Portland Oregon | Imamother

doctorima

Wed, May 16 2018, 10:13 am

I don't live there, but since nobody else has spoken up - for a long time, the only school in town was run by Chabad. About 5-7 years ago the non-Chabad community opened up its own school, which I believe is called Maayan. I don't believe they have high schools for boys or girls, and likely send to Seattle, Vancouver, or elsewhere. There's a small kollel that works hard doing wonderful kiruv work and running an NCSY program for teens, and a friendly shul called Kesser Israel.

amother

Lilac

Mon, Oct 08 2018, 6:25 pm

I am frum and lived in Portland until very recently B'H'. There is an orthodox shul, mikveh, kosher food, schools up to middle school only, judaica store etc. but its essentially about 10 kollel/shul rabbis that run the community and make their living providing jewish services to the non-religious, reform and conservative jews that live there. They don't seem to have an interest in expanding the community by adding more frum families but rather by adding more quasi-religious jews that will pay for their services and will donate because they are made to feel special. There is a Chabad but they have a very extended family that also lives off the community so its pretty much the same. Its a kiruv community not really geared toward frum families.
A frum family that is not one of the kollel one's are basically ignored, except when they ask for donations from you. So its a pretty lonely place if you are a real frum jew. There's no real learning, women events, childrens events etc..they are all for jews who don't know anything not for frum.
Just letting people know because it seems real nice when you visit and Portland is beautiful and the above in not something anyone will tell you unless its anonymous...