Posts By PHYLLIS BRAUN - AJP Executive Editor

This is a developing story. (JTA) — Stephen Bannon is leaving his position as White House chief strategist. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that Friday was Bannon’s last day in the role. “White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and Steve Bannon have mutually agreed today… Read more »

(JTA) — President Donald Trump has decided to remove White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon. Two administration officials told The New York Times on Friday about Trump’s decision. However, they cautioned that the president might not act on his decision for “some time.” A source close to Bannon told the Times… Read more »

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (JTA) — The white supremacists, for all their vaunted purpose, appeared to be disoriented. Some 500 had gathered at a park here Saturday to protest this southern Virginia city’s plans to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from the park. Pressured by the American Civil Liberties… Read more »

(JTA) — They believe the “white race” is in danger. They believe the United States was built by and for white people and must now embrace fascism. They believe minorities are taking over the country. And they believe an international Jewish conspiracy is behind the threat. These are the… Read more »

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (JTA) — Michael Signer, the Jewish mayor of Charlottesville, has one thing in common with the white supremacists who descended on his southern Virginia city over the weekend: He also opposed the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. Of course, Signer’s reasons for… Read more »

  WASHINGTON (JTA) — Emily’s List, the organization that encourages women to run for office, reported in April that inquiries from women about running for office on the local, state and national level have skyrocketed — from 900 during the 2016 election cycle to 11,000 since Donald Trump’s election as president. How… Read more »

KHATYN, Belarus (JTA) — Even by Soviet standards, the massive memorial complex near Minsk to the victims of Nazi atrocities stands out for its immense scale and ambition. Spread across half a million square feet — roughly the size of 10 football fields — the haunting Khatyn Memorial is… Read more »

(JTA) — Curious George — that curious little monkey — is beloved by millions of readers around the world. His adventures with the Man With the Yellow Hat impart important life lessons amidst silliness and mayhem. But many people probably don’t know that the children’s book character was actually… Read more »

WASHINGTON (JTA) — Amid a furor over his delay in denouncing a white supremacists’ rally in specific terms, President Donald Trump condemned the “racist violence” at the Charlottesville event and declared that “racism is evil.” “Racism is evil and those who cause violence in its name are criminals and… Read more »

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(JTA) The Israeli-American teenager accused of making hundreds of threats against Jewish community centers in the United States sold his bomb threat services. (The Tucson Jewish Community Center was among the facilities threatened, with one incident in February and another in March.) Michael Kadar, 19, from Ashkelon in southern… Read more »

(JTA) A bipartisan array of former top national security officials urged President Donald Trump to stick to the Iran nuclear deal, saying that war with Iran is “more imaginable” today than it has been in five years. The statement was published Tuesday on the website of the magazine of… Read more »

Israeli scouts entertain More than 200 people enjoyed a performance by the Israel Scouts, part of the annual Tzofim Friendship Caravan U.S. tour, at the Tucson Jewish Community Center on Thursday, June 29. The scouts dance and sing songs in Hebrew and English. Founded in 1973, the first Caravan… Read more »

The JEWISH FEDERATION OF SOUTHERN ARIZONA has hired CLAUDIA LOPEZDIAZ as the new office assistant. LopezDiaz will have a variety of administrative duties in addition to serving as receptionist. She earned a Bachelor of Science in physiotherapy at the University of Cape Town and is currently completing her dissertation… Read more »

Jake Ashton Centuori, son of Kim Paskal and Steve Centuori, will become a bar mitzvah on Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017 at Congregation Or Chadash. He is the grandson of the late Herbert Paskal and the late Evelyn McNeill, both of Tucson. Jake attends Orange Grove Middle School. He enjoys… Read more »

Erica Amara Bickart, daughter of Erin Bickart, will celebrate becoming a bat mitzvah on Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017 at Temple Emanu-El. She is the granddaughter of Fran and Jeff Bickart of Tucson. Erica attends Marana Middle School where she is on the honor roll and the volleyball team. She… Read more »

JOEL BRESLER, a resident of Oro Valley, has published a new comedic novel, “The Moskowitz Code” (Tasfil Publishing, LLC), in which Mike Moskowitz finds his life turned “tush-over-teakettle” when his doctor makes a typo in his medical record. Bresler’s previous books include “Sunderwynde Revisited” and “Letters to be Read… Read more »

Carolyn Rosen Kippur Hein, 84, died July 30, 2017. Mrs. Hein was born in Denver and was active in the Jewish community there, including organizing the first ORT chapter, volunteering for BMH/BJ (a modern Orthodox synagogue), and fundraising for Yeshiva Toras Chayim. Mrs. Hein was predeceased by her son… Read more »

A. Steven Ulin, M.D., died July 7, 2017, just two weeks shy of his 100th birthday. Dr. Ulin was born in Philadelphia and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and University of Pennsylvania Medical School. After his service with the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, he… Read more »

The Tucson Jewish community’s new shinshinim arrived July 31, and the two teen emissaries from Israel couldn’t be more excited. Chen Dinatzi and Tamir Shecory, both 18, were among 115 Israeli high school graduates, out of more than 2,000 applicants, selected for the Jewish Agency for Israel’s Shinshinim Young… Read more »