I hope you enjoyed your Passover holiday. The question now is what do you do with all the extra matzah, gefilte fish, and other treats you did not eat?

We are watching with great interest the current ceasefire and negotiations in the Middle East. Join us for a timely briefing on the latest developments in the conflict including updates on the ceasefire and the evolving situation in Lebanon. The webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, April 15 at 10:00 a.m. PT with Col. (Ret.) Miri Eisin. Register here.

Following Passover, we begin the Counting of the Omer, the seven-week countdown to Shavuot. It is also the time when we mark the “Three Yoms.” Yom in Hebrew means day — just a regular, random day. But when you add a powerful word after it, it can change from just a day to something more meaningful: Yom HaShoah, Yom HaZikaron, Yom HaAtzmaut. These are special days, each one more powerful than the other.

Monday night, we will commemorate Yom HaShaoh, the International Day of Remembrance for the Holocaust. It is marked each year on the 27th of the Hebrew month of Nisan which corresponds to the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, a date selected by the Knesset (Israel's parliament) in 1951. Yom HaShoah is the day set aside in the Jewish calendar to remember those six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust and to honor the lives of survivors in our community.

Our community will gather in memory, prayer, and reflection on Monday at Congregation Beth Israel at 6:00 p.m.. The program will be led by the Oregon Board of Rabbis with participation from Holocaust survivors and their descendants.

The following day, communities around the world honor Holocaust victims through the "Reading of the Names," a public recitation of the names, ages, and birthplaces of those murdered. On Tuesday at Pioneer Courthouse Square (10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.), community members and elected officials will read throughout the day, honoring the lives and stories that must never be forgotten. Guests are welcome to come at any point during the day-long reading.

Thank you to the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education and the Oregon Board of Rabbis for helping coordinate these important events. We must NEVER FORGET!

Yom HaZikaron, Israel's Memorial Day, was passed into law in 1963 as a day for memorializing soldiers who lost their lives in battle on behalf of a Jewish homeland since 1860 (when Jews were first allowed to live outside of Jerusalem’s Old City walls). With the passage of time and the collective trauma due to ongoing conflicts and terrorism, the day now honors not just fallen soldiers, but also those who lost their lives in terror attacks -- more than 26,000 people.

In Israel, the cemeteries will be full as people visit the graves of loved ones. The most noticeable features of the day are the sounds of sirens heard throughout the country -- twice. At those times, the entire nation comes to a standstill, including all traffic and activities. The first minute-long siren at 8:00 p.m. marks the beginning of Yom HaZikaron, and the second, lasting two minutes, will be heard at 11:00 a.m. the next morning. It is an experience to be there to feel the entire country united in grief.

Our Jewish community will commemorate Yom HaZikaron on Monday, April 20 from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center. We will be fortunate to hear from Devorah Kay, mother of Eli Kay (z”l), who was murdered in a terror attack in Jerusalem in 2021. Since the loss of their child, Devorah's family has been very involved in therapeutic and agricultural healing initiatives in Israel. Devorah’s talk will be followed by a meaningful memorial service. Registration is required. 

Moments after the sun sets on Yom HaZikaron we begin the celebration of Israel’s independence, Yom HaAtzmaut. The message of linking these two days is clear: Israelis owe their independence - the very existence of the State - to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for it.

Israel's Independence Day is celebrated on the 5th of Iyar (this date corresponded to May 14, 1948), which is the Hebrew date of the formal establishment of the State of Israel, when members of the provisional government read and signed the Declaration of Independence in Tel Aviv.

The Jewish Federation is co-sponsoring our community's Yom HaAtzmaut celebration on Sunday, April 26 from 4:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center. There will be food, kids’ activities, arts and crafts, a live DJ, scavenger hunt, dancing, and the Israeli band “Hashayara.” Registration is required – click here.

It is hard to think that just last year I was in Israel with a group from Portland participating in the country’s commemoration of Yom HaZikaron and celebration of Yom HaAtzmaut.

On a separate note, we continue to experience and feel antisemitism. You may have seen the news that Oregon Hillel at the University of Oregon went on lockdown on Monday. An individual made "deeply disturbing and threatening antisemitic statements." Oregon Hillel immediately followed security protocols and the University of Oregon Police Department and local law enforcement quickly found and detained the individual. Fortunately, nothing came from this. However, safety and security remain our top priority.

The ADL Pacific Northwest is hosting a panel on strengthening the future for Jewish students on Sunday, April 19. The program will feature a discussion with Shira Goodman (ADL), Kimberly Koops (Portland State University), and Rachel Nelson (Jewish Federation of Greater Portland), moderated by Beth Merrill. Register here.

Finally, I know many of you watched University of Michigan and UCLA win the NCAA men’s and women’s national basketball championships earlier this week. But the game I was most interested in was the Division III men’s championship. My alma mater, Emory University, was in its first championship game. After an amazing 10-point comeback with less than two minutes to play, they lost on a last second shot to Mary Washington University.

My "fun Stat" of the week -- both Emory and Mary Washington’s mascot are the eagle. I can only find four instances in NCAA history where the two teams playing in the championship game have the same mascot. Anyone know the others or even more?
 
Shabbat shalom.