DECEMBER 2019
Holiday Gift Guide
CON TE N T S Oregon Jewish Life • December 2019
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Holiday Gift Guide
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Find the perfect holiday gift using AI
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Protect the world’s children this holiday season
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Roasted garlic caprese latkes
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Gingerbread sufganiyot
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Hanukkah happenings
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It's not just the Festival of Lights, may it also be the festival of hope, happiness, love and health. Wishing you a Happy Hanukkah and Holiday Season filled with peace and prosperity. - From all of us at Oregon Jewish Life
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HATS & ACCESSORIES - Kyi Kyi is at it again with this season’s hottest accessories! These super trendy hats not only look amazing but include a fleece lining for extra warmth and comfort. They come in a plethora of fun colors and styles. The oversized and fluffy pom poms come in a luxurious fur and soft and silky faux fur (ranging from $59 to $72) that are sure to cater to every woman’s taste and age. Staying warm never looked this hot! Our Kyi Kyi collection also features a variety of accessories to complement your readers’ style including earmuffs, matching scarves, belt bags and a super cute mommy & me collection. All of which makes our products the perfect holiday gift! $59 & up. kyikyi.com
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EIGHT NIGHTS OF HANUKKAH GIFT - Make the eight nights of Hanukkah even more special with a beautiful Star of Davidshaped gift. Each night, the lucky recipients open a new part of the artfully-constructed container to reveal a delectable treat. There is something for all eight evenings, including extraordinary Royal Riviera Pears, delicious rugelach and blondies, Jordan almonds, and chocolate Hanukkah gelt coins. The container will be a family favorite for years to come. Kosher. $99.99. harryanddavid.com
GARY ROSENTHAL ART PRESIDENTIAL MENORAH - Star of David with multicolor side accent, 10” high, 5” wide, 11” long. Please allow 5 additional days for shipping. You will have the option to personalize this item as you proceed to checkout. Gary Rosenthal Art Menorah. $110. zionjudaica.com
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WINE VEIL - ‘Tis the Season to entertain! This is the time of year when being a little “extra” is fine. Whether you need a hostess gift, a gift for someone you don’t know very well…or to just dress up your holiday gathering the Wine VEIL is a perfect choice! The soft and simple 5” x 5” squares are made with high-quality organza material in a variety of beautiful color swatches (we love the holiday color set) and each one is weighted with beautiful silver charms of dragonflies, grape leaves and other classic charms. The result is a shimmery, sheer drape or VEIL over each wine glass, decanter or bottle giving a little extra special look to your gathering. These are great in the summer for “al fresco” gatherings, because they keep the bugs OUT! $24.95 (Set of 4). wineveil.com
GARDENER’S POCKET TOOL GIFT - Carry these handy snips and pruners any time you head to the garden for harvesting vegetables, herbs and fruits; cutting flowers for bouquets; and light pruning and deadheading. The ergonomic, non-slip grip and super-sharp blades allow you to make precision cuts without damaging nearby stems. A sliding lock lets you stow them safely. And the Tool Sharpener lets you maintain the sharp edge on these tools, as well as other pruners, loppers and shears. Set includes our exclusive Pocket Pruner, Pocket Snips and Tool Sharpener. $34.99. gardeners.com
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EXPLORER BOX - Take your kiddos on a trip around the world each month without leaving your home thanks to eat2explore. These fun “explorer boxes” from a dozen different countries including Greece, Mexico, Japan, Italy and a range of other countries including the U.S. provide tools for families to cook together, learn, and dine on different cuisines and cultures from around the world. The boxes can be purchased one box at a time, or through a monthly subscription. The great part is the boxes do not include perishable products, so you can use the included ingredients and cook when you have time. They provide three easy-followrecipes and a shopping list to purchase proteins and vegetables of your choice, as well as including hard-to-find spices and sauces. The recipes are also easy to adapt to your kids’ experimentations. If they eat vegetarian, gluten-free or prefer beef over shrimp, the recipes encourage kids to mix it up! Kids love to learn, and each eat2explore box comes complete with explore country brochure, activity sheet, country sticker. eat2explore.com
Hebrew Watch - Hebrew watch & Jewish Watches that are as unique as you. Designed and assembled in Israel, the Hebrew watch collection is designed in high quality to remain an unforgettable gift and heirloom for years to come. The Jewish watch timepieces in the Israel watch collection are cast in sterling silver and feature Jewish symbols and Israeli style such as the Star of David and Hamsa. Jewish timepiece collection comes to you uniquely crafted and made in Israel. Each piece is precision made and warranty backed. Wear a timeless piece that is unique and symbolic of your heritage and ancient homeland. Now you can, with the Jewish jewelry collection specially designed in the Holy Land. $39.95 & up. ahuva.com
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KITTY CARDBOARD - This festive box will have your cat meowing Jingle Bells and Deck the Halls all season long! Our playful little felines love cardboard boxes and Kitty Cardboard has created a new holiday design ready to be displayed wherever your cat wantsunder the tree amongst the presents. This holiday-themed box will fit in with your decor for sure! These popular boxes are huge on social media, because the pictures of cats posing in these are POST PURRFECT! Whether it’s for your cat or a present for a friend you can’t go wrong with Kitty Cardboard boxes. $24.99, Made in the USA. kittycardboard.com/our-story/
Patterns include: Crab, Blue Burst, Green Leaf, Lemon, Suzani, Coral, Blue Willow, Pink Daisy, and Block Print.
PAPER PLACEMATS - The designs on these paper placements will complement any table. Use them every day, no special occasion needed. Set your table for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You’ll have a quick cleanup with these disposable paper placements, just recycle when you are finished. $22/24 placemats per pad. lucygrymes.com
Grey Daisy
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THE HISTORY OF THE STAR OF DAVID ARTWORK - Add a piece of history to your home. Powerful, modern artwork celebrating the symbol that continues to stand the test of time is now available for your home or institution. Limited editions of “The History of the Star of David” by artist Marc Bennett are offered in a stunning range of metal and paper works. These handsigned, numbered editions are offered in various sizes to fit any space and custom sizes may be ordered. The History of the Star of David makes a memorable gift for holidays, high holy days, weddings, or anniversaries and will be enjoyed by all that view it. Limited edition prints are priced from $550 with free shipping. starofdavidart.com
THEATER TICKETS: Broadway in Portland – Give the gift of season tickets or single tickets to shows in their 2020 season featuring Fiddler on the Roof, Dear Evan Hansen, Disney’s Frozen, The Illusionists, The Book of Mormon, Anastasia and Mean Girls. portland.broadway.com
BRACELET KEY RING - Let the Bangle & Babe Bracelet Key Ring help you juggle life’s luggage. Stop fumbling in parking lots trying to find your keys. The wrist-worn keyring is designed to easily slip onto your wrist, while still being flexible enough to fit into your pocket or bag. $17.99 or $19.99. bangleandbabe.com
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XD NONSTICK SAUTÉ PAN - Who would have thought that the old adage, “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend” would now be especially apropos in the kitchen? Swiss Diamond’s newest line of cookware is coated with real diamonds and features a new strength capability. The extra-thick, cast aluminum body, perfectly flat base makes for a solid feel and durable pan. The diamond reinforcing (conducts heat quickly), combined with cast aluminum ensures best heat transfer; the heat setting never has to rise over low-medium. This year, you can treat the chef in your life (or yourself) with the best cookware. The XD line includes more than 100 pieces to choose from. swissdiamond.com
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HOW TO BE A SPORTS SURGEON KIT - This Little Medical School “CLASSROOM IN A BOX” offers aspiring sports surgeons a wide variety of handson and educational activities. The HOW TO BE A SPORTS SURGEON KIT can be enjoyed multiple times with five separate activities: lend me a hand, skeleton, sprains and strains, joints and Tommy John surgery. Students conclude their activities with a graduation ceremony and diploma. This kit is designed for children (6+) and can be used independently or with adult supervision. $29.99. littlemedicalschool.com
THE HAVE A HEART PROGRAM - Your purchase of items from this collection help provide start-up funds for charitable organizations interested in creating their own custom logo charm program for fundraising and awareness. Bangle Dangles are stainless steel, adjustable bracelets with a signature logo heart charm. A classic bracelet you can buy for yourself or as a gift. 20% of net proceeds from our Have a Heart line fund custom charm programs for charitable organizations. Have a heart bangle is $24. charitycharms.com
WISDOM PANEL 4.0 BREED IDENTIFICATION DOG DNA TEST KIT - If you’ve ever wondered about the breed of your dog, the Wisdom Panel 3.0 Breed Identification Dog DNA Test Kit makes it easy to find out. With this simple kit, you can swab your dog’s cheek, send it off in a postage-paid box and discover your dog’s genetic background in just 2-3 weeks. It’s traced back to the great-grandparent level with over 250 breeds detected, including almost all of those recognized by the AKC. You decide whether you want the test to be run for mixed-breed, designer or purebred. All of the tests include a predicted weight profile and will check for the multi-drug resistance 1 (MDR1) genetic mutation that may cause severe adverse reactions to commonly prescribed drugs. The purebred and designer dog tests will also provide a chart that compares your dog with others of the same breed, and the purebred test adds a Homozygosity Profile that measures genetic markers. $84.99. wisdompanel.com
TALKING MENSCH ON A BENCH – The all-new Talking Mensch is a fun and engaging way for your entire Mispacha to learn Yiddish this holiday season. Simply press Moshe’s hand for over 20+ Yiddish words and sayings. $19.99. themenschonabench.com
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Find the perfect holiday gift using AI Israeli startup Findodo takes the hard work out of holiday shopping by using artificial intelligence to help gift-givers pick the best presents. By Brian Blum
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he online quiz starts out innocently enough. Enter gender and age. But soon, you’re being asked some pretty personal questions: Does the person you’re thinking about have a short temper? Like to be the center of attention? Act without thinking? Welcome to the weird world where artificial intelligence meets online gift giving. The quiz was made by Israeli startup Findodo to help gift-givers pick the perfect present. Findodo’s software is based on the filtering technology used by human-resources professionals to sift automatically through piles of resumes sent online. “We took the same methodology but instead of trying to find personality fit, we look for shopping preferences,” the company’s CEO, Benny Melamed, tells ISRAEL21c. “Would a person prefer commodities or handicrafts? Bright or dull colors?” Findodo created its algorithm based on research from Prof. Tsachi Ein-Dor, who teaches psychology at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzilya. Ein-Dor is on Findodo’s advisory board. The quiz initially asks you to designate for whom you want to buy a gift (friend, spouse, colleague or family member) and what the occasion is (birthday, housewarming or office party, for example). After you check off how important the occasion is (mega, pretty, medium or “have to do”), you select general categories your recipient likes (gadgets and tech, culture and books, food or booze, among others) and how much you want to spend. You can adjust that later. Then come the questions designed to ferret out connections. Findodo has found some intriguing ones. For example, people who are trustworthy and empathetic have a high affinity for box games, DIY tools and recycled items. People who are goal-driven and organized prefer physical activities, coffee and luggage. Those who are quiet and reserved like puzzles and the color yellow. If you’re a curious person with a vivid imagination, you’ll gravitate towards items made of glass as well as musical instruments. “I know that our mothers told us each one of us is very unique, but we’re not as different as we’d like to think,” Melamed quips. PLAY 21 QUESTIONS Findodo’s quiz is just 21 questions. “We started with 120 questions,” Melamed says. “We were surprised – the quiz completion rate was 85%. We thought for sure people wouldn’t be willing to answer so many questions, but it was like a game for them.” Over the past two years, hundreds of thousands of Findodo website users have helped the algorithm to “learn” and whittle down the questions without losing accuracy in its predictions. Findodo is not all fun and games, though; this is a business, after all. Once you’ve completed the quiz, you’re given a choice of presents suitable to the person you’re thinking of. The items are sourced from 32 partner ecommerce websites, including Amazon and UncommonGoods. Findodo’s business
The Findodo team. Kobi Katzal, Isik Sonenshtain, Eyal Tirkel and Benny Melamed. 12 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2019 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE
HOW IT WORKS Demonstration of how the Findodo helps you find the perfect gift
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FINDODO continued
model is simply to use ecommerce affiliate links to collect a cut of purchases. Melamed wouldn’t say how many test users bought an item. But he says that Findodo’s conversion rate –the number of visitors converted into paying customers – is 4.6 times the 1.85% industry average for online gift giving. (The gift return rate is 17.5%, in case you were wondering.) HIGH-STAKES GIFTING SITUATIONS Findodo is for occasions when “it’s considered culturally tacky to fill out a registry” as you would for a wedding or a baby shower, Melamed says. “We deal with high-stakes gifting situations, where you don’t want to get it wrong, where your loved one expects you to show you know and love her.” While anyone with a web browser can use Findodo, the software was trained with American users. The results will probably be accurate in much of Europe but might not be so appropriate for gift-givers and recipients in other parts of the world. “When we make the decision to move into another market, we will train it on local users there,” Melamed says. “It’s then a question of tweaking the algorithm.” People find Findodo through word of mouth and through ads on Facebook and Google. “They’ll write, ‘What can I buy for my girlfriend?’ and that will take them to our website,” Melamed says. Melamed has found that most of the site’s users are men looking for a gift for a woman. Why? “Because men are clueless, let’s face it,” he jokes. UPDATED GIFT-GIVING Melamed previously owned mefik.co.il, a website aggregating Israeli conference and trade-show companies. He sold the business and now is full-time with Findodo, which has raised $1.3 million from angels. Findodo has a team of six in Tel Aviv, plus advisers and freelancers. Two of the company’s founders came from the advertising industry. Findodo’s CTO is a veteran of the IDF’s prestigious 8200 intelligence unit. Melamed’s personal lightbulb moment was born more out of wonder than frustration. “Isn’t it a bit weird that the gifting experience today is the same as it was 10, 20 or 30 years ago?” he asks. “It seems like a lot of the data out on the web can’t be or hasn’t been used for gifting. Which makes the online gifting experience much less convenient than buying in a brick-and-mortar store where you can ask a salesperson questions to narrow down your options.” Findodo’s mission is to help choose “gifts that are tailor-made for the gift recipient’s personality and may have been difficult to think of alone without our help,” Melamed says. What’s next for the company? “We’ll keep improving the algorithm and add more stores and items to our inventory,” Melamed says. Findodo may also branch out to sell the kind of purchasing insights it’s gleaned to brands, “to help them understand their consumers better.” Article courtesy of ISRAEL 21c 14 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2019 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE
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Protect the World’s Children this Holiday Season
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Courtesy Family Features
he holidays signal a time for family gatherings, traditions and the spirit of giving. Make this holiday season even more meaningful by giving gifts that help children in need around the globe. According to UNICEF, around 15,000 children die every day from preventable diseases. In over 190 countries, the organization’s staffers are in the field working through war zones, natural disasters and disease outbreaks, doing whatever it takes to save children’s lives. This holiday season, you can join the charge by choosing gifts that give back. With Inspired Gifts, you can provide supplies in the name of a loved one that get delivered directly to children who need it most. Just $19 can provide polio vaccines to protect 100 children from the deadly disease. Additional life-saving and lifechanging options including food packets, educational materials and menstrual hygiene kits can be found at unicefusa.org/ HolidayInspired. If you are looking for stocking stuffers and unique finds, UNICEF Market has a vast collection of handcrafted items made by artisans from around the world. From blankets woven in India to recycled glass pitchers crafted in Mexico and more, these gifts help support the artisans and their families, keep traditional skills alive and give back to essential programs for children. Start checking off your wish lists at unicefusa.org/HolidayMarket. As part of Louis Vuitton’s #MakeAPromise pledge, a specially designed product line of Silver Lockits is available, helping to
protect children who have been exposed to diseases, natural disasters and other conflicts that threaten their safety and well-being. $100-$250 of each purchase go to programs that help children most in need. Find out more at louisvuitton.com/ lvforunicef. This year, Garnier USA will donate $1 to UNICEF USA for every Whole Blends Holiday Kit sold through Dec. 31 with a minimum donation of $300,000. Each kit purchased helps educate a child for up to one week, as it costs around 15 cents to help educate one child per day. Learn more at garnierusa. com/unicef. Vitamin A is important for strengthening the immune system and preventing childhood blindness. Through Dec. 31, L’OCCITANE will donate $3.95 for each Solidarity Soap purchased to support UNICEF’s Vitamin A supplementation programs around the world. Available in stores or at loccitane.com/en-us/ solidaritysoap. A holiday favorite since 1950, UNICEF Greeting Cards can be purchased at IKEA, select Hallmark Gold Crown stores and online at hallmark.com and unicefusa. org/HolidayCards2019. One hundred percent of the purchase price of each pack from IKEA will go to support the world’s most vulnerable children. UNICEF does not endorse any brand, company, product, or service. No part of the purchase price is tax deductible. SOURCE: UNICEF OREGON JEWISH LIFE | HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2019 15
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Roasted Garlic Caprese Latkes By Samantha Ferraro, courtesy Interfaith Family This makes a small batch of latkes (only 6) but can easily be doubled or tripled. INGREDIENTS: 1 garlic bulb, top cut off
INSTRUCTIONS:
1/2 shallot
1. First roast the garlic and tomatoes. Wrap the garlic in foil and roast at 400º Fahrenheit until very tender, about 30-40 minutes. On the same baking sheet, place tomato slices on foil lined sheet with a drizzle of oil and roast for about 30-40 minutes. Then remove from oven and allow to cool.
1 egg
2. While the garlic is roasting, soak the potatoes in cold water.
2 tablespoons matzo meal
3. Then shred the potatoes using either a hand grater or shred blade in a food processor and shred the shallot too.
Salt and pepper to taste
4. Take the shreds and place a handful at a time in a clean towel and using that to squeeze as much liquid out of the potatoes as you can so they are very dry.
3 medium sized potatoes peeled and cut into chunks
Canola or vegetable oil for frying TOPPINGS: 1-2 tomatoes cut into 1/2 inch slices Buratta cheese Few sprigs of fresh basil Olive oil
5. Then in a large bowl, add the potatoes and shallot, egg, matzo meal, roasted garlic (skin removed) and season with salt and pepper. Mix to combine. 6. Bring 1/2 inch of canola oil up to 350º Fahrenheit or until you can test it with a piece of potato and it sizzles. Then use a tablespoon to scoop latkes and carefully placing them in the oil. Use the back of your spoon to gently flatten them out. Fry for about 3-4 minutes or until golden brown and flip to the other side and fry for another 3 minutes. 7. Then remove the latkes onto a paper toweled lined baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. 8. To make the basil oil, simple add chopped basil and olive oil together into a blender or small food processor and blend together. Set aside. 9. To assemble, top latkes with roasted tomato, a dollop of burrata cheese and drizzle with basil oil. Samantha Ferraro is the food blogger and photographer for The Little Ferraro Kitchen. Samantha comes from a diverse Jewish and multi cultural background with both Sephardic and Ashkenazi roots and has lived all over, including Brooklyn, Hawaii, Southern California and now in the Pacific Northwest. Samantha blogs about world cuisine recipes and lives in beautiful Washington with her Italian husband and adorable fluffy dog Hula.You can visit her blog over at Little Ferraro Kitchen.
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Roasted Garlic Caprese Latkes
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Gingerbread Sufganiyot (Hanukkah Doughnuts) By Whitney Fisch, courtesy Interfaith Family
Gingerbread Sufganiyot
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INGREDIENTS: For the doughnuts:
For the filling: 1/2 cup cream
1 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar, plus 1/2 cup extra for coating
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons active dry yeast 2 eggs 1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons warm water 4 1/2 tablespoons roomtemperature butter 4 cups neutral oil for frying (like canola)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons ginger 1 tablespoon allspice 1/4 tablespoon nutmeg 1/4 tablespoon ground cloves 2 egg yolks 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch
INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Place all doughnut ingredients, except the butter, into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Work on a low speed for about 4 minutes, or until well-combined and elastic. 2. With the mixer still running, add the butter piece by piece, until it’s all worked in and incorporated. There should be no visible pieces. This will take about 5-8 minutes. 3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to rise until doubled in size. 4. While the dough is rising, make the filling. Place the cream, milk, vanilla and gingerbread-spice mixture into a small saucepan over medium heat. 5. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch. When the milk begins to bubble around the edges, remove it from the heat and slowly whisk it into the egg mixture. 6. Pour the mixture back into the pan over medium heat, whisking constantly. Cook until it boils and becomes very thick, about 1-2 minutes. Once the mixture is the consistency of soft butter, scrape it out into a bowl, cover and set aside to cool completely. 7. When the dough has risen, punch it down and scrape it out onto a well-floured surface. Make sure your hands are properly floured and pat the dough into a rectangle, about 1/2-inch thick, and cut out nine doughnuts using a well-floured 2.5-inch round biscuit cutter or large glass. Place the doughnuts on a lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rise for 45 minutes, or until puffy. 8. When the doughnuts are finished their second rise, place about 2 inches of oil into a high-sided pan (or use a deep fryer) and heat over a low flame, until it reaches 350 degrees (or until a small piece of dough dropped in the oil bubbles and rises to the surface). 9. Fry the doughnuts a few at a time (don’t crowd the pan) for about 1 minute each side, or until golden brown and cooked through. 10. Drain on paper towels and toss in the 1/2 cup sugar. 11. To fill the doughnuts, use a flavor injector, like you would use for a turkey. Alternatively, you can place the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1/4-inch nozzle. Press the piping bag into the side of each doughnut and squeeze until you can feel the weight of the doughnut increase slightly. Whitney Fisch received her Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Michigan and is currently working as The Director of Counseling at Milken Community Schools’ Upper School Campus in Los Angeles, CA. You can follow Whitney’s adventures in parenting and life on her blog as well as in other media outlets such as The Huffington Post, Kveller.com and The Times of Israel, all of which Whitney is a contributor for. Instagram: @jewhungry Facebook: www.facebook.com/Jewhungry Twitter: @jewhungry Blog: www. jewhungrytheblog.com
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HANUKKAH SHARING THE LIGHT Tickets $20 & up. Join in the spirit of shared holiday traditions by attending a joyful musical collaboration between Kol Echad, Choir of Congregation Beth Israel and the Trinity Choirs, Pacific Youth Choir, Portland Chamber Orchestra, Samantha Farmilant, soprano, Helen Karloski, mezzo, William Goforth, tenor, Anton Belov, baritone and Yaacov Bergman, conductor. The performances will be held on Dec. 21 and 22 and will feature the Christmas portion of Handel’s Messiah on Saturday, Dec. 21 at 7 pm at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral at 147 NW 19th Ave. in Portland and excerpts from Judas Maccabeus on Sunday, Dec. 22 at 4 pm at Congregation Beth Israel at 1972 NW Flanders St. in Portland. Trinity’s annual Wassail Party follows the Saturday performance and Hanukkah treats and menorah lighting follows the Sunday performance. For ticket information, visit trinity-episcopal.org/events.
Dec. 21 & 22
CHANUKAH CANDLE WORKSHOP 10-11:15 am Free Dec. Chabad Center for Jewish Life 22 2858 NE Sandy Blvd., Portland Kids ages 5-12 can experiment with custom-made molds to make Chanukah-themed candles in different shapes and colors and also make their own Chanukah gelt launcher. To RSVP, contact jewishnortheast.com/candleworkshop HANUKKAH EXTRAVAGANZA 11 am-4:30 pm Milwaukie Grange #268, 12015 SE 22nd Ave., Milwaukie Fun-filled Hanukkah Fair with terrific vendors, delicious latkes, sufganyiot, free coffee, raffle and activities for the kids! For more information, visit facebook.com/MilwGr268/. HANUKKAH STORY TIME WITH ERIC KIMMEL Noon-1 pm Free Green Bean Books, 1600 NE Alberta St., Portland Enjoy the amazing PJ Library author, Eric Kimmel for the annual Hanukkah Story Time at Green Bean Books to usher in Hanukkah. For more information, visit facebook.com/PJLibraryPortland/. CHANUKAH DONUTS + DANCING 2-4 pm $10/per family; $5 individual adults Mittleman JCC, 6651 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland Make crafts + decorations for your home, take part in Israeli dancing, and eat some delicious sufganiot (jelly donuts) at this family-friendly Chanukah celebration. To register, visit oregonjcc.org/ donuts. 20 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2019 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE
HAPPENINGS LIGHT UP THE NIGHT 4-5:30 pm Free Director Park, 815 SW Park Ave., Portland Celebrate the first night of Hanukkah with the Dreidel Man, music, Hanukkah treats and a grand menorah lighting. Menorah lightings occur each night through Sunday, Dec. 29. Sunday-Thursday lightings are held at 5:30 pm. On Friday, Dec. 27, lighting occurs at 3 pm and on Saturday, Dec. 28, lighting occurs at 6:30 pm. For more information, visit facebook.com/pg/ChabadPDX/. CHANUKAH PARTY 4-6 pm Congregation Shaarie Torah, 920 NW 25th Ave., Portland Enjoy Chanukah themed treats, a Blazer-suite ticket raffle, latkes, Klezmer music, driedel games and more. Bring your chanukia to help kindle the first light of Chanukah with us at around 5:30 pm. At the Chanukah Party, they’ll be accepting donations for Street Roots for individuals experiencing homelessness and poverty. For more information, contact communication@shaarietorah.org. LIGHT UP HILLSBORO 4:15 pm Free Plaza at Orenco Station, 943 NE Orenco Station Loop, Hillsboro Enjoy this festive Hanukkah celebration with a grand menorah lighting, live music by Ori, latkes, donuts and more. For more information, visit chabadh.com. COMMUNITY CHANUKAH CELEBRATION 4:30- 6 pm Free 301 W. Eighth St., Vancouver, WA The Chabad Jewish Center invites you to celebrate the lighting of their brand new Menorah in Propstra Square at Esther Short Park in downtown Vancouver! Enjoy a festive Chanukah celebration, including live music, hot chocolate and donuts. The Grand Gelt Drop will shower spectators in chocolate coins, and a new 19-foot Menorah inspired by the new Grant Street pier will be unveiled. All are welcome to attend this free community event. Online RSVPs requested, visit jewishvancouverwa.com/holiday-celebrations. COMMUNITY CHANUKAH PARTY 5-8 pm $18 adults, $12 kids; $54 family Congregation Neveh Shalom, 2900 SW Peaceful Lane, Portland Celebrate the festival of lights with Neveh Shalom. Bring your own chanukiah to light with the community and enjoy a latke dinner. TO RSVP for dinner, visit tinyurl.com/CNSChanukah2019.
CANDLE LIGHTING AT CEDAR SINAI PARK 4:15-5:15 pm Cedar Sinai Park, 6140 SW Boundary St., Portland Join PJ Library families at Cedar Sinai Park for a special Hanukkah candle lighting with Kim Schneiderman! There will be candles, music and sufganiyot. For more information, visit facebook.com/PJLibraryPortland/.
Dec. 23
JEWISH HERITAGE NIGHT 6 pm Moda Center, 1 N Center Court St., Portland Chabad of Oregon and the Portland Trail Blazers are once again partnering together for Chanukah Jewish Heritage Night. Watch the Menorah lighting being viewed on the Jumbotron, wear your Hebrew “Blazers shirt” with hundreds of other Jews as the Trailblazers take on the New Orleans Pelicans on the second night of Chanukah! For sponsorship opportunities and groups, email Rabbi@JewishNortheast.com. ANNUAL LGBTQ HANUKKAH HAPPY HOUR 5-8 pm Congregation Shir Tikvah, 7550 NE Irving St., Portland It’s time to gather in close with our community, enjoy a few cocktails, light candles, and remember that there is light in the darkness. Bring your own menorah if you please and enjoy each other’s company. This is an event that values the voices of historically marginalized Jews, but we invite and encourage our allies to show up too! Featuring beer from Leikam Brewing, homemade latkes and all of the other libations and treats everyone wants to share. If you’re able please bring a bottle of wine or spirit to share. For more information, visit shirtikvahpdx.org.
Dec. 28
CONGREGATIONAL HANUKKAH PARTY 3:30-6 pm Free Congregation Shir Tikvah, 7550 NE Irving St., Portland ¡Feliz janucá! Enjoy sweet deep-fried bimuelos and spicy hot chocolate in the light of the Hanukkah candles. Nosh on Sephardic Keftes de Prasa (leek fritters) from Beetroot Market and Deli All are welcome - we›ve got the 6th Annual Dreidel Smackdown for the adults, games for the little kids. Bring a friend, sing Ocho Kandelikas and spread the holiday warmth around. For more information, visit shirtikvahpdx.org.
Dec. 28
OREGON JEWISH LIFE | HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2019 21