Pastor D. Grady Scott of the Grace Temple Baptist Church and former Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild will discuss “African American and Jewish Communities: Partners for a More Equitable Tucson” in a Zoom presentation on Sunday, Jan. 10 from 2:30-3:30 p.m. The discussion about racism both nationally and in Tucson… Read more »
Local food columnist and photographer Jackie Alpers’ cookbook, “Taste of Tucson: Sonoran-Style Recipes Inspired by the Rich Culture of Southern Arizona,” is replete with recipes from well-known local chefs such as Suzana Davila of Café Poca Cosa and The Little One, and Carlotta Flores of El Charro Café. Published… Read more »
Insights that have emerged from the ongoing community planning process will help enrich Jewish life in Southern Arizona, with a focus on collaboration and inclusion.
How can the Southern Arizona Jewish community shape a future that engages, fulfills, and sustains more people than ever before, in this generation and the generations to come? A newly released 21-page document called “Southern Arizona Jewish Community: Pathways to Enriching Jewish Life” aims to answer this question. Developed… Read more »
From left, Rabbi Yossie Shemtov of Chabad Tucson with Handmaker Director of Food and Facility Services Mike Felde, Pastry Chef Julie Ogroski, and Executive Chef Claire Wilmouth (Photo: Faye Gandolfi)
Handmaker Jewish Services for the Aging has announced a partnership with the ongoing Chabad of Tucson Kosher Meals on Wheels program. By providing affordable kosher meals to those in need, this collaboration helps tackle the issue of food insecurity in the local community. The program will provide glatt kosher… Read more »
Graham Hoffman
Social Venture Partners Tucson has selected 10 local nonprofits to participate in its sixth annual Fast Pitch program. These organizations will take part in an 18-week training program designed to help nonprofits build meaningful relationships, gain resources, and become more resilient. At the centerpiece event on March 11, 2021,… Read more »
Months ago, Ester Leutenberg told her husband, Jay, she was concerned about young children and teens’ reactions to the restrictions and uncertainty brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. “Our twin grandsons could not have a high school graduation ceremony; young people of all ages were either struggling with virtual… Read more »
High school seniors Bella Wexler of Tucson and Amber Juang of Taiwan have been friends since they were fifth-grade students together at Ventana Vista Elementary School in Tucson’s Catalina Foothills School District. They’ve maintained that friendship across 7,000 miles since Amber’s family returned to Taiwan during the girls’ first… Read more »
T. Marie King Amplifying Voices, a six-part virtual series, provides an opportunity to explore the intersectional relationship between the Black and Jewish communities. Launched in October by the Tucson Jewish Community Center and a group of community partners, it will continue on Sunday, Jan. 31 at 4 p.m. with session five, “Learning the Land,… Read more »
Updated 12.7: The Dec. 13 concert planned by Congregation Or Chadash, Temple Emanu-El and the Tucson Jewish Community Center has been canceled. An email from Temple Emanu-el read, in part, “Due to the rise in Covid cases in Pima County, and new county restrictions for gatherings, we have made… Read more »
It doesn’t matter if you spell it Hanukkah, Chanukah, or some other variation – The Ruth and Irving Olson Center for Jewish Life is celebrating the holiday this year. The Northwest Division of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona is bringing its annual Hanukkah party online, on Monday, Dec.… Read more »
Members of the Tucson Maccabees semi-pro soccer team pause during a recent practice for a team meeting. (Courtesy Tucson Maccabees)
A new local semi-professional soccer team has its roots not only in the Old Pueblo, but also in “the old country.” “My first experience with soccer was as a young child in Romania when my father took me to a game,” recalls Meir Segal, the team’s founder and coach.… Read more »
Todd Rockoff will lead a Z3 lunch and learn on Dec. 13. This year’s Z3 event won’t be what people might expect. Now in its sixth year, Z3, which originally was dubbed Zionism 3.0, is an opportunity to talk about a wide range of issues in Israel and the Diaspora. But this is definitely not going to be your typical conference, and not… Read more »
Vinyl Tap performs at The Gaslight Music Hall in Oro Valley Nov. 4. Last month, on Nov. 4, Northwest residents joined The Ruth and Irving Olson Center for Jewish Life/Northwest Division of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona for a drive-in concert at The Gaslight Music Hall in Oro Valley. More than 50 people enjoyed a night of music under the stars… Read more »
Ben Schwartz (left) and Billy Crystal in a scene from 'Standing Up, Falling Down'
The Tucson International Jewish Film Festival is celebrating its 30th anniversary with an abundance of films to stream. “While many things have changed, the power of film to bring us together has not,” Film Festival Co-chairs Cookie Little and Donna Dennison write on the festival’s welcome page. Using the… Read more »
A visit to the Bisbee-Douglas Jewish Cemetery on March 11, 2020 revealed toppled tombstones and graves in need of repair. Volunteers made efforts to clean up the site in 2016, but the cemetery was not secure from vandals. (Photo: Virgil Hancock)
The recent restoration of the Bisbee-Douglas Jewish Cemetery, established in 1904, allows the Jewish pioneers buried there to “rest in dignity,” as Stuart Mellan, former president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona, told the audience at the Federation’s “Celebrating Our Past, Creating Our Future” event on… Read more »
Paula Shoyer
Chabad of Oro Valley and Chabad Tucson will host renowned cookbook author Paula Shoyer, aka “The Kosher Baker,” for a Hanukkah cooking demonstration on Zoom on Tuesday, Dec. 8 at 7 p.m. “When I spoke to Paula last week, I told her I was looking for a recipe that… Read more »
This year is all about comfort food and with Hanukkah on the horizon, there’s no better indulgence than golden, crispy latkes (potato pancakes). For tips on how to make this holiday staple, local cooking school Flying Aprons Tucson is holding a “Celebrating Hanukkah — Latkes and Applesauce” class on… Read more »
Manischewitz, an iconic name in traditional kosher products, will be offering a do-it-yourself Chanukah House cookie decorating kit, complete with a candy menorah, through national retailers including Amazon and Walmart. The kit is at the center of a promotion by Manischewitz to drive consumer sales and raise awareness for… Read more »
Honorees Nancy and Stu Mellan (Damion Alexander)
On Nov. 17, the Jewish Federation of Arizona/Jewish Community Foundation held its most ambitious event of the program year, bringing the community together for a drive-in event at Park Place Mall and online to celebrate Stuart Mellan, former JFSA president and CEO, and his wife, Nancy, for 25 years… Read more »
The Amplifying Voices virtual series is an opportunity to explore the intersectional relationship between the Black and Jewish communities, presented by the Tucson Jewish Community Center and a group of community partners. It will continue Sunday, Dec. 6 at 10:30 a.m. (MST) with a panel discussion, “Stories of Exclusion,… Read more »
