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“Border Communities: Issues, Ideas and Initiatives” will be the focus of a breakfast and panel discussion presented by the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona. The event will take place on Friday, April 11 from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. in the Tucson Jewish Community… Read more »

Rabbis on a Jewish Federations of North America mission to Tbilisi, Georgia, brought a food basket to the family of 10-year-old Nodar Abramishvili, who immediately shared a bag of M&M candies with the visitors. (Courtesy Rabbi Robert Eisen)

On Thursday, March 27, Rabbi Robert Eisen will share insights from his recent visit to the Jewish community of Tbilisi, Georgia, as part of a “Between the Headlines: Tbilisi, Ukraine and the Global Jewish Community” briefing sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona. It also will feature Danny… Read more »

Dr. Pamela Hartzband and Dr. Jerome Groopman (Shelly Harrison Photography)

Understanding your patient and yourself as a physician — and a human being — is the path to the best medical treatment. So say Dr. Jerome Groopman and Dr. Pamela Hartzband, authors of “Your Medical Mind: How to Decide What is Right for You.” Both Harvard Medical School educators… Read more »

(L-R): Karen, Lionel, Danielle and Ariella Faitelson at the Spice Route Winery near Cape Town, South Africa. Paarl (“Pearl”) Mountain can be seen in the background. (Courtesy Karen Faitelson)

From changes at a South African Jewish day school to the transformation of a country, Karen and Lionel Faitelson have seen it all. In December, the Faitelsons returned to South Africa with their two adult daughters for the first time in 14 years. Growing up, Karen attended the King… Read more »

Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor

The Sunday Evening Forum, which ran from 1947 to 1984, will return to Tucson on Sunday, March 30 with former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor as the keynote speaker. Former Arizona Su­preme Court Justice Stanley Feldman will interview O’Connor. The free event will be held at the Fox… Read more »

Congregation Bet Shalom will hold its 11th annual wine tasting and auction event on Saturday, March 29 at 7:30 pm at the synagogue. The event will feature free tastings of at least eight kosher-for-Passover wines from around the world. Those attending can make a donation to Bet Shalom to… Read more »

The University of Arizona Hillel Foundation’s annual 24-hour Holocaust vigil will be held from Wednesday, March 26 at noon till Thursday at 12:15 p.m. on the UA Mall. This year’s event will offer a variety of discussions, films and exhibits that address the theme, “For the dead and the… Read more »

Nancy Cohen is a registered nurse and life coach.

All of our lives are marked by milestones and passages. For families who are dealing with acute or chronic medical conditions, these transitions can be especially challenging. Whether it’s the onset of Alzheimer’s for a spouse or the changes of adolescence for a child with type 1 diabetes, patients… Read more »

Once a month, a group of about 20 Jewish women meet to talk about their children. That may sound fairly routine, but this gathering has a unique purpose. All of these women have children or grandchildren with special needs. They meet to share information and to support each other.… Read more »

Since 1970, individuals, local synagogues and businesses have joined with Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Southern Arizona for Matza & More, collecting and delivering Seder food items to more than 200 individuals and families in need. This year, 13-year-old Ben Spiegel is collecting food and financial donations for… Read more »

As required by its constitution, the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona hereby notifies its membership of proposed amendments to its constitution. These amendments will be subject to approval by the Federation membership at a special meeting to be held March 19, 4:30-4:45 p.m. in the Falkow lounge at Congregation… Read more »

On Sunday, April 6 from 2-4 p.m., the Jewish History Museum will hold a dedication of an Eshet Chayil (Woman of Valor) stained glass window honoring Eileen Warshaw, who died earlier this month. Warshaw was instrumental in establishing the museum on the site of the Stone Avenue Temple after… Read more »

Kate Titus (Lyn Sims)

When it comes to taking care of pets, responsible owners know the importance of vaccinations, annual veterinary appointments, grooming and exercise; however, several local animal care specialists argue that there is much more that can, and should, be done to ensure the health and well-being of animals. Whether your… Read more »

Simon Schama at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem (Photo: Tim Kirby © Oxford Film & Television 2012)

Prize-winning author of 15 books and Emmy Award-winner Simon Schama brings to life Jewish history and culture in a new five-part documentary series, “The Story of the Jews with Simon Schama.” To celebrate the series, airing on PBS 6 March 25 and April 1, the Tucson Jewish Community Center… Read more »

Barbara Garson

The Tucson Festival of Books, now the fourth largest book festival in the United States, returns to the University of Arizona campus March 15 and 16. One of the many Jewish writers presenting this year will be Barbara Garson, whose latest book is “Down the Up Escalator: How the… Read more »

Ken Sandock on the F-series diesel Copper Spike. The Arizona & Eastern Railway ran excursions from Globe, Ariz., to a local casino from 2008-2011.

Ken Sandock’s fascination with trains started when he was a boy — and it’s only gotten stronger over the years. His family lived in South Bend, Ind., and he would take the Chicago South Shore and Southbend Railroad to visit relatives in Chicago. “When I lived in Chicago there… Read more »

(L-R) Susan Wortman, Lupe Zembrano, Marjorie Cunningham and Paula Riback at Hebrew High

Teaching cooking at Tucson’s Hebrew High gives Marjorie Cunningham hope for the future. “I have confidence in our young people,” says Cunningham, who has found, over the past 15 or so years that she’s volunteered to teach the class, that her students are “pleasant, polite, appreciative and enthusiastic.” She… Read more »

Patty Vallance

Patty Vallance started volunteering when she had young children and lived in the small town of Placerville, Calif., from 1986 to 2000. “I have an obligation to my children, my family, to my community,” she told the AJP. “I wanted to raise my kids Jewish and connect them to… Read more »

From top: Lily, Bella, Michael, Allison (with Woody) and Sage Wexler (with Jessie)

Allison Wexler is not your average Jewish matchmaker. Not only is half of every pair she connects non-human, but they generally come from a pet shelter. “I can’t go anywhere in town without being called the Dog Matchmaker,” says Wexler, laughing. “For the last five or six years, people… Read more »

It was the summer of 1963 and I was 10 going on 11. I had never attended camp before. My Auntie E worked for the Jewish Federation in New York and had discussed with my parents sending me to the Hebrew Education Society’s two-week camp with her daughter (and… Read more »