Leadership Council thanks area rabbis

By Paul Haist

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The Leadership Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland sat down with Portland-area rabbis at its Jan. 25 meeting. The event, hosted at Congregation Shaarie Torah, was arranged by the federation to thank the rabbis for their service and to explore options for greater cooperation.

At least 18 rabbis from across the spectrum of denominations were welcomed by the Leadership Council, which comprises 25 elected members and about as many un-elected top representatives of local Jewish agencies, federation committees, synagogues and the Jewish community.

The Leadership Council is intended to help set the community agenda by providing input to the federation Governing Board from a representative cross-section of the community.

Alan Blank is a past synagogue president who sits on the federation Governing Board. He was one of three leaders empanelled at the council meeting to explore closer ties between rabbinic and lay communities.

As a federation board member, he said he wants a rabbi there too.

"It's time we offer a seat at that table to a rabbi," he said, adding that Portland-area Jewish agencies should also "open themselves to rabbis."

The meeting addressed implications of the area's growing population of rabbis, at least 24 now, up from about half that number a scant 10 years ago.

The evening began with a social hour in Shaarie Torah's recently renovated social hall. By 6 o'clock, all were seated and the panel discussion begun.

Rabbi Daniel Isaak of Congregation Neveh Shalom set the agenda for the discussion.

"We are engaged in the service of God," he said.

"It is important we see ourselves not separated," he added, "(but that) our efforts are combined in as many ways as possible."

Following Isaak's lead, Blank opened the discussion with fellow panel members Steven "Rosy" Rosenberg and Rabbi Michael Cahana, of Congregation Beth Israel, by observing that cooperation between synagogues, on one side, and the federation and Jewish agencies on the other "has been very low in this community."

Citing the community's growing rabbinic community and all that they have to offer, and pointing to the near loss of the community center, Blank called for "crossover" between the rabbinic and federation/agency communities, a joining of hands.

Pointing to the old model of separation as outmoded, he said, "My proposal is that this truly be the first of a series of discussions" between rabbis and lay leaders.

Rosenberg picked up where Blank left oft, lamenting what he saw as a growing chasm between the Jewishly involved and the uninvolved, rather than the perceived past gulf between rabbinic and lay leadership.

"Separation is increasing between the core and all the rest," he said. "We are spread further and further apart geographically."

He suggested that many are finding meaning in their lives outside the Jewish community and warned that any struggle now is not between whether to observe Shabbat at the Jewish community center or one of the Portland area's 18 Jewish congregations.

"It's Shabbat versus the Tigard Cinema," he said, and called for a variety of new initiatives, new or more streamlined programming targeting key segments of the community including youth, elderly and families.

Rosenburg characterized the federation as a convener within the community, but not a source of change. Significant change he said, pointing to national models, comes from forward-thinking philanthropists.

Cahana demurred on specifics, citing his status as a newcomer to Portland; he arrived here last spring.

Instead, he shared an overview of his experience in another community, Providence, R.I., where he said he witnessed considerable interaction between three key subsets of the Jewish community: the synagogues, the Jewish federation and related institutions, and the rabbinic community, which he distinguished from the synagogue community.

"There was a lot of interaction between those three groups," he said, noting, however, that each had to be "a strong institution on its own."

He called for mutual involvement by each of the three parts of the community working for and with each other.

"I would love to see the federation provide help and support to the synagogues," he said.

Following the panel's opening remarks several in the audience shared perspectives on the direction of the Jewish community, the role of the rabbis and specific areas that need to be addressed.

Susan Abravanel, who chairs the Portland Jewish Leadership Institute, summarized the discussion. "We have a lot of ideas in need of a vision," she said.

Federation Governing Board member and Annual Campaign co-chair Jeff Nudelman felt it was important first to identify the obstacles to change. "Once we know those, we can influence our community to move toward the collective vision Susan mentioned," he said.

Jim Davidson, also on the Governing Board, expressed a sentiment shared by others, that the meeting was a good first step toward curing community fragmentation. He urged that the interest and energy express that evening not be ignored.

In thanking the panelists, the rabbis and all present for their contributions to the dialogue, Federation President Bob Philip vowed prompt follow-up to take advantage of the momentum.

"We are going to do it," said Philip.