WOMEN Being in these productions takes a toll on my family, and it is difficult to balance everything. I especially thank my wonderful husband, Ethan, who picks up the slack. I wish I could find more time to sing, but sometimes I make do with singing along passionately at Shabbat services. Can you reflect on growing up in Portland? My family moved to Portland in 1987 when my dad became director of the Jewish Federation. My family was always involved in the Jewish life of the community. I feel that in my career in Jewish education, I am following directly in my father’s footsteps. I developed my love for singing and theater in Portland. I was involved in the theater program at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center, led by Eileen Mejia, who nurtured talent and produced incredible shows. I sang with local Jewish celebrities such as Amy Shapiro and Barbara Slader – wonderful musicians, friends and mentors. I left Portland in 1995 for college at Boston University. I hear the community has blossomed in so many ways. I know my father would be proud. After my father’s passing, my mother, Marsha, came to live with us. She has been an invaluable help and support. She delights in the grandchildren. The youngest was born shortly after my father’s death and is named after him. We trust that he and his brothers will grow to uphold the legacy of their beloved Zaydie. Do you ever feel at a loss by the restrictions placed on women within the Orthodox practice? I attend a Modern Orthodox synagogue; women are not involved in leading the prayers, but I do feel that my voice makes a difference. I am regularly approached by people who thank me for making their prayers more meaningful. The truth is that I have never had a desire to be a formal leader of services. As a child I didn’t even want to have a bat mitzvah; my parents eventually won out, and I ended up leading the Friday night Kabbalat Shabbat at Shaarie Torah at the time when it was more traditional, though no longer affiliated with the Orthodox movement. At the time, having a woman lead this part of the service was a serious innovation. Today this type of pushing boundaries within Orthodoxy continues. Modern Orthodox seminaries enable women to become rabbis in Israel and America. Some Orthodox women make a career out of performing music for all-female audiences, in observance of the modesty laws that prohibit men from listening to the vocal performances of women. I felt that making music into a career would take away all the joy. I’ve always found my community within Orthodoxy, and I have never felt restricted by the place of women, though I applaud all the progress I see being made for those who seek opportunities. Tell us about your family today. My husband, Ethan, grew up in LA. We have three adorable sons ages 8, 5 and almost 3, who keep us very busy. Our middle child has a rare genetic condition called Angelman Syndrome, which is an additional challenge. Nili encourages people to consider a donation to cureangelman.org/can/donate 30 OREGON JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018
Breath and urine tests can detect breast cancer early
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esearchers have discovered that exhaled breath and urine samples can provide a fast and inexpensive breast cancer diagnosis. This early and accurate breast cancer screening is being done using commercially available technology. The researchers were able to isolate and accurately identify breast cancer biomarkers using breath and urine analysis. Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Soroka University Medical Center used an inexpensive electronic nose gas sensors (e-nose) and gaschromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for urine analysis. In their study, researchers detected breast cancer with more than 95% average accuracy using an inexpensive commercial electronic nose (e-nose) that identifies unique breath patterns in women with breast cancer. In addition, their revamped statistical analyses of urine samples submitted both by healthy patients and those