Amy Hirshberg Lederman When my beloved husband of 32 years died after battling cancer for three and a half years, family and friends did their best to comfort me. It didn’t take more than a few minutes to realize that, with the exception of a first kiss, there may not be a… Read more »
Carlos Hernandez “Ethical wills” began as a Jewish oral tradition and have been a part of Jewish culture for centuries. Traditionally, the purpose of an ethical will was to pass on values such as the importance of charity (tzedakah) from one generation to the next. Today, ethical wills, also called legacy… Read more »
The Days of Awe are a pivotal time of year, a time of introspection, of remembrance, and a time to dream anew. We stand on the ground of the entirety of our lives, looking back at the variegated landscape of our past experiences, and forward into the misty mystery… Read more »
Refugee children visit a fire station in Berlin, September 2015. (Judith Kessler)
BERLIN (JTA) — When supporters of the anti-immigrant PEGIDA movement and right-wing extremists in the former East Germany started demonstrating by the tens of thousands this year against foreigners and “American Zionist” policies, I got mad. When the first refugee homes in Germany were set on fire, I was shocked. When… Read more »
Jenn Book Haselwerdt (Courtesy of the author) My 4-year-old son can’t get enough of dragons and monsters, and — as is appropriate for his age — asking questions about dragons and monsters. Books about the topic have completely taken over our library shelf. He loves reading legends and contemporary stories about them, from luck dragons to… Read more »
Jenna Langert (front row, fourth from left) with her Brandeis group in front of the Knesset menorah in Jerusalem Jenna Langert, 23, a 2014 University of Arizona graduate, is currently pursuing a two-year Master of Arts degree in international economics and finance at the Brandeis International Business School. Her specializations are in data analytics and business economics. Jenna traveled to Israel May 18-28 as part of the Hassenfeld… Read more »
Amy Hirshberg Lederman When my husband, Ray, was diagnosed with cancer almost four years ago, we became a team, determined to face the challenge of living with cancer head on. From the onset, we talked openly about risks and probabilities as we aggressively researched and pursued treatments and clinical trials. We sought… Read more »
Ori Parnaby Dear Jewish Community Concierge, I’m new to Tucson and thinking of joining a synagogue. I’m not very religious and am not sure if a synagogue is really the right place to connect, but I want to do something to connect with the Jewish community here. Do you have any… Read more »
Jonathan Ben-Asher It’s time for school, and the view from THA is tremendously exciting! At the eagle’s perspective, you’ll see our beautiful building (designed like a tallit, or prayer shawl) and grounds, ready to embrace teaching and learning every day; our wonderful, engaged, energized community of students, parents, teachers and staff… Read more »
(Kveller via JTA) — In less than four months my two mini-humans, Aviv, 4, and Maya, 2, have gone through some incredible changes. Four months ago they thought they lived with Elsa and Anna in Arendelle, everything covered in white as far as the eye could see. In just… Read more »
LOS ANGELES (JTA) — Does the hit Pixar movie “Inside Out” hold a clue as to why many Jews find it so difficult to engage with Tisha b’Av? Could its cast of characters — Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust, who are anthropomorphized in the animated film — help… Read more »
Eve Rosenberg at the Bureau of Land Management campsite at Ajo Way and San Joaquin Road, before setting out for the final day of the Migrant Trail, May 31. (Deborah Mayaan)
When I joined the Migrant Trail for the last day of its 12th annual week-long solidarity walk from El Sásabe, Sonora, Mexico, to Tucson, we stepped single-file along Ajo Highway in a walking meditation. Periodically, we called out names of those who had died crossing our Sonoran Desert. Some… Read more »
Oshrat Barel Israeli culture in Tucson Bringing Israeli culture to Tucson is one of the central goals of the Tucson Jewish Community Center, and this summer it is my pleasure to spend part of the summer here and see the great work of the two Israeli camp counselors, Dar Katz and… Read more »
Sarah Johnston, center, a Jewish woman from Tucson, with other proponents of religious tolerance who gathered May 29 outside a Phoenix mosque to counter an anti-Muslim protest. The photo includes representatives of the three Abrahamic faiths, Islam, Judaism and Christianity, says Johnston. (Marty Johnston)
Recently, Jon Ritzheimer, a former Marine and self-described “patriot” announced on Facebook that he was holding a “protest” and a “draw Muhammed” contest at the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix during their May 29 Friday night prayers. He invited bikers whom he encouraged to come armed. My husband heard… Read more »
At an impromptu Passover seder in Nepal, ginger chutney took the place of horseradish and traditional flat chappati bread was a substitute for matzah.
In April, I spent three weeks in Nepal as a volunteer for Elephant Aid International. Life for captive Asian elephants is a miserable existence of slavery, including painful iron chains around their legs. In cooperation with the government of Nepal, EAI and volunteers from all over the world built… Read more »
Evelyn Becker (Courtesy Evelyn Becker) My daughter’s first-grade class hosted a Mother’s Day tea last week. Coffee, pastries, an adorable booklet titled “All About My Mother” written and illustrated by mine truly, and two poems about how I am the best mom ever. Pure fabulousness. So what’s there to write about? Well, before I… Read more »
Marian Lupu A new nonagenarian Guess who just turned 90? Her birthday invitation, using the numbers “9” and “90,” gave some clues: 1) She advised 9 U.S. presidents on how to improve aging services. 2) She has collected more than 90 giraffes. 3) 9 is associated with the Chinese dragon, a… Read more »
Oshrat Barel Ethiopian protest in Israel It’s been more than 30 years since the first immigrants came from Ethiopia to Israel. As a young teenager I remember the new immigrants coming to the merkaz klita (absorption center) in Revaya next to my hometown. My mother volunteered as the chair of the… Read more »
Edmon J. Rodman shared his mother's taste for Impressionist art, thus the purchase of this umbrella as a Mother's Day gift. (Edmon J. Rodman)
LOS ANGELES (JTA) — What gifts do our mothers give us? Not the kind we see in the mirror. Like me, you’ve probably already accounted for where your eye color, nose shape and eyebrows that seem too close to each other come from. I’m talking inner gifts, those money… Read more »
Dear Jewish Community Concierge, I’ve always felt fairly connected to my Jewish heritage. Now that I’m a mom, how do I get my kids involved and bring Judaism into our family? Thank you, Rebecca Dear Rebecca, Mazel tov on this exciting new chapter in your life! There are many… Read more »
