HANS COPER—LESS MEANS MORE features the sculptural work of Hans Coper (1920-1981), a radical Jewish artist of the mid-twentieth century who was at the vanguard of British studio ceramics, pushing the boundaries of clay and forms of abstraction in his work. Guest curated by Sandra Percival, founding Director and Curator of Zena Zezza, the exhibition presents nearly 50 works by Coper including his Spade, Thistle, Ovoid and Cycladic forms drawn from an extensive collection of his work in England’s York Art Gallery, a rarely seen Portland collection, and a cluster of works from collectors and California institutions. Coper left Germany for England as a Jewish refugee in early 1939. The exhibition also includes works by celebrated ceramicist Lucie Rie, also a Jewish refugee, along with a small selection of related contemporary and modern artworks. Coper was described as “gentle, yet shattering” and Less Means More opens a conversation into the complexities and contradictions embedded in his life and work.
ALSO:
Betty LaDuke: EARLY WORK: curated by Bruce Guenther, Adjunct Curator for Special Exhibitions, features works created in the 1960s by one of Oregon’s most internationally recognized artists, Betty LaDuke, recipient of the Governors Art Award 1993. Centered in her identity as a first generation Jewish American, the early graphic works are based on memories of the vibrant street life of the immigrant neighborhoods of New York and stories from the Jewish bible. The works form a foundation for understanding the evolution of her long career as a narrative, image-based artist driven by deep social and political engagement.
Monthly Mitzvah Project
Each month the MJCC and PJA communities will collect items for the monthly mitzvah. Drop off items in the blue bin in the MJCC lobby. Check the display for how you can participate and donate to these worthy causes.
This project reflects the Jewish commitment to Tikkun Olam (repairing the world), providing opportunities to give back to our community.
Please drop off items in the blue bin in the MJCC Lobby.
September
School Supplies & Backpacks for low income, immigrant and refugee students
• Schoolhouse Supplies
• IRCO (Immigrant & Refugee Community Organization)
• Catholic Charities
Unity Through learning.
Study Torah with a partner and make connections with Jews from across Portland. Hot drinks, light snacks, and study resources will all be made available.
Join Portland as we learn one on one. Bring your learning partner or ask us to provide one.
Willa Schneberg teaches (guides) a six-session overview of “Literature of Modern and Contemporary Jewish American Women Writers” through Literary Arts’ Delve Seminars begins Sept. 17.In this seminar, we will discuss the “other” Jewish American writers — not Bellow, Roth, Pinsky or Chabon, but work by Jewish American women writers who have created a different canon. We will discuss work by Susan Sontag, Cynthia Ozick, Adrienne Rich, Marge Piercy and others arguably of their stature. These Jewish women writers are not defined by the Jewish male writers’ gaze. They do not perpetuate stereotypes of the Jewish mother as martyr, or as the controlling Jewish woman. They are writers who may be mothers or child-free, partnered or not, straight or non-heterosexual, observant or secular, of Ashkenazi, Sephardic or Mizrachi backgrounds. We will explore the particular light Jewish women writers shine on the American Jewish experience and why their profound contributions to literature have often been overlooked.
READING LIST:
I, Etcetera: Stories by Susan Sontag
Cannibal Gallery by Cynthia Ozick
Split at the Root: An Essay on Jewish Identity by Adrienne Rich
He, She and It by Marge Piercy
A Few Words in the Mother Tongue by Irena Klepfisz
The Moon is Almost Full by Chana Bloch
Divinity School by Alicia Jo Rabins
Paper is White by Hilary Zaid
Getting Home Alive by Rosario Morales and Aurora Levins Morales
Willa Schneberg is a poet, ceramic sculptor, interdisciplinary artist, photographer and curator. She is the author of five collections and received the Oregon Book Award for In the Margins of the World. Her poetry and visual art have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies including American Poetry Review, Tricycle: The Buddhist Review and the Tikkun anthology.
Shmirat Haguf – Jewish Yoga for Women
Focus on deepening the bond between your physical body and your vitality of spirit. Cultivate a curious and compassionate relationship with yourself as a spiritual act. This practice will offer a safe space to explore our breath, functional movement, fluidity and resistance, strength, and relaxation in a community of women. Women of all ages and experience are welcome. Instructor: Rachel Stern
Made possible by a grant from the Women’s Giving Circle of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland.
Tuesdays
Sept. 3, 10, 17, 24
8:00 – 9:15 pm, FIT126A
Cost: $40. Member Cost: $32.
Drop-in Cost: $12. Member Cost: $10.
Thursdays
Oct. 3, 10, 17, 24
8:00 – 9:15 pm, FIT126B
Cost: $40. Member Cost: $32.
Drop-in Cost: $12. Member Cost: $10.
Tuesdays
Nov. 5, 12, 19, 26
8:00 – 9:15 pm, FIT126C
Cost: $40. Member Cost: $32.
Drop-in Cost: $12. Member Cost: $10.
Israeli Dancing
Join us for a fun, introductory Israeli dance class. All levels are welcome. Six people needed to run class.
Wednesdays, July 17 – September 25 (NO CLASS ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11)
7:00 – 8:00 pm, CG402
Cost: $100 Members + Guests.
Drop-in Fee: $15 per class.
Register: oregonjcc.org/registration
Come study and discuss the Bible with Rabbi Isaak at Neveh Shalom.
This 18-week course is taught by members of The Oregon Board of Rabbis, representing a variety of Jewish affiliation. A carefully constructed curriculum includes Jewish history, life cycle events, holidays, ritual and daily practice, theology, study of Torah and contemporary Jewish America. While not a conversion class, most OBR members consider it a prerequisite for students beginning study for conversion. Classes 7-9 pm, Thursdays, at rotating Portland area synagogues. Register here, https://oregonboardofrabbis.org/introduction-to-judaism-class/
Welcome Shabbat with Congregation Neveh Shalom’s Rabbi Eve Posen with music and stories. Potluck dinner to follow. Contact Rabbi Eve Posen for location: eposen@nevehshalom.org
Co-sponsored by PJ Library.