Yearly Archives 2014

World Council of Arameans now “Looks specifically to Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon”  Lost in the uproar over Israel’s proposed Nationality Bill has been the historic recognition of Arameans as a separate nationality in Israel. Israel is the first country in the world to recognize the Arameans. Israel’s historic recognition has empowered… Read more »

  Teens with  Most Popular Ideas to Engage Peers in Jewish Life Will Present to 150 Top Philanthropists What: What’s Trending? Jewish Teens! Video Contest Leading up to BBYO International Convention (IC) 2015, Jewish teens around the world are invited to share their innovative ideas for how to engage more Jewish teens in… Read more »

Washington, DC – BBYO and DoSomething.org‘s five-week hunger advocacy and awareness campaign, Can-Tribute, will conclude on Sunday, Nov. 30. To date, 15,000 youth across North America collected 200,000 pounds of canned goods to donate to food banks in their communities. Just in time for Thanksgiving, these young people have… Read more »

President Barack Obama speaking about his executive action on immigration policy at Del Sol High School in Las Vegas, Nev., Nov. 21, 2014. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (JTA) — President Obama did not mention Jews once in his Nov. 20 speech announcing immigration reforms, but he ended with a flourish that would be immediately recognizable to anyone who has sat through a Passover Seder. “Scripture tells us that we shall not oppress a stranger, for… Read more »

Israeli flags standing next to the Israeli state symbol in the Knesset, Nov. 6, 2014. (Nati Shohat/Flash90)

TEL AVIV (JTA) — On Sunday, Israel’s Cabinet advanced a bill in a 14-6 vote that if passed by the Knesset would enshrine into law Israel’s status as a Jewish state. The nation-state law, as the controversial measure is being called, has sparked a crisis in Israel’s coalition, with… Read more »

Richard Glazier

Award-winning pianist, storyteller and cultural historian Richard Glazier will bring his passion for the history, personalities and music of the Great American Songbook to Tucson Dec. 7 in  Invisible Theatre’s “Broadway to Hollywood.” His one-man show includes personal stories, movie clips, interview footage and — of course — piano… Read more »

Chief French Rabbi Haim Korsia, center, with Consistoire President Joel Mergui, left, and French army officers at a synagogue in Paris, Nov. 6, 2014. (Alain Azria)

PARIS (JTA) — The first thing Haim Korsia did after becoming chief rabbi of France was give his new office a thorough cleaning. Next he redecorated to give the space a more modern look, placing his 30-inch model of a nuclear submarine — a gift from his previous stint as senior… Read more »

BOSTON (JTA) — Back in 1984, when Eric Kimmel was an up-and-coming children‘sbook author, he tried his hand at a Hanukkah story, one featuring goblins. Overly cautious Jewish editors rejected the manuscript, not knowing what to make of it, Kimmel recalled.“It was strange. It didn’t look like any other Hanukkah books and didn’t… Read more »

MARIS FINLEY has joined the ARIZONA JEWISH POST as advertising account executive. Originally from New York, she moved to Tucson from Baltimore in 2008 and spent several years working in the advertising department at the Arizona Daily Star. She is involved with a variety of community events and fundraising… Read more »

Dr. Richard J. Ablin

RICHARD ABLIN, Ph.D., DSc. (Hon), presented a presidential lecture on his studies of prostate cancer at the 13th National Conference on Medical Oncology, held Oct. 9-12 in Poiana Brasov, Romania, and was the guest of honor and keynote lecturer at the Conference on Innovations in the Management of Prostate… Read more »

DEVIN WORTZEL, son of Cheryl and Jeff Wortzel, will celebrate becoming a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, Dec. 6 with Congregation Or Chadash at the Tucson Jewish Community Center. He is the grandson of Sandra and Kenny Wortzel, Marcy Merin and Lisa Newman, Terry and Dale Ruedebusch, all of Tucson,… Read more »

Makinley Wortzel, son of Cheryl and Jeff Wortzel, will celebrate becoming a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, Dec. 6 with Congregation Or Chadash at the Tucson Jewish Community Center. He is the grandson of Sandra and Kenny Wortzel, Marcy Merin and Lisa Newman, Terry and Dale Ruedebusch, all of Tucson,… Read more »

Jacob Samuel Cohen, son of Andrea and Greg Cohen of Scottsdale, Ariz., will celebrate becoming a Bar Mitzvah on Nov. 29 at Gindling Hilltop Camp in Malibu, Calif. He is the grandson of Susan and Michael Cohen of Sun Lakes, Ariz., (formerly of Tucson) and Ellen and Burt Pressman… Read more »

Henry Solomon Abrams, son of Lisa and Ted Abrams, will celebrate becoming a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, Nov. 22 at Temple Emanu-El. He is the grandson of Geraldine Hogan, Barbara Cosslett, and Judy and Stan Abrams, all of Tucson. Henry attends Esperero Canyon Middle School, where he sings in… Read more »

A daughter, JULIET FAYE GOLDSTEIN, was born July 10, 2014 to Dana and Adam Goldstein of Oro Valley. Grandparents are Suzie and Marvin Goldstein of Phoenix and Debbie and Jay Jacobs of Mesa, Ariz. Great-grandparents are Barbara and Lou Goldstein of Phoenix, Phyllis and Bob Weinstein of Scottsdale, Ariz,… Read more »

(L-R) Rosie Eilat Khan, Marcia Abelson, Ricki Weinstein-Wolf, Hedy Feuer, Judy Schultz and Peggy Langert (Courtesy Hedy Feuer)

Walking to end breast cancer On Oct. 12, volunteers joined the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona Women’s Philanthropy team at the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk, held at the Kino Sports Complex.       Hillel Israelpalooza The University of Arizona Hillel Foundation held its… Read more »

Bill and Wendy Fishkind with the Cessna 182 at Lanseria Airport in South Africa

Bucket list check-off For Bill and Wendy Fishkind, African travel has always been on their radar; however, for two weeks in September, they traveled on the African continent without radar. Bill and Wendy are both licensed pilots. They flew commercially from the United States to Johannesburg. Once there, they… Read more »

Gary Paul Williams, 83, died Nov. 11, 2014. Born in Yakima, Wash., Mr. Williams served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and was later employed in the wholesale food industry in Spokane, Wash., for 42 years prior to his retirement.  He also enjoyed work as a dog obedience trainer.… Read more »

Clifford B. Altfeld, 62, died Nov. 9, 2014. Born in Elyria, Ohio, Mr. Atlfeld was partner at Altfeld & Battaile, P.C., a member of the Tucson Unified School District audit committee, Arizona School Bonds Association, State Bar of Arizona, Pima County Bar Association, and a former longtime member of… Read more »

Leonard Chaison, 94, died Oct. 28, 2014. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Dr. Chaison was a Tucson resident for 50 years. He practiced podiatry in Tucson for 30 years. Dr. Chaison was preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, Elaine; son, Eric Chaison; and second wife, Estelle. Survivors… Read more »