Nineteen years ago, Harold Grinspoon started PJ Library by sending books to families raising Jewish children in Massachusetts with the goal of sharing Jewish stories that empower families and inspire joyful Jewish living. From those humble beginnings, today, PJ Library sends out more than 670,000 books to 40 countries… Read more »
Three lines of text about an obscure, ancient ritual changed her life. Rabbi Sharon Brous told this to a crowd of more than 250 gathered on Sunday, Nov. 17 at the Edgar B. Berger Performing Arts Center for “Community in Unity,” an event presented by Jewish Family & Children’s… Read more »
Parker Bennett Ingvoldstad, son of Nils and Hadyn Ingvoldstad, and grandson of Sheldon Stone will become a Bar Mitzvah on 11/23/24 at Chabad of Oro Valley. Parker attends Dove Mountain CSTEM school and is in the 8th grade. He is a member of the National Junior Honor Society. He… Read more »
Ask any Tucson Hebrew Academy (THA) 8th grade graduate about their Jewish capstone trip, and you’ll hear their experience was awe-inspiring, magical, and indescribable. The THA 8th grade Jewish capstone trip is truly a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. The trip deeply connects students with their Jewish heritage by connecting classroom teachings… Read more »
Hosting the 2025 JCC Maccabi Games and Access in Tucson this summer will be a true community effort. More than 1,000 volunteers, 350 host families, and up to 100 local athletes ages 12-17 will be recruited to join staff members of the Tucson Jewish Community Center in creating a… Read more »
Earlier this fall, Tucson Hebrew Academy (THA), in partnership with the Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center, launched a new exhibit, Tucson Hebrew Academy: The First 50 Years. Serving Tucson families for more than fifty years, THA was founded by the Levkowitz and Leonard families in response to Rabbi… Read more »
Alyssa Engler celebrated becoming a Bat Mitzvah on November 9 at Congregation Bet Shalom. She is the daughter of Elizabeth Engler. Alyssa attends Tucson Hebrew Academy, where she is student council vice president. She is a competitive gymnast and hopes to continue this path all the way through college.… Read more »
The University of Arizona will establish the Edwin and Alma Lakin Holocaust, Human Rights, and Comparative Genocide Endowed Chair in the Arizona Center for Judaic Studies with a $2 million gift commitment from a lead anonymous donor and additional gifts from Tucson community members. The creation of the endowment… Read more »
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to reflect the change of the event’s date to December 14. On November 2, 2024, The New York Times released a front-page article, “A Whisperer to the Stars on the Middle East Conflict” by Nicole Sperling. She wrote, “Since Oct. 7 of… Read more »
Zoe Anable and Matt Hameroff wed on November 2, 2024, in Tubac, Ariz. Zoe is from Dayton, Ohio, and is the daughter of Susan and Wayne (z”l) Anable. Matt is the son of Anne and David Hameroff, and grandson of Judith Holt. Zoe holds a bachelor’s degree in religious… Read more »
Time means nothing in a hospital. As a volunteer at Tucson Medical Center, Linda Kunsberg often conveys this message to patients who arrive for surgery or their loved ones waiting for the procedure to be over. She explains to patients that the time their doctor told them to arrive… Read more »
Each spring, Tucson’s Jewish Latino Teen Coalition (JLTC) heads to Washington, D.C., to lobby lawmakers on a topic they’ve chosen and spent months researching. JLTC convenes 10 to 12 high school sophomores and juniors annually to foster multicultural understanding and political advocacy. Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona and U.S.… Read more »
Livia Aronson will celebrate becoming a Bat Mitzvah on October 26th at Kol Ami Synagogue on Country Club Rd. She is the daughter of Randy Aronson & Geren Thurston. She attends Cross Middle School, where she is a member of the National Junior High School Honor Society, a clarinet… Read more »
On Wednesday, October 23, Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center (TJMHC) hosted an opening reception of the Allen & Marianne Langer Contemporary Human Rights Exhibit. The new exhibit is titled Witnessing Violence: Help or Harm? Witnessing Violence examines the uses and abuses of images from violent atrocities, particularly as… Read more »
For the Afghan survivors impacted by combat that Jewish Family & Childrens Services (JFCS) serves, art is a powerful tool for healing—helping express through creativity what cannot be said with words. Annie Kunz, program supervisor, explains, “The mental and physical tolls of combat are complex and are compounded by… Read more »
The Tucson Jewish Community Center (Tucson J) presents the exhibition Au Naturel by the Sonoran Plein Air Painters, on exhibition from October 31 to December 1, 2024. As part of its Fine Art Gallery Season, the Tucson J is hosting an opening art reception on Sunday, November 3 from… Read more »
Michael Green celebrated becoming a Bar Mitzvah on October 19, 2024, at Kol Ami. He is the son of Robin and Dale Green. Michael has been a dynamo since the day he was born when the pediatrician stated that Michael was the most active newborn he had ever seen.… Read more »
Each fall, the Southern Arizona Jewish community comes together to donate non-perishable food items, filling bins across local synagogues and Jewish agencies for the Project Isaiah High Holiday food drive. These contributions are then delivered to the Community Food Bank (CFB), where they are distributed throughout Southern Arizona to… Read more »
William “Bill” Abel, 95, of Tucson, peacefully passed away surrounded by family on September 22, 2024, after a long and fulfilling life. Bill was born in 1928 in Monticello, N.Y. of Louis Alexander “Alex” and Anna Abel who were dairy farmers and had a butcher shop in Lake Huntington,… Read more »
Do you know the difference between a Jewish pessimist and a Jewish optimist? The Jewish pessimist says, “Things can’t possibly get any worse.” The Jewish optimist says, “Sure they can!” The 5784 year often felt that way to Jews everywhere. Last year is gone, and as a Sephardic prayer-poem… Read more »
