Clinton, President Bush insiders headline 2007 Men's Night Out

By Paul Haist

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Two veteran White House insiders—one with President Bill Clinton, the other with President George W. Bush—will be the featured guests at Men's Night Out Jan. 30 at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center.
Men's Night Out is the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland event for Jewish men of all ages.
"It's a great social event," said Dick Brownstein, a veteran community volunteer and past federation vice president who co-chairs the 2007 men's event with Jason Kaufman.
"It's time for men to get out of the house, and for us to show what we can do with community dollars," said Kaufman, who is active in the federation's Young Adult Division and is also a past chair and co-chair of the federation's Super Sunday telethon.
This year's inside-the-Beltway guests will discuss their experiences and today's top issues in a dialogue moderated by Oregonian Associate Editor and political columnist David Sarasohn.

Jay K. Footlik, who was President Clinton's liaison to the Jewish community and a senior advisor to the Kerry/Edwards Campaign in 2004, will join Noam Neusner, who recently served as President Bush's primary speechwriter on domestic policy matters and also was the White House liaison to the Jewish community.
Brownstein said that in the current political climate "this year's event should have particular appeal" because of the presence of the two White House advisors and a journalist who brings both local and Jewish perspectives to the table.
Kaufman saw the evening also as "an opportunity to showcase the revitalized Jewish community center, have a Jewish event in a Jewish location, and have kosher food, to be all-inclusive."
Men's Night Out will be the second major Jewish event to be hosted in the newly remodeled Mittleman Center. Portland Jewish Academy will host its annual auction there a few days before the men's event.
"The center will be just freshly opened and there will be a number of people who haven't seen the new center," said Brownstein.
"We're going to have optional tours of the center," said Kaufman. "We are going to have a kind of showcase night for men."
In addition to seeing the overhauled MJCC, Brownstein and Kaufman said plans are being made for a new-technology show and tell, possibly by a national communications network provider, and an appearance by a representative of the Trailblazers, as well as a sporting goods display.
The evening will begin at 6 p.m. with an hour-long shmooze time, including no-host bar. A buffet dinner is set for 7 p.m. in the renovated auditorium.
Allen Levin will cater. There will be meat and vegetarian options, and, as noted, everything will be kosher.
The program with Neusner, Footlik and Sarasohn will begin at 8 p.m.
Cost of the evening is $45, with 3 percent going to Mazon—A Jewish Response to Hunger.
Reservations may be made online at www.jewishportland.org, by phone at 503-892-7417, or by responding to the mailed invitation that will be in home by the first week of January. For more information, contact Bob Horenstein at 503-245-6496