"Three Rabbis," one people

[Amelia]

"Three Rabbis," one people

Community - A documentary tells how a trio of Portland religious leaders set aside theological differences to work for all the city's Jews

Monday, October 03, 2005

NANCY HAUGHT

The Oregonian

This is a story about three rabbis. No, they didn't walk into a bar. They set one -- a very high bar -- for themselves. In a world where it's common for leaders of three different branches of Judaism serving in the same city to barely be on speaking terms, these three men have worked closely in Portland for more than 40 years.

The relationship between these men -- Yonah Geller of Congregation Shaarie Torah, Joshua Stampfer of Neveh Shalom and Emanuel Rose of Beth Israel -- is the subject of a new documentary, "The Three Rabbis," which will be screened at a benefit Oct. 23 and on Oregon Public Broadcasting on Oct. 27.

The one-hour documentary is a chance for non-Jews to see inside Portland's Jewish community, at its history and the public and private events that have held it together. And it is an opportunity for Jews -- as Rosh Hashana, the New Jewish Year, begins tonight at sunset -- to reflect on their shared past and begin to think about their shared future.

Geller and Stampfer are both 85 and retired, but still are active in their traditional and Conservative congregations, respectively. Rose, 75, has said that he will retire from his Reform congregation next summer. All three men came to Portland more than 40 years ago to lead what were then the city's largest congregations and what are still flagship congregations in Portland.

In other cities, many with larger Jewish populations than Portland, rabbis of traditional, Conservative and Reform congregations rarely talk and often don't serve as long as these three men, says Charles R. Schiffman, executive vice president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland. But early on, Stampfer, Rose and Geller decided to rebel against convention, to talk and work with each other. They organized the Oregon Board of Rabbis, which has grown from three to 13 members and pioneered a course for people who are interested in converting and want to know about the many different expressions of Judaism.

Together, these three rabbis have counseled, challenged and consoled Portland's Jewish community through crises in the Middle East and here at home. The civil rights movement, the Vietnam era, the rise of feminism, gender issues and the challenges of assimilation are only a few examples, Schiffman says. Estimates are that some 25,000 Jews live in the greater Portland area, with perhaps another 5,000 living elsewhere in the state, he says.

"Each of these men made a name and a niche for himself," Schiffman adds. "Geller held the line against the assault of secular society on traditional Judaism. Rose is a strong spokesman for the Jewish community and a scholar of Jewish-Catholic relations. Stampfer is a remarkable builder and an activist who has helped build almost every Jewish institution in the city, from the Oregon Jewish Museum to the Institute for Judaic Studies at Portland State University."

Gloria Feves Hammer, a coordinating producer on the film, envisioned "The Three Rabbis" almost 10 years ago. After growing up Jewish in West Linn, where she listened to her classmates talk about their pastors and priests, she always wanted to explain how rabbis serve their communities. She wrote a dozen letters to different foundations, looking for grants. She heard back from Oregon Public Broadcasting four years ago.

The result is an unusual financial arrangement. Executive producer Jessica Martin says that when they couldn't find one corporate sponsor to bear the bulk of the costs, they concentrated on smaller gifts.

"The checks kept coming in, from $20 to almost $5,000," Martin says. So far they've raised more than $60,000 for the documentary. OPB hopes to sell it to other major markets.

Martin thinks these three rabbis have made unique contributions to their Jewish community and to Portland. "Each of these men has nurtured a strong congregation, ministering to people's needs in times of grief and joy. They have promoted living Jewish scholarship and ably represented the Jewish community to the outside world."

Now it's the outside world's chance to take a peek inside.