Featured posts
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“A Kaddish For Bernie Madoff’s” journey…
NOTE: Bernard “Bernie” Madoff was the infamous architect of the largest Ponzi scheme in history, worth about $64.8 billion,…
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Gugulethu Moyo: In pursuit of justice
One might question how a girl that grew up in Zimbabwe, earned a law degree from Oxford and married…
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Nicole Frisch: Making the Human Connection
Nicole Frisch jokes that she “fell into” the work that she has been doing for the past 15 years. She…
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Getting closer to closing the digital divide – for good
By Ilana Lowery No one knows how the Covid-19 pandemic – or the various iterations of it – will impact in-person school going forward, but one thing is certain, at-home learning for students and teachers is here to stay. We are in the age of distance learning, and that means teaching through the digital…
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What is a doula? Mimi Wilhelm, certified birth and postpartum doula, explains
Photo: Rabbi Motti Wilhelm, Mimi Wilhelm and their family. Mimi Wilhelm is one of those women you can’t help but look at with awe. She is a mother of seven children, director of The Gan-Portland Jewish Preschool; she teaches Hebrew classes, runs a Mommy and Me group, runs marathons and just recently became a certified…
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PJA’s Makerspace Fosters Creative Thinking and Resiliency
Photo: PJA fourth-grader Hadley builds a teepee. Portland Jewish Academy was thrilled to re-introduce the Makerspace to the PJA community this school year. Our new Maker Educator, Nicole Surbaugh, joined PJA’s faculty this fall after working for several years as a science educator at The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. Nicole has brought…
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OES’s New Athletic Center Builds Community
The unveiling of Oregon Episcopal School’s newly remodeled and expanded athletic facility in the fall of 2021 is proving a winner for the entire community! The open, airy and light-filled space in a woodsy setting energizes student-athletes and the physical education curriculum and connects pre-kindergarten through grade 12 students and families in new ways…
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K-12 Education’s Crisis of Relevance
By Michael C. Johnson The extent that we can assure that every American child receives a relevant and contemporary education today will dictate the health of our economy, our global standing and the general welfare of our society for the remainder of this century. Unfortunately, we are not able to offer such a guarantee,…
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Marje Jacobson became an author at 80
Photo: Marje Jacobson with her first book, Grandma’s Birthday Balloon. Marje Jacobson didn’t intend to write a book when she sat down at the computer to share a story of the playful antics of a birthday balloon; she mainly wanted to keep herself occupied and thinking about good things, rather than bad things, during…
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Making Alzheimer’s Just a Memory
Although the COVID-19 pandemic turned the world upside down, the rapid development of multiple vaccines has spurred hope that treatments – or even potential cures – may be found for other devastating conditions. One such candidate is Alzheimer’s Disease. Understanding Alzheimer’s The Alzheimer’s Association defines the disease as a type of dementia that affects…
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Artist Daniela Molnar’s work exposes a color with a dark history
Photo: One of Daniela’s pieces from the series titled, “There is no time but the light remains.” Daniela Naomi Molnar is a Portland artist, poet, writer, teacher, mentor, climate activist and a grandchild of Holocaust survivors. She began her creative journey as soon as she was old enough to hold a paintbrush. Her educational…
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Foods that boost your immunity
With the ongoing pandemic, not to mention cold and flu season, it’s more important than ever to take care of our health. We all know that getting enough sleep, lowering anxiety, exercising and getting outside is all good for our immune system, but what we eat can also boost our immune system and increase…
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Celebrating the New Year of the Trees
By Rabbi Jeffrey Schesnol Tu B’Shevat is the New Year of the Trees, Rosh Hashanah Haaitzim in Hebrew, or Jewish Arbor Day. Tu B’Shevat occurs in late January or early February, the eleventh Hebrew month of Shevat, this year beginning Sunday, Jan. 16 at sunset. The minor holiday of Tu B’Shevat translated means the…