Observe World AIDS Day watching 'A Closer Walk'
By Toshio Suzuki
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"Jews are very socially aware and we are dedicated to making the world a better place," said Michael Anderson-Nathe, manager of men's prevention and wellness for the Cascade AIDS Project and a Havurah Shalom member. "I think the more we can be involved in HIV/AIDS the better all communities will be."
From 2002 to 2004, 878 Oregonians were diagnosed with Human Immunodeficiency Virus or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, according to an Oregon Department of Human Services report. More than 4,000 Oregonians currently live with HIV or AIDS.
Dec. 1 is World AIDS Day and in recognition, dozens of Oregon congregations are screening the documentary "A Closer Walk" during December. As HIV services program manager for Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, Lowen Berman distributed the film to congregations that expressed interest, including Temple Beth Israel in Eugene and Congregation Neveh Shalom in Portland.
Several years ago Neveh Shalom changed its membership policies to allow gays and lesbians to join with a family membership. Neveh Shalom's free screening will be Dec. 10 at 6 p.m. Program Director JoAnn Bezodis said when Neveh Shalom screened another social issues film, the global warming documentary "An Inconvenient Truth," earlier this year about 100 people attended.
"There are 8,000 people a day dying from AIDS and the response from the wealthy countries is pitiful," said Berman. "A Closer Walk" features an Academy Award-nominated filmmaker and narration from Will Smith and Glenn Close, but Berman said it is the interviews and well-balanced global perspective of AIDS that makes the film so good. "It'll open a lot of eyes and hopefully motivate people to get involved."
"With the shifts in HIV disease and the increase in better medications, people living with HIV are having longer and healthier lives," said Anderson-Nathe in an email to the Review. "It also means that there is the potential for higher rates of transmission as the pool of people who can potentially transmit HIV is getting larger."
Anderson-Nathe said one of the significant shifts in prevention programs is due in part to the increased infection rate among communities of color nationally and locally. During the three-year span of the Oregon Department of Human Services report, blacks and Hispanics represented nearly 28 percent of all AIDS cases diagnosed for the Portland-Metro area.
When new problems develop, both Anderson-Nathe and Berman struggle to find funds that equate to solutions.
The Daily Bed Express—an Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon program that delivers hot meals to the homes of HIV sufferers—delivers 13,000 meals a year, not to mention the 8,000 meals a year served at their HIV Day Center in Northeast Portland, said Berman.
Berman said he also is thankful for the "fantastic meds" that keep more people alive but is quick to note that alcohol abuse, drug abuse and poverty itself are all lethal side effects of HIV/AIDS.
CAP provides year-round efforts towards HIV/AIDS prevention, support, advocacy, housing and education. In addition, they also have three annual programs: Camp Star Light, a camp for children whose lives have been affected by HIV/AIDS; and Art for Life and AIDS Walk, which combined to raise $800,000 with over 12,000 participants, said CAP's Special Events Manager Roma Peyser.
"I think one of the biggest challenges is to constantly get communities involved in HIV prevention and get them to recognize that it is still an issue that we need to rally behind," said Anderson-Nathe. "Globally, it is estimated that nearly 40 million people are infected worldwide. HIV/AIDS is something that impacts us all as we are all interconnected."
For more information about Neveh Shalom's screening visit www.nevehshalom.org or call 503-246-8831. The film's Web site is www.acloserwalk.org.