Oregon Jewish Life June/July 2018 Vol. 7/Issue 5

JUNE/JULY 2018

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SUMMER FUN Culture, nature and destinations Portland Jewish Film Festival June 10-24 Finding Dad for Father's Day Chai Life on a Harley

ED TONKIN From cars to community A leader for change

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018 1

Spend this Summer in Style!

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2 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018

Live. Thrive. Drive.

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OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018 3

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Commercial Photography

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You are Invited

Jewish Federation of Greater Portland’s

98th ANNUAL MEETING

Thursday, June 14th . 4:30 pm

Congregation Neveh Shalom . Stampfer Chapel 2900 SW Peaceful Lane, Portland 97239

With Special Guest

RABBI SHIRA STUTMAN Senior Rabbi Sixth & I Historic Synagogue Washington, DC

Presenting

The Laurie Rogoway Outstanding Jewish Professional Award to:

BEN CHARLTON B’nai B’rith Camp Director

jewishportland.org * 503.245.6219 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018 5

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June/July 2018 | Sivan -Av 5778 | Volume 7/Issue 5

16 12

STAYCATIONS/SUMMER FUN

COVER STORY Ed Tonkin: Federation chair leads to strong future

22

FEATURES JEWS WITH ATTITUDE Chai Life on a Harley

20

BUSINESS Ins & Outs Tony & Bianca Urdes: People come first Barry Caplan: Values matter FATHER’S DAY Finding Dad

22

12

14 16 18 20

FOOD Chef’s Corner: Picnic finger foods 50 NW Nosh: Basque recipes 52 ACTIVELY SENIOR Having fun while healing world 54 CSP fundraiser breaks records 56

29

Outdoors beckon 28 Staycations for families 29 Traveling with Tots 30 Portland Jewish Film Festival 32 PJFF Schedule 34 R.B. Kitaj’s quest for Jewish art 36 This Land is Ashland 38 Life imitates art

40 Photos celebrate teen parenthood 42 Planning trip is half the fun 43 Powwow Freeway 44 Summer Reading 46 Isle of Klezbos 48 Staycation & Summer Fun Directory 49

KIDS & TEENS OJCYF teens raise $48,000 Balabusta Kids & Teens Calendar

58 59 60

JLIVING The legacy of Life & Legacy 61 Kim Danish Rosenberg feted 62 Cover Story Updates: Cymon Kirsch, Jared Blank 63 FACES & PLACES 64 Calendar 66

COLUMNS Ask Helen

43 Chef’s Corner by Lisa Glickman 50 NW Nosh by Kerry Politzer 52 Family Time by Debra Rich Gettleman 59

54 56 6 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018

COVER: Ed Tonkin,board chair of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland.

PHOTO BY PHOTO MEDIA PRODUCTIONS (@PHOTOMEDIAPRODUCTIONS)

Name-a-Room Sponsors Gradow Family Fund of OJCF Howard & Robin Marcus Les & Martha Soltesz

Sapphire Sponsors Affordable Kosher Martin Baicker, Kelly Larkin and Jacob Baicker Columbia Roofing & Sheet Metal Consonus Healthcare D.A. Davidson & Co. Stan & Bev Eastern/Steve Gradow & Michelle Eastern Gradow Friends of Robison Greg Baurer Floor Covering Income Property Management Co. Howard & Wendy Liebreich Family Fund of OJCF Ruben J. & Elizabeth Menashe Solomon D. & Rosalyn Menashe Ron Tonkin Gran Turismo

Naomi and Jon Newman Steinberg Investment Group

Pearl Sponsors Anonymous Aspen Mitzvah Fund of OJCF Carla Properties, LTD. Nathan Cogan Crystal Greens Landscape Jim & Ilene Davidson David Fuks & DeAnn Sullivan Bob & Lesley Glasgow Ivan L. Gold Rosalie Goodman Stan & Shirley Hodes Tony & Priscilla Kostiner Lippoff Family Fund of OJCF Medline Industries, Inc. Jack R. Menashe / Ruben J. Menashe, Inc. Toinette & Victor Menashe Miller Nash Graham & Dunn LLP Moss Adams LLP Leah Nepom

NOW CFO Jerry & Shirley Nudelman Roger L. Oney, Jr. & Philip Jervaise Wendel IV Packouz Jewelers Bob & Rita Philip David & Diane Rosencrantz Eric & Tiffany Rosenfeld Jerry & Bunny Sadis Faye Gordon Samuels The Standard Insurance Angelo Turner USI Insurance Services Linda & Larry Veltman Sharon Weil Gary & Carolyn Weinstein Jim & Susan Winkler Charlene Zidell Jay & Diane Zidell

In-Kind Sponsors Dairy Hill Ice Cream Menashe Properties Morel Ink Multnomah Whiskey Library Pacific Seafood OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018 7

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E

ach June we try to bring you new and fun ways to spend your summer. Whether you are a young parent looking for things to do or places to go to keep your children cool, a young adult looking for new evening entertainment trends, or are looking for new ways to enjoy your retirement – we have you covered.

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2017 2018

RESOURCE GUIDE PREMIERING

FRONT &

CENTER The new Arts supplement for Oregon

Whether you are a long time Oregon resident or new to our fair state, the name Tonkin, is one that is well known as much for their successful automobile dealerships and creative commercials as for their philanthropy. Ed Tonkin is taking that legacy up a notch to include committed leadership in the Jewish community. Our editor, Deb Moon sat down with Ed for a candid and insightful interview.

His journey had has been an interesting one, including a lifechanging trip to Israel with the Federation CEO and President Marc Blattner.

While this issue offers many ways to enjoy your summer, our upcoming issue – the 2018-2019 Annual Resource Guide – will supply you with enough information and ideas to navigate our community all year long. Keep an eye out for it at the end of August.

In the meantime, don’t forget to sign up for our entertaining and informative e-newsletters (orjewishlife.com/newsletter-sign-me-up/). They will be delivered to your inbox weekly with articles, recipes and events throughout the summer and all year long.

Enjoy your summer, and please stay safe and cool.

PLEASE HELP US HELP YOU CONNECT Subscriptions: orjewishlife.com/ magazine-subscription

Email us:

Newsletter: orjewishlife.com, click on “Subscribe Now!”

advertise@ojlife.com

Facebook: @ojlife Twitter: @ORJewishlife Call: 503-892-7402 8 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018

publisher@ojlife.com distribution@ojlife.com editor@ojlife.com subscriptions@ojlife.com

Need help navigating your Jewish community?

WATCH FOR OUR

ANNUAL RESOURCE GUIDE COMING OUT IN LATE AUGUST.

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ADVERTISERS: Make sure our readers know where to find you!

RESOURCE GUIDE PREMIERING

FRONT &

CENTER The new Arts supplement for Arizona

To advertise advertise@ojlife.com 602.538.2955 orjewishlife.com

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JUNE/JULY 2018

June/July 2018 | Sivan -Av 5778 | Volume 7/Issue 5

PU B LI S H E R

H OW T O R E AC H U S

Cindy Salt zman

503- 892-7402

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

EDITORIAL: 503- 892-7402 or editor @ojlife.com

Cindy Salt zman

E VENTS: editor @ojlife.com

E D ITO R- I N - C H I E F

SUBSCRIPTIONS: orjewishlife.com/magazine-subscription

Deborah Moon

BUSINESS: publisher @ojlife.com

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR

S U B S C R I P TI O N S A N D D I S TR I B U TI O N

Mala Blomquis t

ART DIREC TOR Philip Nerat

GR APHIC DE SIGNER

ADVERTISING SALES: adver tise@ojlife.com

Home deliver y of Oregon Jewish Life Magazine is $12 for an annual subscription or $20 for two years. Subscribe online at orjewishlife.com/magazine-subscription.

Complimentar y copies of Oregon Jewish Life magazine are available at dozens of retail locations including Jewish agencies, synagogues, New Seasons grocer y stores, enter tainment venues, restaurants and professional of fices.

Tamara Kopper

COLUMNIS TS

PU B L I C ATI O N A N D D E A D L I N E S

Debra Rich Get tleman Lisa Glickman Kerr y Polit zer Helen Rosenau

Oregon Jewish Life magazine is dis tributed on the fir s t of the month.

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

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

FACES & PL ACES: Photos from past events are due 20 days prior to publication.

Jodi Fried Ygal Kaufman Liz Rabiner Lippof f Kerr y Polit zer Michael Rosenbaum J. Wandres

BIZ INS & OUTS: Busines s news is due about 25 days before public ation.

E VENTS: Information about upcoming event s is due about 20 days prior to public ation.

C ALENDAR: Please pos t event s on our online c alendar. Relevant event s that are pos ted by the 10 th of the month before public ation will be included in the magazine. To reques t fir s t-time authorization to pos t event s online, go to orjewishlife.com and scroll down to the “c alendar acces s reques t ” link under “quick links” on the right. Af ter you submit the form, you’ ll receive an email with ins truc tions for pos ting future event s.

A Prince Hal Produc t ion ( TGMR18)

2016-2017 MediaPort LLC All rights reserved

50 10 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018

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

Many Branches, One Tree.

OJCF empowers individuals to achieve their philanthropic goals. We offer a wide range of charitable services to help people make the world a better place.

Donor Advised Funds l Endowment Funds Planned Giving l Supporting Foundations Youth Philanthropy l Collaborative Giving To learn more visit: www.ojcf.org

Can you hear it calling you?

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Jewswith

Attitude

Portland’s Star Cruisers motorcycle club meets one Sunday a month at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center for a nosh followed by a ride, weather permitting. Photo by Deborah Moon

Chai life on a Harley

By Deborah Moon

Portland’s Star Cruisers are joining the rolls of an international alliance of clubs such as Chai Riders, Hillel’s Angels, Yids on Bikes, Mazel Tuffs, Star of David Bikers and Shul Boys Motorcycle Club.

In late April, Portland’s Jewish motorcycle club reached the mythical 10 members to be eligible to join the 36 clubs on the international Jewish Motorcyclists Alliance website (jewishmotorcyclistsalliance.com). JMA’s site notes, “As individuals, we share the fundamental passion to ride motorcycles, but we are also drawn to our clubs by our common faith and heritage.”

Now with a minyan, the club voted on a name – Star Cruisers – and created a mission statement. Finalizing their logo, which the club expected to do by the end of May, is the final requirement to apply for membership in the group.

The club has been a long time coming. Barry NewDelman was a cofounder and president of the Chaiway Riders in Chicago when he and his wife decided to move to Oregon to be closer to their two daughters. Barry spent three weeks riding his Victory Vision from Lake Michigan to the Pacific Ocean.

12 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018

When he arrived, he realized, “Oregon roads are phenomenal.”

With open roads stretching across diverse geographies ranging from beaches and lush valleys to mountains and the high desert, Oregon offers a dream setting for motorcyclists.

Barry posted a flyer at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center encouraging other Jewish bikers to contact him. But response was light, and he joined another local riding club.

Two years ago (after a short detour to Salem), Frank Seiden moved to Portland from Seattle, where he had belonged to The Tribe. A mutual friend in The Tribe introduced him to Barry, and the quest to form a Jewish club gained momentum.

About eight months ago, the effort bloomed when Frank went to morning minyan at Neveh Shalom wearing his leather jacket with a logo for The Tribe. Rabbi David Kosak asked him, “What do you ride?”

That conversation spurred the rabbi to action. He shared news of the new club with Neveh Shalom members, and he went out and bought his first motorcycle in many years. The rabbi had started riding while in college and did three cross country trips before getting married. Then he made a verbal

agreement with his wife, Laura, that he would only ride a motorcycle with a sidecar. With a Jewish club in the offing, he bought a 2006 Ural, the motorcycle/sidecar widely used by the Soviets as they defeated the Nazis.

Now Frank is the president of the Star Cruisers with members’ ages ranging from 40s to 80s, including one father/son duo. Several are affiliated with Neveh Shalom, but they have unaffiliated members and members from other congregations, as well. Some started riding in high school or college, others discovered motorcycles much later in life. Some of the women ride behind their husbands.

Barry, who serves as the club’s representative to JMA, didn’t start riding until he was 50.

“I needed a diversion,” he says. “I’m not a golfer, but I needed to get into the country. I’m more comfortable on a motorcycle.

A friend made me take a motorcycle riding course before he would recommend a bike.”

Joel Gilbert, 77, also started riding later in life.

“I got the bug to ride when I was 60,” says Joel. “We were on a trip, and a family member gave me a ride on his Harley. The clanking of gears and wind got me excited.”

Now Joel has his own Harley. He got his son, Robb Gilbert, 48, hooked, too.

“I took over dad’s first bike, an ’83 Hugger Sportster,” says Robb, who now rides a 1007 Softail Deluxe Harley.

Perry Welch, 57, started riding in high school and has been riding ever since. His wife, Julie, comes along riding on the back of the bike.

Sergey Sizmin, 56, and his wife Elena, 49, have been married 32 years and moved here from the former Soviet Union in 1991. Sergey started riding a moped when he was 16. As soon as they immigrated, he bought a bike. Now he and Elena ride a 2008 Harley Road King.

Ric Zittenfield, 81, says he started riding in 1952. A friend had a Doodle Bug mini bike and “the concept of being on two wheels I didn’t have to pedal was overwhelming.”

“Many people like to ride for the freedom,” says Ric. “I ride because of a sense of adventure.”

He and his wife, Carol, have ridden more than 2,000 miles together including trips through the Alps.

While Barry and Frank still enjoy rides with other clubs, they say a Jewish motorcycle club is special.

“A Jewish club has a major difference in attitude and approach to life,” says Barry. “We have a desire to do something for the Jewish community, similar to Ride 2 Remember.”

Barry had participated in six or seven R2Rs. Each year JMA clubs vie to host the ride to benefit a local organization or program that helps recall and honor victims of the Holocaust.

The first R2R raised funds for the Paper Clips Project, started

by Tennessee middle school students who collected 6 million paper clips to represent the 6 million Jewish victims of Nazi Germany.

Frank has already organized club members to participate in Good Deeds Day and joined Chabad at Reed College for a project. More events, in addition to the monthly rides, are in the works.

“We don't have exact dates, but events are coming soon,” says Frank. “We are planning, along with Rabbi Kosak, a community Blessing of the Bikes along with other wheeled transpor-

tation in late June or July, and a barbecue with Rabbi Bialo and Chabad at Reed College probably in June. We also are participating in Big Truck Day on Labor Day at the MJCC.” For more information on the club or coming events, email Frank at f4114@aol.com.

2018 RIDE 2 REMEMBER

WHEN: June 21-24 WHERE: Cleveland, OH HOST CLUB: The Shul Boys Motorcycle Club-Cleveland BENEFITING: Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage, which has served as a resource for Holocaust education for nearly 95,000 students and educators in Ohio.

INFORMATION: ride2remember.com

STAR CRUISERS MISSION STATEMENT

The members of our organization share the passion of motorcycles and the love of the Jewish people. We are not promoting ourselves as a religious organization. It does not matter if you are Orthodox, Conservative, Reform or not practicing. The only preaching you may hear is safety on two wheels. We love to ride and we ride responsibly.

Save the date and join us for the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation’s Annual Meeting and Reception Recognizing this year’s Legacy Society Honoree Carol Danish June 21, 2018 from 5:30-7:30 PM at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education

There is no cost to attend and there will be no fundraising.

For more information: www.ojcf.org l 503.248.9328

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018 13

INS & OUTS

Ahavath Achim

Rabbi Gadi and Eve Levy

Ahavath Achim sells Barbur building On April 13, Congregation Ahavath Achim sold its synagogue on Barbur Boulevard to TriMet. Tri-Met has leased the synagogue back to the congregation to use until the congregation’s new synagogue in Hillsdale is completed.

The area is slated for development of Westside Light Rail, including a transit stop for light rail trains and buses directly in front of the synagogue, with a walking path through the property and possibly an elevator or raised walkway connection to OHSU and Terwilliger Boulevard to the west.

When the proposed transportation development was announced about two years ago, Ahavath Achim’s board and members decided it would be wise for the congregation to relocate.

The congregation has begun construction planning and development of a new synagogue at 6686 SW Capitol Hwy. Plans are to maintain the rental space in the building to make the congregation self-sustaining. Current tenants of the Hillsdale building are the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, the Portland Kollel and the Everything Jewish store. The congregation’s small space will be expanded to include a sanctuary to seat about 70 people, a nice kitchen, a social hall and office space.

Construction is scheduled to be completed in the next two to three years. ahavathachim.com

Ahavath Achim names interim leaders Rabbi Gadi and Eve Levy have been named interim rabbi and rebbitzen for the 104-year-old Sephardic Congregation Ahavath Achim.

Rabbi Levy was born and raised in South Africa and is of Moroccan descent. For the last several years, he has been associated with the Portland Kollel and Oregon Kosher. Eve Levy is from Toronto, Canada, and has spearheaded the development of activities, events, travel and religious education of women from every stream of Judaism. The couple has six children.

“We are excited to be stepping into this new and exciting role at Ahavath Achim,” says Eve. “I will be continuing my job in the Kollel and running Shine, and Gadi will be continuing his work for Oregon Kosher. … We have been attending Ahavath Achim for a while now and supporting the minyan each week.

They replace Rabbi Michael, Mira and the rest of the Kaplan family who will make Aliyah to Israel this summer after leading Ahavath Achim for seven years.

RGL@ahavathachim.com | eve@ahavathachim.com

14 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018

Jen Feldman

Keiley Baldwin

Dena Marshall

Rick Zurow

Jen Feldman retires from Beth Israel

Neveh Shalom hires Dena Marshall

Congregation Beth Israel honored Jen Feldman for her contributions during the congregation’s annual meeting May 11.

“I have had the honor and privilege of being the development director of Congregation Beth Israel – we have raised over $5 million,” says Jen of her retirement from the post.

At the meeting, CBI Executive Director Josh Kashinsky announced the creation of a new fund in Jen’s honor. Her ability to connect and inspire people has been a model for our staff and our community, and her impact is much greater than just dollars raised. It is lives changed. We are thrilled to honor Jen by establishing the Jenat L. Feldman Leadership Development Fund. This will allow Jen to be an ongoing inspiration to CBI for generations to come.”

Jen, who last year received a kidney from fellow CBI member, Jonathan Cohen, plans to remain active in the Jewish community, as well as spend time with her grandsons and husband, Howard.

Congregation Neveh Shalom welcomes Dena Marshall as the new director of development.

A longtime Portland resident, Dena is the mother of two Portland Jewish Academy students and has served as a board member at PJA-MJCC. She is cofounder of the global nonprofit organization SwimTayka (swimtayka.org), which sends qualified instructors into poor communities around the world to teach local people to swim and educate them in water preservation.

She also ran an independent consulting firm for 10 years, providing strategic planning and dispute resolution services to nonprofits and community organizations throughout the Pacific Northwest. Dena recently returned from a Fulbright Specialist grant in Islamabad, Pakistan, lecture on water diplomacy.

503-246-8831 | dmarshall@nevehshalom.org | nevehshalom.org

Rick Zurow joins Zoo Foundation

bethisrael-pdx.org

Cedar Sinai Park promoted Keiley Baldwin to the position of community outreach coordinator for the newly renovated, stateof-the-art Robison Health & Rehabilitation Center and Harold Schnitzer Center for Living on May 16.

Her main focus is on ensuring RHRC and HSCL as primary referral sources for local hospitals, care facilities and the community at large through outreach and marketing efforts. “I feel extremely blessed and fortunate to transition into a larger role at such an amazing organization,” says Keiley.

She joined CSP last November as the development and events coordinator, contributing to the most successful annual benefit to date. Prior to joining CSP, Keiley was the regional development assistant at the University of Oregon and a marketing assistant for Pacific Continental Bank. She was an athletic development coordinator for the University of Wisconsin and a community relations intern for the San Francisco 49ers.

Rick Zurow has been hired for the new position of associate director of philanthropy at the Oregon Zoo Foundation.

Rick is in charge of growing the Individual Giving program – both annual, major and planned giving. He reports to the foundation’s executive director.

“I was raised as a Reform Jew until my bar mitzvah, which I had at Temple Beth Israel,” says Rick. “After that my family switched to Neveh Shalom.

Rick worked in Kansas City for 10 years, the last three with the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater KC. He returned to Portland to help relaunch the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation in 1992. He led OJCF until September 2002.

For the past four-plus years, Rick has worked for the University of Arizona (in Tucson) as the lead development officer for the College of Education. He had been travelling frequently between Tucson and Portland because his wife, Debbie, was still working here for Boly Welch. “I was tired of going back and forth, so it was time to come home,” says Rick of his full-time return to Oregon late last year.

kbaldwin@cedarsinaipark.org | cedarsinaipark.org | 503-535-4300

503-525-4205 | rick.zurow@oregonzoo.org

CSP promotes Keiley Baldwin

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018 15

Business

Ken Miller, Bianca and Tony Urdes

Tony & Bianca Urdes:

By Deborah Moon

Putting people first

Tony Urdes was a doctor in Romania when the Romanian Revolution broke out in December 1989. A year later he started a new minimum-wage life in Portland. Then he began ascending the ladder to success here. For the past 20 years he has been a practicing financial advisor, a profession with the same values that drew him to medicine a lifetime and a world away.

AN INVESMENT TEAM FORMS Tony and Bianca Urdes and Ken Miller formed an investment team in 2013. In April of this year, the Urdes Miller 16 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018

Group joined the Portland office of Stifel Financial Corp. because they appreciated the company’s client-first approach that “supports small boutique teams like ours,” says Tony. The team brought their more than 65 years of investment industry experience and clients to Stifel from UBS Financial Services, where they were responsible for more than $300 million in client assets.

“They respect our group and business model and clients,” says Tony of Stifel.

Founded in 1890 in St. Louis, this century Stifel has grown into one of the nation’s leading full-service wealth management and investment banking firms. Stifel has recruited successful financial advisors such as the Urdes Miller Group, who, according to company literature, “recognize that Stifel’s entrepreneurial culture offers less bureaucracy, along with the

ability to serve their clients as they see fit.”

Tony says Stifel offers a platform that supports advisors as they serve their clients. For instance, Stifel is a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation, which protects clients of its members against insolvency or liquidation similar to the FDIC protection for bank deposits. But while SIPC protects up to $500,00 in securities including $250,000 in cash, Stifel has additional securities insurance that augments the SIPC coverage to protect a total of $150 million of securities coverage per client and up to $1.15 million in cash coverage (this coverage does not protect against market loses).

Tony says that is just one of the benefits Stifel provides to enable teams to serve their clients successfully.

FROM ROMANIA TO PORTLAND

Tony finished medical school in Timisoara in mid-1989 and began his medical practice in a nearby town. He was in Timisoara for post-graduation training that December as Romania’s revolution began in that college town.

“It was unreal,” says Tony. “People were excited and scared in equal doses. We were so afraid they would come with tanks.”

The tanks and soldiers did come, but the revolution spread to the capital in just a few days. President Nicolae Ceausescu was arrested; after a quick trial, the bloody revolution ended with the Dec. 25 execution of Ceausescu and his wife.

A year later Tony arrived in Portland. He says that Sweden and South Africa were offering incentives for emigres to go there, but he decided to come to America. “The U.S. didn’t offer anything, except freedom and the opportunity to choose,” he says.

He was granted equivalency for his medical degree, but since he didn’t speak a word of English, he was unable to take the boards. Needing to pay the rent, he got a minimum-wage job packaging bagels at night for a wholesale bagel bakery. He was soon promoted to the day shift “because I knew how to count,” he says.

He ultimately rose to manager.

“Then I started investing my money and other people’s money,” says Tony. In 1998 he was hired by Paine Webber, which was acquired by UBS in 2000. Tony earned the Certified Investment Management Analyst designation from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 2002.

That same year, Bianca came to Portland on a student visa from Transylvania, Romania. She had finished law school and came to Portland State University to earn an MBA in finance.

After graduation, she began PSU’s doctoral program. But she decided she needed a break and started work at UBS. “When I became a financial advisor, I never imagined I would love it as much as I do,” says Bianca.

“I followed all the steps in the system to be able to stay,” she adds. “Besides calling Portland home, I am a citizen, I am an American.”

STARTING A FAMILY

A mutual friend wanted Bianca and Tony to meet since they were both from Romania. After initially resisting, they met and

became good friends. They married in 2007 and began working together in 2013.

They also joined Congregation Beth Israel, where they have become active volunteers. They chaired the congregation’s Taste of Temple fundraiser two years. Bianca served on the finance committee, and Tony is now on the board’s executive committee.

“We feel so grateful to be part of such a great community,” says Bianca.

“We chaired the fall fundraiser while we were very pregnant,” she adds. “There were contractions, but we made it.”

On Oct. 2, 2016, Shira was born. She was welcomed home by her four-legged “big brother” Ozzie, a vizsla (Hungarian pointer-retriever).

Tony also has an adult daughter, Sabina Urdes, from his previous marriage.

INVESTING STRATEGY, IMPACT INVESTING

“We believe in building strong relationships that pass the test of time,” says Bianca. “Our core purpose is to provide prudent stewardship of your family’s assets and to earn your trust.”

Noting a recent study from the BMO Wealth Institute that reveals women control 51% of the private wealth in the United States, Bianca says she enjoys working with women investors to help empower them “to vote with their wallets for equality.”

Bianca says women in particular want a relationship with their advisor that’s built on trust, and they appreciate a high level of service and a personal approach. “We find women want … to support their families’ values and lifestyle.”

“Tell us what you want, and we’ll make it our strategy,” she adds.

Tony notes that many clients of the Urdes Miller Group are interested in impact investing, which he calls “the next level of socially conscious investing.”

“How can we invest to make a difference – to impact some aspect of life?” he asks.

As an example, he cites investing in companies that offer medical insurance to part-time employees or those that pay tuition for employees seeking to expand their education. “We can invest in these companies and support them,” he says.

Bianca calls it “a way to do well by doing good.”

The couple consider themselves fortunate to work with their partner, Ken, who has built his investment business for more than 35 years.

“Ken and his wife, Sue, are very loving people who connect instantly with clients,” says Tony.

“Sue is not on the payroll, but she has such a big heart you feel her presence, and the clients feel it, too,” Bianca adds. “If an animal is hurt, they will take it in and heal it. This kind of care and genuine love and interest in the well-being of all fellow beings – two-legged or four-legged – is really amazing.”

That concern for others was what drew Tony to study medicine and is now the motivation behind the entire Urdes Miller team.

Urdesmiller.com | 503-499-6260

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018 17

Business

Barry Caplan: The staying power of values

By Deborah Moon

Born in Portland 77 years ago, Barry Caplan has been an attorney in his hometown for the past 53 years. Though the Jewish community and legal profession have changed dramatically in that time, he says that the core values of the legal firm where he has spent the past half century have remained constant.

In April Barry celebrated 50 years with Sussman Shank. The business law firm was founded in 1960 by three Jewish partners: Gilbert Sussman, Jerome Shank and Norman Wapnick.

When Barry graduated from law school in 1965, most of Portland’s large law firms generally were not hiring Jews. Barry spoke to the Sussman Shank team, but says they told him he needed experience.

“They were right,” says Barry, who joined the Multnomah County District Attorney’s office. “I got a lot of court experience and confidence.” After two and half years of being in court almost daily, Portland attorney Jake Tanzer, also Jewish, told Barry that Gil, Jerry and Norm were interested in talking to him again.

Since Barry joined the firm, it has grown to nearly 35 attorneys. It has also diversified from its Jewish roots. “Over time opportunities have changed,” says Barry. He credits early Jewish legal professionals including Federal Judge Gus Solomon and attorney Dick Brownstein, who was very active in the bar, with helping to open doors for Jews and other attorneys.

He recalls a conversation with Dick Brownstein, who helped lawyers of color and various ethnicities enter the profession.

“He said, ‘Never forget how hard it was for us.’ ” “Now we have diversity in the firm, and I’m proud of that,” says Barry.

At his 50th anniversary celebration he received a compliment that meant a lot to him. As the firm’s first managing partner from 1980 to 1986, Barry had hired a young mother.

When the woman had her second child, Barry arranged for her to work half-time after her maternity leave. Though she has moved on from the firm, she returned for Barry’s celebration.

“She told me, ‘You were so far ahead of others and kind enough to understand the plight of a young woman being a lawyer and a mother.’ ” 18 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018

Barry looks back to the ’80s as a heyday of openness and expansion in the legal community. Sussman Shank grew from eight attorneys to 22 during that decade. Big firms across the city were expanding rapidly. Cases were becoming more complex, and technology and paralegals contributed to the growth.

Young Jewish lawyers were being accepted by large firms.

Since the recession of 2008, Barry says young attorneys of all colors and ethnicities are once again struggling to find a first job.

“All are treated the same, but it’s not easy for any young attorney to get a job,” says Barry. “For people who want to work hard and set their vision, there are opportunities, but it takes patience.”

Barry also has seen changes in Portland’s Jewish community.

He says when he grew up there were only three to five congregations in the city; now the greater metro area boasts more than 20.

Just months after the arrival of Rabbi Joshua Stampfer, Barry became a bar mitzvah at Congregation Ahavai Sholom, which later merged with Neveh Zedek to become Neveh Shalom.

“Barbara and I are crazy about him,” says Barry. “He just gets better with age like good wine.”

Barry’s wife, Barbara, was raised at Temple Beth Israel, and the couple married there.

When Barry joined Sussman Shank, the partners were all active in the Jewish community and encouraged him to do the same. Gil Sussman and Jerry Shank were both involved at temple, and Norm Wapnick was president of Neveh Shalom.

Barry and Barbara joined Beth Israel and taught in the Sunday school in the 1960s. Barry joined the social action committee at temple and was soon asked to join the board; he served on the board from 1972 to 1978. As chair of the social action committee, he also became involved with the Community Relations Council at the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland.

He went on to chair the CRC and then served on the federation board for six years in the 1990s, including two years as vice president. He and Barbara co-chaired the federation gala two years. The whole family volunteered for federation’s special 50th anniversary celebration of the movie “Exodus” presented

at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in 2011.

The couple’s son, Jon, and wife, Michelle, are active at Neveh Shalom, where their children Jennifer, 18, and Andrew, 15, became b’nai mitzvah. Their daughter, Lisa, and husband, Thaddeus Girard, belong to Beth Israel where their children, Presley, 13, became a bat mitzvah, and Brady, 10, is studying for his bar mitzvah.

Barry’s social action interests also led him to co-chair with Laurie Rogoway the Portland march in support of freedom for the Soviet Jews in the 1970s. When Laurie became the director of Oregon’s American Jewish Committee, Barry also became involved there. He served on the board for three years and represented the AJC before the Portland School Board on the Equal Access Act regarding prayer and after-school clubs.

He also represented the AJC in issues regarding the menorah in Pioneer Square.

GREETINGS FROM THE STATE OF SELF RELIANCE Three generations of the Caplan family

Barry expanded his social justice issues again in the 21st century. For the past dozen years, he has been involved in the Campaign for Equal Justice. He serves on the advisory committee for the group, which “helps legal aid serve people with the most critical legal needs – food, shelter, medical care, income maintenance and physical safety.”

“I’ve been very fortunate in life, but many Oregonians have not,” said Barry in an interview with Oregon Business Magazine in April. “For those with legal problems they can’t afford, CEJ believes that giving them access to justice is a right, not a privilege. … (I) give time and money to help support this legal right for people.”

Just as the legal profession has become more open to diversity, so has society in general.

“When I started, there were lots of clubs and places where we were not accepted or not comfortable,” says Barry, noting that now Jews can feel content to be who they are here.

As opportunities have expanded, Barry says he has followed his interests to become involved beyond the Jewish community.

“I never got less interested in the Jewish community, but I also got involved in other things such as equal justice,” says Barry. “I didn’t shut anything out, but I couldn’t find time for everything.”

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A Father’s Day first

about her father.

“I grew up in a loving family,” says Debbi. “I lived with my mother and grandparents and aunt. When I was 8, I got an adopted father (whose name appears on the only birth certificate she has ever seen).”

Yet Debbi had wondered about her biological father her entire life. Her mother, Judy Sherman, was just 17 when Debbi was born, and she died 38 years ago without ever talking about Debbi’s dad.

“I’ve always been grateful for the family I grew up in, but I was different and now I know why I was different,” she says.

Debbi had made attempts to find her father before, but she only had a name and she wasn’t sure that was real. But her own children, Jenn, 35, and Adam, 32, encouraged her to keep trying.

Genetic DNA testing finally provided the key. The genetic

By Deborah Moon test revealed her father was not Jewish and also gave her the name of a third cousin. That cousin offered to help, but Debbi The thought of Father’s Day this year makes Debbi Bodie soon realized she could not find the answer without profesgiddy.

“This will be my first Father’s Day I will know who my father sional help. Through the ROOTS Birth Family Finder, she connected with genealogist Shelbi Walker. is,” says Debbi with a wide grin.

“She spent five months creating trees and triangulating all Though her father died in 2008, Debbi has connected with a my matches,” says Debbi. Then on Jan. 25, a second cousin half-sister and two half-brothers, who have welcomed her into appeared on Debbi’s DNA match. Debbi sent the new name to the family and provided photos and stories so she can know Shelbi and also emailed the cousin, who replied within an hour saying she was sure Debbi’s dad must be her cousin, Buddy Beckett. Shelbi quickly confirmed that Eugene “Buddy” Beckett was indeed Debbi’s dad, but he had died 10 years earlier.

“The only way to find out about him was to talk to his family,” says Debbi.

She describes that cold call to her half-sister as the most difficult call she has ever made.

“Now comes the great Combining three photos, Debbi Bodie, center, finally has a family picture part of the story,” says with her parents, Eugene “Buddy” Beckett and Judy Sherman.

20 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018

COVER STORY

Eugene “Bud

dy” Beckett in

1958

Debbi as her smile gets even bigger. “I told her the DNA story and said your father is my father and I stopped. My new sister Pam – that’s what I always call her – said, ‘Oh, OK, Let me tell you about him. I’ve always wanted a sister.’ ” “Our Dad was Fonzie on steroids; he loved clothes and he loved fine things and he loved shoes,” Pam told her. “He lived hard and played hard and loved rock music.”

Debbi’s giddiness almost bubbles over as she exclaims, “I love clothes and shoes, and I learned my father was the same. I’ve always loved rock music. … She sent me photos.”

Her half-brothers, Randy and Dennis, were a bit more cautious. Randy asked that they take a DNA test to confirm the relationship before they told his mom (whom Buddy had not married until after Debbi was born).

Ever since the DNA test confirmed Buddy was her father, Debbi has been learning about who he was and her new family.

“I wanted to know what he looked like,” she says. When she received a photo of 20-year-old Buddy in 1958, the year he dated her 16-year-old mother, Debbi says she could finally picture her parents together. She describes her father as handsome and charismatic and her mother as beautiful. “You can see he had a huge personality.”

She has also been able to find out her family medical history.

“What I have been given is beyond a gift and miracle to me,” she says.

“Now I know who I am and I feel whole.”

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OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018 21

COVER STORY Ed Tonkin and his chihuahua Sophie in his Portland condo.

PHOTO BY

PHOTO MEDIA PRODUCTIONS (@PHOTOMEDIAPRODUCTIONS)

ED TONKIN:

LEARNS, LAUGHS & LEADS COMMUNITY TO STRONG FUTURE

BY DEBORAH MOON

E

d Tonkin always knew the Jewish Federation was important, but it wasn’t until he joined the board of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland in 2014 that he understood just how and why it is so vital. As he has learned about all the programs, agencies and people who benefit from federation, he has made it his mission to share that knowledge with the community in his role as chair, a two-year post he accepted in 2016.

He recently agreed to serve a third year, which will begin at the annual meeting June 14.

“When I joined the board, I really didn’t have much idea of what federation did,” says Ed. “I knew it existed, I knew it was important, I knew it needed community support, but I really couldn’t tell you what they did. I think that’s true of many in our community… They should know how their support is impacting people in real world situations. There are many needs in the community right here in our own backyard, and it stretches from birth until death.”

He wants people to be aware of the local programs supported by JFGP that stretch across the lifecycle to enhance Jewish life here. The new Rachel’s Well community mikvah is available for all lifecycle ritual needs. For children, PJ Library provides free books, Right Start helps parents send tots to a Jewish preschool, Happy Camper provides summer camp scholarships, three day schools meet educational needs and the Mittleman Jewish Community Center offers programs for all ages. Hillels support college students, and Moishe House offers

22 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018

“I guess you could say it’s part of my nature to get involved and serve.” ~ Ed Tonkin

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018 23

Clockwise, above: Always looking for fun way to represent his home state, Ed puts a Hillsboro Hops hat on a camel at Petra, Jordan. The team’s stadium is the Ron Tonkin Field.

Ed Tonkin at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

Ed calls his first trip to Israel last year with JFGP CEO Marc Blattner eye-opening. He hopes to return with his children on his next trip.

Ed Tonkin with Marlee Matlin and Marc Blattner at a JFGP Gala. a place for young adults to socialize in a Jewish setting. Jewish Family and Child Service has resources for all ages, and Cedar Sinai Park provides housing and resources for the community’s elderly and adults with disabilities. Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education provides cultural and educational exhibits and programming to the entire community. Ed has created a video series (see box on page 26) to highlight some of those who benefit from the programs.

His increasing awareness of the federation’s role in the local and global community has also opened his eyes to the richness and diversity of Judaism. Interacting with observant board members such as Marshal Spector inspired him to begin studying Jewish traditions with Rabbi Kenneth Brodkin of the Orthodox Congregation Kesser Israel. While he considers his religious

24 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018

friends role models, he says he does not aspire to emulate their observance.

“They are role models for me, and I look to them for encouragement and, at times, guidance even, as I learn more about my own relationship to Judaism,” says Ed. A lifelong member of Reform Congregation Beth Israel, he describes himself as deeply spiritual rather than religious.

“I’m learning you can view Judaism through different lenses – that can be a strength and a weakness,” says Ed. “A strength because it allows for creative thinking. The dogmatic approach can be oppressive. Diversity allows for challenging beliefs as the world changes. … The weakness, in my opinion, is … if it becomes a free-for-all and you can justify anything through faith, that is not constructive.”

• • • • E D TO N K I N

Left: Ambassador Dennis Ross and Ed Tonkin at Major Donor Dinner at the Multnomah Athletic Club.

Below: Ed Tonkin and Michelle Poli at Super Sunday.

When he joined the federation board in 2014, he may have been uninformed about all the agencies, programs and people it benefits, but he was well versed in the requisites of leadership.

FAMILY Ed was born Nov. 1, 1954, to Nancy L. and Ronald B. Tonkin.

His mother died in 1985 and his father died in 2014. He is the middle child of three sons: Barry, Ed and Brad.

His father launched his first dealership, Ron Tonkin Chevrolet, in 1960. The business ultimately grew to 21 dealerships, and Ron, Ed and Brad became recognizable to many Oregonians, thanks to the television commercials they starred in over the years.

Ed says he and Brad enjoyed doing the branding ads for the Ron Tonkin brand. They would write a year’s worth of ads and then go to Los Angeles for a couple of days to shoot them.

“The more fun we had, the better they came off,” he says. “I loved the western spots. We did those in the western town that has been used (in filming) back to ‘Gunsmoke.’ ” Ron started the tradition of holding a family meeting every year to discuss the family’s annual donation to the Jewish federation.

Ed has continued the tradition of consulting with other family members.

Ed describes a meaningful encounter he and his daughter, Nancy, 32, had during a Cedar Sinai Park tour of the four new Greenhouse households. While in the Nancy and Ron Tonkin Household, which the family sponsored in honor of his parents, the daughter of one resident came up to them and said, “I can’t

thank you enough for what it means to me and my mother and family for the beautiful home she has here.”

Ed turned to his daughter and said, “This is why we do this.”

Nancy and Nate Zoucha are the parents of Ed’s only grandson, Bennett Zoucha, age 2. Ed says his grandson’s birth two years to the day after the death of his father “underscored for me the whole concept of a beautiful world continuing to evolve: one life goes out and another comes in.”

In 2016 the group sold 16 of its 21 dealerships to Spokanebased Gee Automotive Companies. Ed’s son, Adam, 35, runs the Ron Tonkin Chevy dealerships for the new owner.

Without telling Ed, his long-term companion, Michelle Poli, took the Oregon Board of Rabbis 18-week Introduction to Judaism class.

Noting Michelle did not grow up with any faith, he says she “loves the values she has seen in Judaism.” The two agree celebrating Shabbat on Friday evenings is something they would enjoy adding to their lives.

“The act of going and getting challah, and saying the blessing over candles and bread and wine is grounding,” says Ed. “It is time for reflection.”

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018 25

PREVIEWS Ed’s cousin, Cheryl Tonkin, provided his first real interaction with federation. She persuaded him to co-chair the 1999 federation gala that brought Henry Winkler to town. Ed says he agreed because “Cheryl is a rock star.” But he didn’t really become personally involved in federation until Cheryl persuaded him to join her again to chair the four-day Food for Thought friend-raising celebration in 2013.

“My cousin Cheryl was terrific,” says Ed. “The Food for Thought was her idea, and I was glad to be a part of it. I love working with her.”

The multifaceted celebration, which featured a smorgasbord of events including comedy, health, politics, books, food, films, art, music and more, also introduced Ed to the hardworking, enthusiastic staff and volunteers who make federation a success.

“I have always felt that 'enthusiasm is contagious,' something I practiced in business,” says Ed. “Commitment and enthusiasm is infectious, and I caught some of it when I saw people working at federation to help support our community. It motivated me to want to be a part of that.”

“My relationship with Marc (Blattner, JFGP CEO and president) is wonderful,” he adds. “We work very closely together and have a great time doing so. We are very fortunate to have him here in Portland leading our federation. He is without a doubt a major reason I took on the role as chair.”

LAWYER AND BUSINESSMAN Ed has lived in Portland all his life except for seven years in Seattle to attend undergraduate and law school at the University of Washington. He practiced law with a large downtown Portland law firm for a few years before joining the family automobile dealership business.

He rose to national prominence in 2010 when he was elected chairman of the National Automobile Dealer Association, a post his father held in 1989. NADA represented 19,000 new car and truck dealers “during the most difficult time in our industry’s history – economic collapse and automaker

bankruptcies and bailouts.”

“I guess you could say it’s part of my nature to get involved and serve.”

He says his term as NADA chair provided experience he has been able to draw on as chair of JFGP. “Every experience we have helps shape us, and that experience helped me immeasurably,” says Ed. “Planning strategy and running a very large board gave me great experience.”

“I gained great experience lobbying on Capitol Hill. In that effort I had to advocate many positions on many issues.

I spent many hours on Capitol Hill lobbying senators and Congressmen and Congresswomen, many not from Oregon.

Because of the GM and Chrysler bankruptcies, I met with executives from each company every week for the better part of the year in House Minority Leader Steny Hoyer’s office in the Capitol. I was in Washington 46 of 52 weeks during my year as chairman. Further, I worked with President Obama’s Car Czars (Steve Rattner and Ron Bloom) in the Treasury building regularly, trying to save dealers from being wiped out in the bankruptcies.”

He traveled to countries including Brazil, France and India to speak to industry dealers and manufacturers.

He also appeared several times on CNBC, Bloomberg, CNN and the News Hour with Judy Woodruff, where he was told he was the only person to make her laugh during an interview.

Judy was interviewing Ed and a University of Michigan professor about the auto industry; when the professor said he had not bought a car in many years, Ed retorted, “Do you want to buy one from me? I’ll ship it to Michigan.” He says Judy later told him that had never happened before on her show.

“We accomplished a tremendous amount during the most difficult time in the history of our industry,” says Ed, adding that the accomplishments were a joint effort with “a very fine intelligent, active and committed board and staff, just like at federation. I was the one who was privileged to work with

VIDEO SERIES Ed Tonkin has narrated several short videos about people who benefit from programs supported by the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland. He plans to film more videos in the coming year. Check out these videos: youtube.com/watch?v=1doLOUGP_uI&feature=youtu.be vimeo.com/205948407/51ddd73a38 youtube.com/ watch?v=VVhe2yxlJQI&feature=youtu.be youtube.com/watch?v=8bRlJP8MeCw&feature=youtu.be Ron and Ed Tonkin

26 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018

• • • • E D TO N K I N and serve them and my industry/ community.”

HAVING FUN Making Judy Woodruff or anyone else laugh is not an anomaly in Ed’s life. He finds humor and fun are great assets in life. “I believe you can accomplish great things and still have fun,” says Ed. In addition to keeping work fun, Ed has multiple hobbies and interests.

His biggest passion is watch collecting. He has many friends in Switzerland; each year he attends the Geneva Watch Fair, which is geared toward executives in the watch industry.

Fly fishing is another passion, though he says he doesn’t have the patience to tie his own flies.

He also enjoys reading nonfiction, especially history, and great literature.

The Portland Farmers Market is a regular stop in his week when he is in town. Cooking healthy meals with fresh foods is another pastime he enjoys.

He’s always loved to travel, and now that he has retired from the auto industry, he travels as much as he can. “I want to do it while I’m healthy,” he says. He’s been to Africa three times and is a frequent visitor to Asia and Europe. Last year he visited Israel for the first time.

accomplishments.

Programs “to bring along the next generation who will be the custodian of our Jewish community and work to continue to grow it and strengthen it” are especially dear to his heart. The PDX Pathways program to mentor young adults, Hillel and Moishe House are vital programs. Strengthening these programs as well as those for children is one of the major accomplishments of his first term.

He is excited about the community mission to Israel for federation’s 100th anniversary in 2020. Planning is furiously under way to take 500 people to Israel for touring, education, celebration and fun.

Other accomplishments include building and opening a beautiful new community mikvah; growing the campaign to $4.4 million last year (he credits campaign chairs Mindy and Mark Zeitzer for a marvelous job); increasing funding to Overseas Special Projects; expanding allocations to include Portland Kollel and Chabad Northeast; and increasing funding for teens to travel to Israel.

“What makes me most proud is that the board truly is what I call a functioning board – it works and it works well,” he says.

That is due in no small part to Ed’s focus on ensuring everyone comes to meetings prepared and discusses issues respectfully.

“We enjoy vibrant discussions with differing points of view,” says Ed. “Each person can offer their point of view, whether or not the others Tonkin agree, and engage in spirited debate before arriving at a consensus, and doing so in a respectful environment.”

Marc Blattner attributes that environment to Ed: “Our community is blessed to have such incredible leadership that cares and always has the overarching Jewish community’s best interest front and center. And, although he does not like it when I do this, I must give credit to the superb leadership of our Chair Ed Tonkin. In so many ways, it is his style that creates such vibrant and open meetings.”

Ed Tonkin walks down the street with his grandson Bennett Zoucha.

“They should know how their support is impacting people in real world situations.”

YEAR THREE: LOOKING BACK AND CHALLENGES AHEAD Ed agreed to accept a third year as federation chair because, “There’s still unfinished business; challenges —Ed remain. There will always be challenges, but there is more work to do on the issues that I am passionate about: educating the people in our community about the many things federation does, why it exists and why it is so vital to our community. Also, the very important task of bringing along the next generation who will be responsible to care for our Jewish community, who will have the opportunity (and burden and great responsibility) to carry the baton and preserve Jewish life here.”

In his first two years, he is proud of the board’s many

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018 27

and summer fun INSIDE Outdoor fun Family hot spots Traveling with tots 26th film festival PJFF Schedule

28 29 30 32 34

R.B. Kitaj exhibit Visit Ashland Synchronicity at ART Photo celebration Ask Helen

36 38 40 42 43

Powwow Freeway Summer Reading Isle of Klezbos Staycation & Summer Fun Directory

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Oregon summers beckon us

OUTSIDE Lior Ben-Hur and Sol Tevel/ MJCC Lawn Concert Oregon Zoo Happy Hour Series

Concerts in the Park from Portland Parks & Rec

28 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018

W

hen the sun arrives after months of rain and gray skies, Oregonians can’t wait to head outdoors.

Wineries and golf resorts abound for adults seeking some fresh air. (See next page to see destinations and events that are especially appropriate for families with young children.)

In addition to plenty of wonderful places to experience nature, several venues offer outdoor music or other entertainment. South in Medford you’ll find the Britt Music & Arts Festival; the scenic hillside venue now hosts a summer-long series of concerts including a three-week orchestra season. Central Oregon offers a diverse lineup of shows and festivals throughout the summer; venues include the Les Schwab Amphitheater, an outdoor riverfront amphitheater in the historic Old Mill District in Bend, and high desert ranches and resorts.

In the metro area, the Waterfront Blues Festival over the Fourth of July is just one of many festivals over the summer.

Portland Parks & Recreation has been offering Concerts in the Park around the city since 1901; they range from classical to country, rock & roll to rhythm & blues. Following are two other concert venues to check out this summer.

LAWN CONCERTS AT THE J The Mittleman Jewish Community Center will host its second annual outdoor concert series this summer. The three-concert series will be held on the MJCC lawn, weather permitting. Food and drinks will be available for purchase.

The series kicks off at 5:30 pm, Sunday, June 24, with Lior Ben-Hur and Sol Tevel. Born in Jerusalem with Greek and Iraqi roots, Lior Ben-Hur has traveled to more than a dozen countries, where he spent time learning, performing and sharing experiences with musicians and artists from

around the globe. Along with his eight-piece band, Lior BenHur continues to focus on his passion for reggae music while incorporating Jewish melodies.

Cost: $10 Internationally acclaimed American/Israeli rock group Moshav will perform at 7 pm, Thursday, July 26. Moshav began when childhood friends Yehuda and Duvid made music together on Moshav Mevo Modiin, a cooperative community of farmers in Israel. Cost: $10.

On Sunday, Aug. 19, local musicians will provide music from 11 am to 2 pm. Several Portland musicians are scheduled to perform. This event also features crafts and activities for young families. Cost: $5. oregonjcc.org/arts-culture/ summer-concert-series.

MUSIC AND ANIMALS AT THE OREGON ZOO This summer, the Oregon Zoo will be bursting with activity.

Concerts, happy hours and animal encounter tours abound.

This year, Oregon’s “wildest” outdoor concert series brings you world-class artists for a night of music and nature from June to September. It would not be summer in Oregon without an evening of great music at the zoo! zooconcerts.com Get up close and personal with the zoo’s star residents with Animal Encounter Tours. Animal experiences at a number of price levels are available. oregonzoo. org/encounters The zoo also presents a summer Happy Hour Series. Each event will feature a different animal theme: June 13 will celebrate predators such as cheetahs and painted dogs, July 11 will center on bird encounters, Aug. 8 will honor the elephants and Sept. 5 will focus on slippery characters such as otters, beavers and seals. oregonzoo.org/happy

Family staycation ideas near Portland By Jodi Fried

F

amily travel is great but can be costly, exhausting and challenging to find the time between everyone’s schedules for a full-blown trip. Luckily, staycations can make staying put just as fun as exploring a new destination. There is so much to do in and around Portland. Here are some ideas to get you started planning a local family staycation:

1

Head to the Oregon Coast Aquarium (1) in Newport for the day or get a group together for a “Sleep in the Deep” adventure, where you can spend the night in one of the aquarium’s three tunnels. Pair this with a visit to the beach for a day or two of family fun.

More info at aquarium.org.

Salem, just 47 miles from Portland, is home to the Gilbert House Children’s Museum (2) and the nearby Riverfront Park. While the museum is not huge, it is ideal for young kids and offers a change of scenery from metro-area options. The Outdoor Discovery Area offers ample room to run around, and climbing structures abound. The carousel at Riverfront Park is a favorite for our kids, and it’s also fun to watch the barges and activity at the Port. Save $: If you are a member of Washington County Libraries, you can obtain a free pass to the museum; find out how from your librarian.

2

3

4

On a clear day, take a hike in Forest Park (3), pack a lunch and picnic on the lawn outside Pittock Mansion. The hike is moderate, mostly shaded and your picnic spot is sure to offer a gorgeous view of Mt. Hood and the Willamette River. Of course, there are plenty of hikes to take in and around Portland.

Some other favorite spots are Tryon Creek and Mount Talbert Nature Park near Clackamas.

In true tourist fashion, take a jet boat adventure on the Willamette River (4).

Combine this with a visit to OMSI and a stroll on the Eastbank Esplanade.

AQUARIUM IMAGE COURTESY OCVA CC BY-ND 2.0_FLICKR

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018 29

5

Take a kayak tour to Willamette Falls (5), the 17th-largest waterfall in the world, and witness the immense beauty and intense rush of this masterpiece close up. Or simply rent the gear and head out yourself. Check out eNRG Kayaking (enrgkayaking.com) in Oregon City for tours and rentals.

QUICK TIPS TO HELP SANITY REIGN

Rent a bike (6) (or grab your own) and take the day to explore Portland’s 12 bridges. There will be plenty of places to stop for ice cream or coffee along the way.

6

7

8

Attend a festival. A lot goes on at the Portland Waterfront (7) each summer. Don’t miss our premier festival, the Portland Rose Festival, which runs from May 25June 9. With vendors, rides and food, there’s something for everyone!

For a low-cost way to close out your day, head to a free concert (8) or movie in the park. These take place all summer long at locations across the city. Check out portlandoregon.gov/ parks/61921 for more info.

Now it’s your turn. Grab a hat, hop in the car and become a tourist in your own hometown!

A South African native, Jodi Fried grew up in Portland, then spent time in Colorado and Montana where she and her husband started their family. They moved back to the Rose City three years ago, and enjoy adventures and travel of all sorts. Jodi is the program director at Kesser Israel, and, as a passion, helps parents get out and about with kids. Check her out at loveadventuremom. com/home.

30 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018

As parents we’ve all experienced those moments... kids bickering, disagreeing with everything we say, keeping us up at night. And we know they can get the best of us -- especially when traveling or on the road. Here are a few quick tips to help sanity reign when you’re out and about this summer: Take a deep breath before you head out (really!).

KNOW THAT YOU ARE IN CONTROL Also remember WHY you’re doing this in the first place.

GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION TO BE FLEXIBLE (it’s unlikely everything will go as planned).

TAKE SNACKS THE KIDS WILL ACTUALLY EAT (let them help you pack the snacks). There’s nothing like ending the day with starving kids and a cooler full of uneaten, unappetizing food.

INVOLVE THE KIDS Make a quick list and let them pick what they’d like to do. Plan some games and activities for kiddos to do during downtime, especially in the car. Sticker books and finger puppets are often a hit.

Hundreds of FREE summer events in Portland parks!

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018 31

Portland Jewish Film Festival launches second quarter century

By Ygal Kaufman

The Legend of King Solomon

I

t’s summer in Portland, and that can only mean one thing – the Portland Jewish Film Festival is back. Brought to us by the Institute for Judaic Studies in collaboration with the Northwest Film Center, the festival is gearing up for its 26th annual incarnation with an eclectic lineup of heralded films from all over the world.

“We produce it and program it, and our partner, the Institute for Judaic Studies, is the real funder

for the event,” says Bill Foster, with the Northwest Film Center. “They’re the lead sponsor of the whole thing and the community liaison.” The institute acts as the beacon, attracting an audience from all over the Pacific Northwest to see the work of the film center.

All films will be screened at the Whitsell Auditorium at the Portland Art Museum.

The festival kicks off on Sunday, June 10, with the 2017 Israeli crime comedy

32 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018

“Maktub,” a caustic and politically incorrect look at a pair of Israeli mobsters who find spirituality after surviving a suicide bombing.

The festival doesn’t have a connecting theme beyond the Judaism of the filmmakers and/or subject matter of the films. This is because, as the programmers are not necessarily Jewish, the NWFC members didn’t presume to judge the field of films from the Jewish perspective. Their goal is to

show a broad sampling of subjects that might appeal to a group of people of varying backgrounds wanting to see a glimpse of the Jewish world.

“We are programming all year long, 500 films per year,” says Bill. “People enter work from all over the world, and we see things at other festivals. So we put together a program that’s a take, a snapshot, of Israeli, American and European films that hopefully … specifically explore Jewish history or

culture and hopefully have a narrative that speaks beyond that narrower frame to a larger audience.”

Among the highlights of this year is “An Act of Defiance” (2017), a South African and Dutch co-production that tells the story of the 1963 farmhouse raid by police in Rivonia, a neighborhood of Johannesburg, South Africa. The raid netted Nelson Mandela and 10 other South African revolutionaries, including five Jewish contributors to the cause of toppling apartheid.

Among them were the fascinating history shapers including famed artist Arthur Goldreich, who escaped police custody, and Denis Goldberg, one of only two surviving members of the group and still a player in South African politics.

Also on the docket is the brilliant character study “Foxtrot” (2017) starring budding international star Lior Ashkenazi (long the leading male star of Israeli cinema). A German, French, Swiss and Israeli coproduction, the film follows the breakdown of a family in the wake of troubling news from the military outpost where their son is stationed with the IDF. There are 15 other feature films in the schedule including foreign language and English comedies, dramas and documentaries, plus an array of short films, which will precede some of the features. There’s even a silent film in the lineup, “This Ancient Law” (1923), and an animated

feature for kids, “The Legend of King Solomon” (2017), a Hungarian/Israeli coproduction that tells the biblical story in a way families can enjoy together.

Sylvia Frankel is on the board of directors of the Institute for Jewish Studies.

She spoke to us about the importance of the festival and its history.

“We feel the film is a wonderful vehicle to engage people across the community,” says Sylvia. “They’re all Jewish-themed films from around the world, and we indeed draw people from all around the community. It’s a much-anticipated event.”

The festival started in 1991 as just a weekend of films on the Oregon Coast, organized

by Rabbi Joshua Stampfer, the much beloved rabbi of Neveh Shalom in Portland.

The festival has expanded over the intervening quarter century to become an event that draws more than 2,000 attendees over the course of two weeks of films.

“I’ve been told that unless you have more than 10 films within a short period, you can’t call it a festival,” says Sylvia.

The Portland Jewish Film Festival is definitely a confirmed festival and will look to kick off another quarter century of reaching a diverse community with a broad selection of films about Judaism this summer.

Ygal Kaufman is a freelance writer in Portland. He also does photography, video, audio and graphic design, as well as curating film screenings. kaufmanymedia.com

TICKETS: nwfilm.org/festivals/26th-portland-jewish-film-festival

Foxtrot

The Ancient Law

Maktub

An Act of Defiance OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018 33

Staycations

34 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018 35

Exhibit follows R.B. Kitaj’s quest for Jewish art

O

regon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education presents the first Northwest overview of work by renowned artist R.B. Kitaj.

Organized by OJMCHE and curated by Bruce Guenther, R.B. Kitaj: A Jew Etc., Etc. provides the first Northwest overview of one of the most important post-1960 contemporary artists, R.B. Kitaj. The exhibition presents a survey of 16 oil paintings and four drawings, focusing on works created between 1990 and the artist’s death in 2007, which reflect the artist’s deep exploration of a rich complexity of ideas and references to art history and Judaism.

Kitaj (1932-2007) is one of the 20th century’s most significant and thought-provoking artists, who, throughout his life and his art, tussled with the conditions of “Jewishness.” Kitaj’s sometimes controversial work has long challenged audiences to explore radical new aesthetic models and narrative themes. The work in R.B. Kitaj: A Jew Etc., Etc. is drawn from the last two decades of Kitaj’s life, when his work focused intensely on his identity as a Jew as he created an extensive body of work around himself; his late wife, American artist Sandra Fisher; and historic personalities in the

36 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018

humanities such as Franz Kafka and philosophers Walter Benjamin and Gershom Scholem.

“The exhibition will provide museum visitors with insight into Kitaj’s aesthetic and intellectual reach and the multiple layers of meaning and reference contained in the works that have influenced contemporary painting internationally,” says OJMCHE Director Judy Margles. “His highly personal paintings and drawings reflect his deep interest in history; cultural, social and political ideologies; and the issues of Jewish identity, themes that are also reflected in OJMCHE’s programming and core exhibitions.”

Born in Cleveland, OH, to Russian Jewish immigrants, Robert Brooks Kitaj (pronounced kit-eye) studied at the Cooper Union Institute in New York; the Academy of Fine Art, Vienna; the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, Oxford; and the Royal Academy of Art, London. For more than 40 years as an American expatriate in London, Kitaj became a major figure in the development of contemporary British art with figurative narrative paintings that challenged the hegemony of 1960s and ’70s abstraction. His first solo exhibition in 1963 at Marlborough Gallery established Kitaj as a seminal figure along with David Hockney and Richard Hamilton in defining British Pop Art. In 1976, Kitaj proposed the idea of a “School of London” in an exhibition and catalogue essay, which became one of the key art historical texts of the period. His defining of a conceptually re-imagined, figurative-based, post-Abstract Expressionist painting against the day’s prevalent formalism in the work of a group of stylistically diverse artists – Frank Auerbach, Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud and Leon Kossoff, as well as R.B. Kitaj – was a radical opening up of the painting dialogue. At the same time, Kitaj began to reconnect with and explore his Jewish heritage through his paintings and writings. His theories and ideas became more widely known when Kitaj issued the “First Diasporist Manifesto (1989)” and following “Second Diasporist Manifesto (2007),” in which he discussed the relationship between Judaism, art history and his work in the search for a “Jewish Art.” In 1994, Kitaj was the subject of a major retrospective at the Tate Gallery, London, an honor rarely awarded to Americans.

The British art critics attacked the paintings and the didactic prefaces the artist wrote to accompany them with an antiSemitic vitriol rarely seen in the post-war period that enflamed the art community. Shortly afterward, Kitaj’s second wife, the painter Sandra Fisher, whom he had married in 1983, died of an aneurysm at 47, prompting the artist to emotionally contend that the critics had killed her. After the “Tate War,” as he termed this episode, Kitaj no longer felt welcome in Britain and moved to Los Angeles with his young son to be near his other children and grandchildren. He remained there from 1997 until his death by suicide in 2007.

“Kitaj was a catalyst, an artist and intellectual who used his selfperception as an outsider to disrupt and reinvent aesthetic and cultural assumptions around the making of art and its relationship to artistic and literary history in contemporary practice,” says Curator Bruce Guenther. “As a contemporary artist, a Jew and as a seeker of deeper truths through painting, Kitaj sought to incorporate his passion for books and ideas, literature and poetry,

Opposite page: R.B. Kitaj, The Jew, Etc., Etc. Below: R.B. Kitaj, Self Portrait Black Sheep, 2001-2003 with a deep awareness of aesthetic theory and art history into the contemporary idioms of painting at a time when art was widely seen as emptying out content and historic reference. The force of his powerful ego, complex emotional and physical needs, and his deeply emotional, spiritual seeking is evidenced in these amazing paintings. In this work, his engagement with historic Jewish writers and artists who were intellectually central to his work is coupled with the grieving for his dead wife Sandra to forge a powerful new form of narrative painting that is ultimately his long-sought ‘Jewish Art’.”

Internationally celebrated, Kitaj’s work has been the subject of major international solo exhibitions in museums of London, Paris, Berlin, New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Kitaj was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1982 and the Royal Academy of Arts in 1991, and he received the Golden Lion award at the 1995 Venice Biennale.

R.B. Kitaj, A Jew, Etc. Etc. is generously supported by the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation, the Leonard & Lois Schnitzer Family Fund of OJCF and the Harold & Arlene Schnitzer Family Fund at OJCF/Arlene Schnitzer & Jordan Schnitzer. wojmche.org

503-224-3900 sternwheeler.com portlandspirit.com

For a Wedding to Remember for a Lifetime

R.B. Kitaj: A Jew Etc., Etc. WHEN June 7-Sept. 30. Noon-5 pm, Saturday-Sunday; 11 am-5 pm, Tuesday-Thursday; 11 am-4 pm, Friday. Guided tours Wednesday at 1 pm.

WHERE Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education 724 NW Davis St., Portland

LIVE MUSIC - ALL ARE WELCOME June 29th at Overlook Park August 10th at Fernhill Park 6:00 PM shirtikvahpdx.org

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018 37

“This Land is Ashland . . .”

By J. Wandres

I

n 2012 my wife and I “went West,” from the Jersey shore to the Oregon Coast to Portlandia, so she could be on the same coast as her two grown kids. Our first major exploration took us south to Ashland and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. We plan to go again this season for a wider exploration of the Rogue “This Land is Ashland” Valley.

In Ashland, of course, there’s Shakespeare for all seasons and reasons. This year’s biggie is “Henry V,” Willy Shakespeare’s commentary on warfare, patriotism, power, family, arts and culture: “Dear Kate, you and I cannot be confined within the weak list of a country’s fashion: we are the makers of manner, Kate” (Act 5, Scene 2). Kate is Princess Catherine, daughter of the French king and queen. There’s also “Romeo and Juliet” and Shakespeare-lite with “Love’s Labour’s Lost.”

There are also an odd couple of plays that would seem to be, or not to be, about the same thing.

Open to the sky, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s outdoor Allen Elizabethan Theatre seats 1,200 people. PHOTO BY T. CHARLES ERICKSON A few of the plays to be preformed this season; Henry V (Feb.21- Oct. 27 Thomas Theatre), Love's Labor Lost (June 7 - Oct 14 Allen Elizabethan Theatre) and Romeo and Juliet (June 5 - Oct 12 Allen Elizabethan Theatre).

38 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018

The Angus Bowmer Theatre (20 E Main St.) presents the Rogers and Hammerstein epic, “Oklahoma.” You know – that place where the grass grows as high as an elephant’s eye. But beneath the surface, the play unearths rivalries between farmers and ranchers over fences and water rights. Just over the horizon everyone hopes the territory will be admitted to the union as the state of O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A! On OSF’s Thomas stage is “Manahatta.” This is playwright Mary Kathryn Nagle’s discourse about the land in which we live.

Nagle’s story traces the tragic consequences of removing Native Americans from their ancestral lands and eradicating their culture. The main character, Jane Snake, stands between two worlds: Should she remain a successful Wall Street securities trader in Manhattan (Mannahatta: an “island of many hills,” in the Lenape language), or should she return to what’s left of their ancestral land in Oklahoma?

Oregon’s Rogue Valley is a cornucopia of arts and culture. At Southern Oregon University on Indiana Street in Ashland is the Schneider Museum of Art. Ashland’s Main Street features the 150-vendor Rogue Valley Growers and Crafters Market. Farther along Main Street is Science Works, a hands-on museum that features optical illusions, DaVinci’s Garage tinkering shop and a “bubble-ology” laboratory.

Speaking of the bubbly, from Oct. 20-26 the Bigham Knoll event campus in Jacksonville hosts the Southern Oregon Wine Experience.

Food experience. Wine experience. Theatrical experience.

Ashland seems to have it all including not enough parking.

But what’s not to like? Talk to Jeff Golden, a sort of uber boomer who discovered the Rogue Valley in the ’70s. “Secular Jews of that generation grew up with a reverence for nature,” he writes in Watermelon Summer (Lippincott, 1971). They had “a progressive world view, alienation from traditional Judaism and an unquenchable thirst for spiritual meaning. Enter the intersection of Ashland with Jewish people in their 60s.”

They formed congregations. Ashland hosts a Chabad center, Temple Emek Shalom and Havurah Shir Hadash. At the Havurah, former New Yorker Rabbi David Zaslow focuses his energies on “encouraging new modes of expression, prayer and practice; and (a) Havurah dedicated to being a point of entry – or re-entry – for unaffiliated Jews who seek to infuse their lives with ancient and evolving values and traditions.” Rabbi Zaslow has been involved in interfaith dialogue in Ashland since 1996, focusing on tikkun olam to affirm a position that supports Israel.

Connie and Emanuel Ben-David also found their valley in Ashland, as recalled by Liz Rabiner Lippoff in the May 2016 Oregon Jewish Life. Connie had lost her first husband, Emanuel was separated; their union was bashert. Now married, they self-renovated a house in Ashland. Emanuel has lectured at Havurah Shir Hadash. Among his themes: too many Americans find it difficult to rebut negative or “fake” news because they do not get accurate news with its proper context.

Or as old King Henry himself might have orated, “change your understanding soul with opening titles (that) miscreate suits not in native colors with the truth.” osfashland.org OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018 39

Life imitates art

By Deborah Moon

Emily Eisel

A

rtists Repertory Theatre’s final show of the season, “I and You,” has a synchronicity between the play’s two characters and the actors who portray them.

“I and You” tells a funny, tender and surprising story of two young people falling in love with the mystery of human connection. Homebound due to illness, the smart and sarcastic Caroline is suspicious of the sweet and athletic Anthony after being thrown together to work on an English class project about Walt Whitman’s Song of Myself. As the pair stumbles through the poem, they begin to share secrets and let their guards down, eventually unlocking the mystery that brought them together in the first place.

In a press release announcing the play, playwright Lauren Gunderson says, “It is a really special play for me because it is a play that allows us to examine the surprising connections we have with each other, and how much we actually need each other, even if we think we may not have anything in common.”

Having never met before they began rehearsing the play, actors Emily Eisel and Blake Stone were surprised to discover the 40 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018

Blake Stone synchronicity in their own lives – including that both have Jewish mothers.

“I definitely thought it was pretty interesting that our show has a 100 percent Jewish cast,” says Blake. “We do have a lot of other very interesting similarities, both being around the same age and growing up in rural settings. I remember reflecting on being perhaps the last generation to grow up constantly playing out in nature during our first meeting.”

“It has been a pretty incredible experience getting to know one another as we discover this play together,” he says. “Emily and I have had a great time talking about the characters, Anthony and Caroline, and bringing them to life. I’d say the most interesting aspect has been the way that Emily and I test one another’s boundaries to develop a partnership and friendship – just as Caroline and Anthony do in the play.”

Emily agrees. “I always find these sorts of hidden connections interesting,” she says.

Though both actors knew their moms were Jewish, religion was not part of either’s upbringing.

Blake says the adults in the family often discussed the family’s Jewish roots, and he attended some Passover seders hosted by friends.

For Emily, “Though I don’t practice the religion, my Jewish heritage is deeply important to me.”

Her earliest connections to Jewish culture were food. Her Grandma Shirley worked in a kosher restaurant, so on visits Emily would eat plenty of matzah ball soup and challah French toast, which she claims is the only way to make French toast.

Thanks to an uncle’s research, she learned her grandfather emigrated from Germany to South Africa in 1938 at the age of 14; most of his extended family died in the concentration camps.

“Last year, I spent some time traveling in Poland. I took an incredible walking tour in the Jewish Quarter of Kraków that traced a pattern of events starting centuries earlier and leading up to the Holocaust. The next day, I stood in Auschwitz where about a dozen of my distant relatives were killed. Some structures in the camp are starting to decay, and that image really affected me. I often think about how I will be among one of the last generations that was able to actually meet and hear from survivors in person, and how imperative it is to preserve their stories and memories.”

The two actors will participate in post-show discussions following the Sunday matinees on June 3, 10 and 17 as well as the Wednesday matinee June 6.

“To me, this play is most simply about the fundamental need for human connection and the universal qualities that we share as humans,” says Emily. “The only way we are able to explore that honestly is in a very warm, supportive rehearsal room, which is made possible by our lovely team – JoAnn Johnson, Chelle Jazuk and Megan Moll.”

a different kind of

WHAT: “I and You” WHERE: Artists Repertory Theatre, Morrison Stage, 1515 SW Morrison St., Portland WHEN: Through June 17: 7:30 pm, Wed-Sun; 2 pm, Sun; 7:30 pm, Tue, June 12; noon, Wed, June 6.

TICKETS: $50, $25 student; 503-241-1278 or artistsrep.org

Emily Eisel and Blake Stone at the first rehearsal of “I and You.” PHOTO BY JEFF HAYES

JEWISH PRIDE

June 17 • jewishportland.org/pride

Join your Jewish friends & family for the PRIDE PARADE in Portland, June 17. March in the parade together as a community, showing our JEWISH PRIDE!

our pride partners B’nai B’rith Camp, Cedar Sinai Park, Congregation Beth Israel, Congregation Kol Ami, Congregation Neveh Shalom, Congregation Shir Tikvah, Havurah Shalom, Jewish Family and Child Service, Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, Kol Shalom, Mittleman Jewish Community Center, Moishe House, Oregon Jewish Community Foundation, Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, and PDX Hillel

For more info, contact Rachel Nelson at rachelr@jewishportland.org or 503.892.7415.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018 41

These portraits of teen-parent families are among those on display at Paragon Arts Gallery, 815 N Killingsworth, Portland, through June 12.

Photographer Eden Swartz has been photographing teen families for three years.

Photos celebrate teen parenthood

By Deborah Moon

P

hotographer Eden Swartz doesn’t want her exhibit “Illuminating Family, Reframing Teen Parenthood” to be the culmination of her project. She hopes it is just the first step to enhancing the esteem of teen parents and changing society’s views of them.

Eden has a degree in fine arts with a focus on photography. She has taught yoga for 18 years and prenatal yoga for 11 years. She is

42 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018

Eden Swartz

now in the fourth year of teaching prenatal yoga at Portland high schools. The intersection of those interests was the genesis for her project on teen parenting.

The teen parents get a professional family portrait. The portraits in the exhibit are accompanied by the parent’s story, some of whom are now older and can reflect on the success of their life despite what many in society consider a failure.

“The teens get to have a voice,” says Eden, adding that including now successful adults who had children as teenager gives others a chance to see their potential for success.

But the exhibit has a broader purpose. She hopes the faces and stories side by side will inspire those who see them to view teen parents in a different light.

“Teen parents are not failures,” says Eden. “If we offer resources and stop creating barriers, we will have happier, more successful people. If we don’t offer services and resources, who is that helping?”

The project has evolved organically. Initially, Eden volunteered to teach yoga to pregnant teens because she wanted to offer them the benefits of prenatal yoga and help create a sense of community among teens in similar situations. She begins each class talking about pregnancy, or breastfeeding or some other topic of interest to young parents. Then she invites the teens to share what they are experiencing.

She began creating family portraits for the teens (they can choose whomever they want to be in the photo) to give them a portrait from an artist. The parents loved the photos, so she asked them to write a bit about their family story. As she spoke with people about the project, women and men would tell her they were teen parents and have gone on to excel in parenting and in business.

Eden received a Career Opportunity Grant award from the Oregon Arts Commission to print and frame the photos in this month’s exhibit at Paragon Arts Gallery at PCC’s Cascade Campus.

At the exhibit opening in May, three teen parents spoke.

Shanne Sowards became a father at 15. He stayed involved with his child and has been successful professionally in manufacturing and sales. He has coached more than 15 seasons of youth and adult sports. In 2012, he founded Squires, a nonprofit mentoring program for young fathers in Portland. Britni Locke became a mother at age 18. She is a first-generation college graduate and a Licensed School Social Worker. She works for Portland Public Schools to reach young people who feel disengaged from education. Vanessa Salceda is a teen mom to a 3-year-old daughter.

Eden is herself a mother. She and her husband, Aaron Baer, have two sons who attend Portland Jewish Academy. Levi Swartzbaer is 12 and Mayim Swartzbaer is 9.

Eden grew up in Boca Raton, FL, surrounded by Jewish people.

“I didn’t realize we were a minority until we moved to Portland,” she says. That realization inspired the couple to enroll their sons at PJA so they would have a strong Jewish identity.

Ask Helen Planning a trip is half the fun A Nosh of Jewish Wisdom:

How lovely is the sun after rain and how lovely is laughter after sorrow Dear Helen: I’m a single mom with a 14-year-old son. We have a great relationship. I’d like to take him traveling next summer: Europe, Morocco, Thailand and as many cool places as we can explore together. How can I get him invested in this dream and also to help save for it? It’s really hard to say “No” every time he asks to eat out or for movie money.

Itchy Feet Dear Itchy Feet: Get a box that’s easy to put money into and hard to get it out of. Even an empty Kleenex box will do. Every time either of you has a discretionary decision to make about money, especially one you’d make together, talk about delayed gratification (eat in instead of out, see a cheapie instead of a new movie, etc.). You won’t win every time but look at alternatives. Put the money you “save” into the box. Open a new bank account called Travel Fund with both your names on it. Every month empty the money from the savings box into the account and check the balance. Then ask your son, “Where’s your favorite destination this month?” Label the box with his country of current interest.

Use the public library to check out travel guides, especially the kind that would appeal to young travelers. Rent DVDs and listen to music from the cultures you’re interested in. Get him as invested in this trip as you are, in every way you can.

Edenswartz.com | pcc.edu/paragongallery

HELEN

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

Email your questions to helen@ yourjewishfairygodmother.com.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018 43

Headdresses at last year's Wildhorse Powwow. The 24th Annual Wildhorse Powwow will be July 6-8. wildhorseresort.com

Powwow Freeway

By Michael Rosenbaum

S

ome say the Blue Mountains of Northeast Oregon, a vast lava flow that emanated from fissures in the earth, are the foothills of the Rockies. The escarpment rises abruptly from 1,000 feet at Pendleton to 3,600 at the top of Cabbage Hill on I-84.To the settlers emigrating on the Oregon Trail, the Blues were the penultimate barrier before reaching the Willamette Valley. To the Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla, the 1855 Treaty Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation east of Pendleton, they were and are the bountiful source of first foods, a place of recreation and, into the 19th century, a refuge from attack. To the Nez Perce, Chief Joseph Band, they blocked stockmen’s intrusion into the Wallowa Valley until the early 1870s.

On a recent drive along Highway 3 from Enterprise, OR, to Lapwai, ID, on the Nez Perce Reservation, I passed penned up buffalo, drove through a corridor of evergreens that opened onto a magnificent vista of the breaks of the Lower Grande Ronde River, and had the opportunity to reflect on the many connections between Jews and Native Americans.

I recalled an intercultural powwow at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center several years ago attended by the community and Native Americans.

Historically, we acknowledge policies of extermination and

44 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018

marginalization. We can dig deep to our ancient tribal roots as can they. We are a people. The Nez Perce are the Nimiipuu, “The People.” There are some aural similarities between Hebrew and Sahaptian, a language of Columbia Plateau tribes. We share a reverence for the homeland.

“Jewie” is a sometime heard nickname on the Colville Reservation, evidence of intermarriage between traders and tribals. At a Washat, a service of the Seven Drum Religion, an elder of Nez Perce and Cayuse ancestry touched me deeply when he spoke of his people being put in boxcars after the 1877 war. Assimilation has been a concern of ours and theirs. And perhaps most grandly, the survival and resilience of Jews and Native Americans binds us with experience.

Don’t let the Blues be a barrier to your fun and explorations. As described in the following, there are several enjoyable Native American events in Northeast Oregon and Western Idaho this summer.

The summer powwows kick off in Oregon June 2224 with the Pi-Ume-Sha Treaty Days on the Warm Springs Reservation. This event features a powwow, dance competition, activities and a tribal museum.

Visit Wildhorse’s 24th Annual Powwow on the Umatilla Indian Reservation July 6-8. The powwow is on open ground with drumming contests and three days of competitive dancing. All are welcome. Vendors provide food, famous fry bread and crafts. Meals are close at hand at restaurants in the casino. Room up at the Wildhorse Resort Hotel.

Don’t miss the Tamastslikt Cultural Institute, a repository of tribal history and lore located behind the Wildhorse Casino. Its museum is open 10 am-5 pm, Monday-Saturday.

Admission starts at $10 for adults with a sliding scale.

Inside are tableaus of Plateau Indian life and a super museum store.

Nearby in Pendleton, home of the Roundup, you can find good eats, lots of history and a true West atmosphere. A trip to Walla Walla, WA, 40 miles north on Highway 11, brings you to wine country, darn delicious food and perhaps a stay at the classy Marcus Whitman Hotel.

The Nez Perce Tamkaliks (from where you can see the mountains) Celebration & Friendship Potluck, July 20-22 in Wallowa, is a favorite get-together. This is the 28th annual celebration of welcoming and friendship. The community embraces the Nez Perce, Chief Joseph Band, who were driven from the Wallowa Valley in 1877 after thousands of years in this remarkable place. Dancing, a Washat service Sunday morning in the new longhouse and a friendship feast for everybody features elk, venison, salmon and local eats.

Don’t neglect your hiking and explorations. Tick Hill is a nice climb above the grounds. And you gotta get a native-designed t-shirt. You should order by early July.

Your exploration of the Wallowa Valley will take you south toward Wallowa Lake. Trails abound in the Eagle Cap Wilderness. In Enterprise you’ll find The Bookloft, an excellent bookstore featuring volumes of local history and Terminal Gravity Brewing and Pub. Head south to Joseph on the Northeast Oregon Arts Trail, with galleries and an abundance of shops. Just south is the Iwetemlaykin Heritage Site, with hiking trails and super mountain views.

Please don’t neglect to stop at the Old Chief Joseph memorial (it marks the start of the Nez Perce Trail), where the chief, Tu eka kas, was reburied in 1926 in a ceremony attended by thousands.

The father of Young Chief Joseph is deeply loved to this day as witnessed by the tokens of respect left on the grave. It’s not well known that Old Joseph’s daughter, Eliza, was the wife of Joseph Gale, perhaps Oregon’s first governor.

Wallowa Lake, nestled between two moraines, offers camping and recreation galore. You’ll find several eateries in Joseph and at the lake and lodging from La Grande to Joseph and at the historic restored lodge.

The Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho holds two summer celebrations: The Chief Joseph and Warriors Memorial at the Pi-Nee-Waus Community Center in Lapwai on Highway 95, June 15-17, and The Chief Lookingglass Powwow at the Wa-a ‘Yas Community Center in Kamiah on Highway 12, Aug. 17-19.

All are welcome at these events. They are distinctively tribal, more intimate than open air celebrations and you will experience another way of life. The museum at the Nez Perce National Historic Park in Spalding on Highway 95 is not to be missed.

Summer hours are 8 am-5 pm daily. This is a small, engrossing representation of Nez Perce life and ceremony. The objects on display are often attributed to a specific historic tribal member.

Lodging and restaurants are available in Clarkston and Lewiston.

This summer enjoy fun and freedom by heading east on the powwow freeway.

Michael R. Rosenbaum lives in La Grande. He was mostly retired but now works three months with fish, three months with fire lookout.

Due to current dietary restrictions, he bitterly misses his belly lox, scallion cream cheese and Zabar’s bagels.

A woman dancer competes in the Women's Traditional Dancing contest at the Wildhorse Powwow.

Mens Dance Louis Van Pelt EB courtesy of Nez Perce Wallowa Homeland

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018 45

Summer reading, had me a blast Compiled by Deborah Moon

Every summer I catch up on stacks of books that I haven’t found the time to read. Somehow more hours of daylight always translates into longer hours of activity

FICTION

– and that includes “actively” reading as much as I can.

Following are some books that have come across my desk since my last reading roundup.

Everything is Borrowed Nathaniel Popkin, New Door Books (May 2018), cloth, $24.95.

Acclaimed yet restless architect Nicholas Moscowitz has his guilt-ridden memories stirred by the site of his latest commission. Digging into the city’s archives, he discovers a Jewish anarchist who lived in the area 100 years earlier – Julius Moskowitz. Their dual narratives of a radical life and faltering contemporary life intersect with the city’s past and present to create a poignant meditation on cruelty and regret.

46 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018

The Family Tabor

by Cherise Wolas, Flatiron Books (July 2018), hardcover, $27.99.

My Mother’s Son David Hirshberg, Fig Tree Books LLC (May 2018), hardcover, $23.95.

The Tabor family comes together one warm weekend to lounge by the pool and celebrate their patriarch, Harry, a doting father, grandfather and husband, as he prepares to accept the biggest award of his career.

He will be named Man of the Decade for his philanthropic work helping Jews to resettle in Palm Springs. But as the weekend wears on, Harry is haunted by a long buried secret. Is a lifetime of generosity enough to atone for one bad decision?

A radio raconteur revisits his past in post-World War II Boston, the playground and battleground for two brothers whose lives are transformed by discoveries they never could have imagined. This coming-of-age story plays out against the backdrop of the Korean War, the aftermath of the Holocaust, the polio epidemic, the relocation of a baseball team and the shenanigans of politicians and businessmen. Hirshberg weaves events, characters and clues into a tapestry of betrayal, persecution, death, loyalty and unconditional love

This summer, grab a beach towel and an armful of books and head for the beach, the pool, your backyard or … that resonates with today’s America.

Come Back for Me: A Novel Sharon Hart-Green, New Jewish Press/University of Toronto Press (2017), paperback, $20.

Hungarian Holocaust survivor Artur Mandelkorn is on a desperate quest to find his beloved sister, Manya, after they become separated during the war. Artur’s journey takes him to Israel. Intersecting Artur’s tale is that of Suzy Kohn, a Toronto teenager whose seemingly tranquil life is shattered by her uncle’s sudden death. As Suzy’s coming-of-age story reaches a climax, Artur’s quest for his sister leads to a shocking discovery. Their stories come together in Israel following the Six-Day War. Last Instructions Nir Hezroni, St. Martins Press (May 2018), hardcover, $26.99.

In this sequel to the critically acclaimed Three Envelopes, former Israeli secret service operative Agent 10483 is trying to shut down the spy organization he once worked for. As he travels the world to find a nuclear warhead to use against them, he is pursued by twin assassins from the organization. This dark thriller is a chilling exploration of the mind of a master killer.

Timeless Travels: Tales of mystery, intrigue, humor and enchantment Joseph Rotenberg, Gefen Publishing House (2017), hardcover, $24.95.

This collection of stories traverse time and genre to explore what it means to be a Jewish person in America.

Rotenberg says, “Most of

the characters … in these 62 stories demonstrate remarkable adaptability and courage in the face of the difficult life challenges they face.”

The Optimistic Decade Heather Abel, Algonquin Books (May 2018), hardcover, $26.95.

This coming-of-age story about a utopian summer camp and its charismatic leaders asks smart questions about good intentions gone terribly wrong.

The Taster V.S. Alexander, Kensington (January 2018), paperback, $15.95.

In this historical novel set in World War II, a young German woman finds a precarious haven when she is recruited to be one of Adolf Hitler’s food tasters. The story is both harrowing and hopeful as the woman finds extraordinary courage from within the toxic inner circle of Hitler.

NONFICTION To Survive Is Not Enough Ruth Lindemann, AquaZebra Book Publishing (2016), paperback, $17.95.

Author Ruth Lindemann moved to Portland in 1947 and began speaking about the Holocaust at the Anne Frank Exhibit in 1983. She is part of Holocaust speaker’s bureaus in Portland and Rancho Mirage, CA. The events in the book are drawn from the many survivor stories she has heard over the past 45 years.

The Healthy Jewish Kitchen: Fresh Contemporary Recipes

for Every Occasion, by Paula Shoyer, Sterling Epicure (2017), hardcover, $24.95.

This delicious take on Jewish cooking uses only natural ingredients and offers a nutrient-dense spin on every dish. More than 60 recipes include both Sephardic and Ashkenazi classics.

The Beauty Suit: How My Year of Religious Modesty Made Me a Better Feminist Lauren Shields, Beacon Press (May 2018), paperback, $18.

Rooted in feminist theory and religious history and guided by a snappy personal narrative, The Beauty Suit unpacks modern American womanhood: a landscape where the female body is still so often the battleground for male ideals, and where we struggle with our rights as human beings to define and exercise our freedom.

The Education of a Young Poet A memoir by David Biespiel, Counterpoint Press (2017), hardcover, $26.

Biespiel shows himself to be exhilarated as much by failure as by success in writing.

His poetry reveals aspects of his inner world to him and shows him how to live better. He shares his journeys through the Jewish quarter of Houston in the 1970s and the bohemian Boston of the 1980s. He weaves in tales of his great-grandfather’s journey from Ukraine to America in 1910.

America’s Pioneer Jewish Congregations: Architecture, Community and History, by Julian H. Preisler, Fonthill Media, paperback, $22.99.

From the earliest Jewish congregations established in the original 13 colonies, to the later congregations established in the central and western regions of the country, beautiful synagogues were built and vital communities were created and thrived.

America’s Pioneer Jewish Congregations takes the reader on a tour of the oldest existing Jewish congregation in each of the 50 states and territories.

Autism Uncensored: Pulling Back the Curtain Whitney Ellenby, Koehler Books (April 2018), hardcover, $29.95.

Rather than a “miraculous breakthrough” story, Ellenby provides an unflinching, realtime portal into the mind of a parent who adopted extraordinary and unorthodox methods to include her son in his community regardless of public ridicule or scorn. She redefines notions of shame, conformity and success in order to carve out a meaningful life for those with autism. Ellenby offers parents of children with autism realistic hope and attainable goals. She tells the public about the crucial role they can play in the true inclusion of an autistic child in her or his community.

The Blessing of Sorrow: Turning Grief into Healing Rabbi Ben Kamin, Central Recovery Press (July 2018), paperback, $17.95.

A graduate of Hebrew Union College, Rabbi Ben Kamin examines the diverse ways we mourn the death of loved ones. In a nation where we are often not forthcoming about death and loss, this book offers answers, direction and a path to recovery.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018 47

Isle of Klezbos: Acclaimed musical group coming to Portland

By Kerry Politzer

K

lezmer devotees will have something to celebrate on July “Cheburashka,” a Soviet cartoon, or even an episode of “Gomer 12, when the New York-based Isle of Klezbos performs Pyle: USMC,” in which Yiddish film star Molly Picon appears. at the Alberta Rose Theater. The all-female sextet, which “My mission is to have people not feel like stereotypes are all was dubbed “one of New York’s most exciting groups in any there is,” she says. style” by New York Music Daily, has graced stages from Vienna’s Eve says the creation of the original material the band performs famous Porgy and Bess nightclub to the Oberlin Spring Folk Fest is very organic. “It’s when someone is inspired. When (trumpeter) and Denver’s JAAMM Festival. This summer, Isle of Klezbos is touring the West Coast as part of its 20th anniversary celebration (no small feat in the world of music).

The genre-bending group draws from a multitude of influences including traditional Eastern European Jewish music, folk, Yiddish swing and tango. Its repertoire includes original material composed by band members, obscure Yiddish film melodies and classics enlivened by new arrangements.

The group’s bandleader, Eve Sicular, is a Harvard-educated drummer and film scholar. She writes and lectures on Yiddish film around the world and has served as curator of the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research’s Film and Photo Archives. Through her extensive research, she has found many Isle of Klezbos: From left are Shoko Nagai, Debra Kreisberg, Eve Sicular, Saskia Lane, musical gems to add to the Isle of Melissa Fogarty and Pam Fleming. Photo by Angela Jimenez Klezbos repertoire.

“When I say we’re not a nostalgia trip, it’s not to say that we don’t appreciate older, more traditional Pam Fleming calls forth something that’s going to have a reggae forms,” she says. “But I’m trying not to be a jukebox that just idiom, she’s got it – she toured with Burning Spear for two-andregurgitates the little chestnuts that people already know. There’s a-half years! Or (clarinetist/saxophonist) Debra Kreisberg will do so much more out there.” something that brings in a Brazilian or Latin jazz feel – it’s not in Eve says that the diversity of Klezmer music stems from the a fusion cookie-cutter way, it’s very from the inside.” various waves and origins of Jewish migration. Because of this, Eve herself is a prolific composer; she produced “J. Edgar the genre weaves in threads of Polish and Romanian music in Klezmer: Songs from My Grandmother’s FBI Files,” a musical addition to melodies from “Second Avenue” or 20th century theater work that pays tribute to her Russian-Jewish activist New York Yiddish theater. The bandleader mines this wealth grandmother. of material, performing pieces that both please her aesthetically The bandleader says the audience for the Portland show should and open people’s minds “to a broader idea of the complexities expect “a deeply original sense of what’s there and also what we of the Ashkenazic experience.” She may pull a theme from have created ourselves … that they won’t hear anywhere else.”

Tickets for the Isle of Klezbos July 12, 8 pm performance, which also features the Portland Klezmer All-Stars, may be purchased at albertarosetheatre.com/calendar.html. General admission is $22; advance tickets are $18.

48 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018

BROADWAY ROSE THEATRE COMPANY Tigard, OR • 503-620-5262 • broadwayrose.org

Summer performances – “Mamma Mia!” (June 27-July 22) and “Guys and Dolls” (Aug. 2-19) – will be performed at the Deb Fennell Auditorium (at Tigard High School), 9000 Durham Road in Tigard. Broadway Rose has been producing professional musical theatre in the Portland area since 1992.

JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER PORTLAND 6800 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland, OR 97219 • 503-892-7415 jewishportland.org/pride

Join your Jewish friends & family for the PRIDE PARADE in Portland, June 17. March in the parade together as a community, showing our JEWISH PRIDE!

MITTLEMAN JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER

6651 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland, OR 97219 • 503-244-0111 • oregonjcc.org Get fit at the MJCC in our state-of-the-art fitness facility, relax in our main and warm pools, stay active in our sports leagues, and socialize at one of our many cultural events this summer. Kids enjoy full-day fun all summer long at MJCC Day Camp.

OREGON JEWISH MUSEUM AND CENTER FOR HOLOCAUST EDUCATION

724 NW Davis St., Portland, OR 97209 • 503-226-3600 • ojmche.org OJMCHE celebrates our first year in the heart of the city’s cultural hub with R.B. Kitaj, A Jew, Etc., Etc., the first Northwest overview of work by the internationally renowned artist. Visit our galleries, core exhibitions, Museum Shop and children’s corner and stay for lunch in Lefty’s Café. Hours: Tuesday-Thursday 11 am-5 pm; Friday 11 am-4 pm; Saturday-Sunday noon-5 pm.

PORTLAND PARKS & RECREATION

1120 SW Fifth Ave., Portland, OR 97214 • 503-823-PLAY (7529) PortlandParks.org We are the proud steward of 10,000+ acres of parks and natural areas in Portland. We offer more than 4,000 affordable classes and activities year round. Each summer we have free movies and concerts in the parks, and offer structured playground activities and free healthy lunches to kids throughout Portland.

PORTLAND SPIRIT CRUISES AND EVENTS

110 SE Caruthers, Portland, OR 9721 • 503-224-390 • Portlandspirit.com The vessels and crew of Portland Spirit Cruises & Events form the premier fleet of dining ships in the Northwest, offering public lunch, brunch, dinner, sightseeing cruises, specialty events and private charters year round.

CONGREGATION SHIR TIKVAH SHABBAT IN THE PARK

June 29 at Overlook Park • August 10 a t Fernhill Park • shirtikvahpdx.org Pack a picnic and Join Rabbi Ariel Stone and Congregation Shir Tikvah as we celebrate Shabbat and the beauty of the Portland summer. Enjoy live music, challah and dancing.

All are welcome.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018 49

CORNER

FINGER FOODS GREAT FOR PICNIC IN THE PARK

By Lisa Glickman

50 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018

Oregon is notorious for the amount of rainfall we have to endure. We all know that from April through June, there had better be a “plan B” for anything scheduled to take place outdoors. When summer finally arrives, we head outside in droves to soak up all that long-awaited Oregon sunshine streaming through the lush trees and flowers. The grass is soft and green, just waiting for us to flop down on a blanket to soak up the sun or enjoy an impromptu summer picnic.

It’s easy to find a spot in one of Portland’s many beautiful city parks to spend a relaxing evening with a light supper and a nice cold bottle of Oregon wine. We like to invite some friends to join us at one of the city’s many outdoor concerts and share a potluck of easy-to-eat foods that are both delicious and hassle free to eat outdoors.

Finger foods are always a good idea and are easily shared with no need for utensils. Small individually wrapped sandwiches or wraps are perfect to eat with one hand while you balance a glass of wine in the other. Fill Mason jars with a few inches of your favorite dip and add some crisp veggies – one jar per person. That way they can be easily dipped into with no need for one precariously positioned bowl – double dip away! Mason jars also work beautifully for individual hand-held salads or side dishes.

Place chunks of summer fruit or cooked grilled meat on skewers for an attractive presentation and easy sharing. Grilled marinated breast of chicken with roasted peppers is deliciously easy, and melon, strawberries, pineapple and grapes and are sturdy enough to hold up while being transported. For dessert, I like to use small “Chinese food” containers to create an assortment of sweet treats.

Oregon summers are the best! We wait all year for warm summer nights that give us the opportunity to appreciate this beautiful place we call home. And here’s some advice for those who are aren’t lucky enough to have been raised here; when the sun goes down, make sure to have packed that cozy blanket or jacket … you’re gonna need it! jacket … you’re gonna need it!

SMOKED SALMON, ARUGULA AND AVOCADO WRAPS Makes four whole wraps 8-10 ounces cured salmon (lox) 8-10 ounces hard smoked salmon (such as “Tony’s” brand) One small shallot, minced 1 tablespoon capers, roughly chopped Juice of ½ lemon ¼ cup heavy whipping cream ½ cup chopped fresh dill (use only fresh) Fresh pepper to taste 1 ripe avocado 2 cups baby arugula 4 flour tortillas Place salmon and lox on a cutting board and use a large chef ’s knife to roughly chop. Place in bowl and add shallots, capers, lemon juice, whipping cream and dill. Season with pepper. Warm flour tortilla gently on a griddle or grill to soften. Place 4-5 ounces (about half a cup) of salmon in center of tortilla.

Top with ¼ sliced avocado and a handful of arugula. Fold in sides of tortilla and roll burrito style. Slice in half and individually wrap halves. Repeat with remaining tortillas and salmon.

Lisa Glickman is a private chef and teacher who lives in Portland. Lisa appears regularly on KATU’s Afternoon Live and appeared on the Cooking Channel’s “The Perfect Three.” She can be reached at lisa@lisaglickman.com.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018 51

NWNosh

Basque recipes with local ingredients

By Kerry Politzer

As a child in the Basque village of Bermeo, Chef Javier Canteras enjoyed spending time with his maternal grandfather, who was a fisherman and epicure. Together they would attend meetings of the local gastronomic society, or txoko. This club was a place of culinary experimentation with impeccably fresh ingredients. Traditionally, txokos were exclusive, male-only affairs. Over a century ago, Queen Maria Christina was refused entry, with the consolation prize being a fish jaw to take back to her palace. (For background, see bbc.com/travel/story/20160105-spains-secret-food-societies.)

52 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018

The memories of the txoko would continue to influence Javier into adulthood, inspiring him to found the monthly popup Basque Supper Club in Portland. The pop-up, which put a modern twist on Northern Basque cuisine, soon became wildly popular. It was featured on the “Secret Restaurants” edition of FYI’s “Food Porn” as well as Joe Bastianich’s “Restaurant Startup,” a television program that awarded Javier $150,000 and a culinary excursion in Spain. After operating Basque Supper Club for two years, Javier was propelled by his success to open Urdaneta, which is named after his grandfather. The rustic restaurant features an open kitchen and a warm, inviting atmosphere.

While Javier is inspired by Basque traditions, he isn’t one to recreate a dish to the letter.

“I never wanted to be one of those chefs who sees a classical Spanish dish and completely tries to recreate it with those exact ingredients,” he says. “There’s something great to be said about that, but I think the most important thing is to embrace the ideology. What you do is go to the farm stand down the street, the guy who milks his cows, the place with fresh eggs and the bakery. I do that with the ingredients here in Portland and (apply) the cooking techniques and flavors of where I’m from. So, because we’re in the Pacific Northwest, I would serve halibut instead of turbot; it’s going to be much more delicious and fresh.”

The food Javier serves is stunningly presented and delicious to a fault. His menu, which changes according to season and the offerings of local farms, focuses on the small plates known as pintxos. True to Javier’s coastal roots, he serves a delicious plate of grilled sardines (fresh from a morning catch, according to our server). Other dishes of note are spicy fried potatoes

Urdaneta features an assortment of tapas which change seasonally.

with garlic sauce and a decadent swirl of duck egg, and an amazingly textured salad of smoked beets, Spanish peanut brittle, manchego cheese, pickled onions and curls of frisée.

Vegetarians might enjoy the toasted noodles, which at the time of this writing featured asparagus, English peas and sheep’s milk cheese. While some dishes include Spanish ham as an ingredient, diners can always request its omission.

Desserts include churros con chocolate, goat’s milk flan, and a selection of cheeses with jam and almonds. You can accompany your sweets with a café con leche with coffee sourced from the nearby Caffe Vita.

Reservations are highly recommended, as Urdaneta fills up quickly. The restaurant is closed on Mondays.

Urdaneta: 3033 NE Alberta St., Portland, 503-288-1990, urdanetapdx.com

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018 53

Actively SENIOR

Ted Scheinman stays active, does good and has fun

By Deborah Moon

Tikkun olam and fun keep 73-year-old Ted Schneiman very busy. He is an active volunteer locally and globally; he still teaches a college course or two; and he cross country skis, cycles and kayaks.

This spring Ted spent two weeks in Cambodia on his fourth international Habitat for Humanity build. He has also participated in builds locally with the Neveh Shalom Men’s Club and Bilal Mosque. For Ted, Habitat builds satisfy both of his quests – healing the world and having fun.

Growing up in Peoria, IL, his family wasn’t religious, but they belonged to both synagogues (Reform and “the other one”) and had Israelis or Holocaust survivors stay with them for a couple of months. He moved to Portland 49 years ago and has been a member of Havurah Shalom since the congregation’s founding.

The concepts of Judaism always have been important to him.

“So this (Habitat) has been normal for me to do,” he says. “I have fun and I go places I want to go. I get to do what I like – connecting with people.”

Habitat requires that the family the home is being built for helps in the construction. So Ted has worked side by side

with families in Cambodia, Vietnam (twice) and Nepal, where he plans to return in October. Though many of the people he meets there speak little or no English, everyone gets along just fine. “Smiles work,” he says.

Portlander Ted Scheinman poses with Hon Ra and her husband, Mab Meong, in front of the home he helped build for the couple and their two children in the O’Trach Village, Cambodia. Meong earns about $80 per month as an unskilled construction worker in Thailand. Ra takes care of her children and some of the animals in the village. They have a small paddy to raise some of their staple of rice. Ra and Meong worked alongside volunteers and two skilled workers provided by Habitat for Humanity.

Since he was in Cambodia during Passover, Ted attended a Chabad seder in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Ted built most of this brick outhouse all by himself. He found it very satisfying to carry water, mix concrete on the ground and cement the bricks together. In Nepal about 500 volunteers built 30 homes in one week including one outhouse for every two houses.

54 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018

“It’s all about making something for the community,” says Ted. “They know someone cares about them. You see it is going to change their lives. When they have safe place to live, they can focus on other things.”

He’s looking forward to his return to Nepal so he can catch up with Ayisha, who was 22 when he helped build a home for her family. He has stayed connected via Facebook and says she is now doing a small business incubator project.

Before discovering Habitat and going on his first international build in 2014, Ted says he tried going on some tours to satisfy his travel bug.

“I get bored looking at so many chapels and ruins,” he says. When traveling for a Habitat build he still gets to see some sights; in Cambodia, he went to Angkor Wat, which was built in the 12th century and is considered the largest religious monument in the world. “So I get to see some of that, but it’s not overkill. I do better dealing with the people we are building houses for.”

Ted retired three years ago after teaching at Mt. Hood Community College for 40 years. He still teaches one or two economics courses a term “to keep my brain functioning a little.”

He keeps his body active, too. He is a member of the Oregon Nordic Club and has taken and organized many of their cross country skiing trips including Yellowstone and Norway. He has cycled around Vancouver Island and volunteers at the annual Petal Pedal at the Oregon Garden. This year he plans to kayak the Willamette River for five days with Paddle Oregon.

He’s an active volunteer in Portland’s cultural scene, too, ushering for Portland Center State and the Portland International Film Fest. He also volunteers at Feast Portland.

Ted Schneiman clearly has a zest for life and is having a lot of fun in retirement. But he does wonder, “Is it still tikkun olam if you have fun doing it?”

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY Habitat for Humanity is a global nonprofit Christian housing organization that builds homes with people regardless of race or religion with volunteers from all backgrounds. habitat.org Locally, the Neveh Shalom Men’s Club teams up with the Bilal Mosque on Habitat for Humanity build events in the Portland Metro area. Every level of experience is welcome.

Contact Mike Titelbaum (titelb@comcast.net) or Steve Sirkin (stevejew18@frontier.com) for build dates and more details.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018 55

Actively SENIOR

Cedar Sinai Park gala raises record-breaking $500,000

Cedar Sinai Park’s May 4-6 “Homecoming, a Three-DayLong Celebration,” drew hundreds of people to the campus for two events to see all the new and renovated spaces for seniors.

The Saturday evening gala drew another 200 guests to the Hilton for a record-breaking fundraiser.

The entire weekend was chaired by Bev Eastern and Michelle Eastern Gradow, with the mother-daughter duo concentrated on the Saturday night gala to raise funds to benefit the residents of the 98-year-old nonprofit senior care provider in southwest Portland. Eddy Shuldman and Jemi Mansfield coordinated the Friday night dedication of the renovated Sara 56 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018

Glasgow Cogan Chapel in the Robison building. Rosanne Levi took the reins of the Sunday family carnival, bringing hundreds of families to mingle with residents, have fun and explore the campus.

“I’m overwhelmed with the generosity of our community,” says Michelle. “It was a warm and wonderful weekend to honor Cedar Sinai Park. I’m so happy to chair the weekend with my mother – it was a memory maker.”

Bev adds, “The gala this year was warm, entertaining and exceeded our fundraising goal. It was supported by many of our past sponsors, new sponsors and friends of CSP. All who attended can have the self-satisfaction in knowJordan Schnitzer ing that their generosity will continue the deserved care of our residents.”

In an emotion-filled tribute to his father May 5, businessman and philanthropist Jordan Schnitzer provided a surprise matching gift to all contributions made during the Mitzvah Moment at the CSP Gala.

Arlene and Jordan Schnitzer donated a total of $119,000 to the successful event through the Harold and Arlene Schnitzer Fund of Oregon Jewish Community Foundation.

That offer, combined with large matching gifts made by Irwin and Renee Holzman, Marcy Tonkin, Douglas and Lila Goodman, and Sol and Rosalyn Menashe, enabled the organization to raise more than $500,000 – the most ever for the fundraiser and far surpassing its fundraising goal.

"Cedar Sinai Park will always have a very special place in the hearts of the Schnitzer family," Jordan told the crowd of more than 200 supporters Saturday night. “It was there for us, providing amazing care and support as my grandmother aged. Our community's support was a source of tremendous pride for my father – Harold Schnitzer – who strongly believed in the organization's mission to provide not only housing, but social, spiritual and emotional support to our elders."

The Schnitzer family, including Jordan and his mother, philanthropist Arlene Schnitzer, who was also in attendance, has been a long-time supporter of Cedar Sinai Park.

“It’s clear that the community values the love, honor and re-

array of services to people of all faiths. The main campus in Southwest Portland offers the state’s largest assisted-living community and the only Greenhouse model of small group long-term care. It also provides housing for people with disabilities and a new state-of-the-art, postacute rehab center.

spect that drive the staff, board and volunteers, and it’s clear now the donors do, as well,” said CSP Board President Liz Lippoff.

Founded as the Jewish Old People's Home, CSP continues to focus on the core Jewish values of respect for elders and responsibility for the welfare of others. Today, CSP offers an

ABOVE: Nathan Cogan carries one of CSP’s Torah scrolls to its new home, the renovated chapel named for his late wife, Sara Glasgow Cogan, z”l, who was killed by a car during her term as CSP board president. A new ark awaited the scrolls in the renovated chapel. Photos by Andrea Lonas Photography LEFT: CSP weekend co-chairs Michelle Eastern Gradow and Bev Eastern enjoy the CSP Carnival with Mallory Gradow (Michelle’s daughter) and Stan Eastern (Bev’s husband and Michelle’s father). Presented by R&H Construction the carnival drew hundreds of kids and families for an afternoon of fun activities, food and friendships with residents. Photos by Richard Embry/Cedar Sinai Park

THE most INTERESTING RESIDENTS in the WORLD on HAPPY HOUR at MARCY’S BAR WROTE a BOOK in her SPARE TIME BOOK CLUB JUST got INTERESTING

503-535- 4000 tours@cedarsinaipark.org Assisted Living Community

Life continues here ™

*Models are current residents of Rose Schnitzer Manor. Sabina Shalom authored “A Marriage Sabbatical.”

Arthur Ginsburg, former lawyer, musician & college professor, leads the resident book club.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018 57

K I D S

and teens too!

OJCYF Teens Raise $48,000

Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation members sit on the Mittleman Jewish Community Center stage at the group’s annual benefit dinner May 3. This year’s theme, Roaring Youth Philanthropy, set the mood for a truly festive evening. The teen-run event included remarks from U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici and Professor Natan Meir of the Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies at Portland State University. The generous sponsors and Mitzvah Moment donors contributed a total of $48,000 for the teens to grant to a broad range of Jewish and general nonprofits. OJCYF is a program of the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation and is open to Jewish teenagers in grades 9-12. To learn more about OJCYF, visit ojcf.org or call OJCF Collaborative Giving Program Coordinator Sonia Marie Leikam at 503-248-9328.

58 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018

KINDESS MURAL

Kids and adults at Chabad in Vancouver's Lag B’Omer celebration created a giant "Let's Chalk Kindness" Mural.

FAMILY TIME

By Debra Rich Gettleman

Balabusta

We are buckled up on an Alaska Airlines flight scheduled from Oklahoma City to Seattle. It’s just my husband, Mark, and me. Our two teenage boys are home alone and have called and texted us at least 300 times since our departure 48 hours ago. I’m deathly ill with a head cold and sinus infection, and we are both utterly exhausted.

We have been on the tarmac in this plane for 4 hours and it is still on the ground in Oklahoma City. I’m ready to slit my wrists and Mark, for some reason, has become as peaceful and serene as a Buddhist monk. “Don’t you think it’s odd that we’re still on the ground?” I ask, hoping to get some kind of reaction from my husband. “We’ve been sitting here for four hours!” He continues reading his biography on Abraham Lincoln.

I can’t breathe. I’m a nose-blowing fiend and neverending snot fountain. I cough uncontrollably for intervals that seem to go on forever. I am truly miserable. I’ve gone through three boxes of tissues in the last hour and a half and feel like I’ve been run over by a Mack truck. Then I sneeze and grab one of my lesser used tissues out of my bra before infecting everyone on the plane with projectile germs. In my mind, I am literally overwhelmed by my lightning fast reflexes and heroic rapidity in protecting an entire planeload of innocent passengers.

But Mark looks at me in horror and say, “Really? Are you that old?”

“What are you talking about?” I say baffled by this question after showing my insanely quick response time.

“The tissue thing? In the bra? I mean, really?” he continues.

“I don’t know what you mean,” I say feeling suddenly defensive and vulnerable. “That’s an old age thing?”

“Well, I just remember my old lady aunts and bubbe use to do that,” he sneers.

I think back to my mother who never stuffed a tissue into her bosom. She used to roll up the used tissues and keep them in her sleeve. Now that was gross. But a slightly snotty tissue stuffed into a bra? Well, that is clearly not a sign of old ladyhood.

I sneer back at him. “Um…well, where am I supposed to keep it? I don’t have any pockets, and I’m not tucking it into my sleeve like some kind of old Jewish balabusta!”

“I don’t even know what that means,” he quips. “But it’s just sort of…icky to see your beautiful young wife acting like some kind of phlegm-hacking alter cocker.”

“Oh, but you know what that means?” I snipe with more than a little irritation. “And may I add, that I find

your negative stereotypes of elderly Jewish women to be limiting, insulting and degrading.”

“I’m not stereotyping,” he insists, “I just only knew old Jewish ladies who did that.”

“Yeah? Well, plenty of hot young atheist chicks at the gym stuff their Kleenex into their bras!” I assert.

“Really?” He asks with a perplexed stare.

“No. Not really,” I say “I just said that because I feel awful that I’m suddenly an old lady and I didn’t see it coming.”

It’s kind of funny to think about how skewed our vision of the world actually is based on our background and experience. To me, bra stuffing still reminds me of the seventh-grade horror Laura Minke faced after her bra came off in the locker room after gym class and a few random tissues emerged. She vehemently swore that the tissues had fallen out of her pocket at the same time and that any synchronicity between these two events was purely coincidental. But for Mark, the same image conjured up a picture of big-bosomed Yiddish yentas pushing him around the Seder table and pinching his cheeks.

On the other hand, the thought of me stuffing a used tissue up my sleeve didn’t elicit even a modicum of disgust. For me, however, the image of my mom in her jade green velour robe with scrunched up tissues in her sleeve made my skin crawl. We both simultaneously marveled at our discrepancy of perceptions.

I used to be an anti-bias trainer with the ADL in Phoenix. It was an incredible opportunity to help people acknowledge the unique and sometimes limiting lens through which we each view the world. I think of myself as a pretty open and accepting person without a lot of racial, religious, gender, or sexual orientation bias clouding my vision. But this was an interesting kind of wake up call.

If we don’t even recognize the limiting views we hold about members of our own family and tribe, what else might we be missing? I think it’s important to step back and reevaluate our judgments – both conscious and unconscious.

Because the truth is, lots of people stuff tissues into their bras and that doesn’t make them old, female, or Jewish!

Debra Rich Gettleman is a mother, blogger, actor and playwright. For more of her work, visit unmotherlyinsights.com

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018 59

KIDS CALENDAR

JUNE 2 & 16/JULY 7 & 21

YOUNG FAMILY TOT SHABBAT (0-5 YEARS). 10:15am in Zidell Chapel, Neveh Shalom, 2900 SW Peaceful Lane, Portland. Join other young families for singing, dancing, stories, indoor picnic-style lunch and Shabbat fun. 503-246-8831

KIDDUSH CLUB FOR K-2ND GRADERS. 10:15am in Room 19, Neveh Shalom, 2900 SW Peaceful Lane, Portland. Join other families for prayer, singing, conversation and fun followed by an indoor picnic-style lunch. 503-246-8831

weekly story hour for young families with music led by Kim Schneiderman and PJ Library books. rachelr@jewishportland.org or 503-892-7415

JUNE 22 & JULY 27

FOURTH FRIDAYS WITH RABBI EVE (AGE 0-6). 5:15 pm. WelcomeShabbat with music and stories, potluck dinner to follow.

Co-sponsored by PJ Library. Contact Rabbi Eve for location: eposen@ nevehshalom.org.

TORAH TROOP FOR 3RD-5TH GRADERS. 10 am Neveh

JULY 15

Shalom, 2900 SW Peaceful Lane, Portland. Meet in the MAIN service for the beginning of the Torah service, and then come out for a fun lesson on the Torah portion (parsha) of the week. Return to the service to help lead Adon Olam, and join the community for lunch. 503-246-8831

Time TBA at Smith Berry Barn, 24500 SW Scholls Ferry Rd, Hillsboro. Pick berries with your young ones on a fun farm outing. Families 5 & under! RSVP: eposen@nevehshalom.org

JUNE 9

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

JUNE 10/JULY 15 & 29

STORYTIME WITH RABBI EVE AT HILLSDALE FARMER’S MARKET. 10 am, Rieke Elementary Playground. Join Rabbi Eve at Rieke Playground for a special story. Fun for all ages! Cosponsored by PJ Library. Info: eposen@nevehshalom.org.

JUNE 16

A LITTLE SHABBAT. 5-6:30 pm at Congregation Shaarie Torah, 920 NW 25th Ave., Portland. For families with children in preschool (ages 2+).

Short service with singing, greeting, stories followed by kid-friendly dinner.

Free. 503-226-6131

JUNE 30

SHORESHIM YOUNG FAMILIES HIKE. 3 pm at Tryon Creek.

Convene with nature and your Shoreshim friends as we explore the trail. Snacks will be provided. Bring your friends. Info: eposen@nevehshalom. org

JUNE 20/JULY 18/AUG. 15

MUSIC WITH KIM SCHNEIDERMAN AND PJ LIBRARY. 11 am at Green Bean Books, 1600 NE Alberta St, Portland. rachelr@ jewishportland.org or 503-892-7415

JUNE 21/JULY 19/AUG. 16

PJ STORY HOUR YAD B'YAD: 11 am, Thursdays at Adult Day Services, Cedar Sinai Park, 6125 SW Boundary St., Portland. Share in a 60 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018

YOUNG FAMILY: BERRY PICKING WITH SHORESHIM.

OREGONIAN RELEASES NEW CHILDREN’S BOOK

After 50 years as a newspaper and magazine writer and photographer, Salem resident Neil Heilpern will release his first children’s book this summer. The Maccabee Kids, with illustrations by Alexey Byckov, is due out in early July.

During summers Neil and his wife, Veronica, have traveled the West Coast, entertaining children at county fairs and schools with The Magical Puppet Family, combining magic, puppets and storytelling. Many of his kids’ stories originated at these fairs. He is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Neil has been a member of Congregation P’nai Or for more than 20 years.

The book tells the story of two youngsters in ancient Israel. Concerned about the Syrian soldiers who occupy their country, they take a dangerous night journey to the nearby Maccabee camp. After sharing their mother’s honey cakes with the guerrilla fighters, a crusty old soldier tells them Maccabee is, MKB = Mi Kamocha Boalim, Adonai” = “There is nothing greater than God.” Returning home to their town of Modin they use the spiritual principle to resolve their conflict with the cranky old lady at the well. That is when they realize they are “Maccabee Kids.”

J

L iving

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Community + collaboration = Life & Legacy success

By Gail Mandel

community members to meet the Grinspoon Foundation’s participation requirements.”

Ultimately $300,000 was raised locally from donors and OJCF's Community Endowment Fund. The Harold Grinspoon Foundation, in turn, matched the funds and contributed

What does Life & Legacy success look like? In Oregon and SW Washington, it looks like 10 organizations’ legacy teams collaborating over the course of four years, talking to hundreds of community members and securing 516 legacy commitments. These gifts represent an estimated future value of $25.8 million that will benefit our community's Jewish organizations.

The Life & Legacy program has shown our community that when we work together we are all stronger, and the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation couldn’t be prouder.

"It has been OJCF's privilege to bring this effective legacy initiative to Oregon and SW Washington," says OJCF President and CEO Julie Diamond. "The foundation, in partnership with the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, has provided legacy education and financial support with incentive grants to the participating organizations. This has changed the philanthropic culture of our community.

Legacy giving is now more integrated into our conversations and actions than it was Top, from left, Jeanne Newmark and Gerel Blauer after signing the Endowment Book of Life at a celebration marking Oregon’s successful just five years ago.”

Bringing the Life & Leg- fourth year in Life & Legacy. Above, OJCF Board Member and former Chair acy program to our commu- Eric Rosenfeld and OJCF President and CEO Julie Diamond display a copy nity in 2013 was a shared ef- of Voices & Visions, published by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation. fort. “Five years ago, OJCF’s Photosby Naim Hasan Photography board, under the leadership of then Chair Eric Rosenfeld, recognized the about $305,000 to our community over the significant impact the program could have course of the past four years. Of these dollars, on our community,” says Steve Laveson, $280,000 in incentive grants flowed to the 10 OJCF board chair. “Eric and Julie worked local Life & Legacy participating organizatogether to raise the necessary local funds tions. Financial rewards now and later are a from OJCF’s board, fund holders and other hallmark of the program and its achievements.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018 61

Our region is in good company and not alone in its success.

The Life & Legacy program is now in 52 communities with 558 participating organizations across North America. As of the end of 2017, a total of 17,627 legacy commitments had been secured by partner communities with an estimated future value of $672 million.

Congregation Beth Israel, one of the local participating organizations, was fortunate to come to the program with a legacy initiative and Legacy Circle already in place; however, the CBI team welcomed the opportunity to receive training regarding how to both recruit and maintain legacy donors.

"The Life & Legacy program encouraged our community to come together both for workshops and to best determine how we can most effectively engage our community’s stakeholders to secure our future," according to a statement from CBI Development Director Jen Feldman and Executive Director Josh Kashinsky.

"And, being totally honest, the incentive grants certainly helped keep the program at the top of our to-be-accomplished list," Jen adds.

While the official four years of Life & Legacy have concluded, the foundation’s commitment to assisting the community’s legacy efforts is ongoing. OJCF will continue to provide legacy support and education for all of its partner organizations, and the Life & Legacy organizations will be eligible to receive modest incentive grants to ensure that the momentum gained over the last several years is not lost.

“Life & Legacy has propelled OJMCHE to initiate conversations with museum friends about our long-term goals and aspirations,” says Judy Margles, director of the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education. “With nearly 50 legacy commitments, we have reason to feel confident about our future well-being, and we are forever grateful to OJCF for including us in the program. We hope to double our legacy commitments over the next 10 years!”

Life & Legacy has impacted the way our community views endowments and legacy giving. Before OJCF brought the program to the area, after-lifetime giving and endowments were understood to be important but were not a priority. Now, with four years of the legacy initiative under our collective belts, everyone agrees that both are essential to ensure strong Jewish tomorrows. This is success indeed.

Gail Mandel is the legacy development and marketing manager at the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation.

Life & Legacy Life & Legacy promotes after-lifetime giving to benefit local Jewish day schools, synagogues, social service organizations and other entities. Through training, support and monetary incentives, Life & Legacy encourages Jewish organizations to integrate legacy giving into their philanthropic culture in order to assure Jewish tomorrows.

62 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018

Kim Danish Rosenberg to be honored June 10

Kim Danish Rosenberg will receive the Harry R. Nemer Service Award. Congregation Shaarie Torah Men’s Club presents the award to congregation members in recognition of outstanding volunteer service to Shaarie Torah.

Kim recently took a leadership role heading the fundraising efforts for the Shaarie Torah Transition Committee. Before that, she served on the Shaarie Torah board of directors, chaired the Ruach Committee and served as educational program coordinator.

Besides her volunteer involvement at Shaarie Torah, Kim took a leadership role in the following: Bayit House at the University of Oregon (prior to the establishment of Hillel of Eugene); Project Kedusha, which included the first community-wide Mitzvah Day; AIPAC of Oregon (American Israel Public Affairs Committee); and Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, where she served as campaign co-chair.

Kim has been a member of Shaarie Torah since she was 3.

She met her husband, the Cantor David Rosenberg (z”l), in the shul’s library, and together they created a second home and loving community at Shaarie Torah with their children.

Kim says the community has been there for her during times of celebration and grief. She feels blessed to be able to give back her time and money to a place that has been so supportive.

Kim remembers learning about the importance of tzedakah at a very early age. “My first real memory was when I was 4 years old,” she says. “I had my white gloves and was heading to my first day of Mrs. Saperstein’s Sunday school class at Shaarie Torah holding five pennies in a baggie to put in the pushka.”

“I learned everything from my mother, Carol," adds Kim. “She taught me that tzedakah, the righteous act of helping fellow human beings in need, is not simply a matter of charity but of responsibility and justice.”

“You make an impact each day with your choices about how you live and how you allocate your resources. If money talks, it is with your voice, and each financial choice is a powerful statement of who you are and what you care about.”

Kim is employed as a financial planner at Rosenbaum Financial, which expands the teachings of tzedakah to encompass our power as consumers.

The dinner honoring Kim Danish Rosenberg will take place on June 10 at Congregation Shaarie Torah, 920 NW 25th, Portland. Tickets, $54/person, are available at shaarietorah.org or 503-226-613. Dinner proceeds support various programs at Shaarie Torah.

COVER STORIES REVISITED and tried my best. Going into the run I gave it my all and had the best run of my life ... somehow finding a 37 minute 10k at the end of the race."

Jared Blank shares his latest challenge

Jared Blank visited the Mittleman Jewish Community Center May 14 to share how he has overcome challenges in his talk, “Outrunning Dyslexia.”

Oregon Jewish Life’s January cover story featured Jared’s journey and his training for seven marathons in seven days on seven continents. Jared finished all seven races and finished 12th overall with an average of 4 hours 32 minutes and 16 seconds per marathon. His fastest time was the last marathon in Miami at 4:03:36. “I had iliotibial band injury at mile 22 of the third race in Australia. This created a challenge for me and a painful one at that. Was able to overcome it though and complete the challenge,” says Jared.

That’s not the only challenge he has overcome. Growing up with dyslexia, he has been able to achieve many of his dreams in college, athletics and running. Through the World Marathon Challenge he raised $50,524 with TeamQuest for the International Dyslexia Association.

Triathlete Cymon Kirsch finishes strong

Cymon Kirsch competed on Team USA in the 2017 World Triathlon Championships in Rotterdam last September.

Cymon was featured on the May 2017 cover of Oregon Jewish Life.

At the world championships she finished sixth in her age group and was the fastest American in her age group. The highlight of her season was taking first place for her age group at the National Championships, qualifying her to race in the professional/elite field for future triathlons.

"I would say this was one of the most interesting and fun races I've ever done, but constantly had to change the game plan and expectations,” writes Cymon of the Worlds. She got an ear infection the day before flying to the race and her ear drum ruptured on the plane. Despite the pain, she competed. Here is her brief breakdown of the race: “The 1500m swim was not one of my best, then the bike (a 40k) was a SUPER technical course with tons of turns and bridges, make shift ramps over stairs, lots cobblestone and brick roads, etc., which is not a strength for me but I pushed where I could, had a ton of fun, OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018 63

L iving

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BB BASH – On the 14th of April, 223 people gathered at the Crystal Ballroom and 20 in Palm Desert for the B’nai B’rith Camp Bash to help raise more than $108,000 for camper scholarships.

CEMETERY CLEAN-UP Volunteers of all ages turned out at the Kesser Israel Cemetery for a work party on May 6 to clean moss, lichen and other growths on gravestones. Above, Devora and Aki Fleshler, Kesser’s president, tackle adjacent markers. In photo below, from left, Shimshy Levy and Moishy Fischer, both students at Maayan Torah Day School, work on markers for members of the Berlant family. Other volunteers included Kory and Gary Darling, Rick Haselton, Michael and Allison Sherman, and Sura Rubenstein.

FACES & PLACES

KOLLEL WINE FEST – From left, Rabbi Chanan and Meira Spivak, and Brad and Lara Stern, and (standing) Eric Kodesch and Alex Hess at the Portland Kollel's 7th Annual Wine Festival in support of Kollel's 12th year of programming in Portland.

FAMILY CAMP – The weekend of April 27-29, 31 young families connected with Congregation Neven Shalom joined together for their second annual family camp weekend at Camp Solomon Schechter. Throughout the course of the weekend these families played, prayed, canoed, sang, danced and ate. Fun was had, new friendships formed. Below, Rabbi Eve Posen, Ari Altman and Leah Conley lead Shabbat morning services.

BIKES FLIP FOR LAG B’OMER – Chabad Center for Jewish Life-SW Portland hosted one of the five Chabad Lag B’Omer events in Oregon this year. “Wherever, whomever, whatever, we are all one. That is the message of Lag B’Omer and what we are celebrating” says Rabbi Motti Wilhelm. “That’s why we barbecue, celebrate and flip off bikes.”

64 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018

FACES & PLACES

ISRAEL360 – On April 29, Israel360, a project of Congregation Neveh Shalom, brought Mickey Gitzin, NIF (New Israel Fund) executive director in Israel, for a conversation about the Next 35 Years of Social Change in Israel.

Rabbi David Kosak, left, engages Mickey in conversation. nevehshalom. org/israel3

TRAININGS – Noted employment expert Fran Sepler facilitated three days of “Safe and Respectful Workplace” trainings for the greater Portland Jewish community in May, coordinated by the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland. Nearly 200 staff, supervisors and board members working and volunteering in Jewish organizations, schools and synagogues participated in the sessions.

YOM HA’ATZMAUT – Rose Schnitzer Manor hosted a Yom Ha’atzmaut event featuring (from left) Rabbi Joshua Stampfer, Sonia Lieberman and Rabbi Michael Cahana. Rabbi Stampfer talked about his experiences in then Palestine just prior to Israel's Independence. Sonia Lieberman related her experiences arriving in Israel, three months after Israel's Independence and Rabbi Cahana talked about his father, born in then Palestine, who joined the Irgun.

PDX HILLEL TURNS 10 – The Greater Portland Hillel celebrated its 10th anniversary April 29.

Right, Jordan Schnitzer welcomes Portland State University President Dr. Rahmat Shoureshi; with funding from Jordan and Dr. Shoureshi’s connections to academia in Israel, a visiting scholars program is being set up. Above, honoree Mara and Rob Shlachter thank Hillel supporters.

LAG B’OMER – On May 6, the Neveh Shalom community came together for its ALIYAH Lag B'Omer celebration. They had a wonderful time making art (above), making fresh pita over a fire, singing, dancing, purchasing popsicles in the shuk and enjoying the goats. Photo by Ken Klein

SWU NW EVENT – StandWithUs Northwest held its annual "Seattle Main Event" on May 6 at Block 41. Author and keynote speaker Yossie Klein Halevi (pictured with Alisa Chessler, associate director of StandWithUs Northwest) explained the challenge of being an Israeli centrist. SWU NW Executive Director and co-founder Randy Kessler recounted SWU NW achievements in the past year and presented former director Rob Jacobs with an award for his lifetime work on behalf of the Jewish people.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018 65

JUNE CALENDAR

Through June 17

June 10-24

“I and You” at ART. See page 40

Portland Jewish Film Festival. See pages 34-35

June 1-2 Presence, Light, Manna: A Contemplative Shabbat at Havurah Shalom. Beginning Friday evening, then continuing all day Saturday from morning through Havdalah, we will immerse ourselves in contemplative Jewish practice. tinyurl.com/ ContemplShabbat

June 3 Neveh Shalom Men’s Club Texas Hold’em Charity Tournament. 4 pm at Neveh Shalom. Benefits youth education scholarships. Registration ($40/player, $100/sponsor) includes coffee, soft drinks, beer, hors d’oeuvres, bagels and spreads, and tournament play. 18 and over. RSVP: nevehshalom.org/poker2018 Song of Miriam Awards Brunch. 10 am at the MJCC. Jewish Women’s RoundTable honors 21 women volunteers. leslyee@comcast.net Healing Intergenerational Trauma Through Storytelling. 1-3 pm at Temple Beth Sholom, 1274 Cunningham Lane S, Salem. Author Emily Wanderer Cohen speaks on her book of the same title. 503-362-5004

June 4 The Optimistic Decade author Heather Abel in conversation with Leni Zuman. 7:30 pm at Powell’s Books, 3732 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland. Kirkus Reviews calls Abel’s debut novel “a playful look at Jewish coming of age and coming-to-terms in the American West.” 800878-7323, powells.com

SEE KIDS CALENDAR PAGE 60

July 17

Jazz in The Garden with Bossa PDX. 7:30 pm at Lan Su Chinese Garden, 239 NW Everett St., Portland. Led by pianist/vocalist (and ORJL July 12 food columnist) Kerry Politzer, the PortlandIsle of Klezbos concert.

See page 48

based Bossa PDX performs lovingly transcribed arrangements. 503-228-8131 June 14 98th Annual Meeting of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland. 4:30 pm at Congregation Neveh Shalom, 2900 SW Peaceful Lane. Speaker: Rabbi Shira Stutman from Washington, D.C. Jewish Professional Award to Ben Charlton. 503-2456219

June 15-17 Temple Beth Sholom Retreat at the 4-H Center in Salem. A weekend of fun, silliness, spirituality, learning and bonding. 503-362-5004

June 16 Fifth Annual Lefty Sing-Along: Resist! Songs of Unity, Hope & Change. 6:30-9 pm at Central Lutheran Church, 1820 NE 21st Ave., Portland. Fundraiser for P’nai Or an d350PDX. leftysingalong.brownpapertickets.com

June 17 Jewish Pride Greater PDX marches in the Pride Parade. 503-892-7415 or rachelr@ jewishportland.org

June 21 Oregon Jewish Community Foundation Annual Meeting. 5:30 pm at OJMCHE. Honoring Legacy Society Honoree Carol Danish. 503-248-9328

June 24

July 19 Portland writer Randolph Splitter reads from his new novel The Ramadan Drummer. 7 pm at Another Read Through, 3932 N. Mississippi Ave., Portland. Shots ring out, and a child is wounded.

In this timely story of clashing values and the search for connection in a multicultural world, a police detective and a reporter—a Jewish man and a Muslim woman—try to find out what happened.

503-208-2729

July 26 MJCC outdoor concert. See page 28

July 27 North Coast Shabbat Group. 8 pm at Seaside Senior Center, 1225 Avenue A, Seaside. Services led by Eddy Shuldman followed by oneg Shabbat.

Bev Eastern: 503-244-7060

Aug. 2-19 “Guys and Dolls” on stage at Deb Fennell Auditorium, 9000 SW Durham Road, Tigard.

Broadway Rose Theatre Company. 503-620-5262

Aug. 10 Shabbat in the Park. 6 pm at Fernhill Park. Live music and service presented by Congregation Shir Tikvah. shirtikvahpdx.org

MJCC outdoor concert. See page 28

Aug. 19

PDX Business Breakfast featuring a panel of Venture Capitalists. 7:15-9:15 am at White Stag Block, 70 NW Couch St., Portland. oregonjcc.org or 503-452-3427

Friends of Robison Mah Jongg Tournament.

12:30-4:30 pm at Rose Schnitzer Manor, CSP, 6140 SW Boundary St., Portland. RSVP required: cedarsinaipark.org/giving/mahjongg/

MJCC outdoor concert. See page 28

June 7-Sept. 30

June 27-July 22

June 5

R.B. Kitaj: A Jew Etc., Etc. at OJMCHE. See page 36

June 9 Saundra Messinger trunk show at Chemistry Jewelry, 310 Oak St., Hood River. chemistryjewelry.com

June 10 Kim Danish Rosenberg receives Harry Nemer Service Award. See page 62 Jewish Community Orchestra Season Finale. 3 pm at MJCC. 503-535-3555 66 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018

“Mamma Mia” on stage at Deb Fennell Auditorium, 9000 SW Durham Road, Tigard.

Broadway Rose Theatre Company. 503-620-5262

June 29 Shabbat in the Park. 6 pm at Overlook Park. Live music and service presented by Congregation Shir Tikvah. shirtikvahpdx.org

Aug. 24-26 The Ben Hecht Show at Coho Productions, 2257 NW Raleigh St., Portland. James Sherman, a Chicago actor, brings his one-man show The Ben Hecht Show to Portland. cohoproductions.org

Aug. 31 North Coast Shabbat Group. 8 pm at Seaside Senior Center, 1225 Avenue A, Seaside. Services led by Jeff Freedman followed by oneg Shabbat.

Bev Eastern: 503-244-7060

Please enter events on our online calendar all summer long. We will be featuring events from the online calendar in North Coast Shabbat Group. 8 pm at Seaside our weekly e-newsletters. If you have not Senior Center, 1225 Avenue A, Seaside. Services yet signed up to submit events, visit led by Neil Weinstein followed by oneg Shabbat. orjewishlife.com/calendar-access-reBev Eastern: 503-244-7060 quest/

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68 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018