June 24, 2020
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TODAY: Find calm in a frantic world — page 11 BB Day Camp — page 5 June 24, 2020 / Tammuz 2, 5780 Volume 55, Issue 10 It’s TiME to save our planet BY DEBORAH MOON “Through TiME, every kid and adult can be ac- A program developed tively involved in pro- in Portland by an Israeli tecting the most valuable scientist is protecting lands on Earth,” says biodiversity by buy- Uri. ing threatened areas This year, sites in in hotspots around the Kenya and Brazil are Members enter the Mittleman Jewish Community world. waiting to be saved and Center for the first time since mid-March. Uri Shanas, Ph.D., spent protected for future gen- his 2014-15 sabbatical erations. Everyone can from the University of donate as much as they MJCC reopens Haifa doing research at Uri Shanas want and then vote for Portland State Universi- their preferred land on With Multnomah County approved for Phase 1 re- ty. While in Portland, Uri More tikkun the website. opening, the Mittleman Jewish Community Center created This is My Earth olam - page 2 TiME partners with opened its doors to members on June 19, 2020. (TiME), an all-volunteer local organizations to ALL fitness classes (at Home and at the MJCC) are nonprofit that uses 100% ensure land stays in the for members only. But virtual arts and culture pro- of donations to purchase and protect hands of indigenous people. grams remain open to everyone. Find those events land in Earth’s most biologically di- This year’s donations will be allocat- oregonjcc.org/arts-culture/at-home-arts-culture. verse areas. ed (based on votes received) to Wild- “We are very excited “Well, TiME turned out to be a life Clubs of Kenya to protect wildlife to reopen the MJCC to Phase One great success,” said Uri in a recent on Mount Longonot, where wildlife the community and look interview. “Now TiME has more than is threatened by agricultural expan- forward to welcoming reopening: 5,000 members and has purchased and sion; Nature Kenya to purchase land back our members when What does it protected already four biodiversity in Dakatcha Woodland, a refuge for they are ready to come mean for our hotspot areas around the world – two endangered species that has no formal to campus,” MJCC Ex- in the upper Amazon, one on an island protection status; and to expand Ser- ecutive Director Steve community? in the Caribbean Sea and a forest in ra Bonita Reserve, located in Brazil’s Albert says. “We have - page 4 Colombia.” most endangered biome, to save the worked extremely hard Congregation Neveh Shalom Rabbi four remaining primate species and to meet or exceed all David Kosak met Uri when the Israeli other threatened wildlife. required and recommended health protocols to en- presented an Israel360 program at the Teachers in Israel use TiME’s edu- sure a very safe, healthy, comfortable and worry-free synagogue about an environmental cation program to teach students from workout experience for our members. We recognize project he had done in Israel on both kindergarten to universities about na- that individuals will feel ready to return to campus at sides of the green line. ture, biology and ecology, as well as to different points in time and are pleased to continue The two have stayed in touch since enhance values such as democracy, eq- offering virtual programming to our members in the Uri returned to Israel. And in 2018, uity and activism. Uri hopes to expand coming weeks and months.” Rabbi Kosak’s son, Shayah, chose the education program to the United Members MUST register in advance to use the fit- TiME as his bar mitzvah project. He States and Canada in the near future. ness center and/or attend a group exercise class. Res- raised about $2,000, which went to On June 29, the International Day of ervations open 24 hours prior to class time or desired saving animals and plants in the Am- the Tropics, the kids in Israel will join workout slot: oregonjcc.org or call 503-244-0111. azon. Other b’nai mitzvah students, TiME to raise funds for protecting the Assistant Executive Director Jennifer Harrington including Zohar from Sidney, Austra- tropical forests. encourages those who have been enjoying the free lia, and Jasmine from Herzelia, Israel, Check the website for donations and have followed Shayah’s example and more information: See MJCC, page 4 made TiME their project, too. this-is-my-earth.org Free online subscription: jewishportland.org/subscribe Tikkun olam briefs NE Chabad spreads good vibes & positivity Rabbi Chaim Wilhelm of Chabad of Northeast Portland says he knows when he does something to make a difference, it is also helpful to him. He’s seen a similar reaction from the volunteers in the group’s Chesed Connection. “Volunteering makes people happy,” says Rabbi Chaim. But with the pandemic and stay B’nai B’rith Camp at home the order of the day, Food Service he says, “People want to make Director Becci a difference, but there are not Bazen preps many ways to do it right now.” meals for BB “We created these Good Vibe Camp’s free Lawn Signs to give out to summer food friends and neighbors, and the program. response has been really posi- tive,” says Rabbi Chaim. Though NE Portland Chabad started distributing the signs before the killing of George Floyd, he BB Camp feeds hungry says, “People have expressed more interest in the signs since the protests started. People are looking for positive messages.” children in Lincoln City In addition to the upsurge in interest in signs, he says volunteers for the 1½-year-old Chesed Connection have surged, too. BY DEBORAH MOON model, which is a grab-and-go Chesed Connection delivered about 100 seder-to-go packages, fund- program in the county, with one ed in part by the Community Crisis Campaign. Since then, volunteers B’nai B’rith Camp has provid- site in Lincoln City. have delivered Shabbat-to-go packages of challah, soup and dessert ed free meals to nearby Lincoln “They (NW Coastal Housing) to about 40 homes each week. To make or request a delivery, email City children who meet guide- asked us to take on a larger [email protected]. lines for free lunch since 2013. piece and start ASAP,” says To receive a lawn sign, visit JewishNortheast.com/lawnsign. With COVID-19 impacting Michelle. school food programs and in- With the help of NW Coastal Shaarie Torah members randomly get challah creasing food insecurity in the Housing and a child nutrition Congregation Shaarie Torah rolled out a fun, sweet project on state, this year the Jewish camp specialist from the Dept. of Ed- June 12 in partnership with the Challahman (Rich Meyer). Each expanded and launched its sum- ucation, BB Camp was able to Friday, 10 Shaarie Torah house- mer food program early. put together a program in just a holds are being surprised with “As of Monday (June 15), few days, says Allison. challah deliveries. we are providing breakfast and In addition to the meals served So recipients know where the lunch for seven days a week to to campers in the Lincoln City gift is from, a note is attached to 200 to 300 kids a day,” says BB BB Day Camp, sack meals for the challah. For each loaf deliv- Camp Executive Director Mi- three or four days are available ered to Shaarie Torah members, chelle Koplan. for pickup two days a week at Challahman donates a loaf to the The meals are provided to BB Camp and at two apartment Holocaust Survivors program of children who meet the USDA/ complexes operated by NW Jewish Family & Child Service. Oregon Dept. of Education Coastal Housing. The meals Shaarie Torah Executive Di- Child Nutrition Program re- are prepared by BB Camp Food rector Jemi Kostiner Mansfield quirements for the Summer Service Chef Becci Bazen and says, “We decided to launch Food Service Program. two kitchen staff members. A this to give people stuck at “When schools were closed a volunteer from NW Coastal home an extra burst of love and few months ago, I reached out Housing picks up the meals support from the shul and to (hopefully) sweeten their Shabbat. to our housing partner, NW from the BB Camp kitchen and Coastal Housing, to make sure takes them to the locations on COVID Emergency Fund is helping community that the kids in the two apart- the designated day for that site. The Greater Portland Jewish Community COVID Emergency ment complexes we have been “These kids are very, very Fund, a joint project of the Jewish Federation of Greater Port- providing food to during the hungry, and we are so delighted land and the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation, has raised summer were going to be re- we are able to provide food for $867,000. ceiving food,” says BB Camp kids,” says Michelle. Last week two additional grants were awarded: B’nai B’rith Operations Director Allison In 2006 Michelle created the Camp for $45,500 (their grants now total $84,000) and NCSY for Kaufman. day camp on the Jewish over- $1,800 (their grants now total $6,800). At that time, the Lincoln night camp’s facilities on Dev- The campaign now has provided grants of more than $697,000 to County School District had il’s Lake to serve area families 36 Jewish organizations across the State of Oregon and Southwest begun to use bus routes to pro- who need summer child care Washington. vide free meals to all kids in the and families vacationing in The pandemic continues to challenge Jewish organizations and area.