PJLI gives Malka, others tools to lead
By Deborah Moon Seldner
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"I've been talking about taking a more active leadership role (in Portland's Jewish community), and the Portland Jewish Leadership Institute has given me the tools to go forth and be on a board," said Ronnie Malka, one of 30 PJLI participants.
Convened and funded by the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, the PJLI is designed to strengthen the Jewish community's leadership base for all of the community's agencies, congregations and organizations by teaching participants the personal, leadership and analytic skills they will need in the 21st century. This is the final story in a series the Jewish Review has created profiling several of the participants.
Malka, currently a stay-at-home mom and former Portland Jewish Academy teacher, said she was flattered to be chosen for the leadership program. She said the invitation to participate explained that the community is in need of new leaders to join the established leadership cadre.
"If we are in need, I definitely wanted to step forward to help out," she said.
Jewish education, a sense of community and connections to Israel are areas Malka said she hopes to support with her newfound skills.
While teaching at the Early Childhood Learning Center at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center, Malka began developing her own curriculum to teach modern Hebrew in an early childhood setting. She later presented her work at a regional conference of the Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education. This year she will work as a consultant at Aleph Bet Preschool to help the teachers implement her Hebrew curriculum.
She also taught Hebrew and Jewish studies for transitional kindergarten (4-year-olds), kindergarten and second-grade at PJA. And she has been involved at her congregation Ahavath Achim, where she co-chaired the event welcoming the congregation's new rabbi and exhibiting an 800-year-old sefer Torah from the Isle of Rhodes.
Malka comes by her love for Israel and Hebrew naturally. Malka was born in Israel
and moved to Los Angeles with her parents when she was young. She spent most of her summers as a child and teenager with cousins and other relatives in Israel. She spent a year in a high school program in Israel where she met her future husband, David Malka, son of Yossi and Judy (Policar) Malka of Portland.
Following high school, David remained in Israel, where he had been born, and joined the Israel Defense Forces. But the two stayed in touch and both moved to Portland when they became engaged six years ago.
"Most of my family is still in Israel," said Malka, with most living in Tel Aviv, Haifa, Netanya and Karkur, a small village "where everyone knows everyone's name."
Malka said she would like that sense of community to exist in Portland for her daughter Maayan, 1?, and her second child due in December.
"It's important to have a strong community for me and my kids," she said. "I'd love to see this community have a place everyone goes to. ? When she's older, I'd love for Maayan to have a place to meet her friends and hang out. ? I want her to feel a connection and sense of community."
Malka said she feels the PJLI has been very successful preparing her to take on a leadership role.
"It's well run, well organized, and the speakers—especially David Elcott (the author, lecturer and organizational consultant who developed the curriculum for the program and serves as its facilitator)—are phenomenal," she said. "He has opened up my mind to different ways people lead. He's used biblical, business and modern Jewish leaders (as examples)."
In addition to what she's learned from the program, Malka said she was also pleased with getting to know the other participants.
"I've met people who I don't know if our paths would have crossed so soon," she said. "Through it, we got to know each other and will be able to call each other up for advice."
She said that at its next meeting, the PJLI is going to present information on specific needs in the community and areas in which participants can become involved.
"I think we are definitely ready," said Malka of herself and her classmates.