OREGON JEWISH MUSEUM
1953 NW KEARNEY, PORTLAND, OR 97209 www.ojm.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: THE MUSEUM IS DEDICATED TO THE PRESERVATION, RESEARCH AND EXHIBITION OF ART, ARCHIVAL MATERIALS, AND ARTIFACTS OF THE JEWS OF OREGON, BUILDING A DYNAMIC INSTITUTION THAT EMBRACES JEWISH IDENTITY, COMMUNITY, AND CONTINUITY IN THE CONTEXT OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY.

THIRD ANNUAL SUKKAH PDX JURIED DESIGN-BUILD EXHIBIT, INVITING DESIGNERS,ARTIST AND MAKERS OF ALL BACKGROUNDS TO PROPOSE CONTEMPORARY RESPONSES TO THE TRADITIONAL CHALLENGES OF SUKKAH DESIGN (A SUKKAH IS A TEMPORARY DWELLING, TRADITIONALLY ERECTED EACH FALL IN OBSERVANCE OF SUKKOT). AWARDEES OF THIS JURIED COMPETITION CREATE AND INSTALL THEIR WINNING SUKKAHS ON THE GROUNDS OF THE OREGON JEWISH MUSEUM. THE STRUCTURES ARE ON EXHIBIT FOR THE WEEK OF SUKKOT, WHERE THEY SERVE AS THE FOCAL POINT FOR A WEEKLONG SERIES OF EVENTS THAT A CREATE CONTEMPORARY CONTEXT AND CONNECTION TO THE THEMES OF THIS ANCIENT TRADITION,SUCH AS FOOD AND HOUSING SECURITY.

THREE MAJOR EXHIBITS LAUNCHED THIS YEAR INCLUDE: ""SETTLING IN" ", "BAT MITZVAH COMES OF AGE" AND "ILLUMINATED LETTERS: THREADS OF CONNECTION"."SETTLING IN" EXAMINED THE EXPERIENCE AND ACCULTURATION OF IMMIGRANTS TO OREGON THROUGH THE LENS OF JEWISH EXPERIENCE. THE EXHIBIT FOCUSED ON TWO GROUPS: EASTERN EUROPEAN AND RUSSIAN JEWISH IMMIGRANTS WHO WERE "AMERICANIZED" THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE, THE SETTLEMENT HOUSE FOUNDED IN SOUTH PORTLAND IN 1905 AND LATER IMMIGRANTS SERVED THROUGH THE IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION (IRCO). THE STRUGGLES AND TRIUMPHS OF THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY IMMIGRANTS ARE COMPARED WITH CHALLENGES AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF A CONTEMPORARY AND DIVERSE GROUP OF IMMIGRANTS FROM BURMA, CAMBODIA, CONGO, CUBA, ERITREA, AND SOMALIA. THROUGH THEIR COMPELLING AND SOMETIMES ASTONISHING STORIES, THE EXHIBIT HIGHLIGHTED THE OLD AND NEW REALITIES OF THE IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE."BAT MITZVAH COMES OF AGE" FEATURING THE REMARKABLE STORY OF HOW, IN LESS THAN A CENTURY, INDIVIDUAL GIRLS, THEIR PARENTS AND THEIR RABBIS CHALLENGED AND CHANGED COMMUNAL VALUES AND PRACTICE TO INSTITUTE THIS NOW WIDELY PRACTICED JEWISH RITUAL."ILLUMINATED LETTERS: THREADS OF CONNECTION" ARTIST SARA HARWIN'S LONG-TIME FASCINATION WITH THE INTERSECTION BETWEEN LANGUAGE AND ART. HER WORK DRAWS ON THE ANCIENT TRADITION OF ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPTS AND ENCOMPASSES LARGE PANELS AND HANGING MOBILES THAT USE STRONG JOLTS OF COLOR, SACRED IMAGERY, PATTERN, AND MOVEMENT TO ACHIEVE AN INNOVATIVE BLEND OF VISUAL AND TEXTUAL COMMENTARY ON JEWISH LIFE AND THOUGHT.

OUR VIBRANT PUBLIC PROGRAMS INCLUDE FILM SCREENINGS, CONCERTS, LECTURES AND DISCUSSIONS. INCLUDED WERE A FILM SCREENING OF SHALOM IRELAND, WHICH INCLUDED A THEATRICAL READING FROM JAMES JOYCE'S ULYSSES, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CORRIB, PORTLAND'S IRISH THEATRE; SUNDAY MUSIC CONCERTS, WHICH BRING THE BEST OF OREGON'S JEWISH MUSICAL TALENT, SUCH AS NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED ARTIST ALICIA JO RABINS. OUR PROGRAMS AND EXHIBITIONS REFLECT A VARIETY OF DISCIPLINES, INCLUDING HISTORY, VISUAL AND BOOKMAKING ARTS, ART HISTORY, ARCHIVAL AND COLLECTION MANAGEMENT, MUSIC AND OTHER PERFORMING ARTS, FILM, LITERATURE, ORAL HISTORY, AND THE HUMANITIES.

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