Jonathan Adelman

Lions bring Adelman back to town Oct. 27

By DEBORAH MOON

article created on: 2008-10-15T00:00:00

Portland’s Lions of Judah will launch their year with a speaker who so enthralled them on his last visit that they wanted to bring him back to speak to their husbands, children and friends who share their commitment to strengthening the Jewish world.
 

The Lions will host Professor Jonathan Adelman for supper and a lecture on “2009: Politics, Policy and the Jewish World” 6:30-9:30 p.m., Oct. 27, at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center. Adelman holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University and is a full professor at the University of Denver in international studies. He participated in the Arab-Israeli talks in Barcelona in 1991 and served as dissertation advisor to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
 
“When this speaker visited us two years ago, we all said we could listen to him for hours and we were determined to bring him back as soon as possible,” said Lydia Lipman, who co-chairs the Lions Division with Carol Danish. “He is incredibly knowledgeable and insightful and answers questions easily.”

Now 105 strong in Portland, the Lions are women who pledge $5,000 or more to the annual campaign of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland. Adelman’s lecture is open to women “who might aspire to become Lions in the future,” said Laurie Rogoway, JFGP financial resources development director.
 
Lipman said they wanted to help kick off this year’s federation campaign in a significant way.
 
“We want to honor our Lions and introduce the community to the Lions and explain how committed they are,” said Lipman. “We want to encourage the next generation of leadership to aspire to the lofty heights these women already have set for the community.”
 
Danish describes the Lions as “a proud sisterhood nationally and internationally of 16,000 women who take leadership, empowering roles and responsibility for Jews around the world through the Jewish federation alliance.”
 
“My pledge makes me feel that I count, that I am doing something extraordinary in all kinds of places I can’t touch,” said Danish, who has been involved with federation for 45 years and became a Lion in 1987, the group’s first year in Portland. “My tzedakah is being distributed for me in places I’ve never seen.”
 
But Danish emphasized that Lions, who receive a trademark gold Lion pin, have a commitment that extends well beyond the financial. She said the Lion pin recognizes women’s educational, emotional and financial commitment to the Jewish world.
 
The symbolic significance of the pin was brought home to Danish several years ago when she was on an elevator in San Francisco.
 
She said another woman saw her pin and said, “I don’t know you, but I know all about you. We are sisters with the same feeling of responsibility for all our Jewish brothers and sisters.”
 
“We bonded because of our pins and the recognition we both have the same feeling for our Jewish world,” said Danish. “We’ve been friends ever since.”
 
Lipman said she hopes those who are interested in joining this network of committed women will come to the Oct. 27 event at the MJCC.
 
Lipman said the Lions chose to hold the event at the center because it is a venue that is part and parcel of the community and has become an elegant venue for community events.
 
“We are committed to have that as the absolute core of the community,” she said. “Such a beautiful job of renovation has made it a wonderful resource.”
 
Women interested in learning more about the Lions, should contact Rogoway at 503-245-6473.
 
Adelman will also speak earlier in the day at a lunch hosted by the JFGP Community Relations Committee. He will disucss “What Should Israel Do When the Palestinian Authority an  Hamas Have Yet to Reform?” at noon at the Benson Hotel. For details, call Bob Horenstein at 503-245-6496.