In 1928 Ben Selling was the inaugural recipient of the Portland Association of Realtors’ “First Citizen” Award, honoring contributions to the city. His 70th birthday was celebrated throughout the town. And when he died on Jan. 15, 1931, the Oregon Legislature adjourned and flags flew at half-staff. “Ben Selling Dies; City in Mourning,”The Oregonian proclaimed…
Malka Osserman is the religious school administrator at Beit Haverim in Portland, and last summer she found herself in a situation she never could have imagined. With two master’s degrees, 25 years as a geriatric social worker in Florida and a job she enjoyed, she was struggling to make rent every month. Malka had moved…
Overnight camps help young campers learn valuable life skills that enhance their lives in college and beyond. Numerous studies have shown youth benefit from attend- ing sleep-away camps. The American Camp Association lists numerous benefits young people develop through their experiences at residential camps. In terms of social skills development, campers learn leadership, communication and…
A zipline tops fifth-grader Javier Vollmayer’s list. Jared Norman wants a GaGa Pit. In fact, everyone at the Residential Camp Fair held at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center Jan. 12 had something special in mind for this summer’s fun. The Jewish camp experience, an important indicator of future attachment and engagement with the community, was…
President Shimon Peres does not let his age of 91 deter him from attending and addressing several events on a daily basis. A few years ago, at one of these events, he was asked if he wants to be remembered as a leader who never stopped pursuing peace. Expecting a positive answer in some variation…
On the website for the new JCC Maccabi Sports Camp (maccabisportscamp.org), Camp Director Josh Steinharter writes, “As a kid who hoped to one day play shortstop for the Yankees, I faced a dilemma every summer. ‘Why do I have to choose between sports camp and Jewish overnight camp?’” Fortunately for like-minded kids today, that is…
It’s Purim time! That means merriment, costumes, candy, mishloach manot (“shalach munous” as we say in the old country) and happy kids. In my youth, we went to shul, listened to the reading of the Megillah and spun those groggers like crazy – even the synagogue’s elders didn’t get annoyed at us (although they were…
Your wedding day is a day you remember for a lifetime. This spring, my husband and I will celebrate our 20th anniversary. We were married in sunny Palm Springs, CA, at a beautiful French restaurant that still exists. We have returned many times over the last 20 years to celebrate our anniversary. Le Vallauris remains…
