Her novel alternates between late medieval Spain and Portugal during the traumatic time of the Inquisition, and a very small town in New Mexico in 1992. The modern New Mexican characters are Catholics with peculiar habits. Nobody in town eats pork but they don’t know why. It is likely they are the descendants of conversos, Jews who converted during the Spanish Inquisition. The story weaves a connecting thread from the Iberian Peninsula to Mexico City and then on to the original settlers who moved into what is now the American Southwest. Five hundred years later, a young amateur astronomer wonders about the secret of the town he grew up in: Entrada de la Luna, or Gateway to the Moon.
Morris’ previous work, The Jazz Palace, won the Anisfeld-Wolf Book Award for important contributions to the understanding of racism in 2016. She also writes short stories and travel memoirs. Her many novels and story collections have been translated into six languages. She lives in Brooklyn, New York and teaches writing at Sarah Lawrence College.
Doors open at 4:00 PM to meet and greet the author. A one-hour author reading and discussion will follow beginning at 4:30 PM. Light refreshments will be served. Admission is free.
Co-sponsored by the Beit Am Jewish Community and the MJCC. Grassroots Bookstore will be there with copies of the paperback edition of Gateway to the Moon for sale and author signing.
Fundraising Dinner with Aviv
Join the MJCC for a fundraising dinner at Aviv, Portland’s home to delicious vegan Israeli food. The first dinner seating begins at 5:30 pm and the second seating starts at 80 pm. We are pleased to offer each multi-course dinner with an optional wine-pairing featuring Israeli, kosher, and Oregon-local wines. Aviv is donating a portion of the proceeds of this multi-course dinner to the MJCC.
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
5:30 pm or 8:00 pm
Aviv 1125 SE Division St., Portland
$45 per person. Wine not included.
$85 per person. Wine included.
Sign up in the MJCC lobby or at https://www.oregonjcc.org/about-us/brunch/party-boards
How to Make Your Estate Work for You: An Afternoon with Leonard Duboff
Sunday, December 8, 1:00-2:30pm
Leonard DuBoff is one of the world’s leading authorities on art law. He has pioneered the field, written extensively on the subject, and lectured all over the world. Mr. DuBoff was a professor of law first teaching at Stanford Law School then at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon, for almost a quarter of a century, specializing in art law, corporations, agency partnership, and high-tech law. A member of Congregation Neveh Shalom, Mr. Duboff will provide insights into estate planning, wills and trusts, art law, and law for small business owners. Contact: dmarshall@nevehshalom.org.
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.