News in Brief Nov. 25, 2020

PHOTO: Chef Michael Solomonov returns for a Chanukah cooking demonstration Dec. 2.

Repair the world: Volunteer
As the effects of the pandemic are prolonged, social issues are exacerbated and volunteerism is needed more than ever. To connect people with more and different ways to help, the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland is excited to be your partner in finding meaningful volunteer opportunities locally, and in connecting you with opportunities nationally and internationally. 
The volunteer webpage groups organizations under themes such as houselessness, food insecurity, women and girls, but all will welcome your efforts any time.
For the winter holidays and cold months, the webpage features Meals on Wheels, Soldiers Chanukah Card Project and Cold Weather Support at Transition Projects.  
For more information on making a difference as a volunteer, visit jewishportland.org/ourcommunity/volunteering.

Museum Shop open for holiday shopping
The Ron Tonkin Family Museum Shop will be open for two weeks in December for holiday shopping needs. Stop by to browse our beautifully curated gifts, books, candles and Chanukah items. 
Since the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education is closed, the Museum Shop will spill into the open galleries, offering plenty of space for social distancing. The expanded space will include some great sale items and lots of books for adults and children. Masks and social distancing will be required. 
Museum Shop hours are 11 am-3 pm, Dec. 3-5 and Dec. 10-12. The museum is located at 724 NW Davis St. in Portland’s Pearl District.

Screen and discuss "Rosenwald"
United in Spirit brings “Rosenwald” to Portland for a virtual film screening followed by a Zoom discussion Dec. 8. 
“Rosenwald” is the incredible story of Julius Rosenwald, an individual who never finished high school yet became the president of Sears, Roebuck & Co. Influenced by the writings of the educator Booker T. Washington, Rosenwald partnered with Washington and African-American communities in the segregationist Jim Crow South to build more than 5,000 schools during the early part of the 20th century. Inspired by the Jewish doctrine of tikkun olam (repairing the world), Rosenwald used his wealth to confront racial inequality in America. During his lifetime, he gave away $62 million. 
United in Spirit is a collaboration of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, the Portland Chapter of NAACP, the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, Dialogues Unlimited LLC and Remember the Hope Christian Fellowship. 
Screen the film at home Dec. 6 or 7. Then join a Zoom discussion Dec. 8 at 6:30 pm with Stephanie Deutsch, author of You Need a Schoolhouse: Booker T. Washington, Julius Rosenwald, and the Building of Schools for the Segregated South, and Assistant Professor Julius Alexander McGee of Portland State University. 
The film and discussion are free, but registration is required: 
jewishportland.org/virtual-screening-of-rosenwald-and-discussion

Confront state's anti-immigrant discrimination
Join the local Jewish and Latinx-American communities for Uncovering Oregon’s Hidden History of Anti-Immigrant Discrimination. The 7 pm, Dec. 3, program is part of the Confronting Hate series.
In this time of reckoning with our state’s grim legacy of discrimination and hate, the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland has partnered with allies to create programs about the history of discrimination in our state. The series will culminate with a May summit to unite the allies to confront hate and pursue racial justice.
This webinar features three speakers from the Latinx community.
Cynthia Carmina Gómez is the executive director of the Cultural Resource Centers and is on the Portland State University faculty. In 2015 she received the Governors’ Gold Award in Civic Leadership.
Dr. Michael Hames-García will leave the University of Oregon in June 2021 for a post at the University of Texas at Austin. He studies and teaches about inequalities of race, class, gender, sexuality and disability in the criminal justice system, from policing and criminal courts to incarceration and reentry.
Omar Alvarado is a proud first-generation American Latino. His family relocated from Oaxaca, Mexico, to Oregon. Proud of his Indigenous Mixteco heritage, Omar is empowered by his family, culture and community. He is the advocacy organizer in the political department of PCUN. 
For details and to register, visit jewishportland.org/uncovering-oregons-hidden-history-of-anti-immigrant-discrimination-in-oregon.

Free Chanukah cooking demo Dec. 2

Three-time James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Solomonov returns for a free Chanukah Cooking Demonstration Dec. 2, 5 pm, on Vimeo.
On Sept. 14, the chef cooked, joked and entertained thousands who Zoomed into the Sept. 14 Rosh Hashanah cooking program organized by Portland’s Federation and cosponsored by 32 Federations nationally. 
The event was so popular, Solomonov will return for another holiday class. The chef will teach attendees to make Apple Shrub, Abe Fisher’s Potato Latkes, Roman Artichokes with Arugula and Olive Oil, Poached Salmon, and Sfenj with Cinnamon and Sugar. Solomonov is the executive chef and co-owner of Zahav, the 2019 James Beard Foundation award for Outstanding Restaurant. 
The free program is a Chanukah gift to you from the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland. Password, recipes and ingredient list will be sent to all who register at jewishportland.org/solomonov.

Wexner graduate fellowship applications open
The Wexner Graduate Fellowship/Davidson Scholars Program provides leadership growth for those entering, or in their first year of, graduate programs that prepare students to serve as Jewish professional leaders (rabbis, cantors, educators, academics, administrators, etc.) in North America. 
In addition to financial assistance for graduate study, Fellows join a diverse professional community that encourages learning about one’s self as a leader though interactions with others with different points of view. Throughout the four-year leadership program, Fellows engage with expert faculty members in the field of leadership education and expert scholars in Jewish studies. The extensive alumni network then serves as a professional community throughout the Fellows’ careers. Applications are due Jan. 6, 2021. For more information about the program, eligibility requirements and application process, visit wexnerfoundation.org/programs/wexner-graduate-fellowship/

Free mental health workshops offered
The Blue Dove Foundation, created to help address the issues of mental illness and addiction in the Jewish community and beyond, presents two free workshops in December.
Registrants take two, 2-hour workshops (offered on three paired dates):
Making Mental Wellness Part of Your Community’s Culture will engage participants in a variety of activities that focus on encouraging mental wellness in their communities. They will use middot (Jewish values) and the Mi Sheberach prayer to connect Judaism to mental health. The workshop will help participants think critically about ways to bring their newfound skills and knowledge to their communities to create welcoming and inclusive programming.
The second workshop, Recognizing When Someone Needs Help, will strengthen participants’ mental health knowledge and help them understand their role in supporting others. They will learn about basic mental health concepts, the scope of those affected by mental illness and red flags for spotting issues. Participants will develop four core skills needed to respond to mental health concerns in meaningful ways and be given the opportunity to practice and build those skills.
Sign up for one of three available dates/times: Dec. 3 and 10, 11 am-1 pm PST; Dec. 6 and 13, 1-3 pm PST; and Dec. 9 and 16, 11 am-1 pm PST.
 As Blue Dove pilots these Jewish Mental Wellness Workshops all fees are waived. Direct questions to Devin at Devin@TheBlueDoveFoundation.org.
Register at thebluedovefoundation.org/jewish-mental-wellness-workshop-registration/

 

 

 

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