PHOTOS: Above, the formal installation of P’nai Or Rabbi Hannah Laner featured symbols and metaphors from the marriage ceremony. At right: From left, P’nai Or of Portland Hazzan Bruce Morris, Rabbi Hannah Laner and President Alan Hanawalt bring the congregation’s Torah to its new home May 2. During her first interview with P’nai Or…
PHOTO: Above, Neveh Shalom “Minyonnaires” gather to bid Shalom L’Hitraot to Howard and Petra Shapiro (holding hands). The couple sold their Portland home and moved to Oceanside, and Howard, a minyon regular for many years, will be sorely missed. At right, Minyan regulars: (front) Lee Cordova and Tony Kostiner; (back) Merrill Hendin, Sam Gottlieb and…
PHOTO: Jodi Garber-Simon from Portland was one of 100 women from around the world attending the lay leadership conference. The Orthodox Union Women’s Initiative hosted its inaugural Leadership Summit, a lay leadership conference designed to encourage and develop women serving as lay leaders within their communities. The 100 participants were nominated by 56 communities (including Portland)…
When a man becomes a father, he also becomes his son’s first hero and his daughter’s first love. He’s also the one who gives advice (although not always wanted) and tells those great dad jokes (also not always wanted). What do you get this guy for Father’s Day? Before you give up and grab a…
PHOTOS: Researchers gathered data from 17,576 Jewish teens between the ages of 13 to 19 in a national survey administered through the 14 participating Jewish youth groups. Responses from More than 17,000 Teens Reveal Ambitions and Fears, Positive Influence of Jewish Youth Organizations The largest study ever on American Jewish teens paints a picture of…
SHAVUOT: JUNE 8-10, 2019 Shavuot commemorates the anniversary of the day G-d gave the Torah to Moses and the Israelites at Mount Sinai. Traditions on Shavuot include all-night study of the Torah on the first night, reading the Book of Ruth and hearing the Ten Commandments in synagogue. By Rabbi Geela Rayzel Raphael The…
2019 Song of Miriam Honorees The Jewish Women’s Round Table will hold its 27th Annual Song of Miriam awards brunch on June 2, 2019. The Song of Miriam Awards honor women who volunteer their time and energy to ensure the continuity and vibrancy of the Jewish community of Oregon and Southwest Washington. Seventeen organizations chose…
Jodi Bromberg, CEO of InterFaith Family shared this poignant message after Saturday’s tragedy in Poway. I struggled with writing this note to you. Another synagogue, another shooting, another person dead and more wounded. First Pittsburgh, then New Zealand and Sri Lanka, and now, Poway, a short distance away from San Diego. Ma nishtana? What’s different?…
PHOTOS: Above, Rabbi Motti Wilhelm teaches the Portland Crime and Consequence class at Stoel Rives Law Firm. Right, Rabbi Avrohom Perlstein teaches the Salem class. Crime and Consequence, a six-session Jewish Learning Institute course on the Jewish perspective on criminal justice, drew nearly 70 attorneys and laymen to the Portland and Salem course locations. The…
Hipster or Hasidic? There’s no need to chose sides when you wear a shirt from Schmattees, a new apparel line whose designs combine a little bit of cheekiness and a whole lot of chutzpah.The 10-piece line of humorous t-shirts and sweatshirts combine Jewish culture and rituals, Yiddish expressions, eye-catching graphic design with current meme-linguistics. “If You Can’t Say Anything Nice…Say It…
