Upcoming Events in the Community

OJM Cinema: 400 Miles to Freedom, Thursday, May 23, 12 pm and 7 pm

In 1984, the Beta Israel, a secluded 2,500-year-old community of observant Jews in the northern Ethiopian mountains, fled a dictatorship and began a secret and dangerous journey of escape. Co-director Avishai Mekonen, then a 10-year-old boy, was among them. 400 MILES TO FREEDOMfollows his story as he breaks the 20-year silence around the brutal kidnapping he endured as a child in Sudan during his community’s exodus out of Africa, and in so doing explores issues of immigration and racial diversity in Judaism.

Directed and Produced by Avishai Yeganyahu Mekonen and Shari Rothfarb Mekonen. The film will be followed by a discussion led by Ethiopian born and local business owner Solomon Ezra, who currently works tirelessly for the release of Jews from Ethiopia. Tickets are $10; $8 for OJM members; $5 for students.

OJM Annual Gala: Let’s Stir It Up! Sunday, June 2, 4:30 pm at the Tualatin Country Club

Highlights of the Evening Include

Fabulous Silent Auction
Festive Atmosphere at the beautiful Tualatin Country Club
Delectable Food
Lisa Schroeder, owner and chef at Mother’s Bistro & Bar will be the evening’s master of ceremonies
OJM RAFFLE — A SPECTACULAR NEW YORK VACATION: Four nights including breakfast in Brooklyn, the new NYC hot spot. Indulge in contemporary comfort and a unique hospitality experience at Fairfield Inn & Suites. Add in a few admission passes to Manhattan museums and you hold the primary ingredients for a spectacular New York vacation. Only 125 tickets @ $100 each will be sold. To purchase your raffle ticket(s) please call us at 503-226-3600 or email palma@ojm.org.

Silent Auction begins at 5 pm; sit down dinner starts at 6:30 pm. For tickets to the gala, click here.

Save the Date! OJM’s Annual Meeting, Wednesday, June 19, 11:30am, Multnomah Athletic Club

Guest Speaker: Professor Natan Meir, “Creating Moscow’s New Jewish Museum: A View from the Inside”

Ongoing

Exhibit: Settling In; Runs through Sept. 24 at the OJM

For almost two centuries, immigrants from everywhere have found haven in Oregon. Many arrive here fleeing economic hardship, political oppression or religious persecution. Settling in, they all contribute to our understanding of what it means to be an Oregonian. Produced in partnership with the Immigration Refugee Community Organization (IRCO), Settling In showcases the shared experiences of two waves of immigrants who arrived in Oregon a century apart: Russian and Eastern European Jews in the early 1900s and contemporary immigrants from Burma, Cambodia, Congo, Cuba, Eritrea and Somalia.

This exhibit was made possible with the generous support of an Oregon Heritage Grant from the Oregon Heritage Commission, Oregon Humanities, the Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation, and Wells Fargo.

Machon Ivrit Adult Hebrew Class, Mondays, 7-9:15 pm

Fifty adult learners in Portland participated in Machon Ivrit Hebrew Institute last year! We expect to continue to offer three levels of modern Hebrew classes this year. Machon Ivrit is open to all. See Machon Ivrit Flyer for details.
Our Machon year starts in September with a 3-day class on the Alef-Bet for beginners, and formal Machon classes begin October 15 after the holidays.
This year, Machon Ivrit is open to teens who are interested in a serious Hebrew study program.
Class will run year round. Cost is $720, and financial aid is available. To register, contact Mel Berwin at mberwin@nevehshalom.org or 503.246.8831