Having a Jewish connection has been invaluable. Machar has created a niche for me &ndash full of family and support, learning and socializing. I have found friends and intellectual stimulation, as well as a new concept of my own Jewish identity.- Danit, age 31
Urban Jews has helped me immensely in becoming oriented with Portland, especially the Jewish scene. It's been a great surprise to move here and be able to so quickly and easily jump into a vibrant, young Jewish community. - Ben, age 25
I appreciate the chance that Machar has given me to collaborate with other young Jews. While there had been a few events yearly for &lsquo young&rsquo adults, never before was I able to find a group interested in learning, celebrating, and socializing together as a community.
- Hannah, age 26
Machar is a Jewish leadership program that builds community among Jewish young adults - those in their 20s and 30s, who are post-college and pre-kids - by serving as an incubator for young Jewish leaders and their ideas. Machar gives young adults the tools to imagine and create programming that will engage their peers in something Jewish.
Machar has three critical components. Machar participants:
Examples of Machar projects include:
We are building a community among a difficult to reach and underserved target population. Since its inception less than a year ago, Machar has worked together with Urban Jews PDX to develop a shared online list that reaches 500 young adults. We utilize that list to inform young Jews about events that may be of interest to them, throughout the Portland Jewish community. We advise Jewish community leaders of all ages on how to reach young adults, and we help them design and promote events to attract young adult Jews. To date, we have partnered or co-sponsored events with over 25 local Jewish groups, synagogues and organizations.
Machar is becoming a national model. The program has attracted attention from nationwide organizations and was the topic of a &ldquo must read&rdquo article in The Jerusalem Post. Portland, already a magnet city for young adults, is once again leading the way to a better future. Despite our fast growth and the enormous progress we have made since Machar and Urban Jews PDX began in Fall 2006, young adult Jews remain highly underserved. We estimate that all together, Jewish organizations in Portland reach only about a fifth of our target population. If we want to give everyone an opportunity to be part of our Jewish community, we must help nourish Machar and Urban Jews PDX, to help these wonderful new initiatives to flourish.
Contact us about Machar cohorts starting September 2008!
Machar is a program of Morasha, a 501C3 nonprofit corporation. Contact us to find out more about donating. Or donations can be mailed to
6680 SW Capitol Highway
Portland, OR 97219Make checks out to "Morasha" and write "Machar" in the subject line on the check. You can also donate through OJCF. Simply advise them to make the check out to Morasha for Machar.
Thank you for your generosity!