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.
Magevet – Yale University’s Jewish A Capella Singing Group – Performing LIVE at the MJCC!
Tuesday, May 28, 7:00 pm
Cost: $15 per adult, $10 per youth (ages 18 and under). Tickets: www.oregonjcc.org/concert
Founded in 1993, Magevet is one of the nation’s premiere Jewish a cappella singing groups. A coed ensemble comprised of undergraduate students at Yale University, Magevet is known for its sweet blend of voices, unique arrangements, and lighthearted sense of humor.
The group’s diverse repertoire spans modern Israeli pop and Renaissance choral pieces to Yiddish folk tunes and Zionist classics. The members of Magevet are equally diverse: engineers and historians, Jews and Gentiles, New Yorkers and Californians, all united by camaraderie and a love of singing.
Magevet is devoted to spreading Jewish music to the far corners of the globe, and embarks on two major tours each year, in addition to regular performances throughout the Northeast. In the past few years, their tours have brought them all over the United States and Canada, as well as to Europe, Africa, South America, and Israel.
Magevet is, incidentally, the Hebrew word for “towel.” The founding members of the group are in near-complete disagreement about what inspired them to choose such an unusual name for an a cappella group, though many of their accounts involve a sauna.
For more information on Magevet, click HERE!
Supported by the Kostiner Cultural Education Fund.
K-6th Grade Led Kabbalat Shabbat
Friday, November 22, 6:15-7:15pm
Join the ALIYAH K-6th graders as they lead a special Kabbalat Shabbat at Congregation Neveh Shalom.
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
Sisterhood Latke & Vodka Party
Thursday, December 12, 7:00-9:00pm
Join Sisterhood for a pre-Chanukah celebration. We’ll have latkes to eat, vodka to sample, and we will learn about Chanukah celebrations in other cultures. All are welcome.
Contact Sheryl Robert at (503) 349-1090.
$18/person; $30/couple.
RSVP by December 3, 2019
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.
Sisterhood Havdallah Potluck Movie Night, Saturday, February 29, 6:00pm
Join Sisterhood as we celebrate together with Havdallah, Food (bring a parve dish), and watch a Jewish themed comedy! RSVP: to Jennifer Kalenscher at
jenkal@comcast.net or (503) 893-0822.
Sisterhood Mah Jongg Madness Brunch and Tournament 2020
Sunday, March 1, 2020
11:00 am – 12:00 pm – Brunch and explanation of rules;
12:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Tournament and prizes
Please join us for a fun-filled day of Mah Jongg and friendship. Experienced and new players welcome (no teaching).
Register by Friday, February 21st.
For more information please contact: Judi Goodman (503) 531-7205 or Elisa Stevens (503) 929-1680.
You can now register online at: tinyurl.com/cnsmahjongg2020.