Posts By Phyllis Braun

Children catch LED glowsticks for a dance party at the Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona ‘Jews at the Zoo’ event held at the Reid Park Zoo, Dec. 7, 2025. (Willo Art Photography by Christy Pickrell)

When Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona announced its inaugural Jewish heritage event, “Jews at the Zoo,” they hoped for a good turnout. What they got was a community affirming that connection, pride, and coming together matter.  “First latke of the season!” exclaimed one of the almost 400 guests at the Hanukkah-themed party at… Read more »

Levi Finkelstein will celebrate becoming a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, at Kol Ami Synagogue. He is the son of Adam and Nina. Levi attends Orange Grove Middle School. He is a fan of cats, sushi, video games, music, roller coasters, Anime, and Monopoly. His hobbies include… Read more »

The Six Dome Synagogue in Quba, Azerbaijan (Photo: Rabbi Samuel M. Cohon)

I returned Nov. 20 from a whirlwind 10-day rabbinic visit to Azerbaijan and Israel with the Zionist Rabbinical Coalition. Discounting the two days it took to travel to Baku, and one day flying home from Tel Aviv, we had four incredible days in Azerbaijan, followed by two spectacularly full days in… Read more »

Dr. Molly Dunn and Dr. Andrew Brown announce their marriage on Dec. 7, 2025, in Newport, Kentucky. The ceremony, officiated by Rabbi Ari Jun of Temple Sholom in Cincinnati, brought together family and friends for a celebration rooted in Jewish tradition and community. Dr. Dunn serves as the education… Read more »

I once heard a speech quoting a conversation someone had with Albert Einstein. The questioner asked him, “If you could meet a person from a previous generation, who would it be?” Einstein, who was Jewish though not religious, answered, “I would like to meet Moses.” He then added, “I… Read more »

Senior Community Shlicha Yuval Malka opens the Z3@Tucson conference on Nov. 2, 2025.

Tucson hosted its first Z3@ experience on November 2, bringing together community members to explore Israel, identity, and Jewish unity through a framework that emphasizes dialogue across religious and political lines. The half-day gathering at the Tucson Jewish Community Center was intentionally scheduled near the 30th Yahrzeit of Yitzhak Rabin, providing an opportunity to explore ideas of… Read more »

*Grabbers … my absolutely favorite thing: I use them to pick up items from the floor or to take things down from a cabinet. I own four. CAUTION: Don’t use a grabber to pick up unfinished dog or cat food. I’ve dropped bowls twice. *Fly Swatters: Some months ago, I was inundated by flies. I have no idea where they came from.  I killed 25 flies in two days (I counted them). So I ordered flyswatters online. Now I have them in every color … one for each room. *Jar and Bottle Openers: I… Read more »

Guests enjoy a Hanukkah party at the home of Carina Bien-Willner and Matt Reichman in 2024. (Photo courtesy Carina Bien-Willner)

Last year, Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona launched a new microgrant program, “Share the Light,” to help Jewish families invite their children’s friends, classmates, and neighbors to Hanukkah parties to celebrate Jewish joy.  The program is back this year. Party hosts will receive a Hanukkah party pack from JPSA’s Center for Jewish Resilience to help their… Read more »

Maternal mental health matters.  That’s the main message of “You’ve Got This: A Pocket Guide for Maternal Mental Health,” a slim, easy-to-read volume by two local Jewish health care professionals, Robin Giles, a nurse practitioner, and Joy Subrin, a doctor of behavioral health.    “During your pregnancy so much attention is given… Read more »

Members of the Tucson Multifaith for Pride Coalition, Tucson City Council, and Mayor Regina Romero gather in the council chambers Nov. 18, 2025 to mark passage of a resolution affirming transgender rights. Lynn Davis, director of the Rabbi Joseph H. Gumbiner Community Action Project at Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center, is fourth from left.

Members of Tucson’s Multifaith for Pride Coalition are celebrating the recent passage of a city council resolution that reaffirms the rights of transgender individuals in our community while, at the same time, recognizing the “disproportionate risks of harassment, violence, barriers to essential services, and legislative threats that undermine their human dignity.”  Lynn Davis, director of the… Read more »

Shelley Pozez looks on as Brenda Landau uses an oversized dreidel to teach the traditional Hanukkah game to Homer Davis Elementary School students in 2023. Landau is director of legacy development at the Jewish Community Foundation at Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona. (Photo: JPSA)

Eighty children at Homer Davis Elementary School currently receive snack packs of food to supplement their nutrition each weekend.   “They rely on it,” says MaryCarmen Salazar Rubio, a reading instruction assistant and snack pack coordinator at Homer Davis, which is in the Flowing Wells School District.   There’s always a waiting… Read more »

Women prepare care packages for the wives of IDF soldiers at Tucson Torah Center's Oct. 20 event at Handmaker. (Photo: Nanci Levy)

“I haven’t been here since my grandmother lived here” is a comment frequently shared by visitors attending Handmaker’s recent community events. When they look around, they are usually amazed at how much Handmaker has changed since their last visit. What began as a 40-bed non-profit nursing home over 60… Read more »

Eithan Samuel Moss will celebrate becoming a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, November 22, 2025, at Kol Ami Synagogue. He is the son of Kol Ami Executive Director Sean Moss and Kerry Moss. Eithan attends Sonoran Science Academy.  Whether he’s working toward his Eagle Scout rank, tending to his tomato… Read more »

Kerry Moss

Kerry Moss, executive director of the Tucson Jewish Free Loan, wants to help more people.  The Free Loan serves people of all faiths across Southern Arizona, as it has since its founding in 1947, providing interest-free loans of up to $7,500 for a variety of needs, such as home… Read more »

Nathan Jacob Goldstein will celebrate becoming a Bar Mitzvah on November 15, 2025, at Kol Ami Synagogue. He is the son of Adam and Dana Goldstein. Nathan attends Orange Grove Middle School. His hobbies include baseball, football, golfing, skiing, and following his favorite teams. Nathan also likes spending time… Read more »

Donald S. Novitt, born on July 30, 1947, in New York City, passed away on November 5, 2025 in Tucson. He was a devoted husband to Morleen, a loving father to Lisa (Rick), and proud “Pa” of Mia and Ruby, who brought him endless joy. Don was a successful… Read more »

Kameron Norwood and Sara Cash Norwood with their daughters. (Photo: Kristin Bendigo Photography)

Over the past two years, Kameron Norwood, 36, has woven himself into the fabric of Tucson’s Jewish community. He’s in his second year of Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona’s two-year Young Men’s Group leadership program, and he and his wife, Sara Cash Norwood, have hosted several YMG and JPSA events at… Read more »

Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona Director of Public Affairs Carina Bien-Willner, left, moderates a discussion with Israeli singer-songwriter Linor Ein Gedy (center) and antisemitism expert Rachel Fish, Ph.D., Oct. 26, 2025.

For many weeks after Oct. 7, Israeli singer-songwriter Linor Ein Gedy could find no comfort in music.  “Music has always been my source of strength, of solace, and my way to channel my emotions. It wasn’t only my livelihood. It was my way to turn pain into beauty, and I was scared that I lost that,”… Read more »

Jewish Family & Children's Services of Southern Arizona has launched a hygiene pantry to help those facing cuts in SNAP benefits.

Last week, with cuts to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits looming for one million Arizonans, Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Arizona opened a hygiene pantry. The pantry, located at the organization’s building at 4301 E. Fifth Street, aims to provide essential items such as toothpaste, diapers and feminine… Read more »

Sydney Viscusi will celebrate becoming a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, November 8, 2025, at Kol Ami Synagogue. She is the daughter of Chad and Rebecca Viscusi. Sydney attends the Gregory School, where she is in seventh grade. She plays volleyball on her school team and is an avid dancer… Read more »