Area Reform congregations attend biennial conference

By Paul Haist

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Each of Oregon's three Reform congregations and the Reform congregation in Vancouver, Wash., sent delegations to the biennial conference of the Pacific Northwest Council of the Union for Reform Judaism hosted March 16-18 by Temple Sholom in Vancouver, B.C.

The conference was held in partnership with the Canadian Council for Reform Judaism and addressed the theme "The Art of Jewish Living: Weaving the Tapestry of Our Lives."

South Metro Jewish Congregation of West Linn sent the largest Oregon group. Rabbi Annette Koch was accompanied by President Michele Beyer, Steve and Masha Sanders, Judith Kleinstein and John Moss. Masha Sanders is the SMJC representative to the council's regional board. Moss was renamed to the council's New Members Committee and named also to the regional Maintenance of Union Membership Dues Committee.

Koch led weekday morning services on Sunday and participated as a panel member and presenter on outreach to interfaith families and the unaffiliated.

Rabbi Michael Cahana of Congregation Beth Israel in Portland was accompanied by his wife, Cantor Ida Rae Cahana, Executive Director Sydney A. Baer and Education Director Ben Sandler.

Cahana was a featured panelist at a workshop on change entitled "Comfort vs. Challenge in the Synagogue," which addressed how congregations go about introducing change and, in particular, changes in religious services, including new music, more Hebrew, different prayer books and translations.

Ida Rae Cahana led an all-day cantorial workshop.

Baer led a workshop on marketing one's congregation.

Eliza and Brad Kauder represented Ashland's Temple Emek Shalom. Eliza Kauder is the congregation's president. Her husband co-chairs Emek Shalom's Religious Practices Committee.

Eliza Kauder was a featured panelist taking up future challenges facing Reform Jews. She also was the leader of a second session that continued the discussion of challenges.

Six representatives of Congregation Kol Ami in Vancouver, Wash., traveled to Vancouver, B.C. for the conference. They included President Doug Green, Julian Levi who is the congregation's representative to the PNW Council, immediate past president Sue Meyer, Education Committee Chair Debbi Kujovich, Vice President Cheryl Richards and member Enid Beck.

The conference attracted top national Reform leaders as featured speakers. They included URJ President Rabbi Eric Yoffie, Rabbi William Cutter, a professor at Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles, and Rabbi Richard Address, the URJ's New York City-based director for Jewish Family Concerns.