Last year Jewish Family and Child Service’s annual Thanksgiving food box gala had all the makings of success. Falling smack on the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland’s Community Action Day, the number of volunteers jumped threefold compared to typical years. But this year, stars have aligned to pair Hanukah and Thanksgiving on the same day….
Homemade hostess gifts a nice alternative to wine And you thought Hanukkah came early last year? This year the festival of lights begins on the evening of Wednesday, Nov. 27, creating the rare need to multitask by lighting the second candle in our menorahs while simultaneously basting the Thanksgiving turkey! This unusual situation has not…
What can we learn from a figure in Jewish textual tradition? Compared favorably to Moses in the Talmud, raised in a family of converts, unlettered in Jewish scholarship until he was 40, my favorite Talmudic player by far is Rabbi Akiva. Having been raised by secular Jews, proud of their heritage but absolute in their…
Have you ever lamented the lack of Jewish cuisine in your neighborhood? That old standby, the traditional delicatessen, increasingly seems to be something of the past. Time was, you could stop by your local deli for a pound of smoked whitefish salad or a quart of matzo ball soup. Now, unless you are lucky enough…
Who doesn’t love reading Leviticus? Well, most liberal Jews it seems, for while that section of the Torah does contain some gems like loving thy neighbor (19:18) and laws commanding social justice and compassion, much of the rest is instructions for the ritualized handling of animal innards and the spattering of blood, diatribes against gay…
Historic book sparks interfaith dialogue A book about historical Jesus is probably not a topic that comes to mine when one thinks of contemporary and cutting-edge works. But a new book about “re-Judaising” Jesus is bridging two topics that may seem like they lie on opposite ends of the spectrum. Written by Ashland Rabbi David…
Dear Helen, I am 54 and recently reconnected with my first true love on Facebook. We were a couple in high school and would probably have gotten married except for my mother’s interference. Insert vivid fights with her, and bad relationships for me, until I finally met my husband, who reminded me of my first…
Yom Kippur is always a challenging day, although I am not sure that all the reasons I find it challenging are the traditional ones. The rigors are many: fasting, going to the neighborhood shul for Kol Nidre, Yizkor and Ne’ila while trying to keep an eye on my kids, who, like most other secular children,…
Not every girl gets to lead services chant the entire Torah portion of the week when she becomes a bat mitzvah. Portland Women’s Tefillah, led by Erica Goldman, has provided that opportunity to girls (and women) of all backgrounds since 1984, when the well-known Jewish educator cofounded the group embarked on what was to become a 30- year…
You may know Phyllis Lang as the wise Queen Guinevere in Sleeping Beauty, or the artist who creates amazing Narnia masks. Her work with the Northwest Children’s Theater has ranged from handling props to playing Lady Montague. But along with a lifelong interest in theater, Phyllis has a mission based on her experience overcoming a…
