Don Zadoff was a first-generation Jewish American born in 1926 in Newark, New Jersey, to Belarusian immigrants who came to the United States between 1912-1914. His childhood was immersed in Jewish Culture as his neighborhood and high school was primarily Jewish. Although self-describing himself and his family as “Jews by practice, not by study,” he was drawn by the community that Judaism provided. After graduating from high school, Don enlisted in the Air Force, later attended Rutgers University, and worked as a stockbroker for 25 years.

By 1971, he moved to Eugene, Oregon, and was immediately attracted by its natural beauty and its tight-knit Jewish community. He was also an active member of Tempel Beth Israel since he had arrived. He developed educational outreach programs aimed at non-Jews. Moreover, he visited several religious groups and bring more awareness on Judaism and Jewishness. Don also founded the Jewish Senior League in 1989 and it lasted until 2009. Although the league was a social group, he wished for the group to be an extension of educating non-Jews. Don did not consider himself as a religious man but wished to upkeep the communal and familial aspects of Judaism. He insisted that his children attend the religious school at Temple Beth Israel and ensured their Bar Mitzvahs are celebrated. Don Zadoff has since passed away in 2013.

Authored by Ezra Briskin and Sam Wiesner