Judith Manelis As many older adults know, it is often difficult to forge close personal relationships when you relocate to a new place. Most people already have an intimate circle of friends, a comfortable routine, regular work or leisure activities — organized lives. And suddenly, there you are, reaching out and… Read more »
Mitzvah Magic co-chairs Danielle Larcom (left) and Katie Stellitano Rosen with some of the gifts destined for needy Jewish families in Southern Arizona this Passover. Mitzvah Magic is a joint program of Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona and Jewish Family & Children’s Services. Mitzvah Magic, a volunteer program that supports local Jewish families in need, is celebrating its 18th year with a birthday bash on Wednesday, May 13. Marlyne Freedman, then a vice president at the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona, started the program in 2008 in response to the economic… Read more »
Rabbi Stephanie Aaron of Congregation Chaverim reads the names of people who were murdered in the Holocaust during the University of Arizona Hillel Yom HaShoah vigil on April 13, 2026. (Photo courtesy UA Hillel) To commemorate Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) for 2026, the University of Arizona Hillel gathered students and community members on the UA Mall to bear witness together. This was the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic that a name-reading vigil has occurred on the UA mall. At… Read more »
Senior Community Shlicha Yuval Malka (front) and Junior Community Shlicha Daniella Ironi with the Banai family — Uri, Noam, and Boaz — who performed at the 2025 Yom Ha’aztmaut festival in Tucson (Photo courtesy Weintraub Israel Center) Yuval Malka, Southern Arizona’s senior community shlicha (Israeli emissary), and Daniella Ironi, junior community shlicha, have been planning events for two of the most important dates on the Israeli calendar: Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day, and Yom Ha’aztmaut, Israel’s Independence Day, known collectively as the spring “Yamim” (Hebrew for… Read more »
James Heuser and Carol Mintz Heuser display their mezuzah case collection at the Center for Jewish Philanthropy on March 9, 2026. (Photo courtesy JPSA) On March 9, Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona received a special donation from Carol Mintz Heuser and James Heuser. The gift was a collection of 52 mezuzah cases and scrolls James had saved from demolition over decades of working at a retirement community in New Jersey. … Read more »
Kseniya DeLano Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Southern Arizona (JFCS) has named Kseniya DeLano as the agency’s president and chief executive officer, effective April 6. DeLano joined JFCS in 2024 as the agency’s finance director and most recently served as chief administrative officer. “As a member… Read more »
Dr. Hirsch Handmaker, a devoted physician, lifelong learner, and beloved father and grandfather, passed away March 9, 2026, surrounded by the enduring love of his family. His life was defined by intellectual curiosity, compassion for others, and deep devotion to the people he loved. Born July 2, 1940, in… Read more »
All are invited to be a part of Southern Arizona’s annual Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) commemoration on Sunday, April 12, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. This year’s event, titled ”The Legacy We Leave Behind,” will be held in the Paul and Alice Baker Ballroom at the Tucson Jewish Community Center. The commemoration is… Read more »
Tucson Hebrew Academy Spanish Teacher Miguel Montemayor reviews vocabulary with a student (Photo courtesy THA) This fall, Tucson Hebrew Academy launched a full-fledged Spanish program, expanding on what was formerly a middle school elective. On a recent Wednesday, eight students from the fifth, seventh, and eighth grades engaged in a spirited game of Pictionary, reinforcing their vocabulary lessons on food and restaurants as… Read more »
Judith Manelis with Farfel (Photo: Steve Shawl) Who knew when I named my new dog Farfel seven years ago, that I would become a Judaic studies teacher to my non-Jewish neighbors? All I knew was that I wanted a dog to replace the female Yorkshire Terrier that I had lost 20 years earlier. Her name was… Read more »
Handmaker has been providing kosher meals to its residents and the community for over 60 years, and the Passover holiday is no exception. At Handmaker, observing Passover is a huge endeavor that requires the cooperation of staff, residents, and family members. The days and weeks leading up to Passover… Read more »
The Shul of Rock band, part of the Shirei Simcha project started by Kol Ami Cantor Jen Benrey, rehearses on Feb. 12, 2026, led by Benrey (standing, with guitar) and Chris Tackett (seated, in red shirt). (Photo courtesy Kol Ami) Cantor Jen Benrey of Kol Ami Synagogue has started a teen band, the “Shul of Rock,” for students in grades 7-12, and a junior youth choir, “Sabra Singers,” for students in grades 2-6. Both are open to Jewish kids from across Southern Arizona. The band and choir are the… Read more »
Keynote speaker Tessa Veksler was thrilled to arrive at the Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona Women’s Philanthropy Connections brunch on March 8 and find a mirror emblazoned with her hashtag: #werenotgoinganywhere. Inside, more than 250 women were equally jazzed to hear from Veksler, a passionate Jewish and Zionist… Read more »
A chance encounter with Tucsonans Dana Narter and Ed Baruch inspired bestselling author Lisa Gardner’s latest book, “Kiss Her Goodbye,” which is set mainly in Tucson. Gardner met the couple in 2023 on a whale-watching trip in California. They told her about serving as companions to a family of… Read more »
Gabriel Charles Grandner will celebrate becoming a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, March 7, at Kol Ami Synagogue. He is the son of Michael and Ana Liza Grandner. Charlie attends Orange Grove Middle School. He enjoys playing the trumpet and piano and was recently one of only two people from… Read more »
Tessa Veksler Public speaker, content creator, and activist Tessa Veksler, a leading Jewish and Zionist voice, will headline Connections, Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona Women’s Division’s flagship event, on March 8. A first-generation American of Ukrainian Jewish descent, Veksler graduated in 2024 from the University of California, Santa Barbara, with a… Read more »
Lindsey Baker speaks at a University of Arizona event celebrating Donald Baker, MRED '14, as the College of Architecture, Planning & Landscape Architecture 2026 Alumnus of the Year earlier this month. (Photo: Chris Richards/University of Arizona) The University of Arizona College of Architecture, Planning & Landscape Architecture (CAPLA) has posthumously named Donald Baker, MRED ’14, its 2026 Alumnus of the Year. Baker was an active member of the local Jewish community, and his legacy fund held at the Jewish Community Foundation continues to support… Read more »
The Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center (TJMHC) will host the grand opening of its newest exhibition, ”Media Matters: Cutting Through the Noise,” on Thursday, March 12, at 6 p.m. This year’s installment of the Allen & Marianne Langer Contemporary Human Rights Exhibit explores the evolution of media literacy and… Read more »
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, z'l Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, of blessed memory, once wrote, “I believe that the challenge for our time is to open a series of windows so that the world can illuminate our understanding of Torah, and so that the Torah may guide us as we seek to make our way… Read more »
Members of the Services to Afghan Survivors Impacted by Combat team at Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Southern Arizona (L-R:) Arif Muhammad, Ahmad Omid Rahimi, Anna-Lise "Annie" Kunz, Joelle Zuberi, Neda Ardebili, and Molly Bryan. (Photo courtesy JFCS) Celebrating the Impact of the JFCS SASIC Program The Jewish Family and Children’s Services of Southern Arizona (JFCS) Services to Afghan Survivors Impacted by Combat (SASIC) program is a mental health initiative designed to support Afghan individuals and families who arrived in the United States after 2021 and… Read more »
