Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, standing, with his future father-in-law, the sixth Lubavitcher rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn. (TheRebbe.org) SAN FRANCISCO (JTA) — Sixteen years after the death of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, a flurry of new publications indicates not only how enduring the interest is in his life and legacy, but how potent the minefield is surrounding his mythology. Writing a biography of a larger-than-life figure is… Read more »
Noah Warren Cohen, 12, died May 16, 2010. Noah was a brilliant student who loved to read and write and was known for his witty sense of humor. He was the vice president of his 7th grade philanthropy group at Congregation Or Chadash. Noah attended Orange Grove Middle School… Read more »
BERNARD JACOB SILVERMAN, son of Kris and Bennett Silverman, will celebrate becoming a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, May 22 at Congregation Anshei Israel. He is the grandson of Rosalyn and the late Dr. Alexander Silverman of Pittsburgh, Pa., Linda Robertson of Phoenix, and William Robertson of Prescott, Ariz. Bernard… Read more »
BENJAMIN ARIEL BENITA, son of Dina and Eli Benita, will celebrate becoming a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, May 22 at Congregation Or Chadash. He is the grandson of Ronna and Harold Newburger of Memphis, Tenn., and Rachel and the late Moshe Benita of Jerusalem, Israel. Benjamin attends Orange Grove… Read more »
Renee Corinne Weinenger, 77, died April 28, 2010. Survivors include her husband of 59 years, Arthur L. Weinenger; children, Darrell Howard Weinenger of Farmington Hills, Mich., Harold Sheldon Weinenger of Novi, Mich., and Elaine Carol Bono of Southfield, Mich.; four grandchildren and two great-granchildren. Services were held at… Read more »
Helen Shaw, 82, died April 6, 2010. Born in the Bronx, N.Y., Mrs. Shaw’s first job was with the American Red Cross, helping displaced people after World War II. She was also executive secretary at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx, and the J.B. Williams Co. in New York… Read more »
Esther B. Lewin, 91, died March 29, 2010. Born in Highland Park, Mich., and a longtime resident of Detroit, Mrs. Lewin worked for many years and retired from the Michigan Credit Union League/League Life. She was a member of Temple Beth El and an active member of the… Read more »
Passage of SB1070, the state law that requires local police to enforce federal immigration law, has prompted boycotts of Arizona because of possibilities for racial profiling and civil rights violations. The law has not yet gone into effect, but its reach is already being felt at the University of… Read more »
Mary Ellen Loebl with a Mitzvah Magic Chanukah basket Social action over spring break In March, two University of Arizona students participated in the Jewish National Fund Alternative Spring Break. They were among 250 college students/young adults, ages 18-30, who spent a week in Israel working and volunteering in communities in the Negev. Each was required to raise… Read more »
JOSHUA IAN BLINKOFF, son of Drs. Lauren Kaplan and Scott Blinkoff, will celebrate becoming a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, May 15 at Congregation Anshei Israel. He is the grandson of Rhoda and Irwin Kaplan of Tucson and Tarrytown, N.Y. Joshua attends Tucson Hebrew Academy where he is an honor… Read more »
America is big on holidays, especially those that relate to family members. There’s a holiday for mothers, a special day for dads and a national grandparents’ day that usually includes a pancake breakfast at preschool. But what inspires these holidays is more than a positive earnings statement from Hallmark… Read more »
Friends and family lift Gabrielle Rubin and Andrew Burgess for the traditional chair dance. Photo: Lyn Sims Gabrielle Rubin and Andrew Burgess were married Oct. 25, 2009 at Skyline Country Club with Rabbi Robert Eisen, Rabbi Arthur Oleisky and Cantor Ivor Lichterman officiating. Gabrielle is the daughter of Madeline and Barry Friedman and Norman Rubin and Kathy McGuire, and the granddaughter of Murray Rosenbaum and Gert… Read more »
Beth Lapides Stand-up comic Beth Lapides considers herself a New Age Jew — “Never forget to be here now” is her mantra. Lapides will perform in her new solo show, “100% Happy 88% of the Time,” on Saturday, May 22 at 7:30 p.m. at a benefit for Temple Emanu-El. The performance… Read more »
These past few weeks we, the Jewish people, have faithfully been counting the Omer, numbering each day as we ascend from Passover to Shavuot. After 49 days of reckoning, our reward will be more than just a piece of cheesecake: Tikkun Leil Shavuot, a special, magical and mystical night… Read more »
“When Doris and Bill Rubin thought about what their legacy would be, they realized that they wanted to help those in need move towards self-sufficiency,” says Jewish Community Foundation Executive Director Carol Karsch. Since 2003, the Rubins’ vision has resulted in 76 grants totaling $788,870 through their endowment fund… Read more »
As more than 200 major funders of Jewish nonprofits gathered here last month, signs of the economic carnage of the past 18 months appeared to be waning. The funders were in Phoenix for the annual conference of the Jewish Funders Network, held April 11-13 at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel.… Read more »
NEW YORK (JTA) – The U.S. Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist movements are warning that a proposed Israeli conversion bill is “disastrous to the unity of the Jewish people.” Knesset members from the Yisrael Beiteinu party were in the United States this week trying to marshal support for a… Read more »
BOSTON (JTA) — Once upon a time it was hard to find a wide selection of Jewish children’s books. Mostly there were books on Chanukah and Passover, plus retellings of Bible stories and folk tales. The market was small and uncertain, and mainstream publishers could not count on large… Read more »
NEW YORK (JTA) — Observers of Jewish education for teens are increasingly concerned about a disparity between the participation of boys and girls. Lamenting the absence of boys in youth programs, Jewish educators and philanthropists have turned their attention more and more to enticing boys to become involved. I… Read more »
WASHINGTON (JTA) — A top adviser to President Obama said talks on Jerusalem should be left for last. “The president agrees that Jerusalem as an issue can’t be the first issue for negotiations,” David Axelrod, Obama’s top political adviser, told a small group of journalists working for Jewish media.… Read more »
