Check out our calendar of public events.
Below the calendar you’ll find a detailed listing of events by date.

EJC presents but also rents our community space as a venue, platform, stage, and convener of organizations representing a wide range of Jewish denominations, connectivity, foci, opinions, beliefs, and engagement. Our role as a host venue does not mean that EJC endorses or agrees with a particular position or event taking place at our facility.

Author Reading: Dorice Horenstein
Jul
15

Author Reading: Dorice Horenstein

Free/All Ages

Please Register Here

What if your next choice could change everything?

Every day, we make hundreds of decisions—some small, others life-altering. But how often do we stop to ask: Are these choices aligned with who we truly are and who we want to become?

In Choosing to Be Your Own Champion, Dorice Horenstein invites you to step into the driver’s seat of your life with her powerful CHOOSE framework. This six-step playbook is your guide to embracing intentional choice-making, unlocking your potential, and transforming challenges into opportunities for growth.

With 36 thought-provoking life lessons, reflective “Move Forward” exercises, and an included workbook for deeper exploration, this book is designed to not just inspire but to empower you to take action. Whether you’re facing uncertainty, seeking clarity, or longing to lead a more joyful, fulfilling life, Choosing to Be Your Own Champion will show you the way.

Uncover the CHOOSE Framework:

Clarity: Recognize the real choice before you.

Honor: Align your choices with your values and emotions.

Openness to Options: Explore new perspectives with curiosity and courage.

Oneness: Connect your choices to your authentic self.

Strategy: Build a practical plan for success.

Enactment: Take bold action to create the life you desire.

Every choice shapes your story. With humor, wisdom, and heartfelt guidance, Dorice Horenstein empowers you to become the life champion you were always meant to be.

This isn’t just a book. It’s your moment. Your choice. Your transformation.

Dorice Horenstein, the Oy to Joy Champion Catalyst, is an international speaker, Positive Intelligence® expert, and author of Choose to Be Your Own Champion and best-seller Moments of the Heart. Dorice empowers individuals and organizations with mental fitness tools that transform stress into strength and setbacks into opportunities. With energy, humor, and practical insights, she empowers people to uncover their inner champion and lead with confidence and joy.

Learn more about the book and Dorice

Become a Choosing ambassador- gain gifts and more.

Interested in bringing Dorice to your organization? Bring Dorice Form

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Film: Hester Street
Jul
17

Film: Hester Street

Part of EJC's Sidewalks of New York Summer Film series: Eastside (Jewish Commons), West Side (come on over!), all around the town, three films that showcase the Jewish experience in New York.

Our first film in the series, is Hester Street . A Jewish immigrant from Eastern Europe, Gitl (Carol Kane in her Academy Award nominated role) and her son arrive on the Lower East Side of New York in 1896 to join her husband Jake (Keats). They soon find that Jake, who has taken a job in a sweatshop, has completely embraced America, including picking up an English-speaking girlfriend. Gitl, on the other hand, clings to her old country ways, refusing to dress or act differently. Gitl’s journey of assimilation also becomes a journey of liberation from the abusive and unfaithful Jake.

“A magnificent performance by Carol Kane. An unconditionally happy achievement.” – The New York Times

All Ages (Please note though that this film has an MPAA rating of PG)/Suggested Donation $5-$8

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Free Noontime Concert Mary Flower
Jul
18

Free Noontime Concert Mary Flower

Join us for our free concert series with top musicians! Pack a lunch or stop by one of the many nearby eateries at NE 24th and Glisan. Bring your food in (no pork or shellfish, please) and come and hear the music!

The concerts will feature small ensembles and soloists that are semi-acoustic and always enlivening. The EJC welcomes seniors, parents and kids, students, and all others. What better thing is there to do on a Friday afternoon?!?

Mary Flower’s immense finger picking guitar and lap-slide prowess is soulful and meter-perfect, a deft blend of the inventive, the dexterous and the mesmerizing. Her supple honey-and-whiskey voice provides the perfect melodic accompaniment to each song’s story. “There are few musicians in the genre bringing as much creative spark and low-key mojo to this century-old music…” – Acoustic Guitar Magazine

FREE. No RSVP needed.


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Nu! to Nigun: Musical Chassidic Workshops
Jul
21

Nu! to Nigun: Musical Chassidic Workshops

Nu! to Nigun: A Musical Chassidic Workshop

Join PDX Nigun Circle facilitator Aiden Kugelman-Samba for Nu! to Nigun, a monthly workshop inviting the Portland Jewish community into the powerful world of nigunim—wordless Jewish melodies that open the heart, deepen the soul, and connect us to something greater.

All Ages $5-$10 Sliding Scale, you are welcome to attend all classes, or drop-in.

Register Here

Whether you're new to this tradition or a longtime lover of Jewish song, this gathering is designed to help you build musical confidence, nourish spiritual depth, and experience the transformative joy of communal singing. Each session focuses on a single nigun, allowing us to sink into its unique emotional and spiritual landscape—whether celebratory, yearning, meditative, or ecstatic.

Rooted in Chassidic musical and spiritual traditions, Nu to Nigun is also a space of discovery. Through text-based learning and guided reflection, we’ll explore the historical and spiritual contexts of each melody—learning about the Chassidic group or teacher it comes from, and how it fits into the broader tradition of Jewish spiritual practice. Together, we’ll open up concepts like dveikut (spiritual attachment), tikkun olam, and the role of joy and song in Chassidic thought—always in an accessible, beginner-friendly way.

Our goals are simple but profound:

Learn by ear: Build your ability to learn melodies in the traditional oral style.

Understand the roots: Discover the history and intention behind each nigun and the movement it comes from (Chabad, Breslov, etc.).

Nourish the soul: Use melody and reflection to touch deeper places of the heart and return to connection with the Divine.

Strengthen community: Feel the joy of singing in harmony with others, across age, background, and level of observance.

This is a mixed-gender, mechitza-free space, open to all regardless of musical background, religious practice, or familiarity with Chassidut. Children are welcome (please let us know in advance if you plan to bring them so we can help create a good experience for all), but this is an adult-geared space just due to the complexity of the material.

Each workshop includes time to settle in and connect, followed by a structured but warm session that may include:

Vocal warm-ups and breath work

Kavanot (intentions) and spiritual framing

Accessible Chassidic teachings

Guided melody learning

Group singing with dynamic exploration (pace, volume, ornamentation, etc.)

Time for reflection and personal integration

You don’t need to know Hebrew or have prior exposure to nigunim. Just bring your voice, your curiosity, and your openness to being moved.

Whether you're seeking musical connection, spiritual renewal, or a deeper understanding of Jewish tradition, Nu! to Nigun is a space to encounter the ancient and the new, side by side—in song, in spirit, and in community.

Follow @pdxnigun circle on Instagram for updates, or get in touch via email: aidenkent13@gmail.com.Register Here

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Film: Enemies, a Love Story
Jul
24

Film: Enemies, a Love Story

Part of EJC's Sidewalks of New York Summer Film series: Eastside (Jewish Commons), West Side (come on over!), all around the town, three films that showcase the Jewish experience in New York.

Our second film in the series is Enemies, a Love Story. It's New York, 1949; Herman is an educated Jew married to the gentile peasant girl (Stein) who saved him from the Nazis. Life gets complicated. He's carrying on a turbulent affair with Masha (Olin), a deeply troubled survivor of the camps. Enter his first wife Tamara (Huston), long presumed dead. 'Ten enemies can't harm a man as much as he can harm himself': in its reference to the Yiddish saying, Isaac Bashevis Singer's novel sums up Herman's predicament. A 'fatalistic hedonist' makes for a seemingly unsympathetic lead character, but in this intelligent adaptation, Mazursky (co-scripting with Roger L Simon) conveys emotion without manipulation, sensitively distilling despair and self-hatred, but lifting the mood with dark humor. Philosophical issues are brought into focus rather than generated by the Holocaust, and are examined within the realm of relationships rather than intellectual debate. The performances (from Lena Olin in particular) are perfectly suited to the mood, while period is beautifully evoked in subdued tones and subtly lit interiors.

All Ages, (R Rated, children MUST be accompanied by Parent or Guardian)/Suggested Donation $5-$8

"Enemies, A Love Story is such an intriguing film because it refuses to be tamed, to settle down into a nice, comforting parable with a lesson to teach us. It is about the tumult of the heart, and Mazursky tells its story without compromise. " -Roger Ebert

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Art Lab: Lost and Found Poetry Collage Zine Workshop
Jul
27

Art Lab: Lost and Found Poetry Collage Zine Workshop

Zine & poetry!  Join Art/Lab Alum Jessica Rehfield (@alenereh) for a hands-on Lost and Found Poetry Collage Zine Workshop, the next Workshop in Art/Lab's Alumni Workshop Series! Learn to make 3 fun, easy zine formats (mini 14-page, 8-page, and large), perfect for journaling, note-taking, or your next burst of poetic inspiration!


Jessica will lead participants to dive into the “Lost and Found” collage technique - turning junk mail, sheet music, and more into unexpected word and image magic! A Jewish text prompt will help spark your creative flow. You’ll leave with multiple mini zines, new collage journaling skills, and extra blank zines to keep the creativity going at home.

Register Here

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Film: Menashe
Jul
31

Film: Menashe

Part of EJC's Sidewalks of New York Summer Film series: Eastside (Jewish Commons), West Side (come on over!), all around the town, three films that showcase the Jewish experience in New York.

Our final film in the series is Menashe. Deep in the heart of New York's notoriously secretive Hasidic Jewish community, Menashe, a good-hearted but somewhat hapless grocery store clerk, struggles against tradition to keep custody of his only son after his wife passes away.

All Ages (Please note though that this film has an MPAA rating of PG)/Suggested Donation $5-$8

"The film is worth praising for what it is and admiring for what it’s not — there’s no sappiness or false emotion, and none of the clichéd, quirky misfits who populate so many commercial comedies. 'Menashe' also gently raises a few questions about faith, change and conformity." --New York Times

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The Sounds of Bossa Nova, Singing and Pronunciation Workshop
Aug
13

The Sounds of Bossa Nova, Singing and Pronunciation Workshop

Eastside Jewish Commons and The Portland Folk Music Society Present:

The Sounds of Bossa Nova: A Pronunciation Workshop for Music and Language Lovers

Learn how to pronounce the lyrics in Portuguese while singing songs by Antonio Carlos Jobim.

No need to speak Portuguese or be a singer - just bring your curiosity and love for music!

All Ages/$10/person Register Here

This workshop is the perfect blend of language and melody. Come experience the beauty of Brazilian Portuguese and the smooth sounds of Bossa Nova in a relaxed, welcoming setting.

This workshop will be led by Brazilian Portuguese teacher and bossa nova enthusiast, Luciana Diniz, with live instrumental accompaniment by Tim Connell. Luciana has an MA and PhD in Applied Linguistics from Georgia State University, and she has been teaching Portuguese as a second language for more than 15 years. She often uses music to teach her native language. You can find out more information about her Portuguese classes HERE.

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Nu! to Nigun: Musical Chassidic Workshops
Aug
25

Nu! to Nigun: Musical Chassidic Workshops

Nu! to Nigun: A Musical Chassidic Workshop

Join PDX Nigun Circle facilitator Aiden Kugelman-Samba for Nu! to Nigun, a monthly workshop inviting the Portland Jewish community into the powerful world of nigunim—wordless Jewish melodies that open the heart, deepen the soul, and connect us to something greater.

All Ages $5-$10 Sliding Scale, you are welcome to attend all classes, or drop-in.

Register Here

Whether you're new to this tradition or a longtime lover of Jewish song, this gathering is designed to help you build musical confidence, nourish spiritual depth, and experience the transformative joy of communal singing. Each session focuses on a single nigun, allowing us to sink into its unique emotional and spiritual landscape—whether celebratory, yearning, meditative, or ecstatic.

Rooted in Chassidic musical and spiritual traditions, Nu to Nigun is also a space of discovery. Through text-based learning and guided reflection, we’ll explore the historical and spiritual contexts of each melody—learning about the Chassidic group or teacher it comes from, and how it fits into the broader tradition of Jewish spiritual practice. Together, we’ll open up concepts like dveikut (spiritual attachment), tikkun olam, and the role of joy and song in Chassidic thought—always in an accessible, beginner-friendly way.

Our goals are simple but profound:

Learn by ear: Build your ability to learn melodies in the traditional oral style.

Understand the roots: Discover the history and intention behind each nigun and the movement it comes from (Chabad, Breslov, etc.).

Nourish the soul: Use melody and reflection to touch deeper places of the heart and return to connection with the Divine.

Strengthen community: Feel the joy of singing in harmony with others, across age, background, and level of observance.

This is a mixed-gender, mechitza-free space, open to all regardless of musical background, religious practice, or familiarity with Chassidut. Children are welcome (please let us know in advance if you plan to bring them so we can help create a good experience for all), but this is an adult-geared space just due to the complexity of the material.

Each workshop includes time to settle in and connect, followed by a structured but warm session that may include:

Vocal warm-ups and breath work

Kavanot (intentions) and spiritual framing

Accessible Chassidic teachings

Guided melody learning

Group singing with dynamic exploration (pace, volume, ornamentation, etc.)

Time for reflection and personal integration

You don’t need to know Hebrew or have prior exposure to nigunim. Just bring your voice, your curiosity, and your openness to being moved.

Whether you're seeking musical connection, spiritual renewal, or a deeper understanding of Jewish tradition, Nu! to Nigun is a space to encounter the ancient and the new, side by side—in song, in spirit, and in community.

Follow @pdxnigun circle on Instagram for updates, or get in touch via email: aidenkent13@gmail.com.Register Here

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Sunday Afternoon Klez and Jewish Music Jam at EJC
Jun
29

Sunday Afternoon Klez and Jewish Music Jam at EJC

EJC Klezmer Jam

The people have spoken and what they've asked for is a Klezmer jam at Eastside Jewish Commons! Let's have one on a Sunday afternoon. Bring your instruments, sheet music, heart and soul, and don't worry about ability--this is a (facilitated) jam for all. We'll settle in and play for a couple of hours. Once you sign up, materials from the other jams will be sent to you and perhaps even new material! If you have a song to share, please bring it! Also if you play an instrument that is non-concert, i.e. Bb, you'll have to be ready to transpose or make your own versions (don't worry if you don't know what this means; it's mainly for clarinet and trumpet players who read sheet music). 

Feel free to eat here (maybe it will start to become a Klezmer brunch), just no pork or shellfish. N.B. this is not a show, so while you might have a family member or two with you this is really not a place to listen to music but rather it’s a place to participate.

Ages. Free, but please consider making a donation at checkout. Register Here

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Poetry reading with David Rutiezer and Carter McKenzie to celebrate new chapbooks!
Jun
24

Poetry reading with David Rutiezer and Carter McKenzie to celebrate new chapbooks!

Please join us for a poetry reading in celebration of the publication of the chapbooks: Other Dances, David Rutiezer, Handtype Press, Squares and Rebels Series 2025.

The Book of Fire, Carter McKenzie, above/ ground press, 2024.

Books will be available for purchase and signing.

Free/All Ages Registration RequestedRegistration Requested

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Jun
22

Israeli Dancing for Everyone with Allison Victor

Join local Israeli dance instructor Allison Victor as she leads a session of Israeli Dance for all ages and levels, but tailored especially to beginners. Great for families, singles, couples, and...everyone! Groove around in a circle and dance the hora!  Have fun with Israeli line dancing and more!

All Ages; Children must be accompanied by adult at all times (no drop-offs)

Suggested Donation:$6-$12 sliding scale/person or family

Registration requested

Allison Victor has been finding joy in dance since she was a child in ballet school and doing the cha cha at her oldest brother’s bar mitzvah! She began Israeli dancing in Portland in the late 70’s and has been a long-time instructor and session leader at the MJCC and at Cafe Shalom in SW Portland. She has performed with fellow dancers and taught at community and private venues in the northwest and internationally. She may be reached at allisuev@gmail.com for information on classes and open dancing.

Registration requested

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Friday Noontime Concert: Jet Black Pearl
Jun
20

Friday Noontime Concert: Jet Black Pearl

Enjoy our free monthly concert series with top Portland musicians! Pack a lunch or stop by one of the many pods at NE 24th and Glisan, bring your food in (no pork or shellfish please) and come and hear the music! Small concerts that are semi-acoustic and always enlivening. All are welcome. What better thing is there to do on a Friday afternoon?!

This time we're joined by the untamed and inimitable Jet Black Pearl, who comes from the port of Amsterdam and spent many years in the south of France before settling in Portland in 2014. She has performed on more than a thousand stages all over the world. Jet is a creator of alternative worlds filled with surreal humor and wry observations. Intelligently zany, her songs are a mad hatter's European party with a funky attitude. With her loop station, she records grooves and layers of flute, vocal percussion and harmonies while squeezing one hot accordion.

FREE. No RSVP needed. Learn more at jetblackpearl.com. Check her out on OPB Art Beat (2021): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyZcuJpUFNE&feature=youtu.be

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Mindful Collage with Char Breshgold
Jun
13

Mindful Collage with Char Breshgold

MINDFUL COLLAGE
Join us for an afternoon of creative exploration

This workshop is for anyone interested in exploring collage more deeply or discovering it for the first time. We will work with a wide assortment of colored and textured art papers, scraps of paintings, old book pages, and personal items you choose to add. Collage allows for spontaneous and layered work that can be beautiful, personally meaningful, fun, and easy to do.

I provide cues to help us focus and get started and materials for inspiration. I also share ideas about my process, examples of collage styles and design concepts to help form your pieces.

$65; most materials included,
Register Here

What previous students shared…
“The vibe you created helped keep my inevitable self-judgment at bay.”
“Wonderful support and sharing of work and ideas”
“Great, inspiring atmosphere!”

Char Breshgold has been a working and exhibiting artist for 40 years. She paints, often from photos, using her art to tell stories. She incorporates collage in handmade books and multi-layered paintings.

Char is a longtime meditator who finds awareness of her breath to be helpful in creating art. She was a member of The Girl Artists, a collaborative group whose records have recently been acquired by The Smithsonian Archive of American Art. She is currently at work on a graphic memoir in paintings and stories about the AIDS crisis years. Her first published hybrid writing and painting pieces were in Prism, International last fall. 

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Kenahorror! Behind the Evil Eye - Jewish Lore that Begat the Horror Genre
Jun
12

Kenahorror! Behind the Evil Eye - Jewish Lore that Begat the Horror Genre

Kenahorror! Behind the Evil Eye - Jewish Lore that Begat the Horror Genre

Garbed in ritual tunic, an adept summons the elements to his command. Drawing on the archaic power availed to him by the Universe, he commands a lifeless being into an animated mute humanoid, who will do his bidding until the master orders him: “Cease!”

Throughout history the stories, myths, and fears by and about Jewish customs and Jewish people have been used to create literature, film and art, often without the consent of, or input from, the people depicted. It is a little known fact that most scary books and films that predate nuclear war feature these stories that cast Jewish folklore and traditions as something to be feared. In this series we will illuminate how Jewish stereotypes became the foothold for the genre of horror as we know it today.

For the 2nd in this series we will discuss the Jewish ancient mystical Golem technology, and screen the hilarious and brilliant Young Frankenstein which is one of the many depictions of Golem-like

characters in horror film history.

All Ages/Sliding Scale $7-$18

Your facilitators:

Miss Petra is a film and folklore nerd, professional aerialist, and co-founder of Prismagic Circus.

Andrine de la Rocha is a queer Jewish American Priestess, and creator of the Hebrunes Oracle.

Register Here

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EJC Unplugged
Jun
8

EJC Unplugged

Join us as EJC celebrates its 4th birthday with a South American brunch and and an appearance by Pink Martini’s China Forbes plus a special surprise performance!

Featuring captivating music, delicious food, and yummy mimosas in an intimate setting, EJC Unplugged is unlike any gala you've ever been to. Just ask anyone who came to last year's celebration!

All ages; limited seating.  Dress: Casual and Joyful! Purchase Gala tickets here

Childcare is also available for $18 (+ service charge) via our ticketing website.

If you would like to purchase a discounted table of 8 for $800 please email howieb@ejcpdx.org

We can't wait to see you!


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Jun
4

Queerly Jewish: Oy Gay!

Madison Weiss / Jessica Rehfield

Two Jewish, non-binary artists celebrate pride in being Jewish and Queer

The show runs through July 15th at EJC’s Art Gallery. The gallery is open Mondays and Wednesday from 10-2, during EJC public events and by appointment.


The opening is free but please register HERE

All Ages, Wheelchair accessible

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Jun
4

Jewish Poetry Reading Group

Jewish Poetry Reading Group at EJC

Love to read poetry? Drawn to Jewish poets writing in English, Hebrew, and Yiddish in translation? You don’t need to be Jewish to join!

Let's lift the poetry off the page with some communal meaning-making. Quarterly meetings led by group members on books of their choosing.

Join us on quarterly first Wednesdays, 12:30-2:30 pm at Eastside Jewish Commons, 2

Reading: Sleeping as Fast as I Can by Richard Michelson, published by Slant Books

Discussion led by Betsy Fogelman Tighe

Feel free to bring your lunch and please plan on making a small donation to EJC each time we meet. $3-$10 is suggested. No one turned away for lack of funds.

Email bjftighe@gmail.com with questions

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PDX Nigun Circle
May
27

PDX Nigun Circle

Nu to Nigun: A Musical Chassidic Workshop 

First timers and tzadikim welcome. Learn Chassidic history and stories of the Great Masters alongside their transformative and uplifting musical tradition. Each workshop session will focus on a particular Chassidic master or theme, learning text alongside singing. The first session will focus on the Ba'al Shem Tov and specific themes in his teachings that relate to making your daily life a bit more magical. You do not have to be a good singer! You just have to have a soul and some curiosity. 
Free/All Ages

Register Here

Who can attend?

PDX Nigun Circle is open to all! No Jew is too young, old, religious or secular to attend. While the art of nigun was started by and is kept alive by Hasidim, all can find strength and meaning through the practice. Most importantly, you do not need to consider yourself a good singer, let alone a singer at all! The nigun is an act of vocalizing the needs of the soul, so quality is not a factor in having a meaningful experience.

Is it free to attend?

Yes! Donations are accepted and appreciated to compensate for kosher snack procurement and space rental costs.

Will there be others?

Yes! This is a monthly gathering. Follow @pdxnigun circle on Instagram for updates, or get in touch via email: aidenkent13@gmail.com.

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Poetry Reading: Judy Nahum, ahuva s. zaslavsky, Daniela Naomi Molnar
May
21

Poetry Reading: Judy Nahum, ahuva s. zaslavsky, Daniela Naomi Molnar

a poetry reading in celebration of i have wrestled with the way clouds weep by Judy Nahum   

Readings by:

Judy Nahum
Ahuva S. Zaslavsky
Daniela Naomi Molnar

Free/All Ages, Registration Required


Judy Nahum lives and writes in Portland, OR. Her poems have been published in The Muleskinner Journal, Yes, Poetry, and Windfall: A Journal of Poetry of Place, among others. I have wrestled with the way clouds weep is her first chapbook.

ahuva s. zaslavsky
lives and works in Portland, Oregon. she is a multimedia artist whose work spans painting, printing, sculpture, and writing. Her art explores the connections between space, memory, and trauma, focusing on how people and places influence one another. She investigates themes of displacement, belonging, and power dynamics, while also examining the cyclical nature of creation and destruction, and the potential for transformation.
Daniela Naomi Molnar
is a poet, artist and writer who creates with color, water, language, and place. Her paintings are created with pigments she has made from plants, bones, stones, rainwater and glacial melt. Poems and essays are created alongside the pigments and paintings; the practices overlap and influence each other, creating new ecologies. Her debut book CHORUS won the 2024 Oregon Book Award for Poetry. Her next book PROTOCOLS: An Erasure will be published in June 2025 by Ayin Press.Registration Required

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Yankl Falk & The Carpathian Pacific Express!
May
18

Yankl Falk & The Carpathian Pacific Express!

Part of The Portland Jewish Music Festival!

All aboard!! Join with some of Portland’s finest musicians in an exciting exploration of klezmer and Yiddish song, Romanian and Hungarian fiddle virtuosity, mystical Hasidic chant, raucous songs of drunken exuberance in many languages, and much more!
Carpathian: Our repertoire draws from the Yiddish- and Hungarian-speaking world of our grandparents, with echoes of Poland, Ukraine, Romania, and elsewhere.
Pacific: We live in Oregon in the early 21st century. We play what we hear.
Express: More direct than the Local.

All Ages/$22 Tickets HereTickets Here

About Yankl Falk

Jack (Yankl) Falk is best known for his years as singer/clarinetist with the Budapest-based Di Naye Kapelye, with whom he recorded three albums of Jewish roots music from the Carpathians. Falk’s instrumental and vocal repertoire draws from the Yiddish- and Hungarian-speaking world of his childhood, offering musical sustenance for the truly bizarre times in which we now find ourselves.

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May
18

Great Big Klezmer Ensemble led by Jake Shulman-Ment

Great Big Klezmer Ensemble
We welcome musicians of any instrument to join a glorious klezmer band, where we will learn tunes by ear. We will work on some basics of melodic klezmer ornamentation as well as chordal and rhythmic accompaniment, and learn how to groove together in the klezmer style. 

All Ages/$20 Register Here

About Jake Shulman-Ment
Brooklyn-based Jake Shulman-Ment is among the most highly regarded klezmer musicians performing today. He tours and records internationally as a soloist, and with MidwoodDaniel KahnJoey WeisenbergAbigale Reisman, Pete Rushefsky, and many others. Past collaborators have included The Painted BirdDi Naye KapelyeThe Brothers NazaroffFrank LondonSanda Weigl, Adrian Receanu, Duncan Sheik, Francesca Ter-BergLaurel Premo, Ali Dineen, Michael Alpert, Fleytmuzik, MetroFolk, and Romashka.

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May
18

Klezmer for Melodic players led by Jake Shulman-Ment

Open to all instrumentalists from intermediate through professional levels, in this workshop we will learn old spiritual and dance melodies by ear in the way klezmer music has traditionally been passed down. We will also learn to phrase, ornament, and accompany the melodies in the Ashkenazic Jewish folk style, and explore modal improvisation using typical Eastern European Jewish motifs and scales.

All Ages/$20 Register Here

About Jake Shulman-Ment
Brooklyn-based Jake Shulman-Ment is among the most highly regarded klezmer musicians performing today. He tours and records internationally as a soloist, and with MidwoodDaniel KahnJoey WeisenbergAbigale Reisman, Pete Rushefsky, and many others. Past collaborators have included The Painted BirdDi Naye KapelyeThe Brothers NazaroffFrank LondonSanda Weigl, Adrian Receanu, Duncan Sheik, Francesca Ter-BergLaurel Premo, Ali Dineen, Michael Alpert, Fleytmuzik, MetroFolk, and Romashka.Register Here

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Jake Shulman-Ment Duo with Brivele!
May
17

Jake Shulman-Ment Duo with Brivele!

Part of The Portland Jewish Music Festival!

Saturday night Klez with internationally renowned violinist Jake Shulman-Ment performing with oudist and guitarist Yoshie Fruchter. Seattle based duo Brivele opens.

All Ages/ $22 Tickets Here

About Jake Shulman-Ment
Brooklyn-based Jake Shulman-Ment is among the most highly regarded klezmer musicians performing today. He tours and records internationally as a soloist, and with MidwoodDaniel KahnJoey WeisenbergAbigale Reisman, Pete Rushefsky, and many others. Past collaborators have included The Painted BirdDi Naye KapelyeThe Brothers NazaroffFrank LondonSanda Weigl, Adrian Receanu, Duncan Sheik, Francesca Ter-BergLaurel Premo, Ali Dineen, Michael Alpert, Fleytmuzik, MetroFolk, and Romashka.

Jake performs tonight with Yoshie Fruchter. Yoshie Fruchter is a guitar, bass and oud player. Fruchter is notable for his work in composing and interpreting Jewish music, and has forged new directions with his performance, regardless of genre. His current project, Sandcatchers, in which he plays oud and is joined by lap steel player Myk Freedman and Erik Friedlander on cello, explores the sounds of the Middle East combined with the American South.

Brivele is a Seattle-based duo who braid together Yiddish song, anti-fascist and labor balladry, folk-punk, and contemporary rabble-rousing in stirring vocal harmony. Brivele is touring in support of their forthcoming album, “Khaveyrim Zayt Greyt,” which will be released on May 1, 2025 through Borscht Beat records.

In Yiddish, Brivele (בריוועלע) means "little letter." Like letters, songs travel — through time and over borders. They pick up dirt, aromas, fingerprints. They are sent to lovers, they foment revolution, they get stolen and censored, burned and salvaged, sewn into our clothes.

Brivele is Maia Brown and Stefanie Brendler, who journey into the archives of Yiddish anti-fascist musical tradition, bringing together anti-authoritarian satire, mournful remembrances, and the disguised political commentary in folk ditties and theater classics. These songs are a correspondence: ancestors' voices speaking clearly and uncompromisingly, sometimes sweetly, to the present moment.

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May
17

Make them Tanz! Klezmer Rhythm & Accompaniment.

Make them Tanz! In this class we will hone in on groove and accompaniment ideas - to be played on all instruments! We will review the basic dance types, learn middle voice lines, and explore rhythmic variations. We will start with a simple klezmer tune or two and learn how to enhance it through creative and groovy accompaniment. Open to all levels and instruments. Led by Mattias Kauffman (accordion) and Raffi Boden (cello).

All Ages/Sliding Scale $10-$25, Register Here

Mattias Kaufmann
is an accordionist based in Boston, MA. Mattias has toured internationally with the Klezmer ensembles Mamaliga and Farnakht and served as teaching faculty at festivals of Klezmer music such as Yiddish New York and KlezMaineia. As a recent graduate of the Contemporary Musical Arts Program at New England Conservatory, Mattias is on a path of innovation and discovery with the accordion, combining diverse influences from around the world.

Raffi Boden is a NY based cellist, composer and educator known for his groovy bass lines and his versatility. With Mamaliga, he has performed internationally and been a guest artist at Yiddish New York, Yiddish Summer Weimar and KlezKanada. Raffi was recently in the Juilliard production of “Indecent”, for which he worked with composer and music director Lisa Gutkin to compose a cello part for the band. In classical contexts, he has performed internationally in Europe and South America, locally in Carnegie Hall, and with members of the NY Philharmonic. Raffi holds degrees from Juilliard and Oberlin. Raffi is also a member of chamber-jazz ensemble Simone Baron & Arco Belo. These days, Raffi is freelancing in NY, teaching, and working on singing in Yiddish!
Register Here

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May
17

Fundamentals of Yiddish Dance

Traditional Ashkenazi dance styling is a way to explore emotional self-expression, deeper engagement with klezmer music, and lively, social way to move together collectively. Join dance leader Weaver and musicians Raffi Boden, Mattias Kaufmann and Rachel Leader to learn to dance to a freylekhs, a bulgar, a zhok, and other kinds of tunes you might hear at the festival! Beginner friendly, all are welcome!

All Ages/$10-25 Sliding Scale. Register Here

About The Magid Ensemble (magid, meaning “storyteller” in Yiddish) – a new collaboration featuring award-winning klezmer musicians and composers Mattias Kaufmann, Raffi Boden, and Rachel Leader, Yiddishist and storyteller Weaver, and visual artist Kiah Raymond.

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The Magid Presents: ‘Shterna and the Lost Voice’, a musical Crankie storytelling adventure
May
17

The Magid Presents: ‘Shterna and the Lost Voice’, a musical Crankie storytelling adventure

The Magid Ensemble: Join us! – for a musical crankie storytelling adventure titled ‘Shterna and the Lost Voice’ – a new folktale by A.C. Weaver that brings together mythical stories of Elyahu Hanovi with traditional motifs of Yiddish folklore. Drawing inspiration from S. Ansky’s ethnographies of Jewish life in Eastern Europe during the turn of the 20th century, 'Shterna and the Lost Voice' follows the quest of a young woman from the realms of the dead to the celestial gardens of the immortal – all to restore her friend's lost voice. Our narrator guides listeners on Shterna’s epic adventure, accompanied by live original klezmer music, all while the narrative unfolds through a papercut crankie. This dynamic performance is geared towards audiences of all ages!

$22/All Ages Tickets HereTickets Here

Shterna and the Lost Voice is the debut theatrical project of the Magid Ensemble, transporting audiences into the rich world of Yiddish folklore. Developed through rigorous research on Eastern-European Jewish folklore, this immersive storytelling production follows Shterna on an epic hero’s journey, through the living world, the underworld, and the immortal world, in order to retrieve the lost voice of her friend. Narration unfolds alongside a stunning papercut crankie (a long scroll wound onto two spools that illustrates the story as it unwinds) and is accompanied by a live original klezmer music score. Shterna and the Lost Voice is a highly engaging 50-minute storytelling performance suitable for audiences of all ages!

Shterna and the Lost Voice is presented by The Magid Ensemble (magid, meaning “storyteller” in Yiddish) – a new collaboration featuring award-winning klezmer musicians and composers Mattias Kaufmann, Raffi Boden, and Rachel Leader, Yiddishist and storyteller Weaver, and visual artist Kiah Raymond. The Magid Ensemble explores the interplay of sound, story, light, and shadow to create expressive and immersive storytelling landscapes.

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Shabbat with Congregation P'nai Or and PDX Nigun Circle
May
16

Shabbat with Congregation P'nai Or and PDX Nigun Circle

Part of The Portland Jewish Music Festival!

Join congregation P’nai Or's Kabbalat Shabbat Service along with Portland Nigun Circle to celebrate Shabbat with chanting, singing, live music, movement, meditation, storytelling and more. 

Free/All Ages Register HereRegister Here

P’nai Or (Faces of Light) celebrates the Divine reflected in everyone – LGBTQ+, interfaith, Jews by birth, Jews by choice. We are a vibrant, egalitarian congregation founded in 1991 by Rabbi Aryeh Hirschfield, z"l. Our inspiration comes from Torah, Kabbalah, the teachings of the Chassidic masters, and Jewish and non-Jewish contemporary sources.

PDX Nigun Circle is a monthly gathering where we sing, socialize, and learn the beautiful history of Jewish mysticism as communicated through the art of the nigun. Participants are encouraged to bring a nigun to share if they know one.

PDX Nigun Circle is open to all! No Jew is too young, old, religious or secular to attend. While the art of nigun was started by and is kept alive by Hasidim, all can find strength and meaning through the practice. Most importantly, you do not need to consider yourself a good singer, let alone a singer at all! The nigun is an act of vocalizing the needs of the soul, so quality is not a factor in having a meaningful experience.

What is a nigun?

A nigun is a primarily wordless melody. Emerging out of the 18th century Ashkenazic mystical revival movement called Ḥasidut (Chassidism), nigunim (plural) have been passed down to us today through a long oral tradition. Nigunim are vocal outpourings of all the ranges of human emotion: joy, suffering, piety and yearning, and have carried the spirit of the Jewish people though generations of exile.

The nigun has the potential to uplift and transform the individual and communal experience of spirituality and the Jewish tradition. Nigunim are said to carry and evoke the spirit of their composers. While a nigun might emerge as a cry from the lonely heart, when we gather in song, we cultivate a sense of unity and belonging that feels ecstatic, vulnerable, nourishing and decidedly rebellious.

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Diane Chaplin Solo Cellist
May
16

Diane Chaplin Solo Cellist

Part of The Portland Jewish Music Festival!

Join us for a noon concert with world-class cellist Diane Chaplin as she plays a solo concert spanning her repertoire of music by Jewish composers, Klezmer and Jewish concert music and more!

Free/All Ages Register here

About Diane Chaplin

Diane Chaplin is a world-class cellist and nurturing music educator who lives in Portland, Oregon. She appears often as a concerto soloist, recitalist and chamber music artist, and tours around the US as a featured member of the Portland Cello Project. For the 2024-25 season she is the Cello Professor at the University of California at Santa Barbara; she also has a large class of private cello students, both in-person and on zoom, and teaches students all over the world through the Cello Refinery. Since the spring of 2020, Diane has been performing monthly livestream concerts of solo cello music, and has learned more than 250 pieces of solo repertoire during this time.

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Sklamberg Lurje Judelman Trio, Songs of Resilience
May
15

Sklamberg Lurje Judelman Trio, Songs of Resilience

Sklamberg Lurje Judelman Trio, Songs of Resilience

Kickoff to week two The Portland Jewish Music Festival!

Featuring co-founder of The Klezmatics, Lorin Sklamberg (NYC), darling of the international Yiddish scene, Sasha Lurje (Riga/Berlin), and renowned globe-trotting fiddler Craig Judelman (Seattle/Berlin) this new transatlantic collaboration is thrilled to present their latest program, Songs of Resilience. After decades spent immersed in the Yiddish culture of Ashkenazi Jews and the cultures of their European neighbors, this band presents Yiddish culture at the highest level, ranging from folk to art song, as well as theater, spiritual and dance music

All Ages/ $22 Tickets here


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Screening: "Matter of Mind: My Alzheimer’s'"
May
13

Screening: "Matter of Mind: My Alzheimer’s'"

Indie Lens Pop-Up, presented by ITVS, INDEPENDENT LENS, EJC and OPB wrap up its 2024-25 season of amazing documentaries with "Matter of Mind: My Alzheimer's"

"Matter of Mind: My Alzheimer’s" is an intimate portrayal of three families confronting the unique challenges of Alzheimer’s and how this progressive neurodegenerative disease transforms roles and relationships. Whether it's a partner caring for a loved one or an adult child shifting into being their parent's caregiver, these stories show how families evolve when a loved one is diagnosed.

EJC is wheelchair accessible and the screening is open-captioned. The talkback following the screening will be ASL interpreted.

Watch the trailer here

All ages, free but please register here, as seating is limited.

Community Partner: Alzheimer’s Association

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May
11

Michelle Alany and the Mystics, Mizrachi Sephardic Music Concert

Part of The Portland Jewish Music Festival!

Join Michelle Alany and her Mystics ensemble as they play Sephardic and Mizrachi music (along with some originals) to round out the first week-end of the festival. Vibrating with her Iraqi roots Michelle Alany releases melodies that are pure-spun gold from the soul of her violin through your ears and into your heart. Add the Mystics ensemble and it will be an unforgettable night of ancient sweet songs and timeless melodies. 

All Ages/$22. Tickets Here

Michelle Alany is an internationally touring violinist & vocalist, a dynamic performer & ambassador of world folk traditions. She specializes in soulful Sephardic, Mediterranean & Eastern European-inspired music, as well as originals, drawing on rich folk and classical traditions. Her remarkable playing is tinged with the tarab of her Iraqi roots combined with fiery Ashkenazic melodies, and the combination that practically explodes from her violin is pure alchemy. Sure, she'll play Balkan music too, she'll play originals, and what's more she'll play the roof off the joint. 

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