Oregon Jewish Life is the lifestyle magazine for the Jewish Communities of Oregon and SW Washington.

JAN • FEB 2022

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TIKKUN OLAM

DEVORA WILHELM

JOY FATE

CHANGE MAKERS UNSUNG HEROES

RICK BARDE

MIA BIRK

INFLUENCERS

STEVE SIRKIN

MEIRA SPIVAK

KATJA BROWNSTEIN

NEW RECIPIENT NEWROSENBERG RECIPIENT KIM

Plus ACTIVELY SENIOR D OUG BLAUER

EDUCATION TODAY CAROLYN WEINSTEIN

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Being wise with your finances might be important to you. Being generous might be important to you. Helping you do both is definitely important to us.

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TIKKUN OLAM Oregon Jewish Life January/February 2022 Tevet-Shevat-Adar 5782 Volume 10/Issue 3

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INFLUENCERS

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FEATURES COVER STORY Tikkun Olam Top 10 BUSINESS Biz Ins & Outs FRONT & CENTER Artist Daniela Molnar

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JLIVING Dr. Mijal Bitton Annual Gus and Libby Solomon Memorial Lecture How the Soviet Jew Was Made Oregon Jewish Museum and Holocaust Education Genetic Matchmaking

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EDUCATION TODAY Getting closer to closing the digital divide What is a doula?

PJA’s Makerspace OES’s new athletic center K-12’education’s crisis of relevance Heroe’s work here And the award goes to

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AC TIVELY SENIOR JAN • FEB 2022

Marje Jacobson became an author at 80

My mom has dementia and I have her Jewish Faith Jean Rosenbaum-an inspired life

The Amazing Lorraine Rose

Making Alzheimer’s just a memory

Health & Wellness shopping guide

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TIKKUN OLAM

DEVORA WILHELM

JOY FATE

CHANGE MAKERS UNSUNG HEROES INFLUENCERS

RICK BARDE

MIA BIRK

STEVE SIRKIN

MEIRA SPIVAK

KATJA BROWNSTEIN

NEW RECIPIENT NEWROSENBERG RECIPIENT KIM

Plus ACTIVELY SENIOR D OUG BLAUER

EDUCATION TODAY CAROLYN WEINSTEIN

COVER OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 5

PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE 6

CINDY SALTZMAN Publisher

They are safe, but are we?

The hostage nightmare that took place at Congregation Beth Israel Synagogue in Colleyville.

TX, this past Saturday could easily have ended in tragedy. Fortunately, it did not. As we all exhaled with a collective sigh of relief, I couldn’t help but think that though tragedy was averted, we were still experiencing a kind of tragedy of our souls.

This past year, at an ever-increasing frequency and with elevated violence, Jews have been attacked physically, spiritually and emotionally. It’s as if the world has gotten used to seeing open hunting season on the Jews; “Oh, it’s the Jews again, now who are they ticking off?”

After all we have been blamed for anything and everything under the sun for thousands of years.

But this was different. As I watched the synagogue siege unfold, I cringed to hear the television commentators awkwardly point out that Jews shouldn’t be attacked this time because Jews weren’t responsible for imprisoning terrorist Aafia Siddiqui, so why should the “hostage taker” (as he was euphemistically called) inside the synagogue be blaming the Jews.

Without realizing it, these commentators naively demonstrated how the antisemitic narrative that has infiltrated our lives is somehow justified. Because if the Jews weren’t to blame this time, the conclusion is that it is “ kind of” understandable why Jews were attacked all of the other times.

But there is no justification or excuse for Jews to be attacked anywhere in the world, just as there is no justification to attack any minority anywhere in the world for just being alive. And alive we are.

Later, after the hostages were saved, I just shook my head, when FBI Special agent, Mathew Desarno stated that this entire “incident was not specifically related to the Jewish community, but we are continuing to work to find the motive.” Talk about a misread. Any 8 year old Jewish child should be able to help you out, FBI Special Agent. It’s called antisemitism.

May 2022 be a year of peace for all.

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JAN/FEB 2022 Oregon Jewish Life • Tevat-Shevat-Adar 5782 • Volume 10 Issue 3

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OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 7

BIZ

INS & OUTS

Jaynie Frost

Aliza Zef

David Forman

New Fitness Program Manager joins MJCC

recently appointed incoming director of TRY, Tichon Ramah Yerushalayim in Israel.

TRY is a semester of study at Tichon Ramah Yerushalayim, the Ramah Jerusalem High School, a fully accredited international secondary school program. TRY offers 10th, 11th, and 12th graders two different opportunities to live and learn in the land of Israel.

“There are so many people who played a role in helping me get here, and I hope I›ve already told each of you how much that means to me. Thanks to Ramah Israel for entrusting me with this huge responsibility, to Jonathan Madoff, who is handing over a program that he has put his heart and soul into, and most of all - to my family. I couldn›t do this without them. To all of my friends who have teenagers, if you do not know about this program, please be in touch with me!” Aliza posted about her new position. try.ramah.org.il

The Mittleman Jewish Community Center is pleased to announce that Jaynie Frost will be joining the MJCC team as the new Fitness Program Manager. Jaynie has an extensive background in fitness, health and wellness, as well as, leadership, people management, and customer service.

Jaynie has worked within the field of health and wellness since 1997 with varying positions. She has worked in health rehabilitation centers, assisted living facilities, and with integrative fitness programs. Jaynie has an extensive background in managing teams and expanding programs.

Her most recent roles have included Health and Wellness Director, Executive Director, and Personal Trainer/Exercise Specialist. Jaynie holds a Bachelor of Psychology from USC and is certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) as a Senior Fitness Specialist.

Jaynie is very excited to join the MJCC team and to work closely with Joe Seitz, Head Trainer, as the MJCC continues to expand and grow their fitness offerings. Jaynie and Joe will make a dynamic team as they both have extremely positive energy, a sense of humor, and a genuine desire to help others. The MJCC is thrilled to have this fitness team in place to kick off 2022! oregonjcc.org

OJCF Appoints David Forman as President and CEO

Former Portlander appointed incoming director of TRY in Israel

When former Portland resident Aliza Zef, daughter of Laurie and George Fendel, was 18 years old she boarded a plane and came to Israel with USY High. At that time, she didn‘t know a soul and nobody in her family had ever been to Israel. Now she is going to be influential in helping other teens experience the life-changing program, as the 8

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

The Oregon Jewish Community Foundation is pleased to announce that David Forman has been named President and CEO of the organization, effective January 1, 2022. Mr. Forman was selected after a nationwide search. He currently sits on the OJCF Executive Committee.

Forman brings more than 30 years of experience as an attorney to OJCF and is the Chair of the Corporate Finance and Transactions Practice Group as a partner at Tonkon Torp, LLP. He has served on the board of OJCF since 2014, joining the executive committee in 2018.

“The Oregon Jewish Community Foundation aligns with my passion and my commitment to our community. After all my experience as a volunteer in our Jewish community, I now have the opportunity to have a hands-on experience to

Susan Berniker

help write the next chapter of the foundation story and the community at large.”

Forman succeeds the late Julie Diamond, who led the organization for more than ten years, and retired June 30 while battling cancer. She passed away in August.

“I am blessed to have had my predecessor be Julie Diamond. I am following someone who made an amazing difference, who made a huge contribution to this community. And, if I’m doing it right, I’m honoring Julie,” said Forman.

“Our board of directors is thrilled to introduce David Forman as our new CEO,” said Josh Frankel, Board Chair at OJCF. “After an extensive search, it was evident to our hiring committee that David was the best person to lead the Foundation and sustain and strengthen the legacy of longtime CEO, Julie Diamond. David’s goal is not to replace Julie as CEO but rather he aspires to help us write the next chapter for OJCF. David possesses the experience, qualifications and passion to grow OJCF into an even greater, more successful organization. We are kvelling over David as our new CEO.” ojcf.org OJCF Hires New Donor Relations & Marketing Manager The Oregon Jewish Community Foundation has hired Susan Berniker as Donor Relations & Marketing Manager. Susan will help advance the mission of OJCF by advising donors about giving approaches, community needs and foundation services.

Prior to joining OJCF, Susan worked as an educator as well as in the nonprofit arena in fund and policy development, program management and advocacy. Susan brings a passion for social justice work grounded in Jewish values as a member of the Women of Reform Judaism’s Pacific District

Jordan Schnitzer

Social Action and Advocacy Team, as Congregation Beth Israel’s Sisterhood Social Action Chair, and as a CBI Sunday School teacher.

“Susan is a marvelous addition to the OJCF team,” says OJCF Vice President of Philanthropy Tara Siegman who previously served in the donor relations role that Susan now occupies.

“Her demonstrated passion for improving the world is in natural alignment with the foundation’s vision of a world in which all Jewish people practice tikkun olam. Susan is excited to begin working with our kind-hearted fundholders and I know they will enjoy working with her. Their philanthropy will be very well and thoroughly supported.” ojcf.org Harsch Investment Properties changes name to Schnitzer Properties For more than 70 years, Harsch Investment Properties has been a trusted name in commercial real estate. Under the leadership of company founder Harold Schnitzer and his son, Jordan Schnitzer, they have built meaningful relationships with their tenants, grown as a company and created a legacy of giving connected to the Schnitzer family name.

To honor our past and carry the story forward for generations to come, they rebranded as Schnitzer Properties effective January 3, 2022.

President Jordan Schnitzer says “Though our name has changed, what we do has not. We will focus on expanding our real estate portfolio, distinguishing ourselves through innovation, excellence and a commitment to our values, and we will do it proudly as Schnitzer Properties.”

Schnitzer Properties owns and operates 28 million square feet of property with more than 4,200 tenants in six states with a team of 300 professionals. schnitzerproperties.com OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 9

BIZ Sydney Clevenger

Martha Norrie

New Communications and Events Manager at Cedar Sinai Park As a young girl, Cedar Sinai Park’s new Communications and Events Manager Sydney Clevenger vividly remembers the tranquility of playing checkers with her greatgrandmother while watching Lawrence Welk. With a passion for those who are aging, and experience working in senior living in the Portland area, Sydney is eager to connect with the residents of Cedar Sinai Park’s facilities as she helps coordinate fundraising events and shares stories of the nonprofit organization’s happenings. A Portland native, Sydney graduated cum laude in broadcasting with an English minor from Washington State University. She anchored radio and television news in Salem and the Tri-Cities before transitioning to public relations, where she’s worked for more than 30 years locally, and in Washington, D.C. Sydney’s expertise is in healthcare and education nonprofits and her primary places of employment include the Children’s Defense Fund, OHSU, Providence Health & Services, and most recently, Oregon Episcopal School.

Martha Norrie New Director of Development at Cedar Sinai Part A great-great-grandfather of Cedar Sinai Park’s new Director of Development and Communications Martha Norrie, emigrated to the United States and, upon arriving in Portland, helped found Ahavai Shalom in 1869, one antecedent to today’s Nevah Shalom. Meeting minutes reveal that Norrie’s great-great grandfather, Raphael Prag, was elected a trustee and vice president of Ahavai Shalom, which appealed to “traditional Jews from Prussia and Poland,” according to the Oregon Encyclopedia Project.

Though Raphael and his wife Johanna had five children, only one married, and that child, son Jacob—Norrie’s 10

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Fred Rothstein

Michelle Caplan

great-grandfather—married a Catholic from Ireland so Norrie’s Jewish line ended. Norrie is thrilled to even better understand and honor her genealogy by joining Cedar Sinai Park in January 2022. She is excited to meet those in the Jewish community as she strategically raises funds and awareness for the 100-year-old senior living nonprofit. A native Oregonian, Norrie began volunteering as a teenager and quickly developed a deep passion for charitable work for a wide range of causes. Norrie holds a bachelor of arts in interdisciplinary studies from the University of Portland and has deep experience in marketing and development, including the Oregon Society of Artists where she was interim executive director, and, for the past 13 years, Norrie Creative. Norrie is credentialed as a certified digital marketing professional and a professional certified marketer.

Fred Rothstein, executive director of Congregation Neveh Shalom, will retire After 21 years of service to Congregation Neveh Shalom, executive director Fred Rothstein will Fred Rothstein, executive director of Congregation Neveh Shalom to retire be retiring on October 31, 2022.

Glen Coblens Congregation Neveh Shalom president stated in a recent press release, “Please join me in congratulating and thanking Fred on his remarkable career, during which time he worked with six rabbis, three cantors, and 10 congregation presidents; stewarded more than $20 million in gifts; and oversaw an entire building remodel. He celebrated numerous family simchas, including the marriage of his daughters and birth of his grandchildren, and navigated tougher lifecycle events in and alongside our kehillah. As a measure of his strong leadership, Fred guided us – and continues to do so – through the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.”

In the coming weeks, we will begin our search for a new executive director, a process co-chaired by past President Jason Kaufman and current Board member Steffanie Goldsmith. We will engage you, our CNS family, throughout the process with the goal of welcoming a new executive director by September 1, 2022.

Michelle Caplan’s role expands at Neveh Shalom As the new Director of Congregational Advancement at Neveh Shalom, Michelle Caplan’s role has been expanded to include development, in addition to her current role in membership, community building, and administration.

Michelle is known for her creative approach to community building for the present and future generations.

Sarah Rohr appointed to the Beaverton Arts Commission Sarah Rohr, a well known and respected Jewish community activist, artist, teacher and community builder, can now add arts commissioner to the many hats she wears. Sarah began her three-year term with the Beaverton Arts commission this month. She is looking forward support their current projects and exploring the scope of the commission.

Sarah is also a member of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland and an Ambassador of S.A.R.A.H For HOPE which gathers women doing work to make the global community more just and sustainable. When asked how Sarah balances her active life, Sarah said, “ My awesome family and friendships are the fuel that sustain and inspire my efforts.”

Sarah and her husband Brian Rohr, the Communications Coordinator at Congregation Neveh Shalom, have two children.

HAVE BUSINESS NEWS TO SHARE? Send your "Biz Ins" to editor@ojlife.com OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 11

EDUCATION SPECIAL SECTION "No one is so poor as an ignorant person. ~ Hebrew proverb

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Getting closer to closing the digital divide – for good

By Ilana Lowery

N

o one knows how the Covid-19 pandemic – or the various iterations of it – will impact inperson school going forward, but one thing is certain, at-home learning for students and teachers is here to stay.

We are in the age of distance learning, and that means teaching through the digital divide will continue to impact communities across our state.

In Oregon, 155,800 students and 3,475 teachers lack adequate internet access. Up to 94,515 students and 395 teachers are without the technology and devices at home to support distance learning. About 27% of the students who lack access are Black, Latino or Native American.

There is a persistent gap between students who have highspeed internet and adequate devices at home and those who do not, a gap that perpetuates educational and economic inequality at a time when accessing the internet at home is as important as having electricity and running water.

Access to robust home broadband service, appropriate and reliable learning devices and digital citizenship tools that keep families and teachers connected are essential to the future of education. The next step to closing the digital divide is the recent investment in broadband infrastructure that families and businesses can afford and ensuring that digital training and resources are available to those who need them.

Fortunately, President Biden recently signed into law the historic and long overdue $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the largest investment in generations in America’s roads, bridges, ports, and water and energy systems. Included in this new, bipartisan law is $65 billion to help ensure that everyone in America is connected to high-speed internet, a monumental step toward one of Common Sense’s top priorities: closing the digital divide once and for all.

It is too soon to tell how much money will flow into

Oregon from the infrastructure dollars, but more than $136.5 million has been requested for equipment, such as computers, tablets and hotspots, and services, such as internet connection.

This new law represents the single-largest investment ever made toward closing the digital divide and ensure that every home and business has access to broadband connectivity that is critical to thrive in today’s economy, in school, and in society.

Here is a breakdown for you to see exactly what it does for kids and families’ ability to go online and why it is so important. The broadband section of the new infrastructure law accomplishes four key goals to close the digital divide.

•D eploys high-speed internet to communities that lack it; •H elps lower-income Americans afford internet service and devices; •E stablishes “digital inclusion” programs to help internet users take full advantage of online services; and •E mpowers consumers to protect themselves from exploitative and discriminatory business practices.

According to Drew Garner, Common Sense Media’s state broadband policy fellow, the infrastructure law create a firstof-its-kind digital inclusion program.

“One of the most exciting components of the new law is the Digital Equity Act, which provides nearly $3 billion to create and support digital inclusion programs,” he said.

Digital inclusion refers to providing internet users with the skills, knowledge and technology they need to take full advantage of everything the internet has to offer,” Garner added.

“Along with access and affordability, a lack of digital inclusion is one of the leading drivers of the digital divide.

The infrastructure law recognizes this fact and, for the first time ever, provides funding for digital inclusion activities.

This is an enormous show of support for a previously underappreciated problem,” he said.

In addition, the infrastructure law will deploy high-speed internet to communities that lack it.

The largest portion of the law is a $42 billion program dedicated to the creation and expansion of high-speed internet networks. This money is prioritized for rural areas and states that rank low in terms of internet access, ensuring that it will be spent connecting our least connected communities. It also prioritizes existing state projects and thereby supercharges the work that communities are already doing to build the networks of the future.

The law also includes a $1 billion program to fund the construction of middle-mile infrastructure, which will make it easier to build last-mile connections and provide redundancy to our networks so that they have fewer single points of failure. (In case you don›t already know, «middle mile» is the highway compared to the neighborhood streets of «last mile.» The more middle mile, the easier it is to connect dispersed communities.)

The infrastructure law makes internet access more affordable, too. The second-largest broadband portion of the law provides $14 billion to the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) (formerly the Emergency Broadband Benefit [EBB]). The ACP helps lower-income consumers by providing up to $30/month for internet service and a onetime $100 to help purchase a device.

According to Garner, this $14 billion investment quadruples the size of the original EBB and demonstrates that Congress truly recognizes affordability as one of the leading causes of the digital divide. Moreover, the law also requires the FCC and companies that provide internet service (ISPs) to advertise the ACP to help ensure that as many eligible people as possible apply for the benefit, he said.

ILANA LOWERY

Ilana Lowery is the Arizona director at Common Sense Media. Common Sense Media is a national nonprofit organization based in San Francisco that works to improve the media and education landscape for kids, families and schools. They focus on helping kids, educators and parents thrive in a world of media and technology.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 13

EDUCATION SPECIAL SECTION

What is a doula?

Mimi Wilhelm, certified birth and postpartum doula, explains

M im

By Cindy Saltzman

lm ilhe iW

M

imi Wilhelm is one of those women you can’t help but look at with awe. She is a rebbetzin (her husband is Rabbi Motti Wilhelm of Chabad of Oregon), mother of seven children, director of The Gan-Portland Jewish Preschool; she teaches Hebrew classes, runs a Mommy and Me group, runs marathons and just recently became a certified birth doula and also a certified postpartum doula. I am sure I left something out, but you get the idea. Mimi Wilhelm is a force.

According to DONA International (the leader in evidence-based doula training, certification and continuing education), a doula is a trained professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to a mother before, during and shortly after childbirth to help her achieve the healthiest, most satisfying experience possible.

I have been fascinated with the doula experience ever since my daughter mentioned that she was looking for a doula when she was pregnant with her son a couple 14

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

of years ago. Although partnering with a doula for childbirth has become very popular in recent years, I was surprised to learn that ancient societies had their version of a doula centuries ago.

Experiencing childbirth with a doula seems to be a very positive experience for new mothers and their families.

But there are also many misconceptions about what a doula does and doesn’t do. Thankfully, Mimi was willing to sit down with me to discuss the “doula experience.”

Cindy Saltzman: What inspired you to become a certified birth and postpartum doula?

Mimi Wilhelm: I have worked with young families for the last 15 years. As the director at The Gan Preschool, I have had the opportunity to support many families as they begin to raise their young children. I have also run a mommy and me group for over 10 years, so I have helped support moms shortly after giving birth, providing community and information. Having seven children of my own has given me a lot of hands-on experience of what birth is like and what the first few weeks after are like emotionally and physically for the moms and families. Through all these experiences, I have seen a need for women and their families to have more support.

It’s a new experience for many families without a lot of training. It’s a transformational time for families. Most often, it’s an incredibly positive experience and a time when many things change drastically for a person and family. Having support during that time is critical for many people, and always makes the transition easier.

As a person who is involved in creating community and supporting young families, I felt that I could make an impact in our community by educating families on what a doula can provide, and being the person to be there for women during childbirth and following.

I have always been drawn to caring for young children and new moms, and I feel that with the gifts Hashem has given me in this area, this is one of my missions in my part of tikkun olam.

Who can most benefit from having a doula as part of their birth journey and why?

Mimi Wilhelm: Everyone can benefit. Having someone who is trained and very knowledgeable in this area, and there to support and advocate for the birthing person is beneficial in making the birth and postpartum experience more positive. Often the doula is the person that can help build trust between all the members of the birthing team, and help the birthing person’s wishes be met as best as possible. Additionally, having a doula postpartum helps a family have added support while the birthing person heals and everyone is short on sleep! It’s truly a game changer for families taking a time that can be incredibly stressful and making it a joyful experience.

What is the biggest misconception about doulas?

That you only need one if you don’t have a supportive partner or only if it’s your first birth. Every woman deserves to have a doula if she wants one!

Another big misconception is that doulas are only for people who want a natural birth. The truth is that a doula is there to support and advocate for whatever the birthing person’s wishes are and to help the birthing person gain access to information. The doula does her best to learn what makes the birthing person most comfortable and what the birthing person’s wishes are and is there to support her and help her get her needs met. A birth doula is there to support any type of birth!

What do you enjoy the most about being a doula?

I love supporting moms and families during this beautiful time. I feel that it is an honor to be a part of 16

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

Above: Rabbi Motti Wilhelm, Mimi Wilhelm and their family. the birth and be allowed to hold and care for a newborn.

I feel that birth and bringing life into the world is a very spiritual experience and one that I feel very connected to.

I have so much experience and knowledge in this area, and I feel that I have a duty to share, teach and support others.

We find a reference to doulas in the Torah! We learn about Shifra and Puah, Moshe’s mother Yocheved and his sister Miriam who were doulas for the women in Egypt, assisting them in childbirth. My Hebrew name is Miriam, and just like the Miriam in the Torah, I feel that it is my duty to help women at this special time.

Why do you think the “doula movement” has gained so much popularity recently?

I think that more people realize how helpful it can be.

Studies have shown that it has improved infant mortality rate overall, and in doula attended births the mothers and babies have been healthier. Other benefits have been fewer complications during birth, a birth with fewer interventions and overall satisfaction by the birthing person.

Has COVID-19 affected how you practice?

Due to COVID, many families have been unable to have grandparents or other family members help out as

they would at a non-COVID time, and therefore, the need for doulas has been much higher.

Mimi running her first 10k.

What are the top 5 questions that should be asked when hiring a doula?

The most important thing is to feel like you connect well with your doula. You are allowing someone into an intimate space, and you must trust and feel like you connect well with the person you choose.

My top 5 suggestions for questions to ask a doula you are thinking of using are: 1. What is your availability?

2. What is your doula style?

3. What experience do you have in this field?

4. D o you have experience with home birth/ c-section/ natural birth etc. (insert your particular desire here)?

5. W hat do you offer in terms of pre/post visits, questions, etc.?

It is important to note that a doula provides physical and emotional support, but any medical advice is out of the scope of practice for a doula.

Mimi is a DONA International certified birth and postpartum doula with a passion for working with all parts of the Jewish community. For more information, email Mimi at mimiwilhelm@gmail.com.

17TH ANNUAL SOLOMON MEMORIAL LECTURE

AMERICAN JEWS IN 2022:

WHO COUNTS? AND WHY THAT’S IMPORTANT

DR. MIJAL BITTON FEBRUARY 10, 2022

pdx.edu/judaic-studies OF GREATER PORTLAND

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 17

EDUCATION SPECIAL SECTION Fourth grader, Hadley, building a teepee.

PJA’s Makerspace Fosters Creative Thinking and Resiliency

P

Fourth graders building artifacts to display their learning of indigenous peoples in North America.

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

JA was thrilled to re-introduce the Makerspace to the PJA community this school year. Our new Maker Educator, Nicole Surbaugh, joined PJA’s faculty this fall after working for several years as a science educator at OMSI. Nicole has brought the PJA Makerspace back to life after a pandemic-induced hiatus.

A wide range of skills is taught in the Makerspace.

Students build important life skills around collaboration, teamwork, following directions, and completing tasks. They build resiliency and perseverance through experimentation, risk-taking, and learning from failure.

And, of course, they develop creative thinking skills as they challenge themselves to design and build a variety of different projects.

Students in first through fifth grades visit the Makerspace on a regular basis to tackle design and engineering challenges. Students in all grade levels also visit the Makerspace to extend their classroom learning and incorporate STEM concepts (science, technology, engineering, math) into other parts of the school program.

First grade has been practicing working together, taking turns, and safely using the tools and materials in the space.

Second grade will be visiting the Makerspace to build artifacts as part of their units of study on the Amazon Rainforest and Ancient Egypt. As part of a school-wide community-building effort, third grade is forming the PJA Postal Service. Third grade students will be building mailboxes for each classroom. Fourth graders are working on an egg drop challenge to extend their learning about forces and motion. They can’t wait to test them after winter break! Fifth grade students recently used the Glowforge laser printer to create signs that identify the variety of plants in PJA’s native plants garden. Middle School students are invited to use the Makerspace during recess.

Additional opportunities for Middle School students to create in the Makerspace will be introduced throughout the year, including welcoming a group of students to explore tefillah (prayer) through the act of making.

Teachers and students look forward to many more opportunities to use this special classroom to challenge themselves to think for themselves and work for the world.

OES’s New Athletic Center Builds Community

Oregon Episcopal School Athletic Center

T

he unveiling of ’s newly remodeled and expanded athletic facility in the fall of 2021 is proving a winner for the entire community!

The open, airy and light-filled space in a woodsy setting energizes student-athletes and the physical education curriculum and connects pre-kindergarten through grade 12 students and families in new ways beyond athletics.

“We have finally built the community space about which we’ve always dreamed,” says Missy Smith, CMAA, associate athletic director, coach and founder of the Oregon Girls’ Sports Leadership Summit. “I don’t know who loves this place more: students, teachers, parents, or alumni. The sky’s the limit for what we can do because it’s so functional and dynamic.”

After years of discussion and planning, the 42,000-square-foot facility became a reality. The majority of construction occurred during the pandemic with students in remote learning.

“We asked our students what they needed in a gym and that was really the driving force behind the athletic center expansion and remodel,” says Athletic Director Dennis Sullivan. “The athletics program was solid before, and now the new space has made it exceptional.”

Community members love being able to step into the athletic center hallway to hear students playing, whether it’s basketball, volleyball, or P.E. games, says Sullivan.

Students can meet in dedicated team rooms to bond before or after practice, do homework in the hub, reflect as a group, and be together. In addition, younger students are inspired by watching older students train and study, and older students can mentor younger student-athletes.

“Our students’ desire to move in this space speaks louder than words,” says Interim P.E. Department Chair and P.E. Teacher Scott Corris. “We have so much more space to work with in coordinating P.E. classes. It’s pretty special when you come into work and you know that your curriculum and your lessons can be based on an amazing indoor space instead of worrying about the outside weather.”

The new facility has two large gyms with capacity for many more spectators than before. There is also a dedicated space to hold awards from the schools’ numerous achievements over the years. And the inviting space now matches the inclusivity of OES’s longtime no-cut sports policy. Whether it’s play, learning, or connection, there’s no doubt the new space has been a boon to the community.

“It’s a privilege and an honor to be able to coach in a facility like this one,” says Brad Dawon, Girls’ Varsity Basketball Coach. “It’s enough to energize all the sports programs. I’m just grateful.”

Open to Community Since 1869, Oregon Episcopal School has prepared students for higher education and lifelong learning so students may realize their power for good as citizens of local and world communities.

Learn more about OES’s pre-k to grade 12 inquirybased education by visiting oes.edu/explore.

6300 SW Nicol Road, Portland, OR 97223

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 19

EDUCATION SPECIAL SECTION

K-12 Education’s Crisis of Relevance

By Michael C. Johnson

Michael C. Johnson

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T

he extent that we can assure that every American child receives a relevant and contemporary education today will dictate the health of our economy, our global standing and the general welfare of our society for the remainder of this century.

Unfortunately, we are not able to offer such a guarantee, not while the American system of education is in crisis; what I term “a crisis of relevance.” Based on my professional experience, hundreds of observations and scores of conversations with educators and students alike, I believe this crisis is rooted in four areas.

An over-reliance on antiquated assumptions and practices. When one visits a traditional neighborhood K-12 school, they are quickly struck by the familiarity of the place. It doesn’t matter whether the visitor is a recent graduate or hasn’t had the reason or opportunity to step inside a school building for several decades; a sense of habitual and common experiences will be obvious.

Students are divided into groups based primarily on their age. These groupings will commonly consist of 30 (+/-) students in the presence of one adult - the skilled content specialist, the keeper of wisdom. These settings are frequently organized by rows of student seating, facing in a common direction - the teacher. And it is the teacher who is talking, dispensing information with the expectation that the students will absorb it and retain it long enough to regurgitate it on an upcoming assessment successfully.

This description of teacher-dominated classrooms is as accurate today as 50, 75, or 100 years ago. We rely on what is familiar, on what worked for us. Within this comfort of familiarity, teachers today continue to teach as they were taught.

We fool ourselves into believing that because some of the tools have changed, we are offering a contemporary and meaningful educational experience. Blackboards and chalk have been replaced with whiteboards and dry erase markers. Slide rules are out. Calculators are in.

Electronic tablets are the new pencil. But, despite these new devices available to students and their teachers, which we label “progress,” schools look remarkably as they have historically, and the instructional strategies being used remain virtually unchanged.

The biggest issue is that the students sitting in these classrooms are not 20th century learners. We teach in very traditional ways to a population of students, the post-millennial generation, who are not traditional.

They value experiences, individuality, uniqueness and an entrepreneurial spirit. They tend to look forward, rather than focus on the past. The disconnect between the content and methodology of what is taught, and the true interests, needs and learning styles of these 21st century learners contribute to a lack of relevance; the state of being able to derive personal meaning and connection with the experiences they are required to participate

in. When students cannot find that person-to-content connection, their genuine engagement, a key element for learning, suffers.

Not only do today’s kids have different learning preferences, but they will also inherit a totally different and rapidly changing world. 21st century learning outcomes must accompany this fluid reality. How can the education system possibly believe they are adequately preparing students with the skills they’ll need in the future when futurists tell us that 70-80% of the current jobs in our economy will disappear in the next 20 years? While there will be new jobs, we don’t know what they’ll be, what problems they will address or the technologies they’ll deploy. The truth is that a complete education for today’s students is more than memorizing facts.

In its 2015 “New Vision for Education” report, the World Trade Organization cited sixteen specific traits, skills and competencies all students need to develop for a successful experience in our complex and diverse global economy.

FOUNDATIONAL LITERACIES: how students apply core skills to everyday tasks.

• Language literacy • Numeracy literacy • Scientific literacy • Information technology literacy • Cultural and civic literacy COMPETENCIES: how students approach complex challenges.

• Critical thinking/problem solving • Creativity • Communication • Collaboration CHARACTER QUALITIES: how students approach their changing environment.

• Curiosity • Initiative • Persistence/grit • Adaptability • Leadership • Social/cultural awareness While our traditional education system might get a passing score on the Foundational Literacies, it is woefully deficient in the other two categories. There’s a lot of work ahead to fully realize these expectations.

Standards play an important role in any organization.

They define the values, expectations and aspirations of the enterprise. In the world of education, standards offer clear and definable expectations of what students must experience and be accountable for. However, the current operational climate of standardization is

stifling our best intentions. This standardized education system has evolved to value efficiency over efficacy. It is characterized by a “one size fits all” approach to teaching and learning. While done in the spirit of offering equitable opportunities for children, standardization stands in the way of achieving equity: providing each child the unique resources they require to be successful. Standardization has de-personalized the educational experience for many of our children, including measuring their achievement against the artificial, and often biased, industry-produced standardized tests and assessments. If we are all to be treated identically, if “one size fits all” and I don’t fit, how can I, the learner, find the experience relevant?

Children are, by their very nature, curious creatures.

Curiosity is a driving force in their desire and ability to propel themselves forward, to try new things, to explore and wonder. These are some of the underlying characteristics of intrinsic motivation. Yet, as they enter school and advance through the system, students realize that what interests them is secondary as their curiosity and intrinsic motivation are overlooked. The system dictates what they should learn and care about. Gradually, the reason to achieve is devolved to the acquisition of a letter grade - a bragging right for some, a reason to quit for others. A relevant and contemporary education cannot be achieved by ignoring the interests, the curiosity and the fundamental, intensely personal reasons why children choose to learn.

I have not intended this piece to be anything other than a wake-up call by identifying and describing what is contributing to a “crisis of relevance” in our nation’s schools: a set of circumstances that, if left unchecked, will diminish the assurance of a relevant and contemporary education for all children, regardless of their circumstances or zip code. Instead, my true and honest intention is to offer hope through a call to action. If we can recognize the problem, we can confront the obstacles that stand in the way of achieving the desired outcome; giving kids the chance to be active participants in their learning and to find relevance in this experience called “school.”

Addressing this crisis will require vision, courage and commitment from school, district and community leaders.

They will need to look past what they think they know, past long-standing traditions, or the comfort of their own experience; relying instead on what they hear from their constituents – paying special attention to what students communicate as their needs and aspirations.

At the time of his retirement in July 2017, Michael C. Johnson had served students over a 35 year career in public education: 14 years as a performing arts teacher and 21 years as a building administrator. As a speaker, author and education advocate, Johnson publishes weekly articles at theeducationkidsdeserve.com. His 2017 book, The Education Kids Deserve, is available from Amazon or his website.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 21

EDUCATION SPECIAL SECTION

Heroes Work Here

By Amy Katz

U

sually the first week back after Winter Break is full of taller students in new shoes, well rested teachers eager to get back to the work of educating their students, new projects, and stories of vacations. While it can be difficult to get back into the regular routine of school, for most teachers and students the first week after Winter Break is usually one filled with learning and a renewed sense of commitment and enthusiasm around all of the joy school has to offer.

Like so many other things since March of 2020, this year our return to school looked a little different.

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shoes, teachers are still presenting new units and material and learning, excitement, and joy is still in the air. However, because of the COVID 19 pandemic and other circumstances beyond our control, this week at PJA we found ourselves short many of our valuable faculty members each day. While we are fortunate to have a few wonderful substitute teachers in our community, like all schools in 2022, we don’t have nearly enough subs to fill our needs. This meant that on this first week back from winter break nearly all of our faculty members did double and triple duty!

If you were to have walked through the hallways of PJA this past week a sampling of what you would have seen was: our Spanish teacher teaching a Hebrew class, an Instructional Assistant teaching fourth grade, our Music Specialist teaching Kindergarten Hebrew and Jewish Studies, our school counselor teaching Health, and our Makerspace teacher teaching first grade General Studies.

You would have seen teachers covering each other's recess, limmud and lunch duties, and teachers teaching multiple levels of Hebrew all together in one room. You also would have seen so much compassion and care for all of our faculty unable to be at school this week, and so much dedication to the academic and social emotional well-being of our students. If you would have walked through the halls of PJA this week, you would have seen what it means to be a part of a kehilah, a community that cares for and values each other and our shared commitment to our students above all else.

In the days and weeks ahead we anticipate that we will continue to work at our capacity to take care of our students and each other. We hope and pray that in a short time all of our faculty and students will return in good health and wish anyone who is sick a refuah shelemah (a complete healing). Meanwhile we will continue to bolster our community and support one another as the joy of learning and community continues at PJA. We are so fortunate, and if you visited the halls of PJA you would see that heroes work here.

Amy Katz is the Director of Jewish Life at Portland Jewish Academy.

And The Award Goes To...

P

ortland Jewish Academy held their 60th Anniversary Hybrid Academy Awards Auction on Sunday, December 12th. They hosted 80 people who walked the red carpet for a Watch Party at the MJCC and were joined virtually by hundreds more. The spirited evening was led by emcee, Josh Kashinsky and auctioneer, Ian Lindsay.

It was a lively, energetic night raising over $784,000 for tuition assistance and program support! Special thanks to Jay and Diane Zidell for matching every Mitzvah Moment gift and sponsorship, and to Steve “Rosy” Rosenberg and Ellen Lippman for their additional 50% match of these gifts.

Now Enrolling!

Nurturing capable, creative and kind learners in a joyful Jewish environment

FOUNDATION SCHOOL PRESCHOOL Congregation Neveh Shalom

Inspired by the Reggio Emilia Philosophy All are welcome | Small class sizes Ages 12 months - 5 years Experienced teachers

Enrolling for full day options this year 5 days a week from 8:00am-5pm Cont act : Cor y Wi l lson 503. 293. 7302; cwi l lson@nevehshal om. or g

IN-PERSON AND ONLINE OPTIONS

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‫מכון עברית‬

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CONTACT MEL BERWIN mberwin@nevehshalom.org

NEVEHSHALOM.ORG/MACHON-IVRIT OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 23

10 OREGON JEWISH LIFE COVER STORY

TIKKUN OLAM

Welcome to our annual Tikkun Olam Top 10 issue.

This year we asked friends, coworkers and family members to give us some insight into the honorees.

They all responded enthusiastically and did a wonderful job. We hope you enjoy reading about these incredible community members who make giving back a central theme in their life.

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JOY FATE

RICK BARDE

KIM ROSENBERG

STEVE SIRKIN

MIA BIRK

MEIRA SPIVAK

DOUG BLAUER

JOYCE TISCHLER

CAROLYN WEINSTEIN

DEVORA WILHELM

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 25

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KIM ROSENBERG

By Mark Rosenbaum

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s tikkun olam the repair of Judaism and the Jewish community or the repair of the broader world? For Kim Rosenberg, it is both. She intentionally brings her desire for healing and improvement to every encounter she enters. If you watch her with her family, friends, clients and community, you will see it is so.

In b’tzelem Elokim, each human is created in the image of G-d, to be met with an understanding of their infinite value, equality and uniqueness. This concept is the essence of Kim’s friendships, business interactions and community involvement.

She intentionally brings joy to each relationship and through compassionate questions and by being present, she seeks to understand the pain that each of us experiences in life. Kim has lived through very difficult circumstances, and through understanding an individual’s pain points, as well as their joyful experiences, she seeks to take the pain and partner with that understanding to see if, together, she can help make it better.

Unfortunately, meeting people or situations with dignity and respect does not alone

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help situations improve. Kim’s understanding of tikkun olam also involves making difficult, emotionally charged and critical choices, intelligently analyzing inter-personal considerations and conflict and deeply understanding business considerations. As a result, she is adept at moving people and situations forward to create a more positive future.

Kim has applied this approach in her community involvement and received awards and recognition for this work. Whether Kim is working with the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, AIPAC, Congregation Shaarie Torah, or 99 Girlfriends, she looks to involve herself with organizations that will make a difference and where her presence and energy, when combined with others, will result in improvement.

This same approach has earned her the respect and extreme loyalty of her clients and team members at Coldstream Wealth Management, where she oversees the staff of Team Rosenbaum.

Looking to see the image of G-d, and finding and enhancing dignity in each encounter is hard work.

Yet, Kim has made it her mission always to improve, and seek deeper impact and understanding.

She is a remarkable example for us all.

W

hen you ask the pretty blonde why she would leave her comfortable home in favor of an abandoned church where she sleeps with the unhoused just off the main drag in Ashland, OR, this is how she answers, “I have the kind of heart that wants to help, and I know I can.

It’s how I’ve always been.”

Joy Fate brings people in from the cold. She cooks them meals, offers companionship and a warm place to sleep. She projects movies in the church’s old great hall, and for a little while, all cares are lifted from tired, hungry shoulders too long alone on the streets.

Joy finds them and brings them “home.”

And she’s been doing this mostly on her own for nearly two years, ever since COVID-19 struck. In all that time, she’s only closed for two reasons: her daughter’s wedding and a breakthrough case of the delta variant.

“I hate that I got sick and had to close. I got my shots so I could be there for people. Then this happened,” says Joy. Joy serves on the Ashland Housing and Human Services Commission and plans to re-open as soon as she’s certain to be well again. Unfortunately, both she and her helper, a kind mountain of a guy named Alex, who was unhoused until Joy spotted him, got sick.

Now on the mend, Joy plans to continue, “I’m going to be here until I can’t be.”

She served coffee and breakfast with me and others when the pandemic shut down libraries and coffee shops. “There was literally nowhere for people to be,” says

Joy. “We had to do something.”

When the rest of us got back to our lives, Joy stayed. Giving is her life.

Joy offers everything for free and stretches each donation as far as possible. “I’m not in it for the money, that’s for sure,” she says with a playful laugh.

It’s impossible to understand how she finds a way to keep the lights on, but she does. Donations, helpers, and a neighborhood willing to co-conspire for the greater good, including free use of the building, make it work.

The improbable is turned real.

Joy is repairing the world one cup of coffee, one warm blanket, one meal, one hug, one mitzvah at a time, and it’s a conscious act.

When you tell her about an act of kindness, she nods and whispers, “Tikkun olam.”

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JOY FATE

By Mayor Julie Anne Christie Akins

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 27

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RICK BARDE

By Erika Collins

W

e may know Rick Barde through his love of his Oregon Ducks, gourmet cooking, dogs, family and friends (not necessarily in that order except for the first item). But even more, we know him for the ways he has strengthened the bonds of the community.

Rick will proudly tell you of his roots as a Southwest Portland native, but what he might not mention is how he has continually fostered connections between people for years.

Those of us lucky enough to know Rick and his work on behalf of others know he has approached all with his signature sense of humor and respect.

For years, he volunteered to be the emcee for the annual Bridlemile Elementary School auction. What did this mean for our school? First, we were able to raise significant funds in lean years. We could save key, wellloved programs and positions that were on the brink of elimination and we were able to share in a sense of belonging.

Rick used his advocacy to offer an honest, personal appraisal of what it meant to keep our Bridlemile community strong. As an educator, Rick worked with countless families to develop the best learning practices for their children.

As a colleague, he made a tough day easier: you could count on a hearty “Good Morning!” and a listening ear. Whether in the early days at James John Elementary

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School or later years at Bridlemile, his students adored him. The message was to take school seriously, but remember to have fun. As a result, his students learned the importance of balance: both in the moment and for some, as a lifelong philosophy.

Rick went through something last year that brought out the community to support him. His bout with COVID-19 meant having to lay low for a long while with no guarantee of recovery. For an active person like Rick, this was unthinkable. However, frontline workers, first responders, and a wide circle of friends came to his aid.

As soon as he recovered some semblance of his former self, even before he was out of the hospital, he was promising to pay it forward for other COVID patients. He was open to sharing his story on various news outlets. He understood that knowledge is power and personal accounts carry weight. No doubt he saved lives through this action. Along with his wife, Juli, he went on to be involved with the Healthcare Heroes Project (part of Positive Charge!

PDX).

From promoting the project to collecting, assembling and donating items such as thank you cards to the ICU, and emergency teams at local hospitals, Rick continues to give back to those who quite literally saved his life and the lives of so many others.

Beginning this month, Rick will also work on another Positive Charge!

PDX project called “Sweets to the Streets,” to aid people experiencing food insecurity. Rick lives a life of example for others who desire to serve their community and make the world a better place.

M

ia Birk is a woman on a mission. Correction, a woman on many missions. Mia personifies the tikkun olam spirit in her personal and professional life. Her impact within the Jewish community has been especially felt.

In fact, one would be hard pressed to find an organization within the Portland Jewish community that Mia has not positively affected.

Currently the Chair (and one of the founders) of the Eastside Jewish Commons, Mia has contributed her knowledge and expertise of over 27 years in the field of “active transportation” to advise and assist many organizations, including B’nai B’rith Camp, the Women’s GIving CIrcle of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, the Maccabi Games, the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, Congregation Shir TIkvah, Congregation Neveh Shalom and Impact NW. MIa and her husband, Glen Coblens also contribute financially through their Oregon Jewish Community Foundation donor-advised fund to both Jewish and secular organizations.

Professionally, Mia was the bicycle program manager for the CIty of Portland in the 90’s and later served as the President and CEO at Alta Planning and

Design. With the experience she gained, MIa now offers her knowledge and advice as an independent corporate director, business advisor, executive coach and consultant for a variety of industries and causes.

Clearly Mia is a woman who leads by example. Mia and Glen have 3 children who will undoubtedly benefit from the example of tikkun olam that is exemplified in their lives. In an interview in Oregon Jewish Life several years ago, Mia said, “I cannot recall when volunteering an/or charitable giving was not a part of my family or life.” Thank you Mia, for paying it forward.

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MIA BIRK

By Cindy Saltzman

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DEVORA WILHELM

By Mimi Wilhelm

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evora Wilhelm is an inspiration. She has devoted her life to caring for others and being there for the community. Devora is the one who makes sure the hungry are given a meal, the sick are given a container of chicken soup, and that every single child is not only educated at Maimonides Jewish Day School but also really loved.

Devora Wilhelm moved to Portland in 1984, sent along with her husband Rabbi Moshe Wilhelm, by the Lubavitcher Rebbe to help build community and Jewish awareness.

She has led many holidays and has opened her home to so many for Shabbat dinner. She is there to counsel and care for every person that comes her way, and she reaches out to those that look like they could use some care.

I haven’t met anyone with a bigger heart than Devora. She lives a simple life, sharing herself, her home and everything she has with the community.

Devorah’s life is one of faith and meaning. She can often be found saying a prayer or doing a mitzvah to bring healing or success for a fellow who she heard is in need. She is guided by a sense of purpose and mission and will often do what is right

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and just without taking credit or at her own expense.

In her role at Maimonides, she does not simply teach Judaism.

Instead, she celebrates it and makes it fun and meaningful every day for the children. Whether a special celebration for Rosh Chodesh (the beginning of a new Jewish month) or cheering on students for essays they wrote, she leaves them feeling excited about their heritage.

Sitting around the Wilhelm’s legendary Shabbat table, the entire Jewish community is represented.

Around the gigantic conference table, and the others set nearby, one often finds longtime community lay leaders meeting those who have only discovered that they are Jewish that week, those who’ve experienced the misfortune of losing their jobs, a loved one or just going through a difficult patch alongside a family in town to celebrate a wedding or another simcha. At this table, what unites them all is their Jewish heritage and its celebration.

A few months ago, Devorah got a call from the Multnomah County medical examiner. A woman whom she used to check in on and send food to had died alone without family, and asked that Devorah be told and authorized as her personal representative. Immediately Devorah sprang into action, collecting funds and making arrangements so this woman could have a Jewish burial.

This is Devorah. The person whom, no matter who or where one is, one could write down her name, and be sure she would come through for them.

I

first met Steve almost 46 years ago, when he was running for a seat at the Democratic National Convention with the Maryland delegation. He has always been interested in civic and community action, with a sense of wanting to make the world a better place.

When I met him, I was a candidate for the National Ski Patrol and he had never skied! Since then, he not only learned to ski but also took the first aid courses so that he could patrol, at first as an auxiliary in the patrol room and eventually to be able to take toboggans on the hill!

This is emblematic of his participation in a variety of community volunteering, from such organizations as the American Red Cross (highlighted when he drove across the country to North Carolina to help after the hurricane that occurred there a few years ago), to serving on Happy Valley CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) and other committees of both Happy Valley and a home-owners association. In addition, he has used his teaching skills to inform other groups on disaster preparedness, and has served on security committees for B’nai B’rith camp and the synagogue.

Jewish organizations he has served include being an active member for several years of the Congregation Neveh Shalom board, currently serving as secretary. In the past, he headed up a tikkun olam committee task force and organized the various separate volunteer groups to communicate with each other and better serve the community. His

observation and insight allowed the synagogue to release designated funds for feeding the hungry when the need arose.

He has coordinated greeters for Shabbat services as one way to engage our synagogue’s relational Judaism.

He also is a past president of the CNS Men’s Club and was active in the Pacific Region of the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs.

He currently serves on the synagogue’s Israel 360 committee, which strives to educate everyone with a balanced understanding of the country. And he is currently serving as the district chair, Northern Pacific Region, USCJ, thus becoming a member of the USCJ board.

With the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, he has served on various task forces, including the Black-Jewish Dialogue, to work to bring greater understanding among people of our communities.

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STEVE SIRKIN

By Dana Sirkin

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MEIRA SPIVAK

By Sarah Faige Goldblatt

W

hen I think of Meira, I think of energy. I think of creativity and a passion for the Jewish future.

Meira devotes herself tirelessly to every teen in NCSY, every family and each person she speaks to.

When you have a conversation with her, you feel that you are all that matters. She sees beyond any barriers and envisions a bright future for you that you might not even see for yourself. She has a fire within her, and when she puts her mind to it, she gets it done.

Meira has an original way of thinking. I would call it thinking “tachlit,” goal-oriented. Some people have great ideas, but she actually makes them happen. If Meira had the funding, tikkun olam would be fixing the whole world! But we are lucky since she is in Portland, and during all my time here, I was amazed by her tikkun olam goals in the Portland Jewish community. Whether she

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was single-handedly cooking a Shabbaton for a hundred people in her kitchen down to themed food or studying one on one with a person, she is minute by minute making the world a better place!

She also thinks nationally and globally and works on training others so they too can gain from her strong skill set.

Meira also takes care of herself.

She exercises, plays basketball and eats healthy following the dictum, Im ein ani li, mi li? If I am not for myself, who is for me?

She is a supermom with a large family who could easily take care of her kids and not worry about anyone else. But she cares about the Jewish future!

Meira’s Torah-based leadership isn’t about self-aggrandizement but about deep concern for every neshama, every soul. If you haven’t met Meira yet, you’re missing something special in Portland!

K

atya Brownstein is currently a third year undergraduate student at the University of Oregon studying Sociology with a minor in Special Education.

In addition to her studies, Katya serves as one of The Oregon Hillel Repair Campus Corp Interns and volunteers with The Relief Nursery, a local child abuse and neglect prevention organization.

Through her work as a leader in The Oregon Hillel community, Katya has co-led the creation of our new Social Action Cohort that connects her peers with local service opportunities at the Eugene Springfield NAACP, Food for Lane County, and Beyond Toxics to support the Eugene community. In their service placements, students organize free groceries for those in need, tend to community gardens, advocate for those facing discrimination in the workplace and so much more. Additionally, she and her fellow leaders have created an educational curriculum addressing prevalent social inequalities and inequities with an emphasis on their intersectional nature.

At The Relief Nursery, Katya is part of a program that focuses on supporting children from multistressed families who are at-risk for or have experienced trauma, abuse, and stress. Using research-based and developmentally appropriate practices, she helps reinforce each child’s individual therapeutic goals while making the classroom a safe and comfortable environment.

She supports the children during playtime, walks, reading, and

several group activities. While each child has their own individualized goals, the classroom as whole works on taking turns, using gentle touches, and other practices that promote a sense of compassion.

The Relief Nursery has a plethora of programs to assist the families such as, crisis intervention, substance recovery support, counseling services and ancillary services. Katya cares deeply about her service work at The Relief Nursery because of the lifelong impact their work has on both the children and families who join the program. She is a compassionate and kind person who is driven by a determination to better the world around her. Both the Oregon Hillel and Relief Nursery community are lucky to have her support and vibrancy during her time in Eugene.

We all look forward to seeing her bright future and the great impact she will continue to make on the world!

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KATYA BROWNSTEIN

By Talia Leider

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 33

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DOUG BLAUER

D

By Amy Blauer

oug and I met at BB Camp and even back then, it was obvious he intended to change the world. I love seeing his forwardthinking ideas realized, and the genuine pride he feels participating in groups that are changing lives. With support from Jewish Federation and many local leaders, Doug has rediscovered his volunteer voice from those early years and is doing his part to help repair the world.

Doug treats everyone with kindness and respect. I think it’s why he’s such an effective community leader. He serves on safety and security committees at the Jewish Federation, Neveh Shalom, and BB Camp. At Neveh Shalom, he’s an active board member, also cochairs the Tikkun Olam Committee, and represents the synagogue on the Jewish Community Relations Council. As the Inner Group Outreach Chair of the JCRC, Doug was inspired to help create a new partnership, United in Spirit.

It started to revive the local Black/ Jewish dialogue and has developed into an influential multi-community coalition. Bob Horenstein works with Doug and describes his impact.

“Doug Blauer is an exemplary volunteer involved with important social justice issues through the

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JCRC. Foremost of these issues is the growing chronic homelessness problem in Portland. His leadership in United in Spirit, an interfaith coalition dedicated to helping resolve this humanitarian crisis, has been invaluable.

It was Doug’s idea to bring elected officials, nonprofit agencies, and business groups together around one table to get them to finally collaborate on finding needed solutions. His idea came to fruition with the convening of two summits that have proven to be an important step forward in encouraging these stakeholders to work together and move beyond the political barriers that are preventing progress.

Seeing Doug’s devotion, passion and optimism, I’m beginning to believe we may actually help solve homelessness in Portland.”

With Bob’s encouragement, Doug is now one of 12 others on the Portland Police Bureau Wide Advisory Council. These volunteers shape the PPB budget to reflect the immediate reforms expected by the community and secure the resources needed to build a properly staffed police department.

Doug is a steadfast BB Camp volunteer and along with chairing the Safety Committee, he participates in major fundraising efforts and is a lifelong Men’s Camper. I’m so proud of my husband for his unwavering passion for volunteerism and the pivotal changes that are happening with the help of his perseverance and dedication.

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hat makes this 5-foot tall ball of energy go like the Energizer Bunny? What makes her the Queen of Tzedakah? She is tireless, creative, enthusiastic and determined. She is like a terrier that won’t let go. And this is all in the name of “doing good.” Carolyn Weinstein’s motivation has always been her Jewish identity, the core of which is doing mitzvot, the ultimate level of which is tzedakah.

Whatever project Carolyn takes on, she puts her heart and soul into it.

Have you ever wondered who polishes the crowns, breastplates and finials for Congregation Neveh Shalom’s Torahs in time for the High Holidays? Who headed the project to recreate the beautiful Torah mantels, designed by artist Sara Harwin? Who headed the synagogue’s Building & Grounds Committee? Who has been co-chairing the congregation’s 150 Year Capital Campaign? Carolyn, that’s who!

Tzedakah, that righteous act of “doing the right thing,” takes more than well-meant intentions. Most often, it takes money. Some people have it to give and do so most willingly. Others have it to give but must be asked. Carolyn sets the example by giving most generously, and she is passionate about asking. She has served on numerous boards in the community, each one of which requires fundraising to guarantee its goals are met. In addition, Carolyn has passionately chaired exciting events for each of these organizations, bringing people together to learn the lessons of tzedakah.

Carolyn was among the founders of the Federation’s Women’s Division (aka Women’s Philanthropy). She served as Women’s Campaign

Chair, and then became the first woman to co-chair the general campaign. In addition, Carolyn served on the National UJA Women’s Campaign Board and the Women’s Business and Professional Board. She has been recognized for her volunteerism and leadership locally as a Song of Miriam awardee. In 2016, Carolyn was honored with the International Lion of Judah Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award. Also, in 2016, she and her husband, Gary, were honored with the Rabbi Joshua Stampfer Community Enrichment Award.

Carolyn’s activities reach beyond the Jewish community. One of her favorite volunteer projects is as a guide with the Urban Tour Group, a volunteer organization dedicated to giving young people a sampling of Portland’s history, culture, architecture and resources.

For close to 45 years, Carolyn has been an outstanding realtor in our community. Again, that tenacious personality comes through in her hard work, helping clients buy and sell their homes. Carolyn’s gift to every Jewish client who is moving into a new home is a beautiful mezuzah, each one unique, each one meant to deliver the message, “This is a Jewish home.”

That is what Carolyn Weinstein is all about: being and doing Jewish, the core of which is tzedakah.

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CAROLYN WEINSTEIN

By Priscilla Kostiner

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FOOD

W

ith the ongoing pandemic, not to mention cold and flu season, it’s more important than ever to take care of our health. We all know that getting enough sleep, lowering anxiety, exercising and getting outside is all good for our immune system, but what we eat can also boost our immune system and increase our chances of staying well.

Foods that boost your immunity

By Mala Blomquist

Immunity boosting foods have a positive effect on our gut microbiome and can be the first line of defense against illness and disease.

Try the following recipes for a happy gut!

PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY OVERNIGHT OATS Recipe courtesy FitLiving Eats

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Protein-rich peanut butter, fiber-packed oats and chia seeds that are loaded with healthy fats make for a perfectly balanced breakfast that will keep you full for hours. Also, the oat base is made extra creamy with plain kefir – a probioticrich yogurt that is tangy and thick. You can buy either whole milk or dairy-free kefir made from almond milk or cashew milk depending on your preference.

INGREDIENTS 2 bananas 2 cups old-fashioned oats 1/4 cup chia seeds 2 cups plain kefir 2 cups unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice) 1/4 cup maple syrup, optional 2 cups strawberries, chopped 1/4 cup peanut butter

INSTRUCTIONS To make the oat base, mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl. Add the oats, chia seeds kefir, almond milk and maple syrup (if using). Whisk to combine.

Make the strawberry puree by adding the strawberries into a blender and blend until smooth.

To assemble, divide the oat base evenly among four 16-ounce mason jars.

Top each with one tablespoon of peanut butter. Equally distribute the strawberry puree to finish the overnight oats.

Screw on the lid and store in the refrigerator for up to four days.

This healthy chicken pesto pasta recipe is easy to make thanks to convenience ingredients like rotisserie chicken and store-bought pesto. The addition of fresh asparagus brightens up the look and flavors of this easy one-pot dinner. Fresh basil, if you have it on hand, is a nice finishing touch.

Asparagus works as a prebiotic. It contains high levels of the indigestible fiber inulin, which feeds healthy bacteria like bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. Asparagus also has high levels of B vitamins and inflammation-fighting antioxidants.

INGREDIENTS 8 ounces whole-wheat penne 1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces 3 cups shredded cooked chicken breast 1 (7 ounce) container refrigerated basil pesto 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup) Small fresh basil leaves for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS Cook pasta in a large pot according to package directions. Add asparagus to the pot during the final 2 minutes of cooking time. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water.

Return the pasta mixture to the pot; stir in chicken, pesto, salt and pepper.

Stir in the reserved cooking water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to reach desired consistency. Transfer the mixture to a serving dish; sprinkle with Parmesan and garnish with basil, if desired. Serve immediately.

ONE-POT CHICKEN PESTO PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS Recipe courtesy Eating Well

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FOOD The savory glaze is the perfect accent for this broiled fish and makes an easy dinner. Brush it on before and after broiling, and it’s absolutely stunning.

Aspergillus oryzae is the main probiotic strain found in miso. Research shows that the probiotics in this condiment may help reduce symptoms linked to digestive problems including inflammatory bowel disease. Also, salmon is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, which can help reduce inflammation in your body.

INGREDIENTS 1 to 1 1/2 pounds high quality skin-on salmon fillets, wild caught if possible Freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons light or yellow miso 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari or coconut aminos) 1 tablespoon rice vinegar 1 tablespoon sugar (or maple syrup) 1/4 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt Optional garnish: Sliced green onions, sesame seeds

MISO GLAZED SALMON

Recipe courtesy A Couple Cooks

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INSTRUCTIONS Let salmon rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the miso glaze: Whisk the miso, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, Sriracha and kosher salt together in a small bowl until smooth (the miso may have a few lumps depending on its texture, which is okay).

Preheat the broiler to high. Place a large sheet of aluminum foil on a baking sheet and brush it with olive oil. Pat each piece of salmon dry and place it on the foil skin side down. Brush salmon liberally with the glaze (1 to 2 tablespoons).

Broil about 4 to 5 minutes for very thin salmon or 7 to 10 minutes for 1-inch thick salmon, until just tender and pink at the center (the internal temperature should be between 125 to 130F in the center). Brush with more of the glaze and serve.

CRISPY AND CHEWY SESAME SHIITAKE Recipe courtesy It Doesn’t Take Like Chicken

It may sound surprising, but the chewy texture of shiitake mushrooms means that, when cooked and seasoned in the right way, they can make a good substitute for meat. This recipe uses them as a stand-in for sesame chicken. Pair it with a serving of rice and you have yourself a complete meal.

Shiitake mushrooms boast polysaccharides, terpenoids, sterols, and lipids, some of which have immune-boosting, cholesterol-lowering and anticancer effects.

FOR THE SHIITAKE: 2 cups dried shiitakes (12-16 mushrooms) Boiling water (to soak the mushrooms) 1/4 cup cornstarch 2 tablespoons light oil (such as canola or peanut), plus more if needed FOR THE SESAME SAUCE: 1/4 cup soy sauce 2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 2 cloves garlic , minced 1 inch piece of ginger , minced 2 teaspoons sriracha or other hot sauce (optional) 1 teaspoon sesame oil 1 teaspoon cornstarch FOR GARNISH: 2 green onion , thinly sliced 2 teaspoons sesame seeds

INSTRUCTIONS Cover the mushrooms in boiling water, and put something on top to keep them submerged. Soak for around 40 minutes until tender. Drain the mushrooms. If you wish you can save the liquid to use as a mushroom broth. Now squeeze out the excess water from the mushrooms. Don’t mush them to death, but just lightly squeeze them and shake off the water so they are on the drier side.

Slice them into nice thick slices, about 1/2 inch.

Toss them in the cornstarch so they are evenly coated and shake off the excess.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.

Make sure the oil is nice and hot before adding in the mushrooms so that they fry, and not just soak up the oil. Fry the mushrooms until they are lightly golden on all sides, and no white cornstarch remains.

In the meantime make the sauce by adding all of the ingredients to a small sauce pan. Cook the sauce for about 2 minutes until it begins to thicken. Add in the fried shiitakes and toss to coat.

Serve immediately over rice or in any way that you desire, and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.

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ACTIVELY SENIOR

Marje Jacobson

became an author at 80

By Mala Blomquist

M

arje Jacobson didn’t intend to write a book when she sat down at the computer to share a story of the playful antics of a birthday balloon; she mainly wanted to keep herself occupied and thinking about good things, rather than bad things, during the pandemic.

“I thought, well, this will be something that I can write a story about and give to my grandchildren and since they’re already grown and maybe they’ll save it for my great-grandchildren – whom they are taking their time producing!” jokes Marje.

Her family had a big celebration in California planned for her 80th birthday, and with COVID-19 they had to cancel the festivities. So two of Marje’s friends came over, hung balloons outside and left candy and flowers on her doorstep. When she went out the next day, the balloons were all tangled up. When Marje went to untangle them, one flew away and she caught the other one and brought it inside. “Then the balloon started to take on a life of its own,” says Marje. “All of the things that it did (in the book) were true up until the very end, which I changed a little.”

In her story, a birthday balloon given by friends helps a grandmother cope with COVID-19 and being isolated. The message is simple: if you have friends and family and a little faith in the unknown, you’ll never be truly alone.

After she finished the story, she thought. “Other people have published; what would happen if I tried to publish my story?” She knew she would need an illustrator, so Marje approached her eldest grandson, who is an architect, and “does all kinds of amazing things” to see if he would like to illustrate the book, but he was too busy. So she then asked her friend’s grandson, Youki Imori, who had just graduated with an art degree, and he agreed.

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“He came over and he took pictures of my apartment and me, and I gave him pictures of my friends who are in the book, and then I gave him the layout,” says Marje.

After reaching out to a couple of publishing companies and receiving offers, Marje decided to go with Dorrance Publishing Company and the children’s book Grandma’s Birthday Balloon was released in 2020.

Marje admits to learning a lot about publishing from this project and has an idea for another children’s book. She has also taken up watercolor painting, and she jokes that perhaps she could even illustrate her next book. She likes to constantly try new things and challenge herself.

“I have more time alone, and I’m a people person. I do Zoom and that kind of stuff, but it’s not the same as being with live people,” Says Marje. “So I have to keep myself occupied in a positive manner because I don’t want to sit here moaning and groaning because I’m old and achy.”

Marje took early retirement in 1998, and she had been in education her entire professional career teaching everything from preschool to adult education.

She was the administrative assistant at Portland Jewish Academy when it was known as Hillel Academy, before the merger with the Jewish Education Association.

“While I was there, I also taught Jewish Home Ec, with a portable burner and a roasting pan – that was really a kick,” she remembers. “I also went down to cook for their outdoor school.”

After leaving PJA, she went to public education, where she taught at Jefferson High School. After she retired, both her mother and husband became ill, and she took care of them. “Since then, I’ve been doing volunteer stuff, but I’ve not worked,” says Marje. “I substituted for a while, but mainly I’ve been too busy to work.”

Marje’s most extensive volunteer effort is connected with her synagogue, Congregation Shaarie Torah. Every year since 1961 (except for last year because of the pandemic),

Marje Jacobson she has been making hamantashen with the Sisterhood, a fundraiser that started in the 1950s.

Everything from the fillings to the dough is handmade by volunteers that come from all over Portland. In the first year of the project, 100 dozen were sold. In 2019, they sold more than 2,500 dozen. That’s more than 30,000 cookies made in 12 days!

This year they will return to baking with special protocols in place. Instead of everyone working in the kitchen together, they will be spaced out in the social hall. People will also have to pick up their orders at the door instead of coming in and socializing.

One of Marje’s favorite memories is when she would teach the preschoolers who would come in to help. When her children were young, her father made kid-sized rolling pins, which are still used today by the children volunteers.

“It’s amazing and the best part about it? It’s not only keeping alive a tradition, but it’s multi-generational,” says Marje. “Kids who started are now adults and have kids of their own and in some cases grandkids. So they’re all coming in to help us. It’s a wonderful project.”

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ACTIVELY SENIOR

Dr. Mirissa Price

My Mom Has Dementia, And I Have Her Jewish Faith

By Dr. Mirissa Price

I

wish I had more time. These six words sit with me every day and night as I watch my mother decline into dementia. At age 29, I never thought I would have to help my mom get dressed in the morning. I never thought I would have to cook for her and remind her to take her pills, or go driving through the streets looking for a blonde woman who went wandering away when I wasn’t looking.

I never thought I would lose my mom so young.

I never thought I wouldn’t have time to have her see me get a first job, fall in love, or have children. I never thought I wouldn’t have time.

My mom’s Hebrew name is Sarah, named after one of the four matriarchs of Israel. In Jewish Law, my faith, my culture, my heritage and place in this world come from my mother. With a father who is Lutheran, she is quite literally the woman who gifted me with the Jewish faith. She is the 42

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reason I went to Hebrew Day School, became Bat Mitzvah, and visited Israel for the first time. She is the reason that, no matter how far I travel from home, I feel at home walking into a Rabbi’s house or Chabad home on Shabbat and sharing a meal and prayers with my extended Jewish ‘family.’

And so I never imagined I would lose my Ima – not in physical presence but in emotional presence – so very soon.

In watching her decline into adult childhood, as we as a family describe it, I came to realize that I was mourning a loss. Fortunately, the very Jewish faith my mother gifted me has offered me strength in its mourning practices.

Mourning in Judaism centers on respecting the dead (kavod ha-met) and comforting the living (nihum avelim).

While my mother is far from dead, the version of her I grew up with has died. The woman who I could turn to for safety and reassurance is no longer complete, and the New York Jewish sarcasm that once filled our home has been replaced by innocent joy over musical toys. While I still have my mother to hug, my Ima has, in her own sense, died.

Walking through a traditional moment of mourning has connected me even more to my faith – and through that to my mother. At the first acknowledgement of her dementia, I engaged in keriyah, tearing of the clothing over my heart.

I sat shiva quietly, honoring the memory of the mother I once had and reflecting on what I still have of her presence. While we kept her illness quiet, so that others did not take part in the shiva process, I did speak to close friends who delivered their own version of se-udat havra-ah. And I took part in shloshim. I took part in thirty days to reflect on the gift of an incredible mother that God gifted me. While I did not continue with avelut or the mourner’s Kaddish, reserving those practices for my mother’s physical death, I took the tradition to heart of returning to life.

As a unique strength to Jewish mourning traditions, after completing the final day of mourning, family is not permitted to continue the formal process.

Other than recitation of Kaddish, and other moments of prayer throughout the year, life returns to a new normal. In grieving my mother’s mental decline, having an end point to grief, a point in which I stopped mourning what I lost

and returned to gratitude for what God has given me has been instrumental in maintaining my faith. It has opened my eyes to what I still have: the impact of a mother on a child.

Perhaps I should have realized the power of a mother on a Jewish child the day I learned Jewish faith descends in a matriarchal line. When I was scared, sad, or even joyful, I would turn to my mother. I would seek her comfort and reassurance, even into my twenties. She provided me a sense of safety in this world. She was home. And that home, in a spiritual sense, has stayed a part of me as much God is a part of me. I know exactly what my mother would have said when I called her with news, good or bad. I know exactly how her hug would have felt, back when she knew who she was hugging. Those memories, that knowledge will never leave me. They sit in my heart as a part of me. In fact, you could say, my whole life, I have been gathering gifts from my mother, starting with Judaism and ending with a sense of safety in this world that I can now find internally because I allowed myself to mourn in a traditional Jewish format the partial loss of my mother. Because I am Jewish, because I mourn in a Jewish way, show gratitude in a Jewish spirit, and respect my mother in Jewish faith, I can never truly lose my Ima as a part of me.

In Judaism, rather than turn against God after the death of a loved one, we stand up every day and reaffirm our faith in God despite this loss. Since sitting shiva for the mother I once knew, I stand taller in gratitude and faith. With Judaism as I guide, my mom, along with Hashem, is always with me.

Originally Published on Aish.com Dr. Mirissa Price is a Pediatric Dentist with her DMD from Harvard School of Dental Medicine and her Certificate in Pediatric Dentistry from Harvard-Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Price is an author, improv comedian, and life coach with ForTheLoveOf.Coach.

With a love of nature, Dr. Price moved to Nashville, TN, where she currently resides with her two dogs. You can contact Dr. Price through her website asmileblooms.com or mirissaprice. wordpress.com, and her email Mirissa and her mdpricesmiles@gmail.com mother, Sarah.

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ACTIVELY SENIOR

“What’s the thing that makes you feel the absolute best and makes you forget about your problems?

It’s when you help somebody else.” ~ Jean Rosenbaum

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Jean Rosenbaum An inspired life

By Cindy Saltzman “Age shouldn’t affect you. It’s just like the size of your shoes – they don’t determine how you live your life!

You’re either marvelous or you’re boring, regardless of your age.”

~ Steven Patrick Morrissey, frontman of the rock band, The Smiths.

A

s far as I know, the lead singer of The Smiths has never met Jean Rosenbaum, but Morrissey could have easily written his quote above with her in mind.

As her many friends and acquaintances can attest to, Jean has lived and continues to live a “marvelous” life.

A Portland native, Jean’s story began almost 72 years ago.

She was raised in an observant Jewish home. Her parents, Dr. Robert Rosenbaum, a surgeon, and her mother, Goldie, raised Jean and her two brothers, Robert and Thomas, with an emphasis on education, generosity, and giving back.

She attended Lincoln High School and then went to Boston University, where she met and married a fellow student during her senior year. The end of her marriage after five years, in many ways, marked the beginning of her personal and professional metamorphosis into the Jean Rosenbaum who is so admired and beloved today.

Though Jean and I are “Facebook friends,” we had never spoken before this interview. Fortunately, Jean is an interviewer’s dream, as she is charmingly open, has a great sense of humor and has led a life that will inspire others. As with many inspirational people, Jean would have preferred to speak about her foundation, Gifted Wishes, rather than herself. But with a bit of prodding, Jean agreed to talk about the woman behind Gifted Wishes as well.

Cindy Saltzman: You mentioned that education was a priority in your family. Where did you go to school?

Jean Rosenbaum: I attended Lincoln High School and then went east to Boston University and majored in English language and literature.

Between college and now, it seems that you have had some very interesting careers.

I like writing, so marketing came to me easily. I’ve been doing that, mostly medical marketing, since 1980. And I have been a photographer since my university days too.

When did you open your own marketing/advertising agency?

It was 1985. I wanted to start a commercial photography business. But my first client wanted a full-service advertising agency. So since I had been doing marketing for a hospital, I opened a full-service agency. I operated that business for seven or eight years, until I started the car business.

It must have been unusual for a woman to be a car broker years ago?

I always loved cars, even as a child. When I was young, we had a riding lawnmower, and I used to take the cutters off it and drive it around the neighborhood. I just always loved cars, and I bought my vehicles from brokers. And since the agency business was very hard physically and emotionally, I thought having a car business might be fun.

I started that business in ‘92 and have worked in the field until today. And then, about five or six years ago, I became seriously interested in photography as a fine art. I started doing shows, and I’ve been in quite a few international exhibitions and received many awards and sold a lot of work too. So that’s another big part of my life.

You have come full circle in your career. What about your personal life? How has that evolved over the years?

During my freshman year at Boston University, I realized that I was gay. But it was the late 60s. Society was very different then. I ended up getting married in 1972. And my husband and I finished our last year of college together.

You must have felt pulled in different directions.

I got married because I felt like that was what was expected of me. It was a confusing time. I did fall in love with him, but I just couldn’t maintain it. I’d probably still OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 45

Jean rides a miniature Tesla across the stage at the annual Gifted Wishes Gala.

it. And ironically, later, I learned that my parents had known all along.

We just didn’t talk about it. I didn’t come out to my parents until 1985.

What made you decide to finally open up to your parents?

My dad was going to have surgery and my mom and I were on the way to the hospital. I wanted to tell my mom at that time because she was a captive audience. But she took it just fine.

And then the next day, she asked me if it was something that they had done wrong.

be in that relationship today if he hadn’t ended it. So at that point, I decided I didn’t really have to be with men anymore – and I didn’t want to be.

That must have been a very difficult time for you?

When you came back to Portland, did you ever feel like you had to hide who you were?

It was difficult. I didn’t even really figure how difficult it was for quite a while.

Did you tell anyone?

Jean: My oldest brother and I are extremely close. He was the first person I ever told. And the second brother was supportive too.

Do you remember what it was like for you mentally and emotionally at that time?

One of the reasons that I didn’t talk about it was that I felt that I needed to protect my parents. I kept saying to myself, “I’m protecting my parents. I’m not telling anybody.” But I realized that I wasn’t so much protecting my parents as I was protecting myself. I was embarrassed. I didn’t feel good about 46

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Did that hurt you?

I don’t know. But basically, they weren’t really that upset about it. Maybe they were upset between themselves, but, they were supportive.

I don’t think they really understood it for a really, long time.

It remained a little more of an issue with my father until he was probably 100 years old.

How old was your dad when he died?

He was three weeks shy of his 101st birthday.

My mom had passed away a year and a half prior, so for that year and a half, we were so close again. We were close when I was young and we had issues in between and then in the end, we were there for each other, and he apologized and said he was proud of me. I waited my whole life to hear that.

I can’t even imagine. So, you waited decades to hear that?

Yes, I waited almost 65 years.

I’m sorry. But I am glad you finally did get that closure.

Your parents certainly lived long lives. You must have good genes.

ACTIVELY SENIOR They did live long lives, but they didn’t have a great quality of life in their final two or three years. We put my dad on hospice. In the beginning, they told me he only had hours to days to live. But in the end, he lived for almost a year.

in my immediate family, and my marketing and PR background. He hired me. I started out working just six hours a week because I still wasn’t well at that time. But then they continued to add hours.

Was that your first experience with hospice and is that why you founded Gifted Wishes?

No, I had been working for Signature Hospice as the director of marketing for14 years. Because I saw the advantages of Hospice, I chose to put him on hospice.

In our family situation, it was probably one of the few situations where hospice wouldn’t be that helpful. My dad’s a doctor, my brothers are doctors, he was surrounded by doctors and had 24-hour care and he was in the Robison Home, (so he didn’t really need hospice. But I wanted it because I worked in hospice and was familiar with the fact that they have 13 months of support for grieving relatives after the family member dies. It was just another layer of care.

You were still fighting cancer at that time?

Yes. I had a very rare form of cancer. There are only like 14 cases in history. I had a neuroendocrine tumor in my bile duct. It can only be treated with surgery. I had to go undergo a Whipple procedure which is major surgery with potential life-threatening complications. Some don’t survive the surgery. I had two surgeries. In the beginning, my prognosis was not very good. I had a 50% chance of a five-year survival. But today, I am 14 years out.

How did that work out logistically?

My father moved into the Green House (part of the Harold Schnitzer Center for Living) when it first opened, and we hired the hospice company to come in there too.

Please tell us about your Gifted Wishes and why it was founded.

Gifted Wishes was established to grant last wishes to hospice patients in need – to those who are without the means to provide their simplest wish – or to meet their basic needs.

On your website, giftedwishes.org, there is a lot of great information on the history of Gifted Wishes and your many services. It is quite extensive. How are you funded?

Through grants and personal donations and our annual gala. Last year, we had to do a virtual gala one and that was not as successful. But I had been fundraising all year and I had a lot of sponsors, so that carried us through. And then this year, we had our gala in September. It was right at the time that things had opened up and then closed back down again. We ended up having a 100 people attend rather than 300. But the people that attended were really serious about it, so we did almost as well as we always have done.

What was the catalyst for Gifted Wishes.

After being diagnosed with cancer 14 years ago, I decided that I wanted to change my life. I called up the president of Signature Hospice and asked if he could use a medical liaison. I knew I was qualified with 11 physicians

Incredible. Was there anything else that you did to help you recuperate?

Yes, I decided there was nothing more they could do for me with Western medicine, so I decided to investigate an alternative and began studying natural medicine. It really helped me to function. I think it probably saved my life from a nutrition standpoint. I then started working on my Ph.D. in natural medicine. It took me about six months to fully recuperate.

Thank you for sharing this experience. It is remarkable.

So after going through this, you were inspired to create Gifted Wishes?

Yes. I feel like I had a slow start in life in terms of giving back on a bigger level. It was such a huge thing in my family. My parents were so incredibly generous. It just took me a while to get there. So now I’m trying to make up for those years. I’m doing as many things as I can because you never know, nobody knows how much time they have left, With the cancer that I had and my prognosis, I just think I need to live every moment. People ask me, “How do you deal with a prognosis like that, or your fear?” My answer to that is, “What’s the thing that makes you feel the absolute best and makes you forget about what your problems? It’s when you help somebody else.” www.giftedwishes.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ GiftedWishesFoundation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ giftedwishesfoundation/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/GiftedWishes

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 47

ACTIVELY SENIOR

The next chapter for the amazing

Are you offering your services to both out-of-state people moving to Portland as well as locals who are looking for a realtor that would be a good fit?

Absolutely. I want to work with clients, no matter where they’re coming from. In fact, over the years I’ve worked with Portland natives, people from all over the US and in fact, even international clientele.

By Cindy Saltzman

Would you describe your new business as a concierge real estate service or as a matchmaker between clients and real estate agents?

It’s both. It’s a concierge service because I meet people personally and get to know them and understand their needs.

I would like to help sellers who are unfamiliar with selling a home and/ or buyers who are coming to Portland or Lake 0swego or the East Side or West Side of our city to buy a home. I will even come to the meet buyers at the airport or hotel, answer their questions and find the perfect broker to fit their needs All this at absolutely no cost to buyer or seller.

I am also a matchmaker, because I have worked with and know so many realtors and brokers all over the city, so I am able to connect people with the perfect broker for them.

Lorraine Rose

What do you love most about the real estate field?

Well first, I love the City of Portland and I love to share that joy with people. I also am a people person and simply like to get to know them as we set them on the right path to find the best home.

L

orraine Rose is an iconic figure in Portland. As the wife of Rabbi Emanuel Rose z”l of Congregation Beth Israel, (the first congregation and largest reform congregation in Oregon) she has been intimately involved with Jewish life in Portland since she moved here from London as a young bride in the early ‘60s. She has also been a top selling realtor here for the past 35 years, while raising 5 (now adult) children. Because Lorraine is a natural networker and has the real estate expertise, she has designed a new – fully complimentary-service to help buyers and sellers alike.

Cindy Saltzman: You really do seem to know everyone in Portland. After enjoying such a successful real estate career, why have you decided to transition to a new business within the field?

Lorraine Rose: Well, I love working with people and getting to know them. It’s time for a change of pace for me - but I want to put my 35 years of experience living in Portland, ,the Jewish community and my knowledge of the real estate market, to work.

48

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

What do you love most about the Jewish community here?

I have roots here. I’ve come to know it as a community that is warm and welcoming. This is also a city that certainly has Jewish neighborhoods, but also one where members of the Jewish community live all over the city. I should also say that Portland’s Jewish community is dynamic and is growing and changing in exciting ways.

How has the Jewish community changed over the years?

This is a terrific time to be Jewish in Portland. There used to be three rabbis at three large synagogues and now Portland has something like fifteen rabbis serving the community.

The Jewish Federation has expanded its services, and there are several Jewish schools here. The Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education is a destination site, and - perhaps most exciting - there are a lot of young people here reinventing what it means to be Jewish in the 21st century.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

As you are aware, Cindy, I am originally from the UK, got married and moved to Portland. You could say I’ve grown up with this lovely City. This is my home and where my heart is.

Lorraine Rose can be reached at lorrainerosepdx@gmail.com 503-703-8666.

ACTIVELY SENIOR

Making Alzheimer’s Just a Memory An in-depth look at Alzheimer’s and work to find a cure Courtesy Family Features

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

A

lthough the COVID-19 pandemic turned the world upside down, the rapid development of multiple vaccines has spurred hope that treatments – or even potential cures – may be found for other devastating conditions. One such candidate is Alzheimer’s Disease.

UNDERSTANDING ALZHEIMER’S The Alzheimer’s Association defines the disease as a type of dementia that affects memory, thinking and behavior. While some degree of memory loss is common with age, Alzheimer’s symptoms are significant enough to affect a person’s daily life and typically only grow worse over time.

Early signs of Alzheimer’s include trouble remembering new information, solving problems or completing familiar tasks.

As the disease progresses, disorientation, confusion, significant memory loss and changes in mood or behavior may become apparent. Physical symptoms may include difficulty speaking, swallowing or walking.

IMPACT OF ALZHEIMER’S Among people aged 65 and older, 1 in 9 (11.3%) has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, meaning more than 6 million Americans live with it. Worldwide, the World Health Organization estimates there are nearly 50 million people

living with dementia, and Alzheimer’s likely accounts for 60-70% of those. By 2050, this number could rise as high as 13 million. Less commonly noted are the numbers of early-onset (under 65 years old) Alzheimer’s patients within those figures. Up to 9% of global Alzheimer’s cases are believed to be early onset, according to the World Health Organization.

According to a Harvard School of Public Health survey, Alzheimer’s is second only to cancer among America’s most feared diseases. However, data from the Alzheimer’s Association shows Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States, a rate higher than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined.

Beyond the personal impact for those battling the disease and their loved ones, Alzheimer’s Disease also takes a significant economic toll. The Alzheimer’s Association predicts that in 2021, Alzheimer’s and other dementias will cost the nation $355 billion. By 2050, these costs could exceed $1 trillion if no permanent treatment or cure for Alzheimer’s is found. At the same time, more than 11 million Americans provide unpaid care for people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, an estimated 15.3 billion hours of care, valued at nearly $257 billion.

TREATMENT OPTIONS While there hasn’t been enough significant progress in discovering a treatment or cure in the more than 100 years since Alzheimer’s was first identified in 1906, early diagnosis and treatment may improve the quality of life for patients. The disease affects each patient differently, so therapies vary widely depending on how far it has progressed and which symptoms are most prevalent.

Some therapeutic approaches can address symptoms like sleep disruption and behavior while medication may be beneficial for treating other symptoms.

Founded in 2016 by Milton “Todd” Ault III, Alzamend Neuro, a preclinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, has been actively seeking a cure for Alzheimer’s and concentrates on researching and funding novel products for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and psychiatric disorders. With two products currently in development, the company aims to bring these potential therapies to market at a reasonable cost as quickly as possible.

Ault’s stepfather is currently battling Alzheimer’s, his mother-in-law died from the disease and he has three other family members suffering through it.

“Even though work has been done to find a cure for Alzheimer’s, to me it hasn’t been a full-court press,” said Ault, whose many personal encounters with Alzheimer’s have further fueled his passion to find a cure. “While there are no profound treatments today for Alzheimer’s disease, we believe we can change that.”

PRACTICAL WAYS TO FAST-TRACK A CURE Ault believes recent advancements in vaccines and medical technology, combined with these five approaches, can help advance the search for a cure for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

• Encourage public-private partnerships

The collaboration of government agencies and private industries was integral to the COVID-19 vaccine development. The cross-industry partnerships enabled a vaccine to get to market in less than one year despite detractors. Ault believes this model can be replicated for other diseases and conditions.

• Diversify the search

Because of its complexity, a cure for Alzheimer’s will require expertise from a broad range of organizations including health and defense, biopharmaceutical firms, academic experts and those involved in Operation Warp Speed, the federal effort that supported multiple COVID-19 vaccine candidates simultaneously to expedite development.

• Share standards and data

Focusing on a shared goal is vital to succeeding. This means looking for ways to share standards and collaborate with colleagues and competitors regardless of proprietary data, patents and other limitations.

• Become the catalyst for a cure

When political will and government funding are insufficient or unable to drive change, the private sector can inspire action.

“The progress we are making is a result of the private investment dollars we secured and the way we have applied strategy and tenacity that comes from a successful business record,” Ault said.

• Learning from past successes

Aside from the result, there is a great deal to learn from the successful development of past drugs and vaccines.

Social awareness and cultural demand are potential ways to stimulate faster production and approvals between public and private entities.

To learn more about treatments and therapies in development visit alzamend.com.

Milton “Todd” Ault III, founder of Alzamend Neuro

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 51

H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S SHOPPING GUIDE

W

ellness is the act of practicing healthy habits on a daily basis to attain better physical and mental health outcomes, so that instead of just surviving, you’re thriving.

To understand the significance of wellness, it’s important to understand how it's linked to health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), health is defined as being “a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

Several key areas of your lifestyle are considered dimensions of overall Wellness. They include: social connectedness, exercise, nutrition, sleep and mindfulness.

Each one has an impact on your physical and mental health. By making simple and healthy choices on a daily basis, you will be well on your way towards reducing stress, having positive social interactions and achieving optimal wellness.

Start with small changes within each dimension and take it one day at a time – you don’t have to run a marathon or go on a restrictive diet to implement wellness into your everyday life!

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 53

MIND STEPPING STONE! THE SERENITY LAMP - A good night’s sleep is essential to maintaining high levels of energy throughout the day. That’s why Amethyst is a must-have crystal for those struggling with sleep problems. The Serenity Lamp eases tension before bed, encouraging you to relax more and sleep deeper. $39.95 • consciousitems.com IN THE POCKET JEWISH WISDOM EIGHT BALL Searching for answers in a confusing, hectic world? Give it over to the ages.

Imbued with the vast wisdom of Jewish Heritage, this clever take on the Magic 8 ball gets to the heart of any questions you have. $34.00 • manhattanfruitier.com

LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE THINGS ARE LOOKING UP OPTIMISM ON DECK - Based on Deepika Chopra’s scientific findings as the self-proclaimed “Optimism Doctor”, these cards contain lovely uplifting and inspiring affirmations as well as journal prompts to use.

These are great for those less into the woo-woo aspect and more into the self-betterment side. $40.00 • revolve.com

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I AM YOUR FATHER! JEWDAI STAR WARS MOUSEPAD Mousepad is any laptop’s dream companion. It’s a great opportunity to breathe some color into a cubicle, workspace, or home office. The neoprene construction with a non-slip rubber bottom will prevent any mishaps. $19.99 • freshfitdesigns.ocm

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

WUNDERLUST! THE BUCKET LIST - A valuable reference and a wonderful gift for digital nomads, recent grads, sabbatical planners, and adventuresome retirees, fair warning: you might just find your travel bucket list getting much, much longer. $35.00 • anthropologie.com

SEE THE LIGHT WHITE SAGE SMUDGE STICK - Smudging with the smoke of white sage smudge sticks is ideal for cleansing negative energy, attracting positive energy and light when emotionally or spiritually tired or lacking motivation, ridding yourself of other people’s negative emotional energy (stress, anger, envy, anxiety, or bad intentions), and rejuvenation and renewal to start fresh. $5.00 ea. • thedeeproosapothecary.com

SLEEP LIKE A BABY Calm - The Calm app has been gaining notoriety because of its famous bedtime stories where you can have the like of Harry Styles and Tom Hardy lulling you into sleep. It features mindfulness music and timers for a more personalised approach, as well as guided meditations for all areas of life if you’re new to meditating. $69.99 yr • calm.com

BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS RISE & SHINE - Sparkly strawberries.

Bedazzled bagels. Rhinestoned olives. Tiny, tiny daisies. This glittering smorgasbord is truly the breakfast of champions. It’s just like the old saying: all that glitters is...a truly delightful brunch puzzle. $36.00 • pieceworkpuzzles.com OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 55

GOLD STANDARD BALTINESTER JEWLERY & JUDAICA - This exquisite 18K gold Mezuzah pendant has been created in the shape of a Torah scroll. The body of the scroll has the highlights of Ancient Jerusalem city engraved. The top and bottom parts of the scroll have a row of glittering diamonds each. $4650.00 • amazon.com

SUIT UP! FRENCH TERRY JOGGER - Go ahead and retire those old, shapeless sweatpants you like to hibernate in. Our Softest French Terry joggers, now made in eco-friendly TENCEL™ fabric, have that lightweight, super soft feel you love, and are built in a chic silhouette you’ll be happy to wear out in public. Pair them with The Softest French Terry Pullover for an effortless outfit perfect for those cozy, casual days. $80.00 • summersalt.com

LIP SYNCH BOBBI BROWN EXTRA LIP TINT - This combines the hydration of your go-to balm with the lush color of your favorite lip tint, powered by a blend of six natural oils. (Bare Nude shown). $32.00 bobbibrowncosmetics.com 56

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

HOOKED ON A FEELING ALETHA HEALTH’S HIP HOOK - If you haven't been able to workout or be active because of joint/muscle pain then you need to check out! Hip Hook is the world’s first tool designed to specifically release tension in the psoas and iliacus muscles. Just a few minutes a day with the Hip Hook can provide long-term pain relief to the lower back, hips, tailbone, knees, and feet. $159.00 • alethahealth.com

NOSE GAY NOLITA BOND NO. 9 - This is the most perfect scent ever.

The freesia and jasmine is intoxicating, but the tangerine tapers the floral scent down enough to not make it overpowering. $370 (100ml) bondno9.com

BO

BEST FOOT FORWARD BYRIVER ACUPRESSURE FOOT MASSAGE This foot acupuncture massage tool will help to relieve lower back pain; migraine; foot pain due to plantar fasciitis, arthritis, neuropathy. $27.99 • amazon.com

ODY THE HEAT IS ON! MICROWAVE HEATING PAD - This microwave rice pack is ideal for men and women! The reusable heat pack is the perfect gift. This cotton fabric is a lovely dark yellow (mustard) floral pattern. $15.95+ • etsy.com (Sehosas)

NAILED IT! Bed of Nails started the global acupressure mat movement back in 2009. Their round nail plates have 42 non-toxic recyclable nails that stimulate more points with less pressure, making the experience invigorating rather than painful. The eco-friendly mats, pillows and straps come in a variety of colors $40 to $180 • bedofnails.org

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 57

LOG ON SHIITAKE MUSHROOM LOG KIT If you’re shiitake-wacky like we are, you can never get enough of their meaty texture and earthy, smoky flavor. Grow your own with Howard Berk and Todd Pittard's mushroom log kit. $30.00 • uncommongoods.com

LET THEM EAT CAKE! LUSCIOUS LEMON CHEESECAKE Capture the sunny refreshment of lemon in exquisite bites of indulgance. Each slice is a vanilla graham crust and pillowy lemon cheesecake on layer of lemon danish filling.

2lbs. 12 oz. $39.00 wisconsincheeseman.com.com

FAN MAIL DYSON PURE COOL PURIFYING FAN TP01 - Create a healthier indoor environment with this purifying tower fan. Air Multiplier technology circulates purified air throughout the whole room and has a 360° filtration system that uses activated carbon to remove gases and odors as well as a HEPA filter to capture 99.97% pollutants as small as 0.3 microns. $329.99 • bestbuy.com 58

HEARTFELT WILDFLOWER TZEDAKAH BOX Tzedakah is the practice of giving charity, one of the most fundamental aspects of Judaism. The wild flower tzedakah box is meant to hold coins and dollars to be donated once filled.

Made from stainless steel, this box has a trapezoidal shape. All around the base are golden flowers and vines growing. Available in both silver and gold pewter accents. $215.00 • questcollection.com

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

SOUL GREEN THUMB AEROGARDEN HARVEST ELITE SLIM - Garden yearround with the soil-free AeroGarden Harvest Elite Slim. This countertop system lets you quickly grow fresh herbs with ease, all in the comfort of your home, no matter the season. Sets up in minutes and lets you start harvesting in no time. $89.99 • bedbathandbeyond.com

LIGHT MY WAY BEESWAX AROMATHERAPY CANDLE REJUVENATION- Sweet Orange + Clove Bud is a spicy, uplifting medley that revives and restores inner strength.

Pure beeswax aromatherapy candle with essential oils, hand poured into a signature beehive glass. Perfect for a gift, this candle is colorfully packaged in a sturdy cardboard tube and comes complete with a matchbook. $14.95 • eartheasy.com PUT THE KETTLE ON STAGG EKG ELECTRIC KETTLE - Whether you're a world brewing champion or a brewing beginner, Stagg EKG will be your countertop partner in the pursuit of a ridiculously good cup of coffee. With variable temperature control, 1200 watts for a quick heat time, and a world of features for ultimate control, this is the pour-over kettle perfected. $189.00 • fellowproducts.com OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 59

FRONT & CENTER

D

aniela Naomi Molnar is a Portland artist, poet, writer, teacher, mentor, climate activist and a grandchild of Holocaust survivors. She began her creative journey as soon as she was old enough to hold a paintbrush. Her educational background is a unique blend of science and art; she received an undergraduate degree in environmental studies and a graduate degree in scientific illustration and worked with Scientific American Magazine for many years.

Several years ago, Daniela’s interest in scientific research and her art converged as she found herself drawn to the origins of colors. She often uses natural pigments in her work, and she became interested in the geology, biology, or botany backgrounds of specific colors.

When she started a residency in New Mexico in October 2020, she began creating paintings using the cyanotype process. “I was in the mountains of Northern New Mexico, and I was just completely smitten by the 60

Artist

Daniela Molnar’s

work exposes a color with a dark history

By Mala Blomquist

light,” says Daniela. “All I wanted to do was work with the light.”

Daniela uses a mixture of chemicals during the cyanotype process, which, when exposed to sunlight and washed in water, oxidize to create images.

“You can combine them and paint with them

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

under fluorescent light, and nothing will happen,” explains Daniela. “I’m painting the chemicals onto paper, and then I’m placing objects that I find on walks in the forest, the city, or sometimes objects that I’ve inherited from my grandparents onto the paper. Then I put the

New Earth 6 (Peru) Natural pigments and rainwater on paper 22 x 22” 2018

whole assemblage into the sun, and anywhere that the object is blocking (the light) is going to be white.”

She can also manipulate

some of the effects by spraying water or changing the pH with baking soda or salt.

The chemical reaction to the uncovered part of paper turns it into a vibrant blue that is known as Prussian blue. Prussian blue was the first modern synthetic pigment and the “blue” in blueprints.

Enjoying this new process, Daniela decided to research the origin behind Prussian blue. It turns out that intense blue pigment has a very complicated history.

The pigment was accidentally created around 1706 by a paint maker named Johann Jacob Diesbach, who was trying to make a red dye but accidentally mixed the wrong compounds together, making iron ferrocyanide, which had a very distinct blue hue.

Before this discovery, many painters and artists did not have access to a long-lasting blue pigment because their options made from lapis lazuli were costly. Then in 1752, the French chemist Pierre Macquer made the discovery that Prussian blue could be converted to iron oxide plus a volatile component and that these could be used to reconstitute it. The new component was what is now known as hydrogen cyanide or prussic acid.

Researching further, Daniela found out that prussic acid is also part of the chemical

makeup of Zyklon B, the lethal gas used to kill prisoners in AuschwitzBirkenau, Majdanek, and other Nazi death camps.

“Zyklon” translates to “cyclone,” and the “B” stands for Blausäure, “blue acid.” Inside some of the death camp bunkers, you can still see traces of the same vibrant blue that characterizes cyanotypes on the walls.

It was then that Daniela realized the connection between the art she had been doing for years – visually presenting ideas about climate change – and her new cyanotype art and uncovering the history of Prussian blue as a 3G. “I just went down this rabbit hole of climate grief, and doing this research – I was just like incredibly taken by the emotional impact of what I was discovering,” says Daniela. “I couldn’t compartmentalize it anymore. I just needed to

experience that grief and process it through the paintings.”

Through creating the “Cyclone B” paintings, as she refers to them, she realized how grief could be creative fuel, and began to understand and cherish the duality of the color. “When you put Prussian blue onto a piece of paper or canvas, it’s instantly alive,” says Daniela. “Then there’s also this quality to it that’s deadly and murderous. That kind of complexity is very similar to the complexity that grief often takes in our lives – of being both hardship and struggle and also love and gratitude. All of those things combined.

“My grandmothers survived Auschwitz. My grandfathers survived labor camps,” continues Daniela. “These paintings are a record of ongoing intergenerational trauma and grief. They are also tokens of transformation, records of attempts to shift

that trauma.”

Since returning to Portland from New Mexico, she has continued working on the series but realized that the light is calmer and more diffused at home, changing the way that the paper gets exposed.

So she’s currently applying for more residencies in the desert Southwest to “reinvigorate the series.”

She has sold a few pieces through people contacting her directly, but since she is not finished with the series, she has not lined up a formal show but has been sharing her cyanotypes informally through Instagram.

“The reaction that people have to them is really interesting,” says Daniela.

“I intentionally make the work very beautiful. I think beauty is a potent tool for drawing people into these ideas that are challenging.

People are typically just enamored by the color and then there’s this sort of double take when they realize the complexity of what they’re looking at. It’s a real opening to conversation that I’ve appreciated.”

To see more of Daniela’s work, visit danielamolnar.com.

Daniela working on a piece of art made using the cyanotype process in the studio during her residency at Mission Street Arts in Jemez Springs, NM. PHOTO COURTESY MISSION STREET ARTS.

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 61

ISRAEL

Dr. Einat Ambar Armon, curator of the Sanhedrin Trail exhibition on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, presenting the Magdala Stone.

PHOTO BY YAIR AMITZUR/ISRAEL ANTIQUITIES AUTHORITY

62

Magdala Stone

and other rare artifacts on view in Galilee

By Abigail Klein Leichman

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

The Sanhedrin Trail exhibition at Yigal Allon Center includes ancient artifacts from the five sites where the Great Sanhedrin was headquartered over time.

PHOTO BY DR. EINAT AMBAR ARMON/ISRAEL ANTIQUITIES AUTHORITY

A

n oil lamp with the symbol of the seven-branch menorah; a stone from the Second Temple; inscriptions that incorporate the words “Shalom,” “Shabbat” and the names of the sages Shimon, Jacob and Hoshaya.

These are among 150 rare ancient artifacts on view

in the Israel Antiquities Authority’s new exhibition, the Sanhedrin Trail, at the Yigal Allon Center on the Sea of Galilee at Kibbutz Ginosar near the Sea of Galilee (Lake Kinneret).

The new exhibition includes items from the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods including the 2,000-year-old Magdala Stone bearing depictions of the Second Temple that stood in Jerusalem from 516 BCE to 70 CE. The stone was discovered in IAA excavations in 2009 in Migdal – believed to be the hometown of Jesus’ mother, Mary – in the center of a synagogue from the Second Temple period.

While the stone was being studied by experts, a replica was displayed at the archeological site of Migdal. Now, for the first time, the original stone is exhibited.

IAA researchers believe this stone was used as a table on which to open the Torah for public readings.

The carvings depicting the Jerusalem Temple and its vessels were likely made by an artist who saw the Temple in person.

“The Sanhedrin Trail exhibition is unique not only because of the fascinating finds on display, but also because it provides a glimpse into the ‘behind the scenes’ of how the artifacts were found,” said Eli Escozido, director of the IAA. All explanations appear in English, Hebrew and Arabic.

Escozido noted that the exhibit complements the Sanhedrin Trail hiking path inaugurated in 2017.

Stretching from Tiberias to Beit She‘arim National Park in the Lower Galilee, this interactive “smart” trail takes hikers back in history to the Second Temple period when the Great Sanhedrin – the supreme Jewish authority of sages – was active in the Galilee.

“The exhibition shows

the people who found the artifacts in excavations and the various activities that were conducted during the preparation of the Sanhedrin Trail,” said Escozido. “Visiting the exhibition and walking along the Sanhedrin Trail complement each other as a two-way road that allows us to travel in time into our own history and heritage.”

The artifacts in the exhibition, many on display for the first time, reflect the flourishing of Galilee settlements in the Roman and Byzantine eras, when the Mishnah and Talmud – collections of oral Jewish law and lore – were being compiled in writing for the first time.

The exhibition includes an oil lamp with the symbol of the sevenbranch Temple menorah, a hoard of silver and bronze coins, bronze and pottery figurines and jewelry.

Article courtesy of ISRAEL21c

OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 63

American Jews in 2022: Who Counts, and

LIVING

Why That’s Important?

Dr. Mijal Bitton

Portland State University Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies

ANNUAL GUS AND LIBBY SOLOMON MEMORIAL LECTURE When: Feb. 10 at 5:30 pm Where: Zoom; this is a free online event Registration: pdx.edu/judaic-studies

D

r. Mijal Bitton will deliver the 17th annual Gus and Libby Solomon Memorial Lecture virtually on Feb. 10 at 5:30 pm. Mijal is Scholar in Residence at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America. She is a teacher, writer, and leading 64

thinker on questions relating to Jewish American identity, Sephardic Jews, pluralism, gender equity and sociological diversity.

She is co-founder and Rosh Kehilla (communal leader) of the Downtown Minyan in New York City. Mijal received a BA from Yeshiva University and earned

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE

her doctorate from New York University, where she conducted an ethnographic study of a Syrian Jewish community with a focus on developing the field of contemporary Sephardic studies in America. She is an alumna of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship. In 2018 Mijal was selected for

inclusion in “36 Under 36” in New York Jewish Week.

In her presentation, “American Jews in 2022: Who Counts? And Why That’s Important,” Mijal Bitton explains why understanding this diversity and its implications is so crucial for the future of American Jewry. In recent years, American Jews have become much more aware of the diversity of their community. For example, American Jews are not only Ashkenazi Jews whose ancestors immigrated to the United States from Eastern Europe, but also Sephardic Jews, Mizrahi Jews, Jews of color, and Jews of many other backgrounds.

The 17th Annual Gus and Libby Solomon Memorial Lecture is presented by the Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies at Portland State University and sponsored by Richard B. Solomon and Alyce Flitcraft. Co-sponsors include the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation, PSU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and PSU Department of Sociology.

Weekend in Quest 2022 - How the Soviet Jew Was Made: Literature, Culture, Humor with scholar in residence Sasha Senderovich

Genetic Matchmaking The double edge sword of the BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 genes for Jews in relation to cancer

In Oregon, roughly 5% of unselected pancreatic ducal adenocarcinoma ( the most frequent form of pancreatic cancer) harbor mutations in genes labeled BRCA 1 and BRCA 2, and this number is higher across ethnic populations (e.g. can be double the amount in the Ashkenozi Jewish Population). These select patients who harbor BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 mutations can be susceptible to cancers that arise in the breast, ovaries and pancreas. The discussion will focus on where science and medicine is at with understanding, detecting and treating these people.

Sasha Senderovich Wednesday, January 26, 2022 7:00 p.m. Via Zoom SPEAKERS

R

egistration is now open for Weekend in Quest 2022. The program will be be presented virtually, in Zoom format, over the course of two days, honoring the program’s roots as a Shabbaton Study Weekend.

March 5-6, 2022 | Registration $18 per household Lectures include Hammer and Pickle: How Soviet Jews Joked—And Were Joked About; Rooted and Rootless: History, Memory and Cultural Mythology; and Scenes of Encounter: How American Jews Imagined Soviet Jews—and Vice Versa.

Havdalah service will be led by Cantor Barbara Slader.

This is the second year that Weekend in Quest is held under the auspices of the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education. The program was arranged by the Weekend in Quest planning committee, chaired by Mimi Epstein.

For detailed information and registration: https://www.ojmche.org/events/weekend-in-quest2022-how-the-soviet-jew-was-made-literature-culturehumor/

Dr. Elizabeth Steiner Hayward

Dr. Elizabeth Steiner Hayward is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Family Medicine at OHSU. She has served as the State Senator from Northwest Portlnd and Beaverton since 2012. She is a Senate C0-Chair of the Full Ways & Means Committee, which overseas Oregon’s state budget.

Dr. Brett Sheppard

Dr. Brett Sheppard is a professor of Surgery, Division of Gastrointestinal and General Surgery; the William E. Colson Chair of Pancreatic Disease Research, and the Vice Chair for Quality and Clinical Operations at OHSU.

Dr. Jonathan Brody

Dr. Jonathan Brody is the Vice Chair of Research for the Department of Surgery and is the Associate Director of Translational Research of the BrendenCoslon Pancreatic Center for Patient Care.

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