Posts By PHYLLIS BRAUN - AJP Executive Editor

Not only is climate change a hot topic, it coincides with Judaism’s long-held value of caring for the environment. “We have an obligation to God as stewards of the earth to not destroy the planet,” says Eve Shapiro, M.D., a local Jewish pediatrician who’s on the board of the… Read more »

The Tucson Jewish Youth Choir, led by Cantor Janece Cohen, is seeking singers for its 14th season. The group, for ages 7-14, performs at major events throughout the Tucson community, such as Tucson Meet Yourself, the Jewish Food Festival and the Israel Festival. Singers also participate in a choir… Read more »

Alexander Tentser and Anna Gendler

Classical pianist Alexander Tentser and his wife, Anna Gendler, a violinist with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, will perform classical and romantic works by Mozart, Schumann, Mendelssohn and Chopin in a concert to benefit Interfaith Community Services. The duo will perform on Saurday, Sept. 21 at 3 p.m. at Rincon… Read more »

George Hanson

The Tucson Symphony Orchestra opens its 85th season on Oct. 4 with music director and conductor George Hanson on the podium. Maestro Hanson, now in his 18th year leading the TSO, is opening the season with an all-Russian program, “Victorious Shostakovich!” He will give a talk on the program… Read more »

Tucson Jewish Community Center President and CEO Ken Light

The Tucson Jewish Com­munity Center will hold “Lighting the J’s Way,” a retirement event to honor Ken Light and his 27 years of service as CEO on Saturday, Oct. 12. The evening, which will begin at 6:30 p.m., will feature a cocktail party and buffet dinner followed by an… Read more »

Rabbi Thomas Louchheim will present “Immigration Reform: A Jewish View” at Hadassah Southern Arizona’s opening luncheon for the 2013-14 season, on Sunday, Sept. 29 at noon at McMahon’s Restaurant, 2959 N. Swan Road. Louchheim was ordained in 1987 and has been the spiritual leader of Congregation Or Chadash since… Read more »

The Tucson Jewish Community Library is now part of the Tucson Association of Jewish Libraries, a joint project of the Coalition for Jewish Education of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona and the Tucson Jewish Community Center. The library, on the second floor of the JCC, has joined with… Read more »

Tucson’s 5th Annual Multi-Faith Pride Service with the theme “Sacred Presence” will be held Sunday, Oct. 6 from 3 to 5:30 p.m. at the Scottish Rite Cathedral, 160 S. Scott Ave. The Wingspan Multi-Faith Working Group and the LGBT Jewish Inclusion Project, a program of the Jewish Federation of… Read more »

Although known for his adventurous spirit, Dick Belkin has never been a motorcycle enthusiast. So his wife, Sherry, was surprised when he hopped on their son-in-law’s bike and said, “Let’s go for a ride.” They never left the curb. (Courtesy Dick Belkin)

                      Once known as Captain Six and later as a captain of the broadcast industry, Dick Belkin was a pioneer in television. Since retiring 25 years ago, he brought that same entrepreneurial spirit to the World Trade Center in… Read more »

People may enroll in the state-based insurance exchanges beginning Oct. 1, with coverage to start Jan. 1, 2014. See www.healthcare.gov/mar ketplace/individual/. Who may enroll? People who are uninsured or who have insurance they buy themselves (such as those who are self-employed or retired early). It is not open to… Read more »

Mike Cracovaner, CEO of New Pueblo Medicine, explains the accountable care organization concept. (Deborah Mayaan)

Many people wonder what will happen as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2011 is put into effect, with coverage for currently uninsured people beginning Jan. 1, 2014. Mike Cracovaner and two other members of the local Jewish community are part of a team developing new approaches… Read more »

Emily Bazelon (Nina Subin)

Emily Bazelon doesn’t hesitate to take on big social issues. “I was raised to see Judaism in terms of ethical precepts,” Bazelon told the AJP. The author of “Sticks and Stones: Defeating the Culture of Bullying and Rediscovering the Power of Character and Empathy” will speak in Tucson on… Read more »

(L-R): Tayvien Williams, Vianney Careaga, Marissa Pena and Rachel Mayer at the Tucson Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington on Aug. 28. (Frank Youdelman)

Armory Park was the scene of the Tucson Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington on Aug. 28. Around 150 people listened as four young people, representing African American, Native American, Hispanic and Anglo societal groups, read segments of Dr. Martin Luther King’s famous “I… Read more »

Southwest Torah Institute’s Women’s Academy for Jewish Studies will hold a free brunch and presentation, “Where is G-d leading me?” with Esther Becker on Sunday, Oct. 6 at 9:30 a.m. at Congregation Chofetz Chayim. Becker’s talk is based on “The Map Seeker: One Woman’s Quest” by Leah Kotkes, the… Read more »

“The Last Bully: Stopping Epidemics of Violence” is the 2013-14 theme of the first Media Making a Difference film series, sponsored by the Aurora Foundation, Tucson International Jewish Film Festival, Loft Cinema and the Fund for Civility, Respect and Understanding. “Submit the Documentary: The Virtual Reality of Cyberbullying” will… Read more »

Positive Jewish experiences in college may predict greater future involvement with Judaism. And if that’s the case, the new director of student life at the University of Arizona Hillel Foundation, Ryan Wolo­shin, says he’s raring to go. Woloshin arrived on campus from Virginia in mid-July. He will focus on… Read more »

Hadassah Southern Arizona will form a young women’s special interest group this fall for women 45 and under. “There are a lot of younger people who are members but don’t really use their memberships. We’d like to get them to come out, get involved and make some positive changes… Read more »

(L-R) Stuart Mellan, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona; Capt. Mark Lytle, Green Valley Fire District; Capt. Rich Johnson, Tucson Fire Department; Lt. Thomas Tucker, Tucson Airport Fire District; Mike McKendrick, chairman, Greater Tucson Fire Foundation; Capt. Kyle Canty, Northwest Fire District; and Battalion Chief Kelly McCoy, Northwest Fire District, outside the JFSA office (Phyllis Braun/AJP)

The Greater Tucson Fire Foundation has announced Firefighters Without Borders, a two-week mission that will send local Arizona firefighters to Israel in October to learn from their Israeli counterparts. The firefighters will travel as private citizens, but their resumes reflect expertise with nearly a dozen local fire departments and… Read more »

Yemenite Cabbage Salad (Lori Riegel)

When I was growing up our go-to cookbook for Jewish holidays was “Tradition in the Kitchen,” published in 1976 by the sisterhood of our synagogue, North Suburban Beth El in Highland Park, Ill. My mom had a few copies and gave me one when I moved into my first… Read more »

On Yom Kippur, when we beat our chests during the confession, maybe we should be knocking instead on our heads. After all, isn’t that where all the trouble starts? On this most physically demanding of Jewish days, Jewish tradition has us beat the heart side of our chests, as… Read more »