Introducing artist Aithan Shapira and coffee activist Debra Rosenthal Thanks to the draw of a young woman with deep roots in social action and Portland, the Rose City is now home to a rising young artist who already has made a big splash in the international art world. Aithan Shapira – like his heroes –…
The economic downturn has meant that many storefronts that used to say “art gallery” now say “for lease.” By almost any measure, these are challenging times for artists and galleries.
One of the neat things about Judaism is that, while we have special holidays reminding us to pay more attention to certain traditions, beliefs and mitzvot, those same ideas serve as an undercurrent to our lives all year long. Tu B’Shevat may remind us of our obligation to help better the world one tree at…
While there might not be a lot of women who check to see if Mercury is in retrograde before heading out on a shopping spree or clicking on “buy,” there are considerable numbers who are interested in astrology. So interested in fact, that a recent article in the trade publication of The Fashion Group International,…
Art therapy offers adolescents an alternative method for exploring personal problems and emotional issues. Linda Zahavi, a national and board certified art therapist and active member of Portland’s Congregation P’nai Or, has a growing local practice on Southwest Boones Ferry Road. She uses art therapy as an effective means for patients to explore their feelings…
Family and Friends Honor Couple by Eden Rose Brown It was a touching reunion of old friends and a memorable celebration of Old South Portland Jewish history. Selma Nepom and Bernard Brown recently commemorated their 65th wedding anniversary with a grand celebration of this memorable event hosted by their three children. With over 100 family…
Tu B’Shevat, or the New Year of the Trees, is meant to signify a change in season from winter’s cold to the renewal of spring. While it may still be cold and wintery where you live, in Israel the trees are already beginning to blossom. Foods mentioned in the Bible include figs, dates, raisins, pomegranates…
When the Nazis brutally emptied the Lvov Ghetto in 1943, a small group of Polish Jews had several frantic seconds to make a life-or-death choice: The hell above or the hell below. Following shouted orders meant deportation to the death camps, although they didn’t know that. What they could be certain of was that the…
4.7 million dollars. That’s how much the most profitable artist in Israel made in the past Hebrew year (5771), according to Forbes. Any guess who that artist might be? For most Israelis, it wouldn’t be too hard to guess: Eyal Golan, the most successful Mizrahi singer in Israel’s history. In fact, all the top seven…
Israel’s social unrest in the summer of 2011 – or the “movement for social justice” as protesters chanted at every gathering – is one of the few times that an important social trend emerged in Israel before the United States. Though Israel launched the movement, the question now is which society will be the first…
