Oregon Jewish Life February 2019 Vol 8/Issue-1

FEBRUARY 2019

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GENES & CANCER

What Jewish communities & women need to know

JUNIOR OLYMPICS PJA teen

FREE GIFTS takes third INSIDE! at national

championships

JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019 1

CANCER AND JEWISH GENETICS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW March 4th | FREE | Two Events Creating a Caring Community: More Than Chicken Soup

11:30 am – 1:30 pm, Congregation Neveh Shalom Lunch provided - kosher dietary laws observed

What’s Jewish About Breast and Ovarian Cancer?

Panel Discussion and Exhibitor Fair

Panelists: Dr. Dana Kostiner Simpson, Dr. Lucy Langer, and cancer survivor Talia Schwartz

6pm, Mittleman Jewish Community Center

Food available for pre-order upon registration

Register Today! www.jewishportland.org/sharsheret

Event Co-Chairs: Leslie Beard and Michelle Caplan 2 JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019 503.245.6219 | 6680 SW Capitol Highway | Portland, OR 97219 | www.jewishportland.org |

JewishPDX

JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019 3

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CO N TE N TS February 2019 | Shevat-Adar 5779 | Volume 8/Issue 1

20

WEDDINGS

COVER STORY Sarah Gertrude Shapiro on Film, Family & Feminism

26

FEATURES

26

JEWS WITH ATTITUDE Pat Welch: Matchmaker in business and life

BUSINESS Ins & Outs Tivnu gets grant to expand gap year

10

12 13

ACTIVELY SENIOR Caring for Caregivers Nathan Cogan weaves philanthropic web

36

45

50 48 4 JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019

FRONT & CENTER Jewish Art Month begins Feb. 24 Judaism and Jazz Israeli musician at PDX Jazz Fest Jazz portraits Musical Shabbaton with Joey Weisenberg Jewish Ghetto Photographers HEALTH Community support vital in cancer battle

What’s Jewish about cancer?

BRCA2 gene plays role in ovary health A healthy way to work

33 34

36 38 39 39 40 40

41 42 42 43

ON THE COVER: Sarah Gertrude Shapiro PHOTO COURTESY OF LIFETIME

Insider tips from a master planner

Chuppah: Your first home

Historic setting for weddings

Marriage a lot like cooking

Give gift from the heart

Wedding Fashions

14 16 20 22 23 24

KIDS & TEENS Sign up for Maccabi Games & ArtFest 44 Portland teen takes bronze at nationals 45 Raise confident kids 46 Kids Calendar 47

JLIVING Neveh Shalom celebrates 150 years 48 Kosher Soul comes to Portland 50 Previews 50 FACES & PLACES 52 Calendar 53

COLUMNS NW Nosh by Kerry Politzer Chef’s Corner by Lisa Glickman Ask Helen by Helen Rosenau

20 22 23

Make 2019 the year you open a donor advised fund with OJCF wReceive a tax deduction upon making gift wEngage your family in philanthropy wUtilize convenient monthly grant cycles wEnjoy support from the donor relations team

Strengthening the community for 30 years.

Contact us to learn more.

Oregon Jewish Community Foundation 503.248.9328 l www.ojcf.org

Home is  Where Your Friends Are! Just one of the many reasons people choose Cedar Sinai Park.

 Call 503-535-4000 for a tour and see what residents          lo e a out ose hnit er anor         Â

Founded in on core Je%ish $alues. i$in them out each and e$ery day.

JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019 5

WANDER NO MORE

FEBRUARY 2019 February 2019 | Shevat-Adar 5779 | Volume 8/Issue 1

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

H OW T O R E AC H U S

503- 892-7402 EDITORIAL: 503- 892-7402 or editor @ojlife.com ADVERTISING SALES: adver tise@ojlife.com E VENTS: editor @ojlife.com

Cindy Salt zman

SUBSCRIPTIONS: orjewishlife.com/magazine-subscription

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

BUSINESS: publisher @ojlife.com

Deborah Moon

ART DIREC TOR Philip Nerat

GR APHIC DE SIGNER Tamara Kopper

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.

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

COLUMNIS TS

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

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

Lisa Glickman

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

Kerr y Polit zer

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

Helen Rosenau

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Lynda Barness Mala Blomquis t Maria By water Kerr y Polit zer Tori Sokol

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

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

A Prince Hal Produc t ion ( TGMR18)

2016-2017 MediaPort LLC All rights reserved

50 6 JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019

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.

If you lend money to My people, to the poor, among you, do not act toward them as a creditor; exact no interest from them.�

Exodus 22:24 Shabbat Mishpatim, February 1 - 2

Need a home repair? Medical bills piling up?

Camp or school tuition due? Federation provides interest-free loans of up to $4,000 to community members in need.

Jewish Free Loan is one more way your Federation is here for you.

jewishportland.org/freeloan * 503.892.7417 JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019

7

PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE

CINDY SALTZMAN Publisher

“The times they are a changin’ ” The new year has begun, and what better way to represent the hope of new beginnings than weddings – the ultimate new beginning. Our special section on weddings is fun, informative and entertaining. We hope you enjoy it.

On a more somber note, I hope that by the time you read this the government shutdown is over and the following is irrelevant.

In any crisis, many people look inward and think, “What if that had been me or a loved one. What would I do? Who would I turn to?” Then one quickly looks outward and asks, “What can I do to help?” So many people have been affected by the shutdown and the economic and emotional hardship it has caused. The United States is a big country, but

WANDER NO MORE

We have started posting the agencies and organizations that are offering help during this crisis. As we have reached out to the community, we are receiving more and more responses. We will update our list daily, as new information comes in. If you do need support, whether due to the shutdown or for other reasons, please check our social media feeds and website daily for the updated resources and contact information that can help.

Difficult economic times often exacerbate racism and anti-Semitism. Economic downturns historically have sent such bigotry soaring, and now is no different. We want your help in finding ways to help the community.

We have created a survey, and we welcome your input. If you haven’t filled out our survey yet, please do so at orjewishlife.com/survey.

May all of you go from strength to strength in these trying times and always.

at a time like this, it seems to be a small village; everyone knows more than one person who has been adversely affected, if not themselves personally.

Subscriptions: orjewishlife.com/magazine-subscription Newsletter: orjewishlife.com, click on“Subscribe Now!” Facebook: @ojlife Twitter: @ORJewishlife Instagram: JEWISHLIFENOW Call: 503-892-7402 8 JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019

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

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CALL TO ACTION The tide of hate, racism and anti-Semitism is rising.

Oregon Jewish Life is introducing new initiatives to help stem the tide.

WE NEED YOUR HELP & IT WON’T COST A DIME Just Take These 4 Steps

1. Fill out our survey at orjewishlife.com/survey 2. Join our Facebook group for discussions

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Help us help the community

As our gift to you, we will send you the digital version of Oregon Jewish Life each month before the print edition is out.

JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019 9

Jewswith

Attitude

Pat Welch:

Finds people the perfect fit in business and love

By Deborah Moon

Pat Welch attributes her success as a matchmaker in business

they created a legal partnership that offered its two employees

“I’m a matchmaker,” says Pat, noting she has “fixed up” 43

contractors. After MS&S was sold a couple of years later, the

and life to good gut instincts.

people with their future spouses. “And I have good gut instincts about where people will be able to make a happy career. … We are matchmakers who find the cultural fit.”

When Pat moved to Portland in 1975, she had no inten-

a 401K, and they continued to work for MS&S as independent women decided to go out on their own. They rented space and

hired a receptionist and secretary. Now about 40 people work in the Boly:Welch office, which is set up as a collaborative “bull-

pen” with no separate offices. A hundred or so others are on the

tion of founding a staffing agency, let alone one that would be

Boly:Welch payroll working as temps in clients’ offices.

named one of Oregon’s 100 Best Compa-

Pat attributes the firm’s success as a temp

nies to Work For every year since 2003 and

agency to the fact that it started as an exten-

would win a Best of Staffing Client and

sion of their permanent staffing business.

Talent Award in 2016.

“When (unemployed) people come to us,

“We’ve grown very organically,” says Pat

we sell them on the value of temp work,” she

of Boly:Welch, the recruiting and consult-

says. “We tell them, ‘we don’t want you to

ing firm she cofounded with Diane Boly in

take a job you don’t like.’ We suggest temp

1986. Boly:Welch is now a certified B Corp

work … to build skills and references while

that provides temporary, direct-hire and

we look for the exact match.”

executive-search-level placements in fields

such as accounting, office, legal, financial services, marketing, sales and human resources.

“We evolved,” says Pat simply. “We

Pat Welch

It was a surprise to many when Pat and Diane connected.

Pat had been working as a recruiter for the employment firm

Murphy Symmonds & Stowell for about three years when she decided to be a stay-at-home mom with her two little kids, Brooke and Andrew. MS&S hired Diane to take over Pat’s

accounts. When Pat returned to the company three years later

curated the answer to employees’ short- and long-term needs and to clients’ short- and

long-term needs. … That’s why we grew – we found the exact right person.”

The women also decided to offer employees the benefits and

work culture they themselves wanted. The 401K retirement plans were just the beginning.

“When we started the company, I was a single parent,” says

in 1983, coworkers expected the two to battle over accounts.

Pat. “I worked my job around my family.”

compete,” says Pat of what quickly became a de facto partner-

can hang out after school or on school holidays. They offer

“We shortly realized we’d do better if we team up than if we

ship.

The two women loved working together, but they both want-

ed a retirement plan, which MS&S did not offer. So in 1986,

10 JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019

The office now has a kids’ room where employees’ children

maternity, paternity and adoption leave. Dogs are welcome and four or five wander freely through the office every day. Profit

sharing, three weeks’ vacation and two weeks of paid leave to do

Just before New Year’s, grateful clients Sasha Welford and Todd Peres of Debbie Thomas Real Estate brought flowers, champagne and snacks to Pat Welch, right, and her staff at Boly:Welch, a local recruiting and consulting firm. Pat has helped the real estate firm find both permanent and temporary employees, and the firm has helped relocating Boly:Welch clients find new homes.

volunteer work are other benefits for Boly:Welch employees.

Pat herself is no stranger to volunteer work.

“The best thing I got involved with was Russian Resettle-

ment with Jewish Family and Child Service,” she says. Now the

entire firm supports Community Warehouse, which grew out of JFCS’s warehouse to furnish apartments for new arrivals.

Pat also served on the board of the Jewish Federation of

Greater Portland in the mid-1990s, but says she feels she was too young then to make a meaningful contribution.

When her daughter, Brooke, was approaching the age for

a bat mitzvah, Pat gave her the choice of whether or not to

study and celebrate at Congregation Beth Israel, where they

When Andrew turned 13, Pat’s father took the whole family

to Israel on a Jewish Federation mission. Not only did Brooke

and Andrew celebrate their b’nai mitzvah in Jerusalem, Pat and her mother and mother-in-law also became bat mitzvah. The

family hosted a celebratory lunch at the King David for all the Portlanders on the mission.

Pat’s father, Julie R. Sandler, z"l ,died six years ago, and her

mom, Iris Sandler, now lives in Pat’s house, close to her three great-grandchildren. Pat is also surrounded by her Detroit

Posse, a group of nearly a dozen women who grew up together in Detroit and now live, work and play in Portland.

Pat is now 68 and Diane is 75, so the two have begun plan-

were members. At the time Brooke said no. Three years later,

ning for leadership succession. Andrew is in a good position

gation Shaarie Torah. Pat and her second husband, Ron Schutz,

including commercial fisherman in the Bering Sea and recruit-

Andrew started to study with Rabbi Chaim Reznik at Congre-

were married at Beth Israel with CBI Rabbi Emanuel Rose and CST Rabbi Yonah Geller co-officiating.

“My son bonded to this little Yoda-like character,” says Pat,

describing the much-loved man who taught generations of

Shaarie Torah youth. “Brooke said she was sorry she didn’t do a bat mitzvah, so she started (studying) then, too.”

to help with that. He has traveled widely and held varied jobs

er at an employment firm in Kansas City. When his twins were born 5½ years ago, he decided to settle down in Portland. In

August 2105, he joined Boly:Welch as president to help with succession planning.

bolywelch.com | 503-242-1300

JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019 11

BIZ

INS & OUTS

Eitan Teiger

Marla Eglash Abraham

New shaliach arrives in Pacific Northwest

Eitan Teiger is the new Israeli shaliach for the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland and StandWithUs Northwest. He arrived in November and will be in the region through August.

Eitan visits high school classrooms around Oregon and Washington to talk about Israeli society, Israeli culture (music, dance, food, service in the army or education), similarities and differences in life for American and Israeli teenagers, and Israel’s relationship with its Arab neighbors, particularly the Palestinians.

SWU provides historical facts and context in a fair and unbiased manner. Through speakers and materials, SWU helps people understand the complex issues facing Israel and its neighbors.

Eitan, 26, was born and raised in Herzliya, a suburb of Tel Aviv. When he was a teenager, his family moved to a town in the Galilee, which is also home to Arab, Bedouin and Druze communities.

The grandson of a Holocaust survivor, Eitan volunteered for "Zikaron BaSalon" (Remembering in the Living Room) after completing mandatory military service. The organization provides Holocaust survivors a living room space to share their personal stories with the next generation.

While earning his bachelor's degree in government, diplomacy and strategy, Eitan interned for an organization that builds bridges between secular and religious students, and then interned for a member of the Knesset.

206-801-0902 | Northwest@StandWithUs.com | standwithus.com/chapters/northwest

US Holocaust Memorial Museum appoints Western region director

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has appointed Marla Eglash Abraham as Western regional director for the nine-state region comprising Oregon, Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Washington.

“Marla is a California native with years of successful development experience, and we look forward to her leadership of the museum's Western region,” says Jordan E. Tannenbaum, the museum’s chief development officer. “Her passion for Holocaust education will help the museum fulfill its mission of ensuring the permanence of Holocaust memory so future generations remember the victims of this watershed moment in human history and understand its implications for today.”

Abraham was previously regional director of development at American Jewish Committee-Los Angeles since 2013. Prior to AJC, she was senior vice president, endowment planning and strategic philanthropy, at the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. She is a published researcher, scholar and author as well as a facilitator and consultant for the Central Conference of American Rabbis, Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education, Jewish Federations of North America and Hillel International.

The museum inspires citizens and leaders alike to confront hate and indifference, end genocide and promote human dignity.

310-556-3222 | western@ushmm.org | ushmm.org

12 JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019

BUSINESS

The fifth cohort of the Tivnu: Building Justice program arrived in Portland in late August. Upon their arrival, participants completed construction training, where they learned skills that they have used on the job site building tiny homes at Agape Village.

Tivnu gets funds and coaching to expand its trailblazing gap year program

By Deborah Moon

In its relatively short lifetime, Portland’s Tivnu: Building Justice has won the attention of two national initiatives – The Joshua Venture Group’s Dual Investment Program in 2012 and UpStart’s Venture Accelerator this year.

Tivnu was selected to join the 11th cohort of UpStart’s Venture Accelerator to aid groundbreaking, growth-stage organizations. UpStart’s Jan. 9 press release notes: “UpStart partners with the Jewish community’s boldest leaders to expand the picture of Jewish life, and Cohort 11 includes nine bold ventures solving some of the Jewish community’s most pressing challenges. These cutting-edge organizations were selected from a pool of more than 60 highly qualified applicants, and represent a diverse array of initiatives building the Jewish community of tomorrow.”

Steve Eisenbach-Budner launched Tivnu in 2011 with one-day, hands-on social action construction projects. In 2014 Portland’s Tivnu expanded to a gap year program that explores connections between Jewish life, social justice and community service. Shorter programs are available for Jewish day schools and youth groups.

Steve attributes Tivnu’s successful launch to its participation in the 2012-2014 Dual Investment Program presented by Joshua Venture Group, which is now part of UpStart. Steve says the $80,000 in unrestricted funding and more than $20,000 in coaching and training from that program enabled Tivnu to expand and offer more and longer programs. (For the story of that grant, see orjewishlife.com/dueling-innovators) “That first $100,000 investment from Joshua Venture Group really did what it was supposed to and got us off the ground,” says Steve. “Now this investment (from UpStart) will help us grow and scale.”

In 2018 UpStart added new features to its flagship program.

Cohort 11 will be the first cohort of the new, 18-month Venture Accelerator program (previously called the National Accelerator). The nine participating organizations will have access to UpStart’s substantial network, training and resources

to create and enact a sustainable plan for success. Each organization will also receive up to $100,000 in unrestricted funding to accelerate its growth.

“We hope the $100,000 will enable us to hire a person, probably based in the Northeast, focused on recruitment and also to help with administrative tasks,” says Steve.

The cohort met for a virtual orientation on Jan. 10. The cohort will meet four times over the 18-month program.

“The cohort experience is a valuable opportunity to learn from our peers in other programs at a similar stage in lifespan,” says Steve. “We can share challenges and successes that help us grow in sustainable ways.”

Steve is also excited about the 1½ hour per month personalized coaching sessions that will help Tivnu staff and board “look at the big picture and work on a strategic plan.”

UpStart has provided programs in nearly two dozen communities with the entrepreneurial tools and network that trailblazing leaders need to create change across the spectrum of Jewish life. UpStart programs helped launch nearly 90 Jewish ventures and trained nearly 3,200 of the Jewish community’s most inspiring leaders.

“We’re thrilled to have this new cohort join the Venture Accelerator,” says UpStart CEO Aaron Katler. “These nine inspiring ventures represent the broadest spectrum of how people are finding meaning and connection in Jewish life today. This cohort of leaders is solving some of the most crucial challenges facing the Jewish community, proving that Jewish life is more dynamic and diverse than ever before. We’re looking forward to partnering with them on scaling their impact."

Joining Tivnu in Cohort 11 are: BaMidbar Wilderness Therapy, jGirls Magazine, Judaism Your Way, Museum of Jewish Montreal, Sacred Spaces, Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom, Tkiya and Tzedek America. You can read more about these organizations and their bold Jewish ideas at upstartlab.org/cohort-11. upstartlab.org | tivnu.org JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019 13

Insider tips from a master wedding planner

By Lynda Barness You are now engaged!

NOW WHAT? Here are five things to consider before jumping in, from a Master Wedding Planner: 1. BREATHE. I’m not kidding! Take some time to enjoy your engagement – and each other. And your families. And your friends.

14 Insider tips 16 Chuppah

20 Historic venue

22 Marriage & cooking 23 Gift from the heart 24 Fashion

14 JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019

2. G ET TO WORK. When you are ready to start working (and yes, it may feel like work, so now would be a good time to consider a wedding planner if you are thinking about hiring one), you and your partner will want to have a discussion about your wish list: time of year (and which year), which city, what type of officiant, what kind of venue and more. So often there are other voices in this discussion, but the couple can prioritize their wish list first and then discuss it with family and others.

3. GET YOUR GUEST LIST IN ORDER. You can’t possibly pick a place for a ceremony or

reception without knowing how many people you will invite. A question that I am asked very often is about the drop-off rate. If you invite your whole guest list, how many can you figure won’t attend? You can’t figure this at all, so please don’t bother trying! I know of a wedding where 277 guests were invited and 275 attended.

Look for a venue that will hold everyone you have invited.

4. CHOOSE AN OFFICIANT. The officiant will need to be the first to be chosen/hired.

You need that person to be available and willing to be with you on your wedding day, and you’ll need to nail that day down before you can confirm with a venue. Next step is finding a venue.

5. SECURE THE RECEPTION VENUE AND START HIRING YOUR WEDDING PROFESSIONALS. This looks very simple in the abstract. It is not! Especially if one partner has always imagined getting married in a synagogue and the other has a picture of an outdoor ceremony

in mind. This is a big decision to figure out together and often requires compromise – what better time than the present to work on that skill? If you are hiring a wedding planner, it will be helpful to have this person on-board at this point as well.

When it comes to the wedding day itself, there are four things that I think are essential to keep in mind: 1. INVITATIONS AND THEIR WORDING. Do the names of both sets of parents appear on the invitation? Are only the hosts (the ones who are paying) listed? It is lovely to include all the parents and it is a clear signal to everyone that the two families are joining together.

2. CEREMONY LOGISTICS. Who sits on what side,

who walks down the aisle with whom and who stands or sits where? This can get complicated, especially since different religions handle it differently. It’s a matter of compromise and sensitivity.

Do mom and dad walk down the aisle with their child as Jewish tradition dictates?

Or has the bride who is not Jewish always imagined herself walking down the aisle with just her father? Do the parents stand, do they hold the chuppah or do they sit during the ceremony?

These are great questions to discuss with your officiant.

3. RELIGIOUS RITUAL OBJECTS. Do you want to have a chuppah (wedding canopy)?

What about a ketubah (wedding contract)? Which rituals do you want to include? How can you best

represent your individuality and your coming together as a new family? Again, your officiant can be a huge source of assistance here. If you are having a Jewish wedding, a great place to learn about rituals and ritual objects is in Anita Diamant’s go-to book, The Jewish Wedding Now.

off every week and don’t even discuss wedding planning.

It will be exhausting if you try to do wedding planning every single day from now until your wedding, so spend a little time with your honey without the stress of wedding or religion talk.

4. THE JEWISH TRADITION OF YICHUD IS ONE THAT SEEMS TO HAVE BECOME BOTH MODIFIED AND UNIVERSAL. After the ceremony, the couple has some private time (often with hors d’oeuvres and drinks) to simply share the first moments of their marriage alone with each other. This is such a special time and lovely tradition, and I always recommend it.

The best advice I have heard is to take some days

Lynda Barness launched I DO Wedding Consulting in 2005. Lynda earned the designation of Master Wedding Planner from the International Association of Wedding Consultants and also has a certificate in Wedding Planning and Consulting from Temple University.

This article was reprinted with permission from InterfaithFamily. Learn more at interfaithfamily.com.

s tay like a lo cal IN THE HEART OF PORTLAND’S WEST END DISTRICT

409 SW 11TH AVE PORTLAND | 503.224.3293 | MARKSPENCER.COM JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019 15

Chuppah: Your first home

By Maria Bywater

I

grew up in a large, close Catholic family, so when I got married in a Jewish wedding ceremony, finding meaningful roles for everyone in my family proved challenging. I had converted to Judaism, and the rabbi required that the roles linked to Jewish ritual – signing the ketubah (Jewish marriage contract) and reciting the Seven Blessings, for example – be filled by people who were Jewish.

Eventually, I figured it out: I asked my two sisters and two of my brothers to hold the poles of the chuppah, the wedding canopy under which the ceremony took place.

Looking back, what I remember most about the ceremony was how comfortable I was standing there, in that space under the chuppah, surrounded by so many people who represented important parts of my life.

I didn’t feel nervous. I felt supported.

I felt at home because the chuppah is symbolic of the marrying couples’ home – both their physical home and the spiritual home they’ll build together. And today, as a chuppah designer and founder of Huppahs.com, I specialize in hand-held chuppahs.

The chuppah is a deeply traditional element of the Jewish wedding ceremony, but also one with a great deal of flexibility as far as what style you use, which makes it a great opportunity to make the ceremony your own, whether you use a handheld or free-standing version, want something large or small, formal or casual, traditional or modern, or simply or elaborately decorated.

CONGREGATIONAL CHUPPAH: Shava and Michael Feinstein celebrated their wedding at Congregation Neveh Shalom last year. Each year the CNS education program’s fifth-graders facilitate a Jewish wedding as part of their lifecycle curriculum.

16 JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019

If you didn’t grow up hearing a lot of Hebrew, like me, the only really intimidating thing about using a chuppah might be the moment you first try to pronounce the word out loud in front of someone. It has that back of the throat “h” sound at the beginning. It’s the same sound as at the beginning of the word “Hanukkah.” People pronounce (and spell) Hanukkah all kinds of different ways, so however you pronounce the first sound in the word “Hanukkah” is a good way to pronounce the first sound in the word “chuppah.”

And really, once you’re past the pronunciation, it’s on to the fun stuff.

PROVIDING LEGENDARY SERVICE SINCE 1913

HANDHELD OR FREESTANDING? There are two basic styles of chuppah: handheld – the kind I used – and freestanding. Both kinds have a canopy held up by four poles. The difference is that a freestanding chuppah will have more structure so that it stands on its own.

Traditionally, the chuppah is open on all four sides, in a nod to the first Jewish couple, the Torah’s Abraham and Sarah, who traditionally kept the four sides of their tent open to welcome guests.

Hand-held chuppahs hark back to when the custom of using a chuppah first arose in Europe in the Middle Ages. Young boys would escort the bride from her home to the ceremony location, holding the canopy over her head like royalty on procession through the city. There’s even an official name for the chuppah bearers: unterferers, which means “supporters.”

To use a hand-held chuppah for your ceremony, you can have the chuppah bearers lead the procession or enter from the side of the ceremony space just before the procession begins.

Aside from the links to tradition and community, a hand-held chuppah works great when your ceremony space doubles as your reception venue and you need to move the chuppah out of the way quickly.

For a chuppah that is set in place when the guests arrive, choose a freestanding chuppah, with bases to hold the bottom of the poles or a frame with supports connecting the poles at their tops. Using a frame is pretty much a must if you want a large chuppah, if the canopy is heavy or if you want to add drapery or a lot of decoration.

WHAT SIZE? You’ll want enough square footage under the canopy for the couple, the officiant and a small table for the wine and other ritual items. It can be as small as 60 inches by 60 inches.

Generally, poles that are seven to eight feet tall work well for small to medium sized canopies, although you’ll also find taller versions for a dramatic look.

WHERE TO GET A CHUPPAH Some synagogues, wedding venues, florists and event rental companies have a chuppah to borrow or rent. If you’re interested in this option, be sure to check the condition of the chuppah early in your wedding planning process. Ask the chuppah provider if they set up and take down the chuppah and if there are extra fees for delivery and set up.

TIMELESS ROMANTIC ELEGANT Your Wedding Specialists in the Heart of Downtown Portland

503-219-6706 • weddings@bensonhotel.com • www.bensonhotel.com To virtually explore our hotel, text ‘benson’ to 24587

JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019 17

PERSONALIZED CHUPPAH: David and Katy Katz wed at Congregation Shaarie Torah in 2018. The chuppah was made by Katy, who bought a sari to celebrate her Sephardic heritage. “The sari was the perfect size of the chuppah we wanted,” says Katy. “The colors, pattern and style of it spoke to me and David.

Our vision of our wedding was fall theme colors.” Katy also sprayed the poles the same color as the couple’s kippot and made the flower arrangements at the bases out of silk flowers.

HEIRLOOM CHUPPAH: When Rachel Lambert, z”l, married in 2003, she created what has become a family heirloom used for many family weddings.

The embroidered and appliquéd chuppah is filled with Jewish and family symbolism. Read the story of the chuppah’s creation at orjewishlife.com/theirchuppah-is-forever. Pictured: Rachel and Scott next to the chuppah on their wedding day.

18 JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019

You can also buy or rent a chuppah or chuppah kit online. You’ll find both commercial and artisanal versions. If you want a custom design, look for an artist on Etsy or other sites selling handmade items. My company, huppahs.com, rents different styles of chuppahs as well as canopies and poles if you only need one or the other.

For the canopy, you can use a tallit or tablecloth that you have on hand, especially if it has special meaning to you. Just make sure the fabric is in good shape and will hold up to being secured to the poles.

Another great option is to make the chuppah yourself or have someone make it for you. You can choose the form and materials that work best for the wedding you want to create, and you can let your style shine.

If you’re looking for a wedding role for someone who is not familiar with the Jewish wedding ceremony, asking them to help create your chuppah can be a great way to include them. Depending on the chuppah you envision, there can be roles for sewists, fabric painters, embroiderers, weavers and other textile artists as well as folks with light construction skills.

DIY ADVICE My book, Sew Jewish, includes instructions for making a chuppah canopy and poles, but here are some guidelines to keep in mind if you’re designing your own.

For the canopy, choose fabric that is lightweight, doesn’t stretch, and looks good from both sides. A canopy made heavy by the fabric or extensive needlework can make holding the poles or attaching the canopy securely to the frame difficult. If the canopy is lightweight and not too large, add some combination of loops, reinforced holes or ties to enable you to attach the corners to the supporting poles or frame. If the canopy is large or heavy, make sleeves on the edges of the canopy to fit into supports running across the top of the chuppah frame.

Popular materials for the structure are wood, dowels and tree branches, especially birch branches. PVC piping is also a popular choice for frames when you plan to cover the pipes with drapery.

If different people will be providing your canopy and poles or frame, make sure you know how they’ll fit together before anyone gets to work. Ideally, put the whole chuppah together for a trial run well before your wedding day so that you can make adjustments if you need to.

Whatever style of wedding you choose, with all the chuppah options available to you, you’re sure to find one that feels like home.

Maria Bywater is the founder of Huppahs.com, the leading national wedding chuppah rental company and author of the book Sew Jewish: The 18 Projects You Need for Jewish Holidays, Weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvah Celebrations, and Home.

This article is reprinted with permission from InterfaithFamily, supporting Jewish interfaith couples and families. Learn more at interfaithfamily. com.

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JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019 19

Historic Grant House

popular venue for weddings and intimate dining

By Kerry Politzer

I

f you’re looking for a dining experience in a historic setting, you’ll find it right on Officers Row at Fort Vancouver. The Grant House, constructed in 1849, is now home to a fine-dining restaurant (the Eatery) and event space.

The house, which was originally built as quarters for highranking officers, is the oldest structure on Officers Row. The Grant House is a popular wedding venue, as it can host up to 250 guests. It employs a celebrated pastry chef/wedding cake artist, Sarah Austin, who has practiced her craft at fivestar restaurants and hotels throughout the West Coast. The Eatery’s executive chef, Capers Ogletree, delights diners with his creative cuisine.

Ogletree has worked at some of the finest restaurants in Portland, including Le Pigeon, Little Bird, St. Jack and Ned Ludd. He prides himself on his farm-totable cuisine, and it’s easy to see how a wedding guest would enjoy it.

Fortunately, you don’t have to be a wedding guest (or host) to enjoy the Eatery at the Grant House. The restaurant is open six days a week for lunch and dinner, and there’s also a weekend brunch. The menu varies by season, so keep in mind that it changes regularly (even down to the cocktails) and always features fresh, local ingredients. The menu is divided into snacks and small and large plates.

We recently had the opportunity to dine at the Eatery and tour the large, many-roomed house. At the restaurant, we began our meal with a festive Candy Cane cocktail, which blended peppermint Sambuca, vodka and cherry liqueur.

The glass rim was frosted with red and white sugar crystals. We then enjoyed a refreshing salad made with pears picked from the tree at the back of the restaurant. The fruit was sliced thinly and tossed with fennel, pine nuts and a tangy malt vinaigrette.

After enjoying cups of creamy celery root bisque topped with dollops of raisin chutney, we dug into plates of salt-crusted wild king salmon over a bed of roasted root vegetables and a swath of velvety sauce verte. Other entrees featured that evening included a spice-rubbed half chicken with broccoli rabe and butternut squash, short ribs and a Laney Family Farms New York strip steak.

With so many tempting dessert choices, it was very difficult to make a decision.

While we debated between the eggnog crème brulee and gingerbread cheesecake with molasses caramel, we eventually decided to split the warm skillet apple crisp with house-made ice cream. Topped with a buttery, crisp crumb under which lay a gooey layer of caramelized apples, it was definitely enough for two.

Reservations are recommended for the Eatery at the Grant House. Those contemplating a wedding or other event can email events@thegranthouse.us.

The Grant House: 1101 Officers Row, Vancouver, WA | 360-906-1101 | eateryatthegranthouse.com

NW NOSH

20 JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019

A couple enjoys their wedding at the historic Grant House.

A Grant House wedding cake.

The cuisine focuses on fresh, local ingredients.

The Eatery at the Grant House is open for more intimate dinners six days a week.

JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019 21

See recipe at orjewishlife.com/ marriageand-cooking

CHEF’S CORNER A happy marriage is not always easy. I believe marriage is very similar to good cooking. Here are a few hard and simple rules that can lead to a better shot at success.

START WITH THE BEST INGREDIENTS. Creating a recipe with the best ingredients you can find is always a must. If you start with an inferior product, no amount of sauce or spice will make up for the fact that it was not that good to begin with. Choose carefully. Shop around.

TAKE YOUR TIME AND FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS. If something wants to be cooked low and slow, speeding up this process is not advised. Forcing something that needs more time will not allow the flavors to marry resulting in the rich taste you desire. For foods that want to be seared quickly, put them in the pan and leave them alone to develop in their own time. Poking and prodding will only bruise the ingredients and not allow them to be at their best.

IF YOU DON’T HAVE SOMETHING ON HAND, IMPROVISE! If you are following a recipe and realize you forgot to buy agave, don’t give up. Substitute honey or maple syrup or even molasses. If he hates cilantro, sub parsley or peppery arugula.

Just because things don’t go as you planned doesn’t mean a total change of course. Make the best of what you have.

Sometimes the recipe turns out even better!

Marriage and cooking have a lot in common

F

By Lisa Glickman

ew things are as romantic as when someone gets down on one knee and asks their beloved “will you marry me? ” Will you love me in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, forsaking all others?” For me, that day was 25 years ago, and I have learned a lot along the way.

TRY NEW THINGS. Don’t be afraid to add new spices to your cooking. Exotic flavors can be a welcome surprise. If you both find you really don’t care for the flavor of white truffle, you know not to use it again. Search for new ideas and don’t be afraid to experiment.

No one likes the same thing day after day.

It is often said that cooking is the way to a man’s (or woman’s) heart. Making a commitment to be the best you can be lets you stay there. Just like cooking, marriage works best when you start with the proper equipment and don’t try to change the rules. You can decide together who will do the dishes!

I recently discovered the exotic flavor of black garlic. A true umami “bomb,” black garlic has a rich caramelized flavor with hints of roasted coffee, molasses and balsamic vinegar. Black garlic is made by slowly fermenting the bulbs in a process that takes weeks or even months. In this recipe, I added it to pan-roasted button and porcini mushrooms and served with a beautifully roasted chicken breast, turning something ordinary into something extraordinary!

Lisa Glickman is a private chef and lives in Portland. She is on the catering panel at Congregation Beth Israel and makes regular TV appearances on KATU’s “Afternoon Live.”

22 JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019

ask helen Generous aunt should give couple gift from the heart A NOSH OF JEWISH WISDOM:

Every wedding has its worries, but let the joys be more.

Dear Helen:

Dear Helen:

back East. Eldest Michelle has always been bossy, controlling and

wedding. There’s not a shred of me that wants her to come, but I

I am the youngest of four sisters; one lives near me, the other two opinionated, the self-designated queen. At 23, her twins, Sarah

and David, are far less self-confident and self-sufficient than my

children, in part because Michelle has managed so much of their lives. Sarah got married last year; we gave her a very large cash

gift to help her relocate to a new town and escape working for her

My ex wants to bring his newest live-in girlfriend to our son’s

know I can’t make a scene, at least not in front of my son or my ex.

David divorced me when Michael was 7. I have been very careful

never to speak badly about his father to Michael, so I don’t want to start now. I can’t tell her not to come, but what should I do?

Mother of the Groom

mother.

have eloped. My guess is that they wanted to avoid the “let me help”

Don’t you hate having to be nicer than you feel? If you want to

Now David and his long-term honey (whom Michelle dislikes)

(read “let me take over”) wedding circus that Sarah barely survived.

I think it’s only right to give these newlyweds the same gift.

Michelle says they should be punished for depriving the family of a spectacle. We’ve agreed to go with whatever you say. What say you?

Auntie Generous

Dear Generous:

For the average gift, I’m not a fan of cash or gift cards. But

whatever the form, gifts should come from the heart, not from any sense of obligation. They should certainly not be used as a weapon

or punishment. Though circumstances may vary, the primary gifting reason is the same: these are young kids starting lives of their own,

and any donation that helps them become independent and well set up will be appreciated and is a great choice.

My simplest answer is one of equity: They’re twins. What you do

Dear Mother:

howl and whine, don’t stifle it, though you should probably be

careful who’s around when you do. Be sure to find some indulgent reward for yourself, so choosing the moral high road gets reinforced.

In the long run, you’re right not to make a fuss and never to

bad-mouth your ex to his son. You are not alone. Thousands of women face exes for weddings, bar mitzvahs, family reunions,

funerals or any place the mishpocheh gather. Be gracious, even if you’re gritting your teeth every time you look in their direction.

Instead of seeing this as a punishment or test, find the

opportunities it offers you to look composed, gracious, happy,

generous and self-sufficiently rid of your very ex ex. You should look divine and drop by their table, albeit briefly. Send the new honey home with a centerpiece.

for one generally sets a precedent for what you should do for the other. Your sister may have an axe to grind, but you clearly don’t.

Tell her that your gift is between them and you, and that she’d do better to work on having a good relationship with her kids and

kids-in-law than worrying about what you do with your money.

A resident of Eugene since 1981, Helen Rosenau is a member of Temple Beth Israel. She’s a student of Torah and an artist (kabbalahglass.com), a writer (yourjewishfairygodmother.com) and now the author of The Messy Joys of Being Human: A Guide to Risking Change and Becoming Happier.

Have the young couples over for a party you host and toast the

beginnings of their new lives. I’m betting Michelle will come, sour face and all.

JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019 23

REDEFINING THE DRESS CODE

THE WHAT-TO-WEAR WEDDING GUIDE

By Tori Sokol

G

one are the days when every woman’s right of passage was when she received her very own copy of Emily Post’s 1922 book, Etiquette: In Society, In Business, In Politics and At Home. When asked about anything related to manners or social conduct, a key phrase would be repeated, “According to Emily Post…,” followed by the rule in question.

Yes, as the years have gone by, some of Post’s topics are no longer as relevant today as they were back in the 20s. But, two questions continue to be asked: What’s the dress code?

And, what does that mean for me?

COCKTAIL ATTIRE is the most common dress code for weddings during all times of year.

Ladies: This is your chance to break out your little black dress! If a dress is what you choose, keep it short – save your gowns for a more formal event. You can also wear separates like a long, dressy skirt and top or pants.

Gentlemen: A dark suit with or without a vest is your uniform. A dress shirt, tie, leather dress shoes and dress socks will complete the look.

Don’t be afraid to add some color by choosing a fun striped dress sock. This is a huge men’s trend!

I’m going to break down today’s most common wedding dress codes for guests and redefine what each of them means for both men and women.

PHOTO BY LAURA-KAPFER AT UNSPLASH

24 JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019

BLACK TIE

Ladies: Alright, you’ve just been invited to a very formal event! Time to get all gussied up and put on your formal, floor length evening gown. Match that with a strappy heel or pump and a pashmina to keep you warm in the evening.

DRESSY CASUAL

is an opportunity to pretty much dress as you would any other day, just a bit more elevated so it doesn’t look like you’re simply running to the grocery store.

Ladies: A dress or skirt and dressy top would be a perfect outfit for the affair. If you’d prefer, dressy pants and a nice blouse paired back with some sandals or wedged espadrilles is another great option.

Gentlemen: Now let’s get you looking dapper!

A black tuxedo with a formal white tuxedo shirt and shirt studs will have you looking like a star.

Cufflinks, a black bow tie and patent leather or velvet tuxedo shoes will complete the look. Extras that you can choose to wear, but are not necessary include cummerbund, vest and suspenders.

Gentlemen: Jeans or slacks and a button down with no tie would be a nice choice for a dressy casual wedding. If a jacket is necessary, depending on the season and time of day, choose a grey or blue sport coat or blazer.

FORMAL ATTIRE

OR BLACK TIE OPTIONAL Ladies: You have choices here.

You can either wear a dressy cocktail dress or separates, or you can take this up a notch and wear a floor length evening gown. Take the venue and weather into consideration when making this choice, but wear what you feel most confident in.

Gentlemen: It’s time to dust off your tuxedo. A black tuxedo with a formal white tuxedo shirt, cufflinks and a black twill, silk or satin bow tie will complete the look. Leather dress shoes and dark dress socks are a must.

So next time you’re invited to a wedding, don’t stress over what you’ll wear. The dress code is your guide.

Instead of digging up your tattered copy of Emily Post’s best seller, follow these what-to-wear tips and no matter what the attire, you’ll be looking like a million bucks!

JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019 25

Sarah directs an episode of “UnREAL,” the award-winning series she created based on her experiences with “The Bachelor.”

WHEN I WORKED ON “THE BACHELOR,” MY JOB WAS TO MANIPULATE THE CONTESTANTS INTO HAVING BREAKDOWNS.

26 JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019

COVER STORY

S

arah Gertrude Shapiro escaped her job as a producer on “The Bachelor” to find true love and professional and personal success.

After a couple of years in Portland communing with horses to restore her equilibrium, Sarah

is now living back in Hollywood with her wonderful husband, Jacinto, and young son, Moshe.

As much as she is enjoying family life, her career is also soaring.

In the fall she signed a two-year overall deal with ABC Studios to develop projects for ABC

Signature Studios and ABC Studios.

She is also finishing a screenplay for Amazon Studios about women who were kidnapped and enslaved by

ISIS. Most of the enslaved women were from the Yazidi community, a Kurdish religious minority in the region ISIS seeks to control. But one of the enslaved women was an Arizona woman who went to Syria as a volunteer with Doctors Without Borders.

According to a 2017 article on Deadline Hollywood (deadline.com): “One of the stories she (Sarah) is

researching is of Kayla Mueller, the young, Christian aid worker from Prescott, AZ, who was held captive and

made a sex slave with a Yazidi girl at the home of ISIS leader Abu al-Baghdadi. Mueller was held captive for 18 months. … The Yazidi sex slave eventually escaped and lived to tell the tale, but Kayla did not.”

Early reports described the film as a portrayal of the women who escape and create a 100-plus female

army fighting ISIS. Sarah's research has led many directions and she is now busy writing.

JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019 27

SARAH GERTRUDE SHAPIRO

The nemisis, "The Bachelor."

The dream come true, "UnREAL."

Sarah in Oregon.

28 JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019

Sarah’s professional rebirth began while she was living in Portland. She drew on her disenchanting experience at “The Bachelor” to write and direct “Sequin Raze.” She created the short film in 2012 for the American Film Institute Conservatory’s Directing Workshop for Women, which, per AFI’s website, is “a hands-on training program committed to increasing the number of women working professionally in screen directing.” Filmed in Portland, “Sequin Raze” won an honorable mention at SXSW’s (South by Southwest’s) Short Film Jury Awards. The film evolved into Sarah’s successful series “UnREAL,” a fictitious behind-the-scenes glimpse into the chaos surrounding the production of a dating competition program. “UnREAL” premiered on Lifetime on June 1, 2015.

When the series ended after its fourth season last year, it had received an American Film Institute Award and two Emmy nominations. It was also nominated for a Gotham Independent Film Award and three Critics’ Choice Awards, with Constance Zimmer winning the CCA for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama.

I read a couple of articles from the past year about your thoughts on reality TV – one regarding how the concept propelled Trump’s rise, and two, that it doesn’t need to be real, just entertaining. Are you considering another reality show in conjunction with ABC? To be honest, I never meant to work in reality TV. I went to Sarah Lawrence for fiction writing and filmmaking and considered myself a “Serious Writer.” “The Bachelor” was a day job for me when I first moved to Los Angeles and was playing in bands and writing short stories.

I initially took a job on a different show, “High School Reunion.” While there I got approached by this lady who said, “I’ve heard good things about you kid, I want you to come work on my show.” She told me it was “The Bachelor” … and laughed when I explained I was a “radical feminist, hence pretty sure you’d hate me.” Then she told me to check my paperwork. It turned out I had signed an unlimited contract with that company. I couldn’t find a lawyer who would take on Warner Brothers to get me out of it. So I was stuck working on “The Bachelor” … for years.

Can you share a bit about your time as a producer on “The Bachelor” and why you wanted to leave?

When I worked on “The Bachelor,” my job was to manipulate the contestants into having breakdowns. That involved giving them terrible advice, depriving them of sleep and faking complicated manipulative friendships. Some of the worst things I did were on the night of the proposals. I would go to the hotel room where girls were staying and say, ‘I’m going to lose my job for telling you this, but he’s going to pick you – he’s going to propose.” After they got dumped, I’d join them in the limo and was told to drive them up and down the 405 until they cried, and “if they don’t cry – ‘You’re Fired.’”

In hindsight being fired would have been a great solution to my problems.

Why did you choose to move to Portland when you left “The Bachelor?” Had you been here before?

I took my junior year off in college and got a house off Belmont with my friends. I fell head over heels in love with Portland. I was a waitress at the Pied Cow, biked through Cherry Blossoms and made Super 8 movies. It was dreamy dream town. I wanted to drop out of college and stay in Portland forever, but my dad threatened to duct tape me to a plane and send me back to the East Coast to finish school.

Portland was where I fell in love with filmmaking; I made my first film ever there. There was a place called the Northwest Film Center, and at the time Miranda July, Matt McCormick and Vanessa Renwick were making movies there. My first movie was called “Jelly” ... set in Portland and really fun.

Were you involved with the Portland Jewish community while you were here?

I went to High Holidays and did Pesach with friends. I’ve always embraced my Judaism, but have come to practice it more formally in recent years.

How did you meet your husband?

Tinder! (a dating app site).

I had been so consumed with work for a decade that I had basically forgotten to make time for relationships. It was also scary for me to make myself vulnerable, open myself up to rejection. Writing alone is way more comfy for me. But when my father was diagnosed with cancer, it was a giant wake-up call. I suddenly forced myself to get out there and date; it was terrifying for me – I’m totally into “stranger danger.”

I had some seriously terrible dates and then … one that wasn’t terrible at all.

Now my life is overflowing with gardens, baby butt, obese cats, dirty diapers, family dinners, horrible drives, mud pits, sandboxes and a glorious private office covered in Post-its and whiteboards.

I HAD SOME SERIOUSLY TERRIBLE DATES AND THEN …

ONE THAT WASN’T TERRIBLE AT ALL. JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019 29

SARAH GERTRUDE SHAPIRO

Where was the wedding?

The wedding was at a ranch in Santa Barbara where I rode horses as a kid. Rabbi Amy Bernstein officiated under a chuppah made from my grandfather’s tallit.

We are raising our son Jewish but cherish both sides of his heritage. My husband is Mexican American.

When/why did you move back to California?

After I sold “UnREAL,” I moved back to make the TV show. It’s the place to be for the industry. I had such great relationships in Portland, but to work in TV on the scale that I wanted to, I had to leave. But it was absolutely heartbreaking to leave Oregon.

How old is your son now? Does he like any Jewish rituals?

He is 16 months old and loves challah! We don’t normally let him eat bread, but when we go to Shabbat mornings at the Silverlake JCC, he just about butt tackles other toddlers to get to the challah. He has terrible manners about it. And he loves the “Shabbat Shalom!” song.

Sarah and Jacinto exchange vows under a chuppah made from Sarah’s grandfather’s tallit. Rabbi Amy Bernstein officiated.

Sarah’s Shabbat table includes family treasures.

30 JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019

What was your Jewish upbringing?

Growing up we celebrated High Holidays in the woods, under scratchy wool blankets with my grandparents. It took me a very long time to understand their aversion to synagogue.

It had to do with the old country and pogroms and some aversion to the trappings of organized religion, but they had deep spirituality and Jewish identity.

Is there any Jewish concept, ritual or holiday that particularly speaks to you?

The Kol Nidre gets me every time, and every year the High Holidays are a time of deep reflection for me. My Jewish upbringing also involved all of the secular values that I’ve only learned to adore the older that I’ve gotten; I want to pass them along to my son.

Do your Judaism and feminism overlap, complement each other, or conflict?

Mostly overlap and complement each other. However, it’s been a problem with some of my old school relatives along the way.

What feminist ideal are you most driven to achieve?

Equality work wise – to dismantle the myth of the mad-male genius and to get people to start calling women geniuses! At different, perhaps more cynical times in my life, I thought equality would be when a mediocre, middle-aged woman showing up on set high and unprepared and still gets hired again and again – because I’ve seen many men get away with this.

Somehow dismantling the idea that men can be creators and behave terribly, but women are just there to support them.

So my feminist ideal is having a full range of opportunities for women to be considered full creative people and thinkers.

And for women to be valued on the same playing field as men in terms of their creativity and output – whatever that is.

Whether that’s decadent self-care, ill-planned desert road trips, sailing around the world with someone questionable or a cozy craftsman home with many, many children, a compost pile and a subscription to The New Yorker.

For us to serve our desires and feel entitled to our own joy, rather than working ourselves into the ground in situations where the odds of ease and happiness are clearly stacked against

Sarah Gertrude Shapiro talks to actors Josh Kelly and Caitlin FitzGerald during filming of UnREAL.

us. That kind of martyrdom is taught early and rewarded.

For me, it doesn’t mean leaving the industry; it just means choosing well and making sure to take care of myself, which actually works out better for everyone.

MY FEMINIST IDEAL IS … FOR WOMEN TO BE VALUED ON THE SAME PLAYING FIELD AS MEN IN TERMS OF THEIR CREATIVITY AND OUTPUT.

What project are you most proud of to date?

The pilot of “UnREAL.” After years of rigorous work and persevering through some daunting challenges, I was finally able to make it exactly what I wanted it to be, which is incredibly rare. I couldn’t imagine a better articulation of the idea or a stronger cast and am so grateful to everyone who collaborated on that ride.

Has your film on girls kidnapped by ISIS been released yet?

It has not – we’re still in the writing process with it, super excited but busy with other projects, as well. The research has been pretty extensive, fascinating and terrifying.

Do you have any specific projects with ABC that you can share yet?

I do have a couple specific projects that I’m not at liberty to discuss yet, but I am excited about all of them and loving the gig so far.

To read more about her projects as they evolve, follow Sarah: Twitter: @GertShap • Instagram: @sarahgertrudeshapiro JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019 31

COMING IN MARCH 2019

HAPPY CAMPERS

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ACTIVELY SENIOR

CARING FOR CAREGIVERS FAMILY FEATURES

While caring for an older family member – whether it be a spouse, parent or grandparent – can be a rewarding experience, it can also be a difficult and overwhelming task. This is especially true if your loved one lives with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia-related illnesses.

Whether it’s out of love or obligation, caring for a chronically ill or disabled family member (and potentially his or her financial and legal interests) can come at the expense of the caregiver’s quality of life. In addition to maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle outside of caregiving responsibilities, it is important for those caring for a loved one to learn ways to avoid health hazards and stay well-informed of any changes in their loved one’s condition. Add work and children to care for to the equation and it’s a formula that can lead to stress, exhaustion and even potential health issues.

The additional duties often required to provide care for a loved one can lead to physical or emotional fatigue, often referred to as “caregiver burnout.” If you’re caring for an older adult, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America recommends these tips to help manage stress before caregiving leads to burnout.

Know the signs of burnout. By the time many caregivers suspect signs of burnout, they’re likely already suffering symptoms related to their responsibilities. Being aware of some of the warning signs can help caregivers properly manage stress and protect themselves. Warning signs include: • Overwhelming fatigue or lack of energy • Experiencing sleep issues • Significant changes in eating habits or weight • Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed • Neglecting personal physical and emotional needs • Becoming unusually impatient, irritable or argumentative • Having anxiety about the future or a feeling of hopelessness • Suffering from headaches, stomachaches or other physical ailments • Experiencing depression or mood swings • Having difficulty coping with everyday tasks • Lower resistance to illnesses Educate yourself about the disease. It’s likely the loved one you care for has several health problems, takes multiple medications and sees multiple health care providers to manage his or

her conditions. As a first step in learning more about Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia-related illnesses, visit alzfdn. org or nia.nih.gov/alzheimers for information. Support groups, educational workshops, community resources and professionals can also help increase your understanding of the disease and what to expect so you can be a better-informed and prepared caregiver.

Be prepared for important decisions. Take care of financial, legal and long-term care planning issues early on to help reduce stress later. Try to involve the individual in decision-making if he or she is capable, and consider personal wishes regarding future care and end-of-life issues.

Build your care skills. Key skills for any caregiver include communication, understanding safety considerations and behaviors, and managing activities of daily living such as bathing, toileting and dressing. Some organizations and local hospitals may even offer classes specific to your loved one’s disease that can aid you in the process.

Develop empathy. Try to understand what it is like to be a person living with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Put yourself in the affected person’s shoes while also recognizing your own losses. Manage your expectations of your loved one and remain patient.

Ask for help when you need it. Reach out to medical and mental health professionals as well as family and friends. They can assist you when things get tough. In addition, there are typically programs, agencies and organizations in your community that can help manage the challenges of caring for older parents, grandparents, spouses and other older adults.

Advocate for and connect with your loved one. Take an active role in the individual’s medical care. Get to know the care team, ask questions, express concerns and discuss treatment options.

Also remember to connect on a personal level through kindness, humor and creativity, which are essential parts of caregiving and can help reduce stress.

Think positive. Focus on the capabilities and strengths that are still intact and enjoy your relationship with your loved one while you are still together. Look for ways to include him or her in your daily routines and gatherings to make as many memories as possible.

Find more caregiver resources and tips at alzfdn.org.

JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019 33

ACTIVELY SENIOR

Nathan Cogan stands beside the Endowment Book of Life created by Oregon Jewish Community Foundation. In his entry in the book, Nathan says: “I don’t see it as giving back, but rather giving forward.” Photo by Deborah Moon

NATHAN COGAN WEAVES PHILANTHROPIC WEB

By Deborah Moon

Nathan Cogan’s lifelong commitment to tithing and volunteering gained new focus following the untimely death of his wife 13 years ago.

Married for 46 years, Nathan and his wife were each involved in various Jewish and social justice causes when Sara Glasgow Cogan was fatally struck by a car while crossing a street in Northwest Portland Feb. 1, 2006.

Nathan’s many contributions of time and money are both interconnected and far reaching. He volunteers with or donates to Portland State University, Cedar Sinai Park, the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, the Never Again Coalition, American Jewish World Service, and Jewish Family and Child Service.

A retired English professor from PSU, Nathan created the Sara Glasgow Cogan Memorial Lecture (see box) and Sara Glasgow Cogan Scholarship for PSU’s Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies. Both are supported largely by the family fund the couple created in 1998 at the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation.

“Kudos to OJCF,” says Nathan. “They have been very helpful to me over the past 12 years.”

34 JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019

Nathan expects this year’s lecture on the future of our democracy to draw students from across PSU’s departments, as well as nonstudents from throughout Portland. Professor Daniel Ziblatt of Harvard University is the speaker; his focus on democracy at risk is a fitting sequel to last year’s lecture on resisting tyranny by Yale professor Timothy Snyder. The two professors frequently appear on panels together.

Nathan feels fortunate to have access to PSU’s large ballroom with seating for more than 500 for this popular program.

The Cogan lecturers are chosen by a committee of Nathan, OJMCHE Director Judy Margles, former CSP CEO David Fuks and Nathan’s daughter-in-law Danielle Cogan, who is the communications director for the Children’s Institute.

The first lecture in 2007 was delivered by Ruth Messinger, then president of American Jewish World Service. The following year, Nathan and 13 of his fellow Havurah Shalom members went to Uganda with AJWS on a two-week work program.

“AJWS is one of the great organizations I support,” says Nathan.

The memorial scholarship Nathan established benefits not

just a Judaic studies student, but also two Jewish organizations dear to Nathan’s heart. Each year Judaic Studies Academic Director Natan Meir selects one or two students for the spring semester for an internship at the OJMCHE and/or CSP. Students receive a monetary stipend and course credit for their work.

The Holocaust and genocide have been a focus for Nathan for many years. In 1996 he developed a course on the literature of the Holocaust, which he taught until 2002.

“I was teaching Shakespeare and drama,” says Nathan. “No one was teaching Holocaust literature at PSU at the undergraduate level. I thought I could teach it.”

He calls the creation of the class and all that has grown from it the highlight of his life.

A colleague, Gregory Goekjian, took over the course in 2002 and expanded it to include literature of the Holocaust and genocides.

In addition to funding an intern for OJMCHE, Nathan works with Judy on several joint programs with PSU’s Holocaust and Genocide Project, for which he provided initial funding in 2010. He also served on the advisory board during the early years of the project. Nathan also provides funds to bring students from the Oregon coast to see the museum and the Oregon Holocaust Memorial.

“I see something that needs to be done, and I get things going,” he says.

During the 2008-09 recession, he volunteered with JFCS by helping individuals with financial counseling.

With that kind of directed energy, it is not surprising that Nathan ran marathons for many years, including the Boston Marathon twice and the New York Marathon. He ran the Portland Marathon until 2012. A foot injury in 2013 ended his running.

The family fund Nathan and Sara created “grew out of our life experiences,” says Nathan.

Nathan grew up in Bath, ME, where his father, Morris Cohen – the family name later changed to Cogan – helped immigrants through the Hebrew Benevolent Society. Morris arrived in Bath from Germany in 1914 following the outbreak of World War I, and he served as the first cantor of Bath’s Beth Israel. Morris died in 1946 when Nathan was 11 years old.

Nathan was a triplet, the youngest of seven children. In 2009 Nathan returned to Bath and presented a program about those immigrants at the Beth Israel Congregation where he grew up. An expanded version of that talk is available online as A Memoir of Bath, Maine: Recollections of My Family and The First & Second Generation Jewish Immigrants, 1886-1960 (bathjewishhistory.org/memoir-of-bath-1886-2009).

Nathan moved to Portland in 1956 to attend Reed College, where he and Sara met. In 1958 Nathan left Reed to serve two years in the US Army, mainly in Korea. In 1960 he married Sara and resumed his studies at San Francisco State College.

He earned his doctorate in English from UC-Berkley. The couple returned to Portland in 1974, and Nathan joined PSU’s faculty in 1976.

Sara served as the refugee coordinator for the city of Portland from 1983 to 87. She created the Education Travel and Culture in 1996 and ran the educational exchange organization until 2006. ETC promotes international understanding and goodwill

by providing high quality educational and cultural exchange programs in the United States and abroad.

They had three sons, with each now married – David to Nicole, Jonathan to Wendy, and Daniel to Danielle.

Sara was serving as president of CSP at the time of her death, and Nathan and his brother-in-law, Bob Glasgow, have ensured her legacy there is remembered. The two families donated funds to CSP’s capital campaign, and in May 2018 the Sara Glasgow Cogan Memorial Chapel was dedicated in Robison, CSP’s legacy building.

12TH ANNUAL SARA GLASGOW COGAN MEMORIAL LECTURE WHAT: Is American democracy in danger?

SPEAKER: Daniel Ziblatt, co-author of How Democracies Die and Eaton Professor of the Science of Government at Harvard University WHEN: 7 pm, Thursday, Feb. 21 WHERE: Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom 355, 1825 SW Broadway, Portland FREE, but RSVP: bit.ly/sgc12

Daniel Ziblatt, who will deliver the Sarah Glasgow Cogan Memorial Lecture this year, has known Nathan Cogan his entire life. Nathan and Daniel's father attended Reed College together.

JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019 35

FRONT & CENTER RIGHT: Sabbath Cat, watercolor,

by Tamar Hammer.

“Gentle yet intense, watercolors always feel like a vacation, no matter how tough the object is to paint. I hope my art passes this recreation experience to the viewer.”

BELOW: Stars Over Grass, painting, by Ellen Green.

Right: Music in the Park, mixed media,

by Brauna Ritchie. “I began as a fused glass artist but it gradually morphed into mixed media. I love the 3D aspect of art. It comes alive for me.”

36 JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019

Young artists open and close Jewish Art Month

C

elebrate Jewish Arts Month at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center.

Each week, from Feb. 24 through March 29, the works of different artists will be on display in the MJCC lobby from Sunday through Friday.

This year’s celebration begins and ends with works created by young artists. Feb. 24-March 1 will feature the work of young artists of all abilities in grades five through eight in a juried show. The celebration concludes March 24-29 with an exhibit of student art from Portland Jewish Academy.

Artists exhibiting in the weeks between the student exhibits include Jane Means, Jack Leskair, Ellen Green, Sharon Segal, Diane Moeglein, David Kotasky, Laurie Fendel, Brauna Ritchie, Morris Jackson, Joyce Shields, Eddy Shuldman and Wendelin Russell.

The annual exhibit of paintings, fiber, beadwork, metals, glass, ceramics and more is co-sponsored by ORA: Northwest Jewish Artists, the Mittleman Jewish Community Center and the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland. This will be ORA’s seventh year of celebrating Jewish Arts Month and the second year of presenting the young artists show.

“The young artists do not need to be affiliated with a Jewish organization,” says Eddy Shuldman, ORA past president. “We just want to give kids who are serious about art an introduction to exhibiting and selling.”

Entrants to the Young Artists Show had to complete an application and submit up to five pieces for jury consideration. Young artists will attend the reception opening the show on Sunday, Feb. 24. They are encouraged to create a business card and may sell their art during the show.

Everything displayed will be for sale. A special display will showcase ORA’s “6 X 6 FOR $36” art pieces with proceeds going toward a scholarship fund for young artists.

Art on display can be purchased when a representative of ORA is on duty. Business cards are at each table to contact artists directly if an ORA representative is not available. northwestjewishartists.org | 503-244-0111

LEFT: Flowers in Vase, acrylic painting, by Tobi Kibel Piatek. “My art is my way of using color, shape and lines to bring joy to my world. I explore ways to simplify forms to create impressions of what I see.”

RIGHT: Butterfly Kisses, mixed media, by Sharon Segal. “I have a special affinity for butterflies because their beauty is symbolic of life’s continuous unfolding.”

ABOVE: Tropical Flower, painting, by Ellen Green. Ellen uses painting and monotype in her art.

BOTTOM: Two pieces by David Kolasky. “I am a glass blower, ceramicist, wood turner and welder. I try to combine several mediums in my works.”

JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019 37

Judaism and Jazz: The two unite at PDX festival

By Kerry Politzer

FRONT & CENTER

T

he Biamp PDX Jazz Festival (formerly known as the Portland Jazz Festival) is Portland’s most renowned celebration of jazz music. Every year, the event features some of the finest international and local acts.

Recently, jazz festivals in other cities have been diluting their musical focus and populating their programs with artists only tangentially related to jazz.

In contrast, Portland’s festival continues to honor the importance of this great musical art. One reason for this is the artistic direction of Don Lucoff, who became involved with the festival’s parent organization, PDX Jazz, in 2008.

To maintain the festival’s jazz focus, Don says he takes his cue from Portland’s sophisticated audiences.

“We’ve heard from artists that (Portland) is a very appreciative, in-the-know audience, some of whom have decidedly mainstream jazz tastes,” he says. “I program to the aesthetics of this market. My focus is on emerging, established and legacy artists. But we’re also about generating and developing the next generation of jazz audiences.”

Don has been involved with jazz since he was a young adult.

38 JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019

Don Lucoff, artistic director for 2019 Biamp PDX Jazz Festival

He started off as a jazz radio host in California and went on to enter the realm of jazz publicity, working with the Playboy Jazz Festival, Peter Levinson Communications, MCA Impulse!

Records and Blue Note Records in New York.

“I consulted with Blue Note for 20 years, working with Bruce Lundvall and Michael Cuscuna,” says Don. “Because of my deep ties with them, Bill Royston (PDX Jazz co-founder) saw an opportunity to engage me on the 2009 festival. We produced a comprehensive Blue Note tribute, and my job was to market and publicize the 2009 festival. That’s how I started working here in Portland.”

Though Don is based in Philadelphia, he has been telecommuting to Portland for the past decade. He is deeply committed not only to the annual festival, but to promulgating jazz in Portland all year long.

“Our organization is partnering with the Lan Su Garden, the Portland Art Museum, Literary Arts and Discover Jazz, which is an adult education program where we hold lectures,” he says. “During the festival period, we are focusing our middle and high school education programming, “The Incredible Journey of Jazz and Jazz in the Schools,” on celebrating Black History Month.”

Don wants readers to know about the strong Jewish angle at this year’s festival.

“We are bringing in (saxophonist) Eli Degibri from Israel; he received a five-star review in DownBeat Magazine,” says Don. “Degibri, who serves as director of the Red Sea Festival in Eilat, is participating in our tribute

to (late Jewish saxophonist) Michael Brecker, who performed at the Red Sea Festival several times. The March 2 tribute is called Wide Angles, and the musical director is Gil Goldstein, who composed and arranged the music for Michael’s large ensemble that was recorded in 2003. The next night, Eli will close with a tribute to Hank Mobley with all Israeli musicians.”

Don has engaged Jewish and Israeli artists throughout the years, and he worked on outreach efforts with Congregation Beth Israel for the 2011 festival. During that year’s Bridges and Boundaries celebration, the festival recognized the accomplishments of Jewish jazz artists including Israeli saxophonist Anat Cohen.

Judaism has always been an important part of Don’s life. As a child, he was a member of the politically active Temple Isaiah in Los Angeles, where he heard Robert Kennedy speak just days before his assassination. When he moved to Philadelphia as an adult, he cofounded a synagogue softball team that now participates in a 14-team league of Orthodox, Conservative and Reform synagogues. Don named his son Jordan because his child was born on the day Jordan signed a formal peace agreement with Israel. Just before this interview, Don had returned from an emotional trip to Terezin in the Czech Republic.

Don’s future plans include expanding the reach of PDX Jazz.

“We’re looking forward to the opportunity to explore new venue relationships throughout the metro area,” he says. “That’s really the work that we’re continuing to do, so that we’re seen and heard by an expanding jazz audience.”

Israeli jazz saxophonist Eli Degibri PHOTO BY YOSSI ZWECKER

ISRAELI MUSICIAN ELI DEGIBRI March 1, Noon-1 pm Jazz Conversation at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education 724 NW Davis St., Portland.

Gil Goldstein and Eli Degibri talk jazz as part of OJMCHE’s free brown bag lunch series.

March 2, 7:30 pm

Wide Angles: Remembering Michael Brecker at Revolution Hall 1300 SE Stark St., Portland. With Guest Soloists Eli Degibri, Maria Grand, Chris Potter & Marcus Strickland.

March 3, 7:30 pm

Tel Aviv-NYC-PDX: Eli Degibri Quartet at The Jack London Revue 529 SW 4th Ave., Portland. Soul Station – the Music of Hank Mobley.

Portraits of the Portland Jazz Festival This charcoal portrait of Darrell Grant will be one of many portrait paintings and drawings by Portland artist Diane Russell coinciding with this year’s Portland Jazz Festival.

Grant is being honored as the 2019 Portland Jazz Master.

Portraits will be on display Feb 1-28 at the Art Bar in Antoinette Hatfield Hall, 1111 SW Broadway, Portland. The artist reception is 5-7 pm, Thursday Feb. 21. The solo exhibit will feature Diane’s portraits of jazz and blues musicians who have appeared at the Portland Jazz Festival including Esperanza Spalding, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Bobby Hutcherson, McCoy Tyner, Glen Moore, Nancy King, Thara Memory and Mel Brown, as well as Grant. dianerussell.net

JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019 39

FRONT & CENTER

Musical Shabbaton features composer Joey Weisenberg

Revolutionary Jewish composer, author and teacher Joey Weisenberg will be in Portland this month when Congregation Shaarie Torah hosts a musical Shabbaton for President’s Day Weekend Feb. 15-17.

Joey is the creative director of Mechon Hadar’s Rising Song Institute, which seeks to empower Jewish community-building through music. The young composer and writer has been likened to Debbie Friedman and Shlomo Carlebach in his musicality.

He writes original nigguns and teaches them across the country.

His recent book, The Torah of Music won a National Jewish Book Award in 2017.

“Music teaches us how to listen,” Joey told Tablet magazine in 2013. “It awakens us to the connections that we can foster in every moment. As we say on Rosh Hashana, ‘The great shofar is sounded, and the still small voice is heard.’ Let music teach us to be more sensitive to each other and to the world around us.”

Shaarie Torah Cantor Aaron Vitells has traveled to New York City annually for the past four years to study with Joey. Having fallen in love with Joey’s music and style, Cantor Vitells arranged to bring Joey to Portland. The Shabbaton will be at Shaarie Torah, 920 NW 25th Ave. Portland.

Joey is a multi-instrumentalist musician, singer and composer

who has performed and recorded internationally with dozens of bands in a wide variety of musical styles. Having come to cherish the imperfectly beautiful music of normal people singing together, Joey works to empower communities around the world to unlock their musical and spiritual potential, and to make music a lasting and joy-filled force in shul and in Jewish life. shaarietorah.org | joeyweisenberg.com SCH EDU LE OF EV ENTS FRIDAY, FEB. 15 Services, 6:30 pm: led by Joey Weisenberg, Rabbi Joshua Rose and Cantor Aaron Vitells; open to the public Friday Night Shabbat Dinner (following services); tickets required: members: $12/adult; $8/child; nonmembers: $15/adult; $10/child SATURDAY, FEB. 16 Services at 9:15 am followed by Kiddush lunch; open to the public Afternoon Singing Circle at 4:30 pm light food and drink; 10 nonmembers SUNDAY, FEB. 17 Singing Workshop: 10 am-noon, $18 nonmembers Weekend price: Nonmembers: $36; Members pay for dinner only.

No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Contact the Shaarie Torah office at 503-226-6131 if you would like to attend and cost is a barrier.

Feb. 5 lecture explores vision of Jewish Ghetto Photographers Jewish Ghetto Photographers: Reimagining the Holocaust will be the topic of the Alan Ostrow Memorial lecture at the Portland Art Museum.

Judith Cohen, director of photo archives at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, will present the lecture at 6 pm, Feb. 5 at PAM, 1219 SW Park, Portland.

The lecture presents and analyzes the importance of ghetto photographers during the Holocaust, including Lodz Ghetto photographer, Henryk Ross.

Currently two Portland museums are exhibiting Ross’s photos.

Memory Unearthed at PAM and The Last Journey of the Jews of Lodz at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education. ojmche.org Lodz Ghetto photographs by Polish Jewish photojournalist Hernryk Ross on exhibit through Feb. 25 at Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education.

40 JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019

Gregory, Nina, Maya, Leo and Talia Schwartz at Maya’s bat mitzvah in March 2018. Maya’s Torah portion Ki Tissa discusses belief, patience and celebrating the covenant with G-d – all ideas her mom found especially relevant during cancer treatment.

Community support vital in cancer battle

By Deborah Moon

Planning a bat mitzvah while in the midst of breast cancer treatment might sound like too much stress.

Talia Schwartz had one of her seven surgeries just four weeks before her daughter Maya’s bat mitzvah last March. Counterintuitive as it may seem, she says it was a blessing.

“It eased my stress,” says Talia, who was 42 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. “I was forced to reflect on things I might not have if not for my family’s daily discussions on faith and belief. … It helped a lot speaking with the rabbi with her … (about) the significance of faith and hope and belief when things don’t seem to be going our way.”

Talia will be sharing her experience about discovering both her cancer and the importance of community support during a day of free programs about cancer and the Jewish community (see box on next page).

Ashkenazi Jews have a one in 40 chance of having a harmful BRCA1/2 (BReast CAncer) genetic mutation. Only one in 400 people in the general U.S. population have such a mutation.

Women carrying a BRCA mutation have up to an 85% chance of developing breast or ovarian cancer in their lifetimes, and men carrying such mutations also have increased cancer risk.

Talia doesn’t have a BRCA mutation, and she doesn’t have a family history of breast cancer. But she has done monthly breast exams most of her life.

“I thought why not?” says Talia. “I have it at my fingertips. If I could find it myself, why not do it?”

So when Talia found a bump that felt like a wad of chewing gum in her right breast, she had a mammogram. The mammogram didn’t show anything suspicious, but when Talia showed the area to her gynecologist, she too was able to feel it.

“We are our own best advocates,” says Talia.

The bump didn’t have the classic warning signs of irregular or hard edges, but the doctor recommended an ultrasound anyway.

Over the next year, Talia had seven surgeries, including a double mastectomy, removal of 19 lymph nodes and radiation treatment.

“When I was first diagnosed, I couldn’t understand when will this be behind me,” says Talia. “Personally, I wanted to know there was a light at the end of the tunnel. So I focused on talking to people who were past it. I focused on the end and knew I would do whatever I needed to do during the midpoint to get to the endpoint.”

The support of family, friends and her Jewish community were vital.

“Lean on people around you and your community,” she says.

“People are good and want to help. It’s OK to lean on them.”

Celebrating a bat mitzvah in the midst of all the upheaval turned into a silver lining. The family lives in Corvallis, but JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019 41

has a place in Portland where they stay on weekends so the children can attend Sunday school at Congregation Neveh Shalom.

“People surrounded us,” says Talia. “I never understood how wonderful this community is and how wonderful and supportive people can be.”

Sharsheret California Regional Director Jenna Fields will lead two free programs in Portland. She has led educational programming throughout California, raising awareness within the Jewish community about breast and ovarian cancer.

Cancer And Jewish Genetics, What You Need To Know

Creating a Caring Community: More than Chicken Soup WHEN: 11:30 am to 1:30 pm, March 4 WHERE: Congregation Neveh Shalom, 2900 SW Peaceful Lane, Portland Kosher lunch provided.

PRESENTER: Jenna Fields, MAJCS, MSW, California regional director of Sharsheret, the national nonprofit supporting Jewish women and families facing breast and ovarian cancer.

Learn how to support loved ones facing difficult diagnoses. Attend if you are a current caregiver, friend or family member of someone impacted by illness; a member of a hesed committee; or a Jewish communal professional or clergy.

What’s Jewish about Breast and Ovarian Cancer?

Panel Discussion and Exhibitor Fair WHEN: 6 pm, March 4.

Food available for pre-order with registration.

WHERE: Mittleman Jewish Community Center, 6651 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland PANELISTS: Dr. Dana Kostiner Simpson, Dr. Lucy Langer and cancer survivor Talia Schwartz; moderated by Jenna Fields of Sharsheret.

One in 40 Ashkenazi Jews – both men and women – are carriers for the BRCA mutations. Come hear from a panel of experts, who will discuss the latest in genetic testing, cancer prevention and how it impacts you and your family.

Both programs presented by the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland’s Women’s Philanthropy Committee, Sharsheret, MJCC, Neveh Shalom, Compass Oncology and Malka Diamonds & Jewelry. Co-chaired by Leslie Beard and Michelle Caplan.

Registration and information: Jewishportland.org/sharsheret As a followup resource locally, contact Portland Community Chaplain Rabbi Barry Cohen at chaplain@ jewishportland.org or 503-892-7401.

42 JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019

BRCA2 plays role in healthy ovary development

HMO recommends new screening protocol Courtesy of Hadassah Researchers at Hadassah Medical Organization in Israel have linked the essential role of the BRCA2 gene to puberty and healthy ovary development and function, announced Ellen Hershkin, National President, Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America Inc., which owns two world-class research hospitals in Jerusalem. The study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, reveals a new role for the BRCA2 gene and highlights its importance to the puberty process.

Dr. David Zangen, director of pediatric endocrinology at HMO is principal investigator of the study.

Dr. Zangen recalls the origin of the study: “A few years ago, a mother brought her teenage daughter to see me at HMO. … (I)n imaging studies no ovaries could be detected. Fast forward a few years, and the girl’s sister came to see me and she, too, did not reach puberty, and had no ovaries.”

Through full gene sequencing, Dr. Zangen and his collaborative team discovered that both sisters had the same mutation of the BRCA2 gene.

Dr. Zangen and the team knew that BRCA2 has a crucial role in DNA repair. “Throughout our lives, our bodies’ cells undergo cell division. When all goes well during this process, the DNA is copied exactly. But when it does not, the body must collect the mistakes and correct them.”

As Dr. Zangen relates, “If the mistakes are left to their own devices, the cells may divide in uncontrolled ways such as in cancer, or they may not be able to divide properly into a sperm or an egg as required for fertility. Therefore, if the corrections don’t occur properly, a girl will either not develop ovaries at all or produce only a limited number of eggs, which may result in early menopause under the age of 35-40 or even earlier in her 20s. She may also be at greater risk for developing ovarian cancer.”

Because of the discovery of the BRCA2 mutation in the sisters, Dr. Zangen screened the mother for the mutation. He found she was a carrier of the BRCA2 mutation and did further screening, including medical imaging. The mother, it turns out, had ovarian cancer. “Her cancer was diagnosed at a much earlier stage than it would have been if we had not found the BRCA2 mutations in her daughters,” Dr. Zangen says, adding her daughters are at a greater risk for breast and ovarian remnant cancer.

“According to our research, an ovary that does not produce eggs, degenerates,” says Dr. Zangen. “Teenage girls who suffer from mutations in this gene may not go through the process of puberty as was evident in the case presented in our study. If they don’t reach puberty and are found to lack ovaries, they should be screened for mutations in DNA repair genes such as BRCA2. This is certainly now the protocol at HMO and we recommend that it should become the protocol all over the world.”

Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America Inc., is the largest Jewish women’s organization in the United States. hadassah.org

A Healthy Way to Work

By Family Features

Between the hours staring at a computer screen and the nearly constant temptation of treats in the breakroom, most offices are not known for fitness and health. However, work is where most Americans spend at least one-third of their days, and it’s a place where simple changes can make a big difference.

Hunger is an important factor in managing workday wellness, from maintaining focus to making smart snacking choices. A survey on workplace snacking, conducted

by Focus Vision and supported by the American Pistachio Growers, found that 92% of workers report becoming distracted from their tasks at work due to hunger before lunch. And 80% said they get hungry in the mornings before lunch and think about food often or every day.

Watching your eating habits and being more aware of your body’s physical needs can help promote a better office lifestyle. Take steps to improve your workday wellbeing with these tips from Dr. Mike Roussell, nutrition expert and adviser to Men’s Health and SELF magazines: Keep healthy snacks on-hand Sugary snacks can send you on a roller coaster ride of energy and focus. The right kind of healthy snacks can satiate your appetite as well as improve your health and performance at work. For example, the survey on workplace snacking showed a midmorning snack of pistachios can help improve concentration, and the right kind of snack at the right time can help give you a competitive edge at work.

Find time for activity Being physically active can help control stress, recharge your brain and promote overall wellness. Being at work doesn’t mean that you must be sedentary. Break up lunchtime with a short walk or jump on board with a growing trend and conduct walking meetings. Next time you have a brainstorming or check-in meeting, take it to the streets and hold your meeting while walking around.

Feed your brain A healthy body doesn’t just mean strong muscles and maintaining a healthy heart, but also nurturing a healthy brain. It is important to fuel your brain with the nutrients it needs to function at its best. Research from Loma Linda University shows that eating pistachios stimulates brain waves associated with cognition, memory and learning. Lutein, an antioxidant found in pistachios, is also associated with improvements in executive brain function.

Stay hydrated Staying hydrated is not only important for athletic performance, but is also important for peak mental performance at work. Several research studies show that small levels of dehydration can decrease mental performance and negatively impact mood. To avoid becoming dehydrated, have a large glass of water with each meal or snack and at least one more glass between meals.

Take breaks to recharge Engineers of one productivity app analyzed time logs from more than 5 million days of tracking to determine the behaviors of the most productive people. They found that when people worked for 52 minutes then took a 17-minute break they had the highest productivity levels. Setting periods of intense focus and then time off during your workday can help you be more productive and reduce stress.

Skip mindless eating The office can be a nutritional landmine. Bowls full of candy and breakrooms with boxes of donuts make it all too easy to nibble without fully realizing all the calories you are accumulating. Taking a more proactive and conscious approach to snacking can help cut out unwanted extra calories while also curbing your appetite.

Explore more ideas for smart snacking at the office and at home at americanpistachios.org.

A Handful of Health Benefits

Increasingly, people with desk jobs are looking for healthier snack alternatives to typical choices like donuts and vending machine fare. A solution may be a simple handful away.

In a survey commissioned by the American Pistachio Growers, 1,000 American office workers who skipped breakfast consumed a snack of pistachios (about 1½ servings) between 9 and 11 am. The midmorning snack proved to be just what they needed to power through the morning. The pistachio snack helped eliminate hunger and improved their concentration, reported 92% of the participants.

Reinforcing their role in mental acuity, in a separate study, pistachios produced strong gamma waves, which are critical for enhancing cognitive processing, information retention, learning, perception and rapid eye movement during sleep.

“Pistachios are an ideal midmorning or midafternoon snack because of their unique nutrient package that not only promotes feelings of fullness and satiation, but newer studies show that it can promote an optimal mental state and more focus at work,” Dr. Mike Roussell said. “Pistachios are a healthy snack that you can look forward to eating day in and day out.”

Indeed, an option like pistachios is a healthier choice than many go-to snacks. They do not contribute to weight gain or body fat changes and can significantly improve dietary nutrient intake. Survey participants increased their consumption of nutrients such as thiamin, vitamin B6, copper and potassium after snacking on pistachios for four weeks.

JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019 43

K I D S

and teens too!

Oregon teens to compete in Detroit at JCC Maccabi Games and ArtsFest

Delegation head Lenny Steinberg leads Team Oregon into the opening ceremonies of the 2018 JCC Maccabi Games and ArtsFest held in California.

Over the last few years, the Mittleman Jewish Community Center has taken about 60 teens to

participate in the JCC Maccabi Experience. Team Oregon has had tremendous success in both the JCC Maccabi Games and ArtsFest.

The events are sponsored by the Jewish Community Center Association of North America. This

year’s games and ArtsFest will be in Detroit Aug. 4-9, 2019.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our area youth to travel, compete and meet new Jewish friends

from around the world,” says Lenny Steinberg, delegation head and MJCC program director.

Available sports include (ages 12-16): baseball, basketball, competitive dance, golf, ice hockey,

lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, table tennis, tennis and volleyball.

Available arts include (ages 12-17): acting/improv, dance, musical theater, rock band, social media

squad, visual arts and vocal performance/glee.

The JCC Maccabi Games are an Olympic-style sporting competition held each summer in North

America. It is the second largest organized sports program for Jewish teenagers in the world. The first North American JCC Maccabi Games were held in 1982 with 300 athletes. Today, more than 3,000 teens participate in the games each summer.

JCC Maccabi ArtsFest is a weeklong summer arts experience for creative Jewish teens featuring

workshops in a variety of specialties with some of the leading artists in each field. The fest also in-

corporates community service, social activities and themes of Jewish heritage, community and Israel.

The JCC Maccabi ArtsFest combined with the JCC Maccabi Games create one joint JCC Maccabi

Experience, which gives participants the opportunity to be a part of a larger Jewish teen community.

For information on joining Oregon’s delegation, contact Lenny Steinberg at lsteinberg@oregonjcc.

org or 503-535-3555.

44 JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019

Wearing her bronze medal, Sadie lays on the floor of her hotel next to a sticker directing people to race headquarters. The stickers were on the floors of all three hotels recommended by the race directors. The hotels were connected by sky bridges and covered about three city blocks.

Sadie Drucker runs to third place at nationals

By Deborah Moon

Portland Jewish Academy eighth-grader Sadie Drucker won a bronze medal in the 4-kilometer race for 13/14-years-olds at the USATF National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships in Reno, NV, Dec. 8.

“The experience of running at nationals was very special because I have never had an experience like it,” says Sadie. “Despite being very nervous, I was excited to represent Portland and PJA. … I enjoyed every moment of it.”

Sadie is the daughter of Andrea Sanchez and Benjamin Drucker.

“I am so grateful for the opportunity to run at nationals,” says Sadie. “I had an amazing time, and I appreciate everyone who helped me get there.”

PJA Preschool Director and Cross Country Coach Erika Saiers and three of Sadie’s cross country teammates continued to run with her for weeks after the school’s season had ended to help her train for regionals and nationals.

This year more than 20 students participated on PJA’s cross country team.

“It has been such an honor to coach such a talented athlete,” says Erika. “It is every coach's dream to work with someone who is dedicated, committed and driven to always do their best.

What I appreciate most about Sadie is her humbleness as a top athlete and the way she encourages and supports her teammates and always applauds her competitors.”

Sadie’s road to nationals began when she finished in the top 25 at the state meet in October. She then finished second in the USA Track and Field Oregon Association Junior Olympic Meet at Corban University in Salem to qualify for regionals. In November she again finished second at the Region 13 USATF meet held in Yakima, WA. The top 30 runners qualified for the USATF National Championship meet in Reno.

During the regular season and at the state meet, Sadie competed in the 3K. But at regionals and nationals, she competed in the 4K, which is the standard USA Track and Field distance for 13/14-year-olds.

Sadie has been running and attending PJA for most of her life.

“I started running when I was pretty young with my mom,” says Sadie. “My mom and I trained for the Shamrock 5K when I was about 6 or 7 years old. I started running and I kept at it because, quite simply, I love it.”

Sadie has competed in several 5K races with her mom, Andrea. She started competing in cross country for PJA when she was in fifth grade. Before that she competed with the Foot Traffic Youth XC Club, which has meets for beginning runners starting in third grade.

“Sadie has always had a natural talent for running and running fast,” says Andrea. “She JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019 45

is a natural athlete. She also swims and plays soccer year-round for Portland Aquatic Club and Portland City United.”

Sadie has attended PJA since beginning preschool there at age 2.

“I will miss PJA a lot next year when I’m in high school,” says Sadie. “But I am also excited for the next chapter of my life. Wherever I go to high school next year, I am definitely planning on running cross country and hopefully track.”

“I love running, and it brings me a lot of joy. I plan to continue running for as long as I can.”

Sadie Drucker runs through the mud to take third in the 4K race for 13/14-year-olds at the USA Track & Field National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships.

Raise a confident, adventurous child

By Family Features

From taking steps toward the stairs to learning that bubbles don’t taste good, exploration is a part of development for babies and young children. While it’s an exciting time, it also can be coupled with anxiety and hesitation as parents find themselves saying “no” or jumping in when baby discovers a new space.

An Open for Adventure survey from Babyganics found a majority of parents (69%) believe a child can learn to be more confident if he or she is allowed to explore freely as a baby.

However, letting go doesn’t always come naturally for parents.

Clinical health psychologist Dr. Bobbi Wegner encourages parents to be explorer parents, which focuses on raising resilient, confident and adventurous humans through challenge and discovery. She offers these tips for parents:

Aid in discovery

Encourage and applaud baby’s healthy risk-taking, such as mastering a challenging stair climb or pushing through moments of frustration and failure. Additionally, create teachable moments that introduce your child to necessary limits. For example, if you have hot coffee in the morning and your little one wants to touch the mug, let him or her gently touch a warm area of the mug with a fingertip and repeat that the mug is “hot” to help encourage exploration and flex baby’s senses.

Let baby be free

While you may think baby gadgets are necessary for playtime, consider rethinking those toys. Instead of searching for stimulation through lights and sounds from a toy, allow your baby to explore the natural environment. Look for opportunities that allow him or her to make a manageable mess and even get wet or dirty. This could be as simple as playing with a container filled with water or letting your baby pull up grass in 46 JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019

the backyard. These small unstructured play adventures can help develop independence and confidence.

Engage the senses

Exposing your baby to new flavors and smells helps engage him or her on a multi-sensory level. For example, allowing your baby (at an appropriate age, typically between 4 and 7 months) to try new foods can provide a feeling of accomplishment while also exposing him or her to different textures and flavors. Encourage even more sensory exploration by allowing your baby to smell the food and even play with it using his or her fingers.

Provide early exposure to new places

Bringing baby along to restaurants and other public spaces allows for positive exposure to new places, people and sounds, which can help build the immune system, encourage social interaction and support development.

Wait a moment

It’s common for parents to intervene the moment baby awakes from a nap or starts moving toward the stairs. Try pausing, allowing your little one to naturally find his or her limits while managing your own fears and worries. This tactic can allow your young explorer an opportunity for cognitive and social-emotional development with you as a safety net nearby.

“Parents often look to their own internal response to guide parenting: ‘If I am worried then it must be dangerous, and I should not allow my baby to do it,’” Wegner said. “When in fact, parents should prioritize their baby’s exploration and needs to provide learning opportunities rather than allowing their own anxieties to impede their children.”

For more information, visit babyganics.com.

KIDS CALENDAR

FEBRUARY

FEB. 10

WEDNESDAYS

MJCC, 6651 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland. Learn about the MJCC Summer Day Camp programs, register, and meet camp staff. 503-535-3555

10 am-noon, second Wednesdays at the MJCC, 6651 SW Capitol Hwy. For parents and their children up to 5 years old. Playing and kosher snacks.

Free. 503-244-0111

FEB. 17

THURSDAYS

afternoon of family fun with An American Tail (Rated G) on the big screen.

Popcorn and snacks will be provided. $10/family. 503-535-3555

Park, 6140 SW Boundary St., Portland. Share in a weekly story hour for young families with music led by Kim Schneiderman and PJ Library books. rachelr@jewishportland.org or 503-892-7415

MJCC SUMMER DAY CAMP INFO FAIR: 10 am-1 pm, at the

FAMILY FLICKS: AN AMERICAN TAIL: 3 pm at the MJCC. An

FEB. 23

TOT SHABBAT: 10:30-11:30 am at Havurah Shalom, 825 NW 18th Ave., Portland. Young children (0-5) and their parents celebrate Shabbat with singing, movement, blessings, and storytelling. Free, but RSVP: havurahshalom.org/event/tot-shabbat13

MARCH 1-3

A BISSEL OF SCHECHTER: ,Three-day, two-night Shabbaton, Camp Solomon Schechter, Olympia, WA. Current first- to fourth-graders: meet staff, gaga, sports, art, sing, dance and celebrate Shabbat. $200. campschechter.org

MARCH 14

CHAI BABY + PJ LIBRARY INDOOR PLAYGROUND:

PJ STORY HOUR YAD B'YAD: 11 am, Thursdays. Cedar Sinai

FRIDAYS

FOURTH FRIDAYS WITH RABBI EVE POSEN: 5:15-7 pm, fourth Fridays. Welcome Shabbat with music and stories for ages 0-6. Potluck dinner follows. For location: 503-246-8831 or eposen@ nevehshalom.org

SATURDAYS

TOT SHABBAT WITH MINI MENSCHES: 9-10:30 am, first and third Saturdays at Congregation Beth Israel, 1972 NW Flanders, Portland. Music, dancing and fun for the youngest congregants. 503222-1069

CASINO ROYALE: ALL IN ON OUR YOUTH: Annual benefit

SHABBAT STORYTIME: 9:45-10:15 am, second Saturdays, at

dinner for the Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation at the MJCC. 503-248-9328

Congregation Shir Tikvah, 7550 NE Irving St., Portland. Stories, songs and crafts for toddlers and their caregivers; older siblings welcome. Stay afterward for bagels and coffee with Rabbi Ariel Stone. Free. 503-4738227

ONGOING: SUNDAYS

PJ LIBRARY STORY HOUR: 9:15 am Sundays at Congregation Neveh Shalom, 2900 SW Peaceful Lane, Portland. Share in a weekly story hour for young families with music, art and PJ Library books with Morah Sarah and Morah Leah. rachelr@jewishportland.org or 503-8927415

TUESDAYS

BBYO: 7 pm at the MJCC, 6651 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland. Ninth-to 12th -graders volunteer in the community, celebrate their Jewish heritage, become leaders, and participate in array of social, political, spiritual, athletic and cultural activities all within a Jewish context.503-345-9451 BBYO CONNECT: 7 pm at the MJCC, 6651 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland.

Sixth- to eighth-graders enjoy social, recreational, athletic, cultural and Judaic activities with new friends. 503-345-9451

KESSER KIDS' TIME: 10:45 am-noon, second and fourth Saturday at Congregation Kesser Israel, 6698 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland.

Games, songs, learning, food activity for ages 2-11. Free. 503-222-1239

TORAH TROOP: 10 am, first and third Saturdays at Congregation Neveh Shalom, 2900 SW Peaceful Lane. 3rd-5th graders: Torah portion lesson, Adon Olam and lunch. 503-246-8831

YOUNG FAMILY TOT SHABBAT: 10:15-11:15 am, first and third Saturdays at Congregation Neveh Shalom, 2900 SW Peaceful Lane.

A fun and engaging service for families with kids 5 and under featuring Shabbos Mouse. 503-246-8831

KIDDUSH CLUB: 10:15-11:15 am, first and third Saturdays at Congregation Neveh Shalom, 2900 SW Peaceful Lane. K-2nd graders: sing, dance, hear a Torah story. 503-246-8831

JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019 47

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Ahavai Sholom synagogue at Park and Clay, 1905. OJM243

150-year-old Neveh Shalom has much to celebrate Sesquicentennial anniversary events begin with free celebration Feb. 10

By Deborah Moon

Congregation Neveh Shalom invites the community to join the Conservative congregation as it celebrates 150 years of creating sacred community.

Ahavai Sholom, founded in 1869, and Neveh Zedek, founded in 1892, merged to become Congregation Neveh Shalom in 1961. On March 6, 1965, Neveh Shalom dedicated its new home on Peaceful Lane. The building’s soaring Ten Commandments have been a beacon for both Portland’s Jewish community and airline pilots flying overhead ever since.

The CNS 150 Program Committee, cochaired by Erika and Rich Meyers, has crafted a slate of signature events including an open house, art exhibit, concert, Shabbat in the Park, a community mitzvah project and a closing gala (see box).

The celebration gets under way Feb. 10 with Frontiers, Old & New: Neveh Shalom Sesquicentennial Celebration. The day begins at 11 am with a presentation by Rabbi Emeritus Joshua Stampfer on “First Rabbi of the West.” Rabbi Stampfer came to Portland in 1953 to lead Ahavai Sholom; he guided the merger and continues to serve the congregation today.

A free lunch (RSVP required) and ceremony begins at noon, followed by an open house and exhibits throughout the afternoon. Interactive exhibits will explore Neveh Shalom’s past, present and future. An Antique Shul Show will bring CNS history alive through photos, stories and artifacts. Information on other CNS 150 Signature Events will also be available. To RSVP for lunch, visit nevehshalom.org/cns150-kick-off or call 503-246-8831.

Five members of ORA: Northwest Jewish Artists – Laurie Fendel, Esther Liberman, Eddy Shuldman, Diane Fredgant and Wendelin Russell – have each created an art piece based on their study of the words neveh (oasis), zedek (justice), ahavai (from ahavah – love) and shalom (peace, harmony). Silk artist Fredgant’s visual representation and modern interpretation of mishkan (Tabernacle, portable sanctuary) will serve as the centerpiece of the exhibit, which will be in-

48 JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019

Aerial view of Neveh Shalom on Southwest Peaceful Lane, 1963. OJM1077

SENIOR RABBIS: From left, Rabbi Emeritus Joshua Stampfer, Senior Rabbi David Kosak and Rabbi Emeritus Daniel Isaak visit during an event at Neveh Shalom, where each has served as senior rabbi. The congregation’s clergy also includes Assistant Rabbi Eve Posen and Cantor Eyal Bitton.

Photo courtesy of Neveh Shalom

stalled by Feb. 10 and will remain on display in the Isaak Foyer through March.

The Isaak Foyer is named for CNS Rabbi Emeritus Daniel Isaak, who arrived in Portland in 1993 and served as senior rabbi for 22 years until the arrival of Rabbi David Kosak in 2015.

The Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education is joining the celebration. In addition to providing historic photos for display at Neveh Shalom, the museum is creating its own exhibit that opens March 3 in the Menashe Gallery behind the museum shop in the main entry.

“The exhibit is being written by our fabulous Sara Glasgow Cogan Scholarship intern from PSU, Rachael Walkinshaw,” says OJMCHE Curator of Collections Anne LeVant Prahl.

“It will be an illustrated timeline beginning with the founding of Ahavai Sholom and Neveh Zedek and working around the gallery walls to the present. Rachael is pulling out of our archives fascinating photos, artifacts and documents that help to illustrate the story.”

Exploring and celebrating the past is only part of the coming year’s celebration.

“Our yearlong celebration will feature events celebrating our past, embracing our present, and welcoming the future of CNS and the Conservative Jewish movement as a whole,” says Lindsay von Colditz, CNS membership and engagement director. “We will explore our history, examine who we are today and envision where the next 150 years will take us.”

Neveh Zedek synagogue c. 1950. OJM638

CNS 150 SIGNATURE EVENTS

Frontiers, Old & New Feb. 10, 11 am talk, noon lunch, exhibits 1:30 pm This Is Us: A CNS 150 Concert Sunday, June 2, 7 pm A gala concert in celebration of Congregation Neveh Shalom’s 150th anniversary featuring musical performances by Cantor Eyal Bitton, Ilene Safyan, Cantor Linda Shivers, Michele Tredger, the Koleinu Choir and the CNS Concert Band, along with video projections and narrations by Rabbi David Kosak and Rabbi Eve Posen.

Shabbat in the Park: A History Friday, July 26 Celebrate Shabbat in the Park near the site of Neveh Shalom’s original locations, with tours highlighting Neveh Shalom’s storied history in the Portland community.

Closing Gala Celebration Sunday, Dec. 15 This will be a time to come together as the community to honor the year’s journey. We will celebrate who we have become and the vision we have shaped together for the generations to come.

JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019 49

Kosher Soul comes to Friends Brunch Michael W. Twitty, a James Beard Award-winning author, independent scholar, culinary historian and historical interpreter, will be this year’s featured speaker at the Friends of the Center Brunch. His talk is entitled “Kosher Soul and The Cooking Gene.”

The annual fundraiser for the Mittleman Jewish Community Center also will honor new inductees to the Oregon Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. And two high school students will receive the Harry Glickman Scholar Athlete Awards.

This year’s brunch will be at 10 am, Sunday, March 3, at the MJCC, 6651 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland.

Twitty prepares, preserves and promotes African-American foodways and its parent traditions in Africa and throughout the African Diaspora, including its legacy in the food culture of the American South. Michael is a Judaic studies teacher from the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan area.

Michael’s book, The Cooking Gene, won two James Beard Awards in 2018 for Food Writing and Best Book. The book began as The Cooking Gene project in 2011 as Michael’s personal mission to document the connection between food history and family history from Africa to America, from slavery to freedom. The project successfully garnered funding and significant media attention in 2012 to initiate a journey known as The Southern Discomfort Tour.

Michael was one of 20 people selected globally as a 2016 TED Fellow. You can hear his talk at youtube.com/

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Michael W. Twitty

watch?v=8MElzoJ2L6U. Follow Michael on Twitter @koshersoul, and meet him at the Friends of the Center Brunch. Tickets are $54; or $36 for age 36 and under; ages 12-18 may attend free with reservations. Childcare is available for younger children.

For more information or tickets, visit oregonjcc.org/aboutus/brunch.

PREVIEWS

OJCYF’s annual benefit dinner March 14

The Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation will be holding its annual benefit dinner on Thursday, March 14, at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center.

Casino Royale: All In On Our Youth will showcase the strong relationship between OJCYF and our local Jewish organizations.

Nonprofits who wish to submit a grant proposal to the teens, can do so now by visiting the Receive a Grant page on OJCF’s website: ojcf.org.

For more information on the dinner, call 503-248-9328.

NYT’s Bari Weiss to make Portland Impact Enjoy an evening with friends and hear from New York Times opinion editor and writer, Bari Weiss, at Jewish Federation of Greater Portland’s Women’s Philanthropy Impact 2019.

This year’s Impact event will be 5:30-8:30 pm, Monday, March 18, at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center, 6651 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland.

50 JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019

Some members of this year’s OJCYF board.

Photo by Eden Swartz Photography.

Before joining the Times, Bari was an op-ed editor at the Wall Street Journal and an associate book review editor. For two years, she was a senior editor at Tablet, an online magazine for Jewish news, politics and culture. Bari regularly appears on shows like Morning Joe and Bill Maher. At last month’s International Lion of

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PREVIEWS

CAJE website.

Judah ConferNewCAJE’s mission is to conence in Florida, nect, inspire and affirm all Jewish Bari intereducators to build a stronger Jewviewed gymnast ish community. NewCAJE seeks to Aly Raisman, raise up Jewish educators through whose gold transformational experiences, promedal-winning routine at the 2012 fessional development and Jewish Olympics included performing to the learning in a joyful and intentional Israeli folk song Hava Nagila. community.

In the onstage interview, Aly told For more information on the Bari and the audience, “I didn’t reallocal PAJE grants, contact Rachel ize at the time I was representing not Nelson, director of educational inionly the United States but the Jewish Bari Weiss tiatives & intergroup outreach for community. I received a letter from a the Jewish Federation of Greater Holocaust survivor saying she never Portland, at 503-892-7415 or rachel@jewishportland.org. imagined in her life seeing a young girl performing to ‘Hava Nagila’ in front of the world and see her win for it.”

Tickets for Impact are $54, or $36 for attendees 30 and younger. BBYO alumni plan 50ish-year reunion Admission includes cocktail hour and dinner. Kosher dietary laws A group of former BBYO participants are planning a 50th year observed. For more information, visit jewishportland.org or call reunion for alumni from the Evergreen Region, which includes 503-245-6219. chapters in Oregon and Washington. BBYOers from 1966 to 1970 are invited to join the reunion Sept. 13-15, 2019, in Seattle.

Coordinator Phil Tobin is planning the event with a group of Women’s Circle grant applications due Feb. 22 friends who were in the senior class of 1968. Calling themselves The Jewish Federation of Greater Portland’s Women’s Giving Circle has begun its grant application cycle. Grants of $1,000 -$5,000 the Magnificent Seven, the friends get together every year and celebrate life. “We come from Miami; Vancouver, BC; Tucson; Portland; are distributed to agencies that support the needs of Jewish womand southern California,” says Phil. “This past summer we decided en and girls in Oregon or Southwest Washington. Applications are we should try and do a reunion for our class. We decided on the due Feb. 22, 2019.

50th because time is running out, and those four BBYO years were Mia Birk, co-chair of the Women’s amazing years for all of us. From there it mushroomed, and we Giving Circle, describes the circle as a decided to make it from1966 through 1970.” “fabulous group of women who pool our To be added to the contact list for more details, send your email money and distribute it out to the comaddress to: phil@philtobin.com. munity in the form of small grants toward projects and programs in the areas of Jewish-themed activity, women and children, and social justice.”

Wendy Kahn, JFGP’s associate director of financial resource development, says Mia Birk the women are committed to collaborative and informed decision making. “They visit grant applicants and provide thorough research and informed opinions to assist us all in selecting organizations.”

To apply visit: jewishportland.org/ourcommunity/womens-philanthropy/womens-giving-circle. For more information, contact Wendy at wendy@jewishportland.org or 503-892-3015.

Applications due March 1 for NewCAJE conference subsidies NewCAJE will hold their 10th annual conference at Reed College in Portland July 28-31. Shabbat programs will be offered July 26-27.

Portland Area Jewish Educators is able to offer up to $400 toward the cost of the NewCAJE conference. For more information and to register for the conference, visit newcaje.org/home/newcaje10. Registration may not be open yet for the conference; you do not have to have registered to apply for the subsidy. New educators can also check out the special grant for new teachers on the New-

BBYO 50th Reunion planners, the Magnificent Seven, from left (back) Jack Heims, Kalman Packouz, Rob Gold, Dan Aiken; (middle) Stu Soren, Phil Tobin; and (front) Dave Ail.

JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019 51

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FACES & PLACES

STOP THE BLEED – As part of a series on Preparedness, Congregation Kesser Israel welcomed a group of community members to a Stop the Bleed Training to learn how to respond to severe bleeding due to an accident or disaster. Participants heard from OHSU trauma specialist Pam Bilyeu and practiced the techniques learned. Events in this series are open to the community and will be posted on the Kesser website kesserisrael.org.

SUSHI NIGHT – From left, Amy Sohn, Leanne Dall, Yerachmiel Kalter and Darren Dall enjoyed a night of sushi making, eating and fun at a Kesser Israel Young Professionals Sushi night event in January. This was the inaugural event catered toward Kesser Israel's strong and growing cohort of young professionals. The group will meet periodically throughout the year, and all are welcome.

52 JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019

FEBRUARY CALENDAR Feb. 1-28 Monthly Mitzvah Project: PJA and MJCC are collecting lunch and snack items for Portland Backpack. Drop items in the blue bin in the MJCC Lobby. 503535-3555

Through Feb. 24 Memory Unearthed: The Lodz Ghetto Photographs of Henryk Ross, Portland Art Museum.

The Last Journey of the Jews of Lodz at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education. portlandartmuseum.org or 503-226-2811 | ojmche.org or 503-226-3600

Through March 15 Book Collection Drive. Drop off books at the MJCC front desk. Book Sale March 31-April 2. For pickup, email pjabooksale@gmail.com

Feb. 2 FILM: House of the World with filmmaker Esther Podemski. 7 pm at Whitsell Auditorium, 1219 Park Ave., Portland. Tracing the history of an old family photograph, the filmmaker travels to Poland 50 years after the Holocaust.

HONORED LION OF JUDAH – Carol Danish, a long-time Portland Jewish community leader received the Kipnis-Wilson Friedland Award at the International Lion of Judah Conference in Florida. Portlanders (from left) Wendy Kahn, Kim Rosenberg, Carol Danish and Sharon Weil joined 1,400 other Jewish women philanthropists from around the world. They came together to listen, learn and inspire each other.

ojmche.org Jewish Women’s Roundtable hosts Havdallah at Cedar Sinai Park. 7 pm, Rose Schnitzer Manor, CSP, 6125 SW Boundary St. Portland. Annual Sisterhood Havdallah will be led by Rabbi Ariel Stone. Refreshments and Israeli dancing exhibition. 503-535-4000

HONORED – Nathan Fendrich, left, and Avi Naiman display the U.S. Flag and certificate that were presented to Nathan during a ceremony at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. The flag was flown over the U.S. Capitol at the request of Sen. Ron Wyden. In an accompanying letter to Nathan, Sen. Wyden wrote: “Your military service, personal experiences and the stories you have shared through your historical photographs have helped bind together the memories of those who

Feb 4 Never Again Coalition Monthly Meeting. 7 pm at Congregation Kol Shalom, 1509 SW Sunset Blvd., Suite 1E, Portland. 503-459-4210

Feb. 5 PDX Business Breakfast: How “Smart” a city does Portland want to be?

7:15-9:15 am at PSU’s Smith Student Union, 1825 SW Broadway. PSU is a test site for “smart” city innovation. $36. oregonjcc.org

have served around the world. … Thank you for your commitment to keeping the memories and sacrifices of veterans alive in the minds

Jewish Ghetto Photographers. See page 40

of current and future generations.” The January issue of Oregon Jewish Life featured the story of how Avi helped Nathan donate his photographs of the Yom Kippur War to the National Library in Israel.

JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019 53

FEBRUARY CALENDAR Feb. 6 Science and Spirituality. 7 pm at Congregation Neveh Shalom. How do the fields of medicine, genetics, physics and brain science influence our religious ideology and spiritual care – and vice versa. 503-246-8831

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Feb. 14

Feb. 24

Nosh & Drash with Rabbi Eve Posen. 3-4 pm at

Becoming a Rabbi with Rabbi Eve Posen. 9:40 am

the MJCC. February Topic: Different learners,

brunch, 10 am program at Congregation Neveh

different temperaments: A rabbinic perspective

Shalom. Share in the journey of how Rabbi Eve

on recognizing our strengths and weaknesses.

Posen became a Rabbi. Sponsored by the Men’s

503-535-3555

Club. Suggested $5 donation. 503-246-8831

Feb. 9

SEE KIDS CALENDAR

New Socrates Café, a lively discussion group

A Night on Broadway Neveh Shalom 2019

(no politics please). 10:30 am-noon the second

Outside In Cooking. Noon in the Congregation

Auction: 6 pm. All funds raised help sustain

Thursday of the month at the Kol Shalom, 1509

Neveh Shalom kitchen. Help feed homeless

programming, provide financial aid, outreach to

Sunset Blvd, Suite 1E, Portland. 503-459-4210

teens. Info: Rick Botney, 8888octopus8888@

those in need. nevehshalom.org/auction2019

Feb. 10 Frontiers, Old & New: Neveh Shalom Sesquicentennial Celebration. See page 48 “Never Say” with poetry and song. 2 pm at OJMCHE, 724 NW Davis St.. Aurora Chorus’ 20-voice Outreach Ensemble presents a program reflective of Jewish spiritual heritage and historical perspective. ojmche.org Jewish Community Orchestra Young Artists Showcase. 3-5 pm at the MJCC. jewishcommunityorchestra.org or 503-244-0111

Feb. 11 Mussar with Rabbi Joshua Rose. 2:30 pm at the MJCC. Continues March 11. 503-535-3555

Feb. 12

gmail.com

Feb. 15-17 Musical Shabbaton with Joey Weisenberg. See

Book Talk: If All the Seas Were Ink. 4 pm at

page 40

Congregation Neveh Shalom. Join us for a discussion of this book by Ilana Kurshan.

Feb. 16

kgoldhammer@nevehshalom.org

Brivele Havdallah. 6-9 pm at Temple Beth Sholom, 1274 Cunningham Lane South, Salem.

Feb. 26

Brivele is a Seattle-based anti-fascist klezmer

Story Swap, Immigration Stories. 7 pm at

folk-punk trio, who braid together oral history,

OJMCHE. Marc Blattner and Rachel Nelson of the

Yiddish language, contemporary and old-country

Jewish Federation and Sankar Raman and Wafa

musical genres, American vaudeville, and visual

Almaktari from The Immigrant Project. ojmche.org

arts. Free. 503-362-5004

Feb. 17 Israel 360: Two Sided Story. 1-4 pm at Congregation Neveh Shalom. Watch this film about an organization dedicated to peace and reconciliation between bereaved Palestinians and Israelis. Nosh and discussion. $5. RSVP: receptionist@nevehshalom.org

Feb. 27 In/visible: Reinserting the Jewish female body in contemporary art practice. Noon at OJMCHE. Brown Bag lunch with artist, essayist and curator Shoshana Gugenheim Kedem. Free. ojmche.org

March 1 Lunch conversation on Jazz saxophonist Michael Brecker. See page 39

Wondering Jews: Wellness & Cannabis. 2 pm at

Feb. 19

Congregation Neveh Shalom. How cannabis may

Stand with Heart: OJMCHE Fundraiser. 5:30 or 8

improve or enhance seniors’ current health and

pm at Aviv, 1125 SE Division St., Portland. Aviv,

March 3

well-being focusing on medicinal and palliative

Portland’s home to delicious vegan Israeli food,

Friends of Center Brunch with Michael Twitty. See

benefits, different consumption methods, and

is donating a portion of the proceeds of this multi-

page 50

how cannabis works with the human body.

course dinner to OJMCHE. $45/$80 with wine

programs@nevehshalom.org

pairing. ojmche.org

Sephardic Film Fest: A Woman Called Golda, part

Feb. 20

1. 7 pm at Congregation Ahavath Achim, 3225

Maayan Torah Day School Benefit Dinner. 6-9

SW Barbur Blvd. Film, discussion and Sephardic

pm at the MJCC. Proceeds go to the Maayan

dessert free. 503-750-0888

scholarship fund. Includes a raffle/auction.

54 JEWISH LIFE | FEBRUARY 2019

March 4 Cancer and Jewish Genetics. See page 42

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