According to their web page, the mission of the Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation ‘is to secure the future of Jewish philanthropy and to develop a strong generation of future Jewish leaders. The Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation (OJCYF) is an initiative of the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation designed to fuel a lifelong passion for philanthropy and social activism. Through OJCYF, students develop a deep understanding of the importance of non-profits and their inner workings.’ After evaluating secular and Jewish charities, and leading fund-raising efforts, participants allot the funds they have raised.
High school students with a demonstrated knowledge of and appreciation for tzedakah in their communities are invited to participate in the OJCYF. There will be 8 monthly meetings, plus an event in May and one or two organizational site visits. There will be opportunities to represent OJCYF at several community events. Applicants should be mature and articulate as they will be involved in fundraising and interviewing prospective grantees for tzedakah money they will be responsible for allocating in the Jewish community. Applications are being received now; the deadline for applying is August 31.  For more information, visit the OJCF website and click on ‘OJCYF-Youth Foundation on the left hand side: Oregon Jewish Community Foundation.  For the application, download forms from their website, or click here: ojcyfseason8application

We are thrilled to announce the upcoming publication of two books by Shir Tikvah members, JD Kleinke and Mia Birk. While very different in subject matter, the two new books will explore material close the the hearts of many. Mazel tov, JD and Mia!

Catching Babies by JD Kleinke

Catching Babies is a medical novel that charts the professional and personal struggles of a group of OB/GYNs as they complete their residency in a busy urban teaching hospital, embark on ambitious careers, and try to mend personal relationships neglected through years of training and sacrifice. Catching Babies also explores the broader landscape surrounding obstetrics and women’s health…
* the culture clash of religion, reproductive rights, and medical technology
* the emotional brutality of residency training
* the politics and bureaucracy that drive today’s academic medical centers
* the struggles of disenfranchised women trapped inside a broken health care system
* the truimphs of many women to get and stay pregnant against the medical and technical odds and America’s ongoing civil war over abortion rights
Catching Babies weaves together a series of gripping stories about individual doctors, nurses, midwives, and patients, in the process telling the larger story of how and why we deliver babies and care for women in the odd and often maddening ways we do.

Check out his website at jdkonline.com or see  catchingbabies.com for more information and to place a pre-order for his book

Joyride: Pedaling Toward a Healthier Planet by Mia Birk

I am pleased to share the release of my book Joyride: Pedaling Toward a Healthier Planet with the Shir Tikvah family.
I’ve been so blessed by a career of tikkun olam in my work creating a more healthy, safe, and livable world. Joyride tells the story of my 20-year crusade to integrate bicycling into daily life. With a table scrap of funding, we grew Portland, OR into the #1 American cycling city. Let me tell you, it wasn’t easy. In Joyride, you get the hilarious and poignant stories of the people behind the scenes, the battles we fought, our successes and our failures. I then hit the road, helping make communities across the nation – even my hometown, Dallas TX - more human, healthy, safe, and livable. While many books today extol the pain of our world’s problems, Joyride is the antidote, offering hope to any and everyone interested in changing our world for the better, one pedal stroke at a time.
Please join me for the Joyride release party August 15th, 10 am to 4 pm, at Sunday Parkways, Portland’s heaven-on-earth car-free community celebration. We will be serving up free hot dogs at my house on SE Lincoln Street between 35th and 37th, right along the route . Live music all day from our favorite Shir Tikvah musician, the incomparable J.D. and his Sunday Parkways Bluegrass Jam Band.
Joyride will be in stores soon, or you can pre-order on my website miabirk.com, come by my house during Sunday Parkways, or let me know if you want a copy and I’ll bring to an appropriate Shir Tikvah event. $2 of each book sale to Shir Tikvah members and friends goes back to Shir Tikvah.
Thanks for your support! Mia Birk

…and check out her video here: Joyride and Mia Birk

The story of Sara Rose Cagle’s bat mitzah project, training Galen to become a guide dog, made headlines in The Oregonian. A recent photo article on the cover of the ‘How We Live’ section showed pictures from Galen’s graduation ceremony at the Oregon School for the Blind. Have you seen the article and pictures by Arkasha Stevenson? Click here to see the article on OregonLive: A bat mitzvah project and the love for Galen the guide dog

To see the OregonLive video, click here: Galen’s Graduation

Amy Katz has worked with us before, and we are excited to have her and her Jewish educator’s expertise back! She will direct our Nashira Project and be responsible for the administration of holiday and learning programs. Contact her at:  nashiraprojectdirector@shir-tikvah.net

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Amelia Schroth will be our office manager. She has experience managing organizational and office settings and organizing volunteers, and has run educational programs as well. Her email contact is:  shirtikvahoffice@shir-tikvah.net

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The City of Portland’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability has recognized Shir Tikvah for its recycling practices. If you would like your business to be considered for this certification, find our more information here:

Link to Recycle at Work website (click here)