ESTHER LIBERMAN : Bead Woman!

Today is Esther's Birthday. We promised not to count the number of candles on her cake! Rumor has it, her dog Nacho will help blow out the candles!


Esther is a founding member of ORA: Northwest Jewish Artists. She is also the web mistress for them and has also designed pages for JAM: Jewish Arts Month. More importantly, she is a bead artist with unparalleled patience for her art work.


Specializing in Judaic ritual objects and beaded jewelry,  she is known for her Kippot made entirely of glass beads, as well as her detailed Mezuzot and Yahrzeit candle covers  which are created with thousands of tiny beads.  Customers are also drawn to her unique Mah Jongg jewelry and Hamsa pendants.


Esther is a member of the JAM planning committee, continuing to demonstrate her unflagging energy and commitment to the Jewish Arts.  You can see some of Esther's handiwork on the ORA website (see link below) but ...better you should come to the art show at Elements. Details for this show and more can be found on the JAM calendar (created by Esther, of course!)

http://www.northwestjewishartists.org/JAMcalendar2010.html

www.northwestjewishartists.org/JAMschedule2010.html

SABINA WOHFEILER: ARTIST AND TRAVELER

Sabina has a way with flowers. Her garden is lush and colorful and so are her paintings. Watercolors and acrylics flow from brush to canvas under her steady hand. Sabina understands subtlety and aims to capture the textures and nuances of a single petal. She watches the way a person moves or how the light filters through a pond and bounces off a golden koi.

Sabina has a passion for travel and has captured sights, colors, moods, and people while journeying around the world. Her work was recently on display at the Japanese Gardens and is also featured in a new book titled: Artists of Willamette Heights.

Elements  Gallery will be the next venue for her work. As part of Jewish Arts Month, Sabina will join her fellow Ora Artists in a show that will open March 4th, at 5:30 PM. Elements is located at  19th and Vaughn. Come meet Sabina and find out how she sees light...and how she transforms her vision into a painting.

Lots of Words...but worth reading!

We crammed ourselves into a small office space this morning to continue our planning for Jewish Arts Month (JAM.) The MJCC was hopping busy! The conference room was full, an event was going on in the ballroom and I counted 3 separate meetings going on in the cafe. How cool that our "J" is so vibrant and busy!

In the coming weeks there will be lots of talk about the exciting events we have  planned, but first, let's acknowledge all of the people who are working hard to make this event happen. We'll have to bring a camera to the next meeting to capture all the "shayna punims" of the team.

The grant writing talents of Helen Gundlach earned our grant from the Oregon Arts Commission! In addition to her duties as director of development for both the MJCC and Portland Jewish Academy, she found the time to cultivate a beautiful grant. Thanks Helen!!!

Lisa Horowitz doesn't sit on the planning team, but as CEO of The Mittleman Jewish Community Center and Portland Jewish Academy has offered incredible support. Our team will work hard to repay your confidence in us.

Another MJCC staffer, Jordana Levenick has been busy  creating a beautiful program guide, reserving rooms, and consulting on all marketing efforts.

Barbara Steinfeld is the Vice President of Travel Portland. She has helped design our grant evaluation tool and has facilitated a number of important contacts. She is also our Twitter Maven!

Esther Liberman faithfully takes notes, maintains our events calendar and is working on the design of our upcoming webpage with the  graphic arts staff at the "J". She's member of ORA: Northwest Jewish Artists, creating  beautiful works of bead art.

Cantor Ida Rae Cahana is a talented musical artist and adjunct clergy member at Temple Beth Israel. She is also a member of the MJCC board and is working closely with Ed Kraus, whose voice is well known to fans of KBOO's The Yiddish Hour. Together they are putting together several musical programs that will feature local and internationally know performers.

Founder and director of the Portland jewish Theater Collaborative, Sacha Reich brings theatrical vision to our team. KinderTransport will be a featured part of JAM coming to A.R.T. in March.

Priscilla Kostiner brings years of experience to our work. Long time supporter of Jewish cultural arts, religious lay leader and MJCC board member, Priscilla is leading our fundraising efforts.


 Our newest team member is Abby Myers. Under her leadership our kick-off party will involve city leaders as well as numerous talented artists and performers. Refreshments and free admission will welcome our guests.

Eddy Shuldman is a local artist, member of ORA and one of the originators of JAM. She is coordinating venues to feature local 2-D and 3-D artists .