Holocaust survivor Alter Wiener recently spoke to children at the Tulen Center, a martial arts studio celebrating its 10th anniversary. Wiener is the author of From A Name to A Number: A Holocaust Survivor’s Autobiography. “Alter Wiener was amazing,” says Silvia Smart, who founded Tulen Center 10 years ago with her husband, Jeff Denson. “I…
The traditional 10-year anniversary gift is tin. But at Tulen Center the milestone gift is something more permanent and much less flimsy: self-confidence. And the center doles that out daily, not just for special occasions. Tulen Center, in Scholls Plaza in Raleigh Hills, teaches the Indonesian martial art of Poekoelan Tjimindie Tulen. The center’s founders,…
The traditional 10-year anniversary gift is tin. But at Tulen Center the milestone gift is something more permanent and much less flimsy: self-confidence. And the center doles that out daily, not just for special occasions. Tulen Center, in Scholls Plaza in Raleigh Hills, teaches the Indonesian martial art of Poekoelan Tjimindie Tulen. The center’s founders,…
A child is born. It is perfection, a miracle. Often long before the birth, we have begun creating a vision for our child’s future. She will grow up to have a full and satisfying life, independent and whole. Then comes the shock. Something is wrong with my child! As the realization that something is wrong…
During Passover Jews gather to tell the story of the Exodus. “Remember this day on which you went free from Egypt, the house of bondage, how God freed you from it with a mighty hand.” Exodus 13:3 Some people wonder if it is OK to invite strangers or non- Jews to their seder table. While…
We are seeing a dramatic rise in the occurrence of childhood lifestyle-related conditions, such as allergies, eczema and asthma. These conditions almost always have a connection to diet and nutrition when they present at a young age. After birth, a child’s immune system is rapidly developing. It must take in information from the environment and…
Over the years Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation has gone through a lot of changes. With more members than ever (53 Jewish high school students), we focused on group work and made other changes to accommodate all the budding philanthropists. For example, we created three groups based on experience in OJCYF: Lomdim (apprentices), Bonim (builders)…
Though Miko Vergun becomes a bat mitzvah this month, she introduced her project to her congregation last fall. Her Nov. 9 talk at Congregation P’nai Or began simply: “My bat mitzvah project involves helping the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the country where I was born.” Miko hopes to increase awareness of the devastating effects…
In celebration of the fifth annual National Day of Unplugging from sundown Friday, March 7 to sundown, Saturday, March 8, the nonprofit Reboot is asking individuals and families to reconnect with each other by putting down their smartphones, tablets and computers for 24 hours. The NDU has roots in the Jewish tradition of the Sabbath,…
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…
