Alon Velan Alon Velan, an Israeli reporter and editor at the Israel Broadcasting Authority, wasn’t sure what to expect on his leave of absence in Tucson. Here for a year with his wife, Hadas, who has a postdoctoral fellowship in psychology at the University of Arizona, and their two young children,… Read more »
University of Arizona freshman Molly Katz Simon, right, with University of Texas at Austin student Tracy Frydberg, in Jerusalem. (Jeni Willenzik) University of Arizona freshman Molly Katz Simon was the only Arizonan selected to participate in Hasbara Fellowships’ activism training program in Israel over winter break. One of 80 American students who spent more than two weeks traveling through Israel, meeting with leaders in business, politics, religion and social activism,… Read more »
Israeli flags fly from the balcony of the Tucson Jewish Community Center at last year’s Israel Festival. (Marty Johnston, TJCC) The Weintraub Israel Center will be taking the Israel 64 Festival to the next level, literally and figuratively. Guy Gelbart, Israel Center director and community shaliach (emissary from Israel), explains that this year’s festival, which will be held May 6 from 1 to 6 p.m., will use both floors… Read more »
Carol Karsch, who is retiring after 23 years as executive director of the Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona, with her husband, Dan, at the Foundation’s 20th Anniversary Celebration of the Endowment Book of Life on Feb. 7. (Martha Lochert) Carol Karsch has wanted to live in Israel since she was 10 years old, when she began learning about the Jewish state at a synagogue in the small town of Norristown, Pa. Now Karsch, who will step down next month after 23 years at the helm of the Jewish… Read more »
The cover of artist Stan Lebovic’s book reads “Black is a Color, by a survivor’s son.” But in his search for meaning in the aftermath of the Holocaust, “I don’t focus on the negativity,” Lebovic promises. Instead, he finds hope and inspiration in the resilience of the Jewish people.… Read more »
Members of the Jewish community are invited to attend “Think Tank 2020” on Wednesday, May 2, from 5:15 to 6:45 p.m. at the Tucson Jewish Community Center. The event, convened by the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona, will launch a strategic planning process to explore issues of importance to… Read more »
Marilyn Einstein The Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona will hold its annual meeting and awards celebration on Thursday, May 10 at 7 p.m. at the Tucson Jewish Community Center. “Feddys,” the custom metal and glass awards designed by Lynne Rae Lowe for the Federation, and other awards will be given to… Read more »
Adam Rubin Adam Rubin, Ph.D., a rabbinic student from the Ziegler School of Rabbinical Studies in Los Angeles, will lead services at Congregation Bet Shalom during the weekend of May 4-6. Rubin will lead Friday evening services at 6 p.m., which will be followed by a dinner, and will participate in… Read more »
Rebecca Goodman, director of leadership development of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona, has announced that she will be leaving Tucson and her position at the Federation in December 2012. She and her husband, Ted, will be moving to Indiana where he will be taking a position as assistant… Read more »
The Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona has announced its 2012 grants. The William and Doris Rubin Endowment Fund, which focuses on helping those in need move toward self-sufficiency, played a pivotal role in this year’s grants, providing about 80 percent of total funding available. Over the past five… Read more »
The Weintraub Israel Center will hold its annual Yom Hazikaron memorial service in honor of fallen Israeli soldiers and victims of terror on Wednesday, April 25 at 6:30 p.m. at the Tucson Jewish Community Center. The program will include an honor guard from the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, prayers,… Read more »
The Steven A. Lightman Family Foundation has announced its 2012 call for grants. The Lightman Foundation is a supporting foundation of the Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona. Qualifying organizations are nonprofits whose services and programs make a difference in people’s lives. Organizations may be from Tucson or around… Read more »
Handmaker Jewish Services for the Aging will present monthly events celebrating life-long learning in May, June and July. The program will kick off with “Between the Lines: A Conversation with Local Authors” on Thursday, May 10 at 1:30 p.m. Sheila Wilensky, associate editor of the Arizona Jewish Post, will… Read more »
Women’s Philanthropy of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona will hold a “BEad Inspired” night of fun, social action and tasty treats on Wednesday, May 2 at 7 p.m. at the home of Melissa Goldfinger. Participants can make a bracelet for Beads of Courage and one for themselves or… Read more »
The Senior Task Force of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona has changed its name to Task Force for Jewish Seniors and Adults with Disabilities. The task force has created a survey to assess the needs and interests of local Jewish adults with disabilities, which will be online through… Read more »
The Olga and Bob Strauss Center for Early Childhood Education at Temple Emanu-El will be starting a Spanish bilingual preschool program for 3-,4- and 5-year-olds beginning Aug. 1. The program was requested by ECE families. Zoila Scott, who will implement the Spanish immersion program, has a bachelor of science… Read more »
The Tucson Cardozo Society of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona will present a breakfast seminar, “Ethics and Professionalism,” with speakers Stanley Feldman, Dennis Rosen and Lowell Rothschild, hosted by Mark Rubin, on Thursday, May 3 at 8:30 a.m. the Tucson Jewish Community Center. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m.… Read more »
The new ramp makes it easy for wheelchair-bound members of the congregation to come up to the bimah for an aliyah. The dream of wheelchair-bound congregants at Congregation Anshei Israel — to ascend to the bimah like everyone else — has become reality. The congregation’s new wheelchair-accessible ramp, which bridges the previous divide, was dedicated at a Saturday morning Shabbat service on March 24. “I’ve been extremely frustrated that people… Read more »
Mimuna is a traditional North African Jewish celebration held the day after Passover, marking the start of spring and the return to eating chametz ( leavened goods). Temple Emanu-El and the Weintraub Israel Center will hold a Mimuna celebration on Saturday, April 14 at 7:30 p.m. at Temple Emanu-El.… Read more »
David Brog Christians United for Israel at the University of Arizona will host “A Night to Honor Israel: Arizona Stands with Israel” featuring David Brog, CUFI executive director, on Thursday, April 19 at 6 p.m. Before CUFI, Brog worked in the U.S. Senate for seven years, rising to be chief of… Read more »
