Clockwise from top left: JPSA Woman of the Year Anne Hameroff, Man of the Year Andy Kunsberg, Young Woman of the Year Adina Karp, and Young Man of the Year Eric Natter Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona will celebrate four remarkable volunteers — and its 80th anniversary — at a dinner this month to kick off its Annual Campaign. The honorees are Woman of the Year Anne Hameroff, Man of the Year Andy Kunsberg, Young Woman of the Year Adina Karp, and Young… Read more »
Blake Zoey Belen, daughter of Megan and Cary Belen, will celebrate becoming a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, at Kol Ami Synagogue. Blake attends Orange Grove Middle School. She is an active member of National Charity League and a competitive swimmer for Tucson Ford Aquatics. She also… Read more »
Sharon Megdal, Ph.D. In March, Kol Ami Synagogue started the first Arizona circle of Dayenu: A Jewish Call to Climate Action, a movement of American Jews confronting the climate crisis. The national Dayenu organization has about 100 chapters in cities across the country and in Canada, says Catherine Rosenberg, who co-chairs the… Read more »
“Jewish mothers are the heart of the household. We are the connectors, the planners, the tradition-keepers. When moms return inspired, connected, and confident, the ripple effect touches their children, their schools, their synagogues, and their friends. It creates a stronger, more resilient community,” says Jennifer Bell, left, enjoying schwarma with Emily Richman on Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem in November 2025. Emily Richman was thrilled when two local women, Emily Yasmer Lazarus and Shelley Kippur, approached her shortly after she moved to Tucson in 2022 about bringing the MOMentum Journey of Growth program to Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona. Richman, JPSA’s chief development officer, had staffed the program in Pittsburgh and knew that in addition to a weeklong trip to Israel, it included pre- and post-trip meetings… Read more »
The Tucson J International Film Festival began in 1991, making it one of the longest-running Jewish film festivals in the country. Celebrating Jewish history, culture, storytelling, and humor, the 2026 festival will kick off on January 8 with a glamorous, Hollywood-inspired screening of The Property, a dramedy that follows a grandmother and granddaughter on a quest to reclaim family property… Read more »
Last month, the Tucson Jewish History Museum & Holocaust Center unveiled a new way for visitors to hear from Holocaust survivors: “Intimate Histories in 3D.” The project uses volumetric capture technology to create three-dimensional recordings of survivors that can be viewed on tablets and personal devices.TJMHC created the project… Read more »
Rabbi Jodi Kornfeld Many Jews consider themselves Jewish but not religious. How do these Jews find meaning in holiday celebrations, lifecycle events, and their approach to their shared heritage? Rabbi Jodi Kornfeld, a past president of the Association of Humanistic Rabbis, will provide answers at a talk, “Secular and Jewish,” on Sunday, Jan. 4, at… Read more »
Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center kicks off the 2026 Lakin Lecture Series on Antisemitism on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. The series, now in its third year, is dedicated to exploring the nature of antisemitism, fostering dialogue, and promoting social justice and human rights. The series educates both Jewish and non-Jewish communities about… Read more »
Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona Community staff with a Project Isaiah donation box. Standing, from left: Impact and Engagement Coordinator Randi Levin, Director of Impact and Engagement Robyn Schwager, Director of Public Affairs Carina Bien-Willner, and Jewish Community Relations Council Associate Antar Davidson; kneeling, Senior Community Shlicha Yuval Malka and Junior Commuity Shlicha Daniella Ironi. (Photo courtesy JPSA)
Project Isaiah is the Jewish community’s annual High Holidays food and fund drive benefiting the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona. The project is named for the Prophet Isaiah, who, when asked why we fast on Yom Kippur, responded, “Is it not to share your bread with the hungry?”… Read more »
Judith Manelis has held onto her Haftara booklet for 74 years.
When I was 13 years old, I asked the rabbi of my Conservative synagogue, Tifereth Israel in New Bedford, Massachusetts, for a Bat Mitzvah. Rabbi Bernard Ziskind, a very traditional and serious gentleman, was surprised, and perhaps even shocked. It was 1951 after all, and no girl in my… Read more »
Kol Ami Cantor Jen Benrey sings at Handmaker, Dec. 14, 2025. (Photo: Nanci Levy) Beginning with a pre-Hanukkah warm-up of dreidel playing with BBYO teens at their Better Together meeting on Sunday, Dec. 14, Handmaker residents have had very full days and nights of Hanukkah. The Young Explorers from Kol Ami Synagogue, which included several families with children aged 2-8, joined Kol Ami’s… Read more »
Hava Leipzig Holzhauer, President and CEO of Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona Yesterday, one day after a terrorist attack at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, Australia that killed 15 people, Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona and the Tucson Jewish Community Center responded to a local antisemitic incident that occurred near the Tucson J on the Jewish Community Campus. Early Monday morning, Tucson J staff discovered hateful flyers… Read more »
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 »
