Every year when it’s time to shop for supplies for my Passover seder, I see the grocery store’s annual holiday display made up of boxes of matzah, potato starch, macaroons and potato kugel mix. Invariably included in the arrangement of foodstuffs is the jarred gefilte fish floating in murky liquid. Who actually eats this stuff…
“Let all who are hungry come and eat” is not just a part of the Passover Haggadah – it’s a community imperative. Every Jewish community is obligated to ensure that everyone has the food they need to celebrate a joyous Passover, and this year – as in years past – Portland’s Jewish community is stepping…
Clearing clutter and cleaning house is a Passover ritual. The Jewish version of spring cleaning started a long time ago, when the Jews had to leave Egypt on the run and without lots of stuff. Today, however, life is messy, and it’s so easy to keep collect- ing more and more clutter. But does more…
Ah, the joys of Passover preparation. For anyone celebrating this holiday with some semblance of observance, the arrange- ments required to ready the house often seem like an additional plague. As I scan my brain for early recollections, I can feel the backaches coming on. Not to speak of the aching feet and steel-wooled hands….
The crack of that first piece of matzah, destined to become the afikomen. Homemade matzah ball soup simmering on the stove, its magical aroma evocative of days of Pesach past. The warmth of family gathered together. Is it any wonder that Passover is the most widely observed Jewish holiday in America? Why is this night…
The year was 1976: America celebrated its 200th birthday, Alex Haley published Roots, the Dow Jones closed at 1004, and I arrived in Tucson with a backpack, a college degree and $80 in my pocket. My parents were less than thrilled with my postgrad decision to hitchhike across the country to “find myself.” Tucson was,…
If you asked 100 Jewish Portlanders what it means to be a Jewish Portlander, how many different answers would you get? The optimist might say 100, the cynic, 150. Videographer Ken Klein made no assumptions when he started his quest. Motivated at first by anger, then by curiosity, he roamed the community speaking to Jews…
Welcome to our new feature about love: how to find it and how to keep it alive and vibrant. I hope this column will pave the way for you to find the love you seek. When it comes to relationships, if you want it to be terrific, you need to be specific; this is actually…
While your child is at summer camp, rejuvenate yourself by exploring yoga, massage or cosmetic medicine. I have had the good fortune to live and work in New York City and on the West Coast. I am struck by the vast differences in youth summer camp traditions from coast to coast. In the East, my…
Cedar Sinai Park Chief Executive Officer David Fuks recently announced several promotions and additions to the CSP management team. This growth at the executive level reflects the growth in scope and services that began almost 10 years ago and today is moving forward at a significant pace. To long-time Portland residents, the Robison Jewish Health…
