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Henk Pander, The Artist as Eyewitness to History

The Menashe Gallery at the 2001. It also includes events in
Oregon Jewish Museum and Oregon such as the 1948 Van-
Center for Holocaust Educa- port flood and the 1999 sinking
tion exhibition features four of the New Carissa, the freighter
large-scale works painted by that grounded spilling oil in Coos
artist Henk Pander in response Bay. Throughout his work, Pan-
to Portland’s 2020 protests for der has engaged the social world
racial justice. around him with a rare and re-
The police killing of George markably moving moral passion.
Floyd in May 2020 shocked Pander was born in 1937 in
many citizens in Portland – Haarlem, the Netherlands. His
and around the country – into father was an artist who spe-
a long-delayed reckoning for cialized in Bible illustrations.
equal justice under the law. In Pander studied at the Rijksacad-
some respects, such an upris- emie van Beeldende Kunsten in
ing had not been seen since Amsterdam. Pander exempli-
the 1960s. When the neighbor- fies the best of representational
hood around the Justice Center realism – not surprising for an
in Portland became the site of artist trained in the classical
intense demonstrations, it was Dutch traditions of Rembrandt
no surprise to those who know and Vermeer. He is also, as an One of four large-scale works painted by artist Henk Pander in
his art that Henk Pander turned American, an immigrant and response to Portland's 2020 protests for racial justice. The four
his artistic vision to this historic product of the 1960s, a univer- paintings are on display at the Oregon Jewish Musuem and Center
place and time. salist. His art exemplifies the for Holocaust Education through May 15. ojmche.org
Pander is no novice to making power of visual art to express
politically inspired paintings. His human experience and emo- of his imaginative vision. almost too painful to take in.
long career includes paintings tion, a position appropriate for Pander takes nothing for Henk Pander fulfills the duty
depicting his childhood memo- an artist who understands him- granted. He keeps images alive of the artist to remind us, in
ries of Nazi-occupied Amster- self as a history painter even as in his mind’s eye, polishing and the most vivid and sometimes
dam; the fate of Europe’s Jews; he magnifies and heightens his- refining their precision, pro- disturbing ways, of the pressing
the Vietnam War; and Sept. 11, torical reality through the prism ducing a tableau of moments issues in our world today.
Deadlines March 4: Celebrate Shabbat

Across America at Home
small groups with mentors. Jewish Federation of Greater Portland will
Applications are due by Feb. 20. participate in the national Shabbat Across
Visit jewishportland.org/ourcommunity/ America at Home
young-adults/pdx-pathways for details and sponsored nation-
link to application. Interviews will take ally by National
place in March. Sessions begin in April. Jewish Outreach
For details, contact facilitator Sonia Marie Project March 4.
Leikam: soniamarie@jewishportland.org. “Early in the pan-
demic, Federation
March 4: Rogoway Outstanding hosted a number
well-received
of
Professional nominations due virtual shabbat can-
Nominations for the Laurie Rogoway dle lightings and a
Outstanding Jewish Professional award havdalah to both begin and end shabbat as
Feb. 20: Young adults invited are due by noon, March 4. Created by the community from our homes,” says JFGP
Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, the
to apply for PDX Pathways annual award recognizes a current Jewish Director of Community Planning and Allo-
cations Caron Blau Rothstein. “It was pow-
Applications are now being accepted for communal professional in Greater Port- erful and meaningful. The date NJOP has
the sixth cohort of PDX Pathways, a men- land. It is named in honor of Laurie Rogo- designated for this year’s shabbat is nearly
toring and leadership program for Jewish way and her stellar 30+ year career in the two years since the original lockdowns for
young professionals ages 21 through 35(ish). local Jewish community. Covid. It’s a moment to mark … once again
PDX Pathways is a project of the Jewish Beyond the recognition, the award rewards as community.”
Federation of Greater Portland. It provides the winning professional with up to $1,800 The Greater Portland and Oregon Jewish
young adults with networking opportuni- to subsidize professional development. community is invited to join a brief candle
ties, exposure to meaningful Jewish experi- Past honorees are Andy Gitelson, Jemi lighting on Zoom led by Community Chap-
ences, and mentoring from prominent com- Kostiner Mansfield, Ben Winkleblack, Ben lain Rabbi Barry Cohen to kick off at-home
munity and business leaders. Recognizing Charlton, Eve Levy, Sonia Marie Leikam shabbat observance.
the significant impact of the Covid-19 pan- and Rachel Nelson. For more information on the national cel-
demic, this cohort will focus on communi- To nominate a Jewish professional, visit ebration, visit njop.org/shabbat/saa/.
ty building within our group and engage in jewishportland.org/rogoway. Register at tinyurl.com/54aw3rsv.
Jewish Review Feb. 16, 2022 3