The 2023-24 school year will be a celebratory marker for Tucson Hebrew Academy (THA): its 50th year as Southern Arizona’s foremost center for Jewish education. The school will unveil a commemorative motto and logo later this summer as it prepares for a year of community events and a 50th year celebratory gala to support its educational mission.
Housed at Congregation Anshei Israel (5550 E. 5th Street) in 1973 for 1st through 6th grade, the school declared that “no Jewish child will be turned away for lack of money” upon opening its doors to the community. (Arizona Daily Star, June 1973) While THA exists on a larger campus off River Road and now serves kindergarten through 8th grade, the commitment to an exemplary secular and pluralistic Jewish education remains the same. For the 2021-22 school year, over one million dollars of tuition assistance was awarded to 86% of the student body.
THA Board Chair Jeff Jacobson is excited to celebrate THA’s 50th anniversary, saying “We are eager to share THA’s remarkable record of success for the past 50 years, as well as our commitment to Jewish education, Jewish identity, and unwavering support for Israel for the next half century and beyond.”
The upcoming school year will connect current families and faculty with the alumni community through school events, including a spring gala. All community members will be encouraged to share memories, mementos, and life updates with Tucson Hebrew Academy both in-person and digitally.
The first of the 50th year celebrations will be on August 18th with the Community Shabbat dinner held at the Tucson J. Details on events to be released in July 2023. (Mark your calendars for the 50th year Gala on March 10th, 2024!) For more information and inquiries about supporting THA, please contact Johanna Shlomovich, Head of School.
If you have old class photos or memorabilia, THA would love for you to send pictures of them to be included in the 50th celebration.
