The Mittleman Jewish Community Center was dressed up Israeli-style for the Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation’s “A Night in Tel Aviv” fundraiser Thursday, Apr. 16. The white and blue Magen David flag adorned each table, along with signs bearing the names of streets in Israel’s coastal metropolis. A spread of falafel, hummus and other Israeli staples awaited attendees. Even the evening’s keynote speaker, Dorice Horenstein, got in on the act in a sparkling white suit.

“This is how Tel Aviv in the evening looks like, my friends,” she said of her ensemble. “I know because I was born in Tel Aviv.”

Horenstein talked about her childhood, the influence her mother had on her through positivity and choosing joy in her life and the value of community. She also recalled her experience in the Israel Defense Forces’ officer selection course as a young woman – just before the end of the course, each of the 40 remaining candidates in the group were required to name five people from the group that they thought should be removed from the training process. The candidates stayed up late that evening trying to mend fences and build connections with one another in the hopes of not having their names written down by their peers. As this swirled around her, Horenstein said she recalled a teaching from her school days.

“There are three names by which a person is called: the name your parents give you, the name people give you, and the name you give yourself,” she said, “and the most important name of all is the one that you give yourself, that you earn.”

She also spoke of resilience – and she was not the only one.

“Antisemitism has been rampant in recent years, and we are reminded that we have to stay strong as a community,” OJCYF Board Member Sol Kodesch said. “In fact, over 70 percent of Jewish teens have experienced antisemitism, with around half experiencing it in schools. Let us have a moment to recognize the victims of antisemitic hatred and their resilience as a whole.”

In the face of this, it is perhaps unsurprising that OJCYF chose to focus on addressing antisemitism in their grantmaking process this year. But they also focused on addressing homelessness – not just with grantmaking, but through the clothing drive for Blanchet House that was hosted at the gala.

“We are part of a larger community, and half our group felt that it was imperative to support the community at large, as Judaism teaches us to pursue justice for the broader community,” OJCYF Board Member Molly McCoy said. “These are real-life decisions that we as OJCYF Board Members get to make, and it’s been empowering for us to be able to speak up and find a way as a group to move forward.”

While the impact that OJCYF has on the community, Jewish and non-Jewish alike, is significant – the foundation awarded its millionth grant dollar last year – the experience of serving on the board also has an impact on those who do so.

“I’ve learned so much about the grantmaking process and how to make a difference in your community,” Gabriel Horowitz said, “but I’ve also developed an amazing connection with other dedicated Jewish teams that I’ll always value.”

Learn more at ojcf.org/ojcyf.