Oregon’s Jewish pioneers may have come to the far reaches of the frontier, but they, too, remembered their traditions. Almost as soon as enough Jewish men came to a town to constitute a minyan, they began organizing, at least for major services. Although the earliest Jewish settlers in Oregon, according to most accounts, were Jacob…
Oregon Jewish Life asked congregations in Oregon and Southwest Washington to supply information about their services during the High Holy Days. This year the holidays fall on the following dates: Erev Rosh Hashanah, Sept. 16; Rosh Hashanah I, Sept. 17; Rosh Hashanah II, Sept. 18, Erev Yom Kippur (Kol Nidre service), Sept. 25; Yom Kippur,…
Make the High Holidays meaningful for children The Days of Awe are an auspicious time of year for parents to connect with their children. The contrast of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and the days of reflection that bind them together present parent and child alike with a profusion of opportunities for joy, growth and…
Whether he’s talking one-on-one with a U.S. Senator, addressing a roomful of hundreds of Portland Jews or emailing thousands his thoughts on such esoteric topics as what the Jewish community can learn from the Roller Derby, Marc Blattner is listening, learning and challenging the status quo to ensure an evolution – perhaps even a revolution – designed to meet…
Before Becky Johnson developed thyroid cancer, she said she didn’t even know where her thyroid was. Doctors told her that her symptoms were the result of menopause after tests showed her thyroid hormone levels fell into the very broad “normal range.” But in 2009, 10 years after she first complained of symptoms, she finally persuaded…
A local Jewish family has combined inspiration, innovation and ice cream to create a new tasting experience for Portlanders. On June 30 Brian and Jodie Ostrovsky opened What’s the Scoop? introducing a new way to taste new flavors. Featuring ice creams and sorbets made from scratch and fast-frozen with liquid nitrogen for a smoother texture,…
The tendency of many American Jews to attend services only on the High Holidays has created a conundrum for many synagogues over the past century. If they limit attendance to members only, the pay-to-pray model turns people away just when they might be open to letting Judaism into their lives; yet if synagogues open their…
Cancer patients frequently complain of overwhelming fatigue during treatment. For decades, the medical community recommended patients save their strength and rest during the course of treatment. But when personal trainer Laura Rosencrantz watched her active grandfather Leonard Schnitzer grow weaker each day as he succumbed to lung cancer, she started to question that conventional wisdom….
On Oct. 18 one of five Israeli athletes who survived the Munich Massacre at the Olympics 40 years ago will speak in Portland. Chabad of Oregon’s Benaroya Jewish Learning Academy will host former Olympic fencer Dan Alon at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center for an evening program. Alon recently authored a book on his harrowing…
Maimonides Day School ready to grow up During the week of Aug. 13 one of the buildings on the campus of Maimonides Jewish Day School was lifted off its foundation to prepare for an expansion that will use a new “daylight lower level” of 1000 square feet, for classrooms, a multi-purpose room, and administrative and…
