Jewish party set Dec. 24

By Jewish Review

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Jodi Berris and her cohorts at Portland Jewish Events are at it again—creating a fun, offbeat event for young Jewish adults featuring kosher pizza, Jewish humor and music.

Following up on the popular Maccabees and Microbrews, and Silent Night…Not!, which last year drew 134 young adults to party on Dec. 24, PJE is organizing “Sum Fun Juz,” a private party for Jewish people and their significant others ages 21 and older.

The event returns to Bar XV, at 15 SW 2nd in downtown Portland Dec. 24 from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Berris said the bar owner allows the party planners to kasher his oven and bring in all kosher food for the parties.

As a special treat, Berris picked up 20 specialty pizzas—ranging from BBQ (vegetarian) chicken to Mediterranean and Mexican—on a recent trip to Detroit and will bake the Jerusalem Pizzas at the party. Additional pizzas will be provided by Portland kosher caterer Allen Levin.

The cover charge includes club entry, first drink and pizza. Anything provided with cover charge will be strictly kosher.

DJ Redi Jedi and Jewish musical comedian Michael Rockstar will entertain the crowd.

In a June 1 review in Willamette Week, Amy McCullough wrote about Rockstar, “In the land of what he calls ‘hyper-expressive’ songwriters, Michael Rockstar is an odd bird: a musical comedian. What’s more: He’s actually pretty funny. It’s not necessarily his Adam Sandler-esque folk songs that make Rockstar a hit, though; it’s his charming demeanor, his broad smile and the fact that he is always himself—and loving it.”

Born Michael Wolin, Rockstar said his mother’s maiden name was Schnitzer. He said until he moved to Portland three years ago from Sedona, Ariz., he had never met another Schnitzer and now he is delighted to see the name all over the city. He said he lived in Los Angeles until he was 12, when the family moved to Sedona, where in 1993 he said he became the city’s third bar mitzvah.

When he was 16 he spent one year of high school in Israel at an agricultural high school.

Having spent his adolescence in a small Jewish community, Rockstar said, “I stayed in touch with Judaism by spending two months each summer at Camp Alonim (in California) … as a camper, counselor-in-training and counselor until I was 25.”

“I’m excited to be able to play for a Jewish audience,” he said. “I’m excited to be able to use some more personal jokes such as about Jews going to summer camp and to be able to throw Yiddish words into the act and they’ll get it.”

In Portland, he frequently performs with klezmer trombonist Ethan Chessin, who will be joining him at the Dec. 24 event.

The event is presented with support from the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland.

Cost for the party is $10 with registration by Dec. 23. Cost at the door is $15 if space is available. Register online at www.portlandjewishevents.com. For more information, contact Berris at jodiberris@aol.com or 248-760-0743.