“Your Jewish Genes,” a free program presenting information on the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations, will be presented on April 9 from 5:30 to 8:30 pm at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center. Women of Ashkenazi (central or eastern European Jewish) descent have higher risks of developing many cancers due to a higher incidence of inherited…
In recognition of its 25th anniversary, the Annenberg Foundation has honored its top 25 Visionary Leaders. The list includes local Holocaust survivor Rachella Meekcoms Kryszek, z”l. Chella, as she is known to thousands of Oregon students and teachers, was one of the Oregon Holocaust Resource Center’s most prolific public speakers. Over the past three decades,…
Renowned Jewish-Christian and Holocaust scholar Rabbi Irving (Yitz) Greenberg and noted Jewish feminist Blu Greenberg are coming to Portland for a four-day community experience. “Reshaping the World after the Holocaust: a Weekend of Learning,” April 24-28, is presented by the Oregon Holocaust Resource Center. The Greenbergs, who are husband and wife, will serve as keynote…
Yaakov Kirschen followed the haggadah pledge of “Next Year in Jerusalem” when, in 1971, he “schlepped a wife and three kids” with him from New York to Israel. To mark the 40th year of “Dry Bones,” his internationally syndicated editorial cartoon peopled (and “dogged”) by Mr. Shuldig and Doobie, his irrepressible pet, Kirschen has crafted…
Like most Jewish holidays, Passover demands a certain degree of introspection. As Jews we are required not just to recall the slavery visited upon the ancient Israelites, we are commanded to imagine we have been personally delivered from slavery, and Dayenu, if that were not enough, we must also teach it to our children! In…
We are seeing a dramatic rise in the occurrence of childhood lifestyle-related conditions, such as allergies, eczema and asthma. These conditions almost always have a connection to diet and nutrition when they present at a young age. After birth, a child’s immune system is rapidly developing. It must take in information from the environment and…
Over the years Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation has gone through a lot of changes. With more members than ever (53 Jewish high school students), we focused on group work and made other changes to accommodate all the budding philanthropists. For example, we created three groups based on experience in OJCYF: Lomdim (apprentices), Bonim (builders)…
Though Miko Vergun becomes a bat mitzvah this month, she introduced her project to her congregation last fall. Her Nov. 9 talk at Congregation P’nai Or began simply: “My bat mitzvah project involves helping the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the country where I was born.” Miko hopes to increase awareness of the devastating effects…
