Keynote speaker Tessa Veksler was thrilled to arrive at the Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona Women’s Philanthropy Connections brunch on March 8 and find a mirror emblazoned with her hashtag: #werenotgoinganywhere. Inside, more than 250 women were equally jazzed to hear from Veksler, a passionate Jewish and Zionist activist… Read more »
A daughter, Golda “Goldie” Iris Filous Malka, was born Feb. 8, 2026 to Katie and Jordan Malka. Goldie joins her brother, Lev. Her grandparents are Jaclyn and Steve Freedman of Dallas, Texas, Michael and Vivian Malka , also of Dallas, and Deana and Jim Filous of Logan, Ohio. Goldie’s… Read more »
Charlotte Mae Toppel died March 7, 2026. She was born in Chicago, Ill., on June 2, 1936. She was an exceptional person who was beloved by so many of her family and countless friends. Charlotte grew up in Chicago and attended the University of Illinois, where she met the… Read more »
A chance encounter with Tucsonans Dana Narter and Ed Baruch inspired bestselling author Lisa Gardner’s latest book, “Kiss Her Goodbye,” which is set mainly in Tucson. Gardner met the couple in 2023 on a whale-watching trip in California. They told her about serving as companions to a family of… Read more »
Gabriel Charles Grandner will celebrate becoming a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, March 7, at Kol Ami Synagogue. He is the son of Michael & Ana Liza Grandner. Charlie attends Orange Grove Middle School. He enjoys playing the trumpet and piano and was recently one of only two people from… Read more »
A window shattered by an act of vandalism at the University of Arizona Hillel building near the entrance off of 2nd Street. (Photo: Lea Thomas) The University of Arizona Hillel building was vandalized on the morning of Saturday, Feb. 14. As the center for Jewish students on campus, this act brings a wave of fear for Jewish students. Since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists invaded Israel, murdered over 1,200 citizens and took hundreds of… Read more »
Tessa Veksler Public speaker, content creator, and activist Tessa Veksler, a leading Jewish and Zionist voice, will headline Connections, Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona Women’s Division’s flagship event, on March 8. A first-generation American of Ukrainian Jewish descent, Veksler graduated in 2024 from the University of California, Santa Barbara, with a… Read more »
Lindsey Baker speaks at a University of Arizona event celebrating Donald Baker, MRED '14, as the College of Architecture, Planning & Landscape Architecture 2026 Alumnus of the Year earlier this month. (Photo: Chris Richards/University of Arizona) The University of Arizona College of Architecture, Planning & Landscape Architecture (CAPLA) has posthumously named Donald Baker, MRED ’14, its 2026 Alumnus of the Year. Baker was an active member of the local Jewish community, and his legacy fund held at the Jewish Community Foundation continues to support CAPLA’s Master of Real Estate… Read more »
The Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center (TJMHC) will host the grand opening of its newest exhibition, ”Media Matters: Cutting Through the Noise,” on Thursday, March 12, at 6 p.m. This year’s installment of the Allen & Marianne Langer Contemporary Human Rights Exhibit explores the evolution of media literacy and… Read more »
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, z'l Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, of blessed memory, once wrote, “I believe that the challenge for our time is to open a series of windows so that the world can illuminate our understanding of Torah, and so that the Torah may guide us as we seek to make our way… Read more »
Members of the Services to Afghan Survivors Impacted by Combat team at Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Southern Arizona (L-R:) Arif Muhammad, Ahmad Omid Rahimi, Anna-Lise "Annie" Kunz, Joelle Zuberi, Neda Ardebili, and Molly Bryan. (Photo courtesy JFCS) Celebrating the Impact of the JFCS SASIC Program The Jewish Family and Children’s Services of Southern Arizona (JFCS) Services to Afghan Survivors Impacted by Combat (SASIC) program is a mental health initiative designed to support Afghan individuals and families who arrived in the United States after 2021 and have been affected… Read more »
Judith Manelis with, from left, Shimon Peres, Yitzhak Rabin, and Menachem Begin (Photo courtesy of Judith Manelis) Downsizing is not simply a “rehoming” of old possessions: the shoes that are too tight … the extra set of silverware that has been packed away in the closet for 20 years … the scrapbook with pictures from 12 years at camp. To me, downsizing is a metaphor for aging. … Read more »
Gustav Mahler, left, and Ernest Bloch The Arizona Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Arizona will present “An Evening of Jewish Chamber Music: Mahler and Bloch” as part of the Shaol & Louis Pozez Memorial Lectureship Lecture Series. The concert will be held on Sunday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. in the… Read more »
A son, Chaim Asher Zimmerman, was born Jan. 28, 2026 to Mushkie and Rabbi Ephraim Zimmerman of Oro Valley. Chaim joins his siblings, Devora, Chana, Leah, Risa, Zev, Bayla, Menachem, and Levi.… Read more »
Ivan Arthur Moravec, son of Bryan Moravec and Meg Knight, will celebrate becoming a Bar Mitzvah on Feb. 14, 2026 at Kol Ami Synagogue. Ivan attends The Gregory School. He is passionate about sports and plays both baseball and tennis. He also has a strong love for music; he… Read more »
Art teacher Martha Rast, left, with Handmaker resident Grace Efaw (Photo: Nanci Levy) Handmaker residents have been thrilled with the recent enhancements to their activity programs. New art classes and music therapy sessions are furthering the goal of enriching the lives of the older adults Handmaker serves. Handmaker recently introduced dementia-friendly, accessible art classes in the Tynan Advanced Assisted Living, Kalmanovitz Memory Care, and Rich Long Term Care Skilled Nursing Neighborhoods, which include residents… Read more »
Amb. Yechiel Leiter, left, completes letters of the Torah dedicated to the memory of his son with the scribe, Rabbi Tzvi Bider, as Dudi Berkowitz, right, looks on, Feb. 1, 2026 (Photo courtesy TTC) More than 600 people turned out to hear H.E. Dr. Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, speak in Tucson on Sunday, Feb. 1. The ambassador was in town to dedicate a Torah in memory of his son, Maj. Moshe Yedidya Leiter, an Israeli physician and soldier… Read more »
Elissa Toni (Shavin) Tempkin, 77, passed away on October 26, 2025 in Tucson, Arizona. Elissa was born on January 17, 1948 in Atlanta, Georgia, the daughter of Ruth (Piassick) Shavin and Samuel Joseph Shavin. Elissa graduated from Grady High School in Atlanta in 1965, where she was the class… Read more »
Howard Polster passed away on Nov. 26, 2025, in Phoenix. Howard was born exactly two years before D-Day to Jerome I. and Margie Polster in Cleveland. He was the oldest of five siblings – Richard (Fran), Marilyn Katzel (James), Carolyn Bayer (Todd) and David (deceased). After graduating from Cleveland… Read more »
This semester, Tucson Hebrew Academy opened the Lions’ Discovery Den, a new maker space designed to support hands-on, collaborative STEM learning for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. The Discovery Den reflects the school’s commitment to experiential learning, cross-curricular connections, and preparing students with the skills they need for… Read more »
