By Diana Brement, JTNews Columnist It happened, as these things often do, at a conference. “It,” being Boundaries of Jewish Identity (University of Washington Press), a new collection of essays on Jewish identity edited by UW Professors Susan Glenn, the Howard and Frances Keller Endowed Professor in History, and NaomiContinue Reading
By Diana Brement, JTNews Columnist It’s become harder and harder to be a physician in private practice these days, especially in primary care, as Dr. Mindy Blaski can attest. We chatted on the phone last month about her recent retirement. It wasn’t just about the challenges of the current health-careContinue Reading
By Diana Brement, JTNews Columnist I called Tzachi Litov just to get a comment or two on a seminar he attended in November. My simple inquiry about how he got into his current job led me to the story of his interesting, yet somewhat circuitous career, which I will shareContinue Reading
By Diana Brement, JTNews Columnist Albert Feldmann approached me a few months ago with some news we don’t often hear in these economic times. He wanted me to know — and to let you, dear reader, know — that our local Hebrew Free Loan Association has money! An engineer byContinue Reading
By Diana Brement, JTNews Columnist 1 When Lauren Mayo left Seattle for the Young Judaea Year Course in Israel, the Ballard High School grad probably didn’t realize that she’d get to participate in an historic event. On Oct. 28, Lauren joined the first Susan G. Komen Race for the CureContinue Reading
By Diana Brement, JTNews Columnist There’s little that’s more entertaining than talking to David Volk, unless it’s reading something he’s written. Now David brings his brand of humor to his new book, The Cheap Bastard’s Guide to Seattle, part of a travel series from Globe Pequot Press. David hopes readersContinue Reading
By Diana Brement, JTNews Columnist When Ellen Lettvin took the newly created post of vice president of science and education at Seattle’s Pacific Science Center almost two years ago, she made what looked like a sudden departure from a career in academic research to one in education. The truth is,Continue Reading
By Diana Brement, JTNews Columnist One of the many recent revolutions in publishing is the readily available, relatively inexpensive ability to produce books through Internet publishing companies. I could argue both for and against this trend. In this case I err on the side of good because now family eldersContinue Reading
By Diana Brement, JTNews Columnist Seattle-area rabbi Rick Harkavy is one of the founding members of a new organization that supports a non-partisan and centrist approach to discussions about Israel. Originally called Rabbis for Israel, the organization has adopted the new, more inclusive name of We Are For Israel. ItContinue Reading
By Diana Brement, JTNews Columnist 1 Few parents are likely to be as grateful as those whose children have survived serious illness. Sara Flash is one of those survivors — of non-Hodgkin lymphoma — much to the relief of her parents, Ed and Rabbi Allison Flash, her brothers, Adam andContinue Reading
By Diana Brement, JTNews Columnist When Noah Sarkowsky came home with a Seymour Kaplan Humanitarian Award from Seattle’s Coe Elementary School, he not only generated kudos from his family, but some curiosity as well. He pointed out to his parents, Stacy Lawson and Steve Sarkowsky, that his certificate was signedContinue Reading
By Diana Brement, JTNews Columnist The Bronfman Foundation has been sending small groups of select teens to spend a summer in Israel for 24 years now, and Mercer Island’s Madeline Brown was one of 26 North American young people to be selected for their five-week Youth Fellowship this summer. MadelineContinue Reading
By Diana Brement, JTNews Columnist Editor’s note: This article has been corrected to note that Rose Yu is included among the Jewish riders. JTNews regrets the error. Along with 10,000 other bike riders and, I’m sure, a few dozen or more folks from our Jewish community, a group of ridersContinue Reading
By Diana Brement, JTNews Columnist Northwest Yeshiva graduate Yishai Mizrachi-Varon (2005) has been in Israel this summer as a fellowship recipient of the PresenTense Global Institute. A Baruch College student in New York, Yishai has been working in an unpaid internship at Shemspeed, a Jewish world-music recording label and promotionContinue Reading
By Diana Brement, JTNews Columnist 1 “Mr. Grosskopf is going to Hungary!” At least that’s the way it was reported in the halls of Seattle’s Roosevelt High School this spring as word spread of the Language Arts teacher’s upcoming year abroad. An article in the school paper informed me thatContinue Reading
By Diana Brement, JTNews Columnist “Why Rwanda…?” is probably what most people think when they find out Shelly Anne Rosen is making a second home in that African country, even if they’re too polite to say it. The Seattle native — whose family has lived here since about 1912 —Continue Reading
By Diana Brement, JTNews Columnist Local families whose kids attend Camp Ramah in Ojai, California may like to know that Portland native Rabbi Joseph M. Menashe will become the camp’s next executive director, succeeding Rabbi Daniel Greyber. Rabbi Joe has been associate rabbi at the Conservative Congregation Shearith Israel inContinue Reading
By Diana Brement, JTNews Columnist It was my kids who spotted Maxx Yamasaki’s name in the Seattle Times. (Yes! My kids read the newspaper!) “Hey, we went to camp [Kalsman] with him!” they said, pointing to the page. Maxx, the son of Aleen Kaplan Yamasaki and Psuguhito Yamasaki, was oneContinue Reading
By Diana Brement, JTNews Columnist Olympia resident Danny Kadden has taken over the executive director position of Interfaith Works in Olympia. JTNews readers may know Danny from his work on Holocaust reparation in the state insurance commissioner’s office, which he still does. Danny heard about the new part-time position throughContinue Reading
By Diana Brement, JTNews Columnist When Judith Shahn isn’t teaching at the University of Washington School of Drama’s Professional Actor Training Program, she works on public speaking skills with professionals of all sorts through her business, Vibrant Speaking. She recently taught an “Empowering Your Voice” class to lawyers at aContinue Reading
