Oregon Jewish Life March 2016 Vol.5/Issue 2 by JewishLifeMagazine

MARCH 2016

WANDER NO MORE

CAMPS

Fun, Experiences & Friends for a Lifetime

Timbers

President Mike Golub Loves Team & Town

REAL ESTATE It's a Hot Market

OREGON MANUFACTURERS. LOCAL BUSINESSES. YOUR NEIGHBORS. ALL GETTING MORE FROM THEIR ENERGY. Here in Oregon, thousands of businesses and individuals are saving money with help from Energy Trust of Oregon. With cash incentives for energy improvements, we can help you get more from your energy.

Are you ready to get more from your energy? Visit www.energytrust.org/more or call us at 1.866.368.7878. Serving customers of Portland General Electric, Pacific Power, NW Natural and Cascade Natural Gas.

Guidance on your terms. Not someone else's.

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Denise Patridge Financial Consultant, CFP (R) Portland, OR 222 SW Columbia St. Suite #100 Portland, OR 97201 (503) 721-2429 www.schwab.com/portlandor

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | MARCH 2016 3

Inside

Features COVER STORY

March 2016/ Adar I-Adar II 5776 | Volume 5/Issue 2

Timbers Mike Golub and fans love their team….……………………………..18 Timbers schedule…………………………………….……………………………....20 JEWS WITH ATTITUDE From Circus to Pilates………..………………………………………………………. 8 BUSINESS Ins & Outs………………………………………….……………………………………10 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Igudesman & Joo are far from stuffy musicians….... ……..…………………23 Play brings humor to seriousness of BRCA ……………………………………26 Son of Saul director speaks out…....……………………………………………..27 FOOD NW Nosh: Diversity only constant of PDX Pizza….……………………………42 Chef’s Corner: Clean pantry, find meal …....…………………………………..46 YOUNG ADULTS Jewish College Night March 14 …....…………………………………………….48 UO cross-cultural programs make a difference……………………………….49 SENIORS Long journey to reflective life….…………………………………………………..50 Magic in the air for seniors………..………………………………………………. 52 MAC honors Jeanne Newmark ....………………………………………………...53 ISRAEL NGO legislation necessary or vindictive?....……………………………………54

Real Estate Real Estate Q&A…………………..…..………………………………………………11 Saving History……………………….…………………………………………………14 Historic Resources…..……………….………………………………………………16 Local Realtor tapped for national honor..………………………………………16 Lion of Judah Award…………………………………………………………………..17

4 MARCH 2016 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

JKids & Teens too/Camps Kids grow at camps of all colors........………………………………………………28

B’nai B’rith Camp shines on national scene….…………………………………..34 Should America widen camp tent.....……………………………………………….37 Camp Directory……………….…..……………………………………………………...38 Teens reflect on Philanthropy….……………………………………………………...40 OJCYF’s B’nai Mitzvah celebration….………………………………………………..40

JLiving Exhibit shares Ruth Gruber’s photos, life………………………………………....56 Portland’s UnShul finds spirit in many places……………………………………58 Eve and Feminism – really?.......……………………………………………………..60 An LGBT mission to Israel………………………………………………………………61 FACES from recent events …….……………………………………………………… 62 Previews of things to come …….…………………………………………………….64 Calendar …….……………………….……………………………………………………66

Columns 42 NW Nosh by Kerry Politzer 46 Chef’s Corner by Lisa Glickman 54 An Oregonian in Israel by Mylan Tanzer COVER PHOTO: Mike Golub at Providence Park. Photo by Craig Mitchelldyer

™

Publishers Robert Philip and Cindy Saltzman Advertising and Editorial Director Cindy Saltzman Editor-In-Chief Deborah Moon Art Director Philip Nerat Copy Editor Susan Moon Social Media Editor Debra Rich Gettleman Webmaster Karl Knelson Columnists Lisa Glickman, Kerry Politzer and Mylan Tanzer Contributing Writers Yvette Alex-Asensoh, Rich Geller, Gloria Hammer, Jenn Director Knudsen, Liz Rabiner Lippoff, Polina Olsen, Allie Rosenfeld & Estee Rosenberg, Sura Rubinstein and Elizabeth Schwartz How to reach us: Editorial: 503-892-7402 Advertising: 503-892-7403 Subscriptions: 503-892-7403 Publisher: Publisher@ojlife.com

Where is she now? She moved to (w)here,=

Real Estate

When you are ready to make a move, call Lorraine Rose

503-703-8666

Oregon Jewish Life 6680 SW Capitol Hwy. Portland, Oregon 97219 www.ojlife.com

lorrainerosepdx@gmail.com www.where-inc.com

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

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | MARCH 2016 5

Purim: Purim:

A Night of Magic & Miracles

Night of Magic Magic &KIDS Miracles ∆ of pM FooD, DrINK AND FuN AA5 Night & Miracles ∆ FooD, DrINK pM AND KIDSrEADING FuN 6:1555pM MEGILLAH pM Ø ∆ Traditional FooD, DrINK AND KIDS FuN 6:15 pM Ø Traditional MEGILLAH rEADING 7:156:15 pMpM MAGIC OFMEGILLAH HArT KEENE º Ø THETraditional rEADING 7:15 pM THE MAGIC OF HArT KEENE º 8 pM THE purIM pArTY CONTINuES 7:15 pM THE MAGIC OF HArT KEENE

8 pM ^ º THE purIM pArTY CONTINuES ^ Keene Magician (from America’s Got 8 pM Hart THE purIM pArTY CONTINuES Magician ^ Hart Keene (from America’s Got Talent) will dazzle and amaze with his special Magician Keene Got Talent) willHart dazzle and(from amazeAmerica’s with his special brand of magic Talent) will dazzle andperformance. amaze with his special brand of magic performance. brand of magic performance.

Wednesday, Wednesday,March March23 23 Wednesday, March 23 atat atTorah Shaarie Torah Shaarie Shaarie Torah

920 NW 25th Ave portland, or 97210 ~ (503)226-6131

920 NW 25th Ave portland, or 97210 ~ (503)226-6131 More at: shaarietorah.org/purim2016 920 NW 25th Aveat:portland, or 97210 ~ (503)226-6131 More shaarietorah.org/purim2016 More at: shaarietorah.org/purim2016

The Carl Preschool

spring auction

Come join us for fabulous games, prizes, and items big and small while supporting a great cause!

March 12th, 2016 7-10 pm

The Enso Building 1400 NW Marshall St Portland, OR 97209 For more information contact: The Carl Preschool at Shaarie Torah preschool@shaarietorah.org www.thecarlschool.com (503)226-6131 ext. 107 6 MARCH 2016 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Spring is in the air, which means summer is just around the corner. Spring is the time to find summer camps for your kids. Spring is also the beginning of the busy season for the housing market with home sales traditionally peaking over the summer months. So is it any wonder that our special sections this month focus on camps and real estate? Oregon has summer camps for every interest under the sun. Whether your child loves music or horses or new adventures, you can find a camp where they will thrive. Check our Camps section to find day camps just around the corner and Jewish overnight camps from Arizona to British Columbia and everywhere in between. Whichever camp your offspring attend, you can be sure they’ll come home with memories and friends that will last a lifetime. While it doesn’t seem possible that the Portland real estate market could get any hotter – homes continue to sell at a record pace – more homes do traditionally go on the market in the spring and summer. So if you’ve been looking for a new home only to be outbid, you might have more to look at in the coming months. But you’ll still have to act fast; homes in most areas continue to sell quickly. Spring also means Passover will soon be here. Next month our Pesach section will of course feature Passover foods, and this year we are inviting our readers to share some of their holiday favorites – both traditional classics and modern creations. Please send your favorite recipe and a brief description of why it’s a staple or new addition of your family’s seder table or Pesach week lunchbox to editor@ojlife.com. To be considered for inclusion in our Passover section next month, we will need to receive your submission by March 11. There will be prizes involved; for more details check our website orjewishlife.com.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | MARCH 2016 7

Jews With Attitude

From Circus to Pilates

Pilates on a ball improves both, but also knew that putting an A couple who met performing 83-year-old on a ball would not circus stunts about 35 years ago is be stable. She began developing now helping Portlanders optimize a prototype chair to blend their own performance by the benefits of a ball with the offering a diverse array of Pilates stability offered by a chair. and yoga classes at their studio in Israeli designer Rami Geller Northeast Portland. helped her build the prototype. Begin Pilates classes include After receiving the patent, Danny Mankin’s Yoga for the the couple sold the patent to Inflexible Man (aka Stretch and Balanced Body (pilates.com), Kvetch) and Maria Mankin’s which markets it as an office trademark Grace Pilates using the chair. Maria retained the right Begin Chair she invented to help to develop and train instructors her 83-year-old mother regain in Grace Pilates, a method strength and flexibility. utilizing the Begin Chair. “The name, Begin Pilates, is However, the two lives that an invitation to begin, to start intertwined to become the Pilates,” says Maria. “We want couple who created Begin to make Pilates accessible to Pilates almost never got beyond everyone.” their first date. Danny adds, “When you begin, Danny had been accepted you are open to all possibilities.” at UC-Berkeley, but his sister, The word “begin” features Joan Mankin, z”l, convinced prominently in the studio him to instead join her beyond just its name and performing political satire with Maria’s patented Begin Chair. the street theater group San The studio’s motto, prominently Francisco Mime Troupe. He Dan and Maria Mankin with the Begin Chair Maria invented. painted on the walls, is “Begin to The couple’s Begin Pilates studio held its grand opening Jan. had failed to follow his sister’s 21 in Portland and offers a variety of Pilates and yoga exercise love your core.” path to the bimah (she had classes. Photo by Deborah Moon. The chair originated when a bat mitzvah, but he never the couple was living in Point became a bar mitzvah after Reyes Station, CA, where Maria their father argued with their had a small Pilates studio that catered to the area’s large senior rabbi). But Danny did follow her lead to become a clown. population. When her mother, Natalina (Lina) Tanaceto, came While juggling at Fisherman’s Wharf, Danny says Maria to visit, she was unable to stand up from a chair by herself. started to flirt with him after she finished her one-woman “That’s one of the first reasons people go into nursing homes,” puppet and clown show. But just after their first date, which says Maria. “I started a program for her in a chair.” ended with “maybe one kiss,” Maria returned to her home in Lina began to regain some proficiency, but Maria wanted to Sicily. Over the next two years Danny wrote her numerous enhance her mother’s core and balance, too. She knew doing letters in Italy and France, “but I never answered once,” says By Deborah Moon

Begin Pilates: 2393 NE Fremont St. Suite D., Portland | 971-229-0631 | beginpilates.com 8 MARCH 2016 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Congratulations CAROLYN WEINSTEIN

Mankin Family: (From left) Maria, Imogene, Alina and Danny during their circus days.

Maria. Never, that is, until Danny contacted her with both a job offer and the offer of airfare back to the states. Danny had been hired to book entertainers for the second Us Festival created by Steve Wozniak. Maria arrived to perform at the May 1983 festival in San Bernadino, CA, and eight months later the couple married on Jan. 18, 1984. For 20 years Danny earned his living as a juggler, clown and acrobat. Maria worked part time in early childhood education and raised their two daughters, Alina (now a TV writer) and Imogene (now a law student). In 1990 and ’91, the family performed together at Make-A-Circus, a one-ring circus that performed free and did circus workshops with children in San Francisco and all over California. When Danny turned 40 (and Maria 41), he transitioned into managing arts and theater nonprofits and took up yoga. The family began a series of moves through California, Idaho, Washington and Oregon, and Maria studied to become a Pilates instructor with the goal of having a portable career. The girls spent summers at Camp Towanga, a Jewish camp near Yosemite, first as campers and later as counselors. And the family fell in love with Portland. When they lived in Longview, WA, they would spend every weekend in Portland. They bought a house here and both girls attended college in Oregon, one at Willamette University and one at the University of Oregon. So when Danny and Maria decided to settle down and open Begin Pilates, they chose Portland because they loved it and knew Alina and Imogene would be sure to visit because they, too, love the city. Though Begin Pilates caters to a diverse mix of people from age 14 to 95, Maria says she has high hopes for the seniors who come to the studio. “My goal is for people walking with walkers to throw their walkers away,” she says. Now 90, Lina is a poster child for the rejuvenating effects of the Begin Chair and Grace Pilates. She now has no problem getting out of a chair by herself, and when she joined Danny, 60, and Maria, 61, on a trip to Mexico this winter, Lina walked so fast they could hardly keep up.

Our 2016 Kipnis-Wilson/ Friedland Award Honoree Recognizing extraordinary leaders in women’s philanthropy - Lion of Judah. Her commitment to community service and Jewish causes is an inspiration to all.

THE STRENGTH OF A PEOPLE. THE POWER OF COMMUNITY.

503.245.6219 | www.jewishportland.org

JewishPDX

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | MARCH 2016 9

linked by the joy of celebrating and eating great food. Sign-ups are now open both online and by phone. The season runs for 22 weeks, between June 1 and Oct. 31. Payment plans are available. 971-266-0231 | joinus@tuvhaaretzportland.com | tuvhaaretzportland. com

KEIL MUELLER BECOMES PARTNER, NADIA DAHAB JOINS STOLL BERNE

CONGREGATION BEIT YOSEF OPENS DOORS TO NEW SPIRITUAL HOME

Congregation Beit Yosef has opened its new sanctuary at 4200 SW Vermont St. next to Gabriel Park in Portland. Congregants of the reinvigorated kehillah worked tirelessly to transform their new home – filled with natural light and surrounded by nature – into a beautiful, welcoming and spiritually uplifting place of worship. The small Sephardic Orthodox shul, founded in 2007 by Rabbi Shlomo Truzman, originally convened in people’s homes in the Portland area before moving to its first spiritual home in 2009 on Southwest Capitol Highway. The mission of this close-knit congregation of both Sephardim and Ashkenazim is to welcome all Jews from all walks of life. “We are all unique, and we embrace everyone’s uniqueness,” says Rabbi Truzman. The “Rav,” as he is called, has been the spiritual leader of several congregations in North America, Latin America and the Caribbean. “CBY is special in that every member and visitor at our shul is important to us,” says President Judy Gerr. “Whether an individual attends every week or just once, everyone feels included and has a place.” CBY invites the entire Jewish community to visit and daven at its beautiful new shul every Shabbat morning at 9 am, followed by a glatt kosher Kiddush luncheon and mincha. 503-860-4806 | rabbi_truzman@hotmail.com

TUV HA’ARETZ PORTLAND OFFERS SUSTAINABLE LOCAL FOOD, JEWISHLY

Tuv Ha’aretz Portland begins its first season as a revamped and improved Jewish CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) bringing local and sustainable food with a distinctly Jewish flavor to Portland. Ilana Cloud and Jonathan Strunin head this new and exciting business. A CSA is a relationship between the customer and local family farms. Through Tuv Ha’aretz, every member’s money is an investment, going straight to support local farms and food suppliers. In exchange, members receive weekly shares of vegetables and fruits, delivered to pickup locations throughout Portland. Tuv Ha’aretz isn’t just a CSA, it is a Jewish CSA that connects the modern local food movement with Jewish heritage, cultures and traditions. In addition to fruits and vegetables, Tuv Ha’aretz offers pickles, challah, kosher wine and beer, holiday boxes and other items, all from small farms and businesses within an hour of Portland. Tuv Ha’aretz offers boxes and add-ons for Jews and the Jewishly interested of all stripes – singles and large families, millennials and elders, cooks and non-cooks alike. Beyond food, Tuv Ha’aretz builds Jewish community through events from beer making workshops to farm work days and member-hosted Shabbats. Members become part of a pluralistic Jewish community, 10 MARCH 2016 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Keil Mueller is Stoll Berne’s newest partner. Keil is a trial lawyer who represents corporate and individual clients in state and federal court, as well as in arbitration proceedings. Keil’s practice emphasizes all aspects of complex business litigation, including shareholder and partnership disputes, securities and financial fraud litigation, contract disputes and trade secrets litigation. Keil Mueller He has successfully represented clients in jury trials and arbitration hearings, and has obtained favorable settlements on behalf of clients in numerous other disputes. Oregon Super Lawyers has recognized Keil as a “Rising Star” from 2012 -2015. In addition, Benchmark Litigation named him as a “Future Star” for 2015 and 2016. Prior to joining Stoll Berne in 2008, Keil spent several years as a litigation associate in the New York office of Covington & Nadia Dahab Burling LLP. Nadia Dahab recently joined Stoll Berne as a new associate. Her practice focuses on complex business litigation and class action disputes, and includes issues of consumer protection, securities fraud and intellectual property. Before joining Stoll Berne, Nadia clerked for the Honorable Rives Kistler on the Oregon Supreme Court, the Honorable Mary H. Murguia on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the Honorable Susan P. Graber, also on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Nadia is currently the co-chair of the Young Lawyers Division of the Federal Bar Association and a coach for Franklin High School’s “We the People” constitution team. 503-277-1600 | kmueller@stollberne.com | ndahab@stollberne.com

HARRY’S COIN SHOP OPENS IN VALLEY PLAZA

Harry and Judith Kraus toast the grand opening of their new shop, Harry’s Coin Shop, on Jan. 24. The shop features coins from 10 cents to thousands of dollars, offering something for everyone. In addition to coins, the shop has a vast array of supplies and books for the hobbyist. “My father, of blessed memory, Morris Kraus was an avid coin collector,” says Harry. “Like most little boys, I wanted very much to be like him. Therefore from around age 7, I, too, became enthusiastic about coins and their history. Harry moved to Portland in 1985, raising children, Sarah and Eddy, while he pursued a 36-year career selling orthopedic implants. Over the years, he has been affiliated with Shaarie Torah Men’s Club, Neveh Shalom’s Foundation School and Chabad Lubavitch of Oregon. His dream of opening a coin shop has now become a reality. Located at Valley Plaza (9214 SW Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy., Beaverton) next to Jesuit High, the interior was designed by Judith, a local artist. 971-302-7972 | harryscoinshop.com

Real Estate

Q&A

Make it pretty, sell it fast By Deborah Moon

It’s no secret that the housing market is booming in the greater Portland metro area. Rental rates have soared and the population is increasing; inventory is tight and prices are rising. So we decided to ask some local Realtors about buying and selling your home. We asked each Realtor to answer one or two of the submitted questions.

Real

Estate

What funny thing has happened to you showing a home? Lorraine Rose: • There was the time I took a young man from Alaska on a tour of Portland’s residential areas. It was a hot summer afternoon and he had Lorraine Rose: marveled how green everything was compared how brown things were in Alaska. As I drove him around he became quieter until I looked and he was on his back, sweat pouring off his face. At that time, I had no air conditioning in my little Peugeot and the heat had virtually knocked him out. He staggered out of my car and I did not see him ever again. Needless to say I got a new car with air conditioning!! • In the days before GPS, I took a young couple from England out to the country because he wanted “a little house in the country.” Not being too familiar with the countryside outside Portland, I drove ignorantly through rural areas. Soon we came upon a small vacant house. “This is it,” he cried and came and hugged me saying, “Lorraine, you do make dreams come true!” (W)here Real Estate: 503-703-8666 | lorrainerosepdx@gmail.com

How should you prepare your home for sale? Jeanne Paul: The answer is very individual to a home. I find that we all fill whatever space we have, so usually decluttering is first on the list for many homes. We also sell a home differently from how we live in a home, so next on the list is shifting furniture to positions that open the home up and best define the spaces in a way that will resonate with buyers. Finally, a general sprucing up of the exterior approach to the home – it’s the first impression for potential buyers. Plant fresh flowers, remove moss from walkways and make sure the front door is

Jeanne Paul

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | MARCH 2016 11

Who do

professionals call when selling or buying a home?

freshly painted. If necessary, we formulate a plan with sellers to make reasonable cosmetic upgrades and coordinate with contractors on their behalf. Windermere Stellar: 503-497-5033 | jeannepaulteam.com

How should you prepare your home for sale? “14 years ago, Joe found the perfect home on the perfect street for me and my kids” Marshal Spector Family Law Attorney, Dad

JOE MENASHE Principal Broker Serving Portland Metro area buyers and sellers for 24 years.

503-784-1855

JoeMenashe@RealtyTrust.com

Joe Menashe: Decluttering is job 1. This could be one of the most difficult things you do, especially for those who are planning to downsize. Our American culture teaches us to keep things forever. Don’t let sentimental value stifle your efforts. Start planning to donate, order a dumpster, take items to the consignment store or choose a target date for a garage sale. Don’t forget to recycle old paint cans. Buyers do not consider paint cans a gift. Keep in mind that the home-selling process is similar to a beauty pageant. This process of decluttering also serves as a detachment exercise that will serve you well as you go on the active market and start hearing feedback from prospective buyers. Take care of all deferred maintenance. Most of you know what I am talking about: the much-needed pressure washing of your front walkway and the back patio; the missing switch plate, the broken sprinkler head. But what about the conditions you are not aware of? When is the last time you spent any time in your crawl space or the attic? A pre-emptive house inspection Joe Menashe ordered by the seller can save you a lot of aggravation by revealing hidden conditions that could be found in a buyer’s inspection. By fixing problems before a buyer has a chance to overreact, it will not only cost you less to fix before repair negotiations, but it will remove the opportunity for a buyer to back out of sale because of the exposed condition. It is always good to have a conversation with your Realtor as to what repairs are necessary prior to going on the market. Wrap it in a bow. Street appeal is important and sends signals to a would-be buyer. Your front and backyard is the gift wrap. Some companies will do a one-time yard cleanup. Cut back the overgrown shrubs, remove dead branches, plant annuals and be sure to add some decorative pots. Remember that (like the beauty pageant) you are preparing the property for the professional photo shoot. Over 90% of home buyers today begin their home search online.

Realty Trust Group: 503-784-1855 | joemenashe.com 12 MARCH 2016 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

What does a buyer need to be aware of in today’s market? Carolyn Weinstein: Robin and I have always said “There is a ‘nowness’ to real estate.” In this Carolyn and Robin Weinstei sellers’ market, with low inventory, it is important for buyers to be preapproved by a lender and move forward in a decisive manner. We educate our clients to choose a location that is right for them and what the market is like in that specific locale. In some areas, they need to be prepared for multiple offers where over-asking prices are very likely. Today, buyers need to have a cast iron stomach. Jeanne Paul: It’s a very frustrating time for buyers. Homes are selling very quickly and often with multiple offers. Buyers must work swiftly and strategically with their real estate agent to secure a home. This is not a “sleep on it” market. More often than not, waiting – even hours – can mean the difference between securing a home and missing it.

Hasson Co. Realtors: 503-802-6415 | cweinsteinpdxhomes.com

carolyn and robin weinstein

Realtors for Every Generation ®

Working for you and our community since 1978 to learn more visit

cweinsteinpdxhomes.com or contact us personally

carolyn 503.802.6415 robin 503.802.6405

carolynandrobin@hasson.com

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | MARCH 2016 13

Real Estate

History Saving

By Sura Rubenstein

In 1892 Portland’s first Jewish mayor, Bernard Goldsmith, built a “handsome dwelling” for $4,000 at the corner of Northwest 24th Avenue and Quimby Street. In 2014 some 20 neighbors and friends raised $2.25 million to save it from the wrecking ball. And today, its new owners are working to restore it as a showpiece of Portland and architectural history. “It was just too fine a house, and too important a resource, to lose,” says Ruth Roth, part of the neighborhood group. “The people who once lived there are so important to our past.” The story of the Goldsmith House has a happier ending than many other historic properties, both in Portland and along the West Coast. Development pressure is strong and protections are weak, advocates say. “Old buildings are vulnerable,” says Fred Leeson, president of the Bosco-Milligan Foundation, an architectural preservation education and advocacy organization that operates the 14 MARCH 2016 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Architectural Heritage Center. “People want to live close to the central city, and it puts our old building stock in jeopardy. “When we lose our old buildings,” adds Leeson, “what we lose is our sense of history, our sense of place – of who we were.” The Goldsmith House, now in a process of renewal, is an important link to the first decades of Jewish life in Oregon and a testament to the skill of its Jewish architect, Edgar M. Lazarus II, who designed numerous public buildings as well as private residences. And, through David Hassin (the contractor overseeing renovations), Roth and others, the house has a continuing connection to the Jewish community. But first, let’s take a look back. Goldsmith, born in Bavaria in 1832, came to the United States in 1848 and made his way to Portland in 1861 after stops in New York and the California gold fields. He bought a jewelry store, opened an assay office and soon became a partner in what was to become a major dry goods business.

He quickly became a member of Portland’s financial elite, and by 1880 was counted among the city’s wealthiest citizens. He was a member of the Stock and Exchange Board; one of five initial investors in what became First National Bank, the first nationally chartered bank on the West Coast; and a key player in cattle ranching, wheat exports, mining ventures, railroads and water transportation. In 1869 he was elected Portland mayor for a two-year term, during which he urged purchase of several of the downtown Park Blocks and what became the nucleus of Washington Park. By 1871 he was advertising “very reasonable rates” for lots in “Goldsmith’s Addition” to the city of Portland, where he, too, would eventually build the house on Quimby Street. When he died in 1901, The Oregonian lauded him as “an exemplary citizen” with “a reputation above reproach.” Lazarus, a Sephardic Jew who said his ancestors came to the Americas with the 16th-century Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto, was born in Baltimore and came to Portland in 1891 after working for a time in Washington, D.C. Active in the city’s social and athletic life, he is perhaps most remembered as the architect of Vista House at Crown Point and several courthouses, including Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse. He also designed buildings for the 1905 Lewis & Clark Exposition, and, in the Jewish community, the first Neighborhood House and the 1905 Ahavai Sholom synagogue on the Park Blocks. He died in 1939. The Goldsmith House, among other private residences Lazarus designed, is in the Queen Anne Shingle Style he favored. It soars three stories, with steeply pitched roofs and impressive but subtle details, all sheathed in shingles. “It’s like a castle on the hill,” Dan Volkmer, a Realtor involved in saving the Goldsmith House and part of the neighbors’ group, said at the time. “It’s incredible.” Volkmer, who specializes in

Bernard Goldsmith, Portland's first Jewish mayor. (OJM1547)

Contractor David Hassin and some of the original details (next page) in the historic Goldsmith House in Northwest Portland.

"I feel so grateful to be a part of this project. And to be able to build something that hopefully will last for another 100 years." –David Hassin

historic homes, was delighted to include the Goldsmith House in last year’s 4th Annual Historic Home Tour in Northwest Portland, a benefit for the Northwest Children’s Theater. He’s gearing up for the 2016 tour, set for June 19, and says to stay tuned for details. “Historic homes are interesting to look at, inspiring, fanciful – with a level of craftsmanship we don’t often see now,” says Volkmer, who himself lives in a 1907 landmark house. And craftsmanship – and care – brings us back to the present. David Hassin, president of Terrafirma Building Inc., describes his work on the house as the opportunity of a lifetime. “To be able to restore a home of this age and of this stature – it just feeds my soul,” he says. Hassin, who moved to Portland in 1992, has been involved in construction for 38 years, tackling projects from infill in the Alberta Arts district to historic renovations and major commercial projects. He grew up in Los Angeles, the son of a Holocaust survivor mother and an Israeli father, and now serves on the board of the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education. He’s a past president of the Oregon Holocaust Resource Center, which merged with OJM. For him, the Goldsmith House is a chance to reach back through time and build a bridge to the future. Even though much of the home’s interior had been gutted by the time the last-minute purchase was made, Hassin sees the beauty in remaining structural details. Some original work has been salvaged, which will be supplemented with careful reproductions. “The amount of effort, of detail, that went into this work,” he says, marveling at one or another aspect of the carpentry. “And they did this with handsaws and chisels, not power planers and air guns.” Though he’s still working on framing, electrical and plumbing, he hopes to have the new owners in a finished home by Thanksgiving, if not before. “I feel so grateful to be a part of this project,” he says. “And to be able to build something that hopefully will OREGON JEWISH LIFE | MARCH 2016 15

Real Estate

last for another 100 years.” The Talmud teaches that one who saves a single life is credited “as if he saved an entire world.” Those who came together to save the Goldsmith House may not have saved a life, but they are helping to save – and restore – a slice of Portland history and a glimpse of the world that was. Sura Rubenstein is a Portland writer.

Historic Resources Oregon has a wealth of resources to learn more about historic preservation, historic neighborhoods and properties, and activism. Here is a selection: The Oregon Heritage Commission, a division of the State Parks and Recreation Department: oregon.gov/oprd/HCD/OHC/Pages/ index.aspx Has a wide variety of links, including a database of state historic sites and places on the National Register of Historic Places. Also has information about state and federal tax incentives to rehabilitate historic buildings.

The City of Portland Bureau of Planning, Historic Resources and Preservation: portlandoregon.gov/bps/39750

Includes information about the legal processes that govern historic resources in Portland, incentives for property owners, current preservation-related projects and links to other sources of information and support. Also has information about the city’s 16 historic districts, six conservation districts, links to a variety of historic maps, databases, and even a guide to “Researching Your Historic Property.”

The Architectural Heritage Center of the Bosco-Milligan Foundation: visitahc.org

A nonprofit resource for historic preservation in the Portland metro area. Involved in advocacy and education, hosts regular exhibits, lectures and walking tours – including an annual Old House Revival Tour, set for April 9. Also links to a resource directory.

Restore Oregon, founded in 1977 as the Historic Preservation League of Oregon:restoreoregon.org The statewide “voice of preservation and reuse” aims to ensure preservation of historic resources for future generations. Maintains a list of Oregon’s most endangered places, has a resource directory, hosts an annual “main street” conference and also features a listing of statewide heritage-related events, including house tours. Its own Mid-Century Modern House of Tomorrow Tour is on May 14.

16 MARCH 2016 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Local Realtor tapped for national Lions award By Deborah Moon

In recognition of decades of volunteerism and philanthropic leadership, Portland Realtor Carolyn Weinstein will receive the Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award this fall at the International Lion of Judah Conference (see box). Carolyn began her volunteer career as a Sunday School teacher at Congregation Neveh Shalom and as fundraising chair for the March of Dimes Ventura Park area in 1964. Since she started working full time, she seems to have redoubled her volunteer efforts. Despite working as a Realtor since 1978 and averaging well over 40 hours a week, Carolyn has logged a truly impressive list of boards, committees and events that have benefited from her volunteer hours. Running the list would take too much room – even single-spaced, the list fills nearly three pages. At age 78, she continues working and volunteering at a dizzying pace. The Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, Jewish Family & Child Services, Oregon Jewish Community Foundation, Cedar Sinai Park and Congregation Neveh Shalom are among the organizations for which Carolyn remains a dedicated volunteer, leader and mentor. “I feel like I have so much to give back that I’m not ready to quit doing,” says Carolyn. “I am very lucky – I have a high energy level and good health.” While the time commitments of real estate and community work do compete with each other, Carolyn says she also has found that being a Realtor and volunteer have dovetailed nicely in two areas – relocation/community building and historic knowledge. Carolyn and her daughter, Robin, who has been her colleague at Hasson Realty for 12 years, are both historic-certified real estate professionals, and they are certified to help relocation clients. “As a Realtor, I meet new people coming into the community, and I love introducing them to the community and getting them involved,” Carolyn says. “I especially try to do this with all my Jewish clients. I introduce them to synagogues, organizations, volunteerism … and someone I think they have something in common with – so they have someone or something to move forward with into the community.” She has also found connections in her work as a volunteer tour guide for Urban Tour Group and in years past for the Jewish

Federation of Greater Portland. She and Robin, also regularly attend architectural history lectures. All of the city’s history she has explored through the tours and lectures has enabled her to share neighborhood history with her real estate clients. She knows resources for historic restoration and preservation. Carolyn has experienced much of Portland’s history personally over the past 63 years. She was born in North Dakota, where her grandfather, a circuit-riding rabbi, had settled after fleeing anti-Semitism in Poland. After her parents, Jacob and Violet Rapoport, divorced, Carolyn and her mom moved from Spokane to Portland in 1952 when she was 15. Carolyn was a sophomore at Lincoln High School the first year the school opened. They lived down the street from Temple Beth Israel and joined Congregation Ahavai Shalom, which later merged with Neveh Zedek to become Congregation Neveh Shalom. Carolyn married Gary Weinstein in 1956 (the have been married 60 years) and moved to Portland’s Eastside to an apartment on 42nd Avenue and Stark. When son Jeff was ready to become a bar mitzvah in 1973, they moved to the Westside to be closer to Neveh Shalom, where Carolyn taught in the Sunday School and Foundation School, and served as vice president. She became the synagogue’s executive director in 1975, a post she held until the congregation decided to combine the executive director and education director into one position, which Carolyn says “was not a possibility for me.” A friend from Neveh Shalom’s board convinced her to take the real estate exam so they could open a real estate appraisal business. But Carolyn quickly discovered appraising “is all numbers and I’m a people person.” So she started interviewing and soon joined the Hasson Company, where she has been a top producer every year. In 1992 when she ended her two-year term as president of the federation’s women’s division, Carolyn delivered a speech that still reflects her beliefs. In that speech, she said, “I believe life is a precious and sacred gift. To live it without meaning, without purpose, without making a difference, is to deny that gift.” In 2013 she received the Good Neighbor Award from the Portland Metropolitan Association of Realtors. Since so much of her volunteerism is in the Jewish community, she says she was very pleased the association realized the value of her work. Having been recognized by her professional community, she is pleased that her Jewish community is honoring her now. “The Kipnis Award is a big honor. Look at those who came before me,” she says. Photo by Doug Hoeshler

Lion of Judah Award The Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award honors the extraordinary contribution of Norma Kipnis-Wilson and Toby Friedland (z”l), the founders of the Lion of Judah, and the women from around the country who continue to embody the spirit and vision of Lion of Judah through a commitment to tzedakah and tikkun olam. The Lions pin was created in 1972 to recognize women who made a minimum gift of $5,000 to their city’s annual federation campaign. KWF recipients from across the country will be honored during the International Lion of Judah Conference in Washington, D.C., in September. Locally, Carolyn Weinstein’s accomplishments will be celebrated at a Portland Lion of Judah luncheon in March hosted by past recipients Priscilla Kostiner, Gayle Romain, Linda Bean Georges, Elizabeth Menashe, Sharon Weil and Rita S. Philip. “Women’s Division and Women’s Philanthropy thrived and excelled under Carolyn’s astute leadership,” says past KWF recipient Liz Menashe. “She has the ability to see the big picture, to set and maintain high standards and goals. Carolyn is the ultimate mentor ... giving tirelessly of herself, her time, her energy and her expertise.” Gayle Romain, another past recipient, adds, “Carolyn’s activities have also included educating women and promoting women in leadership. … She created the Oregon Women’s Endowment Fund at the OJCF. We are truly grateful for her years of leadership and philanthropy and so proud to have her represent us with this well-deserved award.” “The women who have been honored have long, enduring histories of community involvement, leadership and philanthropy,” notes Priscilla Kostiner, the first Portlander to receive the award in 2004. “Knowing Carolyn’s history with Portland’s Jewish community in general, and the federation and women’s philanthropy specifically, it is easy to see why she is a natural for this honor.”

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | MARCH 2016 17

Cover

Sam and Mike Golub on their balcony with their two rescue dogs Tatum and Tuck. Photo by Craig MItchelldyer 18 MARCH 2016 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Timbers fans & Mike Golub share love affair with team and town By Deborah Moon

Timbers executive Mike Golub says that winning a major sports championship “crystallizes” the phenomenal connection between Portland fans and their sports teams. In just their fifth year as a Major League Soccer team, the Portland Timbers won the MLS Cup in December – the city’s first major sports championship since the 1977 Portland Trail Blazers’ NBA championship. As the Timbers prepare to resume regular season play March 6 in a MLS Cup rematch against the Columbus Crew, Mike says, “You get a taste for winning and want to do it again. It will be harder – people will be gunning for us – but we kept the core of the team together.” The 54-year-old sports aficionado has extensive experience in major league sports and a great appreciation for sports fans. Since 2009 Mike has been the Timbers’ president of business operations. Formerly the chief operating ~ Mike Golub officer for the Trail Blazers, Mike also served as a senior VP for the National Hockey League’s New York Rangers and began his career as a producer for Major League Baseball Productions. “In my view, at the heart of a good sports franchise is the ability to create community, to be a positive influence and to become part of the fabric of the community,” he says. “Winning a championship crystallizes that and brings people together. Disparate people come together for good.” Soccer is especially good at bringing diverse people together, according to Mike. “Soccer is the universal sport – it is played the same way in every corner of the world,” he says, noting that soccer players come in all sizes and from all ethnicities. “In a city not known for diversity, every ethnicity and shape can come and enjoy soccer. Soccer is a very open and democratic sport.” Portlanders have a strong sense of place and sense of pride,

which Mike says creates avid fans. “This city is so proud and supports its teams in an incredible fashion,” he says. “Soccer is a younger league in this country (MLS is 20 years old), and we are helping write the early chapters. The Timbers elicit incredible loyalty and devotion. The Blazers have a 45-year tradition and wonderful fan base, as well. … The loyalty and devotion of our fan bases are very similar.” The Timbers have sold out every home game since joining the MLS five years ago. And the club’s women’s team, the Thorns, has also enjoyed immense popularity. The Thorns’ attendance average of 15,000 per game is the highest in the league. Mike says he hopes the Timbers/Thorns support will ensure the success of this third attempt to create a viable women’s professional soccer league in North America. Being part of the fabric of a community means that team executives, coaches and players are involved in the community outside of the stadium. The Timbers have been named one of Oregon’s most philanthropic businesses for five years straight, and in 2015, the Portland Business Journal named the team the state’s most philanthropic medium-sized business. That focus on philanthropy fits well with Mike’s upbringing in New York, north of the city, where the Jewish community is prevalent and so vibrant that he says you feel very connected to it. His father, Israel Golob, z”l, left Poland before the Nazis invaded his village, and he settled in Brooklyn. His mother, Betty Golub, grew up in north Manhattan. During Mike’s childhood, sports and the arts “were common threads of my family,” he says. The values of tzedakah and tikkun olam that he grew up with are now part of his professional life. “I’m really proud of the work we do in the community,” says Mike. “Our philanthropy speaks for itself. Our community aegis is ‘stand together.’ ”

“We have sold out every game we ever played, and we have a waiting list of over 13,000 for season tickets.”

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | MARCH 2016 19

In addition to regularly providing grants to a variety of nonprofits, volunteerism is a big part of the Timbers culture. Every year the Timbers host a week of volunteering that has been proclaimed Stand Together Week in both the city and state for the past few years. During the week, players, fans and sponsors volunteer with more than 40 nonprofits. The event is scheduled for a week in June when both the Timbers and the Thorns are in town. Additionally, Mike says that the senior executives, head coach and department heads “all look at our jobs to be out there representing the organization and to give back and become involved in the community. “I enjoy that part of the job,” he says. “It connects me with the community that I care so much about, and it lets me understand our community and the fans.”

Mike is vice chair of the board of directors of the Oregon Cultural Trust and serves on the board of directors of the Portland Business Alliance, Pioneer Courthouse Square, the Regional Arts & Culture Council, Oregon Special Olympics and the Oregon Sports Authority. “I’m really involved civically,” says Mike, noting that this has not left much time to connect with the organized Jewish community in Portland. But he does attend some Jewish community events and has personal connections that are important in his life. He says he is good friends with the Sacks family, who helped Mike and his wife, Sam, find the younger of their two rescue dogs – Tatum, “our wild child.” The couple’s older “chill dog” Tuck is also a mixed-breed rescue dog. “We are big supporters of the Pixie Project,” says Mike, referring to the nonprofit founded by Amy Sacks and her

Photos by Craig Mitchelldyer, courtesy of Portland Timbers

TIMBERS SCHEDULE:

First half of regular season (Home games, in yellow, at Providence Park)

March 6, 1:30 pm vs. Columbus Crew SC March 13, 4 pm at San Jose Earthquakes March 19, 7:30 pm vs. Real Salt Lake April 3, 5 pm at Orlando City SC April 10 6:30 pm at LA Galaxy April 13 7:30 pm vs. FC Dallas April 16 7:30 pm vs. San Jose Earthquakes April 27 4:30 pm at New England Revolution May 1 12:30 pm vs. Toronto FC May 7 2 pm at Vancouver Whitecaps 20 MARCH 2016 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

May 11 6 pm at FC Dallas May 15 4:30 pm vs. New York City FC May 22 1:30 pm vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC May 28 5:30 pm at Chicago Fire June 1 7:30 pm vs. San Jose Earthquakes June 18 7 pm at Real Salt Lake June 26 3 pm vs. Houston Dynamo Timbers single-game tickets start at $18 and are available by phone (888-736-6849), online (timbers. com/tickets) or in-person at the Providence Park box office (1844 SW Morrison St, Portland).

mother Ann that offers personalized pet adoption and low-cost veterinary assistance. (The Pixie Project was the Oregon Jewish Life cover story September 2014). “I am on their board.” Mike and Sam also rely on a good friend, chef Lisa Schroeder, at Passover. “I think Lisa puts on the best seder, so I try to participate.” Like the good Jewish son that he was, when Mike headed to Dartmouth College he intended to become a lawyer. Until his senior year, he had his sights set on law school. “I had an epiphany my senior year,”

“We set out to make this organization and the experience of being a fan a true expression of Portland and our community.” ~ Mike Golub

says Mike. “A mentor opened my eyes to the possibility of doing something I love and eat and breathe. I had no talent to play, but I might have the talent to contribute to the business side of sports.” He says a summer job at Apple “reaffirmed for me that sports is where I need to be. Sports has been my goal and path since the lights went on.” After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in government, he went to Stanford and earned his Master of Business Administration. After his first sports job working for Major League Baseball Productions,

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | MARCH 2016 21

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Mike managed the National Basketball Association’s Events Division from 1991 to 1996. After that, he discovered Portland. In the late ’90s he moved to Oregon as a founding member and director of Nike Sports Entertainment, which created and administered Nike-owned sporting events. He returned to professional sports in 2000, serving as executive vice president for the Memphis Grizzlies and then senior vice president of business operations for the New York Rangers. But the Pacific Northwest had gotten under his skin. “I fell in love with the place and wanted to get back, and I found a way to come back with the Blazers in 2006,” he says. “Portland is a welcoming, proud, progressive community. I’ve lived in some wonderful places, but this is a special community that cares. That really resonates with my wife and me.” A retired lawyer, Sam now runs a freelance design firm in Portland. “From the moment we moved (here), we felt at home,” says Mike. In 2009 Mike joined the Timbers and helped lead the team to its successful launch as an MLS team in 2011. He oversees all business functions of the Timbers, Portland Thorns FC and Portland Timbers 2 (tier 2 soccer team). He received the Doug Hamilton MLS Executive of the Year honor in 2011 in recognition of the Timbers’ remarkable inaugural season in the league. In 2013, along with the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Blackhawks, Golden State Warriors and Seattle Seahawks, the Timbers were named as finalists for Sports Business Journal’s “Sports Team of the Year.” That same year, Mike received the MLS Executive of the Year award for a second time. “We set out to make this organization and the experience of being a fan a true expression of Portland and our community,” says Mike, adding that Timbers’ games are “accessible, affordable, safe, secure.” The stadium’s location in the heart of downtown, just off the Max line and within walking distance of many neighborhoods, has played a big role in that accessibility. About 8,000 to 9,000 fans arrive at each game on the Max trains. “We have sold out every game we ever played, and we have a waiting list of over 13,000 for season tickets,” says Mike. He says they cap season ticket sales at 15,500 of the 21,144 available seats to give every soccer fan in the city the opportunity to attend a game. That amazing fan base has also made the Thorns a pivotal team in the future of women’s soccer. Mike says the future of the women’s professional soccer league is thriving, with the Thorns leading the way in attendance. “The Thorns are a great addition to the Timbers family,” says Mike. As the Timbers family turns its attention to a new season, Mike says the team is poised to be competitive. Players returned to the practice field just seven weeks after winning the MLS Cup Dec. 6 in Columbus. Two days later 25,000 fans turned out on a rainy day to cheer the Timbers’ victory parade through downtown Portland. “We’d like to have another parade in December of this year,” says Mike, with just a hint of swagger – or make that pride – in his voice.

Arts & Entertainment

Igudesman & Joo bring "Nightmares" to Portland By Elizabeth Schwartz

Classical music has had a difficult time shedding the widely held perception that it is stuffy and pompous. Judging solely from visuals, this assessment is understandable; after all, what other art form requires its practitioners to wear white ties and tails when they perform? But this viewpoint is outdated, and no better proof is required than the classical music comedy duo Igudesman & Joo, who blow in to Portland for an evening of subversive, slapstick and topsy-turvy takes on both classical and popular hits. The Oregon Symphony will accompany them on Sunday, March 6, at 7:30 pm at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.

Violinist Aleksey Igudesman and pianist Hyung-ki Joo. Photos by Julia Wesely

Igudesman & Joo first gained a following over a decade ago, via YouTube videos of their first show, “A Little Nightmare Music” (the title is a comic nod to Mozart’s famous “A Little Night Music”). Russian-born violinist Aleksey Igudesman and British-born Korean pianist Hyung-ki Joo have since gone on to worldwide fame, performing all over Europe, Asia and North America. Their brand of comedy combines the musical pranks of PDQ Bach and Victor Borge with the physical absurdist comedy of Monty Python. Their shows can start with Rachmaninoff or Liszt and find their way through martial arts, movie classics, rock, hip hop, folk, heavy metal, disco and step dancing. Sketches OREGON JEWISH LIFE | MARCH 2016 23

from their concert shows shredding the classical canon have gone viral on YouTube, with some 40 million views. The New York Times wrote, “Their blend of classical music and comedy, laced with pop culture references and a wholly novel take on the word slapstick, is fueled by genuine, dazzling virtuosity. It’s that final ingredient that adds a dose of magic to their routine – and proves infectious to other musicians.”

“Gorgeous stage magic!

A must see.” — Broadway World

Born in 1973 in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), at age 6 Aleksey and his family fled the Soviet Union’s anti-Semitic culture for Bremerhaven, a city in northern Germany. “Being Jewish wasn’t hard in the Soviet Union, it was impossible,” Aleksey recalls. When Aleksey’s older halfbrother, Leon, a child from his father’s first marriage, left the Soviet Union in 1978, life for the rest of the family became

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24 MARCH 2016 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

was normal to have an overnight ride and drink vodka all night. intolerable. “Leon is a real Jew from both sides of the family,” Once he made a bet that he could tell jokes all the night through Aleksey explains, referring to the fact that his own mother is without repeating himself once, and he won.” not Jewish. “When he left, suddenly my father had problems Jews and humor seem to go together like peanut butter and at work.” The late Samuel Igudesman was the concertmaster of jelly. “The more we suffer, the funnier we are,” Aleksey declares. the Leningrad Opera Theatre and a member of the prestigious “I think it’s about survival. In order to overcome the horrible Rimsky-Korsakov String Quartet. “He was told he couldn’t tour things our people have gone internationally,” says Aleksey, through, you have to be able which interfered with Samuel’s to laugh; otherwise you are ability to provide for his family screwed. Survivors – not just and his opportunities to grow WHO: Igudesman and Joo: Big Nightmare Music of the Holocaust but other artistically. “In the Soviet WHEN: 7:30 pm, Sunday, March 6 terrible situations – say Union, my father was also told two things brought them parents were always responsible WHERE: Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, through difficult times: for their kids’ decisions, so 1037 SW Broadway, Portland music and humor. Both my older brother leaving was TICKETS: $35 and up: 503-228-1353 have an incredibly strong used as a means to punish our family.” therapeutic power.” or 800-228-7343 (10 am-9 pm, Like most Jewish Soviet Although Aleksey has no Monday-Friday) émigrés, Aleksey and his family interest in religious practice, were not allowed to practice he has a strong spiritual bent. “God is all about their religion in the Soviet Union. For them, being Jewish was a societal, rather than a creation,” he explains. “When humans are creating something, this is the highest form of being true to ourselves, to God. I don’t spiritual, identity. Today, Aleksey locates his Jewishness in the strong connection need the rituals of Judaism. My religious rituals are within music and art. Am I proud of my heritage? Yes, one hundred percent. he sees between his Jewish roots and his career as a musical But when I’m asked if I’m Jewish, I say, ‘I’m a mensch.’ If we comedian. And Alexsey’s screwball sense of humor, like his love pride ourselves on having this heritage, we should always say we for the violin, came to him from Samuel. “He was very much are human beings first and we support each other.” an entertainer and loved to make people laugh,” says Aleksey. “When he was in Russia, my father traveled a lot by train; it

Oregon Symphony Presents

MARCH 13 - JUNE 13, 2016

OPENING RECEPTION

Sunday, March 13, 12- 4pm

Ruth Gruber, Photojournalist celebrates 50 years of photography by trailblazer, humanitarian, and photojournalist Ruth Gruber. This exhibition is organized by the International Center of Photography.

Ruth Gruber, Alaska, 1941-43, Unidentified Photographer

1953 NW Kearney St., Portland, OR 97209 | 503-226-3600 | www.ojmche.org Tue-Thu 10:30am-4pm | Fri 10:30am-3pm | Sat-Sun noon-4pm

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | MARCH 2016 25

Arts & Entertainment

BRCA mutations are no laughing matter, but play is By Deborah Moon

Laughter is often called the best medicine. A free performance in April not only uses the power of humor to heal, it also uses comedy and music to inspire women to seek a potentially lifesaving genetics screening. On April 3, Seattle actress Eva Moon brings her onewoman show, “The Mutant Diaries: Unzipping My Genes,” to a Portland audience for the first time. She calls the show “the culmination and extension of all my work to date.” “I had played daughter, mother, lover, wife, woman,” says Eva in the artistic statement on her website. “Then I was unexpectedly given the role of fighter, battling through a full hysterectomy and double mastectomy to avoid near certain odds of cancer – all while my mother was dying of cancer herself. … Through my art, with music and laughter instead of lectures and preaching, I deliver an uplifting message that it is possible to change your future.” In a phone interview, Eva said she created the show in 2012 while her mother was in hospice dying from cancer due to the BRCA genetic mutation common among those of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry, including herself. “My first dress rehearsal was at her bedside in hospice,” says Eva, noting her mother had by that time lost her voice. “Nothing can compare to the emotional impact of doing it for her. She smiled and cried. It was very emotional for her – in a good way.” Since then Eva has shared that emotional experience with dozens of audiences. When Portlander Patty Magid-Volk saw a DVD of Eva’s performance, she knew she had found a creative way to share a message that likely saved her own life. When Patty’s sister learned she had a BRCA1 mutation, she urged her family to have the genetic screening. Patty’s test also came back positive. Three months earlier, her annual mammogram had revealed a 2½-centimeter “benign cyst.” But geneticist urged Patty to go in for a breast MRI based on her genetic predisposition for breast cancer. The MRI revealed a 4½-centimeter tumor. The rapid growth that had been mistakenly diagnosed as a cyst meant the lump was really a very aggressive form of cancer common in those with BRCA mutations. “Finding out I had the mutation probably saved my life,” says Patty. Since then Patty has been active in encouraging other women of eastern European Jewish ancestry to be screened for BRCA1/2 mutations. An estimated 1 in 40 Jews carries a 26 MARCH 2016 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Eva Moon

mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene that can trigger breast, ovarian and other cancers. Both men and women can carry the mutation and pass it on to their children; men with the gene also have increased risk of some cancers. Patty became the Portland representative of Sharsheret (sharsheret.org), a national Jewish nonprofit that supports women who are BRCA1/2 positive, are undergoing cancer treatment or are cancer survivors. Patty also organizes an annual event to spread awareness of the genetic risk in the Jewish community. “If someone can find out that they have significantly elevated risks of breast or ovarian cancers from the BRCA mutation, they can then better manage how to deal with those risks with the assistance of professionals in our community,” says Patty. Last year she organized an informational event at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center with geneticist Dr. Dana Kostiner Simpson and a panel of Jewish women affected by the BRCA mutations. “This year I was looking for a creative way to get the word out and think that Eva Moon’s one-woman musical is a great way to convey this information,” says Patty, adding she hopes it will attract younger women who need to know they may be at increased risk of developing cancer. The performance will be followed by a 20-minute Q&A session with Eva and a genetics professional. The theater holds 120 people. Admission will be on a firstcome, first-seated basis. In addition to the grant from JFGP, the event is sponsored by the MJCC, Sharsheret and the Jewish Theatre Collaborative.

The Mutant Diaries: Unzipping My Genes WHEN: 7:30-9 pm, April 3

WHERE: Milagro Theater, 525 SE Stark St., Portland COST: Free; courtesy of a grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland

INFO: 503-535-3617, Mara Zellinger, MJCC assistant program manager

Director of “Son of Saul” interviewed By Gloria Hammer

“Son of Saul,” directed by Laszlo Nemes, won a Golden Globe for 2016 Best Director of a Foreign Language film and has been nominated for an Oscar. Whether you catch it at the theater or on DVD, it is intense. The film stars Geza Rohrig as Saul and is set in Auschwitz. Saul is a Sonderkommando, an inmate forced to drag bodies to the crematorium and cleaning up the remains. Saul sees the body of a boy and becomes obsessed with giving his corpse a Jewish burial. No matter how many Holocaust films you have seen, you have never seen one like this. The cameras focus tightly on Saul. Eight languages require English subtitles. I was fortunate to attend this year’s Palm Springs International Film Festival, where the film was screened. We were taken by surprise when the 38-year-old Hungarian film director came on stage immediately following the film to answer questions. Nemes was soft-spoken and passionate – and the whole experience was riveting. Following are a few of the audience’s questions and the director’s answers (edited for brevity and clarity). The full interview is available online at: orjewishlife.com/audience-interviews-son-of-saul-directorlaszlo-nemes/

What was your reasoning behind your filming approach, using close-ups and leaving everything else in the periphery? Actually, in cinema when you want to show too much and you have the strategy of frontal representation, I believe you actually diminish the moral scope or the significance of what you show. You make it understandable. The audience can encompass what they see. The imagination of the viewer is not working. I knew that I had to find away to make it a personal experience, and for that I had to narrow the scope. We wanted to make a portrait of one individual. One thing that makes sense, that you could represent, is the honesty in the human face. Everything else is in reference to that. There is one reference point. It is the human face and then the imagination to function, to recreate, to have the intuition of the suffering that is taking place in the background. It has to go through the viewer’s imagination.

Do you think Saul’s journey was a search for redemption? Or was this his son? I am very reluctant to give a manual to the film. I think I really wanted to offer a personal experience. It had to be a simple story. The real question within the story is one that you, the viewer, has to answer: Is there in anyway a possibility when there is no more hope, no more religion, no more god and nothing human, is there still the possibility to remain human? And that is the question of the film. I am not saying that what the main character wants to accomplish has to make sense to everybody. But it is a question. If Saul in the film, and the other members around him, does not understand what he is trying to accomplish, but it still makes sense to him. We hope it makes sense to the viewer after a while.

MURRAY PERAHIA

APR 10, 2016 / 2 PM

SCHNITZER CONCERT HALL Considered by many to be the greatest living American pianist, Murray Perahia gives a rare solo performance at the Schnitzer Concert Hall. His program will include Haydn, Brahms and Beethoven.

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OREGON JEWISH LIFE | MARCH 2016 27

BB Camp

Kids &Teens too

A child-friendly resource for parents

CAMPS

Kids grow in many ways at camp By Rich Geller

The calendar may insist that it’s still winter, but summer will be here before you know it. It’s not too early to start thinking about how your kids are going to spend their summer. If you’re considering summer camp, those slots are filling up fast, so start looking now to find the right camp for your child, one that will provide a fun, exciting summer while building skills and creating memories that will last a lifetime. For generations of children, attending summer camp has become a rite of passage as American as apple pie, and Jewish children are no exception. The benefits of camp are self-evident. Campers can discover new passions, develop skills, gain confidence and create lifelong friendships.

Camp Solomon Schechter 28 MARCH 2016 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

PJA Discovery For some children, sleep-away camp may be the first time they have been away from home for an extended period of time. This separation is healthy and helps build self-confidence and a sense of independence. For city kids, camp puts them in touch with nature in a way they may never have experienced before. For many of us, our memories of camp consist primarily of making lanyards or singing songs around the campfire. That type of camping experience is still popular, but in recent years there has been an explosion in the number of specialized camps that cater to a specific skill or interest. Examples include computer camp, science camp, Lego camp and, hey, remember that one time at band camp? If you decide to send your children to a Jewish summer camp, the Pacific Northwest is blessed with a plethora of top-notch Jewish camps. Jewish summer camps help strengthen the bonds of the community by bringing Jewish kids together in a fun and healthy environment. A 21-page report from the Foundation for Jewish Camp in 2011 concluded: “What do children bring home with them from a stay at Jewish overnight camp? The analysis indicates that they bring, first of all, an increased inclination to practice Jewish behaviors in their lives, from Shabbat candle lighting to using Jewish websites, and to appreciate the value of Jewish charity. Secondly, they bring an increased inclination to value and seek out the experience of Jewish community. These acquisitions will

Camp Seed OREGON JEWISH LIFE | MARCH 2016 29

enrich the lives of campers now and in their adult future.” B’nai B’rith Camp, located on the Oregon coast, has been attracting campers from across the west for nearly a century. A seamless blend of Jewish culture and traditional summer camp activities, BB Camp has become a home away from home for its campers and counselors. My wife, Leslie, was both a camper and counselor at BB camp, and her parents were counselors, as well. Now that we have children of our own, they are BB campers, too. BB camp has become a legacy for many families, the very embodiment of the Hebrew concept of L’dor v’dor or generation to generation. In Leslie’s words, “BB camp is a gift. If you’re lucky enough to go as a camper or work there as staff, you experience Judaism as in no other setting. Nature, sport, song, friendship, G-d all culminate in a way that made me feel the most Jewish I had ever felt.” My son, Leo, age 9, absolutely loved his BB camp experience and says, “BB camp has lots of fun activities, including swimming, camping outside, spending a day at the beach, inner-tub-

ing, canoeing, watching movies, counselor skits and more!” Camp Solomon Schechter has been creating memories since 1954 by weaving Judaism into the fabric of camp life on its sprawling property in Olympia, WA. With roots in the Conservative movement, this kosher- and Shabbat-observant camp provides a bucolic setting nestled among emerald-green forests, wetlands and the sparkling waters of Joshua Stampfer Lake. With activities running the gamut from ultimate Frisbee, arts and crafts, tennis, drama, lacrosse, music and dance, your child might not want to come home! Jewish day camps can also provide an enriching experience for your child. Day camps at congregations have the additional benefit of deepening the connections among children that have been forged during the year in Hebrew school. Jewish camps allow children the opportunity to experience and express their Judaism in a new way. At camp, children discover Judaism isn’t just services and Hebrew school. “Camp Sababa features creative and fun

Steve and Kate's Camp

Full + Partial Day Options

7:30 am - 6:00 pm all summer long. 5% off at the Fair March 13 30 MARCH 2016 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

morning activities at our home of Congregation Beth Israel with afternoon field trips exploring the great Portland area,” says Camp Sababa co-director Ziva Sholin. “With our attachment to Congregation Beth Israel, campers create year-round friendships that are able to grow throughout religious school. This connection fosters lifelong relationships between both campers and staff and continued Jewish involvement.” Melissa Haviv of Kalama, WA, describes how her 7-year-old son loves attending Camp Sababa. “Dylan has been to many different summer camps but has never before come home bursting to tell me all about his day. … Every day he has come home just beaming, running in the door, eager to share detailed stories about what happened at Camp Sababa. There seems to be a special kind of magic there.” In the 1950s, the Chabad Lubavitch movement created what has become the largest net-

MJCC Day Camp

Camp Miriam

Premier Jewish Camp in the Pacific Northwest!

work of Jewish camps in the world. Gan Israel Day Camp is named after the founder of the Hassidic movement, Rabbi Israel Bal Shem Tov, who championed a campaign to love and look out for others. “The basis of our camp is all about thinking about others,” explains Rabbi Chayim Mishulovin, who runs the Portland Gan Israel Day Camp with his wife, Simi Mishulovin. “On a daily basis we do general things in song and activity that preaches putting others first, and in particular we do things like have the kids bring some change daily to give to tzedakah.” Gan Israel campers participate in meaningful projects such as making blankets for homeless shelters. Field trips are both fun outings and often have a social action component as well. Entertaining seniors, helping meet people’s basic needs and visiting police and firefighters are among such outings. Summer is also a time to explore new activities or become more proficient at a budding skill, with locales C e l e b r a t i n g o v e r 3 0 Ye a r s

WHERE JUDAISM AND JOY ARE ONE! OREGON JEWISH LIFE | MARCH 2016 31

Willowbrook Art Camp

Nageela West

ranging from alpine to aquatic. Think you can’t hone your snowboard skills over the summer? Oregon is the only state in the contiguous United States to offer year-round, lift-serviced skiing and snowboarding on 11,249foot Mount Hood. The High Cascade Snowboard Camp is located in Government Camp and offers snowboard lessons on the epic Palmer snowfield. Sports enthusiasts have myriad options ranging from multisport explorations to single-sport skill-building. Google “sports camps” in your city, and you’ll likely find thousands of options in

seconds. The Portland area alone is home to The Harlem Globetrotters Camp, Rip City Hoops and the Nike Basketball Camps at Lewis and Clark College, and that’s just basketball! Those who attend a camp located near the water can experience exhilarating new activities such as waterskiing, wakeboarding and sailing. Camps with a ropes course, zip-line, or climbing wall help kids hone strength and endurance. Classic camp sports such as archery, softball, basketball and soccer give campers the opportunity to test themselves and discover new skills. The possibilities are limited only by the campers’ own imaginations. Music camps also abound. Summer Rocks held in the historic Alberta Rose Theater in Portland is essentially a weeklong version of the Sound Roots School of Music. This camp breaks kids up into bands based on their ages and skill level. At week’s end, brace yourself for the mother of all rock concerts, starring your kid! Like AC/DC once sang, “It’s a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll!” Perhaps you have a budding Steven Spielberg among your brood. Then Cinema Arts Camp in Tigard is just the ticket for your little director. If your child dreams of becoming a veterinarian or simply loves caring for animals, there’s a camp for that! Animal lovers can learn to respect and care for dogs and cats, or they can become advocates for endangered species. The Oregon Zoo introduces campers to animals and habitats from around the world, while the Oregon Humane Society summer day camp plants the seed of empathy, creating future animal advocates, adopters and donors. “In addition to spending time with shelter animals, our campers learn early on about things like animal behavior and body language, humane investigations and animal medical care," says Jessica Wiseley, of the humane society. "All of this knowledge helps them to better understand and respect animals.” The best summer camps will not only help your children to become better Jews or better people, but will also show them that they can make a difference, maybe even change the world. Tikkun olam or “repair of the world” can be practiced every day, even if it is something as simple as making a new friend. No matter the camp experience you choose for your little ones, one thing is certain, the sky’s the limit!

32 MARCH 2016 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | MARCH 2016 33

Kids & Teens too

B’nai B’rith Camp at forefront of national camp movement

BB Camp received a $150,000 grant from the Marcus Foundation in Atlanta to help build this first double cabin, which will serve as a model the camp replaces all its cabins with double cabins. The Avi Chai Foundation has provided a total of $900,000 in three interest-free loans, which combined with another anonymous $750,000 interest-free loan, will enable BB Camp to begin construction projects without waiting for the money to come in from pledges that are on a three- to five-year commitment.

By Deborah Moon

If you’re a national philanthropist with an idea to enhance Jewish camping, who ya gonna call? BB Camp of course. Over the past decade, Oregon’s B’nai B’rith Camp has attracted interest, grants, fellowships and loans from national foundations, organizations and philanthropists. At the 2005 national conference hosted by the Foundation for Jewish Camp, BB Camp Executive Director Michelle Koplan and Irv Potter, chair of B’nai B’rith Men’s Camp Association (the parent organization of BB Camp), met Harold Grinspoon. Since then Harold Grinspoon Foundation’s program, which is dedicated to the sustainability and vitality of Jewish summer camps, has become known as a leader in the field and is now called JCamp180. And BB Camp, Michelle and Irv have gained national reputations for cutting-edge programs. “When I came to FJC six years ago, my predecessor suggested that Michelle, Irv and the BB Camp team would be good resources for me as I began to navigate the field of Jewish camp,” says Jeremy Fingerman, CEO of FJC, which was founded in 1998 to help nonprofit Jewish camps in North America promote excellence in their management and programs. “He was so right! They have become a trusted source of feedback on ideas and opportunities for the field.” At the helm of BB Camp for 18 years, Michelle says she has seen how much FJC and JCamp 180 have revolutionized and professionalized nonprofit Jewish camps. Michelle was tapped to participate in the first cohort of the FJC’s Executive Leadership 34 MARCH 2016 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Institute. And after meeting Grinspoon at the FJC conference, Michelle says she received a call from one of his foundation’s leaders, and following a two-hour interview, he told Michelle “Harold has asked if you’d like to become one of ‘his camps.’ ” The early relationships with both foundations have put BB Camp in the enviable position of attracting national funding. From 2005 to 2010, Michelle, Irv and other professional and lay leaders at the camp developed solid reputations and relationships and received numerous grants. Since 2010, BB Camp has received more than $235,000 in grants coordinated by FJC. Those grants have included funding to locate and provide scholarships to Jewish families in rural areas and from Russian-speaking homes, who might otherwise not consider sending their children to a Jewish camp. FJC and the Ruderman Foundation selected BB Camp as one of six camps nationally to hire a year-round inclusion specialist to improve services for children with special needs or abilities. BB Camp has received more than $250,000 from the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, as well as training support. Recognizing that many Jewish camps had long histories and needed physical upgrades to their facilities, Harold Grinspoon has focused on helping camps improve their physical structures and business practices, including database systems. His foundation pays for a business consultant that is on call for BB Camp for help with governance, strategic planning and fundraising. “Since BB Camp is willing to innovate and adapt best practices early on, I’m often referring other camp leaders to give BB Camp a call to pick their brains and learn from their

B’nai B’rith Men’s Camp Chair Irv Potter, left, accepts the 2011 Outstanding Board Leadership Award presented by JCamp 180, a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, from Jeremy Pava. The award is given each year to the board member who has used his or her leadership to significantly improve their organization’s board governance, fundraising and strategic planning. Photo by Shana Sureck

experience,” says Julia Riseman, the Grinspoon Foundation’s strategic planning consultant assigned to BB Camp. “That word of mouth, not just from funders but from other camp professionals, is how BB Camp has become so highly regarded nationally.” JCamp 180 Director Mark Gold agrees with Julia. “The fact that BB Camp has been so receptive to our program offerings continues to challenge us to offer added areas of support to camps such as this,” says Mark. “Harold Grinspoon believes that overnight summer camps provide an unmatched opportunity for Jewish children to be exposed to Jewish values and Jewish learning. … The JCamp180 program is designed to help the lay leaders of these nonprofit camps address the issues that limit their ability to attract and retain campers.” Julia says over the seven years she has worked with BB Camp, she has come to realize that it is a special place. Julia has been involved with about 15 of the100 camps the Grinspoon Foundation works with across North America. “BB Camp is special in many ways,” Julia says. “But what stands out in my mind is three things: Welcoming: The camp serves campers across the Jewish spectrum and is especially welcoming to campers who would not otherwise have an immersive Jewish experience because their family is unaffiliated, intermarried or lives isolated from other Jews. Affordability: The board is dedicated to keeping camp affordable to middle class families. Dedication: And of course, the Men’s Camp. This is a group of men across every generation that has met each year for a week at camp for over 80 years. These men are campers their whole lives, and their love for the place is limitless.” Other national support has come through the Jewish Community Centers Association, which provides many program grants, conferences and trainings. For the past five years, BB Camp has received the Chizuk Fellowship grant to help fund a Jewish educator and programming. Over the years, tens of thousands of incentive grants for firsttime campers have come through FJC, the Jim Joseph Foundation and now the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland. In addition to attracting grants from national Jewish foundations, BB Camp has also attracted attention from outside the Jewish world. OREGON JEWISH LIFE | MARCH 2016 35

presented programs The camp’s special on increasing camper needs programming, engagement and developed with the strategic planning JFC/Ruderman grant, at FJC’s National attracted the attention Leaders Assembly. of the National Michelle says Inclusion Project – a she believes it is foundation started by important to take “American Idol” star camp staff and lay Clay Aiken. From leaders to such 2014 to 2016, BB Winnie Grinspoon, BB Camp Development Director Aaron Pearlman, conferences. The Camp has received JCamp 180 Founder Harold Grinspoon, BB Camp Executive Director Michelle knowledge they training and $22,500 Koplan and BB Camp Associate Camp Director Ben Charlton. BB Camp gain and the pride from this nonhas received more than $250,000 in grants from the Harold Grinspoon they develop after Jewish foundation Foundation as well as training and mentorship. seeing how highly for inclusion regarded BB Camp is programming. nationally are very valuable. BB Camp has also received numerous grants from Oregon “I think it is a disservice not to take lay leaders,” she says. foundations outside the Jewish community – Ford Family Given that Jeremy, Mark and Julia all praise the engagement Foundation ($117,000 for the dining hall), Meyer Memorial of BB Camp’s lay leaders and call them a key strength of the Trust ($200,000 for the Mercaz Campus Center), and day camp, Michelle’s approach seems to be paying off. camp programming grants from the Siletz Tribe Charitable “BB Camp’s lay-professional partnership is one of our best Foundation, PGE Foundation, US Bank Foundation, United Way of Lincoln & Benton County, and the City of Lincoln City. examples of a successful team,” says Jeremy. Julia adds, “In my experience, some camps prove themselves With so much national attention, BB Camp leaders are also to be so wonderfully responsive that it is a pleasure to work with often asked to present sessions at national conferences. Michelle has been a frequent presenter at JCamp 180 conferences and has them and help them to succeed. BB Camp is one of them.”

Advertise in our

Passover & Business Profile Special Sections in April

Contact Debbie Taylor debbie.t@ojlife.com 503.892.7404

36 MARCH 2016 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Should America widen the tent of Jewish camping?

By Teddy Weinberger

Our sages teach us that Jewish charity starts at home, in one’s own community. With so many Americans struggling financially, Since 1993 the Jewish Agency has been running a network many non-Jewish families with one spouse “eligible for return” of summer camps in the former Soviet Union. The agency might welcome a chance to send their children to free Jewish describes these camps as “a cultural lifeline to Jewish identity.” summer camp. What if this coming spring, Americans would These summer camps in the FSU are supported by several read in advertisements in their local newspapers that any parent Russian-Jewish philanthropists and by Jewish federations in with at least one Jewish grandparent could send their children to cities such as Phoenix, Tucson, Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, a free summer camp sponsored by the local Jewish community? Cleveland and St. Louis. The camps are free and (according My hunch is that thousands of families whom heretofore had to the Jewish Agency’s website) are designed “to provide had absolutely no contact with the organized Jewish community children and youth ages 7-17 with a compelling and fun would come out of the woodwork to take advantage of this introduction to Jewish heritage through an up-close and opportunity. And if the campers came back clamoring for more personal experience, including exciting Israel-centered of what they experienced during the summer (more Hebrew programs and interaction with young, creative counselors songs, more Jewish food, more Shabbat services), encouraging from the FSU and Israel.” their parents to explore a neighborhood synagogue or Jewish Now here’s where this story gets interesting: Many (and community center, that would be wonderful. But even if this perhaps a majority) of the children attending the summer does not happen, the camping experience in and of itself, with its camps have neither Jewish parents nor Jewish grandparents; emphasis on Jewish ethics and values, would make the children these campers receive their free summer camping experience better Americans – to the benefit of us all. because they were fortunate enough to have had a single Jewish great-grandparent. Why? Because a little-known rule of Israel’s Law of Return states that minors may make aliyah if they immigrate with one parent who has at least one Jewish grandparent. Yes, to a significant extent in the FSU, the American Jewish community is supporting Jewish camping for non-Jews. The Jewish Agency’s philosophy for this is as follows: Judaism was persecuted for 70 years in the FSU. The great assimilation that took place, therefore, was a kind of forced assimilation, and so it’s only fitting to try to redress this situation by reaching out to non-Jewish families who have some affinity to Judaism. I’m fine with all of this. However, I’m just wondering if the time has come for American Jews to target their own young families who, though not Jewish, would be eligible to make aliyah under the Law of Return. You see it turns out that there is literally a generation gap between the families who are targeted for Jewish outreach in the FSU and the families who are targeted for outreach in the United States. In America, outreach generally targets intermarried couples and their children; in the FSU, outreach extends another generation to target not only the children of intermarried couples but their grandchildren, as well. Were American Jews to start supporting programs for this extra generation, the Jewish community’s target audience would jump significantly. I contacted a well-respected sociologist, Professor Steven M. Cohen, to get approximate numbers. He replied that if Jewish outreach extended forward one generation – as it does in the FSU – we would be talking about moving from a target audience of six-plus million to an audience of almost nine million. OREGON JEWISH LIFE | MARCH 2016 37

Camp Directory

CAMPERSHIPS

One Happy Camper

jewishcamp.org/one-happy-camper The Jewish Federation of Greater Portland has teamed up with the Foundation for Jewish Camp to offer first-time campers a discount. Apply online today and you could save up to $1,000 off your child’s first summer at camp.

B’nai B’rith Camp Incentive Grants

bbcamp.org/summer-camp/grants/

Variety of grants ranging from $500 to $2,500 for first-time campers not eligible for One Happy Camper. Including younger campers at one-week camp, campers from small or rural communities, and PJ Library alumni.

DAY CAMPS

MJCC Summer Day Camp

Ages 3-11 Mail and camp: 6651 SW Capitol Hwy. Portland, OR 97219 503-244-0111 oregonjcc.org/daycamp

MJCC Day Camp offers full day fun all summer long with options from 7:30 am to 6 pm. Great

for working parents and tons of options for your kids from traditional day camp to specialty camps including gymnastics, cooking, soccer and more. Open to everyone! Swim lessons included.

PJA Summer Discovery

Ages 4-14 Mail and camp: 6651 SW Capitol Hwy. Portland, OR 97219 503-244-0126

PJA Summer Discovery offers exceptional classes taught by professional, experienced, passionate teachers. Exercise your brain in a fun way with junior engineering, cooking, comic book writing, dog training and more. Create, build or test a new idea. Challenge yourself to learn something new! Full day options available. Open to everyone.

Portland Parks & Recreation Summer Camps 14 camp sites throughout the city 503-823-2525 PortlandParks.org

We offer a variety of camps including sports, arts, dance, nature and more. We offer camp programs at more than a dozen community centers throughout the city. Join us for fun summer camps this summer.

Steve and Kate’s Camp

Ages 4-12; apprentices: 8th/9th-graders Mail: 2420 NE Sandy Blvd. Portland, OR 97232 Camp: All Saints School, 601 NE Cesar Chavez Blvd., Portland 503-451-3032 steveandkate.com

Campers choose activities such as stop motion animation, outdoor sports, breadmaking, knitting, jewelry making, music recording and robotics. Two ways to play: Day Passes – Buy any number of days and drop in anytime. Membership – One fee covers the entire summer. Lunch, snacks and all materials included in both plans.

Willowbrook Arts Camp

Ages 3-18 Mail: PO Box 3546 Tualatin, OR 97062 Camp: Browns Ferry Park, Tualatin 503-691-6132 willowbrookartscamp.org

Creativity flourishes in a beautiful outdoor setting! Children 3-18 explore hands-on experiences in world arts and crafts, nature, writing, ceramics, basketry, filmmaking, theater, music, dance and much more. Beginners and advanced students sample freely or hone favorite skills. No previous experience is necessary. Theater productions are open to all ages.

Give your child the summer of their life! “The reason I keep coming back to Kalsman is the overwhelming feeling of community, of connection. I always feel like I am a part of something great, and that I am important. I ﬁnd myself there, my Jewish self, and it is the beﬆ feeling in the world!” - 2015 Camper

Registration is now open and sessions are ﬁlling fast.

URJ Camp Kalsman

The premier Jewish Summer Camp in the Paciﬁc Northwest

www.campkalsman.org 38 MARCH 2016 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

OVERNIGHT CAMPS

B’nai B’rith Camp

2nd-11th grade Mail: 9400 SW Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy. #147 Beaverton, OR 97005 Camp: Devil’s Lake, Oregon Coast 503-452-3443 bbcamp.org

BB Camp offers 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 hydrotubing. Specialty programs include Outdoor Jewish Adventure for 11th graders and Kehila, inclusion for children with special needs. JCC affiliated and American Camp Association accredited.

Camp Miriam

Finishing 2nd-9th; LIT: finishing 11th Mail: 950 W 41st Ave. #303, Vancouver, BC V5Z 2N7 Camp: Gabriola Island 604-266-2825 campmiriam.org

Habonim Dror Camp Miriam, on beautiful Gabriola Island, BC, offers a diverse Jewish camp experience for children completing grades 2-11. Emphasis is on building a Jewish youth community based on values of equality and inclusion.

Camp Nageela West

Grades 3-10 Mail and Camp: 3511 Verde Valley School Road Sedona, AZ 86351 801-613-1539 nageelawest.org

Camp Nageela West is a small camp offering industry high staff/ camper ratio. We focus on activity diversity, encouraging campers to "try new stuff." High energy level, intense Jewish pride, crafts, sports, water sports, extreme outdoors program, drama and music.

Camp Solomon Schechter

2nd-12th grade Mail: 117 East Louisa St., #110, Seattle, WA 98102-3203 Camp: near Olympia, WA 206-447-1967 campschechter.org

Enjoy fun, friendship and Jewish education at our spectacular 180-acre facility featuring our private lake and hiking in the untouched beauty of our forests and protected wetlands. We create a unique, welcoming and spiritual Jewish environment for youth of all denominations. At Schechter, Judaism and joy are truly one!

URJ Camp Kalsman

1st-11th grades Mail: 3805 108th Ave. NE, Suite 100, Bellevue, WA 98004 Camp: Arlington, WA 425-284-4484 (winter) | 360-435-9302 (summer) campkalsman.org

Camp Kalsman’s 300 beautiful acres offer a balance of education and recreation. Our core values are friendship, kehilah kedoshah (sacred community), Reform Jewish identity, chesed (kindness), connection to Israel and our relationship to teva (nature). Campers learn new skills and hone existing ones in athletic, aquatic, artistic and nature programs.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | MARCH 2016 39

Kids & Teens too

Allie Rosenfeld and Estee Rosenberg, right.

Teens reflect on philanthropy

By Allie Rosenfeld and Estee Rosenberg

After all the excitement and attention of becoming a bat mitzvah and finally being recognized as adults in the Jewish community, we woke up asking ourselves the big question: “So ... what now?” It can be difficult to know as a teen how to stay involved in Portland’s wonderful Jewish community; however, there is no need to worry. We have a solution. It is called OJCYF. What is OJCYF? Started in 2003 by Julia Weiss as her bat mitzvah project, the Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation is a program for high school students that meets once a month. Teens gather to discuss the importance of giving back to their community and the Jewish values that shape their philanthropy. Currently, there are 50 high school students participating. Through OJCYF, teens have the ability to get involved in both funding and volunteering with community organizations. This year the program is celebrating its 13th year with a b’nai mitzvah celebration on April 20. Why should I join? You have a voice. It is extremely empowering to know that as teens, we have the capability to make a difference in our community. OJCYF meetings are focused around the students, and you will get to meet other Jewish teens who are just as enthusiastic as you are. Allie: For me, OJCYF has been a great way to be involved with philanthropy and also spend time with other Jewish teens. 40 MARCH 2016 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Through the OJCYF meetings, I have learned about countless local and national nonprofits that I have loved being involved with. Estee: It is super exciting when I get to work with or learn about a wide range of nonprofits. OJCYF has given me the opportunity to support organizations I am passionate about, as well as introduce me to new ones. What has been your favorite OJCYF experience? Allie: One of my favorite memories from OJCYF was our first meeting. I was very nervous walking in, and we started the meeting with an icebreaker. After talking to a couple of people, I realized I recognized their names ... where was it from? During the meeting, it clicked. I had been in preschool with many of the other kids in the room. I was in a room with some people I

Celebrate OJCYF’s B’nai Mitzvah: 13 Years of Teen Philanthropy GUEST SPEAKER: Rebecca Shine, Momentum Alliance co-executive director Kosher Food Collection benefits Sunshine Pantry WHEN: 5:30-8:30 pm, Wednesday, April 20 WHERE: Mittleman Jewish Community Center, 6651 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland TICKETS: $54 per adult /$36 per youth (OJCYF members, alumni and students) For more information or to register, visit ojcf.org or call 503-248-9328.

had known and others I didn’t know, but we were all connected through this one desire. We all wanted to be involved and help our community. Estee: There are so many to choose from, but my most special experience with OJCYF was during my second year in the program. During my first year, my group and I were so excited to allocate funds to Tivnu, which was just starting as an organization. The next year my OJCYF cohort and I visited the Tivnu house. We had a Shabbat dinner with the gap year participants, and it was so exciting and meaningful to see how our gift had helped Tivnu become a reality. I also gained a clear sense of how our work can make a huge difference. OJCYF is special in that it fully entrusts the grant-making decisions to its teen members. Every dollar raised goes back into the community. OJCYF teens have made grants to organizations both locally and in Israel totaling almost $400,000. The organizations supported have been diverse and reflect our interests, such as Jewish Family & Child Service, B’nai B’rith Camp, Hand in Hand, Raphael House, Oregon Food Bank, Children’s Healing Art Project, Cedar Sinai Park, Mercy Corps, Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, and Momentum Alliance. Current OJCYF teens Allie Rosenfeld and Estee Rosenberg wrote this reflection on the importance of the teen philanthropy program in their lives. Allie is a junior at Catlin Gabel and Estee is a junior at St. Mary’s Academy.

OJCYF by the Numbers

196 teens have participated, including 25 teens who participated for four years and 39 sets of siblings. 26 schools – plus homeschoolers – have been represented. $392,298 grants have been awarded. 104 organizations have received an OJCYF grant, totaling 409 individual grants. Sponsored by the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation, OJCFY is designed to develop a strong generation of future Jewish leaders in our community. For more information about the program, contact Sonia Marie Leikam, collaborative giving program coordinator, at soniamariel@ ojcf.org or visit ojcf.org.

Calling all 6-12th graders to serve... J-SERVE is a chance for teens to fulfill

Sunday, April 17 at 1 pm Rose Schnitzer Manor

their Jewish values AND make the world a better place! Teens will volunteer with seniors and other residents of Cedar Sinai Park creating art, learning, and reflecting on the meaning of service.

DOING GOOD! AS PART OF

JewishPortland.org/jserve ®

THE STRENGTH OF A PEOPLE. THE POWER OF COMMUNITY.

503.245.6219 | www.jewishportland.org 6680 SW Capitol Highway | Portland, OR 97219

JewishPDX

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | MARCH 2016 41

NWNosh

Portland Pizza as varied as the city By Kerry Politzer

Unlike Chicago or New York, Portland isn’t known for its own style of pizza. The upside is that many different kinds of pizza are represented in our town. Here are some of our local favorites.

babydollpizza.com

Dove Vivi

Fillmore pizza

dovevivipizza.com

East Glisan Pizza Lounge

It seems that Northeast Glisan Street is becoming something of a pizza mecca. Located near 80thAvenue, East Glisan Pizza Lounge provides a great pizza experience for all palates and diets. All sauces except for cream sauce are vegan, and a polenta crust delights the gluten-free. Vegan fennel sauce and cashew cheese are also offered. (And if you are looking for a pineapple pizza, one is featured every Wednesday.)

Baby Doll Pizza

42 MARCH 2016 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Customers rave about the toothsome cornmeal crust at this Northeast establishment. Daily specials such as the Yemeni eggplant pizza with mozzarella, feta, eggplant, pine nuts and spicy Yemeni pepper sauce keep people coming back for more. Vegans have two options: corn with cashew cheese and veggies with herbed tofu ricotta. 2727 NE Glisan St. | 503-239-4444 |

4741 SE Hawthorne Blvd. 503-233-1286 | apizzascholls.com

Recently profiled in these pages, this pizzeria serves some of the most authentic New York-style slices in Portland. Toppings include sautéed spinach, Kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, Mama Lil’s peppers and dates (but

never pineapple). Accompany your slice with an ultra-fresh salad or a cup of housemade ice cream. Baby Doll Pizza is open until midnight Tuesdays through Sundays. In true New York fashion, the restaurant delivers. 2835 SE Stark St. | 503-459-4450

Apizza Scholls

Every day at 4:45 pm, a long line forms in front of this popular pizzeria so people can get a seat when the doors open at 5. Everyone’s waiting patiently for a brick-oven pizza with an airy, ciabattalike crust. Apizza Scholls is passionate about its product; there are no substitutions on house pizzas, and no more than three ingredients are allowed on a pie. If you can abide by these limitations, you’ll be rewarded with what some people call the best pizza in Portland.

Dove Vivi’s pesto pizza.

Nostrana

8001 NE Glisan St. | 971-279-4273 eastglisan.com

The vegetarian owners of this newish pizzeria/coffeehouse offer superior 12-inch pies. White truffle ricotta and classic margherita are two of the options; cheeseless pizzas are also available. A seasonal salad and cup of Coava coffee round out the meal.

7201 NE Glisan St. | 971-236-7411 fillmorepdx.com

Firehouse Restaurant

This longtime local favorite serves up a well-chosen variety of wood-fired pizza. A special pizza bianca is served every day; other options include margherita and cremini mushrooms with tomato, fresh mozzarella and oregano. You may add arugula, anchovies or shaved pecorino to any pizza. If you’re still hungry afterward, order some of the fabulous small plates.

ENU M R E V O S S PA

Fillmore

ENTREES

All entrees can be prepared for any size. Cost based on raw products at the time of purchase. ALL NATURAL BEEF BRISKET $12/Person Slow cooked brisket classically prepared with tomato and onion relish. ROSEMARY CRUSTED LEG OF LAMB $13/Person Cooked to your preference; order carved or whole. HOT OVEN ROASTED BEEF TENDERLOIN $15/Person Sliced and served with fresh herbs, kosher salt, and olive oil.

711 NE Dekum St. | 503-954-1702

DECORATED POACHED SALMON DISPLAY $5/Piece Salmon with cucumber, dill and tzatziki dressing. Cut into small pieces for any size party.

firehousepdx.com

One of Portland’s most beloved Italian restaurants adds Pacific flair to its pizza. The Northwest pizza is topped with slices of Hood River Kiyokawa pears, Oregon goat cheese, baby arugula, balsamic and candied walnuts, while the foraged wild mushroom pizza is livened up with house mozzarella, garlic, rosemary and a touch of white truffle oil.

439 SW Second Ave. | 503-295-6464 mamamiatrattoria.com

Nostrana

This immensely popular Italian restaurant just celebrated its 10th anniversary. While Nostrana’s “Meatball Mondays” and “Gnocchi Thursdays” are always a draw, many customers come for the naturally leavened, thin-crust pizza. A thick pair of scissors comes with each order. Choose a traditional pie loaded with pillows of fresh mozzarella or go for the fungi: shiitake and maitake mushrooms, mozzarella, garlic, arugula, pecorino and lemon.

1401 SE Morrison St. | 503-234-2427 nostrana.com

We Prepare, You Celebrate

Mama Mia Trattoria

BRAISED LEMON HERB CHICKEN $5/Piece Air chilled organic chicken pieces (bone-in) with fresh squeezed lemon and horseradish.

SIDES AND VEGETABLE DISHES POTATO KRUGEL $15 A traditional dish with potatoes, onions, and eggs. Serves 4-6 people. LEEK GRATIN $18 A wonderful mixture of leeks, matzoh, and cheese. Serves 4-6 people. SEASONAL ROASTED VEGETABLE DISPLAY $7/Person Roasted whole seasonal vegetables tossed in a fresh herb dressing. SLOW ROASTED BABY RED PARSLEY POTATOES $5/Person Slow roasted baby red parsley potatoes and sweet onions tossed in a touch of horseradish and white Bordeaux. BRAISED WHITE BEANS AND ARTICHOKES $7/Person Braised white beans, artichokes, leeks, and fennel hearts seasoned with lemon herb and garlic. WILD GREEN SALADS $5/Person Wild greens tossed with candied nuts and dried fruit. Wild greens tossed with beets and goat cheese. Your choice of champagne vinaigrette or house vinaigrette. MATZOH BALL SOUP $12/Quart Hand formed kosher style matzoh balls in a beautiful chicken consumme. SMALLER SIDES AND ADDITIONS Sliced pickled beef tongue $4/Person Paprika deviled eggs by the dozen $15/Dozen House made lox platter, goat cheese, wild whitefish caviar $4/Person Challah bread or olive ciabatta $5/Each loaf

DESSERTS

Individually prepared and decorated. Chocolate brownies $3/Each Mini cheesecakes $3/Each Lemon bars $3/Each Menu available April 20, 2016 thru April 30, Some menu items may take 12-48 hours to prepare, 2016 (closed Sunday, April 27th) please place order two days prior to your desired pick up date.

(503) 224-9541

17 NW 23rd Place Portland, OR 97210 Online ordering available.

Continued on page 45

www.philsuptownmeatmarket.com OREGON JEWISH LIFE | MARCH 2016 43

Passover RECIPE CONTEST

Share your favorite Pesach dishes – and enter our contest to win prizes! From traditional classics to contemporary fusion, send us your family’s prize recipe and a brief description of why it’s a staple or a new addition to your seder table or Pesach lunchbox.

Submit entries to editor@ojlife.com

Entries must be received by March 11 to be considered for inclusion in the Passover section of our April magazine.

More details at orjewishlife.com

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Nostrana pizza. By Michael Ernsting Photography

Roman Candle Baking Co.

The thick rectangular flatbreads offered at this bakery/pizzeria are Portland’s answer to the famous slices at New York’s Sullivan Street Bakery. Try the Pomodoro, margherita or Yukon gold potato and end your meal with a first-rate espresso.

3377 SE Division St. | 971-302-6605 |

facebook.com/romancandlebakingco

Via Chicago Pizzeria & Bottle Shop

Hearty Chicago-style pizza is the specialty at this longtime Portland favorite. The deep-dish crust is a savory foundation for a variety of veggies and cheeses. Vegans can opt for tofu ricotta and shredded Daiya, while the dairy-inclined can add goat cheese or Gorgonzola. Every Tuesday, Via Chicago hosts an all-you-can-eat event. If you have room afterward, order the homemade cannoli.

2013 NE Alberta St. | 503-719-6809 | viachicagopizza.com

Indian & Middle Eastern Cuisine Hours: Tues – Thurs & Sun 5 - 9 Fri – Sat 5 - 10

503.231.0740 www.bombaycricketclubrestaurant.com Mama Mia Trattoria

1925 SE Hawthorne Blvd • Portland, OR 97214 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | MARCH 2016 45

Food

CORNER When I stepped outside today, I began to recognize signs that spring will soon be here. I noticed tiny buds on the trees and fragile flowers beginning to pop from the ground – and the sun felt just a bit warmer as it peeked from behind the clouds between early spring’s perpetual rain showers. Soon it will be time to open the windows, plant the flowerpots and begin to invite the outside in. Winter homes will soon need a good spring cleaning. Spring is the season to clear the clutter and start fresh. I have a confession to make: I don’t like to clean. Don’t get me wrong. I love a clean house. I love to see beds thoughtfully made, no dishes in the sink and everything put in its proper place. I feel happy inside when the sun shining through the window doesn’t illuminate a thin layer of dust and dog hair on the furniture. Unfortunately, our busy lives don’t always allow for the perpetuation of perfect order. In the days of black and white TV, apron-clad moms stayed at home and spent their days dusting, vacuuming and ironing freshly laundered sheets while dinner simmered slowly on the stove. At my house, I can barely keep the laundry from piling up, the clutter contained and the dust bunnies at bay while checking my I-cal to see when my housekeeper will arrive to save me from complete chaos. Now is the time to reorganize and renew the place in my house that over time tends to need it the most: the pantry and spice drawers. I begin by throwing out all those old spices that have been lying in my spice drawer far too long. Ground spices should be kept for no longer than six months in order to retain their full fresh flavor. Whole spices such as coriander, cumin and fennel seed can last up to a year. Peppercorns, nutmeg and allspice berries will last almost indefinitely and taste much better than pre-ground. Gently toast seeds in a dry sauté pan and use a coffee grinder to pulverize as needed. Partial bottles of ground spices, honey, vinegars or maple syrup can be combined to save room and confusion in the spice cabinet shelves. Partially used boxes of pasta, polenta, quinoa and rice can be stored in handy clip top containers to declutter and organize bulging pantry space. Vow to buy these items in bulk along with sugars, flours, nuts and seeds to save waste and time searching for that half-empty bag or box. Empty and wipe down all shelves and drawers to avoid those nasty critters that love to hide in dark corners waiting for the chance to infest … yuck! Spring is the time to start fresh, and I love the way my pantry

CLEAN YOUR PANTRY AND FIND MEAL FIT FOR SPRING Story and photos by Lisa Glickman

looks when everything is in order and right where I need it. While I manage to find time to round up the dust bunnies and keep things tidy with a routine cleaning, a true spring cleaning requires far more dedication to detail. A fresh start in the pantry and spice cabinet takes only a couple of hours and makes my whole house feel renewed. The rest I’ll leave to the pros! Salt, sugar, citrus zest and fresh dill transform a fresh piece of salmon into this delectable treat that is delicious when served with a freshly toasted bagel and cream cheese. It takes a day or so to cure, so plan ahead. I serve it tossed into the following pasta main dish made from the partial boxes of cavatappi I found taking up too much space in the pantry! House-Cured Salmon with Citrus, Dill and Vodka

1 2-pound salmon fillet, with skin ½ cup kosher salt 3 tablespoons sugar ¼ cup chopped fresh dill ¼ cup vodka 2 tablespoons each lemon, lime and orange zest Remove any tiny pin bones from the salmon with a pair of tweezers. Place the salmon skin side down on several large sheets of plastic wrap. In a small mixing bowl, combine the salt, sugar, zests, dill and vodka. Spread paste evenly on fish and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator on a small baking sheet and top with another small baking sheet. Weigh down the top with a heavy cast iron pan, several cans from the pantry or a heavy brick. Allow salmon to cure for at least 24 hours, but no more than 48 hours. Unwrap the salmon and rinse under cold water. Pat dry and slice diagonally into paper-thin slices

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. 46 MARCH 2016 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Cavatappi Pasta with Asparagus, Yellow Tomatoes, Lemon and Parsley

3 tablespoons olive oil 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 4-5 anchovy fillets ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes 1 pound asparagus, rinsed and cut into 1-inch pieces 1 pint yellow tomatoes (or red grape or cherry tomatoes) Kosher salt ½ pound cavatappi pasta (or other medium-size shape like penne) Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

12 ounces cured salmon Grated Parmesan cheese to garnish Heat a large pot of salted water for the pasta. In a large sauté pan, heat oil to medium heat. Add garlic, anchovies and chili flakes. Sauté until garlic begins to soften and anchovies melt. Add asparagus and sauté for a couple of minutes until crisp tender. Add tomatoes and toss to warm through. Add lemon zest and juice and toss to coat. Season with salt. Cook pasta until tender. Add pasta to pan and toss to coat. Serve immediately on individual plates topped with slices of salmon and Parmesan cheese.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | MARCH 2016 47

Young Adult

Jewish College Night offers insights March 14

By Deborah Moon

High school students and their parents are invited to a Jewish College Night program March 14 at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center. This free joint program of Portland Area Jewish Educators (a program of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland) and the MJCC runs from 7 to 8:30 pm. The evening will present information about college admissions, financial planning for college, Jewish campus organizations and gap year programs. Those scheduled to speak at the event are Jodi WalderBiesanz, college admissions coach; Tim Tank, financial planner; Andy Gitelson, Oregon Hillel Foundation; Shiran Halfon, Greater Portland Hillel; Amy Sherer, University of Washington Hillel; Rabbi Dov Bialo, Chabad Student Center at Reed; Shira Melul, Akiva at University of Oregon; and Miera Spivak, Oregon NCSY, who will speak on gap year programs.

48 MARCH 2016 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

“It is imperative that Jewish teens consider the presence of Jewish organizations on campus, such as Hillel, during their college search, not only because of the opportunities to observe Jewish holidays and connecting with a Jewish network, but because of the support and advocacy that we provide during the college experience,” says Andy Gitelson, the executive director of Oregon Hillel Foundation at the University of Oregon and Oregon State University. Tim Tank, a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, has been assisting families with college financial planning strategies for about 10 years. “Successful college planning may be as simple as knowing the rules,” says Tim. “The college financial aid forms (and college aid offices) work similar to your tax return. While you may not know all the rules, the rules are often black and white. “For many families, planning for college is simply an extension of the parents’ retirement planning,” he says, noting much of his presentation will target the parents in the audience. “If the college planning is not done correctly, it can permanently alter the retirement plan.” College Admission Coach Jodi Walder-Biesanz puts her drama degree from UC Irvine to good use, admitting she can be overly dramatic when explaining why it is important to find a right match college. Jodi got her college counseling certificate from UCLA in 2005 and since then has helped more than 600 students navigate the college admissions process. “Our society is pretty obsessed with college admissions, and the media frenzy can ratchet up the stress level of students and parents in very unhealthy ways,” says Jodi, noting she hopes students in grades eight to 11 and their parents will attend the college night. She likes to begin working with students in ninth grade, but doesn’t want older students to think it’s too late. “The college exploration process should be one of self-reflection and discovery for the student.” In anticipation of college night, Jodi shared the following facts many families may not know: • Students do not need to take both the ACT and SAT, and there are over 800 four-year colleges across the U.S. that do not require standardized tests for admission. • College admission officers are more impressed by students who have a paid job (think FroYo or McD’s) than they are by students who spend their summers at expensive camps or on international service trips. • When it comes to post-college success, it is not where you go to college, but what you do while you are there that matters. For more information or to register, visit oregonjcc.org/ collegenight. Walk-ins are welcome.

Cross-cultural programs making an impact at UO

By Yvette Alex-Asensoh

Niccolo Machiavelli once said, “It is better to be feared than loved.” Whether it is the news or social media, the sentiment seems to be the same. Fear and divisiveness are the things grabbing eyeballs and driving ad dollars. Near the top of this list of fears is xenophobia. In light of the San Bernardino shooting and calls to ban all Muslims, the climate of xenophobia has only heightened, including here in Oregon. This fear-mongering has spilled over into instances of anti-Muslim violence. So what can we do to counter this growing xenophobia before it gets any worse? At the University of Oregon, we believe that our power to touch people in our everyday lives is more powerful than any divisive news story, hateful social media post or coward posting bigoted fliers in the night. We embrace our role in creating a warm and inclusive campus for all, including Muslim and Arab communities. This starts with fostering love, respect and community. For example, Oregon Hillel has developed a seven-part series entitled Manzil Midrash (house/study) in partnership with the Muslim Student Association and the Arab Student Union. Following this interfaith series last year, class of 2016 student Fahma Mohammed had this to say: “This was the first time ever that the Muslim Student Association took part in working with the Jewish Student Union to learn more about the similarities and differences between our two religions. This event opened my eyes to some of the similar experiences that we have shared while living in the United States. I know that this is just the start to a beautiful relationship. Our organizations will continue to grow while we teach one another new things about our shared life experiences.” According to Drew Williams, the religious director of the Muslim Student Association, “This experience has been profoundly impactful to myself and both the Jewish and Muslim communities here on campus. I believe that our work on educating and informing both the wider University of Oregon community and ourselves has truly bettered the environment on campus and created a more open and understanding situation for all.” In addition to this series, which will be expanded this year,

Oregon Hillel has worked with the Office of Equity and Inclusion to establish an interfaith program to help foster dialogue and education about different religions and provide support for Muslim students in particular. The example Oregon Hillel is setting is a powerful one. As members of the UO community, it is our responsibility to be proactive in creating a more diverse, equitable and inclusive campus. Hate and division can only flourish in a climate of ignorance. We cannot change every mind or open every heart overnight, but we can spread humanity and understanding in our spheres of influence. That is how we do our part. That is how love overcomes fear.

Dr. Yvette Alex-Asensoh is vice president of equity and inclusion at the University of Oregon.

Spring Manzil Midrash Programs Oregon Hillel has brought together a diverse group of students for a series of student-created and student-facilitated campus conversations – Manzil Midrash (Manzil is Arabic for house and Midrash is Hebrew for study). Now in its second year, the project uses two components to foster interfaith understanding and crosscultural encounters and promote open and respectful discourse. Manzil Midrash sessions include learning alongside experiential education; Conflict Conversations, led by Manzil Midrash leadership team students, primarily discuss different aspects of the PalestinianIsraeli conflict. Tentative dates for spring term programs follow. April 7: MM: “Famous Muslims and Jews” presented by Alex Reasoner of the Muslim Student Association and Ethan Brutzkus of the TAMID Israel Business Group. April 14: CC: “Historical Narratives of Israel” presented by Awab Rawi of the Arab Student Union; Lev Silberstein of Oregon Hillel; Erin Horwitz of the Jewish Student Union; and Drew Williams of the Muslim Student Association. April 21: MM: “Muslim-Jewish Relations” presented by Drew Williams and Abbey Bell of Oregon Hillel and J Street UO. May 12: CC: “The Impact of Terrorism on Jews and Muslims” presented by Drew Williams, Erin Horwitz, Awab Rawi and Lev Silberstein. May 19: MM: “Cultural Culinary Event” presented by event cochairs Terra Zicklin of Oregon Hillel and Erin Horwitz.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | MARCH 2016 49

Seniors

Simon Menasche Long journey to a reflective life

beckoned, and he decided to give Israel a try. And so his own journey began. (Years later, his parents fled the revolution in The yoga teacher on the top floor of the house-turned-office Rhodesia and settled in Israel, as well.) Simon’s first stop was building on East Burnside takes his Buddhist practices very The Beth Hashita kibbutz in the north of Israel, where he seriously. He meditates one hour a day. He is “mostly” vegetarian, studied Hebrew in the mornings and worked in the fields and uses no drugs (although he enjoys an occasional glass of wine) the olive refinery the rest of the day. There he met a woman and is committed to what he calls “a good moral life.” He is 75 from Detroit who was also experimenting with kibbutz life. years old and has been teaching yoga since 1976. They fell in love and, when she was ready to go home, he went He is also a really nice Jewish guy. with her. This was, he says, “The yoga philosophy I follow is “1964-ish.” The two lived based on moral principles similar in the city and studied at to those of Judaism,” says Simon Wayne State University. He Menasche. “Some of the strongest applied himself diligently to statements in Judaism sound his studies and began what remarkably like some in Eastern was to become a lifetime of philosophy. Meditation is the learning. Yet by his senior equivalent of Jewish prayer, just a year, he says, he lost his different way of approaching the interest in academics. He divine. The Judeo-Christian (view) was ready to hit the road is more dualistic: there’s God and again. there’s you, and God is all powerful. The two moved to The Eastern belief is that you a commune in eastern merge with the Being; there is no Washington called Tolstoy separation. Farm, which was similar to “I feel very Jewish,” he adds. “I life on a kibbutz but much don’t feel like I’ve left Judaism. I am more rustic. (The farm is Jewish emotionally, culturally and still there! Check it out: ethnically. But the Asian part of my tolstoyfarms.org.) “We grew life is very important.” our own food, built our Simon’s family fled Hitler from own cabins and lived off the Isle of Rhodes in 1938. They the grid. It was an insular ended up in Zimbabwe, then known life, though, and I (became) as Rhodesia. “They were on a boat curious about life outside with many others, going around the that environment.” He and coast of Africa,” Simon explains. his wife separated (and later They knew that other refugees were divorced), and he and a already in Zimbabwe, so that’s few friends moved on, this Simon Menasche in his yoga studio. Photos by Liz Rabiner Lippoff where they got off. time to a truly migrant life He remembers that they led a picking fruit in Oregon and good life, a “privileged life as white California. people in Rhodesia.” His father spent most of his time in the Are you following all this? I told Simon we needed one of garment industry. His mom stayed at home as well as serving as those maps of the world and a box of colored tacks to keep the secretary for the local Sephardic Jewish community. track of his journey, because from here Simon followed the When Simon was in his early 20s, however, the world advice of a friend who had been studying far eastern philosophy By Liz Rabiner Lippoff

Simon Menasche: 503-891-4653 | TheNaturalYoga@gmail.com | simonmenasche.com 50 MARCH 2016 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

and was going to India to learn firsthand with her teacher. She said, “Come along,” and he did. After months of very rigorous study, much of it solitary and contemplative, Simon bounced back and forth between India and the states before coming to the realization that what he really wanted was to be helpful to people, to do things that contributed to society. One route to that, he decided, was to become a massage therapist. The school he wanted was in Portland. And so he moved again. It was here in Portland that Simon’s life of learning kicked in, big time. He got his massage certification in 1970. He became a counselor and began teaching yoga in 1976. He also began to study and to evolve from the Sikh tradition of meditation to the Buddhist Vipassana practice. It is, he says, based on wisdom rather than absorption. “In Buddhism, as in Judaism, there is a social aspect; it is more grounded in humanism.” He continues this practice today and he incorporates the philosophy into the yoga classes he teaches. Simon has no regrets, but he does think that he wants to get more political. “I think that spiritual practice and political activity should be integrated together because the world is in a tough position now. People should not ‘navel gaze’ all the time!” Today Simon and his wife of 18 years, Luz Villalba, split their time between their homes in Portland and Hawaii. He absolutely loves teaching yoga and sees no reason to ever retire. “I don’t need to take a break because my life is already a break. And it is helpful to people.” Simon has four children and two grandchildren, all grown up, and they all have been to his yoga classes. “They like it!” he says. “What do you say to someone has never tried yoga,” I asked him. “When someone thinks they may be too old, too sore, too heavy, too tired, too busy?” “It enlivens your body and opens your emotions. It relieves stress and opens your mind,” Simon says, even as he acknowledges that it may not be right for everybody. He believes, though, that “there is always some niche in the vast panorama of yoga culture that will work for anybody. If you want more athletic, it’s there. Devotional, it’s there. There is a huge menu of possibilities.” Simon gave me a mini lesson in his style of yoga, a hybrid he developed that is a mixture of contemplation, physical activation and meditation. He calls it by the Sanskrit words “Prakriti” (nature) and “sadhana” (practice/work/discipline.) I was game but am inexperienced, and he reassured me that I would do fine, that there was no right way and no wrong way. He sat me on a mat on the carpet in his light-filled studio and, sitting across from me, guided me through the series of eight introductory steps he uses to warm up each class. His calm voice focused my thoughts on how my hands were touching, or how I was sitting, or the slow movements and the careful breathing. All I could say when we were done was, “Thank you.” Liz Rabiner Lippoff is a marketing consultant, freelance writer and community volunteer. LizInk.biz OREGON JEWISH LIFE | MARCH 2016 51

Seniors

Magically improve seniors’ lives April 2

By Deborah Moon

This year’s Cedar Sinai Park gala benefiting the residents of the Robison Jewish Health Center on April 2 promises to be especially magical. There’s always a magical feeling in the air when CSP brings the community together to ensure the elderly can, as the website says, “live in comfort, independence and dignity in a manner and in an environment based on Jewish values.” This year that magic will be enhanced as entertainer Hart Keene brings his blend of magic, mentalism and comedy to the annual gala. Add the sounds of local jazz fusion musician Tom Grant wafting through the air – all pulled together by mother-daughter co-chairs Bev Eastern and Michelle Gradow – and the whole evening will be extraordinary. Based in Eugene, Hart was featured on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” in 2010. “I’ve done my share of fundraisers,” he says, noting all have been for very worthy causes and he believes seniors are as worthy as any. “We need to support and care for the elderly. That is a huge issue we are dealing with as people live longer – which is a good thing. (President) Roosevelt, who created Social Security, died at 63. Our system wasn’t designed for people to live this long.” Hart is also well known in Jewish entertainment circles. “My mentor, Kip Pascal, who got me into magic, is Jewish. A lot of Jewish mothers contact me for bar and bat mitzvahs. I do about five a year.” At the CSP gala, Hart plans to begin the evening wandering among the cocktail hour crowd performing sleight of hand and intimate magic for small groups. Later in the evening he will perform his stage show. “Hart Keene and Tom Grant will 52 MARCH 2016 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

make for an evening that will be exciting and entertaining,” says Bev. “We have so many generous sponsors and supporters, and with their help we will continue our mission to honor our fathers and mothers.” Both co-chairs have a long history with Robison Home, as Robison Jewish Health Center is fondly known, and with chairing the annual gala. “When they asked my mom and me to do it together, it really made it special for me,” says Michelle, who has co-chaired the event several times in the past eight years. Michelle is now president of the Friends of Robison (formerly Sisterhood) and has served on the CSP board for many years. Starting in the 1970s, Bev and her husband, Stan, chaired the annual gala for at least 15 years. Stan and Bev also both served as presidents of the Robison board. “The Robison Home has been part of our family for many, many years,” says Bev. “I had a mother and an aunt residing at the home, and working for Robison has given all of us selfsatisfaction in knowing that we have helped in some small way to improve the quality of care for our elderly.” Now Bev and Michelle are inviting the community to enjoy that same sense of satisfaction while also enjoying a great evening. “Our committee has planned a really fun and festive event,” says Michelle. “Dinner will be delicious with cocktails and appetizers included. We will have a fabulous show with magician/illusionist Hart Keene, who was a contestant on America’s Got Talent, and we will have Tom Grant join us, who is a Portland treasure. We will end the evening with sweets in the Crystal Ballroom. This is all a recipe for success.”

It’sMagic!

6:30 pm, Saturday, April 2 The Benson Hotel Cocktails, dinner and entertainment Reservations: 503-535-4360 or cedarsinaipark.org/annualevent

MAC Club honors Jeanne Newmark

Emcee Jeff Gianola, head news anchor at KOIN Local 6, chats with synchronized swimmer Jeanne Newmark at MAC’s annual Banquet of Champions. Jeanne was named the Joe Loprinzi Inspirational Athlete of the Year during the event.

By Deborah Moon

Synchronized swimmer Jeanne Newmark won the Joe Loprinzi Inspirational Athlete of the Year during Multnomah Athletic Club’s annual Banquet of Champions Jan. 21. There are many elite and inspiring athletes at Multnomah Athletic Club. But each year a few stand out, says MAC Communications Manager Tony Roberts. They win world championships, compete on national teams and overcome unique challenges. Every January, MAC recognizes these special athletes at its Banquet of Champions. Jeanne has spent the past 30 years competing with MAC’s masters synchronized swimming team, which has earned 14 consecutive national championships and become one of the first teams to swim in the 80-89 age group at U.S. Synchro Masters Nationals. “It was a lovely honor to be nominated, but I didn’t expect to win,” says Jeanne. Also recognized was swimmer Van Mathias, who won the Mel Fox Amateur Athlete of the Year Award. Mel swam the fourthfastest 100-meter butterfly in the history of USA Swimming in his age group while also setting MAC records in several different strokes and distances, making him “one of the most versatile swimmers our program has ever had,” according to head coach Alex Nikitin. Jeanne says she first learned to swim about age 6 in Mickey Hirschberg’s classes at the Jewish Community Center and went on to swim on the Lincoln High School swim team. “Mickey would have been really proud of me,” she says. Jeanne is still a member of the Mittleman Jewish Community Center (named for her family) as well as Temple Beth Israel and Congregation Neveh Shalom. She was on the board of the Portland Section of the National Council of Jewish Women for many years. In 2014 Jeanne and her daughter, Phyllis Newmark, were named MJCC athletes of year after they won a bronze medal swimming as a duet in the World Synchronized Swimming Competition. When her children were young, Jeanne wanted them to grow up at “The Center.” But after the kids were grown, she says her

husband put their names in for membership at the MAC. When they became members, Jeanne says she initially was reluctant to venture into the club. “I used to ski every week, and there were several of the women I skied with who were on the synchro team,” says Jeanne. “We became very close friends. They asked me to come out for synchro … of course once I was in the water, I was there forever.” “It was an incredible group. We shared good stories and bad stories together. There are only a few left from that original team,” she says, noting that when she started, she was the youngest at 57. She turns 86 on April 10. “It’s just hard to explain how close that synchro team was. Our team was a very special team. The first time we won a gold as a team, it was such an amazing thing. A male judge came over to us and said, ‘I’ve done something I’ve never done before, I applauded.’ Another judge came over to us and said, ‘I had tears in my eyes. I couldn’t believe what you did.’ The headlines in the synchro papers said, ‘Gold Goes West,’ because Oregon and Washington had never gotten a gold medal for a team in our age group. “I stuck with it because I just couldn’t give it up, it was just too much a part of me,” she says. “It was just so wonderful. I can’t really think of myself as being what the girls say is inspirational. All I’ve done is just hung in there for these years.”

Let’s talk about something retirement communities hardly ever mention. Accreditation. Because having the confidence and peace of mind of accreditation is important. So, let’s talk some more at a complimentary lunch and tour. Please call to schedule.

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

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

An Oregonian in Israel

seniors NGO legislation – needed protection or vindictive control?

By Mylan Tanzer

After a stormy session in February the Knesset passed in its first reading, by a 50-43 majority, the controversial “Law for the Transparency of NGOs.” It still must be brought to two additional votes, but it appears to be on the fast track to being enacted into law. Referred to in the media as the “NGO law,” it was initiated by Minister of Justice Ayelet Shaked. It would compel NGOs that receive funding from foreign governments, or NGOs associated with foreign governments, to reveal which governments (or NGOs on their behalf ), are contributing to Israeli NGOs and the amount being allocated. I believe it was F. Scott Fitzgerald who once said: “The test of superior intelligence is to hold two totally divergent opinions at the same time.” It seems particularly apropos to this topic. Foreign governments support numerous NGOs, which are active in Israel and the West Bank, that propagate slander against Israel. The incessant incitement and false accusations from entities supposedly dedicated to human rights are creating strategic damage; some control is needed. On the other hand, many legitimately claim this NGO bill is another link in the Netanyahu government’s chain of delegitimization around human rights organizations as well as political opposition to Netanyahu and Likud. The original NGO law is undoubtedly an initiative of the far-right elements of the coalition. But its current form should not be automatically discounted because of its “place of birth.” Doctor Ronen Shuval of the controversial right-wing NGO Im Tirzu (the name taken from Herzl’s famous saying “Im Tirzu ain zo agada – If you will it, it is not a dream”) makes the case for the law: “Imagine what would happen if Israel decided to intervene in the affairs of European democracies. … Imagine what would happen if Israel decided to make available funding to organizations operating in Spain for Catalan or Basque independence. … Democratic nations do not behave in this way towards other democracies. If they want to exert their influence, there are many legitimate ways to do so. Creating and funding organizations that strive to undermine the will of the majority in a friendly country is not one of them. For years, European nations have tried to undermine Israeli democracy. They have become the main financiers … (of ) those who labor day and night to brand IDF soldiers as war criminals, who brand Israel as an apartheid state, who campaign for boycott and sanctions, who organize Israel Apartheid Week on campuses. …There is no greater contempt for democracy than to trample the values and the election results of another democracy like Israel.”

That is only half the story, however. Gilad Grossman is the spokesman for the human rights NGO Yesh Din (there is a law), which works throughout the West Bank collecting information on human rights violations and bringing them to the attention of the public. He writes, “(T)he law is shameful, not only because it constitutes a continuation of incitement by the government and the extreme right-wing against human rights organizations, but also because it differentiates between organizations identified with the left to those identified with the right.” Here Grossman is referring to the fact that the proposed law only requires government funding be revealed. Private donations can remain anonymous. Most right-wing NGOs receive their funding primarily from private donations. Grossman continues: “It is a sad day for democracy because with this law, which was supported also by the Kulanu party (a more moderate, social-oriented centrist party in the coalition), and similarly put forward by Tzipi Livni (justice minister in previous government, now an opposition leader), permanently locks into Israeli society the concept that human rights organizations are agents of foreign countries. This is a lie meant to discourage Israeli citizens from acting on their beliefs. … Human rights activists operate out of belief and it doesn’t matter if funding comes from Europe, America, Australia or Israeli citizens.” While still controversial, the bill has become somewhat less so than the original version on two issues. The first was Netanyahu’s insistence to remove the obligation that in the Knesset or at official events, all NGO activists must wear a badge identifying the NGO for which they work. The second issue was the Kulanu party’s demand that sources of funding must be revealed only if an NGO receives more than 50% of its budget from foreign governments. This modification was adopted despite Netanyahu’s opposition. So is the NGO law a vital and overdue bill that will limit and perhaps stop the modern-day blood libel from throughout the Western World? Or is it a right-wing government yet again forcefully changing the political balance and imposing its ideology on Israel through legislation by virtue of its slim majority? Like every complex question, the answer is never clear cut. There is little doubt that these human rights NGOs have brought much of this on themselves. It is not coincidental that as this bill was being drafted, the Shovrim Shtika (breaking the silence) NGO, made up of IDF soldiers who claim to have witnessed human rights violations against Palestinians, were appearing in international forums claiming alleged

For such organizations, the problem is the very existence of Israel, and Israelis who willingly or naively strengthen these groups should be condemned and scrutinized.

54 MARCH 2016 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

transgressions by soldiers. Some of the claims have been vehemently denied by other soldiers present at these incidents and remain unproven. The majority of sane, centrist Israelis (who remain the majority for now), traditionally have grudgingly respected Shovrim Shtika. They are combat soldiers who have earned the right to criticize and expose injustices they have witnessed personally. Until recently, they were allowed into schools to address students. But speaking to foreign audiences, often in events sponsored by organizations dedicated to the delegitimization of Israel, has caused this and similar NGOs such as Yesh Gvul (there is a limit) and Btzelem (the image of humanity) to lose most of their credibility in the eyes of previously sympathetic Israelis like myself. There is no justification to play into the hands of those who would agitate against Israel even if every settlement were dismantled and the entire West Bank became Judenrien. For such organizations, the problem is the very existence of Israel, and Israelis who willingly or naively strengthen these groups should be condemned and scrutinized. Recently, Israel Broadcast Authority reporter Eliran Tal revealed documents that prove foreign governments and hostile international organizations purchase testimony against Israel and the IDF. Perhaps Israel’s most respected journalist, Dan Margalit, wrote, “If the Israeli NGOs were funded from abroad but were active only in Israel, then their claim that they are seeking to make Israel and the IDF better places would be credible. But if they limited their activity to Israel, then they would not get such generous funding from abroad.” But Margalit and fellow journalist Ben Caspit are not convinced that the NGO law is necessarily the right step. Caspit writes: “Let’s talk about Shovrim Shtika. I have spoken and written many times against them. They and their sister NGOs can drive you crazy, but that is democracy. It’s hard but that’s the point … They exaggerate, they blow things out of proportion and even with my military experience in the territories and my journalistic experience, there is no way that I believe some of their testimony. But let’s not forget that that there are many Israelis that believe that the settlements cause damage to Israel and these NGOs are useful, as long as they focus on activity within Israel and are not ‘informants’ abroad. …. They are our compass. Perhaps an overdeveloped compass, overly sensitive, but that is preferable over the other extreme. It’s really angering that they are running to international forums and causing us damage. But the usefulness is greater than the damage. The usefulness has to do with values and morals. The goyim who listen to these guys hopefully say to themselves that a country that has soldiers like this can in no way be so heinous and reprehensible as we have been told.” Margalit is less understanding of the activists but opposes the law for pragmatic reasons. “If these NGOs were smart, they would achieve less, but what they would say would have much more credibility. But they apparently are not so smart and prefer to act repulsively in order to get international support. …We should try to convince them, even if they do not want to listen, without limiting their activity in Israel. In any case, most of their sources of funding are now in the public domain anyway.” Will misguided idealists be convinced of their poor judgment and that their cause will be better served if their criticism is kept in-house and articulated to people who can make the difference

without enacting the NGO law? Or do those embittered and hostile people with an axe to grind and willing to cater to whatever views the international community will bankroll make the NGO law a necessity? I try to distinguish between the legitimate criticism raised against these NGOs and the systematic and ongoing incitement of right-wing politicians and organizations against them. Over recent months, a disturbing series of developments support the belief that the NGO law is indeed another provocative gesture on the part of the coalition to capitalize on the ever-increasing tensions between Israel and the Palestinians for populist political gain. These include the proposed “Law of Nationality,” the newly proposed “Impeachment Law” allowing the Knesset to strip an MK of his seat if 90 members support the measure, the unjustified criticism in the coalition as well as blood-curdling incitement reminiscent of the pre-Rabin assassination (this time directed against President Reuven Rivlin) and more recently the smear campaign against some leftwing activists as traitors by Im Tirzu. These make many believe that while something must be done to stop Israel’s “human rights” organizations from aiding those who aim to destroy Israel, the proposed law has more to do with political and ideological intimidation and less to do with restrictions applied equally without regard to ideological affiliation. The recent video posted online by Im Tirzu against left-wing activists was not only abhorrent, it illustrated how incitement, 20 years after the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, is once again a tool employed by the far right. Caspit was one of the first prominent journalists to bring Im Tirzu into the limelight after the 2006 Gaza Campaign. In one of its first actions, Im Tirzu importantly revealed how the New Israel Fund and other organizations supplied material to the infamous Goldstone Report. But Caspit no longer has any praise for Im Tirzu. Since its work exposing the Goldstone sources, Im Tirzu has become a crazed mutation – extreme, endlessly inciting, hateful. It supports designating and labeling any organization that gets foreign funding while at the same time hiding the sources of its own funding. The ADL did not coincidentally issue a stinging criticism of these videos: “After one of the smeared leftists will be assassinated, these characters from Im Tirzu will say we didn’t mean it. The truth is that they are right. It succeeded in the case of Rabin. Why should it fail now? This excuse always works.” It is hard to say what the implications of the NGO law will be. If it succeeds in making it more difficult to slander and foment against Israel, then it will be a successful law. But it appears that these activities on the part of the left-wing NGOs is not the primary reason for this bill. If my concerns are correct, then the long-term damage to Israel will be even greater than the damage caused by the left-wing Israeli NGOs collaborating with those who would be thrilled at the prospect of a Middle East without Israel. But if the Im Tirzu’s of Israel prevail, then there will eventually be no Israel, at least as we know it, in the Middle East. Now that is ironic. Mylan Tanzer is a Portland native who moved to Israel in 1981. He was the founding CEO of the first Israeli cable and satellite sports channel. Since 2005, he has launched, managed and consulted for channels and companies in Israel and Europe. Tanzer lives in Tel Aviv with his wife and five children. He can be reached at mylantanz@gmail.com.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | MARCH 2016 55

g n i v i L

INSIDE

56 Pioneer Photojournalist 58 UnShul in the World 60 Day of Learning about Eve 61 LGBT Mission to Israel 62 FACES 64 Previews & Purim 66 Calendar

56 MARCH 2016 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Ruth Gruber, Alaska, 1941-43. Unidentified photographer

Exhibit explores 50 years of Ruth Gruber’s photojournalism

“Ruth Gruber, Photojournalist” will be on display at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education March 13-June 13. The exhibit celebrates the remarkable life, vision and heroic tenacity of a 20th-century pioneer and trailblazer. Once the world’s youngest Ph.D., Ruth Gruber is now in her 104th year. The film “Ahead of Time: The Extraordinary Journey of Ruth Gruber” will screen at noon, March 13, before the 1-4 pm opening reception. Exhibit curator Maya Benton from the International Center for Photography and film executive producer Patti Kenner will be at the opening. The March 13 screening is free, however an RSVP is required (call 503-226-3600 or visit ojmche.org/experience/film-2016-03-13-ahead-of-time). The film will be shown throughout the exhibit once a week on Thursdays at noon. “The Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education is so pleased to be able to share the inspiring work and life story of Ruth Gruber, an extraordinary woman who is not just a photojournalist, but a social activist whose career spanned seven decades,” says OJMCHE Executive Director Judy Margles. “With her curiosity and powerful intellect, Ruth Gruber emerged in the 1940s as the eyes and conscience of the world in issues of rescue, sanctuary and liberation. Along with the exhibition, which spans 50 years of her work, OJMCHE has a robust series of programming planned throughout the run of the exhibition.”

The photographs in this exhibition only a few short hours, were sent out to stretch from her groundbreaking wire services throughout the world, and reportage of the Soviet Arctic in the they radically transformed international 1930s and iconic images of Jewish attitudes toward the plight of Jewish refugees on the ship Exodus 1947 to refugees after the war. her later photographs of Ethiopian In the following decades, Gruber Jews in the midst of civil war in the documented successive waves of migrants 1980s. A selection of Gruber’s vintage from Yemen, Iraq, Romania, Morocco, prints, never before exhibited, will be Tunisia and Ethiopia, photographing presented alongside contemporary small Jewish communities and remote prints made from her original villages in North Africa, perilous negatives. journeys of emigration and the As the first correspondent granted struggle to establish new lives in Israel. permission to travel throughout the Gruber is the author of 20 books and Soviet Arctic and Siberian gulag, is the recipient of the International 1934-35, Gruber documented frontier Center of Photography’s 2011 Infinity Refugee families await forced deportation and transfer life in the Arctic and the unique role Award: Cornell Capa Lifetime to prison ships, including Runnymede Park, Haifa Port, of women in the establishment of Achievement Award. Her reportage and Palestine, July 18, 1947. Photo by Ruth Gruber northern towns and ports. Vintage photojournalism have acted as advocate photographs represent her earliest use of the camera as a and witness for her subjects throughout her long career. component of her reportage and trace the exploration and This exhibition is organized by International Center for settlement of the northernmost frontier and the development of Photography Curator Maya Benton. It was made possible by the Soviet Arctic. friends of Ruth Gruber and with public funds from the New Gruber was 30 years old and already a celebrated author, York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with lecturer and intrepid reporter when, in 1941, U.S. Secretary of the City Council. the Interior Harold L. Ickes appointed her field representative the Pacific Northwest’s only Jewish museum, offers programs, to the Alaska Territory. Gruber traveled throughout the Alaskan OJMCHE, exhibits, films, lectures and concerts covering a wide range of topics related frontier, an enormous and largely unknown expanse, and to Jewish art, culture and heritage to stimulate dialogue about identity, established herself as a serious photographer. She sent reports culture and assimilation. For more information, visit ojmche.org or call 503-226-6131. to the Department of the Interior on Alaska’s vast natural resources, railway and air routes, opportunities for homesteading, lives and customs of the native people, and conditions and experiences of American soldiers stationed there, and suggested ways to open up the territory. “Ruth Gruber, Photojournalist” will include color prints made from her original Alaska slides, 1941-43, printed for the first time, as well as never-before-seen motion picture footage. In 1944, Gruber was assigned a secret mission to bring nearly 1,000 Jewish refugees from Europe to the United States. Born in Brooklyn to Jewish immigrants, Gruber accepted the assignment despite the obvious danger it presented and stewarded the ship Henry Gibbins and its refugees to American shores. From that moment on, Gruber’s life and work have been inextricably bound to the lives of refugees and dedicated to rescue, sanctuary and liberation. Her tools have been her boundless tenacity, empathy, razor-sharp intellect, a Hermes typewriter and a camera. Gruber covered the activities of the Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry on Palestine and photographed the displaced persons’ camps of Europe and the desolate internment camps of Cyprus, witnessing the desperate plight of Jewish refugees. In 1947, she documented the harrowing voyage of Exodus 1947, a ship carrying Jewish refugees attempting to break the blockade on Jewish immigration to Palestine. It was intercepted by the British near Haifa Port, and its 4,500 Jewish passengers, most of them Holocaust survivors, were forced onto three prison ships and sent back to Europe. Gruber smuggled a camera onboard one of the three prison ships, Runnymede Park, and was the only photographer to document the horrible conditions on the ship. Her photographs, taken surreptitiously in OREGON JEWISH LIFE | MARCH 2016 57

JLiving

Portland’s UnShul offers Judaism in unconventional places

or sleep for three days. I invited people to look around When Rabbi Debra the natural world and see Kolodny wanted to something emerge from what serve Portland’s Jewish looks like death, like moss community, she started by growing on dead trees. Was considering why people there an experience in their come here. Connecting lives where that happened? the dots between the city’s This darkness terrified the low percentage of affiliated Egyptians and Israelis, yet Jews on the one hand after those plagues, liberation and political, artistic and came for us and for many of environmental activism on the Egyptians, as well.” the other, she hit on the Rabbi Debra has found concept of the UnShul, a her new concept attracts an way of providing teaching eclectic mix, with some coming for people who are not to every event and others when necessarily drawn to something is of special interest. congregation life but want She emphasizes that this is an to be involved in Jewish addition to, not a replacement practice. After launching for, synagogue life. There are two exploratory sessions no bar/bat mitzvah classes, at her home in January, daily minyans or regular Rabbi Debra Kolodny she has already found Shabbat services. And, just as enthusiastic interest. the offerings are flexible, the “We give people out-of-the-box experiences and dip into approach to financial support is, too. Choose a membership or what they’re excited about,” she says. “This is not Judaism light, pay as you go for the individual activities. but it is accessible. Last night we had our first interspiritual text “We have events all over the city because Jews live all over the study. How many opportunities are there for Jews, Christians city,” Rabbi Debra says. and Muslims to study Hebrew and Christian scriptures and the In addition to monthly events (see box), the UnShul also plans Koran together? We have ecstatic dance. Dance Davening and a second night seder and pop-up social action events supporting the Friday Night Gathering are great for kids. And, if people Black Lives Matter, Climate Change, Living Wage, Homeless are intermarried and want to bring their spouse from a different Awareness and other themes determined by what is happening tradition, that would be fabulous.” in the moment. The UnShul offers two Torah hikes per month, one for Rivka Gevurtz is the UnShul’s secretary. “I love bringing families and one for those who prefer to walk faster. “We Judaism into different environments,” she says. “The UnShul explored a Mincha service on our hike last week,” Rabbi Debra turns everywhere we go into the home of the divine. For says. “We’d do a prayer, and I’d ask questions. Then, I gave a instance, on our Shabbos afternoon hike, we infuse the prayers of drash on the week’s Torah portion. Mincha with the beauty of creation. The UnShul is a paradigm“It was the week we left Egypt, so I asked about the plagues. shifting way for people to explore Judaism, a doorway that hasn’t The ninth plague was darkness, and a Midrash tells us the been opened.” Egyptians were glued to the spot. They couldn’t eat, drink By Polina Olsen

UnShul

asthespiritmovesus.com/unshul/ facebook.com/groups/Pdx.UnShul unshuladmin@asthespiritmovesus.com 58 MARCH 2016 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

UnShul Monthly activities: Please check facebook.com/groups/Pdx.UnShul for the location, cost and to register unless otherwise noted.

SHABBAT

Dance Davenning: Second Saturday, 5:30-7 pm (Maariv and sometimes Havdallah). Beginning with an intention from the Torah portion, pray and dance to high-energy melodies in a nonstop flow with a short Torah discussion after the service. Cosponsored by the MJCC. oregonjcc.org/dancedavenning. Torah on the Wild Side: Third Saturday, 2 pm, for families: Hour-long hike geared to families. Enjoy Mincha prayers and chants and child-focused Torah discussion. At 3 pm at the same location: a faster 2-hour hike with Mincha prayers and adult Torah conversation. Locations vary. Friday night with the Rabbah: Fourth Friday night at someone’s home. The host picks the attendance limit, the theme/topic and the kashrut level for the potlucks. RSVPs are mandatory

MONDAYS

Kol Isha: Second Monday, 7-8:30 pm songfest. Learn and share liturgical melodies and other Hebrew and/or Jewish songs. Refresh your prayer experience by creating or adapting melodies. Cosponsored by the MJCC. Register at oregonjcc.org/kolisha.

TUESDAYS

Reading Torah Through the Eyes of a Mystic: Third Tuesday, 6:30-8 pm. Open to the deep well of wisdom in Torah by viewing it through the lens of the Zohar, Sfat Emet and Degel Machane Ephraim, grandson of the Ba’al Shem Tov. Rabbah D’vorah’s home. Contact her at RabbiDebra@AsTheSpiritMovesUs.com to RSVP and get address. Great Minds Think Alike (sometimes…): Fourth Tuesday, 7-8:30 pm. Interspiritual text study – discussing what you might have thought was undiscussable, reading complementary and competing texts in the Jewish, Christian and Muslim traditions.

WEDNESDAYS

Fringe of the Fringe: First Wednesday, 6:30-8 pm. Portland LGBTQ Jews gather for a rotating mix of text study, conversation, poetry, ritual and social activity. Email UnShulLGBTQ@asthespiritmovesus.com. Shiviti Shechina l’negdi tamid: Second Wednesday, 6:30-8 pm. Learn and practice a variety of Jewish visual, aural, musical and breath meditations with Torah contemplation.

Jewish Family & Child Service provides social services that improve the lives of adults, families, and children in the Jewish and general communities. Our Services Counseling, Disability Support Services, Emergency Aid & Homemaker Assistance

1221 SW YAMHILL ST. SUITE 301 PORTLAND, OR 97205 503-226-7079 JFCS-PORTLAND.ORG

YOUR DONATIONS ARE NEEDED! DONATIONS NEEDED: • • • • • • • • • •

HAND to HAND

children’s books bicycles and bike parts pots, pans, and cooking utensils pillows and blankets children’s sneakers and socks disposable diapers and baby clothes adult socks and coats fabric scraps and art supplies household tools and more

Please begin collecting items and save the date for this community donation event benefiting local agencies supporting those in need. For a complete list of items needed and to learn more about the benefiting agencies, visit

BRING ITEMS ON:

Sunday, April 17 11:00 am - 2:00 pm to MJCC 6651 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland, OR 97219 This donation drive is part of our community activities on Good Deeds Day: a global movement of doing good! Save the date and join us on

April 17, 2016

www.jewishportland.org/handtohand ®

THE STRENGTH OF A PEOPLE. THE POWER OF COMMUNITY.

503.245.6219 | www.jewishportland.org 6680 SW Capitol Highway | Portland, OR 97219

JewishPDX

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | MARCH 2016 59

Professor Risa Levitt Kohn looks over pottery for an exhibit she helped organize at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. She has worked with the Israel Antiquities Authority on 10 exhibits at museums across North America.

What does Eve really say about feminism?

By Deborah Moon

Risa Levitt Kohn is going to have to talk fast when she comes to Portland March 13 to speak on “Eve, Feminism and the Jewish Feminist Movement” at this year’s Women’s Day of Jewish Learning. A professor of Hebrew Bible and Judaism at San Diego State University, Risa has a lot to say about Eve. She presented a 14week “All About Eve” course at a California JCC. In Portland, she’ll be consolidating that information into about two hours. “As someone who teaches the Hebrew Bible in a public university, I am always struck by what people think they know about a text versus all the layers that have been added over the centuries,” says Risa. What many students think they know about the biblical story is often more a reflection of rabbinic midrash, Christian teachings and stories that have added layers to the original story over many centuries. “I find it interesting to look at preconceptions and what people think happened and how people characterize Eve,” she says. “Then we can take apart the text and see what it really says … look at what the rabbis said about Eve … and look at the trajectory into the modern feminist movement.” She says that the rabbis writing the Mishna lived in a period of time where gender identity and lines were drawn much differently than in ancient Israel and modern culture. 60 MARCH 2016 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

She says early rabbis were very interested in the two different stories in Genesis of how the first woman was created. The rabbis postulated the existence of Lilith as one of those creations. While the rabbinic literature on Lilith is “not positive,” Risa says “Lilith has been reclaimed by the Jewish feminist movement with very positive traits.” Following Risa’s keynote address from 10 to 11:15 am, participants will be able to choose one of three hour-long workshops. Laurie Fendel will lead “Eve in Art,” Sylvia Frankel will discuss “The Evolving Role of Women in the Modern Orthodox Movement” and Rabbi Eve Posen will lead “Eve: The Mother of All Mothers.” Afterward, participants will reconvene for a concluding session with Risa from 12:40 to 1:30 pm.

Women’s Day of Jewish Learning WHEN: March 13, 10 am-1:30 pm WHERE: MJCC, 6651 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland TICKETS: $18, $10/students with ID, includes light brunch INFO: oregonjcc.org/womensday

An LGBT mission to Israel, my first-ever visit us visiting Israel for the first time – we will be strengthening our own understanding of Israel and LGBTQ life there, giving It’s never been a good time for me to visit Israel, and it still us connections and inspiring us to be better advocates for the isn’t. First, my husband and I were immersed in our lives as Jewish state. parents raising two children and then as caretakers for my dying I’m looking forward to so much about the mission, from father. Now my job requires monthly travel to Sweden and hearing from President Reuven Rivlin at our welcome dinner China, our daughter and grandson are living with us, and we are and experiencing kabbalat Shabbat in Jerusalem with prayers moving into a new house in May. at the Kotel to visiting Masada and the Dead Sea. We’ll have Yet, despite the activity and distractions around work and security briefings, tours of the security barrier and meetings with family, it turns out that May is the perfect time for me to Israel Defense Forces soldiers and officers. Our local delegation go on my first trip to Israel – and I couldn’t be more excited also will have the opportunity to interact with some of the about it. I’m thrilled to be on the leadership team at the Jewish recipients of financial support from the Portland federation. Federation of Greater Portland for the Jewish Federation of We’ll have a chance to meet with representatives of North America’s May 26-June 2 “See Israel Shorashim, a nongovernmental organization With Pride” mission, which is expected to be active in promoting Jewish-Arab co-existence, and the largest-ever LGBTQ mission to Israel. with beneficiaries of Rihadiya, an Arab Women’s To visit Israel as part of a large, openly Employment Program in Turan. LGBTQ group will make a powerful For the specific LGBTQ agenda, we’ll visit Yad statement, showing that Jewish federations Vashem, where we will learn about the motives and and, by extension, the North American circumstances behind the persecution of homosexuals Jewish community strongly support us. under the Third Reich. Then we’ll meet with LGBTQ That’s particularly true here in Portland, leaders from Israel’s leading LGBTQ organizations, where the LGBTQ community is well including The Aguda and Jerusalem Open House, integrated into the community. The JFGP as well as from political parties across the spectrum. enthusiastically supports this trip and is We’ll explore the impact LGBTQ Israelis are having making a meaningful contribution with time on arts, culture and media, and how their work and and financial support to ensure that any visibility is changing the society. Even within the interested person from our community can Ted Nelson on a recent business Orthodox community, the past decade has seen attend. This includes generously subsidizing growth in LGBTQ visibility and activism, and I’m trip to China. this trip. looking forward to meeting with key activists in that We strive and hope for perfection from the community, as well. countries we love, and we find that no country can be perfect. I recognize that both Israel and the United States still have This mission comes as an increasing number of Americans, far to go when it comes to full acceptance and civil rights for the particularly in the LGBTQ community, don’t understand the LGBTQ community. But I’m also thrilled by the strides that complexities of Israeli society, culture, religion and politics, nor have been made in both countries and look forward to learning do they recognize that gay people in Israel have it so much more about gay life in Israel. better than anywhere else in the Middle East. Israel does I hope that I and my fellow participants from Portland and provide hope and haven for the LGBTQ community in the around the country will return home strengthened by our bonds Middle East. Our Portland federation invests deeply in this issue to one another, more knowledgeable about and connected to as evidenced by its support of innovative LGBTQ programs Israel, and better able to serve as bridges between Israel and the in Israel such as the Israel Gay Youth program. IGY aims for LGBTQ community at home. LGBTQ teenagers and young adults to lead the gay community in social change by creating a more tolerant society of the “other” Ted Nelson serves as chair of the Portland Organizing Committee for the JFNA “See Israel with Pride” mission. He is the VP/president-elect and the “different.” of Congregation Beth Israel of Portland. To learn more about traveling As part of this mission, we’ll meet with people who are to Israel this spring along with Ted and others, visit jewishportland.org/ LGBTQmission. wrestling with those imperfections, just as the LGBTQ community is here at home. As mission participants – many of

By Ted Nelson

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | MARCH 2016 61

Living

FACES & PLACES

COOKIE MITZVAH – Many came out to volunteer at Congregation Shaarie Torah’s annual Christmas Cookie Mitzvah Project, where they plattered up cookies and made cards to deliver to local fire stations, police stations and hospitals.

STORY HOUR – Storyteller Brian Rohr tells a story at the Chart House for K-5th graders as part of the monthly Portland Jewish Explorers event. PJE is a program of Congregation Shaarie Torah. 62 MARCH 2016 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

MEGA CHALLAH BAKE – On Feb. 11, 250 women gathered at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center in Portland to bake challah, pray and promote Jewish unity. Sponsored by Chabad of Oregon and the MJCC, the event is part of a worldwide celebration of the year of Hakhel, a once-every-sevenyears opportunity to celebrate Jewish unity and learning. Top left,Salem women at table 8 are (from left) Diana Pfenning-Hartley, Marlene Eichner, Andrea Hirte, Chabad of Salem Co-Director Fruma Perlstein, Pearl Bettman, Ivonne Cline. Cedar Sinai Park staff members (standing from left) Jemi Mansfield and Jennifer Felberg accompanied a table of women from Rose Schnitzer Manor (from left): Marion Gans, Julie Anne Feinstein, Alegre Tevet and Rhoda Feldman. Just above, Jaimee Bloom and daughter Melissa Bloom, right, co-chaired the event.

THE Q – This year’s Q trivia contest drew 316 people to the Mittleman Jewish Community Center on Jan. 30 to raise more than $116,000 for NCSY youth programs. The winning team was (from left): Brett Phillips, Liz Phillips, Jeff Robinson, Julia Robinson, (Oregon NCSY Director Meira Spivak), Ross Weinstein, Mindy Zeitzer, Darcy Hoyt and Mark Zeitzer. On being presented with the trophy and prizes, Mark said, “We can’t believe we won! We’ve gone to the Q for years because it is always such a fun night ... never thought we’d actually win. We’re a dearth of trivia knowledge, but honestly we’re still floating on Cloud 9 and showing off the coolest sweatshirts in town!”

TASTE OF TEMPLE – On Jan. 31, the 2016 Taste of Temple Committee, above, welcomed a sellout crowd to support Congregation Beth Israel programs. The gracious support of sponsors and vendors combined with the guests’ generosity made for a successful, delicious and delightful evening. Top, Michelle Kane reacts to the exciting news that she and husband Michael held the winning Golden Ticket which included two first class round trip tickets to Kona and a week’s stay at the Hilton Waikaloa Village, thanks to the generous donation of CBI member Jason Waxman. Photos courtesy of Andie Petkus Photography.

SCIENCE EXPO – Maayan Torah Jewish Day School students show off the projects they created for the school’s Science Expo for parents and the community.

Below, Oregon Jewish Life and OJL Chef's Corner columnist Lisa Glickman shared a booth at the Taste of Temple. The fundraiser for Congregation Beth Israel drew 300 people, many of who sampled Lisa's "Black cod with miso ginger Thai basil sauce, green tea rice, black sesame and cashews." Photo courtesy of Lisa Glickman

MLK Shabbat – Congregation Beth Israel’s Kol Echad Choir joined with the Northwest Gospel Choir at CBI’s annual Shabbat Service honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Rabbi Michael Z. Cahana, Dr. C.T. Vivian, Cantor Ida Rae Cahana and Rabbi Rachel L. Joseph at CBI’s annual Shabbat service honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | MARCH 2016 63

Living PORTLAND JEWISH BOOK CELEBRATION CONTINUES

The annual Portland Jewish Book Month celebration was expanded this year to reach beyond one book and one month. The six-month celebration that began last November continues with several events in March and April. In March the Mittleman Jewish Community Center hosts its first Authors’ Series. The talks at the MJCC begin with Kimberly Marlowe Hartnett. At 7 pm, March 3, she will discuss her book, Carolina Israelite – How Harry Golden Made Us Care about Jews, the South, and Civil Rights. On March 8 at 7 pm, author Jessica Fechtor will share her book, Stir – My Broken Brain and the Meals That Brought Me Home. Laura Nicole Diamond, author of Shelter Us: A Novel, wraps up the author series at 7 pm, March 15. Single tickets are $8 or $5 for MJCC members; a series pass is $20 or $12 for members. For information and registration for the Authors’ Series, visit oregonjcc.org/authorseries or contact Len Steinberg at lsteinberg@oregonjcc. org. In addition, there are a number of events focusing on the novel Davita’s Harp, which was written by Chaim Potok. The Jewish Theatre Collaborative will be presenting a dramatic version of this book for its Page2Stage program beginning in March. This story concerns American-Jewish socialists, and part of the book details information about the Spanish Civil War. One of the main characters is a journalist who goes to Spain to report on the war. To tie into the novel’s exploration of a war reporter, the MJCC will sponsor “The One-Eyed Watchman: Viewing war through the camera lens.” Daniel Morrison, a war correspondent and photojournalist, will discuss his work as an embedded journalist at 1-2:30 pm, March 17. Morrison has worked in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Beirut, Tel Aviv, Angola in Africa and Afghanistan, where he came under fire. The talk will be in the White Stag Block, floor 3R, 70 NW Couch St., Portland. For more information, contact Marge Congress at maven345@yahoo.com. The JTC world premiere production of “Davita’s Harp” will be onstage March 19-April 9 at Milagro Theatre, 525 SE Stark St., Portland. A post-play discussion for teens and adults will follow the 7:30 pm, March 30, performance at the theater. The discussion is sponsored by Havurah Shalom and The Jewish Theatre Collaborative. For more information, contact Ruth Feldman at ruth@ruthmike.com

LAZ GLICKMAN RETURNS FOR THIRD TEN GRANDS FOR KIDS

PREVIEWS Jewish journey from bondage to freedom. This year the community is invited to the seder table at 6 pm, April 7, at the Mittlman Jewish Community Center (6651 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland). This program is funded by the Emily Georges Gottfried Fund of the OJCF, the Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation of the OJCF and the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland. Sherry Fishman chairs the Community Intergroup Seder Program Committee of the JFGP’s Jewish Community Relations Council. In an invitation to the interfaith community, Sherry shared a passage from the haggadah used at the seder: “Our Seder is a unique and inspiring presentation of an ancient story – liberation from slavery, a fight for human rights including an end to hunger, and a pursuit of religious freedom. Togetherwe uphold these shared values – every day we live our own story – tonight, around the table wecelebrate as a community. It is with deep gratitude that we welcome you here.” To RSVP, call 503-245-6219 or go online at jewishportland.org/intergroupseder

PURIMSHPIELS, HAMANTASCHEN AND CARNIVALS

West Side Schpiel

What if Jerome Robbins, Leonard Bernstein and Steven Sondheim collaborated to write a Purim schpiel? Well, that’s not going to happen. Instead we have Congregation Beth Israel’s own retelling of the Biblical Book of Esther: “West Side Schpiel.” The community is invited to this free entertaining shpiel at 6 pm, March 16. Starring the clergy, staff and the volunteer choir of CBI, “West Side Schpiel” is the story of star-crossed lovers caught between the warring factions of uptown Shushan. A parody of one of the most beautiful and beloved Broadway musicals, “West Side Schpiel” brings a hilarious new telling to the ancient tale. Congregation Beth Israel’s annual Purim Shpiels have become a highlight of the year. These original productions fulfill the ancient Jewish custom of retelling our familiar story in new and engaging ways. Through clever rewording of the lyrics, the shows bring humor and joy to our community. Past productions have included “The Jews Brothers,” “Blazing Schpiel” and “Pirates of Purim.” Scenes from these and others are on the synagogue’s website: bethisrael-pdx.org CBI is located at 1972 NW Flanders St., Portland. For more information, call 503-222-1069.

Megillat Esther: A Rock Opera

Megillat Esther: A Rock Opera kicks off the Purim celebration in Eugene at Temple Beth Israel.Following this year’ Purim spiel at 7 pm March 23, the congregation hosts the Megilah Reading at 8 pm. Costumes are encouraged, admission is free. Temple Beth Israel – Center for Jewish Life is located at 1175 E 29th Ave., Eugene. For more information: 541-485-7218 or tbieugene.org.

Laz Glickman, son of Marshall and Lisa Glickman, will perform at this year’s Ten Grands for Kids in the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall March 25. The 75-minute show created especially for kids, a mix of professional musicians and gifted kids playing 10 grand pianos together on one stage. Now a 15-year-old sophomore a Lake Oswego High School where he is a member of the school’s jazz band, Laz also performed in the show in 2012 and 2013. The next night on the same stage, Ten Grands will present 10 grand pianos and 10 concert pianists playing a variety of classical and modern pieces both simultaneously and individually. Created by Michael Allen Harrison, the concert benefits his Snowman Foundation, which provides instruments, instructors and inspiration for young people as a way to fill the gap due to a lack of music funding in the schools.

Purim of Broadway

COMMUNITY INTERGROUP PASSOVER SEDER APRIL 7

Hamantaschen Bake Off

The Oregon Area Jewish Committee first brought together interfaith communities to share the Passover story17 years ago. Since then, every year before Passover begins, the community intergroup seder brings together community members of varied faiths and backgrounds for a meal that tells of the 64 MARCH 2016 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

The Havurah Synagogue in Ashland will present The Purim of Broadway On March 23 at 6:30 pm . This Purimshpiel is full of slightly altered versions of some of your favorite Broadway tunes. Everyone is invited to come in costume to enjoy an evening of singing, dancing and lots of laughter. Free. The Havurah synagogue is located at 185 N Mountain Ave. in Ashland. Call 541-488-7716 for more info or log onto havurahshirhadash.org.

Hamantaschen Sale

Shaarie Torah Sisterhood has been baking and selling hamantaschen for at least the last 65 years. Last year 92 volunteers (both men and women) baked 2,405 dozen during 12 days of baking. These Purim treats taste great fresh and can also be frozen to be enjoyed all year round. Orders must be received by March 14. Visit: shaarietorah.org/ hamentaschen2016 or call 503-226-6131. Enter your best Hamantaschen recipe in this fun food-lovers contest for Purim! Drop you’re your best hamantaschen by 6:15 pm March 21 at the guest services desk in the MJCC lobby. The community is invited to taste and vote for your

favorite hamentashen from 6:30-7:30 pm. Non-Kosher entries are accepted. For more information, call 503-244-0111.

‫ בקול אחד‬BBkol Echad

Purim Bash

Chabad Jewish Center of Hillsboro presents the annual Purim Bash Family Fun-night-out featuring the amazing Alexander, Master of Marvels Magic and Illusion Show! Kids crafts, Purim costume masquerade, raffle, and bagel and salad buffet. The bash begins at 5:30 pm, March 24, at Intel HF3 Auditorium, 5200 NE Elam Young Parkway, Hillsboro. Suggested entry donation: $4 per person RSVP appreciated: chabadhillsboro@gmail.com or 503-747-5363.

with oneIt’s voice time for

a musical Shabbat HAMENTASCHEN! The Shaarie Torah Sisterhood is selling it’s famous Hamentaschen. Order your batch today!

Purim Carnival

The Mittleman Jewish Community Center and Portland Kollel present a Purim Carnival at 1:30 pm, March 20. The carnival will feature a bounce house, facepainting, carnival booths, Purim gifts, kids crafts and entertainment. The MJCC is located at 6651 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland. For more information, call 503-244-0111.

CBI Purim Carnival

Congregation Beth Israel invites all kids and kids at heart to the Annual Purim Carnival at noon, March 13. Lunch will be provided for $5 per person. 1972 NW Flanders St., Portland. 503-222-1069

Fiesta De Ester

Purim at Neveh Shalom includes 6 pm dinner and 7 pm Megillah reading on March 23. Dinner begins at 6 pm by RSVP only – Dairy taco fiesta with all the fixins, margaritas, cervezas and more! $15/adult, $10/child, $50/family max. RSVP at tinyurl.com/fiestadeesther All are welcome for the Megillah reading and ‘Omentashen’ (Spanish for Hamantaschen). Come in costume and join in the celebration at 2900 SW Peaceful Lane Portland. 503-246-8831

Night of Magic

February Visit: shaarietorah.org/hamentaschen2016 :::pm

must be received by March 14 and every Orders th Friday of the month

CONGREGATION SHAARIE TORAH

Congregation Shaarie Torah hosts a Night of Magic & Miracles beginning at 5 pm, March 23. Magician Hart Keene performs at 7:15. Free. 503-226-6131

H : NW th Ave. Portland, OR H : ~ shaarietorah.org : . ...

Please be our guest ! 17th Annual

COMMUNITY INTERGROUP

SEDER

Thursday, April 7 at 6 pm - Mittleman Jewish Community Center Be our guest as we bring together community members of varied faiths and backgrounds at our holiday meal telling the ancient story of the Jewish Exodus. Of the many special components of the Passover Seder -

none are more important than the guests seated at our table . . .

RSVP at 503.245.6219 or jewishportland.org/intergroupseder This program is funded by the generous donations from the Emily Georges Gottfried Fund of the OJCF, the Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation of the OJCF, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland. OREGON JEWISH LIFE | MARCH 2016 65

March 2

MARCH CALENDAR

Conversos: A presentation by Rabbi Joshua Stampfer, Co-founder of the Society for Crypto Judaic Studies. 7-9 pm at Congregation Beth Israel, 1972 NW Flanders, Portland. 503-222-1069

March 3 Alzheimer’s Association Caregivers Support Group. Open to the whole community, the support group will provide emotional and educational support for caregivers and care partners of people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. 6:30-8:30 pm at Congregation Beth Israel, Portland. 503-222-1069 Indoor Playground with Chai Baby and PJ Library. 10 am-noon of first Thursday of month at MJCC, 6651 AWJ Capitol Hwy., Portland. Playing, running, kosher snacks, storytelling and prize drawings! For parents/caregivers and their children up to 5 years old. Free. 503-535-3539 PJ Library Weekly story hour in Lake Oswego. Every Thursday. Join us for a weekly story hour for young families with PJ Library stories, crafts and music! 9:30-10:15 am at Realty Trust Group, 600 Avenue A, Lake Oswego. 503-892-7415 MJCC Author’s Series presents Kimberly Marlow Hartnett. See page 64

March 3-13 Dare I Call You Cousin – an exhibition of photos, poems, and videos compassionate to the struggle of both Israelis and Palestinians – opens with reception and poetry reading 6-9 pm March 3 at Havurah Shalom, 825 NW 18th Ave., Portland. Exhibit open (some days with other events) 2-5 pm, March 6; 7-9 pm, March 8; 7-9 pm, March 10; and 2-5 pm March 13. 503-248-4662

March 4 Yad b’Yad Intergenerational singing and stories. Every Friday. Join PJ Library as we bring back Yad b’Yad with Kim Schneiderman! 9:30-10:15 am at Rose Schnitzer Manor, 6125 SW Boundary St., Portland. 503-892-7415 PJ Library Southeast Weekly story hour. 1010:45 am at Seahorses, 4029 SE Hawthorne, Portland. Weekly (every Friday) story hour for young families with music and PJ Library books! Free. 503-892-7415 Inspirational dinner with Kesser Israel’s scholar-in-residence Rabbi Simch Willig at the MJCC. Includes delicious Shabbat Dinner by Century Catering, words of Torah from Rabbi Willig, a children’s program, and more! jodi@kesserisrael.org Jews Next Dor Shabbat service at Moishe House. Congregation Beth Israel’s group for 20 and 30-somethings holds monthly Shabbat services 7:30-9 pm led by board member Sarah 66 MARCH 2016 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Philips and Rabbi Joseph, with a d’varscussion led by Lauren Shapiro. Co-sponsored by Moishe House. Tracy Alifanz, 503-222-1069

March 15

March 5

March 17

Tot Shabbat and Preschool Open House. 9 am-noon at Congregation Beth Israel. Musical Tot Shabbat with Kim Schneiderman and clergy followed by a family oneg and games in our preschool classrooms. 503-222-1069

The One-Eyed WAtchman: Viewing war through the camera lens. See page 64

March 6 Join PJ Library for a free weekly story hour for young families with music, crafts and PJ Library Stories! Every Sunday 9:30-10:15 am at New Seasons Market, 3445 N Williams Ave., Portland. 503-892-7415 Timbers season opener. See page 22 Igudesman and Joo: Big Nightmare Music See page 23

March 7 PJ Library Hillsboro Story Hour. Every Monday. 10-10:45 am at Yo Zone, 18033 NW Evergreen Parkway, Beaverton. Free. 503-892-7415

March 8 The Sephardic Winter Film Fest continues with “Nicky’s Family.” 7 pm at Congregation Ahavath Achim, 3225 SW Barbur Blvd., Portland. 503892-6634 or jewishfilmportland.org MJCC Author’s Series presents Jessica Fechtor. See page 64

March 10 Nosh and Drash on Purim. Monthly discussion led by Rabbi Eve Posen at 10-11 am at Cafe at the J, MJCC. Free. 503-244-0111

March 12 Torah Yoga for Preschoolers. 10:30 am-noon second Saturday of month at Congregation Shaarie Torah, 920 NW 25th Ave., Portland. Co-sponsored by PJ Library. 503-226-6131 Carl Preschool’s 13th annual auction features fabulous games, prizes and bidding to benefit Shaarie Torah’s Carl Preschool. 7-10 pm at The Enso Building, 1400 NW Marshall St.,Portland. 503-226-6131

March 13 Opening reception for Ruth Gruber Photojournalist. (Exhibit continues through June 13). See page 56 MJCC Day Camp Fair. 1-3 pm at MJCC. Learn about MJCC Summer Day Camp programs, register and meet camp staff. 503-244-0111

MJCC Author’s Series presents Laura Nicole Diamond. See page 64

March 18 DEADLINE for Sala Kryszek Art & Writing Competition. The annual competition for middle and high school students encourages youth to evaluate history, foster an awareness of the Holocaust, and broaden their minds in the areas of art, history, civics, sociology and literature. For the competition, students are presented with a prompt that becomes their cue to create a piece of writing or a work of art. ojmche.org/educate/education/salakryszek-art-writing A Little Shabbat. A lively Shabbat full of singing, greeting, stories, eating and new friends appropriate for families with children in preschool, 2 years and older. Free. 5-6:30 pm third Friday of the month at Shaarie Torah, 920 NW 25th Ave., Portland. Cosponsored by PJ Library. 503-226-6131

March 19-April 9 Davita’s Harp world premiere presented by Jewish Theatre Collaborative at Milagro Theatre. See page 64

March 21 Israeli Folk Dancing at Leedy Grange. 7-9 pm every third Monday at 835 NW Saltzman Road, Beaverton. $6. 503-313-4552

March 24 PURIM! See page 64-65 for Purimshpiels, carnivals and hamantaschen options in the week leading up to this festive holiday.

April 1-3 Family Shabbaton: A Weekend of Discovery. Join guest lecturer Rabbi Yaakov Salomon for “Discovery” - a series of lectures on Judaism and the Jewish people. The Portland Kollel presents this weekend of classes, discussion at the Sheraton Portland Airport. Topics include Faith & Knowledge, The 7 Wonders of Jewish History and The Science of Torah. portlandkollel.org/shabbaton/

April 2 It’s Magic. Cedar Sinai Park Gala. See page 52

April 3 EUGENE: Temple Beth Israel Dream Auction – Spring Soirée! 4:30 pm at TBI,1175 East 29th Ave., Eugene, OR 97403. 541-485-7218 tbieugene.org The Mutant Diaries. See page 26

April 3-5

Women’s Day of Jewish Learning. See page 60

PJA/MJCC Used Book Sale: 6651 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland. pjabooksale@gmail.com

March 14

April 7

Jewish College Night. See page 48

Intergroup Community Seder. See page 64

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | MARCH 2016 67

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