Portland’s Moishe House, one of the few places Jewish young adults can go to casually bond, connect and learn, is on the brink of losing funding. At this residence in Southeast Portland, young Jews live together to host and plan events for members of the Jewish community. Since moving to its Southeast location in July…
When asked to reflect on the last four years, it’s not hard to come up with dozens of experiences that influenced us. Our first encounter with OJCYF was the application process. DANIELLE: After submitting multiple college applications, I realized that none of these were the hardest application I have ever written. I submitted my hardest…
The year was 1976: America celebrated its 200th birthday, Alex Haley published Roots, the Dow Jones closed at 1004, and I arrived in Tucson with a backpack, a college degree and $80 in my pocket. My parents were less than thrilled with my postgrad decision to hitchhike across the country to “find myself.” Tucson was,…
For parents it can sometimes feel like it takes more effort to get kids to complete their household chores than to simply do the chores themselves. This often leaves parents wondering, are chores really worth the effort? Research by Marty Rossmann, emeritus associate professor of family education at the University of Minnesota, says yes, imple-…
Each Jewish festival has its own kind of joy. On Purim it’s unbridled joy. “Everything is permitted on Purim,” goes the Yiddish saying. Elaborate costumes, buffoonery, theatrical farces, parodies of texts and personages, singing, feasting and drinking even make their way into the synagogue, creating scenes that wouldn’t be countenanced at any other time of…
Dear Helen: I had lunch last week with someone I’ve known professionally for 15 years and seen through a divorce, substance abuse, car accidents (related to drinking) and other traumas. He’s done the same for me, but I have never abused anything except caffeine. We’re friends in a professional way, and he has absolutely made…
Cindy Kaplan and Mishelle Rudzinski met at an important time. Both were adopting children from Kazakhstan, although circumstances weren’t the same. Rudzinski, a speech therapist who specializes in cerebral palsy, had fallen in love with what looked like a severely handicapped 5-year-old girl. Kaplan and her husband expected to adopt a healthy 6-month-old boy. “When…
As education director of Havurah Shalom, Deborah Eisenbach-Budner knows about developing strong Jewish identity. When it comes to internationally adopted children, she also knows “what’s in a name.” Parents’ hopes for their child’s faith and sense of belonging, she says, are often revealed by the names they choose. RozaBess Aizhan, 4, the daughter she adopted…
One of the biggest challenges facing families with teenagers is how to prepare for life after high school. Both parents and students feel the pressure to prepare and make smart decisions for post-high-school life. Dr. Deborah Barany, a Portland-based teacher and college counselor, has worked with students for more than 20 years – helping them…
Nineteen-year-old Josh Israel was a typical Portland teenager. He spent most of his time studying, watching television or playing video games with his friends. A graduate of Portland Jewish Academy and Riverdale High School, he says during his senior year he realized he wanted to do something different with his life. “I hadn’t done anything…
