Classic sci-fi beams down to Portland’s Cathedral Park this August as Atomic Arts presents Trek in the Park. For the past three years the talented players of Atomic Arts have brought Gene Roddenberry’s iconic 1960s TV series Star Trek to life through adaptations of classic episodes. Star Trek, best remembered for presenting a hopeful vision…
“Oregon is the creative sweet spot,” declares Wendy Marcus, editor and founder of the literary magazine Drash. The latest issue Drash: Northwest Mosaic. Vol. 6, which came out in May, features nine Oregon writers, a fourth of all the contributors. Marcus describes Drash, which published its first issue five years ago, as a “literary review…
At the April leadership conference of the Jewish National Fund, conference president Dr. Alexander Mashkevitch announced his intention to establish a pro-Israeli TV channel along the lines of international news channels such as Al-Jazeera and the BBC. Mashkevitch, a Kazakh-born, Israeli-Russian billionaire, said that in the first stage, the channel will broadcast in English, French,…
There’s just something about Israelis – they have to know everything about you and tell you what they think. I used to consider it a form of friendliness – getting to know you. Now I’m wiser. It started over 30 years ago – when I was a student at Tel Aviv University. I had just…
Most Northwest gardens go through cycles; they rest awhile then burst into bloom again. Early spring carpets the ground with bulb flowers under blooming trees. May brings fluffy peonies, tall irises and airy columbines. Summer is awash with bright, beautiful annuals. But things seem to ebb toward the end of summer, when heat and drought…
Historically, families with a child with special needs have often felt isolated. After the trips to doctors, finding specialists and seeking support from close family members, there is a feeling of isolation within the community. Or so it was until about 20 years ago. No longer hidden in institutions or kept at home, our children…
Moishe House and Tikvah have teamed up to coordinate events that integrate young adults with disabilities into the community. Tikvah is Jewish Family and Child Service’s social group for young adults with disabilities. Moishe House resident Emly Oren heard about Tikvah when she started working for JFCS in November 2011. “I realized there are some…
B’nai B’rith Camp has opened its arms in the spirit of community. Now in its second year, Kehila (Hebrew for community) integrates children with a variety of special needs into the summer camp experience. Following inclusion models based in schools, Kehila positively impacts children with disabilities, instilling in them a sense of independence while inspiring…
Hurricane Katrina swept away more than just Sheila Cohen Springer’s house in Biloxi, MS: it took her health, too. “Her house was completely gone, it ended up miles off the coast in a canal leading into the Back Bay,” Sheila’s son Bill Cohen recounted. “The trauma tipped her over, severely exacerbating the symptoms of early…
Does integrating students with special needs benefit all students or the community in general? Ben Sandler Education Director Congregation Beth Israel “You shall not insult the deaf or place a stumbling block before the blind.” Leviticus 19:14 Integrating students with special needs absolutely benefits everyone! The first illustration that comes to mind is the work…
