EJC presents its annual Hanukkah Night Market!

Nosh, sip, dance, mingle, shop. We’ll have some live music, plenty of seating for eating and schmoozing and wonderful gift items. Vendors include C'est What? Wine, Leikam Brewery, Henry Higgins Bagels (with fresh latkes), Peace Oil, cookbook author Jenn Louis, Hebrunes, Lavender Belle Farms, jewelry, crafts and much more.

Free childcare provided in our kids’ room!

Free.

Lineage, Initiation & Oracle: Finding Your Way to Truth

Story is sometimes described as “the first technology.” We’re made of stories; they’re how we make sense of an often senseless-seeming world. Yet when it comes to our own backstories, many of us feel alienated from them. We sense there’s a buried history inside us but we can’t seem to access it—or we never seem to find the time. Why bother? Who would care, anyway?

But when we reconnect with our buried stories, it frees us—and those around us. Sharing them is a form of permission, allowing others to approach the warm glow of reconnection. And it’s far easier than you might imagine. All that’s required is to steal past the gatekeepers of habit and self-protection. And I think I can help.

This 2-hour event is a sharing, conversational, and writing exercise designed for non-writers. If you’re looking for a deeper relationship with your own buried story, this event will help you bypass the internal blocks that have kept you exiled from it. You’ll leave in deeper touch with your ancestry, your agency, and the transformative power of sharing your own story.

All Ages Sliding Scale Admission $12-$22 

About the Facilitator:

Leapfrogging off his book Death Trip: A Post-Holocaust Psychedelic Memoir, Seth Lorinczi returns to Eastside Jewish Commons to explore some of the book’s most provocative themes: The gifts of rediscovering our lineage, the power of initiation, and the power of nonlinear modes of exploration, including creative writing, dreamwork, and psychedelic journeying.

If previous events are any guide, this will be a provocative and liberating exploration of the facets of family and self that often remain shrouded. Show up ready to bask in emotionally resonant storytelling—and to share what it illuminates in your own family backstory.

“A very unique, courageous, and deeply moving book; I have personally never seen anything else like it….a journey through our individual and collective trauma in order to find the hidden treasure enfolded within the darkness—our creative self. Bravo!”

-Paul Levy, Undreaming Wetiko; The Quantum Revelation; and others

Love to read poetry? Drawn to Jewish poets writing in English, Hebrew, and Yiddish in translation? 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 the Eastside Jewish Commons, 2420 NE Sandy, Portland, OR

Remaining 2024 meeting dates: December 4th

Reading: Paradise by Victoria Redel

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@hotmail.com with questions

A recent study conducted by George Washington University revealed that a majority of 10,000 13- to 35-year-olds did not know what antisemitism is. Another survey indicated that one out of six adults said they had never heard of the word. This at a time when we are seeing an alarming rise in antisemitic incidents and hate crimes in the U.S. Education about antisemitism is therefore essential. This workshop will explore what antisemitism is (and what it is not), how it has evolved over time, and how it is being normalized in America. It will dispel misconceptions about Jewish identity and also delve into the reasons why antisemitism is often overlooked or even dismissed by those working in the area of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

The Jewish Federation of Greater Portland's  Bob Horenstein (Community Relations and Public Affairs Officer) and Rachel Nelson (Associate Director of Community Relations) will co-present, followed by a Q+A. 

Free, but donations are encouraged and appreciated!

Register here

Dare to Not Be Square: Exploring The “Northern” Klezmer Dance Repertoire in the
Kiselgof-Makonovetsky Digital Manuscript Corpus

A chance encounter in Tokyo a few years ago led to the unlikely release of thousands of unique musical manuscripts in a Kyiv archive previously unavailable to contemporary klezmer musicians and scholars.  This workshop will introduce a dance set of “northern” klezmer dance tunes from Belarus found in the corpus and a soulful dobriden (good morning tune) from a 12-year-old violinist. The so-called northern repertoire sounds pretty different from what we’re used to thinking of as klezmer: the tunes are simpler, with fewer modulations and fancy passages. But these are incredibly compelling tunes that are hard to stop playing! Simple on the surface, these tunes employ a variety of techniques like phrase length, extra beats, and repeating melodic patterns to create a joyful rhythmic tapestry that’s great for dancing. 

Tunes will be taught by ear and with sheet music in various clefs. All ages and instruments are welcome.

All Ages $18/Person

Register here

Christina Crowder has been performing and researching Jewish music for nearly thirty years, beginning in Budapest, Hungary in 1993 as a founding member of Di Naye Kapelye, and continuing with a Fulbright grant to Romania to document Jewish music in 1999, and since 2002 with an active research, teaching, and performing career in the US. She is Executive Director of the Klezmer Institute, which has been awarded two NEH Grants for Institute projects (2021-2024). Current projects include compilation of a folio of Jewish-adjacent Moldavian music, and publication of selected field recordings from the Fulbright grant period. Christina lives in New Haven, Connecticut, and performs with her klezmer quartet Bivolița. She also performs regularly with Michael Winograd and the Honorable Mentschen, the Dave Levitt Klezmer Trio and many others. She has been a guest instructor in klezmer accordion and ensemble performance in the US, Canada, and Europe, and was both musical director and performer in the 2019 Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the 2020 ART Portland productions of the Broadway play “Indecent.”

Telegrams to the Future: Niggunim of Dvekut & Joy from Ukrainian Klezmorim. Nign Singing Workshop with Christina Crowder

A nign is a wordless melody invested with spiritual intention—elevated by those who sing them. The melodies presented in this workshop were collected from klezmorim and baal-tfile(prayer leaders) in early twentieth century Ukraine and Belarus during the An-sky ethnographic expeditions between 1912-14. The workshop will present a small nign “toolkit,” that includes a nign for quietening the mind, one for thoughtfulness and connection, and few for joy, celebration, and solidarity. No experience required. Tunes will be taught by ear with sheet music provided to take home to remember afterward.

All Ages, $18/Person

Register here

Christina Crowder has been performing and researching Jewish music for nearly thirty years, beginning in Budapest, Hungary in 1993 as a founding member of Di Naye Kapelye, and continuing with a Fulbright grant to Romania to document Jewish music in 1999, and since 2002 with an active research, teaching, and performing career in the US. She is Executive Director of the Klezmer Institute, which has been awarded two NEH Grants for Institute projects (2021-2024). Current projects include compilation of a folio of Jewish-adjacent Moldavian music, and publication of selected field recordings from the Fulbright grant period. Christina lives in New Haven, Connecticut, and performs with her klezmer quartet Bivolița. She also performs regularly with Michael Winograd and the Honorable Mentschen, the Dave Levitt Klezmer Trio and many others. She has been a guest instructor in klezmer accordion and ensemble performance in the US, Canada, and Europe, and was both musical director and performer in the 2019 Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the 2020 ART Portland productions of the Broadway play “Indecent.”

You are warmly invited to join Yiscah Smith, an international thought leader and spiritual activist, as we transition from the sacred time of Shabbat into the week ahead. Yiscah explores the concept of our personal sanctuary—a space within us where we can connect with the Divine Presence, the Shechinah.

Discover how to access this inner sanctuary and foster a deeper sense of spirituality in your daily life. One powerful way to do this is by quieting the mind, a practice inspired by Rabbi Kalonymus Kalmish Shapira, the Piaseczner Rebbe, a 20th-century Polish Hasidic mystic. This approach offers a pathway to greater awareness and presence, allowing us to bring spirituality into our everyday experiences.

Join us in this transformative exploration and learn how to cultivate a closer connection to yourself and the world around you.

BIO: Yiscah Smith has reignited a spiritual practice of encountering the Divine spark within and beyond. She relies on Jewish spiritual teachings to inspire her students, acting as a compass, gently guiding them to their unique inner selves. She encourages, empowers and ennobles others to remain faithful to their individual spiritual paths. Yiscah teaches at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, Applied Jewish Spirituality (AJS) and the Institute for Jewish Spirituality (IJS). She founded Conscious Community Nachlaot, an organization in Jerusalem that hosts Shabbat spiritual gatherings. Her forthcoming book Planting Seeds of the Divine: Torah Commentaries to Cultivate Your Spiritual Practice, jointly published by the University of Nebraska Press (UNP) and the Jewish Publication Society (JPS), will be released in 2025.

Free/All Ages but please consider making a donation to EJC at checkout. Register here

Saturday, November 23, 2024 • 22 Cheshvan 5785

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

EJC Atrium

The Regendered Bible, Toratah, reimagines ancient stories by reversing the genders of all characters, placing women at the center of the sacred narrative and introducing men into the domestic sphere.

The Regendered Bible seeks to grant women full agency within the sacred texts, inspire spiritual and religious creativity, and invite a dynamic exploration of theology.

 Register Here

Israeli-American artist Yael Kanarek is the founder of BeitToratah.org, an initiative that reimagines the Biblical narrative by placing women at the center and inviting men into the domestic sphere through the regendering of all characters. This fresh lens on Scripture encourages new perspectives on gender, power, and leadership, offering a deeper exploration of ancient traditions and their relevance today. It also opens a space for renewed spiritual and theological reflection, inspiring deeper engagement with sacred texts. Since 2016, Toratah-meaning "Her Torah"-has built a vibrant community in both the US and Israel, contributing to its ongoing development.

Read more about Yael Kanarak and Toratah here: 

https://jweekly.com/2024/10/31/why-im-rewriting-the-torah-with-women-at-the-center/

STANDING AT THE CROSSROADS© is a transformative program for people who are seeking to enhance the meaning and purpose of their life.

You are done with your past, or feel stuck in your present. You aren’t sure what’s next. How does your life experience and knowledge contribute to your meaning and purpose at this phase of life? 

This workshop gives you an opportunity to stand at your crossroads, look to your future and design your plan for moving forward. The workshops are interactive sessions that help you explore your values and interests, provide you tools to explore possibilities and develop action steps for your “what’s next”.

$75 for all 3 Sessions. ATTENDANCE FOR ALL THREE SESSIONS REQUIRED. $75 PAYMENT FOR FIRST SESSION AT CHECK-OUT COVERS ALL THREE SESSIONS.

Register here

Ruth Cohen, MSW, LCSW has worked with older adults and their families for over 40 years helping them design their futures in ways that sustain their values.
Jerry Cohen, JD, MPA, experienced his own crossroads when he prepared for his “what’s next” in 2018 when he stepped down as AARP Oregon State Director.
Their flagship program, Evolving Elders, is dedicated to addressing the opportunities, challenges and transitions as we age.
More about Ruth and Jerry can be found at the website:
www.evolvingelders.com

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.

2 PM All Ages. Free, but please consider making a donation at checkout.

Made possible in part by the Yiddish Arts and Culture Initiative for Jewish Communities at the Yiddish Book Center.