LORI RIEGEL, religious and cultural education coordinator at Handmaker Jewish Services for the Aging, was selected as a guest blogger for Moment Magazine. Her blog about making blintzes was featured on the Moment Magazine home page: www.momentmag.com. A link to her ongoing “Kosher Chic” blog can be found on www.azjewish post.com.

J. Edward Wright

The University of Arizona College of Social and Behavioral Sciences announced that a new endowed professorship was named in honor of J. EDWARD WRIGHT, director of the Arizona Center for Judaic Studies. Wright will himself hold the title of J. Edward Wright Professor of Judaic Studies beginning July 1. J.P. Jones, dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, announced the new professorship at the college’s Magellan Circle event on April 15. The chair was endowed by Paul and Alice Baker and Donald and Joan Diamond.

 BRYAN L. DAVIS, director of the Jewish Community Relations Council and the Holocaust Education and Commemoration Project of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona, has published an article in the London-based journal Intercultural Education. Coauthored by Eliane Rubinstein-Avila, “Holocaust education: global forces shaping curricula integration and implementation” is a review of scholarly literature on how the Holocaust is taught around the world.

An upcoming novel by Tucson native JESSICA EMERSON will debut next month with an excerpt in Drash: Northwest Mosaic, a Jewish literary journal. The book, “From the Verb: ‘To Know,’” is set in Los Angeles’ modern Orthodox Pico-Robertson neighborhood.

RITA S. POLLAK and DOT KRET were among six Volunteers of the Year honored by Our Family Services at its spring reception on April 25. Along with Ann Yellott, Mark Homan, Pila Martinez and Del Jones, they served as leadership council founders of the Center for Community Dialogue, described as “a central hub for resources, services and training in a variety of communication and conflict resolution practices.”

JULIE J. FELDMAN, Ph.D., received the 2012 Peter J. Attarian Award from the Southern Arizona Psychological Association, honoring her contributions to the profession and to the community. The award includes an honorarium to be donated to an organization of the recipient’s choice; Feldman chose the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona.

Lori Laska Sumberg

Singer/songwriter and cantorial soloist LORI LASKA SUMBERG will perform songs from her new album, “Tales of the Road,” in a CD release concert at the Fox Tucson Theatre on Saturday, April 13 at 7 p.m. The Domingo DeGrazia Spanish Guitar Band follows at 8 p.m. Both shows are free.

RABBI THOMAS and MARCIA LOUCHHEIM of Congregation Or Chadash published an article, “Legumes and Rice on Passover,” online at www.reformjudaism.org/legumes-and-rice-passover.

Susan Claassen

Gabrielle Giffords

SUSAN CLAAS­SEN and GABRI­ELLE GIFFORDS were among “Arizona’s 48 Most Intriguing Women” honored at Arizona’s 101st statehood Day on Feb. 14. Claassen, the managing artistic director of Invisible Theatre, was honored in the arts and entertainment category. Former U.S. Rep. Giffords was included as one of the “Legends” along with Janet Napolitano, former governor of Arizona and current secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and Sandra Day O’Connor, retired U.S. Supreme Court justice.

Former Tucsonan LISA M. BEYER, RLA, a landscape architect at AECOM Water in San Francisco, presented a brown bag seminar, “Rethinking Water Infrastructure: Philadelphia and San Francisco’s Approaches to Implementing Green Stormwater Infrastructure Programs” at the Water Resources Research Center in Tucson on Feb. 8.

A photography exhibit by HOW­ARD PALEY, “First Impressions — Landscapes,” is on display at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Baldwin Gallery through March 3. On Feb. 16 there will be an artist reception and book signing from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. and a slideshow and lecture at 4 p.m.

A painting by DAVID MONTEFIORE, “Concierto,” will be part of the University of Arizona Museum of Modern Art “Fresh Paint” exhibit and art auction on March 16.

JULIE ZORN received a Blogger of the Year award from “The Thought Palette” for her blog, “The Tucson Songstress” (www.tucsonsongstress. com). Zorn is a song leader and music teacher at five area schools, including the Tucson Jewish Community Center preschool and kindergarten, Temple Emanu-El’s Kurn Religious School and Congregation Anshei Israel’s Esther B. Feldman Preschool/ Kindergarten.

JAMES A. FEIN, Esq., has been appointed to the AARP Arizona Executive Council, a volunteer leadership council. Fein, a partner in Fein, Flynn and Associates, P.C., is a former judge pro-tempore with the Pima Country Superior Courts and has lectured and written on a variety of legal issues. He is a past president of the Arizona Trial Lawyers’ Association and a former board member of the University of Arizona School of Nursing. His firm concentrates on claims involving nursing home and elder care abuse. He also volunteers with the Primavera Foundation.