Rob Hershinow is a board member at Congregation Beit Haverim. “Rosh Hashanah is an opportunity to remember our spiritual compass, the significance of Jewish practice and Judaism in our ongoing lives,” he says. “Life changes and unfolds throughout the year with new people and new experiences. Values are tested. Rosh Hashanah is something familiar. The…
Founded in Bend five years ago, Temple Beth Tikvah has grown in quantity and spirit. The synagogue started with 40 member families and now has almost 70. They’ve affiliated with the Union of Reform Judaism, provided social, cultural and educational opportunities for their close-knit community and look forward to working with Johanna Hershenson, their first…
“My favorite thing about Jewish food is eating it and then not eating it for awhile,” declares pianist Arnaldo Cohen, the newly appointed artistic director of Portland Piano International. An active performer, Cohen is often on the road for months at a time and receives many invitations to dinners in restaurants or private homes, which has allowed him to…
Scott Snyder, the chef/owner of Levant, a new local hot spot, melds classic and modern French culinary techniques with Middle Eastern ingredients. His restaurant, which had been open for 10 weeks at the time of this writing, is winning accolades for its healthy, creative cuisine. When brainstorming the concept for Levant, Snyder discovered that no one in Portland…
Need a slab of kosher bison on your doorstep by Friday morning? How about some nice kosher veal chops delivered in time to prepare for Shabbat dinner? Robert Bernton, 25, is endeavoring to fill exactly those needs with his burgeoning company, The Kosher Express. When Bernton stepped onto Emory University’s campus his freshman year, he was shocked to find that the kosher food…
This year’s Feast Portland will feature one of the nation’s most intriguing chefs: Israeli-born Michael Solomonov. The 2011 James Beard Award winner is famous for the modern Israeli cuisine he offers at Zahav, his critically acclaimed Philadelphia restaurant. The New York Times praises Solomonov’s “simple food with layers of flavor,” and his restaurant has also been recognized for excellence…
It’s officially eat-outdoors season – summer is here! Available now are crisp, juicy watermelon, fresh ears of corn, flats of colorful berries and tart rhubarb. Finally, after the long flavorless winter season, we have fruity-sweet locally grown beefsteak tomatoes just waiting to be thickly sliced to adorn a smoky backyard-grilled hamburger or gently layered with creamy fresh mozzarella, tangy…
Growing up in Portland attending Congregation Beth Israel, Rachel Shimshak learned the value of Oregon’s environment and tikkun olam. After graduating from the University of Oregon, she spent 16 years in Colorado, Washington, DC, and Massachusetts gaining experience and skills that now benefit her home state. Since its inception in 1994, Rachel has been the executive…
When it comes to fashion, it should be buyer beware. Trends and a “what’s next” mentality often rule the magazines and style shows’ content, pressing the fashion loving to stay trendy, buy something new and turn a nose up at last season’s “in.” Trends may keep the wheels of the fashion industry moving, but at the helm of every…
In the decades since the Holocaust, the Jewish community has pledged, “Never Again.” Yet genocide, albeit on a smaller scale, has recurred numerous times in the intervening years. “Focus on the tangible,” says Mina Rush, outreach director of Jewish World Watch, an organization that fights genocide and mass atrocities through advocacy and high-impact projects that improve the lives of survivors. “Ending genocide in Africa isn’t going…
