Richard Chess, director for the Center for Jewish Studies at UNC Asheville, will lead this Jewish writing and reading workshop.
Borders define and divide us. They can be sites of conflict, and they can be meeting places, where love, compassion, and kindness arise. Think of the threshold of a Jewish home, with its mezuzah affixed aslant there reminding us to love . . . and to compromise, to come together in a mutually agreed upon promise or intention, to make one out of two. In this workshop, we’ll look at the way poems by mostly Jewish writers consider borders of all kinds: political, religious, cultural, historical, and linguistic. The poets whose work we’ll consider include Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai and American-Jewish poet Jacquelyn Osherow, American-Israeli Jewish poet Peter Cole, and Palestinian-Israeli poet Taha Muhammad Ali, whose work has been translated by Cole. Our exploration of the work of others will include a variety of contemplative practices as a way of experiencing the poems deeply. We’ll talk about these poems, and then, based on what we notice in their work, we’ll write our own poems and prose exploring one or another of the borders that we as Jews encounter in our lives. I will also share a couple of poems and works of lyrical prose from my new book, Love Nailed to the Doorpost, and copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing at the conclusion of the workshop.
Register: oregonjcc.org/richardchess
Join us for a fun, introductory Israeli dance class. All levels are welcome. Six people needed to run class. Every Wednesday from April 19 to June 28.
Note: No class May 31
Register: oregonjcc.org/registration; CG300
Join other families for a Shabbat hike at Tryon Creek State Park. FREE. Snacks will be provided. Contact Rabbi Eve for more information: eposen@nevehshalom.org
ALEFBET: The Alphabet of Memory
OJMCHE’s inaugural exhibit in the main gallery features a visually stunning collection of works by Russian Jewish artist Grisha Bruskin, who is featured in Russia’s pavilion at this year’s Venice Biennale. Bruskin’s “The ALEFBET: the Alphabet of Memory” features large-scale tapestries draping the walls of the main gallery accompanied by the artist’s preparatory drawings and related gouache paintings, all referencing Kabbalistic and Talmudic teaching, biblical narratives and Russian folklore.
June 11-Oct. 1, 2017
Tuesday-Friday, 11 am-5 pm
Saturday-Sunday, noon-5 pm
Grand Opening: June 11, noon-4 pm. Free
Join us in the Neveh Shalom kitchen to prepare meals for 60 homeless teens. Questions? Call Chris Blair at 503-675-1328 or email Cathy Blair at cathyblair55@yahoo.com
OJMCHE’s inaugural exhibit in the main gallery features a visually stunning collection of works by Russian Jewish artist Grisha Bruskin, who is featured in Russia’s pavilion at this year’s Venice Biennale. Bruskin’s “The ALEFBET: the Alphabet of Memory” features large-scale tapestries draping the walls of the main gallery accompanied by the artist’s preparatory drawings and related gouache paintings, all referencing Kabbalistic and Talmudic teaching, biblical narratives and Russian folklore.
The inaugural exhibit in the smaller gallery in the lobby is “Herman Brookman, Visualizing the Sacred,” featuring drawings by the architect of Temple Beth Israel. The Brookman exhibit is in conjunction with the Portland Art Museum’s exhibition “Quest for Beauty: the Architecture, Landscapes and Collections of John Yeon.” Brookman was an early mentor to Yeon.
Also debuting at the grand opening are the museum’s three core exhibits – “Discrimination and Resistance: An Oregon Primer,” “Oregon Jewish Stories” and “The Holocaust: An Oregon Perspective.”
Verdi – Nabucco Overture
Delibes – Sylvia Ballet Suite
Avshalomov – Elegy for strings
American Prize Winner in Composition
Dvorak – American Suite
$10 adults, $8 seniors, $5 students.
Children under 6 free. Tickets at the door.
In partnership with the MJCC.
For more than 40 years, the Jewish Community Orchestra has combined standard classical fare with works by Jewish composers, or works relating to Jewish themes and historical events. As amateur musicians, the JCO’s goal is to further the growth of local artists by presenting concerts that attract, educate and entertain the audience. All JCO concerts are Sunday afternoons at the MJCC.
Verdi – Nabucco Overture
Delibes – Sylvia Ballet Suite
Avshalomov – Elegy for strings
American Prize Winner in Composition
Dvorak – American Suite
Children under 6 free. Tickets at the door.
In partnership with the MJCC.
Tickets and passes are available online at nwfilm.org.
The 25th annual Portland Jewish Film Festival, featuring 18 films, is produced by the Northwest Film Center and co-presented with the Institute for Judaic Studies.
See the full schedule here: https://orjewishlife.com/25th-portland-jewish-film-festival-june-11-25-2017/
The festival celebrates the diversity of Jewish history, culture, identity and film-making, but the films, and the stories they tell, resonate beyond their settings and speak to universal experiences and issues that confront our common humanity.
Mussar is an approach of self-awareness, self-understanding and personal development that is grounded in both deep reflection on Jewish texts and on spiritual practices that guide us toward greater control over our thinking and behaviors. Join Rabbi Rose for a monthly discussion.
Free and open to the community.
In partnership with Congregation Shaarie Torah