Posts By PHYLLIS BRAUN - AJP Executive Editor

Susan Luskin Kaplan, 95, died Dec. 11, 2014. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Mrs. Kaplan was the daughter of Russian immigrants and fourth in a family of eight siblings. She moved to California after World War II, where she met Danny Luskin, a U.S. army veteran. They had two children;… Read more »

Richard R. Bootzin, 74, died Dec. 4, 2014. Born in Milwaukee, Mr. Bootzin graduated from Washington High School in Milwaukee, earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Purdue University. He was a professor of psychology at Northwestern University for 19… Read more »

Shirley R. Chorney, 79, died Dec. 1, 2014. Born in Providence, R.I., Mrs. Chorney lived mostly in the Boston area before moving to the Tucson area in 1995. During her professional career, she was a marketing executive for Digital Equipment Corp. She was also very active in community organizations… Read more »

Rabbi Israel Becker

There is a specific kosher law pertaining to sirloin steak and filet mignon that contains a hidden message about miracles and survival. This law actually dates back to a dramatic episode recorded in the Torah, when our patriarch Jacob, returning to Israel with his young and large family, was… Read more »

Jewish travel abroad In their travels, Marcia and Michael Zaccaria seek out Jewish venues, observances and connections. In 2010, it was Turkey; in 2011, India; and 2013, Morocco. From Aug. 26-Oct. 14, the couple flew to South Asia to visit Ladakh (India), Bhutan, Nepal, and Tibet (China). The Zaccarias… Read more »

I am writing in response to Anthony Zinman’s recent letter to the editor about the All Souls procession that occurred on Nov. 9 (“Anti-Israel marchers at All Souls troubling,” AJP 11/21/14). I disagree with his characterization that it expressed anti-Semitism. My family, friends and I watched the entire procession… Read more »

I attended the Shirat HaShirim choir concert at the Villa Hermosa retirement home on Dec. 10. The choir, directed by Israeli Rina Paz, performed Israeli and Yiddish songs with a Chanukah theme. The concert’s popularity was apparent by the need to bring in more chairs. Paz lit an electric… Read more »

In her entertaining article “Lose the chip on your shoulder this Christmas” (AJP 12/5/14), Nina Badzin encourages tolerance toward our gentile neighbors, as that is what we “expect” from them. Sadly — in countless cases, tragically — that expectation has frequently been met with intolerance ranging from signs saying… Read more »

The Women’s Philanthropy Advisory Council of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona is seeking nominees for its ninth annual Bryna Zehngut Mitzvot Award, recognizing an outstanding Jewish teenage girl. The award was created to honor the memory of Zehngut, a community leader who died in 2005. Award nominees must… Read more »

Melissa Kosinski-Collins, Ph.D.

Melissa Kosinski-Collins, Ph.D., associate professor of biology at Brandeis University, will speak on “When Good Proteins Go Bad” at a University on Wheels break­fast cosponsored by the Tucson Chapter of the Brandeis National Committee and the Tucson Jewish Community Center on Jan. 8 from 9 to 11 a.m. at… Read more »

Adam and Dana Goldstein at Hava Tequila 2014

“Sequins & Bowties” will be the theme for Hava Tequila, the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona Young Leadership’s annual party. The Jan. 10 event, for ages 21 and over, will include a DJ, dancing, photo booth, dessert bar and signature drinks. “We are building on last year’s success while… Read more »

The Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona has made its three 2015 requests for proposals open to the public. Visit www.jcftucson.org/grant-opportunities to learn about what grants are available, eligibility, funding priorities, and documentation and submission instructions. The Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona is partnering with the Foundation to fund… Read more »

"Joseph and His Coat of Many Colors" by Haya Gibly, age 9

An independent panel of judges has chosen the winners of the Arizona Jewish Post’s “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” art contest, in partnership with Broadway in Tucson. The winners each receive a pair of tickets to the show’s opening night on Jan. 7 at UA Centennial Hall. The… Read more »

Oshrat Barel

  Israeli culture Every year there is an Israeli book or two that tries to shed new light on the complicated situation in Israel. I found two recent books very interesting and in a way even complementary.  “The Industry of Lies” by Ben-Dror Yemini explores the mechanism that causes… Read more »

Amy Hirshberg Lederman

Chanukah is a holiday with many names. Some call it the Festival of Lights, while others refer to it as the Feast of Rededication or the Holiday of Miracles. Its multiplicity of names suggests a variety meanings. The historical version of Chanukah, recorded in the Book of Maccabees, chronicles… Read more »

Lacey Schwart'z film "Little White Lie" tells of her discovery in adulthood that her father was black. (JTA)

The Tucson International Jewish Film Festival, featuring several international award-winning films, Arizona premieres, and special guests, will run Jan. 15-24, 2015. Now in its 24th year, the TIJFF is one of the longest running Jewish film festivals in the country. This year, it will include 19 films over nine… Read more »

Israeli cellist Amit Peled with perform on Jan. 12 at the University of Arizona.

                                      The second Shaol and Louis Pozez Jewish Fine Arts Symposium  and Concert will take place on Monday, Jan. 12, and will explore the lives and music of European composers of… Read more »

Tucsonan Kenneth V. Iserson. M.D., a specialist in emergency medicine, with a newborn under an improvised inclubator in Zambia.

Kenneth V. Iserson, M.D., is a doctor, so he’s expected to help people — but he’s also a humanitarian pioneer. “I’m one of the grandfathers of emergency medicine,” Iserson, home from a two-month stint teaching doctors in Argentina, told the AJP. “I completed the first residency in emergency medicine… Read more »

Julie Zorn, Tucson Jewish Community Center Jewish culture specialist and music specialist, writes  the Tucson Songstress blog. Enjoy her ruminations on family, Judaism, the song of the day — and more.  … Read more »

New U.S. citizen Tommy Fred Taye, flanked by his wife, Bennetta Grant (left), and daughter, Secret Taye, displays his certificate of naturalization at the Evo A. Deconcini U.S. Courthouse in Tucson on Nov. 21. (Sheila Wilensky/AJP)

Amid kudos and controversy following President Barack Obama’s Nov. 20 directive stalling deportation for up to 5 million undocumented immigrants — allowing many to work legally — Tommy Fred Taye became a U.S. citizen. “I never knew that it was Jewish people who were bringing me here,” Taye, now… Read more »