Donald S. Novitt, born on July 30, 1947, in New York City, passed away on November 5, 2025 in Tucson. He was a devoted husband to Morleen, a loving father to Lisa (Rick), and proud “Pa” of Mia and Ruby, who brought him endless joy. Don was a successful… Read more »
Kameron Norwood and Sara Cash Norwood with their daughters. (Photo: Kristin Bendigo Photography) Over the past two years, Kameron Norwood, 36, has woven himself into the fabric of Tucson’s Jewish community. He’s in his second year of Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona’s two-year Young Men’s Group leadership program, and he and his wife, Sara Cash Norwood, have hosted several YMG and JPSA events at… Read more »
Jewish Family & Children's Services of Southern Arizona has launched a hygiene pantry to help those facing cuts in SNAP benefits. Last week, with cuts to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits looming for one million Arizonans, Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Arizona opened a hygiene pantry. The pantry, located at the organization’s building at 4301 E. Fifth Street, aims to provide essential items such as toothpaste, diapers and feminine… Read more »
Julian Schwarz Cellist Julian Schwarz made his performance debut at the age of nine, playing composer Max Bruch’s Kol Nidrei at the synagogue his family attended in Seattle, Washington. For the next 11 years, he played the Kol Nidrei on Yom Kippur at Temple De Hirsh Sinai. “The cantor at my… Read more »
Daniel Kraft Early next month, as part of our Kristallnacht programming, Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center welcomes poet, educator, and Yiddish translator, Danny Kraft. Kraft’s presentation, “Facing the Holocaust Through Yiddish Poetry,” will explore how Yiddish poets expressed their grief and anger through words, both during and after the Shoah.… Read more »
For the ninth year, people of all ages and abilities are invited to hit the trail with the Tucson J, kicking off the season of light with movement and community for the annual Hanukkah Hot Cocoa Run on Sunday, Dec. 7. This year’s run features timed 5k and 1-mile… Read more »
Sharon Glassberg has spent years bearing witness to history. As a Holocaust Survivor Services Coordinator at Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Southern Arizona (JFCS) and President of the Board at the Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center, she has facilitated weekly support groups, creating sacred space for survivors… Read more »
Anna Cohen will celebrate becoming a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, Oct. 25. 2025 at Kol Ami Synagogue. She is the daughter of Noah Cohen and Havah Haskell z”l. Anna attends Esperero Canyon Middle School. She loves music, animals, national parks, and Japanese anime. For her mitzvah project, Anna is… Read more »
Farfel One morning during COVID, I went for a morning walk with my dog, Farfel. I saw three dogs, five birds, two rabbits, eight snails, and two fish. I am not making this up! I live on a pond in the middle of Tucson. It was a relief and a… Read more »
Brian Alterowitz Tucson Hebrew Academy recently hired Brian Alterowitz as director of operations. Alterowitz is a dedicated and highly skilled organizer with a deep-rooted passion for community, education, and public service. With over 25 years of distinguished service in the United States Army, he retired at the rank of Chief Warrant… Read more »
Rachel Fish, Ph.D. Scholar/activist Dr. Rachel Fish is a renowned expert on antisemitism in America. She will be in Tucson on Sunday, October 26, to lead Southwest Institute 2025, a program from the Center for Jewish Resilience at Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona designed to help educators and administrators identify and address… Read more »
Roni Capin Rivera-Ashford in her Tucson home with her bilingual children’s books. (Courtesy Roni Capin Rivera-Ashford) Tucson resident and author Roni Capin Rivera-Ashford originally wrote “What Color is Your Hand?/ De qué color es tu mano?” 24 years ago, after a poignant moment with her 4-year-old grandson, Jordan. She and her husband, Daniel, had taken Jordan to Legoland in California on vacation. When Rivera-Ashford… Read more »
Dorron Blumberg Tucson Hebrew Academy recently hired Dorron Blumberg as its director of marketing, communications, and advancement. Blumberg brings over a decade of marketing expertise to THA to amplify the school’s mission and reach. He is dedicated to showcasing THA’s educational programs, rooted in traditional Jewish values, to more families across… Read more »
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 »
