Justice Richard Bernstein He is an Ironman. He’s run 18 marathons, including one just a year after shattering his hip and pelvis in an accident. He’s a graduate of the distinguished Northwestern University School of Law and, since passing the bar, he’s developed into a civil rights powerhouse, having earned numerous verdicts… Read more »
Rep. Martha McSally on the 2015 Republican congressional trip to Israel, after a briefing about the operation of an Iron Dome missile defense battery, seen behind her. (Courtesy Office of U.S. Rep. Martha McSally)
U.S. Rep. Martha McSally joined 25 Republican legislators on a whirlwind trip to Israel earlier this month. McSally, who was elected to represent Arizona’s Second Congressional District last fall and serves on the Armed Services and Homeland Security committees, said she chose to participate in the trip to get… Read more »
Sen. Harry Reid, left, the Senate minority leader, and his likely successor, Sen. Charles Schumer, at a news briefing in Washington, D.C., Feb. 24, 2015. Reid is supporting the Iran deal and Schumer said he will vote against it. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
(JTA) – Does the Iran deal have the votes or not? Though President Barack Obama is vacationing on Martha’s Vineyard and Congress is in recess through Labor Day, there’s plenty of action on the agreement as lawmakers debate whether to vote with their colleagues, constituents, aides or consciences — or… Read more »
Philip A. Pinto The Arizona Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Arizona, together with the College of Science and the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, will present a free panel lecture, “The Iranian Nuclear Agreement: Containment or Catastrophe?” on Thursday, Sept. 17, from 7-8 p.m. in Crowder Hall. Three… Read more »
Project Isaiah, Tucson’s annual High Holy Days food drive benefiting the Community Food bank, begins Sept. 1. The project is named for the Prophet Isaiah, who when asked why we fast on Yom Kippur, responded, “Is it not to share your bread with the hungry?” (Isaiah 58:6). It is… Read more »
Jeremy Kridel The Secular Humanist Jewish Circle will present a lecture Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015, 2-4 p.m. at the Dusenberry-River Library, 5605 E River Road. Practicing lawyer and rabbinical student Jeremy Kridel will discuss “Fact and Fiction; Myth and Metaphor — How Secular Humanist Judaism, a non-theist branch of Judaism, deals… Read more »
Crissi Blake (left) and Nina Isaac, co-owners of Milk and Honey (Jason Blake)
Opening Milk and Honey Breastfeeding and Postpartum Support Center is a dream that was a long time coming for co-owners Nina Isaac and Crissi Blake. The women met 15 years ago, after Isaac’s first child was born. “My baby was colicky and Crissi taught infant massage,” says Isaac. “It… Read more »
Rabbi Billy Lewkowicz, a faculty member at Tucson Hebrew High, leads 10th grade students through an exercise on character development in the digital age on Aug. 11, during the opening program of the 2015-16 school year. (Courtesy Tucson Hebrew High)
What makes someone a mensch (a person of integrity)? Students at Tucson Hebrew High and the Tucson Jewish Community Center will join others worldwide in exploring that question as part of the second annual Character Day, a concept created by filmmaker Tiffany Shlain. Known for her 2005 short film… Read more »
(L-R) Rachel, Maya, Nanci and Douglas Levy with Irving Silverman A visit with a former Tucsonan Irving Silverman, 95, hosted the Levy family of Tucson for dinner on Saturday, July 25 at Newbridge on the Charles — Hebrew Senior Life campus in Dedham, Mass., where Silverman has primarily resided since leaving Tucson in 2011 to be closer to his… Read more »
Allen Derman, 53, died July 9, 2015. Born in the Bronx, N.Y., Mr. Derman was raised in Tucson. He graduated from Rincon High School in 1979 and earned a systems engineering degree from the University of Arizona in 1984. He lived in Denver for the past 20 years. He… Read more »
Beatrice L. Jaffe, 98, died July 11, 2015. Born in Methuen, Mass., Mrs. Jaffe attended college for one year and worked in retail sales and customer service. In 1998, she moved to Tucson to be near family. Mrs. Jaffe was preceded in death by her husband of 65 years, Barney… Read more »
Betty Kay Holpert, 92, died July 26, 2015. Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Mrs. Holpert grew up in a multi-generational immigrant family. She graduated from Brooklyn College in 1944 with a Bachelor of Arts in history and graduated from Pratt Institute in 1945 with a Bachelor of Library… Read more »
Leon M. Kreida, 84, of Oro Valley, died Aug. 2, 2015. Born in Worcester, Mass., Mr. Kreida earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Arizona. He served in the Marines during the Korean War and was in the Army Reserves. He was an insurance salesman and… Read more »
Rabbi Thomas Louchheim In one month, many of us will gather in our synagogues, observing the beginning of the New Year. Ten days later we will fast and be called to look beyond our needs and our yearnings to care for those whose basic needs are not being met. I realize today… Read more »
Elaine Lisberg Elaine Lisberg doesn’t like to live in the past or dwell over what she’s accomplished. “To me, life’s all about moving forward.” A lifelong devotee of Jewish causes and educational nonprofits, Lisberg has transitioned from active volunteer to trained professional, then to professional volunteer and now officially considers herself… Read more »
Allan Mendelsberg at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Great Strides walk in Tucson on March 29
Allan Mendelsberg serves on the community advisory board for the Special Olympics. He began volunteering for the organization when he was a high school student in Denver. “I really enjoyed working with the kids and when I moved to Tucson to attend the University of Arizona, I just stayed… Read more »
Jonathan Ben-Asher It’s time for school, and the view from THA is tremendously exciting! At the eagle’s perspective, you’ll see our beautiful building (designed like a tallit, or prayer shawl) and grounds, ready to embrace teaching and learning every day; our wonderful, engaged, energized community of students, parents, teachers and staff… Read more »
President Barack Obama speaking about the Iran nuclear agreement at American University in Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2015. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
CHICAGO (JTA) — Debaters know that when they are losing an argument, a good tactic is to change the subject. So it goes with the current accusations, completely untethered from reality, that President Obama is resorting to anti-Jewish “dog whistles” in his defense of the nuclear deal with Iran.… Read more »
(L-R): Patrice White, Naomi Present, Max Harris and Barbara Holtzman of Congregation Chaverim are recognized for their service to Poz Cafe at Tucson Interfatih HIV/AIDS Network in March.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a diagnosis of HIV or AIDS was essentially a death sentence. Pharmaceutical representative Patrice White was fresh out of grad school at that time and employed as a social worker for the local hospitals. “It was just awful,” says White of the… Read more »
As students sharpen their pencils and charge their laptops and smartphones for the new school year, Tucson’s Jewish schools are keeping their programs fresh with everything from new electives to new teachers. Temple Emanu-El’s Kurn Religious School will hold a geniza (archive) ceremony field trip as students learn about… Read more »
