Yearly Archives 2010

WASHINGTON (JTA) — As far as the Nixon-Kissinger relationship goes, the March 1, 1973 tape is par for the course of their complicated relationship: hard-nosed considerations of policy leavened with Kissinger’s adoring appraisals of his boss’ genius punctuated by Nixon’s hearty encouragement of such obsequiousness. The conversation relates to… Read more »

Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir, President Nixon (center) and Secretary of State Kissinger in a 1973 Oval Office meeting covered in newly released Nixon White House tapes. (White House Photo Office Collection)

WASHINGTON (JTA) — It should have been ancient, if unsavory, news: A cavalier reference to gassing Jews, an aside in a conversation nearly 40 years old. But the aside was pronounced by Henry Kissinger, a German-born Jew who fled Nazi horrors as a child and who has been honored… Read more »

Father and son, S.L. (“SI”) SCHORR and ANDREW D. SCHORR, partners at Lewis and Roca, have each been named a “Lawyer of the Year 2011” by “Best Lawyers.” Si Schorr was named Tucson land use & zoning lawyer of the year, and Andrew Schorr was named Tucson real estate… Read more »

A daughter, ARABELLE SOPHIA CHERNY, was born Nov. 1, 2010 to Stephanie and Andrei Cherny of Phoenix. The Chernys also have a son, Ben. Grandparents are Shelley Fleisch­man Heyman and Larry Fleischman, both of Tucson, and Pavel and Dr. Helena Cerny of Valley Village, Calif. Great-grandmothers are Doris Fleischman… Read more »

ELIEZER ISAAC ROSEMAN, son of Ann and Ron Roseman, will celebrate becoming a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, Dec. 25 at Congregation Bais Pinchus in Brookline, Mass. He is the grandson of Dr. Richard Sylvester of Los Angeles, Calif., the late Helen Ellis of Los Angeles, Calif., and Lillian and… Read more »

ZOE CHARLOTTE WEINTRAUB, daughter of Ellen Weintraub, will celebrate becoming a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, Dec. 18 with Congregation Or Chadash at the Tucson Jewish Community Center. She is the granddaughter of Deborah and Gerald Weintraub of Tucson. Zoe attends Orange Grove Middle School where she is an honor… Read more »

The Jewish History Museum is seeking ketubot (marriage contracts), wedding attire and wedding photos to be loaned to the museum for its third annual Ketubah Exhibit, which will be held in January 2011. The ketubot may be from any state or country and ‘need not be fancy’ to be… Read more »

Jake Levine and the Vilnius Bagel Project

Bagels in Vilnius Native Tucsonan Jacob (“Jake”) Levine can be credited with bringing the bagel back to Vilnius after 70 years. Levine, 25, a Catalina Foothills High School graduate who holds an M.F.A. in Poetry from the University of Arizona, is living in the Lithuanian capital for a year… Read more »

Joy Isenstein

Joy Barbara Isenstein, 78, died Nov. 29, 2010 in New Brunswick, N.J. Mrs. Isenstein was a frequent winter visitor to Tucson. She was preceded in death by her grandson, Joshua Joseph. Survivors include her husband of 54 years, Robert Isenstein of Monroe Township, N.J.; daughters, Judy (John) Peterson of… Read more »

Rabbi Shafir Lobb

It started when a friend sent me an article about people leaving structured religion faster than new people are joining, especially 30- to 40-year- olds. The last line in the alter net.org article, “Are We Becoming an Atheist Nation? Three Reasons Young People Are Abandoning Religion,” expressed concern about… Read more »

EarthBox® with seedlings (Deborah Mayaan)

Even as the lights of Chanukah dwindle, we continue to connect to our ancestors and rededicate our land. It’s not too late to plant a winter garden and enjoy eating greens into the spring, including bitter herbs for the Passover Seder. While seeds have a low germination rate when… Read more »

Kevin Spacey as Jack Abramoff in "Casino Jack" (Photo courtesy of ATO Pictures)

Two-time Academy Award winner Kevin Spacey lifts his fork from his plate of lox and eggs and jabs it in the air. Tucked away in a back booth at Art’s Deli in Studio City, he recounts his monologue from the opening scene of the black comedy “Casino Jack,” which… Read more »

After the Reform movement broadcast online its first session devoted to reassessing itself, in mid-November, the comments poured in. One viewer suggested that the movement create a network of schools, camps, shuls and seminaries focused on tikkun olam, the Jewish injunction to repair the world. Another said the movement… Read more »

Reading and watching the news about the devastating forest fire in Israel, I found myself profoundly confused: There were so many reversals, so much was wrong with the picture. We are used to thinking of Israel as being so adept, so professional at looking after its citizens — but… Read more »

The campaign to curb Iran’s nuclear program just acquired a new deadline: the end of the 111th Congress. The Obama administration has made a priority of ratifying the START nuclear arms reduction treaty with Russia before the Senate’s lame-duck session finishes at year’s end. A number of Republicans, citing… Read more »

On Sunday night I attended, with much anticipation, the “Israel Taverna,” an evening offered annually by Tucson’s Israel Center. To my dismay, only a small handful were there to take part in what, in all the preceding years, had been joyful, exciting and fully attended musical evenings. I cannot… Read more »

The Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona’s Young Leadership Cabinet will hold its inaugural party — the Hava Tequila Bash — on Saturday, Dec. 18, from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the Tucson Jewish Community Center. The JCC will cosponsor the event. Hava Tequila will offer a nightclub atmosphere… Read more »

Cirque Dreams founder Neil Goldberg

How did a nice Jewish boy — and Orthodox at that — create a theatrical circus? “Cirque Dreams: Illumination,” featuring swirling acrobatics, dazzling costumes and choreography, will run at UApresents for five shows at Centennial Hall Dec. 10-12. It all started on Broadway for Cirque Dreams creator and director… Read more »

Natasha Mozgovaya

International journalist Natasha Mozgovaya will deliver a lecture, “Israeli-Jewish Snapshot: Trends and Challenges in a Multi-Cultural Society,” on Thursday, Dec. 16 at 7 p.m. at the Tucson Jewish Community Center. The event is part of the Israel Center’s “Heartbeat of Israel” series. Mozgovaya was born in the Soviet Union… Read more »

Cantor Janece Cohen leads members of the Kol Shirah choir at the Tucson Jewish Food Festival on Nov. 7, 2010. (Photo courtesey of Linda Levine)

Cantor Janece Cohen of Congregation Or Chadash, started a new adult Jewish choir in August with her friend Karla Ember, cantorial soloist at Congregation Chaverim. A month later Ember was brutally murdered. Recently, Cohen was considering a name for the new choir. “I thought of Kol Shirah, which means… Read more »