Oregon Jewish Life December 2016 Vol.5/Issue 10 by JewishLifeMagazine

DECEMBER 2016

WANDER NO MORE

LIBBY WEISS Modern Maccabees Strengthen Israel HANUKKAH Games, Gifts & Parties Galore

SHELTERS & GIFTS For Families in Need

BUILDING BRIDGES Tennis Pro from Portland Unites U.S.-Mexican Youth

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016 1

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WANDER NO MORE

Oregon Jewish Life • December 2016 • Kislev-Tevet 5777 • Volume 5/Issue 10

COVER STORY 24

Libby Weiss: Sharing Israel’s reality Modern-day Maccabees

HANUKK AH 28 30

FEATURES

JEWS WITH ATTITUDE Safe shelter for homeless moms

BUSINESS Ins & Outs

Great moments in Hanukkah history Gift Guide Gift Picks Gifts that expand horizons – Books Give bakers the gift of rye Helper candle exemplifies leadership Hanukkah parties, food and basketball

JKIDS & TEENS TOO

FOOD Chef’s Corner: Fried Hanukkah treats NW Nosh: Cajun fare

34 36

HOME & LIFESTYLE Remodel brightens home

ARTS & ENTERTAIMENT Experience Warhol at Portland Art Museum Concert to bridge cultures and people

42 44

ISRAEL BDS onslaught creates an activist

YOUNG ADULTS Israel Fellow finds sweet side of BDS Chabad has lasting impact on campus

46 48

SENIORS Avocation a lifetime achievement A new kosher living option

50 52

Building bridges through tennis 54 Central Oregon gets BBYO chapter 57 Mitzvah menorah fun way for kids to help 58 Requests fulfilled by Mitzah Menorah 58 BB Camp earns national award 59 Dreidel 101 60 Kids and Teens Calendar 61

JLIVING Federation gala draws 400 62 Previews of things to come 63 FACES 64 Calendar 66

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

4 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016

14 16 18 20 23 24 26

COVER • Captain Libby Weiss

34 36

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016 5

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DECEMBER O r e g o n J ewi s h Li fe | D e ce m b e r 201 6 | K i s l ev-Tevet 57 7 7

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P U B L I C AT I O N A N D D E A D L I N E S Oregon Jewish Life magazine is distributed on the f irst of the month. Stor y ideas for features and special sec tions are due 45-60 days prior to publication. B IZ IN S & O UTS: Business news is due about 25 days before publication. FACES & PLACES: Photos from past events are due 20 days prior to publication. E VENTS: Information about upcoming event s is due about 20 days prior to publication. C ALEN DAR : Please post event s on our online calendar. Relevant event s that are posted by the 10th of the month before publication will be included in the magazine. To request f irst-time authorization to post event s online, go to orjewishlife.com and scroll down to the “calendar access request” link under “quick links” on the right . Af ter you submit the form, you’ll receive an email with instruc tions for posting future event s.

A Prince Hal Production ( TGMR18) 2016-2017 MediaPort LLC All rights reserved 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.

Save the date Wednesday, March 1st • 7:15 PM

Join Portland Hadassah for an evening with the author:

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Mittleman Jewish Community Center Letty’s visit generously co-sponsored by Mittleman Jewish Community Center Stay tuned for registration details next month In support of Hadassah Bikkur Cholim Interest Group: Portland Jewish Family & Child Services

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OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016 7

Wander No More

WHO IS YOUR MODERN DAY MACCABEE? With Hanukkah approaching, thoughts often turn to the miracle of the holiday and the heroics of the Maccabees. Even today, stories abound of modern day miracles and heroics on a global level. But what about people in your own community who have faced down challenges - whether economic, mental or physical to standing up to racism, anti-Semitism and bullying locally? Who do you know who has faced down challenges every day and still pushed bravely forward? Robert Philip

In the spirit of Hanukkah and giving, we at Oregon Jewish Life would like to offer one family in Oregon a one year membership to the Mittleman Jewish Community Center. The benefits of joining the J are plentiful—from becoming part of the larger community through events and activities, preschools, sports, life long friendships and even finding true love. It all happens at the J. From our family to yours,

Happy Hanukkah

Cindy Saltzman

To enter the contest go to: orjewishlife.com/jcccontest

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Jews with Attitude

Building a coalition, building shelter for the homeless

Andy Olshin and Rabbi Michael Cahana show off the first “safe sleep shelter pod” built by a coalition of volunteers Andy has recruited around an effort to provide homeless moms and their kids with safe places to spend the night. This pod is awaiting its final coat of paint.

By Deborah Moon

Many, many years from now, Andy Olshin hopes his tombstone notes: “He built a thousand homes for the homeless.” To date the coalition he created has built four “safe sleep shelter pods,” which Andy says are “a place to live, but not home. It is temporary shelter.” Two of the mobile shelters have been deployed to Hazelnut Grove, a homeless village near Overlook Park that has the blessing of the city, at least for now. The other two are spending 10 weeks in the parking lot of Congregation Beth Israel – not to house anyone, but as a display for other faith groups and nonprofits that might accept future pods in their parking lots to shelter homeless families. Beth Israel Executive Director Josh Kashinsky notes that CBI’s parking lot is not suitable for hosting pods for use by 10 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016

homeless families since it is very small (30 spaces) and is not adjacent to CBI’s buildings, hence it does not have access to power, water or restrooms. But CBI can and is using part of its lot through mid-January to show others what the shelters look like and how they could be used. A variety of educational programs will be scheduled at the pod’s temporary home at CBI. “As an urban congregation we see firsthand the impact of this problem daily,” says Josh. “This piece felt like a good way we could participate and be impactful in the process.” Andy says his hope is to engage the faith community in the conversation. “Our objective is to have the pods in an urban environment, so folks can see each shelter is quite cute or nice. We are going to show them off so the faith-based community can see this is what we can put in your parking lot.” He says each pod will fit in one parking space, weighs less

than a ton so it can be says Rabbi Cahana. “The moved easily with a Abrahamic faiths are united forklift and is attractive. in the commandment not “I know they need to stand idly by while our The first four Safe Sleep Shelter pods are 8’ by 8’, but future pods will be 8’ by 6’ to better fit into to be built,” says Andy, neighbor bleeds. …The issue a single parking space. Each pod has a door with a adding he knows shelter I wanted to speak about was combination lock, a window and sleeping loft. is only part of the answer; lifting certain restrictions people living in the pods on religious institutions to will need other social allow institutions, if they services to transition chose, to house more people into permanent housing, for longer. It opens the door but he is leaving that to more options.” part of the equation for Caring for those in need others to address. He has been a major focus says one reason he has for Andy’s family over the focused on putting pods past four years. He has in the parking lots of helped his sons with their faith organizations is bar mitzvah projects. His because people in faith older son, Solomon, now a communities “care about sophomore at Catlin Gabel, other people. They help made and distributed more – that is part of being a than 3,000 meals to the faith-based organization.” homeless with his soup sack A longtime member of project. In June, his son CBI and its social action Benjamin completed two committee, Andy is now projects – a monthly food brotherhood president. pantry in the CBI lobby But he emphasizes this is and providing math tutors a personal project – the for the Homework Club bar mitzvah project “I that CBI’s sisterhood has never got to do.” organized for low-income Beth Israel Senior residents in Northwest “I want to bring community together Rabbi Michael Cahana says, “When Towers next to Beth Israel. Andy the government, public and religious describes his wife, Rebecca Mischel, around this issue,” says Andy Olshin, groups come together, we can do a neonatologist, as “the rock behind noting he was initially motivated to amazing things. … Andy has built an all of this and the depth of our amazing coalition and united a lot of commitment.” act in memory of the late Oregonian passions and communities.” When the couple moved from Publisher Fred Stickel; Viking Industry San Francisco to Portland in the late The project began in May when Andy met City Commissioner Dan 1990s, Andy served as a professional owner Dick Alexander, who played a Saltzman, Multnomah County Chair consultant for the Citizens Crime pivotal role expanding early childhood Deborah Kafoury and Portland Commission before serving as a Business Alliance president and CEO volunteer on the board for more programs; and Hillsboro auto dealer Sandra McDonough. than a decade. He says he learned Dick Inukai, a tremendous supporter He was able to start building the a lot about homeless youth and prototype pods after he received a poverty through his work with the of Boys & Girls Clubs. “If those three check for $18,000 from his Uncle commission. gentlemen were still alive, they would George Olshin, a college professor in So with the help of many special education who has spent nearly be aghast about what our city has done volunteers and gap-year participants 50 years helping transition people in the Tivnu: Building Justice, he around homelessness.” out of institutions into stable living has begun building the shelters. He situations. hopes that many institutions will Rabbi Cahana joined Andy on Nov. agree to accept some of the pods 2 to testify before the city council on a zoning amendment and will organize services for those who find shelter there. to make it legal for religious institutions and some nonprofits “There is no one solution to the homeless crisis,” says Rabbi to put the pods in their parking lots if they meet certain Cahana. “It is going to be many different groups responding to conditions. The amendment passed on second reading Nov. 9. the emergency using different talents, passions and connections. “I told them (city commissioners) the mayor had charged If every congregation had a congregant like Andy Olshin, we religious organizations to help in this state of emergency,” would succeed.” OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016 11

INS & OUTS

Nicole Walters

Daniela Meltzer

From JFGP to City of Beaverton Nicole Walters resigned her post as the marketing and communications director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland to accept a position with the City of Beaverton. She began her new job as marketing manager within the Mayor’s Office of Public Involvement and Communications Division Nov. 21. As Beaverton’s marketing manager, Nicole leads the city’s public information team and will lead the team working in digital, print communications, internal communication and more. She is responsible for implementing the city’s marketing plan and helping the city achieve goals to promote Beaverton as an open and welcoming city. Nicole and her husband, Greg, moved to Portland in 2002. Her first local job was as marketing and development coordinator at Congregation Beth Israel. She served CBI for more than eight years and remains a member of the Reform congregation. Nicole worked at the federation for nearly six years. Her role included developing and implementing integrated marketing/ communications strategies in support of the community campaign, promotion of federation programs, incentives and events. In 2015, she earned an MBA with a focus on nonprofit management from the University of Portland. “Nicole has been a wonderful asset to our Jewish community for many years, both at the Jewish federation and Congregation Beth Israel prior. She will be sorely missed,” says JFGP CEO Marc Blattner.

Neveh Shalom hires new program director Congregation Neveh Shalom welcomes Daniela Meltzer as the congregation’s new program director. Throughout her career, Daniela has worked with numerous environmental and social justice nonprofits. In recent years, she has worked as a consultant in event production, marketing and communications for organizations such as Give a Beat, California Hospital Medical Center Foundation, National Medical Fellowships, the Children’s Nature Institute and many more. She sits on the board of Amazon Watch (an organization she helped found 20 years ago) and the Tualatin Hills synchronized swimming team. Daniela and her family relocated to Portland in the summer of 2015 when her husband, Adam Meltzer, was hired as a full-time LEED 12 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016

Jerrica Becken

Deborah Bletstein

consultant for Green Building Services. Their two daughters, Sofia (11) and Rachel (6) attend Portland Jewish Academy. Daniela’s unique experience and expertise are a welcome addition to the Neveh Shalom community. 503-246-8831, ext. 139 | programs@nevehshalom.org | nevehshalom.org

Eugene’s Beth Israel hires Jerrica Becken Temple Beth Israel in Eugene welcomes Jerrica Becken as its new program and communications manager responsible for developing, implementing and coordinating programming and other initiatives to engage with current and prospective TBI members. She’ll work closely with the Membership Committee and provide support to the executive director and rabbi in the programming area. Temple Beth Israel – Center for Jewish Life is located at 1175 E. 29th Ave., in Eugene. Jerrica’s most recent position was program manager of direct marketing in annual philanthropy at the University of Oregon. She holds a Masters of Nonprofit Management from UO with a concentration in development and management. 541-485-7218 | jerrica@tbieugene.org | tbieugene.org

Neveh Shalom cantor to depart in May Deborah Bletstein has decided to resign her position with Congregation Neveh Shalom at the end of this program year, May 2017, after six years of serving the Conservative congregation. “Both personally, and on behalf of the board of directors, and all CNS congregants and friends, I want to thank Cantor Bletstein and express our appreciation for her dedicated spiritual and innovative leadership,” says CNS President Stephen Blake. In a message to congregants, Cantor Bletstein wrote: “It is with mixed emotions that I say farewell to you at the end of this academic year. Neveh Shalom has been my home and my community for over six years. … I feel the time has come for me to embark on a new chapter in my life. In addition to seeking new creative outlets, I plan to take some personal time to rejuvenate my heath and enjoy more free time with family and friends.” A transition committee will be formed soon. cantorquestionscns@gmail.com | nevehshalom.org

Linda Alper with students she taught in Islamabad last fall

Arlene Cogen

Portland and Pakistan build common ground Linda Alper, from Portland’s Artists Repertory Theatre, has received a grant to develop a theater piece with Theatre Wallay, a Pakistani arts company, on the topic of “Public Space.” Linda will travel twice to Islamabad, and then Theatre Wallay will visit Portland, June 23-30, 2017, where they will perform at ART and meet with local arts groups. Linda was profiled in Oregon Jewish Life in the October issue, which featured women as mentors. The project is supported by a $327,000 Cultural Affairs Grant from the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, awarded to Linda, in partnership with Ithaca College, Professor Kathleen Mulligan, David Studwell and Theatre Wallay. artistsrep.org | orjewishlife.com/linda-alper-mentoring-ismaternal

Arlene Cogen starts philanthropic leadership business Earlier this year Arlene Cogen launched her new business as a philanthropic leadership consultant. Arlene works closely with professional advisors, nonprofits and their clients to foster deep relationships, engage the next generation and make a lasting legacy through leadership and philanthropy. As a certified financial planner with three decades of expertise in the business and nonprofit worlds, Arlene is committed to helping others self-actualize through philanthropy. She is an inspiring, passionate and well-informed speaker on financial and philanthropic planning strategies. She likes to “put the FUN in philanthropy” and help people have FUN doing the most good. Arlene is available to speak to firms, professional organizations or nonprofits on topics such as: Leaving a Lasting Legacy: How to make the gift you never knew you had in you; How Philanthropy Fits Into Your Financial Plan; and Legacy Planning and the Funny Family. She is a board member of the Estate Planning Council of Portland, member of the Financial Planning Association and a Pathway partner (mentoring group) for the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland.

Sarah Blattner and Steve Eisenbach-Budner

She received the Hadassah National Leadership Award in April 2002 and the Jewish Women’s Round Table Song of Miriam Award in June 2003. 503-957-8334 | Arlene@arlenecogen.com | arlenecogen.com

Four innovation organizations merge Bikkurim, Joshua Venture Group and UpStart are consolidating into a single organization – UpStart – to serve as the central resource for Jewish innovation. The newly envisioned UpStart will also include the current U.S.-based programs of PresenTense. The four organizations currently provide the Jewish community’s leading support services for innovators and organizations looking to tackle today’s Jewish challenges with new ways of thinking, and to create meaningful access points to Jewish life. Through this consolidation, UpStart will leverage the best of each organization to house all innovation resources under one roof – delivering a comprehensive, streamlined suite of high-quality services to entrepreneurs, “intrapreneurs” and communities pursuing Jewish innovation. In 2012, JVG selected two Portlanders – Steve Eisenbach-Budner (Tivnu: Building Justice) and Sarah Blattner (Tamritz: Digital Badging) – for its 2012-2014 Dual Investment Program, which awarded eight fellowships to social entrepreneurs who have the potential to “transform the Jewish landscape.” “Jewish life has evolved in incredibly positive ways due in part to the success of our organizations, our program alumni and our visionary partners,” says Aaron Katler, CEO of the current and future UpStart. “We come together now out of a shared commitment to build on that success and to expand our capacity to serve an evolving field.” During the transition, each organization will operate its own programs and support its current cohorts. The future UpStart board will be comprised of representatives from each organization. PresenTense’s global operations will continue separately under the PresenTense name. upstartlab.org | joshuaventuregroup.org | bikkurim.org | presentense.org Send business announcements to editor@ojlife.com

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016 13

Dec. 25, 2016Jan. 1, 2017 Light first candle on Dec. 24 after Shabbat.

14 A MENORAH FULL OF HANUKKAH MOMENTS 16 NO IDEA WHAT TO GIVE? OUR GIFT GUIDE CAN HELP 18 JEWISH LIFE GIFT PICKS 20 GIVE GIFTS THAT OPEN WINDOWS TO WORLD 23 RYE COOKBOOK PERFECT GIFT FOR BAKERS 24 HUMBLE HELPER CANDLE HELPS OTHERS SHINE 26 CHECK OUT ALL THESE HANUKKAH PARTIES (More Hanukkah in JKids & Teens Too, pages 54-61)

Great Moments in Hanukkah History By Rich Geller

or more than 2,000 years the Jewish people have kept the lights of Hanukkah shining brightly, shepherding the story of the miracle of the oil through the generations. Innumerable Hanukkah celebrations and myriad innovations in how we celebrate have graced the intervening years. I’ll admit that it takes some chutzpah to try and distill two millennia of Hanukkah history into nine great moments; nevertheless, here is my Hanukkah top nine list, presented in chronological order: one for each candle and one more for the shamash or helper candle. Happy Hanukkah!

Judah Maccabee by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld

1) JUDAH MACCABEE STRIKES BACK. 167 BCE: Taking command of Jewish resistance to tyrannical King Antiochus in ancient Israel, Judah Maccabee, aka “The Hammer,” leads his people to victory over the occupying Seleucid Empire. The desecrated Temple in Jerusalem is subsequently liberated, purified and rededicated. One day’s supply of oil miraculously lasts for eight days. It is this miracle, along with the 14 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016

dedication of the Temple, that we commemorate each year. In fact, Hanukkah means “dedication” in Hebrew. 2) HANUKKAH GOES ELECTRIC. CIRCA 1918: Like Bob Dylan going electric at the Newport Folk Festival in 1964, the advent of electricity made it inevitable that Hanukkah would, too. The first electric menorahs began illuminating the windows of homes and businesses shortly after the end of World War I. These incandescent Hanukkiah demonstrated to the gentile world that the Jews had “made it.” They, too, could take part in the American holiday celebration, but on their own terms. While electric menorahs do not fulfill the mitzvah to kindle the Hanukkah lights, they are still a wonderful decoration and a great way to publicize Hanukkah and to spread the word of G-d’s miracle. 3) CHOCOLATE COINS. CIRCA 1920S: Loft’s Candy Company, based in New York City, introduces the world to the dubious pleasures of waxy gold foil-covered chocolate gelt. These sweet treats are a Hanukkah favorite of children, who often use them in games of dreidel. Gelt, which means money in Yiddish, was a common Hanukkah gift in the old country. In the New World its chocolate counterpart eventually superseded the exchange of actual money.

HANUKKAH 4) FIRST LATKE MIXES. CIRCA 1950S: While Pillsbury had been running ads in Jewish publications as early as the 1930s recommending its flour for use in latke preparation, and Aunt Jemima, the instant pancake pioneers, had been hawking its mix as “best for latkes” since 1919, the first commercially produced, dehydrated, potato pancake mixes didn’t appear on grocery store shelves until shortly after World War II. These newfangled products liberated the modern housewife from the drudgery of peeling and grating potatoes by hand. Kosher food producers such as Streit’s and Manischewitz led the charge of creating the first wave of processed kosher convenience foods, whose star rose in an age that equated science and industry with progress, not to mention health and sanitation. Packaged frozen latkes soon followed, while the advent of Crisco vegetable shortening in 1911 allowed for sour cream to accompany schmaltz-free latkes. Of course, purists and your bubbe still insist that nothing can compare to the sublime delectability of a hot, crispy homemade latke, made with the one ingredient no processed food contains – love.

7) THE CHANUKAH SONG. 1994: On Dec. 3, 1994, Adam Sandler first performed the song during the Weekend Update segment of “Saturday Night Live.” Both an ode to Jewish celebrities and a gift to Jewish children everywhere, the Chanukah Song spawned two follow-ups and a major motion picture (“Eight Crazy Nights”), becoming a holiday favorite in the process. 8) FIRST WHITE HOUSE HANUKKAH DINNER. 2001: The first official Hanukkah dinner at the White House was hosted by Laura and George W. Bush in 2001 and quickly became an annual tradition. The first dinner was a catered affair, with a menu featuring kosher meatballs but curiously no latkes! Subsequent Hanukkah dinners were prepared in the White House kitchen, which was fully kashered for the occasion. For the first time a menorah was lit in the official White House residence. In 2008 the grandsons of President Harry S. Truman and Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion of Israel attended the dinner. Together they lit the menorah given by Ben-Gurion to Truman in 1951, in gratitude for the United State’s recognition and support of the fledgling Jewish State. Left: Jewish astronaut Jeffrey Hoffman floats in the forward middeck area of the space shuttle Endeavour Dec. 5, 1993. PHOTO COURTESY OF NASA

7 Rabbi Abraham Shemtov, right, in front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia at the lighting of the very first public menorah in 1974.

PHOTO COURTESY LUBAVITCHER CENTER

8 5

5) FIRST PUBLIC MENORAH. 1974: Spearheaded by Chabad-Lubavitch as part of Rebbe Menachem Schneerson’s Hanukkah awareness campaign, the first public menorah stood in the shadow of the Liberty Bell at Philadelphia’s Independence Hall. Five years later, in 1979, President Jimmy Carter broke 100 days of self-imposed seclusion during the Iranian hostage crisis to light the new National Menorah erected on the White House lawn by Chabad Rabbi Abraham Shemtov. It has been lit every year since then. 6) FIRST HANUKKAH IN SPACE. 1993: Jewish astronaut Jeffrey Hoffman makes Hanukkah history by becoming the first person to spin a dreidel in zero gravity while serving as mission specialist on the space shuttle Endeavour. Hoffman even brought a small silver menorah onboard. Of course, it could not be lit for safety reasons. In 1997, another Jewish astronaut, David Wolf, observed Hanukkah in space while serving aboard the aging Russian Mir space station. Like Hoffman, Wolf brought a dreidel onboard the station. “I probably have the record dreidel spin; it went for about hour and a half until I lost it. It showed up a few weeks later in an air filter. I figure it went about 25,000 miles.”

9) THANKSGIVUKKAH. 2013: Worlds collide when the first day of Hanukkah is also Thanksgiving Day! A rare confluence of the Hebrew and Gregorian calendars conspired to produce this once in a lifetime holiday mash-up. Thanksgivukkah was the brainchild of marketing specialist Dana Gitell, who came up with the quirky holiday’s name and launched a website, Twitter account and Facebook page devoted to “eight days of light, liberty and latkes!” Nine-year-old entrepreneur Asher Weintraub of Manhattan took it one step further when he invented the “menurkey,” a turkey-shaped menorah designed just for Thanksgivukkah. But perhaps the best thing about this rare event was the endless food possibilities it presented. Latkes with cranberry sauce, challah-pastrami turkey stuffing and pumpkin challahs were just a few of the creative recipes people came up with. While Thanksgivukkah was a blast, we won’t see it again for another 79,000 years. So unless your future plans include having yourself placed in cryogenic suspension for a few millennia, hope you enjoyed it!

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016 15

HANUKKAH

2016 HANUKKAH GIFT GUIDE

MITTLEMAN JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER 6651 SW Capitol Hwy. Portland 503-244-0111 oregonjcc.org

GUIDE DOGS FOR THE BLIND 32901 SE Kelso Road Boring, OR 503-668-2100 guidedogs.com

CONGREGATION SHAARIE TORAH 920 NW 25th Ave. Portland 503-226-6131 shaarietorah.org

Join the MJCC between Dec. 20 and Jan. 31 to receive No Enrollment Fee and (3) Free onehour personal training or nutritional therapy sessions.

The Litter of Love catalog is a great way to show the special people in your life how much you care, all while helping Guide Dogs for the Blind create exceptional canine partnerships. Learn more about how you can support GDB’s life-changing mission: guidedogs.com/litteroflove

Come visit the Diane Nemer Gift Shop at Congregation Shaarie Torah for our annual Hanukkah Sale, beginning Sunday, Dec. 11, from 10 am to 3 pm. We have menorahs, dreidels, games, cards, candles and more! All proceeds from our gift shop go to education programming at our synagogue.

16 DECEMBER OREGON JEWISH 2016 | OREGON LIFE | DECEMBER JEWISH2016 LIFE

LARRY & CO. 1000 SW Broadway, Suite 1790 • Portland 503-766-3176 Larryandco.com The Jewelry Boutique and Design Studio is featuring this Italian 14K yellow gold necklace with various semiprecious stones measuring 34” in length priced at $1,320. The bracelet measures 8” in length and is $816. The matching earrings are $642.

ELEPHANTS DELICATESSEN 115 NW 22nd Ave. Portland 503-299-6304 elephantsdeli.com Our At Home Dinner Tote has everything for a perfect homemade meal for loved ones. It includes our wild mushroom soup, two frozen casseroles (bake right away or save for later), seasonal green salads, homemade dinner rolls, and four chocolate chip cookies. Available for local pickup or delivery. $70

CONGREGATION BETH ISRAEL SISTERHOOD GIFT SHOP 1972 NW Flanders Portland 503-222-1069 bethisrael-pdx.org/ community/sisterhood CBI’s gift shop is ready for Hanukkah: candles, menorahs, toys, cards, decorations and more. The Gift Shop is open Thursdays 4:30 to 6:30 pm, Fridays 11 am to 1 pm and Sundays 9:15 am to 12:15 pm. All proceeds benefit CBI’s religious school.

PACKOUZ JEWELERS 522 SW Broadway Portland 503-228-3111 packouzjewelers.com The all new Rolex Datejust 41 shown in stainless steel and 18k rose gold with the stardust diamond dial. $14,250 as shown.

ARTISTS REPERTORY THEATRE 1515 SW Morrison St. Portland 503-241-1278 artistsrep.org Give the gift of theatre this holiday season with a Flex Pass! Flex Passes offer access to all shows remaining in our 2016/17 season at 20% off the single ticket price. Contact our Box Office TuesdaySunday, noon to 6 pm, to purchase.

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HANUKKAH

Jewish Life's picks for Hanukkah gifts By Mala Blomquist

here are lots of traditional gifts to give your loved ones during Hanukkah. But there are also some unusual ones to consider. I spent some time searching the internet for some ideas. I hope you enjoy my top picks for a special Hanukkah this year.

e The 2017 Nice Jewish Guys

e r t

Calendar features an array of menschen you can proudly take home to mom. The calendar turns the spotlight on the underrated characteristic that pecs and tight buns can’t deliver...niceness. The Nice Jewish Guys Calendar features a different mensch every month. Major secular and Jewish holidays noted. $14.95. moderntribe.com

r Dreidel is a fun game to play, but you can also have dreidels that are

works of art. These Glass Dreidels by artist Gary Rosenthal have a contemporary style rooted in tradition. His inspiration comes from the rich history of the Jewish people, which tells us it’s a blessing, or mitzvah, to make beautiful, functional art. $120 for 6. menorah.com.

t You can find menorahs made of metal, glass and clay in traditional,

modern and unusual shapes, including people, animals, planes and cars. There is something about the Wheeling Groovy Menorah that just makes you smile! This enameled metal bus looks like it just came back from a road trip to a 60s concert. $52. menorah.com.

u Wear a symbol of the Holy Land close to your heart with the Israel

o i

in My Heart RingSaver Pendant. Designed by Sarah Feld of Beit El, Israel and created by artist Avichayil, the silver RingSaver pendant features a map of the state of Israel safely enclosed inside a heart frame. The unique, open-ended design allows you to slip your ring off and hang it on the pendant when washing hands or applying lotion. $49. israel365.com.

i The Chanukah Festival Basket has it all. Enjoy an

assortment of noshes, including chocolate drizzle popcorn, Chanukah fortune cookies, chocolate babka, shortbread cookies, marzipan candies, assorted gourmet chocolates and other holiday necessities: menorahs, gelt and dreidels. Serves 10 to12. Parve & dairy. $159.99. challahconnection.com.

o Whether you own a teacup breed or a mastiff, your best

friend can be decked out for Hanukkah in an I Love You a Latke Dog T-Shirt. They’ll be the envy of the dog park! $14.95. cafepress.com.

40 DECEMBER 2016 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE 18 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016

The goals of our education program for our youth are the same as the entire congregation. We seek to construct powerful educational experiences that enable our students to become Critical Readers, Social Justice activists and Reflective Ritual Practitioners.

Happy Hanukkah! “We love Beit Haverim because for years it was the most diverse experience my kids had—different types of families from all sorts of backgrounds. At this point, my kids have ground up in the community and they consider Beit Haverim and extension of their family.” — Kim Kent, parent, congregant, and religious school teacher

Beit Haverim

1111 Country Club Road Lake Oswego, OR 97034 503-344-4839, office@beithav.org www.beithav.org

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016 19

HANUKKAH

Books make great gifts

Compiled by Deborah Moon

remember years ago one of my sons telling his brother that the secret of reading was to “be in the book.” It was a comment I wholeheartedly believe. Books have the power to transport us to different worlds, to help us understand others’ struggles, to inspire us to explore. For all of those reasons, books have long been at the top of my gift list – both to give and receive. If you are looking for a gift that opens windows to the world, check out some of these books that have crossed my desk over the past few months.

CHILDREN’S BOOKS While there are plenty of classic Hanukkah books for children, I received two recently published children’s books that would make a nice addition to a youngster’s gift bag.

Fascinating: The Life of Leonard Nimoy, by Richard Michelson, illustrated by Edel Rodriguez, Alfred Knopf Books for Young Readers, hardcover, $17.99. This picture-book biography of Leonard Nimoy, the late beloved Star Trek star, exemplifies the power of pursuing your dreams. Perfect for the legions of Star Trek fans, Fascinating is the incredible origin story of Leonard Nimoy from his little-known career as a photographer to his life-changing encounter with John F. Kennedy. This story of how a boy followed 20 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016

his dreams and became one of the most iconic figures of our times is, as Spock would say, “Fascinating.”

A Hat for Mrs. Goldman: A Story about Knitting and Love, by Michelle Edwards, illustrated by G. Brian Karas, Schwartz & Wade Books, hardcover, $17.99. Sophia likes to make big, beautiful pom-poms for the hats Mrs. Goldman makes for everyone in the neighborhood. But when Sophia finds out Mrs. Goldman is too busy knitting for everyone else to make herself a hat to keep her head warm, Sophia decides to make one herself. She wants it to be the most special hat in the world. For youngsters inspired to do the same, the book includes instructions to make “the Sophia hat.”

FICTION The Secret Book of Kings, by Yochi Brandes, translation by Yardenne Greenspan, St. Martin’s Press, hardcover $26.99. This sweeping biblical epic filled with court intrigue, romance and rebellion caught the attention of a friend who saw it on my desk. After she read it she told me, “As a 21st-century Jew, it can often feel difficult to connect to the stories of our tradition told in the Bible. This historical novel brings the Bible to life in a vivid, poignant way. It takes references and allusions found in the original text and expounds on them in exquisite detail. The reader will be transported to the days of the Biblical Israeli monarchy and feel connected to the rivalries and intrigues of our ancestors as if they were happening today. A compelling and relevant novel for those who want to learn about our history from all sides, not just the victors.”

Karolina’s Twins, by Ronald H. Balson, St. Martin’s Press, hardcover, $25.99. Inspired by true events, this novel is the story of a Holocaust survivor’s quest to fulfill a promise she made to her friend long ago – to return to Poland and find two sisters lost during the war. Lena hires lawyer Catherine Lockhart and her privateinvestigator husband, Liam Taggert, who appeared in two earlier Balson novels, to find the girls she promised Karolina she would return for. The novel weaves between Lena’s story and the couple’s efforts to find Karolina’s twins, while Lena’s son threatens to sue them for taking advantage of a confused old lady. The dual story makes for a captivating and ultimately heartwarming read.

The Devil in Jerusalem, by Naomi Ragen, St. Martin’s Griffin, paperback, $15.99. Available in paperback just in time for Hanukkah, this novel continues Naomi Ragen’s exploration of women in the ultraOrthodox Jewish world. Detective Bina Tzedek travels a winding path through Jerusalem’s Old City, kabbalists, mystical ancient texts and terrifying cult rituals to find out why a young mother refuses to talk about the horrific injuries that landed two of her children in Hadassah Hospital.

Death Steals a Holy Book, by Rosemary & Larry Mild, Magic Island Literary Works, trade paper, $14.95. Reluctant sleuths Dan and Rivka Sherman yearn for a tranquil life as owners of The Olde Victorian Bookstore. But when they acquire a rare volume, they find themselves embroiled in a firestorm of deceit, thievery and violence. When a book restorer finishes his work on the Menorat ha-maor (The Candlestick of Light), he is brutally murdered and the book disappears. Dan and Rivka set out to find out why this rare text compelled someone to kill for it. Continued on page 22

Celebrate with us at Congregation Beth Israel’s

PRE-CHANUKAH FAMILY CELEBRATION Friday, December 16 6:00 pm Goodman Hall Congregation Beth Israel 1972 NW Flanders

Congregation Beth Israel’s

Pre-Chanukah Family Celebration! Portland Food Carts! Latkes! Donuts! Music and Fun for people of all ages! Come get in the Chanukah spirit with us and enjoy festive activities. To RSVP, contact Marisa at 503-222-1069 or marisa@bethisrael-pdx.org In keeping with the Chanukah theme and to support the Greater Portland community, please bring a donation of quart or gallon size Ziploc bags and/or paper towels for our partners at Lift Urban Portland.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016 21

HANUKKAH NONFICTION Eat My Schwartz: Our Story of NFL Football, Food, Family and Faith, by Geoff and Mitch Schwartz with Seth Kaufman, St. Martin’s Press, hardcover, $26.99. For the football fan on your gift list, check out this book by two Jewish brothers, who are star offensive linemen in the NFL. The pair explains how good kosher dishes and football are perfect

companions.

The Brooklyn Nobody Knows: An Urban Walking Guide, by William B. Helmreich, Princeton University Press, paperback, $24.95.

Structured geographically, this easy-to-transport paperback takes readers through each of Brooklyn’s 44 neighborhoods. The book features candid commentary from residents, off-the-beaten-track sites and historically significant buildings – the Carroll Gardens church where Al Capone was married and the Brooklyn Heights house where Carson McCullers and W.H. Auden lived (at different times). Historical context makes this informal, eye-opening walking companion a find for New Yorkers and tourists alike.

100 Things To Do in Portland Oregon Before You Die, by Ann Smith with Allison Symonds, Reedy Press, paperback, $16.

From world-class dining and spectacular outdoor adventures to quirky pastimes and raucous sports fans, Portland has something

22 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016

for everyone. It is a city of hipsters, runners and foodies. Brewpubs, tattoos, underground tours, bike shops, coffee houses and gardens mix with official tourist sites such as the Oregon Zoo, Japanese Gardens, Rose Gardens, Schnitzer Concert Hall and the World Forestry Center.

Traditional Jewish Baking: Retro Recipes Your Grandma Would Make if She Had a Mixer, by Carine Gore, Page Street Publishing, hardcover, $24.99.

This cookbook recreates the best versions of timeless and traditional Jewish baked goods. A baking phenomenon on Israeli television, Carine teaches readers how to make more than 100 delicious treats straight from the homeland like Bubbe would, but using new and simple techniques and adaptations for today’s appliances.

In the Darkroom, by Susan Faludi, Metropolitan Books/ Henry Holt and Company, hardcover, $32.

In this extraordinary inquiry into her family saga, Susan Faludi finds out her 76-year-old father, long estranged and living in Hungary, has undergone sex reassignment surgery. She explores how this new parent who identifies as a “complete woman” is connected to the silent, explosive and ultimately violent father. Her struggle to come to grips with her father’s metamorphosis takes her across borders historical, political, religious and social as she faces the question “Is identity something you choose, or is it the very thing you can’t escape?”

Give the baker on your list the gift of rye

Stanley Ginsberg. PHOTO BY QUENTIN BACON

By Kerry Politzer

ou may think of rye bread as just a dry, nondescript backdrop for a pile of pastrami. With his new cookbook, The Rye Baker, author Stanley Ginsberg aims to change that perception. Stanley, who was recently in town to school Tabor Bread patrons on the art of baking rye rolls and Swedish sweet bread, describes himself as “seduced” by rye. “I am now a rye addict,” he says with a laugh. “I grew up with all the Jewish breads, and when I was researching my first book, Inside the Jewish Bakery, I discovered that the breads that I grew up with in the ’40s and ’50s were actually later iterations of breads that had come over with my grandparents in the early part of the 20 th century. “Jewish bakers brought breads over with them from all over Eastern Europe. Those breads got more into the Jewish rye, pumpernickel, but I was much more interested in the breads that first came over – the breads that my grandparents ate, and their grandparents (ate) in Europe. And so I started doing research and discovered this incredible tradition of rye that nobody knows about in this country. I started collecting recipes ... I just got blown away.” A native New Yorker, Stanley learned to bake as a child. He recounts, “We lived in the same apartment building as my mother’s parents, and my Ukrainian grandmother, when I was like 3 and 4, would give me a piece of dough and I would play with it and then she would stick it in the oven. There was my roll, my bread, my cookie. The bug bit me early.” Stanley spent more than two years performing culinary research for The Stanley baking in Portland. Rye Baker. “The recipes come from all over the United States and Central and Eastern Europe, and the book is organized by region,” he explains. “We have immigrants’ bread in America, and (breads from) France, Spain, the southern shore of the North Sea, the Nordic countries. … All of the breads in the book I baked myself, because I knew exactly how they were supposed to look, and I wanted them just the way I wanted them.” His beautifully photographed cookbook contains a history of the rye grain in addition to more than 70 sweet and savory recipes, from caraway beer bread to gingerbread to East Berlin malt rye. The book would make a great Hanukkah gift for the home baker.

“Jewish bakers brought breads over with them from all over Eastern Europe.” —Stanley Ginsberg

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Leadership and the Hanukkah shamash By Teddy Weinberger The following is my free translation based on the work of my friend and teacher, Rabbi Lior Engelman.

hen we were children it was clear which of the Hanukkah candles was the most important: the shamash, the “helper” candle. It is the most prominent and tallest candle – it is one of a kind. The shamash is the leader of the pack, the only one that can light the rest. In advance of the Hanukkah plays in preschool, everyone wanted to be the shamash, and the child who landed the part was happy indeed. Adults, too, are very impressed by the shamash. We similarly want to lead by standing out. And if we can’t lead, we often make do with getting close to the local shamash and serving him. However, anyone who has learned some of the basic laws of Hanukkah discovers something unusual: The tradition puts the focus on the regular candles and not on the shamash. Precisely, the regular candles tell the miraculous story of Hanukkah: the victory of the Maccabees and the solitary flask of olive oil that sufficed until the rededication of the Temple. The regular candles are so precious to us that we do not wish to benefit from them for profane purposes; as it says in the liturgy: “And no one may use them except to look at them, and to be 24 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016

reminded to thank and praise Your great name for all Your miraculous rescues.” The truth is that the shamash plays a negligible part in the Hanukkah story. It is designed to allow us to go about our lives in proximity to the Hanukkah lights – using its light and not theirs. The shamash stands out; he is impressive, he is exceptional, but on Hanukkah we are most impressed by those who are not out of the ordinary, who are part of the group. Yes, the shamash is in charge of lighting the other candles; he is responsible for the lighting, he is the leader, but his very name literally teaches him how our sages felt a leader should view himself. A leader is a shamash, an attendant, a servant. His job is to serve others. He is not valuable in himself, and the public is not supposed to worship him. It is likely that he has special abilities, which God gave him to a wonderful degree, but all this in the hands of an authentic leader turns into a tool to serve the public and not, God forbid, as a tool for the cult of his personality. When Rabbi Gamliel, president of the Great Sanhedrin in Jerusalem in the first century, wanted to appoint two of his sages to leadership positions, they refused out of modesty. In response he said to them: “Do you think I am giving you a sinecure? I am putting you to work.” Leadership in Israel means work. Rav Kook referred to himself as “a servant of a holy people in the Holy Land.” We are all leaders in certain aspects of our lives: parents, teachers, people in important positions at work and really everyone who has an influence over the fate of another person. We need to remember that the big light that stands out, the special one, the one we so much loved in our childhood, is ultimately just a shamash. If the shamash is filled with self-pride and thinks that his light is the most important light, he has failed in his role. If he is a humble shamash, then all the candles around him will blaze joyously with a grand light. Happy Hanukkah! Teddy Weinberger, Ph.D., writes from Givat Ze’ev, a suburb of Jerusalem just over the Green Line. He and his wife, Sarah Jane Ross, made aliyah in 1997 with their five children. Teddy is director of development for Meaning ful, a company that works with Israeli nonprofit organizations.

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HANUKKAH

Celebrate Hanukkah

his year Hanukkah coincides with the holiday that is the focus for the majority of Americans. Hanukkah lights and Christmas lights will be intermingled around town. Downtown Portland will have a Christmas tree in Pioneer Square and Chabad’s enormous Hanukkah menorah just three blocks away at Director Park, 815 SW Park Ave. This will be the 33rd year Chabad of Oregon has lit a public menorah each night of Hanukkah. On the first night, a celebration and lighting begin after Shabbat at 6:30 pm. The major party

DEC. 12

ASHLAND: Pre-Hanukkah Women’s Circle: Laugh, learn and create in Ashland beginning at 7 pm. Call 541-482-2778 for address. DEC. 18

MEDFORD: Children’s Hanukkah Storytelling: Amazing program for children of all ages. Crafts, storytelling, laughter and fun. Noon at Barnes and Nobles in Medford. 541-4822778, info@chabadofashland.org Celebrate Hanukkah: A Festival for Kids and Families: 9:30 am-noon at Congregation Neveh Shalom, 2900 SW Peaceful Lane, Portland. Create a menorah, make sufganiyot, play dreidel, dance and sing, hear stories and play. All are welcome (ages 0-12 and parents). Free, no RSVP. Co-sponsored by PJ Library. 503-293-7309, jbezodis@ nevehshalom.org Hanukkah Donuts + Dancing: Make decorations for your home, take part in Israeli dancing, and eat some delicious sufganiot (jelly donuts) at this familyfriendly Hanukkah celebration. 2-4 pm at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center, 6651 SW Capitol Highway, Portland. $10 per family. 503-244-0111 Hanukkah Culinary Experience: What do you want Hanukkah to mean for your child? Prepare

will be the next day from 4:30 to 5:30 pm with music, children’s activities, the dreidel man and grand menorah lighting at 5:30. The lighting continues at 5:30 pm Dec. 26-29. On Dec. 30, the menorah will be lit before Shabbat at 3 pm and on Dec. 31, the final lighting will be at 6:30 after Shabbat ends. Hanukkah celebrations get off to an early start and continue throughout the holiday. Following are events that were submitted by our deadline. Be sure to check our online calendar (orjewishlife. com/calendar) for even more events as the holiday gets closer.

delicious Hanukkah treats while you plan and discuss the chag with your child. 1:30-3 pm at the Portland Kollel, 6688 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland. A project of the Portland Kollel, Camp Seed, Shine and PJ Library. One adult and one child (ages 5-12) is $18, $10 for each additional person. funtobejewish.com/jhcs

DEC. 26

DEC. 24

Hanukkah Wonderland will be open 10:30 am-4 pm daily at the Chabad Center for Jewish Life, 2858 NE Sandy Blvd. Portland. Loads of Hanukkah fun at the Hanukkah Wonderland! JewishNortheast.com/ Hanukkahwonderland

Latke Ball: Live DJ, light hors d’oeuvres, cash bar and photobooth for those in their 20s and 30s. 8:30 pm - Midnight at the Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside St, Portland. $18 early bird special for the first 50 people to register; $25 after and at the door. Sponsored by MJCC and B’nai B’rith Camp. 503-244-0111 bbcamp.org/latkeball DEC. 25

ASHLAND: Grand Public Menorah Lighting: Lighting of the 10-foot menorah with local dignitaries and live music on the Plaza in downtown Ashland at 4 pm. 541-482-2778, info@ chabadofashland.org Chinese Food, Movies and Kugel! Enjoy a Chinese inspired lunch, vote on our favorite Kugel recipes and watch a familyfriendly film. Bring in your “soon to be famous” kugel for all to try and vote! 11 am-2:30 pm at the MJCC. $10. 503-535-3555, lsteinberg@orgeonjcc.org

26 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016

VANCOUVER: Grand Menorah Lighting in Esther Short Park, Downtown Vancouver, followed by festivities in the Hilton Vancouver. 5:30 pm. JewishClarkCounty.com, info@ jewishclarkcounty.com, 360-9935222 DEC. 25-28

DEC. 28

Jewish Heritage night with the Traiblazers: Portland Trailblazers vs. Sacramento Kings Enjoy a pre-game Hanukkah party, commemorative giveaway, menorah lighting in the arena and more! Game starts at 7 pm at the Moda Center.Tickets starting at $30. Tickets: Andrew 503-963-3956 Neveh Shalom Annual Hanukkah Party: Celebrate the festival of lights with food and music. Bring your own hanukiyah to light. Bring toilet paper to support the Men’s Club Toilet Paper Drive for Neighborhood House/help build a toilet paper hanukiyah! 6 pm at CNS, 2900 SW Peaceful Lane, Portland. $15 adult ($18 nonmember) $9 child,

$48 family. RSVP: www.tinyurl. com/cnsHanukkah2016 DEC. 29

Havurah Shalom’s Hanukkah Celebration will offer fun for all ages. It will begin with a potluck dessert oneg at 6:30 pm, followed by lighting Hanukiyot and singing songs from 7 to 7:30 pm, and many tables of dreidel playing after that. Bring your dreidels and Hanukkah geld. 6:30-8:30 pm at Havurah Shalom, 825 NW 18th Ave., Portland. Register: havurahshalom.org ASHLAND: Deli Hanukkah Party: Big Hanukkah party and menorah lighting with live music and delicious food during deli hours. Play dreidel and enjoy a free delicious Hanukkah treat. 5-8 pm at Chabad, 1474 Siskiyou Blvd, Ashland. 541-482-2778, info@chabadofashland.org DEC. 30

Hanukkah with a New Year’s Twist: Share in the miracle and magic of Hanukkah with a New Year’s Twist! 5-8:30 pm at Shaarie Torah, 920 NW 25th Ave., Portland. Games, food (including lots of latkes) and fun! Hanukkah Shabbat Games for young families 5-6 pm; open bar for adults 5-5:30 pm; main service 5:30-6:30 pm; family service 6-6:30pm; dinner at 6:30 pm. 503-226-6131

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11/14/16 6:49 PM

COVER

Captain Libby Weiss brings Israel’s realities alive for Americans By Deborah Moon More than 2,100 years ago, the Maccabees rose up against the Seleucid Greek government that had desecrated the Temple and suppressed Jewish worship. A one-day supply of holy oil miraculously burned for eight days when the victorious Maccabees rededicated the Temple, which stood until the Romans invaded Jerusalem in 70 CE. Just as those ancient Maccabees strove to ensure that the Jewish people could live freely in the land of Israel, soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces today safeguard the Jewish homeland. Oregonians are among those who have played a role shaping the evolution of Israel. CAPT. LIBBY WEISS, 28, is doing the job it seems she was born for – head of the North American Media Department in the Israel Defense Forces. She understands intimately life in both the United States and Israel, which gives her the perfect perspective to enhance international understanding. “Democracy, equality, freedom of expression and religion, and the desire to live peacefully are of the utmost importance to both societies, and it’s an honor to help strengthen this connection by giving the American public insight into our reality,” says Libby. “Promoting understanding of the IDF, the actions we take and the challenges we face undoubtedly strengthen Israel.” The child of Israeli parents and the grandchild of Holocaust survivors, Libby was born and raised in Portland. “I was fortunate to grow up in that calm, peaceful, stable reality,” she says. But that sense of stability was tempered by her knowledge of her family’s less peaceful

28 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016

history. Her mother, Chana, was born in Israel to Holocaust survivors who came to Israel out of a displaced persons camp after World War II. The family later moved to Montreal to join an uncle living in Canada. Libby’s father, Jonathan, was born in Israel after his parents fled the rise of the Nazis to arrive in pre-state Israel just before war broke out in Europe. After serving in the IDF during the 1967 war, Jonathan wanted to study abroad and enrolled in McGill University in Montreal. The couple met there, married and moved to the United States in 1978, moving to Portland in 1987, several months before Libby’s birth. “My dad’s side came to Palestine at the outset of the war; my mother’s parents survived the war in Europe; both those stories play a big role in my life here (in Israel),” says Libby. “It’s fortunate in America people don’t need to understand what we go through here,” she adds. “Here we can stand on virtually any border Continued on page 30

“Promoting understanding of the IDF, the actions we take and the challenges we face undoubtedly strengthen Israel.” ~ Libby Weiss

Libby Weiss participated in a humanitarian mission to Nepal in 2015 after two earthquakes killed nearly 9,000 people, injured 22,000, and damaged or destroyed some 800,000 homes. PHOTO BY JOE SHALMONI

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016 29

Libby Weiss in Israel and view an incredibly hostile country that borders us. That’s certainly different from the reality in the U.S.” Though terror is part of everyday reality in Israel, Libby says Israelis “know how to live happily and how to enjoy life.” Those seemingly contradictory facts are the two things that most surprise visitors from America. “A wonderful part of my work is I get to brief groups of people from the U.S., from students to senators and all in between,” she says. “I like to bring groups to stand on the border with Gaza or Syria. When they see the geographic proximity, it very much surprises visitors. People are also surprised how much Israelis value life. We are tough when necessary, but we really live and don’t let terrorism paralyze us.” As head of the North American Media Department in the IDF, Libby is a spokesperson on all routine and operational issues related to the IDF; she develops and implements a media

OREGON’S MODERN-DAY MACCABEES RABBI JOSHUA STAMPFER On Nov. 29, 1947, Joshua Stampfer, then a young rabbinic student in Jerusalem, awoke to the news that the United Nations, the night before, had approved the creation of a Jewish state. Soon after the UN announcement, he joined the Haganah, the underground Jewish defense army that, after statehood, became the Israel Defense Forces. His wife, Goldie, assisted the Haganah in communications work. “These were among the most exciting and fulfilling days of my life,” says Rabbi Stampfer, who turns 95 this December. “To be participating in the creation of the State of Israel was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.” After training in various camps, he was stationed in the Jerusalem suburbs, often doing night patrols along the boundary areas with Arab villages. One night, he and 35 members of his unit were to be sent to Gush Etzion to aid four kibbutzim under Arab attack. He was pulled out of the group at the last minute; none of the 35 survived the mission. With the impending birth of their first child, the Stampfers returned to the United States so Goldie could receive needed medical care. In 1953 Rabbi Stampfer came to Portland as spiritual leader of Congregation Neveh Shalom, becoming rabbi emeritus in 1993. Once an advocate for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Arab conflict, Rabbi Stampfer today says it’s no longer possible because of other developments in the Middle East. Still, he hopes. “My only dream is that we should have a strong and a truly democratic Israel, one that enables every community in the land to thrive and to be respected.” PHOTO: OJM06434

30 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016

By Sura Rubenstein

DORICE HORENSTEIN Dorice Horenstein says it was an honor to serve in the IDF. Born in 1966 in Tel Aviv to Iranian émigrés, she joined other young Israelis who went into the army out of high school – and was among the 10% of women who, in the 1980s, became officers or frontline soldiers. She was part of Nahal, an IDF program that combined military service and the establishment of kibbutzim and other agricultural communities. During the first part of her service, picking apples on a kibbutz, she met Robert Horenstein, who was visiting a Sunday school teacher who had made aliyah. They married in 1988, two years after Dorice moved to Portland after completing her tour of duty. In the military, she became a chief sergeant (rav samal), training other soldiers how to operate Uzis, M-16s and Galil guns. She also taught the important skill of topography. “My service in the IDF changed me and made me the person I am today,” says Dorice, who has been education and program director at Congregation Shaarie Torah since 2001. “It gave birth to my personality, my ethics, my leadership. In Israel, 18-year-olds have an awesome responsibility – the responsibility to protect the country.” “We grow from the things that make us uncomfortable,” she adds. “Serving in the army is the greatest growth that anyone can have. It takes you out of who you are, and it makes you who you are going to be.”

strategy for the IDF; she coordinates work with the Public Affairs departments of the U.S. Armed Forces; and she manages a team of six soldiers. “Openness, transparency and accountability are critical for us and part of the responsibility we have as a military with mandatory service, which plays such an important role in Israeli society,” she says. Her days are diverse and range from coping with extremely challenging issues such as the death of a soldier or a terror attack to the extremely uplifting experiences of seeing the IDF use its hard-won expertise in disaster relief to help other nations. Libby was part of the IDF delegation to the Philippines after the typhoon in 2013 and to Nepal following the earthquake in 2015. The IDF sends medical teams and search and rescue teams to aid nations in the immediate aftermath of natural disasters. “We have decades of experience in providing world-class humanitarian care following natural disasters,” she says. “These experiences were eye-opening for me. It was nothing short of miraculous to see how, amongst total rubble, the IDF was able to establish a field hospital complete with operating rooms and birthing suites to help in these scenarios.” While in the Philippines she became friends with the parents of the first baby delivered by the IDF medical staff. The parents named the baby Israel, and Libby enjoys following the boy and family on Facebook. Continued on page 32

JOSH ROSS Josh Ross, originally from Texas, decided to stay in Israel after a junior year program at Hebrew University. “I wanted to be an Israeli, and I understood that being an Israeli meant serving in the army,” he says. Josh, now 44, had visited Israel on a Young Judaea program in 1990-91 during the first Gulf War. He’d also participated in Marva, an IDF program for young Jews from the diaspora. He served in the IDF from March 1995 through December 1996, ultimately becoming a sergeant with the 890th Paratroopers Brigade. After six months of basic and advanced training, he was stationed in southern Lebanon, attached to an intelligence unit in the northeastern section of the security zone overlooking the Litani River. “We could see the entire valley and all the way to the coast,” Josh recalls They could see two mountaintop outposts – one at Beaufort, a Crusaderera castle, and the other at “The Pumpkin” – the subject of the recent book, Pumpkinflowers. “We would always see smoke billowing out of those areas.” His service also included time in the Golan, Hebron and Nablus. Afterward, while working at a Jerusalem restaurant, he met Racheli Karlinsky. They married in 2000, shortly before moving to Portland, where Josh attended law school. He’s been an attorney with Stoll Berne since 2005 and is a member of Havurah Shalom. “I’m still a citizen of Israel, and my family is there,” Josh says. “I appreciate the need for defense and for a strong military. But my service in the IDF changed my view of what is going on there. It showed me how brutal and wrong the occupation is.” “I have mixed emotions.”

Left: President’s Award for Excellence ceremony (Libby is in the center of the second row). In 2014 President Shimon Peres presented the Presidential Award of Excellence to Libby. The award is presented to 120 soldiers and officers in the IDF each year. Opposite page: Libby in a Hamas tunnel the IDF found in 2014.

DR. EDIT “EDDY” MEESE Edit “Eddy” Meese joined the IDF after graduating from Tualatin High School in 1998. She credits her father, Michael Suchy, a retired Israel Air Force officer and former Oregon resident now living in Israel, for her decision to serve. “He taught me what it meant to be a Zionist and serve my country,” she says. Today, she is a veterinarian at Willamette Valley Animal Hospital in Keizer and lives with her husband, Zvika, in Albany. But during her service from 1998 to 2003, Eddy broke new ground for women within the Ordnance Corps of the IDF. “I was the first woman in the IDF to be stationed in a combat unit as a tank electrician,” she recalls. “Until then, female tank electricians became instructors. I wanted to be in combat.” After officer training, she was with a mounted infantry unit in Nablus, then served as an Ordnance operations division officer in Ramallah, making her also the first woman to hold these positions. She later moved on to Pikud HaOref in Haifa and then to Tel Hashomer. Her primary responsibilities were to support the ground troops, which included everything from heading into the fighting to repair a broken-down tank, to repairing artillery in the field, to assisting in creating operational plans for different scenarios based on the current events in the region. “In a historically male-dominated Corps, my service opened to women many Ordnance positions that had previously been closed to female soldiers and officers. In that sense, I feel like my service really achieved something.” OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016 31

Libby Weiss

Portland Jewish Academy fourth grade class picture (Libby Weiss third from left in the front row stands next to the writer’s son, Nathan Seldner).

From top: Libby Weiss participated in a humanitarian mission in Nepal in 2015 PHOTO BY JOE

; Libby Weiss joins her family (parents Jonathan and Chana; brother Gil; sister, Tammy) in Portland for Passover 2016; and Israel Defense Forces emblem. SHALMONI

32 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016

“It’s incredibly rewarding to see these glimmers of hope and happiness in horrific situations,” she says. “Life goes on.” She has two small handmade flags she received from children in Nepal and the Philippines. A Philippine school, which the IDF helped rebuild after the typhoon, held a reception for the soldiers and presented them with flags made by the children. Though it was difficult to bring home keepsakes, given she had to fit everything into a military backpack, Libby had no intention of leaving the flag behind. In Nepal she was also handed a small flag in thanks. On especially difficult days at work, she looks at those flags and remembers how good it felt to help the people of those nations. Among the difficult days she recalls were those during Operation Protective Edge in 2014, when Israel launched a ground invasion into Gaza to curtail the daily rain of rockets launched from that Palestinian area onto Israeli civilian targets. Told of the ground invasion set to begin the next day, but unable to discuss it in advance, she hurried home to wash her uniform and do other chores that she knew would remain undone in coming days. “I knew tomorrow’s reality was going to be completely different,” she says. “I saw people my age and knew many would be called up. I saw parents and thought, ‘You won’t sleep over the next days.’ It shows the weight of this kind of work.” She considers herself very fortunate to be able to call both Portland and Israel home. She tries to visit her family here once a year. Her parents and older sister, Tammy, live in Portland. Her older brother, Gil Weiss, is an ob/gyn in Chicago. Her parents visit her in Israel every year, spending summers with family there. It’s a tradition that has continued since Libby was young. “Israel was always a large part of my life,” says Libby. “Some of my fondest memories are the summers I spent with my family in Israel exploring the country from north to south, and the semester

I spent in Israel during high school. The older I got, the more my connection to Israel developed – my family connection, personal history, culture, religion.” Her Judaism was also nurtured by Portland’s Jewish community. She attended preschool at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center and attended Portland Jewish Academy from kindergarten through eighth grade. Following graduation from Lake Oswego High School, she earned a BA in political science from Northwestern University. She is scheduled to complete her MBA in July 2017, studying at the Kellogg School of Business’s Tel Aviv campus at Tel Aviv University. ~ Libby Chana enjoys seeing her daughter on television. She is especially proud of a segment still found on the internet of a tour Libby gave Fox journalist Sean Hannity (http://video.foxnews. com/v/3713313689001/exclusive-sean-hannity-tours-the-hamastunnels/). Libby took the journalist through a Hamas tunnel and explained the threat posed by the Hamas network of tunnels that enabled terrorists to bomb and kidnap Israelis. Chana says Libby’s background makes her a very effective spokesperson. “She is an American girl speaking to Americans,” says Chana. “And she always mentions she grew up in Lake Oswego and was

raised to be a Zionist. She is very proud of her background.” Libby moved to Israel in August 2010. “After graduation, I decided to come to Israel for a year, before resuming ‘regular’ life in the States,” says Libby. During that year she interned at the Economic Ministry and “fell in love with my life here in Israel.” After deciding to stay in Israel, she wanted to “fulfill my responsibility and serve in the IDF, as all my Israeli peers and (my) father did.” Being a woman in the military in Israel is a wonderful experience, she says. “Nearly all of the positions in the military Weiss are open to women; very few are not. Women are fighter pilots and infantry combat soldiers. … Personally, as a female officer, I’ve never felt my gender has been an issue in any capacity.” She has served in the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit since she was drafted in November 2011. She was selected for IDF Officer Command Training in 2013 and has been the Head of the North American Media Department since 2014. “After living in Israel for more than six years, I feel so fortunate to call both the U.S. and Israel my home,” she says. “We face many of the same challenges, but more importantly, we value the same things and I’m lucky to witness that on a daily basis.”

“We have decades of experience in providing world-class humanitarian care following natural disasters.”

Wishing our clients, professional partners and community members a Happy Hanukkah. Josh Frankel, CFP®, senior vice president Board member of the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation and board chair of the Greater Portland Hillel

888 SW Fifth Avenue, Suite 1200 Portland, Oregon 97204 westbearinginvest.com • (503) 417-1444 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016 33

Food

CORNER

When I teach cooking classes I usually explain to my students that there are basically three ways to cook almost anything. The first method is direct heat, which includes grilling, searing or pan sautéing. The second is indirect heat, meaning that the food is surrounded by dry heat that does not come into direct contact with food, such as baking or roasting. The third method is braising, where ingredients that include copious amounts of liquid or broth surround the food, and then it’s slowly simmered. One of these three methods of cooking is used in almost every common recipe. There is, however, one more method of

FRIED TREAT ON HANUKKAH IS JUST RIGHT Story and photos by Lisa Glickman

cooking that is the dirty little secret of some of the tastiest food there is. It is deep fat frying. When we think of deep-fried foods, the word “cuisine” might not come to mind. Bar menus, carnivals and fast food drivethroughs might be a more likely place to find these indulgent little morsels of golden brown deliciousness. Beer-battered onion rings, Buffalo wings, jalapeño poppers and hot salty French fries are just a few of America’s most favored fried foods. While we Americans love to indulge on all things batter coated and crunchy, one can find examples of local fried fare all over the world.

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. 34 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016

The British fry up the finest fish and chips, and in South America little meat-filled pastries called empanadas are deliciously fried up daily. Asian spring rolls and Indian samosas achieve their crispy outer texture in this way as well. Although it may be an indulgence, on occasion, I believe most everyone enjoys the taste and texture of perfectly cooked fried food. The method of dropping food into a vat of hot oil may sound pretty self-explanatory, but there are a few rules to follow to achieve success. First, a deep fry thermometer must be used. If the oil is too hot, the food will burn too quickly and still be undercooked in the center; if the oil is too cold, food will suck up too much oil and be soggy and greasy. Rule of thumb has the oil maintained at or around 375 degrees. This may take adjusting the heat during the process to keep the oil at the right temperature. Second, using the correct oil ensures that the oil does not burn and impart bad flavor. Vegetable, canola, peanut and good old-fashioned shortening are the best choices. Finally, use a heavy gauge pot that is large enough to hold ample oil for the food to be submerged and still leave 3 to 5 inches above the oil to the top of the pot. Food bubbles furiously when dropped into hot oil, and you want to have plenty of headroom to prevent dangerous spillovers. Hanukkah is the festival of lights and traditionally this is the time to celebrate with foods fried in oil. So enjoy the holiday and fry up a batch of something delicious! Although we all know it is not so good for us, we can all agree that even if it’s no more than once a year it’s still darn tasty!

Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until small bubbles form at the surface. Remove from the heat, add the buttermilk and then pour into a stand mixer bowl. Whisk in the yeast and the sugar and set aside for 5 minutes. Add the flour, baking soda and salt, and mix on low speed, using a dough hook, until the dry ingredients are moistened, 3 to 4 minutes. Increase the mixer speed to medium and continue mixing until the dough forms a loose ball and is still quite wet and tacky, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set the dough aside in a draft-free spot for 1 hour. Pour enough peanut oil into a large pot to fill it to a depth of 3 inches and bring to a temperature of 375°F over medium heat (this will take about 20 minutes). Line a plate with paper towels and set aside. Lightly flour your work surface and turn the dough out on it. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour, gently press to flatten, fold it in half and gently tuck the ends under to create a roughshaped round. Dust again and roll the dough out into a 1/2-inch to 1/3-inch thick circle. Let the dough rest for 1 minute before using a chef 's knife, a bench knife or a pizza wheel to cut the dough into 1 1/2-inch squares (you should get about 48). Gently stretch a beignet lengthwise and carefully drop it into the oil. Add a few beignets (don't overcrowd them, otherwise the oil will cool down and the beignets will soak up oil and be greasy) and fry until puffed and golden brown, turning them often with a slotted spoon, for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the prepared plate to drain while you cook the rest. Serve while still warm, buried under a mound of confectioners' sugar, with hot coffee on the side.

CAFÉ DU MONDE BEIGNETS

CROCK POT SPICY APPLE BUTTER

A doughnut is a doughnut, but the beignets from Café Du Monde in New Orleans are one of America’s deep-fried treasures. I got this recipe from the restaurant itself. ¾ cup whole milk 1½ cups buttermilk 4 teaspoons active dry yeast 2½ tablespoons sugar 3½ cups bread flour plus extra for flouring work surface ½ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt Peanut oil for frying Confectioners' sugar for serving, as much as you think you'll need – then double it

5 pounds apples, peeled and finely chopped 4 cups sugar 2 -3 teaspoons ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground cloves ¼ teaspoon salt Place apples in a large bowl. Combine sugar, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Pour over apples and mix well. Place in crock pot, cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Decrease heat to low; cover and cook on low for 9-11 hours or until thickened and dark brown. Stir occasionally. Uncover and cook on low for 1 hour longer. If desired, whisk until smooth. Spoon into freezer containers, leaving ½-inch headspace. Cover and freeze. OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016 35

NWNosh

Cajun fare for vegans and meat lovers alike By Kerry Politzer Photos courtesy of Le Bistro Montage

36 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016

Cajun cuisine is a heady mix of European, West African and Native American influences. It’s intensely flavorful, spicy and rich. Unfortunately, this cuisine is usually off-limits for those with dietary restrictions. But Portland is home to a Cajun restaurant with something for everyone: Le Bistro Montage. This local landmark has been satisfying the vegetarian, vegan and even the gluten-free diner since 1992. General manager Barry Brown said “Members of Portland's Jewish community have been patrons since the very beginning.” At Le Bistro Montage, ingredients such as Andouille sausage, frog legs and alligator are easily avoided (or added, for those who do not follow the rules of kashrut). The well-spiced red beans and rice are dairy- and meat-free, and like most dishes at Le Bistro Montage, they come with a sweet cornbread muffin. Carnivores can enjoy blackened chicken breast or flatiron steak; they can avoid the inclusion of dairy in their meal by omitting the blue cheese and substituting beans and rice for the garlic mashed potatoes. Vegetarians will love the giant heaps of veggie jambalaya. Even the decadent hush puppies can be served vegetarian. The restaurant keeps a binder with detailed lists of ingredients so that all diners might find something to fit their needs. One of the most popular dishes is the macaroni and cheese, of which there are many varieties. Many customers seem to fancy the Spold Mac (a blend of old and spicy), the creamy garlic Old Mac or the jalapeno-spiked Spicy Mac. Pasta lovers can also order pesto macaroni or basil vegetable linguini. For those who want to eat lighter, there’s a Hoppin’ Jon salad with black-eyed

peas. Spices also find their way into the creative cocktail menu, which includes a jalapeno martini and a Dark and Stormy with freshly grated ginger. The diverse wine list features selections from France, Chile, South Africa and Argentina, among other countries. For dessert, there’s peanut butter pie, rum raisin bread pudding made with sourdough baguettes, and, for the chocoholics, a Mississippi mud pie and a chocolate pot de crème. While Le Bistro Montage’s dinner service starts at 5 pm, the restaurant is also quite popular late at night. It’s open till 4 am on weekends. Thronged by hordes of expectant diners, Le Bistro Montage was forced to expand into its former garage, which is now a lounge named La Merde. We recommend that you arrive early to avoid the lines; there are no reservations. Le Bistro Montage: 301 SE Morrison St. | 503-234-1324 | montageportland.com OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016 37

Remodel creates brighter, roomier home By Deborah Moon

Home & ifestyle L

The furniture Steve and Michelle Gradow brought to Oregon from Maryland in 2002 was a perfect fit for the dark walls and fireplace in their Lake Oswego home. But after 14 years, the couple decided their 1993 home needed a facelift. “It’s so gray here outside, we decided we needed something to brighten us up,” says Michelle. Now brighter counters, cabinets, floors and whitewashed bricks on the fireplace combined with new, lighter family room furniture from Paul Schatz Furniture make the home feel open, bright and cheery. To get started, though, Michelle contacted her old college friend, interior designer Linda Georges. The two met 40 years ago while attending – Linda Georges the University of Washington in Seattle. “Michelle came to me to update her kitchen,” says Linda. “I suggested she choose builder Karl Hoffses (from Ridgecrest Homes.). … Karl and I think so much alike that we are a great team in helping our clients achieve the look they desire. Karl is so creative and always thinks outside the box. He can navigate any technical problem and create an amazing space. No space is a problem but an opportunity is his philosophy.” The original plan was to brighten the kitchen by painting the cabinet doors. But Karl suggested replacing the cabinets and repurposing some areas in the kitchen. “Editing the kitchen the way we did allowed a bigger microwave space and more tray storage, deeper drawers, more pot storage under the cooktop to name a few special

38 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016

areas,” says Linda. The kitchen backsplash of soft taupe ceramic tile is arranged to match the herringbone pattern in the existing fireplace. “It evokes a little more contemporary influence, installed in a more classic traditional style,” says Linda. White quartz countertops and cabinets with molding to the ceiling brightened the space. Moving the cooktop from the island to along the wall also provided more preparation and serving space on the island. The changes fit well Michelle’s desire for more efficient space in the kitchen, because they do a lot of entertaining and host friends and family for all the Jewish holidays; they hosted 20 people for Rosh Hashanah dinner, making good use of the redesigned space and using the island for the buffet. Michelle also bakes a lot, so the prep area and two ovens are a big help. Recently she and Christi Goodman did all the baking for a Day of Treats for the staff of Cedar Sinai Park, where Michelle sits on the board and where she serves as president of the Friends of Robison. “I’m not a big cook, I’m an eater,” says Steve. So Steve’s favorite part of the project is the remodeled master bath – especially the large shower. Removing a huge, unused jetted tub opened up room for a large double vanity with two sinks and more storage room. “The shower was to be fresher,” explains Linda. “We selected glass for a crisp but not too contemporary influence. The shower floor is a hexagonal natural stone. The shower

“My philosophy is usually simple elegance. That’s certainly what we achieved here. I believe the Gradows were quite happy with their updated Northwest home.”

Before

Courtesy of Ridgecrest Homes

After OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016 39

After walls are porcelain to be more cleanable and maintenance free. The vanity backsplash is natural stone and a little more masculine for Steve.” “My philosophy is usually simple elegance,” Linda says. “That’s certainly what we achieved here. I believe the Gradows were quite happy with their updated Northwest home.” As happy as they are with the updated home, Michelle was equally happy to move back to Portland after an absence of 25 years. She wanted to be closer to her parents, Bev and Stan Eastern. Steve and Michelle met in Seattle when Michelle was a teacher in Issaquah School District and Steve worked for the state of Washington pension fund. Steve moved to Baltimore for a new job in 1997 and Michelle followed the next year. The couple and their then 2-year-old daughter, Mallory, moved to Portland four years later when Steve got a job offer at a Lake Oswego investment firm. In 2005 he started his own firm, where he works with a lot of endowment and foundation clients. “Mrs. Gradow got me involved in philanthropy,” says Steve, 40 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016

who has served on the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation board for about 10 years. He also chairs the OJCF Investment Committee and serves as treasurer for Congregation Beth Israel. Mallory, now 16, is also involved with the foundation – she has been on the Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation board for two years. She also helps out in Beth Israel’s Sunday School and plays volleyball at Lakeridge High School. All of those family and community connections make for large gatherings in the Gradow home. With the remodel complete, the gatherings are easier than ever.

When Experience Matters Happy Chanukah

JOE MENASHE

Managing Principal Broker Serving Portland Metro area buyers and sellers for 25 years

503-784-1855

JoeMenashe@RealtyTrust.com

The new shower is Steveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorite part of their home remodel.

Steve and Michelle Gradow OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016 41

Museum’s Andy Warhol exhibit biggest ever

Marilyn Monroe by Andy Warhol

“Andy Warhol: Prints from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation” is on display at the Portland Art Museum through Jan. 1, 2017. This major retrospective exhibition of about 250 Andy Warhol prints and ephemera from the collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer is the largest of its kind ever to be presented. It spans two floors of the museum and includes instantly recognizable images such as Warhol’s iconic Campbell’s Soup Can (Tomato) and Marilyn Monroe (Marilyn). Printmaking was a vital artistic practice for Andy Warhol. Prints figure prominently throughout his career from his earliest work as a commercial illustrator in the 1950s, to the collaborative silkscreens made in the Factory during the 1960s and the commissioned portfolios of his final years. The artist’s well-known fascination with popular culture also instills the exhibition with a chronicle of American life in the second half of the twentieth century. The two threads come together to reveal how Warhol’s print publishing enterprise underscores the evolution of today’s hypersophisticated, saturated and savvy visual culture. The exhibition is organized chronologically and by series. Jordan Schnitzer is president of Harsch Investment Properties as well as a Portland collector and philanthropist. His comprehensive collection establishes the range of Warhol’s innovative graphic production as it evolved over the course of four decades. “I think this Warhol exhibition will knock people’s socks off,” said Schnitzer in an interview with the museum’s member magazine. “Remember, too many eyes won’t wear out the Warhol work. So bring your kids, your grandkids, bring the neighbor kids; go get your aunt and uncle, your grandparents – flood the museum with people. Let Andy Warhol reach out and speak to every single one of them who comes to visit this incredible exhibition.” At age 14, Schnitzer bought his first work of art from his mother’s Portland contemporary art gallery, an experience that evolved into his lifelong avocation as collector. He began collecting contemporary prints and multiples in earnest in 1988. Today, the collection exceeds 9,500 works and is one of the country’s largest private print collections overall. He generously lends work from his collection to qualified institutions and has organized more than 100 exhibitions at more than 75 museums. “Andy Warhol harnessed the allure of media images of celebrity, consumer goods, sex, death, and disaster to create his iconic pop art,” said exhibition curator Sara Krajewski, the Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art. "This retrospective provides an in-depth look at how the artist manipulated the seductive power of the photographic and the televisual in his printmaking. Thirty-five years of prints offer a compelling view of Warhol’s critical use of new imaging formats and technologies, from newsprint distribution to instant cameras, television and video. Our comprehensive survey

42 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016

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of Warhol’s vast print production demonstrates Warhol’s impact on the evolution of contemporary visual culture." Warhol’s prints present a journey through the reproduced image in American popular culture, from icons Jacqueline Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe to the socially charged Birmingham civil rights protests and political posters of the 1970s. In its entirety, the exhibition offers a bellwether of contemporary life and society’s ongoing obsession with celebrities, fashion, political figures, athletes, sensationalism and scandal. “The Portland Art Museum’s ambitious overview of Andy Warhol’s prints offers an opportunity to see the artist anew,” observed Richard H. Axsom, contributing essayist to the exhibition catalogue. “Playing upon and manipulating the imagery of popular culture, Warhol fashioned in his major print series a body of work of immeasurable power. Underappreciated is its profound humanity, often obscured by the glamor and glitz of Warhol’s public persona. For an artist known for his superficiality, Warhol was among the least superficial artists of his time.”

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Northwest Film Center Director Bill Foster, left, and Jordan Schnitzer in Portland Art Museum’s Arlene and Harold Schnitzer Sculpture Court in front of Warhol’s Mao series and a related Portland Prints printmaking demonstration by IPRC artist-in-residence Walker Cahall. NWFC hosts the Portland Jewish Film Festival each June. Photo by Rebekah Johnson, courtesy of Portland Art Museum

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OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016 43

Shaman and scholar Psoy Korolenko brings his music to Portland By Kerry Politzer

On Dec.15, the Abbie Weisenbloom Music Series will host an artist who could be described as a living encyclopedia of the Jewish diaspora. He has called himself an akyn (a kind of Central Asian shaman), while others have called him a bridge among languages, cultures and people. Psoy Korolenko is a Russian-Jewish songwriter and performer who has been featured in The Forward (forward.com/ culture/310193/inside-the-mad-yiddish-world-of-psoykorolenjo/). He takes audiences on a multilingual journey of thought-provoking themes. The performer sings in Yiddish, English, French and Russian, and is a guest at many klezmer

This transformational time at OJMCHE would not have been possible without the support of all of you and — we have only just begun! 724 NW Davis St Portland, OR 97209

Please consider a year end gift to support OJMCHE’s on-going work. photos by Tony Villagran

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44 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016

music festivals. He has a special fondness for Yiddish. “Yiddish is, as it were, my virtual heritage language, and, more importantly, the language of a universal meta-culture that I love and feel myself part of.” Through his music, Korolenko focuses on the world around us. “The human world,” he explains, “which is indeed, according to the Yiddish saying ‘di vet mit veltlekh,’ a world with many little worlds in it. And each human is also a separate world with many little worlds in it. The similarities and differences, the links and the gaps, the borders and the landmarks, the limits and the margins, these are the themes I focus on. The body and the language, the ego and the collective mind, the human encounters, conflicts, alienation, idiosyncrasies, myths and narratives, the miracle of love, all the deep and simple truths – the individual moments of truth, the ultimate concerns, what makes us immortal, these themes are relevant.” Korolenko continues, “But we must not be too serious. Being too serious about all this is in fact being too serious about oneself. This is why I prefer to always have a little bit of humor, some absurdity, some positive, constructive stupidity in songs.” The performer, who holds a Ph.D. in Russian literature, has written two books and released more than a dozen CDs of original music. “Most of my released CDs are collaborative projects with awesome musicians, bands and authors such as Daniel Kahn, Igor Krutogolov, Alyona Arenkova, Oy Division, festive band Opa! and others.” To reserve seats for this performance, email Abbie at abbiew@ froggie.com.

[Israel]

BDS onslaught drives Milan Chatterjee to activism Milan Chatterjee at the IAC national conference. Photo by PAL Photography

By Deborah Moon

The son of immigrants from India, Milan Chatterjee grew up deeply immersed in Indian and Hindu culture. Though he became president of the UCLA Graduate Students Association, he was apolitical. So when he was targeted by supporters of the Boycott, Divest, Sanction movement, he was very surprised but assumed the university would deal with it. When he was instead rebuked after a UCLA investigation, he became publically committed to opposing the BDS movement. He is now finishing his law degree at New York University. In September, Milan was a featured speaker at the Israeli American Council’s national conference that attracted 2,100 activists and leaders. Among those leaders was Jewish Life Magazine’s Publisher Cindy Saltzman who recorded a video interview with Milan (an excerpt of the video is posted on orjewishlife.com). The following story is based on that interview. Milan’s road to becoming an anti-BDS activist began in October of 2015 when a student group requested funds for a campus diversity event from the graduate student group Milan was president of. Since the BDS movement is extremely active on UCLA’s campus, Milan said some of his administration was concerned that topic would be part of the event. Wanting all students to feel safe at the event, Milan told event organizers the event should include pro and con BDS groups if event organizers “accepted our funds. They accepted our terms and both sides were represented.” When he received a letter a couple of weeks later from Palestinian groups and the ACLU “falsely accusing me of viewpoint discrimination, I was surprised but thought the University would address it.” Instead, the letter was circulated on campus and a petition was started against Milan. Then one BDS activist called for

“holy war against me and my administration.” “We had to get campus security to come to our meetings,” says Milan. Though nothing happened, Milan said he felt he could be in physical danger because you don’t know where that kind of language can lead. “I asked UCLA for help and support from this anti-Israel harassment,” he says. Instead, UCLA launched a three-month investigation against Milan, but never investigated the BDS activists. “That is the double standard you see in terms of the administration’s handling of the BDS movement.” “They returned a defamatory report saying I violated viewpoint neutrality in the allocation of student fees,” Milan says in a tone that still resonates with shock nearly a year later. “I was trying to be neutral.” Milan and his attorneys now are attempting to have the report overturned. “Seeing how the BDS activists want to destroy people’s reputations and their careers, and engage in smear campaigns, I don’t know how anyone can support the BDS movement,” says Milan, adding, “It also calls for the economic annihilation of Israel.” He says he is most troubled by UCLA’s collusion with the BDS movement causing him to waste three months of his life and needing lawyers to defend himself. He says he is grateful for the support he has received from the Jewish community. Those two diverse reactions have inspired him to become a very public anti-BDS activist. “I feel a moral obligation to expose the BDS movement and administrations who collude with them,” he says. “It is a very dangerous movement … the tactics they use to advance it is malicious and affects the safety of students.” “Since I had this experience and learned a lot, I feel I can help in overcoming it.”

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016 45

[Young Adult]

Israel Fellow finds sweet side of confronting BDS

By Deborah Moon

For Israel Fellow Eyal Ben Zeev, the BDS movement is an opportunity to build relationships with students – to inform and support them as their campus community promotes an agenda to delegitimize Israel. Having spent two years as an Israel fellow at the multi-campus Metro Chicago Hillel, he was the ideal candidate to come to Portland this fall after Portland State University’s student senate took up a Boycott, Divest, Sanction resolution and then tabled it at the end of the last school year. On Oct. 22, the Associated Students of Portland State University voted 22 to 2 to pass a resolution calling upon the university to divest from companies doing business in Israel. Greater Portland Hillel Director Rhonda Kruschen notes that the vote does not represent the student body, faculty or administration of PSU: “This resolution was engineered by the BDS movement and ramrodded into adoption without allowing the campus community the opportunity to research the motivations and implications of divestment or to truly engage in dialogue or learning about the complicated situation in the Middle East.” Still, she called the climate around campus difficult for Jewish students. “We were all so thankful to have Eyal here during this trying time for our community,” says Rhonda. “Eyal spent the week before the vote getting to know the students, taking them for coffee and attending their leadership meetings and events. We took students to dinner after the student senate meeting and he reassured them, and reminded them that nothing bad is going to happen to Israel because of this one ridiculous vote on their campus in Portland. I think that was something they needed to 46 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016

hear in such a moment of sadness.” As an Israel fellow, Eyal says he is “a Jewish educator in the field of Israel.” When the BDS movement comes to a campus, he says Hillel can play an important role helping students feel safe and providing them with the information they need to understand the issue. While in Portland, Eyal led a text study on conflict and disagreement, which he calls a Jewish value. He also held numerous one-on-one or small group coffees and conversations with students to get to know them and to share some Israel culture. “Defeating BDS does not necessarily mark a victory,” says Eyal. “BDS is a horrible thing and the campaign is very hard on students. They feel targeted for being Jewish. How can I make the experience better? I looked at it as a leadership opportunity rather than a bad thing. You can take any bad thing and find something sweet.” In Portland, he says the community came together and emerged stronger and empowered. “People know they have the Jewish community and Hillel there for them,” says Eyal. As much as he believes he touches the lives of students he meets, Eyal says, “They have touched mine more than they can imagine.” Eyal says the North American approach to Judaism inspired his own connection to Judaism to evolve. While he had always identified as Israeli, he had felt turned off from the religion, in part because of Israel’s lack of “separation of church and state” giving the Orthodoxy “control in private matters.” In Chicago, he saw the diversity of Jewish experience: “It can be religion, it can be community, it can be culture, it can be family – that was mind-blowing to me.” When he returned to Israel, he had constructed “a form of Judaism that worked for me.” During his two weeks in Portland, he was very impressed by Rhonda’s clear vision for the Greater Portland Hillel, which

Eyal Ben Zeev joins students (from left) Rachel Dillard, Cole Keister, Michelle Zevelev and Brennan Thorpe for a "Hummus & Chill" event at PSU. The group enjoyed Israeli snacks and learned some fun facts on the politics of hummus.

serves students on Portland-area campuses. “Students here are extremely committed to Hillel’s mission of building community,” says Eyal. “They care because it is so small. They cook Shabbat dinners themselves,” he added, noting the Shabbat dinner he attended drew 60 students. “It’s open to all and very pluralistic.” Drawing on his multi-campus experiences in Chicago, he encouraged Rhonda to consider the Portland campus community as a whole. The two brainstormed on some programs and

activities to help build community. “Having Eyal on campus working directly with me and with students was an invaluable opportunity,” says Rhonda. “Given his experience with a multi-campus Hillel even larger than ours here in Portland, he encouraged me to always focus on the big picture. As much as we can, I'd like to create a cohesive Hillel community in Portland, one that spans across all campuses and brings students together for one common goal: to build a vibrant Jewish community of their peers.”

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OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016 47

[Young Adult]

Robby Gottesman, Rebbetzin Chani Bialo and Emma Chomsky make challah at Chabad’s Jewish Student Center at Reed College. Photo by Polina Olsen

New study shows Chabad on campus has lasting impact

By Polina Olsen

Robby Gottesman, a senior in physics at Reed College, sits in SE Chabad House’s front room across from Rebbetzin Chani Bialo. His first time at Chabad was just two weeks ago when a friend brought him along for Shabbat dinner. Now, he is ready to make challah, something he always wanted to learn. “We were pretty secular,” he says about his upbringing in Los Angeles. “We went to synagogue for the High Holidays, but we weren’t into the whole Jewish culture.” Soon, at Chani’s request, he puts on a kippah, walks into the kitchen, ritually washes his hands and gets out a 5-pound bag of flour. Robby’s entree to Chabad is not unusual and may impact his future attachment to Judaism according to a recent study about Chabad-Lubavitch on college campuses. Commissioned by the Hertog Foundation, an educational philanthropy, the study found interaction often begins with a friendly, fun Shabbat 48 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016

or holiday meal. Personal connection with the rabbi or rebbetzin deepens the involvement and can have a lasting effect on students, including religious beliefs and practices, Jewish community involvement, Jewish learning, dating and marriage, attachment to Israel and donating to Jewish causes. Chabad, the study found, has its greatest impact on students from less religiously observant backgrounds. Those raised Reform who were active with Chabad had a 113% increase in their overall engagement compared to their counterparts who hadn’t been active with Chabad during college. For students raised with “no denomination,” Jewish engagement was 107% higher. The study noted an “extraordinary level of concern” shown by the emissaries toward each student along with acceptance of all levels of religious observance. While the rabbi and rebbetzin are scrupulous in their personal observance, they do not consider those who don’t follow these practices to be any less Jewish than they are. In 2000 Chabad had 30 student centers on U.S.

campuses; today, there are 198. Each Chabad center is self-sup- House, in fact it was one of the early campus Chabads. porting, does its own fundraising and depends on individual Chabad at U of O was established about 15 years ago by charitable donations. Rabbi Asi Spiegel and his family. After the Spiegel family Southeast Chabad in Portland consists of two back-to-back made Aliyah to Israel, Rabbi Berel and Rivky Gurevitch arrived ranch houses directly across from Reed College. Rabbi Dov to take over the center. and Rebbetzin Chani Bialo live in one house with their seven “We've been in some sort of contact with anywhere between children and use the other for the community. On this day, the 200 and 250 students,” says Rabbi Gurevitch of the couple’s communal kitchen buzzes with challah making for Shabbat, for first year in Eugene. “Besides weekly Shabbat dinners and the upcoming Rosh Hashanah holiday and for their “Loaves of weekly classes, we also host both religious and social programs Love” project where they give challah away each week. Chani during the week. For example, we have kosher BLTs – bagels, says the bread is made with love; they use their hands, never lox and tefillin, Girls’ Night Out, Jewish movie nights and a mixer. Besides, no home electric mixer is large enough to han- holiday programs.” dle 20-something loaves of challah. In a recent phone interview, Rebbetzin Rivky Gurevitch said, Other students arrive, wash their hands and get going. “I’ve had close relationships with most of the girls. I’m even in Students check for blood spots as they add eggs after Chani touch with one of the student’s mothers.” explains blood is not kosher. Emma Chomsky, a Reed fresh“Judaism is not the main focus of our conversations,” says the man, met Chani and Rabbi Dov at school. “They were talking rebbetzin. “It’s more like relationships, life on campus, family to people and very friendly,” she says. “I am Jewish, not practic- and the best nail salons around. Some students are Reform ing but …” Emma was born in Nicaragua, grew up in Mexico or Conservative, but most are unaffiliated or don’t even know City and plans to major in they’re Jewish. They say their environmental studies or mom’s mom is Jewish. biology. “On Friday nights, we “What do you do besides always have matzo balls and Chabad?” Robby asks. chicken soup. The first course “That’s it,” Chani says. is a huge array of salads “That’s our passion. We followed by chicken with grew up knowing we vegetables on the side. We’ve wanted to open a Chabad had chocolate lovers Shabbat, House, a place where people Italian, Mexican and Midcan have a home away from dle Eastern. We have Girls’ home. We devote our life to Night Out. Once, a bunch of Chabad because we love it, girls came over for a makeup and we love you guys. We course. We do social events have no other agenda.” like sushi making or movie With the challah put night, and we also have classes. aside to rise, it’s time for Last year we had Pizza and From left, Arianna Schapiro, Grant Kahn, Joel Jacobs, Natalie Engler and making cards. The Loaves Parshah where we talked Brittany Rosenthal enjoy the kick-off event for the 2016-17 school year at Chabad House in Eugene. Photo courtesy of Rebbetzin Rivky Gurevitch of Love project involves about the weekly portion of collecting names of students the Torah. and neighbors who would like a challah and passing them out Linda Guilan is a junior at the University of Oregon. “I along with a handmade greeting card. Everyone sits at a long was raised away from the Jewish community and being back table in the living room and selects colored cardstock, crayons in touch is great,” she said in a phone interview. “Chabad is and pens. welcoming and loving to all of the students. It’s truly been my Liat Kastner has graduated from Reed but was back at home away from home. Chabad for a visit. When she heard Liat had just been to the “One Shabbat was on my birthday. It was also the day of the dentist, Chani warmed up a cup of hot soup. Paris attacks, and I came to Chabad frazzled, nervous and sad “I’ve learned a lot about my Jewish identity,” Liat says about about not being home. I was greeted with a hug. We talked her college experience with Chabad. They’ve been wonderful, about the Paris attacks, and I felt at peace. How awful it could so open-hearted and open-minded. I never had a close friend have been without them.” as observant as Chani. Chani never says, ‘This is what you’re There’s always something going on at Chabad. supposed to do.’ She says, ‘This is my perspective, how I see the “Rivky has a Rosh Hodesh event every month, says Linda. world. Some people do this and some don’t.’ ” “They’re fun, and it’s empowering to see how valued women are Sophomore Miriam Bern also talks about Chabad as she in the Jewish community. During finals week when we’re up all draws: “They are the most welcoming family.” she says. “No night studying, Chabad has a midnight breakfast. We have a matter what I’m going through, they’re here for me and have support system at every turn.” given me so many tools. They’ve made me a more positive person, and I’m grateful for that. I don’t know where I’d be without For more information on the Hertog study visit bjpa.org and type “Hertog” in the top right search box. For information about Chabad in Oregon, visit them.” chabadoregon.com. The University of Oregon in Eugene also has a Chabad OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016 49

[Seniors]

Avocation earns Dr. Doctor lifetime achievement award

Ron Doctor in the Kremenets Jewish cemetery.

By Deborah Moon

When Ron Doctor earned his Ph.D. in nuclear engineering in 1967, he became known as Dr. Doctor. He would not learn until many years later that in so doing he was mirroring his ancestors, who also had a surname that reflected their professions. Near the end of his lengthy career in the energy industry and as a professor, Ron began researching his genealogy – a passion that culminated in a lifetime achievement award from the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies earlier this year (see box). His career began at the Rand Corporation, where he managed major energy projects and testified to legislative committees in Oregon and Arizona on energy issues. He then served six years on the California Energy Commission and after that was the executive director of the Western Solar Utilization Network. In 1990, he received a master’s degree in library and information science – which not only launched his next career as an associate professor at the University of Alabama, it also provided expertise for his genealogy avocation. “My engineering education taught me problem solving; my librarian education taught me how to find, organize and present relevant information; teaching at the University of Alabama and University of Washington taught me how to present 50 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016

In the late ’90s Ron’s first talk to the group cautioned people not to go online for their research. "Now it’s a little different.”

information in ways that are understandable – The combination of the three has been invaluable in my genealogy work,” says Ron. Ron and his wife, Judith “Dusty” Trenberth, moved to Portland in 1997. They had married in Portland in 1982 while Ron led Western SUN, one of four solar centers created by President Carter. “I had recently gotten into family genealogy,” says Ron. When he contacted the Jewish Genealogy Society of Oregon, he was soon drafted to serve on the board of the “group of 10 people with like interests.” For a number of years, Ron served as president of the group, which at its peak had about 90 members and now has about 75 members.

In the late ’90s Ron’s first talk to the group cautioned people not to go online for their research. “Now it’s a little different,” he says with a smile. “Now you can find a lot of info online. So many volunteers are creating new databases and name lists.” His leadership of a volunteer group researching the Kremenets District was a major part of his lifetime achievement award. The group now has an email list of 581 individuals who trace their ancestry to the Kremenets District. “Dozens of people are involved in the work I’m recognized for with this award. … Amazing translations are getting posted and we keep growing,” say Ron. Ron has been to the Kremenets District and Ukraine four times – the first trip in 2002 and the last in 2007. He lucked upon an amazing driver, bodyguard and guide named Alex Dunai. “Alex has helped a lot of people,” says Ron. In his online Ukraine Journal, Ron recounts meeting Alex on that first trip: “During a break in the conversation, Alex pulled out three pieces of paper. He already had done some of my research at the Archives in Ternopil. He located a record from the 10th Revizskaya Skazka (census) in 1858 that takes my Doctor line back two more generations to my 4th great-grandfather, Hirsh Diokhter, born about 1771. …Alex also found an 1858 census record for the Vurers, my paternal grandmother’s family. This takes my Vurer line back two more generations, to my 3rd great-grandfather, Yos’ Vurer, born about 1807.” Ron has since traced the Vurer line back to the mid-1700s and the Averbakh line to the early 1700s. He learned the Doctor name was originally Diokhter, from

the Russian word for tar. Apparently, he says, some of his ancestors made wood tar as a lubricant for wagon wheels. Vuher means wagon, with the name drawn from his ancestors’ work as carters. “It’s an interesting combination,” says Ron. “All are from a small areas in western Ukraine that was then part of Poland.” Likely those professions are how the Diokhter family and the Vuher family met and merged. “People got surnames for their professions,” says Ron of the common practice. Coming full circle, Dr. Ron Doctor made his profession fit his name too.

International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies Lifetime Achievement Award: Dr. Ron Doctor

“In recognition of his lifetime of service to Jewish genealogy through his leadership as president of the JGS of Oregon and the Kremenets District Group, Ukraine SIG leader and service on IAJGS committees. He has worked tirelessly to elevate and enhance the Ukraine SIG; energizing volunteers, nurturing the formation of numerous town research groups, made hundreds of thousands of vital records accessible and provided online availability of Ukrainian information available through an agreement with the Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People (CAHJP) in Jerusalem. So many individuals are indebted to Ron for his help in discovering their ancestors.”

bove

Beyond LET US HELP YOU TAKE THE FIRST STEP

It’s always too soon … until it’s too late

Come visit Rose Schnitzer Manor and see what our community is all about.

We at Rose Schnitzer Manor know it’s hard to make a move, that’s why we want to make it as easy as possible for you. Let us know by March 31, 2017, that you’re interested in making Rose Schnitzer Manor your home at a future date and we’ll help with your move-in costs. We think it’s a pretty special community here and would love to have you join us.

Information. Options. Assistance. For Comfort and Peace of Mind. For You. For Your Family.

Preplan with Phil 503.567.1480 Phil Berger Lonsman phil@preplanwithphil.com jewishfuneralplanning.com Serving Greater Portland, OR and SW WA

Rose Schnitzer Manor is a senior community focused on promoting healthy living and meaningful relationships in a beautiful setting. Residents have their choice of: •

Studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments

•

A range of services to support activities of daily living

•

Approximately 75 weekly on-campus activities and community events

•

Programs to stimulate mind, body, and soul

Contact 503.535.4000 to schedule a tour. Cedar Sinai Park is a non-profit, Jewish-based continuing care organization offering a network of services designed and operated to serve the senior community and those in need regardless of faith.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016 51

[Seniors]

Barbur Vista offers seniors kosher kitchen By Deborah Moon

Observant seniors who want to stay in Portland or move to town to be near relatives have a new option for senior living. In November, Peaks & Valleys opened Barbur Vista Residential Care in Southwest Portland, providing a kosher kitchen Oregon Kosher Executive Director Tuvia Berzow and Carcertified by Oregon Kosher for up to 16 residents. ol Beiderman, head of food services for Peaks & Valleys, The facility features 12 bedrooms with half show off the meat side of the kosher kitchen at Barbur baths and two larger bedrooms with showers in Vista Residential Care. the bathrooms. Two of the rooms are available for couples. the other facilities is more designed to care for a resident, we “We are a niche to cater to private-pay residents refer people to them,” says Adam, adding he hopes to add who want a cozy home environment,” says co-owner Adam Robison to the facilities they connect with. “We work together Reinke. Barbur Vista provides seniors seeking continued for the best it can be for the resident.” independence in a setting that can provide assistance with One of Adam’s partners, Neal Boyd, is an RN who once dressing, medications and other daily chores as needed. Though studied to be a rabbi. Neil hopes the new home opens the door the residence does not offer skilled nursing care such as IVs and to more options for the Orthodox and observant community. ventilators, it does provide end-of-life comfort care and hospice Oregon Kosher has been involved in planning the kitchen, services. beginning with the blueprints, says Oregon Kosher Executive Adam sees the new facility as a complement to Robison Director Tuvia Berzow. The kitchen is fully certified with Home, which does provide skilled nursing and accepts kosher supervision by Katia Rosenberg, who will be on hand to Medicare patients. answer any questions staff have after the Kosher 101 training “We work with other residences in Portland, and if one of provided by Oregon Kosher. Locking cabinets include separate sets of silverware, dishes, pots, pans and other cooking utensils needed to provide meat, dairy or parve meals with no concern about cross contamination. When a meat meal is being prepared, all dairy equipment is kept securely locked. “We want to build a community institution within the Jewish community, with services and Jewish programming all part of the vision,” says Tuvia. Beginning in early December, Barbur Vista plans to open their dining room to the community on Monday evenings, says Food Service Director Carol Beiderman, who is a member of Congregation Neveh Residents are encouraged to bring their own Shalom. . “People could come have a furniture for the private bedrooms at Barbur Vista. home-cooked kosher meal and interact Barbur Vista: 945 SW Barbur Blvd. | 503-977-0606 | peaksandvalleysnw.com 52 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016

with the residents,” she says. Tuvia adds he hopes some who come for dinner might return as volunteers to socialize with residents. The facility does offer a separate non-kosher table and paper plates for friends or family who bring in a non-kosher snack. “If a resident’s grandson shows up with a hamburger (from a fast food restaurant) and wants to eat with grandma, they can sit at that table,” says Carol. Tuvia says Oregon Kosher will also work with staff to accommodate residents’ dietary needs. For instance, if a meat dinner is being served but a senior needs yogurt with his evening medicine, accommodations are available. “Kosher laws make allowances for people who are ill,” says Tuvia.

MAINTAIN THEIR INDEPENDENCE WITH A HELPING HAND FROM SOMEONE IN THEIR COMMUNITY.

Happy Hanukkah Barbur Vista dining room

“We want to build a community institution within the Jewish community, with services and Jewish programming all part of the vision” – Tuvia Berzow

Peaks & Valleys operates three other senior facilities in Portland: All Comfort Residential Care, which borders Barbur Vista; The Hill House near OHSU and the Veterans Hospital; and Hillside Care Manor in Northwest Portland. Tours are available for prospective residents or families.

Ultimately, it’s your experience that matters. To be sure, we’re proud of our 28 years of experience in senior living. But, to us, what really matters is your experience at our communities. We invite you to experience NorthWest Place for yourself at a complimentary lunch and tour. Please call now to schedule.

I n de p e n de n t L i v i ng R e s i de nc e s

2420 NW Marshall Street • Portland, OR SRGseniorliving.com • 503.388.5417 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016 53

s d i K too & Teens

Charlie Cutler instructing some of the kids participating in the Border Youth Tennis Exchange program.

It’s a match: Tennis unites children across Mexico-Arizona border

By Shuly Wasserstrom

Many children in both Nogales, AZ, and its sister city Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, would not recognize a tennis court, let alone know the rules of the game. For Charlie Cutler, a former professional tennis player, the goal is to change that. Charlie grew up in Portland, attending Havurah Shalom where he became a bar mitzvah. The 29-year-old recently established a nonprofit organization called Border Youth Tennis Exchange. Charlie provides tennis lessons and educational programming on both sides of the border in Nogales, enhancing

the lives of children who otherwise would not have access to extracurricular sports and education. The children are only about 5 miles apart in distance, but are separated by a border and have never met. Both communities are largely made up of low-income workers. “BYTE promotes healthy cross-border interaction,” Charlie explains. The program was originally slated just for the summer, but in the coming months Charlie plans to make it a permanent afterschool program. He will teach lessons two days a week in Arizona and two days a week in Mexico and will have

BORDER YOUTH TENNIS EXCHANGE: bytetennis.org ccutler@bordercommunityalliance.com 54 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016

a video conference between both sets of students during the educational component of the programming. Charlie and his wife, Stefanie Tannenhaus, recently moved from San Francisco to the Arizona side of the border community to dedicate themselves full time to BYTE. Charlie was finishing his master’s degree in international studies and human rights with a focus on border policy and immigration, specifically refugee asylum, at the University of San Francisco. He originally discovered the border communities of Nogales through an internship with the Border Community Alliance during his studies. “At a more theoretical level, one of the greatest challenges facing the border is misrepresentation in the media and disconnect between public conception and realities on the border. Crime, drugs and undocumented immigration dominate national perceptions of the border region and overshadow the real people living their daily lives in a place dictated by fearful national policy,” he says. Charlie spent his youth in Portland – Charlie Cutler playing tennis, saying it enriched his life in ways he has never taken for granted. He played competitively starting at age 7 and began playing nationally as a high school junior and through four years of college. In 2011 he played three

professional tennis tournaments in Israel – two in Ramat Hasharon and one in Ashkelon. While there he visited cousins on Kibbutz K'Far Blum. Now, he wants to bestow the gifts of sportsmanship to kids in high-risk communities, giving them an opportunity to immerse themselves in positive and educational afterschool activities. “When I first arrived last summer to teach lessons, about 35 kids showed up. It was total mayhem. I’m not even sure anyone learned anything about tennis,” Charlie says. The kids’ – and parents’ – interest sparked the idea for him, and he went to work to build his organization. “I really see this model as a pilot for a healthier way to interact as countries, connecting communities at a grassroots level,” Charlie says. “BYTE is a vehicle for involving youth in sports and exercise as well as a method for productive mentorship and the teaching of positive life habits. There is ample data on the role of sports and afterschool programming in gang prevention and youth development.” Incorporating digital technology into learning will advance the programming, he says. On the days he is on the Mexico side, Stefanie will be in Arizona and the two groups will video

“I really see this model as a pilot for a healthier way to interact as countries, connecting communities at a grassroots level.”

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016 55

Participants in the Border Youth Tennis Exchange program show their appreciation.

SCHOOL-POLICE CONNECTIONS Officer Whitmore and Maimonides Jewish Day School thirdgrader Yehuda Kessluk explore handcuffs during a Portland Police presentation at the school on Stranger Danger, Calling 911 and See Something Say Something. 56 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016

conference. The chats are an opportunity for the kids to interact in a format unfamiliar to them. To start, the program will focus on 15 students on each side between the age of 8 and 10. Charlie says the age of the children participating is critical. “The younger you can make an influence, the better chance of impacting lives,” he says. He is adapting and customizing the curriculum for BYTE from a National Junior Tennis and Learning model called Academic Creative Engagement. There are no public tennis courts in Nogales, Mexico, and along with growing and funding the afterschool program, Charlie is setting out to build one. His ultimate goal for the future of the organization, however, is to establish the program permanently and share the pilot model with other cities. “I plan to use my organization as a narrative for healthier interaction across borders,” Charlie says. Much of the support received so far has been from the United States Tennis Association Foundation, the community development arm of the USTA that oversees a network of nonprofits and supports organizations such as BYTE. Funding has come from a variety of donors, Charlie says, and he has already raised $130,000 from government agencies, the U.S. consulate in Nogales, national foundations and individual donors.

NEW BBYO CHAPTER IN CENTRAL OREGON Central Oregon Jewish teens have submitted an application to form a new BBYO chapter called Shalom Teva. Naomi Chudowsky, Ralph Uri and Jerry Greenbach will serve as advisors for the new chapter. BBYO is a pluralistic Jewish teen movement aspiring to involve more Jewish teens in more meaningful Jewish experiences. BBYOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leadership programs have provided exceptional leadership programs and identity-enrichment experiences, shaping the confidence and character of more than 400,000 alumni, who are prominent figures in business, politics, academia, the arts and Jewish communal life. On Oct. 28 the teens got together to distribute clothing and other supplies to the homeless. For more information on the central Oregon teen group, contact chapter advisor Naomi Chudowsky at 541-749-0086 or naomic@bendbroadband.com. Abi Hershenson and Rachel Uri box up supplies for the homeless.

s ur friend JCC! From yo e at th M

Chanukah Donuts + Dancing Join us and make decorations for your home, take part in Israeli dancing, and eat some delicious sufganiot at this family-friendly celebration.

Shalom Teva members who participated in the Oct. 28 distribution of clothing to the homeless included standing from left: Gillian Fritz, Ginger Mensing, Illeana Hilsee, Rachel Uri, Abi Hershenson, Tyler 'Floyd, Nick Gieser, Sid Rafilson; and kneeling: Jacob Sperber.

Sunday, Dec. 18 2:00 - 4:00 pm, CG110 Cost: $10 per family. Visit oregonjcc.org/registration

OPEN TO EVERYONE!

Mittleman Jewish Community Center 6651 SW Capitol Hwy. , Portland www.oregonjcc.org â&#x20AC;˘503.244.0111

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016 57

Kids & teens too

Join the fun wrapping Mitzvah Menorah gifts

Jennifer Zeidman and her daughter, Ruthie, help wrap presents for families in need during last year’s Mitzvah Menorah gift-wrapping party.

By Polina Olsen

Come join the fun at the Mitzvah Menorah and Adopt-a-Family annual gift-wrapping jamboree. Held at the Mittlemann Jewish Community Center on Dec.18, this Jewish Family & Child Service and Cedar Sinai Park holiday event brings the community together to wrap and deliver gifts to others less fortunate than themselves. Families and groups are welcome. The campaign began earlier this year by identifying needy families and helping them create wish lists just for them. Items include clothing, kitchen equipment and fun things for the kids. Community partners fulfill the requests, and by Dec. 18, it’s time to wrap it up. Former JFCS board member, Jennifer Zeidman, has helped out every year since 2012. “Gift wrapping is a fun community event,” she says. “It’s held in a Portland Jewish Academy classroom filled with wrapping paper, scissors, tape and pens. The JFCS brings in a load of presents, and we label them Mom, Dad, 6-year-old boy… We don’t know the names of the families receiving gifts, and not all are Jews. We have Hanukkah paper for celebrating Hanukkah and Christmas paper for Christmas. I’ve seen camping equipment, flashlights, sheets, towels, Crock-Pots – anything a family wants. After the gifts are wrapped, we hand them off to volunteers who drive them to the family’s home.” Jennifer particularly recommends this event for families with children. “My daughter, Ruthie, has been involved for many years,” she says. “She started by making cards to include with the gifts, and now she helps purchase and wrap. It’s a great way to remind our kids to be grateful for what they have. It helps them recognize that others are less fortunate, and we can make their holiday a little brighter.” Adopt-a-Family present wrapping and delivery is Dec. 18. Gift wrapping is from 8:30 am to about 11:30 am, and driving and delivery runs from 11 am to about 1 pm. Each driver and delivery partner will deliver three or four gift bundles. Volunteers must register by Dec. 14; contact Phoenix Barrow Cedar Sinai Park, Campus Volunteer Coordinator, 503-535-4055, phoenix.barrow@cedarsinaipark.org. To see where you can make a cash donation or drop off gifts before Dec. 18, contact Carrie Kaufman at 503-535-4447, carrie.kaufman@cedarsinaipark.org. 58 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016

Ruthie Zeidman and Carolyn Gorin, 2014

Mitzvah Menorah Requests

Jewish Family & Child Service has identified about 50 families or individuals in need of a little holiday cheer this year. JFCS hopes the community will come forward and provide holiday gifts for those people, who include the following: • This 80-year-old Holocaust survivor lives independently. She has no family in Oregon, and she depends on the support of her community to help her remain safe in her own home. She loves to share her creative art works, which she says exemplify the beauty that she sees in the world. She would appreciate gift cards to WinCo, Fred Meyer, Trader Joe's or Costco. •This couple – both Holocaust survivors – live on a limited fixed income. The wife struggles with a serious heart condition and the husband suffers from severe arthritis. However, this couple doesn’t let those challenges stop them: he stays active with woodcarving and she loves cultivating orchids. They request a vacuum cleaner. • This single woman experiences persistent mental health issues that affect her ability to meet basic needs. Despite this, she is resourceful and makes the most of her limited resources. She is working to make meaningful social connections in the community and to share her sense of humor with others. She would appreciate a Keurig coffee maker, a box of dark chocolates and Fred

Meyer gift cards. • This single mom has struggled with severe anxiety for 18 months and has arthritis in her back. She had not held a job for years due to her disabilities, but last year she held a job for about nine months before a breakdown in communication with her supervisor. However, just knowing that she can do it is a huge success, and she is currently seeking another job. Her favorite color is pink. She requests an electronic Monopoly game, a food processor to help her prepare healthier meals, size 4x tops and pants, sneakers (men’s size 10), a coat (size 4x) and a gift card to buy undergarments. Her 10-year-old daughter likes purple and art, and would love tops and pants (size 16), an XL coat, shoes (women’s size 8), art supplies or kits, chapter books and “The Pirate Fairy” DVD. Her 5-year-old son likes blue and trains. He wishes for

Thomas the Tank Engine toys, shirts and pants (size 6), shoes (size 1), a coat (size medium), easy reader books levels 1 & 2 and a “Planes” DVD. • This family of two – a widower, 68, and his developmentally challenged daughter, 27 – has faced many challenges. She resides in an adult foster home and he lives independently, providing for both of them on a very limited fixed income. The father is concerned about how he is going to manage as his rent continues to escalate; however, he is determined to truly live and has recently taken up dance despite some health concerns. He needs additional medical testing, but doesn't know how he is going to manage his $300 co-pay. He requests a toaster oven, king-size sheets and blanket, and size 12 dance shoes. His daughter likes red and would like electronic alphabet toys, size 16W pants and a hat.

B’nai B’rith Camp receives legacy stewardship award B’nai B’rith Camp in providing connections at inOregon received the Gail vite-only events, BB Camp has Littman Memorial Legacy integrated stewardship of Etz Stewardship Award for their Chaim Legacy Society memexcellence in stewardship bers into the daily operations of their Etz Chaim Sociof the camp and its alumni ety during the 12th annual outreach programs. conference of JCamp 180, “With this award, B’nai a program of the Harold B’rith Camp joins a distinGrinspoon Foundation. The From left, Winnie Sandler Grinspoon and Harold Grinspoon present the guished group of camps who Etz Chaim Legacy Society Gail Littman Memorial Legacy Stewardship Award to B’nai B’rith Camp have led the field of Jewish honors and recognizes indi- Executive Director Michelle Koplan and BB Camp Board Chair Irving Potter. camp in developing a culture of viduals who are committed stewardship in their legacy proto the future and sustainabilgram,” says JCamp 180 Direcity of BB Camp. Etz Chaim Legacy Society members demontor Mark Gold. “We are thrilled to have been able to recognize strate their commitment and generosity through a bequest or their contributions through this award.” planned gift to B’nai B’rith Camp. BB Camp Executive Director Michelle Koplan and Board Held the first weekend in November, the conference drew Chair Irving Potter accepted the award on behalf of the camp. more than 450 leaders from nonprofit Jewish camps and other “Gail Littman was an incredible inspiration, and to be organizations. During the event, top individuals and camps awarded this honor in her name is truly such a privilege,” says were honored for their growth in managing their daily opMichelle. “To engage and steward our community towards our erations and for their collective efforts in raising $90 million mission of lifelong Jewish engagement and building friendthrough HGF’s matching challenge grant campaigns to support ships for life is a pleasure and such an honor. We were thrilled Jewish children’s camps across the country. to be acknowledged for the work we love.” The Gail Littman Memorial Legacy Stewardship Award is “JCamp180, HGF and, most significantly, Harold have named in memory of Gail Littman, who was the driving force helped us change the lives of thousands of kids in the Pacific behind the JCamp 180 Camp Legacy initiative. Since the Northwest,” adds Irv. initiative began, 56 participating camps have received legacy Located on a lakeside campus on the scenic Oregon coast, promises from more than 3,500 gifts, which are expected to BB Camp is a Jewish premier camp and conference center result in nearly $80 million for those camps. Littman stressed in the Pacific Northwest. Since 1921, BB Camp has been dedithe importance of stewarding each legacy donor to ensure cated to providing the finest Jewish summer overnight camp follow-through on their promise; the team at BB Camp has experience for today’s campers while preparing them to be embraced the challenge of stewarding their legacy donors. tomorrow’s community leaders. By associating the legacy program closely to both their Men’s Camp and “ReJewvenation” (women’s camp) programs, and bbcamp.org | JCamp180.org OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016 59

Kids & teens too

Dreidel 101 Story by Mala Blomquist Dreidels courtesy of Everything Jewish

he Hebrew word for dreidel is sevivon, which means “thing that turns.” The classic dreidel is a foursided spinning top made of wood, plastic or clay. Dreidels have one Hebrew letter on each side: nun, gimel, hay and shin, which stand for the saying “Nes gadol hayah sham” (a great miracle happened there) referring to the miracle of the holy oil lasting eight days that occurred in the land of Israel. In Israel, dreidels are inscribed nun, gimel, hay and pey for “Nes gadol hayah poh” (a great miracle happened here). The dreidel is used to play a traditional Hanukkah game in Jewish homes all over the world, but rules may vary. Here’s one set of basic dreidel rules. Any number of people can play. Each player begins the game with a large but equal number of small items, such as pennies, nuts, chocolate chips, raisins, etc. To start, each participant antes in with one or two game pieces. Players take turns spinning the dreidel and take the action of the letter facing up: Nun ‫ נ‬means “nothing.” The player loses his/her turn and the next player spins. Gimel ‫ ג‬means “everything.” The player wins all the pieces in the pot and all the players ante up again. Hay ‫ ה‬means “half.” The player gets half of the pot. (If there are an odd number of pieces in the pot, the player takes half of the total, plus one). Shin ‫ ש‬means “put in.” Pey (in Israel) also means “put in.” The player adds a game piece to the pot. When players have no game pieces left, they are either “out” or may ask a fellow player for a “loan.” When one person wins all the pieces, the game is over!

60 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016

ieednsstoo K &t Events ber Decem

Clockwise from top: BEND Temple Beth Tikvah: EUGENE PJ Library; PORTLAND Congregation Shaarie Torah; and PORTLAND Congregation Neveh Shalom.

For Hanukkah parties, menorah lightings and other holiday family activities, see our Hanukkah Roundup on page 26.

Dec. 3 & Jan. 7

KIDS NIGHT OUT WITH BB CAMP:

5-9 pm. Come hang out with your friends and give your parents the night off! K-6th Graders. $25, $5 sibling discount. Drop off at BB Camp Office, 9400 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy, #200. amansfield@bbcamp.org or 503-496-7444 ext. 7015

Photo by Debbie Rose Libeskind

Dec. 7

PORTLAND JEWISH ACADEMY OPEN HOUSE: 10-11:30 am at PJA, 6651 SW

Capitol Hwy. Come tour LIVE! A fully accredited Community Jewish Day School offering early childhood care, preschool, kindergarten-8th grade, and after-school care. Inge Hoogerhuis: 503-244-0126 or ihoogerhuis@pjaproud.org

Dec. 23 & 26-30

BB BREAKS: 9 am-5pm. Spend the mornings running and playing at

PDX Sportscenter and go on a field trip in the afternoon. 1st-6th graders. $55 per day. Drop off at BB Camp Office, 9400 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy,#200. bbcamp.org/bb-breaks, amansfield@bbcamp.org or 503-4967444 ext. 7015

Dec. 30

EREV NEW YEARâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S EVE AT NOON: 11 am-2 pm at the

Mittleman Jewish Community Center, 6651 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland. Join us for this fun family event as we ring in the New Year. Arts and crafts, games, bouncy house, dancing, snacks, pool float and countdown to 2017 with balloon drop. 503-244-0111

RECURRING:

NORTHEAST STORY HOUR WITH PJ LIBRARY: 9:30-10:15

Gan-Portland Jewish Preschool and PJ Library. 503-997-7850 or mimi@ portlandjewishpreschool. com

CHAI BABY + PJ LIBRARY INDOOR PLAYGROUND:

10 am-noon, every first Thursday at the MJCC, 6651 SW Capitol Hwy. For parents and their children up to 5 years old. Playing, running, meeting new and old friends, snacks. Free. 503-244-0111

PJ STORY HOUR YAD B'YAD: 9:30-10:15 am Fridays at Rose

Schnitzer Manor, 6140 SW Boundary St., Portland. Share in a weekly story hour for young families with music and PJ Library books with the residents of Cedar Sinai Park. rachelr@jewishportland.org or 503-892-7415

A LITTLE SHABBAT: 5-6:30 pm every third Friday at Congregation Shaarie Torah, 920 NW 25th Ave., Portland. 503-226-6131

MONTHLY HEBREW STORY HOUR WITH PJ LIBRARY:

SHABBAT STORYTIME: 9:45-10:15 am, second Saturdays, at Congregation Shir Tikvah7550 NE Irving St., Portland. Free. Shabbat gathering of toddlers and their caregivers. Best for kids up to age 5, although older siblings are welcome. Enjoy stories, songs and crafts that celebrate holidays and Jewish values. Stay afterwards for bagels and coffee with Rabbi Ariel Stone. 503-473-8227

MOMMY & ME WITH A JEWISH TWIST: 9:15-10:15 am,

TORAH YOGA: 10:30 am-noon every second Saturday at Congregation Shaarie Torah, 920 NW 25th Ave., Portland. 503-226-6131

am Sundays at New Seasons, 3445 N Williams Ave., Portland. Share in a weekly story hour for families with music and PJ Library Books. rachelr@ jewishportland.org or 503-892-7415

2:30 pm every second Sunday at the Hillsboro Public Library, 2850 NE Brookwood Pkwy., Hillsboro. rachelr@jewishportland.org or 503-892-7415

Tuesdays through Dec. 20 at Upper Westside Play Gym, 1509 SW Sunset Blvd, Unit 1-G, Portland. A chic playdate for moms and tots (ages 0 to 3) with music, movement, stories and crafts. Free. Presented by The OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016 61

L iving

Federation gala draws 400 Photos by Deborah Moon

Nearly 400 people turned out to hear The Atlantic editorin-chief Jeffrey Goldberg speak about this year’s historic presidential campaign at the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland’s Gala Celebration: 2016 Election Edition with Jeffrey Goldberg on Oct. 26. Speaking before the election when polls indicated Donald Trump would lose, Goldberg urged people to not dismiss Trump’s supporters. “I’m interested in knowing why people are voting for Donald Trump,” he said. “There is a need he is fulfilling. … We need to be respectful of that.” Singer asked Goldberg if the views of David Duke, white supremacists and neo-Nazis have entered the mainstream. Goldberg replied, “We’ve entered a new period. Things that wouldn’t even be said four years ago don’t even shake us anymore.” Campaign Co-Chairs Mark and Mindy Zeitzer spoke on how federation supports seniors, Holocaust survivors, college students confronting anti-Semitism, low-income families, children with disabilities and others in need in this community, in Israel and around the world. The generosity of all the donors at the event raised $926,292. “Over 120 gifts made at the gala were either new gifts or increases of 10% or more, enabling us to access nearly $60,000 of the generous matching gift from Elena and Scott Shleifer,” reported JFGP Campaign Director Michael Jeser.

62 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Goldberg answered questions posed by Gala Co-Chair Jonathan Singer. Alex and Harrison Hess were among the more than 50 under-35 first-time attendees at the gala. The brothers came to support their cousins, Anna and Eric Kodesch and Jonathan Singer, who chaired the event with their mother, Sharon Stern. Gala goers including Brad and Lara Stern, filled out pledge cards. Members of the LRSD: Last Regiment of Syncopated Drummers marched through the MJCC lobby to lead people from the gala reception into the Stern Family Ballroom for the main event.

PREVIEWS Philip Roth. Scholar in Residence will be Professor Roger Porter, emeritus professor of English and humanities at Reed College, Portland. Shabbat Services will be led by Rabbi Yitzhak HusbandsHankin, emeritus rabbi at Temple Beth Israel in Eugene. The weekend includes four lectures, services, Saturday evening entertainment, catered meals, entertainment and hotel. For more information and to register, visit weekendinquest.org or contact Mimi Epstein at mimiepstein42@comcast.net.

Blazers bring back Jewish Heritage Night

Museum fundraiser presents Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin

This year’s annual theater fundraiser for the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education is not only a theater event, it is a musical tour of Jewish and American history. OJMCHE presents Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin at the Dec. 18 matinee at Portland Center Stage with a special Behind the Scenes Conversation at 1 pm; the show begins at 2 pm. The show takes the audience from the depths of anti-Semitism in Czarist Russia to New York’s Lower East Side – and ultimately throughout America and the world. That journey is a good fit for the museum, which presents programs, exhibits, films, lectures and concerts relating to Jewish art, culture and heritage. Hershey enjoys bringing Irving Berlin to life on stage. During the show, he invites the audience to sing along at times – and of course they are very familiar with the melodies and lyrics of the iconic Berlin. As the famous Jerome Kern is reported saying, “Irving Berlin has no place in American music. He IS American music.” Hershey not only sings the songs, he also captures the personality and spirit of Berlin. He mixes things up a bit by including impressions of other characters in Berlin’s life, helping to round out the scenario. During the pre-show conversation about Irving Berlin’s background and life, Hershey will share his observations from the role and participate in a Q and A. Audiences will be treated to snippets and full renditions of many of Berlin’s standards, such as “Always,” “What’ll I Do?,” “Blue Skies,” “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” “Cheek to Cheek,” and of course “God Bless America.” It’s the kind of show that is bound to stir nostalgia and warm the patriotic fervor while delighting audiences with familiar tunes all wrapped up in an engaging personality. Tickets for the OJMCHE conversation and matinee are $65 per person; $25 is a charitable donation. For tickets to the Dec. 18 fundraiser, visit ojmche.org/tickets/hershey-felder-as-irving-berlin. The play continues through Dec. 30 on the U.S. Bank Main Stage at The Armory, 128 NW 11th Ave., Portland. pcs.org

Weekend in Quest explores Shakespeare and Philip Roth

Registration is now open for the 11th Annual Weekend in Quest presented by The Institute for Judaic Studies March 3-5, 2017, at the Holiday Inn Express in Astoria. This year’s theme is Who is the Jew? Anti-Semitism in Shakespeare and

The Portland Trailblazers and Chabad of Oregon presented Jewish Heritage Night during Hanukkah for six years. Now after a three-year hiatus, Jewish Heritage Night with the Trailblazers returns to the Moda Center. Celebrate Hanukkah with the Portland Trailblazers as they play the Sacramento Kings at 7 pm, Dec. 28. The celebration includes a pregame Hanukkah party, commemorative giveaway and menorah lighting in the arena. Tickets start at $30. For heritage night tickets, call Andrew 503-9633956. For more Hanukkah celebrations around the state, see our Hanukkah roundup on page 26.

Congregation Kol Ami presents

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Make your own candles to fill your Chanukiah!

Featuring our famous Men’s Club Latkes! Bring your Chanukiah!

Sunday, December 25th 5:00-7:00 PM No Charge - Please R.S.V.P. and bring a pot luck item: A-L main dish M-Z side or salad 360-896-8088 • www.jewishvancouverusa.org 7800 NE 119th Street • Vancouver WA 98662 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016 63

L iving

FACES & PLACES SUKKOT HOUSING ACTION – Tivnu: Building Justice teamed up with the Yes on Affordable Housing campaign to reach out to Northeast Portland residents on Oct. 23, the last day of Sukkot, to canvass for measure 26-279. Voters passed the measure Nov. 8 to create 1,300 units of permanently affordable housing in Portland. Tivnu leaders called Sukkot, the holiday of impermanent shelter, an appropriate time to canvass for permanent housing. Canvassers ranged in age from 8 to 65.

DONORS HONORED – Cedar Sinai Park and its affiliate Jewish Family & Child Services on Nov. 9 honored legacy donors for their commitment to both organizations and the future of CSP and JFCS.

VEGAN REVOLUTION – Lewis & Clark Hillel students enjoy vegan fare at Israel's Vegan Revolution event with guest presenter and chef Ori Shavit. Greater Portland Hillel and Jewish Veg collaborated on sponsoring and organizing the event.

64 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016

COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT – Three awards were presented Nov. 3 at the Rabbi Joshua Stampfer Community Enrichment Award Dinner held at Congregation Neveh Shalom. The Rev. Dr. Rodney Page received the Rabbi Joshua Stampfer Interfaith Award. Rabbi Stampfer joined Gary and Carolyn Weinstein, recipients of the Rabbi Joshua Stampfer Enrichment Award. The Merritt Linn Community Enrichment Youth Recognition was presented to (top left to right): Maude Elovitz of CNS/USY, Noa Cohen of Congregation Shaarie Torah, Derek Song of Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation and (front) Samantha Safirstein of Congregation Beth Israel/NFTY.

PREVIEWS PREVIEWS

Previews

INTERFAITH HABITAT – Members of Congregation Neveh Shalom and Bilal Mosque joined regular Habitat for Humanity volunteers at the Willamette West Habitat for Humanity Allen Estate Project in Beaverton on Nov. 6.

SIMCHAT TORAH – Mark Sherman carries the Torah as Deb Friedberg looks on during Congregation Neveh Shalom’s celebration of Simchat Torah. Photo by Carol Isaak

UNITY NEVER SMELLED SO GOOD – More than 100 women gathered in Portland Nov. 10 for the worldwide Shabbat Project challah bake sponsored locally by the Portland Kollel and Congregation Kesser Israel. Women of all ages and backgrounds united in song, dance, prayer and delicious preparation for Shabbat.

NEW HOME – Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education held an open house Oct. 30 to give the community a sneak peak at the museum’s new home. While administrative offices at 724 NW Davis St. are now open, the museum’s grand opening will be in June 2017. Top, guests explore one of the second floor galleries. Above from left, OJMCHE Treasurer Ruth Roth; Madelle Rosenfeld, board member and community campaign chair; and Miriam Greenstein, board member. Photos by Tony Villagran

HELPING OUT — 75 Camp Seed campers raised nearly $2,800 for Chai Lifeline, a national group helping families and children living with pediatric illness, enabling more than 400 seriously ill children and teens to find friendship and support from others in similar situations. Camp Seed, a project of the Portland Kollel, served 95 campers ages 3 to 12, who had fun spelling out the camp’s name.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016 65

Through Dec. 30

DECEMBER CALENDAR

Hershey Felder is Irving Berlin at Portland Center Stage. Experience the remarkable story of “America’s Composer.” Felder takes us from the depths of anti-Semitism in Czarist Russia to New York’s Lower East Side – and ultimately throughout America and the world. 503-445-3700, pcs.org

Through Jan. 1 Exhibit: Andy Warhol: Prints from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation. See page 42

Dec. 4 Super Sunday: Jewish Federation of Greater Portland phone-athon. Volunteer to make calls or answer the call and make a donation. Either way you’ll change lives and strengthen the community. Jewishportland.org/ supersunday or 503-245-6219 Celebrating 10 years of Chabad Hillsboro: Chabad of Hillsboro dedicates the first Torah in Hillsboro and dedicates the expansion at its new building. Ceremony begins at 3 pm at Brookwood Elementary School, 3960 SE Cedar St., Hillsboro, then march with the Torah to the Chabad Jewish Center. RSVP required: Chabadh.com

authors Harriet Fasenfest, Cari Luna, Jon Raymond, Robin Romm; and Stewart Holbrook Literary Legacy Award recipient Carla Perry; and Willa Schneberg. Luna, Raymond and Schneberg are past Oregon Book Award winners. Free. 503-226-3600

Dec. 6 Sephardic Winter Film Series: Double feature. 1913: Seeds of Conflict and Arab & Jew Return to the Promised Land. Films with Sephardic content screen at 7 pm the first Tuesday of each month through April 2017. Films, dessert and discussions at Ahavath Achim, 3225 SW Barbur Blvd., Portland, are free (donations accepted). David: 503-892-6634, jewishfilmportland.org

Dec. 7 Come tour Portland Jewish Academy LIVE! 10 am at PJA, 6651 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland. A fully accredited community Jewish day school offering early childhood care, preschool, Kindergarten-8th grade, and after-school care. 503-244-0126, ihoogerhuis@pjaproud.org

Dec. 8 Nosh and Drash with Rabbi Eve Posen. 1-2 pm at the MJCC. Coming and Going - Parshat Vayetze. 503-244-0111

Dec. 11

Dec. 5 Jewish Voices is OJMCHE’s annual event with readings by prominent Jewish poets and writers who share their work. 7 pm at Literary Arts, 925 SW Washington, Portland. Led by Willa Schneberg, writers include Tin House

Portland Jewish Academy Auction. 4:30 pm at Mittleman Jewish Community Center, 6651 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland. Silent auction begins at 4:30 pm; Dinner and live auction begins at 6:30 pm. 503-244-0126, pjaproud.org/ auction Music to Light the Night with Ilene Safyan. 7 pm at Congregation Neveh Shalom, 2900 SW Peaceful Lane, Portland. Great music, fine wines and delicious desserts. Ilene Safyan, award winning singer and composer, accompanied by pianist Barry Lavine. $36. 503-246-8831

COMING IN JANUARY 2017

Dec. 14 PDX MOTs Happy Hour for singles and couples 30s-40s.6:30-8 pm, White Owl Social Club, 1305 SE 8th Ave., Portland. RSVP: PDX MOTS on Facebook

Dec. 15 Psoy Korolenko concert. See page 44

Dec. 18 OJMCHE's annual theatre fundraising event: Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin. See page 63

To advertise, contact Debbie Taylor 503-892-7403 debbie.t@ojlife.com

Adopt-A-Family Gift wrapping party. See page 58

Jan. 3, 2017

orjewishlife.com

66 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016

Sephardic Film Festival: Among The Righteous. Films with Sephardic content screen at 7 pm the first Tuesday of each month through April 2017. Films, dessert and discussions at Ahavath Achim, 3225 SW Barbur Blvd., Portland, are free (donations accepted). David: 503-892-6634, jewishfilmportland.org

For additional event listings, see our Hanukkah roundup on page 26 and our JKids & Teens Calendar on page 61.

THIS CHANUKAH,

Chanukah brings light into our lives. And when you make a donation to the Jewish Federation, you share that light with those who need it most right now. Deliver hot meals to a homebound elderly woman. Give a young child a Jewish book. Your gift to Federation does all of that and much more. Be the light at JewishPortland.org/DONATE

be the light IN SOMEONE’S LIFE.

THE STRENGTH OF A PEOPLE. THE POWER OF COMMUNITY.

6680 SW Capitol Hwy | Portland, OR 97219 503-245-6219 | www.jewishportland.org

JewishPDX

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016 67

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Managing Director Private Wealth Advisor 522 Fifth Avenue, 10th Floor New York, NY 10036 212-296-6704 robert.stolar@morganstanley.com Source: Barron’s “Top 100 Financial Advisors,” April 20, 2015. Barron’s “Top 100 Financial Advisors” bases its ratings on qualitative criteria: professionals with a minimum of seven years of financial services experience, acceptable compliance records, client retention reports, customer satisfaction, and more. Finwancial Advisors are quantitatively rated based on varying types of revenues and assets advised by the financial professional, with weightings associated for each. Because individual client portfolio performance varies and is typically unaudited, this rating focuses on customer satisfaction and quality of advice. The rating may not be representative of any one client’s experience because it reflects a sample of all of the experiences of the Financial Advisor’s clients. The rating is not indicative of the Financial Advisor’s future performance. Neither Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC nor its Financial Advisors or Private Wealth Advisors pays a fee to Barron’s in exchange for the rating. Barron’s is a registered trademark of Dow Jones & Company, L.P. All rights reserved. © 2015 Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management, a division of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, LLC. Member SIPC. CRC1179133 04/15 8225582 PWM001 04/15 68 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | DECEMBER 2016