One Book, One Community is the theme of the inaugural year of Portland Jewish Book Month. Expanded to Portland through the work of Marge Congress and the founding of the Portland Jewish Book Month Committe, PJBM will focus the Jewish community on reading and discussing the same book.

For more information following Rabbi Ariel’s d’var Torah, see these links:

Jewish Daily Forward article about how the Inquisition identified conversos by their foodways

Wikipedia article about Luis de Torres

Explanation of Toledot Yeshu by scholars at Princeton University

A full slate of events in the early part of November has been planned around the book By Fire, By Water by Mitchell James Kaplan. This award-winning, historical novel traces the story of a powerful, converso courier as he traverses the political and religious complexity of Spain during the Inquisition. Many congregations and the Multnomah County Library are hosting these events.

From the Jewish Review:
On Nov. 1, Beit Haverim will host a book discussion with Lake Oswego United Church of Christ at 1111 Country Club Road, where both congregations meet.
“Piece by missing piece: Recovering the Sephardic legacy of Spain,” is the title of Congregation Beth Israel’s Nov. 4 program. Drs. Regan and Warshawsky will lead the program after 6 pm. services at Beth Israel, 1972 NW Flanders, Portland.
Congregation Shaarie Torah will host a book discussion from 6-8 pm, Nov. 8, at Sip Divine, 7829 SW Capitol Hwy., in Multnomah Village.
At 7:15 pm, Nov. 11, Congregation Shir Tikvah invites the community, especially those on the eastside, to join a book discussion led by Rabbi Ariel Stone as part of her erev Shabbat d’var Torah. The theme will be history, identity and belonging. The program will be in the Bridgeport Building at 621 NE 76th Ave.
The One Book, One Community program continues Nov. 15 when Congregation Neveh Shalom and Multnomah County Library sponsor a 6:30-7:30 p.m. discussion at the Hillsdale Library, 1525 SW Sunset Blvd. The discussion will begin with a short DVD by Mitchell Kaplan about how he wrote the book.
The month’s celebrations conclude Nov. 17 when Oregon Jewish Museum shows “Expulsion and Memory” at 7 p.m. The film traces the descendants of conversos forced to flee Spain in the 15th century. The film includes interviews with families and music provided by Placido Domingo. The film will be shown at OJM, 1953 NW Kearney St. Tickets are $8 OJM members, $10 non-members.
For more information on Portland Jewish Book Month One Book, One Community programs, email portlandjbm-books@yahoo.com.

To see the full article, click here.