Uncovering the Story of My Doda Anutza: Unsung Heroine of WWII

April 2, 2021 / Sha’ron Wolfin Eden

One Sunday afternoon a few weeks ago, I got a phone call from my mother’s cousin, Tzippi, who lives in South Florida and is in her late seventies. “Sha’ron,” she asked, “I know you were close with Doda [Hebrew for ‘auntie’]. Did she ever tell you what she did during the War?” Doda Anutza, whose real name was Hanna Druckman, was born in Romania in 1915. She had three brothers, one of whom was my grandfather, Isaac. At the age… Read more »

Hanna Druckman, called Doda Anutza by her family

John “Ryan” Weston graduates
April 6, 2021 /
John “Ryan” Weston

John “Ryan” Weston will graduate from Millennium High School in May. He has earned high academic honors, ranking within the top ten in his class, and has been a standout member of his Cross Country (three years) and Track and Field (four years) teams. He has also participated in… Read more »

Joan Kleinerman, Jewish community advocate, world traveler, and beloved friend, dies
April 5, 2021 /
Joan Semilof Kleinerman

Joan Semilof Kleinerman died March 31, 2021, at the age of 92. Joan was born on September 1, 1927 to Dorothy and Morris Semilof in Brooklyn, New York. Throughout her life, she would always think of New York City as the center of the world she enjoyed and remembered.… Read more »

University of Arizona Hillel Foundation names Jessica Emerson McCormick executive director
March 31, 2021 /
Jessica Emerson McCormick, Incoming Executive Director of the University of Arizona Hillel Foundation

The Board of Directors of the University of Arizona Hillel Foundation is delighted to welcome native Tucsonan Jessica Emerson McCormick—who has worked in Jewish organizations, municipal government, and as a writer—as Executive Director of the University of Arizona Hillel Foundation. Jessica will start on July 1, 2021, succeeding Michelle… Read more »

The Sound of Music in Art: Kinesthetic Artist Howard Kline
March 31, 2021 / Teressa J. Hawkins

Howard Kline is a kinesthetic artist. “Music inspires my art,” he says, and it has been a major influence on his paintings. Visual artists work with their sense of touch or sight, but Kline warms up and initiates his day in the studio by first stepping into a soundproof… Read more »

Bat Mitzvah: Celeste Grace Bergantino
March 30, 2021 /
Celeste Grace Bergantino

Celeste Grace Bergantino will celebrate becoming a Bat Mitzvah on April 10, 2021 at Congregation Or Chadash (soon to be Kol Ami). She is currently in eighth grade at the Gregory School. She loves dance and art. Celeste is the daughter of Tamar and JR Bergantino.… Read more »

Southern Arizona Jewish community invests in security and combats anti-Semitism
March 24, 2021 /
Security director Chelsea Guiterrez at JFSA’s November 17 event honoring Stu and Nancy Mellan

The Southern Arizona Jewish community continues to adopt a strong stance against anti-Semitism and act boldly to prevent attacks against our institutions and constituents. Community leadership continues to advance this priority in both funding and action in 2021. Recent History of Our Program In March 2019, the Jewish Federation… Read more »

Handmaker Jewish Services for the Aging under new ownership
March 23, 2021 /

The sale of Handmaker Jewish Services for the Aging to MED Healthcare Partners was finalized on January 26, 2021. The name of the organization will not change with the sale, nor will its commitment to quality care for the elderly in our community. The Handmaker Board, with the support… Read more »

From their table to yours: Passover recipes from community members
March 22, 2021 /
Congregation Or Chadash 2017 Religious School Model Seder

Passover may look different this year, but it is still an essential time for us to come together with family and friends (whether in person or via Zoom) to share the story of our deliverance from Egypt. Four community members offer their favorite recipes to help flavor your Passover… Read more »