Robby Gottesman, a senior in physics at Reed College, sits in SE Chabad House’s front room across from Rebbetzin Chani Bialo. His first time at Chabad was just two weeks ago when a friend brought him along for Shabbat dinner. Now, he is ready to make challah, something he always wanted to learn. “We were…
Come join the fun at the Mitzvah Menorah and Adopt-a-Family annual gift-wrapping jamboree. Held at the Mittlemann Jewish Community Center on Dec.18, this Jewish Family & Child Service and Cedar Sinai Park holiday event brings the community together to wrap and deliver gifts to others less fortunate than themselves. Families and groups are welcome. The…
Julia Wolf takes driving seriously and attributes her skill to first-rate training. A junior at Lake Oswego High and an active member of Congregation Shaarie Torah, she says the driver’s education course she took through NCSY last year showed her the way. “I got everything I needed about driving but was also around my Jewish…
Think you’ve heard it all? Have a listen to beatboxing. Also known as vocal percussion, it replicates the sounds and rhythms of drums along with noises that heretofore humans didn’t make. Portland has a recognized expert rising from our own Laurelhurst neighborhood, Portland Jewish Academy and Grant High. An Orthodox Jew, Ilan Swartz-Brownstein, also known…
When Rabbi Ariel Stone came to Portland in 1995, she found a city undergoing rapid sophistication and change. She remembers being told that she arrived only six months before good bread came to town. Now, celebrating 25 years since her ordination and 13 years as spiritual leader of Congregation Shir Tikvah, Rabbi Ariel continues transitioning…
Eva Mozes Kor’s upcoming talk may be among her last. Like other survivors, she is growing old, and despite unflinching resolve to keep the story alive, a demanding schedule becomes hard to keep. Still, as part of Oregon State University’s 30th annual Holocaust Memorial Week, Eva will discuss her experience. Unlike the rest of her…
Sheila Baer looks forward to Good Deeds Day on April 17. “I had a wonderful time last year” she says. “I met a nice group of people at the Community Warehouse, and we had fun grouping kitchen things and towels sets. It’s important to lend your time, even for a few hours, because there’s always…
When Rabbi Debra Kolodny wanted to serve Portland’s Jewish community, she started by considering why people come here. Connecting the dots between the city’s low percentage of affiliated Jews on the one hand and political, artistic and environmental activism on the other, she hit on the concept of the UnShul, a way of providing teaching…
Every time Cantor Barbara Slader helps a couple plan their wedding, it brings back the joy of her own. Those memories of her 1991 wedding include family, flowers and the centerpiece, a chuppah created by Barbara’s friend, artist Jane Levy Campbell. In fact, handmade chuppahs have become a tradition and ritual for many Portland couples….
They started with one wedding and then it snowballed. Toot and Shoot, the father/daughter, musician/photographer team was a hit. Based in Los Angeles, they worked mainly in the entertainment industry doing weddings and bar mitzvahs for the stars. When they moved to Portland in 1986, they continued commuting to Los Angeles and working locally. While…
