Posts By PHYLLIS BRAUN - AJP Executive Editor

SAMANTHA EMILY WEISBAND, daughter of Suzie Penn Weisband and Barry Weisband of Seattle, Wash., will celebrate becoming a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, June 5 at Temple Emanu-El. She is the granddaughter of Robert and Lorraine Penn of Tucson, and Ruthe Schwartz of Los Angeles, Calif. Sami attends Esperero Canyon… Read more »

AMANDA HALEY BRESSLER, daughter of Meryl Bressler and Abraham Bressler, will celebrate becoming a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, June 12 at Congregation Anshei Israel. She is the granddaughter of Marcia and Murray Kraus of Seaford, N.Y. Amanda attends Emily Grey Junior High School where she is an honor student… Read more »

ALYSSA MESHEL MONTGOM­ERY, daughter of Jodie and Brian Montgomery, will celebrate becoming a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, June 5with Congregation Chaverim at La Paloma Country Club. She is the granddaughter of MaraLynn and Herbert Meshel and Patricia and Harvey Montgomery, all of Tucson. Alyssa attends Orange Grove Middle School… Read more »

The Israeli Navy, seen here approaching one of a flotilla of Gaza-bound ships, clashed with Turkish activists aboard one of the ships, the Mavi Marmara. (Moti Milrod/Pool/Flash90/JTA).

ASHDOD, Israel (JTA) — The blurry black-and-white video footage was not what any Israeli wanted to see: elite navy commandos armed with paint ball guns (the pistols were only to be used as a last resort) dangling by a rope onto a boat filled with activists wielding metal bars… Read more »

LOS ANGELES (JTA) — What stands for those who have fallen? As a small boy, I played with green plastic soldiers. Sometimes after they died in backyard battle, I would mark their passing with a little cross made of twigs. Even then it seemed off. This Memorial Day weekend… Read more »

I am simply amazed at the knee-jerk response of liberals – especially Jewish liberals – who are so vehemently opposed to the new Arizona “immigration” law. I guess they haven’t been following the Congress’ actions in recent years. Nearly every part of this new law is an exact copy… Read more »

Mazel tov on your new website, it is terrific! I would like to respond to the article in your 5/21 issue regarding the new immigration bill (“JCRC, Reform rabbis decry Arizona immigration law”). I hope the negative comments came from people who actually read the bill, and I’m truly… Read more »

NEW YORK (Tablet) — Inna Grade, the widow of the Yiddish writer Chaim Grade and a feared enemy of many within in the Yiddish literary world, died May 2. Her age was a matter of some uncertainty, but the rabbi who officiated at her funeral believes that she was… Read more »

“The world is changing so fast, that none of us feels completely prepared for leadership. Engaging with very bright thinkers helps position us,” Stuart Mellan, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona, said during the 5th Saul Tobin Jewish Community Leadership Institute, held in April and… Read more »

BERNARD JACOB SILVERMAN, son of Kris and Bennett Silverman, will celebrate becoming a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, May 22 at Congregation Anshei Israel. He is the grandson of Rosalyn and the late Dr. Alexander Silverman of Pittsburgh, Pa., Linda Robertson of Phoenix, and William Robertson of Prescott, Ariz. Bernard… Read more »

BENJAMIN ARIEL BENITA, son of Dina and Eli Benita, will celebrate becoming a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, May 22 at Congregation Or Chadash. He is the grandson of Ronna and Harold Newburger of Memphis, Tenn., and Rachel and the late Moshe Benita of Jerusalem, Israel. Benjamin attends Orange Grove… Read more »

Passage of SB1070, the state law that requires local police to enforce federal immigration law, has prompted boycotts of Arizona because of possibilities for racial profiling and civil rights violations. The law has not yet gone into effect, but its reach is already being felt at the University of… Read more »

Mary Ellen Loebl with a Mitzvah Magic Chanukah basket

Social action over spring break In March, two University of Arizona students participated in the Jewish National Fund Alternative Spring Break. They were among 250 college students/young adults, ages 18-30, who spent a week in Israel working and volunteering in communities in the Negev. Each was required to raise… Read more »

JOSHUA IAN BLINKOFF, son of Drs. Lauren Kaplan and Scott Blinkoff, will celebrate becoming a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, May 15 at Congregation Anshei Israel. He is the grandson of Rhoda and Irwin Kaplan of Tucson and Tarrytown, N.Y. Joshua attends Tucson Hebrew Academy where he is an honor… Read more »

America is big on holidays, especially those that relate to family members. There’s a holi­day for mothers, a special day for dads and a national grandparents’ day that usually includes a pancake breakfast at preschool. But what inspires these holidays is more than a positive earnings statement from Hallmark… Read more »

Friends and family lift Gabrielle Rubin and Andrew Burgess for the traditional chair dance. Photo: Lyn Sims

Gabrielle Rubin and Andrew Burgess were married Oct. 25, 2009 at Skyline Country Club with Rabbi Robert Eisen, Rabbi Arthur Oleisky and Cantor Ivor Lichterman officiating. Gabrielle is the daughter of Madeline and Barry Friedman and Norman Rubin and Kathy McGuire, and the granddaughter of Murray Rosenbaum and Gert… Read more »

Beth Lapides

Stand-up comic Beth Lapides considers herself a New Age Jew — “Never forget to be here now” is her mantra. Lapides will perform in her new solo show, “100% Happy 88% of the Time,” on Saturday, May 22 at 7:30 p.m. at a benefit for Temple Emanu-El. The performance… Read more »

These past few weeks we, the Jewish people, have faithfully been counting the Omer, numbering each day as we ascend from Passover to Shavuot. After 49 days of reckoning, our reward will be more than just a piece of cheesecake: Tikkun Leil Shavuot, a special, magical and mystical night… Read more »

“When Doris and Bill Rubin thought about what their legacy would be, they realized that they wanted to help those in need move towards self-sufficiency,” says Jewish Community Foundation Executive Director Carol Karsch. Since 2003, the Rubins’ vision has resulted in 76 grants totaling $788,870 through their endowment fund… Read more »

As more than 200 major funders of Jewish nonprofits gathered here last month, signs of the economic carnage of the past 18 months appeared to be waning. The funders were in Phoenix for the annual conference of the Jewish Funders Network, held April 11-13 at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel.… Read more »