Columns « AZ Jewish Post

Amendolara Mayor Salvatore Antonio Ciminelli, left, standing next to JTA's Ruth Ellen Gruber, after presenting award certificates to some of the 100 schoolchildren who attended a Holocaust Memorial Day ceremony in the town hall, Jan. 27, 2012. The children received awards for art or writing projects about the Shoah. (Photo courtesy Amendolara Town Hall)

For some schoolkids in southern Italy, meeting their first Jew on Holocaust Day

Posted under Columns, World on February 1st, 2012. Leave a Comment »

AMENDOLARA, Italy (JTA) — It was International Holocaust Memorial Day, and when I told my audience that I was a Jew, they burst into applause. I was speaking at the City Hall in this ancient seacoast town in Calabria, deep in southern Italy on the instep of the Italian boot. My audience consisted of some [...]

“Confetti Clown” Susan Claassen

P.S.: Clowning around, Bat Mitzvah on a boat, Birthright 2012, Planting for the future

Posted under P.S. on January 31st, 2012. Leave a Comment »

Clowning around Susan Claassen, managing artistic director of the Invisible Theatre, has been a clown in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade for the past 11 years. She’s honored to have a photo of her and the other 2010 “Confetti Clowns” encircling the parade’s executive producer, Amy Kule, as part of the recently published “Macy’s Culinary [...]

Aodhan Lyons volunteers at a food bank on the Navajo Nation

Alternative winter break on Navajo Nation blends social action, adventure

Posted under Shout out on January 13th, 2012. Leave a Comment »

I went to the Navajo Nation on Young Judaea’s alternative winter break program with few expectations except that it would be a fun time. It ended up being that and more. We did a lot of local volunteer work for the Navajo Nation, in Tuba City mostly, but also in a rural area of the [...]

Guy Gelbart

Shaliach’s view: Haredi attack highlights growing tensions

Posted under Shaliach's View on January 13th, 2012. Leave a Comment »

What does it mean to be a Jewish and democratic state? This question came to light with the story of Na’ama Margolis. Na’ama, an 8-year-old modern Orthodox girl, was the victim of an offense by a small radical haredi (ultra-Orthodox) group called the Sicricim (Latin: Sicarii, the dagger man). Na’ama made aliyah from the United [...]

Joan Elder in front of one of the Blessing Project exhibits

P.S.: Jazz in Tucson, a Phoenix exhibit on the pope, helping kids at Homer Davis

Posted under P.S. on December 22nd, 2011. Leave a Comment »

And all that jazz Jeff Lewis, past president of the Tucson Jazz Society, was responsible for bringing world-renowned Israeli jazz pianist Tamir Hendelman to Tucson on Nov. 19. The previous month, Jeff was watching a PBS airing of Barbra Streisand’s “One Night Only at the Village Vanguard” and knew he wanted Tamir, Streisand’s incredible accompanist, [...]

Rabbi Stephanie Aaron

Rabbi’s corner: On Jan. 8, remembrance and healing linked

Posted under Rabbi’s Corner on December 22nd, 2011. 1 Comment »

What does healing mean in our tradition? How do we understand “remembering”? How are these two concepts forever linked in our tradition? The Mishebeirach prayer for healing moves us into the profound depths of what healing means in Jewish belief. When we recite this prayer, we begin by remembering: “mishebeirach avoteinu Avraham, Yitschak, v’Ya’akov, v’imoteinu [...]

“Rabbi, Matisyahu shaved off his beard! Should I shave off mine?”

Posted under Arts and Culture, Columns, First Person on December 20th, 2011. Leave a Comment »

NEW YORK (JTA) — As if the Jewish world doesn’t have enough problems with Iran on the brink of starting a nuclear war and the radical Muslim Brotherhood making gains in Egypt’s phased elections. This week we were rocked by another close shave with disaster: “Chasidic reggae superstar” Matisyahu got rid of his facial hair! [...]

Guy Gelbart

Shlichim explore issues of identity, priorities

Posted under Shaliach's View on December 8th, 2011. Leave a Comment »

I recently came back from a four-day conference held by the Jewish Agency for Israel, with 250 of its shlichim (emissaries) posted across North America. Each year, hundreds of shlichim from Israel are sent to work with Federations, youth movements, Hillels on college campuses, Jewish community centers, people interested in making aliyah and other groups. [...]

Hillel Kuttler's great-great grandmother, Leah Eisen, sitting, poses in her native Lodz, Poland -- but who is standing behind her? (Courtesy Helen Markowitz)

Seeking Kin: Did Shoah survivors settle in Argentina?

Posted under Columns on November 21st, 2011. Leave a Comment »

JTA’s new column, “Seeking Kin,” aims to help reunite long-lost relatives and friends. BALTIMORE (JTA) — Thanksgiving brings together families, and this November marked the first anniversary of a personal “Seeking Kin” success. Like all genealogy searches, it yielded ever-more mysteries to crack. I turn now to JTA’s readers to ask for help: What are [...]

The Bregmans — Phil, Charlotte, Breanna, Emily, Lady and Dani — in their family sukkah

P.S.: Sukkah hopping in the Old Pueblo

Posted under P.S. on November 11th, 2011. Leave a Comment »

Sukkot 5772 Sukkot, Judaism’s weeklong season of rejoicing, celebrates life, community and autumn’s bounty. Originally an agricultural holiday, this festival also commemorates the 40-year trek of the Israelites through the desert to the Promised Land. One builds a sukkah (plural, sukkot) — a temporary dwelling with a roof made of branches representing the hastily constructed [...]