In Focus

In focus 5.23.14

JCC renovation groundbreaking

(L-R) Donald Diamond, honorary capital campaign chair, with former JCC chairs Lex Sears, Tom Warne, Lynda Rogoff, Brenda Viner, Bill Viner, Dick Belkin, Larry Haas, Fran Katz and Gerry Tumarkin break ground for the JCC’s new sports and wellness facility upgrade. (Courtesy Bolchalk Frey Marketing)
(L-R) Donald Diamond, honorary capital campaign chair, with former JCC chairs Lex Sears, Tom Warne, Lynda Rogoff, Brenda Viner, Bill Viner, Dick Belkin, Larry Haas, Fran Katz and Gerry Tumarkin break ground for the JCC’s new sports and wellness facility upgrade. (Courtesy Bolchalk Frey Marketing)

The Tucson Jewish Community Center held a groundbreaking ceremony April 29 to usher in the renovation and expansion of the facility. Along with creating a larger space for gym equipment and classes, the renovation will allow the JCC to increase programming options. The 100,000 square foot facility, built in 1989, currently serves more than 150,000 people annually and had reached “maximum capacity for people and programs,” says JCC President and CEO Todd Rockoff. SBBL Architecture + Planning is the designer and W.E. O’Neil Construction is the general contractor.

 

 

Holocaust education
in focus Bill Kugelman at Tucson High 2014On Monday, May 12, the Tucson High Magnet School student council arranged for Bill Kugelman to speak about his experiences during the Holocaust to 300 students. Following the hour-long presentation, the students hosted Kugelman for bagels and coffee and sang “Happy Birthday” to him (he turned 90 the prior week).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(L-R): Liz Shallenberger, Irwin Brewster, Margie Kendle, Mona Gibson and Marci Hilliker with Rabbi Samuel M. Cohon, Rabbi Batsheva Appel and cantorial soloist Marjorie Hochberg
(L-R): Liz Shallenberger, Irwin Brewster, Margie Kendle, Mona Gibson and Marci Hilliker with Rabbi Samuel M. Cohon, Rabbi Batsheva Appel and cantorial soloist Marjorie Hochberg

Adult B’nai Mitzvah celebration

After a year of study, the Temple Emanu-El adult B’nai Mitzvah Class of 5774 was called to the Torah on Saturday, May 9.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hillel Israel Independence Week

UA student Victoria Teplitz at the Hillel Israel Independence Day BBQ.
UA student Victoria Teplitz at the Hillel Israel Independence Day BBQ.
UA Hillel students (L-R) Michael Edmond, Aaron Bell, Edden Dembsky and Gavriela Fine manned a table on the UA mall to educate passers-by about Israeli humanitarian aid.
UA Hillel students (L-R) Michael Edmond, Aaron Bell, Edden Dembsky and Gavriela Fine manned a table on the UA mall to educate passers-by about Israeli humanitarian aid.

More than 350 University of Arizona students took part in UA Hillel Foundation’s Israel Independence Week celebrations earlier this month, which included a Yom Hazikaron ceremony, an Israeli-style Shabbat dinner, an Israeli movie night co-sponsored by the UA Hebrew program, and an Israel Independence Day BBQ.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hebrew High graduation

Front row (L-R): Eve Stone, Leah Mann, Adina Artzi, Jenny Marcus and Rebecca Slepian. Middle row: Linnea Dawson, Itai Kreisler, Shelby Kotz and Principal Sharon Glassberg. Back row: Hila Lamdan, Avi Penner, Ashley Feig and Eve Liebeskind (Photo: Martha Lochert)
Front row (L-R): Eve Stone, Leah Mann, Adina Artzi, Jenny Marcus and Rebecca Slepian. Middle row: Linnea Dawson, Itai Kreisler, Shelby Kotz and Principal Sharon Glassberg. Back row: Hila Lamdan, Avi Penner, Ashley Feig and Eve Liebeskind (Photo: Martha Lochert)

On Tuesday, May 13, the 12 graduates of Tucson Hebrew High were recognized by the community for their commitment to continuing their Jewish education through their high school years. The 36th annual graduation ceremony was held at Tucson Hebrew High’s host congregation, Congregation Anshei Israel, and was catered by the Tucson Hebrew High Jewish cooking class.  The graduates chose “Our Moral Compass” as their theme and spoke about how their individual stories weave into our long and strong Jewish history.