Rabbi Eric Yoffie Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president emeritus of the Union for Reform Judaism, supports what he calls “passionate pluralism” in the Jewish world — not one right way of being Jewish. He’s coming to Tucson as Temple Emanu-El’s scholar-in-residence from Thursday, Feb. 27 to Saturday, March 1 “to combat stereotypes that… Read more »
Kristen Fabry as Tzeitel and Damian Garcia as Motel in “Fiddler on the Roof” at Pima Community College (Carol Carder/PCC) Working on Pima Community College’s upcoming production of “Fiddler on the Roof” has been “an absolute joy,” says director Todd Poelstra. “More than anything we’ve done, this event, from the first moment we announced it — it’s just been a positive response. ‘Oh, that’s one of my favorite shows… Read more »
Eran Levin, Ph.D., examines a bat in Nimrod Castle on the Golan Heights What do the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel and the Israel Defense Forces have in common? Bats. Yes, that’s right. A dozen species of these nocturnal flying mammals have made their summer home in a collection of abandoned army bunkers along the border with Jordan. And… Read more »
Rabbi Harold Kushner There is a universal human craving for significance, says Rabbi Harold Kushner. The world-renowned rabbi and author will speak on this idea when Temple Emanu-El presents “Making a Difference in Your Life and in Our City,” a brunch next month honoring Mayor Jonathan Rothschild. “We want to know that… Read more »
Models pose at the home of Catherene Morton prior to the Jewish History Museum’s bridal style show on Jan. 1. (Athol Cline/JHM) Exotic gowns in red, purple and gold as well as the traditional white are on display at the Jewish History Museum’s sixth annual ketubah (Jewish wedding contract) and wedding dress exhibit, which continues through March 30. The exhibit features gowns from the 1500s to 2010, with origins from New… Read more »
Hava Tirosh-Samuelson Jewish thinkers focus on happiness as the quality of life as a whole, not a few moments in the accrual of pleasure or money. So said Hava Tirosh-Samuelson in her talk “Judaism and the Contemporary Pursuit of Happiness” on Jan. 13 at the Tucson Jewish Community Center. The Irving… Read more »
Cantor Janece Cohen Congregation Or Chadash will celebrate its 18th anniversary with “Chai Hopes: a musical celebration honoring 18 years of life, faith, and community” on Sunday, Feb. 16 at 3:30 p.m. at the Tucson Jewish Community Center. The number 18 is significant in Jewish tradition because it is the sum of… Read more »
The Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona will hold a community signing event for its Endowment Book of Life on Tuesday, Feb. 4 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Tucson Jewish Community Center. Tucson’s Endowment Book of Life, now in its 23rd year, is a living document that… Read more »
A color-enhanced image shows outcrops that are likely volcanic (basalt) in origin, in Mars’ Valles Marineris canyon. Ari Espinoza, outreach coordinator for HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) at the University of Arizona, wants to help Hebrew speakers learn about Mars. The HiRISE camera on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has been taking photos of the planet since 2006. In 2010, HiRISE started working with volunteers… Read more »
In conjunction with its performing arts department’s spring musical, “Fiddler on the Roof,” Pima Community College is creating a Family Heritage Celebration. The college is seeking submissions for a multimedia presentation showcasing the heritage of its students, faculty, staff and community, which will culminate in a public celebration on… Read more »
Chabad of Tucson will hold a “Spa for the Soul” event for women on Sunday, Feb. 16, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Hacienda Del Sol Guest Ranch Resort. The event will begin with an hour of mini spa treatments and health and beauty consultations, plus vendor tables and… Read more »
Scholarships for Jewish overnight summer camp are available through the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona Coalition for Jewish Education. Forms are available for need-based scholarships for students currently attending Tucson’s religious schools or Tucson Hebrew Academy. The scholarships, funded by the Moe and Frances Beren Family Scholarship Fund at… Read more »
Rabbi David Wolpe David Wolpe — named the most influential rabbi in America by Newsweek magazine and one of the 50 most influential Jews in the world by the Jerusalem Post — will speak in support of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona 2014 Community Campaign on Wednesday, Feb. 12. The… Read more »
Steven Weitzman will present “King Solomon’s Mines Revisited: A Misadventure Story,” the Arizona Center for Judaic Studies 2014 Marcus Breger Memorial Lecture, on Tuesday, Jan. 21. Weitzman, the Daniel E. Koshland Professor of Jewish Culture and Religion at Stanford University, will speak at noon at the University of Arizona… Read more »
(L-R) Nina Isaac, Randi Levin, Cheryl Wortzel, Shaun Kozolchyk and David Plotkin at a past Hava Tequila event. Hava Tequila, a party with a 1920s theme sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona Young Leadership department, will be held Saturday, Feb. 8, 8 to 11 p.m. at Hotel Congress. The event, for ages 21 and over, will include a DJ, dancing, photo booth, hors d’oeuvres, signature… Read more »
Scholarships for Jewish overnight camps, funded by the Moe and Frances Beren Family Scholarship Fund, are available through the Coalition for Jewish Education of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona. “As in past years, these funds are critical in both showing the community’s recognition of the positive impact Jewish… Read more »
The Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona has announced the fifth annual Goldman Family Israel Scholarship Grant, with available funding of $2,500. The deadline for application is 5 p.m. on Feb. 7. The Elliot S. Goldman Israel Scholarship Fund and the Goldman Family Scholarship Fund are endowment funds held… Read more »
Gavin Cohen watches a shot. Tucson is a golfer’s paradise — and not just for retirees and sun-seeking vacationers. Many Tucsonans develop a love of the game at an early age, including several teens in the Jewish community, such as 15-year-old Gavin Cohen. “Gavin Cohen is a pretty good stick,” says Scott Gregoire, general… Read more »
Adisa Ayaso Adisa Ayaso arrived in Israel in January 1984, but her family’s aliyah wasn’t the typical airplane flight of so many modern-day Jews. Ayaso, now 33, was born in the village of Gedlia Murim in Ethiopia. She was 3 when her family began the 1,000-mile trek across the mountains of… Read more »
Enriqueta Fassler Enriqueta “Neneng” Fassler is a 71-year-old dynamo who earned her third college degree in May. She was the oldest graduate of Pima Community College, earning her post-graduate certificate — with honors — as a paralegal. Fassler holds two college degrees in education: one in physical education from her native… Read more »
