Oregon Jewish Life February 2018 Vol. 7/Issue 1

FEBRUARY 2018

2018 WANDER NO MORE Wedding Trends & Fashions TM

Anne Frank's stepsister Eva Schloss comes to town Homemade treats for Super Bowl

“I’m celebrating my 40th anniversary doing comedy."

CAROL LEIFER Writer for Seinfeld, SNL & Carol Burnett

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018 1

Now’s the time to fall in love with Mercedes-Benz.

When you take a look at our beautiful line-up of new and used Mercedes-Benz vehicles, falling in love comes naturally. Our experienced team of professionals at Mercedes-Benz of Portland and Mercedes-Benz of Beaverton will make owning a new Mercedes-Benz more affordable than you might think. No matter which Mercedes-Benz you choose.

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Live. Thrive. Drive. ♼ 2 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018 3

TM

WANDER NO MORE

Oregon Jewish Life | Februar y 2018 | Shevat-Adar 5778 | Volume 7/Issue 1

12

WEDDINGS

COVER STORY Carol Leifer: Funny lady with Jewish DNA Friends of the Center Brunch

36 41

FEATURES

19

JEWS WITH ATTITUDE Speaking up for refugees

12

BUSINESS Ins & Outs

16

FRONT & CENTER Profile Theatre’s new artistic director’s double season

42 Artists JAM at the J 44 Neshama brings music of unity to Oregon 46

36

YOUNG ADULT Oregon Hillel goes to Israel

48

FOOD Chef’s Corner: Super Bowl treats 50 NW Nosh: Plant-based Asian cuisine 52 ACTIVELY SENIOR Bringing justice (education) to all

44

54

Building a joint future The chuppah What’s trending?

Starting out

Staying together

Who to invite?

Device-free weddings Wedding dress fashions Wedding directory

19 20

22 24 25 28

30 32

35

Teens find spirit at convention Kids & Teens Calendar

56 58

JLIVING Anne Frank’s step-sister Eva Schloss See underground Terezin magazine at OJMCHE

Decades of Hamantaschen FACES & PLACES Calendar

59 61 62 64 66

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

PHOTO BY HARRY LANGDON

4 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018

KIDS & TEENS

COVER: Carol Leifer.

62

28 50 52

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OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018 5

TM

WANDER NO MORE

I Cindy Salt zman Publisher

have been reading a lot about marriage this past month in preparation for our special section on weddings. The big debate? Is the state of marriage better or worse today than for past generations?

One interesting theory was that the history of marriage corresponds with Maslow’s classic “hierarchy of needs.” Specifically, how marriage in the 1800s was comparable to the “lowest need” in the hierarchy, akin to that of the physiological need to eat and drink.

As time has progressed, so too has marriage through the levels of Maslow’s pyramid: the need for safety, love and belonging, esteem, to finally – as a result of a more affluent and automated society – couples are looking for self-actualization through marriage.

At the risk of disappointing, there is no clear winner of which generation can claim to have the happiest marriages. Whether one was married a century ago, where the challenges were more rudimentary, to today, where the challenge in a “plugged in” world is to invest the time and energy to meet each other’s expectations.

The good news is that having a happy life, whether married or not, is achievable. All of the experts agree that one’s happiness is deeply affected by the strength and health of the close relationships we experience.

This brings me to the photo of the little bamboo plant that has been in my office for a couple of years. I never replanted it or did much to nurture it, and its stalk had started to rot. A few weeks ago, I took it home and noticed that one good shoot was starting to sprout, so I got rid of all the decaying parts, put it back in a clean container and placed it in the center of our kitchen table, surrounded by other plants. Not surprisingly, it began to thrive. Healthy relationships are vital to our wellbeing.

That is true for the happiest of people, and apparently even for a little neglected bamboo plant that is now “feeling the love.”

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‫ב“ה‬

An Historic Evening with

EVA SCHLOSS

STEPSISTER OF

ANNE FRANK Enter the world of Anne Frank as told by her stepsister and childhood friend.

At the age of eight, Eva became friends with Anne, playing hopscotch and drinking lemonade together.

Her sensational story is difficult to imagine, yet it reminds us that life is precious and fragile, that the power of good is immeasurable, and that love makes a difference.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20TH THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22ND 7:30 PM 7:00 PM Newmark Theathre 1111 SW Broadway JPortland.com

Smith Auditorium at Willamette University 70 Winter St SE, Salem JewishSalem.com

In partnership with Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, Portland State University Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies and Jewish Student Union at Willamette University.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018 7

TM

WANDER NO MORE

Oregon Jewish Life • | Shevat-Adar 5778 | Volume 7/Issue 1

PU B LI S H E R

H OW T O R E AC H U S

10 Salt zman Cindy

503- 892-7402

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

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Stor y ideas for features and special sec tions are due 45 - 60 days prior to public ation.

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50 8 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018

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

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018 9

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OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018 11

Jewswith

Attitude

Never Again leaders speak out for Rohingya refugees

By Deborah Moon

The refugee camp in Bangladesh holds some 800,000 Rohingya refugees who have fled mass killings of their minority population in Myanmar. Photo by Aerlyn Pfeil

12 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018

For more than a decade, a small group of committed her baby sister’s and infant brother’s throats cut, the machete volunteers motivated by the rallying cry “Never Again” have coming down on her own head, her hut burning around her. met each month to help Portlanders respond to genocide and “It’s tempting to say: That’s terrible, but it’s not our other crimes against humanity. problem,” starts the quote Dale has saved to remind her why Founded by Lauren Fortgang, 38, and Diane Koosed, who the coalition’s work is so important. “But Noor’s plight, like recently moved to Wisconsin, the Never Again Coalition Anne Frank’s in the 1940s, should prick the global conscience, initially drew members from the social action committees of for one lesson of history is this: Crimes against humanity are three congregations (Kol Shalom, Neveh Shalom and Beth an offense against all humanity and require a response from all Israel) supporting refugees from the genocide in Darfur. Since of us.” then, people from most synagogues in town have participated So when Portland midwife Aerlyn Pfeil returned from a in the effort. Dale Oller, 69, has been active in the group two-month stint with Doctors Without Borders/Médecins since it began. She was instrumental in expanding the group’s Sans Frontières at the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh, focus to aid victims of two other conflicts – in the Congo and Lauren and Dale met with her and Yusaf Iqbal, a Rohingyan most recently Rohingya refugees fleeing ethnic cleansing in who has lived in Portland since 2005.

Myanmar.

“We were brainstorming ways to raise awareness,” says “We are volunteer based and don’t want to take too much Lauren. on,” says Lauren.

Never Again “Dale was a big Coalition helped advocate that we plan a Jan. 29 need to take on this program featuring (Rohingya crisis). It Aerlyn and Yusaf was unanimous (to do at the Oregon so).”

Jewish Museum The core group of and Center 10 to 12 volunteers is for Holocaust augmented by about Education 65 subscribers to the and hope to Postcard Brigade and host additional nearly 400 recipients speaking of their email action engagements. alerts. Each month “Yusaf and the Never Again Aerlyn can stand Coalition sends up and say why Postcard Brigade this is important subscribers several … they can share pre-addressed and experiences,” says Never Again Coalition Project Director Lauren Fortgang and core member Dale Oller have encourpre-stamped postcards Lauren, adding aged the group to spread awareness and promote legislative action in support of Rohingya refugees. that is more with timely messages Photo by Deborah Moon for leaders who can impactful than make a difference. By “just Dale and I signing and mailing who care.” the postcards, subscribers easily speak up on behalf of those Lauren, Dale, Yusaf and one or two other members of suffering through genocide and human rights atrocities in Portland’s Rohingya community plan to travel to Washington, Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and, D.C., Feb. 10-12 for the Lemkin Summit to End Genocide now, Myanmar. and Mass Atrocities, presented by the Enough Project and “That makes an impact we are told,” says Dale of the Jewish World Watch, two of the national organizations the postcards sent to congressional representatives.

Never Again Coalition works with. Portland has a Rohingya “It’s shocking, amazing how little people know (about community of about 800 to 1,000 people, one of the largest the Rohingya refugees) – even people who read the paper in the United States. Yusaf is the founder of Americans for regularly,” says Lauren, who serves as policy director of the Rohingya (afrusa.org), which provides information about the coalition. crisis and ways to help.

“I’ve had people ask me, ‘Who are these people?’ ” says Dale, a psychiatrist specializing in women’s issues, recently Dale. “Awareness is just on the cusp. We’ve known since the completed OHSU’s Global Health Medicine Course; she New York Times and (NYT columnist and Oregon native) then intended to go to Chad to work with the Darfur refugees Nicholas Kristoff alerted us.” in camps. Dale’s curriculum for educators working with Dale has saved a quote from Kristoff ’s Dec. 15 column traumatized children is used in the camps by The Little Ripples on her phone. For that column, Kristoff interviewed Noor program of iACT, another program the coalition supports.

Kalima, a 10-year-old Rohingyan in a refugee camp, who But when Dale heard of the trauma Rohingya women told him about seeing her father and little brother shot dead, and children have suffered, she shifted her focus to go to OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018 13

Rohingya children in a shelter at the refugee camp in Bangladesh. Photo by Aerlyn Pfeil

Bangladesh first, where she sees “the makings of a true mental health crisis.”

“I’m looking into NGOS (nongovernmental organizations) active in the area to see about going,” she says.

“Women want to tell their stories so the world can hear and they can start to grieve” says Dale.

“Our biggest drive and motivation is family history and Jewish history of connection to the Holocaust and to really mean Never Again,” says Lauren. “There can be compassion fatigue, but when you look at Darfur and people who cannot go home, we cannot let go.”

“I have two young children and see everything they have because of chance and being born here,” says Lauren. “There is no reason other children born anywhere else should not have the same opportunities. I would not be comfortable raising my kids without helping others.”

So the volunteers of the Never Again Coalition meet every month and look for ways they can help.

“We are a tenacious group,” says Dale. neveragaincoalition.org 14 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018

An eyewitness account of the Rohingya crisis

By Deborah Moon

Portland midwife Aerlyn Pfeil spent two months in a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh setting up services for women victims of sexual violence. She worked with six of the 17 clinics in the camp operated by Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières.

“The camp is like a frickin’ ocean of people,” says Aerlyn, adding that in January the 3-square-mile camp held roughly 800,000 refugees. “This isn’t flat land with rows of tents. This is like post-earthquake Haiti on mountains. People come in with broken bones from climbing up wet sandy hills to get to their shelters.”

The Rohingya minority in Myanmar was stripped of their rights in 1982. Aerlyn says this is the 10th influx of refugees from Myanmar and by far the largest.

She says a “very conservative” mortality report estimates that 6,700 people were killed from violence in Myanmar from Aug. 25 to Sept. 24, 2017.

“The influx (to refugee camps) has not slowed, nor have reports of violence,” says Aerlyn. She adds that she heard reports of men being pulled out of huts and shot, women raped and huts set on fire.

“We were seeing 10 to 15 rape survivors a month, about half under age 18,” she says. “Women in most cultures feel ashamed of being assaulted, regardless of who the perpetrator is. … I’m sure what we saw in the hospital was a fraction (of the victims).”

She also walked through the camp telling women about the services provided at the clinics and listening to their horrific stories.

“If women aren’t given a voice, there is no healing,” she says.

While termination of pregnancy is illegal in Bangladesh, Aerlyn says that “menstrual regulation” is permitted for nine weeks post-rape.

“The world has been silent,” Aerlyn says, adding “No one is acknowledging the crisis, there is no refugee status, they can’t apply for asylum.”

Lauren Fortgang, policy director of Portland’s Never Again Coalition, adds “With no sense of hope, how can someone recover.”

Aerlyn says without adequate shelter, water, latrines and other basics, survivors “have no room to grieve and no room to get angry.

“When there’s no one to hear you screaming in the dark, how can you heal?” Aerlyn asks.

sourced from Congo now supports more than 4,500 farmers and some 32,800 family members. Since Theo has supported a new maternal health initiative, there have been no maternal or newborn deaths in these farming communities. neveragaincoalition.org/chocolate-for-congo

Screening of “Desert Wounds” Time TBD, March 11, at OJMCHE With an international refugee crisis afflicting the entire globe, Desert Wounds follows the specific journeys of two women from Sudan and Eritrea who are fleeing war, dictatorship and religious persecution in their countries. Over a five-year period, they seek asylum in Israel, later in Uganda, attempting to build new lives while still remaining under the constant threat of deportation.

Screening of “Stand Up: Lessons from the Holocaust” Noon-1 pm, April 10, at OJMCHE Brown Bag Lunch: The Never Again Coalition will present the premiere of their short documentary featuring interviews with Holocaust survivors speaking about their experiences during the Holocaust and how to stand up against persecution today. Questions for the interviews were submitted by students in the Portland metro area.

Free neveragaincoalition@gmail.com

UPCOMING EVENTS Fifth Annual Chocolate for Congo The Never Again Coalition is co-sponsoring the fifth annual Chocolate for Congo in participating restaurants and bakeries throughout Portland during February. Do a little good while indulging in some of the tastiest desserts in town.

Thirteen Portland restaurants and bakeries will serve up chocolate desserts made with Theo Chocolate, with $1 from each dessert sold going to the Eastern Congo Initiative, a nonprofit working on grant-making and advocacy with and for the people of eastern Congo. Theo Chocolate, which now sources more than 70% of its chocolate from the Congo, has donated the chocolate for the benefit.

Participating restaurants and bakeries are Baker & Spice, Bar Avignon, Bistro Agnes, Coquine, Le Pigeon, Little Bird Bistro, Måurice, Oui! Wine Bar + Restaurant, Ox, Pacific Pie, Tusk and Quaintrelle.

The eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has been plagued by violence for far too long. The mining of “conflict minerals” (tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold – also known as 3TG) has been fueling armed militias in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Demanding that companies source minerals through a transparent supply chain can help bring peace to the Congo. Through their partnership, Theo Chocolate and the Eastern Congo Initiative are making a real difference in the lives of the Congolese people. Theo's cocoa

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OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018 15

INS & OUTS

Rachael White Sinai In-Home Care names Rachel White program director

Rachael White joined Sinai In-Home Care as program director on Dec. 15, 2017. This subsidiary of Cedar Sinai Park is a nonprofit, licensed. comprehensive in-home care agency serving seniors and people with disabilities in the Portland metropolitan area.

Racheal’s career in health care started with the U.S. Navy as a corpsman on a medical/surgical ward. Being a corpsman means being a “jack of all trades” and includes experience in ICU, pediatrics, labor and delivery, emergency medicine, disaster preparedness and administrative duties. From there she went on to work in dialysis as a home health aide. After her service, she returned to school and obtained her Bachelor of Science in health-care administration.

“I feel very fortunate to be part of Sinai In-Home Care,” says Rachael.

“While not at work, I enjoy spending time with my children exploring the beautiful state we live in – hiking, fishing and finding new places to eat.”

For short or long periods, Sinai In-Home supports individuals and their families to enable clients to remain comfortably at home. An experienced care team of nurses and caregivers provide reliable care coordination, personalized plans, assistance with daily activities, hands-on care and medication administration.

503-542-0088 | rwhite@sinaicare.org | SinaiCare.org JFCS names Ruth Scott interim executive director

Ruth Scott joined Jewish Family & Child Service as interim executive director effective Nov. 1, 2017.

After more than 30 years as a nonprofit executive, Ruth now focuses primarily on interim executive directorships and change management as principal of Ruth Scott Consulting. Her recent projects include strategic planning with the World of Speed Motorsports Museum, council development with iUrban Teen, board planning and development with Animal Aid, and assistance to the Oregon City Main Street program in preparing for the successful passage of its Economic Improvement District.

Most recently, Ruth was interim executive director at Lift Urban Portland, where she focused on revenue diversification and partnership development, and interim executive director at the Oregon Energy Fund (formerly HEAT Oregon), where she helped assess and restructure this crucial community organization.

16 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018

Ruth Scott

Bruce Morris

Marisa Reby

Ruth served as president of Innovation Partnership from 2000 to 2015 and is a former chair of the Institute for Portland Metropolitan Studies at Portland State University.

JFCS provides social services that improve the lives of adults, families and children in the Jewish and general communities. JFCS helps vulnerable Portland-area residents including seniors, people with disabilities, and individuals and families lacking basic necessities.

503-226-7079 | RScott@jfcs-portland.org | jfcs-portland.org P’nai Or hires spiritual leader

P’nai Or of Portland has hired Baruch (Bruce) Morris as the congregation’s interim spiritual leader while they continue to look for a permanent rabbi. Baruch has been a member of P’nai Or since its earliest days. He worked closely with founding rabbi Aryeh Hirschfield, z”l, and considers Reb Aryeh his spiritual mentor.

Baruch is in the last year of a comprehensive cantorial ordination program with Aleph: The Alliance for Jewish Renewal. As part of his training, Baruch spent a semester in Israel, served for two years as High Holidays hazzan at Kol Haneshama in Sarasota, FL, and has led services, holiday celebrations, and officiated at bar mitzvahs and other life-cycle events at many congregations in Oregon, California and Hawaii. Baruch is married to Cassandra Sagan, a professional maggid (Jewish storyteller), writer, artist and educator. Between them they have five children and three grandchildren.

P’nai Or (Faces of Light) celebrates the divine image reflected in the rich tapestry of individuals and families – LGBTQ, interfaith, Jews by birth and Jews by choice – who journey with us. They are a vibrant, egalitarian Jewish Renewal congregation founded more than 20 years ago.

503-248-4500 | hazzan@pnaiorpdx.org | pnaiorpdx.org Marisa Reby joins BB Camp staff

B’nai B’rith Camp welcomes Marisa Reby to their professional staff team as the new assistant development director. Marisa comes from an extensive Jewish communal and development background. She will be responsible for supporting and executing fundraising strategies.

Marisa was born and raised in Cleveland, OH. She received a bachelor’s degree at Indiana University and a Master’s in Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis. Marisa and her family relocated

Jordana Levenick to Portland in 2015 from St. Louis, MO. Marisa has been a Jewish communal professional for well over a decade and most recently worked at Congregation Beth Israel, where she and her family are active. Marisa and her husband, Alex, are the parents of two future BB campers, Micah and Noah. In her spare time, Marisa enjoys exploring the Portland area and the amazing restaurant scene.

BB Camp, located on Devil’s Lake near the Oregon coast, also offers a day camp in Lincoln City. This summer it will also offer BB Day Camp in the Portland area.

503-345-9464 | mreby@bbcamp.org | bbcamp.org B’nai B’rith Camp welcomes new president and board

Stuart Kronick has completed his term as president of the board of B’nai B’rith Camp. Stuart served as president of the board since 2016.

Incoming President Jordana Levenick has been a part of BB Camp since her youth.

Sarah Gassner, Miles Newmark and Felicia Rosenthal have finished their terms on the board. BB Camp welcomes incoming board members Erika Freundlich, Jamie Hogland and Adam Nemer.

BB Camp offers a range of activities including arts and crafts, dance, Jewish enrichment, Israeli culture, Shabbat celebrations, high-ropes course, climbing tower and zip line, out-of-camp trips, wakeboarding, kayaking and hydro-tubing. BB Camp is a JCCA independent camp member and accredited by the American Camp Association. bbcamp.org Jared Goodman receives arts grant for “The Jewish Project”

Jared Goodman, the conceptual ice cream artist and storyteller of Morgan St Theater, has been awarded a Regional Arts and Culture Council project grant for “The Jewish Project.”

Jared’s popular dessert theater pop-ups, under the title Morgan St Theater, combine live entertainment with handmade ice cream desserts. This one-man show will include his personal stories of being a Jew, exploring themes of identity, Jewish history, secularism versus traditionalism, the writings of Abraham Joshua Heschel and some Klezmer music, too. The project aims to host seven performances throughout the Portland metro area, specifically aimed at non-Jewish communities.

Jared Goodman

Edie Rogoway

Jared wants to combat the spread of anti-Semitism through storytelling and ice cream. Each course will be served with a handmade ice cream dessert, inspired by the history, flavors, emotions and textures of each presentation.

Jared created “The Jewish Project” as a reaction to Trump, white supremacy and the rise of anti-Semitism in mainstream America.

While Jared ultimately wants to tour this show beyond Portland, ideally to small communities around Oregon, the RACC grant funds shows only in the Portland area for now. He intends to launch the show in the fall of 2018.

For updated information, visit his website and join his mailing list. info@morgansttheater.com | morgansttheater.com Edie Rogoway launches women’s business directory

Attorney Edie Rogoway announces the launch of her Portland women’s online business directory: Edie’s List.

Edie is a second-generation Oregonian, proud Jew, criminal defense attorney, wife, mother, lover of Stevie Wonder and fierce feminist.

She created Edie’s List as a centralized resource for herself and others. The list continues to grow with more than 100 women to date including many from the Jewish community (roughly a third of the list).

“I'm still trying to fill a lot of categories, especially women in the construction field and other male-dominated industries, but we have an incredible inaugural group of women,” says Edie.

Her goal is simple: to promote and support women in every trade and profession and to make life a little easier for her 11-year-old daughter, Georgia.

She is grateful to the generations of women who paved the way, including her mom, Laurie Rogoway – a wonderful role model who taught her everything she knows about being a working mom. She is also grateful to the “two greatest girl-power men who ever were”: her husband, Nathan, and her dad, Bert, 88, who can be found most mornings promoting the list at the MJCC. Edie’s List has limited space available. Contact Edie to be added to the list.

503-750-3480 | edie@edielaw.com | edieslist.com

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018 17

INS & OUTS

Teri Patapoff Teri Patapoff departs Cedar Sinai Park

Cedar Sinai Park Development & Marketing Manager Teri Patapoff has been with CSP for more than five years. She has moved on to the role of major gifts officer with the Portland Community College Foundation.

She began at CSP part time, supporting the capital campaign. Over the years Teri has supported the mission of CSP through event planning, donor relations, and managing the development and marketing staff.

CSP is a nonprofit organization that provides residential and community-based care to seniors and adults with special needs.

Services are provided through a broad-based continuum of care that can be tailored to individuals’ unique needs, and in a manner based on Jewish values of secure, supportive, loving and stimulating environments.

The PCC Foundation is a nonprofit organization that expands access to education. PCC Foundation mobilizes private support for student scholarships and educational programs. pcc.edu/foundation | cedarsinaipark.org Barbra Gilman brings life-changing business to Oregon

For more than three decades, Barbra Gilman has helped grateful clients nationwide change their lives. She recently relocated to Portland from New York to be near her daughter. She’s now exploring the local Jewish community and says she’d “like to be a contribution by introducing the amazing body of cutting-edge work I facilitate!”

She wants clients to experience life free from hidden blocks undermining life’s joy and abundance. One client calls Barbra “a combination of therapist, coach, teacher, Jewish mother, best friend, angel and comedian!”

Barbra is a certified access consciousness facilitator and founder of The Quick Change Artist: Shift your energy, change your life! She offers pragmatic tools and techniques coupled with her intuition – enabling adults and children to create new possibilities by clearing their conditioning and limiting thoughts and feelings.

A keynote speaker at many conferences on successful personal and business development through consciousness, Barbra has also hosted the radio show “Conscious Choices.”

She authored The Unofficial Guide for Living Successfully on Planet Earth and soon-to-be published Whatever It Takes. Barbra 18 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018

Barbra Gilman developed conscious parenting for a new paradigm and served as director of family education for Neale Donald Walsch’s Heartlight Education.

929-777-0873 | Barbra@BarbraGilman.com JPRO offers free, confidential advice

A year ago JPRO Network board and staff set out to reimagine ways to serve the professionals who power JPRO organizations. JPRO’s network includes 160 organizations (including the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland) and more than 4,000 members. JPRO’s mission is to support all those who work for the Jewish nonprofit sector in the United States and Canada. Recent feedback revealed that early- and mid-career professionals need more guidance from seasoned colleagues.

With that data in hand, JPRO set out to build a platform to offer confidential, free, easy-to-access advice to JPRO members. With generous support from the Jim Joseph Foundation, JPRO Network is piloting WellAdvised, which offers JPRO members one-time, onehour advising sessions on a focused area of career-based inquiry or problem solving.

During a six-month pilot, 14 seasoned professionals will volunteer their time to advise their colleagues. JPRO members can sign up online for a free one-hour advising session on one of 16 topics.

After the WellAdvised session is scheduled, advisees answer a few brief intake questions to enable their advisor to be prepared to help make the most of the advising session. Following the session, advisees are asked to respond to a quick evaluation.

Anyone who works for a JPRO–affiliated organization is a JPRO member and can sign up to be advised at jprowelladvised.org/apply/.

There are more JPRO pilots in the works. jprowelladvised.org | ilana@jpro.org Biz Ins & Outs submissions

Oregon Jewish Life welcomes submissions of news items for our Business Ins & Outs column. Please submit a brief writeup (up to 200 words), contact information (phone, email and/or website) and a photo of the person or product (attached jpg at largest available size). Submissions should be sent to Editor-in-Chief Deborah Moon at deborah.moon@ojlife.com by the 10th of the month for inclusion in the next month’s issue.

Inside

19 Building a future 20 The chuppah 22 Wedding Trends 2018 24 Staying together 25 Starting out 28 Wedding invitations 30 Unplugged wedding 32 Designer dresses 35 Wedding directory

R

abbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, twice named one of America’s Top Rabbis by Newsweek, shared that perspective with Jewish Life readers in an article about lifecycle events in 2015.

Our Wedding Section this month is an exploration of that power of love and union. We look beyond the celebration itself. Successful couples base an enduring relationship on commitment and a shared vision of the future.

For those ready to step into that future together, we offer both traditional and innovative ways to make this memorable day your own.

Following are some of the traditions of a Jewish wedding:

“A Jewish wedding has the potential to be one of the most powerful Jewish rituals.

It is a reminder of the power of love and union.”

Building a future together MIKVAH – In the days before the wedding, brides and grooms each may visit the mikvah (ritual bath) to mark this important transition in their life from being single to being married. Portland has a beautiful new community mikvah, Rachel’s Well, that welcomes anyone to come in preparation for their wedding. The solitude of immersion can also provide an island of peace and contemplation during an otherwise hectic, though joyful, time.

ERUSIN – The ancient betrothal ceremony includes two blessings – one over wine and one reserving the couple for each other – and the ring ceremony.

KETUBAH – Wedding contract or statement of obligations; often an artistic document that

takes a prominent place in the couple’s new home CHUPPAH – The wedding canopy symbolizing the Jewish home the couple is about to create together NESUIN – the formal marriage ceremony including Sheva Brachot, the seven blessings.

BREAKING OF THE GLASS – At the conclusion of the ceremony, the groom steps on a wine glass wrapped in cloth to symbolize the remembrance of sorrow at our moment of greatest joy.

YICHUD – The bride and groom proceed to the “yichud (seclusion) room,” where they spend a few minutes alone.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018 19

W

The chuppah: as unique as you are

By Michele Schwartz

20 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018

hile other girls dreamt of the elegant wedding gowns they would someday wear, when I was young, I dreamt about my chuppah. To me, the chuppah represents the doorway into the heart of the couple married beneath.

The chuppah is the most recognizable symbol of a Jewish wedding. Meaning “covering” in Hebrew and open on all four sides as Abraham’s tent was to welcome strangers from all directions, the chuppah represents the future home of the bride and groom. Unlike many other Jewish ritual objects such as the tallit or mezuzah that follow Biblical commandments, the only rule about the construction of a chuppah is that it be a temporary structure made by human hands.

Other than that, it’s yours to create. Symbolic or fun, adorned or simple, it represents who you are, or aspire to be, as a couple.

Whether the chuppah is small and intimate holding you, your groom and your officiant, or roomy enough for the entire wedding party to join you underneath the canopy, you have the freedom to decide. It can be freestanding or held over you by honored family and friends – the chuppah symbolizes you and those you hold dearest.

It is a mitzvah to beautify all Jewish ritual objects (hiddur mitzvah), and the chuppah is no exception. For example, a bride who was an artist by trade sent square fabric pieces to all of her wedding guests asking each to write or draw a blessing for her and her soon-to-be husband. The pieces were stitched together forming their wedding canopy, and it now hangs as a piece of memorable art in the couple’s home alongside their ketubah.

Of course, there are practical considerations before you get too far down the path of personalization.

How tall is your venue?

Are there any height restrictions? Do you want a freestanding chuppah or a hand-held one? Or do you want it suspended from above?

If it is going to be handheld, do you have four honorees with the stamina to hold the chuppah over your heads for 35 minutes or more? Are the poles made of a material easy for your honorees to hold?

Are the poles a sufficient height to go over the head

of the tallest person standing under it?

With the practical questions answered, let’s move to the fun questions. These will help you create a chuppah that represents your union.

Do you want to have a tallit as the canopy of your chuppah?

If so, do you own one with sentimental value or do you want to borrow a family heirloom? For my wedding, we used my future stepson’s bar mitzvah tallit, which helped make him feel included in our new home and an important member of the new family we were creating.

I am fortunate in my work to see many beautiful chuppot every day! I’ve seen chuppot completely covered in sunflowers and one made of simple branches but standing under a stunning indoor tree. From exotic fabrics to tallitot to an array of flowers and even one adorned with colorful kites, the sky is the limit on what you might use. Add LED lights, hang a chandelier in the center, string with tea lights or stand underneath a skylight for natural lighting.

It’s all up to you!

Dream about your fairytale dress, but take time to dream about your chuppah as well. Imagine the magical moment when you stand underneath it with your beloved, then let those feelings drive your creativity.

Michele Schwartz is a Jewish life cycle event expert and publisher of Modern Jewish Wedding planner and website. This story originally appeared in Modern Jewish Wedding (themodernjewishwedding. com) and is reprinted with permission. It has been edited to fit Jewish Life’s style.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018 21

What’s trending in Weddings

By Mala Blomquist

NAVY IS THE NEW BLACK Gaining popularity as an alternative to formal black, navy is showing up in everything from invitations to bridesmaid dresses. This deep hue has timeless appeal whether in an uber-elegant or bohemianthemed wedding. Navy pairs nicely with bold colors such as burgundy, coral and bright yellow and with softer tones of mint, peach and pink, so that it can work for any season. Also, metallic accents of gold, silver and copper will pop on a navy background.

Tuxedo by Ron Tomson

PLANNING a wedding

can be overwhelming. Just a simple internet search

can result in thousands of photographs on Pinterest

alone. Each year, wedding

planners come up with

what they think some of

the hottest trends will be in their industry. Here

are a few ideas of what’s trending for 2018:

IF IT FEELS GOOD …

Details matter when trying to enhance your guests’ experience and texture is a big trend in these details. Invitations incorporating fabric, acrylic, leather and metal in a layered effect get guests excited about what’s to come. Place cards made of metal, wood or stone; a variety of tabletops at the reception and assorted or laser-cut linens all add to the “feel” of the wedding.

22 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION There has been a shift from the rustic weddings of couples saying their vows in barns with mason jar candles to more formal affairs in settings with architectural ambiance.

Empty warehouses, industrial lofts, museums and sheltered rooftops are all places that couples can get creative with their own “space.”

BIG BLOOMS Hanging installations are still going strong, creating a great dynamic in the space, but florists are getting more requests for tall pillars to stage and display flowers. Having a massive arrangement on either side of the aisle that can then be transported to the reception location is a great alternative to immovable arches. Bridal bouquets are also getting bigger and bolder incorporating larger blooms like peony, dahlia and hydrangea. Or, ditch the live blooms in favor of one giant perfect paper flower. Brides can also forego the veil for a crown of live or artificial flowers.

DAZZLING DESSERTS Wedding cakes will never be replaced, but 2018 will see more dessert bars at wedding receptions. The sheer variety of desserts makes the options endless. Dessert shots, ice cream, popsicles, pies, s’mores, cookies, donuts, macarons, cream puffs, cake pops and cupcakes are just some of the sweet treats guests can enjoy.

Candy buffets can be matched to your wedding colors and can become instant party favors when you invite your guest to fill a bag to take home.

COPPER AND CHROME = THE METALS OF THE MOMENT Metallic elements always add a pop of sparkle and elegance to any festive occasion. The popular rose gold is taking a back seat to a more industrialized copper look this year. Copper is a very affordable material and looks great when reflecting candlelight, so it’s a go-to material for lanterns and tea-light holders. Chrome has gained popularity with a rise in the ’70s influenced home décor, with the trend carrying over to the wedding industry.

PANTONE PURPLE IS IN The Pantone color of the year has always influenced what’s to come in wedding trends. This year’s Ultra Violet will provide a bright swatch of color to invitations, wedding bouquets, bridesmaid dresses, bridal flats and glassware. Even amethyst crystals might make an appearance in décor.

LET US ENTERTAIN YOU Couples are coming up with creative ways to entertain their guests. Hiring magicians, aerial acts, caricature artists, tarot card readers or palm readers help create an unusual and memorable experience. Photo booths are also evolving. There are GIF-maker booths that allow guests to apply fun filters over animated portraits – other photo booths generate instant scrapbooks and flip books.

Create a hashtag for your wedding and have your friends share their photos on Instagram.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018 23

STARTING OUT:

Couple builds foundation for marriage

By Deborah Moon

“I am my beloved ’s and my beloved is mine.”

– Song of Solomon

A

Rochelle Schwartz and Ryan Abitz use a selfie to share their engagement with friends.

24 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018

young couple who met at Portland’s Moishe House realizes that building a foundation for a solid marriage and planning a wedding to celebrate that union both take time and effort.

Just a month into their engagement, Rochelle Schwartz, 30, and Ryan Abitz, 36, have already learned the two rules of wedding planning. Rule number one: Everything is a lot more expensive than you think. Rule number two: You are going to get a lot of unsolicited advice.

They also learned a lesson about internet privacy settings.

“I’m a little bit of an old lady (in terms of internet savvy),” says Rochelle. “I was looking on Pinterest and I got calls from two friends that they saw I was looking at wedding ideas.” The couple hadn’t announced their engagement, so Rochelle quickly figured out how to change her settings on Pinterest from public to private.

The couple announced their engagement Dec. 15, 2017. Now they are busy planning an August wedding. They have set a budget and are researching venues, videographers, photographers, live music and food. “We want to be sure all are in our budget before we say yes to anything,” says Rochelle. “We are doing research and deciding what is in our value system – for example do we want paper or electronic invitations?”

They want to incorporate Jewish elements such as a ketubah, chuppah and of course breaking the glass at the end of the ceremony.

In addition to ideas from Pinterest, they have found online resources such as 12-month checklists that are helpful for organizing what needs to happen when. They also have discovered that spreadsheets and lists are indispensable.

“It’s too much to keep track of in your head when you compare venues,” says Ryan. “What’s included and what’s not – that can vary the cost big time.”

They’ve decided they want their wedding to be outside Portland and are planning a weekend getaway for themselves and their guests, complete with outdoor activities such as hiking and whitewater rafting, as well as golf for their dads and some other relatives.

Ryan wants to add jumping out of a plane – “I love skydiving,” but Rochelle says she’ll keep her feet on the ground and take pictures.

Continued on page 26

STAYING TOGETHER:

Couple marks 65 years of marriage

By Deborah Moon

“Who so f indeth a wife f indeth a good thing, and obtaineth favor of the Lord ” ~Proverbs 18:22

M

aggie Portrait, 86, has known her husband Daniel, 90, since she was 4 years old. She attributes their successful 65 years of marriage to being in love, accepting the bad times along with the good and not entering into marriage lightly.

“We were both serious about marriage,” says Maggie. “We weren’t going to ‘try it’ and see if it worked.”

“It’s easy to get hung up on either the good times or the bad times,” she adds. “But we had the attitude that both of these will pass and it does.”

Born in London, the couple now lives at Cedar Sinai Park – Maggie at Rose Schnitzer Manor and Daniel, who has dementia, in one of four Greenhouse households in the Harold Schnitzer Center for Living.

“I go to have dinner with him every night and spend a couple hours hanging out in his apartment after dinner,” says Maggie of living on the same campus but in different apartments to meet their differing needs. “He comes here (the Manor) sometimes, but lately he doesn’t seem to enjoy it. He feels safe and comfortable in his own environment. … It (dementia) is a difficult illness for me to understand.”

Maggie says doctors tell her that a head injury decades ago has likely affected Dan’s condition now.

“We both had a serious fall,” explains Maggie of the long ago accident. “A balcony collapsed at a party, and we both fell onto a concrete patio. Dan hit his head and had to have surgery.”

CSP offers several avenues of support for couples who need different levels of support. Rose Schnitzer Manor Assisted Living offers quality care in an elegant community supporting a vital lifestyle. When one partner needs additional support, the CSP campus has several resources. Following a fall, surgery or serious illness, residents of the Manor can rehab on campus at the Robison Health & Rehabilitation Center until they are ready to return to their apartment. Additional support in their own apartment is available through Sinai In-Home Care if one spouse needs additional help with daily activities. If one spouse needs a more structured environment during the day, they can attend the Adult Day Services program from one to five days a week. When a spouse is Continued on page 26

Maggie and Daniel Portrait on their wedding day Sept. 7, 1952.

Maggie and Daniel hold on to love through 65 years of marriage.

PHOTO BY RICH EMBRY

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018 25

STARTING OUT, continued from page 24 Both Rochelle and Ryan seem to have their feet firmly on the ground when it comes to how they approach life and their relationship.

The daughter of Brenda and Larry Schwartz, Rochelle grew up attending Congregation Neveh Shalom. She is a mental health therapist. Rochelle was a resident of Moishe House for three years and participated in the first PDX Pathways mentorship program of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland. She now serves on the federation board and cochaired federation’s women’s Impact event in October. She’s been to Israel twice, once on Birthright.

Ryan is a chef who owns Urban Roots, a niche market, weekly meal delivery service focused on paleo and gluten-free diets. He was raised Lutheran, but says he loves Judaism’s values and identifies most with Judaism. So when he moved from Austin to Portland three years ago, he went to the Portland Kollel to study Kabbalah and other Jewish subjects. He helped with food for some Kollel events and then got involved at Moishe House, where young Jewish professionals live in a rentsubsidized home while hosting meaningful Jewish experiences for their peers.

Ryan went to Moishe House’s Passover seder in 2015 when

STAYING TOGETHER, continued from page 25 in need of long-term nursing care, they can make their home in one of four Greenhouse households at the Harold Schnitzer Center for Living while their partner maintains their apartment at the Manor; the spouses can dine and visit together in whichever building they wish. In Robison’s Post Acute unit (all private rooms with bathrooms), the spouse who is not receiving services is welcome as a guest and can spend the night and receive meals.

Although they have experienced their share of the good and bad of life, Maggie says their story is similar to many of her generation. But she adds, “Talking to the Holocaust survivors who live here, I think we had it pretty easy.”

Maggie’s and Dan’s mothers had known each other as teenagers, so when both families moved to the same street in London, the mothers resumed their friendship and Maggie and Dan played together. When the drumbeat of war started rolling out of Germany in the 1930s, both families moved to High Wycombe outside of London. Dan and Maggie’s cousin, Eric, were classmates and became close friends (Eric served as best man at their wedding). Maggie and Dan reconnected as teenagers at a Jewish youth dance when Eric reintroduced her to Dan, who asked her on a date; they attended a comedy show with Dan’s parents.

“I remember telling my parents, ‘They (Dan's parents) are the most handsome couple I’ve ever seen,’ ” says Maggie, adding she thought Dan took after them.

“The war interrupted our lives,” she says. Dan joined the Navy when he was nearly 17. He stayed in four years.

26 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018

Rochelle was one of the Portland home’s residents.

But it wasn’t romantic feelings for Rochelle that inspired Ryan to continue returning. “We were both involved in different relationships for the first couple years,” he says. “I liked the group of people (at Moishe House). They are laid back and fun. I helped cook and taught some cooking.”

Meanwhile Rochelle and Ryan became friends, and when they split up with their previous partners in the same month Ryan cooked her dinner.

“It was just a check up as friends to see how we were both doing,” he explains.

The two were just hanging out when each realized they had a magical feeling. That was in December 2016.

“We spent a week getting to know each other and asking adult questions,” says Rochelle, adding that they did not touch or kiss during that time.

“Incredibly, every single point we hit, we were spot on,” says Ryan.

They talked about what they wanted for the future in terms of marriage, kids and home situation; they asked about skeletons in the closet and talked about spirituality, beliefs and values. Through it all, “there was a lot of laughing.”

The shared laughter should serve them well in both planning the wedding and building a meaningful life together.

After the war at a birthday party for Eric, Maggie and Dan met again.

“I was attracted to him,” she says with a smile. “He was fun to be with; he was outrageous. He must have been a devil in school – one of those students always up to something.”

But Maggie’s parents didn’t want her dating just one boy when she was 17, so she and Dan both dated each other and other people, too. Then one night Maggie invited Dan to an election party (“He was very interested in politics and very knowledgeable, which I was not.”) “We were all watching TV and there was a huge crowd at Trafalgar Square,” says Maggie. “I said, ‘Let’s skip out and go to Trafalgar Square.’ We skipped out, but it was my party so we couldn’t stay long. … That was the beginning.”

Two years later they married in their synagogue.

In the late 1950s, they moved to San Francisco with their two sons, Mark and Simon.

The family has flourished in the states. Mark, 64; Simon, 62; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren all live in the Portland area. Mark is semi-retired from his own advertising agency, and Simon closed his furniture store in Medford to move here but remains in the furniture business.

Maggie and Dan moved to Portland a couple of years ago because “the kids were here and they thought we should be closer together.” Maggie moved into the Manor last February, and Dan moved into the Center for Living when the last household was completed.

While dementia is one bad thing that won’t pass, the couple still hang on to the good they have together. “Perhaps that is why we’ve survived in our marriage – we simply love each other,” she says.

STAY LIKE A LOCAL IN THE HEART OF PORTLAND’S WEST END DISTRICT

4 0 9 S W 1 1 T H AV E P O R T L A N D | 5 0 3 . 2 2 4 . 3 2 9 3 | M A R K S P E N C E R . C O M

Can you hear it calling you?

Read Oregon Jewish Life

TM

WANDER NO MORE

orjewishlife.com OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018 27

ask helen

Wedding invite list is sure to offend someone

Dear Helen: I’m having a relatively small wedding in the fall and want to invite some but not all of the people at work. How can I do this without offending those who don’t make the list? Do I have to invite my boss?

Yikes

A NOSH OF JEWISH WISDOM:

Necessity can break iron. ~Yiddish saying

Dear Yikes: The only folks who’d be offended by being passed over are folks who already dislike you, who will whine and complain no matter what you do. The key word is small. If the wedding were to be “family only” or primarily family, you have a free pass to invite no one, where no one means just that: zero, no one, no exceptions. That’s an ironclad defense, and allows you to convey sincere (or seemingly sincere) regrets all around. But if you truly want to invite some but not all co-workers, no amount of diplomacy is likely to satisfy everyone.

The clearest invitee might be a single best friend, the obvious best pal you coffee klatch with, confide in, “go down the hall” with. No one would question if she got an invite. Or are you willing to alienate a best friend to save relations at work? The only impossible solution is inviting everyone except your boss. My guess is that even Solomon would have trouble successfully cutting an office in half, so my admittedly imperfect suggestion is to: Quietly invite the few people you absolutely cannot imagine your wedding without, which may or may not include your boss. Explain the intricate dance of office politics you’re facing. Ask if they can keep their participation discreet. (Yes this involves trust). Then ask them to organize a small wedding shower at work before the event. Absolutely no gifts and no big fuss. Just a silly lunch of good wishes and bad jokes. Get people excited for you. Then go off and have a wonderful wedding and honeymoon. Or else, invite everyone, be gracious, and have a great time anyway. Mazel tov!

Dear Helen: My fiancée and I are getting married in February. We’re adults who used to have very satisfying regular sex. The wedding details and all the fussing instigated by the opinions of relatives about the choices we are making

28 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018

are taking its toll on our relationship. We’re getting snappy with one another, which has only happened once before in the three years since we met. I know we’ll recover but do you have any sage advice to get us through the next month that does not include excommunicating close relatives or running away and eloping.

BTW we’re deferring our honeymoon so the only respite we’ll get from the planning and event frenzy is a beach weekend after the ceremony.

Grinchy Groom Dear Grinchy: You need a united front plus unassailable solutions. You’ll probably prefer phase one of my advice but trust me: it works.

Phase One: Take a 24-hour respite from all things wedding. Go out to a nice dinner, come home and put on romantic music, then cuddle, smooch and snuggle. Repeat this at least once a week for three weeks.

Phase Two: You need to remember that you rely on your partner and don’t want to solve every problem on your own. List every unresolved final decision, and then divvy up the list, either by who cares more or by horsetrading until you’re equally happy or sad.

Usually people compromise towards the other’s priorities rather than being selfish, but there’s risks of decisions you (or your uncle) won’t like. When you discuss the choices you can represent other folks’ input, but whichever of you makes the decision makes it final. Do not tell relatives who decided what; united front!

Phase Three: Sleep in separate rooms for the week before the wedding, as in no sex, though occasional cuddling is permitted. Allow the longing and romance to return. On your wedding night, say and show the “I love you” as you’ll really mean it. Mazel tov!

HELEN HELEN

A resident of Eugene since 1981, Helen is a member of Temple Beth Israel. She claims to have black belts in schmoozing, problem-solving and chutzpah. Email your questions to helen@yourjewishfairygodmother.com.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018 29

Device-free wedding lets everyone experience the moment

By Anne Kleinberg

A

fter your wonderful wedding is over, the recollections of your big day will be etched into your heart and mind forever. While no doubt you will have myriad photos and films to look at again and again, it will be the memories that you carry inside that will be the most exceptional: the gleam in your father’s eye; a loving touch on your shoulder; the admiring glimpse of someone you haven’t seen for ages. Those will be your most treasured mementos.

With all the planning, you may not have considered one element that can affect the atmosphere. How do you want to treat the use of digital devices at the wedding? Do you want to risk a phone buzzing (assuming your guests have the sense to turn off the ringers), a camera clicking or an iPad blocking the view?

People today tend to be so totally involved with their devices that they often miss the real-life experiences happening around them.

There are endless examples on the Internet of how devices have interfered with the sanctity of the marriage ceremony. In Israel where I live, it is perfectly acceptable to be on your phone before, during and after the ceremony. I witnessed a man answer a call and speak on his phone as he was walking up to the chuppah to bless the couple and offer one of the Sheva Brachot (Seven Blessings). No one but me seemed horrified.

30 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018

Not long ago I hosted a bride and her family on the day of her wedding. I own Casa Cala, a boutique bed & breakfast in Caesarea, and brides spend the day here getting ready and then the night following the ceremony with their new husbands.

I’m not shy about saying that the place is gorgeous, and the photographs taken here are stunning.

This particular young woman had lost her mother to cancer only six months earlier. Her aunt is an acquaintance of mine, and when I heard that they were looking for a lovely location to get ready, I jumped at the chance to offer Casa Cala at a huge discount. I wanted to in some small way contribute to that girl’s happiness. The aunt accepted with gratitude, and it was indeed a very exciting time.

When I saw the video that was made here and at the wedding, I was incredibly touched. My house had never looked better, and the bride was truly glowing. While the video played, the girl was speaking: about her husband to be, their love, their family and how important the day was to her. I was moved to tears and couldn’t wait to share the video on my Facebook page. But I couldn’t get it to share. I reached out to her and asked what I was doing wrong. She answered me in the most apologetic, but sincere, way. She was very, very sorry; she really loved her time here, the whole experience of being at Casa Cala was amazing, but she felt the video was private and she had posted it only to certain people close to her.

She implored me to understand that while she very much would like to promote my business, she wanted the film to be viewed only by the people she chose.

Naturally, I understood and was touched by her explanation.

My business will certainly survive without that video, while her sensitivity and the thought that went into her wedding left a very strong impression on me.

But as I looked back at the video, I realized there wasn’t one camera or mobile phone or tablet in the hands of any of the guests. Her friends and family were there for this couple in body and soul, totally reveling in the moment and not getting lost in capturing it on their digital devices.

There are endless examples of how devices have ruined intimate moments: flashes going off interfering with the photographer’s equipment; cameras shoved at you when you’re trying to concentrate on what’s happening; people walking around with iPads covering their faces asking other guests to move out of the way.

Casa Cala

Your wedding is not only about the party; it’s about the joining of two people who have decided to commit their future to one another. You are about to walk over the threshold to the next phase of your life with one very special person, and you have chosen to share that experience with the people you love most in this world. Doesn’t the moment of that union deserve every ounce of concentration? Shouldn’t the focus of everyone’s eyes and thoughts be on you and your husband to be? Don’t you want to sip wine from the glass that he holds out to you, and watch as he slips the ring on your finger and see, out of the corner of your eye, your mum wiping away a tear without your friends madly clicking away at their mobile phones, tweeting their live and up-to-theminute broadcasts?

While I wouldn’t consider suggesting you shun all photographic documentation, I would implore you to live each moment in the moment. Maybe you want an unplugged wedding. Leave the photo-taking to the professionals and find a way to encourage your guests to be there for you – without a device in their hands.

If you chose to do this, there are some really lovely and creative ways to let your guests know that you would like them to totally be there for you – and to please leave their devices at home, or at least turn them off during the most significant moments.

One option is to let guests know early on, and then ever so slightly remind them again on the day of the wedding. Include a cute line about “No mobile phone or cameras please until after the chuppah” in the invitation. Perhaps a poem or haiku written by you or a talented friend? A basket at the entrance of the venue with a note for them to kindly drop their phones in until

the ceremony is over? (They probably won’t, but it will remind them to at least shut them off.) Certainly, an icon of a mobile phone with an X over it printed on the escort cards should get the message across.

Going a bit to the extreme consider labels on the back of all the chairs in the venue where the ceremony takes place: “We’re so happy you’re here. But please consider our feelings and don’t use your digital devices. We want you to enjoy the moment with us – not capture it!”

If you don’t mind the reference to devices preceding your ceremony, you could ask the rabbi or officiant to request that phones be turned off and cameras put away. There are plenty of sources out there for unplugged wedding ideas, and you can purchase ready-made signs from Etsy.

This is your day. The exclusion of intrusive phones and cameras is well within your prerogative. However, if you’ve thought about it and you truly don’t mind device participation then go for it!

Create a wedding hashtag, let them click away and have a ball.

But if you would like to preserve the intimacy and sanctity of your wedding, or a particular part of it, then definitely express your wishes so that your guests know how you feel.

Anne Kleinberg, a former New York interior designer, had an epiphany and moved to Israel. The design career segued into writing: lifestyle journalist, cookbook author and novelist. Anne’s latest passion is Casa Cala – Casa Caesarea – an awarding-winning bed & breakfast catering to brides and international guests in her luxurious villa on the golf course in Caesarea.

Hey Portland!

Jewish Pride Greater PDX joined 14 Jewish organizations and gathered more than 250 people to march in the Portland pride parade.

Last year

This year we hope to bring together even more of the community so that

we can all march together.

Interested in helping us plan this year’s event or adding your organization as a Pride Partner? Contact Liza Milliner jewishpridepdx@gmail.com, or Rachel Nelson at 503.892.7415 rachelr@jewishportland.org Pride Partners: B’nai B’rith Camp, Cedar Sinai Park, Congregation Beth Israel, Congregation Kol Ami, Congregation Neveh Shalom, Congregation Shir Tikvah, Jewish Family & Child Service, Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, Mittleman Jewish Community Center, Moishe House, Oregon Jewish Community Foundation, PDX Hillel, Portland Jewish Academy & Portland’s UnShul

www.jewishportland.org/pride

https://www.facebook.com/jewishpridepdx/

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018 31

The rise of Israeli wedding dress designers

By Anne Kleinberg There was a time, not so long ago, when the words Israeli haute couture could be considered an oxymoron. There was nothing elegant or sophisticated about evening dresses. And bridal gowns? A profusion of puffiness and petticoats!

But times changed. Dramatically. In a country known as the Start-Up Nation, the bridal industry has captured the world’s attention and is reported to be valued at billions of shekels. The wedding gown creations of Israel’s designers are nothing less than stunning, and they are being paraded onto the world’s catwalks and red carpets. The names of these houses are uttered in hushed, revered tones on both sides of the Atlantic and beyond.

While the center of the bridal dress district was once Dizengoff Street in Tel Aviv, it now expands out into trendy Jaffa, the southern coastal city of Ashdod and beyond. And although Israeli brides tend to rent their gowns (for considerably less money than buying), many designers sell in bridal salons throughout the world as well as via the internet. The shops vary from small, personalized boutiques run by classically trained dressmakers to empires run by businesswomen and their daughters.

32 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018

LIHI HOD is a graduate of Shenkar College and the House of Dior under the guidance of John Galliano. Lihi established her Tel Aviv studio in 2010 and has become a rising star in the industry. Her designs are fresh, romantic and relaxed, allowing brides to feel comfortable, yet sexy, as they enjoy their weddings. Gowns feature exquisite fabrics, delicate details and a playfulness that ranges from fairytale to movie star glamour. It is clear that Lihi’s brides love her and her designs.

It’s no wonder that IRENA BURSHTEIN has a large international following – she radiates an aura of kindness and elegance. Her bridal dresses seem to reflect her attitude about fashion: romantic, sexy, precise sizing, nothing sparkly or overly provocative. A graduate of Shenkar College, it was clear to her all along that she would open up her own shop and cater to women who wanted to look beautiful.

Her favorite fabrics are silk sateen, lace and silk chiffons (often combining different colors to create an amazing blend), sometimes delicately embellished with Swarovski crystals.

MIRA ZWILLINGER has been in business for more than 20 years, recently joined by her daughter Lihi. Her signature designs may incorporate organza and sequins, silk tulle with hand embroidery and crystals. There is a sense of sweet but sensual, lovely yet exciting with cascading veils, top and skirt separates, off-shoulder and strapless fashions. Femininity abounds.

GALIA LAHAV is of Russian descent, born into a family of dressmakers. From a modest beginning creating ivory lace appliques to establishing a design house saturated in extravagance and luxury, a Galia Lahav gown is not for the faint of heart. Her collections epitomize a golden age with evocative names like Ivory Tower, La Dolce Vita, Empress, Lourdes and Les Reves Bohemians. Pearls cascading down a graceful back, mermaid tails, fringes, feathers and ruffles embellish her dresses.

BERTA BALILTI was born in Egypt, emigrated to Israel with her family as a small child and parlayed her degree from the famed Shenkar College in Tel Aviv into a world-renowned bridal dress empire. She describes her designs as “avantgarde,” and they certainly exude sexiness and daring, femininity and elegance with their plunging necklines, flowing trains and delicate veils.

The house of NATALI SISAURI has exploded in popularity with a newly expanded showroom in Ashdod. While her roots in fashion and dressmaking come from classic European training and an admiration for the masters of haute couture, Natali is totally in touch with her brides who want to be sexy and alluring on the most important day of their lives.

She will sit with them and patiently listen to their wedding dress dreams while she gently guides them toward designs that will suit their bodies and personalities.

Lace, exposed backs and form-fitting dresses evocative of Hollywood opulence are her signature looks.

A bride-to-be contemplating the most important dress she will wear in her life would be welladvised to check out the dazzling designs coming out of Israel – with orders being shipped around the world, one’s location no longer presents a problem. Or just fly over for a visit and a fitting!

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018 33

A TA S T E OF P OR T L A ND Portland’s top catering company offering menu planning, bar service, rental coordination, and more with the perfect menu tailored for you and your guests. Pearl Catering is a preferred caterer at local venues and the exclusive caterer at Urban Studio.

PEARLCATERINGPDX.COM (503) 765 8058

IN T HE HE A R T OF T HE P E A R L DI S T R IC T The iconic corner building has been a staple since the early 1900s. Bright and airy, the open floor plan and warm neutral tones will accommodate any occasion, whether a mingling cocktail party, a seated dinner, or your special event.

URBANSTUDIOPDX.COM (503) 860 0203 AT NW 10TH AND DAVIS 935 NW DAVIS, 97209

34 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018

WEDDING DIRECTORY VENUES CASA CALA Tal 3 St., Golf Residence Caesarea, Israel +972(0)4-610-0228 info@casacala.com casacaesarea.com Bridal Suites by Anne Kleinberg. Casa Cala is part of Casa Caesarea, a boutique Bed & Breakfast in a private villa atop the golf course in Caesarea. Bridal preparation and honeymoon suites and spectacular scenery for wedding photography. For guests arriving for a wedding in Israel, Casa Caesarea is ideal.

MARK SPENCER HOTEL 409 SW 11th Ave. Portland, OR 503-224-3293 or 800-548-3934 hospitality@markspencer.com markspencer.com The Mark Spencer Hotel is a historic hotel in Downtown’s West End District offering more than 2,200 square feet of renovated event space to host your special event.

Combined with 101 guest rooms and suites, experience the true essence of Portland and what it’s like to “Stay Like a Local.”

MITTLEMAN JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER 6651 SW Capitol Highway Portland, OR 503-244-0111 rentals@oregonjcc.org oregonjcc.org From services to receptions, MJCC offers a variety of versatile spaces, Kosher catering, and access to everything necessary to create a memorable wedding day.

OPAL 28 510 NE 28th Ave. Portland, OR 971-544-7324 Opal28.com A versatile vintage property hosting many event styles. Two floors, private patio, two “great rooms,” built in OLCC bar, in-house & flexible catering, onsite accommodations. Ceremonies

& reception: up to 55 seated/125 standing. A locally owned and operated team of party starters will assist with your event planning needs.

PORTLAND SPIRIT CRUISES & EVENTS 110 SE Caruthers Portland, OR 503-224-3900 | 800-224-3901 portlandspirit.com Each of our four vessels has its own flair to set the stage for your magical day. Fresh northwest cuisine, outstanding service and attention to detail ensure every moment of your wedding is filled with romance.

URBAN STUDIO & PEARL CATERING 935 NW Davis St. Portland, OR 503-860-0203 nicole@pearlcateringpdx. com urbanstudiopdx.com Urban Studio’s iconic corner

building has been a staple in the heart of the Pearl District since the early 1900s. Bright and airy, this contemporary venue with an open floor plan and warm neutral tones will accommodate any occasion, whether a mingling cocktail party, a seated dinner or your special event.

VENDORS PACKOUZ JEWELERS 522 SW Broadway Portland, OR 503-228-3111 rick.mahler@packouzjewelers. com packouzjewelers.com Established in 1917, Packouz Jewelers is a family owned and operated business located in the heart of downtown Portland’s historic Broadway district. With a continued legacy of the finest jewelry and unsurpassed customer service, Packouz Jewelers has pieces to match each unique style and occasion.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018 35

COVE R STORY



CAROL LEIFER:

“Judaism is in my DNA”

BY DEBOR AH MOON

Carol Leifer promises “a laugh and a heartlight moment” for those who come to see her on March 4 at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center.

The stand-up comedian, writer, producer, actress and author

is this year’s guest speaker at the annual Friends of the Center Brunch (see page 41). Her presentation, “Judaism is in my

DNA,” reflects her pride in being both “a link in a big chain”

and a very funny lady. “My message is twofold,” says Carol. “I feel really proud of our heritage and legacy. ... I’m

also a comedian and I talk about what I’ve noticed traveling from Austin to Anchorage. I poke fun at the ways we ( Jews) are similar.”

“I’m happy when people tell me they laugh a lot,” says Carol of responses to her shows. She adds that she tries to convey

the same message to audiences that she conveys to her son – “a tradition of being Jewish and a tradition of comedy.”

36 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018

Turn on your heartlight Let it shine wherever you go Let it make a happy glow For all the world to see ~ From “Heartlight,”

by Neil Diamond PHOTO BY SCOTT KIRKLAND PICTURE GROUP

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018 37

CAROL LEIFER



Right: Carol with David Letterman at “Late Show with David Letterman” Anniversary Show in 1987. Carol appeared on “Late Night with David Letterman” 27 times.

Below: Carol onstage at The Comic Strip in New York City in 1979.

A LINK IN THE JEWISH CHAIN Carol considers herself more culturally Jewish than religious.

She grew up attending Congregation Beth Shalom in Long Island, but didn’t become a bat mitzvah until she was in her late 40s. Then she and her wife, Lori Wolf, decided to have a joint bat mitzvah celebration, which Carol says made it particularly meaningful.

“We are very attached to our rabbi in Los Angeles,” says Carol. Rabbi Ron Stern, associate rabbi of Stephen Wise Temple, did the conversion for their son, Bruno, who they adopted from Guatemala when he was 10 months old. Since he was a year old at the time of his bris, they found a mohel who was also a surgeon to perform the procedure with Rabbi Stern officiating.

He also officiated at the couple’s 2015 wedding.

Carol’s sense of Jewish roots have grown this year as co-

38 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018

executive producer of “Better Late Than Never,” NBC’s comedy/reality show starring Henry Winkler, William Shatner, Terry Bradshaw, George Foreman and comedian Jeff Dye traveling around Europe.

“On my day off in Munich, I visited Dachau with some of the crew,” says Carol. “When you visit a concentration camp, you really understand the Holocaust and persecution in a different and deeper way. It gave me perspective on being a link in this incredible chain.”

The two Jewish cast members, Shatner and Winkler, also had an opportunity to explore their Jewish roots.

The Jan. 1 episode “Lithuania – I’m King of the Castle” features Shatner visiting the town where his parents grew up.

“At the end, the people dance the hora in the town square for Bill,” says Carol.

She calls the episode in Berlin, which aired Jan. 8, a very satisfying episode. “Henry’s family was from Berlin and his parents got out before the Nazis came,” she says. “We retraced his family roots when we were there.” A clip of the segment on nbc.com (Henry Winkler’s Berlin Connection) shows a tearful Winkler reading a touchstone set into the street in memory of his father’s brother, who died in Auschwitz.

A TRADITION OF COMEDY Carol’s long tradition of comedy comes from both the pantheon of Jewish comedians and her family.

“We’ve been persecuted and through a lot of hardship – a

Left: Carol with Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick at the Oscars. Carol has written for the Academy Awards seven times, the most of any female writer.

Below: Carol with “The Costanzas” (Jerry Stiller and Estelle Harris) on the set of “Seinfeld,” shooting an episode Carol wrote, “The Rye.”

survivor’s coping mechanism is always humor,” says Carol, discussing the prevalence of Jews in comedy.

“I also credit my parents for giving me a love of humor,” she adds.

She says her late father, Seymour, was an optometrist because he needed to make a living and support his family, but “He was a comedian at heart. Dad was a great joke teller.”

Her parents also played a lot of comedy albums of their time including Mel Brooks’ and Carl Reiner’s 2,000 Year Old Man series.

“I feel privileged I grew up when I did,” says Carol, now 61. “Now everybody has earbuds and listens to whatever they want. But I was captive to my parents’ taste – My parents had fantastic taste in comedy.”

Carol has carried comedy forward as a writer on TV shows including “Seinfeld,” “Saturday Night Live” and “Modern Family,” and recently co-wrote the “Carol Burnett 50th Anniversary Special.”

“I’m celebrating my 40th anniversary doing comedy, but I’m still as star struck as ever,” she says. “To work with Carol Burnett and see she is all you hoped and dreamed she would be … (was) a goosebumps kind of job – really satisfying.”

Bruno, now 11, was the inspiration for an episode of “Modern Family” that Carol wrote, “Two Monkeys and a Panda.” The episode is based on a book Carol and Lori wrote for their son.

“When you have a child who is adopted, it is delicate giving your child their adoption story,” says Carol. “When Bruno was 2 or 3, a family therapist suggested we create a book for him.”

When Carol took the idea to the “Modern Family” team, she says they were very receptive. Since Modern Family’s Cam and Mitchell have an adopted daughter from Vietnam, the parallels were clear.

Carol says she likes to “use real life experience and find humor in it.”

She won a 2012 Writers Guild Award for the episode.

MARRIAGE Carol and Lori married Dec. 5, 2015, at the Brentwood Country Club with their rabbi officiating and their son serving as ring bearer. Lori’s only condition was that the family have one last name – Wolf. Though Carol still uses Leifer professionally, she is now Carol Wolf in private life and their son is Bruno Wolf, with Leifer as his middle name.

When asked about her marriage, Carol suggested looking at the wedding coverage in the New York Times. Following is an excerpt from that Dec. 11, 2015, New York Times story by Jamie Diamond: Ms. Leifer, who was 39 at the time, thought Ms. Wolf was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. “I had to ask myself,” she said, “Why am I thinking this if I’m supposed to be straight?”

Ms. Leifer, now 59 and a four-time Emmy nominee for her writing on “Seinfeld,” “The Larry Sanders Show” and the Academy

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018 39

CAROL LEIFER Awards ceremonies, had always identified as heterosexual. In her 20s, she dated Paul Reiser and Jerry Seinfeld.

“I didn’t grow up feeling like I was gay and hiding it,” she said. “I was boy crazy.” …

After one year together, Ms. Leifer flew back home to East Williston, N Y, to tell her parents she was a lesbian. Her father, Seymour Leifer (now deceased), was an optometrist; her mother, Anna Leifer (also now deceased), a psychologist.

“I thought I was going to be the rock, and they would be basket cases,” Ms. Leifer said. But she started to cry. And contrary to her expectations, her parents weren’t disappointed. For six years (1981 to 1987), she had been married to a non-Jewish comic, Ritch Shydner. “‘I’ ll tell you when I was disappointed,” she recalled her father saying.

“When you married a gentile.”

“Lori being Jewish trumped everything,” Ms. Leifer said.

AUTHOR Carol is also the author of two books, both memoirs.

When You Lie About Your Age, the Terrorists Win became a bestseller when it was released in 2009. In this memoir she shares some of her most personal stories including a breast cancer scare.

In 2014, she released her second book, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Crying. The book is a collection of humorous essays and common sense advice from nearly four decades in show business, including her own comedy specials on HBO, Showtime and Comedy Central.

The New Yorker called it “An unusual and endearing mix of showbiz memoir and self-help book.”

Carol says she is looking forward to returning to Portland. She once opened for Jerry Seinfeld at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. She recalls being impressed by the vast farmers market on the Park Blocks behind the hall.

“I like speaking to Jewish groups,” says Carol. “Judaism informed the person I became and am today.”

40 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018



FRIENDS OF THE CENTER BRUNCH WHAT: Featuring special guest CAROL LEIFER Also honoring new inductees to the Oregon Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and presenting the Harry Glickman Scholar Athlete Awards.

WHEN: 10 am, Sunday, March 4 WHERE: Mittleman Jewish Community Center TICKETS: $54; $36 under 36. oregonjcc.org/brunch

Carol with her wife, Lori Wolf; son, Bruno; and the family’s rescue dogs.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018 41

FRONT & CENTER

Artistic director expands Profile Theatre’s season, focus “2.5 Minute Ride,” followed by Anna Deveare Smith’s “Fires in the Mirror.” Other Kron productions are “The Secretaries,” When Profile Theatre introduced Josh Hecht, its new artistic “In the Wake” and “Well.” Deveare Smith’s works include “Let director, to the repertory company’s volunteer guild in FebruMe Down Easy.” ary 2017, guild members wondered what he had in store for the “For my first full season at Profile, and the third and final venerable performance company. Guild members knew only year of the Diversity and Inclusion Initiative, I wanted to do that Hecht was from “back East” and had directed on and off something extra ambitious: a special double season featuring Broadway. two of our most celebrated, most Twenty years earlier, in 1997, the curimportant national playwrights in tain went up on Profile at Theatre-Theater, conversation for a full 18 months,” which was located in Portland’s Eastsays Hecht. “Two writers at the peak side Belmont neighborhood. Founding of their powers, whose work over the Artistic Director Jane Unger had a vision last 25 years will seem shockingly to celebrate the playwright’s contribution urgent and relevant and, taken toto live theater. Since its debut, Profile has gether, will connect us with Ameripresented one playwright per season. The cans of every shape, size, creed and 2008 season included John Guare’s “Six color and remind us of the tapestry Degrees of Separation.” Other seasons in which we live.” featured playwrights such as Wendy Unlike the trope, “How do you get Wasserstein, Neil Simon, Horton Foote, to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, Athol Fugard and Sam Sheppard. practice,” Hecht began his career in When Theatre-Theater lost its lease theater not as an actor. In New York about five years ago, the performance he worked with the William Morris companies that used the venue had to Talent Agency. He read scripts, find new homes. In 2013 Profile Theatre learned the structure of a well-craftmoved in with Artists Repertory Theatre ed play, and met and cast actors. at Morrison Street near Providence Park “It was like grad school,” Hecht stadium. That was Profile’s 16th season. recalls. For the next several years That same year, Adriana Baer came on he directed on and off Broadway board as artistic director to continue the and at regional venues: the Guthrie work begun by Unger, in particular by Profile Theatre Artistic Director Josh Hecht (Minneapolis), Signature (Washbringing live theater to new audiences. ington, D.C.), The Kennedy Center, Artists Rep had also changed venues, Berkshire Festival (Stockbridge, having outgrown a single stage at the YMCA and relocating MA), Boston Center for the Arts, and festivals in Dublin and to its own house with two stages and gallery space. The Arts Edinburgh. It was Portland’s JAW festival that attracted him Hub is now home to 10 companies and the signature “Geezer to our fair city.

Gallery” of art.

The voices of veterans Three years ago, Profile, then led by Baer, launched its DiOne of Hecht’s early projects with Profile was the developversity and Inclusive Initiative project. The three-year commitment of a program to accompany Alegria Hudes’ “The Elliott ment was to produce plays written by women and playwrights Trilogy,” which explores the tale of a veteran trying to return to of color. The 2015 season included Sarah Ruhl’s “In the Next a life back in his hometown of “north Philly.”

Room, or the Vibrator Play.” In 2016 Tanya Barfield brought Hecht understood clearly that merely saying “thank you for us the haunting “Blue Door.” Last season featured Quiara your service” could never be adequate compensation. Veterans, Alegria Hudes’ eloquent “The Elliott Trilogy: A Soldier’s he believed, needed a voice to express what they endured and Fugue.” how they survived. So he reached out to a veterans’ organiNow in progress under Hecht’s hand is the 18-month 20182019 season, which departs from the previous emphasis on one zation. Responding was Jeff Meeks, a veteran of the 82nd Airborne Division who served in Afghanistan and is now a playwright and instead features two. Leading off is Lisa Kron’s

By J. Wandres

42 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018

"I wanted to do something extra ambitious: a special double season featuring two of our most celebrated, most important national playwrights in conversation for a full 18 months.” ~ Profile Theatre Artistic Director Josh Hecht How the Profile Guild supports the company

Playwright Anna Deveare Smith.

Photo by Mary Ellen Mark

When Hecht met with the Guild last February, he asked how they supported the company. He learned that members come with experience in many professions. They are active and network with other groups and take part in community affairs. Each brings an enthusiasm for Profile’s mission. When Lauren Bloom Hanover, Profile’s associate artistic director, puts out a call for help, Guild volunteers come in to help prepare a fundraising mailing or call long-time supporters. Guild members have picked up actors from PDX and the train station and delivered them to their hotel. Susan Magazine, who chairs the Guild, emails the date and time of the First Read script rehearsal for the next production and coordinates the snacks guild members supply for cast, crew and visitors.

J. Wandres is a Portland-based freelance writer. He and his wife, Judi, are long-time members of both the Profile Theatre and Artists Repertory Guilds.

PROFILE THEATRE DOUBLE SEASON BEGINS

Playwright Lisa Kron.

Photo by Joan Marcus

field worker with Mercy Corps.

Profile and the Writers Guild Initiative met monthly to help the vets and family members parse the soldiers’ views into lines on paper. On a cold evening in November 2017, a group of male and female veterans stood before the audience to share their service, their commitment and themselves in the present. In Jeff Meeks words, “It was good to be around people with similar experiences and needs to express.”

WHAT: “2.5 Minute Ride,” the first play in the 2018-19 season.

PLOT: Playwright Lisa Kron invites her audience on the Kron family “vacation” to Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, OH. You see, in spite of near-blindness, diabetes and a heart condition, Lisa’s 74-year-old father insists on yearly trips to the world capital of roller coasters. But this isn’t the only journey Lisa takes with her ailing father. She also accompanies Walter to Auschwitz, where his parents were killed, and where she understands more clearly the joys and sorrows of her father’s heart. With wit and compassion, Lisa creates a complex and searingly funny meditation on how human beings make sense of tragedy, grief and everyday life.

WHEN: 7:30 pm Thursdays-Saturdays and 2 pm Sundays through Feb. 11. The Feb. 2 performance will be ASL interpreted.

WHERE: Artist Repertory Theatre’s Alder Stage, 1515 SW Morrison St., Portland.

TICKETS: profiletheatre.org, 503-242-0080 or boxoffice@profiletheatre.org; single tickets $20-$38; season subscriptions $80-$198.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018 43

FRONT & CENTER

Orchid by Ellen Green

Artists JAM at the J in March

By Deborah Moon

Jewish Arts Month returns to the Mittleman Jewish Community Center for the eighth year with a series of weeklong exhibits by local Jewish artists. ORA: Northwest Jewish Artists organizes the event.

“ORA’s Jewish Art Week was first held at MJCC for one week in March of 2009,” says ORA President Esther Liberman. “It featured an exhibit of work by members of ORA, which was a small group at that time.”

The next year the event was expanded and became Jewish Arts Month. The monthlong celebration of Jewish art included partnerships with art, theater, music and lecture events throughout Portland. The year also saw the introduction of a different set of artists being featured each week at MJCC. 44 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018

“This rotation format was very well-received by the public and continues to this day,” says Esther.

As ORA membership grew, the exhibits became more extensive and JAM shifted its focus to the exhibits at the MJCC. Beginning in 2012, sale of the artwork became part of the month.

In 2016 ORA kicked off the month with a weeklong exhibit by local middle-school artists. Another innovation that year was the sale of “6 x 6 for 36.” ORA member artists each created and donated artworks on 6” x 6” cradle-board canvases, which were sold for $36 each to raise money for ORA’s new scholarship fund. This year’s show will again feature these small canvases with all sales benefitting the scholarship fund.

The show is open during MJCC hours. Artists will be available sporadically to answer questions about the exhibit. All art is available for purchase at the MJCC front desk.

Collaboration by Jack Liskear and Eddy Shuldman Pomegranate by Buff Medb Neretin

Scarf by Wendelin Russell

The show changes every Sunday and closes on Friday. The artists and the media they work in will be on display the following weeks.

Feb. 25-March 2: Portland-area Jewish artists in seventh and eighth grade – juried art exhibit.

March 4-9: Ellen Green, painting and monotype; Shirley Racker, fused glass; Jack Liskear, wood turning; Joyce Shields, painting; and Brauna Ritchie, fused glass.

March 11-16: Diane Moeglein, fused glass; Sharon Segal, painting; Jane Means, painting; and Wendelin Russell, painting/photography/ scarves.

March 18-23: Diane Russell, painting; Eddy Shuldman, fused glass; Buff Medb Neretin, painting/mixed media; and Martha Decherd, weaving.

For more information, visit northwestjewishartists.org.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018 45

FRONT & CENTER

Music is a manifestation of love.

There is harmony in music. It is a language we can all relate to. … Music is a very big unifying force in our world. We all need each other.

NESHAMA

brings music of unity to Portland

Neshama Carlebach returns to Oregon for two February concerts.

Last year, when Neshama returned to the world stage after a four-year hiatus from performing, we featured her on the cover of our March issue. Neshama is once again singing the beloved songs of her late father, Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, and sharing his message of love for all humanity.

Now Portlanders have two opportunities to experience Neshama as she shares that music and her message of harmony in a world that seems divided.

“In my humble opinion, love is our only hope,” Neshama told us last year. “Music is a manifestation of love. There is harmony in music. It is a language we can all relate to. … Music is 46 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018

a very big unifying force in our world. We all need each other.”

The Feb. 10-11 Weekend with Neshama Carlebach will feature a Saturday concert at Congregation Shaarie Torah and a Sunday community concert at Congregation Neveh Shalom.

Reflecting Neshama’s broad appeal, the weekend is a collaboration of Congregation Beth Israel, Congregation Neveh Shalom, Congregation Shaarie Torah and the Mittleman Jewish Community Center. The Leonard and Lois Schnitzer Charitable Foundation of the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation provided funding for the weekend.

Saturday’s event, “Come Together! Songs of Unity for a World Divided,” is an intimate evening of music, food, drink and singing. Neshama and Rabbi Joshua Rose will reflect

A Weekend with Neshama Carlebach

Come Together! Songs of Unity for a World Divided WHEN: 4 pm, Feb. 10 WHERE: Congregation Shaarie Torah, 920 NW 25th Ave., Portland TICKETS: $18 PDX Community Concert with Neshama WHEN: Feb. 11 – Doors open at 4:30 pm, show at 5 pm WHERE: Congregation Neveh Shalom, 2900 SW Peaceful Lane, Portland TICKETS: $18/adults; $10/children and seniors; $180/ patrons per couple.

For tickets or information about both concerts: oregonjcc.org/neshama or 503-452-3427 NEW. NOW. NECESSARY.

together on how music and Jewish community can help create unity at a time of division.

The PDX Community Concert with Neshama on Sunday afternoon will be preceded by a meet and greet for concert patrons at 4 pm.

Neshama’s father, Reb Shlomo, has been called the most influential composer of Jewish religious music of the 20th century. The folksy, guitar-playing Orthodox rabbi created hundreds of uplifting melodies including legendary classics such as “Am Yisrael Chai.”

Although her father was Orthodox, Neshama says he embodied the harmony she shares in her music. “I feel just Jewish,” she explains. “It is time to break down the walls and be one and be present together. Let’s be one.”

A 5-PART ADVENTURE TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH BY AN AWARDWINNING OREGON PLAYWRIGHT

JAN 20 - FEB 18 artistsrep.org

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503.241.1278

GET $35 TIX WITH CODE MAGELLANICA35 AT ARTISTSREP.ORG

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1515 SW Morrison St.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018 47

YOUNG ADULTS

Oregon Hillel immerses 19 students in Israel experience

Portland native Benny Steinhorn takes in the Jerusalem landscape for the first time.

Over the holiday break Oregon Hillel sent 19 students from the University of Oregon and Oregon State University to travel through Israel on their free Winter Taglit: Birthright Trip. Joining Oregon’s Ducks and Beavers were 14 other Jewish students from around the country, who bonded, explored and shared in this special once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Hillel’s Birthright experience is designed to provide a deep and rich mifgash (encounter) between American Jewish young adults and the Israeli culture, community and people.

“As an American Jew who has had family live in Israel, Birthright has given me the chance to get a firsthand experience at the joys they saw in this country,” says Sky Jackson, a member of the OSU class of 2020. “My first day has been a surreal experience, since Israel has never been a huge part of my life, and I got to experience it for myself and form my own opinions about it.”

The trip included visits to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem (for Shabbat), 48 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018

Tzfat and Yaffo. Students saw a wide variety of historical sites such as the Kotel (Western Wall) and Yad Vashem (Holocaust Museum). They hiked Masada, visited Mount Herzl National Cemetery and, of course, floated in the Dead Sea. Hillel’s Birthright trip included stays on a kibbutz on the Sea of Galilee, an exciting night out in Tel Aviv, an overnight stay in a Bedouin tent village in the Negev and three nights in Jerusalem.

This year’s trip was truly special as students on Oregon Hillel’s bus were able to spend New Year’s Eve at the Machane Yehuda Market, a hotspot in the center of Jerusalem.

One of the peak moments of a Birthright trip is the chance for participants to have their B’nai Mitzvah in Jerusalem. This year, five students joined with their new mishpacha (family) to make an aliyah and commitment to Torah, Israel and the Jewish people.

“Hillel takes great pride in recognizing the importance of

University of Oregon junior Joseph Losner sees Jerusalem for the first time as Hillel’s bus arrives for Shabbat in the holy city.

“As an American Jew

who has had family live in Israel, Birthright has given me the chance to get a firsthand

experience at the joys

they saw in this country.”

– Sky Jackson

a well-rounded trip for the young adults experiencing Israel on Birthright by exploring fine wineries in the north of Israel, camel rides in the south and Jeep rides through the Golan Heights,” says Oregon Hillel Israel Engagement Fellow Loren Murphy. “All of this, and most importantly new friendships with Israelis and fellow college students, happened in only a short 10 days!”

Ducks and Beavers visit the Golan Heights at the start of their Birthright experience with Oregon Hillel.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018 49

CORNER

50 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018

HOMEMADE TREATS FOR SUPER BOWL SUNDAY

By Lisa Glickman

On Nov. 12, 1892, the Allegheny Athletic Association’s football team beat the Pittsburg Athletic Club. The game itself was not notable, however one of the players, William (Pudge) Heffelfinger, was openly paid $500 to play, making it the very first pro football game played in the United States. As they say, the rest is history. Professional football was born.

Although viewership is experiencing a bit of a slump – in part due to political protests and concern over player concussions – about 15 million fans enjoy cheering on their favorite team during the 17-week season. The NFL season culminates in the championship game – the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl Sunday is the perfect excuse to invite some friends, pick your team and feast on the potluck of goodies that make up the best of football tailgating. Even if, truth be told, you’re only there for the commercials and the half-time show!

The cardinal rule of showing up to any Super Bowl party is never to arrive empty handed. Hosts usually provide the main dishes, and guests bring platters of food that can be easily shared. Extra points go to the creative guest who arrives with the platter that includes a gridiron and goal posts! Between the TV commercials and the game’s time-outs, this party lasts for several hours, so it’s best not to bring anything that needs to stay too hot or too cold. Another rule of the Super Bowl party is nothing fancy. Football is synonymous with beer and burgers, not champagne and caviar!

These homemade chewy pretzels with southern pimento cheese are perfect football fare. I make them with store-bought pizza dough, which is easy to find in most supermarkets. I make my pimento cheese with sharp cheddar, chopped fresh garlic and fresh green onions. Most recipes call for the powdered version, but I think fresh ingredients are always best. The dough is briefly dipped in boiling water with a large amount of added baking soda. This gives the outside that beautiful rich golden crust. Make sure to use big grains of flavorful salt.

That’s what gives the outside its perfect crunchy texture.

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.

HOMEMADE PRETZELS Makes about 8 1 package of store-bought pizza dough nonstick spray 10 cups water ⅔ cup baking soda 1 egg Crunchy specialty salt, such as fleur de sel, Maldon or Jacobsen Parchment paper or nonstick baking mat Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray cutting board lightly with nonstick spray. Portion pizza dough into 8 pieces (pieces should be about the size of a tennis ball). Roll dough into ropes about 16 inches in length. Place dough in front of you in a large U shape. Pick up ends of dough, lift and twist the ends twice. Fold back toward you and press into pretzel shape. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment or nonstick mat. Fill a wide pot with about 10 cups of water. Add baking soda and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve baking soda and turn to a low boil. Working in batches, carefully drop pretzels in the water.

When they rise to the top, carefully flip over. Cook pretzels for about 60 seconds total and place them back on lined baking sheet. Break egg into a small bowl and beat thoroughly. Brush pretzels with egg wash and sprinkle with salt. Bake pretzels in 450-degree oven for 20-25 minutes until deep golden brown.

Serve warm.

SOUTHERN PIMENTO CHEESE There are many recipes for pimento cheese and this is my version. I use fresh garlic and chopped green onion, but feel free to substitute with garlic or onion powder. The main ingredient is the sharp cheddar cheese. For this, there are no substitutions.

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese ½ cup Bleecher’s Flagship white sharp cheddar 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 green onions, minced ¼ cup mayonnaise ½ cup softened cream cheese A few drops of Worcestershire sauce A few drops of hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco, or to taste 1 4-oz jar chopped pimentos, drained Salt and pepper to taste Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and serve as a dip for the pretzels.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018 51

NWNosh

KaTi’s Yum Hua Plee: Shredded banana flower with mushrooms, roasted coconut shavings, red and green onions, cilantro, lemongrass, Kaffir lime leaf and chili in a special namprik pao dressing.

Enjoy plant-based Asian cuisines

By Kerry Politzer

While it’s easy to avoid dairy when eating many Asian cuisines, it can be challenging to avoid pork and shellfish. But with the following list of plant-based Portland restaurants, you can enjoy Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese food while respecting dietary laws.

ICHIZA KITCHEN

Open less than a year, this small, vegan pan-Asian restaurant subscribes to the theory that long noodles equal a long life.

You can try a “tonkotsu” ramen with faux pork slices, a version of the Japanese kitsune udon, and the restorative lan zhou, a medicinal noodle soup that is great for winter woes. Ichiza also serves mock chicken adobo, turnip cakes, and a selection of oolong and herbal teas.

The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner Wednesday through Sunday.

1628 SW Jefferson Rd., 503-702-8374, ichizakitchen.com

52 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018

KATI PORTLAND

The only ingredient of animal origin at this Thai restaurant is egg, and it can be omitted from the pad thai. The Thai iced tea is non-dairy, and there’s a tofu “steak” with vegetables in a brown sauce spiked with chili, ginger and Kaffir lime leaves.

Instead of pork and shrimp, the restaurant uses tofu and tempeh in its curries.

KaTi Portland is closed on Mondays; open for both lunch and dinner Tuesday-Sunday. The restaurant partners with the GrubHub food delivery service.

2932 SE Division St., 503-477-6059 facebook.com/katiportland

OBON

This “plant-based Japanese comfort food” pop-up hosts a dinner every Thursday at the North Bar in Southeast Portland.

Obon’s recent offerings have included a gingery miso stew with seasonal vegetables and Ota tofu, marinated tofu skewers and kabocha squash croquettes. There is also a small selection of

vegan sushi rolls as well as some noodle and rice dishes.

North Bar: 5008 SE Division St. obonpdx.com

SUSHILOVE

This Sellwood food cart specializes in vegetarian sushi items such as sweet, rice-stuffed inari tofu pockets; rolls made with faux crab, avocado and cucumber; and a tofu-based dragon roll that mimics the traditional eel roll. You can accompany your sushi with a bowl of vegan miso soup.

The SushiLove cart is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11:30 am-7 pm.

1112 SE Tacoma St. facebook.com/sushilovepdx

VAN HANH

At Van Hanh, you can happily order steamed buns or dumplings without wondering what’s in the filling. The dumplings are stuffed with mung beans, and the buns enclose a tasty mixture of barbecued tofu and potatoes. Spicy, lemongrass-infused spare ribs are made with wheat gluten, and the veggie “fish” is tofu

based. For a refreshing treat, try the avocado or taro smoothie. Desserts include a banana cake with coconut cream.

Open for lunch and dinner every day except Tuesday.

Photo by John Valls

8446 SE Division St., 503-788-0825

YUAN SU

If you crave Americanized Chinese food but don’t eat roast pork, shrimp toast and spare ribs, consider this cavernous East Portland restaurant. The menu includes healthy, steamed dishes as well as greasy-but-good egg rolls, fried wontons and scallion pancakes. There are mock chicken, beef, pork and seafood dishes, most of which are pretty convincing. If you don’t want something batter fried, order the veggie beef with broccoli in brown sauce or steamed “fish.” The curry tofu hot pot is nice on a winter’s day.

Yuan Su is open Monday through Saturday from 11 am-9 pm.

Obon: Miso Stew

11140 SE Powell Blvd., 503-477-5775, yuan-su-veg.com

Ichiza: Noodle Soup

SushiLove: Mother of Dragons

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018 53

ACTIVELY SENIOR

Susie Marcus served as a judge at the We the People regional competition on the Constitution at Lake Oswego High School Jan. 3.

Justice (education) for all

By Liz Rabiner Lippoff

When Susie Marcus graduated from Grant High School and headed to Stanford in 1954, college girls, she says, could either be teachers or librarians. So she graduated in 1958, got her master’s degree in education at the University of Oregon and landed a job teaching American history at Madison High School. A move to Bridlemile to teach Spanish followed, and then on to West Sylvan to teach Spanish and social studies.

Susie added a law class to her teaching schedule and soon incorporated mock trials into the law curriculum because she was a teacher who believed in engaging her students in active class participation. She loved her job.

Governor Kate Brown’s general counsel, Misha Isaak, was one of Susie’s seventh-grade Spanish students in 1994. “She exuded enthusiasm every day, even for mundane vocabulary lists of animals or groceries,” says the son of Congregation Neveh Shalom’s rabbi emeritus Daniel Isaak.

Susie is also driven by the Jewish values with which she was raised. The active study of the Constitution is, she says, “all about helping kids look at issues with an eye to equality and respect. Put in context, the preamble to the Constitution, as 54 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018

it was designed, has a direct connection to the Jewish value of justice.”

This has led to a lifelong calling. Through classes, mock trials and constitutional competitions, Susie teams with a variety of organizations and experts to help children learn how to ask the important questions, study the principles, use reputable sources to find the answers and arrive at the conclusions – and sometimes the next set of questions. It’s a process she believes will yield the next generation of responsible citizens.

She also conducts workshops to teach teachers how to encourage active participation in their civics classes. In the 1980s, Susie was a coordinator for a program called We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution, funded by the Center for Civic Education. “1987 was the anniversary of the Constitution, and Chief Justice Warren Burger decided that kids should know more about the Constitution and the law,” she says.

“Congress agreed and began funding educational programs.”

Susie and Marilyn Cover, director of the Classroom Law Project, actually went to Croatia to teach educators how to teach about the law using activities rather than the lecture/notes/ exam model. They created a mock trial program, she says, “with the help of two of their Supreme Court judges. It is still going

on. They write cases every year with Croatian content, alternating each year between criminal and civil cases.”

Now long retired, Susie continues to lead teacher workshops and coach students engaged in activities that bring the Constitution to life in schools across the state. She notes with pride that teams from both Lincoln and Grant high schools have won national titles at We the People’s Constitution competition more than once. She attributes some of their success to ongoing, enthusiastic help from Oregon lawyers and judges – even Supreme Court justices.

“They give us so much time; they are always available,” she says. “It tells the kids that the subject is important enough – that they are important enough – for these people to spend their time with students.”

One of those consistent volunteers is Susie’s former student, Misha Isaak of Governor Brown’s office.

“I spend time working to prepare high school students for a civics competition, because a group of volunteer lawyers did it for me when I was in high school,” says Misha. He has nothing but admiration for Susie’s work. “Susie has brought her trademark enthusiasm to the arena of civic education. Working with high school students to prepare them for civics competitions, Susie is always a fount of knowledge and encouragement.”

“At a time when it feels like cynicism about government is at an all-time high and knowledge about government is at an alltime low, it has never been more important to educate young people about our civic institutions,” says Misha. “It’s important. And it’s also fun. And it wouldn’t have happened without Classroom Law Project to bring it together.”

United States District Judge Michael Simon is an active volunteer, as well. Susie admires that he speaks to the kids in a way that shows them respect. He in turn admires a lot about Susie.

“Susie is passionate about instilling an appreciation for every person’s role in the continuing American experiment,” says the judge. “She recognizes the urgent need to teach each generation anew that our system of constitutional, representative self-governance is immensely valuable yet also fragile. Her enthusiasm is contagious and inspiring.”

Today Susie works with CLP Program Director Barbara Rost on a weekly current events newsletter that is available free of charge to Oregon teachers who subscribe to it. The goals, according to classroomlaw.org, are to: • Promote interest and dialogue about current issues.

• Connect current issues and citizenship in a democracy.

• Provide vetted resources to teachers and students.

• Encourage civil discussion about the news by asking open-ended questions that reflect democratic values (such as justice, equality, responsibility, participation).

• Stimulate a continuing awareness of events locally, nationally and globally.

Each packet includes questions to consider, vetted sources, lessons plans, and constitutional and legal connections. Recent subjects include net neutrality and Measure 101.

“Jerusalem is on my radar, but I want it to be more about the history: I don’t want to fight the battle between the Palestinians and the Israelis,” Susie says. “We focus on the rule of law, and it’s difficult. The Constitution is like the Bible in that there’s no way to know who is citing (it) correctly. The goal is to get a balance of source materials ... to keep it so we are not partisan.”

Lest you think that Susie is sitting around eating bonbons in her spare time when she is done with all this, she also leads a book club for teachers, through the CLP, that meets six times a year to discuss books with constitutional themes. Next up is Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream, which has been called the most revealing portrait of a president and presidential power ever written. In addition, she serves on the Board of Trustees of Cedar Sinai Park, chairs its board education committee, and serves on its executive and quality control committees. She is also CSP’s representative on the Jewish Federation’s Community Relations Council. She likes that the council keeps current with issues that “affect people’s status, legal or otherwise. When we take a position against wage theft or any of a variety of issues, I see a huge connection between that and what we do at the Classroom Law Project.”

Robert Kennedy once said, “The glory of justice and the majesty of law are created not just by the Constitution – nor by the courts – nor by the officers of the law – nor by the lawyers – but by the men and women who constitute our society – who are the protectors of the law as they are themselves protected by the law.”

Susie Marcus is doing her bit to grow the next generation of protectors.

Liz Rabiner Lippoff is a marketing consultant, freelance writer and community volunteer. LizInk.biz

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OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018 55

K I D S

and teens too!

Teens and staff from Pinwheel USY, which encompasses the Pacific Northwest region, pose for a group photo at USY International Convention 2017 in Chicago. Photo by Jo-Anne Tucker Zemlak, USCJ

Teens relish spirit and service at USY convention

Five Portland teens were among the nearly 1,000 Jewish teenagers, educators, staff and alumni who gathered in Chicago at the United Synagogue Youth 67th International Convention Dec. 24-28.

The convention brought together young adults from across the globe to experience and give back to the local Chicago community, engage in interactive learning, gain leadership skills and build a strong Jewish future. USY is the youth movement of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

“The opening session when you run in with your region and sing the regional song in regional shirts – music is blasting, everyone’s screaming and hugging and singing Israeli songs loudly – it is a great sense of community and a great way to open the convention,” says Portlander Mira Katz, 16, who was attending her second international USY convention. Mira is a student at St. Mary’s Academy and attends Congregation Neveh Shalom.

Being together as a region at the convention was also a highlight for second-time attendee Abby Glass, 16. “The regional bonding … we got to be together as a region a few times a day, is the best way to get really close and get to know people,” says Abby, who sits on the board of the Pinwheel Region, which encompasses the Pacific Northwest chapters of USY. Abby says the only regional convention she has

56 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018

missed was when she spent a semester in Israel at the Alexander Muss High School. A member of Neveh Shalom and a junior at Wilson High School, Abby is also a member of the Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation.

“I think all teens should get in a youth group,” she says. “It’s a great opportunity for fun with friends, growing as a person and learning leadership.”

The convention theme, D’ror Yikra: The Road to Freedom, also inspired the Portland teens.

Reflecting on the current political and cultural landscape, the teens examined the concept of freedom through interactive educational workshops focusing on hot topics at home and abroad. Those topics included religious freedom in Israel, freedom of expression, human rights, current refugee crises and how sociopolitical factors affect choice.

“I want to integrate that into my life and my chapter’s life,” says Mira.

Keynote speakers Rabbi Michael Siegel, senior rabbi of Anshe Emet Synagogue in Chicago, and Pastor Chris Harris of Bright Star Church in Chicago, spoke on the theme, which Abby found very meaningful. “I enjoyed learning about how the religions can work together,” she says. “Minorities can work together and support each other.”

Translating learning into action, teens participated in hands-on social action projects

Front: Pinwheel President Juliana Sher (from Seattle) introducing the Pinwheel Region to hundreds of teens at the convention. Pictured behind Juliana (from left) are: Abby Glass, from Neveh Shalom in Portland; and Mark Lamin and Rachel Coskey, from Beth Shalom in Seattle. Photo by North Shore Photography

by volunteering at more than 30 local organizations around the Chicago area on Christmas Day including FCHN Soup Kitchen, The Ark, Lincoln Park Community Shelter, the Anixter Center and H.O.M.E. “We are utilizing the potential that hundreds of teens collectively possess to make change,” says 2017 USY International President Noah Lee. “We are going into the Chicago community on Christmas because we understand the importance of this day to many. I hope to see many local people healthier, safer and better fed on Christmas because of USY's

Hundreds of Jewish teens from across North America celebrate at USY’s opening session at the Sheraton Grand hotel in Chicago. Photo by North Shore Photography

efforts.”

The Portland teens volunteered at two projects: making blankets for babies and serving meals at a soup kitchen.

“We served 600 meals on Christmas,” says Mira. “We got to talk to people while we were serving the food, and that was really rewarding. They are experiencing homelessness and to feed them a warm meal on Christmas, which I think a lot of those people celebrated, was rewarding. I loved to see the reach and energy (of USY).”

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018 57

KIDS CALENDAR

FEB. 3

PJ HAVDALLAH: 5:15-7 pm at Congregation Neveh Shalom. Say goodbye to Shabbat in our PJs as we have dinner, stories, art and fun. $5 per person. For families of children ages 0-5. Co-sponsored by PJ Library.

503-246-8831

FEB. 4

FOUNDATION SCHOOL WALK-A-THON: 11:30 am-12:30 pm at Congregation Neveh Shalom. Music, snacks and prizes. Free. 503-2937307

FEB. 11

MJCC SUMMER DAY CAMP FAIR: 11 am-1 pm at MJCC. Learn

THURSDAYS

PJ STORY HOUR YAD B'YAD: 9:30-10:30 am, Thursdays 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

FRIDAYS

A LITTLE SHABBAT: 5-6:30 pm every third Friday at Congregation Shaarie Torah, 920 NW 25th Ave., Portland. For families with children in preschool (ages 2+). Short service with singing, greeting, stories followed by kid-friendly dinner. Free. 503-226-6131 FOURTH FRIDAYS WITH RABBI EVE POSEN: 5:15-7 pm, fourth Fridays. Join Rabbi Eve Posen for this fun Shabbat for young families!

Welcome Shabbat with music and stories. Potluck dinner to follow. Cosponsored by PJ Library. RSVP for more info and location: 503-246-8831 or eposen@nevehshalom.org

SATURDAYS

TOT SHABBAT WITH MINI MENSCHES: 9-11 am, first and

about the MJCC Summer Day Camp programs, register and meet camp staff. Free. 503-535-3555

third Saturdays at Congregation Beth Israel, 1972 NW Flanders, Portland.

Join us for our special Saturday service for our littlest congregants and the grown-ups who love them. 503-222-1069

JCO YOUNG ARTIST SHOWCASE: 2-5:15 pm at the MJCC. $10. jco@ JewishCommunityOrchestra.org

TOT SHABBAT: 10:30 am, first Saturdays, at Congregation Ahavath

FEB. 28

CNS PURIM CARNIVAL FOR FAMILIES: 4:30-6 pm at Congregation Neveh Shalom. Free. RSVP for nonmembers: jbezodis@ nevehshalom.org

RECURRING: SUNDAYS

NORTH STORY HOUR WITH PJ LIBRARY: 9:30-10:15 am, Sundays at New Seasons, 3445 N Williams Ave., Portland. Share in a weekly story hour for families with music and PJ Library Books. (No story hour Nov. 26). rachelr@jewishportland.org or 503-892-7415

TUESDAYS

STORY TIME IN ANNE AND GOLDIE’S CHILDREN’S CORNER: 11-11:30 am, Tuesdays, second floor of the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, 724 NW Davis St, Portland. Rotating storytellers bring carefully selected books to life, with occasional singing, movement and crafts. Stay to play in the Neighborhood House themed corner, or grab lunch at Lefty’s Cafe. Co-sponsored by PJ Library. Caregivers with children are free. ojmche.org

WEDNESDAYS

CHAI BABY + PJ LIBRARY INDOOR PLAYGROUND: 10 am-noon, every second Wednesday (Sept.-June) at the MJCC, 6651 SW Capitol Hwy. For parents and their children up to 5 years old. Playing, running, meeting new and old friends, kosher snacks. Free. 503-244-0111

58 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018

Achim’s Hillsdale location: 6686 SW Capitol Hwy. Eve Levy will lead tots and their parents in singing, dancing, stories and plenty of time for the children (and parents) to have fun. This program is geared for children up to age 5 and any older siblings who would like to attend. 503-227-0010

YOUNG FAMILY TOT SHABBAT: 10:15 am-12:15 pm, first and third Saturdays at Congregation Neveh Shalom, 2900 SW Peaceful Lane, Portland. Join other young families for singing, dancing, stories, indoor picnic-style lunch and Shabbat fun. Free. Rabbi Eve Posen 503-246-8831

KIDDUSH CLUB FOR K-2ND GRADE: 10:15-11:30 am, first and third Saturdays at Congregation Neveh Shalom, 2900 SW Peaceful Lane, Portland. Sing, hear a Torah story, maybe dance. followed by lunch.

503-246-8831

TORAH TROOP FOR 3RD-5TH GRADERS: 10:00-11:30 am, first and third Saturdays, Congregation Neveh Shalom. Meet in the main service for the beginning of the Torah service, and then come out with your friends for a fun and active lesson on the Torah portion (parsha) of the week. Return to the service to help lead Adon Olam, and join the community for lunch! Free. 503-246-8831

SHABBAT STORYTIME: 9:45-10:15 am, second Saturdays, at Congregation Shir Tikvah, 7550 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 afterward for bagels and coffee with Rabbi Ariel Stone. 503-473-8227

J

L iving

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Anne Frank’s stepsister comes to Oregon

Oregonians have two opportunities (see page 60) to enter the world of Anne Frank as told by her stepsister and childhood friend Eva Schloss.

“The vision is to create a moment for our community when nearly 1,000 participants gather in the Newmark Theatre to hear, see and come as close to this important story as we will ever be able to,” says Rabbi Motti Wilhelm of Chabad of Oregon.

The programs are presented by the Chabad Center for Jewish Life in partnership with the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, Portland State University’s Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies and the Jewish Student Union at Willamette University.

“Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education is dedicated to sustaining the memory of the Holocaust,” says OJMCHE Executive Director Judy Margles.” Listening to the living memories of survivors is critical to our mission. As we arrive at the 73rd year since Anne Frank’s death in Bergen-Belsen, we are fortunate for the opportunity to hear from a survivor who has a direct connection to Anne and her family.”

When Germany annexed Austria in 1938, many Jewish families fled Austria to avoid persecution. Among the emigrants was 8-year-old Eva Geiringer, who with her mother, brother and father moved to Belgium and then to Holland, where one of her neighbors was a German Jewish girl of the same age.

The two girls became friends and playmates (though, as Eva would say many years later, the girl was "much more grown up and mature than me"). They passed the time by skipping, playing hopscotch and marbles, and drinking lemonade.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018 59

Ultimately, both girls and their families were deported to the Auschwitz concentration camp. Later they would become stepsisters.

Eva survived her concentration camp experience and made her way to England, where she married Zvi Schloss and raised three daughters. She worked as a studio photographer and ran an antique shop.

Her stepsister did not survive Auschwitz, but kept a diary that did. Her name was Anne Frank.

Since 1985, Eva Schloss has devoted herself to Holocaust education and global peace. She has recounted her wartime experiences in more than 1,000 speaking engagements. She has written two books and has had a play written about her life. In 1999 Eva signed the Anne Frank Peace Declaration along with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan and the niece of Raul Wallenberg, a legendary figure who rescued thousands of Jews in Budapest.

Eva joins many courageous individuals who work tirelessly to end the violence and bigotry that continue to plague our world. Eva’s insightful message reminds us that life is precious and fragile, that the creative spirit is stronger than fear, that the power of good is immeasurable and that love makes a difference.

“Today’s students will be the last to personally encounter and ask questions of a Holocaust survivor, let alone one as prominent as Anne Frank’s sister,” says Rabbi Motti Wilhelm. “In that spirit, the event committee has committed 1 1/19/18 1:41 PM to findingpurim_ad_OJL_CST_feb2018_1.pdf a sponsor to enable us to discount group tickets for

purim

students for up to 100 students at $15 a ticket.”

To bring a student group at this special rate, contact StephanieViegasDias@portland5.com.

Historic Evening with Eva Schloss 7:30 pm, Feb. 20

Newmark Theatre 1111 SW Broadway, Portland Tickets: $25-$125 (20% discount for students and seniors) portland5.com/newmark-theatre/events/historic-evening-eva-schloss

7 pm, Feb. 22

Smith Auditorium at Willamette University 70 Winter St. SE, Salem JewishSalem.com

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Museum exhibits focus on Holocaust with underground magazine and Haggadah

Beginning in mid-February, the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education will present two exhibits that explore the Holocaust through the written word and art.

In the museum’s main exhibit hall, Vedem Underground will examine the literary magazine written by Jewish teens imprisoned at the Nazi camp Terezin in German-occupied Czechoslovakia. Using graphics, drawings, paintings, prose and poetry, these teens wrote and illustrated the longest-running underground magazine in a Nazi camp. Vedem, Czech for “in the lead,” documented with defiance, humor and heartbreak the voices of some of the era’s youngest resistance fighters.

Also on view in OJMCHE's East Gallery is To Tell the Story: the Wollach Holocaust Haggadah. Commissioned by Helene and Zygfryd B. Wollach, the Holocaust Haggadah is richly illustrated with lithographic prints by David Wander and calligraphy by Yonah Weinreb that link the story of liberation from ancient Egypt to the Holocaust. The exhibition includes Haggadahs from the museum collection and local collectors.

Vedem Underground is an art installation that deconstructs and reinterprets the original literary work by breaking down the magazine’s 800 pages (83 weekly issues) and reconstructing them in the form of a contemporary magazine experienced through bold graphics and didactic panels. It includes quotes from five of the original contributors. Pop art graphics, archival photographs, cartoons and pages from the original magazine celebrate the artistic and cultural legacy of Vedem.

On Nov. 24, 1941, the Nazis established the camp at Terezin. About 140,000 Jews were transferred to the ghetto; nearly 90,000 were later deported, likely to their death. The Nazis also used the camp for propaganda, declaring that it was a "spa town" where elderly German Jews could safely "retire." In June 1944 the Germans permitted a visit by the International Red Cross. In preparation they planted gardens, removed barracks, painted houses and staged a series of social and cultural events.

Once the Red Cross departed, the Germans resumed deportations.

At Terezin, the teens who produced Vedem all lived in a cellblock called Home #1. In 1942 they decided to take a stand, speak up and reveal the truth. The project started with a single page; by 1944 Vedem volumes encompassed 800 pages. Secretly the group created one handmade issue each week. Each Friday night the writers would read their articles to their bunkmates, followed by a discussion. At times famous artists or writers imprisoned in the ghetto would sneak in to listen.

Of the 92 boys who passed through Home #1, 15 survived.

Among the survivors was Sidney Taussig, who buried the magazine, original artwork and a diary in a metal box. After liberation, he dug up the box with the 83 handmade weekly issues.

“We are excited to showcase Vedem Underground with its messages on the importance of activism, persistence and collaboration, which still resonate today – more than 60 years later,” says OJMCHE Director Judy Margles. “As an education center, OJMCHE hosts more than 10,000 students and teachers a year, and exhibitions such as Vedem Underground provide a profound way to bring the lessons of the Holocaust forward to a new generation.

One of OJMCHE’s core values is to teach students to be “upstanders” rather than bystanders, and Vedem is a powerful tribute to the spirit of hope and action.”

Vedem Underground was produced and curated by Rina King, whose grandfather led the resistance at Lithuania’s Kovno Ghetto. King is co-writing the companion book Vedem Underground: Pages of Resistance and producing the Vedem Underground documentary film with art director Michael Murphy, who conceptualized the exhibit as a merging of punk subculture-inspired art and the 1940s-era ‘zine aesthetic, and writer/journalist Danny King, who is producing and co-writing the companion book.

“It’s been an honor to showcase the incredibly courageous and creative work by some of the youngest resistance fighters of the World War II era,” says King. “These teenage boys refused to give up their identity, their humanity and their fighting spirit.”

The exhibit premiered at the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles in 2016 and has been traveling across the United States.

OJMCHE Exhibits

Feb. 16-May 27 Vedem Underground: An examination of the literary magazine written by Jewish teens imprisoned at Terezin, a Nazi camp in Czechoslovakia during World War II. To Tell the Story: the Wollach Holocaust Haggadah: The Holocaust Haggadah links the story of liberation from ancient Egypt to the Holocaust.

HOURS: 11 am-5 pm, Tuesday-Thursday; 11 am-4 pm, Friday; 11 am-5 pm, Saturday-Sunday GUIDED TOURS: 1 pm, Sunday and Wednesday WHERE: Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, 724 NW Davis St., Portland CONTACT: 503-226-3600 or ojmche.org OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018 61

A tray of hamantaschen ready to eat.

By Polina Olsen

It’s hamantaschen time – bake, buy, eat

They’ve been baking pastries together for a long, long time, first for synagogue use and then as a community event and fundraiser. The Shaarie Torah Sisterhood’s annual hamantaschen marathon gets going Feb. 4 this year. Expect the best, as they turn out thousands of fruit- and poppy seed-filled pastries that look like Haman’s tri-corner hat. They celebrate Esther, the queen who thwarted Haman’s plot to kill Jews in ancient Persia.

Marje Jacobson joined the bakeoff in 1961 when Shaarie Torah was on Park Avenue, and Rabbi Yonah Geller was the congregation’s new leader. “It was a little disorganized at first,” Marje says. “Diane Nemer ran around telling people what to do. You heard ‘too much flour, not enough!’ People who couldn’t do anything right kept busy hand-rolling balls of fruit.”

Marje remembers Shammos Chaim Resnick and his wife, Helen, making sure everything was kosher. Helen also shopped, made the Kiddush and hand-rolled dough. The prune and poppy seed fillings were her recipes. Diane Nemer scouted for ingredient donations, keeping the list top secret so other groups wouldn’t dilute their source’s generosity.

“Esther Mink and Fannie Tanzer had rolling pins from the 62 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018

old country,” Marje says. “Fannie rolled perfect circles, but some people thought the kitchen counters were too high or too low. We sealed the hamantaschen so they’d stack, but people argued they should be open so the filling showed. Women told jokes while they worked. Sometimes it got a little risqué. One time someone brought her daughter along, and that kind of wrecked our joke-telling session.”

“Those first years they made either 400 or 400 dozen,” Marje adds. “Now we bake about 2,700 dozen, and we do it in 12 days. In the ’60s, my father made miniature rolling pins that we still use today, and the Sunday school started baking. Some of those kids now come in as adults. Last year, Diane Nemer’s grandson, Adam, brought in his own kids. I heard his 7-yearold daughter say, ‘Don’t you think that’s too much filling?’

Diane had strong genes.”

The operation has streamlined and expanded over the years. Volunteers weigh ingredients, use a pasta machine for consistent rolling and a Ninja grinder for lemons, and are on their second Hobart Commercial Mixer.

Some traditions continue. Frieda Cohen, the hamantaschen grande dame, started baking around 1948 following her mother’s example. Thelma Solomon specializes in packing, Diane Zidell makes everyone lunch and local hero, Arlene Gintz, washes dishes.

From left: Jeanne Hix, Charlotte Tevet and Judy Rosenbloom put filling on each piece of dough.

Next comes revising, printing and mailing order forms and an Excel spreadsheet to keep it straight, since about 80% of the customers change their order before Purim is through. Grinding begins in February including mixing 100 pounds of prunes with raisins, dates, coconut and walnut jam, and then repeating the process for the apricot and poppy seed fillings.

From back left clockwise: Sue Hickey, Shelly Klapper, Karla Benson and Marje Jacobson.

“Baking sheets have 48 hamantaschen each,” Charlotte says. “We’re Shaarie Torah’s largest fundraiser, and we have a lot of fun.”

“We need all kinds of volunteers,” says Procurement Still both Charlotte and Marje insist fundraising is not the and Organizing Chairwoman Charlotte Tevet, adding the main objective. “We want to celebrate the holiday,” Marje minimum age is 12. “We appreciate any amount of time. They says. “We don’t want to lose the smells and tradition, and we can come all day or just for a couple hours. We need people get multi-generations together. I made it my goal to have to sort, mix, roll dough, prepare filling, prepare ovens, clean everyone come and enjoy.” up and ship. Some jobs are standing and some can be done Volunteer for hamantaschen baking during the weeks of sitting. We’re working with huge quantities, 1,000 pounds of Feb. 4, Feb. 11 and Feb. 18, Sundays through Wednesdays, 9 am to 3 pm, and Tuesdays 5 to 9 pm. Contact Charlotte Tevet flour and 400 pounds of sugar.”

Charlotte’s year begins in November with letters to previous at ctevet2004@yahoo.com or 503-246-2458 or just show up.

Order hamantaschen by visiting shaarietorah.org or by and potential donors. We’ve received generous donations of calling the synagogue at 503-226-6131 or Barbara Weiland at flour, sugar, eggs, oranges and lemons,” she says. “Cash and 503-816-5438. gift cards help buy dried fruit, poppy seeds, baking supplies and other essentials.”

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2018 63

L iving

J

FACES & PLACES

KESSER KICKOFF – Above, Aki Fleshler, Kesser Israel president stands before a drawing of the new sanctuary at the kickoff event for Kesser Israel’s $1.5 million capital campaign on Jan. 11. Above right, Kesser member Kerry Goldring unveils the “campaign thermometer,” showing more than $1 million in donations and pledges to the $1.5 million campaign. The thriving Orthodox congregation is planning a needed expansion of its current building on Southwest Capitol Highway. Top, from left, Marc Goldring, Sharon Stern, Rabbi Ken Brodkin and Steve Rallison, Stern’s husband, at the kickoff event, “Building to Inspire.” Stern, a featured speaker at the event, and her family are major donors to the project. Photos by Jon Perrin

HILLEL WINTER SHABBATON – Oregon Hillel Foundation’s annual Winter Retreat and Shabbaton in Sun River drew 83 students (33 from OSU and 50 from UO) for tzedek programming, havdallah, Israel programming and the opportunity to build their Jewish community. Ido Almog, top, (Oregon State) and Michael Borovinsky (University of Oregon) connect during the sunny retreat. Allison Granet (UO) celebrates Havdallah with 82 of her friends during the retreat.

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BB CAMP VOLUNTEERS – B’nai B’rith Camp’s Volunteer Appreciation Party, “Cheers to You,” held Jan. 7 at Opal 28, honored more than 170 volunteers who have helped shape the growth and success of BB Camp to engage the community’s children, families and adults in joyful Jewish transformative experiences. From left are Miles Newmark, Felicia Rosenthal and Stuart Kronick, outgoing board president.

FACES & PLACES

EUGENE CHANUKAH – Eugene Mayor Lucy Vinnis addresses the crowd who turned out for the public Chanukah celebration in Eugene at the Valley River Center. In the foreground is Chabad of Eugene Rabbi Berel Gurevitch.

SCIENCE CLASS – Students at Maimonides Jewish Day School watch how a solid (ice), melts into a liquid (water) and then turns into a gas (water vapor).

P’NAI OR TORAH RETURNS – In a scene reminiscent of its original journey to Portland in 1997, the P’nai Or Torah is greeted by P’nai Or members on its arrival at PDX Jan. 11 after being repaired at the OHALAH rabbinic/cantorial conference in Boulder, CO. From left are P’nai Or members Peter Thacker, Milt Markewitz, Baruch Morris and Helen Tevlin.

EUGENE TBI WELCOME – New members of Temple Beth Israel in Eugene come together in a family-friendly gathering to celebrate Chanukah with Rabbi Ruhi Sophia, TBI Board of Trustees, Membership Committee, and WelcoMensches (volunteers who are dedicated to welcoming those new to the synagogue).

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Through Feb. 4

FEBRUARY CALENDAR

“Lifeboat,” a true story of two girls who survive after their ship is sunk by a Nazi submarine.

Directed by Avital Shira. 7:30 pm ThursdaySaturday and 2 pm Sunday at Northwest Children’s Theater, 1819 NW Everett St., Portland. 800-838-3006 or corriblifeboat. brownpapertickets.com OJMCHE exhibits: “I AM THIS: Art by Oregon Jewish Artists” & “Munich to Portland, A Painting Saves a Family.” ojmche.org

Through Feb. 11 2.5 Minute Ride: A complex, funny, searching play about 74-year-old Holocaust survivor’s trip to an amusement park presented by Profile Theatre.

Profiletheatre.org or 503-242-0080

Through March 30 Exhibit: Raoul Wallenberg: To Me, There's No Other Choice. Nordia House Gallery 8800 SW Oleson Road, Portland. Learn the story behind the Swedish diplomat who single-handedly saved thousands of Jews in Nazi-occupied Hungary during World War II. scanheritage.org or 503-9770275

Feb. 1 Mega Challah Bake. 7:30 pm at the MJCC. $18.

503-358-7000 or challahbakeoregon@gmail. com

Feb. 2-4 Kollel Family Shabbaton at Portland Airport Sheraton. RSVP required: ryg@portlandkollel.org

Feb. 3 Raoul Wallenberg exhibit opening celebration and havdallah at Nordia House. (see “Through March 30” above for exhibit info)

Walk n’ Talk with Eve & Allison of Shine. 11 amnoon. RSVP for location: eve@portlandkollel.org

Digging Torah: The Binding of Isaac. 7 pm at Portland Jewish Academy, 6651 SW Capitol Hwy. Portland. Sylvia Frankel will present in-depthTorah-study class by the Institute for Judaic Studies. $10. info@portlandjudaicstudies.org

Feb. 6 The Complete Mozart Cycle with Pianist David Rothman. 2-3:15 pm at the MJCC. Continues Feb. 13, 20 and 27. oregonjcc.org/pianoseries

Feb. 8 Brown Bag Lunch Program, Film Screening and Discussion with Alicia Jo Rabins. Noon-1 pm at OJMCHE. Chavruta: Drummer's Bat Mitzvah is a 16-minute documentary short about everyday spiritual quests by Jodi Darby. Free. 503-2263600 ojmche.org Nosh & Drash with Rabbi Eve Posen. 3 pm at MJCC. Topic: How to be a Friend. Free. 503-2440111 Gun Safety Presentation. 6:30 pm at the MJCC. Free. 503-535-3555 Israel360 Presents: American Jewish Engagement with Israel. 7-8:30 pm at Congregation Neveh Shalom. 503-246-8831

Feb. 11 The Holocaust Experience of Second and Third Generation Survivors, a panel conversation in conjunction with 2.5 Minute Ride, a play by Lisa Kron. After 2 pm matinee at Profile Theatre, 1515 SW Morrison St, Portland. Panel is free with play ticket. OJMCHE and Profile Theatre. boxoffice@ profiletheatre.org

Sephardic Soul and Balkan Folk Dance Night with Michelle Alany and the Mystics. Doors open 7 pm at St. David of Wales Church, 2800 SE Harrison St., Portland. michellealany.com

Jewish Community Orchestra Young Artist Showcase and Silent Auction. Silent auction at 2 pm, concert 3 pm the MJCC. Tickets available at the door $10; $8/seniors; $5/students. jewishcommunityorchestra.org/wordpress/ concerts/

Feb. 5

Feb. 13

Peace, Politics and Plutonium: Israel’s challenges and opportunities during the Trump-Netanyahu Era. 7-8:30 pm at MJCC. Featuring Gil Hoffman, the chief political correspondent and analyst for The Jerusalem Post. Hoffman provides a behindthe-scenes look at the intrigue and humor in the Israeli political arena. 503-245-6496 or bob@ jewishportland.org

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Sephardic Film Series: Sallah. 7 pm at Ahavath Achim, 3225 SW Barbur Blvd., Portland. Comical satire about a Middle Eastern family moving to Israel. Sephardic desserts and talk by Charles Levy. Free. 503-750-0888 How communities overcome prejudice and meet the challenge of immigration. 7 pm at Congregation Beth Israel, 1972 NW Flanders, Portland. 503-222-1069

SEE KIDS CALENDAR PAGE 58

Feb. 15 Tax Reform: What it Means for You and Your Clients. Noon-1:30 pm at the Multnomah Athletic Club, 1849 SW Salmon St., Portland. The Oregon Jewish Community Foundation’s Professional Advisors Group lunch meeting. 503-248-9328 Short Stories with Harley Sachs. 6:30 pm at the MJCC. Author of Threads of the Convenant shares his collection of short stories about Jewish life in small town America. $5. oregonjcc.org/ shortstories

Feb. 16-May 27 OJMCHE Exhibitions: Vedem Underground and To Tell The Story: the Wollach Holocaust Haggadah.

See page 63

Feb. 20 Ezra Weiss at the Portland Jazz Fest. 7:30 pm at Lola’s Room, 1332 W Burnside St., Portland. pdxjazz.com/event/ezra-weiss-the-mondaynight-big-band/

Feb. 20& 22 Historic Evenings with Eva Schloss, Stepsister of Anne Frank. See page 59

Feb. 22

Chana. 7 pm at OJMCHE. The recent passing of Chana Bloch, an award-winning American poet and esteemed translator from the Hebrew marks a significant loss for literature. Discussion will feature poets Andrea Hollander, Paulann Petersen, Ellen Hart, and Marilyn McEntyre. Free with Museum admission. Ojmche.org

Feb. 25-March 23 Jewish Arts Month at the MJCC. See page 44

Feb. 26 Find Your Inner Esther ... A Purim Experienced from Women's Philanthropy. 5:30-8:30 pm, Opal 28, 510 NE 28th Ave. $25. 503-892-3015

Feb. 28 CNS Community-wide Purim Party. 6 pm dinner, 7 pm at Congregation Neveh Shalom. stories, songs, comedy and the whole Megillah. nevehshalom.org/purim5778 Hamanton: The Schpiel. 6-9 pm at Congregation Beth Israel, 1972 NW Flanders St., Portland. Free.

503-222-1069 Purim Party/Prom Shpiel. 5:30 pm at Congregation Shaarie Torah. With music, nosh, young family dinner, megillah reading, more.

RSVP: shaarietorah.org

Many Branches, One Tree.

OJCF is your partner in philanthropy. Our wide range of charitable services can empower you to make the world a better place.

Donor Advised Funds l Endowment Funds Planned Giving l Supporting Organizations Youth Philanthropy l Collaborative Giving For more information: 503.248.9328 l www.ojcf.org

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