LIFECYCLE

CONGREGATION KOL AMI

7800 NE 119th St. Vancouver, WA 360-896-8088 jewishvancouverusa.org

OR HAGAN: LIGHT OF THE GARDEN JEWISH COMMUNITY

PO Box 5582 Eugene, OR 541-434-6551 orhagan.org

TEMPLE BETH TIKVAH

PO Box 7472 Bend, OR 541-388-8826 bethtikvahbend.org

RENEWAL

HAVURAH SYNAGOGUE

185 N. Mountain Ave. Mail: PO Box 1262 Ashland, OR 541-488-7716 havurahshirhadash.org

P’NAI OR OF PORTLAND

6948 SW Capitol Hwy. Portland, OR 503-248-4500 pnaiorpdx.org

SEPHARDIC

CONGREGATION AHAVATH ACHIM

3225 SW Barbur Blvd. 6686 SW Capitol Hwy. Portland, OR 720-315-4266 ahavathachim.com

BEIT YOSEF OF PORTLAND

4200 SW Vermont St. Portland, OR 503-295-1170 beityosefportland.wordpress.com

A series of rituals guide Jewish families and individuals through each stage of life.

Except for the rituals surrounding death, each of the following stages is often accompanied by festive celebrations. Even the rituals surrounding death bring the community together to remember and honor the deceased and support their family. The following guide is adapted from stories in our archives.

Birth/Infancy

The first significant ritual for a Jewish child is the naming. Jewish children are given Hebrew names in addition to their English names.

A boy receives his Hebrew name at the brit milah (bris), the circumcision of the male child, performed on the eighth day after birth. The circumcision is performed by a highly trained person called a mohel or, if a mohel is unavailable, by a Jewish doctor under the supervision of a rabbi.

The baby girl is named at a simchat bat, with no strict traditions that allow parents to create their own ceremony for welcoming their daughter into the Jewish community.

Upsherin

For many boys, their first haircut is at three years of age. This ceremony is called an upsherin – a Yiddish word meaning to “cut off.”

The third birthday is a significant stage in the life of a Jewish boy. It is then that he officially begins his Torah education, and starts to wear a kippah and tzitzit..

Bar/Bat Mitzvah

The formal rite of passage into for their own actions regarding adulthood for Jewish boys and Jewish ritual, religious laws, girls is celebrated when they traditions and ethics. become a bar or bat mitzvah (son/ A boy becomes a bar mitzvah daughter of the commandment). on his 13th birthday; a girl is

For both boys and girls, considered a bat mitzvah, in reaching the age of bar/ Orthodox and Conservative bat mitzvah means they are Judaism, when she reaches the considered “adults” according to age of 12; in Reform Judaism, at Jewish law, and are responsible the age of 13.

Marriage

A Jewish wedding is a powerful Jewish ritual that serves as a reminder of the power of love and union.

There are a few stages to a traditional Jewish wedding: erusin/also called kiddushin (betrothal on the wedding day), ketubah (statement of obligations), chuppah (the wedding canopy), nesuin (marrying with a ring and witnesses), yichud (marital seclusion, an Ashkenazic custom in which the bride and groom spend 10 to 20 minutes in a private room) and sheva brachot (the seven blessings and celebrations).

The breaking of the glass at the conclusion of the ceremony has been interpreted by many to symbolize the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. The glass reminds us that even during the most joyous of occasions, we still mourn. Others consider the glass’s fragility as a symbol of the frailty of human relationships, or that the couple is breaking with their past lives so that they can create a new family together.

Death and Mourning

When a Jewish person dies, there are clear directions as to how things should proceed with regard to the body, the burial, the funeral and mourning.

The concept of honoring the dead is reflected in all Jewish burial customs. Burial takes place as soon as possible, sometimes within 24 hours after death, or as shortly thereafter as relatives can gather for the service.

There is a mitzvah to join a burial society (chevra kadisha), which ritually prepares the body for burial, and to sit with the body (as a “shomer,” or guard, between the time of death and the burial).

While always tragic, the Jewish rituals around death, funerals and mourning recognize that grieving and recovery after the death of a loved one is a long and gradual process.

The process begins with shiva – seven most intense days of mourning; then shloshim – first 30 days of mourning; and aveilut – year of mourning. While one is an avel (mourner) for a full year for immediate relatives, one only says kaddish for the first 11 months of the year. The unveiling consists of removing a veil to reveal the tombstone in a relatively short ceremony marking the gravestone’s dedication.

Yahrzeit is the anniversary of the day of death, often observed by saying kaddish, giving charity (tzedakah) in memory of the deceased, and visiting the grave. It is considered a mitzvah is to mark a grave with a stone. Each mourner adds a stone to the collection on the grave.

Judaism reminds us that there is permanence amidst the pain. While other things fade, stones and souls endure.

A Full Service Funeral Home, located on the grounds of Historic River View Cemetery, with special attention and expertise in Jewish funeral and burial customs

Serving all Jewish congregations & cemeteries

Convenient, close-in Westside Portland location

8421 South Macadam Avenue - Portland, Oregon 97219 503-246-6488 day or night riverviewcemeteryfuneralhome.com

Jewish life revolves around the cycle of life.

In the Jewish tradition, lifecycle moments from birth to death carry specific rituals, most of which have been used for centuries. These moments truly center us.

Following are the resources that will help you celebrate and mark each stage of life.

MOHELS

A mohel is the person who performs the circumcision in the brit milah ceremony for a male child on the eighth day after his birth. For more information, contact your local congregation.

BRUCE J. BIRK, MD

503-799-2794 portlandmohel.com

RABBI TZVI FISCHER

Oregon Bris Center 503-757- 0606 oregonbris.com

RABBI GADI LEVY

720-315-4266 myhomecircumcision.com

WENDY SMITH, MD

503-241-9528

MIKVAHS (MIKVAOT)

A mikvah is a ritual bath satisfying specific requirements that incorporate “living water” (running or moving water from a Godgiven source such as rain, snow, ice or a spring). Immersion in a mikvah is performed for ritual purification and a change in status, including conversion. It is used by Jews who wish to observe the Jewish laws concerning family purity or sanctification before a Jewish holiday, wedding or conversion ceremony. The purpose of immersion is not physical, but spiritual, cleanliness. Today, mikvah use has taken on some modern spiritually satisfying meanings. Immersion is often a way of celebrating both happy milestones and the pains of overcoming losses.

JACKSON WELLSPRINGS

2253 Highway 99 N Ashland, OR 541-482-3776 jacksonwellsprings.com/mikvah

MIKVAH MEI MENACHEM

Ashland, OR 541-482-2778 chabadofashland.org

MIKVAH SHOSHANA/WOMEN’S RESOURCE CENTER

6612 SW Capitol Hwy Portland, OR 503-309-4185 facebook.com/PortlandWomensMikvah

RACHEL’S WELL COMMUNITY MIKVAH

Schnitzer Family Campus 6655 SW Capitol Hwy. 9900 SW Greenburg Road, Ste. 220 Tigard, OR 97223 971-220-5580 mikvahpdx@gmail.com jewishportland.org/mikvah Community Mikvah owned and operated by the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland with supervision by the Oregon Board of Rabbis. Available for traditional and contemporary ritual immersions by all Jews in the Greater Portland area and beyond. Open by appointment only.

SIMCHA VENUES

B’NAI B’RITH CAMP RETREAT CENTER

Lincoln City, OR 503-345-9451 rentals@bbcamp.org bbcamp.org/rentals BB Camp Retreat Center is located just a mile from the Oregon Coast, and nestled on the waterfront of Devil’s Lake. With various lodging options, facilities, amenities and delicious catering prepared on site, BB Camp Retreat Center is the perfect venue for weddings, conferences, family reunions, employee appreciation parties and everything in between. Overnight accommodations available for up to 300 guests.

MITTLEMAN JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER

6651 SW Capitol Hwy. Portland, OR 503-244-0111 oregonjcc.org/rentals Think outside the box when you celebrate your simcha at the

MJCC! We offer a variety of flexible spaces at reasonable rates, and we’re available seven days a week for a wide range of events, such as b’nai mitzvahs, weddings, fundraising galas, meetings, and much more. Inquire about virtual and hybrid event options, using our high speed internet to stream. Fill out our rental inquiry form today at oregonjcc.org/rentals.

SIMCHA VENDORS

EVERYTHING JEWISH 2.0

Rabbi Chayim E. & Simi Mishulovin 503-246-5437 EverythingJewishPortland.com Everything Jewish 2.0 is the “mobile” version of Everything Jewish along with its spirit and love. Engage, shop, ask questions or get a nosh. All delivered with Chabad’s signature warmth, joy and open arms. Check our website and Facebook page for locations and times and other updates.

CHEVRA KADISHA/ JEWISH BURIAL SOCIETIES

PORTLAND AREA CHEVRA KAVOD HAMET

chevrakavodhamet.org Includes volunteers from Congregations Neveh Shalom, Havurah Shalom, Shir Tikvah, P’nai Or, Beth Israel, Shaarie Torah, Kol Ami and Beit Haverim as well as unaffiliated.

PORTLAND HEVRA KADDISHA

10220 Southwest Nimbus K2 Tigard, Oregon 503-519-2454 Includes volunteers from Congregations Kesser Israel, Chabad of Oregon, Beit Yosef, Shaarie Torah, and other congregations, as well as unaffiliated.

CORVALLIS AND SALEM BEIT AM’S CHEVRA KADDISHA

541-753-0067 beitam.org

EUGENE TEMPLE BETH ISRAEL

541-485-7218 tbieugene.org

AHAVAS TORAH

503-261-3850 ahavastorah.info

CENTRAL OREGON TEMPLE BETH TIKVAH

541-388-8826 bethtikvahbend.org

JEWISH COMMUNITY OF CENTRAL OREGON

541-815-4912 jccobend.org

FUNERAL SERVICES

HESED SHEL EMET

Oregon Jewish Indigent Burial Society 503-564-8430 jewishportland.org/ourcommunity/hesed-shel-emet

RIVER VIEW CEMETERY FUNERAL HOME

Marcus Terry, Managing Director 8421 South Macadam Ave. Portland, OR 97219 503-246-6488 info@riverviewcemeteryfuneralhome.com riverviewcemeteryfuneralhome.com River View Cemetery Funeral Home was established in 2004 and is conveniently located on the grounds of River View Cemetery in Southwest Portland. The staff of this full-service funeral home is experienced in Jewish burial customs and committed to providing the highest level of quality service to the Jewish community. In addition to Managing Director Marcus Terry, two funeral directors are on hand to assist with arrangements: Gary Sands and Gordy Reece.

CEMETERIES

Many congregations maintain their own cemeteries; see congregations section for contact information.

JEWISH CEMETERY AT RIVER VIEW CEMETERY

0300 SW Taylors Ferry Road, Section 142 Portland, OR 503-287-0066, 503-246-4251 jewishcemeteryatriverview.org