JR: “Judaism is not a church religion, it’s really a lifestyle and as such, anything we do out of the synagogue is part of Judaism as well,” said Rabbi Tzvi Fischer of the recently established Portland Kollel.Fischer and his fellow Portland Kollel colleague, Rabbi Chanan Spivak, represent this ethos and whole-heartedly believe Portland’s accepting atmosphere will mesh perfectly with the city’s newest Jewish organization.

Fischer said kollel means inclusive and is traditionally “a connection of all Jews through education and Judaism.” This in itself is a benefit to the community but Fischer and Spivak, after speaking to many community leaders, have even higher aspirations for the Portland Kollel.

Both young rabbis are native New Yorkers who studied at the same yeshiva in Jerusalem. Although never meeting there, it is from their experiences in Israel that Fischer and Spivak often reference some of the ideals they will be attempting to implement through their kollel.

“It’s a movement that bonds, it’s a movement that brings a community as one,” said Spivak of a kollel’s highest potential. “It’s a movement to make Portland more vital, thriving Jewish community and more attractive to the other 23,000 or 25,000” unaffiliated Jews.

Spivak used the example of a gemilat chasadim, which both rabbis defined as “something that someone starts in order to help people for free.”

In Israel, Spivak said one common gemilat chasadim is for two weeks of complimentary cooked meals to be arranged for every mother after giving birth. Fischer said that people get very creative with their generosity, for instance, collecting dozens of cribs for distribution to community members.

The ambitious goals of the Portland Kollel represent as much the two rabbis as the opportunity they believe is before them in Portland. Because there are a relatively large number of Jewish organizations in Portland, especially considering the estimated number of unaffiliated Jews, Fischer and Spivak said they hope the creation of a more cohesive Jewish community can be obtained simply by bridging as many gaps as possible.

Fischer said Portland is unique because of the “wide range of Jewish communities and styles” here, from Conservative to New Age. At times, the rabbis are still caught off guard with the level of civility Portlanders display on a daily basis, such as strangers waving a greeting. This initial indicator of a community willing to connect gives Rabbis Fischer and Spivak optimism for the future of Portland Kollel.