The Jewish Federation’s annual Campaign for Community Needs is off to a wonderful start. In six short weeks we have raised $1.8 million! This is an incredible achievement, but to meet the increasing needs in our community, we need your support.

Two requests:

• Make your pledge today by clicking here. By making your pledge now you can save the community precious time and resources. Payment is not due until December 2023.

• Super Sunday is happening this Sunday. Volunteers in our community will be making calls on behalf of the annual campaign. Please answer the call and make your gift.

The Jewish Federation is proud to support some 50 Jewish organizations. We do this to help strengthen and enrich our entire Jewish community. Only with your participation in our campaign efforts can we truly meet the growing needs of our Jewish community. Thank you in advance for your generosity.

This week, we watched our country and community go through its electoral process. Please know that our Jewish community looks forward to working with all our elected officials as we bring issues of importance to the Jewish community to their attention.

The cover story of this week’s Jewish Review was a beautiful story written by Deb Moon on her 30^th anniversary of working in Jewish journalism. I am unsure if Deb knew it was her special anniversary on November 9 until I told her. Either way, I asked her to write a column. She did – reluctantly. In fact, when she first wrote the article, I told her she needed to say more about herself and special experiences in the community. Again, she was reluctant.

Deb is a community-minded person. She likes to share community news – not news about herself. That is why she has worked most of her professional career bringing community news to the community.

I first met Deb in 2010 when I came to work at the Jewish Federation. She and Paul Haist, the long-time editor, would be busy in the back corner of our old office creating a newspaper every two weeks. It was crazy to watch them use x-acto knives and glue to lay out the articles and the ads to get it ready for the printer. They were doing an incredible service for our community.

Too many of you will remember the painful decision by the Jewish Federation to cease publication of the newspaper. There was an outcry (I still have all the emails I received from community members). Sadly, as we have seen in the newspaper industry in general, costs were rising as ad sales declined, and the internet was becoming a focus for where people were getting their news. If anything, that has only become more prevalent. Thus, Paul retired and Deb became the editor of Oregon Jewish Life, a lifestyle magazine that introduced our community to many interesting people doing Jewish in our community.

In late 2019, Deb and I had conversations about reviving the Jewish Review – this time as an online newspaper. The first issue was on March 4, 2020 celebrating the return of the newspaper. Unbelievably, the headline two weeks later, on March 18, 2020 (just the second issue) was “Coronavirus Spreads—Community Reacts.” Deb has not missed a beat putting out a paper every two weeks covering news from all across our Jewish community. I tell her each time how I marvel at all the Jewish happenings she has in the paper.

I am confident in saying Deb Moon has attended more Jewish community events over the past 30 years than anyone in the community. I am honored to work closely with her. I enjoy listening to her reminisce about Jewish events and leaders in the past. And, we are all blessed by her commitment, dedication, and love she has for Jewish Portland.

Congratulations Deb on 30 years and we all thank you! If you would like to send her a note, please click here.

As she mentions in her article, Deb plans to retire next summer. We are seeking someone to be the new editor of the Jewish Review. With the right person, we look forward to continuing this valuable resource in our Jewish community. If you are interested or know of someone, please reply to this email.

Speaking of anniversaries, we are excited to celebrate the 5^th anniversary of Rachel’s Well Community Mikvah, a ritual immersion pool serving the Greater Portland Jewish community. To mark the occasion, we are hosting two open houses at the mikvah (located on the campus of the Mittleman Jewish Community Center). Please join us this Sunday from 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. or next Thursday from 2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.. Come and learn more about this special, spiritual, welcoming, communal space for people to go to mark transitions – celebratory or painful. Please RSVP for either open house by clicking here.

Today we commemorate Veterans Day. As President Ronald Reagan said in 1986, this is "a day that gives all Americans a special opportunity to pay tribute to all those men and women who, throughout our history, have left their homes and loved ones to serve their country. Their willingness to give freely and unselfishly of themselves, even their lives, in defense of our democratic principles has given our great country the security we enjoy today. Valiant, patriotic Americans have answered the call, serving with honor and fidelity. On this special day, our hearts and thoughts turn to all the Nation’s veterans. Let us reflect on the great achievements of those whose sacrifices preserved our freedom and our way of life." Thank you for your service.

Shabbat shalom.