Early Childhood Education students at the Tucson Jewish Community Center learn about Hanukkah This article is part of a series around Jewish early childhood education at the Tucson J. It has been over 30 years, and my parents still recall meeting the parents of a child in my brother’s class, who ultimately became dear friends. Their shared experience as… Read more »
Students are back on campus, and there is an incredible energy at UA Hillel. The start of a new academic year always brings a sense of possibility, but this year feels especially exciting as we welcome new students, reconnect with returning students, and begin a new chapter for Hillel.… Read more »
The Southern Arizona Jewish community’s annual High Holidays food and fund drive benefiting the Community Food Bank, Project Isaiah, will run from Sept. 4 through Oct. 17. The need is great, with a 22 percent increase in the number of people seeking food assistance compared with last year.… Read more »
If you go to the website for Congregation Eshel Avraham in Tucson, you will find a slightly outdated High Holiday calendar along with a slightly outdated description of the congregation as “a tiny, egalitarian, Conservative congregation. A synagogue-without-walls serving Tucson, Arizona and other nearby communities.” This tiny… Read more »
Carla (Weitzman) Hinton, 74, passed away peacefully at her home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on July 20, 2026, surrounded by her loving family. Carla’s life was defined by her strong belief in social justice, commitment to community as well as artistic talent, demonstrated through creating beautiful art and wearing… Read more »
BBYO held a “Global Shabbat” event at the Tucson Jewish Museum and Holocaust Center in December 2025, its third annual event at the museum. (Photo courtesy Davis Hubbell) Jewish youth groups foster a sense of belonging, giving teens a safe place to explore their identity through shared cultural traditions, social activities, and leadership opportunities. Teens in the Tucson area have several youth group options. Long-established groups such as BBYO and USY have local roots going back to… Read more »
Marcia in the community garden on Manhattan’s West Side where she had a plot. (Photo: Judith Manelis)
Can sadness and relief coexist in mourning? I asked myself this question last month after receiving the following message from my friend Marcia’s husband. “Marcia left us this morning. She was not in pain.” My friend Marcia and I met over 30 years ago. At the time,… Read more »
Mazel tov to Eithan Moss, who recently took third place in the eighth-grade category at the RTX Invention Convention U.S. Nationals for his invention, The Cooling Box, a device that cools rooms and runs on sunlight alone. Eithan’s invention was inspired by termite mounds in Central Africa and solar… Read more »
Amrit Levi Gibbons will celebrate becoming a Bar Mitzvah on Aug. 22, 2026, at Kol Ami. He is the son of Gabriel and Rakhi Gibbons and a big brother to Avi Gibbons. He’s the grandson of Michael and Glenna Gibbons of Tucson and Kanwal and Amartjeet Juneja of Santa… Read more »
Kim Klett speaks at the Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center educators’ conference on July 21, 2026. Klett was TJMHC’s 2021 Educator of the Year.
The way a teacher introduces the Holocaust can stay with students long after the unit ends, shaping how they understand prejudice and hatred for years to come. That responsibility, and the skill it takes to carry it into a classroom, brought educators, TJMHC board members, docents, and staff to… Read more »
Tucson J Early Childhood Education students plant seeds in the Shay-Shay Community Garden with teacher Demaris Weitzel (Photo: Tucson J) This article is part of a series around Jewish early childhood education at the Tucson J. Throughout each day, babies, toddlers, and preschoolers in the Tucson Jewish Community Center’s Early Childhood Education program discover the world around them through play, curiosity, and connection — studying a painting in… Read more »
Judith Manelis blesses the Shabbat candles at Kol Ami Synagogue on Friday, July 10, 2026. (Photo: Stephen Shawl)
On July 9, I turned 88 years old. I told friends that I felt like a girl in an old woman’s body. I have always been youthful, but the aches and pains that often accompany old age have begun to bother me … back, neck, knees. My eyes don’t… Read more »
Hebrew High is returning to Southern Arizona this fall. Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona is relaunching Hebrew High as “a community-built, student-shaped weekly Jewish learning and belonging initiative for grades 8–12,” according to organizers. Sessions will be held on Tuesday evenings, beginning Aug. 18. Molly Dunn,… Read more »
Tucsonan Seth Schindler has pursued diverse occupations, including street peddler, strawberry picker, clam digger, lumberjack, organic farmer, anthropologist, museum curator, sculptor, real estate developer, and stockbroker. But at 79, a title he savors goes back to one of his earliest dreams: writer. When Schindler was a junior in… Read more »
Research Professor Emerita of the Gender and Women’s Studies Department, University of Arizona, Myra Dinnerstein, passed away in her sleep in the early hours of Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at the age of 92, having lived a rich and meaningful life. She was the founding director of the Women’s… Read more »
Handmaker activity assistant Shania Sponaas, left, and former activity assistant Gracie Soto participate in a Red Cross Blood Drive at Handmaker in June 2025. A single blood donation can save up to three lives by providing red blood cells, platelets, and plasma to trauma victims, surgery patients, and individuals battling chronic illnesses such as cancer and sickle cell disease. According to the Red Cross, someone in the U.S. needs blood every two… Read more »
Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Southern Arizona staff members, clockwise from top left: Sophie German, Sharon Glassberg, Ginger Doran, and Raisa Moroz “Trauma-informed care isn’t just for clinicians,” says Sophie German, BSW, CFSW, director of the older adult and community services departments at Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Southern Arizona. These include several financial wellness programs and Jewish holiday programs like Mitzvah Magic. “Most of the people that we… Read more »
In Tucson, campaign signs for a Jewish candidate for the Arizona Senate were defaced with hand-lettered placards bearing an antisemitic and misogynistic slur. The vandalism was crude, but it did not come from nowhere.… Read more »
(L-R): Renee Pourrier, Diana Coleman, and Keri Gall at Handmaker’s Rubin Assisted Living (Photo courtesy Nanci Levy) For years, Handmaker has been fortunate to have an extensive roster of dedicated volunteers. They come to spend time with residents, play games, assist attendees during Shabbat services, and most importantly, build meaningful connections and friendships. Following the pandemic, Handmaker was grateful to welcome back many familiar faces, including… Read more »
The University of Arizona Hillel has appointed a new executive director, Shoshi Lipschultz, who will start in July. Eric Natter, president of the UA Hillel board of directors, announced the appointment last month. An Arizona native and University of Arizona alum, Lipschultz returns to Tucson… Read more »
