Strong Jewish community in Portland? (Eugene, Beaverton: apartments, homes, schools)

[Hillsboro]

Others have posted excellent current information about the Jewish community in Portland. I just wanted to add some pre-1961 information. There was a strong Italian and Jewish community in SW Portland, just south of Portland State, prior to urban renewal when the whole area was bulldozed. I remember as a kid going to the Italian deli and Kosher bakeries. Our neighbors were either members of Ahavath Achim, before the move to Barbur Blvd., and Kesser Israel (on Meade St.).

[Minervah]

Roses which has kosher style food has been downtown, NE and NW. They keep closing and opening new restaurants. I have read that the latest new Roses will be on 12th and Broadway. They make a pretty good cornbeef sandwich but Kornblatt's is the winner for me.

[nanannie]

My kids, (Irish catholics we) went to pre school and kind. at Mittlemen Jewish Community center(is it still there?). Excellent. They were welcome, had a wonderful experience, AND they taught their dad and I alot about this faith. We all enjoyed the teachers, kids and parents who welcomed us as family.

[suncat]

The Hillsdale and Raleigh Hills areas of SW Portland have a lot of Jews, and like others have mentioned, the Mittleman Jewish Community Center is there. Stores in that area tend to have relatively large Kosher sections too, like the Albertsons on Shattuck Road.

[Nell Plotts]

I remember when the JCC moved from near Lincoln High School to Raleigh Hills (freeway construction). JCC was and is so popular they need to make sure the Goy (like me) didn't become the majority.

[RussAI]

Hi. I am very interested in Jewish life in Orgeon.
Please contact me at [EMAIL="ouremailsite@bigstring.com"]ouremailsite@bigstring.com[/EMAIL]

Russi

[carolinajack]

Originally Posted by EframRubin

I came across this thread and wanted to chime in.

As a jew in his last 20s living in Oregon, I can answer some of your questions ybbeth. Portland's jewish community numbers about 30K (from recent estimates) and there are synagogues of all denominations (chabad, conservative, reform, reconstructionist). Although, from my experiences, people tend to be unaffiliated and not as involved as they are on the E. Coast.

The Mittleman Jewish Community Center is a nice place. I have played basketball there on occasion. There is a really nice old synagogue on the city's northwest side. It is a historic old synagogue (Temple Beth Israel I believe, but I could be mistaken on the name). It is definitely worth checking out though.

For a good deli, go to NW 23rd or 24th street. I forget the name of the restaurant, but they have great corned beef and matzah ball soup. Most in the area will know it if you ask them where it's located.

The jewish dating scene in Portland is relatively tough (atleast this is what I've heard from friends). The available single men and women are hard to find, but if you get involved, I think you'll be fine. There is a young jews network put on through the JCC where you'd get put into the pipeline if that's your thing.

Feel free to ask me any questions that you have

Several jewish delis in town! check out the JCC-Mittlemans

[carolinajack]

Ilove kornblatts on nw 23rd. i think there is a significant number of jewish people in the nw section. I go to NW 21, 23 to find good jewish life because i love their culture.

[MysticalDream]

Kornblatts? Sounds like I have found a new place for myself to try..

There are a lot of Jewish people in Portland. As long as you're not a Netzarim Jew, you will be welcomed. I, however, am an outcast to my own people, many who won't consider me a Jew, even though I am the grandson of a holocaust survivor from Belarus..

Anyhow, I think most Jewish people will like Portland and its options. There are several synagogues for being such a small city far away from Chicago and New York. It is impressive really. There is a religious Orthodox synagogue, a Jewish Community Center, many Reformed/Conservative Synagogues as well as some in between, like Shaarie Torah. SW Portland tends to have the largest Jewish population, but they are spread out. Portland also has a Sefardic synagogue I think might be interesting. The fees for joining the synagogue are a bit steep, but they are a small community that doesn't have much support from the outside.

[carolinajack]

Originally Posted by MysticalDream

Kornblatts? Sounds like I have found a new place for myself to try..

There are a lot of Jewish people in Portland. As long as you're not a Netzarim Jew, you will be welcomed. I, however, am an outcast to my own people, many who won't consider me a Jew, even though I am the grandson of a holocaust survivor from Belarus..

Anyhow, I think most Jewish people will like Portland and its options. There are several synagogues for being such a small city far away from Chicago and New York. It is impressive really. There is a religious Orthodox synagogue, a Jewish Community Center, many Reformed/Conservative Synagogues as well as some in between, like Shaarie Torah. SW Portland tends to have the largest Jewish population, but they are spread out. Portland also has a Sefardic synagogue I think might be interesting. The fees for joining the synagogue are a bit steep, but they are a small community that doesn't have much support from the outside.

my friend back in Queens is a messianic jew and of course most jews dont consider him jewish anymore either though they consider athiest jews still jewish--dont get that one(since both are based on their mothers being jewish).
Kornblatts rocks, nw 23rd definitely the place to go for a chocolate egg cream and a nosh!
where to you go for synagogue? i hope to attend shabbat services soon, and get my daughter into hebrew lessons.