Residents and guests enjoy a holiday meal at Handmaker. For over 60 years, Handmaker has made it possible for residents, along with family and friends, to enjoy kosher holiday meals and holiday services at Handmaker. For more than half of that time, Mel Cohen has been leading the Shabbat and holiday services, with help from Dan Asia, Mike… Read more »
Sarah Tolar Acclaimed jazz singer Sarah Tolar will lend her signature smooth vocals and heartfelt style to Rhapsody in Hope, a special benefit concert for Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Southern Arizona (JFCS). The performance will be held Sunday, Nov. 9, at 4 p.m. at the Berger Theater. Joined by… Read more »
Klezmerkaba Following a successful 30th-anniversary gala last November, Beth Shalom Temple Center of Green Valley is planning a new event, “Uniting the Community Through Music.” “We are living in a time of terrible anger and a great divide of ideas that separate us from each other. Kindness seems to have… Read more »
The Center for Jewish Resilience (CJR) at Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona will host its inaugural Southwest Institute on Sunday, October 26, which seeks to bring together community stakeholders for educational programming about Jewish peoplehood, contemporary antisemitism, and pushing back against this and other forms of hatred. For its… Read more »
From left, Tucson Jewish Community Center President and CEO Todd Rockoff, Tucson J Senior Director of Marketing, Communications and Public Relations Rachael Mitchell, and Tucson J Board Member Tamar Kugler at the 2024 Z3 Conference in Palo Alto, California. The Z3 Conference, an initiative of the Oshman Family JCC, brings Jews from across the political and religious spectrum together to explore Israel, Zionism, identity, and the future of Jewish life. The conference will celebrate 10 years this fall. For several years, Todd Rockoff, Tucson J President and CEO,… Read more »
Jane Berenbeim, International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies immediate past president, center, with Southern Arizona Genealogical Society Co-Presidents Nancy Grayson, left, and Rich Schlesinger The Southern Arizona Jewish Genealogical Society won the Member of the Year Award at the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies’ 45th International Conference on Jewish Genealogy held in Fort Wayne, Indiana, from August 10-14, 2025. The IAJGS represents more than 90 Jewish genealogical societies worldwide. Rich Schlesinger and… Read more »
A son, Jake Madden Jesselson, was born Aug. 27 to Claire and Rob Jesselson of Tucson. Jake joins his two-year-old big brother, Ari. Maternal grandparents are Michael Graham and Terry Fortunato of Tucson. This is their second grandchild. Paternal grandparents are Mark and Sue Jesselson o Northbrook, Illinois. This… Read more »
Hiking throughout Israel helped Gabe Melson connect with the land. (Courtesy Gabe Melson) This summer, local teen Gabe Melson went on a meaningful and inspiring journey to Israel through the Ramah Israel Seminar, supported by the Shaol & Evelyn Pozez Endowment Fund held at the Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona. Before his departure, Gabe met with Yuval Malka, Southern Arizona’s Senior… Read more »
Larry passed away peacefully in his home in Tucson, Arizona, looking out at the view of the mountains that he so cherished. He was 87 years old. He is survived by his wife of over 60 years Gail Leiken, daughters Karen Farley and Julie Leiken in Boulder, Colorado, son… Read more »
Project Isaiah, the Jewish community’s annual High Holidays food and fund drive benefiting the Community Food Bank, begins on Monday, Sept. 8, and will continue through Friday, Oct. 17. The project is named for the Prophet Isaiah, who, when asked why we fast on Yom Kippur, responded, “Is it… Read more »
Photo: Rabbi Avi Alpert officiates at the wedding of Neshama and Laif Madson on Nov. 17, 2024. (Photo courtesy Congregation Bet Shalom)
Tucson’s Congregation Bet Shalom has quadrupled in size since 2012. That’s when Avi Alpert came on board as its spiritual leader, first as a cantor and later as a full-fledged rabbi. Congregants attribute the change to Alpert, whom they describe as “incredibly approachable” and “very open-minded, but very strong… Read more »
Sam Horowitz (Photo courtesy Congegation B'nai Midbar) Samuel I. Horowitz, 79, died Aug. 18, 2025, in Rockville, Maryland, after a yearlong battle with leukemia. He was formerly a resident of SaddleBrooke, Arizona. Sam grew up in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, where he attended yeshiva day school and forged a deep passion for Judaism. He served in the… Read more »
SandRuby Community Programs has been providing care for adults and respite for their caregivers for many years. Part of the Handmaker Family of Services, SandRuby provides a safe, social environment for older adults, where they are surrounded by friends and trained and loving staff, and have the opportunity to… Read more »
The J is thrilled to be part of the rolling world premiere of theatre dybbuk’s “Dracula (Annotated).” This production, with its blend of artistry, history, and provocation, offers a rare opportunity to engage audiences on multiple levels. From the outset, our goal has been to create a month of… Read more »
The role of a doula is traditionally associated with birth. Anita Kellman guides people at the other end of their journeys, as a certified end-of-life doula. Kellman provides physical, emotional and spiritual support to patients and their families, whether that means running errands, facilitating conversations or sitting vigil. Caring… Read more »
Robert G. Varady’s father, László Weisz (“Laci,” pronounced “Lutzee,” to family and friends), cultivated a reputation as a raconteur. Varady grew up on Laci’s stories of business prowess in pre-war Budapest and survival during World War II – all of which Laci attributed to his quick wit, connections, and… Read more »
In recognition of Drowning Impact Awareness Month, Tucson Medical Center and the Tucson Jewish Community Center are partnering to host the annual Community Water Safety Day on Sunday, Aug. 24, from 1 to 4 p.m. The free event, hosted at the Tucson J, is designed to promote water safety… Read more »
Shamsedin Zamani, pictured with his four children, spoke at Tucson’s World Refugee Day program on June 20, 2025. His daughters wore traditional Afghan attire. (Photo: Dana Narter)
Longtime Tucsonans Dana Narter and her husband, Ed Baruch, were volunteers with the refugee resettlement program at Jewish Family & Children’s Services for several years. She wrote about one of her first experiences with the program for the AJP in July 2022. In 2023, JFCS asked if Narter and… Read more »
With full hearts, we remember the life of Alvin “Al” Lightman, who passed away peacefully in his sleep on the morning of August 7, 2025, at the remarkable age of 103. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Al lived a long and meaningful life defined by service, devotion,… Read more »
Dr. Jack R. Cole died Aug. 2, 2025, at the age of 95, surrounded by his family and friends. Dr. Cole retired from the University of Arizona after 60 years of service. He was Dean Emeritus from the College of Pharmacy and served as the provost of the university.… Read more »
