Articles by Staff Writer


0

Kids and Teens

FAMILIES   PJ LIBRARY PORTLAND Rachel Nelson, Director of Educational Initiatives 6680 SW Capitol Hwy Portland, OR 503-892-7415 rachelr@jewishportland.org jewishportland.org/pjlibrary PJ (Pajama) Library, a Jewish Federation program, supports families raising Jewish children through the gift of high-quality Jewish children’s books and music, along with resources, events and programs. ALL Jewish families – dual heritage, single…

0

Life Cycle

Mohels A mohel is the person who performs the circumcision in the brit milah ceremony for a male child on the eighth day after his birth. For more information, contact your local congregation.   STATEWIDE   Rabbi Tzvi Fischer, Oregon Bris Center, oregonbris.com, rtf@portlandkollel.org or 503-757-0606. A seventh-generation Mohel, performs ceremonies throughout the Pacific Northwest….

0

DEATH AND MOURNING

When a Jewish person dies, there are clear directions as to how things should proceed with regard to the body, the burial, the funeral and mourning. The concept of honoring the dead is reflected in all Jewish burial customs. Burial takes place as soon as possible, sometimes within 24 hours after death, or as soon…

0

THE CIRCLE OF LIFE

A series of rituals guide Jewish families and individuals through each stage of life. With the exception of the rituals surrounding death, each of the following stages is often accompanied by festive celebrations. Even the rituals surrounding death bring the community together to remember and honor the deceased and to support their family. The following…

0

Congregations

“Isn’t everyone a part of everyone else?” ~Budd Schulberg Almost from the moment Jews arrived in Oregon, they have sought to meet the spiritual needs of the community. The first Jewish New Year services in the Oregon Territory were held in 1856 in the gold-rush boomtown of Jacksonville in  southern Oregon, where German-Jewish immigrants had…

0

Jewish Community Organizations

GIFT (Giving It Forward Together) 9604 NE 126th Ave. Vancouver, WA 360-597-3942 giftclarkcounty.com   HADASSAH, PACIFIC NORTHWEST REGION Women’s Zionist Organization of America hadassah.org/pnw   HADASSAH, PORTLAND CHAPTER Diana Lindemann 503-312-2530 pnwregion@hadassah.org   HADASSAH, SHALOM CHAPTER (Vancouver and SW Washington) Maxine Silverman, Membership Vice-President 360-566-8188 msilverman15@comcast.net   JEWISH BUSINESS NETWORK 9604 NE 126th Ave., Ste….

0

The First Jewish Organization

The first Oregon Jews, who came from Germany in the mid-1850s, often lived in other places in America before finding their way out West. Many of them were merchants who helped build a strong Jewish community – founding synagogues, schools, social and charitable organizations and welcoming waves of other immigrants, refugees and survivors who would…

0

Shabbat (the weekly holiday)

The peace and beauty of Shabbat gives us the opportunity to step off the hectic train of the modern world and connect with friends, family and a sense of holiness. Candles mark both the beginning and end of this weekly holiday. Lighting the Shabbat candles 18 minutes before sunset signals the beginning of the day…

0

THE HOLIDAYS

(Note: Jewish holidays start at sunset the evening before the first day of the holiday) Rosh Hashanah (Sept. 21-22, 2017) On Rosh Hashanah the sound of the shofar announces the arrival of the High Holy Days, or 10 Days of Awe that stretch from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur. Rosh Hashanah celebrates the creation of…