Oregon Jewish Life Nov./Dec. 2019 Vol. 8/Issue 7

NOV • DEC 2019

Deborah Zwetchkenbaum

Mark Zusman

Michelle Bombet Minch

Harry Glickman

Larry Chusid

Tikkun Olam

TOP 10

Change Makers • Unsung Heroes • Influencers

Jonathan Glass

Richard Matza

Charitable Giving

Jodi Berris

Hanukkah

Andy Olshin

Sharon Straus

Actively Senior

RSVP REQUIRED

NO COST TO ATTEND

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND AND CONGREGATION BETH ISRAEL INVITE YOU TO

A SHABBAT EVENING WITH SPECIAL IN UNIFORM FEATURING GUEST SPEAKER

Lt. Col. (Res.) Tiran Attia Director, Special in Uniform

Lt. Col. (Res.) Tiran Attia serves as Director of Special in Uniform, an innovative program that integrates youth with disabilities into the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). During his 28-year career in the IDF, Lt. Col. (Res.) Attia commanded a tank, the IDF's Technology and Logistics training program, and the Sar-El program for army volunteers.

Friday, November 8, 2019 6:00 pm Service and Program

RSVP by November 1, 2019 at jnf.org/PortlandShabbat or contact our office at RSVPPacificNorthwest@jnf.org or 206. 760.1188 x964

Congregation Beth Israel 1972 NW Flanders St., Portland, OR 97209 Please note that for security purposes, Jewish National Fund reserves the right to check IDs and all bags are subject to search.

More Information: Boaz Meir, Executive Director, Mountain States & the Pacific Northwest bmeir@jnf.org or 206.760.1188 x977

jnf.org 800.JNF.0099

JEWISHNATIONALFUND JNFUSA JNFUSA

Tikkun Olam

CON TE N T S

20

COVER STORY

TOP 10

Oregon Jewish Life • November/December 2019• Cheshvan-Kislev-Tevet 5780 • Volume 8/Issue 7

Tikkun Olam Top Ten

HANUKKAH 20

FEATURES 14

JEWS WITH ATTITUDE Portland Jewish educator turned author launches first book 10 BUSINESS Ins & Outs

12

FRONT & CENTER Richard Neuberger: A man ahead of his time 26 35

CHARITABLE GIVING Building a better Portland, one tiny house at a time 14 New impact investing

opportunity at OJCF 16 Giving Guide 18

36

40

ACTIVELY SENIOR Portland couple retraces steps of Holocaust hero Wise Aging Program Senior living in Portland Courtyard Village celebrate 20 years Get gardening

4 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

28 30 32 34 35

Eight fun facts about Hanukkah 2019 Holiday gift guide Chanukah Essay Contest

36 38 39

JKIDS & TEENS Baby signers get a head start as Tiny Talkers 40

JLIVING Sephardic Winter Film Series Cultivating a Foundation for Peace Previews Faces & Places

42 43 44 46

38

NOV/DEC 2019 Oregon Jewish Life | Cheshvan-Kislev-Tevet 5780 • Volume 8/Issue 7

PU B LI S H E R Cindy Salt zman

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 Cindy Salt zman

E D ITO R- I N - C H I E F Mala Blomquis t

ART DIREC TOR Tamara Kopper

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Stephen A . Forres ter Deborah Moon Viva Sarah Press

H OW T O R E AC H U S

602-538 -2955 EDITORIAL: editor @ojlife.com ADVERTISING SALES: 602-538-2955 or adver tise@ojlife.com E VENTS: editor @ojlife.com SUBSCRIPTIONS: orjewishlife.com/magazine-subscription BUSINESS: publisher @ojlife.com 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 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 or call 602-538-2955.

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

PU B L I C ATI O N A N D D E A D L I N E S Oregon Jewish Life magazine is distributed on the first of the month. Story ideas for features and special sections are due 45-60 days prior to publication.

BIZ INS & OUTS: Business news is due 4 weeks before publication.

FACES & PLACES: Photos from past events are due about 20 days prior to publication.

EVENTS: Information about upcoming events is due about 20 days prior to publication.

CALENDAR: Please post events on our online calendar. Relevant events that are posted by the 10th of the month before publication will be included in the magazine. To request first-time authorization to post events online, go to azjewishlife.com and scroll down to the “calendar access request” link under “Quick Links” on the right. After you submit the form, you’ll receive an email with instructions for posting future event.

A Prince Hal Produc t ion ( TGMR18) 2019-2020 MediaPort LLC All rights reserved

50 6 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

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

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 7

PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE

CINDY SALTZMAN Publisher

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,

editor-in-chief of Oregon Jewish Life, and will be

committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it

pursuing other opportunities. Thank you, Deb, for

is the only thing that ever has.”

the many years of contributing your talents to Jewish ― Margaret Mead

journalism in Oregon and beyond.

The quote above has always had a special place in my

Mala Blomquist, our associate editor

heart. The wisest woman I know, my mother, Ruth

in Oregon and editor-in-chief for our

Saltzman, kept the quote by the kitchen phone as we

Arizona publication, is now stepping

grew up. Not one for giving unsolicited advice, she

up as the editor-in-chief of Oregon

realized that even her four stubborn and opinionated

Jewish Life as well.

children would have to absorb the message several times a day for years on end, as we grabbed for the phone (pre-cell phones).

Mala comes to her journalism career naturally. Her mother was a successful author, and Mala spent

She was right.

almost two decades as a lifestyle magazine editor

I also believe this quote embodies the spirit behind

in Arizona before we were able to convince her

our cover story this month. This inaugural issue

to join us four years ago. Mala is also warm and

of Tikkun Olam Top 10 change makers, unsung

humble – that’s why I am writing this paragraph.

heroes and influencers is a unique departure for

Fortunately, for us, aside from her love affair with

Oregon Jewish Life for a couple of reasons.

Israel, chocolate and her obsession with Oregon, she

and writer as well as a television personality

We have never devoted a cover article to 10 deserving people, who in their own right, are worthy of their own cover story. These are not Jewish professionals

has a wickedly sarcastic sense of humor, that carries her through the stress of deadlines, which is a feat unto itself.

– though they also deserve praise – but Oregonians

Happy Thanksgiving and have a wonderful

who forge ahead making a significant difference

Hanukkah.

on multiple fronts with creativity, tenaciousness and humility. We know that covering 10 people is not nearly enough. Still, the 10 we have chosen have several things in common: they have spent years committed to making people’s lives better without calling attention to themselves, and they are unstoppable in their missions to ‘’repair the world.’’

In the meantime, stay in the know about events, happening, people, holiday food and more by signing up for our themed e-newsletters at orjewishlife.com/ newsletter-sign-me-up/.

We look forward to seeing you all next year.

We are honored to have them on our cover.

Another turning point for us it that after almost eight years, Deborah Moon has stepped down as

Newsletter: orjewishlife.com, click on“Subscribe Now!” Facebook: @ojlife Twitter: @JewishLifeNow Instagram: @JEWISHLIFENOW Call: 602-538-2955 8 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Email us: publisher@ojlife.com advertise@ojlife.com editor@ojlife.com subscriptions@ojlife.com

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OREGON JEWISH LIFE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 9

JEWS WITH ATTITUDE

D

Dorice Horenstein

Portland Jewish educator turned author launches first book 10 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

rawing from more than 30 years of personal experience as a Jewish educator and leader, Dorice Horenstein’s Moments of the Heart: Four Relationships Everyone Should Have to Live Wholeheartedly, will be published by Morgan James Publishing (MorganJamesPublishing. com) on November 5.

This book examines the four chambers of the heart in connection to the four different types of relationships we experience as humans: with ourselves, with others, with the Creator, and with special once-in-a-lifetime moments that define us and give us the essence of who we are. To commemorate the book’s launch, Dorice invites the community to a book birthday celebration with kosher cake and wine at Annie Bloom’s Books at 7834 SW Capitol Hwy. in Portland on November 5 from 7 to 8 pm.

Autographed hard copy books available for purchase at the event.

Moments of The Heart began with Dorice’s thought of making her sister smile and feel good about the future when she was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer in 2014. As she was fighting for her life in Israel, Dorice wondered how to cheer her up while living 10,000 miles away in Portland, Oregon.

She decided to post positive Facebook video messages every Saturday night, all connected to Jewish thought, based on her education and profession.

Fast-forward three years, and this experience has been transformed into a book so that others can grow and develop in their own knowledge, spirituality and improve their relationship with others.

In Moments of the Heart, Dorice brings readers into the universal human experience through a Jewish lens. The four sections of the book

correlate to the four chambers of the heart, each chamber addressing the corresponding and issues relationship and issues as they relate to Jewish thought and practice. More importantly, Dorice uses her expansive Hebrew knowledge to highlight relational themes utilizing the unique and mystical structure of Hebrew words and sentences to probe deep, explore, and bring to light important concepts. At the end of each entry, she gives readers tools to explore personal experiences and thoughts further.

“The book is very powerful and very beautiful,” said Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, best-selling author of more than 15 books on Jewish ethics and literacy. “What I have read is passionate, very spiritual, and well-reasoned, three things that don’t always go together. I particularly love the analysis of the word matzpun (conscience) and its variety of related meanings, and I was profoundly moved by the journey you took and how you came to write this book.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dorice Horenstein was born and raised in Israel and moved to Portland after serving in the Israel Defense Forces. She worked in education for more than 30 years, teaching more than 1,000 students in private and class settings. She received her bachelor’s degree in English Literature with a certificate in Linguistics from Portland State University.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 11

BIZ

INS & OUTS

Marsha Spellman

Kim Rosenberg

Kasey Mills

Marsha Spellman new president of JGSO Long-time Portland resident, Marsha Spellman, has been named as the new President of the Jewish Genealogy Society of Oregon. Marsha became interested in genealogy after spending many years tracking down her family name. She discovered her last name was originally Kitrosser, as Spellman is a name that her grandfather seems to have picked out of a hat after leaving Romania en route to the U.S. Now with new family discovered in Argentina, Paraguay, Spain, Mexico and even a new cousin that lives five houses from her brother in NJ, her next journey is trying to discover family that may have survived the Holocaust.

After finally retiring from Converge Communications, a telecommunications consulting company she owns with her husband, Adam Haas, Marsha is hoping to expand the reach of the JGSO to help others in their journey to find their family. She is also mother to Jacob Haas and Leah Haas, and a new grandmother to Keshet, the next generation to add to her family tree! rootsweb.com/~orjgs

Promotion for Kim Rosenberg of Rosenbaum Financial Kim Rosenberg, Certified Financial Planner, has been promoted to Managing Principal of Rosenbaum Financial, Inc. In this position, Kim will be responsible for the strategic development and oversight of the firm’s services to private clients. She will also be managing the company’s specialized team of emerging talent. Kim is a principal at Rosenbaum Financial and serves on the company’s board of directors. She will continue to serve clients in her role as a senior investment advisor representative.

Her areas of expertise are many. They include taking a holistic approach to wealth management by addressing the sophisticated financial needs of business owners, bringing guidance in the areas of diversification of wealth, tax minimization, estate planning, and other long-term wealth management strategies.

Kim holds a bachelor’s from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and is a qualifying member of the elite Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT), which is an exclusive forum for the world’s best life-insurance and financial-services professionals. rosenbaumfinancial.com

Y’alla coming to Multnomah Village Executive Chef/Owner Kasey Mills of Shalom Y’all and Mediterranean Exploration Company will be bringing Y’alla, a Jewish-Israeli restaurant, to Multnomah Village in the early spring of 2020.

This fourth Mediterranean restaurant from Kasey centers around smoked meat as he 12 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Michael Waxman-Lenz new CEO of American Technion Society

Les Gutfreund

Michael Waxman-Lenz

plays with Ashkenazi-inspired food like smoked pastrami, matzo ball soup and chopped chicken liver. The menu features classic vegetarian items you would expect from Kasey like hummus, falafel and his lauded pita. Y’alla also introduces a family-style feast where guests can order prix-fix large format meat, fish, or vegetarian meals for parties of four or more.

Y’alla takes over the former space of Gastro Mania at 7850 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland, OR, which replaced Portland institution, O’Connor’s restaurant in 2018.

Y’alla is the 10th operation backed by Avni and Renee and John Gorham’s Toro Bravo Inc. Restaurant Management and Design Group which includes Toro Bravo, Tasty n Daughters, Tasty n Alder, Mediterranean Exploration Company, Shalom Y’all, Bless Your Heart Burgers and private event space PLAZA DEL TORO. yallapdx.com

Serving as ATS’s CFO since January 2017, Michael Waxman-Lenz assumed the Acting CEO role earlier this year and became the official CEO of the American Technion Society on October 2. “The Technion is extraordinary,” said Mr. Waxman-Lenz. “I have seen how some dollars do more than others. And I’ve seen no country do more with less than Israel, and no institution do more with less than the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology.”

Since April, Mr. Waxman has enacted initiatives that place a clear emphasis on fundraising, donor stewardship, and recruiting and retaining the strongest professional staff. He has met with Technion President Uri Sivan and many other key members of the University’s new academic administration, and prioritized meeting with ATS staff, supporters, and lay leaders in key areas.

“Michael brings more than 25 years of executive experience at multi-national public companies as well as high-tech start-ups,” said ATS President Steve Berger. “He understands what it takes to cultivate innovation, which is at the essence of the Technion’s incredible accomplishments and discoveries.” ats.org

Les Gutfreund appointed director of Jewish Free Loan Les Gutfreund is the new director of Jewish Free Loan of Greater Portland, an organization that offers interest-free loans to qualifying borrowers to help them receive financial assistance in times of need.

“Growing up in Detroit, my family were recipients of the benefits of Hebrew Free Loan. It was a lifeline for us and so many other people,” says Les. To date, the Portland organization has given out 30 loans, totaling more than $90,000.

As director, his goal is to get the word out about the services they offer and to raise money to be able to increase the loan amount for recipients from the $4,000 limit currently available.

Other Jewish Free Loan groups across the country offer higher loan limits so people can receive assistance for things like tuition, Jewish overnight camp, teen Israel experiences, job loss or transitions, legal fees, housing, paying off high- interest debt, family planning, child custody disputes and small business loans.

For more information regarding loans or contributions, please contact Ben Winkleblack at 503-245-6219 or Les Gutfreund at 503-932-7783. jewishportland.org/freeloan

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 13

Building a better Portland, one tiny house at a time!

CHARITABLE GIVING

J

ewish Portlanders have the chance to literally build a better world. Every week, volunteers can take part in the construction of tiny houses for villages of formerly houseless Portlanders.

Construction coaches will be onsite to supervise all volunteer work, ensuring a safe and meaningful experience for everyone. Also, volunteers don’t have to have any previous construction experience and all the tools needed will be provided. All volunteers need to bring is a water bottle and lunch.

The builds are a joint project with Tivnu: Building Justice, PJA and Cascadia Clusters happening on Wednesdays from 10 am to 3 pm on the soccer field at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center at 6651 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland.

Cascadia Clusters is subleasing a section of the soccer field to build tiny homes on wheels that, once completed, can be moved to other locations where there is a need for affordable, solarpowered, sustainable, high-quality housing.

“Cascadia Clusters is thrilled to have Tivnu’s talented construction trainer on site on Wednesdays – working with adults during the day and PJA middle schoolers from 3:30-5:45 pm,” says Andy Olshin founder of Cascadia Clusters. “I am hoping we can continue this in 2020!”

Volunteers need to pre-register and can sign up at tinyurl.com/ TivnuWednesdayBuild. For more information, call 503-232-1864, or email Erik@Tivnu.org.

Cascadia Clusters is also holding a “House Concert” to support Cascadia Clusters and local musicians on Friday, Dec. 13 from 6:30-9:30 pm at 3728 NW Thurman St. in Portland.

Tickets are $125 per person. For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit cascadiaclusters.org/support.

14 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

New Impact Investing Opportunity at OJCF Six pillars of Judaism’s framework of mitzvot (obligations) guide JLens’ evaluation of companies and investor advocacy priorities

CHARITABLE GIVING

Obligation to Investors

Obligation to Society

Obligation Obligation Support for to the to Israel Environment Coexistence Nosei Dei Machsoro Yishuv Ve'notein (help those Lo Ta'ashok Bal Rodef Eretz Be'emunah in need with Tashchit Shalom Yisrael (conduct whatever (do not (pursuing business in they lack) destroy) peace) good faith)

P

Obligation to the Worker

hilanthropy is more dynamic than you may realize. As our financial and social approaches to making a difference in the world have evolved, so too have the investment options for our charitable dollars. For decades, having positive investment returns for investors, donor-advised fundholders, and nonprofit endowments was enough to support our community’s charitable needs.

That’s not the case anymore.

The trend toward socially responsible investing, meaning looking at a range of practices of a company before investing – such as positive social impact, sustainability, labor policies, gender equality, community development and more – has been growing. United States assets under management, using SRI strategies, grew from $8.7 trillion at the start of 2016 to $12 trillion at the start of 2018, an increase of 38% (according to a US|SIF Foundation report). In response to the growing interest in values-based investing, OJCF now has a new investment option, with a focus on Jewish values.

“I’m excited to introduce the new Jewish Advocacy Strategy for our community partners and fundholders,” commented Jonathan Glass, OJCF’s Investment Committee Chair. “In partnership with JLens, a nonprofit investor network, OJCF is joining other Jewish organizations throughout the U.S. in offering this new pool that allows donors and partner organizations to consider Jewish values when choosing how to invest their charitable dollars.”

OJCF’s Investment Committee recently voted in favor of adding this pool to the foundation’s investment offerings and funded it with an initial contribution of $250,000 from the Community Endowment Fund. There is no minimum contribution required. Fundholders can select the new

16 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

pool on the OJCF Asset Allocation Form to move invested dollars into the new pool. For example, you could move some or all of your donor advised fund equity investment into the new pool. Or, you could select the Jewish Advocacy Strategy Pool upon establishing a new fund.

JLens and its Jewish Advocacy Strategy use a Jewish-values overlay to select a portfolio of approximately 300 of the most influential companies in the U.S. that best align with overall Jewish values, and that generate a positive impact for the Jewish community and the world. The benchmark for the pool is the S&P 500. According to the JLens 2018 Impact Report, the fund had reached $50 million since its launch in 2015.

One of the first community foundations in North America to offer an impact investing pool is the San Diego Jewish Community Foundation. The San Diego program applies a Jewish lens “across all asset classes to support environmental and social impact and to support Israel,” according to Beth Sirull, President and Chief Executive Officer, Miriam and Jerome Katzin Presidential Chair. This is a more extensive approach than OJCF’s current strategy; however, it provides a vision of potential expansion in the future.

“OJCF is joining other Jewish organizations throughout the U.S. in offering this new pool that allows donors and partner organizations to consider Jewish values when choosing how to invest their charitable dollars.”

“JLens’ Jewish Advocacy Strategy has enabled the Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego and our donors to substantially increase our impact. Just in the past year, the shareholder advocacy efforts have made a difference in the opioid crisis, in addressing climate change, and on combatting BDS, among other issues,” added Sirull.

In addition to the screening of companies for the pool, JLens provides a robust advocacy program that influences corporate policy. “JLens builds coalitions on issues of shared values and speaks out as a lone voice on specific concerns including BDS, anti-Semitism, discrimination against kosher slaughter, religious tolerance, and fostering coexistence.”

(JLens 2018 Impact Report) OJCF also offers a balanced SRI pool that is similar to the foundation’s long-term endowment strategy except with a socially responsible values overlay. Equity investments include Vanguard FTSE Social Index Fund Investor Shares and PAX MSCI International ESG Index Fund. Fixed Income investments are TIAA-CREF Social Choice Bond Fund and Vanguard Mortgage-Backed Securities Index Fund Admiral Shares.

For more information on these fundholder investment strategies, contact OJCF at 503-248-9328, or visit ojcf.org.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 17

AMERICAN FRIENDS OF MAGEN DAVID ADOM 800-323-2371 AFMDA.org/give Help to mobilize Magen David Adom EMT’s and paramedics who carry more than 700,000 Israelis to safety each year. We’re Israel’s emergency medical and ambulance service, Magen David Adom, Help save lives in Israel.

B’NAI B’RITH CAMP 503-345-9476 bbcamp.org

CHARITABLE GIVING

Your gift invests in future leaders in our overnight camp and day camps. Donor support for our nationally recognized Inclusion Program and our year-round programming for all ages helps build friendships for life!

CEDAR SINAI PARK 503-535-4000 cedarsinaipark.org A gift to Cedar Sinai Park supports our elders and assists them with the cost of quality care. Your partnership allows us to continue our mission to provide residential and community-based care to our elders and adults with special needs, allowing them to live with comfort, independence and dignity in a manner and in an environment based on Jewish values.

JEWISH FAMILY & CHILD SERVICE 503-226-7079 jfcs-portland.org Guided by the wisdom and values of our tradition, JFCS provides social services that impact the lives of the vulnerable among us. Holocaust Survivors and other seniors, those with disabilities, and individuals and families are served by our counseling, case management and home care services in partnership with other community resources.

JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER PORTLAND 503-245-6219 jewishportland.org There is no more meaningful contribution than a gift to the Jewish Federation’s Campaign for Community Needs. No gift touches more lives or has as much of an impact. The “power of the collective” is what makes our Jewish community strong. Join us by contributing at jewishportland.org/donate.

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND – USA 206-760-1188 ext. 977 jnf.org JNF’s vision is to ensure a strong, prosperous future for the people of Israel.

We build houses, source water solutions, buy fire trucks, build medical centers, and run an American high school in Israel, and more.

18 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

MITTLEMAN JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER 503-452-3427 oregonjcc.org/donate Twelve thousand people come through the doors of the MJCC on a yearly basis, and nearly 4,000 individuals utilize our facilities as members.

Membership, program fees and rentals account for approximately 86% of our annual revenue, and we are dependent upon donations and grants to make up the difference. We are committed to ensuring that no one is ever turned away due to an inability to pay.

OREGON JEWISH COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 503-248-9328 Youth@ojcf.org ojcf.org Open a new OJCF B’nai Tzedek Youth Fund in honor of your child’s bar or bat mitzvah. Establish the fund with a gift of $250, and your contribution will be matched dollar for dollar by OJCF’s Community Endowment Fund. Your child will embark on a journey as a philanthropist and grant-maker that can last a lifetime.

OREGON JEWISH MUSEUM AND CENTER FOR HOLOCAUST EDUCATION 503-226-3600 ojmche.org The passage of Senate Bill 664 mandating Holocaust and genocide education in Oregon’s public schools makes OJMCHE’s work more important than ever.

Support the museum’s education team who is helping develop the school curriculum.

PORTLAND JEWISH ACADEMY 503-452-3427 pjaproud.org/auction Any donation made to the PJA Auction will be matched 1.5 times to maximize the benefit for students at PJA. Every student benefits every day from funds raised at the auction, and auction proceeds help fund tuition assistance for PJA students.

ADVERTORIAL

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 19

COVER STORY

W TIKKUN OLAM TOP 10

BY MALA BLOMQUIST

hether they are called unsung heroes, influencers, or change makers, there are certain people in the community who seem to make a difference in everything with which they become involved. People are drawn to their confident energy and the positive impact they create.

Tikkun olam is defined by acts of kindness performed to perfect or repair the world. More generally, the phrase can mean improvement, establishment, repair, prepare and more.

Today, it is closely associated with social action and one’s responsibility for fixing what is wrong in the world.

We chose the following people (and we know there are many more out there), because they stood out to us for the work they do – not just for the Jewish community but for society as a whole. This is our inaugural “Top 10.” Who knows?

Maybe it will become an annual end-of-year tradition.

20 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

DEBORAH ZWETCHKENBAUM

D

eborah Zwetchkenbaum is the assistant crisis lines director at Lines for Life, a nonprofit organization whose mission statement is “to

prevent substance abuse and suicide and promote mental wellness.”

The 24-hour crisis lines are staffed seven days a week, 365 days a year. Each person answering the phone has received at least 60 hours of training, including a two-day intensive, interactive workshop called ASIST: Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training.

Deborah has been on staff for 11 years and has personally trained more than 1,000 people in ASIST. She feels that the work she does is a calling and that her life experiences have prepared her. Her great-grandmother fled the pogroms in Poland when she was 16 years old, and her greatgrandfather served in the Russian army. Deborah says she gained a lot of strength and resilience from her great-grandparents.

Her work is also in keeping with her Jewish values, “that we celebrate life – life is precious, every day is precious.”

Anytime someone talks about suicide, Deborah says that he or she should be taken seriously and that Lines for Life is there for support. You don’t have to be the one experiencing the crisis to call in and get help.

The myth is that once someone has decided to take his or her life, there is nothing you can do about it.

The people who answer the phones at Lines for Life are proof that if someone just reaches out, a life can be turned around. Miracles happen every day, and lives are saved.

MARK ZUSMAN

M

ark Zusman is the editor and publisher of Willamette Week. He has been the paper’s editor since 1983, and the publisher since

June 2015, when Richard Meeker stepped down after more than 31 years in the position.

In 2005, Willamette Week became the first and only weekly newspaper to win the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting and the first to win a Pulitzer for a story that was first published on the web.

Twenty years ago, MusicfestNW was founded by Mark and Richard Meeker as a joint venture between Willamette Week and South

by Southwest, the Austin, TX music festival. It was called North by Northwest until 2001 when Willamette Week took over the festival and renamed it MFNW. It was one of the larger urban music festivals in the country. In 2014, MusicfestNW was transformed into a two-day outdoor festival.

In 2011, Mark started TechFestNW, a technical conference featuring speakers, workshops, a demonstration floor, parties and PitchfestNW, which showcases the best startups from all over the world.

Mark has also served as past president on the board for Independent Media Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to “strengthening and supporting independent journalism, and to improving the public’s access to independent information sources.”

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 21

TOP 10

MICHELLE BOMBET MINCH

M

ichelle Bombet Minch’s volunteer experience spans serving nonprofit organizations in the Jewish and secular world from Girl Scout

leadership to executive committees of local Jewish organizations, including her current role as vice-chair of Jewish Community Relations Council and chair of Israel Advocacy Committee.

In her role at JCRC, Michelle has been instrumental in building relationships with organizations such as Portland State University, Willamette Week, American Technion Society and StandWithUs. She has collaborated with Willamette Week, Technology Association of Oregon and Industry leaders to bring Israeli representation to TechFestNW – for the first time in 2018 – with a top Israel cybersecurity company leading a workshop. In 2019, an Israeli award-winning digital city speaker presented on the main stage, and for TechFestNW 2020, Israel will once again be represented.

Michelle has worked with the Oregon Department of Education and school districts to improve the quality of K-12 Middle East curriculum through professional development workshops and summer institutes, offering training to social studies teachers.

She has also partnered with StandWithUs, bringing Israeli Shlichim into Oregon and SW Washington secular schools to speak about Israeli society, culture, similarities and differences in teenage life in Israel versus that in America and Israel’s relationship with its Arab neighbors.

Michelle is passionate about animal welfare, which includes lobbying her legislators and providing for the family’s three rescue dogs, a bunny, cat and horse. Oh, and she also has a husband and three teenage children.

HARRY GLICKMAN

T

his man truly needs no introduction. Harry was born in 1924, growing up in Portland during the Great Depression and attending UO, where

he studied journalism. During World War II, he was a sergeant in the 12th Armored Division of the 7th Army and was awarded a Bronze Star. Upon returning home, he went back to the university, earning his degree in 1948.

After college, he moved back to Portland and started Oregon Sports Attractions. When the NBA was expanding in 1970, he organized financing to bring an NBA franchise to Portland. Harry led the Portland Trail Blazers for 24 years, during which the team won an NBA championship in 1977 and conference championships in 1990 and 1992. He retired as president in 1994 and now serves as the team’s president emeritus. He has been married to his wife, Joanne, for more than 60 years and still sits courtside for Blazers’ home games.

Harry was honored in September 2019, along with longtime head coach Del Harris, with the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award during the 2019 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame ceremonies. This award is considered the most prestigious award presented by the Hall of Fame outside of enshrinement.

In November, Harry will also be the honored guest at The Mighty Endeavor’s Night at the Museum event for his service during WWII.

22 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

SHARON STRAUS

F

or almost 40 years, Sharon Straus, the founder and director of the Sunshine Pantry, has provided food and amenities to those in need from Washington

County and all over Oregon.

What began as a Cub Scout canned food drive project for Sharon’s oldest son has evolved into Sunshine Pantry. Storing the canned food in her garage reminded Sharon that hunger is a real problem for families in the community every day, and she wanted to help.

For 24 years, Sunshine Pantry helped to feed thousands of people from the family’s garage. In 2008, Sunshine Pantry expanded its operations and moved from Sharon’s garage to a small, secured warehouse in Beaverton, OR. In November 2019, the Sunshine Pantry will open at its new location at 13600 SW Allen Blvd. in Beaverton at the Beaverton Christian Church. The pantry supplies food, toiletries and clothing to more than 500 families a month and never turns away anyone who walks through its doors.

This past September, Sharon was surprised by an invitation to appear on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” by the former “American Idol” star turned talk show host.

The host presented her with $10,000 to help the pantry at its new location.

JONATHAN GLASS

J

onathan Glass is vice president and CFO of Council Tree Investors in Portland, a private equity firm focused on investments in the media

and communications industry. He graduated from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and received his MBA in finance from Columbia University in New York.

Jonathan grew up in Toronto, Canada, and resided in New York City for 16 years before moving to Portland, OR, in 2010. Jonathan and his family joined Congregation Neveh Shalom in 2010 upon their arrival in Portland.

He currently is on the board of the Mittleman Jewish Community Center and is the immediate past co-president. Jonathan also serves on the board and investment committee of the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation.

“Jonathan had an instrumental role in securing the Jewish Advocacy Strategy investment pool which gives our community, for the first time, an investment option based on Jewish values,” says President and CEO of OJCF, Julie Diamond. OJCF is joining other Jewish organizations throughout the U.S. in offering this new pool that allows donors and partner organizations to consider Jewish values when choosing how to invest their charitable dollars.

Jonathan and his wife, Sarah, have three children, all of whom attend or graduated from Portland Jewish Academy, where Sarah is the director of admissions, and Jonathan is a past co-president of the board.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 23

TOP 10

JODI BERRIS

A

n avid athlete, Jodi Berris competed in ice hockey, lacrosse and rowing in school. She studied sports management and

communications at the University of Michigan.

Her impressive resume includes working for Adidas as an apparel development manager and for Nike as a merchandiser, claims specialist, field test coordinator, product developer, product analyst, project manager and footwear development manager. She currently works at KEEN Footwear as a project manager and product developer.

In 2005, she launched Portland Jewish Events, where she, along with friends and volunteers, plan and execute events for Jewish young adults, youth, teens and adults in Portland. Recent events include Shabbat dinner and services and a kosher sushi and sake tasting.

Her other leadership roles in the community include Kesser Israel Synagogue board member and out-of-towner hospitality coordinator, Moishe House Portland founder and Portland Maccabi Club founder.

She volunteers as a hockey coach for Rose City Hockey Club, an allgirls ice hockey program based in the Portland-Vancouver area. Jodi is

also a volunteer ski guide for National Ability Center in Park City, UT, assisting skiers with physical, cognitive and developmental disabilities.

Jodi has also been a volunteer with the Mt. Hood Ski Patrol since 2006, providing quality rescue and emergency care to skiers and snowboarders.

LARRY CHUSID

L

arry Chusid is the founder and executive director of The Pongo Fund, Oregon’s only full-time charity focused on

fighting animal hunger. After Larry’s 18-year-old dog Pongo died in 2007, whenever he saw dogs sleeping under bridges with their owners, he decided to focus on helping the animals in the homeless community.

The Pongo Fund operates The Pet Food Bank, a no-frills warehouse packed with thousands of bags of super-premium dog and cat food, ready for anyone who is homeless or having trouble making ends meet and has a hungry pet.

The Pongo Fund also runs the Emergency Kibble Response Team, dedicated volunteers who will deliver dog food to a homeless person living on the street and unable to get to The Pet Food Bank for his or her pet’s food.

By providing these services, it helps to reduce the shelter population and to keep family pets from suffering, starvation, surrender, abandonment, or worse, when a lack of food, but not a lack of love, is their only enemy.

The Pongo Fund Pet Food Bank has provided more than

15,000,000 lifesaving meals for more than 155,000 hungry and beloved animals throughout 28 different Oregon and Southwest Washington counties. The fund has also facilitated vaccinations, veterinary care and spay and neuter services for more than 1,000 pets in need.

24 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

RICHARD MATZA

R

ichard Matza is treasurer and past president of Congregation Ahavath Achim, Portland’s original Sephardic synagogue. Ahavath Achim was

founded in 1916 by members of the Rhodes and Turkish Jewish communities who had migrated to Portland. The congregation welcomes Jews of all backgrounds and includes Ashkenazim in addition to Sepharadim.

Richard grew up in two homes – that of his parents, Aaron and Julia Benveniste Matza, and of his aunt and uncle, Isaac and Rachel Benveniste Cordova, whose families were mainstays of Ahavath Achim.

In 2014, an exhibit opened at the Oregon Jewish Museum, highlighting the significance of Sephardic life in Portland and celebrating its 100th anniversary. Richard and Rochelle “Rocky” Menashe Stilwell worked for almost two years to contribute to the exhibit, documentary and catalog.

From June to October 2014, “Vida Sefaradi: A Century of Sephardic Life in Portland” let visitors explore the historical, cultural, social and spiritual traditions of this small but fascinating community.

Richard is also co-sponsor of The Portland Sephardic Film Series, an annual film series that runs from November through April and shares Sephardic stories and issues with the entire community. For the first time, the screenings for the films will be held at the congregation’s new synagogue building located at 6686 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland, in the Hillsdale neighborhood.

ANDY OLSHIN

A

ndy Olshin is the co-executive director and founder of Cascadia Clusters, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that trains houseless

individuals to build tiny homes, with a focus on framing, roofing, insulating and finish carpentry. The tiny houses constructed offer cost-effective, lockable, insulated, solar-powered transitional housing. They are placed in villages that offer safety, community and social services.

Over the summer, the Mittleman Jewish Community Center agreed to lease a small strip of land, north of its outdoor playing field, to Cascadia Clusters.

The land is being used to create a “maker village,” where Cascadia Clusters plans to have 10 “build spots” at any one time (as well as building at Congregation Neveh Shalom). Once completed, the houses will go out into the community where they are needed. No one will be living at the site.

Cascadia Clusters is also leading the development of a self-governed village called Agape Village, consisting of 15 tiny homes and additional service buildings at the Portland Central Church of the Nazarene. Unlike the MJCC site, people will be living in the tiny homes onsite.

Andy is a Congregation Beth Israel member who has long advocated for the homeless and encourages small projects that individuals or small groups can accomplish. This new space will allow for more volunteer opportunities. The Cascadia Clusters organization has tools and materials for up to 50 volunteers to be working at any one time.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 25

Richard Neuberger: A man ahead of his time

By Stephen A. Forrester

A

FRONT & CENTER

s the son of a Pendleton newspaper editor, I encountered visiting politicians in the 1950s and 1960s. Of that array, Richard Neuberger made an indelible impression on my young mind. My father and Dick began their friendship at The Oregonian in the 1930s.

When Dick and Maurine Neuberger visited our home in 1955, I listened to Dick talk over lunch. I had not observed an intellect so voracious as Dick’s. That moment was the inspiration for the biographical research I would begin in 1978, after leaving Willamette Week. Before moving to Washington, D.C. – to become a correspondent and newsletter publisher – I interviewed Dick’s mother, his widow, sister and a number of his contemporaries, such as Herb Schwab and Dr. Mort Goodman.

Upon retirement from daily journalism two years ago, I commenced a book project that will be titled Eminent Oregonians. Richard Neuberger will be one of the five lives in that book.

Following its publication, I will write a complete biography.

Dick Neuberger was one of Dick Neuberger (left) with Tom McCall in the 1950s.

PHOTO COURTESY OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY

26 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Maurine and Dick Neuberger

the most consequential Oregon politicians of the 20th century.

He was also one of America’s most prolific freelance writers.

In 1954, he became Oregon’s first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate in 40 years. That election effectively created Oregon’s modern Democratic party.

Neuberger was a prodigy who began his writing career at the age of 17, for The Oregonian. Following his sophomore year at the University of Oregon, Neuberger and his uncle, Dr. Julius Neuberger, traveled to Germany. It was 1933. They visited relatives in Hainstadt, from which Dick’s father Isaac had emigrated shortly before 1900. Off the beaten track and away from large cities, Dick learned first hand about the nascent violence of the Sturmabteilung, known to Americans as the Brown Shirts. Returning to New York, Neuberger took his observations to The Nation magazine, which published this remarkable reportage under the title of “The New Germany.”

Ernest Gruening, who bought the article for the Nation, called it an “epoch-making article.”

“The New Germany” is bracing reading in 2019. In The New York Public Library, I found an even more personal rendition of the Germany trip as published in Opinion: A Journal of Jewish Life and Letters. I’ve shared a digitized copy of that article – “Inferno – 1933” – as well as “The New Germany” with Judy Margles, executive director of the Oregon Jewish Museum and Holocaust Center.

Margles and Chewt Orloff have assisted me in placing the Neuberger family in the context of Portland’s Jewish community of the 1920s and 1930s.

Dick’s slender 1954 Senate victory, by 2,462 votes, turned control of the U.S. Senate to the Democratic party, making Lyndon Johnson majority leader. That Senate Democratic majority lasted until 1981, and it produced landmark legislation including the CivilRights Act and the Voting Rights Act. It also produced the National Wilderness Act, of which Neuberger was an original co-sponsor. Dick also laid the groundwork for the Highway Beautification Act. His legislation created the Fort Clatsop National Memorial.

In more than one way, Neuberger was a man ahead of his time.

His conservationist writings inspired the most consequential Oregon governor of the postwar era – Tom McCall – and laid the bedrock for what became an environmental ethos that has typified Oregon politics.

Neuberger lived at such a fast pace and took so many risks that it seemed he knew he’d die young – in 1960 at the age of 47.

The projected publication date of Eminent Oregonians is fall 2020. The four other Oregonians in that book are Abigail Scott Duniway by Jane Kirkpatrick, Chief Joseph by Roberta Conner, Jesse Applegate by Gregory Nokes and Robert Thompson by David Wilson.

14TH ANNUAL

SEPHARDIC WINTER FILM SERIES Films shown TUESDAY EVENING, each month at 7PM SHOWING AT 6686 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland, 97219 ADMISSION & SEPHARDIC DESSERT ARE FREE! For Information call Ron 503-750-0888

SPONSORS: Jewish Federation of Portland, NCSY Organization, Oregon Jewish Community Foundation, Albert J. & Esther Menashe, Richard & Judi Matza, Oregon Kosher, Ron & Pam Sidis, Renee Ferrera, Jose Behar, Eve Stern & Les Gutfreund, Michael Menashe, Ruben & Elizabeth Menashe, Barry Menashe, Gevurtz Menashe Attorneys and Albert A. Menashe & Shawn Menashe November 12, 2019 DOUBLE FEATURE NIGHT

February 11, 2020.

This documentary looks at the pre-WWII history of Rhodes from a less known perspective. In addition to examining the culture of the community, and instead of concentrating on the destruction of Rhodes Jewry, this film documents the little-known immigration of a large segment of the community to the Belgian Congo and Europe. w/English subtitles, 60 minutes, 2003, by Diane Perelsztejn French and Ladino languages

This film tells the story of 550,000 Jewish American men and women who fought in World War II. In their own words, veterans both famous and unknown bring their war experiences to life; how they fought for their nation and their people, struggled with antiSemitism within their ranks, and emerged transformed, more powerfully American and more deeply Jewish.

English, 90 minutes, 2017, Producer: Lisa Ades Speakers: Rick Cohen & Boby Brown

Rhodes Forever

Trees Cry for Rain

This short film traces the Sephardic journey of Rachel Amado Bortnick and takes the viewer on a fascinating journey exploring her Sephardic roots and recalling the rich, vanishing world of Sephardic culture and the nearly extinct Ladino language.

English Language, 1980, 32 minutes, Produced by Bonnie Burt Speakers: Albert J. Menashe and Rochelle Menashe-Stilwell December 10, 2019

The Jewish Frontier

This film examines the history of Jewish people and organizations who helped build the state of Oregon. Arriving with the gold miners in 1849, they came for a better life away from persecution. Using rare historical photos, film, and more than two dozen interviews with people from all over the state, this film tells the story of pioneering Jews.

English language, 78 mins, Producer: OPB Speaker: Judy Margles, OJMCHE Director January 14, 2020

A Kiss To This Land

This fascinating film narrates the story of Jewish immigration to Mexico 1920-1930. It is a tribute to an entire generation of both Sephardic and Ashkenazic Jews who built communities and new lives and dreams after leaving their homes in Europe and the Middle East. This film has humor, love, adventure, joy and sadness.

Spanish w/ English subtitles, 83 minutes, Producer: Daniel Goldberg, Speaker: Jose Behar

GI JEWS: Jewish Americans in WWII

March 3, 2020 DOUBLE FEATURE INTERNATIONAL NIGHT

The Nazi Games – Berlin 1936

This Film chronicles the story of how the Nazis and the International Olympic Committee turned a relatively small, elitist, sports event into an epic global mass media spectacle.

The grand themes replete with architectural grandiosity, budget overruns, corruption, bribery, collusion with unsavory characters – including dictators and autocrats – and the ill treatment of black and Jewish athletes. This is a study of deception.

English language, 61 minutes, 2016 Produced by Taglicht Media.

Holocaust Escape Tunnel

For centuries the Lithuanian city of Vilna was one of the most important Jewish centers in the world, earning the name “Jerusalem of the North”. The Nazis murdered 95% of its Jewish population. Now an international team of archaeologists is trying to rediscover this forgotten world, excavating the remains of its Great Synagogue and searching for one of its great secrets: a lost escape tunnel dug

by Jewish prisoners inside a horrific Nazi execution site.

English language, 2016, 60 minutes, Produced

by PBS, Speaker: Natan Meir, PSU

PLEASE NOTE THE NEW LOCATION FOR ALL SCREENINGS: Congregation Ahavath Achim’s new sanctuary, located in Hillsdale neighborhood 6686 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland, OR 97219.

Call Ron at 503-750-0888

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 27

Portland couple retraces steps of Holocaust hero ACTIVELY SENIOR

By Deborah Moon

A

Portland couple had a memorable trip this summer when they joined a tour group that included descendants of both Holocaust survivors and the Portuguese diplomat who issued visas to allow them to escape Nazi-occupied Europe.

From June 28 to July 10, Jill and Edward Neuwelt joined the trip to “Retrace the footsteps of the rescuer Aristides de Sousa Mendes and the refugees he saved in 1940.” The guided tour began in Bordeaux, France, and ended in Lisbon, Portugal.

As the daughter of refugees who returned to Vienna after World War Aristides de Sousa Mendes II, Jill has had a life-long interest in the Holocaust, but her parents did not discuss it. She moved to the states in her 20s, married Ed, and raised her family. In 2000, she began working with Holocaust survivors at Jewish Family and Child Service. After retiring in 2012, she took a Portland State University course about the Holocaust. While the course was excellent, she says Aristides was not mentioned.

That lack of recognition for saving an estimated 30,000 refugees at great cost to himself and his family is one reason Aristides family and the Sousa Mendes Foundation organized the summer journey.

Silverio de Sousa Mendes, the grandson of Aristides, wrote in an introduction to the journey, “Aristides de Sousa Mendes and his wife, Angelina de Sousa Mendes, who in June 1940, granted visas to an estimated 30,000 Jewish and nonJewish refugees against (Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio de Oliveira) Salazar’s orders, should guide us in complex times such as today, when Europe faces the largest refugee drama since the Second World War. If there were more awareness, especially on the part of politicians, influencers and other decision makers… the world would not be as it is.”

When Jill read about the trip, she and Ed signed up. Jill says Ed “went to do me a favor, but it far exceeded his expectations.”

Ed, a professor of neurology at OHSU and the director of the University’s Blood-Brain Barrier Program, agrees he went to “humor her, but it was really an impressive experience.”

“That man paid a heavy price for his commitment to saving Jews,” says Jill. For disobeying Salazar’s order not to issue visas to Jewish and stateless refugees, Sousa

28 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Mendes was stripped of his diplomatic post and was unable to earn a living to support his 15 children, who were blacklisted and prevented from attending university in Portugal, where Salazar remained Prime Minister until 1968 and his authoritarian regime continued until 1974.

The family also lost their ancestral home, Casa do Passal.

“They have a school where he had his home until he couldn’t afford it,” says Ed. “They are using his (Aristides) life as a theme for the students … to right wrongs… I was very impressed with that.”

Ed encouraged the high school and university teachers on the trip to seek statistical information on how studying rescuers such as Aristides could impact their students.

Ed also enjoyed meeting the very articulate survivor Henri Dyner, who was 3 when his parents received life-saving visas.

Dyner wrote about his reason for joining the journey: “To reconnect to a distant past and very important phase of my early life. This trip is also in memory of my parents, who had the good fortune and intuition to undertake to flee from Europe at the right time, thereby saving my life. And last but not least, to remember Aristides de Sousa Mendes, this outstanding, righteous and principled human being who, through his sacrifice, dedication and bravery, saved so many people, including our family. His example stands out today more than ever before when we see with trepidation a rebirth of Nationalism and increase in unashamed racism and bigotry.”

For more information, visit sousamendesfoundation.org.

Ed and Jill Neuwelt with the bust of Aristides de Sousa Mendes and Henri Dyner, who was 3 years old when his parents and grandparents received visas from Aristides allowing the family to escape to Portugal.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 29

ACTIVELY

SENIOR

JFCS and the Holzman Foundation bring

The Wise Aging Program to Portland

By Mala Blomquist

W

THE WISE AGING PROGRAM WHEN

hen you’re in 12 participants. The cost is $125 Mondays - November 4, 11, 18 & 25 your 20s and 30s, for four sessions, and limited 10:15 am to noon there seems to be scholarships are available. Each WHERE no shortage of session centers on a different topic, Eastside Jewish Commons outlets that offer social, emotional such as “Exploring This Stage of 3439 NE Sandy Blvd. #1700, Portland and spiritual growth and support.

Life,” “I Am My Body, I Am Not Facilitated by Deb Freedberg and Barb Schwartz As you age, these exchanges My Body,” “Cultivating Nourishing Please contact deborah.freedberg@gmail.com become less available, as social Relationships” and more. or barbschw@gmail.com for registration information networks shift, and relationships “For me, I’m a newcomer to with partners, parents and friends Portland from Boston, and I WHEN change. saw it as an opportunity to meet Tuesdays - November 5, 12 & 19 There is a new program available likeminded people,” says facilitator 10:30 am to noon to those in the Portland area that Dinah Gilburd, LCSW. “They WHERE approaches aging differently. Wise offer topics I wanted to discuss Congregation Shaarie Torah Aging is the only Jewish program in a safe environment. The group 920 NW 25th Ave., Portland of its kind that considers mindfulitself helped me to go back and Facilitated by Dinah Gilburd and Barb Schwartz ness and contemplative practices look at tradition and ritual, and my Please contact dsgilburd@aol.com or such as meditation, text study, own Jewish experience, in a very barbschw@gmail.com for registration information journaling and gentle movement to different way.” be foundational to aging wisely for Christine Gilmore is a certified those age 55 and older. professional coach, and upon The program was launched five years ago in New York City, finding out about the program felt she had to be a part of it. “It’s Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and Phoenix by the Wise Aging: incredible material, and it draws from so many different faiths Living with Joy, Resilience & Spirit authors Rabbi Rachel and different teachings,” she says. “We use poetry, quotations Cowan, z”l, an early executive director of the Institute for Jewish and movement. It reaches everybody, and it hits all those boxes Spirituality, and Dr. Linda Thal, a pioneer in transforming that we don’t normally – in day-to-day life – get to experience or synagogue life to include spirituality and spiritual development. talk about with each other.”

Wise Aging now has more than 450 trained facilitators There are currently seven trained facilitators, in addition to around the country. The Wise Aging program was piloted in Dinah and Christine, who bring rich and diverse backgrounds Portland in the fall of 2018. Facilitated by Cantor Barbara to the program. There are three Jewish educators: Deborah Slader and David Molko of Jewish Family & Child Service, the Freedberg, Barb Schwartz and Rosana Berdichevsky; two social pilot provided the base for a new program that began September workers: Naomi Harwin and Linda Waters; mental health 2019. therapist Libby Schwartz and Rabbi Barry Cohen.

Led by a trained facilitator, each Wise Aging group session is structured and provides an opportunity for those attending The Wise Aging program was brought to Portland through the to exchange information in an open environment. Groups will generosity off the JFCS and the Holzman Foundation. For more meet for four, 90-minute sessions and have a maximum of information, visit jfcs-portland.org/services/wise-aging.

30 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

ACTIVELY

SENIOR

Senior living in Portland

A

cross the United States, the number of seniors is growing. In fact, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, almost 20% of Americans will be age 65 or older by 2030. With such a fast-growing population, it’s critical for our communities to address the needs and socio-economic conditions of the elderly. And for families trying to find appropriate, high-quality care for their loved ones as they age, it’s important their needs are being met.

As the largest provider of senior living community reviews, Caring.com compiled a report in order to shed light on the best and worst places in the nation for senior living. Not only did they look at the basic, essential factors such as healthcare and affordable housing, but they also took a deeper look at factors like community engagement, transportation and workforce development that drive quality of life.

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32 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Caring.com’s team of researchers spent countless hours researching 70 different factors that are key indicators for older adults overall health, happiness and quality of life. After completing their research, they put each metric on a scale and graded each state in the nation. To read more about the metrics they used to grade the states and to see the full report, visit caring.com/senior-living/.

Some of the findings for Portland: approximately 12% of Portland residents are 65 and over. The city is a member of the AARP’s Network of Age-Friendly Communities, but that’s not the only reason to retire in Portland. There are senior recreation centers offering an array of activities, including exercise programs, day trips and arts and crafts.

Senior retirees are eligible for discounted rates at various attractions throughout the city, such as the Portland Art Museum. Portland ranks 79 out of 100 on Sperling’s Comfort Index for the number of days between 70 and 80 degrees, which may appeal to seniors who enjoy the outdoors.

See how Portland compares in the overall rankings:

12th/302 IN HEALTH CARE RANKINGS Primary Care Physicians for Every 10,000 People

138 for every 100,000 people

Average: 82

More than the National Average

Other Providers for Every 100,00 People

94 for every 100,000 people

U.S. Average: 77

More than the National Average

Health care professional shortage areas

0 index ( from 0-25)

U.S. Average: 2.8

Less than the National Average

Patient Satisfaction

75% of patients are satisfied

U.S. Average: 72%

Less than the National Average

23rd/302 IN SENIOR LIVING & HOUSING RANKINGS Age diversity

0.84

U.S. Average: 0.85

Around the National Average

Availability of multi-family housing

38% of units are multi-family

U.S. Average: 40%

Around the National Average

Housing cost burden

21% of income spent on housing

U.S. Average: 22%

Around the National Average

Zero step entrances

43% of units

U.S. Average: 47%

Around the National Average

Housing costs

$1,319 per month

U.S. Average: $1,375

Around the National Average

Availabilityu of subsidized housing

281.2 units per 10,000 people

U.S. Average: 182.34

More than the National Average OREGON JEWISH LIFE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 33

ACTIVELY

SENIOR

Courtyard Village celebrates 20 years

D

uring its recent 20th anniversary celebration, Courtyard Village recognized residents and employees that have been with the community since its opening in September 1999. This also included the ladies running the beauty shop on the third floor called “Diane’s at the Courtyard.” Staff longevity, an abundance of social programs, and fantastic location are just a few reasons why residents choose Courtyard Village.

This complex is a joint venture with Larry Draper of Courtyard Development and two other local owners who designed the senior-friendly – and solely independent – community in Southwest Portland. “We are very pleased that Courtyard Village is so well received by the Raleigh Hills community,” Draper says.

“We look forward to offering convenient lifestyles to our residents now and in the years to come.”

The studios, one- and twobedroom apartment homes have spacious kitchens and range in size from 530 to 960 square feet. Each apartment home is designed to take full advantage of the elegantly landscaped, multi-level courtyards featuring walkways, bird feeders and comfortable seating.

Other amenities at Courtyard Village include housekeeping services, scheduled transportation, 24-hour staffing, optional meal plans, laundry services, group fitness classes, a library and beauty shop.

Twenty years later, Courtyard Village remains a community for vital independent seniors embracing new adventures and friendships. For more information, you are invited to call 503-297-5500 or visit courtyardvillage.com/ senior-housing-options. You may request a brochure to be mailed to you or schedule a tour and complimentary lunch.

34 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Captions from top: Penelope and Frederick Greb Ed Seeberger Dave and Pat Wilder From left, Bill and Carolyn Owens, Vern Freel, Carl Saltveit and Cay Kershner Mary Deem

ACTIVELY

SENIOR

Get Gardening

By Mala Blomquist

Gardening is a pleasurable pastime for many. If you have not picked up the shovel in years, or want to start enjoying the great outdoors more, give gardening a try. There are also a host of health benefits associated with playing in the dirt.

BOOSTS BRAIN HEALTH. The process of gardening involves numerous brain functions, including learning new skills, problem-solving and sensory awareness. Research has shown that when these critical functions are engaged the risk of dementia may be reduced by as much as 36%. Gardening can also improve our attention span. Being surrounded by the colors, textures, smells and sounds in a garden stimulates our involuntary attention, which allows the mind to wander and clear itself. Using “involuntary” attention reserves the mind’s energy and helps us pay “voluntary” attention when we need to concentrate.

RELIEVES STRESS AND ANXIETY. When a person is stressed, the adrenal glands release the steroid hormone cortisol. A study in the Journal of Health Psychology states that gardening can lower cortisol levels in the brain. Also, researchers from Bristol University and University College London discovered that “friendly” bacteria commonly found in soil activated brain cells to produce serotonin in mice.

The release of serotonin in the brain works as a natural antidepressant.

GOOD FORM OF EXERCISE. Gardening is considered a moderately intense exercise and can increase mobility and strength. It’s been proven that even light exercise can help slow down the aging process. Being outside in a sunny garden also boosts your vitamin D levels, which has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease. Just don’t forget to drink water and wear sunscreen when working outside.

FORGET ABOUT ACHES AND PAINS. Research shows that spending time in nature can reduce how much people perceive pain. The sensory stimulation happening while tending a garden can actually keep us from noticing unpleasant feelings, both emotional and physical. Studies have also shown that patients recovering from surgery not only need less medicinal pain relief but also recover much faster when given access to nature.

MAKE NEW FRIENDS. Get together with others and start a community garden club. Members can go to a different member’s garden each week or take “field trips” to public gardens. Socialization can boost mood and lower the risk of depression, chronic stress and inactivity.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 35

Eight fun facts

By Viva Sarah Press

D

o you know where the word ‘dreidel’ comes from, and how many calories are in a sufganiyah? Find out with the following fun facts. In 2019, the first Wnight of Hanukkah falls on Sunday, Dec. 22.

1. 44 CANDLES There are at least 44 candles in each box of Hanukkah candles, enough for one person to light the hanukkiah (see item six on this list) according to tradition every night. Some boxes include extra candles as they tend to break easily.

Today, candles come in a variety of colors, wax types, and even scents. You can also fulfill the mitzvah of lighting the hanukkiah with oil.

2. HOLIDAY CALORIES When you eat holiday treats fried in oil, you can’t really expect them to be fat-free. The average 100-gram sufganiyah (doughnut) packs 400-600 calories. One potato latke has about 150 calories, svinge (a Moroccan cruller) 350-442 calories, and chocolate coins 85 calories each.

Israelis devour some 24 million sufganiyot during the eight-day holiday – adding up to 10.8 billion calories.

3. HANUKKAH, CHANUKAH, HANNUKA Hanukkah also goes by the names of the Festival of Lights and Feast of Dedication. As if multinames weren’t enough, the holiday also has a variety of transliterated English spellings – thanks to the guttural Hebrew sound of the first letter, which cannot be rendered properly in English.

HANUKKAH,

FEAST OF DEDICATION,

Festival of Lights,

Feast of the Maccabees, CHANUKAH,

HANNUKA

36 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

4. DREIDEL, DREIDEL, DREIDEL Get your spinning finger ready: It’s time to remember when the Greeks were in town and forbade Jews to learn Torah. Tradition holds that kids used to meet up in secret to learn, but if a Greek soldier happened upon their meeting, they would pretend to be gambling with their dreidels.

Israeli author/politician Avram Burg is said to have the largest dreidel collection in the world, counting more than 3,500.

Dreidel, by the way, is a Yiddish word which comes from ‘drei’ – to turn or spin.

The dreidel (a special spinning top for Hanukkah) features four Hebrew letters. In Israel, the letters are Nun, Gimel, Hay and Peh. Abroad, they’re Nun, Gimel, Hay, Shin. The letters stand for the Hebrew phrase, “A great miracle happened there (for those outside of Israel)/here (for those in Israel).

about Hanukkah

President Truman receiving a Hanukkah menorah from Prime Minister David BenGurion (center) and Abba Eban, Ambassador of Israel to the United States, in 1951.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

5. MOST POPULAR JEWISH HOLIDAY Though it is one of the most well-known and celebrated Jewish festivals, Hanukkah is actually a minor holiday, according to religious tradition, than Passover, Rosh Hashana or Yom Kippur. The holiday is not even mentioned in the Torah.

Some say Hanukkah gained popularity in the late 1800s among American Jews because of the season in which it falls – usually around Christmastime. Hanukkah always begins on the 25th day of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar. The corresponding Gregorian date varies.

Others point to the fun aspect of the holiday as the reason for its popularity.

Maimonides wrote that the mitzvah of lighting the hanukkiah is even more important than buying wine for Sabbath.

6. MENORAH VS. HANUKKIAH The menorah is a sevenbranched candelabra used in synagogues. The hanukkiah is a nine-branched candelabra used during Hanukkah.

Because the hanukkiah can also be called a Hanukkah menorah, confusion often sets in.

Tradition states that the hanukkiah should have all candles or wicks at the same level, with only the shamash – the ninth candle or wick, for lighting the other eight – a bit higher or lower.

7. LIGHTING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION GPS navigation could help when organizing the hanukkiah. According to accepted rules, you should place the candles right to left to correspond with the direction in which you read the Hebrew language. But you should light the candles from left to right, giving more attention to the new candle first.

8. HANUKKAH AT THE WHITE HOUSE Hanukkah made its first appearance at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in 1951, when Prime Minister of Israel David Ben-Gurion gave Harry Truman a menorah as a gift. In 1979, Jimmy Carter became the first American president to recognize the holiday publicly by speaking at a candle-lighting event hosted

by Chabad Lubavitch.

The first official White House Hanukkah party was held on December 10, 2001.

President George W. Bush borrowed a 100-year-old hanukkiah from the Jewish Museum in New York for the event. Since then, the White House Hanukkah party has been a coveted get-together.

Courtesy ISRAEL21c. This article has been edited for publication.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 37

2019 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE Need help finding that perfect gift? Hopefully, this guide will give you some inspiration!

For the full gift guide, visit orjewishlife.com/gift-guide-2019 HEBREW WATCH SILVER DIALS WITH STAR OF DAVID $49.99 ahuva.com

eat2explore EXPLORE A COUNTRY KIT $24.95 eat2explore.com

HAVE A HEART BANGLE $24 charitycharms.com

KITTY CARDBOARD BOXES $24.99 kittycardboard.com TALKING MENSCH ON A BENCH DOLL $19.99 themenschonabench.com

GARY ROSENTHAL ART MENORAH $110 zionjudaica.com

LITTLE MEDICAL SCHOOL $29.99 littlemedicalschool.com

WINE VEIL $24.95 (set of 4) wineveil.com XD NONSTICK SAUTÉ PAN $189.95 swissdiamond.com

GARDENER’S POCKET TOOL GIFT SET $39.95 gardeners.com

WISDOM PANEL CANINE DNA TEST $84.99 wisdompanel.com

38 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

KYI KYI Hats & accessories - $59 & up kyikyi.com

2019 Chanukah Essay Contest

M

aimonides Jewish Day School in Southwest Portland presents Oregon’s 3rd annual Chanukah Essay Contest. Oregon Poet Laureate Kim Stafford’s question encourages young Oregonians in third through eighth grades to reflect upon the power of their own words.

How can I use words to be a helpful person, or a good citizen, or a friend to the earth?

A panel of four judges unaffiliated with Maimonides will read each piece and select the two strongest, one from each grade category.

“G-d created the world with his words,” Principal Rabbi Shneur Wilhelm says, reflecting on this year’s theme and how important it is.

“G-d continues to create with his words, today and beyond,” Wilhelm continues. “That notion is powerful, and words are powerful. People can use words for the good, and we want to empower our children to recognize they have words at their disposal and can use them for good and to effect positive change.”

The two student essay-contest winners will each receive $200: $150 is a cash prize, and the additional $50 is for the student to gift the school of his or her choice. Also, each student gets to enjoy lunch hosted at Maimonides with award-winning children’s book author and contest judge Eric Kimmel. The students can invite a teacher of his or her choice to join in the festive meal.

Kimmel says, “Our Chanukah Essay Contest this year is about words. We often don’t pay attention to how important and powerful words are. Words can wound. Words can heal. Words can tear people down or raise them up. Words can hide the truth or uncover it and force us to take notice.”

The award-winning, Jewish-American author adds, “I’m looking forward to having lunch with the winning students and a teacher of their choice. Our contest is about words, so we’ll certainly have a lot to talk about.”

“The Jewish Federation of Greater Portland is excited to partner once again in this year’s essay contest,” says Marc Blattner, JFGP executive director. “We look forward to the creative and inspiring essays from our students that will help show the importance of words and how they matter.”

CONTEST RULES AND DETAILS:

• ELIGIBLE STUDENTS: All Oregon students in third-fifth grade and sixth-eighth grade • ESSAY LENGTH: 150 words or less • SUBMISSION INFORMATION: Email to Office@PortlandJewishSchool.com with “Chanukah Essay Contest 2019” in the subject header. Please include the student’s name, age, grade, and the school’s name and phone number.

• DEADLINE: By 5 pm, Thurs., Dec. 12 One winner in each category announced: Mon., Dec. 16 A public reading of winning essays: At the annual Menorah Lighting in Director Park, Sun., Dec. 22.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 39

JKIDS & TEENS Baby signers get a head start as Tiny Talkers

By Deborah Moon

The children are eager participants as Shira Fogel teaches sign language .

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W

hen Shira Fogel’s daughter, Eliana, was born 15 years ago, Shira used sign language to communicate with her pre-verbal child. Shira now shares her knowledge of sign language and parenting to empower other mothers to reap the rewards of signing.

One mom who Shira taught to sign with her toddler reports, “Since he has started signing, it feels like our dynamic has changed a lot. There’s so much less frustration between us because he has a way to clearly tell me exactly what he wants.”

As a child, Shira loved to watch the American Sign Language translator at her synagogue – especially since her own name, Shira, Hebrew for song or poem, was a frequent sign. Having heard of studies showing the benefits of signing with babies, she decided to sign with her daughter.

“She would sign so much at 11 months old, people thought she was deaf,” says Shira. “She hears fine, but she could communicate so many more things than other 11-month-olds.”

A signing vocabulary that far exceeds the communications ability of their peers is just one of the benefits children and parents reap from signing. (See below for other benefits.)

“I fell in love with all the things on that list that happened as a result of signing,” says Shira, adding, “I did struggle to figure out how to teach ASL to a baby.”

So she decided to switch careers from environmental sustainability to teaching parents and caregivers to sign with their babies. She launched Tiny Talkers (tinytalkersportland.com) and began offering two-hour workshops for parents, grandparents and caregivers. She teaches Baby Signing 101 about once a month at various locations around town. In the past, she has offered the workshop at her synagogue Congregation Beth Isreal, Congregation Neveh Shalom and the Mittleman Jewish Community Center.

“Sometimes people think it’s too hard,” says Shira. “But it’s not.

They are learning with their baby. They work on it slowly with things interesting to them.”

Now, in addition to the adult workshop, Shira offers Sing, Sing and Play classes for infants (starting at 9 months) and toddlers, and Music, Movement and Singing for preschool children. She started the preschool class at the request of parents who wanted to continue signing and playing in a group setting. She holds free drop-in sessions once a month at Hoot-N-Annie Boutique in Hillsdale at 10:30 am the second Wednesday of each month and at the Happy Valley Library the fourth Wednesdays.

Parents and caregivers at the May Hoot-N-Annie class shared their enthusiasm after signing, playing and singing with their children.

“We come to teach me more to teach her at home,” said one woman. “She (daughter) has picked up quite a few signs. It’s a great communications tool.”

“He is a late talker, so we use sign at home. It is really helpful.

Otherwise, I wouldn’t know what he wanted,” said another participant.

“She uses signs at home – especially all the signs for foods,” said a third.

A fellow member of Beth Israel, Eve Bernfeld took Shira’s 101 class, and when her triplets were about a year old, she took them to the Sign, Sing and Play classes too.

“Shira not only taught signs, she taught how to use, teach and reinforce

JOIN THE CONVERSATION signs in ways that were really fun and all about connecting with each other,” says Eve. “We learned so many signs, and while it seemed totally normal for the kids, I kept thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m learning a language!’ ” The triplets are now 5, and Eve says she continues to see the benefits from the early classes.

“They communicated very effectively with me before they spoke much, and now they are motor-mouths,” says Eve, adding, “Occasionally, they will still sign something to me.”

Ladybugs & Lizards Events, resources and advice for parents of kids age 12 and under.

BENEFITS OF SIGNING WITH INFANTS Babies who Sign …

• Are less frustrated • Speak earlier (Contrary to what many think) • Have higher IQ’s (10-12 points higher) • Develop larger vocabularies • At age 2, signers have about 50 more spoken words than non-signers • At age 3, signers speak and understand at a 4-year-old level • Demonstrate a greater interest in books • Have better imaginations • Enhanced self-esteem • Experience a closer bond with their parents and siblings

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTERS WITH THE LINK orjewishlife.com/newsletter-sign-me-up/ ORJEWISHLIFE.COM

Parents who Sign with their Babies …

• Give their babies a head start on language development • Experience decreased frustration • Enjoy an earlier interactive experience with their baby • Look forward to the “Not-So-Terrible” two’s • Hear less crying in the house • Have more fun with their babies From a comparison study by Susan Goodwyn, Ph.D. and Linda Acredolo, Ph.D. of the University of California at Davis. Funded by the National Institute of Health and Human Development, the study compared signers and non-signers at age 2, 3 and age 8.

BABY SIGNING 101 WORKSHOP

A single two-hour workshop for parents, grandparents and caregivers Learn: • How to sign. Workshop attendees typically learn 75 signs.

• Tips and techniques based on baby brain functions • Practical application in terms of activities and games Tiny Talkers teaches American Sign Language (ASL), a universally recognized sign language. tinytalkersportland.com/classes/baby-signing-101-workshop UPCOMING WORKSHOP: Dec. 8, 10 am-noon, Ready Set Grow 5433 NE 30th Ave., Portland

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 41

14th Annual

Sephardic Winter Film Series The Portland Sephardic Film Series is embarking on its 14th season of showcasing films of Sephardic content and Jewish interest. The series begins Nov. 12 and is sponsored by Sephardic Congregation Ahavath Achim, Oregon’s original Sephardic synagogue since 1911. For the first time, the screenings for the films will be held at the Congregation’s new synagogue building located at 6686 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland, in the Hillsdale neighborhood.

The screenings are free of charge, and so are the refreshments and discussion period following each film. Because of the generosity of several co-sponsors, this film series has become a means of relating Sephardic culture, history and education to the general public who have supported the series in large numbers since its beginning.

SEPHARDIC WINTER FILM SERIES WHEN Films shown on Tuesday evenings each month at 7 pm WHERE 6686 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland, OR Admission and Sephardic dessert are free For more information, contact Ron at 503-750-0888

NOVEMBER 12 - DOUBLE FEATURE NIGHT “Rhodes Forever” This documentary looks at the pre-WWII history of Rhodes from a less known perspective. In addition to examining the culture of the community, and instead of concentrating on the destruction of Rhodes Jewry, this film documents the little-known immigration of a large segment of the community to the Belgian Congo and Europe.

French and Ladino languages w/English subtitles, 60 minutes, 2003, by Diane Perelsztejn “Trees Cry for Rain” This short film traces the Sephardic journey of Rachel Amado Bortnick and takes the viewer on a fascinating journey exploring her Sephardic roots and recalling the rich, vanishing world of Sephardic culture and the nearly extinct Ladino language.

English Language, 1980, 32 minutes, Produced by Bonnie Burt Speakers: Albert J. Menashe and Rochelle Menashe-Stilwell DECEMBER 10 - “The Jewish Frontier” This film examines the history of Jewish people and organizations who helped build the state of Oregon. Arriving with the gold miners in 1849, they came for a better life away from persecution.

Using rare historical photos, film, and more than two dozen interviews with people from all over the state, this film tells the story of pioneering Jews.

English language, 78 minutes, Producer: OPB, Speaker: Judy Margles, OJMCHE Director JANUARY 14, 2020 - “A Kiss To This Land” This fascinating film narrates the story of Jewish immigration to Mexico 1920-1930. It is a tribute to an entire generation of both Sephardic and Ashkenazic Jews who built communities and new lives and dreams after leaving their homes in Europe and the Middle East. This film has humor, love, adventure, joy and sadness.

Spanish w/ English subtitles, 83 minutes, Producer: Daniel Goldberg, Speaker: Jose Behar FEBRUARY 11, 2020 - “GI JEWS: Jewish Americans in WWII” This film tells the story of 550,000 Jewish American men and women who fought in World War II. In their own words, veterans both famous and unknown bring their war experiences to life; how they fought for their nation and their people, struggled with anti-Semitism within their ranks, and emerged transformed, more powerfully American and more deeply Jewish.

English, 90 minutes, 2017, Producer: Lisa Ades Speakers: Rick Cohen & Boby Brown MARCH 3, 2020 - Double Feature International Night “The Nazi Games-Berlin 1936” This film chronicles the story of how the Nazis and the International Olympic Committee turned a relatively small, elitist, sports event into an epic global mass media spectacle. The grand themes replete with architectural grandiosity, budget overruns, corruption, bribery, collusion with unsavory characters – including dictators and autocrats – and the ill treatment of black and Jewish athletes. This is a study of deception.

English language, 61 minutes, 2016, Produced by Taglicht Media.

“Holocaust Escape Tunnel” For centuries the Lithuanian city of Vilna was one of the most important Jewish centers in the world, earning the name “Jerusalem of the North.” The Nazis murdered 95% of its Jewish population. Now an international team of archaeologists is trying to rediscover this forgotten world, excavating the remains of its Great Synagogue and searching for one of its great secrets: a lost escape tunnel dug by Jewish prisoners inside a horrific Nazi execution site.

English language, 2016, 60 minutes, Produced by PBS, Speaker: Natan Meir, PSU

42 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger

LIVING

Cultivating a Foundation for Peace

Shadi Abu Awwad

I

n the West Bank, Palestinians and Israelis live close to one another – yet in separate universes. A program called Roots is changing that reality, fostering a grassroots movement of understanding, nonviolence and transformation among Israelis and Palestinians.

Roots is a unique collaboration of local Palestinians and Israelis, building a model for coexistence. Their vision is a new social and political reality founded upon dignity, trust and mutual recognition and respect for both peoples’ particular historic belonging to the entire land.

The organization facilitates unmediated get-togethers and in-depth conversations between Palestinians and Israelis living in the West Bank. Their speakers come with no peace plans in place, but with a strong conviction that human understanding and trust are the prerequisites for lasting justice, freedom and peace on the tiny sliver of land they both call home.

Roots Director of International Relations, Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger, and guest speaker Shadi Abu Awwad will be visiting Portland to share their personal stories and how they are working together to build a better future for their peoples through Roots.

Hanan is an Orthodox rabbi and teacher, and a passionate Zionist settler. He has been profoundly transformed by his friendship and interaction with local Palestinians. His understanding of the reality of the Middle East conflict and Zionism has been utterly complicated by the parallel universe that they have introduced him to.

Shadi is the grandson, son and nephew of strong, proud Palestinian leaders who were at the helm of the first Palestinian Intifada. He grew up imbued with a deep hatred for Israelis.

When still a child, his family underwent a major transformation. They were among the pioneers in reaching across the divide to their Jewish neighbors to work together in order to create a shared vision for the future.

As the Palestinian architect and coordinator of the Roots youth movement, Shadi facilitates shared encounters and experiences among Palestinian and Israeli teenagers, building a new generation of leaders who can confront the real problems between their communities while acknowledging each other’s shared humanity.

WHAT

Painful Hope: Cultivating a Foundation for Peace Across the Deep Divide

WHEN

Saturday, Nov. 23 from 7 to 9 pm

WHERE

Stampfer Chapel, Neveh Shalom, 2900 SW Peaceful Lane, Portland

COST Free

INFORMATION friendsofroots.net

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 43

PR E V IE W S

LIVING A. Molotk ov

CNS 150 Gala Celebration

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e ch n

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Harris zy u S

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Congregation Neveh Shalom will round out the year of celebrations for their 150th anniversary on Sunday, Dec. 15, with a closing gala at Birnbach Hall, 2900 SW Peaceful Lane in Portland. The evening will start at 5 pm with social time (appetizers and drinks) and then continue with a buffet dinner and music by the Cherry Blossom Orchestra. The program and featured entertainment will begin at 7 pm.

The cost is $36/person and RSVP’s are required by Dec. 6 to tinyurl.com/cns150gala.

Oregon Jewish Voices 20th Anniversary

Oregon Jewish Voices will celebrate its 20th anniversary on Tuesday, Nov. 19, at 7:30 pm at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education at 724 NW Davis St. in Portland.

This annual event started in 1999, and features readings by prominent Oregon Jewish writers and poets. The five writers in the 2019 program – who span a range of genres, including fiction, poetry, non-fiction, and essays – will share selections from their work in OJMCHE’s auditorium. This year’s writers are Eric Flamm, Suzy Harris, A. Molotkov, Willa Schneberg, and Sabena Stark. OJMCHE Director Judy Margles is the emcee for the evening.

Ticket prices are $8 for museum members and $10 for the general public For more information, visit ojmche.org/events/2019-oregon-jewish-voices

Cherry Blossom Orchestra

Sharing the Light 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.

44 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Jewish Heritage Night with the Portland Trail Blazers

Chabad of Oregon and the Portland Trail Blazers are once again partnering together for Chanukah Jewish Heritage Night on Monday, Dec. 23, at 6 pm at the Moda Center at One N. Center Court St. in Portland.

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.

Direct from Broadway, “Fiddler on the Roof” comes to Portland Tony-winning director Bartlett Sher brings his fresh take on a beloved masterpiece to life as “Fiddler of the Roof ” begins a North American tour direct from Broadway. The show will run from Jan. 7 through Jan. 12, 2020, at the Keller Auditorium at 222 SW Clay St. in Portland.

The original production won ten Tony Awards, including a special Tony for becoming the longest-running Broadway musical of all time. Be there when the sun rises on this new production, with stunning movement and dance from acclaimed Israeli choreographer Hofesh Shechter, based on the original staging by Jerome Robbins. A wonderful cast and a lavish orchestra tell this heartwarming story of fathers and daughters, husbands and wives, and the timeless traditions that define faith and family.

Featuring the Broadway classics “Tradition,” “If I Were a Rich Man,” “Sunrise, Sunset,” “Matchmaker, Matchmaker” and “To Life,” “Fiddler on the Roof ” will introduce a new generation to this uplifting celebration that raises its cup to joy! To love! To life!

For ticket information, visit portland.broadway.com/shows/ fiddler-on-the-roof.

For a complete calendar of events for November and December, visit orjewishlife.com/calendar.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 45

LIVING

FACES & PLACES POSITIVE CHANGE – On Oct. 27, 100

people came together at the Mittleman JCC for an afternoon of art and making friends at Amplify Kindness! PDX. Oregon Senator Elizabeth Steiner Hayward (pictured) was one of the guest speakers.

CARE PACKAGE PREP –

Members of Congregation Neveh Shalom prepared Rosh Hashanah care packages for their college kids.

WINING PASSPORT – Passport

drawing winners Lorie and Dave Geryk picked up their winnings during the Portland Open Studios Tour. The North/Inner NE Community contributed the beautiful works of art.

SCHOOLS IN – Docents and education

SUKKOT KICK-OFF –

On Oct. 14, PDX Eastside Jewish Commons kicked off its Sukkot event lineup with Portland BBYO, where attendees discussed environmental justice and worked on a fundraiser for Portland’s Friends of Trees.

46 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

department staff at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education prepare to show the first school visit of the season and tour groups “Leonard Bernstein at 100,” as well as other exhibitions.