Project Isaiah, the Jewish community’s annual High Holidays food drive benefiting the Community Food Bank, begins today and runs through Sept. 30. 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… Read more »
Local
Multi-faith Humane Borders blessing planned
Humane Borders will hold its second annual multi-faith “Blessing of the Fleet,” giving thanks for the trucks that service its desert water stations, on Sunday, Sept. 8, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the House of Neighborly Services, 243 W. 33rd St. in Tucson. Participants will include Rabbi Ben… Read more »
92Y holiday webcast to feature Tucson native
Tucsonans will have the chance to see Tucson born-and-bred Rabbi Jen E. Krause, who lives in New York City, lead High Holiday services at the 92nd Street Y. Services will be webcast live via www.92Y.org/HHLive and will also be available to military personnel at Davis Monthan Air Force Base… Read more »
New UA Hillel staffers foster identity, diversity
Positive Jewish experiences in college may predict greater future involvement with Judaism. And if that’s the case, the new director of student life at the University of Arizona Hillel Foundation, Ryan Woloshin, says he’s raring to go. Woloshin arrived on campus from Virginia in mid-July. He will focus on… Read more »
Hadassah reaching out to members under 45
Hadassah Southern Arizona will form a young women’s special interest group this fall for women 45 and under. “There are a lot of younger people who are members but don’t really use their memberships. We’d like to get them to come out, get involved and make some positive changes… Read more »
Firefighters to get anti-terror training in Israel
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The Greater Tucson Fire Foundation has announced Firefighters Without Borders, a two-week mission that will send local Arizona firefighters to Israel in October to learn from their Israeli counterparts. The firefighters will travel as private citizens, but their resumes reflect expertise with nearly a dozen local fire departments and… Read more »
Inspiration for the new year: from altruism to self-improvement and beyond
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The Arizona Jewish Post asked Tucson’s congregational rabbis for a few words on how they hope to inspire their congregants for the new year. Here are their diverse and enlightening responses:… Read more »
To Israel and Back: University of Arizona-Israel Connections
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Although Israel is 7,500 miles from Tucson, for some in the Jewish community it may seem like a hop, skip and a jump away. During the High Holidays, we’re particularly conscious of Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people. For some Tucsonans affiliated with the University of Arizona,… Read more »
UA student’s Ufree app the next big thing?
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The bold letters “Ufree?” emblazon the T-shirt Stephen Ost wears and the license plate on his car. Ironically, these days he rarely is free as he speeds from one appointment to the next, working to determine the valuation of his company Ufree, LLC. Ost has spent the last three… Read more »
Shadowy figure of Anne Frank’s sister inspiration for Tucsonan’s new novel
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Tucson author Jillian Cantor’s spare, elegant new novel, “Margot,” begins with a startling premise: What if Anne Frank’s sister had survived the Holocaust and was living under an assumed name in Philadelphia? Cantor, 35, says the first time she read “The Diary of a Young Girl” at age 13,… Read more »
Tucson’s Weintraub Israel Center gets first woman director
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Earlier this month, Oshrat Avitan Barel arrived in Tucson as the sixth director of the Weintraub Israel Center. The five shlichim (emissaries from Israel) who preceded her were men, making Barel the community’s first shlicha (female emissary). “Oshrat has an outstanding background and we thought she’d do wonders for… Read more »
Tucson can go from strength to strength
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When I arrived in Tucson three years ago, I found synagogues filled with learning, service and community. I found Jewish agencies and nonprofits devoted to turning Jewish values into Jewish action. I found a compelling Federation centered on tzedakah, righteous giving, and tikkun olam, repairing the world. And… Read more »
Israel’s Maccabiah Games warm hearts of Tucson hall-of-famers, competitors
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Israel hosted the world’s largest sporting event of the year this summer, the 19th Maccabiah Games, held July 17-30. Three Tucsonans participated as athletes in the Olympic-style games, which included Jewish athletes from 70 countries, while one current and one former Tucsonan were inducted into the International Jewish… Read more »
Counselors bring a taste of Israel to Camp J
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On August 2, Noa Berman and Ella Vaturi wrapped up two months as shlichot (Israeli emissaries) with the Tucson Jewish Community Center’s day camp. Every year, the Jewish Agency for Israel sends two Israelis in their early 20s to share knowledge and love for Israel and Jewish culture with… Read more »
New associate rabbi joins Temple Emanu-El
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Temple Emanu-El has appointed Rabbi Batsheva Appel as associate rabbi. “I’m looking forward to working with a rabbi who I know is very talented,” Appel told the AJP, referring to Temple’s senior rabbi Samuel M. Cohon, “and a community that seems to be doing wonderful things here in Tucson.… Read more »
Transportation program gears up for holidays
Rides to synagogue programs and services – including High Holy Days celebrations – are available for seniors and adults with disabilities through a special grant program. The program, “Tucson Community Shared Transportation for Seniors and Adults with Disabilities,” has a new phone number: 465-4323. The Jewish Federation of Southern… Read more »
Rep. Ron Barber: Israel trip ‘a life-changing experience’
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Israel and Southern Arizona have ties that bind — in both the economic and national security realms. U.S. Rep. Ron Barber, who describes himself as “a strong supporter of Israel,” participated in a fact-finding trip to Israel from Aug. 5 to 11. Barber is a Tucson Democrat and a… Read more »
Local Jewish schools change it up for back-to-school
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A new school year is beginning and innovative plans are on the agenda for Tucson’s Jewish schools. Congregation Bet Shalom’s religious school is adding a seventh and eighth grade Sunday program that will combine text study with “inspirational informal learning.” It will include a class on the Mishnah, which… Read more »
On 18th anniversary, Anne Frank-inspired Message of Hope Fund endowed
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“We will never forget.” These words have become a staple for Jewish people around the globe. On the surface, they remind us of the millions of innocent lives lost in a world of blind hatred, blatant egotism and unimaginable fear, in the hope that such horrendous acts never happen… Read more »
Fun and a few medals for Tucson teens at JCC Maccabi Games in Austin
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Thirteen teen basketball players from Tucson — 10 boys and three girls —participated in the JCC Maccabi Games in Austin, Texas, July 28-Aug. 2. The annual games for Jewish teens ages 13 to 16 are like a mini-Olympics, but with the emphasis on camaraderie and enhancing Jewish identity more… Read more »