use studies to develop their play programs, explains Playworks Communications Director Cindy Wilson. “We use play as a positive tool to help students develop leadership, conflict resolution and teamwork skills. Our program also shifts behavior and accelerates learning in the classroom.”

Surveys of principals and teachers in Playworks’ schools reveal that this amazing program works (see box).

Playworks hopes that within the next few years every child in America will have a chance to play every day.

“Our vision is that every kid in the Pacific Northwest will have a Playworks experience at least once before they leave elementary school,” says Blasher. He hopes that the scientifically proven benefits of meaningful play and physical activity for the social-emotional development of youth will become part of the larger education- and health-reform conversation.

For myself, I am finally getting the chance to re-form my awful memories of the playground by creating new ones as a Playworks volunteer. I have learned to play Cinderella Dodgeball from first-graders, watched kids problem solve better than many adults I know and spent more time outside in the past few months than I have in the past few years – rain doesn’t stop us from getting outside and playing!

If you want to get Playworks in your area or see how you can change kids’ lives, visit Playworks.org. We know the benefits are tangible, we know that play works!

64 Chulent Chat

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OREGON JEWISH LIFE | APRIL 2012 45

[THROUGH THE AGES/TEENS]

Community and teens reap rewards of philanthropy

Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation teens discuss how much money they want to give various organizations during the organization’s ninth year. Photo by Julie Diamond

by Josh Nudelman A bat mitzvah project nine years ago has evolved into a program that continues to change lives and enrich community.

The Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation unites high school students who have a deep interest in Jewish philanthropy and helping the community.

OJCYF teens visit Jewish and non-Jewish organizations to learn what they do and then the group allocates money to the organizations of their choice. In less than a decade, the 119 teens who have participated in OJCYF have raised and allocated more than $200,000 to Jewish and secular organizations.

As the giving grows, so do the current members and alumni who draw on their experiences as OJCYF members.

“Being in OJCYF truly taught me how to work in a group and team-setting to evaluate different opportunities from both a philanthropic and strategic perspective,” says Talia Goldberg, who is now a junior at University of Pennsylvania. “OJCYF also

has enhanced my leadership skills so that this year I was able to successfully start my own group at Penn, STEP (Students for Tech & Entrepreneurship at Penn). STEP seeks to support and sponsor youth and social entrepreneurship whenever possible.”

Goldberg isn’t the only OJCYF alum to create a student group. Myles Bugbee started a debate series at Rice University.

“I founded the James A. Baker III Institute Student Debate Series, which features once-a-semester student policy debates that engage a broad range of students. I have organized events with diplomats such as former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, dignitaries like a former Israeli ambassador to Azerbaijan, and leaders in the profit and non-profit worlds like General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt,” Bugbee says of his program.

OJCYF is sometimes the major factor that helps young teenagers stay Jewish and keep their Jewish roots.

“OJCYF was just confirmation for me that I wanted to live

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RSVP by April 25 to 503-248-9328 a Jewish life. Because of my strong connection to Judaism at a young age, it propelled me to study abroad in Israel my junior year,” says Julia Weiss, whose bat mitzvah project was the genesis of OJCYF. Weiss is now a senior at Pitzer College in Southern California.

The success of OJCYF alumni is just one way that one can see how truly amazing the organization is. Teens plan to share stories of OJCYF successes and alumni at their annual dinner May 1 (see box).

Goldberg says, “Find your passion and follow it. No matter what you do, work to be a leader in supporting or creating philanthropic opportunities. Also, keep in touch with your fellow OJCYFers, they will go on to do awesome things and it’s a great network to be a part of.”

A third-year OJCYF member, Josh Nudelman is a senior at Lake Oswego High School. He is the dinner chair for this year’s OJCYF benefit dinner.

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OREGON JEWISH LIFE | APRIL 2012 47 Oregon jewish life4.indd 1

1/11/12 9:51:51 AM

[THROUGH THE AGES/YOUNG ADULTS]

Social Playground Young adult series rocks

Ezza Rose and Steve Hefter, on guitar, and William Joersz on bass (facing page) perform at HEEB Remixed.

“This should be a great experiment. It has all the right ingredients – hip club, good music and great drinks.”

by Vanessa Van Petten

Heeb Remixed, the first event of Oregon Jewish Museum’s Six: Social Playground series, attracted more than 100 young adults for a music-filled night at Holocene Feb. 2.

By spotlighting Jewish talent and Portland culture, OJM hopes to attract the hard-to-reach demographic of 20- and 30-something Jews in Portland with its Six: Social Playground series.

The first night in the series featured emerging Jewish musicians and songwriters including folk-pop band Weinland, Gideon Freudmann of the Portland Cello Project and St. Even.

Presented by the OJM with funding from a Community Impact Grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, the event endeavored to “create a space where all Jews could come together no matter their place along the Jewish spectrum,” said Sandra Preston, OJM program coordinator.

Attendee Scott Zacks has been frustrated by the lack of events for 20- and 30-somethings in Portland: “There really has not been much for our age group. I hope this (Six: Social Playground) is a new start.”

Robin Denburg echoes Zacks’ sentiment and adds, “This should be a great experiment. It has all the right ingredients – hip club, good music and great drinks.”

St. Even, the nom de guerre of singer and songwriter, Steve Hefter, whose album Spirit Animal was voted #2 Album of the Year for 2011 by the Willamette Week music staff, opened the night. He was followed by Gideon Freudmann of the Portland Cello Project and Cellobop. Freudmann’s unique style of play and innovative compositions captured the attentive crowd as they mingled and sipped drinks.

Headliners and guest curators, Weinland took the stage led by cofounders Aaron Pomerantz and Adam Shearer. Pomerantz was especially excited about the evening after taking a five-month break for the birth of his first baby. “I’m really excited. It is really great to look out and know it is a predominantly Jewish crowd – what a unique night!”

Attendees clearly shared in Pomerantz’s excitement as they sipped special Manischewitz cocktails created by the Holocene bartenders and nibbled on delectable knishes. Christine Warne came out to support the Oregon Jewish Museum and over a “Man-Up” cocktail – blackberry Manischewitz, orange bitters, vodka, lemon and ginger ale – enthused, “I’m having a fabulous time. I hope the event series is successful.”

The Six: Social Playground series celebrates the next generation of Jewish

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UP NEXT: Movie night In-progress screening of “Outside the Box” followed by reception and Q&A with New York-based director Lacey Schwartz 7 pm, May 14 at Oregon Jewish Museum, 1953 NW Kearney St., Portland More information on the film is available at outsidetheboxfilm.com For more event information contact Sandra Preston at 503-226-3600 or education@ojm.org

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director/producer of “Outside the Box,” a documentary that traces Schwartz’s upbringing in a white Jewish family and her discovery at 18 that her biological father is black. It follows her personal exploration of her mixed-race identity and her connection to other black Jews in America. More information on the film is available at outsidetheboxfilm.com.

Portlanders can look forward to the other events in the series including ones about food, sports and design. Organizers hope they draw as many newcomers as the Heeb Remixed event.

Jen Salzburg said it was the first time she had been to a Jewish event in Portland, “I heard about the music and decided to come. I am really enjoying it and hope there will be more like it.”

For information on upcoming Social Playground events, contact Preston at education@ojm.org or 503-226-3600.

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talent in the fields of music, food, sports, film, independent media and design. It’s clearly off to a great start.

The second event on March 28 (press day for this issue of OJL) is an evening of independent film and media at the McMenamin’s Mission Theater.

Attendees were expected to watch short works and clips before hearing from the local artists behind them as they sipped beer. The clips include the works of Alicia J. Rose and Rachel Blumberg among others. It is moderated by Boaz Frankel, local filmmaker and host of The Pedal Powered Talk Show.

Preston hopes to work with creative partners to curate each event and create programs where people redefine Jewish identity on their own terms rather than in the terms of what others expect.

The next Six: Social Playground event will be a movie night May 14 about a work-in-progress film by New York-based director Lacey Schwartz. Schwartz is

Building a vibrant Jewish community.

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50 APRIL 2012 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Thank You Portland Jewish Community for your continuous support of Jewish Family & Child Service Wishing you and yours a meaningful Passover, On behalf of our Board of Directors & Staff

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FIND YOURSELF AT THE

[THROUGH THE AGES/SENIORS]

The Kindness of Strangers

All seniors are VIPs at JFCS, but grants only cover services for 'certified' Holocaust survivors

by Deborah Moon

Nadia Rizhuk stirs red peppers into sautéed onions as she prepares dinners for Maia Ilina, a Holocaust survivor for whom Nadia cooks, cleans and more each week. Photo by Deborah Moon

Born in Lithuania in 1940, Maia Ilina was smuggled out of the ghetto in Kaunas shortly before it was liquidated in 1944. She spent the rest of World War II in hiding with a Lithuanian family; all her known relatives perished. After the war ended, she was taken to a Jewish orphanage.

Now nearly 72 years old, Maia once again needs the kindness of strangers. Thanks to Jewish Family and Child Service and funds from a Claims Conference grant to aid Holocaust survivors, Maia has weekly visits from Nadia Rizhuk, one of JFCS’s 19 homemaker assistants. Nadia helps with shopping, cooking, cleaning and perhaps, most important, companionship. Since Maia doesn’t drive, Nadia takes her to doctor’s appointments and to the grocery store.

“She is now part of our small family,” says Maia, who arrived in Portland from St. Petersburg 16 years ago with her husband 52 APRIL 2012 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Boris. “She is kind and friendly and hardworking. She is a good person.”

Maia says Nadia makes her life easier both emotionally and physically.

“I can manage mostly,” says Maia. “But when I think about my future … it is hope and warm feelings that I am not alone if something happens.”

For Maia and many Jewish refugees from the former Soviet Union, JFCS VIP homemaker services are covered by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany. For 2012, JFCS has three grants from the Claims Conference – $25,000 for emergency assistance for survivors, $38,000 for socialization ( JFCS fundraising must match 22% of that to qualify), and $339,000 for homemaker assistants.

While that sounds like a lot of money, JFCS Executive Director Marian Fenimore says that the restrictions on who can be served with those funds leave many of their clients out in the cold. To qualify for services, clients must be “certified survivors.” Fenimore says the process of recounting their stories is so upsetting that some survivors don’t want to be traumatized again. Others don’t have documentation needed to “certify” their claims.

Of course JFCS also serves many low-income seniors who are not survivors.

“We are doing a senior and Holocaust survivor campaign to help raise money to help us serve a broader spectrum,” Fenimore says.

Currently the VIP program provides homemaker services to 75-80 clients, about 35 of whom are survivors. Of the 19 homemaker assistants, 10 speak Russian, which is very important due to the large number of aging refugees who arrived here in the 1990s from the FSU. JFCS bilingual case manager Rita Shmulevsky says people often are surprised to find out how many Holocaust survivors are from the FSU. Before the fall of the Iron Curtain, Soviet records and memorials typically referred to civilian rather than Jewish victims.

A family took Maia into their home during the Holocaust; now Jewish Family and Child Service helps her stay in her own home.

Rita says she grew up with stories of the Holocaust. “I thought I’d heard everything, but every time I speak to clients to write their story to qualify for the grant, it leaves me in shock.”

Nadia, herself a refugee from Moldovia, says she enjoys the three families she helps each week.

“I really like the people, especially Maia,” says Nadia. “She had a hard life and still all the time is positive. I like our conversations and I learn a lot from Maia.”

To ensure that other survivors and seniors can gain the sense of security the VIP Senior Homemaker program provides, send donations with a memo “for senior and Holocaust survivors program” to JFCS, 1221 SW Yamhill, Suite 301, Portland, OR 97205.

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Life on the Other Side

by Anne Kleinberg

The best of times, the worst of times

“

Traffic stops and people stand at attention when a siren sounds across Israel on Yom HaShoah and Yom Hazikaron.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times… it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair…” Thus wrote Charles Dickens in A Tale of Two Cities. I think of those words as we approach Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), Yom Hazikaron (Israel’s Memorial Day) and Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel Independence Day).

Perhaps a better phrase would relate the dichotomy of happiness and sadness we go through here in Israel as we honor these days every April/May. They are times of soulful mourning and silly celebrating. Maybe it’s an analogy of life in Israel – great highs and profound lows, flaring temperaments and infinite tenderness. And I suspect that I, the relative newcomer here, will never be able to fully absorb the experience.

Yom HaShoah starts on the evening before the day of remembrance. Restaurants usually close, no celebrations take place and the entire nation more or less takes a time out. At 11 the next morning, a siren is heard throughout the country. Traffic stops – literally. People bring their cars to a halt – whether on local side streets or main highways – and they get out and stand at attention for the full two minutes of the siren’s wail. The rest of the day is spent as you wish – businesses are open but radio music is somber and the television stations broadcast only Holocaust-related programs. There are interviews with survivors, movies of concentration camp experiences, touching accounts of families pulled apart and families reunited. It is a 24-hour period that pulls at the heartstrings – and pulls and pulls.

54 APRIL 2012 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

One week later we again experience a day of sorrow – a day of remembrance for the men and women, the boys and girls who have lost their lives due to war or terrorism. Once again the siren, the halted traffic, the sadness permeate the length and breadth of the country. One television channel runs continuous broadcasts of the names of the fallen and the dates of their

Yom HaShoah, Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut: They are times of soulful mourning and silly celebrating. Maybe it’s an analogy of life in Israel – great highs and profound lows. death. It is a morbid reminder of the history of this country.

Tune in early in the day and you hear the names of those lost in the early years – the date reveals which war or confrontation or terrorist act they were a victim of. Tune in later on and you see who has died in recent times. It’s eerie and terribly sad.

And then, at 8 in the evening, it all changes. It’s time to party! People run out to the streets or get in their cars and start driving all over the country to celebrate the declaration of Israel’s independence by David Ben-Gurion on May 14, 1948. Big parties, loud music, smoky barbecues and the inevitable fireworks

bopping sound. I cannot recall the sad days from that year.

But times have changed. They say the most dramatic shift took place in 1973 during the Yom Kippur War. Too many lives were lost, losses that touched every family. My friends tell me that since those days, it is very difficult to make the switch from sad to happy. It seems false and unworthy to jump into party mode after When Yom Ha’atzmaut arrives, Israelis party. a 24-hour period of recalling abound. Traffic on the following day is friends and family members a nightmare because it seems everyone who sacrificed their lives for the country. is heading off to some spot to picnic It is indeed hard to imagine – 18-yearwith family and friends – some actually old boys in the prime of adolescence stopping on the roads and doing it right changing into uniforms, armed with there! weapons, going to the front to protect My earliest recollection of Yom and defend their country. Or young girls Ha’atzmaut was from the early ’70s when sitting in cafes having their lives sudI was a student at Tel Aviv University. denly obliterated due to one outrageous We took a bus from the dorms to the act of terror. “big city,” got off at Kikar Malchei I, like other residents, follow the cusIsrael (now Rabin Square) and spent toms of my adopted country. I stand at the evening joining thousands of others silent attention when the siren goes off. I laughing and hitting people over the think about the 6 million murdered and head with plastic hammers that made a

cannot fathom it. I watch the names on the TV screen and I recall the faces of the people I’ve known whose lives have been cut short, and I think of their families still suffering. And then, like everyone else, I get ready to party.

Life in Israel.

Anne Kleinberg, author of Menopause in Manhattan and several cookbooks, left a cushy life in Manhattan to begin a new one in Israel. Now she’s opened a boutique Bed and Breakfast in her home on the golf course in Caesarea. For details, visit www.annekleinberg. com and www.casacaesarea.com.

Jewish Federation of Greater Portland’s Community Relations Committee, Mittleman Jewish Community Center and Oregon Area Jewish Committee

present

Eileen Brady

2012 Portland Mayoral Candidate Forum

Monday, April 16 • 7:00 – 9:00 pm

s

Mittleman Jewish Community Center • 6651 SW Capitol Hwy Free Admission (no RSVP required) Charlie Hales

Learn more from Portland’s next Mayor Eileen Brady - Businesswoman, civic leader and sustainability advocate Charlie Hales - Senior vice president at HDR Engineering and former Portland city commissioner Jefferson Smith - Member of the Oregon House of Representatives

Jefferson Smith

For more information contact: Community Relations/Allocations Director Bob Horenstein at 503.245.6496 or bob@jewishportland.org OREGON JEWISH LIFE | APRIL 2012 55

Where’s the

money?

by Mylan Tanzer

W Yair Lapid

While Israel is naturally concerned by the ever-present dangers that hover over us, the inequitable social burden and the direction of Israeli society have become so omnipresent in our daily life that they pre-occupy Israelis more than the prospect of Iranian weapons grade uranium or Palestinian missiles and terror.

Those concerns drove Yair Lapid to leave his well-paid, influential position as the most popular news anchor on Israeli TV to enter the brutal, merciless and unforgiving ring of Israeli politics. Like many of Israel’s earlier unwilling leaders such as David Ben-Gurion and Golda Meir, he feels he has no choice.

Ben Caspit, one of Israel’s most respected columnists wrote: “Yair Lapid decided that he can no longer bear it, that he must do something, that he must come down from the comfortable ivory tower of the Friday night news studio and make a stand. … he took the first step and should be congratulated.”

What possesses someone who has achieved virtual icon status to enter the political killing fields littered with skeletons of so many popular would-be reformers, a field that many have mounted legal and political obstacles to prevent him from entering?

If asked, Lapid would probably answer in traditional Jewish fashion with another question: “Where’s the money?” These words, which have become his de-facto slogan, are drawn from his only public appearance since he announced his political intentions:

• “This country does not belong to interest groups, to lobbyists, to tycoons, to stone throwers, to those that threaten IDF officers, and the country does not belong to politicians…. The country belongs to us. It belongs to the taxpayers, to those who do their reserve military duty, to those whose children serve in the IDF, to the middle class of Israel. Israel belongs to the producing and working public that give so much and receive so little, it belongs to those who have finally begun to ask, where’s the money, and that is the question that I am going to ask over and over. … It is not an economic question; it is a moral question.”

• “The coalition system is dysfunctional and has turned politics into a corrupt and rotten game that allows us to be dominated by narrow interests and blackmailing parties. This (year) … 50%

56 APRIL 2012 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

TV news icon abandons ivory tower for political quagmire

of first-graders are either ultra-orthodox or Arab. This means that if we do not do something, in 12 years 50% of (Israelis) will not serve in the IDF and will not enter the work force and that will be the end of the Zionist state. The Palestinians do not need to fight us, but rather to sit back, drink coffee and smoke cigarettes and wait for the Zionist dream to implode.”

• “In the end, we will always stand by and watch how our money goes to bureaucracy and favoritism to apartments for the friends of Ariel Attias (the minister of housing from the ultra-orthodox Shas party). What kind of life is this? I am not willing to live my life this way and will not throw up my hands in despair.”

Lapid is a marked man by the existing political order. The ultra-orthodox parties criticized his statements by accusing him of incitement and pointed out that Lapid did not serve in combat, but was a military reporter. Their hostility is further fueled by the fact that when Lapid’s father, the late Yosef Lapid, served as minister of justice he was a staunch opponent of the ultraorthodox establishment and built a movement that demanded they desist from existing at taxpayer expense.

Most of the other political parties have not attacked Lapid’s positions, which resonate strongly with the majority of Israelis and reflect the Zionist vision that these parties ostensibly represent. But they have reminded the public about the swinging, elitist image Lapid had in his 20s and 30s and have tried to build a wall of laws to keep him out.

Lapid Law 1 requires journalists who enter politics to wait 18 months after resigning before entering politics. Lapid called the bluff of the initiators of this draconian bill and stepped down from Channel 2 to avoid going “into the fridge.” The recently passed Lapid Law 2 requires individuals who announce their intention to enter politics to disclose every contributor and contribution they receive. Until now, only parties were required to disclose this information, because parties stand for election and not individuals. But as Lapid has backers of wealth, his opponents hoped that exposing his supporters would deter some of them.

French philosopher Paul Valery once said, “Politics is the art of preventing people from taking part in affairs that properly concern them.”

Initially pollsters predicted huge success for Lapid, but the campaign against him has begun to take a toll, partially with the aid of Lapid himself. For instance, when reports emerged that he had applied for a doctorate program at Bar Ilan University

“This country does not belong to interest groups, to lobbyists, to tycoons, to stone throwers, to those that threaten IDF officers. …The country belongs to us. It belongs to the taxpayers.” – Yair Lapid

although he never completed his bachelor degree, he could have defused the situation by withdrawing his application.

Instead he stated on his Facebook page that it was not important for him to be accepted. The media, who had so touted him, pounced on him for being childish and arrogant. Combined with a few other gaffes, recent surveys show his support has fallen by about half. But elections are probably 12 to 18 months away and Lapid has not yet revealed his full platform or whether he will join an existing party or establish a new party.

Thus, neither poll will be relevant when the campaign begins in earnest. If Lapid sticks to his message, learns from his mistakes and successfully negotiates the minefield prepared for him, he should achieve enough seats in the next Knesset to be able to affect real change.

If Lapid succeeds on election night, he still needs to avoid the Bermuda Triangle-like fate of most centrist parties who have promised change but quickly disintegrated and disappeared, leaving despair and disappointment in their wake. Despite an election-day clamor for a pragmatic center, in our dangerous and unforgiving neighborhood the hard Israeli reality leaves no room in day-today politics for soft positions.

Lapid will not be prime minister in the next election, and may never be.

Despite Netanyahu’s unlikeable personality, I believe he will be re-elected because his positions on Israel’s security and defense needs reflect the Israeli consensus, myself included. If Lapid challenges Netanyahu’s basic security positions, he will be distracted from the issues that many Israelis believe he can successfully help solve.

Lapid could make a huge impact for a more just reality if he concentrates on these core social issues and wins seats in the Knesset. If he could then form a coalition with Likud, it would free the

ruling coalition from the narrow pressures of the ultra-orthodox and extremist right-wing parties by replacing them.

This is the real contribution Lapid can make. Lapid needs Netanyahu, but ironically, Netanyahu needs Lapid. Lapid will be under intense pressure because his failure could spell doom for the Zionist dream of the secular majority. Lapid’s intelligence, abilities and charisma give him the basic tools required. What is unknown is his character. This will be the crucial test; we should learn the results soon enough.

Mylan Tanzer is a Portland native who moved to Israel in 1981. He was the founding CEO of the first Israeli cable and satellite sports channel and now consults for channels and companies in Israel and Europe. He can be reached at mylantanz@gmail. com

‫חג פסח שמח‬

Happy Passover!

From your friends at the Israeli Consulate

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | APRIL 2012 57

[Connect/traditions]

TRADITIONS

“How does Passover’s message of freedom relate to today’s world?”

Each month Oregon Jewish Life will ask a group of rabbis, cantors, educators and/or members of the community a question relevant to the season or a theme in that issue. For April, we asked rabbis to reflect on Passover’s message of freedom.

Rabbi Glenn Ettman Temple Beth Tikvah, Bend The holiday of Passover is the paradigmatic message of freedom to every community in the world; we see allusions to the story in many realms of our world society. As such, the holiday of Passover is the quintessential reminder of the power and importance of Freedom. Each year, every member of the Jewish community on this planet, remembers, celebrates and revels in what it means to be free from an oppressor. The story certainly is old, and perhaps even oftentimes challenged in its historical authenticity, but the point of the story is what is paramount and supremely relevant today. The message of Passover is that we each must celebrate what it means to be free. We have seen this message reverberating through the world community from the cries of civil rights, to apartheid, and most recently to the voices in Tahir Square, Tunisia, Libya, Syria and even our own country. The holiday of Passover forces us to remember, for one week every year, what it means to taste freedom for the first time and reminds us to celebrate the very fact that we are blessed to be free.

58 APRIL 2012 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Rabbi Ariel Stone Congregation Shir Tikvah, Portland For me, one of the most compelling messages of Pesach for our modern world is rooted in the Hassidic pun which reads the Hebrew word for Egypt, Mitzrayim, as meytzarim, “narrow places.” It was not easy for our ancestors to find the courage to take the fateful step away from enslavement and into what Erich Fromm called “the insecurity of freedom”; it is no less difficult for us to find the courage to look honestly at our lives and identify what enslaves us, much less to take a step away from it, and toward wholeness. According to an ancient midrash, only one Israelite had the courage to take that step; thank G-d, in a community, it only takes one to lead us all forward toward our better selves.

The Pesach story urges us to settle for nothing less than the freedom to fulfill our potential to live meaningful lives. We are not created to either suffer through, or mindlessly enjoy, a day; we are created to explore our own creative potential to heal, to bless, and thus to know joy.

As Nakhshon ben Amminadav knew, it only takes one step.

By Rabbi David Zaslow Havurah Shir Hadash, Ashland The Passover story tells of the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. Throughout the Exodus story G-d repeatedly says that the liberation is not just for us, but for Egypt as well. In Exodus 7:5 G-d says that one purpose of the liberation is that the “Egyptians shall know that I am Hashem.” It is so beautiful to see how our story has been used as a template for liberation movements throughout the millennia.

When the Puritans sought religious freedom they relied on the Passover story to guide them. Later, the Mormons did they same as they fled prejudice. Finally, the Civil Rights Movement led by the Rev. King was founded on Moses’ plea to “let my people go.” G-d taught Moses that the Israelites would be truly free from oppression when Egypt was free of oppressiveness. Rev. King knew this principle – that blacks would be liberated from racism when whites were liberated from racist beliefs. Regarding Tibetan freedom, the Dalai Lama knows this as well concerning China. The Jewish message of Passover will continue to be used as the greatest story of freedom ever told.

This is something for the Jewish people to celebrate.

[SHOPPING]

Unique Boutiques in Lake Oswego

Lake Oswego is a fashion destination extravaganza in a charming village atmosphere just minutes from downtown. Here’s a trio of hip boutiques that I enjoy slipping into regularly. Story and photos by Gloria Hammer Soletta, Italian for “inner soul,” (390 N. State St. Suite 116, 503-210-4125) opened in Lake View Village last fall and is a serious shoe collector’s destination.

Owners Carrie and Steve Elliot defy the present economy and bring the customer a little bit of European shoe shopping. Anyi Lu, Bettye Muller, Chi Mihara and Israeli designer Antelope are just a few of the brands. Personally, I can just sit and enjoy the beauty and artistry of the shoes.

Besides shoes, the salon is filled with Shoppers range from teens to adults handbags, scarves, jewelry and belts. seeking just the right outfit or accessory Warm, friendly and oozing with style, for school, around town, holiday or Soletta is a shoe fetish connoisseur’s must career style. Add an accent with pieces A wicker dog invites shoppers to check out these see.

They want you to stay, play and experifrom local jewelry designers Naomi shoes from Israeli designer Antelope at Soletta. ence what a great pair should feel like.

Campos and Graling Jewelry, whose Manager Liz Teachout says, “Soletta’s creations are featured attractions.

Then take a short stroll and visit Spin business card captures our clients: ‘Fashion Erin says, “You will find something Boutique (440 1st St., 503-850-4375). forward designs for sophisticated souls.’” If unique to make your every-day or eveOregon grown Lisa Hamilton with you don’t find that special pair, get on their ning outfit pop.” a background in retail and realty paired mailing list so you can keep up with new Follow e.g. page on Facebook so you’ll up with Mississippi-transplant and retail arrivals. be in the know about their twice-a-year guru Stephanie Gurdian to open Spin in The “art of week-long sale when they reduce prices 2010. dressing” is on each day to a bargain shopper’s dream. display at Spin.

Lisa says her shoppers are the moms: “One day she is working and the next she is the wife attending her husband’s corporate event and then the next day she’s at the local school auction.”

Personally, I found an over-the-knee JNBY zip-up hooded black cotton coat that fits my casual style; as an added bonus, I haven’t seen anyone else wearing one. Lisa and Stephanie buy just a few items in each style giving the customer almost a one-of-a-kind look locally.

Both ladies love to show the merchandise and explain the look. They are open to putting looks together for you or letting you do it yourself. This is not mall shopping, it is what Lisa and Stephanie pride themselves on – the art of dressing. e.g. page owners have a sheer love of e. g. page (333 S. State St., 503-699-8940) is located in Lake Place Center just off State Street (aka Hwy. 43, parallel to the Willamette River). Known for almost 18 years as Naturals, e.g. page recently changed its name to conform to two of the owners’ other stores in California. Whitney Bond and Erin Henke keep this space fashion-forward relying on marketing trips, blogging and their sheer love of fashion.

fashion.

Native Oregonian Gloria Hammer graduated from Portland State University and Lesley College as a learning disabilities specialist. Gloria was coordinating producer of the Emmy-nominated OPB documentary The Three Rabbis.

60 APRIL 2012 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Happy Passover

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The Clergy, Board of Trustees, and Staff thank you for your extraordinary dedication, leadership and passion for Congregation Beth Israel.

You are an inspiration and a mensch!

May you go from strength to strength.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | APRIL 2012 61

[ADVICE]

photo Sol Neelman

Ask Helen Dear Helen: I need to do a round of layoffs ASAP because of corporate budget cuts. My saddest problem is a young woman who’s getting married in two months, but whose job is on the chopping block. She’s been planning her wedding for a year. Her fiancé is a nice guy we all like. Should I tell her the bad news now (blackening her wedding and honeymoon joy) or should I wait? My women friends are evenly divided in their opinion.

Hate This Dear Hate This It takes a truly mean-spirited person to enjoy layoffs, and an even meaner meanie to ruin someone’s wedding bliss.

As much as I’d love to insulate her innocence, it’s generally better to learn bad financial news sooner than later.

I’m assuming, BTW, that there’s no option for her to keep her job. If you have any elbowroom, even for several months, something might change. But if you truly have no choice or time, they need to be forewarned. It’s simply too easy to splurge on any vacation, let alone a honeymoon. You’ll be tempted to sit down with both of them when you drop the news. But she’s the employee, not him. So if it’s a sure thing, get the telling over. Give her time to mourn and then recover. Stress she’s on a callback list, that she’s eligible for unemployment, 62 APRIL 2012 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Do I give bride-to-be pink slip before or after the wedding?

that you’ll help her network, that you’ll give her a strong reference, and that if anything changes she is high on your speed dial list for a callback. Organize a nice gift from the department. But don’t let your squeamish stomach make things any worse or more dramatic than they’ll be anyhow.

For the record, firing someone you like is only marginally harder than letting go of a bad employee, unless that person is truly a bad influence in the office.

The responsibility for people’s futures deserves the soul-searching you’re giving it. But once the decision is made and irrevocable, you owe her the truth now, so she can move on with her life.

Dear Helen: My problem is at the intersection of my social and spiritual lives. I’m single, and without family closer than a plane ride.

The people I often see socially throw a great Seder – if your priorities are familiar faces, a Martha-Stewart class table and the best chopped liver on the planet. But the Haggadah reading often feels like a race to dinner. My other option is people I know from services. The Haggadah is an eclectic cut-and-paste Xerox; the people a mix of folks I like, plus invited strays, of whom I’m hoping to be one. It’s a long and intricate service that feels more like the beloved Passovers of my childhood. I have an invitation to the first, but need to ask for a seat at the second. Now what?

Only One Tuches Dear Only One: Your problem’s much easier than choosing between feuding relatives, or possessive in-laws. In those cases you’ll usually have to alternate venues or host your own. Neither choice is without peril; each will almost always result in hours of time explaining your decision to hurt/

PO-ed relations plus their emissaries and advocates. But either is harder than a choice between better goods, not lesser evils.

Part of the answer is sequencing.

Secure a seat at the spiritual Seder before you turn down your friend’s. If it’s already full, there may be others who’d seat you at a longer Seder, especially if you said, I’m looking for an old-fashioned religious Seder.

I’m a great cook and can bring xyz. Also, many shuls have a matching system for “strays.” This holiday is about community, and it sounds like a great time to expand your circle. Once you know where you’re going, talk to your friend. Be sure to compliment her hostessing sensibilities. But explain that at Pesach you’re drawn more to the ritual than to food and friends. Be clear that you always enjoy sharing time with her and the others, but that your heart is outranking your gut.

Readers: If I could spend one day with my own deceased mother, I’d spend it in the kitchen, cooking and talking. Her chopped liver was the best! She died in 2000 with a head full of recipes, never written down and probably never made the same way twice. A holiday wish to any reader lucky enough to be able to do so: Harvest your favorites plus every family story you can coax out of your mother or other elders on every holiday or other special time you can share in the kitchen.

You’ll be very thankful you did as the years progress.

A resident of Eugene since 1981, Helen is a member of Temple Beth Israel, where she studies and speaks on Torah. She claims to have black belts in schmoozing, problem-solving and chutzpah. She’s a writer and an artist (www.kabbalahglass.com).

Please email your questions to helen@yourjewishfairygodmother.com.

MARCH 2012 FeBrUarY 2012

Serving OregOn and Serving OregOn and

SW WaShingtOn

SW WaShingtOn

Rothko Actor Daniel Benzali as

The Man The Myth The Mission

From his Jewish roots in Portland to international acclaim

A Peek Inside

gs Weddin ABCs of planning The

your special day

“Woman Power” in Israel

Art & Coffee The perfect pair

Inaugural issue

Introducing artist Aithan Shapira and coffee activist Debra Rosenthal

Got CAMPS?

Sleep-away or day camps We’ve got it covered!

Happy Passover!

A Peek Inside RenAissAnCe mAn Irving Levin mizRAChi musiC from Israel PedAl PoweR The Jewish bicycle obsession

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[CONNECT/VOLUNTEERS]

Volunteer MaveNs

The Sunshine Pantry, which now helps more than 1,000 families a month, was started 30 years ago by Sharon Straus as a project for her son’s Cub Scout Pack. Almost six years ago her pantry moved from her home into the Reif Business Park located just off of Hall Boulevard at 7795 Cirrus Dr., Bldg. 26, Beaverton.

64 APRIL 2012 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Last year Sunshine Pantry provided in excess of 500,000 meals to families and people in need from Beaverton, and Washington, Multnomah, Clackamas and other counties where the economy has had a devastating impact. The pantry also provides clothing and amenities such as toothpaste, shampoo, diapers and toilet paper.

“We have always helped veterans and victims of domestic violence but more recently we are defining within our organization additional services we provide for out of work individuals which includes computer use help with resumes and job interviews,” said Jared Mannis, Straus’s son and director of operations for the pantry.

The pantry relies on volunteers to serve as many families as possible.

“We need caring, honest, sincere volunteers,” said Mannis. “Of course we always enjoy large groups because with scheduled planning we can get so much work done with a concentrated effort.

But what we really need are individuals that may be able to come on a weekly basis for months at a time. This allows us to train the person in specialized job responsibilities and helps us to operate our pantry on a daily basis.”

Additionally, the pantry provides ideas and involvement for all those seeking volunteer opportunities as they become a bar or bat mitzvah.

For information on volunteering at Sunshine Pantry, email volunteers@ sunshinepantry.org.

Organizations and projects that wish to recruit volunteers, can submit information to editor@ ojlife.com (put volunteer in subject line).

Photo courtesy Oregon Jewish Museum

“Non-athletes shouldn’t despair as the silent auction committee is also rounding up plenty of items for “sports of a different kind.”

Photo courtesy of the Saltzman family

[HAPPENINGS/PReview]

Isadore and Pauline Kaufman play golf on the beach at Seaside, c. 1925.

S

Hal Saltzman pitches for the Portland Beavers, c. 1948.

Let’s Have a Ball

by Deborah Moon

Oregon Jewish Museum’s May 6 gala offers taste of summer sports exhibit

Sports fans and museum lovers alike will have a lot to celebrate May 6 when the Oregon Jewish Museum’s annual gala provides a tantalizing taste of the museum’s summer sports exhibit.

“Let’s Have a Ball!” will be a distinct departure from the museum’s previous galas, which have featured art auctions. The event promises to be “a really lighthearted, fun evening in support of the museum and a chance to celebrate all the athletes and their families,” said OJM Director Judy Margles.

The theme was inspired by the museum’s upcoming exhibit of Oregon Jews in sports and the 100th anniversary of the Tualatin Country Club, which was founded in 1912 so Jewish golfers barred from area country clubs would have a place golf.

Rabbi Jonah Wise, rabbi at Beth Israel from 1907 to 1926, was among those early golf enthusiasts. Margles said the museum has an oral history from a woman who remembers that one day at services, Rabbi Wise’s robes fell open and the congregation burst into laughter to see him wearing his golf knickers underneath.

The evening begins with cocktails and silent auction at 4:30 pm followed by dinner at 6:30 at the Tualatin Country Club, 9145 SW Tualatin Road, just 22 minutes south of downtown Portland and with plenty of free parking, according to gala chair Barbara Atlas.

NPR sports correspondent Tom Goldman will be the emcee.

Atlas said the silent auction will feature plenty of sportsrelated items and packages, including Blazers tickets, ski passes, golf packages and even a gift basket for the “wounded athlete.” Non-athletes shouldn’t despair, she said, as the auction committee is also rounding up plenty of items for “sports of a different kind.” Wine and brew-pub aficionados will want to visit the “19th hole” for food, beer and wine packages. Other auction tables will cater to “Couch Potatoes” and feature “Mind Games.”

One item expected to draw fierce bidding is the Super Bowl Party at the Oregon Jewish Museum next February. The winning bidder and 50 friends will enjoy a game day party while they watch the 2013 Super Bowl on the big screen in the OJM theater.

Atlas said that with this year’s bigger venue they hope to have about 300 attendees.

Margles said funds raised at the gala will enable the museum to continue to offer high quality exhibits and programs.

Tickets are $100 per person. Invitations mailed in late March. Reservations also can be made online at www.ojm.org or by calling the museum at 503-226-3600.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | APRIL 2012 65

[HAPPENINGS/Review]

Maimonides honors Goldstein, raises $90,000 for scholarships Maimonides Jewish Day School raised $90,000 as it honored Gersham Goldstein before 180 attendees at their annual dinner March 14 in the Benson Hotel’s Mayfair Ballroom. Tribute was paid to Goldstein by his children, Deborah and Marcus Goldstein;

by Rabbi Moshe Wilhelm, director of Chabad of Oregon; and by Federation’s past Executive Vice President Charles Schiffman.

Goldstein was recognized for his professional status as one of the country’s leading tax law experts, and particularly for his activism on behalf of institutions within the Jewish community, including MJDS and Chabad-Lubavitch of Oregon, and the larger Portland community, including serving as chairman of the Harold Schnitzer Diabetes Center at OHSU. Goldstein is past president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland. All speakers, and in particular Devora Wilhelm, also lauded the honoree’s wife, Pauline Goldstein.

Mrs. Wilhelm received a standing ovation for her dedicated work as head of the school for more than a quarter-century.

MJDS alumna Masha Angert, who came to Portland at an early age with her parents from the former Soviet Union, delivered an eloquent appeal for support of the school. Rabbi Arthur Zuckerman and Kim Rosenberg led the Mitzvah Moment. The raffle drawing was done by the honoree’s grandson, Logan Goldstein, as Logan’s brother Jakob looked on.

The evening’s fundraising will benefit students who need scholarship assistance to attend the school. Rabbi Moshe Wilhelm also unveiled plans for expansion of the Maimonides School’s facilities, to be accomplished by literally raising the ground floor of an existing building to create a new 1,000-square-feet lower level with classrooms and offices. Capital fundraising has begun for this project.

Chairperson for the evening was Melissa Bloom, and Master of Ceremonies was Rabbi Motti Wilhelm, spiritual leader of Congregation Bais Menachem/Chabad. Music was provided by Eli Marcus and Mendel Simon.

Honoree Gersham Goldstein responds to a toast while his daughter Deborah (right) looks on. Photo by Jon Perrin

MJDS director Devora Wilhelm presents Pauline Goldstein with a Tzedakah box in recognition of her longstanding support of Maimonides and the role she played in organizing the dinner. Tzedakah boxes were presented to all dinner attendees as well. Photo by Jon Perrin

Super Diamond a jewel of an event

Photos by Peter Korchnak

Cedar Sinai Park’s annual benefit gala with Super Diamond brought friends and supporters to The Nines on March 10 to express love, honor and respect for the residents of Robison Jewish Health Center.

Taylor Goodman, who accompanied Whistlin’ Rufus on vocals during cocktail hour, visits with event co-chairs Christi Goodman and Michelle Gradow, right. The co-chairs, sponsors and event committee received special thanks during the successful event.

66 APRIL 2012 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Super Diamond rocked the ballroom with an entertaining, lively set of Neil Diamond classics. The performance capped a memorable evening: 350 members of Cedar Sinai Park’s community pledged close to $130,000 for the residents of “The Home.”

[HAPPENINGS/Review]

Women make impact with actions, as role models Story and photos by Deborah Moon Just before Purim, Rabbi Shawn Fields-Meyer returned to her native Portland to address the annual women’s Impact event where she urged women to reflect on Esther’s discovery that perhaps we are where we are at a particular time for a reason.

The rabbi was the featured speaker at “Impact: Ripples of Hope-Waves of Change,” the annual women’s Shawn Fields-Meyer philanthropy event of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland. Fields-Meyer presented a series of snapshots from her memory of people whose actions inspired her to a life of service and giving.

“The book of Esther says maybe you are here for a reason,” Fields-Meyer told the room full of women at the Nines Hotel, which was serving its first Kosher event. “Sometimes the reason you are here is because of the direct thing that you do … but sometimes it’s about who’s watching you.”

She called Esther the guide for women who are willing to try to do something to fix their world. In a big world that is messy and full

of hunger, homelessness, poverty and war, and an internal world that can be full of overwhelming issues, it’s easy to feel stuck. She said it’s important to remember that actions set off ripples that can change the world.

Though Esther wondered what she as one person could do, she still decided to try.

“Salvation occurred because she tried something,” said Fields-Meyer.

Kathy Davis-Weiner, who co-chaired Impact with the motherdaughter team of Evelyn Maizels and Robyn Spring, thanked the rabbi: “You reinforced how we have made an impact and the ripple we each have.”

Together the ripples created by the women at the event gathered into a wave supporting Jewish needs at home, in Israel and around the globe.

The 269 attendees have pledged a total of $315,000 to date to the 2012 Annual Campaign (this includes gifts made prior to Impact). At the event, women pledged $55,000, including $5,144 from new donors and $8,873 from women who increased their commitment even though they had already made a pledge to federation’s 2012 campaign. The remaining $41,083 was from 37 donors from previous years who had not made a pledge for 2012.

Women’s Philanthropy Chair Michelle Caplan urged women who are interested in getting involved to contact Women’s Philanthropy Director Priscilla Kostiner at 503-892-3015 or Priscilla@ jewishportland.org.

From left, Robyn Spring, Michelle Caplan, Evelyn Maizels and Kathy Davis-Weiner at the Women’s Philanthropy Impact event at the Nines Hotel.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | APRIL 2012 67

The Senior Women’s Multnomah Athletic Team won the USTA rated 4.5 level, 50+ years Northern Oregon Division this season which began September 2011. They advance to Sectionals in Sunriver and compete against other teams from the Northwest. Team members were Captain Gay Hart, Amy Miller, Dana Hunt, Sally Lovett, Jennifer Devoe, Robin Becic, Stacy Hawkins, Shannon Dilorenzo and Lori Layne. “It is a very fun season, competitively matched against a variety of clubs in our area,” said Hunt. “It is enjoyable to play with such a good, strong group of “Senior” woman! Winning is the added benefit!”

Panel Explores ways to invest in Peace At each biennial assembly since 2004, the Presbyterian General Assembly has considered a variety of overtures (resolutions) related to divestiture from companies doing business in Israel.

With this year’s resolution threatening to create a rift between the Jewish community and its long-time partners for social action in the mainstream Christian community, the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland Community Relations Committee hosted a panel discussion March 1 on how such a division has grown.

“How can we partner together…. To jointly invest in peace rather than divest?” asked JFGP Community Relations Director Bob Horenstein in introducing the three out-of-town panelists.

“I think part of the goal of this (divestment) movement is to drive a wedge between us,” said Dr. Jan Armstrong, executive Presbyter, Presbytery of Santa Barbara, Calif., and member of Presbyterians for Middle East Peace. “My goal is to have the people on the ground – Israelis, Palestinian Authority, Hamas – figure out peace. … How to live together needs to be their work.”

“PFMEP wants two states both thriving economically and where families can thrive,” he said.

Ethan Felson, vice president of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, agreed that the divestment movement “poisons the well for interfaith relations.”

The importance of listening to the narratives of both sides in any conflict was a key point made by Peggy Obrecht, former director of the Committee on Church Relations and the Holocaust. Obrecht has lived in Israel and also has spent time in Ireland to bring Catholics and Protestants together for peace.

“In Israel so many organizations are working to bring Arabs and Jews together,” she said, noting she could think of at least seven groups, including the Hand in Hand schools founded by Portlander Lee Gordon to educate Arab-Israeli and Jewish-Israeli children side by side.

68 APRIL 2012 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

[HAPPENINGS/PReview]

David Gn Photography

Holocaust Remembrance Share food stories for national archive Lani Raider, founder of Foodscape Stories Archive, is in Portland gathering food stories (thanks to a grant from Hazon Portland). Foodscape Stories, a national archive, gathers, documents and shares narratives of people and food. She is recording stories at the Oregon Jewish Museum noon-2 pm Mondays; 9 am-noon Tuesdays; and elsewhere on other days. Contact her at lani@foodscapestories.com to schedule a 30-minute recording session.

Artists Rep offers gay marriage plays Artists Repertory Theatre will offer a short run of Standing On Ceremony with eight performances of staged-readings of The Oregon Holocaust Memorial in Washington Park provides the nine, 10-minute plays about gay marriage written by some of community a sacred space for reflection and contemplation of lives lost. Bronze castings of items left behind in haste, such as this Teddy America’s most illustrious playwrights April 6-21. Plays inbear, dot the path leading to the memorial. Free docent-led tours of clude: My Husband by Paul Rudnick, which puts a hilarious gay the memorial are available April 22 beginning at 1 pm. To schedule a twist on the stereotype of the Jewish mother desperate to marry group tour, call OHRC at 503-245-2733 or visit www.ohrconline.org. off her children; and London Mosquitoes by Pulitzer Prize winner and Tony Award nominee Moisés Kaufman. 503-241-1278 Portland events for Yom HaShoah or www.artistsrep.org.

The Oregon Board of Rabbis and Oregon Holocaust Resource Center Melton offers ‘History of Jerusalem’ present Bridging Yesterday & Tomorrow in honor of Yom HaShoah, Rabbi Joshua Stampfer will teach The History of Jerusalem Holocaust Remembrance Day. The community-wide commemoration for Portland’s Florence Melton Adult Mini-School’s spring will be at 6:45 pm, April 18 at Congregation Shaarie Torah, 920 NW term. The course draws from historical accounts and from 25th Ave. Portland. Bring a yellow flower to symbolize eternal life.

Rabbi Stampfer’s recollections. The class will meet Mondays or Additionally the OHRC joins the Oregon Area Jewish Committee for Thursdays April 2-June 18. The course meets at Neveh Shalom, the annual reading of the names in Pioneer Courthouse Square from 2900 SW Peaceful Lane, Portland. 503-384-2476 or learn@ 10:30 am-5 pm, April 19. Hear local politicians, faith leaders and commeltonportland.org. munity members honor those killed in the Holocaust.

Beit Haverim offers free preschool preview Beit Haverim invites preschoolers to take part in a free preview Holocaust Remembrance Week at OSU of Beit Haverim Preschool with five free sessions, 2:30-4:30 Oregon State University presents a series of lectures for its 26th annual pm, April 8, 15, 22 and 29, and May 6. Classes will focus on observance of Holocaust Memorial Week April 16-19.

Passover, Shabbat and Mitzvot. Registration: office@beithav. org or 503-344-4839. Beit Haverim 1111 Country Club Road, The main events, are free and open to the public: Lake Oswego.

April 2-30, Exhibit: “Letters to Sala – A Young Woman’s Life in Nazi Labor Camps” at Benton County Public Library, Corvallis.

April 16, 7:30 pm, Ann Kirschner discusses the wartime experiences of her mother, Sala, at C&E Auditorium, LaSells Stewart Center.

April 17, 7 pm, Arlene Hutton performs “Letters to Sala” at Benton County Public Library.

April 18, 4 pm, OSU faculty member Tomasz M. Giebultowicz shares his father’s witnessing of “Operation Harvest Festival,” massacre of Jews in three camps in 1943; in the Journey Room, OSU Memorial Union.

In memory of those who perished, we work towards making Never Again a reality.

April 18, 7:30 pm, Benjamin Madley speaks on “Genocide in America?

The Assault on the Tolowa Tribe of Oregon and California” in C&E Auditorium, LaSells Stewart Center; preceded by Jan Michael Looking Wolf performing on the Native American flute, 7:15 pm.

April 19, 7:30 pm, Eric Sundquist speaks on “The Historian’s Anvil, the Novelist’s Crucible: Holocaust Literature and the Uses of History” in C&E Auditorium, LaSells Stewart Center.

Contact Paul Kopperman (pkopperman@oregonstate.edu) or the OSU Dept. of History, 541-737-3421, or visit www.oregonstate.edu/dept/ holocaust/.

The Never Again Coalition is Portland, Oregon’s response to genocide and other crimes against humanity. Joining together from different organizations and backgrounds, we stand together and work towards revitalizing the phrase “Never Again.”

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | APRIL 2012 69

[HAPPENINGS/PReview]

APRIL CALENDAR April 3

April 16

May 3

Sephardic Winter Film Series, “Sarah’s Key,” free film, 7 pm at Congregation Ahavath Achim, 3225 SW Barbur Blvd., Portland. 503-892-6634

2012 Portland Mayoral Candidate Forum, 7-9 pm at MJCC. 503-245-6496 or bob@jewishportland.org

Celebration of Sephardic culture presented by Portland’s Florence Melton Adult Mini-School.

7 pm at Congregation Ahavath Achim, 3225 SW Barbur Blvd., Portland. 503-384-2476

Songs From the Tip of Africa: Judeo-Spanish music from Sephardic Morocco by Vanessa Paloma, 7:30 pm at Evans Auditorium, Lewis & Clark College, 0615 SW Palatine Hill Road, Portland.

503-768-7660

April 5 Bedikat Chametz: Jewish Egg Hunt and Bonfire – Searching for the last leavened products.

7 pm at Gesher, SW Portland. RSVP to Gesher, 503-246-5070 or ourjewishhome.net

April 6 Nine Chabad seders to be held throughout the state; for locations: www.chabadoregon.com Hillsboro Community Passover Seder, 111 NE Porto Way, Hillsboro. RSVP 503-747-5363 or chabadhillsboro@gmail.com Community Seder: Gesher will provide the slave clothing, exit visas and sustenance for the journey from slavery to freedom. 5:30 pm at Gesher, SW Portland. RSVP 503-246-5070 or www.ourjewishhome.net

April 7

April 17 Author Jay Michaelson discusses his new bestselling book God vs. Gay? The Religious Case for Equality, and why “religious people should support equality for gays and lesbians not despite religion – but because of it.” 7 pm at P’nai Or of Portland, 750 SW Terwilliger Blvd., Portland. 503-248-4500

April 20 Jewish Renewal founder Rabbi Zalman SchachterShalomi and Eve Ilsen will lead a Shabbaton at the Havurah in Ashland on the theme “Making Every Day Count.” 541-488-7716 or www.havurahshirhadash.org

April 21 Schiff and Schiff – Celebrating with Music: Part of the year of honoring Cantor Judith Schiff; 7:30 pm at Temple Beth Israel, 1972 NW Flanders, Portland.

Cantor Schiff will perform music by her husband, David, professor of music at Reed College, assisted by flutist Linda Bailey, clarinetist Todd Kuhns and pianist Denise VanLeuven. Free. 503-222-1069

April 24 and 26

ExhibitS Through April 22: A Fine Romance: Jewish Songwriters, American Songs, 1910-1965, Collins Gallery, Central Library, 801 S.W. 10th Ave., Portland. www.multcolib.org/events/songwriters/ Oregon Jewish Museum Exhibits/Events Ongoing Exhibits: Transport: Works by Henk Pander & Esther Podemski. World War II is the backdrop from which the artists explore the remembered realities of wartime.

Jaap Pander: Let There Be Light. An exhibit of beautifully rendered biblical illustrations.

The Dawn of Tomorrow: Oregon Jews and Woman Suffrage, celebrating the 100th anniversary of Oregon women achieving the right to vote.

April 15, 2 pm: Sunday Music Project with klezmer ensemble Hora Tzigane featuring Jack (Yankl) Falk on clarinet, Andrew Ehrlich on violin, Martin Morgenbesser on accordion, and Ethan Chessin on bass trombone.

Families with Young Children Seder: Build pyramids, journey through the desert, escape through the sea, feast in freedom; co-hosted by PJ Library.

5 pm at Gesher, SW Portland. RSVP 503-246-5070 or www.ourjewishhome.net

Congregations Caring for Watersheds and Wildlife Workshops presented by EMO’s Interfaith Network for Earth Concerns, 5:30-8 pm in SW Portland April 24 and N Portland April 26.

Info: http://emoregon.org/emo_events.php, awarren@emoregon.org or 503-221-1054, ext. 210

April 13

April 25

Singles and Couples Passover Seder.

6 pm at Gesher, SW Portland. RSVP 503-246-5070 or www.ourjewishhome.net

Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration including performance

by IDF band (7:30). 5:30-9 pm at MJCC. 503-892-7405

April 14

April 28

Maimuna, A Celebration of Return to Chametz (leavened goodies). 5 pm at Gesher, SW Portland.

RSVP 503-246-5070 or www.ourjewishhome.net

Temple Emek Shalom Auction “Wine, Romance and Song,” at 6 pm in Ashland. 541-488-2909

Oregon Jewish Life accepts brief submissions about past and future events.

April 29

Photographs for the Review page of Happenings should be at least 4 inches wide at 300 dpi. Captions should include a description of the event, when and where the activity occurred and names of people in the photograph unless it is a large group.

April 15 Temple Beth Sholom Auction “This American Night: Yankee Doodle Dinner and Tax Day Auction.”

5 pm at Chemeketa Eola Viticulture Center in west Salem. 503-362-5004 Bar and Bat Mitzvah information meeting.

1:30 pm at Congregation Shaarie Torah, 920 NW 25th, Portland. 503-226-6131 ext. 229 or education@shaarietorah.org

Mittleman Jewish Community Center, abbreviated in calendar items as MJCC, is located at 6651 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland.

Jewish Federation of Greater Portland is abbreviated as JFGP.

70 APRIL 2012 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Neveh Shalom Men’s Club Texas Hold’em Tournament, 4:30 pm in Birnbach Hall, Neveh Shalom, 2900 SW Peaceful Lane. www.nevehshalom.org/flyers/texas_holdem_12. pdf or 503-246-8831

May 1 “From Glaciers to Gardens: Our Changing Planet” lecture series begins with lecture “Creating a Sustainable Portland” with Mara Gross, Policy Director, Coalition for a Livable Future.

6:45 pm at Rose Schnitzer Manor, 6140 SW Boundary, Portland. 503-535-4015 or Carolyn.caldwell@cedarsinaipark.org

May 6, 4:30 pm: Let’s Have a Ball! gala (see page 65) May 14, 7 pm: six: social playground series invites New York filmmaker Lacey Schwartz to Portland to screen and discuss her in-progress film, Outside the Box, a documentary exploring the universal theme of dual identity.

Oregon Jewish Museum, 1953 Kearney, Portland.

503-226-3600.

SUBMISSIONS

To submit an upcoming event for the Previews section, send date, time, location, event name with short description and contact information.

All submissions should be sent to Deborah.moon@ojlife.com.

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