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Portland, Maine:
A Northern Jerusalem

RUTH ROVNER

Special to The Jewish News

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FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 1990

I

n the middle of Monu-
ment Square in Portland,
Maine, stands the statue
of the Maine lobsterman. The
figure of a man whose hand
grasps the claw of a lobster is
popular with both visitors
and natives. As tourists click
their cameras, kids climb up
on the statue and reach for
the lobster's claw.
It's a fitting symbol for a ci-
ty so closely identified with
the sea. Indeed, nautical
themes are abundant in
Maine's largest city. They
range from the dolphin
sculpture that stands outside
a local hotel to the 17 pain-
tings by Winslow Homer in
the Portland Museum of Art,
many of them renderings of
the moody, Maine coast.
Situated on Casco Bay,
Portland offers the visitor
many vantage points for en-
joying sky and water. Down at
the wharf, the Longfellow II
offers cruises of Casco Bay
with its islands and natural
life. Back in town, the Old
Port Exchange, a restored
19th century waterfront area,
is a popular place to explore,
with its boutiques, bistros
and seafood restaurants. The
well-known lighthouse,
known as the Portland Head
Light, is just 10 minutes from
town.
Perhaps in such a setting
it's a bit unusual to discover
the Full Belly Deli at 930
Brighton Avenue. There's no
lobster served in this deli. In-
stead, the display shelves are
filled with corned beef, roast
beef, brisket and chopped
liver.
It's run by the Rosen fami-
ly, who have been in Portland
"forever," Saralee Rosen says.
In this city, she says, there's

a real affection for Jewish
style food.
The popular deli is patroniz-
ed by Jews and non-Jews
alike, who sit at the long
counters while they enjoy
their corned beef sandwiches.
The mayor comes in often. So
do the fire and police chief,
the city councilmen, and, of
course, Jewish Portlanders.
"There's definitely a taste
for Jewish food in Portland,"
Rosen says. "We have many
people who have moved here
from big cities — New York,
Philadelphia, Boston — and
they come with a taste for
Jewish food. So they're
delighted to find us."

And so are Jewish tourists
hungry for ethnic food. But
the Full Belly Deli is not the
only attraction for Jewish
travelers to Portland.
In a city with just 3,500
Jews, there are four congrega-
tions, a Jewish community
center, mikvah and Jewish
home for the aged. What's
more, cultural activities
range from the Tummlers, a
kelzmer music group based in
Portland who perform all over
Maine, to the Jewish art often
displayed at the Barridoff
Gallery, a prominent Jewish-
owned art gallery.
"The Jews of this area take
their Jewishness very
seriously," Rabbi Harry Sky
says. "That's always been the
history of this town. Even
when there were 800 Jews
here, it was called "The
Jerusalem of the North."
Like much else in Portland,
Jewish history here is related
to the city's role as a port.
Although Jewish life dates
back to pre-Civil War days,
the big influx of immigrants
came in the 1880s and after
— from Riga in Latvia, from
Russia and from Germany.
And for a brief time, boats

