News

Mazel tov to Eithan Moss, who recently took third place in the eighth-grade category at the RTX Invention Convention U.S. Nationals for his invention, The Cooling Box, a device that cools rooms and runs on sunlight alone. Eithan’s invention was inspired by termite mounds in Central Africa and solar… Read more »

Amrit Levi Gibbons will celebrate becoming a Bar Mitzvah on Aug. 22, 2026, at Kol Ami. He is the son of Gabriel and Rakhi Gibbons and a big brother to Avi Gibbons. He’s the grandson of Michael and Glenna Gibbons of Tucson and Kanwal and Amartjeet Juneja of Santa… Read more »

Kim Klett speaks at the Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center educators’ conference on July 21, 2026. Klett was TJMHC’s 2021 Educator of the Year.

The way a teacher introduces the Holocaust can stay with students long after the unit ends, shaping how they understand prejudice and hatred for years to come. That responsibility, and the skill it takes to carry it into a classroom, brought educators, TJMHC board members, docents, and staff to… Read more »

Tucson J Early Childhood Education students plant seeds in the Shay-Shay Community Garden with teacher Demaris Weitzel (Photo: Tucson J)

This article is part of a series around Jewish early childhood education at the Tucson J. Throughout each day, babies, toddlers, and preschoolers in the Tucson Jewish Community Center’s Early Childhood Education program discover the world around them through play, curiosity, and connection — studying a painting in… Read more »

Judith Manelis blesses the Shabbat candles at Kol Ami Synagogue on Friday, July 10, 2026. (Photo: Stephen Shawl)

On July 9, I turned 88 years old. I told friends that I felt like a girl in an old woman’s body. I have always been youthful, but the aches and pains that often accompany old age have begun to bother me … back, neck, knees. My eyes don’t… Read more »

Hebrew High is returning to Southern Arizona this fall. Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona is relaunching Hebrew High as “a community-built, student-shaped weekly Jewish learning and belonging initiative for grades 8–12,” according to organizers. Sessions will be held on Tuesday evenings, beginning Aug. 18. Molly Dunn,… Read more »

Tucsonan Seth Schindler has pursued diverse occupations, including street peddler, strawberry picker, clam digger, lumberjack, organic farmer, anthropologist, museum curator, sculptor, real estate developer, and stockbroker. But at 79, a title he savors goes back to one of his earliest dreams: writer. When Schindler was a junior in… Read more »

Research Professor Emerita of the Gender and Women’s Studies Department, University of Arizona, Myra Dinnerstein, passed away in her sleep in the early hours of Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at the age of 92, having lived a rich and meaningful life. She was the founding director of the Women’s… Read more »

Handmaker activity assistant Shania Sponaas, left, and former activity assistant Gracie Soto participate in a Red Cross Blood Drive at Handmaker in June 2025.

A single blood donation can save up to three lives by providing red blood cells, platelets, and plasma to trauma victims, surgery patients, and individuals battling chronic illnesses such as cancer and sickle cell disease. According to the Red Cross, someone in the U.S. needs blood every two… Read more »

Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Southern Arizona staff members, clockwise from top left: Sophie German, Sharon Glassberg, Ginger Doran, and Raisa Moroz

“Trauma-informed care isn’t just for clinicians,” says Sophie German, BSW, CFSW, director of the older adult and community services departments at Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Southern Arizona. These include several financial wellness programs and Jewish holiday programs like Mitzvah Magic. “Most of the people that we… Read more »

In Tucson, campaign signs for a Jewish candidate for the Arizona Senate were defaced with hand-lettered placards bearing an antisemitic and misogynistic slur. The vandalism was crude, but it did not come from nowhere.… Read more »

(L-R): Renee Pourrier, Diana Coleman, and Keri Gall at Handmaker’s Rubin Assisted Living (Photo courtesy Nanci Levy)

For years, Handmaker has been fortunate to have an extensive roster of dedicated volunteers. They come to spend time with residents, play games, assist attendees during Shabbat services, and most importantly, build meaningful connections and friendships. Following the pandemic, Handmaker was grateful to welcome back many familiar faces, including… Read more »

The University of Arizona Hillel has appointed a new executive director, Shoshi Lipschultz, who will start in July. Eric Natter, president of the UA Hillel board of directors, announced the appointment last month. An Arizona native and University of Arizona alum, Lipschultz returns to Tucson… Read more »

Children in the early childhood education program at the Tucson Jewish Community Center roll dough that will be baked into matzah.

For many families, the transition to kindergarten is both exciting and filled with questions about whether a child is truly ready for the next step. While academic skills are important, research continues to show that social-emotional development, independence, communication, and self-confidence play an equally significant role in a successful… Read more »

Ariel Fawn Strobel and Lee Randy Baldwin, both of Tucson, have announced their engagement. Ariel is the daughter of Tammy and Alan Strobel. She earned a Bachelor of Science from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York. Ariel is a fine artist specializing in illustration, painting, and ceramics… Read more »

Rafael Valdez Salomon will celebrate becoming a Bar Mitzvah on June 13, 2026, at Kol Ami Synagogue. He is the son of Shay and Nigel. Rafael is an avid reader, left wing on his soccer team, and green belt black stripe in Aikido. He enjoys acting in community… Read more »

Murray Leipzig aka Moshe David ben Shrage Fival v. Ettka Zipa aka MDL, passed away on Friday, June 5, 2026, before Shabbat. Murray lived eighty-one tremendous years full of accomplishment both professionally and personally. Murray grew up in Syracuse, New York. He lived and worked in hospital and medical… Read more »

Local faith leaders gathered at TJMHC on April 24, 2026, to discuss immigration and border issues in Southern Arizona. Photo: Lynn Davis

On April 24, the Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center hosted a half-day convening on immigration and border issues for local congregational clergy.… Read more »

From left: Fernanda Lagunas-Pachecho, Antonella Bonillas-Cruz, Kyla Chacon, Ezra Mandel, Abby Jeck, Razin Smith, Rep. Dan Goldman, Matthew Meislin, Nathanial Hirshman, Liam Sagar, Joaquin Lopez, Natalia Alejandro, and Jacqui Hoffman on Capitol Hill

For the students in this year’s Jewish Latino Teen Coalition, active shooter lockdown drills have long been a fact of life. “I’m not sure about preschool, necessarily, but I can 100% say elementary school,” says Ezra Mandel, a junior at Catalina Foothills High School who was one of the… Read more »

Mazal tov to Gil Ribak, Ph.D., who earlier this month was promoted to Full Professor and is now the Shirley D. Curson Professor of Judaic Studies and History at the School for Global Studies, University of Arizona. Also this month, Ribak won the Bernard Briskin Faculty Award for distinguished… Read more »