This week, we entered into the Hebrew month of Elul. It is a time for growth, hope, and renewal. Each morning we blow the shofar as a wake-up call -- not as a warning -- but as a joyful sound of “something good is coming.” We have a full month to reflect, reconnect, and lean into all the possibility a new Jewish year will bring. May this Elul be sweet, energizing, and full of joyful preparation as the High Holy Days approach!

I honestly cannot believe the Portland Jewish Festival is only 16 days away, and I could not be more excited! This is going to be such a joyful day for our entire community, and not just the Jewish community. We have an incredible lineup of musical talent (click here to see the schedule), amazing kosher food, activities for the kids, spirited Israeli dancing, and more than 70 vendor and organization booths ready to welcome you. Trust me, you do not want to miss this!

We are also partnering with Jewish Family and Child Service for a canned food drive, so bring a few cans and make an even bigger difference.

And whether you have already grabbed your tickets or not, parking is available on-site at Zidell Yards. Click here to purchase tickets and parking passes. One friendly heads-up -- buy your tickets soon, because ticket prices go up on Monday!

And for anyone wondering about safety, please know security remains our top priority. We are working hand-in-hand with local law enforcement, and there will be a strong, visible security presence throughout the grounds all day. Click here to hear directly from Jessica Anderson, our community director of security, on everything being done to keep this a safe and joyful celebration for all.

Earlier this week I had the pleasure of meeting with leaders from the Hood River Jewish community, and what an inspiring conversation it was. There are an estimated 300 Jews living in that stretch of the Gorge -- Hood River, The Dalles, White Salmon, and beyond -- and they are working hard to build and strengthen Jewish life there.

They already run several holiday programs, have an active BBYO chapter, and find creative ways to gather together -- but they are excited to do even more. They are getting ready to survey the local Jewish community to better understand people’s interests and needs, and from there we will look at ways to support religious and spiritual life, Jewish education, and new programming. Their enthusiasm and drive to grow Jewish life in the area truly moved me and I left energized about what is possible.

You may remember that in summer 2023 we released the Greater Portland Jewish Community Study, conducted in partnership with Brandeis University’s Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies. Studies like this help us understand our community more deeply, and they matter more than people sometimes realize.

Before Brandeis University became one of the leading names in Jewish community research, that role belonged largely to Jack Ukeles and his team of social scientists. Jack was a true leader in the field -- someone who used data not just to describe Jewish communities, but to help them dream bigger and prepare wisely for the future.

Jack recently passed away, and I want to take a moment to celebrate a life well spent in service of Jewish communal life everywhere. I had the honor of working alongside Jack on three different community studies -- in Baltimore, Atlanta, and Philadelphia. He brought such seriousness and heart to his work, and his research pushed communities, and me, to think in bold new ways.

I will share one of my favorite data points he ever taught me, because it still makes me smile. In nearly every Jewish community he studied, Jack could trace the migration of the Jewish community using one surprisingly simple marker -- the location of the newest shopping mall. Jewish families, it turns out, tend to move closer to the newest mall! So when malls were built further into the suburbs, the Jews followed. City after city, he would show me the same pattern. I am not sure if Portland fits that mold, but according to Jack, over 90% of American Jewish communities do. I still find that absolutely fascinating.

This week we also said goodbye to Ben Jones, who played the scruffy mechanic “Cooter Davenport” on 1980s hit TV show, Dukes of Hazzard. Jones later served as a Democratic member of Congress from Georgia from 1989 to 1993.

Here is why that name means something special to me. The very first election I was able to vote in was in 1988, the year George H.W. Bush defeated Michael Dukakis. I was a freshman at Emory University in Atlanta. Once on campus, I registered to vote in Georgia. That fall our campus hosted a lively debate between Ben Jones and his opponent, Republican candidate Pat Swindall.

Picture a packed auditorium full of college students who grew up watching Dukes of Hazzard, buzzing with excitement over “Cooter” running for Congress. He was feeding off that energy the whole night. I recall the questions from the crowd had little to do with policy – they were more focused on Bo, Luke, and Daisy Duke. Poor Pat Swindall had to smile his way through the evening. Jones went on to win easily -- not because of his television fame, but because Swindall was caught negotiating a six-figure loan with a drug money launderer during the campaign.

With election season less than three months away, get educated on the candidates and make sure you vote.

Speaking of my younger years, yesterday was 44 years since the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High came out. One fun fact about the movie -- Pamela Springsteen, Bruce Springsteen’s sister, has a small role in the movie as a cheerleader.  

Shabbat Shalom and do not forget to buy your tickets and parking pass to the Portland Jewish Festival!