Posts By PHYLLIS BRAUN - AJP Executive Editor

After years of fighting against anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union and later in an independent Ukraine, the Ukrainian Jewish community is now confronting a new threat. This threat comes from an unprecedented effort by the Russian government and others to paint a false impression of the state of anti-Semitism… Read more »

If you are looking for a community Passover Seder to attend this year, Tucson’s got you covered. There are first, second, third and seventh night Seders, several chocolate-based festivities and a chance to start the celebrating more than a week before the holiday officially begins. The 18 events below… Read more »

Rabbi Simkha Y. Weintraub

Depression may often seem like an epidemic in today’s so­­­ciety. Rabbi Simkha Y. Weintraub, a rabbi and licensed therapist, will deliver the first keynote address, “The Dark Night of the Soul: Some Jewish Perspectives on Depression,” at the Interfaith Community Services “Faith Com­munities and Mental Illness” conference on April… Read more »

“Why Teach Jewish Women’s History?” Kelly Feinstein-Johnson, Ph.D., will address this question at a Hadassah Southern Arizona Chapter luncheon on Sunday, April 6 at noon at the Five Palms Restaurant, 3500 E. Sunrise Drive. Feinstein-Johnson taught “Jewish Women’s History through Memoir” at Temple Emanu-El’s Adult Education Academy, and is… Read more »

“Border Communities: Issues, Ideas and Initiatives” will be the focus of a breakfast and panel discussion presented by the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona. The event will take place on Friday, April 11 from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. in the Tucson Jewish Community… Read more »

Col. Dr. Eyal Fruchter, head of the IDF Mental Health Department, said he does not see increased violence among members of the Israeli army, but his recent work in attention bias modification supports other research by Professor Golan Shahar about Israeli desensitization to violence.

Fifteen seconds. That’s how long a resident of Sderot has from the time a Code Red alert is announced until a Palestinian rocket strikes the town or is intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system. In other southern Israeli communities, one might have 30 seconds, maybe even a… Read more »

Jaden Blake Boling, son of Kim Boling of Tucson and Tim Boling of Bedford, Ind., will celebrate becoming a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, March 15 with Congregation Cha­verim at the Tucson Jewish Community Center. He is the grandson of Marcia and Ken Light of Tucson and the great-grandson of… Read more »

Alexa Contreras, daughter of Alizda Garma and Moises Contreras of Rio Rico, Ariz., will celebrate becoming a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, March 15 at Temple Emanu-El. She is the granddaughter of Elda and Alfonso Garma of Nogales, Ariz., and Silva and Moises Contreras of Nogales, Sonora. Alexa attends Wade… Read more »

Alexis Hailey Feder, daughter of Anita and Bradley Feder, will celebrate becoming a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, March 22 with Congregation Chaverim at Loews Ventana Canyon. She is the granddaughter of JoAnn Angeles and Jerry and Elayne Feder, all of Tucson. Alexis attends Esperero Canyon Middle School. She enjoys… Read more »

Orson Menashe Lyons, son of Hilary and Patrick Lyons, will celebrate becoming a Bar Mitzvah on March 22 at Congregation Anshei Israel. Orson is a student at BASIS Tucson North. He enjoys chess, biking and reading. For his mitzvah project, he mentored students with Junior El Tour for the… Read more »

Jacob Elijah Peters, son of Annette Hillman and Tom Peters, will celebrate becoming a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, March 22 at Congregation Or Chadash. He is the grandson of Charles Hillman and the late Donna Hillman of Palm Desert, Calif., and the late Robert and Jean Peters of Chicago.… Read more »

(L-R): Lynn Bultman, JCC senior vice president and CFO; Phyllis Braun, AJP executive editor; Kristin Taft, JCC director of special needs services. (Lori Riegel/AJP)

Operation Sandwich Employees of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona and the Tucson Jewish Community Center packed sack lunches on Monday, Feb. 24, for Operation Sandwich, a program that feeds homeless people at the Southside Shelter. Started by Jill Rich, Operation Sandwich provides lunch for 50 homeless people three… Read more »

A son, ARI NATHAN WERT­LIEB, was born Jan. 2, 2014 to Rebecca Light and Josh Wertlieb of Phoenix. Grandparents are Marcia and Ken Light of Tucson and Lorre Polinger and Dr. Donald Wertlieb of West Newton, Mass. Great-grandmothers are Betty Light of Tucson, Geraldine Polinger of Palm Beach, Fla.,… Read more »

BRENNA LACEY will hold a solo exhibit of drawings, paintings, prints and other media at the Jewish Community Foundation, with a wine and cheese reception on Wednesday, March 26 from 5:30-7 p.m. (RSVP to promise@jcftucson.org or 577-0388). The reception is hosted by JCF and The Drawing Studio. Lacey, a… Read more »

This year, EEGEE’S has designated Interfaith Community Services as the primary recipient of its annual coupon booklet program. Each booklet will be available for a $7 donation and contains $48 worth of monthly discounts on eegee’s food purchases. ICS will receive 75 percent of proceeds from coupon booklets offered… Read more »

Merle Supowitz, 80, died Feb. 24, 2014. Born in Stubenville, Ohio, Mr. Supowitz moved to Johnstown, Pa., as a child and graduated from Southmont High School. After graduating, he joined the Navy. After the Navy, he relocated to Tucson and founded Merle’s Automotive, which he sold later in his… Read more »

Nellya Sare, 86, died Feb. 27, 2014. Mrs. Sare was preceded in death by her husband, Ruvin, and son, Samuel. Survivors include her son, Moysey Sare of Tucson; four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Graveside services were held in the Congregation Anshei Israel section of Evergreen Cemetery with Rabbi Yossie… Read more »

Oshrat Barel

Line between life and death/ ­good and evil Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu likes to draw lines, especially red ones, as he claimed at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee national conference earlier this month. What caught me in his speech, to a very welcoming audience, wasn’t the Iranian… Read more »

Rabbis on a Jewish Federations of North America mission to Tbilisi, Georgia, brought a food basket to the family of 10-year-old Nodar Abramishvili, who immediately shared a bag of M&M candies with the visitors. (Courtesy Rabbi Robert Eisen)

On Thursday, March 27, Rabbi Robert Eisen will share insights from his recent visit to the Jewish community of Tbilisi, Georgia, as part of a “Between the Headlines: Tbilisi, Ukraine and the Global Jewish Community” briefing sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona. It also will feature Danny… Read more »

Dr. Pamela Hartzband and Dr. Jerome Groopman (Shelly Harrison Photography)

Understanding your patient and yourself as a physician — and a human being — is the path to the best medical treatment. So say Dr. Jerome Groopman and Dr. Pamela Hartzband, authors of “Your Medical Mind: How to Decide What is Right for You.” Both Harvard Medical School educators… Read more »