Marc Mezvinsky and Chelsea Clinton during their wedding ceremony, July 31, 2010 (Genevieve de Manio) Millennia ago, before rabbis existed or conversion was invented, thousands who were not born Jewish became part of the Jewish community through a very simple act: They married a Jew. Sarah was the first, followed in turn by Rebecca, Leah and Rachel. Thousands more followed — both biblical characters… Read more »
(L-R): Stuart Shatken, president of the Jewish Community Foundation board of trustees, Andy Shatken and author Chris Farrell at the JCF funders forum on March 16.
For many aging Americans, traditional ideas of retirement are changing. On March 16, the Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona hosted a funders forum with Chris Farrell, author of “Unretirement: How Baby Boomers Are Changing the Way We Think About Work, Community and the Good Life” (Bloomsbury Press). Speaking… Read more »
This week, the Tucson Jewish Community Center launched a new 12-week series, the BEST Protocol for Osteoporosis, with instructor Mary T. Maher, M.S., A.C.S.M.-C.P.T. The three-day-a-week program is based on the Bone Estrogen Strength Training study conducted by the University of Arizona between 1995 and 2001. The protocol’s goals… Read more »
Participants at Tucson Hebrew Academy’s STEM festival on Sunday, May 3 can drive award-winning robots, investigate a mock crime scene or play a giant video game with their feet. Presented by THA’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) program, the family-oriented festival will run 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.… Read more »
Donna Moser and Audrey Brooks Women of the Year Audrey Brooks and Donna Moser and Man of the Year Steve Kippur head the list of 2015 award winners the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona will honor at its annual meeting and awards celebration, which will be held Thursday, May 7 at 7 p.m. at… Read more »
Cantor Janece Cohen To mark Cantor Janece Cohen’s 25 years of service as a congregational cantor, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion is granting her a Doctorate of Sacred Music, Honoris Causa. On Saturday, May 9, Congregation Or Chadash will honor Cohen for this achievement with a gala dinner. Cohen has been… Read more »
American weightlifter David Berger was one of 11 members of the Israeli team killed by Palestinian terrorists at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. (Courtesy Barbara Berger)
Security was lax entering and leaving the 1972 Olympic Village in Munich. Barbara Berger knows this firsthand, because she was there on Sept. 3, 1972 to watch her 28-year-old brother, David Berger, an American, lift weights as a member of the Israeli Olympic team. The next morning, Berger and… Read more »
Rabbi Arthur Oleisky You may not know this, but every anniversary is (according to a tradition probably created by Hallmark) associated with a particular gift — paper for the first, tin for the 10th, diamonds for the 60th. The 85th anniversary is the diamond and sapphire anniversary. Both stones because, let’s face… Read more »
Siddhartha Mukherjee (Copyright Deborah Feingold)
Siddhartha Mukherjee, M.D., presented cancer’s story of major tragedy and future hope to more than 400 people at the Sixth Annual Cindy Wool Memorial Seminar on Humanism in Medicine at the Fox Tucson Theatre on March 31. The Pulitzer-Prize winning author of “The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography… Read more »
David Siegel Tech Parks Arizona will host the Consul General of Israel, David Siegel, on April 29 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the University of Arizona Hillel Foundation, 1245 E 2nd St. Siegel’s talk will be part of a briefing on the Tech Parks Arizona Global Advantage business attraction program… Read more »
The Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona’s board development committee, chaired by Shelly Silverman, has recommended the following slate of officers for the 2015-2016 program year: Tom Warne, chair; Eric Schindler, vice chair/board development chair; Helaine Levy, vice chair; Jim Wezelman, treasurer/secretary; Kathryn Unger, immediate past chair. Nominated as directors… Read more »
A parade led by the University of Arizona marching band kicks off Tucson’s 2013 Israel Festival.
Blue and white Israeli flags waving on the campus of the Tucson Jewish Community Center will soon signal “Tucson Celebrates Israel,” a week of community-wide commemorations and festivities. From April 19 to 26, Tucson community members are invited to participate in events ranging from a 7 p.m. screening of… Read more »
MARTIN REICHGOTT, head swim coach at the TUCSON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER, has been selected as the lead swim coach for the youth division of the U.S. delegation to the 13th Pan American Maccabi Games, to be held Dec. 26-Jan. 5 in Santiago, Chile. Reichgott is in his third year… Read more »
Former Tucsonan RUSSELL WIENER and bandmates in the Los Angeles-based The Title Trackers recently released “Lost Title Tracks.” The vinyl album (with a CD in the package) of classic album title song spoofs has received rave reviews in the L.A. Times and other publications. Wiener attended Tucson Hebrew Academy,… Read more »
See Jane sing The University of Arizona Hillel Foundation held its annual fundraising event on Sunday, March 8 at Centennial Hall. Emmy and Golden Globe award winner Jane Lynch, known for her portrayal of Sue Sylvester on television’s “Glee,” combined acerbic wisecracks with engaging song styling in a cabaret-style… Read more »
Sanford B. Livingston, 85, died March 15, 2015. Mr. Livingston owned Livingston’s Offset Printing in downtown Tucson since 1957. Survivors include his wife, Carol Baum Livingston; and children, David (Deborah) Livingston and Randy A. Livingston. Private services were held, with burial in the Temple Emanu-El section of Evergreen Cemetery.… Read more »
Harold Leinwand, 95, died March 14, 2015. Mr. Leinwand grew up in New York City where he graduated from The City College of New York. A short time later he joined the U.S. Army and served during World War II. Upon leaving the Army, Mr. Leinwand rejoined the accounting… Read more »
Mina Veksler, 79, died March 11, 2015. Dr. Veksler was born and raised in Kiev, Ukraine. At the age of 6, when Kiev was occupied by Nazis, she was evacuated with her mother to Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Her father did not make the train and is presumed to have died… Read more »
Lola Maas (left) and Lindsay Migdal at the Flo Rida, Aer and Kap Slap concert at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta during the BBYO International Convention. BBYO International Convention Over Presidents Day weekend, more than 2,200 Jewish teens from across the globe gathered in Atlanta for the largest BBYO International Convention ever. Lola Maas, a freshman at Tucson High Magnet School and member of Kadimah BBG, and Lindsay Migdal, Tucson BBYO city director, participated in… Read more »
This year’s Yom HaShoah community-wide Holocaust commemoration, exploring the many dimensions of liberation from the perspective of liberators and the liberated, will take place on Sunday, April 19 at 2 p.m. at Congregation Anshei Israel. “May I see the other ladies?” he asked. “Ladies!” my brain repeated. He probably… Read more »
