Oregon Jewish Life October 2015 Vol 4/Issue 7

OCTOBER 2015

The Jewish Lifestyle Magazine For oregon & sw washington

Bar & Bat Mitzvah:

Repairing the World One Mitzvah at a Time

Women's Health:

Take Care of Yourself With Fitness, Pampering, Health Care

Andrea White Brings Dual Heritage to “Tommy J & Sally”

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OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2015 3

Inside

October 2015 / Tishrei-Cheshvan 5776 | Volume 4/Issue 7

14 Features

JKids/B’nai Happy New Year!Mitzvah

COVER STORY Andrea White brings dual perspective to play….……………………………………26 Playwright explores relationships……………….………………………………………31 Explore hidden history in Oregon……………….………………………………………32 The state of hate today…………………………….………………………………………32 Holocaust and slave testimonies ………………..……………………………………..33 UPFRONT Partners keep fashion fresh………………..………………………………………………8 BUSINESS Ins & Outs………………………………………….………………………………………….10 FOOD Chef’s Corner: Old recipes fit new health goals…....……………………………….22 NW Nosh: Healthy food fast …….…...………………………………………………….24 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Film recaptures life in Vilna……..……………………………………………………….34 Carmiel Banasky launches novel at Powell’s……..………………………………… 36 Shanghai, jazz and Jewish book celebration..……………………………………….38 Taste of Art party and sale at the J……...……………………………………………...40 YOUNG ADULT Taking a break in Latin America..……………………………………………………….52 SENIORS Elaine Cogan: Trailblazer and tea expert..……………………………………………53 ISRAEL Sandstorms, literal and figurative………………………………………………………56 Acrimony in America ….……………………………………………………………………58 An Israeli Simchat Torah primer…………………………………………………………59

Women’s Health 12-21 Jessica Gatke lifts herself to fitness……………………………………………………12 Jewish twins keep fit on opposite sides of globe……………………………………14 Radiant health after cancer…….………………………………………………………..16 Pamper your way to good health………………………………………………………..18 Portland woman pioneered health resources….……………………………………19 Sports, women and coexistence……………….………………………………………..21

4 OCTOBER 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

26

53 41-51

Change the world one mitzvah at a time…………..……………………………… 42 A quest for climate recovery…..………………………………………………………45 Plan a cool party.…………………………………………………………………………47 Bar and Bat Mitzvah Advertiser Directory….……………………………………...48 Portland teen enters elite Israel school…..………………………………………..49 Kids’ Simchat Torah activity page………..…………………………………………..51

JLiving Celebrate Eugene’s Jewish community...…………………………………………..60 A giving circle for young adults..……………………………………………………...61 Eugene’s Rabbi Boris moves to Poland….…………………………………………62 FACES from recent events …….……………………………………………………….64 Calendar …….…………………………………………………………………………….66

Columns 18 To Life by Amy Hirshberg Lederman 22 Chef’s Corner by Lisa Glickman 24 NW Nosh by Kerry Politzer 47 Ask Helen 56 An Oregonian in Israel by Mylan Tanzer

COVER PHOTO: Andrea White

CORRECTION: The September cover story on comic book author Brian Bendis listed the wrong synagogue for his oldest daughter’s bat mitzvah. Olivia will become a bat mitzvah this fall at Congregation Beth Israel.

™

Serving Oregon and SW Washington

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, Amy Hirshberg Lederman, Kerry Politzer, Helen Rosenau and Mylan Tanzer

Contributing Writers Janet Arnold, Wendy Berton, Shani Fox, Rich Geller, Gloria Hammer, Robert Horenstein, Joseph Lieberman, Liz Rabiner Lippoff, Polina Olsen, Rebecca Ross, Sura Rubenstein, Elizabeth Schwartz, Leora Trooper, Pam Vergun and Teddy Weinberger

How to reach us: Editorial: 503-892-7402 Advertising: 503-892-7403 Publisher: Publisher@ojlife.com

FOR OUR COMMUNITY Annie Duden

Oregon Jewish Life 6680 SW Capitol Hwy. Portland, Oregon 97219 www.ojlife.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 constitute endorsement of products or services.

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When I was a teenager, I showed my horses in 4-H for several years. I well remember the 4-H Pledge that we’d recite at every meeting.

I pledge my head to clearer thinking, My heart to greater loyalty, My hands to larger service, and my health to better living, for my club, my community, my country and my world.

Thinking about this issue of Oregon Jewish Life, I realized it too contained four H’s. This month Health and Hands from that pledge fit right in. Our women’s health section has plenty of insight into getting or staying healthy. This year we profile three women who have made fitness a priority. And we share the advances in women’s health from both a historical perspective and from a naturopath who helps women rediscover their health after cancer.

THINGS ARE REALLY MOVING AT CEDAR SINAI PARK! Preparation is underway for construction of the Harold Schnitzer Health & Rehabilitation Care Center and a full remodel of the Robison Jewish Health Center!

During this time of change, we look back and see all the community support of our Capital Campaign and are grateful.

We look forward with excitement to see the dream of a 21st-century care center come true.

In our bar and bat mitzvah coverage, we share the inspiring stories of three young men who have used their hands for larger service to improve their world.

While clear thinking and greater loyalty could refer to our cover story, to reflect the serious topics in this issue I chose to replace Heart and Head with Hate and Hope.

Our world seems awash in all forms of hatred these days.

Anti-Semitism is on the rise in parts of Europe and on college campuses here at home. Racism is as prevalent as ever, despite the rhetoric of many who call it a thing of the past. Perhaps bigotry is no more prevalent now than in recent decades, but I feel as if more people are willing to talk about it and seek a change.

If you have already given, thank you so much for your support. If you have not yet given, there is still time. We are nearing the finish line and every gift makes such an amazing difference for our future and the future of our parents and grandparents.

Our “cover girl” Andrea White is well aware of both racism and anti-Semitism from personal experience. This month she directs “Tommy J & Sally,” a play full of racially charged confrontation between its two characters – a black man and a Jewish women. Andrea believes the sometimes vile dialogue in the play creates opportunities for frank, no-holds-barred discussions. Two of the performances will be followed by talkbacks, which Andrea hopes will begin at a place where many dialogues end. People who have seen the play together should be ready to share their honest feelings.

For more information or to make your gift today, call (503) 535-4422 or visit www.CedarSinaiPark.org/ CapitalCampaign.

I was surprised to see three other programs scheduled in the coming weeks that tackle this same issue: the status of hate, comparisons of Holocaust and slave testimonies, and the hidden history of blacks in Oregon. You can read about them in this issue.

DIGNITY by DESIGN CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

6 OCTOBER 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Which brings us to Hope. I share Andrea’s hope that while prejudice has been a constant for millennia, perhaps we are finally willing to talk about it and really take action. Andrea describes her hope that change is possible as perhaps optimistic, but she feels it is the only way to approach life.

This is one four-leaf clover that I hope loses a leaf. How much better off we would all be if hate fell by the wayside.

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

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OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2015 7

Partners keep fashion fresh at Switch

By Gloria Hammer

Switch Shoes and Clothing owners Rina Menashe and Jen Robinson have much in common that led them to their fashionista fate – business partners providing women's footwear, apparel and accessories from small independent designers in Israel, Europe and Portland.

The 9-year-old Multnomah Village boutique features several exclusive Israeli clothing lines and Israeli shoes, boots and sandals for women.

The women’s journey to Switch has many similar twists.

The two were married on the same day 23 years ago worlds apart – Rina in Israel and Jen in Oregon. Their children’s friendship brought them together, and they discovered their complementary skills would mesh well in business.

An Israeli from Tel Aviv, Rina served in the Israeli Army, earned a degree in philosophy and met her husband, Moshe, in sixth grade. They moved to Oregon.

Rina spent years designing retail space and doing visual merchandising.

Born in Philadelphia, Jen moved with her parents to Berkeley and then to Ashland. Jen’s retail savvy comes from growing up at her mom’s secondhand clothing store in Ashland. She, too, met her husband in sixth grade – on a basketball court. After graduating from Oregon State University with a degree in psychology and women’s studies, she and her husband, Jason, moved to Portland.

Jen got a part-time job in a boutique on Hawthorne.

She took some time off to have her two children before returning to the workforce and working her way up to become an assistant buyer.

The following interview with the two has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Rina Menashe (L) and Jen Robinson

How did your friendship evolve into a business partnership?

Jen: At the time I met Rina, I was an assistant buyer at Paloma in Hillsdale. Our children went to different kindergartens but met on the playground. Then they went to the same elementary school, and that is when Rina found me.

Rina: I used to work at Nordstrom; one of my jobs was doing window displays. When I was working on windows, people would knock on them and point to my shoes and want to know where I bought them. So I began thinking about opening a shoe store and bringing shoes from Israel.

I knew Jen had a lot of experience in retail, and I didn’t know about that aspect of the business. So I started to nudge her.

Jen: Just a little nudge! I was in my mid-30s and had been at one small boutique for nine years. Rina was charismatic and charming and told me about her idea.

I was not a risk taker, but apparently at that moment I was. We were not sure we wanted to open a store; we were thinking of representing a variety of shoe lines. Rina bought an orange trunk to carry the shoes around. We still have it.

Rina: Moshe, my husband, brought samples back from Israel when he went on his business trips.

Jen: With our connections we got a meeting with Nordstrom. It didn’t quite work out, but we met this woman in Seattle who bought shoes from us. Burnt Sugar was the name of the store in Seattle.

Switch Shoes and Clothing: 7871 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland | switch-shoes.com 8 OCTOBER 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Rina: Then we had an event. We opened a “store” for the

night in 2005 in the Pearl. We wanted to see how people reacted. The whole theme was white, but the shoes were very colorful. We had a deejay. It was amazing – we sold so many shoes and the people were terrific. Over 200 people came. It was a great party.

Jen: We then had a dinner at Seasons and Regions to talk about what a business would look like. I think I was clear with Rina that I needed a community.

You created a business plan that drew on both your strengths?

Jen: Yes. Working with women is a big part of what I do. I gained so much knowledge when Mary Sellin (now retired owner of a wellknown boutique on Hawthorne) took me under her wing. Then after my children were born, the mentoring from Kim Osgood and Mike Rocheck at Paloma allowed me to continue increasing my knowledge. Rina is this genius merchandiser who creates magic when you walk into a space.

You both have families. Was location an issue?

Rina: We talked about location, and we both decided we wanted to work where we live. We wanted to be in our community.

We decided on Multnomah Village. Driving through the Village, I saw our location being built. In 2006 we opened.

Jen: It was a First Friday (when Multnomah Village stores stay open late). We had such a small budget. Our inventory was so low that it looked like we were closing a store not opening one.

Tell me about the Switch shopping experience?

Jen: The main issue for us is not only that the customer find something wonderful, we want the customer to have a positive experience. We want them to come back. For

example, one customer came in wanting to get some ideas and then go to another store for a less expensive price point. This customer ended up buying two pairs of shoes. As she was leaving she told me, “I was having the worst day. You welcomed me and you made me feel so good.” She had never been in before. It wasn’t what she purchased, it was the outcome of how she felt and knowing she would be back.

Rina: Our philosophy is about being comfortable in our store. For a lot of woman, shopping is an emotional experience. Maybe they had a bad day. Maybe they had a great day. We offer a cup of tea. We don’t ignore them. One lady confided in me she was having personal problems. She wanted to try things on and play, maybe buy.

But that was not the point. You can come in and have your own unique experience.

Jen: The philosophy at Switch is every single woman who walks in the door has a story. We are willing to listen to it. At Switch everybody has a voice. That is the philosophy Rina and I have in our buying and the people we serve as well as the people we hire.

Does it help you when you buy for the store?

Jen: When I go to buy I put

about five customers and their different styles in my brain.

This way “I take them with me,” and I know I am going to be a successful buyer.

Rina: Life is too short to blend in. Every woman that comes in has a beautiful side to her. We want to bring it out. Women can complain about their bodies all day long. We listen, we admire and we want you to try our merchandise on. People can come in and be comfortable saying, “I don’t really know what I want to wear.” We love that because then we can work with the customer and the merchandise.

Jen: I am in it for the relationship that is developing with the customer. I am not going to limit dressing to trends. New and unique is how we keep it fresh.

Rina: When we train our employees, we tell them that the show begins when the customer comes into the store. We keep merchandise fresh for our customers. We regularly mark down goods and bring in new merchandise.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2015 9

CEDAR SINAI PARK ANNOUNCES CEO TRANSITION

Cedar Sinai Park’s board of directors appointed Chief Operating Officer Sandra Simon as chief executive officer effective Sept. 8. This appointment follows the retirement of David Fuks, now CEO Emeritus.

Fuks will end his emeritus appointment on Oct. 31.

CSP Board President Lance Steinberg says, "Our community sincerely appreciates the leadership of David Fuks and is excited Sandra Simon at the opportunity of working with Sandra Simon as our new chief executive officer.”

Simon joined CSP as COO in July of 2014. She previously served as COO of the San Francisco Jewish Home.

"I am deeply honored to be appointed CEO for CSP, to serve in a mission-driven organization that is committed to serving the community with exemplary and innovative high-quality programs and services,” says Simon. “I am grateful for this past year of mentorship from David Fuks, whose guidance and support were instrumental in preparing me for the next step.”

As CEO, Simon will work with CSP’s executive team to facilitate an orderly leadership transition while overseeing the organization’s ongoing transformation. Simon is also a member of the newly formed board of directors for the CSP Foundation. CSP has embarked on the search for a new COO. Fuks retires after 18 years at CSP. During David Fuks his tenure, he was responsible for significant growth and expansion of the scope and services of Cedar Sinai Park. He will now be working as a consultant and pursuing his many avocations.

“The 18 years I’ve spent at Cedar Sinai Park have been a great adventure,” says Fuks. “It has been a delight to work with a remarkable staff, dedicated community volunteers, and with the people we serve and their families. I am very pleased that Sandra Simon will be my successor. I hope all will join me in supporting her as she undertakes this important work.”

CSP provides residential and community-based care to elders and adults with special needs, allowing them to live with comfort, independence and dignity in a manner and in an environment based on Jewish values.

503-535-4413 | sandra.simon@cedarsinaipark.org | cedarsinaipark.org

BOWERY BAGELS BUILDING LARGER KOSHER BAKERY

Bowery Bagels owner Michael Madigan announced the start of construction on a new 5,000-square-foot kosher production bakery in North Portland (8534 N Interstate Place). Scheduled to open in November 2015, the new production facility will increase the popular bagel-maker’s capacity fivefold to 500,000 bagels per month by 2016.

The new bakery will be kosher-certified and will house Bowery’s entire all-kosher baked goods production, including the fresh bagels found at their Old Town bagel shop and retailers throughout the city, as well as multiple versions to be sold in supermarkets across the Northwest, including par-baked, frozen and Bowery’s popular fully baked packaged line, 10 OCTOBER 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Old Town Bagels.

In addition to bagels, the new space will allow for plentiful quantities of other kosher baked goods, like the popular Purim hamantaschen cookies, which have become an annual tradition at Bowery Bagels. Bowery’s current production space in Old Town Portland will be freed up for other uses, possibly seeking a gluten-free certification.

In early 2016, Madigan plans to open a bagel cart in the parking lot of the space complete with a selection of breakfast and lunch bagel sandwiches, covered seating and full Stumptown coffee service for their Kenton neighbors.

“Portland is a great bagel town, and we’re excited to be able to support the increased demand for Bowery Bagels with this new facility in North Portland,” says Madigan. “This is a two-for-one deal where we get to help serve a growing neighborhood as well as expand throughout the city.”

A Brooklyn native, Madigan is an entrepreneur with a passion for smallbatch products and artisan producers. He is also the founder of the culinary incubator space KitchenCru, a shared-use community kitchen that supports culinary-based entrepreneurs in developing, operating and growing a successful business. Surrounded and inspired by the creativity of KitchenCru talent, Madigan opened Bowery Bagels and CruMarket shop in Old Town Portland in 2012.

Bowery Bagels is located at 310 NW Broadway in Portland.

503-227-6674 | bowerybagels.com

THIRD-GENERATION JEWELER OPENS LARRY & CO.

Long-time Portland jeweler Larry Packouz opened Larry & Co. on Aug. 3. The jewelry boutique and design studio is located in the 1000 Broadway Building in downtown Portland (1000 SW Broadway, Suite 1790).

Larry’s grandfather, Nathan Packouz, founded a jewelry store in downtown Portland in 1917 that thrived for nearly 100 years, including 45 of which were under the watch of his grandson, Larry Packouz. It is still in business today.

“There comes a time in every man’s life when reinventing himself makes the most sense,” says Packouz. “After more than 45 years in my family’s third-generation jewelry business, I am happy to announce the opening of Larry & Co., a jewelry boutique and design studio.”

The store is on the 17th floor of a major downtown office building. One enters by pushing an intercom, such as those found in jewelry stores in Europe and New York. The studio features three showcases: one for diamonds and bridal sets; one has Italian gold jewelry and pearls; and the third case has colored gemstone jewelry. The studio can order from any number of vendors and also handles watch and jewelry repairs.

A designer is on staff to custom-make any jewelry creation you want – making a ring into a pin, making earrings into a ring, making a pearl necklace into a cuff. They are open in the afternoons Monday through Friday, or by appointment.

503-766-3176 | larryandco.com

EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL EXTENDS CONSULTANCY WITH G2 STRATEGIC

G2 Strategic’s consulting relationship with Turkish Airlines’ Euroleague, Europe’s elite professional basketball league, has been extended. Portlandbased G2 Strategic was launched in 2004 to provide business advisory and venue development services in Europe and the United States.

In conjunction with this milestone, G2 has also announced the establishment of a European

affiliate, G2 Europe, which responds to a growing demand for its services from clubs and leagues that are committed to improving the value of their commercial assets.

G2 Strategic CEO Marshall Glickman is the former president of the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers and founder and chair of Portland Family Entertainment.

“The Euroleague Ticketing Program has grown to include 16 of the 24 clubs, across eight countries,” says Glickman. “Several of the clubs we have worked with have experienced significant increases in revenues and paid attendance. We have been able to demonstrate that our ‘American ideas’ can work well in several European countries, as long as we are careful to adapt ourselves to local cultural, economic and political realities.”

G2’s new European affiliate will initially focus on the French and Spanish markets, following several years of experience in those markets. The scope of G2’s collaboration with both Euroleague and the LFP is focused on increasing match-day revenues from gate receipts, customer retention and spending, and other activities.

Euroleague CEO Jordi Bertomeu says, “Our long association with Marshall has brought us a variety of innovative ideas and new initiatives, which have helped the league and our clubs increase revenues. We are placing great emphasis on the potential for our clubs to increase revenue from the live gate, and Marshall is the perfect partner to share best practices with our clubs and really push them to another level.”

857-991-9361 | g2strategic.net | marshall@g2strategic.net

Business Ins & Outs welcomes submissions of news items. Send a brief writeup (up to 200 words including contact info) and photo to Oregon Jewish Life Editor-in-Chief Deborah Moon at deborah.moon@ojlife.com.

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Confronting Extremism: The State of Hate Today Sunday, November 8, 2015 Hoffman Hall on PSU Campus Presented by Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education visit www.ojmche.org for a complete list of partner organizations

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FIND YOUR PLACE From the sweet early years

through important milestones... find your place at Neveh Shalom!

General: $20 | Educators and Students with I.D: $8 Tickets at www.ojmche.org or by calling 503-226-3600 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2015 11

Jessica Gatke

By Deborah Moon

Women’s Health

12 Fitness at the J 14 Twins keep fit 16 Health after cancer 18 Take care of yourself 19 Women’s health pioneer 20 Sports, health and coexistence

In addition to lifting, Jessica does some cardio. After her

heavy lifting routine, she will do circuit training with lighter weights for cardio. She also enjoys walking with friends every Thursday and joins one friend on the J’s racquetball

courts occasionally, where she says “we are mostly breath-

less from laughing.” On Sundays she takes Miriam to play in the J’s warm water pool.

12 OCTOBER 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

discovers love of lifting When she wanted to lose weight in her 20s, Jessica Gatke would hop on the treadmill and “starve myself.”

tency,” she says, noting she generally works out three to four days a week.

Since the family belongs to Havurah Shalom, when she was looking for a gym that offered child care, she visited the Mittleman Jewish Community Center.

When her husband, Brandon, decided he wanted to run in the Portland Marathon, Jessica encouraged him to work with one of the J’s personal trainers so he wouldn’t get injured.

As a child, Jessica was a gymnast for eight years and competed in springboard diving in high school. She was used to being lean. But when her daughter Miriam was born three years ago, Jessica found out hopping on the treadmill no longer shed the pounds. “I was spinning my wheels.”

“It’s as convenient as you can get,” says Jessica. Initially Miriam would play at the J’s drop-in child care room. Now she has transitioned to the “three day 3’s” class at Portland Jewish Academy, also on the Schnitzer Family Campus.

“I never liked classes – that stuff doesn’t speak to me,” says Jessica. So when the center had a special sale on five sessions with a personal trainer, she signed up. “She had me do circuit training, and the weight was coming off.”

Next the J ran a fitness challenge and she signed up and got more personal training sessions.

“One year ago I got to the weight I’m happy with,” says Jessica. “I need a goal, I need something to focus on. So I told her (my trainer) I want to focus on getting stronger. So she introduced me to heavy weight lifting.”

The trainer had her work up to doing squats with 75 pounds, which seemed heavy at the time, though now it seems like nothing.

“I fell in love with heavy weight lifting,” Jessica says.

The trainer Jessica had worked with moved to Montana, but Jessica has continued lifting.

“She gave me a really great foundation with a focus on form,” she says. “That fit my lifestyle.

I have a life. This is just to make my life happier and healthier.”

In addition to lifting, Jessica does some cardio.

After her heavy lifting routine, she will do circuit training with lighter weights for cardio. She also enjoys walking with friends every Thursday and joins one friend on the J’s racquetball courts occasionally, where she says “we are mostly breathless from laughing.” On Sundays she takes Miriam to play in the J’s warm water pool.

“We really use the facility,” says Jessica. “Everyone here is so nice. I get lots of encouragement.”

Shortly before her “double chai” (36th) birthday in August, Jessica could dead lift 175 pounds and planned to lift 200 before finishing that eight-week series. She says she likes to change things up every eight weeks because “my body responds better when I mix it up.”

She reads a lot about the topic and recommends Strong Curves and New Rules of Lifting for Women for others interested in gaining strength.

She also suggest finding a friend to work out with.

“It’s nice having a friend to be your cheerleader,” she says. “I think everybody needs somebody to support them. I get support from my husband, and everybody here supports me.”

But she says she is especially happy to be providing a positive role model for her daughter.

She wants her daughter to seek out a strong body, not a skinny one. So she was very pleased recently when her daughter was helping her and lifted a big grocery bag saying, “Look Mommy, I’m strong.”

“I’m putting the right information in my daughter’s mind.”

“It doesn’t take a lot of time, it just takes consisOREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2015 13

Women’s

HEALTH

Jewish twins keep fit in Oregon and Israel

By Wendy Berton Photo Credit: Judy Aiello

Identical twins Beckie Harris Wear and Cassie Harris never dreamed they would be having their first babies at the same time, but their daughters were born about three months apart.

As fitness enthusiasts and teachers, their stories are inspiring for women as they exemplify how to stay fit before, during and after pregnancy, as well as enjoy the challenges of family members living far away during life events. Beckie lives in West Linn with her husband, Tristan Wear, and daughter Bree, and Cassie lives in Israel with her husband, Noah Segal, and daughter Taya.

Beckie and Cassie grew up in Portland. They attended 14 OCTOBER 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Portland Jewish Academy and Congregation Beth Israel, where they each became a bat mitzvah. Their fitness resumes reach back just as far.

Beckie and Cassie’s mom, Beverly Eder Lindemann, started Lake Oswego Academy of Dance 25 years ago. Beckie was hooked on dance by age 5. She danced throughout high school and was also a cheerleader; she continued her dance education in college. Dance was her passion. “It was a ball growing up so active and having so much access to dance! It was a way of life,” says Beckie. After their mother passed away in November 2002, Beckie carried on her mother’s legacy by running the studio.

Cassie took a different road. Competitive swimming was her passion, which led to competing in water polo in high school.

Both of the twins went on Birthright Israel trips and were very inspired – Cassie so much so that she eventually moved there and met her husband while working as a special ed teacher. Cassie added running and biking to her swimming routine and began competing as a triathlete. Cassie’s

competitive streak really paid off and she eventually became an Ironman.

As young adults they continued to dance, swim, run and bike.

Fitness was a huge part of their lives. As twin sisters and best friends, it was hard being so far away in two very different cultures, but they continued to share their passions by visiting each other whenever possible and using technology such as WhatsApp, FaceTime, Facebook etc. … talking daily when possible.

As they entered their 30s, both Beckie and Cassie hoped to start families soon. And they both did, having beautiful baby girls just months apart this year. They even managed to visit each other before each gave birth.

They aptly point out how fitness really played a major role in keeping them healthy throughout their pregnancies and helping with recovery afterward.

Cassie says, “Not everyone can be a triathlete or Ironman, but keeping up a healthy regimen at any level is so important.”

As young adults they continued to dance, swim, run and bike.

Fitness was a huge part of their lives. As twin sisters and best friends, it was hard being so far away in two very different cultures, but they continued to share their passions by visiting each other whenever possible.

Both twins continued with running, biking and swimming, while following doctors’ orders. Beckie was recently surprised when her running group, Run 4 UR Life!, chipped in for the special running stroller she had hoped for to support her healthy lifestyle.

The twins recently took a trip to Boston with their daughters – bringing along blankets, bottles and readiness for fun! The challenges of traveling with infants seemed daunting, but they managed to overcome the daily feedings, diapering and needs of their girls while enjoying their trip together. It was an experience they will not soon forget.

Technology allows them to share all the trials and tribulations – and especially the joys – of motherhood. They miss each other and hope their daughters will be best friends just like they are. They are also excited to start passing on their passions to their daughters.

Wendy Berton is a certified personal trainer.

She also leads the running group RUN 4 UR Life!

She works for Lake Oswego Academy of Dance & Portland Parks & Rec. She is a contributing writer for Walkabout and AKWA magazines.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2015 15

Women’s

HEALTH

A path to radiant health

By Dr. Shani Fox, ND

Every cancer survivor deserves

Do you remember the Phase 1: Support day you finished cancer a timely transition to an expert recovery from treatment? You were told to treatment come back for testing in a few practitioner or center, where she Surgery, chemotherapy months, and your medical team and radiation all take a said goodbye. notable toll on wellness, with can establish trust in a loving and While you were happy that aftereffects that may linger treatment was over, you may also for years. After these difficult competent support system. have felt lost, scared or even abandoned. treatments, the body begs for a No one offered any answers about how recovery period in which to heal and to recover your energy, regain your emotional regather strength. Yet recovery support is not a bearings and avoid having to do it all again. recognized element of conventional cancer care.

Mainstream medicine has recently tried to fill the void in Mainstream cancer treatments severely deplete the body of cancer aftercare by smoothing the transition of survivors from essential nutrients, impairing energy production and tissue oncologists back to their primary care physicians, but studies repair. Some treatments adversely impact digestion, making it show that this transfer of support remains weak. Most primary hard to replenish nutrient levels. The period following treatment care physicians have little to no training in the unique needs of is an ideal time to assess and repair digestion while helping cancer survivors. survivors adopt nutrient-rich diets to improve energy and speed Every cancer survivor deserves a timely transition to an expert recovery. A “bridge period” of supplementation with essential practitioner or center, where she can establish trust in a loving nutrients can be very effective in restoring energy and stamina in and competent support system. However, cancer aftercare must survivors unable to support their customary activity levels. offer much more than periodic screenings for signs of disease.

Rest is also critical to recovery. Phase I is an opportunity to Successful survivorship care isn’t just about keeping you alive, it’s address sleep issues, or help the survivor renegotiate her schedule about helping you thrive. and responsibilities to assure she gets enough rest.

As a holistic physician to cancer survivors, I believe complete In Phase I, survivors feel increasingly stronger and see care for survivors includes three essential phases. aftereffects of treatment fade as they replenish nutrients and adopt essential elements of a pro-wellness lifestyle.

16 OCTOBER 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Phase 2: Build resilience to future disease

The most frequent question I hear from survivors is “What can I do so I don’t have to go through cancer again?” My answer is this: “Let’s make your body resistant to future disease.”

While a cancer diagnosis is often sudden, cancer is typically the result of a longstanding disease process. Mainstream treatment reduces identified tumors, removing any immediate threat to life. But without healing the terrain in which the tumor grew, there’s little to keep new cancer from developing.

Thus, building resilience requires identifying and treating factors that may have contributed to deterioration of gene function and other precursors to cancer. Lab testing can reveal clues to the health of core processes whose proper functioning is critical to disease prevention, such as glucose/insulin balance, antioxidant status and inflammation control. This information provides the basis for a customized prevention plan, as effective measures are available to resolve imbalances in these important areas of risk.

Phase 2 is also an opportunity to consider the risk of delayed side effects from cancer treatment, such as osteoporosis or heart disease, and include preventive measures in the customized prevention plan.

In addition to greater wellness, individualized prevention planning often provides survivors great emotional relief. While there are no ironclad guarantees against recurrence, survivors feel empowered and less afraid knowing they’re doing what they can to ensure their healthy future.

Expose your beautiful smile!

Phase 3: Healing of emotions and spirit

Research clearly demonstrates the role of stress in creating vulnerability to disease. Yet survivors are rarely assessed or effectively supported by their doctors for stress.

Compassionate inquiry about areas of emotional struggle or unmet needs, and coordination of resources to fill gaps, is essential to survivor care. Cancer is a truth teller, often exposing longstanding emotional pain. Suppressing that pain with a pill doesn’t get to the heart of the matter. It’s vitally important that survivors have a safe place to talk about cancer’s emotional impact on themselves and their loved ones, and to explore solutions. I have seen insights acquired during this phase lead to healing breakthroughs.

Together, these phases of care reconnect you with the innate healing wisdom of your body and spirit. Supported by this powerful wisdom, you’re well-positioned to create a life of your choosing after cancer.

Dr. Shani Fox, ND, helps cancer survivors create lives of wellness, authenticity and joy.

Creator of the leading-edge “Back in Charge!” medical model for survivor care, she is also the author of The Cancer Survivor’s Fear First Aid Kit and a popular national speaker, radio guest and blogger for survivor communities. Dr. Shani serves survivors in Portland and across the nation through live and innovative virtual programs. 866678-8577 or drshani@drshanifox.com

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OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2015 17

Women’s

HEALTH TO LIFE

Self-Care: The Jewish Path to Good Health

By Amy Hirshberg Lederman

According to my good friend Selina, I scored a minus one on the “pamper scale” when we first met. Selina could book a massage or take time out for a cup of coffee without giving it a second thought. I, in the other hand, considered spending more than 15 minutes or $15 on a nonessential service as totally frivolous. Obviously, I needed some serious self-pamper coaching if we were to remain friends.

Rather than spending countless hours in therapy, I altered my behavior by asking a simple question whenever I considered doing something special: “What would Selina do?”

The answer was much clearer when the question was asked in the third person. “Just do it!” my brain screamed. Now, years later, the benefits of self-care, of treating myself to “pamper perks,” has become clear to me as both essential and necessary to maintaining optimum mental and physical health.

Jewish wisdom beckons us to take care of ourselves. At the heart of the Torah is the Holiness Code, which tells us to “Love your neighbor as yourself.” These five simple words speak volumes about self-care. They teach us that we must first learn to love and care for ourselves before we can hope to love and care for others. And since loving and caring for others is a quintessential Jewish value, it is imperative that we take care of ourselves!

Maimonides, the noted 12th century Jewish philosopher and physician, taught that true health depends on moderation and balance – between work and play, activity and rest. The Sabbath, a day where we are commanded to refrain from work, is a perfect example of how this balance is integral to Jewish living and life itself.

Actively engaging in self-care is not the same as being self-indulgent. Self-care is about taking time away from the demands of life to pursue things that make you feel refreshed, renewed and “your best self.” It is a process of consciously creating ways for being in the moment and feeling joy and gratitude for life. Getting a massage, reading a book, listening to music or taking a walk with a friend might work for me, 18 OCTOBER 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

but the choices are totally personal, limited only by your imagination (and wallet).

There are countless ways to take care of yourself, depending on your age, interests, limitations and daily responsibilities.

As a start, I offer Lederman’s Top 10 ideas to encourage and inspire your own path to self-care: 10) Take time for being; it is always productive, even when it doesn’t appear to generate results.

9) Be authentic: It is much healthier to be real than to try to be what others expect of you.

8) Find outlets for your creativity: writing, painting, cooking, dancing and singing are great ways to express yourself.

7) Go outdoors daily. Walk in your garden, look at the sunrise or night sky, watch the changes of the seasons. Stay connected to the world around you.

6) Use your body, not just your mind. Find a form of exercise you enjoy. Yoga, walking, swimming, cycling – even hugging a friend – can make you feel energized.

5) Smile. You will be amazed at how good it makes you feel and how it affects others.

4) Do the unexpected. Travel to a new place, eat a new food, buy a hat or crazy pair of sunglasses just for the fun of it.

3) Be grateful for the simple pleasures in your life. Pay attention to how a good meal, the work you do or a call from a caring friend can lift your heart and spirits.

2) Take stock at bedtime: Look at your day to see what you have learned. A good day teaches, a difficult day often teaches more and helps us grow and change.

1) Think of something that feels like a special treat and DO IT! Pamper perks will make you feel great!

Amy Hirshberg Lederman has written more than 300 columns and essays that have been published nationwide. amyhirshberglederman.com

Portland woman

PIONEERED resources in women’s health

By Sura Rubenstein

Lena Nemerovsky Kenin was a pioneer who created new opportunities and new resources for women.

One of the very early women to graduate from what was then the University of Oregon Medical School in 1929, Lena set up a successful obstetrics and gynecology practice in Portland and also counseled women about birth control. After her husband’s death in 1954, she returned to graduate school and trained as a psychiatrist – focusing on the post-partum depression experienced by some new mothers.

“By the time of her death in 1968, she had become one of the first women in Oregon to distinguish herself in three medical fields – obstetrics, gynecology and psychiatry,” notes Judy Margles, executive director of the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education. “She quickly became one of Portland’s most sought-after obstetricians – popular lore has it that she delivered at least half of the Jewish babies in Portland.”

Lena was born into a family committed to community. Her father, David D. Nemerovsky, was a founder, president and life trustee of Congregation Neveh Zedek (later merged into Congregation Neveh Shalom); a founder and 50-year president of the Jewish Relief Society; and a charter member of the local B’nai B’rith Lodge. Born in Russia in 1870, he had come to New York in 1886 and married Nettie (Nahoma) Swartz in 1893.

The couple moved to Portland in 1897, where Mrs. Nemerovsky devoted herself to Neveh Zedek, Hadassah and the B’nai B’rith women’s auxiliary, in addition to her family.

Lena, the third of the couple’s six children, was born in Portland on Nov. 5, 1897. She graduated from Lincoln High School and attended Reed College before graduating from the University of Washington in 1921. Later that year, she married Harry M. Kenin, a Philadelphia native who had grown up in

“

“

Lena Nemerovsky Kenin

By the time of her death in 1968, she had become one of the first women in Oregon to distinguish herself in three medical fields – obstetrics, gynecology and psychiatry.

Portland and who, like Lena, attended Reed and graduated from UW. Lena taught school in Seattle for several years before returning to Portland and entering medical school in 1924.

After her graduation, she interned at Good Samaritan Hospital, was associated for several years with another physician and then operated her own practice in downtown Portland.

In 1933 she was the first woman ever selected to be an obstetrics and gynecology resident at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. An article in The Oregonian that December reported that she also was named to American Hebrew News’ “Who’s Who” list of 116 Jews and six non-Jews for “notable achievement in their profession and contribution to American life.”

One of Portland’s few women physicians, Lena also was outspoken on issues of birth control and helped spread the word, particularly to working women.

Julia Ruuttila, a longtime labor activist, told biographer Sandy Polishuk that Dr. Marie Equi, a noted Portland physician, recommended Lena as a speaker.

“She agreed to come and speak at a meeting about different methods of birth control, something that most of our members knew absolutely nothing about,” Ruuttila recalled in Sticking to the Union. “It was the largest meeting we ever had.”

Margles describes Lena as a “secular thinker” who was mostly OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2015 19

uninvolved in religious Jewish life. Her husband, however, served a term as president of the B’nai B’rith Lodge and was affiliated with Portland’s Congregation Beth Israel.

Harry Kenin, like his wife, was deeply involved in Oregon’s community life. Trained as an attorney, he also taught political science at Reed College, served on the Portland School Board for a dozen years and as a state senator sat on a number of state commissions.

From 1942 to 1954, he worked with the Bonneville Power Administration, initially as a legal and policy advisor and later as executive secretary to the agency. He stepped down from that post to run for the Portland City Council shortly before he died of a cerebral hemorrhage in April 1954.

An Oregonian editorial praised him as “a man of many ideas, who enjoyed controversy and declined to sidestep an argument.”

The Kenins had no children, and, following her husband’s death, Lena decided to pursue a second medical degree, this time in psychiatry. She returned to school at age 61, and – after completing a program at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School and residency at the Philadelphia Hospital for Mental and Nerve Disorders – she returned to Portland.

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She established a psychiatry practice in 1961, and a year later published an article on “Mental Illness Associated with the Postpartum State," co-authored with Norman Blass in the journal Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology.

In addition to her busy private practice, Lena was an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Oregon Medical School, the chief consultant for the school’s health service, which served medical, dental and nursing students, and a member of numerous professional medical groups.

But Lena left a legacy in art as well as in medicine. After her death at age 70 in Portland on March 24, 1968, the Kenins’ collection of more than two dozen works by painter Carl Morris and his wife, sculptor Hilda Morris, was donated to Reed College as the “Lena and Harry Kenin Collection,” testimony to the couple’s friendship with the Morrises, their affection for Reed and their enduring generosity of spirit.

Sura Rubenstein is a Portland writer.

Sushi in the Sukkah

FREE & Open to all Music & Activities

Children Friendly Food

Fun for Everyone

Sunday, October 4

12:00 p.m.

RSVP Requested 920 NW 25th Ave, Portland, OR 97210 ~ 503.226.6131 shaarietorah.org ~ info@shaarietorah.org 20 OCTOBER 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Sports, Women’s Health and Coexistence

By Teddy Weinberger and Rebecca Ross

Note from Teddy: Israel is a society in which young girls are given the message that sports are for boys. To combat this, a few years ago Israel inaugurated Project Athena: the National Council for the promotion of girls and women in sports. Encouraging more Israeli girls to participate in sports addresses a potentially serious health issue; for one thing, youthful participation in sports (especially those with high impact or resistance) is a key factor in adult bone density.

My daughter Rebecca, 26, is a professional basketball player in Israel and is also a much sought-after coach. Rebecca regularly helps Athena by going into schools and getting young girls excited enough about basketball to join local programs. Rebecca has just begun her second year as coach of a rather unique girls’ team in Jerusalem. Below is an account of her first year with the team.

In the summer of 1997, when I was 8, my family moved from Miami to Givat Ze'ev, a large West Bank settlement northwest of Jerusalem. Part of my acculturation process involved learning to hate Arabs and to hate Arabic. This past year, as coach of Jerusalem's all-star 9th-10th-grade girls’ basketball team, I have learned to love Arabs and to love Arabic.

My six secondary school years in Jerusalem largely coincided with the Second Intifada. That is, the period in my life when I spent the most time on busses (as many as six a day because of my own basketball practice) was also the period when many of those busses were attacked. I woke up every day fearing that a suicide bomber would decide to explode himself on my bus on my way to school. I used to see every Arab on the street as a terrorist; I was suspicious of all Arabs – men, women and even children. When the mother of one of my high school classmates was killed in a suicide bomb attack, I was traumatized. I grew up convinced that Arabs were our enemies and that they were malicious, horrible people who just wanted to kill all the Jews.

Late last August I moved back to Jerusalem to play on the city's professional women's team. My basketball career has always included coaching as well as playing, and so I accepted a position to coach the 9th-10th-grade girls’ team that is part of the same club as my professional team. I had heard that the girls’ team had Arabs on it, but that fact didn't really register with me until my first practices with the team, when I heard the Arab girls speaking Arabic with each other. I was filled with a visceral

revulsion. The sound of Arabic just drove me crazy and brought me back to the trauma of my youth. But from practice to practice and without even noticing it, I found myself thinking a lot about my Arab players – because they are simply great girls. Girls who just want to play ball and have a fair shot at success in life, and yet who were born in a very complicated place that doesn’t give them a real chance to succeed.

The integrity of our team was tested on Nov. 18, when early in the morning four people were killed in a terror attack at a synagogue about an eight-minute drive from the gym where we practice. As a religious Jew I was shocked and hurt when I heard about the attack, but when I showed up to practice later that day, everything was normal. By then everyone knew all of the details of what had happened, but I didn’t mention the attack – I decided to leave politics off the court. The girls practiced normally; they smiled and enjoyed it as usual.

After that practice I understood that even though we live in “war,” we can still make a difference through the small things.

Peace is a very big word, but I believe that until we have peace, we need to learn how to live together and get along.

When I see my young Arab players getting along so well with my Jewish players, it gives me hope and fills my heart with happiness. Almost every kid loves sports, and sports are an amazing way to bring all the different peoples, cultures and religions together.

I have grown close this year not just to my Arab players but to their families and to the people involved in the Peace Players project (of which my team is a part). One player's mom calls me every other day, and I try to help her out in various ways with her kids and chauffeur them around (the family lives in a tiny twobedroom apartment, with six girls in one bedroom, four boys in the other and the parents sleeping in the living room). My Arab friends invite me into their villages (Beit Tzafafa, Beit Haninah), and their families host me like I’m a queen, feeding me and inviting me to special family events.

If someone had asked me a decade ago on my bus to school if I could ever imagine myself studying Arabic, I would have looked on that person as if he or she were insane. And yet that is what I am now doing. Brother Yohanan Elihai, the author of my Arab textbook, is an 89-year-old French monk who has lived in Israel since 1956; he writes that "language is the key to the heart." My heart was opened by my Arab players, and so it feels natural for me to want to learn how to communicate with them in Arabic.

I guess when you come from love, and basketball is my love, anything is possible.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2015 21

Food

Corner

Born in 1914, Aunt Nettie’s recipes fit into a healthy lifestyle

By Lisa Glickman

By Lisa Glickman

Shortly before my 50th birthday, I retrieved the daily mail and discovered among the bills an invite from AARP. To my horror, it was addressed to me! It was no mistake. I was officially old! I am a cardholding member of the bona fide baby boomers. A time before letters at the end of the alphabet identified generations. I began to take notice of ads for pills, creams and exotic fruit extracts promising the rapid loss of belly fat, vanishing night sweats and disappearing crow’s feet. Could their claims be true? Was my youth just a phone call away? Probably not.

As we grow older it is more important than ever for us to take care our bodies and our minds. We need to eat sensibly, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep and, above all, give ourselves a big break now and then.

No magic pill or cream will restore my youth. It is what it is. That was 'then,' this is 'now’… even if I may secretly reminisce that 'then' was better.

Women are girlfriends, wives, mothers, sisters and daughters. We are presidents, teammates, artists, creators and volunteers.

Women repair broken hearts, build bridges, put out fires and mend fences … literally and figuratively! As we grow older it’s easy to lose sight of the accomplishments we have made and the lives we have touched. It is a privilege to grow older and, as they say, it’s better than the alternative! There comes a time when I have to accept that no matter how many lunges I do, my butt will never look like Jennifer Lopez’s. That won’t stop me from going to the gym. We must learn to accept the things we cannot change, because in the wise words of my husband’s late, great Aunt Nettie, “What can you do

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.

22 OCTOBER 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Sauerkraut Cupcakes

about it? Gornisht!”

Recently our family laid Nettie’s headstone. Nettie Glickman Maizels was born in Portland in 1914 the youngest of eight children. Being the youngest, she may have been thought to be quiet or shy. She was just the opposite. She loved being the center of attention and the life of the party! Nettie graduated from Commerce High School (now Cleveland High) and married Sam Maizels at 19. Her father lost everything during the Depression, and it seemed for her college would not be an option. That didn’t stop her. In her late 30s, and with two young daughters, she enrolled at the University of Washington; in 1958 she graduated Phi Beta Kappa! She went on to have a long career as a Seattle court reporter. She was also a fabulous cook.

After she passed, her daughters lovingly put together a collection of her favorite recipes. I was lucky and grateful to receive one. Nettie took great pride in everything she prepared.

The book is filled with pictures of Nettie at the stove in her kitchen in Seattle, along with quotes and stories from a life well lived. Nettie lived in that home for 60 years before she passed at 98. That is a lot of great meals!

Nettie got this first recipe from the daughter of a friend. I had to try it for its unusual ingredient: sauerkraut. Sauerkraut is viewed as a superfood for the digestive system. Raw cultured vegetables also help to rebuild the immune system as well as detoxify the body. In this cupcake, it is undetectable and makes a beautifully moist cake.

Impossibly Easy BBQ Beef Brisket

1½ sticks unsalted butter, softened 1½ cups sugar 3 eggs, room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2¼ cups flour ½ cup cocoa 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature 2 /3 cup sauerkraut, drained, rinsed and chopped Place butter and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer. Mix until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until incorporated. Add vanilla. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda. Add alternately to creamed mixture with 1 cup buttermilk. Stir in sauerkraut. Fill cupcake liners ¾ full and bake at 350º for 20-25 minutes.

Chocolate Fudge Frosting 1 stick unsalted butter 3 cups powdered sugar ½ cup cocoa 1 /3 cup heavy cream 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon espresso powder (optional) Place ingredients in the bowl of standing mixer with a whip attachment. Start slowly at first and whip until light and fluffy.

Unlike those magic pills and potions, this recipe really works. Place these few ingredients in your slow cooker and set for a long, slow cook. Go for a long walk, take that yoga class or binge watch Netflix … you have all day!

4-5 pounds beef brisket, trimmed of some, but not all, of the fat 1 24-ounce jar dill pickles, juice and all 1 12-ounce bottle favorite BBQ sauce A little beef stock or water

Place pickles in a blender or food processor and chop until fine. Place beef brisket in slow cooker. Add chopped pickles with juice and entire bottle of BBQ sauce. Rinse bottle with a little water or stock and add to pot. Cook on the lowest setting until tender. Good the same day, but even better a day or so later!

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2015 23

NWNosh

Healthy Food Fast

Garden Bar

By Kerry Politzer

When you’re on the go, it’s easy to let healthy eating fall by the wayside. Who has time to cook while braving US 26?

Fortunately, Portland boasts a variety of fast food options for the diet-conscious person. Popular local spots offer rice bowls that can be customized to include either meat or milk, or neither.

Veggie eateries feature surprisingly tasty treats with nary a hint of dairy.

All of the restaurants listed below offer takeout, so enjoy a healthy meal on the way to your next appointment.

Café Yumm Popular with Portland State University students, this café offers a variety of healthy options. The café chain is known for its tasty sauces, which can be purchased at Whole Foods and New Seasons (that is, if they aren’t sold out). You can order a rice bowl in one of three sizes, depending on your level of hunger. Choose brown or white jasmine rice, red or black beans, and your choice of deluxe toppings for a satisfying lunch. Café Yumm has three Portland locations; at the one at SW Morrison and 3rd, you may order online. cafeyumm.com Laughing Planet With nine locations in Portland alone, Laughing Planet is well placed to curb your cravings. The environmentally conscious company sources its ingredients from local farms and producers, and offers a varied menu of “burritos, bowls and goofiness.”

Rice bowls come in Cuban, Indian, Korean or Thai flavors. You 24 OCTOBER 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

can add Draper Valley chicken, organic tempeh and tofu, or pasture-raised beef to any meal. Kids will love the quesadillas and mashed potatoes with melted Tillamook cheddar, as well as a selection of plastic dinosaurs to play with. laughingplanetcafe.com Veggie Grill California-based Veggie Grill, which opened in downtown Portland a couple years ago, is completely meat and dairy free.

The restaurant is known for scrumptious sandwiches like Santa Fe crispy chickin’, glazed tofu banh mi, “crab cake” and this writer’s personal favorite, the “Bali Bliss” – grilled tempeh in a chipotle ranch dressing. Carb-avoiders can go for the Savory Kale Caesar and Quinoa Power Salad. Kids will enjoy the Yukon gold fries and a chicken nugget substitute so convincing that they’ll never know the difference. If you download Veggie Grill’s loyalty app, you’ll receive a free snack. veggiegrill.com The Whole Bowl Believe it or not, that line down the block isn’t for ice cream, it’s for a bowl of rice, beans, avocado, salsa, olives, sour cream, shredded cheese, cilantro and secret “Tali sauce.” Why is this food cart’s sole offering so popular? Is it the low price ($5.50 for a “bambino bowl”) that attracts the crowds, or the secret sauce?

We may ponder this question while waiting for a healthy meal at one of six locations; the Hawthorne site offers a sit-down experience. thewholebowl.com

Laughing Planet

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

503.231.0740 www.bombaycricketclubrestaurant.com 1925 SE Hawthorne Blvd • Portland, OR 97214

BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND BRUNCH CATERING Veggie Grill Garden Bar If your healthy eating regimen doesn’t include a lot of carbs, you may not be interested in patronizing one of the various rice bowl restaurants. In that case, refresh your palate with a salad from Garden Bar. “In carrots we trust” is the motto of this newish salad chain, where owners Ana Chaud and Christopher Handford aim to offer “the best possible kind of fast food.”

There are plenty of gluten-free and veggie options to suit your palate. While some items combine meat and dairy ingredients, the Bliss Detox, Northwest Bowl, Garden Chopped, Bamboo Revolution and Tuna Nicoise do not. You can also choose all of your own ingredients for a perfectly customized meal; there are 15 salad dressings! gardenbarpdx.com

503-227-NOSH (6674) www.bowerybagels.com

ONLY WHOLE BAGELS ARE CERTIFIED KOSHER

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2015 25

Cover

Andrea White brings dual perspective to racially tense play

By Deborah Moon

26 OCTOBER 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Director Andrea White goes over the script for “Tommy J & Sally” with (from left) Marcus Mauldin (Tommy), Sarah Yeakel (understudy for Sally) and Sarah McGregor (Sally).

When she reads “Brighton Beach Memoirs,” Drammy Award-winning actor and director Andrea White feels the rhythms and knows the characters – they might have been drawn from her own family. Yet she knows she’s unlikely to be cast in any of the great plays that reflect the stories of her mother’s family.

On the other hand, when she was cast in three August Wilson plays at Portland Playhouse, she gained an understanding of her father’s family. Researching and becoming Dussie Mae in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and Black Mary in “Gem of the Ocean,” she says she finally understood why her grandfather spoke sparingly, her father was emotionally unavailable and her grandmother fought for everything with such tenacity.

“I have been straddling two worlds all my life,” says 42-yearold Andrea, a Portland native. “I grew up here with my mom’s side of the family and was taught to walk into any situation with an open mind and the thought, the gift, that it could be changed.”

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2015 27

“When I’d visit my dad, I tried to understand the way society shock and pain. “It should do that.” saw me as a black or brown person,” she says. “Then entering The beautiful prose of the play makes it both more palatable into Wilson’s Century Cycle, I would hear the voices of my and more shocking. family in the dialogue.

“He (Medoff ) is saying hateful things with beautiful “Art helped me have such an understanding of who I am,” language,” says Andrea. “It cuts more to the quick when said says Andrea, an instructor and associate director at Portland eloquently.”

Actors Conservatory.

When Andrea called Sarah McGregor to tell her she had With that deep knowledge of two worlds, she is directing a been cast as Sally, the actor told her, “There are so many things play that may expand Portlanders’ views of those same worlds. my character says that are hard for me to imagine saying.” To She hopes that those who see “Tommy J & Sally” will go on to which Andrea replied, “Good, but we must. You must explore have meaningful conversations about race relations, prejudice why the character feels the way she does; otherwise we are not and the potential for acceptance. having an honest conversation.”

PassinArt: A Theatre Company describes the play as a Talking, asking questions and being willing to explore hard “two-character play on race relations. A modern twist on Sally truths are values Andrea says were instilled in her from a very Hemings and Thomas Jefferson that unleashes a tsunami of young age. anger and emotion leading to cleansing.”

“Not talking has the possibility of being just as destructive,” PassinArt Artistic Director Jerry Foster describes Andrea as she says. the best choice to direct this intense play.

Both sides of Andrea’s family faced the dehumanizing “I love seeing her on the discrimination of evils not stage and the compassion she confronted until millions of lives brings to every character she were destroyed. portrays,” says Jerry. “I knew “My father’s family is from this play would need someone Talula, LA,” she says. “I visited who could capture the essence the plantation where they were and the passion of this work.” slaves and the shack where he Written by Mark Medoff grew up in a family of 10. My (see story page 31), the play dad was born in 1937 and went is an angry, yet ultimately through the Jim Crow South. He hopeful, 90-minute grew up very black and very poor. confrontation between a black … He was the first in his family man and a pop star, who he to go to college.” insists is the Jewish girl he Isaac White, Andrea’s father, grew up with and who has went on to become the second Young Andrea White enjoys an outing with her parents Isaac and Adele White. They changed her speech and nose black principal in Portland, were joined by her Uncle Mitchell Levy (left) and Aunt Andrea Levy (second from left). to forge a new identity – a which is where he met her luxury he does not have. mother, theater teacher Adele “I can’t change how people Etlinger, in 1971. see me,” says Andrea. “Some people dehumanize others. That is The fact that interracial marriage only became legal in all U.S. part of what this play is looking at. …TJ can’t hide; Sally can. … states with a Supreme Court decision in 1967 seems shockingly It is like he is coming back as her conscience.” recent to Andrea, who was born just six years later in 1973. Her Andrea says many of her friends have reached the age parents married when she was 2 and divorced a couple of years where their children are heading off to college or getting a later. driver’s license. “For those with ‘brown children,’ it’s a different Her mother’s family also knows the horror of people conversation. … Friends with young brown males have to tell unwilling to speak out against prejudice. them, ‘You do not have the luxury of being disrespectful’ – not Andrea says the person whom she is most like and approaches that anyone should be disrespectful. It is not an even playing field life like is her grandmother Irene, who grew up in Vienna, for everyone.”

Austria. As the Nazis rose to power, Irene and her friends at Andrea says the play pulls no punches. “I read it and in some school talked about the dangers, but “it was being pooh-poohed sections, I’m oof,” she says, holding her stomach with a look of by their parents. My great grandfather said ‘I fought in the army

PassinArt Presents: 28 OCTOBER 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

WHAT: Tommy J & Sally WHO: By Mark Medoff, “Children of a Lesser God” playwright; Directed by Andrea White WHEN: Oct. 9-Nov. 8: 7:30 pm, Fridays and Saturdays; 3 pm, Sundays TALKBACKS: Immediately following shows on Oct. 17 and 18 WHERE: Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center,

5340 N Interstate, Portland TICKETS: $25 from passinart.net | 503-235-8079

Andrea White as Cleopatra

“I am an artist to make for Germany (in World War I).’ ” When the Nazis took over sense of it and to explore Austria, Irene and her mother were different stories and learn at the opera. At intermission the Austrian flag was lowered and the to reconcile characters I Germany Nazi flag was raised. wouldn’t want to speak has addressed “As soon as the tide changed past, and America and everyone had to sign in, my to, but I am responsible its must do the same, Andrea grandmother told her friend (who to understand without believes.

Slavery dehumanizes and still has an impact had family in America willing to on this country. all have to be willing to have sponsor immigrants), ‘I want to be judgment.” the conversation.“We I don’t see how it will stop till we sponsored, too.’ ” The Paley family all sit down and lay out our grievances, our heart and in Portland agreed to sponsor the our pain.

We have to unify as a people and take ownership in our 15-year-old Irene. The journey, via England, took two years, but part in it – and we all have a part. she escaped the Holocaust that “wiped out 88% of our family.”

“Instead of needing to be right, we need to be ready to Thankfully Irene’s parents survived in the ghetto thanks to understand,” she says. She believes many conversations about help from their former maid, a Christian who smuggled food race are too polite – “I don’t hear enough outrage. to them throughout the war. They arrived in Portland in 1947 “If we just dismiss people, we lose the opportunity to possibly when Adele was 2. A few other relatives who survived moved find common ground – that’s optimistic, but I try and live in to Australia and Israel, where one of Andrea’s cousins is now a that realm of possibility.” rabbi.

She says anti-Semitism and racism still exist in this country.

As things fell apart, Andrea says, “My great grandmother “It is ingrained in the fabric of our society. That is what we have said ‘just turn on the oven.’ Had my grandmother not had the to deconstruct.” wherewithal she did, I would not be here.”

She believes art offers that opportunity.

Andrea’s grandmother, now 94, believes it is important to “I am an artist to make sense of it and to explore different really listen to people. stories and learn to reconcile characters I wouldn’t want to speak No matter how ludicrous someone’s bigotry sounds, Andrea to, but I am responsible to understand without judgment.” says her grandmother reminds her that other people share those Theater is the passion she learned growing up as the only views and “no one who spews bigotry should be dismissed.” daughter of a single mom/theatrical director. Andrea became Irene lives at Terwilliger Plaza “on a floor of activists,” where adept at sleeping between two rows of theater seats while her a retired philosophy professor hosts monthly gatherings for mother directed rehearsals.

Adele retired last year after teaching dialogues reminiscent of Plato. Andrea says her grandmother is for 17 years at the Vancouver School of Arts and Academics. saddened not so much by friends who die but by those who stop She founded two performing arts programs including the thinking and become a ghost of someone she has known.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2015 29

Andrea with grandmother Irene Etlinger

VSAA’s Children's Theatre Company for middle school students.

When Andrea decided to forgo college and move to Los Angeles to pursue acting, her parents were appalled. But Irene told her she would fully support her decision if she would continue educating herself and promise to continue reading, listen to NPR and read the Sunday New York Times.

Andrea says she has

continued to follow those rules, and she believes acting is a good opportunity to gain an education.

“When I played Cleopatra, I had to immerse myself in Egyptian history,” she says.

While in LA she appeared on “NYPD Blue,” “Family Matters” and “Living Single,” and was Dr. Algeria in the film “Extraordinary Measures.” The two years she spent performing in the 30th year revival of “Hair” taught her a lot about the

Andrea with great grandmother Ludmilla Reiner

TALK BACKS: The Oct. 17 following 7:30 pm show: Facilitator: Joanne Van Ness Menashe, director of intergroup and senior development professional, Jewish Federation of Greater Portland.

Panelists: Director Andrea White; Actors Sarah McGreggor and Marcus Mauldin; Assistant U.S. Attorney Office Ron Silver; and Mackenzie River Gathering Executive Director Sharon Gary-Smith.

Oct. 18 following 3 pm show: Facilitator: Pastor Emmitt Wheatfall, Clackamas County diversity and inclusion program director.

Panelists: Director Andrea White; Actors Sarah McGreggor and Marcus Mauldin; Assistant U.S. Attorney Office Ron Silver; and C.J. Condry, City of Portland Office of Equity and Human Rights staffing Black Male Achievement Portland.

30 OCTOBER 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

important time of the ’60s and “having an effect on an audience.”

When the run ended in 2000, she decided becoming a TV star was not her goal, and she returned to Portland to “rest for six months.” She remained and has performed on many Portland stages, including the Portland Playhouse August Wilson shows.

She twice won a Drammy for Best Supporting Actor for her roles in “Two Sisters and a Piano” at Artist Repertory Theatre and “Hell Cab” at Theatre Vertigo. She was Judith in Wendy Wasserstein’s “An American Daughter.” She is an associate director and instructor at Portland Actors Conservatory and a co-founder of Bad Ass Theatre.

She says that talkbacks after most theater performances are

too polite and usually end where she feels they should have begun. She thinks the talkbacks slated after two of the “Tommy J & Sally” performances have a chance to be different.

“We all just saw this play, so let’s start from there,” she says.

With the play’s frank, angry dialogue, she feels politeness could be forgotten. “My dream is for someone to say the truth for them, even if it is unappealing. Then we could discuss and either agree to disagree or maybe someone’s mind will be changed.”

“This play is applicable to today,” says Andrea, “but not any more applicable than to 10 years ago. I hope it is less applicable 10 years from now.”

Playwright explores relationships the older two live in Las Cruces. They have eight grandchildren there. His youngest daughter, Jessica, Of the 12 guys on Mark Medoff ’s is an opera singer who lives in New York. championship high school basketball “We’re a very close family,” Mark says. “We think team, one became a grocery store of ourselves as an extremely functional family in a manager, Mark himself became a writer/ rather dysfunctional world.” producer/director/actor/professor and the In 2000 he wrote the play, “Tommy J & Sally,” rest became doctors or lawyers. Perhaps which was commissioned by the Kennedy Center. that’s because he grew up in the largely “The original stirrings of the play came to me Jewish community of Miami Beach, FL. when there had been a shooting at my daughter’s “Everything closed down for the High junior high school,” says Mark. “All the parents got Holidays,” says Mark. together, but no one knew what to do. A few of us Mark was set on the trajectory to started an integrated writing after-school program become a doctor like so many of his called Another Planet. We included both at-risk Mark Medoff friends, but he got sidetracked by a kids as well as those who were more traditionally comment from a high school teacher middle class. They acted as conduits for the that he had writing talent. That praise was just the impetus he information and took it back to their schools. Then we started needed to turn in a new direction. “Fortunately, to their credit, collecting the writings they created; we took them all the way to my parents were wonderful about my wanting to pursue writing. our state legislature.

They supported me both financially and emotionally.”

“Several years later, one of the African-American young men After attaining a bachelor’s degree from the University of who had been in the program came walking up our driveway. I Miami and a master’s from Stanford, Mark began teaching at was out of town at the time, but had been thinking about him.

New Mexico State University in Las Cruces to subsidize his He told Stephanie his family had moved to Riverside, CA, and writing. He soon fell in love with the profession and is still that life was very difficult for him there. Stephanie and I talked an active professor at NMSU. “The students really keep me it over and offered to take him into our home to live with us engaged. I love going into the classroom, and the university has and finish high school in New Mexico. We helped him through given me the freedom to teach whatever I want.” college and he is now in graduate school. In fact, he came by just Mark’s life changed dramatically in 1979 when he wrote the the other day and dazzled my students with his intelligence and play “Children of a Lesser God.” After opening at the Mark articulateness. He’s like our adopted son.”

Taper Forum in Los Angeles, the play, about the relationship The play takes various turns through artistic license that did between a woman who is deaf and her teacher, ran for 887 not occur in reality, but the idea was incubated in the Medoff performances on Broadway and earned Mark a Tony Award for home. “Tommy J and Sally” involves two characters, a young best play. In 1986 he adapted the play for the movie, starring African-American man and a famous white pop singer, who Marlee Matlin and William Hurt, and received an Academy is presumably Jewish. Over the course of one evening, their Award nomination. confrontations and conversations take them to many places, Mark and his wife, Stephanie, are generous donors to NMSU including the impact of the Jewish culture on race relations. through the Mark and Stephanie Medoff Endowment and Janet Arnold directed “Tommy J and Sally” in a Phoenix production in several other endowments they have established. Mark also December 2014. Her interview with playwright Mark Medoff originally supports the work of his students, often acting as producer or appeared in Arizona Jewish Life. director for them. Mark and Stephanie have three daughters;

By Janet Arnold

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2015 31

Talk explores hidden history of African-Americans in Oregon Have you ever wondered why the black population in Oregon is so small? Oregon has a history of black exclusion and discrimination, but it also has a vibrant black culture that helped sustain many communities throughout the state – a history that is not taught in schools.

“We are thrilled to host Walidah Imarisha and offer this important dialogue in our community,” says the Rev. Jennie Ott. “For both Lake Oswego United Church of Christ and Beit Haverim, our faith compels us to help dismantle racism in our society. A critical part of this work is understanding our history.”

Rabbi Alan Berg agrees: “Joining toThis is the focus of “Why Aren’t There gether with Rev. Ott and the Lake Oswego More Black People in Oregon? A HidFree discussion on United Church of Christ has advanced Beit den History,” a free conversation with race in Oregon Haverim's social justice commitment. We Portland State University author and join hands together to become a source of adjunct professor Walidah Imarisha on WHAT: “Why Aren’t There More strength to the larger community. We are Sunday, Oct. 11. This program is hosted Black People in Oregon? A Hidden blessed to share a vision of community, a

by Congregation Beit Haverim and Lake History” valuing of diversity and a hands-on approach Oswego United Church of Christ and sponsored by Oregon Humanities. Imarto doing something about it.'”

WHEN: 12:30 to 2 pm, Oct. 11 isha has taught in PSU’s Black Studies Through the Conversation Project, Oregon department, where she created classes WHERE: 1111 SW Country Club Humanities offers free programs that engage about topics as diverse as the history of Road, Lake Oswego community members in thoughtful, chalthe Black Panther Party, race and the lenging conversations about ideas critical history of prisons, Hurricane Katrina and to our daily lives and our state's future. For hip hop as literature. She has facilitated more information about this free community discussion, contact writing workshops for students in third to 12th grade, in comRabbi Alan Berg at 503-568-1241 or alanbfpd@gmail.com. munity centers, youth detention facilities and women’s prisons.

Confronting Extremism: The state of hate today The Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education will host a symposium featuring special guest Nadav Eyal, acclaimed Israeli journalist and director of “Hate,” a documentary depicting the resurgence of anti-Semitism in Europe.

“Confronting Extremism: The state of hate today” will be presented 1-4 pm, Nov. 8, at Hoffman Hall, Portland State University, 1833 SW 11th, Portland.

A screening of “Hate” will be followed by a discussion with speakers reflecting on the challenges posed by racism, extremism, hate groups and hate speech in our community and beyond.

The event takes place the day before the 77th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the massive Nazi government pogrom against European Jews in 1938. Speakers include Nadav Eyal, film director and Israel Channel 10’s chief editor of international news; Miriam Greenstein, OJMCHE board and Holocaust Speaker Bureau member; Jo Ann Hardesty, president of NAACP Portland Branch; Kayse Jama, founder and executive director at the Center for Intercultural Organizing; Natan Meir, Lorry I. Lokey Chair in Judaic Studies at PSU; Judith Mowry, senior policy advisor for equity 32 OCTOBER 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

strategies and initiatives for the City of Portland; and Steven Wasserstrom, Moe and Izetta Tonkon Professor of Judaic Studies and Humanities at Reed College.

OJMCHE presents Confronting Extremism with generous underwriting by Howard and Wendy Liebreich and in partnership with Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, Cedar Sinai Park, Congregation Beth Israel, Havurah Shalom, Congregation Neveh Shalom, Congregation Shaarie Torah, Congregation Shaarie Torah Sisterhood, Congregation Shir Tikvah, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, Jewish Family and Child Service, Institute for Judaic Studies, Mittleman Jewish Community Center, Muslim Educational Trust, Never Again Coalition, Oregon Jewish Community Foundation, Pacific Northwest Anti-Defamation League, Portland Jewish Academy, PSU’s Holocaust and Genocide Studies Project, World Affairs Council of Oregon, Wholistic Peace Institute and Zeitgeist Northwest.

Tickets for the program are $20; educators and students with ID $8. No one will be turned away because of inability to pay.

Tickets are available from ojmche.org or 503-226-3600.

By Leora Trooper

Perhaps even more than the Jews Holocaust literature has impacted are the people of the book, one could how other genocides and atrocities argue that we are a people of memory. are addressed in cinema and literature.

Our religious texts command us to For example, Reed College Professor remember. How then can we use our Marat Grinberg points out that we profound connection to our Jewish can see cinematic and literary themes history to better take action in the face and metaphors taken from Holocaust of the many unresolved issues of our literature in contemporary portrayals of American heritage of slavery? the Armenian genocide or American Nancy Harrowitz, chair of Romance slavery. Grinberg says we need to both studies, associate professor at Boston acknowledge the importance of those University and Primo Levi scholar, similarities of our histories but also will speak at Reed College this fall on to “consider the differences as well. some of the commonalities between … In essence, each event is unique – Holocaust testimonies and the film historically, politically, ideologically and “12 Years a Slave.” culturally.”

Harrowitz’s lecture, At a time when Holocaust & Slavery racism “Connecting the and equality WHAT: “Connecting the Legacies: Legacies: Primo clearly have not Primo Levi, Holocaust Testimonies Levi, Holocaust been resolved, and ‘12 Years a Slave’” Testimonies and Harrowitz’s lecture WHEN: 7 pm, Oct. 12 ‘12 Years a Slave,’ is especially WHERE: Eliot Hall Room 314, Reed ” grew out of her relevant. Her College, Portland experience teaching lecture will “look CO-SPONSORS: Reed College and the film in a course at commonalities Congregation Shir Tikvah on Holocaust between two groups MORE INFO: shirtikvahpdx.org representation. of testimonies, “The effects asking in what of this film were quite electric: the way concerns such as the long-lasting students, after a semester of reading effects of dehumanization and resulting Holocaust testimonies and seeing changes in identity found in Holocaust Holocaust films, were given a fresh testimony are also applicable to look at the themes they had studied as slave testimonies. How does reading well as a broader perspective on issues Primo Levi give us a road map for of bigotry,” she says. understanding ‘12 Years a Slave’ and for Harrowitz, an expert on the literature accessing ongoing conversations about and life of Primo Levi (an Italian race?” chemist who survived Auschwitz and Rabbi Ariel Stone of Shir Tikvah went on to become an eminent author), says, “I have been inspired by Primo uses his writings to discuss these Levi’s work for years, and I am excited difficult topics. about this opportunity to bring his “Levi spoke to concerns about wisdom in facing the human challenges the spread of bigotry as well as our of his day to our own. I am grateful disturbing tendency to look at remote for this opportunity to learn from historical events as irrelevant to our Dr. Harrowitz and look forward to common era, despite their enduring gleaning new insights for the tikkun legacies,” she says. “He also analyzes work that Shir Tikvah is devoted to the deep relation of bystander doing.” complicity to atrocity.”

CONNECTING THE L E G A C I E S

Holocaust and slave testimonies create a road map for tikkun olam

a talk by

Dr. Nancy Harrowitz

slave narratives and Holocaust testimonies have in common. understand what the work of Primo Levi tells us about repairing the world. find out what

reed college eliot hall # 314 oct . 12

7 pm

cosponsored by Reed College Division of Literature & Languages

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2015 33

Arts &

nt Entertainme

Film recaptures richness of Vilna

By Elizabeth Schwartz

A group of young theater actors from Vilna on a tour, circa 1937.

The atrocities of the Holocaust are well documented in At the start of World War II, Vilna was home to some memoirs, literature, feature films, documentaries, oral histories 75,000 Jews, somewhat less than half the total population of of survivors produced by the Shoah Project, music and the the city. The Jewish community of Vilna was the center of staggering paper trail left by the Nazis themselves, which Yiddish culture – at one point there were half a dozen Yiddish describes in chilling detail the methodologies used and outcomes dailies in print and many Yiddish theaters – and in 1925 the achieved in their attempts to implement the “Final Solution.”

YIVO Institute was founded there to preserve, study and teach Perhaps less widely known are the incalculable losses incurred Jewish cultural history through Yiddish. (YIVO’s headquarters by the liquidation of whole communities. Stories of individual relocated to New York at the beginning of World War II, where survivors and victims abound, but the destruction of cities and it remains today.) towns that once housed vibrant Jewish communities resulted in Vilna was also the heart of the Haskalah movement, or Jewish the loss of an entire way of life.

Enlightenment, which came to prominence in the 18th and Portlanders will have a rare opportunity to learn more about 19th centuries. Adherents of the Haskalah, known as “maskilim” the greatest Jewish community in Europe on Oct. 21 at the (enlightened), advocated adopting Enlightenment values, Hollywood Theatre, with a one-night-only screening of Mira integration into European society and increased education Jedwabnik Van Doren’s documentary, “The World Was Ours.” in secular studies, Hebrew language and Jewish history. The The showing benefits the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center Haskalah and the maskilim rejected the Chasidic movement for Holocaust Education. founded by the Baal Shem Tov, with its emphasis on mysticism, This award-winning, one-hour documentary focuses on the which began spreading out from rural Poland at about the same thriving Jewish community in the city of Vilna, the capital of time. Another great 18th century Jewish leader, Rabbi Elijah Lithuania. Narrated by Mandy Patinkin, “The World Was Ours” ben Shlomo Zalman, known as the Vilna Gaon (“the genius of explores the vibrant and creative life of Vilna”) advocated Talmudic WHAT: “The World Was Ours” the Jewish community of Vilna (now study and also opposed WHERE: Hollywood Theatre, located at 4122 NE Vilnius, Lithuania) between the two Chasidism. Under his influence, Sandy Blvd. world wars. Drawing on archival photos Vilna became a city full of great WHEN: Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 7 pm and footage, excerpts from diaries and yeshivas, and scholars from WHY: Benefit for Oregon Jewish Museum and letters, and through interviews with throughout Europe came to Center for Holocaust Education survivors and scholars, “The World study there. When Napoleon SPEAKER: PSU Judaic Studies Director Natan Was Ours” evokes the spirit of this passed through Vilna in 1812, Meier will give introductory remarks rich literary, intellectual and artistic he dubbed it “the Jerusalem of TICKETS: Available from Hollywood Theatre the North.” community that helped shape many EVENT INFO: ojmche.org or 503-226-3600 Vilna, with its cosmopolitan of the great ideologies of 20th century FILM INFO: vilna-project.squarespace.com population of well-educated Jewish life.

34 OCTOBER 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Jews, epitomized the best of Jewish Vilna’s surviving Jews, as well as historians urban life. Artists, musicians, poets and Jewish scholars, to provide a narrative and professionals – doctors, professors, context for the images. lawyers – abounded. Community Mira’s cousin, Kristin Lensen, lives activities ranged from amateur theatricals in Portland and organized the Portland and sports teams to orchestras and a screening of the film. She explains her variety of social welfare projects to aid cousin’s decades-long drive to complete the the city’s poorer Jews. One woman film: “It was critical to her to honor Vilna. interviewed in the film questions the When she talked about her past, she was concept of “hanging out” and remembers so committed to honoring people she knew that she was always busy with activities in her childhood and bringing them to life. after school.

She’s also a natural storyteller.”

Vilna’s Jewish doctors and nurses In the course of making “The World created a health care program to tend Was Ours,” Mira amassed over 80 hours to the poor, providing vaccinations, free of footage, much of it archival, along clinics and other services. These programs with extended interviews from Vilna’s were replicated by Jewish immigrants surviving citizens. Unlike many Holocaust in cities across America; Portland’s documentaries, she includes no personal Mira Jedwabnik Van Doren Neighborhood House, in South Portland, stories, choosing instead to focus on the the heart of the Jewish immigrant community as the central character. “I had to community in the early 20th century, offered many similar types be very heartless when choosing what to include,” she explains. of outreach to newly arrived Jews.

“It was heartbreaking to take out things that wouldn’t have continued the story (of the community). The story is bigger than are.”

The Jewish community of Vilna was the weToday Mira continues to edit the 80+ hours of footage she has left and is seeking funding so she can present more films about center of Yiddish culture – at one point her beloved native city. In 2009, she traveled to Vilna to attend a screening of the film. “Many Lithuanians told me this film shed there were half a dozen Yiddish dailies light on a history they did not know,” she says.

in print and many Yiddish theaters – and in 1925 the YIVO Institute was founded there to preserve, study and teach Jewish

When Experience Matters

cultural history through Yiddish.

Mira escaped the destruction of Vilna through sheer luck.

In late August 1939, 10-year-old Mira and her family boarded a ship to New York to visit the World’s Fair. By the time their ship docked, Hitler had invaded Poland, leaving them trapped in America. “My family was well traveled,” Mira remembers. “I grew up speaking Russian, Polish, German and French.” Mira’s parents epitomized Vilna’s upper class Jewish populace. Her father, David, a noted doctor, ran a hospital, and her mother, Lydia, was a painter. Mira herself followed in her mother’s footsteps and is a visual artist, specializing in murals and enamels.

“The World Was Ours” features many archival film clips of Vilna’s Jewish community, which reveal, with heartbreaking intensity, the richness and depth of the lives of the people there.

Mira spent many years tracking down these clips, drawing on archives in Germany and Israel as well as some personal home movies. In the clips, we see a young girl energetically conducting her classmates as they sing in Yiddish, still photos of Yiddish theater productions, and children playing in the streets and surrounding countryside. The people of Vilna live again in these brief glimpses. Mira also includes interviews with a number of

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OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2015 35

Arts &

nt Entertainme

Fifth-generation Portlander launches first novel at Powell’s

By Deborah Moon

Fifth-generation Portlander Carmiel Banasky returns to her hometown this month for a book launch of her debut novel at Powell's City of Books.

The iconic locally owned bookstore is reputed to be the largest purveyor of new and used books in the world – a fitting place for a hometown girl’s local launch. Carmiel will read from and discuss The Suicide of Claire Bishop: A Novel at 7:30 pm, Oct. 6, at Powell’s flagship store, 1005 W Burnside St. Since her novel was published in September, she has done book launch events in New York, Washington, D.C., Boston and Los Angeles, which she now calls home. In October she will visit Austin and Phoenix in addition to Portland.

Those cities are all places where she has family or friends she made during the four years she travelled the country participating in writers’ retreats as she polished her manuscript. She had drafted the story while earning a master’s in fine arts in fiction from Hunter College in New York City. By the time Carmiel submitted her manuscript to Dzanc Books for final revisions with an editor there, it was already a wellresearched, polished product.

She says she has been very pleased by the early reviews and hopes they keep coming in.

In a starred review, Publishers Weekly wrote: "Banasky's memorable, intricate, and 36 OCTOBER 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

inventive debut novel uses vulnerable characters to probe themes of time, identity, perception, and love. … (T)he novel is both an intellectual tour de force and a moving reflection on the ways we try to save ourselves and others.”

Kirkus Reviews notes, "Banasky writes beautifully and with great empathy."

The story begins with Claire Bishop sitting for a portrait in Greenwich Village in 1959. Rather than a portrait, the artist actually depicts Claire’s suicide. Haunted by the painting, she is forced to redefine her life. When West, a young man with schizophrenia, sees the painting in a gallery in 2004, he becomes obsessed with the mysterious image of a woman’s suicide. West creates an elaborate

Publishers Weekly: “Banasky’s memorable, intricate, and inventive debut novel uses vulnerable characters to probe themes of time, identity, perception, and love.” delusion involving time travel, Hasidism and art theft.

When the two characters meet in the present, delusions are shattered and lives are forever changed, according to the publisher’s synopsis.

Living in New York during college for five years, Carmiel says she spent time in Greenwich Village researching how the city had changed. “The book spans 1959 to 2004 with a big chunk during the ’60s,” says Carmiel. “It was fun to research all of that.”

She says she also had to research the Hasidic elements in the book. Growing up in Portland she went to Congregation Neveh Shalom, where she became a bat mitzvah, and was very active in BBYO during high school.

With the aid of Portland’s Teen Israel Scholarship, she spent two months at the Alexander Muss High School in Israel.

Her parents, Bruce and Addie Banasky, still live in Portland, where her father’s family has a long history.

The Banaskys came over in the early 1900s from Poland.

Sam Banasky had the state’s first produce sales route

by motorized vehicle; it operated from Portland to the northern Oregon coast. Bruce’s mother's family (the Semlers) came from Poland via Winnipeg, Canada. They moved to Portland in the mid- to late 1800s. They were founding members of Ahavai Sholom. Leon Semler (Leon the Lion they called him) was a shoe store owner on Southwest Third. Another brother owned and ran Semlers Sporting Goods on the same street, and another was a dentist with a practice in the Semler building.

In recent years Bruce has become active with Chabad.

Carmiel says she’s attended Chabad’s High Holiday services with her dad, which helped give her some Hasidic flavor.

“Dad swears I got it right,” she says of the book’s Hasidic elements.

Addie says Powell’s has long been a part of her daughter’s life ever since a teacher offered extra credit for students who attended a reading at Powell’s. “I remember taking her and a friend; after that, that is all she wanted to do. Powell’s became her hangout,” says Addie. “The readings at Powell’s were at first almost any author, then ones she really liked, then authors/teachers she knew (and) more recently many friends who have published.”

And now on Oct. 6, Carmiel herself will be featured on the other side of the podium.

A R T I S T S

R E P E R T O R Y

T H E AT R E

CUBA LIBRE featuring music by

Tiempo Libre Carlos Lacámara

book by

music and lyrics by

Jorge Gómez

directed by

Dámaso Rodriguez Maija Garcia

DANCE WIT

choreography by

OCT 3 - NOV 8 at the Winningstad Theatre

H US!

IBLE I R R EICSALI SJOTURNEY MUS

•B R O A D W AY- S C A L E W O R L D P R E M I E R E •

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2015 37

Author visit launches Jewish book celebration

By Deborah Moon

orjewishlife.com/magazine-subscription

38 OCTOBER 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

The annual Portland Jewish Book Month celebration has been expanded this year to reach beyond one book and one month.

Events stretch from Nov. 3 into next April, with most events occurring in November and March. Now in the fifth year with Marge Congress leading the effort, this year’s program theme is Many Stories, One Community: Portland Jewish Book Celebration.

A full schedule of events will appear in the November issue of Oregon Jewish Life in honor of National Jewish Book Nicole Mones Month, which is observed during the month preceding Hanukkah and is coordinated nationally by the Jewish Book Council.

For our readers’ planning purposes, this month we share the programs occurring in early November.

The celebration begins the first week of November when Portland gets a visit from Nicole Mones, author of Night in Shanghai, a historical novel about the black jazz musicians who found freedom from racism in 1930s’ Shanghai, to which Europe’s Jews were also fleeing.

After launching a textile business, Nicole visited China in 1977 and traded textiles with that nation for 18 years before she turned her knowledge of China into awardwinning novels. Night in Shanghai, The Last Chinese Chef, Lost in Translation and A Cup of Light have received multiple awards, including the Kafka Prize (the year’s best work of fiction by any American woman) and the Kiriyama Prize (finalist; for the work of fiction that best enhances understanding of any Pacific Rim culture).

From 7 to 8:30, Nov. 3, Nicole will be at the Mirabella Tower, 3550 SW Bond Ave., for a program sponsored

by Congregation Beth Israel and the Mittleman Jewish Community Center. The multimedia presentation will describe the jazz age in Shanghai as well as the story of Ho Feng-Shan, who saved thousands of Jews trying to escape Austria.

The next night she will be at the Hillsdale Library (1525 SW Sunset Blvd.) for a Pageturners Author Visit. She will read from Night in Shanghai and meet audience members from 6:30-7:45 pm.

Her Portland visit concludes Nov. 5 with an educational, multimedia presentation of China during the Holocaust.

Nicole will be at the Shute Park Library (Community Room), 775 SE Tenth Ave., Hillsboro, from 6:30-8 pm for a program presented by the Hillsboro Community Senior Center and Hillsboro Public Library.

The celebration’s jazz theme continues the next week when the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education screens the film “Frank's Song,” which is about Frank Wesley, a local Holocaust survivor and jazz musician. The film will be shown in OJMCHE’s cinema (1953 NW Kearney St., Portland) at 7 pm, Nov. 12. Cost is $10; OJMCHE members, $8; or students, $5.

503-260-6667 | oregonjcc.org

Looking to make a difference this holiday season?

Support

JFCS

Thanksgiving Food Boxes

Mitzvah Menorah Adopt-a-Family

NOVEMBER 22

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ASSEMBLY & DELIVERY

WRAPPING & DELIVERY

To volunteer, donate, or learn more, contact Carrie Kaufman at 503-226-7079, ext. 118 or ckaufman@jfcs-portland.org

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2015 39

Arts &

nt Entertainme

Taste of Art Party 2014. Photo by Bob Sorkin

Taste of Art Party: Food for the body and soul

Come see the light and explore the work of Oregon Jewish artists on Oct. 17 and 18.

The Saturday evening Taste of Art preview party will fill the Mittleman Jewish Community Center ballroom to the max with original works of art, an array of tasty foods and beverages, live entertainment, and a preview and sale of Sunday’s art exhibition and sale. The preview party will run from 7 to 9:30 pm, Oct. 17.

The Ninth Annual Celebration of Art exhibit and sale starts the next morning at 10:30 am in the MJCC ballroom. Jewish artists and their work will be on hand until 4:30 pm, Oct. 18.

Admission to both events is free. Both are hosted by ORA Northwest Jewish Artists, the only arts organization devoted to promoting art created by Jewish artists in Oregon and Washington.

ORA's mission includes connecting artists with art lovers and collectors of all ages. Last year's opening night event was a huge success, drawing crowds of fun-loving adults. This year's Saturday evening party will feature wine and food tastings, as well as tastings from Ambacht Brewing (including its famous Matzobrau beer) and Gompers Gin, an Oregon distillery named for Herman Gompers, a Holocaust survivor and participant in the USC Shoah Foundation video testimonial program. Live 40 OCTOBER 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

music will be provided by the popular band The Noted, whose musical offerings are sure to be crowd pleasers. Jazz pianist George Fendel and classical and jazz musician Rich Garber will provide music on Sunday as visitors browse the aisles of art.

For every $25 spent on art at Saturday’s Taste of Art or Sunday’s Celebration of Art, the buyer will receive a raffle ticket toward one of five prize packages. Prize packages include a fabulous date night downtown at the Westin Portland, a Hillsdale/Multnomah basket and an Art of Cooking package. The raffle drawing will be held at 4 pm on Sunday; you need not be present to win.

More than 25 Jewish artists will have their works on display and for sale. ORA artists work in a variety of media including paint, fiber, stone, ceramics, beadwork, photography, precious metals, fused glass, silk and collage. Over the years ORA has expanded its membership to include artists outside the Portland metropolitan area. In recent years many talented male artists have become active members of the collective, augmenting a core of dedicated women founders.

To see what other events ORA artists participate in, visit northwestjewishartists.org/events.html.

ORA means “light” in Hebrew. Remember to light up your evening on Saturday, Oct. 17.

Kids

& Teens too

A child-friendly resource for parents

SPECIAL

Bar/Bat Mitzvah Section!

CELEBRATION

PROVIDING LEGENDARY SERVICE SINCE 1913 The Benson Hotel is the perfect place for your celebration. We offer Kosher Kitchen, full catering, stunning accommodations and an experienced staff to assist with every aspect of planning.

Contact: Janet Kearney | JKearney@BensonHotel.com | 503.219.6706 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2015 41

B’nai mitzvah projects make a difference

Kids

By Polina Olsen

While becoming a bar mitzvah is as ancient as the Jews themselves, bar mitzvah projects are relatively new. Today many synagogues include tzedakah projects in their bar and bat mitzvah preparations. To them, mitzvot include both commandments and social action. In Portland, the projects are as varied as the multitude of synagogues and interesting people in the city.

Here are two young men with wonderful ideas coupled with positive results.

He makes cookies “shaped like the faces of dogs and cats … with M&Ms for eyes and icing for the nose, mouth and collar,” he says. He also makes chocolate chip and oatmeal-raisin cookies. Elan sells his cookies at Congregation Beth Israel Hebrew school events.

CARING FOR ANIMALS Elan Romero, a seventh-grader at Portland Jewish Academy, thought of animals when choosing the project for his October 2015 bar mitzvah. “Animals love me, and I love them,” he says. Combining this interest with his cooking expertise (crepes are a specialty), he decided to bake and sell animal-shaped cookies. Proceeds will go to the Oregon Humane Society to help feed and care for homeless pets.

Barbara Baugnon, the Oregon Humane Society’s marketing and communications director, loves Elan’s project. "I have been constantly impressed with the generosity of children in this community toward our shelter pets at OHS,” she says. “It is so heartwarming to see them dedicate their birthdays and bar mitzvah projects to help homeless pets. It gives me a lot of hope for the future!"

MAKING PARKS SMOKE-FREE

Elan Romero

While Elan chose to help our four-legged friends, Colter Decker focused on the human variety. His July 2014 Congregation Shir Tikvah mitzvah project helped pass a law banning smoking in Portland parks.

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Tradition and Celebration!

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Colter Decker (far left) and seven of his seventh-grade classmates present the smoking ban project to a panel of judges at the Oregon Statehouse in May of 2014. Photo by Sarah Anderson

"We're proud of Colter for his work on his mitzvah project,” says Shir Tikvah Education Director Katie Schneider. “As students approach bar and bat mitzvah age, it's so important for them to begin engaging with the wider world. They need to put Jewish values into practice.”

Colter’s project began with a Project Citizen competition at the Southwest Charter School. Co-sponsored by Oregon’s Classroom Law Project and the Center for Civic Education, the national program encourages students to work together on a community issue and develop action plans for local government leaders.

“At Southwest Charter School, every year we do Project Citizen,” Colter says. “We pick one of the problems in the community and try to fix it. Senator Mitch Greenlick came to our classroom and said he ran a similar campaign a couple years before trying to ban smoking completely in Oregon. He talked about important arguments and things we should look up.”

The class won first prize at the 2014 Project Citizen competition in Salem and “Outstanding” at the national competition.

The students spoke to the Portland Parks Commission citing health issues relating to secondhand smoke and the danger of exposing children to smoking behaviors. When the school project ended, Colter continued researching the issue. He and a friend presented their findings to the Portland City Council. In February 2015, the council voted to pass a total smoking ban in city parks and nature areas effective July 1. The measure passed easily, with four ayes and only one nay.

“One person smoking in a public park can ruin it for everyone,” Colter says, reflecting on the project. Now a ninth-grader at Cleveland High School, he hopes other young people will fight for what they believe. “At the beginning of the project, I thought it was way too big a problem to get anything done. Now I think if you have something you feel strongly about, go out there and make a difference!”

44 OCTOBER 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Bar mitzvah pursues climate recovery from his African-American heritage, and studied with Rabbi David Zaslow, Rabbi Elizabeth Dunsker and others. He also prepared and rehearsed with his family. Isaac’s dad, Rob, with his guitar co-led with Isaac and Rabbi David. As his mom and a maggidah, I helped him prepare and joined him on the bimah.

Miko added her lovely voice and served as the gabbai for Isaac’s beautiful, awesome Shabbaton. It marked the culmination of more than two years of mitzvah work on climate change and the beginning of his work on climate recovery.

By Maggidah Pam Vergun

Isaac Vergun knew about climate change before meeting Bill McKibben – co-founder of 350.org and author of Oil and Honey: The Education of an Unlikely Activist – in front of 400 people in Vancouver, WA. When Isaac asked Bill, “Do you think that an 11-year-old like me with a supportive family could get a local city like Beaverton, OR, to join your divestment campaign?” Isaac’s bar mitzvah project was born. That day he took a huge step toward becoming a young leader in the struggle to stop climate change. Isaac had already surveyed and used statistics to see whether figuring out your carbon footprint might increase your knowledge of climate change – all for his 5th-grade science project. (Miko, his sister, has also been working on climate change and was featured in an Isaac Vergun, Mayor Denny Doyle and Miko OJL article in April 2014.)

Vergun at the Beaverton City Council Meet-

Since meeting Bill McKibben, Isaac has jumped at opportunities to protect his own – and our – future. Through 350’s Fossil Free Divestment Campaign, he began working with the city of Beaverton to fully divest from the fossil fuel and nuclear power industries. In preparation, he analyzed the current climate situation and prepared a petition as part of his environmental ing where the siblings spoke about climate Isaac, a member of Congregation P’nai Or innovation science project. After meeting change. Photos by Pam Vergun Jewish Renewal of Portland and Kol Ami with financial advisors, gathering more of Vancouver, celebrated his bar mitzvah than 400 signatures from as far away as the this past May 8 and 9. He studied the melodies of both conU.K. and Japan, and meeting with Beaverton’s Finance Departgregations, added clarinet and drumming, wove in prayer songs ment, on June 2 Isaac spoke before Mayor Denny Doyle and the

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Beaverton City Council. Isaac planned to return with more friends on Sept. 8 and will continue to help Beaverton and other local cities to act.

and me in the “Kayaktivist” training in Seattle to paddle against Shell Oil and to join the Portland protests with Greenpeace.

This also nurtured Isaac as he created a powerful d’var Torah linking holiness with fairness and human and planetary rights.

Isaac and Miko have been working to build their leadership skills to do this work. In March 2014, the siblings heard about an international training program, Plant for the Planet, sponsored by the United Nations Environmental Program to help children to talk about climate change with governmental officials and others. In Seattle they became Climate Justice Ambassadors and have testified at a rally at Pioneer Square, before the Oregon Transportation Commission, and in many other secular and sacred settings. At the interfaith camp Abraham’s Tent sponsored by P’nai Or, together with Michael Foster, founder of Climate Change for Families, they led the first-ever Plant for the Planet Academy in the U.S. outside of Washington state. They and their parents are working to bring academies to more locations in Oregon and beyond.

They are also part of YouCAN, having gone through Youth Climate Leadership Training, and they are starting a local Earth Guardian Crew. They have felt very supported by being part of P’nai Or, especially by its book group on Naomi Klein’s book This Changes Everything: Capitalism v. the Climate. These strong spiritual and community ties have supported Isaac, Miko

And, on top of all this truly outstanding mitzvah work to celebrate, this summer they got the opportunity to join 19 other youths across the country in bringing a federal suit: Kelsey Juliana & Xiuhtezcatl Tonatiuh M., et al. v. United States & President Barack Obama, et al. The federal case addresses the rights of youth and future generations to life, liberty, property, the protection of public resources and perhaps even the pursuit of happiness – rights that depend on a healthy atmosphere and stable climate system.

Kids

Isaac’s d’var Torah has been a source of quotes as he begins speaking to a wider audience through this case, with the help of the nonprofit Our Children’s Trust (ourchildrenstrust.org).

The family’s website will have information about the lawsuit, upcoming academies and related activities for children and adults (climatechangerecovery.wordpress.com). We urge you to join us in this work with whatever time and resources you can spare.

Pam Vergun is not only a maggidah, she is also a sociologist, policy analyst and mom to Isaac and Miko.

Sign Isaac’s petition wherever you live:

campaigns.gofossilfree.org/petitions/divest-the-city-of-beaverton-from-fossil-fuels-and-nuclear-power

46 OCTOBER 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Be a trendsetter: Make bar

mitzvah party cool, not expensive

Dear Helen: My son has attended 10 b’nai mitzvah in the last two years.

Each required a gift and new clothes, expensive for parents of a growing-too-fast-to-believe preteen. There seems to be not very subtle competition among parents about who can produce the most impressive shindig (with the loudest/biggest band, most expensive caterer, most creative cake, etc.), without, mind you, any seeming emphasis on Judaism! We’ve finally recovered from recession-imposed traumas, but the list of what I’d rather use money for is long. I don’t want to embarrass my son, or have him feel he’s a poor relation (like I did growing up), but I can’t meet local standards with a clear mind or bank account.

Not Cheap, Just Careful Dear Careful: Parents owe their children many important things: a safe and loving home; physical and emotional health; instruction about good values, boundaries and discipline; and ensuring that they grow up to be good, caring people who try to make the world a better and happier place. They do not owe their child a fancy bar/t mitzvah, big band, overdone cake or lavish party. This is a

Ask Helen

great teaching moment, though your son may not appreciate it at first.

Try to make planning a family activity, so it becomes a bonding rather than divisive. Explain you want him to do well with the actual Torah service and then to laugh and dance, but that his party will look different than the mega-festivities.

Find an affordable location (the synagogue social hall?) to accommodate all family and guests (including those whose b’nai mitzah he attended). Instead of a big blast, plan the party around your son’s interests. Make it so cool and special that folks think you are a trendsetter. Then put some of what you save into his first car/insurance fund. That’ll teach goal orientation and financial planning, too.

Helen claims to have black belts in schmoozing, problem-solving and chutzpah. She’s a writer and an artist (kabbalahglass.com). Please email your questions to helen@yourjewishfairygodmother. com and check out the blog at kabbalahglass. com/blog/

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2015 47

Bar and Bat Mitzvah Advertiser Directory PARTY PLANNERS BLC Events 02380 SW Military Road Portland, OR 97219 503-310-4467 blcevents.com BLC Events is an event concierge and planning company. We handle all sorts of events including weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs and corporate parties. We are best known for our creative ideas, unique touches and attention to every last detail. It's the details that set your event apart from the rest.

Jr. NCSY's Bar/ Bat Mitzvah Enhancement 6688 SW Capitol Hwy. Portland, OR 97219 503-504-6430 portland.ncsy.org

NCSY staff will enhance your bar/ bat mitzvah by leading interactive games with Jewish twists, creating Jewish art projects (kippah decorating, mezuzah making), helping with a community service art project (jewelry boxes for orphanages) as well as leading a brief discussion on the importance of these projects. Contact aviva@ ncsy.org for details.

VENUES The Benson Hotel 309 SW Broadway Portland, OR 97205 503-219-6708 bensonhotel.com The Benson Hotel’s special event spaces are perfect for bar/bat mitzvahs, meetings and celebrations of all kinds for up to 400. On the National Register of Historic Places, named The Oregonian’s 2012

Let’s Celebrate!

Lunch Brunch Dinner Sightseeing Groups Charters

Best Hotel-Staff Pick and awarded TripAdvisor 2014 Certificate of Excellence, this is the ideal setting for your next event.

Grand Central Restaurant and Bowling Lounge 808 SE Morrison St. Portland, OR 97214 503-236-2695 thegrandcentralbowl.com/ grand_central Grand Central is the perfect place for your child’s bar/bat mitzvah.

With two floors of entertainment options ranging from bowling to arcade games, karaoke to dancing, guests will never get bored and your child will never forget. We offer an extensive event menu for parties of 20 to 500 people.

Mark Spencer Hotel 409 SW 11th Ave. Portland, OR 97205 503-224-3293 markspencer.com The Mark Spencer’s desirable downtown location on the streetcar line can accommodate up to 200 guests in the new Nortonia Ballroom. Catering is provided by the hotel’s preferred caterer, though offsite catering is permitted for a fee. You also can arrange a block of guest rooms for out-of-town guests.

Opal 28 510 NE 28th Ave. Portland, OR 97232 971-544-7324 opal28.com

503-224-3900 Portlandspirit.com 503-224-3900 Local family ownedPortlandSpirit.com since 1994 48 OCTOBER 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

This intimate venue featuring modern charm inside a vintage building has a 125-person capacity with two main rooms, bar, outside patio and guestrooms. Catering, rentals and décor; outside vendors welcome. Party options include DJ dances, popcorn bars, photo booths, food carts, seated or buffet dinners,

sushi rolling and dessert stations.

Portland Spirit Cruises & Events 110 SE Caruthers Portland, OR 97214 503-224-3900 800-224-3901 PortlandSpirit.com Portland Spirit vessels are a uniquely impressive venue to celebrate a bar/bat mitzvah. We can host from 1 to 400 guests. All our vessels have an onboard galley with an executive chef who sources local NW cuisine. We have a variety of menu options to choose from.

Providence Park 1844 SW Morrison Portland, OR 97205 503-5535429 providenceparkpdx.com Providence Park offers a unique and exciting venue to host your next private event! Don’t let the Oregon weather deter you; the stadium is an indoor and outdoor facility for events throughout the year. We offer professional and experienced event managers to help make your event special and memorable!

ScienceWorks Hands-on Museum 1500 E Main St. Ashland OR 97520 541-482-6767 scienceworksmuseum.org An unforgettable departure from the usual event setting, ScienceWorks offers a unique venue guaranteed to excite and delight. The museum can easily accommodate groups of 250 and more. We welcome offsite caterers and invite you to make your ScienceWorks event a truly memorable experience for both you and your guests!

Portland teen lands slot in elite Israel school

By Deborah Moon

Portland teen Yosef O’Brien has begun an elite education program in Israel for students gifted in science. Yosef, 14, is the only U.S. student in this year’s Anières Elite Academy program.

Other than one student from Canada, the 30-student class is made up of teens from the former Soviet Union. Anières, a program for gifted students in the science areas, is a joint program with the Technion in Haifa.

Anières is one of seven programs in the Naale Academy for English-speaking Jewish students aged 14-16 who want to finish their high school educations in Israel. The 23-year-old Naale program has more than 16,000 graduates. Students from more than 40 countries study in 25 schools throughout Israel.

Students who pass Naale’s intensive academic, social and psychological testing receive a scholarship that covers full board, school tuition, full health insurance, trips, extracurricular activi-

Yosef O’Brien

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2015 49

Inspiring passionate learners K-12

Join us for an Info Day to learn more about our schools.

Grades 9-12 • Nov. 15, 2015 Grades K-8 • Jan. 22, 2016 Find more details and RSVP on our website.

Teaching students to be thoughtful in their education, about each other, and for their community.

503-262-4847 • www.riverdaleschool.com

Grade School • 11733 SW Breyman Ave., Portland High School • 9727 SW Terwilliger Blvd., Portland

50 OCTOBER 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

ties, pocket money and travel fare for going out to visit family and friends in Israel.

“The purpose of these tests is to try and determine whether the student has what it takes to succeed in such a special program,” says Chaim Meyers, director of the western world region for Naale Elite Academy.

Students graduate with a full Israeli matriculation, after which they can stay in Israel and join the IDF – in which case they get special financial assistance – or return home. Students who stay and join the IDF receive scholarships to cover tuition for university after their service.

The Anières program allows the students to attend university before military service and then serve as engineers in their fields of expertise. Yosef hopes to serve in the Israeli Air Force, ideally as a pilot.

“Since World War II the decisive factor of war has been a good air force,” says Yosef, who had the opportunity to pilot a small plane after winning a plane trip at a Chabad auction.

The son of Bayla and Tony O’Brien, Yosef and his three sisters have lived in Portland since he was 2. The family is active with Chabad. Last year, Yosef ’s friend Ben Sand went to Tel Aviv to study on a Naale scholarship.

“I looked into it and it looked very good,” said Yosef in an interview before flying to Israel Aug. 30.

Bayla notes, “He researched it and brought it to me.

He did his homework.”

Yosef attended Odyssey Middle School, where his youngest sister, Shimrit, 8, is now a student. Last year as a freshman at Wilson High School, Yosef was selected for an OHSU internship normally reserved for 10th- to 12th-graders. Following a couple of months of OHSU lectures for all interns, he was paired with a mentor, Dr. Lindsey Crawford, with whom he worked on a viral therapy study. The research to use a virus to manipulate DNA fits into Yosef ’s goal to become a biomedical engineer and cure genetic disorders.

In addition to advanced science and math classes taught in English, Yosef will spend his first year in an intensive ulpan to learn Hebrew, which will be the language for all classes in future years.

This year he is looking forward to studying math and science at such a high level. But he says he will miss his family. “I like my family,” he says. “I’m going to miss them.”

But he won’t be totally separated from his family in Israel. His older sister, Raizel, spent a year in Israel at a women’s yeshiva. She will return to Israel for three months after the High Holidays to volunteer in a youth crisis center. His sister Mina, who works for HewlettPackard, will be in Israel at the end of December.

For more information on Naale programs in Israel, visit elite-academy.org.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2015 51

4 3 2

DOWN 3. Below (33:13) 4. Thousand (33:17) 5. Observe (33:9) 7. Bless (33:11)

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Check your answers at: www.thefamousabba.com/SIMCHAT

• The partnership between Zevulun and Yissachar. (33:18) • Moshe leaving the Jewish people. (34:1)

Act out these scenes with friends and family:

PARSHA SKIT ideas

Just as we start reading Bereishis after we finish Devarim, always try to review things that you have learned to keep the knowledge fresh.

holiday LESSON

ACROSS 1. Covenant (33:9) 2. Shoulder (33:12) 4. Man (33:1) 6. Altar (33:10)

7

Complete the crossword by translating each English word into Hebrew. Use the parsha reference for help.

CROSSWORD

One of my brothers was sold into slavery. I had 11 older brothers. I was the only child in my family born in Israel. The Holy Temple was built in my territory.

whO AM I?

Share something that happened to you this week that made you think about Torah.

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The unused letters spell a secret message!

Moshe gives blessings to each tribe of the Jewish people before his death.

Moshe said that HaShem was “king over Yeshurun” or as Rashi explains, “the yoke of His rulership is constantly over them.”

After the individual blessings, Moshe says that HaShem is there to assist the Jewish people – He defeated the enemy and Israel dwelt securely! Moshe ascends Mnt. Navo and HaShem showed him the entire land and all that would happen there in the future.

HaShem reaffirms His covenant to give the land to the offspring of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaacov. Moshe died and is eulogized

by HaShem as a “servent of HaShem” and He buried Moshe in an unkown place.

The children of Israel wept for Moshe for 30 days and Yehoshua took over Moshe’s role as leader of the Jewish people.

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‫א ב ג ד ה ו ז ח ט י כ ל מ נ ס ע פ צ ק ר ש ת‬

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The first Jewish king was from my tribe.

gematria

• Your friend did not get called up to the Torah on Simchat Torah.

• The lights in the shul went off while everyone was dancing on Simchat Torah.

Can you judge these situations favorably?

you be the judge

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• The human eyelid is the thinnest skin on the body and keeps the eyes from drying out while asleep.

• Human skin is the largest organ of the body, with a total area of about 20 square feet.

Wonders of hashem

(Hint: Simchat Torah)

23 TISHREI 5776 SIMCHAT TORAH (scramble)

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SUPER simchaT torah SHEET

WEEK IN REVIEW

CANDLELIGHTING IN JERUSALEM 5:41 P.M.

Young Adult

Through Latin America

Ethan Adelman-Sil in front of Volcano Toliman in Guatemala.

on a shoestring

By Polina Olsen

After Ethan Adelman-Sil, a sophomore at Haverford College, spent 20 years as a student, he was ready for a change.

He decided a year’s break to see the world was the perfect fit. The avid backpacker began his adventure on the Chilean side of Patagonia last January and spent the next six months exploring. Through hitchhiking and local transport, he made his way through Chile, Argentina, Peru, Cuba, Guatemala and Columbia.

“I grew up backpacking,” Ethan says. “Every summer my parents and I were in the mountains. Patagonia was this mythical place, a whole lot of empty awesomeness.” In addition to being avid hikers and kayakers, Ethan’s parents, Eleanor Adelman and Chaim Sil, have been active in Congregation Kol Shalom for many years. Ethan attended Kol Shalom’s childhood education program, became a bar mitzvah and is still a member.

Patagonia more than met Ethan’s expectations with its large, relatively untouched natural landscape. “The pampas are desertlike, but when you get to the mountains there’s snow, forest and massive glaciers,” he says. “Little towns and ranches are spread out. After I’d been there a while, a town of 5,000 seemed massive.”

Ethan found campgrounds outside town or stayed in hostels.

Fellow travelers included numerous Israelis taking a year off after military service. “We call it the Israeli trail,” Ethan says. “They take a route from Patagonia up through Bolivia.”

Although he’d forgotten the Spanish he’d learned at school, it came back quickly, and he is now conversationally fluent. It helped him meet local people and see their way of life.

“I left Patagonia at the end of the season,” Ethan says. “Buses were full for three days, and I wasn’t sure how to get out. I woke up early, put my thumb out and a completely full car went by and then u-turned. They said they’d give me a ride if I kept my backpack on my lap.

“In front, the father drove and the mother had twin two-year52 OCTOBER 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

olds on her lap. The back seat had a nine-year-old, a 14-year-old and a huge pile of junk. They were going to home, an 18-hour ride. They took me all the way to their house where I slept on the floor. They gave me breakfast and dinner and put lunch in my bag without telling me when I left.”

Ethan stopped in the Southern Peruvian city of Arequipa, where he found great views, market stalls with the world’s best soup, and an eclectic mix of indigenous and business-oriented people. Continuing his journey, he landed in Cuba without first obtaining a visa. “The Cuban government doesn’t care,” he says.

“Cuba is a place where the average legal salary is about $20 a month,” Ethan says. “You have your house, food, gas and electricity but not much else. It’s a poor country with phenomenal health care, education and a lack of homelessness.”

The places he stayed in Cuba sounded like friendly Airbnbs, private homes with an extra bedroom or two. “It was something between a hostel and a homestay,” he says. Architecture depended on the city. In Trinidad, a beautifully preserved colonial city and UNESCO heritage site, Ethan found a single story house with room for three guests.

“You entered into a kind of living room with rocking chairs and a small TV,” he says. “They had an outside dining room and an inside dining room. It felt more like a complex than a house, because you were constantly going from an inside room to an outside room with a covering. In Cuba, the food varied. They had big plates with meat, salsa, rice and beans, and they had really bad pizza. The fruit was phenomenal.”

Ethan hopes other young people will consider a similar trip. Traveling was fun, life altering and surprisingly doable.

“Traveling alone you learn to be around yourself,” he says. “You learn a lot about yourself, especially when you’re on a budget.

There are so many communities out there – international traveling communities and expat communities. As I met more and more people, I realized how many ways I had the ability to live. I could be a nomad or settle in Arequipa. The trip opened all these possibilities of what I can do with my life.”

Seniors

This Portland “trailblazer” can teach you a thing or two about a tea party, too

By Liz Rabiner Lippoff

For a lot of folks, Portland resident Elaine Cogan earned her place in history in 1983 when she wrote a letter to the editor of The New York Times that resonated with thousands – hundreds of thousands? – of Americans who felt they were being discriminated against in restaurants. Who were these people?

Tea drinkers! And I quote from Elaine’s letter: “The prevailing practice (back east) seems to be to serve tea drinkers a cup of hot water and a tea bag. … This is comparable to serving instant coffee to coffee drinkers, a practice universally shunned. There seems to be no understanding that a decent cup of tea needs to be brewed in a pot.”

It created quite a tempest in a … well, quite a stir. Elaine got letters and calls from people all over the country.

What would you do next? I would probably have told the

Elaine Cogan and her granddaughter Kate Van Brocklin.

Elaine Cogan created quite a tempest over teapots in 1983.

story at cocktail parties for years until nobody would invite me over again. That is not, however, what Elaine did.

Elaine did a little survey, calling food editors all over the country. The results validated what she herself already knew: most people did not know how to make tea. On the basis of what she calls “that scanty information,” she and her husband, Arnold, started Elaine’s Tea Company, a mail-order operation that sold tea-brewing paraphernalia and 25 different tea blends.

Many credit her with starting a “tea revolution.” Elaine and Arnold eventually sold the rights to her special tea to Harney & Sons Tea Company, but even today you can buy Elaine’s Blend on its site (4 oz. tin of loose tea is $10 plus shipping!).

Dayenu, you tea drinkers are saying! But there are a few other constituencies that respect and honor Elaine Cogan even if they don’t know their lapsang from their souchong. That is because tea was just an interest that became a sideline for OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2015 53

Elaine; her professional life spanning 40+ years has been as a writer and as founding principal, with her husband, of Cogan Owens Greene. As a consultant to individuals, organizations and communities involved in urban planning and public policy, Elaine has been involved in communications and strategic planning on projects ranging from the Antelope Ridge wind farm siting-facilitation process to the proposed Walmart in McMinnville.

Dayenu? Elaine was also the first woman president of Congregation Neveh Shalom and the first woman chair of the Providence Hospital Board. She was the editor of The Jewish Review. She was the first – and only – woman chair of the Portland Development Commission. She hosted a weekly radio show and for 15 years wrote columns for the Oregon Journal and The Oregonian. The League of Women Voters named her a “Woman of Achievement.” This year, she is a Portland Business Journal “Woman of Influence” and a Portland Daily Journal of Commerce “Woman of Vision.” She chaired the Governor’s Commission on Liquor Control, for heaven’s sake. And

“I do not understand people who say they are bored or don’t have enough to do. Find something that interests you and raise your hand! As long as our minds are working, we should be able to handle everything else.” ~Elaine Cogan

she has written three books.

All this while she and Arnold were raising three children.

Dayenu? Nope. Lisa Schroeder of Mother’s Bistro & Bar in Portland chose to feature Elaine on Mother’s “Mother of the Month (MOM) Menu,” noting that Elaine “has made all the family’s bread for many years … challah, rye, pumpernickel, whole and cracked wheat and sourdough … using a starter she has nurtured since 1985.”

Now in her 80s, Elaine admits she is feeling her age a bit. She is no longer an active consultant, although she confesses that she might take on a project or two if it particularly appealed to her. She does still go to Rabbi Daniel Isaak’s Bible class every Thursday afternoon. She and Arnold are thinking about going to Italy again, although she says she will “go slower. Or take a longer rest.”

“I do not understand people who say they are bored or don’t have enough to do,” says Elaine. “Find something that interests you and raise your hand! Rabbi Joshua Stampfer is the poster child for what we’re talking about. As long as our minds are working, we should be able to handle everything else.”

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Now she is focused on sharing what she has learned.

“The fallout from the Business Journal award was very interesting,” Elaine says.

“I’ve gotten emails, notes and calls from young women who read about me. Two even took me out to lunch; they just wanted to know what I know.”

As a result, Elaine is now focused on writing. First, she is rewriting a book she and Ben Padrow of Portland State published in 1984: You Can Talk to (Almost) Anyone about (Almost) Anything: A Speaking Guide for Business and Professional People. “I’m going chapter by chapter, and I can’t believe how much I have to add.”

Elaine is moving along on this, though, because she is excited about her new book on communications for professional women. “I am interviewing hundreds of women. (When I tell them what I’m doing,) their eyes light up and they say, ‘Oh, do I have stories to tell you!’ It’s still a man’s world in a lot of respects. How we navigate that world is the key to success.”

Elaine’s granddaughter, Kate Van Brocklin, 24, is helping her with the project. Kate, a graduate of Brown University and an experienced writer and researcher, comes to Elaine’s every Friday.

Elaine says Kate is helping her organize the reams of material she has already amassed.

“Naturally we have different life experiences,” Kate acknowledges. “But we seem to have the same basic ideals, values and points of view on the most important matters. I’m impressed by her awareness of issues that women deal with every day.

I am inspired that she is writing a book that I think will empower women.

“My sisters and I have close relationships with both my grandma and grandpa,” Kate adds. “We have always felt connected and find them easy to talk to.

I’m glad we live in the same city so I can help her with this project.”

So, we add “Awesome Grandma” to the list.

I couldn’t help but ask her: if you could have a do-over, would you change anything?

She answered immediately. “I would have kept the tea company.”

Liz Rabiner Lippoff is a marketing consultant, freelance writer and community volunteer. LizInk.biz OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2015 55

An Oregonian in Israel

Sandstorms, literal and figurative, threaten Israel

By Mylan Tanzer

The week before Rosh Hashanah, a sandstorm originating in the Syrian desert covered Israel in a thick layer of dust and sand.

From Metulla to the Negev, the skies were yellow-brown, the sun could not be seen, the heat was unbearable and breathing was difficult. Generally these storms last no more than a day, and then the wind or rain wash them away. This storm was the worst in 75 years. Such a storm had never occurred at this time of year.

It lasted for four miserable days. Airports were closed intermittently and organized outside activity was cancelled.

During this “brown-out,” weather reports preempted the main news stories, including the issue of global warming, the effects of which seem to be involved here. But the skies cleared in time for Rosh Hashanah, the sun is again visible and it is possible to breathe.

The daily issues that will determine how we live and continue to survive are back to their place of prominence in the news.

Rarely has our reality been at a more pivotal stage.

As I write this article, historic and far-reaching matters are being decided. The Iranian nuclear deal, the rift in U.S.-Israel relations and growing Arab provocations in Jerusalem will determine the level of physical security we will have to survive in what is undoubtedly the most dangerous and lethal region in the world.

The recent and controversial decision of the government to approve the exploitation of Israel’s vast natural gas reserves under the Mediterranean by a consortium of the Israeli “Delek” Energy group and Texas-based Noble Energy will determine what kind of society Israel will become. Will the revenue be used to create a more equal and affluent society, or will the growing gap between rich and poor continue to widen? The Knesset still needs to approve the deal. Meanwhile, Egypt, the client who is supposed to purchase much of the gas, has discovered even larger reserves in its territorial waters.

In addition to the security and economic/social questions raised by the Iran, Jerusalem and natural gas issues, another immediate problem has become part of the ongoing struggle. The struggle to determine the role of Judaism in our daily life came out of nowhere to assume a prominent place alongside the life and death issues mentioned above. All these issues relate to who we are and where we are headed.

This sandstorm of a different kind arose in a fairly innocuous and innocent way. Recently, the Israeli cable sports channel asked the Israeli Professional Football League, which manages the top two professional soccer leagues (for which I consult), to move one weekly game of the second-tier league from the regular Friday and Monday slots to Saturday afternoon. The chan56 OCTOBER 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

nel wants to televise it live before the first-tier Premier League matches on late Saturday. Unlike other countries where both Saturday and Sunday are days off, in Israel only Shabbat, which begins at sundown on Friday and ends Saturday night, is a fullfledged day of rest. Saturday has always been the traditional day that soccer is played, from children to the top-flight Premier League. In recent years, the second-tier league moved to Friday and Monday for reasons of television programming.

The IPFL approved the Sport Channel’s Shabbat request to increase exposure, which can be leveraged into needed revenue to improve the financial situation of the teams and the sport.

The moment the decision was publicized, all hell broke loose. A group of second-league players who observe Shabbat (many had previously played for years on Shabbat) contacted the players union to protest playing on Shabbat. The head of the players union recognized the opportunity for publicity and headlines, while completely ignoring the potentially fatal implications for the future of Israeli football (professional and amateur), and took the matter to court.

The judge upheld a law that had never been enforced. Shortly after the establishment of the state (1951), the Hours of Work and Rest Law was enacted to ensure no Jew could be forced to work on Shabbat, and an employer who wished to remain open on Shabbat had to receive permission from the state. In her decision, she said “the holding of soccer matches on Shabbat without approval from the economy minister is a criminal offense.” Wow! In other words, for more than 60 years, anyone who participated in any soccer-related activity has participated in a criminal offense.

Scores of Israeli businesses are open on Shabbat, including restaurants, museums, movie theaters, concert halls, beaches, pools, some public transport, mini-markets and some retail stores. Most, but not all, have obtained licenses to operate from the Minister of the Economy. Until the late ’70s and early ’80s, Israeli football was largely semi-pro or amateur, so it apparently never occurred to those who managed Israeli football that there was a need to receive a license to operate.

Therefore, the decision by the players union to petition the labor court opened Pandora’s box. To legally play on Saturday, a license had to be granted by the Minister of the Economy, a post currently held by the leader of the Orthodox Shas party, Arieh De’eri. If he granted this license, it would probably be his last act as the head of his party. The IPFL and the Football Association immediately announced there will be no football, professional or amateur, on Saturday, because it will constitute a criminal offense. Populist Minister of Culture and Sport Miri Regev, a rising star in the Likud party due to her popularity with the right-wing and religious rank and file, fully supported

the actions of the players union, only pausing to think about the implications when confronted with the decision by the IPFL to stop all Saturday activity.

Seemingly lost in the rhetoric was that for many Israelis who respect tradition but do not adhere to an Orthodox definition of what constitutes rest on Shabbat, going to a soccer game does not constitute a desecration of the holy day of rest. If anything, it is their way of enjoying this day, even though many actions that are prohibited according to Halacha must be carried out to hold soccer games on Shabbat.

President Reuven Rivlin said in an interview that “an integral part of Israeli culture for hundreds of thousands of us is on Shabbat morning you go to the synagogue and then you head to the soccer stadium."

Since the decision of David Ben-Gurion to bring the ultraOrthodox parties into the government, a status quo has developed over the years that has balanced strict Orthodox Jewish law (Halacha) with modern secular Israeli culture. This status quo that allows our diverse cultures to coexist is threatened by the changing political map. The battle for Shabbat football became the latest and most high-profile battleground. This is not only a matter of professional football on Shabbat. It affects tens of thousands of young players, parents, officials, linesmen, employees of clubs, fields and stadiums, and contractors who can play only on Shabbat because it is the only day that schools and offices are not open. This saga threatens other sports as well. Track and field, gymnastics, cycling, judo (in which Israel is a formidable world power) cannot function without Shabbat activity.

International tournaments take place on weekends, and Israeli athletes must participate in these to be eligible for the Olympics and world championships.

Ironically it is not the rapidly growing ultra-Orthodox “Haredi” community who are raising this issue. As columnist Ben Caspit wrote, “(they) have nothing do to with this charade.

They have learned to live with Shabbat soccer that has been played here even prior to the birth of the state. This crisis has been created by the Likud central committee.”

This hot potato was on the fast-track to the prime minister’s office. Netanyahu was smart enough to understand what a liability a soccer lockout would become but was not willing to risk angering his party’s central committee. De’eri was petrified that he would need to either approve the license, which would be the responsible course of action as Israel’s Minister of Economy, or to reject it, as the head of an Orthodox Shas party.

Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein appeared as the knight on a white horse, pulling Netanyahu’s and De’eri’s chestnuts out of the fire. More importantly, he spoke up for the sake of Israeli sports, culture, the status quo and the general sanity of Israeli society.

Weinstein said he saw no reason to suddenly enforce a law that had been ignored for decades and that nobody would be prosecuted. Following that, the IPFL and IFA announced all matches would proceed as planned. In his decision, Weinstein wrote: “It is a fact that professional soccer matches have been played in Israel on Shabbat forever and filing a criminal charge for playing on Shabbat after nothing had been done for decades is difficult in my eyes. Soccer matches have operated for decades

without a waiver, as part of a so-called status quo. Therefore there is no legal reason to prevent the continuation of this activity.” Wow! just turned into Whew!

Reporter Ron Amikam wrote that Weinstein implemented in perfect fashion the famous Israeli saying “Don’t be smart, be right.” He added, “There are so many problems in moving soccer games and activity from the Sabbath to weekdays that compelling players who keep the Sabbath to play on Shabbat is a much smaller problem, and this is what Weinstein boldly clarified. … To prohibit Saturday soccer would cause the destruction of Israeli culture. All normal societies hold the majority of sports events on their days off. Only the Jewish religion prevents its believers from partaking in any sports, leisure or cultural activity on its day off.”

The battle for Sabbath soccer is not over. The Hours of Work and Rest Law does not allow Saturday soccer. As long as Arieh De’eri is the one who must grant permission, the legal status of Saturday soccer will not be resolved. When Weinstein's term ends, Minister of Justice Ayelet Shaked, from the right-wing religious Jewish Home party, will appoint her choice. That choice might not have the same pragmatic orientation or courage to stand up to the growing encroachment on the status quo. Regev has set up a committee to explore how to allow players and clubs not to play on the Sabbath if they so choose.

The only true solution is to turn Sunday into a day off, something that has been proposed in recent years, but it will probably not happen anytime soon. Any other solution besides the current reality will mark the beginning of a slow death for the most popular professional Israeli sport. Israeli pro soccer, like almost any professional sport, is financed largely by sponsors and broadcasters, who conduct their business based on exposure and ratings. Without Saturday broadcasts, they will have no reason to invest in professional leagues and clubs. Without this money, Israeli football will sink, as will all Israeli sports. The commercial money given to professional football by the State Sports Lottery, the primary sponsor of Israeli soccer, finances the rest of Israeli sports.

With the Iranian nuclear agreement and their proxy armies of terror on our borders, with the growing social gap in Israeli society, with ongoing Arab incitement surrounding the holy sites in Jerusalem, sports is extremely valuable in maintaining our feeling of normalcy and sanity. These threats are not necessarily new. The difference is that in the past, Israel dealt with these dangers in a pragmatic and intelligent way. The unintelligent and bellicose Israeli reactions to Arab provocations common in the current government are part of the same pattern now threatening Israeli sports. The vast majority of Israelis, even religious, fully embrace the status quo. But these same people are too busy working to survive – to provide for their families, to pay taxes and to defend the country – and do not have time for political involvement.

Therefore, attempts to subvert the status quo will not end. While checks and balances may not save us from sandstorms, we can hope they will continue to save us from ourselves.

Mylan Tanzer is an American 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 | OCTOBER 2015 57

Israel

Acrimony in America

Editor’s Note: The U.S. Congress failed to block the agreement on the Iranian nuclear deal. The divisive rhetoric from both sides is likely to leave a feeling of acrimony between those with differing views in the Jewish community, which is why we are running this piece now. This piece originally appeared in the Jerusalem Report in September.

By Robert Horenstein

Over the last several years, the Iranian nuclear program has been, arguably, the most serious issue on the public affairs agenda of the American Jewish community. Given the enormous implications for Israel and the world’s security, the debate over whether Congress should reject the agreement reached between the P5 +1 and Iran in July—known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action ( JCPOA)—should have focused exclusively on the deal’s merits.

Regrettably, both supporters and opponents of the JCPOA have chosen instead to rail against one another, often targeting their polarizing rhetoric toward a Jewish community deeply divided on the issue.

For example, in an outrageous attempt to exploit Jewish sensibilities, Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee asserted that the deal was tantamount to marching the Israelis “to the door of the oven.” In other instances, Jewish supporters of the deal have had their core values questioned by opponents accusing them of putting their “liberalism” and “blind allegiance” to US President Barack Obama above Israel’s safety.

Is it so inconceivable to opponents that one could defend the agreement not on the basis of knee-jerk partisanship but on its positive elements: pushing back Iran’s break-out time to a bomb to a year, significantly reducing the scope of its nuclear program, and instituting an aggressive verification regimine?

The same holds true, however, for those who oppose what they consider to be a flawed deal. The JCPOA legitimizes Iran’s status as a nuclear threshold power, allows Iran to continue missile development, fails to link sanctions relief to a change in Iran’s terror-supporting behavior and, reportedly, allows Iran to use its own inspectors to investigate the Parchin military facility, where it is suspected of having conducted past nuclear weapons activity.

Nevertheless, deal opponents have been maligned, their motives impugned by supporters. Most troubling is the dredging up within liberal circles of the “dual loyalty” charge – that Jewish lawmakers who reject the deal, such as Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), are “warmongers” who are more loyal to Israel than the US. The Obama administration, too, has resorted to objectionable language to squelch opposition. More than once, the president has suggested that the deal’s critics are beholden to “wellfinanced” lobbyists, a thinly-veiled reference to AIPAC, and 58 OCTOBER 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

“big check writers to political campaigns.” Likewise, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi proclaimed: “The outside [i.e. the pro-Israel lobby] will have endless money to spend on TV and going door to door to poison the well on this.” For some observers, these statements evoke the odious canard of Jews using their money to wield control.

There has been, of course, a well-funded campaign to oppose the deal. There has also been – as the president and Pelosi know – a well-financed effort to support it. J Street, the leftwing Jewish lobby, has spent millions of dollars on ads urging Congress to back the agreement.

In trying to make its case, the Obama administration seems to be diverting attention from the deal’s significant shortcomings by warning that Israel may be seen to be at fault if it fails to pass.

Thus, back in late July, Secretary of State John Kerry told the Council on Foreign Relations that “Israel could actually wind up being more isolated and more blamed” should Congress reject the agreement, as if lawmakers would act on the basis of Israeli rather than American interests.

Bolstering that theme, Obama, speaking to CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s persistent lobbying against the deal “unprecedented” foreign meddling in American affairs. By contrast, when British Prime Minister David Cameron appealed directly to US senators in January to oppose legislation that would have imposed new sanctions on Iran, the president enthusiastically welcomed his efforts.

Our divided Jewish community must rise above the polarizing tactics employed by both sides – the impugning of motives and the resorting to offensive stereotypes and veiled threats – and forge a common ground. This is especially important given that Congressional opposition will almost certainly fall short of the two-thirds majority needed to override a presidential veto.

Whether one supports or opposes the deal, the focus should shift to the “day after.” A unified front should call on the Obama administration to state unequivocally that the US will use all means necessary, including military force, to ensure that Iran never develops a nuclear weapon, commit to imposing severe penalties for Iranian non-compliance, and provide Israel with the most advanced weaponry to further deter Iran and maintain Israel’s qualitative military edge.

Robert Horenstein is Community Relations

Director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, Oregon.

What’s on Eighth?

An Israeli Simchat Torah Primer

By Teddy Weinberger

On the eighth day you shall hold a solemn gathering. Numbers 29.35 Growing up in America, I always knew about the concept of "yom tov sheni shel galuyot." According to this tradition, for each holy day of a festival, two are celebrated by those Jews living outside of Israel. I always wondered, however, about the Simchat Torah holiday. On the other festival holy days (the first day of Sukkot, the first and last days of Passover, and the Shavuot holiday) it was clear to me that the second day outside of Israel was basically a duplication of the first. But after the seven-day holiday of Sukkot (one holy day plus six days of festival in Israel, two holy days plus five days of festival outside of Israel), we Jews in the diaspora celebrated Shmini Atzeret ("the eighth day of assembly") and Simchat Torah (on the eighth and ninth days, respectively). Unlike the other "second days," here seemed to be an example not of mere duplication but of a separate "second day" holiday – Simchat Torah. What then I wondered went on in Israel? If Israelis did not have two holy days at the end of Sukkot, when did they celebrate both Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah?

Since I will be celebrating my 19th Simchat Torah in Israel this year, I think I have finally grasped what goes on here during this holiday (believe it or not, the process took me a few years).

For the ritually curious, all of the rites that are celebrated in the diaspora over two days are packed into one day: the special prayer for rain, the Yizkor memorial prayer and the hakafot (circuits) with the Torahs, etc., all occur on the one day of Simchat Torah in Israel. Yes, for all intents and purposes there is no Shmini Atzeret in Israel, there is only Simchat Torah. It's true that the liturgy speaks not of Simchat Torah but of the "holiday of the eighth day of assembly." But the central rite of the holiday, the completion of the Torah cycle with the reading of the end of Deuteronomy and the renewal of the cycle with the reading of the beginning of Genesis, carries the spirit of the day.

An interesting aspect of Simchat Torah is that it provides the only case where Israel alone repeats a major holiday rite. I am talking here about hakafot shniyot, a second night of dancing with the Torah, which has come into vogue throughout Israel.

Hakafot shniyot take place this year on Monday, Oct. 5, the evening after Simchat Torah in Israel, a time that is technically a weekday here. Because of this, the hakafot are accompanied by live music. The custom is helped by the fact that children do not have school the next day (and thus many people take off from work). In Givat Ze'ev, the music is provided by a local professional keyboard player accompanied by a number of other musicians (a number that is dependent both on the financial situation of the municipality and whether or not a mayoral election is approaching).

I have no idea exactly what percent of Israeli Jews celebrate Simchat Torah. I do know that as a religious person, it's nice to live in a country where my local town government sponsors hakafot shniyot. Yet, as usual, I will be bothered by the fact that practically all of the people who will be celebrating hakafot shniyot in Givat Ze'ev will be religious. After all, there are both religious and cultural reasons to dance with a Torah. It pains me that almost no secular residents of Givat Ze'ev find reason to celebrate at hakafot shniyot. The national religious camp in Israel is currently undergoing a great deal of soul searching about how to bridge the religious/secular divide that was so much in evidence this past summer. Judging from my experience in Givat Ze'ev, there is plenty of work to do on issues of Jewish culture before one gets to issues of Jewish theology. Plus, as hakafot shniyot demonstrate, it's a whole lot more fun. Happy Holiday.

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OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2015 59

Celebrate Lane County community Oct. 11

g n i Liv Inside 60 Federation celebration in Eugene 61 OJCF launches giving circle 61 Film benefits Next Generation 62 Rabbi accepts challenge in Poland 64 FACES 66 Calendar

60 OCTOBER 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum will be the keynote speaker at this year’s Jewish Federation of Lane County Annual Community Celebration and Benefit. Rosenblum is the first woman to lead the Oregon Department of Justice. An appellate judge and federal prosecutor prior to running for office, she was appointed to her job before being officially elected in 2012. Last year, she drew praise when she refused to defend Oregon's 2004 constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. She has repeatedly stood up for the rights of all Oregonians.

During the community celebration, the federation also will honor Susan Sygall, “one of the true jewels of our community.”

As CEO and co-founder of Mobility International USA, Susan is an internationally recognized expert in the area of international educational exchange and leadership programs for persons with disabilities. Susan, a wheelchair rider, has had a personal and professional commitment to disability rights and women's issues for more than 30 years.

Susan has received numerous awards for her passionate advocacy for disability rights. In 2000 she received the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship. In 1995 she received the President's Award from President Bill Clinton for her dynamic leadership in international exchange programs for people with disabilities, for her mentorship of young people with disabilities, and for her active role throughout our country and the world in empowering disabled people.

The evening also includes dinner, wine and beverages. The celebration will be 5-7 pm at Temple Beth Israel, 1175 E 29th Ave., Eugene. The cost is $50 per person.

This includes a $25 tax-deductible donation to the Jewish Federation of Lane County. To register for the community celebration, visit jewishfedlc.org or call 541-484-2541.

Ellen Rosenblum

Susan Sygall

OJCF to launch J-Give PDX giving circle This fall the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation will launch J-Give PDX, a dynamic new giving circle for Jewish young adults in the Portland area. The program will provide an exciting opportunity for Jewish men and women in their 20s-30s to engage with the community philanthropically and experience the excitement of collaborative giving.

“J-Give PDX will be a new and meaningful way for an underserved age group of Jewish young adults to connect,” says OJCF Executive Director Julie Diamond. “We are thrilled to lead in this emerging area of philanthropy, similar to our successful Youth Foundation. Also, I’m pleased to share that the program is funded, in part, by OJCF’s Community Endowment Fund.”

J-Give PDX participants will have the opportunity to explore nonprofits they are passionate about and connect with causes of their choice. Further, they’ll benefit from being part of a network of peers and be able to leverage their charitable dollars through collaboration.

Individuals who join J-Give PDX will make a charitable contribution to the circle, and these funds will be pooled for grants to nonprofits, as directed by the group. This

fund will be augmented by a grant of about $10,000 from OJCF’s Community Endowment Fund, increasing the financial impact of the circle’s giving decisions.

In addition, OJCF is fortunate to have been selected to be a part of Amplifier's second Jewish Giving Circle Incubator. Amplifier is a global initiative with the mission to strengthen and expand the field of giving circles inspired by Jewish values.

“OJCF is honored to have been chosen

by Amplifier for its incubator program,” says Gail Mandel, OJCF legacy development manager. Mandel researched this concept for OJCF and submitted an application to Amplifier. “The guidance, support and resources Amplifier will make available to the entire cohort will be immensely valuable – and inspiring, too.”

The current incubator cohort consists of 38 individuals and organizations from around North America who will be launching giving circles during the next eight months.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Portland is also participating in the incubator with a giving circle that will be part of its Women’s Philanthropy programming.

For information on joining J-Give PDX, email info@ojcf.org for details.

Oct. 14 film benefits Next Generations “In Vienna They Put You in Jail: The Max Birnbach Story” will be shown at 7 pm, Oct. 14, at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education.

Gerry Birnbach will share the film about his father, Max Birnbach. Many Portlanders may fondly recall that Max Birnbach owned Rose’s restaurant on NW 23rd Avenue from the mid-1960s to the early ’90s.

Light refreshments will be available before the film.

A portion of the proceeds from this program benefit the Next Generations Group and their work providing programs to descendants of Holocaust survivors and refugees, war heroes, supporters and the public. The Next Generations Group meets monthly at OJMCHE and around the Portland area for social and educational programs, for community service, community outreach projects, and more. For more information about the group, visit nextgenerationsgroup.wordpress.com.

The film follows Max’s story from 1938 Vienna when Hitler’s dreaded SS hauled him off to a concentration camp and continues through his Sept. 9, 2001, a visit to Ellis Island with his son Gerry.

The idea for the film began when Max gave Gerry a box of postcards Max had received while living in Switzerland written by his parents who were trapped in Poland.

The documentary traces Max’s remarkable story — including his imprisonment by the Nazis, a dramatic escape to the Swiss border, life in a refugee camp, the futile efforts to save his parents from deportation to the concentration camps, and the remarkable meeting that made possible Max’s emigration to America.

Tickets are $10; $8 OJMCHE members; or $5 students. For tickets or information, visit ojmche.org or call 503-226-3600.

Beneath our dome is a spiritual home

a place of community and friendship, a place for lifelong learning, and a place where every person makes a difference.

503-222-1069 1972 NW Flanders Street Portland, OR 97209

www.bethisrael-pdx.org OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2015 61

J

Living

Rabbi Boris goes

By Joseph A. Lieberman

Rabbi Boris Dolin has leveraged his considerable contributions at Temple Beth Israel in Eugene to embark on an exciting new opportunity in Warsaw, Poland.

The native Oregonian received a job description from a progressive synagogue in Warsaw in early June; he was intrigued, but not sure he and his family could handle such a big move. After discussing it at length with his wife, Sarah, however, they decided this once in a lifetime opportunity would be worth applying for.

The Dolins are always up for an adventure and were interested in a unique cultural experience for their three children; the chance to help rebuild Jewish life in Poland was something they just couldn’t pass up. Very quickly a phone interview was set up with the search committee, and within a day the rabbi and his wife were invited to visit Poland to meet the community.

They traveled to Warsaw in late July and were embraced by the community.

During that time, Rabbi Boris helped lead Shabbat services, trying out the Polish he had been studying intensively the prior few weeks, delivered sermons (in English), taught classes, led Tisha B’Av services and met with many community members.

Additionally, they participated in a march through downtown Warsaw commemorating the horrifying liquidation of the Warsaw Ghetto.

On their final day in Poland, Rabbi Boris was offered the job. Sarah was also offered a position as an English teacher in a bilingual elementary school. However, they were given only a week and a half to pack up and prepare for the move, since the community wanted Rabbi Boris in Poland as soon as possible to plan for the High Holidays. Stand by for further news OF AN EVOLVING 50 YEARS as their wheels touch down.JEWISH-CATHOLIC RELATIONSHIP

Please join us for

IN OUR TIME

A Commemoration, Celebration & Reflection on Nostra Aetate 50 Years Later

ININOUR TIME OUR TIME

50 YEARS EVOLVING 50 YEARSOF OF AN AN EVOLVING JEWISH-CATHOLIC RELATIONSHIP JEWISH-CATHOLIC RELATIONSHIP A Commemoration, Celebration & Reflection

A Commemoration, Celebration & Reflection on Nostra Aetate 50 Years Later on Nostra Aetate 50 Years Later

Sunday, October 25, 2015 3:00 - 5:00 pm

Congregation Beth Israel 1972 NW Flanders Portland, OR 97209 Main Sanctuary

Reception to follow at St. Mary's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception 1716 NW Davis - Portland, OR 97209

Psalms Frontispiece, Donald Jackson, Copyright 2004,The Saint John’s Bible, Saint John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota, USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Sponsors to date The Archdiocese of Portland, Congregation Beth Israel, Congregation Shaarie Torah, Garaventa Center, Jewish Community Relations Council - Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, Oregon Board of Rabbis, Oregon Catholic Press, University of Portland

62 OCTOBER 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

to Poland

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

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OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2015 63

J

Living

FACES & PLACES SUMMER ISRAEL TRIP – Portland teens explore Jerusalem during last summer’s NCSY trip, The Jerusalem Journey.

Oregon NCSY is offering a special discount for the first 10 students who register for next summer’s TJJ, four weeks in Israel including exciting activities all over the country. Oregon NCSY is hoping to send a full bus of students for this coming summer. For details, contact Meira at meira@ncsy. org or 503-757-3037.

SUNDAY PARKWAYS – Neveh Shalom member Steven Kahn, right, takes a break from riding during SE Sunday Parkways to chat with Congregation Neveh Shalom’s new Senior Rabbi David Kosak.

CEMETERY WORK PARTY – A group of motivated volunteers tackled some tough cleanup jobs at the Kesser Israel Cemetery on Labor Day, giving the cemetery some TLC before the High Holidays. Photo courtesy of Laura Leibman

SENIOR WRITERS – Members of the Rose Schnitzer Manor Older But Wiser writing group pose in front of an exhibit at the MJCC highlighting their poetry and photography. The display was unveiled Sept. 9 and featured a poetry reading, slideshow and tea. Eddy Shuldman (far right) has taught the writing class for the past five years. This year photographer Carole Glauber (far left, standing) taught photography.

SUMMER BARBECUE – About 100 people, including Rabbi Doovie Jacoby and his sons, turned out for Congregation Kesser Israel’s summer barbecue Aug. 23 at Columbia Park. .

GODDESS HALF MARATHON – On Sept. 19, women ran a half marathon in the Columbia Gorge which included a crossing of the Bridge of the Gods. Four Portland breast cancer survivors -- from left Ann Brown,Tracy Reeve Rickman,Mary Jo Rutten and Julie Saltzman Leuvrey -- donned pink t-shirts and ran to raise breast cancer awareness.

64 OCTOBER 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

FACES & PLACES

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL MAAYAN TORAH DAY SCHOOL continued its phenomenal growth when school started Sept. 1. Launched in 2011 with 11 preschool students, the school now has 75 students from age 2 through 10th grade, and this year added a girls’ middle and high school class (pictured at left).

PORTLAND JEWISH ACADEMY students returned to school Sept. 1.

Middle schoolers catch up over lunch. PJA serves children ages 6 weeks through eight grade.

THE GAN started school on Sept. 1. Preschoolers were ready to begin a new school year.

MAIMONIDES JEWISH DAY SCHOOL kindergarten and first grade students listen to teacher Simi Mishulovin, who teaches the class with Tamara Schwartz, on the school’s first day of school Sept. 8.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2015 65

Center. Refreshments, music, dancing and fun.

RSVP: 503-535-4360 or patapofft@cedarsinaipark.org

OCTOBER CALENDAR Through Nov. 8 Auto|Biography: Portraits of People with Cars at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, 1953 NW Kearney, Portland.

503-226-3600

Oct. 2 Shaba-la Shabbat in the Sukkah. Enjoy puppets, stories and songs, blessings and challah 2:30-3:30 pm at the MJCC. For ages 3-5. Free.

503-244-0111

Oct. 3-Nov. 8 “Cuba Libre” at Artists Repertory Theatre. 503241-1278, artistsrep.org

Oct. 4 Hoshana Raba: Find services on our online calendar at orjewishlife.com/calendar Sushi in the Sukkah. Noon at Congregation Shaarie Torah, 920 NW 25th Ave., Portland.

Free. RSVP requested: info@shaarietorah.org or 503-226-6131 Women’s Night in the sukkah. 7 pm at Congregation Neveh Shalom, 2900 SW Peaceful Lane, Portland. 503-246-8831 or jgreenberg@ nevehshalom.org Everyday Holiness class begins today and meets Sundays 9:15-10:30 am through Nov. 8 (no class Oct. 11) at Congregation Neveh Shalom.

Taught by Natan Meir. Free to Neveh Shalom members, $36 for nonmembers. 503-293-7309 Holocaust Memorial Tour. 1-2 pm at the Oregon Holocaust Memorial, in Washington Park at the intersection of SW Washington Way & Wright Ave. ojmche.org or 503-226-3600

Oct. 5 Shemini Atzeret: Find services on our online calendar at orjewishlife.com/calendar

Oct. 6 Simchat Torah: Find services on our online calendar at orjewishlife.com/calendar Carmiel Banasky reads from her first novel. See page 36

Oct. 7 The American Road. In conjunction with the exhibit Auto | Biography, Kenneth Helphand, Philip H. Knight Professor of landscape Architecture Emeritus, University of Oregon, will offer a lecture on "The American Road." 7-8:30 pm at OJMCHE. $10; $5 OJMCHE members and students. 503-226-3600

Oct. 8 Retirement Party for Cedar Sinai Park CEO David Fuks. 7- 9 pm at Mittleman Jewish Community 66 OCTOBER 2015 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Oct. 8-11 Cultures of the Sephardic Diaspora: A Weekend of Music and Learning. Presented by PSU’s Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies and World Languages & Literatures and the Sephardic Cultural Center of Portland. Free. pdx.edu/Judaic or 503-725-8449

Oct. 9-Nov. 8 “Tommy J & Sally” presented by PassinArt. See page 28

Oct. 10 Traditions: Congregation Beth Israel’s annual fundraising event. 6:30 pm at The Benson Hotel, 309 SW Broadway, Portland. RSVP by Oct. 6: bethisrael-pdx.org or 503-222-1069

Oct. 11 Why Aren’t There More Black People in Oregon?

A Hidden History. See page 32

Schnitzer Manor, 6125 SW Boundary Road, Portland. Friends of Robison hosts. $18. Reservations and payment: Mary Jane Schenk at 971-717-7165 Talkback following “Tommy J & Sally.” See page 30 Celebration of Art. See page 40

Oct. 20 Mah Jongg class begins: 10:30 am-12:30 pm, Tuesdays, Oct. 20- Nov. 17 at the MJCC. Learn to play this ancient game. Cost: $85; member, $72. Register: oregonjcc.org/registration Inheritance and Philanthropy: Advising the Next Generation. Presented by the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation Professional Advisor's Group. Panel Discusion featuring Kay Abramowitz, Rebecca DeCesaro and Richard Solomon.

Noon-1:30 pm at Multnomah Athletic Club.

RSVP by Oct. 14: 503-248-9328 or nates@ojcf.org Israel Film Series: Bottle in the Gaza Sea. See Oct 13 listing

Oct. 21 “The World Was Ours.” See page 34

Lane County Community Celebration and BenOct. 22 efit. See page 60

The Car in Contemporary Israeli Cinema. 7 pm

Oct. 12 Connecting the Legacies: Primo Levi, Holocaust Testimonies and “12 Years a Slave.” See page 33

Oct.13

at OJMCHE. Come watch excerpts from “Metallic Blues,” “Broken Wings” and “Lost Islands” and consider what the car means for Israeli Jews during an informal discussion with Dr. Moshe Rachmuth. $10; OJMCHE members $8; students $5. 503-226-3600

“Orchestra of Exiles” opens the Israel Film Series 7 pm Tuesdays at the MJCC for three weeks. Thought-provoking films and discussion afterwards by Israeli Shaliach Shiran Halfon.

One film: $5 member, $8 guest; Series pass: $12 member, $20 guest. Register at oregonjcc. org/film

Oct. 23

Oct. 14

Oct. 25

“In Vienna They Put You in Jail: The Max Birnbach Story. See page 61

Oct. 15-17 L-E-V in Portland. Israeli dance presented by White Bird at 8 pm at PSU’s Lincoln Hall. Whitebird.org/eveht/l-e-v

Musical Erev Kabbalat Shabbat 7-9 pm at Congregation Shaarie Torah, 920 NW 25th Ave., Portland. Musical celebration with Rabbi Josh Rose, Jaclyn Beck, Eric Stern, Michael Sasnow, Chaim Lev and other special guests. Oneg will follow. Free. 503-226-6131 In Our Time: 50 Years of an Evolving JewishCatholic Relationship. 3-5 pm at Congregation Beth Israel, 1972 NW Flanders, followed by reception at St. Mary’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception 1716 NW Davis, Portland.

503-222-1069

Oct. 16

Oct. 27

Congregation Shaarie Torah & PJ Library Present: A Little Shabbat at Shaarie Torah. Singing, greeting, stories, eating and new friends.

Appropriate for families with children 2 years and older. 5-6:30 pm third Friday of the month.

503-226-6131

Israel Film Series: Follow Me: The Yoni Netanyahu Story. See Oct 13 listing.

Happiness Talks. Learn about happiness through science, philosophy, religion and psychology with Sharon Rose, retired college educator, 2-3:15 pm at the MJCC. 503-244-0111

Oct. 17

Nov. 2-3

Talkback following “Tommy J & Sally.” See page 30 Taste of Art Preview Party. See page 40

“Aflame – An Album of Jewish Radicalism.”

Staged reading at 7:30 pm at the Milagro Theatre. First program for this season’s Jewish Theatre Collaborative Page2Stage exploration of Davita’s Harp. Jewishtheatrecollaborative.org

Oct. 18 “Bingo for our Residents,” a fundraiser supporting the residents of Robison Jewish Health Center at Cedar Sinai Park. 6:30 pm at Rose

Nov. 3 Jewish Book Celebration begins. See page 38

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strategic thinking about wealth Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management has been helping ultra-high net worth individuals, their families and foundations plan for and grow their wealth for decades.

Based in New York City, the Family Wealth Group at Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management is a specialized team of interdisciplinary strategic advisors providing a full range of family office services to meet the complex needs of the UHNW marketplace. These services include financial & investment planning, estate & family succession planning, philanthropic advisory and administrative services.

The Family Wealth Group is headed by Robert Stolar, a Managing Director and Private Wealth Advisor. Drawing on three decades of investment & financial planning experience, Robert has earned various distinctions within the wealth advisory community, including recognition by Barron’s as one of the top 100 advisors in the country for 2015.

Robert Stolar

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