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Portland Kollel's Beit Kick off Shabbat
Knesset has expanded with community
space for the library, which
Rabbi Akiva O’Connor has candle lighting
been working to organize. The Jewish Federation of
“A major goal of the Kollel Greater Portland will partic-
is to be welcoming,” says
Rabbi O’Connor. So he ipate in the national Shabbat
has arranged books so Across America at Home spon-
people can come in and sored nationally by National
study on their own. “They Jewish Outreach.
can pull a book off the With this Shabbat, we cel-
shelf, study a little Torah ebrate in solidarity with our
and get on with their day.” Ukrainian brothers and sisters
and offer a prayer for their safe-
Kollel grows space, programs, staff ty and security.
“Taking part in Shabbat
Across America is an antidote
BY DEBORAH MOON to Covid fatigue,” says Com-
Portland Kollel 2.0 is poised to launch more munity Chaplain Rabbi Barry
programs and resources for the community as Cohen. “Though some restric-
soon as the world reopens. tions have been lifted, many
Last year, Portland Kollel added staff (see page of us are still nervous about
8 in the Oct. 27, 2021 Jewish Review). Now getting together in person. A
the outreach and education nonprofit has added virtual connection is better than
space – from 1,400 square feet to nearly 5,000, no connection.”
including about 2,000 square feet of common Join NJOP, Jewish Federation
area it plans to offer at an affordable price for of Greater Portland and the
small events, pop-up businesses, and study and greater Portland Jewish commu-
work rooms. The common area also includes a nity for a virtual Shabbat candle
barista-style kitchenette and a media room to Rabbi Chanan Spivak, right, and Rabbi Boruch lighting at 5:30 pm, March 4.
create podcasts, etc. The common area will be Dov Diskind in one of the new Kollel offices. “This is a chance to mark two
overseen by the Kollel. years of the pandemic as a com-
Portland Kollel is in the same building on Cap- because he had a vision for how the books should munity and shine a light and
itol Highway between Hillsdale and Multnomah be displayed. bring hope for the future going
Village, but has moved into most of the space “Covid has hampered in-person events, but the forward,” says JFGP Director
formerly occupied by the Jewish Federation of Kollel is rebooting as Kollel 2.0, so when the of Community Planning and
Greater Portland. With the help of contractor and world opens up, we will have new offices, class- Allocations Caron Blau Roth-
developer Jeffrey Weitz, the Kollel is creating a rooms and meeting space ready for enhanced stein. “We very much hope that
space where people can find meaningful connec- programming for the community,” says Rabbi people will join us to kick off
tions to Judaism. Spivak. “The point is to be full force as an event their observance in community,
“Jeff and I are dreaming,” says Kollel CEO space as soon as the world opens up.” albeit virtually.”
Rabbi Chanan Spivak, noting plans for the com- Kollel Director of Administration and Program- Rabbi Cohen will lead a brief
mon areas are still in flux, though the media room ming Rabbi Boruch Dov Diskind says the Kol- 18-minute reflection on the past
is already fully equipped and in use. He hopes the lel has used Zoom, one-on-one study and small two years of the pandemic and
common space also will be used for young adult group classes to serve the community during the conclude with candle lighting
meeting space. pandemic. He compares participation in the year to take us into a restorative at-
“We have a lot of concepts, but noting is solid- before Covid began to the past two years. In 2019 home Shabbat practice.
ified,” says Weitz, who has been involved with until pandemic closures began in March 2020, “Lighting the Shabbat can-
Kollel since its founding 16 years ago. “We are the Kollel had 27 adult events with 1,470 partic- dles is a simple way to create
trying to expand common space (available in the ipants, nine children’s events with 481 children, a transformative experience,”
community).” 372 classes and 329 private sessions. During says Rabbi Cohen. “For me, the
Weitz is the contractor for the project and is co- Covid, they have had few in-person events, but a highlight is seeing all the faces,
ordinating the design work. He also worked on lot more one-on-one and Zoom events – they of- calling people out by name and
the Eastside Jewish Commons and Rachel’s Well fered 54,353 minutes of programming on Zoom sharing texts. When we gather,
Community Mikvah with Federation. from March 2020 through February 2021. we prove how resilient we are
He calls the coming year “a new era for the “People ask for Zoom,” says Rabbi Diskind. as a community. We will not
Kollel.” “We will offer hybrid programs for the foresee- allow Covid to detract from
The Kollel is already using about 2,300 square able future.” the simple holiday that has
feet of the new space for Kollel and NCSY offic- But Rabbi Spivak says the Zoom experience is connected and protected us for
es and classrooms. The books for the Beit Knes- qualitatively different than in-person interaction generations.”
set (house of study) are still mainly in boxes. Re- on the impact it has, and he hopes to “push Zoom To receive free Shabbat mate-
strooms and a small lunch area take up another out once everything is open.” rials, visit njop.org/shabbat/saa/.
480 square feet of space that will also be open to A grand opening is being planned May 19, in- Details at jewishportland.org/
the common area. cluding a Lag B’Omer celebration. community-calendar/shab-
Director of Communications Rabbi Akiva For more information, visit portlandkollel.org bat-across-america. Register to
O’Connor says he became the de facto librarian or call 503-245-5420. join at tinyurl.com/54aw3rsv.
2 Jewish Review March 2, 2022