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Mothers and daughters to model at COC show

The Sisterhood of Congregation Or Chadash will hold a Fashion Show Fete celebrating mothers and daughters on Sunday, May 18 at 3 p.m. Mother and daughter models will be featured. The event, which will include an afternoon tea on the patio with sandwiches and desserts, plus door prizes and… Read more »

CUFI taps diplomat for Night to Honor Israel

Christians United for Israel at the University of Arizona will host its fifth annual Night to Honor Israel at the Tucson Convention Center’s Leo Rich Theater on Thursday, May 15. The keynote speaker will be Deputy Consul General of Israel Uri Resnick, Ph.D. The Gatekeepers community choir will perform.… Read more »

Adult B’nai Mitzvah focus at Temple events

Temple Emanu-El will honor the achievements of adult B’nai Mitzvah with two events this month. On Friday, May 9, at 6:30 p.m., the 13th anniversary of the 2001 adult B’nai Mitzvah class will be celebrated, with nine of the 14 members of Rabbi Samuel M. Cohon’s first adult B’nai… Read more »

Freedom Seder affirms Tucson’s diversity

Actor Ed Asner, center, led a Freedom Seder on April 21 cosponsored by Temple Emanu-El and Humane Borders. He is pictured with Dinah Bear, president of the board of Humane Borders, and Rabbi Samuel M. Cohon, senior rabbi of Temple Emanu-El. (Simon Rosenblatt)

Singing the traditional Passover song Chad Gadya, leaving a cup of wine for the prophet Elijah, reciting poems by Marge Piercy and other secular poets, listening to reflections by members of Tucson’s Latino community — all marked the Freedom Seder held April 21 at Temple Emanu-El, cosponsored by Humane… Read more »

Keeping your mind sharp can be entertaining

Miriam Furst (Sheila Wilensky)

Tucsonan Miriam Furst has been teaching in the field of gifted education for more than 30 years. She’s still at it, researching stimulating activities that illustrate concepts she’s trying to convey. But instead of K-8 or college students, students in Furst’s sharp mind classes are residents at Handmaker Jewish… Read more »

Pediatric dentistry helps children smile

Elizabeth Katz, DMD

Establishing good dental hygiene for children begins long before they have all of their teeth. Children should begin seeing a dentist when they get their first tooth, or by their first birthday, according to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Visiting a dentist within the first year of life… Read more »

In landscape as in life, journey can be more important than destination

A garden path can combine different materials for visual interest. (Jacqueline Soule)

Destination is defined as “a set point for the end of a journey.” But we are also reminded that, “Whereever you go, there you are,” suggesting that sometimes the journey is more important than the destination. One place where both of these sayings can be equally true is in… Read more »

Full of Tucson lore, ‘Pioneer Jews’ back in print, online

“Pioneer Jews: A New Life in the Far West” by Harriet Rochlin was recently republished by the Authors Guild and iUniverse. The book, which covers 13 Western states, was called “Social history at its best, entertaining, engaging, and filled with little known information about famous and not-so-famous Jewish pioneers,”… Read more »

PJ Library expands age range for Southern Arizona kids

Tucsonan Nora Sevy enjoys PJ Library books (Courtesy Libby Quinn)

The PJ Library program in Southern Arizona is expanding and will now be available for all families raising Jewish children through 8 years of age. When the program launched in Southern Arizona in 2009 it was available for families raising Jewish children from 6 months through 6 years of… Read more »

Homegrown art projects can personalize your decor

This photo collage was inspired by the word ‘Echad’ in the Shema prayer. (Jenni Steinberg Pagano)

First of all, let’s get one thing straight. Buying “Real Art” is a great thing. Supporting artists whose work you love is an important part of creating a home that satisfies your soul. I encourage you to buy other people’s creations. But sometimes that isn’t the best solution. Perhaps… Read more »

“25 Questions for a Jewish Mother” Essay Contest!

Bebe Fischer, Ina Shivack, Hilary Lyons, Billie Maas (Patrick J. McArdle)

Arizona Onstage Productions is holdinga contest for two monologues to be performed in “25 Questions for a Jewish Mother,” by Kate Moira Ryan and Judy Gold, which will run for three weekends beginning May 9at the Temple of Music and Art Cabaret Theater. Email your essay, “My best memory… Read more »

JCRC panel praises Southern Arizona-Mexico economic cooperation

Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild talks with Bishop Gerald Kicanis of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson Rothschild at the Jewish Community Relations Council breakfast on April 11. (Simon Rosenblatt)

“We must work together” was the mantra at the “Border Communities: Issues, Ideas and Initiatives” breakfast and panel discussion on April 11. “No mayor, no rabbi, no priest can address border issues alone,” said Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson, as an introduction to… Read more »

From junkyard to IAF, Tucson’s clandestine contribution to the Six-Day War

Jacob Carmi, far left, with three of the American engineers who helped his team restore C-97 cargo planes in Tucson for the Israel Air Force.

Could a salvaged airplane from Tucson have played a part in the Six Day War? Improbable, yet true. In 1967, three Israeli engineers, with a handful of American mechanics and help from the Tucson Jewish community, secretly put together four Boeing C-97 planes from scraps in a Tucson junkyard,… Read more »

Tucson community, small steps help mom provide Jewish journey

Sarah Chen

As a young mom, the biggest single change I’ve noticed, Jewishly, is that I’ve gone from the happy-go-lucky Receiver of the Experience to the all-encompassing, ever-busy Provider. I used to sit around the Seder as a middle schooler rolling my eyes, sighing, wishing we could move faster. Then as… Read more »

From downtown to the Foothills: the best culinary temptations for spring

The patio at Bodega Kitchen & Wine

Tucson isn’t the left bank of Paris, but elegant ambiance, lovingly prepared Southwest and ethnic dishes, and spring outdoor dining all contribute to the tasty local restaurant scene. “Spring creativity came to me in a dream last week about drinks,” says Chef Coralie Satta, owner of Ghini’s French Café.… Read more »

Israel trip grant chance for ‘spiritual healing’

Bruce and Alayne Greenberg have been awarded the $2,500 Goldman Family Israel Scholarship Award from the Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona for the Southwest Torah Institute 2014 Israel Experience Trip slated for May 4-18. Announcing the award on behalf of the Southwest Torah Institute, Rabbi Israel Becker expressed… Read more »

Young Women’S Cabinet seeks prospective members

Young Women’s Cabinet, a two-year leadership development program through the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona, is seeking young women of all Jewish backgrounds who are in their mid-20s through early 40s. The Young Women’s Cabinet consists of about 12 women each year who gain leadership development skills and exposure… Read more »

Hillels offer new outreach to college bound

Hillels in North America have a new resource: www.JCollegeBound.org enables high school seniors to share their names and email addresses with the Hillel at the college or university they plan to attend. The Hillel director at the student’s new school will automatically be notified and will reach out to… Read more »

Tucson to celebrate Israel’s 66th year with abundance of events

Israeli singer-songwriter Lior Balavi will perform at Tucson’s Israel 66 celebration at the Tucson Jewish Community Center on the evening of May 14, which will cap almost two weeks of events.

Tucson Celebrates Israel 66, almost two weeks of community-wide celebrations and commemorations coordinated by the Weintraub Israel Center, will take place May 2-14. “This year, the community decided to put Israel in the center, to dedicate more than one day to celebrating and honoring Israel,” says Oshrat Barel, community… Read more »

Or Chadash Israel mission evokes joy, tears

“You do not come to Israel to learn. You come to Israel to feel,” said a speaker at Israel Independence Hall. My feelings were so deep and profound that tears welled up uncontrollably often on Congregation Or Chadash’s mission to Israel, March 5 to 12. Let me try to… Read more »