Posts By PHYLLIS BRAUN - AJP Executive Editor

The Secular Humanist Jewish Circle will hold an observance of Rosh Ha­sha­nah and Yom Kippur on Saturday, Oct. 1 at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tucson, 4831 E. 22nd St. Rabbi Jack Silver, newly ordained secular humanist rabbi who is a member of Congregation Or Adam in Phoenix, will… Read more »

Laura Lauder

“Act on your passion” is philanthropist Laura Lauder’s overriding message for women. “Many people are afraid that others aren’t going to be supportive of what they’re interested in doing,” she told the AJP, “but actually if you act on your passion then others will see you as a model”… Read more »

Twenty-four Israelis and Palestinians came together as a “Peace Team” to play Australian-rules football. (Jonathan Davis/JTA)

      SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA — Sulaiman Khatib is an ordinary Palestinian with an extraordinary past. Born in the West Bank near Jerusalem, he grew up as a “freedom fighter,” as he describes it, fighting against the Israeli occupation by throwing stones and preparing Molotov cocktails. But in 1986,… Read more »

Academy Award-winner Helen Mirren stars as retired secret agent Rachel Singer in John Madden’s espionage thriller "The Debt." Laurie Sparham/Focus Features)

      A taut, beautifully crafted thriller with an Israeli accent, “The Debt” is easily and best appreciated as edge-of-your-seat entertainment. At the same time, though, the English-language remake of the 2007 Israeli film “Ha-Hov” echoes a question raised far more egregiously by “Inglourious Basterds” but otherwise rarely… Read more »

Tifereth Israel Congregation in New Bedford, Mass., is looking for former members and their descendants for its 90th anniversary celebration in November 2011. Please email Milton Goodman, executive director, at mgoodman@tinewbedford.org or contact the congregation through its Facebook page.… Read more »

On Sunday, Aug. 21, Ira Kerem, the TIPS (Tucson Israel Phoenix Seattle) partnership representative in Israel, reported that following the killing of eight Israelis along the border with Egypt by terrorists based in Gaza, the Israeli air force launched attacks into Gaza.  “Since then almost 100 missiles have been fired from… Read more »

In the last several weeks Israel has been going through one of the biggest waves of protest ever. The people in the street are calling for social justice. Most protestors define themselves as middle class. They’re raising a cry over the high cost of living and the unequally spread… Read more »

Frank (Waldemar Torenstra) and Esther (Anna Drijver) in ‘Bride Flight’

Half an hour into the richly layered Dutch saga “Bride Flight,” you’d never imagine that a menorah would become the film’s most affecting and enduring symbol. At that point, we’re scarcely aware that there’s a Jewish character in this first-rate romantic drama, which centers on a quartet of 20-something… Read more »

(L-R): David Updegraff, Bob Kovitz, Kathleen Cannon, Babe McGuire, Scott Berg and Robyn Austin in “Elevator”

“Elevator,” a play about six people trapped inside a World Trade Center elevator on Sept. 11, 2001,  debuted in Tucson at the Pima Community College Proscenium Theater, Sept. 1-4. Based on facts about the elevator system in the twin towers, the play begins a few minutes before the first… Read more »

(Tel Aviv) — Working out can help you shed pounds — but that’s just the beginning. New research from Tel Aviv University has found that “endurance exercises,” like a Central Park jog or a spinning class, can make us look younger. Exercise unlocks the stem cells of our muscles.… Read more »

Fran Donnellan

If you’re a baby boomer lucky enough to have aging parents, chances are you’ve been noticing changes in your parents’ activity level, health, diet or mental state. You want to help, but you’re not always sure how. You need information, but don’t always know where to turn. In this… Read more »

Sharon Arkin (Sheila Wilensky)

In her 40s, Sharon Arkin had an epiphany. “I can still do the kinds of things I did when I was 18,” she realized. “I’ve never really changed very much.” Arkin, who turned 72 last month, maintains a list of activities that might stagger an 18-year-old. She’s a clinical… Read more »

It’s hard to think of a more innocuous word for most American Jews than “community.” But in France, things aren’t so simple. France’s national ethos frowns upon displays of ethnic difference. So for many French Jews, the word “community” conveys a sense of separatism and insularity that clashes with… Read more »

Marc Stanely

I was amused by Adam Serwer’s recent blog post titled “Is Bibi anti-Israel?” in which he pointed out that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conditionally offered this month to negotiate with the Palestinians using the pre-1967 borders as a framework. Amazingly, there was no outcry by American Jews that… Read more »

Morton A. Klein

It’s high time to face an unpleasant fact: President Obama and Israel are not on the same page. This has been true ever since Obama took office in January 2009, but it was most recently apparent this May when the president ambushed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with an… Read more »

Tucsonan Bobby Present, right, defeated Barry Danser of London, left. (Courtesy Bobby Present)

Tucsonan Bobby Present competed in the Maccabi Games in Vienna, Austria, this summer, playing in the masters tennis men’s 55+ category — and doing well until an injury forced him to default for the first time in his tennis career. “It was unfortunate timing,” he told the AJP, because… Read more »

It has been interesting to read the spate of letters in the last issue of the Arizona Jewish Post, mostly responding to letters in the previous issue disagreeing with Guy Gelbart’s opinions on the Steadfast Hope series. I always prefer for there to be open airing of issues, and… Read more »

The Men’s Club of Beth Shalom Temple Center has launched a free “Offbeat Film Retrospective,” with screenings on the first and third Thursday of each month at 1 p.m. Many of the films reflect the Jewish experience in the diaspora, directly or indirectly, says men’s club president Merle Sobol.… Read more »

Temple Emanu-El is bringing back its free “Taste of Judaism” classes for the 12th year. Nearly 4,000 people have completed the course through Temple Emanu-El, which now offers five sessions at locations through­out Tucson. Rabbis Samuel M. Cohon and Jason Holtz will lead an interactive exploration of the history… Read more »

Congregation Anshei Israel is continuing “Rosh Hodesh: It’s a Girl Thing!” for a fourth year. The nationwide program uses Jewish teachings to help pre-teen and teenage girls make healthy life choices and features an informal setting, small group size, and carefully designed activities. The program is free and is… Read more »