Yearly Archives 2014

Business briefs 10.10.14

Advertising Manager LORI RIE­GEL, MJEd, of the ARIZONA JEWISH POST has won a 2014 Excellence in Advertising Award from the Arizona Newspaper Association for Best Special Section (third place) for “Shop Downtown 2013,” which appeared in the Nov. 8, 2013 issue. The COMMUNITY FOOD BANK OF ARIZONA is a… Read more »

People in the news 10.10.14

SHARON MEGDAL, Ph.D., director of the Water Resources Research Center at the University of Arizona, will give a keynote lecture, “Thirsty Rivers in Water-Scarce Regions: Experiences from the Colorado River” at an international conference in Israel. The conference on the rehabilitation of the lower Jordan River and the development… Read more »

Stanley Lehman

Stanley Lehman will celebrate his 85th birthday on Oct. 13, 2014. His children, Andrew (Juanita) Lehman, Richard Lehman and Nancy (Mark) Bishop, and his grandson, Ryan Bishop, wish him nachas and a happy and healthy birthday on this special occasion.… Read more »

In focus 10.10.14

(L-R): Tova Braunstein and Tsipi Goeta-Kreisler assemble packages.

The Jewish Women’s Circle of Chabad on River gathered 20 women on Sunday, Sept. 21 to pack honey cakes, apples and honey for the residents of Handmaker Jewish Services for the Aging. The Jewish Women’s Circle has sponsored this project for more than 10 years.… Read more »

Emberly Davis

Emberly Brynn Davis, daugh­ter of Shanna Kovach and Bryan Davis, will celebrate becoming a Bat Mitzvah with Congregation Chaverim on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2014 at the Tucson Jewish Community Center. Emberly attends Tucson Hebrew Academy.  She volunteers weekly at Forever Wild, an animal rescue organization. For her mitzvah project,… Read more »

Maya Benita

Maya Gabrielle Benita, daughter of Dina and Eli Benita, will celebrate becoming a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, Oct. 18 2014 at Congregation Or Chadash. She is the granddaughter of Ronna and Hal Newburger of Memphis, Tenn., and Rachel Benita and the late Moshe Benita of Jerusalem. Maya attends Orange… Read more »

Rabbi’s coming-out highlights dramatic shift in Conservative Judaism

Rabbi Gil Steinlauf

LOS ANGELES (JTA) — Gil Steinlauf, a nationally prominent Conservative rabbi, made headlines this month when he announced to his large Washington, D.C., synagogue that he is gay, and that he and his wife of 20 years would divorce. As surprised as his congregants at Adas Israel may have… Read more »

Letting the land and people rest and grow

Rabbi Samuel M. Cohon

Can a land require a Sabbath, too? The Jewish answer is yes. This calendar year of 5775 is a special time in our tradition: it marks the sabbatical year, the shmittah. In Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy we are commanded to harvest crops only for the first six years of… Read more »

JHM to honor Justice Feldman at annual event

Stanley Feldman (Athol Cline)

Stanley G. Feldman, 82, retired as an Arizona Supreme Court justice in 2002, but he hasn’t retired from the legal profession. Now in his sixth decade of fighting for the rights of all, Feldman will receive the Jewish Heritage Award at the Tucson Jewish History Museum’s annual benefit on… Read more »

What did King David drink? Reviving ancient libations

The small cardboard box in Elyashiv Drori’s palm looks like it’s full of black pebbles. Closing the box quickly, he explains that it cannot be open for long. The pebble-like pieces, which were uncovered in an archaeological dig near Jerusalem’s Old City, are in fact remains of a kilo… Read more »

Tucson to join global Shabbat with challah baking event

Ingredients are set out for a mega challah bake. (Courtesy Chabad Tucson)

The Shabbos Project, a global movement to celebrate the Jewish day of rest on the weekend of Oct. 24-25, will be marked in Tucson with a Mega Challah Bake for women and girls (ages 9 and up) at the Tucson Jewish Community Center on Thursday, Oct. 23, from 7… Read more »

Why Marriage Matters AZ rep to speak at pride service

Tucson’s 6th annual multifaith pride service in support of Southern Arizona’s LGBTQ community, “Weaving a Common Sacredness,” will be held Tuesday, Oct. 14, from 7-9 p.m. at Temple Emanu-El. Rev. Debra Peevey, faith outreach director from Why Marriage Matters Arizona, will be one of the key speakers. Rabbi Batsheva… Read more »

BBYO taking part in ‘Hunger Games’-themed food drive

The local BBYO chapters of Abba Godol AZA and Kadimah BBG are participating in “Can-Tribute,” a food drive partnership between BBYO and DoSome thing.org. The local chapters are working with chapters from around the world to help fight poverty by collecting canned food to donate to local food banks.… Read more »

Cross-country ride is cyclist’s road to recovery

Shirley Christie (Photo: Gloria Christie-Bishop)

Healing from the trauma of domestic violence and sexual assault can be elusive. For Shirley Christie, bicycling from Boston to Seattle, then South to her hometown of Pasadena, Calif. — covering 4,000 miles over 105 days — was the right route. Christie will discuss her journey, “Cycling to End… Read more »

‘We Called Him Rabbi Abraham’ author to discuss Lincoln, courage at COC

Rabbi Gary Zola

Rabbi Gary Phillip Zola, Ph.D. will be the Mitch Dorson scholar-in-residence at Congregation Or Chadash on Oct. 24 and 25. Zola is executive director of the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives, professor of the American Jewish Experience at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in… Read more »

Seattle transplants bring lifetime of teaching, lay leadership to Tucson

Pinchas (Paul) and Rita Zohav

Deciding to leave their home in Seattle, Pinchas (Paul) and Rita Zohav narrowed their search to Albuquerque or Tucson. “Without a doubt,” Rita says, “it was the Jewish community in Tucson which made our decision so easy.” After 10 years in Seattle, the couple agreed it was “too grey,… Read more »

Loft to screen award-winning Israeli comedy – UPDATED

“Zero Motivation,” a new film by Israeli filmmaker Talya Lavie, will have its Southwest premiere at the Loft Cinema on Sunday, Oct. 19 at 2:15 p.m. The film is described as a “zany, dark comedic portrait of everyday life for a unit of young, female Israeli soldiers” who work… Read more »

TMA figure exhibit to showcase masterpieces

Auguste Rodin's "Adam"

The Tucson Museum of Art will host one of its most prestigious exhibitions, “The Figure Examined: Masterworks from the Kasser Mochary Art Foundation,” Oct. 18 through Feb. 22, 2015. The exhibit will include some 120 works of art by more than 70 noted artists from the 19th and 20th… Read more »

Hillel is an open forum

Hillel students (Courtesy Hillel International)

WASHINGTON (JTA) — Once again the love affair between the Jewish people and higher education is back in full bloom. The start of a new school year, and the Jewish New Year, marked the beginning of robust programming for Jewish college students across the globe. As students dig into… Read more »