With holiday parties in abundance this month, thoughts inevitably turn to food. What should you take your hostess? Food and drink to share? Or maybe a thank you gift? A bottle of wine is always a nice choice for a formal dinner or elegant party. But if you’re going to a casual get together, consider…
“Put on your yarmulke, it’s time for Hanukkah!” Every year while lighting the menorah, we never forget to enjoy Adam Sandler’s rendition of the Hanukkah song. It is a lighthearted, funny song that never fails to make us laugh. We also enjoy indulging in all of those delicious fried goodies traditionally eaten on the eight…
Traditionally, macaroons have been relegated to the chametz-free Passover menu. Most people don’t miss them during the rest of the year, since they’re often dry, heavy and sickeningly sweet. However, a new Portlander is making macaroons so palatable that you’ll want to eat them all year long. Toronto-born Jenn Topliff, daughter of renowned cookbook author…
Chanukah, with its fighting Maccabean spirit, took on personal meaning for the Weinberger family recently. On Oct. 25, nine of us headed down to Mizpeh Ramon to see Elie graduate from Officers Course. Nathan and Ruthie took a train from Tel Aviv to Be’er Sheva, and Sarah and I picked them up en route from…
For more than 2,000 years the Jewish people have kept the lights of Hanukkah shining brightly, shepherding the story of the miracle of the oil through the generations. Innumerable Hanukkah celebrations and myriad innovations in how we celebrate have graced the intervening years. I’ll admit that it takes some chutzpah to try and distill two…
Mittleman Jewish Community Center 6651 SW Capitol Hwy. Portland 503-244-0111 oregonjcc.org Join the MJCC between Dec. 20 and Jan. 31 to receive No Enrollment Fee and (3) Free one-hour personal training or nutritional therapy sessions. Guide Dogs for the Blind 32901 SE Kelso Road Boring, OR 503-668-2100 guidedogs.com The Litter of Love catalog is a…
There are lots of traditional gifts to give your loved ones during Hanukkah. But there are also some unusual ones to consider. I spent some time searching the internet for some ideas. I hope you enjoy my top picks for an especially unique Hanukkah this year. 1) The 2017 Nice Jewish Guys Calendar features an…
I remember years ago one of my sons telling his brother that the secret of reading was to “be in the book.” It was a comment I wholeheartedly believe. Books have the power to transport us to different worlds, to help us understand others’ struggles, to inspire us to explore. For all of those reasons,…
You may think of rye bread as just a dry, nondescript backdrop for a pile of pastrami. With his new cookbook, The Rye Baker, author Stanley Ginsberg aims to change that perception. Stanley, who was recently in town to school Tabor Bread patrons on the art of baking rye rolls and Swedish sweet bread, describes…
The following is my free translation based on the work of my friend and teacher, Rabbi Lior Engelman. When we were children it was clear which of the Hanukkah candles was the most important: the shamash, the “helper” candle. It is the most prominent and tallest candle – it is one of a kind. The…
