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Help JFCS get

its gobble on

As we look to the celebrations of Thanksgiving,
Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and more, we know
that for many, the celebratory spirit can be hard to
come by.
Jewish Family & Child Service provides an anti-
dote: this month, the agency continues its 21-year
tradition of brightening the season for families and
individuals of all ages, including greater Portland’s
Holocaust Survivors, experiencing tough times.
JFCS Thanksgiving Food Boxes and Fami-
ly-to-Family programs give hundreds of people who
are struggling hope and reasons to celebrate.
Food boxes
JFCS partners with many local synagogues and
community organizations to collect nonperishable Students from the Mensch Learning Center stock a new Little Free Library.
food items and $25 gift cards for more than 150 Shaarie Torah dedicates
households, which means Thanksgiving goodies for
at least 600 people. Thanksgiving meal boxes include
a turkey, potatoes, yams, cranberry sauce, pumpkin diverse Little Free Library
pie and more. Appropriate products are provided for
vegetarians, those with gluten-free diets and those On Oct. 30, students from Shaarie To- and hearts by increasing understand-
who keep kosher. JFCS staff and community volun- rah’s Mensch Learning Center helped ing, tolerance and compassion for
teers help pack and deliver boxes. Please see below dedicate a Little Free Library on the each other while decreasing assump-
for details on how to donate and volunteer. congregation’s NW Portland campus. tions, stereotypes, fear and hate in
Family-to-Family Rabbi Gary Ezra Oren our world? More and
JFCS adds joy to holiday celebrations in December led the attendees in sing- more Diverse LFLs
by providing gift cards to clients so they can meet ing Shehechiyanu (a are being launched
their own needs, most often by purchasing house- prayer to mark special throughout the met-
hold items, clothing and toys for children. Cards will occasions) as the children ro area, currently
be distributed the week of Dec. 5, coinciding with “cut” the ribbon and then totaling 11. The goal
the runup to Chanukah (beginning Dec. 18) and this filled the library with is to locate them
season’s many festivities. books. As stewards of in LFL “deserts,”
Want to help? this library, the congre- places where there
Visit jfcs-portland.org/holiday-giving-2022/ to gation is responsible for were known issues
make a secure donation to the holiday programs. maintaining and stocking of racial, antisemitic
To volunteer on Sunday, Nov. 20, to pack food box- books that are focused or LGBTQIA+ hate
es at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center or to primarily on diversity incidents, and places
deliver the assembled food boxes to recipients, sign and inclusion. The initial where many people
up at jfcsportland.galaxydigital.com/. If you have supply of “Read in Col- gather. All are locat-
any questions, contact JFCS Volunteer Coordinata- or” books includes titles ed where stewards
tor Sammy Monk at volunteer@jfcs-portland.org. by authors Trevor Noah, showed a strong
Ibram X. Kendi, Hena Khan and Che- commitment to providing a vehicle
Apply for Sussman scholarship rie Dimaline. of diverse voices to the communi-
The congregation was approached by ties around them. Find libraries at
Sussman Fund applications reopen this month for Positive Charge! PDX over the sum- positivechargepdx.org/compassion.
the 2023-2024 academic year. mer to consider becoming stewards of Thanks to the support of Sallie Cohen
The Sussman Fund was established in 1981 by Lil- the library. The library is part of the and other members of PC! PDX, the
lian and Gilbert Sussman to provide grants to Jewish Compassion Through Literature proj- new library at Shaarie Torah is open
students from the Portland metropolitan area toward ect conceived by PC! PDX in response for business and welcomes donations
their higher education. Students pursuing undergrad- to growing concerns over acts of in- of new or gently used books.
uate studies toward a degree in an accredited college tolerance being witnessed in schools, Mensch Learning Center students
or university in the United States are encouraged to communities and on social media. PC! brought books and enthusiasm to the
apply. Awards will be given to two to five recipients PDX, a nonpolitical, nonreligious, dedication, showing a deep under-
per year in the amount of $1,000-$1,800. Recipients all-inclusive, humanitarian-focused standing for the importance of ex-
will be notified in April 2023. organization, began this project with a panding connections with other people
The application deadline is March 1, 2023. In ad- simple idea: Could we encourage peo- through reading.
dition to the application form, applicants must sub- ple to take a walk in someone else’s For information about the Mensch
mit a resume or student employment record and two shoes by sharing and reading books Learning Center (K-5 grade) or
th
th
th
letters of recommendation. Apply at jewishportland. about You, Me and Us through diverse Mensch Academy (6 -7 grade) at
org/sussman. For questions, contact Rachel Nelson little lending libraries? Could such Shaarie Torah, visit shaarietorah.org/
at rachel@jewishportland.org or 503-892-7415. reading open the pages of their eyes youthed/.
Jewish Review Nov. 9, 2022 11