Page 1 - JR March 3 21 FINAL

Confronting Hate:

Anti-Asian — page 2

Teens — pages 4-5

Feed hungry — page 6

Passover — page 7
March 3, 2021 / Adar 19, 5781 Volume 56, Issue 6

Local rabbis react to Israel court's conversion ruling

On March 1, 2021, Israel’s Supreme Court Opposition leader Yair Lapid support- “Hurray! Small yet welcome step for-
ruled that people who convert to Judaism ed it saying: “Israel must have complete ward,” says Rabbi Daniel Isaak, rabbi
in Israel through the Reform and Conser- equality of rights for all streams of Judaism emeritus of Congregation Neveh Shalom.
vative movements must be recognized as – Orthodox, Reform or Conservative. We “The Reform Movement worldwide is
Jews for the purpose of being granted Is- all need to live here together with tolerance very excited about this recent develop-
raeli citizenship. and mutual respect.” ment,” says Rabbi Michael Cahana, senior
Israel’s Ashkenazi and Sephardic chief The Jewish Review invited Oregon’s rab- rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel.
rabbis criticized the decision. bis to weigh in as well. See CONVERSION REACTION, page 14

A remarkable first year

When the Jewish Review pub-
lished its first issue as a biweek-
ly e-newspaper March 4, 2020,
Americans had not yet realized
the enormity of the health and
economic crisis soon to alter
our lives.
Beginning March 13, Oregon
Gov. Kate Brown issued a series
of orders with increasingly tight
limits on schools, businesses
and gatherings, culminating in a
Rabbi Chaim Wilhelm of Northeast Chabad walked around his “stay at home order” March 23.
neighborhood to see if anyone needed help during the power out- That first issue was full of
age, which lasted a week in some parts of Portland. The couple in in-person events past and
this house couldn’t even get out of their house after this tree fell. Af- planned. The second issue on
ter someone chopped the tree into pieces, Rabbi Wilhelm returned March 18 already reflected the The Jewish Review returned as
and climbed over the wood to deliver some hot soup. “It was worth looming crisis. The next week, an e-newspaper (above) when
it to see the smile on their faces,” he says. the Jewish Review published an society still functioned in per-
son. Later that month, the world
Reaching out with kindness EXTRA issue on March 25 with moved into a virtual realm and
information on the COVID-19
the Review published an EX-
BY DEBORAH MOON and we have three bedrooms,” Crisis Campaign, volunteer TRA issue (below) to help read-
says the rabbi. “My grandfather matching, expedited free loans ers navigate the altered world.
When more than 400,000 peo- used to say, ‘If there is room in and the advent of virtual events.
ple in the greater Portland metro the heart, there is room in the Readership for the first year
area lost power due to snow, ice home.’” has been high. Readers reacted
and wind storms in mid-Feb- The families spent nearly a with enthusiasm to the first is-
ruary, members of Portland’s week together. “It’s been real- sue, and after the world turned
Jewish community reached out ly nice,” says Rabbi Skolnik. virtual, we received many
to friends and neighbors. “The kids are friends.” emails thanking us for bring-
Rabbi Shalom Skolnik, who Homes were not the only ing the Jewish Review back as
teaches at Maayan Torah Day buildings without power. a news source for the Jewish
School, invited one of the Maayan Torah lost power at communities of Oregon and
school’s families to stay in his the school in Lake Oswego for Southwest Washington.
home. Rabbi Skolnik and his over a week. So on the sixth One typical email read:
wife have three children, and day, Maayan invited teach- “Thank you for bringing back
the other couple has four chil- ers and students to gather at the Jewish Review. We have
dren including an infant.
“We were 11 in the house, See HELPING, page 6 See REVIEW TURNS 1, page 11