Recorded Events 2020

Discussion of the film Rosenwald

Recorded December 8, 2020

Watch the recording of Stephanie Deutsch, author of Julius Rosenwald and the Building of Schools for the Segregated South, and Julius Alexander McGee (PhD), an assistant professor at Portland State University in the Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning and the Black Studies Department, discuss the film Rosenwald.

Listen to the Past, Stories from OJMCHE’s Oral History Collection

Recorded December 3, 2020

Watch the recording of OJMCHE Archivist Alisha Babbstein, Curator of Collections Anne LeVant Prahl, and Director Judy Margles share their favorite oral history clips and tell stories about the community that created them. OJMCHE’s Oral History collection forms an essential part of our work to document and interpret the Oregon Jewish experience. The 800+ interviews in the collection reveal stories about immigration, assimilation, war, work, play, school, marriage, parenthood, and so much more.

From There to Here: Understanding White Nationalism

Recorded November 17, 2020

Watch the recording of a lively and informative conversation between three distinguished experts and colleagues who have been studying the answers to these questions for several decades. Our program took place in honor of the 32nd anniversary of the murder of Mulugeta Seraw, a 28-year old Ethiopian immigrant who had been killed by three Portland skinheads on November 13, 1988.

What America Can Learn From Germany

Recorded November 11, 2020

Susan Neiman translates the German word Vergangenheitsaufarbeitung as “working off the past,” a description of the process by which Germany has confronted its history of Nazism. In her 2019 book “Learning From the Germans: Race and the Memory of Evil,” Neiman explores this decades-long process and by way of comparison, how the United States might do the same with its legacy of slavery and contemporary racism. Amidst a national reckoning about racism, reparations, and monuments in the United States, Neiman and Mary Johnson engaged in an important conversation about confronting the evils of the past which you can watch here.

What is Moral Leadership?

Recorded October 29, 2020

In times of crisis, upheaval, and deep social change, what defines moral leadership? What are the principals required of moral leadership? View the recording of this conversation with Alexis Herr, University of San Francisco, Patricia Schechter, Portland State University, and Bobbin Singh, Oregon Justice Resource Center, moderated by Tim DuRoche, WorldOregon.

Jewish Voices, Readings by Oregon Jewish Writers and Poets

Recorded October 27, 2020

Started in 1999, and organized by writer Willa Schneberg, this annual event features readings by prominent Oregon Jewish poets and writers. The writers in the 2020 program, who span a range of genres including fiction, poetry, non-fiction and essays, share selections from their work in a virtual reading on Zoom which you can view here. Readers for the evening: Jacob Boas, Sherri Levine, Willa Schneberg, Betsy Fogelman Tighe, Leslie What.

Noon Time Talk: Dearest Children, Letters from the Holocaust 1938-1941

Recorded October 14, 2020

View the recording of Emanuel and Regine Loew’s grandson Robert Lowe and translators Ingrid Preston and Christoph Stauder for a fascinating conversation about this instructive collection of 168 letters, what they reveal about life in Vienna before and after Kristallnacht, about family connection across great distance, and about the process of translation. The letters also chronicle the family’s years of struggle with the United States immigration system – a struggle that they lost, and a struggle with direct relevance to events in the US today.

Shared Legacies: The African American-Jewish Civil Rights Alliance

Recorded September 16, 2020

View the film discussion with filmmaker Dr. Shari Rogers; Reverend E.D. Mondainé, board president of the Portland Chapter of NAACP; and Rabbi Michael Cahana, senior rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel.

Rising Up for Human Dignity Series: Rising Up Sudan

Recorded throughout July 2020

We are honored to join our partners in presenting the Rising Up for Human Dignity Film Series which includes performances, conversations, and films that will bring audiences together to witness, celebrate, and amplify the perspectives of communities in Sudan and its diaspora. You can find the recordings for this series here.

Racism, Protest, and Law Enforcement Historical Context for Contemporary Times

Recorded June 18, 2020.

Images of anti-racist and anti-government protesters have filled media feeds during recent weeks, making us eager to consider the historical context for such uprisings. Bringing together scholars who have studied the Black Power movement and white supremacist organizations, including their interactions with the police, this discussion offers perspective on the news of today.

Coffee and Conversation with OJMCHE Student Educators

Recorded June 11, 2020.

View the recording of how high school students are becoming part of OJMCHE’s educational outreach. This past year OJMCHE initiated a Student Educator Internship program and trained 12 students to be floating “ask me” docents—people who are available in our core exhibitions to answer questions and offer additional insights. Two of this year’s docents discussed their experience of learning and sharing about the Holocaust, the history of Jews in Oregon, and discrimination and resistance in the region.

As the World Changes Before Our Very Eyes: Antisemitism in the Time of Coronavirus

Recorded June 10, 2020

Contemporary antisemitism and the recent surge in antisemitism must be understood in context – the context of an increased permissiveness in the expression of hatred, political polarization, and the battle over Israel and Zionism. Yet the overwhelming context has been a time of relative prosperity. But there is a brand new context that must be understood, as we face a period of high unemployment, uncertainty about one’s future, and fear for the economic future of the United States and the world. Watch the recording here.

Coffee and Conversation with Anne LeVant Prahl

Recorded May 28, 2020.

View the recording of Anne LeVant Prahl, OJMCHE’s Curator of Collections, where she discusses OJMCHE’s recent acquisition of Judaica from the estate of Mira and Gustav Berger. The Berger Collection will be on exhibit after the museum reopens to the public. But don’t miss out on this exclusive sneak preview.

Rising Up for Human Dignity Free Film & Discussion Series

Recoded each Thursday of May 2020

We are honored to join our partners in presenting the Rising Up for Human Dignity Film Series, a three-part series that will bring audiences together to witness, celebrate, and amplify the perspectives of Syrian, Rohingya, and Congolese communities through film and discussion. 

• I Am Rohingya Film Discussion recording can be found here. Panelist included: filmmakers Yusuf Zine and Kevin Young, cast member Ruma Ruma, and youth advocate Sirazul Islam. The panel was moderated by Lauren Fortgang.
• FOR SAMA Film Discussion recording can be found here. Panelist included: Dr. Hisham Bismar, Noura Shikh Ayob, and Elias Matar. The panel was moderated by Dr. Amanda Smith Byron.
• SEMA Film Discussion recording can be found here. Panelist included: Maud-Salomé Ekila, Johana Amani and moderated by Aerlyn Pfeil.

Momentary Joys: A conversation with artist Henk Pander and curator Bruce Guenther

Recorded May 20, 2020

Momentary joys, if you will, that help us get through confinement, whether you are making art or experiencing art. This thoughtful conversation with artist Henk Pander and OJMCHE adjunct curator for special exhibitions, Bruce Guenther reflected on the arts and how they contribute to our welfare, especially in times like this.

Coffee and Conversation with Alisha Babbstein

Recorded May 14, 2020

This is a recording from Coffee and Conversation with Alisha Babbstein on May 14, 2020. Alisha Babbstein, OJMCHE’s archivist gave an overview of the work she is doing to bring the OJMCHE collection to the community.

Voting Rights and the Centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment

Recorded May 12, 2020

A Conversation with Janice Dilg and Kimberly Jensen, moderated by Eliza E. Canty-Jones. The 2020 centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment overlaps with a federal election, a Census year, and the sesquicentennial of the Fifteenth Amendment, prompting us to consider questions about the intersections among office-holding, citizenship, race, and enfranchisement. Organized by the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education and presented in partnership with the Oregon Historical Society. You can view the program here.

Legacy and Memory

Recorded May 3, 2020

Legacy and Memory; Jewish Community History in Portland and Willamette Valley Jewish Cemeteries. This one hour film, completed in 2018, features 44 Jewish Oregonians walking through area Jewish cemeteries and talking about their loved ones who are buried in there.

Coffee and Conversation with Amanda Solomon

Recorded on May 1, 2020

Amanda Solomon, OJMCHE’s manager of education, spoke about how the museum’s online education outreach is supporting teaching and learning during the museum and school closures. Behind the scenes, the Education Team has been developing and delivering resources to educators with weekly themed content. You can find the recording here.

Countering Extremism in the Age of Quarantine

Recorded April 27, 2020

Eric K. Ward, executive director of Western States Center and Randy Blazak, a scholar on hate crimes and hate groups discussed countering extremism in the age of quarantine over zoom moderated by OMJCHE director Judy Margles. The discussion was co-sponsored by WorldOregon and OJMCHE. You can view the program here.

Yom HaShoah 2020

Recorded April 20, 2020

Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, was observed virtually this year. A short service created by the Oregon Board of Rabbis can be viewed here. Every year on Yom HaShoah communities around the world uphold the memory of victims of the Holocaust through Unto Every Person There Is a Name, a public recitation of Holocaust victims’ names, ages, and birthplaces. A virtual Reading of the Names by OJMCHE staff can be viewed here.