Upcoming Events

Portland Jewish Academy & Mittleman Jewish Community Center’s December Donation Drive:

Donate Money to JFCS’ Family to Family Gift Giving; New Toys, Games, and Craft Supplies
Supporting Jewish Family & Child Service, Ronald McDonald House

Drop off donations by the MJCC Welcome Desk by mid-December. Exact deadline will be added soon.

Join knitters in the MJCC lobby every Tuesday to chit chat, knit and share knitting secrets!

December 6, 20, 27
1:00 pm in the MJCC lobby

No knitting on the second Tuesday of each month.

MJCC Lighting and Latkes
Wednesday, December 21
5:00 pm
at the MJCC
Join us for a community Hanukkah candle lighting, music, fun and celebration. Latkes available for purchase. Please rsvp. (link coming shortly)

Come watch a movie at the MJCC.
Sunday, December 25
9:30 am.
Must RSVP to skorin@oregonjcc.org or 503.452.3427 

Join Latin Grammy Award-winning musician Mister G, a.k.a Ben Gundersheimer, and his international band of Jewish music-makers and global collaborators for a family-friendly Hanukkah concert overflowing with ruach (spirit). This dynamic and interactive experience is certain to bring some rhythm to the Festival of Lights and is a great way to celebrate the final night of candle lighting. 

December 25
3:00 pm
The link to the livestream of the concert can be found here.

This program is being offered by JFest: An Arts Festival for the JCC Movement.

Friday, December 30
11:00 am - 12:30 pm
in the MJCC Main Ballroom
Click here to RSVP 
Join us for our annual Family New Year's event. There will be a bouncy house, face painting, games, music, and a countdown with a beach ball drop at noon!

Stop the Bleed
Learn how to use a tourniquet on yourself and others in this free class. 
Monday, Dec. 5
7:00 pm
At the MJCC
Sign up here.

Join members of the community for a discussion in Hebrew. Purchase lunch or just enjoy the conversation. Some conversational Hebrew is required.

Every other Tuesday in the MJCC Lobby.
December 13, 27 (please note date change)
12:30 pm

Since their arrival on the scene in 2015, Nefesh Mountain has been hailed as one of today’s formative boundary pushing Bluegrass/Americana bands. In a testament to the unbridled imagination and extraordinary grace of their musicianship, each track on Songs for the Sparrows ineffably evokes the sensation of roaming through the unknown. True to the album’s spirit of loving inclusivity, Lindberg and Zasloff, have created an elegantly wayward sound by melding elements of everything from Americana and Appalachian bluegrass to Celtic folk and Eastern European music. Not only a reflection of their vast musical knowledge, that open-hearted embracing of so many eclectic genres also speaks to the joyful curiosity that animates every aspect of their artistry.

Thursday, December 1
8:00 pm
Discount tickets here.
Password TOC15

Sponsor: Mittleman Jewish Community Center

Still Traveling:  Captivating Cambodia – Traditions in Food, Art, Crafts & Dance 
Four Mondays, December 5, 12, 19, 26, 2022 
11:00 am - 12:15 pm
on Zoom 

Zoom into the home of our beloved, professional, Cambodian guide - Tek - for an all-new exploration of vibrant artistic traditions in his homeland. Our virtual "trips" include: 

Cuisine: From Market to Table (Dec. 5) 
Fine Art: Museums & Galleries (Dec. 12) 
Crafts: A Renaissance of Traditions (Dec. 19) 
Dance: Ancient History, Modern Practice (Dec. 26) 

For details & tickets, click here.

Repeated by Popular Demand! 

Art & Anti-Semitism 
Tuesday, December 6 
11:00 am - 12:30 pm
on Zoom 
Save! Register by Dec 4th for "Early Bird" pricing! 

When talking about antisemitism, people often think about the Nazi regime and contemporary antisemitism, maybe about the Spanish Inquisition and other events within the past couple of centuries. However, anti-Semitism has been expressed in visual art since the early Middle Ages. This and other types of discrimination were encouraged by political and religious powers, all which paved the way to persecution and genocide. Jews have been depicted as monsters, sub-humans, animals or even demons. 

Join our professional guide & lecturer - Claudia - for this thought-provoking lecture and see an array of paintings, sculptures, reliefs, and gargoyles through the ages, each providing clear evidence of an anti-Semitic agenda. These images were the political cartoons and posters of the age…and most remain visible today. 

For details & tickets, click here

Music & Morsels: "Three's Company" 
Wednesday, December 7 
1:00 - 2:00 pm
on Zoom 
Save! Get “Early Bird” pricing before Dec 5th. 

Don't miss this wonderful concert with classical music for Piano, Violin, and Cello! Our live streaming concert will feature pianist Ian Scarfe joined by two special guest artists, as they bring together classical chamber music to a live audience. This program will feature Romantic works by Antonin Dvorak, including his "Dumky" Trio, a cycle of Ukrainian musical elegies that are full of romantic lyricism, exciting folk dances, and virtuoso playing. 

For details & tickets, click here.

Re-Re-Repeated by Popular Demand! 
Exploring Broadway: Fabulous “Fiddler” (Part I: An Encore!) 
Thursday, December 8 
1:00 - 3:00 pm
on Zoom 
Save! Order before Dec 6th for “Early Bird” pricing! 

Sheldon Harnick and Jerry Bock’s beloved Fiddler on the Roof is widely considered the last of Broadway’s “Golden Age” musicals. Before its premiere, some producers were concerned that it was "too Jewish" to attract mainstream audiences. However, the touching story and beautiful score proved to capture “the essential human longings for love, community, success, freedom, and family.” Join instructor James Sokol for an exploration – filled with interesting facts, delightful tidbits & nostalgic video clips – of this perennial favorite! Songs covered in this session include, "Tradition," "Matchmaker, Matchmaker," "If I Were a Rich Man," "Sunrise, Sunset" and "Do You Love Me." Come for the songs; stay for the fun! 

For details & tickets, click here. 

Book Burning Throughout History: Our Ignorance is Their Power 
Tuesday, December 13 
11:00 am - 12:30 pm
on Zoom 
Save! Register by Dec 11th for "Early Bird" pricing! 

Many authoritarian governments and extremists are responsible for widespread cultural destruction through terrorism, war, ethnic cleansing, and other forms of mass violence.  The destruction of books & libraries is one way of making an ethnicity or culture disappear. Though book burning may seem a thing of the past, it still continues today!  Our beloved lecturer Claudia returns with another fascinating and thought-provoking topic, providing several examples and analysis of the motivations for this symbolic act. 

For details & tickets, click here. 

December's book is Without Reservations by Alice Steinbach

Tuesday, December 13 at 1:00 pm.
In person at the MJCC and on Zoom

Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 896 9190 1409
Passcode: Books!

Songs & Stories: A Tribute to Betty Comden & Adolph Green 
Wednesday, December 14 
1:00 - 2:00 pm
on Zoom 
Save! Order before December 12th for “Early Bird” pricing! 

Jewish American musical-comedy team Betty Comden & Adolph Green wrote scripts – and often the lyrics – for many Broadway and Hollywood musicals. They were paired together longer than any other writing team in the history of Broadway. Join entertainer Gilda Solve for a review of some of their hit musical treasures.  Guests are welcome to ask questions via the chat throughout the program. 

For details & tickets, click here. 

Exploring Broadway: Fabulous "Fiddler" (Part-II, A Sequel) 
Thursday, December 15 
1:00 - 3:00 pm
on Zoom 
Save! Order before Dec 13th for “Early Bird” pricing! 

Join in this new class as instructor James Sokol continues an exploration of Harnick & Bock’s beloved Fiddler on the Roof.  Filled with interesting facts, delightful tidbits & nostalgic video clips, this lecture will explore such songs as "Sabbath Prayer," "Miracle of Miracles," "The Bottle Dance," "Far From the Home I Love," and "Anatevka."  Come for the songs; stay for the fun!  Note: Attending Part-I is not a requirement for joining or enjoying Part-II. 

For details & tickets, click here.