Amb. Yechiel Leiter, left, completes letters of the Torah dedicated to the memory of his son with the scribe, Rabbi Tzvi Bider, as Dudi Berkowitz, right, looks on, Feb. 1, 2026 (Photo courtesy TTC)

Israeli Ambassador Visits Tucson, Drawing Huge Crowd for Torah Completion Ceremony

February 13, 2026 / Phyllis Braun, AJP Feature Writer

More than 600 people turned out to hear H.E. Dr. Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, speak in Tucson on Sunday, Feb.1. The ambassador was in town to dedicate a Torah in memory of his son, Maj. Moshe Yedidya Leiter, an Israeli physician and soldier who was killed while leading IDF forces into battle in Gaza in November 2023. The new scroll will belong to the Tucson Torah Center, which two of the ambassador’s nephews, Rabbi Yehuda… Read more »

New Programs Enhance Handmaker Activities
February 13, 2026 / Nanci Levy, Handmaker Community Outreach Coordinator
Art teacher Martha Rast, left, with Handmaker resident Grace Efaw (Photo: Nanci Levy)

Handmaker residents have been thrilled with the recent enhancements to their activity programs. New art classes and music therapy sessions are furthering the goal of enriching the lives of the older adults Handmaker serves.  Handmaker recently introduced dementia-friendly, accessible art classes in the Tynan Advanced Assisted Living, Kalmanovitz Memory Care, and Rich Long Term Care Skilled Nursing Neighborhoods, which include residents… Read more »

Of Blessed Memory: Elissa Toni “Lisa” Tempkin
February 11, 2026 /

Elissa Toni (Shavin) Tempkin, 77, passed away on October 26, 2025 in Tucson, Arizona. Elissa was born on January 17, 1948 in Atlanta, Georgia, the daughter of Ruth (Piassick) Shavin and Samuel Joseph Shavin. Elissa graduated from Grady High School in Atlanta in 1965, where she was the class… Read more »

Of Blessed Memory: Howard Polster
February 5, 2026 /

Howard Polster passed away on Nov. 26, 2025, in Phoenix. Howard was born exactly two years before D-Day to Jerome I. and Margie Polster in Cleveland. He was the oldest of five siblings – Richard (Fran), Marilyn Katzel (James), Carolyn Bayer (Todd) and David (deceased). After graduating from Cleveland… Read more »

Tucson Hebrew Academy Launches the Lions’ Discovery Den Maker Space
January 28, 2026 / Dorron Blumberg, THA Marketing & Communications

This semester, Tucson Hebrew Academy opened the Lions’ Discovery Den, a new maker space designed to support hands-on, collaborative STEM learning for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. The Discovery Den reflects the school’s commitment to experiential learning, cross-curricular connections, and preparing students with the skills they need for… Read more »

Antonia Lassar, Jewish Comedy’s Rising Star, to Perform Live in Tucson
January 28, 2026 / Congregation Anshei Israel
Antonia Lassar

If you spend any time online, chances are you’ve stumbled across Antonia Lassar’s very funny — and very Jewish — comedy clips on TikTok, YouTube, or Instagram, or caught her co-hosting the “Yenta!” podcast. And even if you haven’t, now is your chance to catch this young, fresh Internet sensation live in her first Arizona appearance on Feb. 21, 7 p.m., at Congregation Anshei Israel.  Lassar describes her Jewish comedy as much more than stereotypical Borscht… Read more »

Tucson J Welcomes Two New Team Members to its Hanhallah (Executives) Team
January 28, 2026 / Rachael Mitchell, Sr. Director of Marketing, Communications + PR, Tucson J
Matt McQuoid, left, and Zach Glicksman

The Tucson Jewish Community Center (the J) has welcomed two new senior leaders whose professional expertise and personal connections to Jewish communal life are poised to strengthen the J’s impact across Southern Arizona. Matt McQuoid joined the organization in November as Chief Experience Officer (CXO), and Zach Glicksman recently came on board as… Read more »

A Weekend of Song, Spirit, and Connection: Dan Nichols Coming to Tucson
January 27, 2026 / Sean Moss, Kol Ami Executive Director

For more than a decade, the Mitch Dorson Scholar-in-Residence Fund has stood as a living expression of the belief that Jewish learning should be engaging, accessible, and meaningful. Established in 2012, the fund brings a visiting scholar or artist to Tucson to offer a popular exploration of Jewish life… Read more »

Of Blessed Memory: Martin (Marty) Victor Drozdoff
January 26, 2026 /

Martin (Marty) Victor Drozdoff said, “Hasta la vista!” to his body at age 78 on Jan. 14, 2026. He valiantly fought idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis for eleven years, which was many years longer than expected for those facing the disease. In the face of his illness, he continued many meaningful… Read more »