James Reid performs (Courtesy Chofetz Chayim)
Congregation Chofetz Chayim will present a Purim Palooza on Thursday, March 21 at 5 p.m. The palooza — defined as an exaggerated event — starts with wine and hors d’oeuvres on the synagogue patio, followed by a full course dinner, including hamantashen and other dessert selections. There will… Read more »
Singer Max Raabe, in white tie, with the Palast Orchester [Frank Eidel)
Max Raabe and the Palast Orchester will play the Fox Tucson Theatre on March 15. Raabe founded the Palast Orchester in 1986 in Berlin, with fellow music students who loved to play music from Germany’s Golden 1920s. Their style and showmanship struck a chord with the public and their… Read more »
Mourners at the Mount of Olives in February 2019 (Amy Hirshberg Lederman)
On a cold and windy day in February, I drove an hour and a half from Haifa to Jerusalem in search of my great-great-grandfather, Rabbi Moshe Yehudah Franco. I had learned about him from stories my mother told me and a family tree carefully constructed by relatives who were… Read more »
Janice Fischer provides daycare and overnight stays at Camp Doganuga. (Courtesy www.campdoganuga)
About 28 percent of American households have dogs. That’s a whopping 90 million four-legged friends, or as many dog-owners prefer to say, family members. When dog-owners are unable to take their fur babies with them, or when they want to offer them some social interaction, daycare or overnight care… Read more »
Many members of the bromeliad family do well as house plants. (Photos courtesy: Pixbay.com)
Houseplants are trendy once more — which is “groovy” or “cool beans” or maybe just plain super. Not only do plants make oxygen for us to breathe, they bring nature indoors and can help us relax. And there are so many pretty ones to choose from. BUT! Here in… Read more »
With a name like Batsheva, I also have a Starbucks name, “Beth,” for ordering in person. I know that the name Batsheva is not easy for people. It might be the first time that they encounter the name and that it is hard to spell if you are not… Read more »
he heated underwater treadmill at PAWS provides hydrotherapy benefits. (Courtesy PAWS)
There are scores of veterinary clinics in Southern Arizona, many that have specialties. PAWS Veterinary Center is an integrated health care center, combining the science of conventional medicine with the benefits of alternative therapies. These complementary alternate options include ancient Chinese therapies with herbs, acupuncture, pulse and tongue diagnosis,… Read more »
Looking to stretch your dollar a little further this year? If you live in a city where you paid less rent than the average American and get to keep more of your paycheck — you’re essentially earning more than you would in a city where rent was steeper. The… Read more »
Breanna Yalen (left) and Maya Levy at NFTY convention (Courtesy Maya Levy)
Way to go, Maya! Maya Levy was elected 2019-20 North American Federation of Temple Youth president at the NFTY convention, held Feb. 15-18 in Dallas. She was NFTY Southwest regional president before attaining this role as head of the North American board. Maya, a University High School senior, was… Read more »
U.S. Air Force Maj. Jason Markzon on point of his Thunderbirds Demonstration squad (USAF)
There’s always excitement when the elite Thunderbirds Demonstration Squad roars into Tucson’s Davis-Monthan U.S. Air Force Base for an air show. But this year’s “Thunder and Lightning Over Arizona,” March 23-24, brings a hometown pilot soaring into town for the performance. Maj. Jason Markzon, flying the #8 slot and… Read more »
In a world where everyone is constantly on the go, getting a good night’s sleep can be a daunting challenge. Here are three tips for using your senses to contribute to a better night’s sleep and bolster your overall well-being: Scent sense: Sprinkle a few drops of lavender oil… Read more »
(JTA) — Rep. Ted Deutch, a Jewish Democrat from South Florida, called out lawmakers from both parties for anti-Semitism in a passionate address on the House floor Thursday. Deutch in his address wanted a stand-alone resolution condemning anti-Semitism. Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives were going to vote… Read more »
Neshama Carlebach says "I want to live for this moment, for today, and I want my children to know joy.” (Michael Albany)
NEW YORK (JTA) — Neshama Carlebach says she is figuring out how “to both love and not love” her father. Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, a spiritual leader and musician whose soulful melodies penetrated the hearts of people across the religious spectrum, is the man who made her into who she… Read more »
(JTA) — A Belgian court convicted Mehdi Nemmouche, a French Islamist, of murdering four people in a terrorist attack at the Jewish Museum of Belgium in 2014. Nemmouche’s accomplice, Nacer Bendrer, was also found guilty of aiding the attacker during the reading of the verdict Thursday. They have not… Read more »
Jason Greenblatt, left, meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a visit to Jerusalem, March 13, 2017. (Government Press Office)
WASHINGTON (JTA) — The best thing everyone except for the Israelis and Palestinians can do when the Trump administration reveals its peace plan is to be supportive, Trump’s chief negotiator said. And nothing else. “It really is up to the Israelis and the Palestinians; they’re the ones who will… Read more »
(JTA) — An escape room in Greece that had raised the hackles of the Jewish community has dropped the name Schindler’s List. The Great Escape company changed the name to Secret Agent, the German news website Deutsche Welle reported. One of the company’s eight games and among the most… Read more »
(JTA) — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit Israel this month with the country in the throes of an election campaign. Pompeo will be in Israel on March 20 for a summit involving Israel, Greece and Cyprus, Axios reported. State Department spokesman Robert Palladino told reporters that Pompeo’s… Read more »
JERUSALEM (JTA) — At least three explosive devices carried by balloons from Gaza to southern Israel have detonated in Israeli territory. One of the explosives landed between two buildings in a Gaza border community on Monday before detonating, but did not cause any damage. The Israel Defense Forces responded… Read more »
(JTA) — White supremacists dramatically stepped up their propaganda efforts targeting neighborhoods and campuses in 2018 to never-before seen levels. Such efforts increased by 182 percent, to 1,187 distributions across the U.S., up from 421 total incidents reported in 2017, the Anti-Defamation League reported Tuesday. The number of racist… Read more »
Nancy Pelosi at her weekly news conference at the Capitol, Feb. 28, 2019. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON (JTA) — Democrats are revising a statement on anti-Semitism to include other forms of bias following complaints by caucus progressives that the original resolution unfairly singled out Rep. Ilhan Omar. Despite the impassioned objections of at least one Jewish Democrat, House Democrats are set to vote on the… Read more »
