As students returned to the University of Oregon this fall and reconnected with Oregon Hillel, it’s a safe bet that most took note of a new face on campus. An Oregon native and 2012 graduate of the university’s religious studies program, Becca Marx returned to Eugene this summer to lead Hillel’s expanded student engagement program….
According to The Oregonian, Russian-speaking immigrants are one of Portland’s largest immigrant groups. Even so, the cuisines of Russia seem to be sadly underrepresented in this town. Fortunately, with the arrival of Kachka, Portlanders can now enjoy classic Russian specialties such as blini, vareniki (dumplings) and ukha (fish soup). Kachka opened in fall 2013 to…
Participants in the only domestic Jewish gap year program for recent high school graduates are working to alleviate homelessness while they gain social and hands-on skills that will benefit them in college and beyond. The eight teens in the first cohort of Tivnu: Building Justice gap year spend four days a week on a Habitat…
Natalie Linn’s journey to becoming a national expert on Native American basketry began with the purchase of a $5 “Indian basket,” which turned out to be a fake. Nowadays Natalie is a frequent appraiser on “Antiques Roadshow” and has appeared on “History Detectives.” She has lectured on Native American art at museums and universities across…
The son of surgeon and World War II veteran Zanly Edelson, z”l, Dr. Richard Edelson grew up with a strong respect for the veterans who sacrifice so much to allow Americans to thrive. Zanly Edelson was a general surgeon on a military base in England and was injured in a glider crash during the invasion…
As president of both the Oregon Area Jewish Committee and Income Property Management, the company he founded in 1974, Jeff Reingold is aware that human rights and social justice are of paramount importance. Reingold started his two-year term on the OAJC board in June. But the OAJC’s social justice priorities have long been on his…
Dear Editor: I’m Jason Levin and I’m the Green Party candidate for Governor. We’re a diverse group, united by a worldview that is both optimistic and pragmatic. We’ve never been “mainstream.” Our outsider vantage point often helps us to recognize problems (and solutions) that oth- ers miss. I’m not talking about the Green Party, I’m…
When I enrolled my sons in Portland Jewish Academy, I had no idea of the myriad benefits I would reap from that involvement. As both a woman and a journalist working in the Jewish press, the connections and experi- ences proved invaluable. Two of those benefits relate directly to the special sections in this edition…
Many students are required to complete a mitzvah project, but the challenge is in finding a project that will be meaningful and truly connect the students to a great cause in Israel. We spoke with Michael Leventhal, executive director of the Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind. He says, “Many students are drawn to…
Dear Helen: I’m a really good writer. Not the Great American Novel kind of writer, but a knock out answers on a job application, write a cover letter that’ll land a job interview, kind of good. Over the years I have helped friends get jobs and then their children with college essays. I’ve learned to…
