Mark Frederick (left) and Brandon Katz participate in a weekly art class at the Tucson Jewish Community Center’s Taglit program. (Photo: Travis Fischer) Participants in the Tucson Jewish Community Center’s Taglit program for young adults have a wide range of disabilities, both cognitive and physical. Still, the special needs program offers an extensive schedule of daily activities for the program’s 20 full-time participants, ages 19 to 35. Whether it’s yoga, karate, fitness… Read more »
The Noah Warren Cohen Scholarship has been established in memory of Noah Warren Cohen, a young man with great enthusiasm for social causes and compassion for those less fortunate. Noah died in 2010 at the age of 12 and his family has established a scholarship fund that will award… Read more »
The Galina, a replica of a typical refugee ship, at The Atlit ‘Illegal’ Immigrant Detention Camp in Israel (Sheila Wilensky/AJP) Sheila Wilensky was in Israel in January with the American Jewish Press Association. Prior to Israel’s establishment as a state in 1948, Jews from around the world tried to settle there. But it wasn’t easy. Coming from Arizona, where we constantly hear about “illegals,” it was new history for… Read more »
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu greets President Obama at a welcome ceremony for the president at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, March 20, 2013 (Miriam Alster/Flash90/JTA) TEL AVIV (JTA) — President Obama began his first presidential visit to Israel with an airport speech calling the United States the “strongest ally and greatest friend” of Israel. “Why does the U.S. stand with Israel?” Obama asked the crowd at the welcoming ceremony Wednesday afternoon at Ben-Gurion Airport. “We… Read more »
A kosher food blog by Tucson’s own Lori Riegel, currently development director for Southern Arizona at Arizona’s Children Association, and a former AJP sales executive. Read it here.… Read more »
Evelyn Barbarosh Bersh, 101, died Feb. 23, 2013. Mrs. Bersh was born in Newark, N.J., raised her family in South Orange, N.J. , where she volunteered at the National Jewish Home for Asthmatic Children, and moved to Tucson in 1972. Playing piano by ear since age eight, Mrs. Bersh… Read more »
Barbara A. Harow, 76, died Feb. 19, 2013. Mrs. Harow is survived by her son, Jay Harow of Tucson; brother, Eric Bernhardt of Pennsylvania; sister, Judith Steo of North Carolina; four grandchildren; and former husband, Marvin L. Harow. Graveside services were held in the Temple Emanu-El section of Evergreen… Read more »
Gerald Blum, 88, died Dec. 29, 2012. Born in New York City, Mr. Blum graduated from Stuyvesant High School in 1942 and New York University in 1949. He served in the Army Air Force and fought in China during World War II. In 1989, Mr. Blum retired as president… Read more »
ALICE STEINFELD is one of five women being honored by Tu Nidito Children & Family Services as “Remarkable Moms” at its annual gala on May 11. A psychotherapist in private practice, Steinfeld is a volunteer with CHAI Circle, a support group for Jewish women with cancer, and Dream Street… Read more »
ALEXANDER SHAOL BERNSTEIN, son of Harriette Levitt and Michael Bernstein, will celebrate becoming a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, March 9 at Congregation Young Israel. He is the grandson of Carol and the late Dr. Jay Bernstein of West Bloomfield, Mich., and the late Sady and Morris Levitt. Alex attends… Read more »
ELENA SHEA ECELBARGER, daughter of Bess and Paul Ecelbarger, will celebrate becoming a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, March 16 at Temple Emanu-El. She is the granddaughter of Judi and Bob Rubin, Laura and Jack Obzrut, and Mark Thaler, all of Tucson. Elena attends Gridley Middle School, where she is… Read more »
Tel Aviv — Researchers have long been fascinated by the secrets of Ramat Rahel, located on a hilltop above modern-day Jerusalem. The site of the only known palace dating back to the kingdom of Biblical Judah, digs have also revealed a luxurious ancient garden. Since excavators discovered the garden… Read more »
Israeli filmmaker Dror Moreh embarked on “The Gatekeepers” with the intention of stirring things up. He has everyone’s attention now, with his film playing to sellout audiences at home and opening across the United States last month on the buzz of an Academy Award nomination for documentary feature.… Read more »
Rabbi Ben Herman Surprise: It’s Happy New Year time again! Did you know that there are four Jewish new years, one of which, Rosh Chodesh Nissan, will occur this coming Tuesday, March 12? According to the first Mishnah in Tractate Rosh Hashanah: “The first of Nissan is the new year for kings… Read more »
Guy Gelbart Is Judaism a religion or is it not? This is the question I posted on my Facebook page, Tucson Shaliach Guy Gelbart, with the intention of creating a thought-provoking discussion. I shared a link to a YouTube video of a talk by my friend Avraham Infeld, president of the… Read more »
Francine Hermelin Levite and Edgar Bronfman have been using unique versions of the Passover haggadah for years. Now both have decided to publish their versions of the Exodus story. Hermelin Levite, 43, the mother of three school-aged children, is the author of “My Haggadah: Made it Myself,” (http://madeitmyselfbooks.com), an… Read more »
Naomi Schuster, UA Hillel director of student life (left) and Holocaust survivor Yuliya Genina paint ceramic butterflies for the Butterfly Project, to be displayed around Tucson in the coming months. Participants at the UA Holocaust Vigil will have the opportunity to paint butterflies. (Amy Gould) The University of Arizona Hillel Foundation’s Annual Holocaust Vigil — a 24-hour program dedicated to Holocaust remembrance — will take place on the UA mall from Wednesday, March 20 at noon until Thursday, March 21 at noon. This year’s theme is “Silence Helps the Oppressors.” The event will include… Read more »
Jane Ash, one of the founders of the Bryna Zehngut Mitzvot Award, left, and Ital Ironstone with framed print by Julie Szerina Stein. (Marth Lochert) The Advisory Council of the Women’s Philanthropy of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona awarded Ital Ironstone its seventh annual Bryna Zehngut Mitzvot Award at the Connections brunch on Sunday, March 3. The award recognizes an outstanding Jewish teenage girl. The council, which includes past Women’s Philanthropy chairs and… Read more »
David Graizbord David Graizbord, Ph.D., associate professor of Judaic studies at the Arizona Center for Judaic Studies, will present “Kaballah, What is it, Really and What does it Matter (Especially if You are Not a Hasid or Neo-Hasid)” at a Hadassah Southern Arizona luncheon on Sunday, March 17 at noon at… Read more »
Jewish War Veterans Friedman-Paul Post 201 will sponsor a lunch meeting on Sunday, March 17 at noon in honor of the 117th anniversary of the national veterans’ organization. The guest speaker will be James Ross, administrator of the Arizona State Veteran Home in Tucson. Jewish War Veterans of the… Read more »
