BALLROOM DANCING—Guests and wedding participants at the September 2007 wedding of Robin Zemble and Kevin Nider spin around the dance floor in the renovated ballroom at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center. The wedding was one of five held at the center since it was renovated last year.
Mittleman Jewish Community Center offers one-stop weddings
By Amy R. Kaufman
Jewish couples can create their dream wedding at the elegantly appointed Mittleman Jewish Community Center, where kosher catering, decorating, planning and audio-visual services are all available under one roof, according to Jordana Levenick, rentals and special events coordinator.
“With Allen Levin as our exclusive on-site kosher caterer,” she said, “we keep it all together and work as a team to present the kind of event brides and grooms are looking for.”
Referring to the 4,000-square-foot ballroom as a “blank palette,” Levenick said couples who wed at the MJCC tend to “let their creativity unfold.” For example, depending on the size of the wedding, she said the ceremony could be held in the ballroom, in the PJA chapel, in the front courtyard or in the spectacular forested space beyond the cafe.
The beautifully renovated pool, locker room and mirrored dressing areas may inspire couples to add a swim or a massage to their preparations, invite the hairdresser and “spend the day,” said Levenick.
The MJCC provides more than 200 free parking spaces for weddings, said Levenick, which is only one of several advantages of the MJCC wedding package.
She said most wedding packages at the MJCC also include on-site audio-visual staff, room decoration, setup and cleanup, and security, which she said are not included at many other venues.
She said prices are “very competitive when you consider all that’s included.”
Levenick, an event planner who works with three trained assistants, said the MJCC’s staff is prepared to handle every aspect of the wedding and reception. She said she has yet to meet “a Jewish wedding planner.”
According to one mother who wrote to thank Levenick, “The room, the food, the entire MJCC experience was perfect. The wedding was everything my daughter wished for.”
“We’re one of the best-kept secrets,” said Levenick. “We can now compete with the Portland Art Museum, downtown hotels and other venues.”
Since the redesigned space opened in February 2007, there have been five weddings at the MJCC, and the facility is booking well into 2009, said Levenick.
Depending on how the wedding is designed, Levenick said the MJCC ballroom can accommodate about 320 for a dinner and reception.
Allen Levin, who provides kosher catering for all weddings at the MJCC, said his company, Century Catering, designs menus for every type of meal, “from a fancy, sit-down, five-course dinner to buffets and appetizers.”
He said his staff is cognizant of the timing issues surrounding the photo session, the signing of the ketubah, and other special moments.
“We have more experience than most wedding planners,” he said.
Levin has provided kosher catering services at events throughout the Portland Jewish community since 1986.