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

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.

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 Midwood, Daniel Kahn, Joey Weisenberg, Abigale Reisman, Pete Rushefsky, and many others. Past collaborators have included The Painted Bird, Di Naye Kapelye, The Brothers Nazaroff, Frank London, Sanda Weigl, Adrian Receanu, Duncan Sheik, Francesca Ter-Berg, Laurel 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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

Part of The Portland Jewish Music Festival!

North African Jewish communities, also known as Maghrebi Jews, have a long history in the Maghreb region (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya), with some communities established long before the Arab conquest and others formed after the expulsion from Iberia in the late 15th century. This fascinating presentation will be taught by world-renowned scholar, Amel Tafsout. Tafsout is a master dance artist, choreographer, instructor, frame drummer, singer, and one of the finest exponents of North African traditional and contemporary Maghreb Dance of our time.

$8-$15 Sliding Scale/All Ages. Tickets Here

Part of The Portland Jewish Music Festival!

Flamenco, Sephardic, and Mizrachi music share deep historical and musical connections, rooted in the cultural exchanges of the Mediterranean, the Iberian peninsula (Al-Andalus), and the Jewish diaspora. Experience a fusion of styles: Flamenco! Sephardic! Mizrachi! The artists of Espacio Flamenco, steeped in the culture and craft of Flamenco, create a rich tapestry of flamenco music, dance, and song hearkening back to Spain's golden age. The dancers and musicians of Espacio Flamenco will be joined by internationally touring violinist & vocalist Michelle Alany, and oudist Eric Stern to explore the deep connections between the cultures of the Iberian peninsula and the Mizrachi diaspora. A night of music dancing, spectacle and cultural fusion!

All ages, $22/Person Tickets Here

Part of The Portland Jewish Music Festival!

The first week of the Portland Jewish Music Festival focuses on the Sephardic/Mizrachi musical heritage of Jews as well as the modern fusion between Spanish flamenco/gitano music and those genres. 

In this one hour concert international flamenco guitarist Brenna McDonald will be joined by oudist Eric Stern (Vagabond Opera, Festival Director) to explore the musical relationship between the oud (a kind of fretless lute used in Mizrachi music) and it's cousin the guitar. 

Free/All Ages; Tickets Here

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Brenna McDonald has lived and studied flamenco in Spain and is a founding member of La Peña Flamenca de Portland and Espacio Flamenco. She currently teaches flamenco dance and guitar at Espacio Flamenco and co-organizes the performance company Espacio Flamenco Onstage. Her passion for flamenco drew her to study flamenco guitar and dance from an early age. Her first teachers were Martita Santiago and Jaime Woods in Eugene, OR. Her pursuit of learning took her to Spain to study where she lived and studied for several years between 2003 and 2009 with some of the greatest maestros, including Chiqui de Jerez, Jose Luis Balao, Parrilla de Jerez, and Juan de los Reyes. Brenna is one of the few female flamenco guitarists in the world who has achieved a level of proficiency in flamenco dance and singing accompaniment.

Eric Stern is a performer, producer, and arts advocate. As a performer, he’s appeared on NPR and has performed at the Kennedy Center, throughout the Northwest, and internationally from Portland to Paris to Poland. Best known as the founder and leader of Vagabond Opera, Stern has returned in recent years to his Jewish roots, studying and playing Oud (a kind of lute that is played throughout the Mizrachi, and Sephardic world). Along with Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb he founded the Jewish Theater Project in New Mexico, Vagabond Opera in Portland and Hungry Opera Machine, a modern-opera company. He has produced productions from intimate cafe events to full-scale theatrical performances.

Part of The Portland Jewish Music Festival!

Opening night of of the Portland Jewish Music Festival kicks off with our first week-end of music and culture of the Sephardic and Mizrachi diaspora. 

On the Banks of the Tigris is a musical odyssey that uncovers the hidden - and almost erased - story of Iraqi music. After escaping from Saddam's regime, Majid Shokor searches for the source of the songs he loved hearing in Baghdad's bustling streets and crowded coffeehouses. Australia is a safe haven, but the music of childhood lingers in Majid's mind. He begins to search and makes a startling discovery - that many of the best-known Iraqi songs were written by Iraqi Jews The Ba'ath Party purged Iraqi music of its origins, but Majid learns the truth, as he travels the world to meet exiled musicians who still sing and play these songs. The film’s message is that Jews, Muslims and Christians lived harmoniously in Baghdad and had a shared cultural heritage. This heritage is part of what defines Iraqi music. 

$10-$15 Sliding Scale/ All Ages Register Here

More About the Film

(2015, 79 minutes, producer/director: Marsha Emerman, winner Best Documentary, Baghdad International Film Festival)

This musical odyssey tells the story of Majid Shokor, an Iraqi-Australian who seeks the source of songs he loves and discovers a hidden history.  To find out more, Majid makes a bold journey around the world to meet Iraqi musicians - Jewish, Muslim and Christian - and unite them in a concert for peace and reconciliation. Featuring: oud master Ahmed Mukhtar, Iraqi-Israeli star Yair Dalal, and the great Iraqi maqam singer Farida and her ensemble.

Co-writers: Majid Shokor & Marsha Emerman; Editor: Lucy Papkinska; Production Manager: Merran Williams; Cinematographers: Sander Snoep, Philippe Bellaiche, Peter Zakharov; Script Editor & Sound Recordist: Bob Phelps

• BEST DOCUMENTARY - Baghdad International Film Festival

• AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD - Arab Film Festival, San Francisco & Los Angeles

• FINALIST, BEST DOCUMENTARY, Social & Political Issues - ATOM Awards, Australia

• BEST DIRECTOR (DOCUMENTARY), Nepal Human Rights International Film Festival

• MOST INSPIRATIONAL and AUDIENCE FAVORITE, The Archeology Film Festival, Eugene, Oregon

• BEST CULTURAL HERITAGE FILM, Arkhaios Film Festival, Columbia, South Carolina

• BEST LONG FILM, International Folk Music Film Festival, Nepal

In recent years, actions taken by Israel's right-wing government have further marginalized the country's Arab minority. Since the events of October 7th and the ensuing war in Gaza, tensions between Israel's Jewish and Palestinian citizens have further intensified.

And yet, even in this difficult moment, there is hope. Across Israel, courageous activists are working to build a more equal and shared future for all who call the land home. The New Israel Fund is proud to support these efforts and the leaders behind them.

One such leader is Raghad Jaraisy, Co-Executive Director of Sikkuy-Aufoq. A respected attorney and human rights advocate, Raghad has devoted her career to advancing the civil and collective rights of Palestinian citizens of Israel. At Sikkuy-Aufoq—one of the country's leading organizations promoting equality and inclusion—she is helping shape a more just and democratic society.

Raghad will share insights into her work, including the urgent challenges she faces, such as U.S. funding cuts and new legislation, as well as the opportunities she sees for meaningful progress.

We hope you will join us for this important and inspiring conversation.

Raghad Jaraisy was appointed Sikkuy-Aufoq's Co-Executive Director in April 2023 after serving three years as Co-Director of the Equality Policy Department. Before joining Sikkuy-Aufoq, Raghad worked for nine years at NIF's flagship grantee, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), in various positions, including Manager of the Department for the Promotion of the Rights of the Arab Minority in Israel and member of ACRI's leading team.

REGISTER HERE

Co-sponsored by EJC, Congregation Shir Tikvah, and J Street

Dive into the world of Jewish folklore with multimedia artist and Co/Lab Art/Lab Alum Ahuva S. Zaslavsky! Join for a hands-on sculpture workshop where you’ll craft your very own golem using clay and found materials. Ahuva will share the cultural story behind this mythical creature before guiding you through the process of bringing your inner golem to life. At the end of the workshop, you’ll get to take home your very own creation (just make sure it doesn’t come to life when you get home!)

Register Here

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

Eastside Jewish Commons is back with another fun evening to gather, nosh, sip, savor and schmooze! 

Join EJC at Oak Flat Vineyards' Tasting Room for our third installment of “Jews Who Wine”. The tasting includes Rhone Style Rose wine, Grenache Blanc; and Oak Flat’s signature Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre Red Wine Blend. Additional wine tasting options and a full menu are also offered. 

A special bonus: Purchase two bottles of wine and get $12 off! 

 Limited seating. 21+. The facility is wheelchair accessible. Tickets are available here

Note: This event takes place at Oak Flat Vineyards' Tasting Room, 4701 SE Belmont St. in Portland

Learn more about Oak Flat Vineyards here

REGISTRATION LINK IS HERE

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?!?

Trio Tsuica is Romanian brandy made from plums. Trio Tsuica brings a fiery distillation of music from eastern and central Europe, played on violin, accordion, bass, and cimbalom. Most of the band's repertory comes from Romania and Hungary, with occasional side trips south through the Balkans all the way to Greece. You’ll hear toe-tapping dance tunes, haunting melodies, unusual rhythms, and interesting harmonies. triotsuica.com.

EJC and OPB are proud to present the acclaimed documentary, "WE WANT THE FUNK!"

WE WANT THE FUNK! is a syncopated voyage through the history of funk music, spanning from African, soul, and early jazz roots, to its rise into the public consciousness. Featuring James Brown's dynamism, the extraterrestrial funk of George Clinton's Parliament Funkadelic, transformed girl group Labelle, and Fela Kuti's Afrobeat, the story also traces funk's influences on both new wave and hip-hop.

Filmmakers: Stanley Nelson (Director) and Nicole London (Co-director and Producer)

Before and after the screening enjoy the funky sounds of DJ Aspen.

All ages. Admission is free but please register here.

EJC is wheelchair accessible and the screening is open-captioned.

Watch the trailer here

Join Us for an Inspiring Evening Celebrating Youth Philanthropy!

Experience a joyous evening hosted by our community's teen philanthropists as they share what they've learned during their year in the Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation. Discover how they've embraced Jewish values of giving while addressing local community needs.

The dinner will feature a kosher-style meal. To request a fully kosher meal, notify us of food allergies, or make seating requests, please email Susan at susanb@ojcf.org by March 26th. We will make every effort to honor seating preferences.

MAKE YOUR IMPACT TODAY! Consider making a Mitzvah Moment gift as part of your ticket purchase. Your additional donation will be recognized during the event, amplifying your support for this meaningful program. Make your donation in the additional donation box after selecting a ticket.

REGISTRATION

DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND OUR CONTROL THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED

A night to celebrate Kurdish culture with Emrah Korkmaz Ensemble – Kurdish Musician & Cultural Ambassador! Emrah Korkmaz is a passionate singer, musician, and educator committed to preserving and sharing the richness of Kurdish music and culture. Emrah is primarily known for playing the saz baglama (a family of plucked string instruments and long-necked lutes played in Kurdistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, and Turkey). His musical expertise extends across the entire Saz family of instruments, as well as the Kaval, Mey, and keyboard. Korkmaz has worked and shared stages with some of the most prominent contemporary Kurdish artists: These collaborations and his instrumental versatility have enriched his performances, allowing him to seamlessly blend traditional Kurdish sounds with contemporary influences.

The night will include a presentation on Kurdish culture and history as well. 

All ages sliding scale $16-$24

Get tickets here

Photos courtesy Phoebus-Foto

More about Emrah Korkmaz: Emrah Korkmaz's connection to music runs deep—it has been part of his life since birth. Each morning, his parents would sing to him, filling their home with melodies that shaped his earliest memories. By age 9, he was already memorizing and singing the songs his father cherished, and as a teenager, he took his passion further by pursuing formal music education. It became clear quickly that music was his true calling. He went on to pursue dedicated training, ultimately completing his studies in music education at the University Conservatory ( Van Yüzüncü Yıl University in Turkey) and officially started his professional music career.

Now, having recently immigrated to the United States, Emrah continues to honor tradition, inspire others, and bridge cultures through music with his performances and teachings. Beyond the stage, he is committed to passing on his knowledge, offering individual lessons to inspire the next generation of musicians.