Dr. Jacobson in front of the Krakow JCC I recently returned from two weeks in Krakow, Poland, volunteering with the team at the Jewish Community Center (JCC) of Krakow in their terrific effort to assist Ukrainian refugees. I traveled to Poland with my brother, Bruce Jacobson, who lives in South Carolina. Our contact was Jonathan Ornstein, Executive… Read more »
Tania Spivak, new Early Childhood Director, Congregation Anshei Israel After a 6-month endeavor to recruit an Early Childhood Director, Congregation Anshei Israel (CAI) has announced that Tania Spivak has been hired to fill the position starting July 11, 2022. The Early Childhood recruitment committee consisting of CAI President Evelyn Sigafus, Rabbi Sara Metz, Executive Director Debra Lytle, HR… Read more »
Jill Rozenzweig (of blessed memory) was a longtime advocate of children and believed that services for at-risk children could change the trajectory of their lives. Jewish Family & Children’s Services (JFCS) continues to support her vision with a variety of programs and services. One of these services includes trauma-informed… Read more »
13 graduates completed their prerequisites in both Judaic and secular studies and graduated from Tucson Hebrew Academy (THA) on May 18, 2022, 17 Iyar 5782. For the first time in three years, the ceremony returned home to Amster Auditorium on the THA campus after an online graduation for the… Read more »
When I was accepted into the Jewish Latino Teen Coalition (JLTC) in December of last year, I didn’t really know what I was in for. I knew it was going to be somewhat related to politics, culture, and advocacy, but at the time I saw it as a minor… Read more »
After two consecutive years of having to cancel their trip to Israel due to Covid, Tucson Hebrew Academy (THA) has resumed the trip this year, and their 8th graders are having a blast! They arrived in Israel on Erev Yom HaZikaron (the eve of Israel’s Memorial Day) and joined… Read more »
At the heart of UArizona Hillel’s mission is to help students develop a vibrant, diverse, meaningful, and empowered Jewish community here on campus. The way that mission comes to life during Passover is to take direction from students, and to have a wide variety of programming and access points,… Read more »
On April 1, the Tucson Jewish Community Center (The J) welcomed long-standing, local non-profit Arts for All Inc., to the organization under the umbrella of its Disability Program Services department. For 36 years, under the outstanding leadership of Executive Director Marcia Berger, Arts for All, Inc. has been serving… Read more »
Over the last week of March, at the Tucson Hebrew Academy (THA), we honored our 1st and 2nd graders by celebrating Hagigat HaSefer (the celebration of the book). During Hagigat HaSefer, our young students received their very first Siddur (prayer book), signaling the beginning of a lifelong love of… Read more »
When Josephine Marcus ran away from home in 1880, it is hard to imagine just how shocked her California-based parents must have felt. Teenage Josephine dreamt of becoming an actress and a dancer. These weren’t exactly the plans made by her Jewish immigrant family and Hollywood didn’t yet exist.… Read more »
Adar was a busy month at Tucson Hebrew Academy (THA)! THA, together with the JCC and Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona (JPSA) collected food for the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona in the Chai (18) days leading to Purim! Mishloach Manot : משלוח מנות , also called a Purim basket, is a… Read more »
The Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona (JPSA) is pleased to announce Together in Jewish Learning on Tuesday, April 5th at the J and via Zoom, with keynote speaker Aaron Henne. Henne is the Artistic Director of theater dybbuk, an arts and education organization whose work illuminates universal human experience… Read more »
After more than two years of planning and collaboration, the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona (JFSA) and the Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona (JCF) have integrated into a single operating entity. The new organization shall be known as the Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona (JPSA). “As JPSA, we… Read more »
Lori Shepherd After an extensive and rigorous search, the Board of Directors of the Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center is pleased to announce that Lori Shepherd has accepted the position of Executive Director, effective March 16, 2022. Lori is the former Executive Director of the El Paso Holocaust Museum &… Read more »
The Rabbi Samuel S. and A. Irma Cohon Memorial Foundation is pleased to announce its 2021 Award Presentation evening on Friday March 4th, 2022, at Congregation Beit Simcha in Tucson, Arizona. Award winners Joshua M. Greene and Matthew Lazar will each receive their 2021 award for outstanding service to… Read more »
In honor of Jewish Disabilities Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month this February, the Tucson Jewish Community Center (JCC) will introduce the Eight Guiding Principles of Inclusion through an interactive exhibit housed throughout the J. The exhibit begins Feb. 20 and is on display through the end of the month.… Read more »
My birthday this year came and went with no bouquet of roses gifted to me by a special man and nary a sweet nothing whispered in my ear. It’s just not fair, I silently reproached the universe. Why are there so many more women than men over 60 looking… Read more »
The recent commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day gave us the opportunity to remember the 6 million Jews and millions of others murdered by the Nazis and to reaffirm our commitment to education, community building, and advocacy. Once again, we declared, “Never again!” What You Do Matters: Lessons from… Read more »
Sure, it’s UA Hillel’s mission to help students create a vibrant, diverse, meaningful and empowered Jewish community on campus, but how does that really work? How does our mission come to life? Typically, student-directed ideas surface, and staff helps to curate experiences that meet their needs. A few examples:… Read more »
The first volume of “To Tell Our Stories: Holocaust Survivors of Southern Arizona,” published in 2015 by Jewish Family and Children’s Services of Southern Arizona (JFCS), is now available in a free e-book format on Smashwords. A free e-book version of volume two, which was first published in 2018,… Read more »
