Southern Arizona ‘Pulse’ Survey Reveals Gaps in Jewish Connections

(Photo courtesy Tucson J)

As we approach summer and I begin finalizing registrations and swag for the 2026 Team Tucson delegation headed to the Toronto 2026 JCC Maccabi Games, where they’ll compete alongside nearly 400 athletes, I cannot help but reflect fondly on last summer. I could hardly contain my excitement to host… Read more »

Handmaker resident Karen Green and Activity Assistant Ariana Canez visit vendor booths at the Handmaker Healthcare Fair on May 12, 2026. (Photo: Nanci Levy)

On Tuesday, May 12, Handmaker welcomed healthcare professionals, community partners, residents, families, and guests to a successful and informative Healthcare Fair held on campus — the first event of its kind at Handmaker in recent memory. The fair brought together a wide variety of healthcare providers and organizations, offering… Read more »

Stanley Lehman peacefully said his final goodbye on May 11, 2026, surrounded by family and encircled with love. He was born Oct. 13, 1929, in Brooklyn, NY, and moved his family to Tucson in 1970 with the hope of improving the health of his beloved wife Renaye (Ricki). They… Read more »

On June 12-13, Tucson will welcome a unique blend of music, spirituality, and Israeli creativity as the Fuchsberg Jerusalem Center’s Zamru Ensemble arrives for a musicians-in-residence Shabbat. The weekend promises an immersive experience of prayer, learning, and musical connection, rooted in a program that has become a powerful source… Read more »

Zaida Olive Phelps celebrated becoming a Bat Mitzvah on May 16, 2026, at Congregation Anshei Israel. She is the daughter of Scott and Kala Weinstein-Phelps. Zaida attends Rincon Vista Middle School, where she is an active member of the band and on the principal’s honor roll. She enjoys spending… Read more »

Judith Manelis

Some years ago, while working in Jewish communal service, I decided to go back to school and get a social work degree. I had worked for many years as a journalist and public relations executive, and later, as the executive director of a national agency. Although I had reached… Read more »

Nitay Bar, left, and Yuval Malka listen to speakers at their lehitraot party on May 6, 2026. (Photo: Phyllis Braun/AJP)

I’m sitting down to write my final communication as Southern Arizona’s senior community shlicha, and I honestly can’t believe the time has come. It feels like only yesterday that Nitay and I arrived here, but looking back at everything we’ve been through together, it also feels like a whole… Read more »

Benjamin Ball, an 18-year-old senior outfielder at Hamilton High School in Chandler, starts each day by wrapping tefillin with his father. He wears his Star of David necklace on and off the baseball diamond and says the Shema before each game. Ball, the fifth-rated Arizona high school senior baseball… Read more »