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Intern helps grow Eastside Jewish Commons events

BY BONNIE NEWMAN EJC fall calendar has music,
It’s often said, “Life doesn’t come with a stories, food, families, more
manual. It comes with a mother.” And when
you are Alyssa Knudsen and your mother is The Eastside Jewish Commons will start
Jenn Director-Knudsen, you grow up with the fall on a high note. Music, dance,
a strong role model, impactful life lessons games, stories, puppets and food will
about social engagement, respect for oth- highlight a family friendly celebration
ers’ differences, unconditional love and Sept. 18 at the Sandy Boulevard venue.
support for family, and a love for Judaism The free program is the first of several
and lifelong learning. events created to draw families to the
Alyssa has embraced these values, mak- eastside space.
ing her own mark locally and beyond. The As EJC’s cultural arts ambassador, Eric
Brandeis University junior currently serves Stern has been composing the lineup,
on the board of the campus’ pro-Israel which includes monthly concerts on Fri-
lobby. She taught the aleph-bet to young- days at noon.
er students as a teacher’s assistant for five “When my own son was a boychik, I
years at Congregation Neveh Shalom. She wanted to expose him to all sorts of live
volunteered as a docent for an Anne Frank music,” Stern says, “but most concerts
exhibit at Jesuit High School, from which began at his bedtime. I’m hoping that our
she graduated in 2020. Friday concerts featuring music from the
“I am passionate about being Jewish and countries of our Diaspora will be attended
working in the Jewish community,” says by parents with children, elders or anyone
the Portland native, who pointed to her with free time during the day.”
mother’s professional and volunteer expe- “Our focus has been on families and cul-
rience and her parents’ interfaith marriage tural arts, and sometimes those lanes even
as particularly influential. “I grew up confi- intersect,” he adds. “As a veteran eastsid-
dent of my Jewish identity but receptive to er myself, I know we’ve got an incredibly
different beliefs, different families.” diverse community. ... We want to support
Last spring, the 21-year-old followed in our Jewish community and shape the next
her mother’s community-minded footsteps generation.”
to the Eastside Jewish Commons. There, Stern now is collaborating with Howie
she approached then-interim Executive Di- Bierbaum, EJC’s new executive director,
rector Mia Birk about a summer internship. to develop programming that fills the bill.
Birk greeted Alyssa’s request with curios- “I want to fill the space wisely with cul-
ity and enthusiasm. The EJC didn’t have an EJC summer intern Alyssa Knudsen hangs tural, educational and entertainment ac-
established internship, but the two women out with one of the snakes that visited for tivities,” Bierbaum says. “I’m excited by
brainstormed to create a position to benefit snake day at BB Day Camp at the Commons. the stuff he’s bringing, and I’m going to
both partners. try to complement it with my stuff.”
“Alyssa’s opportunity at the EJC started yssa’s life. She is especially proud that her The two have orchestrated some excit-
from relationships,” Birk says. “Knowing father, who is not Jewish, sat on the bimah ing events for guests of all ages.
her family and her mom’s involvement in with her during her bat mitzvah. She also “We’ve got lots of other irons in the fire
the Jewish community, I was intrigued with is “incredibly grateful” for her relationship – cooking classes, Yiddish storytelling,”
the idea of having her as an intern.” with her grandparents, all four of whom says Stern. “But the thread that binds
But it wasn’t just who she knew. It also live in Portland. these events is the same that binds our
was what she knew – music. Alyssa sang in Director-Knudsen says, “My parents and community – we’re eastside Jews. Heck,
choirs for years, and she currently performs in-laws have been available as a support we’re close enough to the river to be the
with the Brandeis University chamber cho- network for all the good things and all the lower eastside. We’re warm, we’re eclec-
rus. bad things. Alyssa came to see her grand- tic, we revel in making food and music,
“Alyssa expressed an interest in leading parents as an extension of her parents. They and we lean on those who came before us
programming for younger adults and in arts were always present and nonjudgmental.” to create community that surges forward
programming,” Birk says, and the nonprof- Although Alyssa is uncertain what career with simcha.”
it was looking to expand programming in she will choose after she earns degrees UPCOMING
both of these areas. in political science and French, she has a Sept. 18: Fall Family Kick-Off Event is
Alyssa partnered with EJC Events Coor- passion for education and has considered especially appropriate for families with
dinator Eric Stern to develop the venue’s teaching high school or beyond. And, like children ages 2-9. The free event features
fall and winter calendar. She also complet- her mother, family also is a priority. writer Alicia Jo Rabins, storyteller-musi-
ed administrative tasks and researched oth- “It is important to me to balance my desire cian Kim Schneiderman, puppeteer Ora
er nonprofits’ procedures. for a meaningful, long-lived career with the Fruchter and yogi Annie Rosen. Sofia
“I’ve done a lot more than I thought I desire to have a family of my own,” she Vidalis will offer free massages to par-
would,” Alyssa says. “The best part is that says. ents. Details and registration: ejcpdx.
I gained confidence in just going for some- “I don’t have lofty goals to change the org/events-1/2022/9/18/family-program-
thing, seeing what I can do.” world,” she explains. “I just want to change ming-fun-day-kickoff-celebration.
Family support has been a constant in Al- my little pocket of the universe.” See more events: ejcpdx.org/events-1.

Jewish Review Sept. 7, 2022 5