JUNE/JULY 2015
SERVING OREGON AND SW WASHINGTON
Portland Jewish
Film Festival
Laugh and Cry Your Way Through 18 Extraordinary Movies
Summer Fun & Staycations
By leaving a legacy gift, you can impact our Jewish community well beyond your lifetime and help make the world a better place for future generations. LIFE & LEGACY is a collaborative effort of the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation and the following partner organizations: Cedar Sinai Park • Congregation Beth Israel • Congregation Neveh Shalom Congregation Shaarie Torah • Jewish Family & Child Service Jewish Federation of Greater Portland • Mittleman Jewish Community Center Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education Portland Jewish Academy • Temple Beth Israel, Eugene
A LIFE & LEGACY partner organization directly or Julie Diamond, OJCF julied@ojcf.org 503.248.9328 www.ojcf.org
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Inside
June/July 2015/ Sivan-Av 5775 | Volume 4/Issue 4
16
Features
Honeyman Dunes surrounding Cleawox Lake. Photo courtesy of Oregon State Parks
JKids
COVER STORY
This summer relax and let boredom reign................................................ 22
23rd Annual Portland Jewish Film Festival............................................... 28
PJ Library expands through age 8........................................................... 23
Review: Borrowed Identity..................................................................... 30
Neighborhood House’s Child Center....................................................... 24
Opening Night Reception....................................................................... 31
Teens draw on lessons of Holocaust........................................................ 26
Schedule..........................................................................................32-33 UPFRONT
JLiving
Making business a force for good........................................................... 10
Rabbi Yitz becomes rabbi emeritus in Eugene......................................... 52
BUSINESS
Eugene’s TBI welcomes new rabbi.......................................................... 58
Ins & Outs.............................................................................................. 12
Cannabis conversation as pot becomes legal......................................... 56
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Portland NCJW leaves lasting legacy....................................................... 58
Cellist Diane Chaplin performs with JCO................................................ 36
Song of Miriam honorees announced..................................................... 60
YOUNG ADULT
Previews ............................................................................................... 62
Israeli kids lure Portlander back for summer........................................... 40
FACES from recent events...................................................................... 64
ISRAEL
Summer Calendar.................................................................................. 66
Israel a land of contradictions................................................................ 42
Columns
Israeli seeks to heal the world................................................................ 44 J Street VP speaks on elections .............................................................. 45
42 An Oregonian in Israel by Mylan Tanzer
Moments of Joy...................................................................................... 46
46 Life on the Other Side by Anne Kleinberg
FOOD
47 Ask Helen
Chef’s Corner: Burger alternatives.......................................................... 48
48 Chef’s Corner by Lisa Glickman
NW Nosh: Baby Doll Pizza....................................................................... 50
50 NW Nosh by Kerry Politzer
Staycations/Summer Fun Hot fun in the summertime..................................................................... 14 Coastal fun............................................................................................ 16 Eugene Scene: Shakespeare in the Park................................................. 18 Directory of staycation/summer fun advertisers..................................... 20
Cover montage of images from the Jewish Film Festival 4 JUNE/JULY 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE
50
Focus • connections • results
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Modern country estate
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Join us all summer long as we welcome Shabbat under the Portland summer sky! Weather permitting.
Starting June 12 & 26 www.bethisrael-pdx.org (503) 222-1069
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SERVING OREGON AND SW WASHINGTON
Publishers Robert Philip and Cindy Saltzman Advertising and Editorial Director Cindy Saltzman Editor-In-Chief Deborah Moon Art Director Susan Garfield Copy Editor Susan Moon Social Media Editor Debra Rich Gettleman Webmaster Karl Knelson Columnists Lisa Glickman, Anne Kleinberg, Kerry Politzer, Helen Rosenau and Mylan Tanzer Contributing Writers Michael Fox, Rich Geller, Gloria Hammer, Joseph Lieberman, Liz Rabiner Lippoff, Polina Olsen, Elizabeth Schwartz, Floyd Smith and Lisa Weiner Advertising Sales Debbie Taylor How to reach us: Advertise@ojlife.com | 503-892-7403 Editor@ojlife.com | 503-892-7402 Publisher@ojlife.com | 602-538-2955
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THE STRENGTH OF A PEOPLE. THE POWER OF COMMUNITY.
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6 JUNE/JULY 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE
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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.
CARing foR oUR BUBBES AnD ZAYDES iS An ACT of lovE. 90 percent of the money needed to build a new, state-of-the-art care center has been raised … your gift will make a big difference. At this stage every donation is increasingly significant. Together, we’ll build quality households that provide the highest level of care with dignity. We’ll also remodel the Robison Jewish Health Center, turning it into a modern medical rehabilitation center. Not only are we taking care of our parents, ourselves, our children and our grandchildren, but we’re building a resource for future generations. And it’s happening one gift at a time. So let’s do what’s good for our community and make our BUBBES and ZAYDES proud. Call (503) 535-4303 or visit www.CedarSinaiPark.org/CapitalCampaign today and make a donation.
We’re almost there. See how you can help by calling (503) 535-4303 or visiting www.CedarSinaiPark.org/CapitalCampaign.
DIGNITY by DESIGN CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
Editor’s Letter
Estate Planning Wills, Trusts, and Making Things Easier for Your Beneficiaries Sunday, June 7, 1:30-3pm Julie nimnicht, attorney with the law Offices of geoff Bernhardt, will present a comprehensive overview of estate planning. topics will include Wills and living trusts, as well as estate planning for people in long-term care, for blended families, and for disabled beneficiaries. Julie will be available for Q&a after her presentation.
To RSVP call (503) 535-4004 or visit www.RoseSchnitzerManor.org.
independent living • assisted living
8 JUNE/JULY 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE
Ahhh, summer. Time to relax and recreate in the splendor that is Oregon. Coming home from work with hours of sunshine ahead means plenty of time to ride my bike, weed my garden and walk the dog. I’m not entirely sure why that is so much more relaxing than my winter routine of an early dinner followed by curling up with a good book or watching NCIS on TV. It must be the fresh air and freedom that remind me of childhood summers of no school and hours of riding horses with my friends. Our Staycations and Summer Fun coverage in this June/July double issue offers plenty of ideas for how you, too, can enjoy the season. Grill up some nontraditional burgers on your back deck, order a pizza or sip a glass of lemonade or wine. In addition to resources to enjoy summer at home, this issue features parks (and free performances in the park), films and concerts for those times when you want to get away. Speaking of films, this year Oregon Jewish Life is presenting the opening night reception for the 23rd annual Portland Jewish Film Festival. We hope you’ll join us on June 14 for conversation, libations and a dish of ice cream with a creative flair sure to put you in the mood for the first film of the festival. To stay up to date on the local Jewish community over the summer, be sure to visit our new website (ORJewishLife. com) and sign up for our weekly e-newsletter – just click on “Newsletter Sign Up” on the top bar of the home page. We’ll send you weekly updates on coming events and features to keep your summer fun and active. (Heads up to organizations and congregations – remember to post your events on our online calendar.) And Debra Rich Gettleman, our social media diva, will keep our Facebook page rocking with funny and thoughtprovoking Jewish issues and trends. The trend in this month’s J Living section is change. In Eugene, one rabbi “redeploys” and a new rabbi arrives. The Portland Section of the National Council of Jewish Women officially dissolves, but the programs it created or supported over its 118-year history provide a rich legacy for Oregon’s future. And Judaism has a few things to say about recreational cannabis becoming legal July 1. In August be sure to watch for our Annual Resource Guide. It’s chock full of all the Jewish organizations, congregations and businesses across the state. I keep my copy handy all year long for fast reference to resources in the state. But now, I plan to take a deep breath, kick back and enjoy some sunshine.
Letters to the Editor I was extremely impressed with Mylan’s recent article on the Israeli elections and the situation in the Middle East – particularly his comparison of Prime Minister Netanyahu to Winston Churchill. I have read quite a few books on Churchill in particular and World War II in general and, while I am not sure I would exactly say Mr. Netanyahu is as accomplished as Churchill was, I nonetheless think Mylan’s comparison of him with Churchill is pretty much spot on. One of Churchill’s greatest talents and contributions to human civilization was his ability to spot pure evil in its infancy and relentlessly, tirelessly and loudly warn the world about its malignant presence and the need to confront it. Mr. Netanyahu is doing exactly the same thing. Eric Leibman Portland Thank you for the May article “They Make You Feel Like Dancing,” that recognizes a small group of Israeli folk dancers who have been entertaining residents at Cedar Sinai Park for over 20 years and counting. As one who started folk dancing in 1972 at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center, I know that their passion and dedication is a reflection of the larger community of Israeli folk dancers who come together every week for classes and open dancing, and some who share that joy of dance at Jewish and various cultural events throughout the metro area as well. It was gratifying to read an article like this in Oregon Jewish Life that shines a deserving light on the folks who dance at Cedar Sinai Park. Sue Wendel, editor and publisher, Portland Israeli Folk Dance News
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I appreciated the cover article on Stephen Elliot in the May edition of Oregon Jewish Life. Stephen credits the Jewish Children’s Bureau for rescuing him from the public child welfare system and his dire living situation, and charting a different course for his life. What was true for Stephen in his childhood is true now: the state cannot do it alone and no child should be raised with the state as their parent. In my 30-year career in state child welfare, I have been humbled by the countless foster parents I have known and relied upon who open their homes and hearts to children. Yet, due to an inadequate number of foster parents, children wait in lobbies for a placement; children are separated from their siblings; children move from home to home repeatedly; children miss educational continuity; children lose trust in adults and authority figures. Embrace Oregon, a faith-based initiative, has partnered with the Oregon Department of Human Services to recruit and support foster families to better the lives of children and their families. I am hopeful that my own community will see this tikkun olam opportunity and endeavor to learn more at EmbraceOregon.org. Miriam Green/Miriam.b.Green@ state .or.us Child Welfare Senior Operations Manager District 2, Department of Human Services OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2015 9
[UPFRONT] The FriedenwaldFishman family likes to have fun together. Eric, Max, Sophie and Rebecca celebrate in front of Temple Beth Israel following Sophie’s bat mitzvah.
MAKING BUSINESS A FORCE FOR GOOD
Metropolitan Group wins international award for social and environmental impact By Deborah Moon
Taking to heart the socially conscious values of his religion, college and state, 26 years ago Eric Friedenwald-Fishman decided to create a business with that same ethos. He definitely succeeded. In April Eric’s Metropolitan Group was named “Best for the World,” an award recognizing the firm as one of 119 companies from around the world that set the gold standard for using business as a force for good. “Metropolitan Group is a social-change creative services firm,” Eric says. The company helps mission-driven companies – such as land trusts, environmental groups, public health agencies, foundations and socially responsible businesses – build powerful brands, connect with consumers and change the world. “At the time our company was founded 26½ years ago, there was not a socially responsible business movement,” says Eric. But he says renewable energy, socially responsible investing, social justice and sustainability were definitely gaining traction in Oregon; and Jewish values of social justice, tikkun olam
B Corporations are certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency.
(healing the world) and welcoming the other were key parts of his upbringing. Attending Willamette University (where he graduated with a double major in political science and art history) reinforced those values. “Willamette University is focused on living its motto, ‘Not unto ourselves alone are we born,’ … and the importance of leading a life of achievement, meaning and contribution,” says Eric. Just months after graduation, Eric and three friends created a marketing/communications company “founded to have a social impact.” Six years later, Eric bought out his partners but continued his efforts to redefine success in business. He believes that companies can benefit their shareholders while also being a force for social good that benefits their employees, their communities and the world, too.
METROPOLITAN GROUP: METGROUP.COM | B LAB: BCORPORATION.NET 10 JUNE/JULY 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE
“Twenty-six years later many companies do it, and it is a growing part of how our economy works,” says Eric. “I argue that companies that make conscious decisions around the environment save money.” Describing Metropolitan Group’s work, he says, “Half of what we do is design and implement campaigns that create social change. The other half is we help build the capacity of organizations that drive social change. We help our clients with strategic communication, multicultural engagement, organizational development and resource development to build a just and sustainable world.” Eric and Metropolitan Group have been at the forefront of the Benefit Company, or B Corp, movement. Eric worked closely with then-Secretary of State Kate Brown to draft the Benefit Company legislation that became Oregon law in 2013. Metropolitan Group became an inaugural Oregon Benefit Company that same year. Oregon now has one of the highest concentrations of B Corps in the country, says Eric. The firm was also one of the first companies certified by B Lab when it began offering certification in 2006 to companies that meet “rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency.” Now 1,247 companies in 38 countries and 121 industries are certified as B Corps. It was from that group that B Lab named the “Best for the World.” Eric encourages all company owners and managers to take the free assessment available at bcorporation.net. Though there is a fee if the company seeks certification, the assessment is free and offers valuable insights on best practices that can help all companies make decisions that are good for their bottom line, their employees and their community. While not all practices are relevant to all industries, Eric believes every company can benefit from seeing how its practices compare. Though Metropolitan Group was essentially a benefit corp before the term was even coined, Eric says company leaders still learned a lot when they did the assessment.
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OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2015 11
Metropolitan Group Founder and Creative Director Eric Friedenwald-Fishman.
“B Corps are better companies – better for workers, better for communities and better for the environment. … using business as a force for good.” ~ bcorporation.net/b-the-change
“We were already doing a lot, but we hadn’t codified it,” he explains. “We absolutely saw and learned things that had us do things differently.” For instance, though the company had talked about green transportation as a priority and encouraged employees to bike to work, “we hadn’t systemized and codified it.” After completing the assessment, Eric says they changed some compensation policies to create more incentives for employees, and they also tightened their procedures around purchasing such as asking vendors about sustainability and locally sourced products. “I’m thrilled to get this award and be considered one of the best companies in the world at healing the world,” says Eric of the recognition. Eric says that concept became a part of him growing up in Oregon and attending Jewish summer camps and classes at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center. While volunteering at Oregon Public Broadcasting, he met his future wife, Rebecca. The two have been married 19 years. The family is deeply involved at Congregation Beth Israel, where Eric sits on the board and Rebecca co-chairs the social action committee with her sister, Elizabeth Friedenwald. Their son, Max, a sophomore at Cleveland High School, is active in the National Federation of Temple Youth. Daughter, Sophie, is in eighth grade at Hosford Middle School and has continued to attend Hebrew High after her bat mitzvah. The two have often spent summers at Camp Kalsman, but this year Max will be in Israel on a NFTY trip. Last month the two volunteered at the Mitzvah Day event their mom co-chaired at Beth Israel. So all signs are go. It appears the next generation is poised to continue their parents’ commitment to tikkun olam!
12 JUNE/JULY 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE
BB CAMP ACCEPTS JCAMP180 CHALLENGE B’nai B’rith Camp is taking part in JCamp180’s Sustain Your Match challenge campaign, a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation. The campaign runs through Dec. 31, 2017. Over the next three years, BB Camp is eligible to receive a portion of each new gift made by first-time donors in matching funds to encourage the expansion of participating camps’ existing donor databases. “The purpose of the program is to reward camps for reaching out to individuals who have never previously given to the camp and to encourage camps to maintain relationships with these new donors,” says Mark Gold, JCamp180’s director. JCamp180 provides camps with new ways to reach potential new donors. Over the past nine years, JCamp180 has contributed more than $13 million in matching grant funds and $11 million in consulting services for Jewish children’s overnight and day camps. Jewish camps have raised another $225 million helping Jewish camp attendance grow from 43,000 in 2004 to 70,000 campers across the nation today. “BB Camp is proud to be accepted for our fifth matching grant opportunity with the Harold Grinspoon Foundation/JCamp180,” says BB Camp Development Director Aaron Pearlman. “The Sustain Your Match program is excellent timing. We are concentrating on creating a strong Alumni Network, and this grant will help us to significantly expand our base of support. Our Development Committee has set an aggressive goal to raise $100,000 in new gifts during 2015.” BBCAMP.ORG | JCAMP180.ORG FEDERATION HIRES MICHAEL JESER Michael Jeser has been hired as the new director of financial resource development at the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland. Michael begins his role June 16 to oversee the federation’s Annual Campaign and its Life and Legacy program. Michael previously worked in the Jewish Community Center movement in Boston and Los Angeles, and was the director of the real estate division and the Geller Leadership Project at the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. He served more than 3,500 Jewish students at the University of Southern California Hillel as the executive director. He also served as the executive director of Jewish World Watch. Michael received his B.A. in psychology from the University of Arizona and graduated with a master of arts in Jewish Communal Service from the Hebrew Union College and a master of social work from the University of Southern California. “We look forward to welcoming Michael and his wife, Laura, as they make their transition to the Rose City,” says JFGP CEO and President Marc Blattner. MICHAEL@JEWISHPORTLAND.ORG | 503-245-6219 | JEWISHPORTLAND.ORG
GAN-GARRET JEWISH PRESCHOOL NOW FULL TIME Clark County’s Jewish preschool has transitioned to a licensed full-time preschool offering early care and after care beyond the regular preschool day. School Director Tzivie Greenberg explained the motivation for the transition. “Being the only Jewish preschool option available in Clark County, we have moved into a full-day program to be able to accommodate more families.” The Gan-Garrett Jewish Preschool is a Reggioinspired learning center. The bright, modern facility includes a creative indoor and outdoor play area. Serving ages 2-6, the preschool is located at 9604 NE 126th Ave. in Vancouver. Kate Kort, a current Gan parent to 4-year-old Judah, plans to enroll 2-year-old Maya beginning in the fall. “Judaism is incredibly important to our family, so we always knew we would send our children to a Jewish preschool, but we never imagined to find one so committed to child-led learning, compassion and academics, as well as Judaism,” she says. THEGAN.ORG | 360-256-0859 JOANNE VAN NESS MENASHE EXPANDS ROLE AT JFGP Joanne Van Ness Menashe will add Women’s Philanthropy, including the Lion of Judah group, to her portfolio at the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland. She has taken over management of these groups from Priscilla Kostiner, who recently retired after three and a half years as a federation professional. “Taking my position will be Joanne Van Ness Menashe, who comes to federation with many years of experience in the field of philanthropy and financial development,” says Priscilla. “She is well known in town and is either friend, colleague or relative to many of our WP and Lion leaders.” Almost 17,000 women worldwide are Lions of Judah. About 90 women have made the commitment to give annually at the $5,000 level (or above) to the JFGP annual campaign. Joanne plans to create new special programs for women of all ages. “I am looking forward to working with all of these amazing women! Priscilla has been an incredibly passionate force for women’s philanthropy over the years, and I know she will be missed greatly,” says Joanne. 503-892-7401 | JEWISHPORTLAND.ORG ABIGAIL BALLABAN JOINS RIVERWEST ACUPUNCTURE Abigail Ballaban has joined RiverWest Acupuncture. As an integrative clinic with more than 70 years of combined practitioner experience, the clinic offers acupuncture, herbal formulas, chiropractic care and massage. Abigail specializes in women’s health and pediatrics. Throughout the summer Abigail will offer free phone consultations to discuss your health challenges, what your life could be like without those challenges and options to help resolve your challenges in a natural way. “Growing up in the Jewish community taught me the great value of performing daily mitzvoth,” says Abigail. “As an acupuncturist, I feel excited to be in a profession that facilitates those values. For the last four and a half years, I have studied, practiced and mentored many patients in Traditional Chinese Medicine. I want to support you in working toward your optimum health.”
[BIZ INS & OUTS] Abigail attended Portland Jewish Academy from 1997 to 2003. She became a bat mitzvah at Congregation Shaarie Torah and is a member of Congregation Beth Israel. ABIGAIL@RIVERWESTACUPUNCTURE.COM | 503-246-0103 JOSH NUDELMAN TO INTERN FOR SEN. WYDEN Josh Nudelman, son of Jeff and Anne Pollard Nudelman, has been selected as a summer intern for Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR). He will spend the summer in Washington, D.C. The purpose of the program is to give interns firsthand knowledge of how a Senate office operates on a daily basis, to observe the legislative process at the federal level and to develop research skills related to public policy. In the fall, Josh will return to Chapman University, where he was recently elected president of the Student Government Association. Josh is pursuing a dual major in communications and political science. The family is a member of Congregation Neveh Shalom and are active in the local community. Josh’s younger brother, Sol, a junior at Lake Oswego High School, was recently elected AZA Regional Godol of Evergreen Region BBYO. At the BBYO International Convention, Sol received the BBYO Bronze Shield of David Award, and his CWAZA #3360 Chapter won the Henry Monsky Chapter Excellence Award.
Business Ins & Outs welcomes submissions of news items. Send brief and a photo to Oregon Jewish Life Editor-in-Chief at deborah.moon@ojlife.com.
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OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2015 13
Joseph Wood Hill Park.
ST
AYCATIO
HOT FUN IN THE
By Rich Geller | Photos courtesy of Portland Parks & Recreation
N
M U S M
Those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer are back again. The days are long and the kids are home, so it must be time for some Oregon summer fun! Here are 10 family friendly destinations that won’t break the bank. Grant Park: NE 33rd Ave. and U.S. Grant Place, Portland Named in honor of our 18th president, Grant Park is also famous as the setting of local author Beverly Cleary’s “Klickitat Street” books. Your kids will want to visit the Beverly Cleary Sculpture Garden for Children, which is inhabited by life-size sculptures of Ramona Quimby, Henry Huggins and his dog, Ribsy. Afterward, take a quick drive over to Klickitat Street and take a stroll with your kids down the street where Ramona grew up! When you’re finished, pay a visit to the nearby Hollywood Library and check out the stone wall map in the children’s section. Depicting the Klickitat neighborhood where Beverly Cleary grew up, stonemasons have etched key locales in both Cleary’s life and in the world of her books into the stone. The Beverly Cleary Joseph Wood Hill Park: NE Rocky Butte Road, Portland Sculpture Garden Former site of the Hill Military Academy, this for Children at fascinating Portland Park is named for the acadGrant Park. emy’s founder, Joseph Wood Hill. The dominating feature of the park is Rocky Butte, an extinct volcanic cinder cone rising 600 feet into the Portland sky and providing epic views of the Columbia River and the Gorge beyond. Look for Mount Hood, Mount St. Helens, Mount Jefferson and Mount Rainier, as well as breathtaking views of the Rose City skyline. Watch the planes taking off and landing at Portland International Airport or explore the butte’s many points of interest, including a curious fortress/castle-like structure at the summit built by the WPA during the Great Depression. Lan Su Chinese Garden: 239 NW Everett St., Portland Over 400 species of plants, classic Chinese architecture and elegant waterways combine to form a space like no other in Portland. Occupying an entire city block, this classical Chinese garden provides a respite from the hectic pace of city life. Gaze at beautiful Lake Zither or share a relaxing cup of tea with your children in the tower of cosmic revelations. Green Bean Books: 1600 NE Alberta St., Portland This independent children’s bookstore is a true Portland gem, selling new and used
ER F U N 14 JUNE/JULY 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE
Summertime
books in a bright, cheerful setting. Read a book to your kids on a comfy couch or under the “magical draping tree.” Vending machines offer fun items such as finger puppets and temporary tattoos. Be sure to come for story time every Tuesday morning at 11. Movie Madness: Two Portland locations on Hawthorne Avenue and Belmont Street (moviemadnessvideo.com) With over 70,000 titles to choose from, Movie Madness brings all the magic of Hollywood to the Rose City. Hands down, it’s the most diverse selection of movies and television series on Blu-Ray, DVD and VHS available to rent in town, or maybe anywhere! Don’t forget to visit “The Museum of Motion Picture History” while you’re there. More than 100 objects and artifacts from Hollywood’s storied past are presented here for your perusal, including the knife from “Psycho,” and models from “Alien” and “Star Wars.” Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education: 1953 NW Kearney St., Portland Visit the only Jewish museum in the Pacific Northwest. Rotating exhibits devoted to telling the story of Oregon’s Jews along with a unique archive containing photographs, oral histories, documents and other artifacts of Oregon Jewry will make for a fun and meaningful family outing. Multnomah Days: Aug. 15, SW 35th and Capitol Highway, Multnomah Village, Portland March in the parade, groove to local bands and enjoy
some great food. Then head over to the Kid Zone, located in the Multnomah Arts Center. Jam-packed with exciting activities such as face painting, art projects, community robot building and the challenge of the mighty rock-climbing wall, Multnomah Days is fun for kids of all ages! Oregon Maritime Museum: Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Portland Take a tour of the sternwheeler Portland, the last steam-powered stern wheel tugboat still operating in the United States. The friendly docent will give your kids an informative tour of the ship. Touch and play with actual turn of the 20th Century artifacts and even blow a ship’s whistle in the Children’s Corner. Visit the library, featuring books devoted to the Pacific Northwest’s rich and colorful nautical history. Waterfront Blues Festival: Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Fourth of July weekend. Five days of food, fun and the best blues music on either side of the Mississippi. Top blues, funk and soul acts perform on the banks of the Willamette River, all to benefit the Oregon Food Bank. Come and enjoy some great music, good food and fun for the whole family. Electric Castle’s Wunderland and Avalon Theater: Five Oregon locations (wunderlandgames.com) The nickel arcades, (almost) first-run movie theater and laser tag will thrill your kids. The low, low prices for games, movies and refreshments make for an unbeatable bargain for mom and dad.
SUMMER FUN! FREE
MOVIES CONCERTS PLAYGROUNDS IN THE PARK MOVIES, CONCERTS, & PLAYGROUNDS IN THE PARK
Find a complete list of FREE fun activities at PortlandParks.org Thanks to our sponsors
OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2015 15
STAYCA
N T IO
Heceta Head Lighthouse. Photo by Oregon Parks and Recreation Dept.
Compiled by Deborah Moon
All 362 miles of Oregon’s coast make up one of the most remarkable public recreation settings in the United States. Since the Oregon State Park system manages the Ocean Shore State Recreation Area, the entire coastline from the Oregon/California border north to the Columbia River is open to the public and waiting for you to take a stunning walk along the edge of the Pacific Ocean. Oregon’s shoreline is a geologic mix of sandy beaches, rocky shores and towering capes rising from the sea. Oregon State Parks reminds visitors, “Whether you’re picnicking, soaking up the sun or watching a spectacular sunset, make sure your trip is a safe one. Watch the ocean for sneaker waves and stay off logs, which can roll.”
Let’s Celebrate!
Lunch Brunch Dinner Sightseeing Groups Charters
503-224-3900 Portlandspirit.com 503-224-3900 Local family ownedPortlandSpirit.com since 1994 16 JUNE/JULY 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE
There are 255 state parks, including several near the coast. The park system annually serves an estimated 42 million daytime visitors (fourth in the nation) and 2.5 million campers (eighth in the nation). Many people reach the ocean shore by parking at a state park, but county and federal parks, businesses and private homes also lead to the ocean shore. All along the coast, you can find visitor attractions, art galleries, restaurants and festivals. One of the largest events on the Oregon Coast is the 31st Annual Summer Kite Festival in Lincoln City June 27 and 28. The Kite Festival takes place right in the heart of Lincoln City at the D-River Wayside State Park. Activities such as kids’ kite making, kite demonstrations and the Running of the Bols, which is a footrace across the beach with each participant harnessed to parachute kites, are fun for the whole family. 800-452-2151 or oregoncoast.org. At the north end of the state, the Astoria Music Festival maintains a busy, near daily pace of concerts, recitals, discussions and films for 16 days. Fueled by the vision of Artistic Director Keith Clark, the festival encompasses almost every classical form – orchestra, chamber music and opera – June 13-28. Several events are free. The festival draws audiences to Astoria from all along the Pacific coast. astoriamusicfestival.org. SHABBAT ON THE COAST While you’re in town, check out the newest congregation in the state. The lower Columbia region is forming Congregation Beit Salmon (yes salmon, not shalom, in honor of being in the salmon capital of world). The congregation invites anyone coming to the north coast to join them for a Shabbat service and oneg. Astoria’s first Shabbat services in about 50 years will be June 13. Services begin at 11 am and are followed by an oneg at Fellowship Hall of the Peace Lutheran Church (at Exchange and 12th in Astoria). The next day at 11 am at the church, participants will decide what events they would like to see over the summer. Hebrew Union College third-year rabbinic student Abram Goodstein will be in town June 9-Aug. 9 to lead services, family programs and a Wednesday night study group. For more information, call Ann Goldeen at 503-791-4611. Services are also held once a month from March to October in nearby Seaside. The North Coast Shabbat Group holds its monthly services one Friday a month at 8 pm at the Bob Chisholm Senior Center, 1225 Avenue A in Seaside. Leaders for summer services are: June 26, Neil Weinstein; July 31, Rabbi Sam Joseph; and Aug. 21, David Fuks. For more information, call Bev Eastern at 503-244-7060.
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Eugene Scene: Free Shakespeare in the Park
N T IO
By Joseph A. Lieberman
Love), and so Se’love it is. William Shakespeare lived in a time Her inspiration for Shakespeare when Jewish people in England were in the Park came from productions still very much outsiders. Works like in New York’s Central Park, and “The Merchant of Venice” reflect later, San Francisco. Sharon was that, yet Shylock’s famous “If you born in New York and raised by her prick us, do we not bleed?” speech maternal grandmother, who cooked demonstrates the complexity of Ashkenazi food and spoke and sang The Bard’s sensitivity to the Jewish to her in Yiddish. She spent time as situation. an acting apprentice at the Mount What’s never been in dispute is Lennox, MA, Shakespeare & Shakespeare’s genius in telling tales Company, and attended a summer that hold our fascination throughout. Shakespeare intensive session at Sure, we can pay high ticket prices “Antony and Cleopatra” was the 2014 Free the Royal Academy of Dramatic to see glamorous productions of Shakespeare in the Park performance. Arts in London. After a series his work, but one Jewish woman Photos by Tracy Ilene Miller of wanderings, “When I came to in Eugene has ensured that for Eugene in 1993, I knew I’d arrived four weekends every August, a in a place I could call home,” she says. Shakespeare play is made available, free of charge, in an outdoor After involvement with arts councils and the Hult Center setting at Amazon Community Park. for Performing Arts, and partly in reaction to the Thurston Sharon Se’love is the artistic producing director of Free High school shootings at Springfield in 1998, she decided Shakespeare in the Park. Her surname prior to marriage was to do something “to mentor kids in an adult environment, Mann (shortened from Pearlman), but for her wedding she said providing a way to work cooperatively together through the in French that her name should henceforth be “It is love” (C’est rehearsal process, and creating an emotional outlet.” Sharon started the free performances in 1999 on a shoestring budget. Since she had an attic full of clothing from the 1930s, she set her first Shakespeare play in that era, casting her dog as “the old servant.” Even so, nearly a thousand people attended six shows, many bringing a picnic dinner to eat on the grass with their entire family. Sharon Se’love is the artistic producing director of Free Shakespeare in the Park. Photos by Joseph A. Lieberman
“Antony and Cleopatra” was the 2014 Free Shakespeare in the Park performance. Photos by Tracy Ilene Miller
“I loved the audience reactions,” she says, “booing the villain, cheering the hero. I realized that getting such involvement is like breaking through a wall, creating a theatrical catharsis experienced all together. It makes us less isolated, reduces antagonism in our society, and fosters empathy and harmony.” It didn’t always go without a hitch. “One time the lawn sprinklers broke and remained on until an hour before show time, soaking a wide swath of grass,” Sharon says. “The audience of 300 had to sit close and tight in the remaining dry area, but that was one of the best performances we ever had.” Sometimes their work has been pioneering, but not necessarily by intent. “Our Romeo and Juliet were both women, which caused a stir, but we didn’t plan it that way originally,” she says. “The unreliable young man playing Romeo missed many rehearsals, so we had to ‘fire’ him three weeks before opening. Only one woman was capable of replacing him, so we went with that.” Last year’s play was “Antony and Cleopatra,” which required a lot of fight direction by John Elliott III, who not only teaches swordplay choreography, but takes the time to inform actors how and why these weapons were used historically. This year’s play is the romantic comedy “As You Like It.” From September to March, Sharon’s focus is grant writing/ development, Kickstarter campaigns and editing scripts for her nonprofit theater group. “Our cast ranges in age from 13 to 75 and all are volunteers,” Sharon says. “This is truly community in action, and we welcome everyone who is willing to try out each spring.”
The scene is set...
Call 503.219.2093. or visit www.hoteldeluxe.com 729 SW15th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97205
2015 ANNUAL MEETING Monday, June 22, 11:30am Multnomah Athletic Club | $25 per person Reservations: 503-226-3600 or www.ojmche.org Guest Speaker: Ellen Eisenberg, Dwight & Margaret Lear Professor of American History, Willamette University: Whatever Happened to Old South Portland? The Creation of Historical Memory
FREE SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK WHAT: “As You Like It” WHEN: 6 pm, weekends Aug. 1-2 through Aug. 22-23 WHERE: Amazon Community Park, Eugene INFORMATION: 541-682-5373
Jaloff Family with stage driver Jacob Krane c.1917, Gift of Joan Steele, OJM02714
1953 NW Kearney St., Portland, OR 97209 | 503-226-3600 | www.ojmche.org Tue-Thu 10:30am-4pm | Fri 10:30am-3pm | Sat-Sun noon-4pm
OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2015 19
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Broadway Rose Theatre Company Box Office: 12850 SW Grant Ave., Tigard Performances: Deb Fennell Auditorium, 9000 SW Durham Road, Tigard 503-620-5262 broadwayrose.org We are Oregon’s premier musical theater company, offering professional productions of Broadway hits and musical revues, children’s musicals, and youth educational programs. Current productions include Thoroughly Modern Millie July 2-26 and Oklahoma! Aug. 6-22. Central Bowl Grand Central Bowling Lounge a 808 SE Morrison St., Portland, OR 97214 503-236-2695 thegrandcentralbowl.com Grand Central features two floors of fun with 12 bowling lanes, arcade games for all ages as well as full restaurant and bar for your next event, party or family gathering. Hotel deLuxe 729 SW 15th Ave., Portland, OR 97205 503-219-2094 Old Hollywood meets modern luxury at the Hotel deLuxe. Gold leaf ceilings and sparkling chandeliers provide the perfect backdrop to your stay or event. Exceptional service and culinary creations make your time with us extraordinary. NW Natural Appliance Center 2610 SE 8th Ave., Portland, OR 97202 503-220-2362 nwnaturalappliances.com We have a full line of Gas BBQ Grills, Outdoor Kitchens and Fireplaces. Remodeling? We are Portland’s only one stop shop for Fireplaces, Kitchen Appliances, and Laundry and have over 100 products on display. Portland Parks and Recreation In your neighborhood 503-823-PLAY (7529) portlandparks.org JOIN US this summer for our Summer Free For All program! Enjoy FREE Movies, Concerts and Playground Programs! Portland Spirit Cruises and Events 110 SE Caruthers, Portland, OR 97214 503-224-3900 Portlandspirit.com The vessels and crew of Portland Spirit Cruises & Events form the premier fleet of dining ships in the Northwest, offering public lunch, brunch, dinner, sightseeing cruises, specialty events and private charters year round. (Includes programs, venues and activities for summer fun in Oregon that are advertised in this issue of Oregon Jewish Life. Some advertisers are included in the JKids section, where our Summer Fun coverage continues.)
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OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2015 21
Summer/staycations/kids
KIDS Relax, get outside and let boredom reign Get outside Time spent outside in nature is good for everyone’s health, mood and general well-being. Lucky for us, we live in a state that has fairly ideal summertime weather, as well as innumerable trails, swimming holes and forest walks. Make hikes, bird walks, neighborhood strolls and swimming in fresh water a regular part of your summertime repertoire; set a goal, perhaps twice each week to go on an adventure. The whole family will come back from these outings happy, calm and nourished (and dirty!). Do real work together
By Lisa Weiner
Summer vacation. These two simple words can bring up a multitude of feelings in parents. On the one hand, the freedom from early mornings rushing out the door can feel like an enormous relief. On the other hand, all that unscheduled time can feel a bit daunting: What will we do with all that time? Many parents share this worry as summer approaches. Add in some of the following stresses – how to prevent summertime “learning loss,” how to pay for all those camps and what to do when your children are complaining of being bored – and those early mornings rushing out the door to school can actually start to look good. Parents who attend my Simplicity Summer workshops come in with these same types of worries, but once we spend some time exploring ways to address the issues, they leave with a bounce in their step, ready to pack up their beach bags and dive in to summertime. Below are some of the helpful tips that give them that bounce: Just because you don’t have the school year schedule doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have any schedule A loose daily schedule that everyone can count on goes a long way toward peace of mind. It doesn’t need to be rigidly time-based (this is summertime after all), but everyone can know what to expect, e.g., every day after breakfast we’re going to take the dog on a long walk; after lunch, everyone is going to do something quiet by themselves for awhile. 22 JUNE/JULY 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE
Doing work with your children is a win-win – good for you and good for them. What do I mean by “real work?” I mean things that need to get done around your house: home repairs, gardening, pet care, cooking, laundry. Contrary to many parents’ thoughts, these are not things that you need to get done while your children are napping or after bedtime. Doing real work (i.e., important, helpful, essential to the workings of the home) is something to get done with your children. Yes, it may go more slowly and be messier than doing it by yourself, but you are teaching your children lasting life skills. The bonus is that you get to do something just for you during naptime (read a book! call a friend for a chat!) instead of rushing around trying to get things done. Let your children be bored Yes, you read that correctly. It’s OK for your children to be bored, in fact, it’s good for them. Creativity (in the form of figuring out what to do) can only come from a void of things to do. By actually not overscheduling your kids, by leaving chunks of the day unplanned, you give them the gift of figuring out what to do when there is nothing to do. This often leads to great invented games, building projects and other imaginative play – all of which are great for your child’s brain development and general happiness. So, the next time your kids complain of being bored, don’t solve this problem for them by suggesting things to do. Instead, give yourself a private pat on the back and wait 10 minutes – they’ll figure something out. Rather than the daunting prospect of three months without the schedule of school, by using these tips, summer can instead become a great opportunity for fun, family connection and helping your children develop skills that don’t get much practice during the school year.
Bring on summertime!
Lisa Weiner, MSN, is a certified Simplicity Parenting Counselor who teaches classes and workshops around Portland. To learn more about her work, or to sign up for a class, see HandmadeParenting.com.
PJ Library grows 7- and 8-year-olds: Sign up for more free books!
A father reads one of the books for older children with his daughter.
On July 1 Portland-area kids under age 9, who had previously aged out of the PJ Library program, will once again be able to receive a free book each month. For years, children aged 6 months to 6 years have been receiving the free books and music. Portland was one of the first communities to adopt PJ Library when the Harold Grinspoon Foundation in Massachusetts offered the program nationally. Originally administered locally by the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation, PJ Library has been run in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland since 2011. Originally the program was available for children aged 6 months to 6 years. Children who have previously “aged out” after age 6, but have not yet celebrated their 9th birthdays, can re-enroll to once again enjoy their free monthly gift. About 1,000 local children are enrolled currently, and some 2,500 children in greater Portland have received PJ Library books over the years. Sandy Nemer’s three children, Heshy (5), Anna (8) and Zollie (10), are among the children who have enjoyed the free books. “We have been receiving books to the point where our oldest now joyfully reads to his younger brother, not only as a way for them to learn about our Jewish values, but as a way for him to practice reading, as well,” says Sandy. “I used to think that the library would provide us with some nice Judaic books, but I was wrong. Then came PJ Library and the most amazing books just came to us in the mail!” When told about the expansion, Sandy asked immediately how to get Anna back on the list. “I would love to get Anna more Judaic books,” says Sandy. “She feels she is ‘too old’ for some of Zollie’s books. It would mean the world to her, because we value reading material that encompasses our family values in Judaism.”
JFGP was able to seriously consider expansion to age 8 from the current maximum age of 6 when PJ Library/HGF announced the availability of the Alliance Subscription Grant. “We are SO excited and appreciative of this opportunity,” says JFGP Community Engagement Director Caron Blau Rothstein, who has served as the local PJ Library manager. When the program expands through age 8 July 1, Caron will transition the project to JFGP Director of Educational Initiatives Rachel Rothstein. In turn, Caron will be assuming management of GrapeVine (formerly managed by Rachel) as part of her community engagement role. “The books for older kids are even more interesting and spark even deeper conversations between parents and children,” says Caron. “We see it not only as a chance for older children in the greater Portland area to receive and enjoy our books, but as a foundation on which we can build more programming and experiences for these families to broaden and deepen their Jewish connections.” It’s easy to enroll younger children and also to re-enroll children ages 7 and 8. If your child was previously enrolled and is not yet 9, email pjlibrary@jewishportland.org with your name and your child’s name and federation will re-enroll her/him. First-time enrollees aged 6 months to 6 years can sign up at pjlibrary.org.
OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2015 23
By Gloria Hammer
Rick Nitti prides himself on helping improve the lives of children and their families during his 16 years as executive director of Neighborhood House. Founded in 1905 by the National Council of Jewish Women, Portland Section, Neighborhood House has grown from its roots aiding immigrants in South Portland to become a leading Portland nonprofit social service provider, serving about 18,000 low-income children, families and seniors each year across the greater Portland area. I interviewed Rick recently to learn more about him and Neighborhood House. His remarks have been lightly edited for brevity and clarity. What was your childhood like in Chicago?
Neighborhood House has very personal meaning for Director Rick Nitti 24 JUNE/JULY 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE
I had a little bit of a rough childhood. My mother, who was Jewish, was rejected by her family for marrying my Italian dad. I spent most of my childhood in the northern suburb of Chicago, Skokie, a very Jewish neighborhood. My mother’s parents and my greatgrandmother lived in Rock Island on the border of Illinois and Iowa, on the Mississippi River. I remember going there once or twice a year and sitting in the car while my mother went in to visit her family. My great-grandmother was never told my mom married outside the faith, or that I was born. After a time my mother’s parents accepted the marriage, but they never told my great-grandmother that we were her grandchildren. I was the oldest of four siblings. I think it hit me more. There was a sense of rejection growing up and it impacted me. Where did you go to college? I went to the University of Illinois in Chicago; I then went on and got my master’s degree at Loyola University, also in Chicago. Tell me about your family. My wife grew up in Portland and is from an old Portland family. Her first ancestor got to Oregon in 1844. We met after college in Chicago where she was getting her Ph.D. from Northwestern. We came out here to visit her family. We always loved it here, and it took 15 years
to make the move, but we always intended to come out here. I am married 36 years and have two daughters, Melissa and Laura. My wife, Jan Jewett, is a Unitarian Universalist religious educator. Melissa lives in Washington, D.C., and works for Google in its Government Affairs Office. She had been deputy director for messaging and media for the Obama campaign. Laura works for Catholic Charities. She works for a culturally specific Latina Domestic Violence Program. What did you do in Chicago before moving to Portland? I worked for two organizations – Christopher House and Hull House, which is sort of the grandmother of all settlement houses. Jane Addams, who won a Nobel Peace Prize, founded it. Have you have always worked in servicing the underprivileged? Yes, except when I opened up the Mail Boxes Etc., which is now a UPS store in Hillsdale. When the Neighborhood House job came up, it was perfect in a lot of ways. First, it was in my community. Second, my work in Chicago had all been in the settlement house field. I love history and I love the history of Neighborhood House. I love the history of my wife’s family here. In its early years Neighborhood House served the Italian community and the Jewish community here, so it brought my personal history together. Tell me about Neighborhood House. We have an annual budget of a little over $5 million. We have around 140 people working for us. About 75 are full time, the rest are part time. We operate out of 16 locations. What about the new center across from the MJCC? We built our Children’s Center across the street from the Mittleman Jewish Community Center as part of Stevens Creek Crossing, which is a new low-income public housing project. We have been very fortunate, because this is one of the few buildings built specifically for preschool children in the region. It took about three years to get the Children’s Center built. Before Stevens Creek Crossing was built, a rundown public housing development called Hillsdale Terrace was here. The Housing Authority in Portland, Home Forward, knew that it had to be knocked down. We worked with them from the beginning to apply for a federal grant that was designed for properties that were not working. A big part of the grant was to build an early childhood center. Seventy five percent of the money came from the grant and through Home Forward. We had to raise the balance, which was a little over a million dollars. How did you do it? We did it two ways, major gifts and foundation grants. The room we are in is named the Harold Schnitzer classroom. Arlene Schnitzer gave us a sizable donation, and she wanted to do that because Harold (z’l) had fond memories of Neighborhood House growing up as a kid. Our largest grant was from The Weinberg Foundation from Baltimore, MD.
It sounds like your money came from Jewish funders. Well it did. We were very fortunate that the Weinberg foundation is very interested in the combination of housing and services. This was a perfect opportunity for them. Sounds like nonprofits are working hand-in-hand to improve the community around us. I think we do. We compete with each other in a lot of ways, but we collaborate with one another as well. We wanted to build a facility that would be a showcase for early childhood. When we had our ribbon-cutting event, State Treasurer Ted Wheeler was there. We want people to use this building. We want to get the message out of how important early childhood education is, particularly for low-income kids, and the kind of impact it can have. How many kids do you serve? The new child center serves 96 children from ages 3 to 5. How many cultures are involved? In our whole Headstart program, which involves 150 children served by Neighborhood House, more than 70 different languages are spoken. Neighborhood House was developed 110 years ago by the National Council of Jewish Women to welcome immigrants into the community. Back then they were Eastern European Jews and Italians. Now they are Hispanic, Russian, African or Middle Eastern, and our role is to continue help them and welcome them in. We help them to develop their own lives, whether they are children or adults, to be able to move to the point where they can be successful in this country. Maybe this comes from my mixed background. I believe very strongly in ecumenicalism and in working together to find peace and harmony. Since September 11 Neighborhood House has been in a unique position, because we have relationships with all the faith communities. We served a significant part of the Muslim population. We reached out to try to create interfaith dinners. We did it for three years. Our goal was to bring people together. I have done a lot of work with leaders from the Muslim community. I love the people. Do you partner with MJCC or Portland Jewish Academy? We do both in different ways. Kids from PJA come over and volunteer and do food drives and a number of different things. It is a good relationship. Speaking of community, do you cross the street to the MJCC? As a member of the JCC I am over there all the time. I do weight training three days a week and I play racquetball. I am there almost every day! I love the J. I have developed a strong social network with people there. Gloria Hammer divides her time between Portland and Hood River. Her interviews with interesting people including entrepreneurs, a school principal and former Portland Mayor Vera Katz appear periodically in Oregon Jewish Life.
OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2015 25
Catholic schools are tops in Holocaust writing and art contest By Deborah Moon
Since 1998 St. Clare School eighthgraders have studied the Holocaust in a collaborative unit designed by the Catholic school’s art teacher and language arts teacher. The unit has had an impact far beyond the school walls. The entries St. Clare students have created for the Sala Krysek Grand Prize Winner of Sala Kryszek Art Contest 2015: Holocaust Art and “(S)he” by Chip Richman, St. Clare School. Writing contests are incredibly powerful. “They’ve won loads of times in both writing and art,” says Evelyn Banko, who has been involved in judging both contests since the mid-90s. “They do a wonderful job of teaching about the Holocaust … all the Catholic schools do. They’ve placed every year they entered.” Funded by the Jakob Kryszek family, the contest honors Holocaust survivor Sala Kryszek, who after liberation moved to Portland, where she lived until her death in 1986. Now run by the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, the contest encourages students “to evaluate history, foster an awareness of the Holocaust and broaden their minds in the areas of art, history, civics, sociology and literature.” Top entries are displayed at the museum so, “communities that extend beyond the classroom can celebrate” and reflect on students’ projects. This year St. Clare eighth-grader SALA KRYSZEK 2015 WRITING WINNERS Chip Richman won the grand prize Grand Prize Overall overall for art for his depiction of a sufFoya Tavangary, Valley Catholic High School, Beaverton fering transgender teen. Middle School First: Alyssa Hughes, St. Clare School St. Clare art teacher Marie Acurso Second: Robert McMonies, Catlin Gabel School, Portland says she is very proud of Chip for Third: Rose Booth, St. Clare School, Portland picking such a controversial topic. “He Honorable Mention: Harry Popowich, Catlin Gabel School, Portland really took a chance at standing up for Wyatt Withers Hoke, Catlin Gabel School, Portland something that some of his peers would High School First: Maria Beer, Central Catholic High School, Portland not be so comfortable discussing, let Second: Tiana Week, Valley Catholic High School, Beaverton alone making an art piece,” she says. Third: Lochlainn Wood Chip was inspired to create his piece SALA KRYSZEK 2015 ART WINNERS after reading about several transgender Grand Prize Overall Chip Richman, St. Clare School, Portland kids who committed suicide due to bulMiddle School lying from their families and friends. First: Chip Richman, St. Clare School, Portland “It made me want to bring awareness Second: Keelie Grasley, Patton Middle School, Portland to the situation and make a statement,” Third: Lillian Landis-Croft, St. Clare School, Portland says Chip. “Everyone deserves to be Honorable Mention: Sophia Trimble, Patton Middle School, Portland Harper Maselli, Patton Middle School, Portland loved, especially by their own parents. High School When parents don’t support their First: Caroline Hall, St. Mary’s Academy, Portland children, there is a problem. My piece Second: Sonja Bales, St. Mary’s Academy, Portland was meant to make people think about Third: Jennica Carlile, Tillamook High School, Tillamook how they can make a change, simply by Honorable Mention: Paige Lust, Tillamook High School, Tillamook Rose Rogers, Valley Catholic High School, Beaverton supporting their own family and friends 26 JUNE/JULY 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE
through whatever situation might be happening.” That was exactly the point of this year’s contest prompt: “Through your writing or art, show ways in which an individual, no matter what the person’s age, can make a difference in the lives of those around them.” Marie says this year students were encouraged to “see the importance of the bystander feeling called to action against bullying.” “Art is a powerful tool,” says Marie. “I teach that it is communication and many artists choose to use it for the good to promote discussion towards social change.” Chip has clearly taken that lesson to heart. Winners of both the art and writing contests receive a trip to Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Holocaust Museum accompanied by a teacher and parent. Marie says she has accompanied several past winners to the museum. Chip is looking forward to the trip. “I am very excited to go to the Holocaust Museum in D.C.,” he says. “I have never been to D.C. before and think that it will be a great experience and I will learn a lot. I am very grateful to have this opportunity.” This year’s winner of the writing contest also attends a Catholic school. Foya Tavangary is a junior at Valley Catholic High School in Beaverton. Foya won the writing contest with her poem, In Loving Memory of My Grandmother. Language arts teacher Marty Karlin has encouraged her students to enter the contest for many years, and several of her students have won awards. This year she required all 18 students in her advanced placement English class to submit entries; but first they read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Maus I and Maus II by Art Spiegelman, and Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut. “What happened to the Jews, the gypsies, the homosexuals, the Catholics, at the hands of the Nazis during World War II should never happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime,” says Marty on why she teaches students about the Holocaust. “The tragedy is that it does happen, it has happened, it will happen again because
of the inherent nature of humans. We remember. We teach the Holocaust in hopes that other holocausts might be thwarted.” Foya says her teacher’s knowledge of oppressed people, including the Baha’i in Iran, helped her choose her topic for the contest. “Mrs. Karlin happened to know that the VCHS library actually has a book that includes an excerpt about my grandmother’s life,” says Foya. “The date we started writing this project in English class happened to be the same date as the anniversary of my grandmother’s passing – March 17,” says Foya, whose middle name is Sarafros, her grandmother’s first name. “I knew that I wanted to honor her memory. Mrs. Karlin suggested that I should talk about my grandmother’s legacy and teach others her story, her life, the struggles she went through for the cause of religious freedom.” GRAND PRIZE: WRITING
In Loving Memory of My Grandmother By Foya Tavangary of Valley Catholic High School
Sarafros Jiveh, Have you ever heard of her? She experienced severe persecution for her religious beliefs. She spent part of her life in an Iranian prison for being Baha’i, A religion that is not acceptable to believe in under the Islamic Regime. Discrimination against Baha’is is rampant in Iran, Innocent people are punished for their Faith. My grandmother was one of those people. Stripped of her belongings, She had to flee the only country she had ever known. My grandmother was an incredibly brave woman. She taught others patience and understanding, She remained positive in times of hardship, She was a light in the lives in many. How can I do anything remotely comparable to what she did? How can I muster up the courage to make the sacrifices that she made? Although we don’t hear her name as often as we may hear Gandhi, Anne Frank or Rosa Parks, She made a difference in the lives of many. She is my role model. She is my inspiration. Although I never got to meet her, I strive to emulate her selfless character. All it takes is a single spark to ignite a fire in me, A fire that will surge through the ends of the earth and change the world. I hope to shine as bright as my grandmother did and keep her legacy alive. I don’t know how powerful I truly am. I have the capability to stand up against what is unjust. I am able to improve society if I work hard enough. I can teach others kindness and understanding. To be courageous enough to stand up for what they believe in. I know that I can do it. A part of my grandmother lives in within me, She made a difference, so can I.
OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2015 27
June 14-28
PO
RTL AND JEW
V I T A S L E F LM
ISH
FI
returns for 23rd year with 18 engaging films By Deborah Moon
Films ranging from touching comedies to thoughtprovoking documentaries will entertain and enlighten thousands during the 23rd Portland Jewish Film Festival June 14-28. The festival is produced by the Northwest Film Center and co-presented by the Institute for Judaic Studies, with an opening night reception presented by Oregon Jewish Life magazine (see story page 31). Rabbi Joshua Stampfer and the Institute for Judaic Studies hosted the first festival with a weekend at the coast; since then the Portland Jewish Film Festival has grown into a two-week 28 JUNE/JULY 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE
festival of 18 films annually attracting thousands of Jewish and non-Jewish filmgoers alike. “The success of Rabbi Stampfer’s small weekend screenings/ retreats was the inspiration to do something larger,” says Northwest Film Center Director Bill Foster. So in 1997 the Northwest Film Center produced the festival co-sponsored by the Mittlemen Jewish Community Center and IJS. Last year about 3,000 people attended the festival, continuing a trend of increasing attendance each year, says Bill. Each year the festival includes films that speak to both the Jewish experience and a broader non-Jewish audience. “As the Northwest Film Center, we are first and foremost interested in showcasing films that are of a quality and universal appeal that they could hold their own in any context,” explains
Bill. “While the stories and subject may be rooted in Jewish culture, they should resonate as compelling cinema.” While the festival doesn’t have a specific theme this year, Bill says, “I think there is an increasing interest by filmmakers in exploring Israeli-Arab relationships on a personal level and, of course, intergenerational family relationships.” That family theme is the centerpiece of this year’s opening night film, “Magic Men,” a moving road trip comedy. Greekborn atheist and Holocaust survivor Avraham and his estranged, middle-aged, Hasidic rapper son travel from Israel to
Greece searching for the man who saved the father’s life during World War II. The journey leads them to absurd encounters, and ultimately brings them to a final confrontation of father and son. “Magic Men” was nominated for four Israeli Academy Awards, with a win for Best Actor Makram Khoury. “I know people are going to enjoy ‘Dough’ (screens June 20) and ‘Magic Men’ – funny, well-told stories,” says Bill. The theme of Israeli-Arab relationships is portrayed on a very personal level in “Borrowed Identity” (see review, page 30). The film tells the story of Eyad, the
first and only Arab at a prestigious Jewish boarding school in Jerusalem, as he tries desperately to fit in with his Jewish schoolmates and Israeli society. For the full film schedule, see pages 32-33. All showings are at the Whitsell Auditorium at the Portland Art Museum, 1219 SW Park, Portland. Tickets are $9 for general admission; $8 for students and seniors; $125 for the patron pass (festival pass). Tickets are available at nwfilm.org.
OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2015 29
COVER STO
RY
Stellar coming-of-age saga explores ‘A Borrowed Identity’ PJFF: JUNE 21 SUN 7 PM
By Michael Fox Exceptionally intelligent and resourceful, and supported by a loving middle-class family, the young protagonist of “A Borrowed Identity” has a wide-open future. He does have one handicap, though, that will block his ascent into the upper echelons of Israeli society: He’s an Arab. Adapted by Arab Israeli writer Sayed Kashua from his humor-laced autobiographical novels, and directed with empathy and elegance by veteran Israeli filmmaker Eran Riklis, “A Borrowed Identity” smoothly meshes piercing social commentary with a touching coming-of-age story. The film will come as something of a revelation to American audiences who’ve never been exposed to the Arab Israeli perspective, at least as it’s manifested in everyday dreams and aspirations. At the same time, the central character’s innate morality and unfailing decency make “A Borrowed Identity” anything but an uncomfortable experience for Jewish viewers. The movie begins in the town of Tira in 1982, and devotes its first half-hour to Eyad’s childhood and family life. The boy adores his grandmother, excels at math and logic, and takes pride in his father’s unspoken yet radical past (which was more vocal than militant, but got him a prison sentence nonetheless). “A Borrowed Identity” patiently inculcates us into Eyad’s demonstrative family, an otherwise easygoing clan who root impotently for the Arab side in every regional conflagration from the Israeli invasion of Lebanon to the U.S. invasion of Iraq. When Eyad (played by Tawfeek Barhom) is accepted to the Jerusalem Arts and Science Academy, an exclusive boarding school populated almost entirely by Ashkenazi Jews, his parents kvell at the great opportunity he’s been given. It doesn’t take Eyad long, 30 JUNE/JULY 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE
however, to figure out that being a minority among entitled high school students is a particular challenge. But he’s good at sloughing off the daily racism – casual, intentional and institutional – and making friends, so Eyad thrives. He bonds with an Israeli his own age with muscular dystrophy, who he’s been assigned to visit as part of a communityservice project, and has a Jewish girlfriend by his junior year. It’s all perfectly natural and conveys the fundamental truth that we like who we like and we love who we love, regardless of their identity or background. It can only happen, though, once we know the other person as an individual. To a teacher on the first day of class, or a soldier on the street who overhears Arabic spoken or a café owner ostensibly in need of a waiter, Eyad is nothing more or less than an Arab. The film conveys Eyad’s growing awareness that he’s in a bind between his parents’ expectations (he could be a doctor) and the array of limitations (romantic and occupational, for starters) that Israeli society imposes on Arabs. Longtime fans of Eran Riklis (“Cup Final,” “The Syrian Bride,” “Lemon Tree”) will not be surprised to hear that one of the strengths of “A Borrowed Identity” is its heartfelt humanism. Despite the continued disintegration of Israeli-Palestinian relations, the director’s faith that people of good will can transcend fear, stereotypes and peer pressure has not faded. Riklis’ optimism is tempered by the real-life experience of Sayed Kashua, an acclaimed novelist, Haaretz columnist and creator of the popular sitcom “Arab Labor.” For all his success, Kashua is acutely aware of being seen as an outsider in Israeli society. The film was originally called “Dancing Arabs,” after Kashua’s first book, presumably a barbed reference to the CNN video of Palestinians celebrating the 9/11 attack. The title also alludes to the struggles of Palestinians – exemplified by Eyad – to create their own identity and fulfill their promise. Without naiveté or cynicism, “A Borrowed Identity” invites us to identify with one talented young man who asks what each of us asks – to be seen, judged, loved and rewarded for who we are. It’s a deeply rewarding film, and an important one. Michael Fox is a San Francisco-based film critic and journalist.
At the film festival opening reception, Jared Goodman will scoop up some of his famous ice cream creations. At his Passover Sundae Cycles event, he served “Lena,” toasted matzo ice cream, walnut praline, roasted apple and Manischewitz caramel.
Oregon Jewish Life presents film festival opening reception By Deborah Moon Oregon Jewish Life magazine presents the opening night reception for the 23rd Portland Jewish Film Festival. The reception at the Portland Art Museum from 5:30 to 7, June 14, precedes the screening of the first film in festival – “Magic Men.” The comedy begins at 7 pm at the Whitsell Auditorium at the Portland Art Museum, 1219 SW Park, Portland. The opening night reception will include drinks and ice cream desserts created by Jared Goodman, founder of Morgan St Theater Dessert Club. The reception is open to everyone attending the opening night show. “Northwest Film Center is pleased to partner with Oregon Jewish Life on the opening festivities for the Portland Jewish Film Festival,” says NWFC Director Bill Foster. “This is a great opportunity to expand our connections with Portland’s Jewish community and to celebrate the fantastic films in this year’s festival.” OJL Publisher Bob Philip says he is pleased to once again participate in the festival. “I am excited to see the new collection of movies for the film festival,” says Bob. “The diverse selection and excellent quality of acting in the annual event always excites me to attend.”
For the past two years, Jared has offered a monthly menu of three ice cream sundaes paired with storytelling. Last year he added Sundae Cycles: A Jewish Year in Ice Cream, five events in which “culinary meets spiritual meets Jewish meets social,” says Jared. “For example, on Passover I told the story of my grandfather and his passion for matzo brei, and then I flipped a matzo brei in front of the guests.” Jared is now taking his ice cream business mobile. “Serving farmers markets and restaurant districts, city parks and street fairs, the Pedal Parlor is a roving ice cream social bringing thoughtfully composed ice cream desserts to the people of Portland,” he says. “I am very excited to bring inspired ice cream treats to the film festival!”
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When Experience Matters
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OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2015 31
PRODUCED BY THE NORTHWEST FILM CENTER AND CO-PRESENTED BY THE INSTITUTE FOR JUDAIC STUDIES
23RD PORTLAND JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL JUNE 14-28, 2015
MAGIC MEN
GENERAL ADMISSION: $9, STUDENTS AND SENIORS: $8 | FESTIVAL PASSES: $125 TICKETS AVAILABLE ONLINE NWFILM.ORG. LOCATION: NORTHWEST FILM CENTER—WHITSELL AUDITORIUM—PORTLAND ART MUSEUM—1219 SW PARK AVE. Welcome to the 23rd annual Portland Jewish Film Festival, produced by the Northwest Film Center and co-presented with the Institute for Judaic Studies. While the Festival specifically celebrates the diversity of Jewish history, culture, and identity, we hope that these films, and the stories they tell, resonate beyond their settings and speak to universal experiences and issues that confront our common humanity.
JUNE 14 SUN 7 PM
JUNE 16 25 TUE 7 PM, THUR 8:30 PM
ISRAEL 2013 DIRECTOR: GUY NATTIV, EREZ TADMOR In this moving road trip comedy, 78-year-old Greek-born atheist and Holocaust survivor Avraham and his estranged, middle-aged, Hasidic rapper son travel from Israel to Greece searching for the man who saved the father’s life during World War II. Arriving there against the backdrop of the ongoing financial crisis, the two are forced to confront their prickly relationship and a cross-cultural, cross-generational adventure takes shape as the men reclaim the past. (100 mins.)
ISRAEL 2013 DIRECTOR: YOSSI MADMONI In this tale within a tale, an uncompromising army officer nicknamed Bambi, who wins every military battle in the name of Zionism, somehow fails the daily tests of life. Returning from a daring mission, the secular military man strikes an unholy bargain with a devout young Holocaust survivor. The impulsive decision has providential consequences over the ensuing decades, as Bambi struggles in his pursuit of the Yemenite woman he loves and an illustrious career cut short by scandal. Tackling big themes of parenthood, the afterlife, and unrequited love, Madmoni’s emotional meditation was nominated for ten Israeli Academy Awards including Best Screenplay, Best Actress, and Best Cinematography. (113 mins.)
MAGIC MEN
JUNE 15 MON 7 PM
THE MUSES OF ISAAC BASHEVIS SINGER
ISRAEL 2014 DIRECTORS: ASAF GALAY, SHAUL BETSER Considered one of the most influential Jewish writers of the twentieth century, best known for YENTL THE YESHIVA BOY and GIMPEL THE FOOL, Singer received the Nobel Prize for Literature “for his impassioned narrative art which, with roots in a Polish-Jewish cultural tradition, brings universal human conditions to life.” Betser’s and Galay’s fascinating film reveals Singer’s literary inspirations, including his “harem full of translators”—dozens of women who translated his signature Yiddish prose to reach international audiences. (72 mins.)
PRECEDED BY
A PLACE IN HEAVEN
JUNE 17 WED 7 PM
TO LIFE
FRANCE 2014 DIRECTOR: JEAN-JACQUES ZILBERMAN Zilbermann sets his engaging drama in postwar Paris where Hélène (Julie Depardieu), a young Auschwitz survivor rebuilds her life while searching for her friends Lily and Rose (Johanna ter Steege, Suzanne Clément). When the women are finally reunited, they share a watershed vacation in the seaside town of Berck-Plage, enjoying the intimacies of life, love, and faith. An emotionally complex film about the sustaining power of women’s friendship is “...delicate and profound…an infectious ode to life and collective ritual to overcome horror through friendship, irony, the most intimate confessions and a desire to look towards the future.”– Cineuropa.
REVERENCE (2015), Collin Korfeind’s exploration of custom and branded yarmulkes. (105 mins.) (12 mins.)
32 JUNE/JULY 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE
JUNE 18 24 THUR 7 PM, WED 8:30 PM
THE DOVE FLYER
ISRAEL 2013 DIRECTOR: NISSIM DAYAN Kabi and his family face an uncertain future, as do all Jews living in Baghdad. It’s 1950 and each member of Kabi’s circle has a different dream: his mother wants to return to the Muslim quarter where she felt safer; his father wants to emigrate to Israel; Salim, his headmaster, wants Arabs and Jews to be equal, and Abu just wants to care for his adored doves. Nissim Dayan’s film—based on the popular novel of the same name—recalls a lost and treasured time before expulsion to Israel, when almost 130,000 Jews lived in Iraq using the almost-extinct language of Jewish Iraqis, Judea/Arabic. (105 mins.)
JUNE 20 SAT 8 PM
DOUGH
UK 2014 DIRECTOR: JONATHAN GOLDSCHMIDT Widowed and down on his luck, Nat Dayan is desperate to save his bakery in London’s East End. His customers are dying off, his sons have no interest in keeping the family afloat business, and hostile businessman Sam has his own greedy plans for the property. In a pinch, Nat reluctantly enlists the help of teenager Ayyash, a refugee from Darfur. The Muslim boy assists with the bakery’s daily chores while selling cannabis on the side to help his struggling mother make ends meet. One day, when Ayyash accidently drops his stash into the dough, the challah starts flying off the shelf, and an unlikely friendship forms between the old Jewish baker and his young apprentice. (94 mins.)
JUNE 21 23 SUN NOON, TUE 8:30 PM
SECRETS OF WAR
NETHERLANDS 2014 DIRECTOR: DENNIS BOTS During World War II, everyone had to keep secrets to survive, but at what price? Lambert and Tuur, two 12-year-old boys living in a small village in Nazi-occupied Holland, share a strong friendship. But even this bond is put at risk with the arrival of a lively young girl named Maartje, carrying with her a heavy secret about her past. As Tuur and Maartje become close, the estranged Lambert grows increasingly jealous and acts irrationally, exposing Maartje’s secret with far-reaching consequences that are beyond his understanding. The danger and the humanity of wartime friendships asks three children to find maturity far beyond their years. (95 mins.) Ages 10+.
JUNE 21 SUN 2 PM
EAST JERUSALEM/ WEST JERUSALEM
ISRAEL 2014 DIRECTORS: EREZ MILLER, HENRIQUE CYMERMAN This rousing and inspiring documentary focuses on iconic Israeli singer/songwriter David Broza, who sets out to realize his dream of cooperation and dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians through music. During eight days and nights of creation with American musician/producer Steve Earle and a host of international artists in an East Jerusalem studio, a hopeful message of equality and unity arises. In Arabic, English, and Hebrew with English subtitles. (80 mins.) RAISE THE ROOF
JUNE 21 SUN 5:30 PM
ALMOST FRIENDS
ISRAEL 2014 DIRECTOR: NITZAN OFIR ALMOST FRIENDS is a touching documentary about two Israeli girls—an Arab and a Jew—who live only 67 kilometers apart but in wildly different circumstances. Participating in an online program that fosters educational exchange and friendship, the two eventually get to meet face-to-face, and the result is a profoundly moving experience for them and their families. In Arabic and Hebrew with English subtitles. (60 mins.)
JUNE 21 SUN 7 PM
A BORROWED IDENTITY (AKA DANCING ARABS)
ISRAEL/FRANCE/GERMANY 2013 DIRECTOR: ERAN RIKLIS Eyad, who grew up in an Arab town in Israel, is given the chance to go to a prestigious Jewish boarding school in Jerusalem. The first and only Arab to be accepted there, he desperately tries to fit in with his Jewish schoolmates. After falling in love with a Jewish girl named Naomi, Eyad has to leave school when their relationship is discovered, forcing the realization that he will have to sacrifice his identity in order to be accepted. Faced with a difficult choice, Eyad will make a decision that will change his life forever. In Hebrew and Arabic with English subtitles. (105 mins.)
JUNE 22 MON 7 PM
JUNE 25 THUR 6:30 PM
THEODORE BIKEL: IN THE SHOES OF SHOLEM ALEICHEM
LET’S GO
US 2014 DIRECTOR: JOHN LOLLOS Portraits of beloved icons Sholom Aleichem and Theodore Bikel are woven together to reveal two men with much in common: wit, wisdom, and talent—all shot through with deep humanity and Yiddishkeit. Theodore Bikel, the unstoppable performer whose career spans more than 150 screen roles and countless stage and musical productions, is also the foremost interpreter of Sholom Aleichem’s work, including the classic “Fiddler on the Roof.” (75 mins.)
JUNE 23 TUE 6:30 PM
JUNE 28 SUN 4:15 PM
US 2015 DIRECTORS: CARY WOLINSKY, YARI WOLINSKY The Wolinskys’ fascinating film tells the inspiring story of how a decimated wooden Polish synagogue is brought back to life and given a permanent home in the new Polin Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw. Prior to their destruction by the Nazis, Poland was home to over 200 wooden synagogues, including the synagogue of Gwozdziec. Over a period of two summers, Boston-based artists and professors Rick and Laura Brown lead a team of students, traditional artisans, and builders to reconstruct Gwozdziec synagogue’s complex roof. In English and Polish with English subtitles. (85 mins.)
ISRAEL 2014 DIRECTORS: JOSEPH DORMAN, OREN RUDAVSKY This ambitious examination of the origins, meaning and future of the Jewish national movement chronicles birth at a moment of crisis to the thriving democracy of today. The film opens in the shtetls of Eastern Europe, and then recounts the early settlement of Palestine and the resulting Arab clashes, the evolution of disputed occupied territories, the rise of the revisionist movement, and the ensuing ideological debate over Zionist ideals. At a time when Israel’s direction is questioned by friends and enemies more than ever, THE ZIONIST IDEA seeks to contextualize the triumphs and trials of the Jewish homeland. (150 mins.)
24 DAYS
ARGENTINA/BRAZIL 2014 DIRECTOR: DANIEL BURMAN Often called the Woody Allen of Argentinan cinema, Daniel Burman’s wistful comedy is part buddy movie, part detective story, and part romance. “Life-long business partners Santiago and Eugenio understand each other without words, care for each other, and need each other. When Eugenio vanishes without a clue, Santiago and Eugenio’s wife Laura join forces to solve the mystery of his disappearance. What they discover is neither what they set out to find nor what you would expect, and their shared journey becomes a surprising and lighthearted meditation on friendship, love, and loyalty.”—New York Jewish Film Festival. In Spanish with English subtitles. (92 mins.)
Oregon-Israel Fund of the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation
Leonard & Lois Schnitzer Charitable Supporting Fund of the OJCF
THE ZIONIST IDEA
JUNE 28 SUN 7:30 PM
THE MYSTERY OF HAPPINESS
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:
RUN BOY RUN
US 2011 DIRECTOR: JOSEPH DORMAN Dorman’s engrossing film tells the tale of a rebellious genius who created an entirely new literature. Plumbing the depths of a Jewish world locked in crisis and on the cusp of profound change, Aleichem was not just a witness to the creation of a new modern Jewish identity, but one of the very men who shaped it. (93 mins.)
SHOLEM ALEICHEM: LAUGHING IN THE DARKNESS
JUNE 24 WED 6:30 PM
A BORROWED IDENTITY
JUNE 27 SAT 8 PM
GERMANY/FRANCE 2014 DIRECTOR: PEPE DANQUART Based on the real life story of Yoram Fridman, who escaped the Warsaw Ghetto when he was eight years old, we meet Srulik on the run in winter of 1942/1943. The Polish countryside through which he traverses underscores both his diminutive frame and the sheer solitude of his trek. Through a flashback, we learn Srulik’s father’s parting advice: to be brave, to be strong, to change his name, but to never forget he is Jewish. And Srulik—who renames himself Jurek Staniak—is ever faithful to his father’s words. Under the constant threat of Nazis, Srulik acquires the necessary skills to survive through the kindness of strangers, including a group of Jewish orphans, a kindly Catholic mother, and a compassionate blacksmith, but he can never stay in one place long. In Polish, Yiddish, Hebrew, and German with English subtitles. (112 mins.)
FOLLOWED BY
RAISE THE ROOF
THE DOVE FLYER
GERMANY 2014 DIRECTOR: MICHAEL VERHOEVEN In 1968, 20-year-old Laura returns to Munich to attend her father’s funeral. Overcome with grief, she and her mother must face the family’s traumatic history. Having survived the Holocaust, Laura’s parents stayed in post-War Germany to start a new life, but not without their horrific experiences looming over their daily lives. (90 mins.)
FRANCE 2014 DIRECTOR: ALEXANDRE ARCADY In 2006, 23-year-old cellphone salesman Ilan Halim was abducted on the outskirts of Paris by a multiracial gang and held for ransom. Though just an ordinary, working-class guy, the thinking was that because he was Jewish, he must be rich. Faithfully reenacting events from the perspective of various characters, 24 DAYS dramatically tracks a massive, but futile, police investigation doomed by nearmisses and a failure to recognize the case as a hate crime. Paralleling the hunt and Halim’s harrowing captivity, is the story of a powerless family having no choice but to put their trust in the hands of authorities as they endure the torment of the captors. (110 mins.)
Diane Solomon Family Fund
Ruben J. and Elizabeth Menashe
JFCS Jewish Family & Child Service
OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2015 33
[ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT]
Cellist Diane Chaplin
Cellist Diane Chaplin performs with Jewish Community Orchestra
36 JUNE/JULY 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE
The JCO performs the Rubinstein Cello Concerto in A minor, with cellist Diane Chaplin, on its final concert of the 2014-15 season on Sunday, June 14, at 3 pm at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center. For more information, see jewishcommunityorchestra.org.
By Elizabeth Schwartz
For the past 40 years, the Jewish Community Orchestra has combined standard classical fare with works by Jewish composers, or works relating to Jewish themes and historical events. On Sunday, June 14, the orchestra continues this tradition with a performance of Anton Rubinstein’s Cello Concerto in A minor, featuring soloist Diane Chaplin, at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center. “This concert provides a great opportunity for me to be ‘professionally’ Jewish,” says Chaplin, who doesn’t often get the chance to combine her Jewish identity with her musical life. “I think it’s appropriate to do that here, as a Jew, since Portland’s Jewish community isn’t all that large.” Chaplin, who moved to Portland in 2009, is a member of the Portland Cello Project. In addition to touring across the United States with the PCP and directing its educational outreach programs, Chaplin performs regularly as a soloist, recitalist and chamber music artist. She also maintains a large private studio of cello students. Russian composer and pianist Anton Rubinstein is best known for founding the St. Petersburg Conservatory in 1862; Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was his most famous student. Today, Rubinstein’s compositions are seldom performed outside Russia, and complete scores of his music are hard to find. As a result, Chaplin, working from two different editions of the score – one by an unknown publisher – had to essentially reconstruct the third movement. “There’s a long and rich history of instrumentalists ‘rearranging’ existing concertos by other composers,” Chaplin explains. “My version of the third movement will sound very different from the original score, but it’s more a matter of reorganization than wholesale invention.” Chaplin has shortened the movement and updated the technical demands on the soloist. “For string players, as technique has developed, today’s musicians can do things 19th century performers often couldn’t.” Rubinstein was born Jewish; his family converted to Russian Orthodoxy when he was 5 years old. In 1897, at age 68, Rubenstein wrote, “Russians call me German, Germans call me Russian, Jews call me a Christian, Christians a Jew. Pianists call me a composer, composers call me a pianist.” Chaplin sees Rubinstein as something of a universalist who defies easy categorization. “He’s a big melting pot,” she elaborates. “Because he was a Jew by blood and later converted,
“This concert provides a great opportunity for me to be ‘professionally’ Jewish.” ~ Diane Chaplin
I think there’s some potential influence of his Judaism in his work.” Chaplin is also drawn to the concerto’s passion – “It’s brilliant, compelling and features beautiful melodies.” The JCO’s conductor and artistic director, Donald Appert, now in his third season with the orchestra, is equally excited about performing this lesser-known gem of the 19th century repertoire. “He’s professional, knowledgeable, collegial and easygoing,” says Chaplin. “I enjoy making music with him.” Appert, who heads the music department at Clark College in Vancouver, combines his teaching with composition and an active international conducting schedule. Appert is well acquainted with the needs of a community orchestra, which differ from those of a professional ensemble.
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OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2015 37
“I think the mission of the orchestra is to promote music by Jewish composers or music that relates to Jewish culture.” ~ JCO Artistic Director Donald Appert
“People are here because they love music and want to make music, not because there’s a paycheck,” he explains. “I have to find a way to be demanding of them without annoying them, and I try to make it an enjoyable process.” Appert describes JCO musicians as “warm and friendly” people who “really want to do their absolute best.” Since he began his tenure with the ensemble, Appert has focused on the “Jewish” in “Jewish Community Orchestra.” Each of their four annual concerts includes music by a Jewish composer, or the piece features a Jewish theme. “I think the mission of the orchestra is to promote music by Jewish composers or music that relates to Jewish culture. Our last concert included a work about the Dreyfus Affair, “Hymne à la justice.” I’ve also composed a piece for the orchestra with texts by the medieval Spanish poet Judah Halevi.” Board member and violinist Teryl Williams has been playing with the orchestra since it began in 1975; she is the only founding member still performing with the group. In 1974, the JCC – before it was renamed Mittleman JCC – put on a production of “Fiddler on the Roof.” Williams played in the pit orchestra, which was conducted by Albert Freedman, a professor of music at Pacific University. Williams remembers, “After Fiddler, I got a letter inviting me to join an orchestra that was forming at the JCC under Freedman’s direction.” Freedman led the orchestra, which was sponsored by the community center
38 JUNE/JULY 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE
JCO Conductor and Artistic Director Donald Appert.
and rehearsed in its auditorium, until 1990. Since then the JCO has worked with several other conductors. In 2005 the JCO officially incorporated as an independent nonprofit organization. Although the JCO still performs at the MJCC, they hold rehearsals and reading sessions at the Rose Schnitzer Manor, where residents can drop in to listen for free. From its original 30 members, the JCO has grown to about 50 players who live throughout the Portland and Vancouver metro areas. All players, with the exception of concertmaster David Mixer, are volunteers, and, like most community orchestras, members pay a modest fee to perform with the group. These musician fees, along with an annual silent auction, provide the bulk of the JCO’s operating budget. “I don’t think of it as paying to play, I think of it in terms of supporting the orchestra and being a member,” says Williams. Given the small size of Portland’s Jewish community, especially 40 years ago, it isn’t surprising that only 10 percent of the JCO’s members are Jewish, according to Williams. “It hasn’t mattered all these years whether folks were Jewish or not. I’m not Jewish myself.” Under Appert’s direction, Williams is enjoying the JCO’s expanded focus on Jewish music and cultural history. “I’m always interested in learning, and as a Jewish orchestra we need to broaden the Jewish knowledge of a lot of our members.”
[YOUNG ADULT]
Israeli students charm Portlander into returning for second summer of teaching By Deborah Moon
Last year, 29-year-old Portlander Jessica Stone was among nearly 100 U.S. volunteers who went to Israel to teach English to underprivileged elementary school students in Israel’s rural areas as part of an experimental summer immersion class. Soon after Jessie arrived, the war in Gaza erupted, putting the entire country on high alert as a barrage of missile attacks hit ever-widening areas. Though Golan Elementary in Nazareth Illit in Israel’s northern desert never came under fire, Jessie says, “The atmosphere was tense and the kids were worried. So much so that the principal came in to talk with them nearly daily about what was going on and had a child psychologist come in to answer questions and alleviate fears.” Still, Jessie applied and was again accepted to return to Israel this summer with TALMA, The Israel Program for Excellence in English. “This time, instead of being a classroom teacher, I will be creating an active workshop and floating into classrooms, as well as teaching other teachers how to implement it,” says Jessie. “I decided to return because, although last year was challenging, there is something wonderful about creating something meaningful and new in such a significant place. I am beyond excited to visit with some of my Israeli friends and see my kids from last year!” Jessie isn’t alone in thinking last year was successful and something special. Supported by ROI Community, an initiative of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, TALMA was recently rated Israel’s top education program despite the war and other challenges. Inspired by the phrase “return on investment,” ROI funded TALMA to do just that. By immersing children in English at a young age, TALMA is intended to boost their achievements in high school and university, so they can ultimately land better jobs in the global economy.
So this summer volunteers will return for TALMA’s second year. Nearly 400 people applied, with 78 from across North America chosen to participate in TALMA’s second summer. Many of them will co-teach with Israeli teachers and help Israeli schoolchildren, who do not otherwise have meaningful, affordable educational options during the summer months. Jessie says last year most of the children she worked with were second-generation immigrants – some from Russia and others from Ethiopia. Last year wasn’t Jessie’s first trip to Israel. She was a Teach for America teacher with REALITY. She heard about TALMA through an email from a REALITY alumni. In Portland she works in higher education as a Success Coach for college students (insidetrack.com), but decided to jump at the chance to return to Israel yet again. “The goal of the organization was very much in line with my personal beliefs and mission, and I felt I had a skill set that matched the needs of this inaugural group,” she says. “There is a certain energy that comes from the excitement and chaos of starting something from the ground up, and I was ready to be a part of that!” In addition to returning herself this summer, she says she would also recommend the program to other young adults in future years. “It is not for the faint of heart,” she cautions. “The sleep deprivation and classroom management (or lack thereof ) makes for a challenging few weeks, but rewarding nevertheless! I learned more about myself in those three and a half weeks than I have on months-long traveling adventures. The kids, while often wild, hold a special place in my heart. I believe the students left with a better understanding of English and a larger scope of the world.”
TALMA: TALMA.ADMISSIONS@GMAIL.COM | SCHUSTERMAN.ORG OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2015 39
[SENIORS]
A LITERARY LEGACY By Liz Rabiner Lippoff
Roseburg artist Marjorie Feldman flew home to Hartford, CT, to visit her parents and to attend the annual presentation of the Edward Lewis Wallant Award. For more than 50 years, the award has honored the memory of the author of The Pawnbroker and other works by selecting a promising Jewish writer as its recipient. An anthology about the award called The New Diaspora: The Changing Landscape of American Jewish Fiction has just been released. The hefty volume tells the history of the award and is
filled with excerpts from the writing of Wallant Award winners and other significant Jewish writers. For almost 30 years, the award has been managed by the Maurice Greenberg Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Hartford, and the students there have unique opportunities to interact with the authors who convene for the annual event. But it wasn’t always this way. The explanation for this is also the back story of why Marjorie Feldman was an honored guest at the dinner and the ceremony. It was Marjorie’s mom, Fran Waltman, now 93, who created the award 53 years ago. When Marjorie was still in grade school, her mother started a book club to explore American Jewish literature, including, among other works, Wallant’s The Pawnbroker. Fran was so shocked by Wallant’s premature death at the age of 36 that she convinced Emanuel Synagogue in West Hartford to dedicate a shelf in its library in his name. Each year, on Wallant’s yahrzeit, the library would purchase a “singular book of fiction” by an American Jewish writer. The authors, they Marjorie Feldman with her parents, Dr. Irving and Fran Waltman, celebrating the Wallant Award book as well as their 73rd wedding anniversary and Dr. Waltman’s 100th birthday.
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decided, would be relatively unknown yet would be “worthy of being placed on this particular shelf,” according to the authors of The New Diaspora. The award quickly became a prestigious honor. The book itself is dedicated to Marjorie’s parents and features one of Marjorie’s paintings
on its cover. From the beginning, and for many years, the awards dinner was at Marjorie’s parents’ dining room table, with food made from scratch by her mom. “We had creative people around us all the time,” Marjorie remembers. “Sometimes we were awestruck by the celebrities – Isaac Bashevis Singer, Chaim Potok, Elie Wiesel – but they sat at our table, and it became a familiar thing. It was a ‘salon’ of sorts.” The dinner table discussions were, as you might imagine, memorable. And, she says, “It created an environment where personal expression and creativity were valued.” To wit, Marjorie’s younger brother is a graphic artist, designer and actor, and Marjorie is an accomplished painter. The Wallant Award has significance for the literary world in general as well as for the Jewish community itself. Ehud Havazelet is professor of creative writing at the University of Oregon, and he won the Wallant Award in 2007 for his novel, Bearing the Body. “It’s important that it focuses on Jewish writers who, at the time, are not fully well known by the outside world. It is attention that might draw more readers to them,” says Professor Havazelet. “There is also good in looking beyond the fact that these are Jewish writers, to show the world that these are interesting writers who happen to be Jewish.” He also observes, “This award goes back 50 years and gives people looking for Jewish writers many to explore and can then lead them to other writers. The list becomes a resource.” Book club members take note! The list is included in the book or can be found online (uhaweb.hartford.edu/greenbergcenter/wallant.html) Marjorie herself is continuing in her mother’s footsteps. Andrew Apter, the art director at the Umpqua Valley Art Center, asked the Umpqua Valley Havurah if they would like to cosponsor an April event that would bring author Elyce Wakerman (A Tale of Two Citizens) to speak in Roseburg. Marjorie, a member of Havurah, said, “Absolutely.” “Book events are precious to me. I love to hear writers speak about their process and tell their stories.” The event was a big success. And of course Elyce and her husband, Jeff, ended up at Marjorie’s for dinner. “A writer is here in our community, you host them.” Liz Rabiner Lippoff is a marketing consultant, freelance writer and community volunteer. LizInk.biz
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[AN OREGONIAN IN ISRAEL]
Ethiopian and election quandaries reflect contradictions in Israeli society By Mylan Tanzer
I have written often in this column about the bittersweet nature of life in Israel. Israelis move swiftly from cheerful to sorrowful and grief-stricken in response to frequent news breaks of terror and death. This reality of daily life is symbolically captured each year when the “Remembrance Day For Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terror” ends at 7:59 pm to make way for the celebrations of Independence Day, which begins at 8 pm. Happiness is possible only due to the immense sacrifice of over 23,000 soldiers who have fallen since the establishment of the state. This stark contrast is perhaps the most universal example of the contradictions we live with here, but it is far from the only example. Two huge contrasts have dominated our attention recently. Despite Benjamin Netanyahu’s clear election victory, he was able to form a government only at the last second – and it will probably be short lived (more on this later). The other contradiction was the rescue of hundreds of Israelis caught in the Nepal earthquake, while Israelis of Ethiopian heritage violently protested racism at home. Political commentator Chico Menashe phrased it perfectly: “What is the true face of Israel? Is it the automatic and instinctive heroism … to mobilize the second largest humanitarian mission in the world to Nepal complete with our best surgeons, nurses, rescue teams and aid to both assist Nepalese and other victims of the tragic earthquake, and to insure that no Israeli visiting Nepal is left behind … or is the true face of Israel the one we recently saw in the Jerusalem and Tel Aviv protests? Of Israelis of Ethiopian descent, sick and tired of discrimination and racism towards them … a reality which perhaps needs to cause an earthquake here, amongst us, and not in Nepal.” The earthquake in Nepal occurred as hundreds of Israelis were trekking in the Himalayas, while many more Israelis were in Kathmandu, awaiting the birth of or taking care of newborn babies from Nepalese surrogate mothers. The government, the IDF and Israeli insurance companies spared no time or expense in locating missing and stranded Israelis and repatriating all who asked. Sadly, the body of Orr Asraf, a 22-year-old trekking in the Himalayas who recently completed his IDF service, was found a week after the earthquake. Rescued Israelis told of the awe expressed by fellow stranded travelers from North America, Europe and other countries. Scores of Europeans are still unaccounted for in Nepal, including unidentified bodies. This is virtually unheard of in Israel. So much for what we call “Yisrael hayaffa,” or the pretty face of Israel. Golda Meir had a marvelous ability to describe 42 JUNE/JULY 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE
complexities in a simple sentence. She once said, “Israel loves aliyah (immigration), but doesn’t like olim (immigrants).” How true. One of the main pillars of the Zionist ethos, the ingathering of the exiles, or aliyah, is sacred in modern Israel. Yet when the dream becomes reality, the olim have to make their way in an Israeli society, where you need to slam your fist on the table to successfully integrate. In May 1991 when the exciting news was released that a massive, clandestine airlift had brought thousands of Ethiopian Jews to Israel, we all cheered and celebrated. Almost exactly 24 years later, a video clip, taken from a security camera and showing policemen without apparent provocation repeatedly hitting an Ethiopian soldier, went viral. Within 48 hours, there was a large-scale, confrontational protest by angry Israeli Ethiopians in Jerusalem, followed by an even larger violent demonstration in Tel Aviv – widely considered one of the most violent in Israel’s history. So what went wrong between the initial elation heralding the first wave of aliyah from Ethiopia and today? How did one despicable incident spark a massive firestorm of pent-up anger, rage, frustration and humiliation? The Israeli Ethiopians who were born here or came as young children demand equal opportunities and a quantum change in how they are perceived in Israeli society. Truth is, they’ve earned it. This new generation of Israelis of Ethiopian descent has an Israeli mentality, and is slamming its fist on the table, and maybe breaking a few store display windows. Of all the ethnic groups that made aliyah, the Ethiopians have paid the highest price. The humiliation began with the Chief Rabbinate’s failure to recognize the validity of the Ethiopians’ Judaism, forcing them to go through a degrading conversion process. It was an insult to those whose ancestors established a kingdom, defied horrific attempts to forcibly convert them and suffered persecution and famine – and despite everything, remained loyal to the religion of their forefathers. After this blow, the failures continued in the absorption process. Immigrants were dispersed to problematic neighborhoods in towns of weak socio-economic standing. The educational system isolated them from other children. Yet, perhaps with the exception of the police, racism per se is not the problem; rather it’s a kind of patronizing insensitivity. The only way to have avoided the problems of distress and discrimination in absorbing the Jews from Ethiopia would have been to not have brought them to Israel. There is no recipe for perfect absorption. Despite this, an impressive 86% of Israelis of Ethiopian descent go into the IDF. “We do everything in order to be part of society” said Moshe Sabhat of Yokneam, who participated in the protests. “We lost our identity, some of our children have forgotten Amharic, we give them Israeli names and still we are looked at as a foreign body.” While these issues explain the massive protests, they do not explain the sudden, explosive outburst of violence. The spontaneous combustion, like the recent Baltimore riots, are a result of the relationship, or lack thereof, between the police and the community. Ethiopian Jews make up 2% of the population, but comprise 6% of the prison population. The suicide rate is
five times higher than the national average. The percentage of Ethiopian students who matriculate is less than half the national average, and unemployment amongst Ethiopians is 13%, almost twice the national average. These statistics reflect the “ghettoization” of the community, when this situation exists, there is usually a problem between the local residents and the police. Without a doubt, the Ethiopian community has been unjustifiably victimized by the police. Penta Masala, one of the protesters said, “I am protesting because I feel that the chance to be hurt by the police is higher than being hurt in war.” The recent protests drew attention to this sad reality, and the humbled police are now trying to engage positively with the community. The officers who assaulted the soldier have been expelled from the force and face legal proceedings. If this reboot on the part of the police succeeds, and the new government takes this issue seriously, then it is a sign that the recent protests achieved their goal and the Israeli Ethiopian community will write their own narrative in Israeli society as they see fit. If not, an emboldened new generation of homegrown protesters will likely return to the streets. But even if the new coalition puts this problem high on the agenda, it is likely the 34th government sworn in May 14 won’t survive long enough to offer solutions. And this brings us to our final stark contrast, summed up by Yossi Verter in Ha’aretz the morning after the new government’s swearing-in ceremony: “What began two months ago as a surprising, comprehensive and sweet victory against all odds, turned into a tiring and ridiculous saga of prolonged cynical and extortionist negotiations, reaching an embarrassing and disgraceful climax last night.” Netanyahu arrived at the ceremony two hours late – exhausted, drained and overwrought. Who could have imagined that with 30 seats, Netanyahu would go from champ in the elections to chump in the negotiations. First his coalition partners, the Culanu, Shas, Degel hatora and Jewish Home parties, demanded the highest possible price. Then Avigdor Liberman and Yisrael Beiteinu pulled the rug out from under Netanyahu’s feet. Liberman said he pulled out of the coalition because Netanyahu had caved to ultra-Orthodox blackmail, agreeing to negate the previous government’s legislation regarding military service for the ultra-Orthodox among other reversals. Yet the personal enmity between the two is at least as much of a factor. Yossi Verter described Liberman’s move as leaving Netanyahu “choking, twitching, suffocating, completely exposed and subject to the whims of the 61st member of the narrowest possible coalition.” Netanyahu still had to divide the remaining ministries among his own party members, who complained that he had not left enough significant ministries for them. Netanyahu’s lofty status following the elections disappeared along with Liberman. Every Likud candidate now had the ability to determine if Netanyahu would be able to get the necessary majority to form a government, and most of them were not pleased with what they were offered. Therefore Netanyahu had to both truncate some ministries, by moving some responsibilities to other ministries to placate the designated minister, and then invent other responsibilities to compensate those who had their authorities reduced. For example, bizarrely, we will have the minister for
transportation and intelligence, or the minister for immigrant absorption and Iranian affairs. This would be funny if it weren’t a serious matter with very little room for mistake. So on our most existential issue, Iran, look at how many cooks will be in the proverbial kitchen: Yisrael Katz as minister for intelligence; Ze’ev Elkin for Iranian affairs; the minister for strategic affairs; the foreign minister; and the defense ministry. But all of this soon may be academic, because a coalition of 61 members is simply not tenable. The majority whip, who Netanyahu announced in his swearing-in speech would be veteran Tzachi Hanegbi, will be an impossible task. Coalition members will not even be able to go to the bathroom during legislative sessions, not to mention travel abroad, lest a snap vote of no-confidence be called by the opposition. Hanegbi, who was not told of his appointment by Netanyahu prior to the announcement, was furious and nearly left the chamber. In the end, his maturity got the better of him and he remained present to vote for the new government. But Hanegbi’s treatment is another example of Netanyahu’s shortcomings as a leader. His lack of appreciation for the loyalty and skills of some of the most senior and popular Likud ministers is astonishing. Outgoing Minister of Interior Gilad Erdan, a young and proven figure who finished first in the Likud primaries, was expected to be named minister of education (which was given to the Bayit hayehudi party). He was asked by Netanyahu to remain as interior minister, with his authority significantly diminished by the earlier handouts. Erdan refused, but unlike other senior Likud members did not criticize Netanyahu. He voted in favor of the new government, but only as a regular Knesset member. Netanyahu once again refused to support his most popular and effective minister, likely due to his paranoia that they will do good work and threaten his control of the party. In Netanyahu’s defense, it must be said that our faulty coalition system should bear much of the blame for creating a system whereby small parties can punch so high above their weight. To form a government, the largest party must relinquish significant responsibilities, and Netanyahu had no choice. But he capitulated to virtually every demand he received. Netanyahu’s first concern is his political survival, whatever the cost. He has achieved this for the moment, but unless the coalition is broadened, we once again face the horrible prospect of another election. And this incredibly fragile, narrow coalition, and the prospect of another election in the near future, might not be our biggest problem. I have very serious concerns and worries about the policies that this government will pursue. But we’ll wait and see if this government survives that long. Any upside? At least if the members of the coalition must constantly be present to ensure their survival, maybe some work will actually be done for a change. 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. Since 2005, he has launched, managed and consulted for channels and companies in Israel and Europe. Tanzer lives in Tel Aviv with his wife and five children. He can be reached at mylantanz@gmail.com. OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2015 43
[ISRAEL]
This Is My Earth Israeli scientist on sabbatical in Portland seeks U.N. investment in his plan to preserve biologically critical “hotspots”
By Floyd Smith
Israeli zoologist Uri Shanas, Ph.D., is planning to save Earth’s threatened species by giving everyone – everyone – a chance to help. This isn’t just for contributors with financial means, explains Dr. Shanas, or Uri, as he prefers. Even native peoples can help save the creatures that surround them, and those peoples will continue to live on the land, and own it. Uri calls his brainchild This Is My Earth, or TIME. It is in the development phase as a website he calls This-Is-My-Earth.org. All this is under way while he serves a sabbatical from the University of Haifa at Portland State University in the pursuit of humane ways to limit the fecundity of the invasive rodent nutria, particularly by vasectomy. This method, he argues, is not as peculiar as it might seem because it limits the nutria population without triggering reproduction surges brought on by mass trapping and killing. An expert in biodiversity, Uri is not just wise in the ways of the nutria, which he studied and helped control in the Hula Valley, north of the Sea of Galilee. He also led a team of Israeli students in his homeland in a cross-border collaboration with a team of Jordanian students to study biological differences in creatures on both sides of the divide, made possible by the peace treaty of 1994. 44 JUNE/JULY 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE
They learned remarkable things about the behavioral differences in animals. For instance, they found the tiny insect antlion flourishes on the Israeli side where antelope are protected, in contrast to the Jordanian side where the fleet creatures are hunted. Uri and his team learned that antelope hooves break the ground’s surface, providing Israel’s antlions soft dirt in which to burrow and reproduce. So, who cares about bug biology besides a bunch of zoologists collaborating at the Israel-Jordan border? The reptiles and the birds, of course, which gorge on the antlions. And the message is? Creatures and the land are connected in remarkable ways, and it’s in humankind’s best interest to protect these animals – the antelopes, and the bugs to preserve the biodiversity and hence the stability of the ecosystem. That’s where Uri’s vision for This Is My Earth comes into play. “Everybody says it’s an amazing idea,” proclaims the enthusiastic scientist, whereupon he clicks open his website, now in development. It maps hotspots around the planet where biological diversity is most profound, places that can be protected with dollars and euros contributed by you and me and even the poorest citizens of the planet. Uri is seeking support from the United Nations through a colleague who has connections there. This would support the sole person needed to run the website. Administration of This Is My Earth would be done gratis, under Uri’s plan, by academic environmentalists from around the world who have income from their university work. This, claims Uri, means every penny of every donated dollar would go to
purchase the most biologically intense real estate on Earth, be it in the Amazon, the Sierra Madre, the Congo, Cambodia or Borneo. His unfinished TIME website proclaims: “Biodiversity hotspots which are only 1.4% of the land surface hold 44% of all species of vascular plants and 35% of vertebrate species.” Uri believes his project will save many of these plants and animals. “By protecting hotspots, we can significantly decrease the extinction rate. Most of the hotspots are privately owned,” the website tells us, which suggests the land may be purchased. His plan requires democratic control by contributors and insists that native peoples be allowed to own lands on which they have lived throughout the ages. “The organization is democratic and affordable,” says Uri, explaining that his vision provides for persons of financial means to contribute on behalf of those who have little money. This he says is important to empower native peoples. While Uri awaits U.N. funding for his TIME machine, this remarkably young-appearing, 54-year-old scientist will study nutria at his spartan Portland State University office until July. He will then return from sabbatical to Israel with his wife, Irit, and son, Tomer, a middle school student. His two daughters remained in Israel: Shaked in the army, Neta at university. Uri revels in Portland. His enthusiasm for the city seems boundless, especially for its tranquility, in contrast to frenetic Israel, and for its transit system, which he applauds endlessly. He recently took the bus from PSU across town to Reed College. There he would like to study the interactions between nutria, which he calls “demolition engineers,” and beavers, “construction engineers.” The pond at Reed nurtures both. Biological diversity, we’re reminded, is all around us. And Uri Shanas intends to husband our planet’s biodiversity for all mankind. Floyd Smith is a Portland communication consultant who has had careers as television reporter and public relations executive.
J STREET VP REFLECTS ON ISRAEL ELECTIONS By Deborah Moon J Street Vice President of Communications Alan Elsner was in Portland May 4 to speak on “Elections, Negotiations and Iran: What’s Next for Israel?” In a phone interview prior to his visit, Elsner said he expected the new government to be sworn in while he was in town, but negotiations lingered until May 14 (see related story page 42). His talk at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center was part of a visit to the Pacific Northwest; he was accompanied by J Street NW Regional Field Director Alex Willick. Elsner had a long career at the top ranks of American and international journalism prior to joining J Street, including serving as State Department and later White House correspondent for Reuters News Agency. While Likud increased its seats in the Knesset, Elsner noted that most of those gains were from its previous coalition partners and that Labor also gained seats from some of its partners. “So the balance has not changed,” said Elsner. However, while the balance between the right and the left has not changed, Elsner said the governing coalition has. “This is the first time such an ideologically right government has been in power,” he said. “In the past right wing governments had some central parties. Now he has partners I’d call ultranationalist and ultra-Orthodox. I think that will create a lot of problems for Israel.” Referring to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s opposition to a Palestinian state, he said, “Most of the world sees the two-state solution as the basis for peace with the Palestinians.” He added that another potential move he considers dangerous is Netanyahu’s action to put the Supreme Court under political control. “The court is part of the human fabric of Israeli society,” said Elsner, calling it a barrier protecting human dignity. Elsner called the election complex and noted security is always a concern in Israel. “People have to make a decision on who they trust to protect them,” he said. “(Labor leader Yitzhak) Herzog didn’t have the proven track record or military background. … Netanyahu’s personal popularity is not huge, but a realistic alternative has not yet been presented.” Yet regardless of the makeup of Israel’s government, Elsner said he believes it is important to remember that “the U.S.-Israel relationship is crucial to both countries. That relationship has been damaged and somebody needs to stand up for a healthy U.S-Israel relationship.” Elsner said the relationship should be based on five principles: shared commitment to fundamental values; ongoing security relationship; active support for a two-state solution; strong and open dialogue between Israel and the entire American Jewish community; and respect for each other’s political process. Elsner emphasizes that J Street believes “You can be a strong supporter of Israel without having to support everything the government does.”
OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2015 45
[ISRAEL/LIFE ON THE OTHER SIDE]
OCCASIONAL MOMENTS OF
By Anne Kleinberg
Living in Israel gives you plenty to complain about. If we’re not scolding ourselves, plenty of other countries are ready and eager to do so. And then there’s the socioeconomic gap, the aggression and rudeness, the hot-tempered egos versus the arrogant snobs. Don’t get me started! But every so often, not too frequently but definitely once in a while, something so lovely happens that you wonder how you could possibly live anywhere else. Today one of those things happened. I woke up on the wrong side of the bed – any side would have been wrong. Driving to Jerusalem and back the night before (from Caesarea), wearing brand new high heels, and having to stand through speeches and a musical performance – mixed in with not enough sleep – was a formula for a bad day. I drove to IKEA to return something, and the guard rudely told me to get back in my car and move it – I couldn’t park where I was. But I didn’t understand. I had a carpet to return, so it’s not like I could schlep it in from the main entrance, and I had legally parked in one of the spots assigned to picking up and dropping off merchandise. Why the hassle? Why so rude? I ignored him and had a little chat with his supervisor. Then I stopped in the Netanya industrial area at a factory that sews the linens for my B&B (Casa Caesarea, if you’re interested). I explained that I now had a Spa Suite and needed fitted and flat white sheets for the massage beds. Suddenly his prices were through the roof – more than I had paid for even duvet covers in the past! Can you guess what my mood was by this point? I left his place, without an order for sheets, and realized I was hungry (I always am). Thinking that I’d rather not move my car from the factory’s driveway, I decided to check out the tiny sandwich shop on the street, squeezed in between the factory and a garage and car painting joint. Using the word shop is generous – it’s more like a glorified telephone booth. I had always seen cars driving up, people jumping out and then driving off with huge sandwiches. I wanted in. I asked the woman running the place what she offers. Her answer was two words: “Sandwich Tunasai” – a Tunisian style hero. That means a baguette filled with tuna chunks, boiled potatoes, sliced eggs, pickles, cucumbers, preserved lemons and harissa. I went for it, minus the harissa (my Jewish New York palate still rejects spicy). 46 JUNE/JULY 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE
In the process of watching my sandwich get made, I chatted with this lovely woman, Simcha, who was clearly in her 60s and quite beautiful. She told me that she had been on this street for 46 years! For about 20 of them she ran a car body shop with her husband – specializing in painting cars. Then when he died, she continued running it. When her children were old enough to take over, she wasn’t ready to pack it in, so she decided to open this little sandwich place. Her sons work meters from her and she “gets out every day, meets nice people and feeds hungry folk.” What about a new man, I asked her? “For what? Who needs one? I have children and grandchildren and even great-grandchildren. I’m so happy, why would I need a man to complicate my life?” I told her I admired her and thought they should name the street after her. She blessed me in that very special way that women of North African Jewish descent do. Then I asked her about the paint shop and wondered if I could buy a very small amount – like the quantity that comes in a nail polish bottle. I had unknowingly let the gates of my property close on my car, and there were two little scratches. Simcha called her son over and told him to look at the car. She spoke quickly, but I wasn’t paying attention; I was busy trying to photograph her with my cell phone (which didn’t come out very well). I noticed that he nodded, checked it, went back to the garage and came out again, but I wasn’t sure what was happening. I assumed he was checking the paint so as to sell me the correct color. When the sandwich was ready, so was the car. Her son had gone ahead and wiped off the dust, dabbed the spots with the right white and suddenly my scratches were gone. I was standing there with this enormous sandwich in my hand and looking at my “brand” new car. Simcha smiled and said “Enjoy!” Can it get any better than that? (Oh yeah, the sandwich was yummy.) Anne Kleinberg is a former New Yorker interior designer who writes books and runs Casa Caesarea, a Bed & Breakfast in Caesarea, Israel (casacaesarea.com).
[ADVICE]
Dear Helen: I’ve been in my job for five years. Upsides: My boss will never fire me; I make good money; I have freedom about my hours; I like what I do; my boss pays for massages, my gas, and gave me a 55” TV as a bonus. Downsides: It’s a manufacturing company and revenues are down 60%; I work 60+ hours a week; I have no health benefits; there’s lots of stress and multi-tasking after the layoffs we’ve made. Yesterday he told me he’s thinking of closing the shop but wants to wait out the year to decide. Today I looked at the Dear Helen: classifieds and saw a posting at the local utility, very rare, for I am 48 and recently started Internet dating. I had not a job I could do in my sleep. Normal hours, good bennies, dated since the disastrous end of my second marriage four even a chance they’d pay for school. years ago from a drinking womanizer who spent me into Last info: My husband is getting his teaching credentials, bankruptcy. I felt like I never and in a year, two most, I get wanted to be with anyone ever to go back to school and he again, but I thought I might be supports us. If I get the job ready. I am trading daily grinds. Is A Nosh of Jewish Wisdom: Two guys responded to my Enjoy each moment. applying deserting a needy profile. Many more did, but friend? Should I wait? they were the only ones I could Tempted imagine meeting. One keeps telling me how “cute” I am, Dear Tempted: brings me flowers and chocolate, takes me out to great places Until the day you walk out the door for a new job, you and talks all about himself. He’s asked two questions about are deserting no one. Your current boss is the guy who is me in four dates. thinking of “unemploying” you and the remainder of your The other is much quieter, but it feels more equal when we colleagues. So abandonment is a two-way street. One apare together. He’s happy taking a walk or just having a cup of plication does not ensure a successful transition, but it gives coffee. I feel like I have to work a little harder to get him goyou info for the future. ing, but once he does we have good talks. Should I date them Apply because it’s a rare opportunity. Apply because it’ll both, or concentrate on one, and if just one, which one? give you some info about how your resume plays in the mar(Newly) Popular ket. Apply because a decent 40-hours-a-week with benefits will seem like a vacation after your current gig. And apply Dear Popular: because if you do get an interview, it will give you a chance People who’re stuck on themselves during dating rarely to practice talking to people about who you are and what turn into kind and considerate husbands. Number one may you do. The job may sound more interesting in person. And have the form down tight from lots of experience wooing, but being employed will allow you to negotiate hard if they like he’s working “bass ackwards.” Better to learn about you from you. Worry about what to do if and when they offer, not now. the inside out than the outside in. Fancy dates make anyone feel special. But unless he’s interested in the real you, why would you give your time or heart away? I’d focus on the nice guy. It’ll give you good practice dating. Maybe you’ve found yourself a potential mate who will add to your quality of life, not diminish it. Cheap dates could mean no money. So if he asks for a loan, run like hell. A resident of Eugene since 1981, Helen is No matter what, if it does get serious, protect yourself this a member of Temple Beth Israel, where she studies and speaks on Torah. She claims to time with separate credit cards and really good ground rules have black belts in schmoozing, problemabout what consequences bad behaviors will trigger. But if solving and chutzpah. She’s a writer and an he is indeed a caring, gentle man, hooray and allow yourself artist (kabbalahglass.com). Please email to trust and love again. Worst case, you start with numbers your questions to helen@yourjewishfairythree, four, five… . godmother.com and check out the blog at
Ask Helen
kabbalahglass.com/blog/
PHOTO: SOL NEELMAN
Wooing expert might be better date than mate
OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2015 47
[FOOD/CHEF’S CORNER]
DELICIOUS BURGER ALTERNATIVES By Lisa Glickman
CORNER
CHEF’S
I am obsessed with a great burger. The classic hamburger remains a standard and beloved menu item served everywhere from backyard barbeques to some of the country’s finest restaurants. Deceptively simple ingredients including the patty (medium rare please…), lettuce, pickle, sauce, and maybe a thick slice of ripe tomato and sweet onion are sandwiched on a bun and served hot off seasoned griddles or grills far and wide. Choices range from the unadorned 99-cent Mickey D’s hamburger to star chef Daniel Boulud’s $120 “DB Burger” boasting ground Kobe beef, red wine-braised short ribs, foie gras and a pile of shaved black truffle! Whether you’re 9 or 90, devouring a juicy satisfying burger will always remain one of life’s great pleasures. Some think of beef exclusively when a hamburger comes to mind, but there are many equally satisfying alternatives that lie just outside the “all-beef patty” box. While some might consider a meatless burger the equivalent of consuming yard trimmings between a bun, vegans and vegetarians are flocking to “Next Level Burger,” a new and alternative chain opening soon here in Portland. Next Level’s “burgers” use black beans, soy protein, quinoa or tempeh and everything (including the condiments) is completely meat and dairy free. I was blown away by the flavor and texture of Next Level’s 48 JUNE/JULY 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE
signature burger. This meat-free masterpiece was delivered hot and delicious with all the trimmings. Creamy vegan “mayo” lined the soft sprouted whole-grain bun, and the crisp lettuce, pickles and ripe tomato made me almost forget I was a carnivore! I tucked into this heart-healthy burger and a side of sweet potato fries and found myself in sheer burger bliss … sans the “moo!” Ground fish, turkey or chicken are also great alternatives to ground beef. They often need a little help with a binder to hold the lean mixture together. Egg, breadcrumbs or potato (such as in this salmon burger recipe) help bind the ingredients, making patties easier to flip on the grill. Alternatively, a well-oiled griddle or frying pan may be a better choice for softer mixtures. Dark meat ground turkey and chicken can also be used to add a bit more fat and flavor. Make sure to cook these thoroughly to avoid any health risks. Ground lamb contains plenty of fat to keep your patty juicy, and it also fares well on the grill. Season with strong bold flavors such as mint, cumin, coriander, turmeric and a touch of allspice or cinnamon for a Moroccan flavor or Mediterranean spices like fresh thyme, rosemary, grated onion, minced garlic and a dollop of Dijon mustard for a Greek flair. The All-American hamburger will never go out of style, but changing it up every now and again is a great alternative. So fire up the grill and enjoy these two out-of-the-ordinary options!
Moroccan Lamb Burgers with Caramelized Fennel and Mango Chutney Aioli 1 pound ground lamb ½ teaspoon whole coriander 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons freshly chopped mint 1 teaspoon powdered ginger ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper Several grinds of black pepper ¼ teaspoon ground allspice ½ teaspoon salt 1 bulb fennel, cored and thinly sliced Romaine lettuce leaves, sliced tomato and red onion for garnish 1 /3 cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons prepared mango chutney (such as Major Grey’s) 4 pretzel buns Aioli Place lamb in a medium bowl. In a small dry sauté pan, toast coriander and cumin. Grind in a spice mill and add to lamb. Add garlic, mint, ginger, cayenne, black pepper, allspice and salt. Mix gently but thoroughly. Shape into patties and fire up grill. Place sliced fennel in a medium sauté pan with a bit of olive oil. Cover pan and allow fennel to steam until just softened, about 5-6 minutes. Uncover pan and reduce heat. Continue to cook fennel until caramelized and browned, another 10-15 minutes. Season fennel with a touch of salt and pepper if desired. Prepare garnishes and in a small bowl mix together mayonnaise and chutney. Cook burgers to desired doneness and grill buns if desired. Serve burger with a portion of fennel and desired toppings. Top with bun spread with aioli.
Spicy Ginger and Coriander Salmon Burgers with Avocado, Baby Arugula, Cucumber and Gochujang Mayo 1 pound fresh wild salmon, skin removed and cut into 2-inch cubes 1 small potato, peeled, cubed, cooked and cooled ½ yellow onion, minced 2 serrano chilies, minced (with or without seeds depending on desired heat) 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger 1 teaspoon ground coriander ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper ½ teaspoon turmeric 1 egg 6 brioche hamburger buns 3 cups fresh baby arugula 1 avocado, peeled and sliced ½ seedless cucumber, thinly sliced Sliced red onion (if desired) ½ cup prepared mayonnaise 2 tablespoons Gochujang* Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a small skillet over medium heat and lightly sauté onion, chilis and ginger until soft. Add coriander, cayenne and turmeric and season with a bit of salt. Place cooked potato and onion mixture in the bowl of a food processor and pulse GENTLY until just combined. Remove to a medium bowl and set aside. Place salmon in bowl of food processor and pulse-grind until lightly chopped. Add potato mixture and egg to processor and pulse just to combine. Season with a bit more salt. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray. Form mixture into patties and place on baking sheet. Refrigerate patties for about 1 hour. Heat 2-3 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick pan. Fry patties in oil until golden brown on both sides. Prepare garnishes and mix Gochujang with mayonnaise in a small bowl. Toast buns if desired. Spread both halves of the buns with mayonnaise mix. Top salmon burgers with avocado, cucumbers, arugula and red onion if desired. *Gochujang is a savory and pungent fermented Korean condiment made from red chili, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans and salt; it is found in Asian markets and some specialty stores. Substitute Sriracha if unavailable. Lisa Glickman is a private chef and teacher who lives in Portland. She has made TV appearances on COTV in Central Oregon and appeared on the Cooking Channel’s “The Perfect Three.” She can be reached at lisa@lisaglickman.com. OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2015 49
[FOOD/NW NOSH]
BABY DOLL PIZZA: 503-459-4450 | 2835 SE STARK ST., PORTLAND | BABYDOLLPIZZA.COM 50 JUNE/JULY 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE
Pizza fills niche in foodie enclave By Kerry Politzer | Photos by Claire Cushing
Baby Doll Pizza owner Travis Miranda was given an important piece of advice by his late Grandpa Irv: “If you want to make a buck, kid, do pizza in Oregon.” So, after moving to Portland from New York (with a stop in Eugene), he opened a pizzeria in the burgeoning foodie enclave on Southeast Stark near 28th Street. “There was a need for a good-quality slice pizza place in PDX; I felt that a pizza shop was a good starting point for a food business venture,” Travis explains. Baby Doll Pizza opened its doors in June of 2012. Food is a family affair for Travis. His uncle owns Barry’s Espresso Bakery & Deli in Eugene (804 E 12th Ave.), which Travis describes as a “New York-style deli with Jewish delicacies.” Travis worked there for three years after graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. Travis imbues his own enterprise with a New York influence: “We do the New York-style, crisp thin crust.” He takes special pride in his housemade ingredients. He makes his own sauces, grinds his own meats, and even makes the ricotta and mozzarella cheeses from scratch. While customers love to order the classic cheese and pepperoni slices, Baby Doll Pizza also sells a lot of special vegetarian pies like spinach with tomato, ricotta, mushroom and garlic; roasted peppers with feta, olives, artichoke hearts, garlic and red onion; and the decadent white pie, a yummy combination of ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, caramelized onions and garlic with a tasty sesame crust. “Our vegan slices are a big hit, too!” says Travis. Baby Doll offers a rotating selection of local and regional wines and beers on tap and by the bottle. Caprese, green and Caesar salads as well as housemade ice cream round out the menu. (Last fall, Travis acquired a commissary kitchen, which allows more space for ice cream preparation.) The pizzeria delivers to selected areas on Portland’s Eastside. Travis has a lot of exciting culinary plans. For example, he recently acquired Contrary Coffee on Southwest Fifth Avenue. Of this venture, he remarks, “It’s a great location, and we are planning a great coffee concept for the space. I really like and appreciate the ‘third wave’ coffee shops that are opening. I would love to take that dedication and approach to coffee, but make it approachable for everyone without the pretension.” Travis caters bar and bat mitzvah celebrations through Congregation Shir Tikvah, where his mother is a longtime member. He also donates pizza to families in need.
Indian & Middle Eastern Cuisine Hours: Tues – Thurs & Sun 5 - 9 Fri – Sat 5 - 10
503.231.0740 www.bombaycricketclubrestaurant.com 1925 SE Hawthorne Blvd • Portland, OR 97214
GET YOUR LUNCH ON! Call today for catering: 503-227-NOSH (6674) or order online at www.bowerybagels.com House Cured Pastrami Reuben
ONLY WHOLE BAGELS ARE CERTIFIED KOSHER
OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2015 51
Music and spirituality carry Rabbi Yitz to new role:
TBI RABBI EMERITUS Rabbi Yitzhak and Shonna HusbandsHankin.
Inside 52 Rabinic Transition 55 New TBI rabbi 56 Cannabis conversations 58 Portland NCJW’s lasting legacy 60 Song of Miriam 62 Previews 64 Faces 66 Calendar
52 JUNE/JULY 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE
By Deborah Moon
While Rabbi Yitzhak Husbands-Hankin’s Jewish journey might seem exotically diverse to the casual observer, he describes each step as a natural progression. He says his upcoming “redeployment” from senior rabbi to rabbi emeritus at Temple Beth Israel in Eugene will be just as organic.
“I loved music as a child and I loved spirituality,” says Rabbi Yitz, now 68. Those passions have remained with him throughout his journey. As a child he sang in the boys choir at his family’s Orthodox shul; he studied with and was inspired by Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, z’l, (known as the father of Jewish soul music) and Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, z’l, (the father of Jewish Renewal). He and his wife, Shonna, founded a moshav in Oregon – before he slid down “the slippery slope of increasing responsibility” to become the rabbi of a mainstream synagogue in Eugene. He leaves that post after 40 years of serving TBI in a variety of capacities, but he doesn’t consider this latest shift retiring. He plans to remain active in both the Eugene and world Jewish and interfaith communities. Though he plans to step back as rabbi emeritus to allow TBI’s new rabbi (see page 55) to establish herself, he will maintain a presence at the Reconstructionist congregation. He will also remain involved with Eugene’s interfaith community, including an upcoming Habitat for Humanity project that TBI is participating in. He is a member of Rabbis for Human Rights-North America, an associate of CLAL-National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, and a member of the rabbinic cabinet of J-Street. He was recently asked, and he “absolutely accepted,” the opportunity to become a founder of Rabbis for Religious Freedom in Israel. He considers the greatest challenge for Judaism to be “for the Jewish people to realize the richness and resources we have to benefit not only ourselves but the world; and to realize how much potential there is for goodness to come from our peoplehood. In Israel the challenge is to show respect for different strands of thinking, so we can accomplish our common goals. … (the) Orthodox rabbinate’s entanglement in the politics of Israel is damaging to the well-being of expressions of Judaism,” he says. A first-generation American son of Russian and Polish Jewish immigrants, Yitz Hankin was born in Pittsburgh in 1947. The hazzan at the Orthodox shul he attended with his parents and grandparents “saw how I loved the music.” From the Chabad teachers at the shul he also fell in love with the spirituality of Judaism. Wanting to travel and experience life in a different context, he moved to Oregon in 1971 to study music and cello at the University of Oregon. He began davening at TBI, which was then affiliated with the Conservative movement. He was ordained as Baal Tefillah (prayer leader) by Rabbi Carlebach, whom he credits with influencing his interest in Jewish music, just as Rabbi Zalman “spoke to the universal truth of Judaism and the global unity we are seeking.” Yitz and Aryeh Hirschfield, z’l, studied with Reb Zalman and served on his student cabinet even before that rabbi founded the Renewal Movement; they were later ordained by Rabbi Zalman. Yitz and Aryeh remained close friends and became a musical duo, which involved performing and recording together. The two were ask to step in and lead TBI for High Holiday services after the unexpected death of Rabbi Louis Neimand in 1976. OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2015 53
TBI’s new home: groundbreaking (left) dedication (right) in 2008
“Rabbi Aryeh was very influential in my journey,” says Rabbi Yitz, noting that this year he will lead High Holiday services at Rabbi Aryeh’s former congregation, P’nai Or of Portland. “We stayed close until he died. We had a concert planned together (for) just two months after his death.” While serving TBI part time as a cantor and religious school teacher, he also began his career as an activist and professional in the disability rights field. Concurrent with his TBI part-time job, he served half time as director of an independent living program in Eugene.
PORTLAND CHAPTER OF HADASSAH PRESENTS...
Medicine & Mojitos, the Fine Arts! FEATURING JUDY SHERECK, HADASSAH NATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD with Peg Elefant, Pacific Northwest Region President
Limit 25! Reserve your place today! RSVP for event address: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/portlandhadassah DATE: Sunday, June 7th TIME: 2:00-4:00 pm LOCATION: at the home of Dr. Evan Shereck COST: $18, payable at the door. Partial proceeds go to the Sarah Westman Davidson Hospital Tower in Jerusalem
Hadassah.org/pnw
LIKE us on Facebook: Hadassah Portland
54 JUNE/JULY 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE
HADASSAH THE POWER OF WOMEN WHO HEAL
Yitz met Oregon native and Judaic artist Shonna Husbands and the two married in 1977, joining both their lives and their names. Rabbi Yitz calls Shonna his “invisible partner” and notes many of the ideas credited to him have arisen through their collaborative conversations. Seeking life in an “intentional community,” in 1983 Yitz and Shonna Husbands-Hankin founded Shivtei Shalom, where Shonna served as executive director. For two years, Yitz commuted from Dorena Lake to Eugene to serve as part-time cantor at TBI. The family, including daughters Talya and Shira, moved back to Eugene when Yitz became the full-time cantor during Rabbi Myron Kinberg’s sabbatical year. He received his cantorial commission from the Cantors’ Assembly of the United Synagogue of America in 1986. Following his rabbinic ordination in 1987, he became TBI’s assistant rabbi. When Rabbi Kinberg, z’l, left in 1995, he became the congregation’s rabbi. Rabbi Yitz notes that the congregation had already begun to move toward more liberal Judaism under Rabbi Kinberg, and the membership voted to affiliate with the Reconstructionist movement in 1996. He likes the Reconstructionist focus on “the many expressions of Judaism within evolving civilization.” “For me, the big shift was the utilization of musical instruments,” says Rabbi Yitz. “Music has been a very significant part of the spiritual life of our congregation.” His interest in disability rights played a role when TBI built its new home in 2008. In addition to following LEED standards to create an environmentally friendly building, the new synagogue has many accessibility features including ramps on both sides of the bimah. Rabbi Yitz considers the mitzvah to support people with “altered abilities” an important part of his work. “I would love this to continue to be a place welcoming to everyone,” Rabbi Yitz says. Of the legacy he hopes to leave, he adds, “I sought kavod between people – the fundamental approach of honoring one another in the image of God and to help each other to draw out the best.”
TBI Eugene welcomes new rabbi
By Joseph Lieberman
This summer will see major transitions in the rabbinical staff at Temple Beth Israel in Eugene. A fresh new face will appear in the person of Rabbi Ruhi Sophia Motzkin Rubenstein, a musically gifted social activist from Saratoga Springs, NY, and a recent graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. Rabbi Ruhi Sophia has signed on for a three-year contract with TBI starting July 15, 2015. While well-versed in Reconstructionist ways, she’s the daughter and granddaughter of Reform rabbis, and her husband, Jacob Siegel, is a Modern Orthodox rabbinical student. In words that could describe her kaleidoscopically diverse family, Rabbi Ruhi Sophia wrote, “We have been building a radically pluralistic, passionately Jewish life together.” Her Reform upbringing helped her link social justice with Judaism. “My grandfather, Rabbi Byron T. Rubenstein, was arrested as part of a civil rights demonstration in Florida 50 years ago,” she says. “And although both my parents are full-time Reform pulpit rabbis, my father runs a community bakery where volunteers learn to bake. My mother is a Torah scribe, writing on deerskin parchment she processes from hides received from local hunters.” It’s that rabbinic lineage that informs Rabbi Ruhi Sophia’s current aspirations. “My family taught me how to use seemingly disparate passions to build community,” she says. “I learned that spirituality can be found in deerskin, in baking trays and in protest. I found that the kitchen, the backyard and the jailhouse are all places for Jewish education.” While studying at the Rabbinical College, she served at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, the country’s largest LGBTQ synagogue. She engaged in pastoral duties such as counseling members in crisis and leading lifecycle events. “I’ve also cultivated the public rabbinate,” she says. That has included leading services, teaching classes, encouraging lay leadership and “organizing congregants to participate in the moral life of New York City.”
She describes her pulpit work as a “nexus of the personal and the public – an opportunity to both change lives through one-on-one pastoral presence, and to work with and strengthen a community of hundreds of people. To me, the core of being a rabbi is meeting people deeply as individuals and encouraging connections with Jewish text and music, with the Divine and with each other.” She first felt called to the rabbinate when, at age 16, her parents took their sabbatical in Costa Rica. In the absence of a Jewish community, the teen attended a Quaker school, where ironically she realized the importance of her own Jewish practice. Related to her later attraction to Oregon, she also cultivated a deep connection to the natural world, which led to environmental activism. While studying at Smith College in Northampton, MA, she walked across the entire state in an interfaith protest for climate action. “Before starting rabbinical school, I interned at a Jewish spirituality retreat center and worked as a Jewish environmental educator in Connecticut, Maryland and Pennsylvania,” she says. It’s a sweet connection for Eugene, but TBI is also transitioning through a bittersweet farewell, at least in terms of official duties, for two of its beloved rabbis. Rabbi Yitzhak Husbands-Hankin has served as TBI’s rabbi since 1995, but his involvement began back in 1975 when he became the synagogue’s cantor. His 40-year commitment to TBI isn’t over however; he will continue as rabbi emeritus. (See story page 52). Associate Rabbi Boris Dolin, a graduate of the University of Oregon, joined the staff at TBI in July 2011, supervising the Talmud Torah and Shalhevet programs and working closely with b’nai mitzvah students. His wife, Sarah, greatly expanded the popular PJ Library program. Although TBI’s budget can no longer support an associate rabbi position, Rabbi Boris and his family hope to remain connected to Oregon. Meanwhile, TBI President Nathan Philips has created a Transition Committee that will help welcome and assist Rabbi Ruhi Sophia in becoming familiar with our community. That should not be a huge task as she and her husband are both yearround cyclists, she prays traditional liturgy while doing yoga each morning, she self-composes songs and chants, she preserves her own salsa and applesauce, she bakes her own challah almost weekly and she even studied massage in California’s Bay Area. Not surprisingly, she told OJL, “I felt an immediate connection to Eugene, even though I’d never visited the Northwest before. I look forward to this opportunity to learn, pray and sing with the members of TBI.”
OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2015 55
Cannabis conversations
What does Judaism say about Oregon’s new legal drug?
Claire Kaufmann. Photo by Alan Sylvestre Media
By Rich Geller
Oregon enters a brave new world July 1 when recreational marijuana becomes legal across the state. Oregon has long been a trailblazer when it comes to cannabis, becoming the first state to decriminalize the plant in 1973, and the second to legalize medical marijuana in 1998. Cannabis has long been a part of the Jewish experience as well. From the ancient land of Israel to modern-day Israel and America, Jews have long consumed cannabis for a variety of purposes. In the Torah G-d grants all plant life on Earth to humanity in Genesis. The Torah also refers to keneh bosem, which etymologists have translated to “sweet cane.” Some researchers speculate the cane is cannabis. Keneh bosem is one of the five ingredients in the holy anointing oil applied to the tent of meeting and the heads of the high priests in the book of Exodus. 56 JUNE/JULY 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE
Archeological evidence points to the use of medical cannabis in ancient Israel. The remains of a pregnant young woman with several grams of hashish were discovered in a cave west of Jerusalem. It is presumed the hashish was used to ease the pain of childbirth, since she was about nine months pregnant when she died in approximately 300 B.C.E. One of the most prolific and influential Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages, Maimonides wrote about the medicinal uses of cannabis oil for headaches and to unblock ears. Modern Israel first legalized marijuana for therapeutic purposes in 1992 and has been a global leader in medical cannabis research. Many leading counter-culture figures of the ’60s were Jewish, including activists such as Yippie founders Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin, and of course Robert Zimmerman, aka Bob Dylan. These early proponents of marijuana decriminalization and legalization had a common enemy in President Richard Milhous Nixon. On June 18, 1971, President Nixon launched the “War on Drugs” declaring drugs to be “public enemy number one.” In the intervening decades, as subsequent administrations expanded the scope of the drug war, the U.S. prison population steadily escalated with many of these new inmates convicted of nonviolent drug offenses. Standing at the nexus of progressive Judaism and cannabis activism are Roy and Claire Kaufmann of Portland, cofounders of Le’Or (which means to light up or illuminate), a nonprofit that challenges the drug war by framing the issue of cannabis through the lens of Jewish social justice. Roy is a former gubernatorial speechwriter and currently works in public relations; Claire has an MBA and a background in marketing. Asked about her inspiration for Le’Or, Claire says, “Le’Or helps to connect the dots in the Jewish community between cannabis consumption and the larger impact of the war on drugs. … in general, fewer Jews suffer the ramifications and legal consequences associated with the drug war. The war on drugs is doing harm to millions of people, most of whom are people of color. … We are morally obligated to do something.” To that end the couple hosted a third-night “Cannabis Seder” to prompt discussion of drugs, race and other issues related to social justice. The seder was sponsored by Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps and a number of local cannabis-related businesses, including Qi Chocolates, Oregon’s Finest and Lief Medicinals. Le’Or was started with seed money from David Bronner, the CEO of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps. The Kaufmanns composed a Haggadah for the occasion. Many elements of the seder such as the four questions, the four sons and the 10 plagues were modified to play on the themes
Tikkun Olam Caregivers: Marijuana Concierge Services
The word Cannabis is thought to derive from the Hebrew word, Kaneh Bosem, meaning “fragrant reed/cane.”
of the injustice of the prison-industrial complex, the suffering of its victims, and the arbitrary nature and application of drug laws. As Claire explains, “Le’Or is a lot more than ‘holy smoke.’ Le’Or’s mission is to engage the Jewish community around the issues of cannabis legalization, prison reform and larger drug piece. The Jewish community has a long way to go before it begins to fully understand how these issues are all related.” As more and more states “legalize it,” medically or otherwise, the rabbinic view of weed has been evolving. Orthodox rabbis in New York state recently approved the use of medical marijuana in the form of edibles. Throughout the diaspora the Halakhic precept of dina d’malkhutah dina, the law of the land is the law, has been practiced for centuries. This is generally interpreted that Jews defer to the law of their country of residence. As legalization becomes the new normal, it is likely that Jewish authorities will come to defer to this new reality. Claire does not expect rabbis and other traditional Jewish leaders to step up to the plate on this issue. “While cannabis may be legal in Oregon, the rest of the country still has a long way to go,” she says. “Le’Or is beginning to work on a national level. We plan on being involved in legalization efforts nationally. … This is going to be a bottom-up effort.”
Exodus 30:22 Medieval physician and philosopher Rabbi Moses Maimonides (Rambam) wrote about the ability of cannabis oil to treat many ailments. Guided by the core Jewish value of Chesed (loving kindness), Tikkun Olam Caregivers performs the mitzvah of Bikur Cholim (visiting/caring for the sick) through our premium marijuana concierge services.
We offer our clients the following services: • Quality lab-tested medical marijuana flowers, concentrates and medibles including CBD and smoke-free products • Assistance obtaining a medical marijuana card • Luxury shuttle service to a private licensed dispensary in Northwest Portland • A full range of marijuana caregiver services
Call us at (503) 974-8548 for a consultation or to place an order.
OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2015 57
Portland NCJW dissolves, but legacy lives on
Sharon Tarlow and Rose Rustin, right, volunteer in OJMCHE’s archives each week. By Deborah Moon
After 118 years of serving women, families, children, immigrants and others in need, the Portland Section of the National Council of Jewish Women has been formally dissolved; but the group’s legacy will continue in perpetuity. “It saddens me we have to close, but we have a changing world,” says Meryl Haber, who served as section president for the organization’s final seven years. For more than a century the Portland NCJW leaders identified needs and then created programs or provided the funding and/or volunteers to faltering programs to meet those needs. (See timeline at right and story on Neighborhood House, page 24). “NCJW-Portland Section graced our city for more than century and its departure leaves an indelible mark,” says Judith Margles, director of the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education. “My most heartfelt gratitude goes to the women of NCJW, from the remarkable founders, each of them committed to the good and welfare of our community, to the amazing group of volunteers who have been working in the museum archives each Tuesday morning for the last eight years.” These days with more women in the workforce, fewer women have time to volunteer to run organizations, with many preferring to devote their limited volunteer time to specific programs. NCJW volunteers remain active at many other organizations and programs across the city. “One of the things NCJW has historically done is start a program and then spin it off,” says Meryl. She notes those programs, many still aided by NCJW volunteers, will continue to serve the community. For instance she notes that the food pantry and backpack food program run by Lift Urban Portland will continue with NCJW life member Nikki Director continuing to volunteer. Nikki has been involved since NCJW gave funds to what is now Lift UP to take over the “food box program” from Friendly House, which had lost the funding for the project. “NCJW continued to help fund it and provide volunteers,” says Nikki. “That funding support continued until NCJW 58 JUNE/JULY 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE
dissolved, but the volunteers have remained a vital force in the program’s ongoing growth.” “I became a life member of NCJW as a young mom and was actively involved for many, many years,” says Nikki. “Once I returned to the workforce, however, my interest declined.” But in 2007 her mentor Eve Rosenfeld asked if she would help with the food box program NCJW was considering funding. “I thank my relationship with NCJW for helping me identify my passion,” says Nikki, who is emblematic of today’s volunteers desire to focus on a project they are passionate about. “NCJW was so important in funding and providing volunteers for many ongoing programs still alive and well in this community… NCJW’s imprint is felt in so many places.” While NCJW women continue to volunteer for specific projects, Meryl says the section board could not find women willing to commit the time needed to run the section. For the past few years the dozen board members have rotated in threemonth shifts to keep the organization operating. In 2014 the board sent a letter to section membership requesting a vote on the board’s decision to close the section. “We have been highly successful in matching our membership with volunteer opportunities,” wrote Meryl in the letter. “However it has become apparent over time that we cannot muster the resources that are necessary to continue. The officers of the organization have been unable to recruit replacements who will take on leadership roles …” In June 2014 members overwhelmingly concurred that it was time to close the section, with those who dissented nonetheless not stepping forward to accept leadership posts. Life members continue to be members of the national organization as members at large. Acknowledging how sad and hard it is to close, Meryl says she is pleased to have been a part of NCJW for decades – ever since her mother, Rosemarie Rosenfeld, gave her a life membership. “My mom was a life member of Hadassah and was involved in federation ( Jewish Federation of Greater Portland),” says Meryl. “But she got me a membership in NCJW so I could strike out on my own and not follow in anyone’s footsteps.” Meryl served kosher meals to seniors at the MJCC from 1982 until the program moved to Cedar Sinai Park in 2005. Her now-grown children, Josef and Rachel Haber, frequently accompanied her to the senior lunches. She also served as an NCJW board member at various times, and in 2007 she chaired the committee that recommended how to disperse the funds from the sale of Neighborhood House. She is a member of Congregation Beth Israel and the MJCC; she also runs Lakeside Bicycles with her husband, Gordon. It’s clear that Portland NCJW will always be near and dear to Meryl’s heart. “I think we created a lasting legacy in the community,” she says.”
a
NCJW TIMELINE 1893 National Council of Jewish Women founded 1896 Portland Section of NCJW founded 1904 Neighborhood House started with boys’ club, religious school, sewing clubs 1905 First Neighborhood House built 1910 Moved to Neighborhood House on Second Avenue with free clinics and kindergarten classes 1927-33 Endowed beds for indigent patients at three hospitals 1939 Foreign born committee helped people abroad locate relatives in U.S. 1950 Program for Aged started to provide leisure activities for seniors 1964 Opened Council Thrift Shop staffed entirely by vounteers; Started Women in Community Service 1965 First Angel Ball to encourage donations to Thrift Shop 1971 Established Jean Rustin Scholarship for nursing students; Provided funds for Florence May Apartments at CSP 1973 Started Oral History Project 1976 Contracted by city to run SW Youth Service Center 1978 Founded Russian Culture Club 1980 Established May Judaic Studies Visiting Professorship at Reed College 1982 Youth Service Center moved to Multnomah Center 1992 Created life-skills program for incarcerated women 2003 Provides funds to keep MJCC Therapy Pool open 2006 Donated records to Oregon Jewish Museum with bequest from Hilde Drum 2007 Thrift Shop closed after few volunteers required shift to paid staff 2009 Proceeds from sale of Neighborhood House provided $450,000 in grants to OJM and Kehillah Housing at CSP; and funds for Goose Hollow Shelter, food pantries and bus tickets for domestic violence shelters 2014 Membership voted to close section 2015 Section formally dissolved by National NCJW office 2016 Expected opening of interactive exhibit of Oregon Jewish history at OJMCHE funded by NCJW
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www.nevehshalom.org OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2015 59
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2015 Song of Miriam honorees named The Jewish Women’s Round Table announces its 23rd Annual Song of Miriam honorees. The Song of Miriam Awards honor women who volunteer their time and energy to ensure the continuity and vibrancy of the Jewish community of Oregon and Southwest Washington.
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GENERAL DENTIST 60 JUNE/JULY 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE
This annual event is sponsored by the Jewish Women’s Round Table, whose mission is to strengthen the Jewish community by honoring the excellent work of women volunteers and bringing the community together to celebrate Jewish life. The 23rd Annual Awards Brunch will be from 10 am to 12:15 pm, Sunday, June 7, at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center, 6651 SW Capitol Highway, Portland. This year 19 organizations have chosen outstanding women to be honored for their volunteer activities and dedication to promotion of Jewish life and values. The 2015 honorees are: Heather Kirkbride of Congregation Beit Haverim, Linda Harrison of Women of Reform Judaism/ Beth Israel Sisterhood, Arleen Slive of Havurah Shalom, Sherry Fishman of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland-Women’s Philanthropy Committee, Leatrice Kaplan of Congregation Kesser Israel, Deawn Herrman of Congregation Kol Ami of Vancouver, Rachel Schatz of Kol Shalom, Marge Congress of Mittleman Jewish Community Center, Toby Blake of Congregation Neveh Shalom, Elaine Coughlin of the Oregon Jewish Museum & Center for Holocaust Education, Hilda Welch of Congregation P’nai Or, Michelle Katz of Portland Jewish Academy, Evelyn Freedman of the Robison Jewish Health Center Sisterhood, Arlene Gintz of Congregation
The Jewish Federation of Greater Portland is proud to honor Shaarie Torah Sisterhood, Naomi Hall of Congregation Shalom Bayit, Julie Poust of Congregation Shir Tikvah, Paula Boga of Temple Beth Sholom and Jeanne Freeman of Temple Beth Tikvah. The D’var Torah and HaMotzi will be given by Rabbi Eve Posen of Neveh Shalom. Barry Lavine will perform music. Envelopes will be available for donations to the Oregon Food Bank. Marki Maizels and Carole Glauber, both past honorees, will be our emcees. Again this year we will be treated to door prizes donated by the various synagogue gift shops and area businesses. To find out more about JWRT, go to our new website at jwrt. org. Learn about the history of the SOM awards, see a listing of past honorees, the JWRT board and more. Families and friends are encouraged to attend this annual community event. Reservations: Call Jerrie Roth at 503-246-4367 for reservations and questions.
at the Jewish Women’s Round Table 23rd Annual Song of Miriam Awards Brunch Honoring Outstanding Women Volunteers
Schnitzer-Director Family History Oregon’s Schnitzer-Director family is pulling together stories, documents, photographs, and related materials to create a collection of family history books, videos, and archive about the family’s life in Oregon. The completed publications/productions will be included in the Oregon Jewish Museum’s collections and other institutions’ archives, as well. If you have memories about the family and/or photos and documents that you would like to share, please contact us at the e-mail address or telephone number below. Thank you!
Schnitzer-Director Family History Project •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Sherry with her family, Chanukah 2014
Project Interviewer and Writer: Lisa Kagan email: lisa@familyheirloomarts.com phone: 503.347.1391 Project Director: Jordan Schnitzer Project Manager: Chet Orloff email: chetorloff@gmail.com phone: 503.805.5461
®
THE STRENGTH OF A PEOPLE. THE POWER OF COMMUNITY.
503.245.6219 | www.jewishportland.org
JewishPDX
OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2015 61
Steve and Esther Carver
PREVIEWS
BAGEL ON! CELEBRATES JEWISH LIFE IN SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON By Sarina Penland It started as a simple idea in the mind of Robin Hayden, Congregation Kol Ami’s president. Her idea to establish a “Jewishly Fun Fair” in Southwest Washington became more developed over the course of a year, with dedicated volunteers, planning and hard work. Event chair Alan Granat came up with the name, Bagel On! Coming from New York, Alan had been searching for the perfect East Coast bagel to serve attendees. On Aug. 17, 2014, the debut of Bagel On! was a resounding success. Hoping to get to know their neighbors and enhance their relationship within the community, Congregation Kol Ami’s initial attendance goal was to attract 500 attendees. Robin says the 1,180 counted guests “far exceeded our expectations.” The tradition continues with the second annual Bagel On! A Jewishly Fun Fair slated for Sunday, Aug. 23, 11 am-5 pm. Bagel On! is designed to bring the entire community together for a great time. An abundance of food vendors will provide a taste of traditional Jewish foods and a variety of treats. Live music, including a klezmer band, and traditional Jewish dancing will be open to all to try. Vendors will offer art pieces with both Jewish and non-Jewish themes. Kid-friendly activities include a blowup slide, arts and crafts booths, and an opportunity to make mini challah. A fire truck will be on hand for the kids to check out as well. The sheriff and SWAT team will be there to show off their armored vehicle and get to know the community. Last year’s popular synagogue tours return this year, with Torah Talks from Rabbi Elizabeth Dunsker. A question and answer forum will be an added feature. Robin summed up the spirit of the fair: “What was Bagel On! really? It was teamwork; it was the coming together of all the committees within our congregation, all the Jewish groups associated with our congregation and other groups from the Jewish community at large. It was Jews working together to show the community at large who we are. We had the Boy Scouts, the Red Cross, the veterans, SWAT mobile, the Clark County Food Bank and an EMT from the fire department, all here to support us and to help us show our spirit of tikkun olam.” For more information, visit bagel-on.com or call Alan Granat at 516-302-7506. 62 JUNE/JULY 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE
CARVERS TO RECEIVE NEMER SERVICE AWARD Congregation Shaarie Torah will present the Harry R. Nemer Service Award to Steve and Esther Carver. The Shaarie Torah Men’s Club presents the Harry R. Nemer Service Award to members of Shaarie Torah in recognition of their outstanding volunteer service to the congregation. For many years both Steve and Esther have held prominent leadership roles as committee members, organizing weekly Torah readers and chanting Shacharit service. Along with his responsibilities as a past president of the congregation, Steve also serves as a gabbai. Chairs for this year’s event are Richard Cohen and Steph Kotkins. The dinner honoring the Carvers begins at 5:30 pm, June 7, at Congregation Shaarie Torah, 920 NW 25th Ave., Portland. Tickets are $36. Proceeds support various programs at Shaarie Torah. Sponsorships are available. For reservations, contact Congregation Shaarie Torah at 503-226-6131. SECOND ANNUAL LEFTY SING ALONG JUNE 10 P’nai Or invites community to the second annual “Lefty Sing Along Honoring the Music of Peter, Paul and Mary.” Featuring Dan Anolik, Joan Glebow, Joel Glick, Les Milfred, Baruch Morris and Rob Vergun with Maggid Batya Podos. Secial guest will be Joe Hickerson, folklorist and co-composer with Pete Seeger of “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” Also in attendance will be a special guest from the Abayudaya Jewish Community of Uganda: Rachman Nachman. Sponsored by the Tikkun Olam Committee of P’nai Or of Portland, this is a fundraiser for Hand in Hand: Center for Jewish-Arab Education in Israel. The event will be 7- 9 pm, June 10, in a private home in Southeast Portland (address provided after ticket purchase). Tickets are $18 and are available at leftysingalong.bpt.me. THE JEWISH TRADITION OF MAH JONGG Gregg Swain, co-author of Mah Jongg The Art of the Game, will give a talk tracing the connections of Jewish families to the game of Mah Jongg at 2 pm, July 1, at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center. Using beautiful photographs from her book, and other vintage photographs from the last 90 years, Gregg will explain some of the ties between the Chinese and Jewish communities, and their shared love of the game. She will trace the history of Mah Jongg using photographs of sets that might have been used during those years. No knowledge of the game is needed to understand the talk, only an appreciation for art and/or an interest in recent history. Swain grew up in New York City and graduated from Smith College with a major in art history. She earned a doctorate in clinical psychology from Baylor University. Although she wanted to learn how to play Mah Jongg for many years, she only learned how to play in 2010. Intrigued by the art on vintage sets, she quickly found out there was nothing written about the mysterious, often cryptic, beautiful images on the Mah Jongg tiles and boxes, and she set out to research them. She and Ann Israel co-wrote Mah Jongg The Art of the Game, the first book to showcase the beautiful art created by craftsmen over the last hundred years. Books will be for sale after the talk. Oregonjcc.org | 503-244-0111
T�ank You! We extend our sincere gratitude to the sponsors and underwriters of our third annual fundraising luncheon, and thank you for your commitment to the JFCS family —our work wouldn’t be possible without your support.
The Holzman Foundation / Renee & Irwin Holzman Rosalyn & Solomon Menashe Marjorie Saltzman Trust Arnerich Massena, Inc.
JFCS Board of Directors
Sloy, Dahl & Holst, Inc.
Boly:Welch
Julie Saltzman Leuvrey
Les & Martha Soltesz
Cedar Sinai Park
Toinette & Victor Menashe
Eve Stern, Les Gutfreund & Family
Norman & Kathy Chusid
Bill Dickey & Morel Ink
Community Warehouse
Pacific Continental Bank
The Salad Bar Cabin B’nai B’rith Camp Association
Lee & Sheri Cordova
Portland Business Journal
Charlene Zidell
Rosalie Goodman
Robert & Ann Sacks
Jason Zidell
Miriam Hecht & Ivan Zackheim
Elaine Savinar & Sharon Weil
1221 SW YAMHILL ST., STE. 301 PORTLAND, OR 97205 503-226-7079 JFCS-PORTLAND.ORG
Jewish Family & Child Service provides social services that improve the lives of adults, families, and children in the Jewish and general communities. Our Services Counseling, Disability Support Services, Emergency Aid & Homemaker Assistance
FACES
DAY OF LEARNING – Attendees: Merri ll Hendin and Patty Magid-Volk, right.
BETH ISRAEL MITZVAH DAY – CBI member Dan Heims, right, president of Terra Nova Nursery, provides landscape design, plants and planting expertise for CBI on Mitzvah Day.
hana, ntor Ida Rae Ca TZVAH DAY – Ca left, h, ep Jos el BETH ISRAEL MI ch Ra i hana and Rabb y. Rabbi Michael Ca Da tzvah Beth Israel’s Mi at Congregation
BETH ISRAEL MITZVAH DAY – Elizabeth Friedenwald and Rebecc a FriedenwaldFishman are sisters and co-chairs of CBI’s Social Action Committee and Mitzvah Day.
s was the keynote DAY OF LEARNING – Alicia Jo Rabin h Learning at speaker for the Women’s Day of Jewis Center. the Mittleman Jewish Community
sorships totaled
and spon than $25,000 t raised more d. ive tzvah Momen ce Mi re he ey –T th RE E FUTU grant proposals FLYING INTO TH nd some of 53 ow teens to fu $23,800 to all
TBI-EUGENE – Renee Brachfeld perfo rms for Yom Ha’atzmaut on April 22 at Temple Beth Israel in Eugene.
FLYING INTO THE FUTURE – Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation’s 59 teens held their Annual Benefit Dinner April 30. Photos by One Click Studios
64 JUNE/JULY 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE
MAAYAN TORAH CELEBRATION – Mary Perlman, right, accepts the Maayan Torah Community Chesed Award from Scot Leavitt, a parent at the school, as her daughter, Sarah Townley, looks on. Launched in 2011 the school now has more than 70 preschool-ninth grade students and is accredited by AdvancED. Photos by OneClickStudio.com
SEPHARDIC CULTURAL CENTER – From left, Renee Ferrera, Charles Levy, Michael Allen Harrison, Rochelle Stilwell and Ron Sidis at “A Touch of Class: An Evening of Music and Sephardic Cuisine withMichael Allen Harrison,” the inaugural event of the Judi and Richard Matza Sephardic Cultural Center.
Frank Passmore CAFÉ EUROPA – (From left) Veterans Aigner, whose and Elmer Morlok meet survivor Leslie unit. ore’s Passm by ted libera was camp
MAAYAN TORAH CELEBRATION – Maayan Principal Aviel Brodkin discusses the school’s vision.
CAFÉ EUROPA – Holocaust survivor Sonia Lieberman speaks at Congregation Shaarie Torah at the Victory in Europe Day celebration co-hosted by Jewish Family & Child Service’s Café Europa.
OJMCHE vice president Madelle Rosenfeld and board member Steve Reinisch, who served as event emcee, welcome 220 guests to the first anniversary celebrationof the combined Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education. Photo by Palma Corral
YOM HA’ATZMAUT – Hun dreds of people turned out to celebrate Israel’s 67th ann iversary with an evening of Israeli dancing, music and food presented by the Jewish Federation of Greater Por tland and the MJCC. Pho to by One Click Studio
THE CONFERENCE OF CHABAD RABBIS from the Western United Sates drew representation from 49 communities in 18 states to Portland May 15-17. Photo by One Click Studio
RABBI DANIEL & CAROL ISAAK dance at one of a weekend full of events celebrating his 22 years of service to Congregation Neveh Shalom. Photo by Paul Sher
CALENDAR
June 2
June 11
July 19
Artist Talk: Shelley Jordon, professor of art at Oregon State University, will discuss her artwork in the exhibit “Ordinary Matters,” which is on display through June 21 at OJMCHE along with “Frank Barnett: FotoMacher – Examining Lives with Jewish Eyes.” 7 pm at OJMCHE. Public $5; Members and Students free. RSVP: 503-226-3600
An early evening with Brahms, the final free concert in Beth Israel’s 2014-15 Music Under the Dome. 6 pm at Congregation Beth Isreal, 1972 NW Flanders, Portland. 503-222-1069
Portland Walking Tour . Join OJMCHE for a historic walking tour of Jewish south Portland. 5:30-7 pm with optional post-tour refreshments at a local neighborhood pub. Tour cost: Public: $12; OJMCHE members: $10; and students: $5.
June 7 Song of Miriam Awards Brunch. See page 60 Hadassah Portland program featuring Judy Shereck, Hadassah national executive board, with Peg Elefant, Pacific NW Region president. 2-4 pm at the home of Dr. Evan Shereck (address provided with RSVP). $18. Partial proceeds go to the Sarah Wetsman Davidson Hospital Tower in Jerusalem. RSVP: surveymonkey.com/s/portlandhadassah
June 12 Shabbat on the Plaza at Congregation Beth Israel. Repeats June 26, July 10 & 24; Aug. 7 & 21; and Sept. 4 weather permitting. bethisrael-pdx.org or 503-222-1069
June 13 Congregation Beit Salmon, a new Astoria congregation hosts Shabbat services at 11 am and are followed by an oneg at Fellowship Hall of the Peace Lutheran Church (at Exchange and 12th in Astoria). 503-701-4611 or anngoldeen@gmail.com
July 31 This month’s North Coast Shabbat Group services led by Rabbi Sam Joseph at 8 pm at the Bob Chisholm Senior Center, 1225 Avenue A in Seaside. Bev Eastern, 503-244-7060
Aug. 8 Preschool Torah Yoga with Rachel Stern begins today and continues second Saturday of each month. 10:30 am at Congregation Shaarie Torah, 920 NW 25th Ave. 503-226-6131
June 14
Aug. 9
Opening Night Reception for Portland Jewish Film Festival. See page 31
Portland Jewish Film Festival. See pages 32-33
Holocaust Memorials: Context, Interpretation, Memory. Begins at 10 am at OJMCHE with talk on concepts that underlie widely known Holocaust memorials throughout the world before heading to the Oregon Holocaust Memorial for an hour-long interpretive tour and conversation. Public: $12; OJMCHE members: $10; and students: $5.
June 22
Aug. 21
“Alive Inside” screens at 4 pm Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy Blvd., Portland, as a benefit for Music and Memory program at Robison Jewish Health Center.
2015 OJMCHE Annual Meeting. 11:45 am at Multnomah Athletic Club, 1849 SW Salmon St., Portland. Ellen Eisenberg will speak about current research for her upcoming book about Oregon Jews, 1950 to the present. 503-226-3600
This month’s North Coast Shabbat Group services led by David Fuks at 8 pm at the Bob Chisholm Senior Center, 1225 Avenue A in Seaside. Bev Eastern, 503-244-7060
June 9
June 26
95th annual meeting of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland featuring Avraham Infeld. 4:30-6 pm at Zildell Hall, Cedar Sinai Park, 6125 SW Boundary Road. Free. Light refreshments. 503-245-6219 or jewishportland.org
Musical Shabbat fourth Friday each month (except July) at 6:30 pm at Congregation Shaarie Torah. 920 NW 25th Ave. oneg to follow. Free childcare. 503-226-6131
Bagel On! A Jewishly Fun Fair” in Southwest Washington. See page 62
Steve and Esther Carver will receive the Harry R. Nemer Service Award at the Annual Men’s Club dinner 5:30 pm at Congregation Shaarie Torah. This award is presented to those who show exemplary service and dedication to the congregation. 503-226-6131 “Estate Planning: Wills, Trusts and making things easier for your beneficiaries” presented by attorney Julie Nimnicht at 1:30 pm at Rose Schnitzer Manor, CSP. RSVP: 503-535-4004
June 10 Oregon Jewish Community Foundation Annual Reception 5 pm at Zidell Hall, Rose Schnitzer Manor, 6140 SW Boundary St., Portland. Recognizing Legacy Society honorees Renee and Irwin Holzman. PSU Professor Natan Meir will speak on “Jews in Eastern Europe Today: Prospects and Perils in Russia, Ukraine and Poland.” Hors d’oeuvres and drinks. Free; no fundraising. RSVP: 503-248-9328 or nates@ojcf.org Lefty Sing Along. See page 62 Israeli dancing at the MJCC. Learn the basics of folk dancing! All levels are welcome! 7:15-8:15 pm. Drop-in $15. 503-244-0111
66 JUNE/JULY 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE
Jewish Community Orchestra performs. See page 37
June 14-28
This month’s North Coast Shabbat Group services led by Neil Weinstein at 8 pm at the Bob Chisholm Senior Center, 1225 Avenue A in Seaside. Bev Eastern, 503-244-7060
July 1 Mah Jongg book talk. See page 62
July 1- Nov. 8 Auto|Biography, an exhibition that explores the social phenomenon of Jews and their cars. Opening Reception July 8, 5:30-7:30 pm at OJMCHE.
July 8 Send a Kid to Camp Golf Tournament to provide scholarships for B’nai B’rith Campers. Noon lunch followed by shotgun start at 1 pm at Lewis River Golf Course, Woodland, WA. 503-345-9496 or showard@bbcamp.org
Aug. 23
ADDING EVENTS: To obtain a password to enter events on our online calendar, go to the bottom right of our home page and under “Quick Links,” click on Calendar Access Request.
MJCC is the Mittleman Jewish Community Center at 6651 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland. 503-244-0111, oregonjcc.org OJMCHE is the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education at 1953 NW Kearney, Portland. 503-2263600, ojmche.org
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JOB INFORMATION 8174818/ 603249935
PROJ. NO.:
TRIM SIZE: FINISHED SIZE:
SPECIFICATIONS 7.375" × 9.938" 7.375” × 9.938”
NOTES