A family and synagogue that instilled a dedication to social service combined with an impressive professional resume made 32-year-old Amy Shlossman an ideal fit for her current post as CEO of the American Red Cross of the Cascades Region. Before her move to Oregon last August to assume leadership of the Red Cross in Oregon…
Meriwether Group founder and CEO David Howitt guides entrepreneurs as they “birth newness into the world.” With more than 20 years in product development, branding and business strategy for both start-ups and Fortune 100 companies, David knows how to help dreamers bring their ideas to fruition. Following graduation from Lewis & Clark Law School, he…
OAJC moves mission to federation The Oregon Area Jewish Committee has integrated its mission-related activities into the newly named Jewish Community Relations Council (formerly the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland’s Community Relations Committee). Recognizing that being an independent organization was becoming increasingly unsustainable, the OAJC leadership explored several different models before proposing an “organizational integration”…
Compulsive military service has created a kind of IDF subculture in civil society. Since most Israelis are IDF veterans, most Hebrew slang naturally has its origins in the IDF. But as the elections approach, the most common military jargon seems to be “yorim b’toch ha’nagmash” (firing your weapon inside the armored personnel carrier), a phrase…
The Jewish Theatre Collaborative has once again brought a little-known story of Jewish history to life with its Page2Stage season focused on a novel, The Ministry of Special Cases. “Part of our vision is to open up parts of the Jewish world we are unaware of,” says JTC founder Sacha Reich. “For our Page2Stage productions…
Portland has a reputation for the vibrancy and diversity of its dance scene, and fans of contemporary dance in particular have long known something Portland’s Jewish community may be only just now discovering: Israel is a hotbed of bold, innovative and critically acclaimed contemporary dance. What’s more, you don’t have to travel to Israel to…
Whether intentional or not, Oregon is awash in both visual art and performance art with Jewish themes during Jewish Arts Month, an annual educational initiative sponsored by the American Guild of Judaic Art in March. On the visual arts side, ORA-Northwest Jewish Artists once again has planned a celebration of JAM. Artists will display their…
Internationally renowned Jewish singer Benny Friedman reunites with pianist and composer Michael Allen Harrison, known as “The Grand Maestro of Portland,” for a concert Sunday, March 22, in Salem. This will be the fourth year Benny has come to Salem for this musical retreat and auction benefit for the Chabad Jewish Center of Salem. Last…
According to the trade website Oregon Craft Beer, Portland has the most breweries of any city in the world. But until the recent opening of Leikam Brewing, none of our city’s craft breweries had been certified kosher. A collaboration between husband-and-wife team Theo and Sonia Marie Leikam, Leikam Brewing aims to provide the Portland market…
A capacity crowd of more than 500 people filled the space at Castaway on Feb. 8 to truly get a Taste of Temple. Congregation Beth Israel’s fourth annual friendraiser and FUNdraiser brought together a dynamic and multifaceted committee. CBI clergy (Rabbi Rachel Joseph, Rabbi Michael Cahana and Cantor Ida Rae Cahana, right, embrace chairs Tony…
