Photo: Dr. Katy Borodkin. Image courtesy of Tel Aviv University A new study from Tel Aviv University found that interaction between mothers and their toddlers is reduced by a factor of four when the mothers use their smartphones, which might damage the toddler’s development and have even greater and far-reaching consequences. The results of…
February 19, 2018 And there it is. The look. The look I knew I would see. And I will get it again and again, from this moment forward. I just didn’t expect it to happen so quickly. As my family checked into our hotel tonight, after two nights of choppy, if any sleep, countless hours…
We are seeing a dramatic rise in the occurrence of childhood lifestyle-related conditions, such as allergies, eczema and asthma. These conditions almost always have a connection to diet and nutrition when they present at a young age. After birth, a child’s immune system is rapidly developing. It must take in information from the environment and…
Over the years Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation has gone through a lot of changes. With more members than ever (53 Jewish high school students), we focused on group work and made other changes to accommodate all the budding philanthropists. For example, we created three groups based on experience in OJCYF: Lomdim (apprentices), Bonim (builders)…
I am the proud mother of a 7-year-old daughter who attends Hayhurst Elementary School in Southwest Portland. Hayhurst is a wonderful public school tucked away in a residential neighborhood on Iowa Street at 50th. In January Hayhurst welcomed the first group of what will be approximately 90 children moving into the Stephens Creek Crossing Housing…
“Well-designed and well-coordinated programs for parents with young children have the potential to change the Jewish future by engaging many families who might otherwise be lost to the organized Jewish community.” – Donald Wertlieb and Mark I. Rosen, “Inspiring Jewish Connections: Outreach to Parents with Infants and Toddlers,” in January 2008 issue of Zero to…
Oregon Jewish Life asked four rabbis: With the extensive time commitment to prepare for a bar or bat mitzvah, how can congregations make this an exciting time for students that will inspire them to make Judaism an ongoing part of their lives? Rabbi Debra Kolodny Renewal Portland P’nai Or’s Simcha Sunday School and I prioritize…
It seems like summer just arrived here in the Pacific Northwest, yet another school year is just around the corner. Each year Multnomah County Health Department and other community organizations gear up to support children, families, schools and communities to keep kids healthy in school so that they can learn and thrive. Supporting kids in…
Portland Jewish Academy Principal Merrill Hendin is looking forward to a banner year. “We still have enrollment coming in, and we are in a very good spot,” she said, just days after returning from a mid-summer vacation. Portland’s flagship Jewish school will have about 190 kindergarten through 8th-grade students when classes start after Labor Day,…
With summer around the corner, parents and kids can start gearing up for some fun local activities that they may not have tried before. For locals and tourists alike, summer in Oregon has a magical quality. Restaurants spill onto the streets, serving fresh bread and local cuisine at sidewalk tables, kids who are almost translucent…
