PHOTO: Delegates from the Portland area, part of United Synagogue Youth’s Pinwheel region, pose for a group photo at USY’s 66th International Convention, Dec. 25-29, in Dallas, TX. From left are (front): Pinwheel Regional Youth Director Rebecca Powazek, Regional President Hannah Glass, Izzy Levy and (back) Emma Hayward, Abby Glass, Maude Elovitz, Marissa Friedman and…
“Dance chose me – I could not not do it,” says Israeli dancer, choreographer and teacher Iris Erez, 45, who arrives in Portland this month for a five-month residency at Reed College. Iris is one of 19 Israeli artists visiting the United States this school year to participate in residencies through the Schusterman Visiting Israeli…
Dry cleaner Brian Olson feels a little slice of Shabbat every time he cleans a tallit – and he cleans a lot of them. For the past four years, Brian has cleaned tallitot for free for Portland-area synagogues. He has done free cleaning for congregations Havurah Shalom, Neveh Shalom, Shaarie Torah and Shir Tikvah. Beit…
A 101-year-old artist’s first show and the Northwest premiere of a play about aging will work in concert to explore how art and technology preserve personal identity as memories fade. The parallel presentations will be at Artist Repertory Theatre, Feb. 7-March 5. “It’s About Time” is the title of Estelle Meadoff’s exhibit, which will feature…
Balancing the need for space for their daughter and grandson and an extensive art collection, Ted Nelson and Curt Shaffstall initially decided to remodel their home. Then they saw a secluded house five minutes from downtown that would perfectly accommodate their family and had the potential to be a showcase for their paintings, prints and…
A Nov. 10 workshop on fostering a climate of civil discourse about Israel began by looking at the need for civility in the wake of Donald Trump’s unexpected victory in the presidential election two days earlier. Long before election night, the Jewish Community Relations Council had invited Rabbi Doug Kahn to lead an in-depth discussion…
On the edge of Portland’s Pearl District sits a hidden gem, a lifestyle studio that provides personalized training and services in a private and serene setting. “You are the first person to come into this space and share it with a wider community,” Morgan Dancer, owner and creator of Studio Define, tells me as we…
Stretching back to the biblical commandment for parents to teach their children, Judaism has emphasized the importance of education. Known as People of the Book, Jews have supported learning and flourished through education. David Grubin’s 2008 PBS series and companion book Jewish Life in America reflects on the importance of education in Jewish life: “In…
Twice a week, Portland Kollel Rabbi Gadi Levy helps groups of adults understand the “key that opens up the wealth of Talmud.” The Talmud is the encyclopedia of Jewish law and Jewish thought. The Talmud is also the medium whereby the rabbis and teachers taught students how to view and accurately analyze contemporary issues. Looking…
More than 2,100 years ago, the Maccabees rose up against the Seleucid Greek government that had desecrated the Temple and suppressed Jewish worship. A one-day supply of holy oil miraculously burned for eight days when the victorious Maccabees rededicated the Temple, which stood until the Romans invaded Jerusalem in 70 CE. Just as those ancient…
