Photo: News 360 TV COLLEYVILLE, Texas (AP) — A year ago, Jeff Cohen and three others survived a hostage standoff at their Reform Jewish synagogue in this Fort Worth suburb. Their trauma did not disappear, though, with the FBI’s killing of the pistol-wielding captor, 44-year-old British national Malik Faisal Akram. Healing from the Jan. 15, 2022,…
By Ezra Hammer Hate crimes against American Jews are surging. From Los Angeles to New York, Jews have become the target of violent, public assaults. Closer to home, Portland has witnessed similar acts of hate. Last month, our Holocaust memorial was defaced with swastikas and anti-Semitic slurs. Sadly, this steady stream of hate comes…
To say Margot Feves and her intimate event space Opal 28 had a successful first year would be an understatement. Opal 28 was named Oregon Bride Magazine’s Best New Venue 2014 and won the Portland Business Journal honor as a Better Bricks Commercial Real Estate Retail Project 2014. Margot Talia Feves was named Margot after…
Most brides wouldn’t think to take duct tape to their wedding, but just like MacGyver, good event planners come prepared for every possible hiccup. So when BLC Events founder Barbara Cohen and Elyse Stoner coordinate an event, they always take a suitcase full of extension cords, duct tape, spare lingerie and a host of other…
Recording artist, composer, educator and peace activist Yuval Ron returns to Oregon for three days of concerts and a workshop in January. While he has performed in Ashland and the Eugene/Corvallis area in recent years, he says this will be his first return to Portland in nearly a decade. With his concerts around the world…
It was like a Kiddush cup filled to the brim with wine spilling over, says Eli Gregory, when asked about Passover 2014 at Moishe House, a Portland young adult organization. Sixty-five people crammed onto couches, giant beanbags and extra chairs borrowed from the Oregon Jewish Museum. They followed Eli’s socially conscious adaptation of the Haggadah…
As the University of Oregon’s fall quarter began drawing to a close, Oregon Hillel Executive Director Andy Gitelson enjoyed a rare quiet afternoon in his office, reflecting on the busiest High Holiday season of his three years in Eugene. “What we’ve seen overall is more and more different students engaging in smaller-scale programs, which is…
As a child, I always dreaded going to Hebrew School. Although it was only a few blocks from my public school, the lonely bike ride felt like miles as I watched my friends walk away in the opposite direction, arms linked together like a human gum wrapper chain. Being Jewish in the small town where…
Dear Helen: What’s contagion etiquette during flu season? I’m talking about people who show up at parties, bridge games or sporting events dripping and sniffling, and then get offended when others who are healthier ask them to wear a mask, wash their hands or go home.To be very clear, I am not a fanatic nut…
It is difficult to make financial and estate plan decisions, accepting your own mortality. Yet, it can also be empowering. By making thoughtful and informed estate plans, you can express your deepest Jewish values, those of community tzedakah and tikkun olam. Leaving a legacy gift can help make the world a better place for future…
