The Tucson International Jewish Film Festival is celebrating its 30th anniversary with an abundance of films to stream. “While many things have changed, the power of film to bring us together has not,” Film Festival Co-chairs Cookie Little and Donna Dennison write on the festival’s welcome page. Using the… Read more »
Local
Restoration of Bisbee-Douglas Jewish cemetery honors pioneer history
The recent restoration of the Bisbee-Douglas Jewish Cemetery, established in 1904, allows the Jewish pioneers buried there to “rest in dignity,” as Stuart Mellan, former president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona, told the audience at the Federation’s “Celebrating Our Past, Creating Our Future” event on… Read more »
Local Chabads to host ‘The Kosher Baker’ for Zoom demonstration
Chabad of Oro Valley and Chabad Tucson will host renowned cookbook author Paula Shoyer, aka “The Kosher Baker,” for a Hanukkah cooking demonstration on Zoom on Tuesday, Dec. 8 at 7 p.m. “When I spoke to Paula last week, I told her I was looking for a recipe that… Read more »
A local, kid-friendly latke-making Zoom class, plus latke variations from around the web
This year is all about comfort food and with Hanukkah on the horizon, there’s no better indulgence than golden, crispy latkes (potato pancakes). For tips on how to make this holiday staple, local cooking school Flying Aprons Tucson is holding a “Celebrating Hanukkah — Latkes and Applesauce” class on… Read more »
Manischewitz and PJ Library invite families to build new holiday tradition with Chanukah House cookie kit
Manischewitz, an iconic name in traditional kosher products, will be offering a do-it-yourself Chanukah House cookie decorating kit, complete with a candy menorah, through national retailers including Amazon and Walmart. The kit is at the center of a promotion by Manischewitz to drive consumer sales and raise awareness for… Read more »
Celebrating Our Past, Creating Our Future event a success
On Nov. 17, the Jewish Federation of Arizona/Jewish Community Foundation held its most ambitious event of the program year, bringing the community together for a drive-in event at Park Place Mall and online to celebrate Stuart Mellan, former JFSA president and CEO, and his wife, Nancy, for 25 years… Read more »
Amplifying Voices series will continue with ‘Stories of Exclusion, Stories of Change’
The Amplifying Voices virtual series is an opportunity to explore the intersectional relationship between the Black and Jewish communities, presented by the Tucson Jewish Community Center and a group of community partners. It will continue Sunday, Dec. 6 at 10:30 a.m. (MST) with a panel discussion, “Stories of Exclusion,… Read more »
Temple Emanu-El WRJ creates new online gift shop, Hanukkah sale
With their usual Hanukkah bazaar curtailed by the coronavirus pandemic, the Women of Reform Judaism at Temple Emanu-El have created an online gift shop and will be holding a 20% sale on Hanukkah items Nov. 23-Dec. 1. Items can be browsed here, including newly arrived menorahs, menorah drip trays,… Read more »
Handmaker catering is offering kosher Thanksgiving meals, certified by Chabad Tucson
Still making Thanksgiving plans? Handmaker Jewish Services for the Aging, in partnership with Chabad Tucson, is offering glatt kosher Thanksgiving meals prepared by Handmaker chefs. To order, call 881-2323 by Nov. 20. Chabad Tucson and Handmaker note that Meals on Wheels is a subsidized kosher meal option, and various… Read more »
Jewish Federation, Foundation help address mounting problem of food insecurity in Southern Arizona
It has been a long time since the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson has hosted more than a thousand cars on a regular basis. Yet that has been the scene many Tuesday and Thursday mornings in recent months as vehicles of all types, their occupants representing the diversity of… Read more »
Davis leaving Tucson’s Jewish History Museum to lead Baltimore museum
As director of Tucson’s Jewish History Museum/Holocaust History Center for the past five years, Sol Davis, Ph.D., helped expand the possibilities for Jewish museums nationwide. “He took this idea and transformed it into a living testament of what a museum should be, which is not a place to store… Read more »
PJ Library teams with Scoundrel & Scamp theatre for ‘Herschel and the Hanukkah Goblins’ livestream event
PJ Library and The Scoundrel & Scamp Theatre will present a special livestream showing of the play “Herschel and the Hanukkah Goblins,” based on the book by PJ Library author Eric A. Kimmel, on Sunday, Nov. 29 at 2 p.m. The event will include a live conversation with Kimmel,… Read more »
JFSA bringing community together to honor Nancy and Stu Mellan and kick off annual campaign
The Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona will hold a drive-in event, “Celebrating Our Past — Creating Our Future,” on Tuesday, Nov. 17 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. to celebrate community, launch the 2021 annual campaign, and honor recently retired president and CEO Stuart Mellan and his wife, Nancy. “Twenty-five years ago,… Read more »
Handmaker adds hugging booth to courtyard visits
For the last month or so, residents of Handmaker Jewish Services for the Aging have been enjoying visits with friends and family outside in one of the courtyards, 6 feet apart, and masked, per COVID-19 safety precautions. “We even have a hugging booth, so residents can hug their visitors… Read more »
Ilana Kaufman will continue Amplifying Voices series with talk on Jews of Color and Jewish community diversity
Ilana Kaufman, the executive director of the Jews of Color Field Building Initiative, will hold a lunch and learn discussion on Jews of Color and Jewish community diversity on Wednesday, Nov. 18 at noon via Zoom, as part of the Amplifying Voices series presented by the Tucson Jewish Community… Read more »
Surprise package adds to CHAI Circle 16th annual retreat, held online
CHAI Circle held its 16th annual retreat, “A Day of Connecting and Self-Care,” on Sunday, Nov. 8 through Zoom, with 33 participants. With CHAI standing for “Cancer, Healing, and Inspiration,” the circle is a support group for women with cancer in the Jewish community, whether they are newly diagnosed… Read more »
Philanthropy association to honor Jewish community members
Several Jewish community members will be among those honored Nov. 13 at the National Philanthropy Day virtual celebration hosted by the Association of Fundraising Professionals Southern Arizona Chapter. Acclaimed restaurateur Janos Wilder will receive the award for Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser, one of the association’s major annual awards. Wilder was nominated by the Community Food Bank of Southern… Read more »
David Wolsky, 66, dies
David Irwin Wolsky, 66, died suddenly on Sunday, September 27, 2020. David was born July 13, 1954 in Chicago, where he lived until moving to Tucson with his family in 1994. He embraced life in Tucson and developed many close friendships as well as a love for bike riding… Read more »
Northwest Needlers brings Jewish knitters together to create a bounty of tzedekah projects
Armed with knitting needles and crochet hooks, the Northwest Needlers are women of valor, says founder Judith Feldman. For the past five years, the Northwest Needlers, who currently meet Tuesday afternoons via Zoom under the auspices of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona’s Ruth and Irving Olson Center for… Read more »
UA professor emeritus to speak on ‘My Research Journey with COVID-19’ for Maimonides Society
Eyal Shahar, M.D., MPH, will present “My Research Journey with COVID-19” online for the Tucson Maimonides Society, Thursday, Nov. 5 at 6:30 p.m. Shahar is a professor emeritus at the University of Arizona. His past research and teaching focused on epidemiology and methoodology. He has coauthored publications about the… Read more »