PHOTO: Rabbi Eve Posen, center, in Guatamala with other members of the Global Justice Fellowship run by American Jewish World Service. Listening to one Guatemalan after another tell stories of a wife, mother or sister who “disappeared” or was raped, Rabbi Eve Posen felt tears in her eyes. “One man saw the tears and said,…
PHOTOS: The Jewish Agency for Israel Chairman Isaac Herzog greeting the new immigrants from Ethiopia at Ben Gurion Airport. Photos courtesy of JAFI; photo at right by Dror Sithakol for JAFI After years of waiting, the dream of Aliyah has come true for 83 Ethiopian immigrants (Olim) who landed at Ben Gurion Airport Monday, Feb….
PHOTO: Nathan Cogan stands beside the Endowment Book of Life created by Oregon Jewish Community Foundation. In his entry in the book, Nathan says: “I don’t see it as giving back, but rather giving forward.” Photo by Deborah Moon Nathan Cogan’s lifelong commitment to tithing and volunteering gained new focus following the untimely death of…
PHOTO: KOSHER INSPECTOR Aaron Wulkan examines meat to ensure that the food is stored and prepared according to Jewish regulations and customs in a Bat Yam store. (photo credit: BAZ RATNER/REUTERS) This article originally appeared in the Jerusalem Post, Jan. 8, 2019 The recent Belgian government ban of shechita (Jewish ritual slaughter) overlooks some important…
In a world where mattresses are customized to people’s bodies, coffee drinks reflect elaborate personal tastes, and nearly any product can be ordered and delivered with a click of a button, meaningful volunteer work now can be catered to participants in the same way. That’s the mentality behind Repair the World’s new, fun online quiz,…
PHOTO: PJA student Liana Kressel with Wholistic Peace Institute Executive Director Nancy Spanovich and event guest speaker Rabbi Arik W. Ascherman. By Elana Cohn-Rozansky First there was a letter. Next was a play. Then there was a friendship. Portland Jewish Academy seventh-grader Liana Kressel fondly remembers the first note she received from her pen…
PHOTO: Bella Phillips accepts her Stars for Kids Award at the Janus Youth Programs annual dinner on Nov. 7, 2018. Photo by Peggy Valenti By Lisa Katon Last spring, Bella Phillips, then an eighth-grader at Portland Jewish Academy, organized a Family Fun Run for Janus Youth Programs, raising nearly $2,000 for the organization. Bella orchestrated…
PHOTO: Jeff Gottfried, husband of Emily Gottfried, z”l, and Portland Human Rights Commissioner Sonia Marie Leikam, present the Emily G. Gottfried Human Rights Awards Lifetime Achievement Award to Rabbi Ariel Stone, center. Rabbi Ariel Stone received the Emily G. Gottfried Human Rights Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Portland Human Rights Commission on Dec. 7….
Wonderbag is an ingenious nonelectric slow cooker that uses heat-retention to make a prefect slow cooked meal, including a delicious cholent for Shabbat. But it is also a catalyst for positive change socially and environmentally. The South African invention, is saving lives from smoke inhalation, combating deforestation, providing time for women to work and for…
The Oregon Jewish Community Foundations is recruiting its fourth Giving Council Cohort. The deadline for registration is Dec. 27. Who: Career minded Jews in the Portland area interested in a different take on philanthropy What: Participate in the fourth cohort of the OJCF Giving Council, a giving circle. A “giving circle” is a group of philanthropic people who come…
