PHOTO: When Simi Mishulovin, left, gave her sister-in-law a tour of the new space in the Pearl that will become Oasis, Mushka Wilhelm, of NE Chabad, said, "This is food for the soul, to be with others." See source article.
A Jewish Oasis is coming to Portland’s Pearl District.
Following the August 2020 fire that destroyed the Chabad House and Everything Jewish store near Hillsdale, a fund-raising campaign has allowed Chabad to purchase (with a mortgage) a 2,500-square-foot building at 1218 NW Glisan St. Now Rabbi Chayim and Simi Mishulovin are working on phase 1 renovations to create a Jewish Oasis featuring the return of the popular store and resource center, a lounge area, a coffee/tea stand, free Wi-Fi, ADA bathrooms and a high bar along the windows facing Glisan.
“I’d rather go to the Oasis and have a cup of tea and do a bit of work than go to Starbucks,” says Sen. Elizabeth Steiner Hayward, whose NW Portland/Beaverton district encompasses the new Oasis. “It is taking something people like to do and creating a Jewish space to do it where people can feel welcome. For the uninvolved, it is less threatening, and for the involved, it is a place that feels more like home.”
David Howitt, who helped lead the planning committee, says they looked at what makes a Jewish home welcoming.
“The feeling of being loved and warm is usually found in the kitchen and living room,” says Howitt. “We are creating a Jewish kitchen and living room in the middle of Portland.”
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