I’ve fielded a lot of questions in the past week following the car ramming at the Michigan synagogue. You’ve probably read that Temple Israel is one of, if not the, largest Reform synagogues in the U.S. It has a huge campus, over 12,000 members, and I’m sure it’s a challenge to keep …
In the days leading up to the founding of Greater Portland Hillel eighteen years ago, a study examined the number and needs of Jewish students at Portland State University, Lewis & Clark College and Reed College. “Students felt isolated on campus with few opportunities for connecting…
David Michael Slater has written 40 books, but he describes his newest as “my first big book.”
The book, “Ugly,” released last October by Library Tales Publishing, derives its length, in part, from the three distinct stories that weave together across its pages.
“It’s three gen…
Rabbi Zalmy Berkowitz is building a synagogue. Sort of. A photographer by trade, Rabbi Berkowitz doesn’t use his title in everyday conversation and perhaps saying he’s building a synagogue conjures the wrong impression. “It’s hard to define because I’m not sure exactly what…
“Holding Liat” carves out a unique place in the documentary world through its unflinching, intimate direction. The film follows the family of Liat Beinin Atzili as they wait for news after she is taken hostage from Kibbutz Nir Oz during the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel. Rather than focusing …
