Photo: Dr. Robin McCoy, daughter, Molly, and husband, Steve. In 1997 as a family friend, I visited Robin McCoy during her internship and residency at the University of Utah. When I saw Robin in her lab coat, I remember asking her how people reacted to her looking like a kid. When I repeated the question…
Photo: Janet Hamada at the annual march to commemorate Minoru Yasui, who was the first Oregonian to win the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He was recognized for his courage contesting the incarceration of Japanese-Americans during World War II. “I stand up for justice for the individual and marginalized groups,” says Janet. “Since Trump was elected,…
PHOTO: Stuart Stark helps students with a yoga pose. Born in Queens, NY, Stuart Stark relocated to Portland in 1985. Stuart has combined a physical therapy and yoga practice for almost 30 years. I connected with Stuart at the Gudmestad Yoga Studio. After months of work recovering from a car accident, my physical therapist…
PHOTO: Nili as a child with her father, Charlie Schiffman, z”l Nili Isenberg didn’t set out to be part of a musical movement to encourage other young Jews to appreciate Jewish prayer and attend synagogue – it was an organic occurrence. Nili grew up in Portland, the daughter of Charlie Schiffman, z”l, who…
Chemistry Jewelry Store in downtown Hood River is my first stop on monthly visits to Hood River. I’m like a kid in a candy store as I scan the glass cases filled with jewelry. I adore the owner, Christine Barthmus, who loves to talk about her travels to buy beautiful pieces and share information on…
PHOTO: Filmmaker Rachel Myers and her grandmother Roberta Mahler. If you love Jewish films, you won’t want to miss “Wendy’s Shabbat,” a short film presently a hit on the film festival circuit. Rachel Myers, who spent her teen years in Portland, created this heartfelt documentary about her grandmother and her grandmother’s friends, who for nearly…
Fire Brew founder Valerie Roth drew on her interest in holistic nutrition to create a concentrated, shot-based health tonic. What began as offering samples at a local farmers market now has garnered national attention, including a mention in Sunset Magazine. “You drink a shot of Fire Brew a day,” says Valerie. “You add it to…
Elan Walsky is on a natural high. His Coalition Brewing made national waves in an Oct. 5 article in Fortune Magazine about hops and hemp. Coalition brews the first hemp and CBD beer in Oregon – Two Flowers India Pale Ale. The brew has great flavor and aroma, but it won’t get you high or…
Either way you say it – Music Man or Man, Music! – Ezra Weiss loves jazz. His enthusiasm is contagious, his involvement is impressive. Portland can thank Ezra’s Oberlin College buddy, Zack Hickman, for suggesting that they move to Portland after graduation in 2001. Besides rave album reviews and airtime, he teaches at Portland State…
For 25 years, the Jewish Women’s Round Table has presented the Song of Miriam Award to women volunteers who actively support Jewish life. In June JWRT President Leslye Epstein welcomed 21 new honorees and a roomful of their supporters to this year’s Song of Miriam Brunch at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center. “Over 400 women…
