Posts By PHYLLIS BRAUN - AJP Executive Editor

(JTA) — Rep. Ted Deutch, a Jewish Democrat from South Florida, called out lawmakers from both parties for anti-Semitism in a passionate address on the House floor Thursday. Deutch in his address wanted a stand-alone resolution condemning anti-Semitism. Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives were going to vote… Read more »

NEW YORK (JTA) — Neshama Carlebach says she is figuring out how “to both love and not love” her father. Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, a spiritual leader and musician whose soulful melodies penetrated the hearts of people across the religious spectrum, is the man who made her into who she is… Read more »

(JTA) — A Belgian court convicted Mehdi Nemmouche, a French Islamist, of murdering four people in a terrorist attack at the Jewish Museum of Belgium in 2014. Nemmouche’s accomplice, Nacer Bendrer, was also found guilty of aiding the attacker during the reading of the verdict Thursday. They have not… Read more »

WASHINGTON (JTA) — The best thing everyone except for the Israelis and Palestinians can do when the Trump administration reveals its peace plan is to be supportive, Trump’s chief negotiator said. And nothing else. “It really is up to the Israelis and the Palestinians; they’re the ones who will… Read more »

(JTA) — An escape room in Greece that had raised the hackles of the Jewish community has dropped the name Schindler’s List. The Great Escape company changed the name to Secret Agent, the German news website Deutsche Welle reported. One of the company’s eight games and among the most popular, Schindler’s… Read more »

(JTA) — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit Israel this month with the country in the throes of an election campaign. Pompeo will be in Israel on March 20 for a summit involving Israel, Greece and Cyprus, Axios reported. State Department spokesman Robert Palladino told reporters that Pompeo’s… Read more »

JERUSALEM (JTA) — At least three explosive devices carried by balloons from Gaza to southern Israel have detonated in Israeli territory. One of the explosives landed between two buildings in a Gaza border community on Monday before detonating, but did not cause any damage. The Israel Defense Forces responded… Read more »

(JTA) — White supremacists dramatically stepped up their propaganda efforts targeting neighborhoods and campuses in 2018 to never-before seen levels. Such efforts increased by 182 percent, to 1,187 distributions across the U.S., up from 421 total incidents reported in 2017, the Anti-Defamation League reported Tuesday. The number of racist… Read more »

WASHINGTON (JTA) — Democrats are revising a statement on anti-Semitism to include other forms of bias following complaints by caucus progressives that the original resolution unfairly singled out Rep. Ilhan Omar. Despite the impassioned objections of at least one Jewish Democrat, House Democrats are set to vote on the… Read more »

Stephen Frank Jacobs, 90, died Feb. 24, 2019. Mr. Jacobs was born in New York City to Henry Lawrence Jacobs and Josette Frank. He grew up in Greenwich Village and received his B.S. in physics from Antioch College and his Ph.D. in physics from Johns Hopkins University. He moved… Read more »

Thomas Abrams, M.D., 67, died Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019. Dr. Abrams was a family practice doctor in Tucson for more than 30 years. His love of the arts included photographing flora and natural parks and writing poetry, as well as supporting many local cultural organizations. He is survived by… Read more »

Lynn Saul, 73, died Feb. 22, 2019. Ms. Saul was the daughter of the late Samuel and Ruth Saul. Her passions included writing and teaching poetry. Survivors include her partner, Joseph Antone; son, Kevin (Nicole) Koch of Tucson; daughter, Erica (Carol Anderson) Moore of Minneapolis; siblings, Wendy Saul of… Read more »

Pearl Kitay, 88, died Feb. 14, 2019. Mrs. Kitay was preceded in death by her husband of 64 years, Harold. Survivors include her son, Barry (Holly) Kitay, and daughter, Nancy Galdi, all of Tucson; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. A celebration of life will be held at a future… Read more »

Janice Muriel Yost, 82, died Jan. 31, 2019. Ms. Yost was born and raised in Kansas City, the only child of Max and Toby Joffee. Her family moved to Los Angeles in 1957, where she attended the Pasadena Playhouse School of Dramatic Arts (now the State Theater of California).… Read more »

Harold Langer, age 67, died Jan. 9, 2019, in Los Angeles. Mr. Langer was born in Louisville, Kentucky, to Rubin and Esther Langer. The Langer family moved to Tucson in 1968. There Mr. Langer became a successful financial advisor with RBC Wealth Management. Survivors include his wife of almost… Read more »

Bryan Davis, executive director of the Jewish History Museum and Holocaust History Center, co-chaired the Council of American Jewish Museums 2019 conference in Los Angeles March 3-5. Davis’ co-chair for the conference, “The Creative Challenge: Museums for the Next Generation,” was Gravity Goldberg, director of public programs and visitor… Read more »

Jared Bernard Matheson, son of Teresa and Brandon Matheson, will celebrate becoming a bar mitzvah on March 16, at Congregation Anshei Israel. He is the grandson of Darlene and Robert Moen of Sartell, Minnesota; Susan Matheson of Tucson; and Debra and Landon Matheson of Chicago. Jared attends Tucson Hebrew… Read more »

Skylar Naomi Dehnert, daughter of John and LeeAat Dehnert, will celebrate becoming a bat mitzvah on March 9 at Congregation Or Chadash. She is the granddaughter of George and Tamar Mednick of Saratoga, California, and Janet Dehnert of Tucson. Skylar attends The Gregory School, where she achieves high honor… Read more »

Rain Pryor, center, with event chair Dana Narter, right, and Narter’s husband, Ed Baruch. (Martha Lochert)

Pryor’s show is a hit for Hillel The multi-talented Rain Pryor performed “Fried Chicken and Latkes,”  her one-woman show about growing up biracial in the 1970s, to a near sellout crowd on Saturday, Feb. 16 at the Leo Rich Theatre. The University of Arizona Hillel Foundation fundraiser exceeded its… Read more »

This article originally appeared on Alma. T Kira Madden’s gorgeous and remarkable debut memoir, “Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls,” chronicles her childhood in Boca Raton, Florida, as the daughter of parents who struggled with addictions. “I wrote the book kind of accidentally,” Madden tells Alma. “But, I… Read more »