Jonathan Ben-Asher The Tucson Hebrew Academy board of trustees has appointed Jonathan Ben-Asher as interim head of school. To establish a strong transition, Ben-Asher started last week and will assume full leadership of the school in July. Arthur Yavelberg, the current head of school, is leaving to take a position in… Read more »
Passover foods. Two words. Oy vey! I start moaning and complaining about Passover weeks before its arrival. Seder foods aside, which I actually enjoy, the intermediary days can be dreadful, as far as dietary restrictions are concerned. Besides refraining from eating gluten, grains, etc., I do not eat meat,… Read more »
For more than 30 years, my relationship with Jewish federations, Israel Bonds, the America Israel Public Affairs Committee, J Street and Hillel has been the focus of my life. I have chaired federation and Israel Bonds campaigns, led and helped create Jewish day schools in both Milwaukee and Tucson,… Read more »
A normal to-do list for a 13-year-old probably wouldn’t include a 30-city global headliner musical tour, but Ethan Bortnick is no average Jewish teen. Bortnick’s ability to enthrall audiences with his uncanny musical ear and astonishing talent on the piano has led him to be named as one of… Read more »
SUSAN SILVERMAN has been selected as interim coordinator of the JEWISH FEDERATION OF SOUTHERN ARIZONA LGBT JEWISH INCLUSION PROJECT. Silverman succeeds Ellen Freeman, who has retired but will continue to work with the project as a lay leader. Silverman also serves as an interim consultant for Growing Alternative Resource… Read more »
Andrea Veytia, daughter of Yardena and Roberto Veytia, will celebrate becoming a Bat Mitzvah on April 12 at Temple Emanu-El. She is the granddaughter of Elda Garma Chait and Manual Garma of Nogales, Ariz. Andrea attends La Cima Middle School. She enjoys soccer, softball, basketball and volleyball. For her… Read more »
Lily Isabel Wexler, the daughter of Allison and Michael Wexler, will celebrate becoming a Bat Mitzvah on April 12 at Congregation Or Chadash. She is the granddaughter of Charlene and Sam Wexler of Chicago and Jerry and Sue Zandman of New York. Lily attends Esperero Canyon Middle School. She… Read more »
Native Tucsonan GAYLE GALE received a certificate of recognition from the city of Los Angeles for her Kids for Peace tile mural “The Market of Peace, Happiness and Good Health,” created with 75 second graders from Hancock Park elementary school in Los Angeles and children from around the world.… Read more »
Herschel and Jill Rosenaweig (Chris Mooney) Jill and Herschel Rosenzweig will be honored next month at the annual Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Southern Arizona Celebration of Caring luncheon. Jill is chair of the JFCS board and Herschel, a psychiatrist, has been a volunteer consultant to JFCS clinicians for more than 20 years. “This… Read more »
Myq Kaplan Comedian Myq Kaplan has appeared on “The Tonight Show,” “The Late Show with David Letterman,” “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” and his own Comedy Central Presents special. In 2010 he performed in Tucson in the Last Comic Standing Tour. Next month, he’s bringing his act back to… Read more »
Karina Reizman and Rabbi Ben Herman announce their engagement. The bride-to-be is the daughter of Robin and Ben Dishman of San Diego and Aaron Reizman of Long Beach, Calif. Karina will receive a Bachelor of Arts in family and human development from the University of Arizona in May and… Read more »
Lara and Kim Gould Troop appreciation On Jan. 8, the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona Young Women’s Cabinet hosted its second annual Mahj and Mitzvahs event at the Tucson Hebrew Academy. With 55 in attendance, including YWC co-chairs Dana Goldstein and Sarah Singer, the group played the Chinese tile game and assembled care… Read more »
Reid Harris Margolis Kotwica, 36, died March 3, 2014 in West Hollywood, Calif. A Tucson native, Mr. Kotwica attended the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education in Hermosillo, Mexico for a year before transferring to the University of Arizona where he obtained a degree in Spanish, communications and… Read more »
Norbert F. Muhlrad, 91, died March 11, 2014. Mr. Muhlrad was born in Vienna, Austria. A Holocaust survivor, Mr. Muhlrad escaped to the United States. and served in the U.S. Army Military Government during World War II. He worked as a sales rep for children’s clothing. Survivors include his… Read more »
Rabbi Helen T. Cohn When asked, “What is your name?” we generally respond with our first name or perhaps our full legal name. But each of us has many names, and occasionally it is worthwhile to consider what they are and what they say about us. Our names reveal something about our origins… Read more »
Planning Passover meals is always a wonderful challenge. For the Seders, most of us focus on traditional family recipes because they are tried and proven, and because everyone likes them (and often asks for these favorites dishes). But what about the remaining six days of meals? Once the big… Read more »
Artifacts filmmaker Arnon Goldfinger found in his grandparents’ Tel Aviv apartment reveal a troubling story. A special screening of “The Flat” will take place at the Tucson Jewish Community Center on Sunday, March 30 at 3 p.m. The documentary, in Hebrew/German/English with subtitles, was released in September 2011 in Israel, where it played continuously for 13 months. At age 98, director Arnon Goldfinger’s grandmother… Read more »
Pima Community College has posted its Family Heritage Project website at www.pima.edu/community/the-arts/family-heritage.html. The project was conceived by Todd Poelstra, director of PCC’s production of “Fiddler on the Roof,” in celebration of the musical’s themes of tradition and family. The project includes more than 125 photographs and stories submitted by… Read more »
Can you play a sad, beautiful Hebrew-speaking Israeli in her 30s? The Invisible Theatre will be holding auditions for this female character and two male characters on Sunday, March 30 at 5 p.m. for “Handle With Care,” a romantic comedy by Jason Odell Williams. The play will be part… Read more »
It is no secret that when Israel’s government announced this past September that we would be returning to the table to negotiate with the Palestinians, I was not optimistic about the prospects of this latest round of talks. I knew that as much as we desire peace and normalcy… Read more »
