Posts By PHYLLIS BRAUN - AJP Executive Editor

Invisible Theatre will present the Arizona premiere of “The Value of Names” by Jeffrey Sweet from Nov. 7-19. The play introduces Benny Silverman, a celebrated comic who has revived his career via television after many years of forced inactivity that resulted from being named on the Hollywood blacklist of… Read more »

JERUSALEM (JTA) — The Jewish month that began this week, Cheshvan, has traditionally been dubbed “mar,” or bitter, because it alone among the months is devoid of any holidays. It is time for the Jewish people, and the Jewish calendar, to drop mar from Cheshvan, since it is blessed… Read more »

(JTA) — Contemporary Jewish life is graced by extraordinary blessing: We are the heirs of a Torah of compassion and justice that has grown ever more supple and vibrant because of the dynamic nature of halachah (Jewish law) and the opportunity to observe mitzvot (commandments). At the same time,… Read more »

Irena Sendler

More than 80 participants attended the “Life in a Jar” community gathering sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona’s Northwest Division on Tuesday, Oct. 24, hosted by Splendido. “Life in a Jar” is the story of Irena Sendler, a Polish Catholic social worker who rescued over 2,500 children… Read more »

While visiting any new city, following hotel check-in most guests take a moment to look at tour books or “where to go” information the hotel provides. Copenhagen was no different. How would we spend several days? After checking a few restaurant menus, museums, and even a palace, I noticed… Read more »

Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild announced at a press conference at City Hall Oct. 26 that the city will soon have a bike share program, joining more than 50 American cities that have similar programs. The “Tugo” bike share program will bring in 330 bikes to be used in and… Read more »

Congregation Chaverim has a new traveling ark, thanks to a grant from the Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona in collaboration with the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona. The $5,000 grant, made possible by the Ann and Sam Goldfein Endowment Fund and the Zuckerman Family Fund held at the… Read more »

WASHINGTON (JTA) — Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. accused President Donald Trump of “politicizing” the deadly attack in New York after Trump blamed Schumer for the immigration program that purportedly allowed in the attacker. “I have always believed and continue to believe that immigration is good for America,” Schumer,  he… Read more »

  WASHINGTON (JTA) — Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating whether President Donald Trump’s campaign had ties with Russia, issued two indictments this week and unsealed a guilty plea. Paul Manafort, who for several months last year helmed the Trump campaign, and an associate, Rick Gates, who remained with… Read more »

This is a developing story. NEW YORK (JTA) — Eight people were killed and nearly a dozen were injured when a truck rammed into a crowd in downtown New York City in what the mayor called “an act of terror.” The suspect, who was driving a truck, hit people… Read more »

  NEW YORK (JTA) — When I read the headline of Jenny Listman’s Medium piece — “When I was nineteen years old, Elie Wiesel grabbed my ass” — I decided not to click on it. It wasn’t because of any judgment I passed on her or the veracity of her… Read more »

Guests arrive in the Mel and Enid Zuckerman Grand Foyer of the Harvey and Deanna Evenchik Center for Jewish Philanthropy for the Oct. 1 gala. Above them is a glass, aluminum, steel and acrylic art installation, “Infinite Possibilities” by Art Neptune and Zak Timan. On the balcony is a bronze sculpture by David Unger, “My Beloved,” donated by Kathy and David Unger. The wooden ceiling designed by CDG architect Frank Mascia, with its “welcoming tent” shape, was inspired by the documentary “Raise the Roof” about the reconstruction of the roof of a lost wooden synagogue in Poland. (Martha Lochert)

JFSA thanks building donors with gala Some 250 donors to the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona’s capital campaign attended a gala on Sunday, Oct. 1 at the Harvey and Deanna Evenchik Center for Jewish Philanthropy, the new home of the Federation and the Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona.… Read more »

Devy Wolff (Korene Charnofsky Cohen)

Tucson artist DEVY WOLFF will hold a retrospective show, “Devy Wolff: The New York Years, 1968-1998” at the Joel D. Valdez Main Library, 101 N. Stone Ave., Nov. 1-29. An opening reception will be held Sunday, Nov. 5, 1-3 p.m. Visit devywolff.com.… Read more »

Davis Michael Yalen, son of Allen and Ilene Yalen, will celebrate becoming a bar mitzvah on Saturday, Oct. 21 at Temple Emanu-El. He is the grandson of Sandy and William Yalen and Joan and Stuart Brodsky, all of Tucson. Davis attends Tucson Hebrew Academy, where he is student government… Read more »

TUCSON HEBREW ACADEMY has hired EMILY ERNST LUNNE as director of finance, a role that also includes human resources and building maintenance oversight. Lunne is a native of Wyoming and a graduate of the University of Wyoming. She has been involved with many nonprofit organizations as an auditor, a… Read more »

Shirley Jean Lipsey, 90, died Sept. 30, 2017. Mrs. Lipsey was born in Omaha, Nebraska. She was a graduate of Omaha Central High School and attended UCLA and University of Omaha. She married James L. Lipsey in Omaha in 1947. In Omaha, she was a pioneer in the development… Read more »

Paul Golin

The Secular Humanist Jewish Circle of Tucson will present a panel discussion, “Who’s a Jew? Intermarriage and the Future of Judaism,” with a keynote lecture by Paul Golin, executive director of the Society for Humanistic Judaism, on Saturday, Oct. 28, 1:30-3 p.m. at the Murphy-Wilmot Library, 530 N. Wilmot… Read more »

Olympic swimmer Jason Lezak will present a Mutual of Omaha BREAKOUT! swim clinic on Sunday, Nov. 12, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Tucson Jewish Community Center. A total-person approach to swimming, the clinic can help swimmers break bad habits, build new skills, and uncover hidden talent. The clinic will… Read more »

“The doctor went into the examining room and, leaning over my father, who was still lying on a gurney, he asked in a condescending way, ‘What do you want me to do, Mr. Wyner, make you younger?’ And my father responded with words that will always… Read more »

Tucson’s fourth annual Mega Challah Bake will be held Thursday, Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. at the Tucson Jewish Community Center. The event, for women and girls ages 9 and up, is a joint initiative of Chabad Tucson and the Tucson J with the participation of local congregations and… Read more »