Rivkah began to play drums after being inspired by a Sevendust concert in Miami, FL. After a few years of being self-taught and playing in local bands, she attended Broward College in Davie, FL, as a music major and studied jazz drum set and classical percussion. Rivkah played and recorded with a variety of South Florida artists, including Andrew Bayuk, the four-time winner of the American Idol Underground Folk Competition.
In 2008, Rivkah moved to Los Angeles to study drumming at Musicians Institute. While being a student at Musicians Institute, she went on tours around California with Jeff Hershey and the Heartbeats, a 1960’s soul-rock band, and recorded and played with many other local artists. Rivkah opened for Dick Dale, the B-52s, and The New Mastersounds with Jeff Hershey and the Heartbeats. The band went on to complete three European tours, performing multiple dates in Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, and Switzerland. After touring with the band, Rivkah returned to Los Angeles and continued to play and record with two unique all-female jazz bands, Lady Jazz and the Hard Bop Chicks, as well as other artists. She gained an endorsement through Soultone Cymbals while living in Los Angeles, and performed with Stevie Wonder as part of a drum ensemble on Stevie Wonder’s Annual House of Toys at the Nokia Theater. In 2016, Rivkah relocated to Portland, Oregon, where she continues to perform.
Rivkah loves to teach and is a Certified Facilitator for The Rhythmic Arts Project, a non-profit organization that teaches life skills to students with disabilities using hand drums and specialized curriculum. She has worked with students with disabilities, as well as disadvantaged and chronically ill students, and she has a special interest in working with students who face challenges. Rivkah holds a Master of Education with emphasis in Special Education from Southern New Hampshire University.
Rivkah enjoys being out in nature, spending time with loved ones, writing stories, traveling, dancing, hiking, and inspiring and teaching others, especially girls and women, to play drums. Her favorite drummers are Roy Haynes, Cindy Blackman, Terri Lyne Carrington, Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, and Sean Reinert.
JAM Art Show + Sale
March is Jewish Arts Month but the show starts in late February! Enjoy a rotating exhibit in the MJCC lobby. Members of ORA: Northwest Jewish Artists will answer questions, accept commissions, and sell their art. A portion of the proceeds benefits the MJCC.
Art + Spirit Workshop
Willa Schneberg, poet and ceramic artist, will join us for a two-hour workshop based on poems by Jewish poets that are in part inspired by biblical texts. Discussion, prompts, visualizations
and opportunities to write, sketch, move and imagine will be provided.
Cost: $18.
Tickets: oregonjcc.org/art-spirit
In partnership with ORA: Northwest Jewish Artists
Sunday, April 28: Beautify Grounds of Oregon Holocaust Memorial
At Washington Park
Space is limited to 20 people per shift. Pre-registration required by April 26.
Shifts are 9:00 – 11:00 am, and 12:00 – 2:00 pm.
Register for this event here.
In partnership with the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education.
Check out all of our opportunities to participate in Good Deeds Month: HERE
Art + Spirit Workshop: Entering into the Shiviti
Through the traditional Jewish art form known as the Shiviti, we will study, contemplate and enter into artistic expression. Please bring the medium of your choice — visual and expressive arts, songwriting and composing, sculpture, glass, fabric arts and more. A half-hour talk on the history, mystical practice and examples of traditional and contemporary forms will be followed by Q&A, Shiviti gazing, time to create your own Shiviti art work and debriefing.
Rabbi Dr. Goldie Milgram is an artist, educator, author and spiritual guide honored by the Covenant Foundation and National Jewish Book Council for her innovative programs, books, and resources. Her new book release is Wisdom from Reb Zalman: Embracing the Jewish Spirit (Reclaiming Judaism Press).
Thursday, Aug. 1
6:30 pm
Cost: $18.
Register: oregonjcc.org/artandspirit
In partnership with ORA
Roots/Shorashim/Judar is a unique collaboration of local Palestinians and Israelis building a model for co-existence by fostering a grassroots movement of understanding, nonviolence, and transformation. Please join us as Hanan Schlesinger, an Orthodox rabbi and passionate Zionist settler, and Palestinian Shadi Abu Awwad, the architect and coordinator of the Roots youth movement, visit us to share their personal stories and how they are working together to build a better future for their peoples through ROOTS. More at: www.friendsofroots.net. This event is part of Neveh Shalom’s Israel360 series. For a full listing of sponsors, go to https://nevehshalom.org/Israel360/.
Please note: Programs are subject to change; please contact the office for more information: 503.246.8831 or visit the website at: www.nevehshalom.org.
Looking for a great holiday gift? Local artists from ORA will be in the MJCC lobby all week selling all forms of artwork.
Sunday – Friday, December 1 – 6
JAM Art Show + Sale
Enjoy a rotating exhibit in the MJCC lobby all month. Members of ORA: Northwest Jewish Artists will answer questions, accept commissions, and sell their art. A portion of the proceeds benefits the MJCC.