A commemorative service in Phoenix on Sunday, Feb. 25, included Torah scrolls from two Tucson congregations. Both are Czech Memorial Scrolls that were collected by the Nazis during the Holocaust, warehoused in a ruined synagogue in Prague following the 1948 Communist coup, and finally rescued and brought to the… Read more »
Alumni of the Brandes School, their children, and their grandchildren will find a treasure trove of photos and other memorabilia at the Arizona Historical Society’s archive in Tucson. Raphael “Ray” Brandes, an early leader of Tucson’s Jewish community, and his wife, Elsie, started the boarding school for children with… Read more »
This story first appeared in Jewish News (greater Phoenix). During a Gilbert Town Council meeting this month, a few citizens shouted their displeasure when council members voted unanimously to raise the city’s water rates by about 50%, a measure that will take effect in April. The increase was necessary… Read more »
Sadness, anger, hope, and resilience. Todd Rockoff, president and CEO of the Tucson Jewish Community Center (JCC), felt all these emotions and more on a JCC Association Board Solidarity Mission (JCCA) to Israel in January. “I felt a great pull to be there,” he says, to bear witness and… Read more »
The Northwest Tucson Jewish Community, a nonprofit organization, aims “to enrich the educational, cultural, and social life primarily of Jewish residents in Northwest Tucson,” according to its mission statement. “Primarily” is a clue that despite its name, the NWTJC does not impose strict geographical limits: The mission statement goes… Read more »
What would it take for someone to work at the same workplace for 20 or more years? Or even 5 or more years? Whatever it might be, Handmaker must have it for 48 people, because that is the number of employees who have worked there for 5 years or… Read more »
Participants in the Tucson Jewish Community Center’s Taglit program for young adults with disabilities are joining members of Congregation Bet Shalom this year to make sandwiches for those in need. Bet Shalom has packed lunches for the needy on an irregular basis for years, says Rabbi Avi Alpert. When… Read more »
The International Association of Jewish Free Loans and 17 member agencies in the U.S. have provided over $3.3 million in an interest-free loan for emergency financial assistance to Israeli individuals and families. The Tucson Jewish Free Loan raised funds to contribute $36,000 to the effort, says Allison Wexler, executive… Read more »
Residents of Tucson’s B’nai B’rith Covenant House longed for a mural to enhance the back wall of the facility’s patio, says Abbie Stone, president of the board of Covenant House, an affordable housing community for older adults funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. “We try… Read more »
Capt. Jeff Hamblen of Northwest Fire recently signed up to train with Israel’s Emergency Volunteer Project. He expected to help his Israeli counterparts put out fires. He didn’t expect to be flying into a country at war. Hamblen’s travel date was Oct. 7, 2023, the day Hamas launched a… Read more »
Over the past 50 years, Tucson Hebrew Academy (THA) has been at the forefront of fostering community action among its students. Through initiatives like annual volunteerism fairs, service-oriented field trips, and the impactful Passport to Peace program, five generations of students have been encouraged to learn to embody mitzvot,… Read more »
Tucsonan Lindsey Baker wasn’t sure of the exact term for her family relationship with Rose Lubin, a 20-year-old Israel Defense Forces soldier who was killed by a knife-wielding terrorist in Jerusalem on Nov. 6, one month into Israel’s war against Hamas. Lubin was the granddaughter of Baker’s father’s first… Read more »
Thanks to Sandy and Maureen Salz of Oro Valley, a new MICU (mobile intensive care unit) for Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency medical service, has arrived in Israel to help care for those dealing with increased violence, in response to Hamas attacks. Two events marking the sponsorship took place… Read more »
Some 200 people gathered at Congregation Anshei Israel at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 3, for Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona’s “A Light in the Darkness” Israel solidarity event, which provided an update on the situation in Israel since the horrific Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks and the subsequent… Read more »
Tucson J President and CEO, Todd Rockoff will serve on the inaugural advisory board for a new organization called Global Jewry, joining a coalition of 225 prominent Jewish thought leaders from all over the world. Global Jewry is a grassroots effort to broaden and strengthen the ties that bind… Read more »
I was heartbroken when my son, a tech sergeant and Jewish lay leader in the Air Force, informed me that he and his family would be moving to London from Charleston, S.C., where they were stationed at the time. It was Thanksgiving of 2021, and everyone was excited except… Read more »
Hava Leipzig Holzhauer’s official start date as president and CEO of Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona is Dec. 4, but she will be joining the community on Dec. 3 for a solidarity gathering for Israel called “A Light in the Darkness” because of its proximity to Hanukkah. The event… Read more »
On the eve of Veteran’s Day, U.S. Senator from Arizona Mark Kelly visited the Tucson J campus for a meaningful and intimate conversation with J leaders and Board Members, Todd Rockoff, President + CEO; Fran Katz, Chief Development Officer; Mike Gadarian, Chief Financial Officer; Josh Shenker, Chief Program Officer;… Read more »
Tucson Hebrew Academy (THA) is thrilled to announce the appointment of Ethan Myerson as its new Director of Development. With a decade of experience in Tucson’s nonprofit sector, Ethan brings a wealth of expertise and passion for connecting people with meaningful missions. In his role, Ethan will spearhead efforts… Read more »
When Afghanistan fell to the Taliban, many Afghans, some who worked alongside U.S. troops and NGOs (non-profits that operate independently of governments), had to escape due to a real and critical threat to their lives. Over the past six months, Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Southern Arizona (JFCS)… Read more »
