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Cedar Sinai Park, Neveh Shalom
enjoy intergenerational planting

Fourth-graders from the Aliyah Program at Congregation Nevah
Shalom celebrated Tu B’Shevat at Cedar Sinai Park Jan. 16. The
students talked about the significance of the holiday, sang, shared
prayers with Cedar Sinai residents and planted two dogwood
bushes, one in front of the Harold Schnitzer Center for Living, the
other behind Rose Schnitzer Manor Assisted Living. In addition,
CSP celebrated the holiday with two Tu B’Shevat seders (ceremo-
nial meals) to celebrate nature. The Rose Schnitzer Manor seder
was held Jan. 17 and the seder at Harold Schnitzer Center for
Living will be Jan. 20.

PJA's native garden celebrated on Tu B’Shevat

BY BLAIR BORAX fall. They researched native plants of Or- with Jana Hopfinger, students wrote tefillot
Tu B’Shevat (the 15th day of the Hebrew egon, observed the current state and natu- (prayers) through the voice of their plant,
month of Shevat) is known as the Jewish ral conditions of the garden, brainstormed as if the plants were offering their unique
New Year for Trees. Over the last several potential garden improvement and chose blessing to us.
decades, it has been celebrated as Jewish plants that would be well-suited to the en- The students made block prints (similar to
“Earth Day” in many Jewish communities. vironment. Next, they went on a field trip ink stamps) that they used to decorate the
In honor of this holiday, Portland Jewish to Portland Nursery, where they purchased printouts of the prayers.
Academy is recognizing the fifth-graders’ plants, and to Mt. Tabor, where they ob- The PJA Native Garden won a $500 grant
work to revitalize PJA’s Native Garden. served and sketched plants in their natural from Portland Parks and Recreation to pur-
In 2018, when this year’s eighth-grad- urban environment. Back at the school, chase and plant more native plants. Later
ers were still in fifth grade, they took on each student planted their native plant in this year, the class plans to host a family
a big project. Under the guidance of gen- the PJA garden. gathering to celebrate their work and plant
eral studies teacher Jim Juntunen, they de- Students continued researching their more plants. Students will continue this ro-
signed and built PJA’s first Native Garden. specific plants, identifying their scientific bust interdisciplinary project by installing
A few (complicated) years later, the Native names, history, native uses and other fun their signage, creating community guide-
Garden project has become, yet again, an facts to share on signage. With maker ed- lines for garden visitors, building pathways
interdisciplinary cornerstone of the fifth- ucator Nicole Surbaugh, students designed and, finally, opening the garden to the
grade year. and 3-D printed signs for each plant using school community.
With the support of their teacher, Janet materials well-suited for Portland weather. Blair Borax is PJA’s garden and cooking
Collier, students began the project in early Meanwhile, in their Jewish Studies class educator.

Feb. 10 Solomon Memorial Lecture: American Jews: Who counts?

“American Jews in 2022:⁠ Who Counts? in the American Jewish community, in-
And Why That’s Important”⁠ is the topic of cluding Jews of color and ethnic subgroups
the 17th Annual Gus and Libby Solomon such as Syrian Jews. We look forward to
Memorial Lecture. her giving us a deeper understanding of the
In recent years, American Jews have be- makeup of American Jewry and perhaps a
come much more aware of the diversity of glimpse into what the future may hold for
their community. American Jews are not American Jews.”
only Ashkenazi Jews, whose ancestors im- Dr. Bitton is scholar in residence at the
migrated to the United States from Eastern Shalom Hartman Institute of North Amer-
Europe, but also Sephardic Jews, Mizra- ica. She is co-founder and Rosh Kehilla
hi Jews, Jews of color and Jews of many (communal leader) of the Downtown Min-
other backgrounds. In this talk, sociologist yan in New York City. She earned her doc-
and thought leader Mijal Bitton explains torate from New York University and is a
why understanding this diversity and its Wexner Graduate Fellowship alumna.
implications is so crucial for the future of Richard B. Solomon and Alyce Flitcraft
American Jewry.⁠ underwrite this annual event. This year’s
“My colleagues and I are delighted that lecture is sponsored by the Jewish Feder-
Dr. Mijal Bitton will join us this year as ation of Greater Portland and the Oregon
the speaker for the Gus and Libby Solo- Jewish Community Foundation.
mon Memorial Lecture,” says Professor Dr. Mijal Bitton The lecture begins at 5:30 pm, Feb. 10,
Natan Meir, academic director of PSU’s event. “Dr. Bitton is a world-renowned on Zoom. The lecture is free, but you need
Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Ju- expert on American Jewish identity and on to preregister at pdx.edu/judaic-studies/
daic Studies, which sponsors the annual minoritized and marginalized groups with- 2022-solomon-memorial-lecture⁠.
Jewish Review Jan. 19, 2022 5