PHOTO:Beth Milliner prepares her vehicle for the 2023 Portland Pride Parade Sunday, July 16, in Portland's North Park Blocks. (Rockne Roll/Jewish Review file)

By ROCKNE ROLL

The Jewish Review
Portland’s annual Pride Parade is taking place Sunday, July 21, and Jewish Pride Greater PDX is spearheading participation for Jewish groups in Portland. It’s a wonderful opportunity to show up in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ Community – with hundreds of fellow Jews.
“It’s important for the Jewish community to show support of the LGBTQ plus community and to make it clear to everyone that the Jewish community is supportive,” explained Liza Milliner, cofounder of Jewish Pride Greater PDX and Immediate Past President of Congregation Neveh Shalom said. “It’s especially important this year, after Oct. 7, to show that we’re still united as a community and we’re still supportive of our LGBTQ community.”
Jewish Pride Greater PDX was co-founded in 2016 by Milliner, Rachel Nelson, Director of Educational Initiatives and Associate Director of Community Relations at the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, and Michael Jeser, z”l, then  Federation‘s Campaign director, along with six other Jewish LGBTQ community members who had just returned from Israel on a Jewish Federations of North America Mission. The group began its streak of organizing large contingents of participants for the annual parade the next year, regularly stretching multiple blocks of the formation area in Portland’s North Park Blocks.
“It is important for the Jewish LGBTQ+ community to see a reflection of themselves and their organizations,” Nelson said, “and we stand strong as both Jewish LGBTQ members who are active in leadership positions across our community and as people who are strong allies of the LGBTQ+ community.”
In the Post-Oct.7 reality Milliner mentioned, security is often a concern for Jewish participation in public events of any sort – concerns that are not lost on Jewish leaders. 
“Rachel and I have had multiple meetings with Pride organizers and the Portland Police, both of whom are very committed to making the event safe and enjoyable for everyone,” Community Security Director Jessica Anderson explained. “We’re encouraging families and supporters to come join us. We’re all out there to support both the Jewish and the greater LGBTQ-plus community, and that is our sole focus for the day. We’re expecting a great event.”
Jewish Pride Greater PDX is partnering with Congregation Beth Israel, Congregation Kol Ami, Congregation Neveh Shalom, Congregation Shir Tikvah, Eastside Jewish Commons, Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, Cedar Sinai Park, Mittleman Jewish Community Center, Portland Jewish Academy, the Anti-Defamation League of the Pacific Northwest and P’nai Or of Portland to participate in this year’s parade. Everyone will meet up for the Parade in Space 101 of the formation area, on Northwest Park Avenue between Northwest Couch and Davis Streets, from 11-11:30 am on Sunday. 
For more information, follow Jewish Pride Greater PDX on Facebook at facebook.com/jewishpridepdx,  visit jewishportland.org/pdxjewishpride, or email Nelson at rachel@jewishportland.org.