Leslie and Eva Aigner understand the power of history. And they believe that sharing stories from the past, no matter how horrible, can help create a better future. “We tell our story so that people can change their thinking,” Eva says. “If you don’t know what caused the Holocaust, it could repeat itself.” The Aigners,…
Estelle Wexler remembers a time when there were many activities for seniors. “The Greenwood Inn in Beaverton used to have a seniors Shabbat luncheon; that’s how I met everybody I knew when I moved here 25 years ago. The JCC also had a lot of programs that were good for seniors. We used to go…
The son of surgeon and World War II veteran Zanly Edelson, z”l, Dr. Richard Edelson grew up with a strong respect for the veterans who sacrifice so much to allow Americans to thrive. Zanly Edelson was a general surgeon on a military base in England and was injured in a glider crash during the invasion…
A Sephardic Portland Walking Tour is offered Sept. 7 in conjunction with the “Vida Sefaradi: A Century of Sephardic Life in Portland” exhibit currently on display at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education. On Sept. 7, from 11 am to 12:30 pm, enjoy a Sephardic-focused walking tour of South Portland including a…
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…
Preparing for a bat or bar mitzvah in America today means more than simply learning your Torah portion, writing a drash or picking the DJ for your after party. Many synagogues also suggest their b’nai mitzvah students undertake some kind of community service, commonly known as a mitzvah project. Mitzvah projects range from fundraising for a…
Ah, shopping for school supplies. Is there anything … worse? First of all, why do they need so darn much stuff ? I mean, honestly, are they really gonna use one pencil a week for the next 36 weeks? Plus, this school supply stuff really adds up fast. It was probably wrong to tell my…
Israel has two main seasons: hiking season and stay-at-home season. The hiking season, which runs from May through September, is very hot and dry. but there is a way to survive the summer and still venture outside. Despite years of drought, there’s no shortage of great water hikes in Israel. Here are 10 favorites: THE…
When Shmuel Shalom Cohen moved to eugene in 2010, he easily located synagogues to pray in, but found it wasn’t quite as simple for him to track down adult classes on Judaism, social gatherings for all nature of Jewish people or even kosher bread for Shabbat. after months of searching, he discovered where to buy…
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…
