After 21 years of dedication to the Tucson Jewish Community, Rabbi Robert Eisen stepped down in June 2020 as the spiritual leader of Congregation Anshei Israel. This December 5, the last night of Chanukkah and the holiday of rededication, Congregation Anshei Israel will be dedicating the remodeled Beit Midrash… Read more »
In early October, the Claims Conference announced pensions for certain groups of Holocaust Survivors who previously did not receive funding. These include Survivors of the Leningrad Siege, those hiding in France, and those persecuted in Romania. These funds will support 6,500 survivors worldwide, recognizing the trauma and terror that… Read more »
Pam Meyer (Photo by Jennifer Stewart) Jewish National Fund-USA’s (JNF-USA) lay leaders and professional team are delighted to announce the appointment of philanthropist, Pam Meyer as the organization’s new Board President in the Desert States region. In a statement, Meyer said: “JNF-USA has always had a special place in my heart. It is a great… Read more »
On Sunday, October 24, the Tucson J welcomed an estimated 250 guests for “A Celebration of Sculpture,” an inaugural festival marking the opening of its Sculpture Garden and Indoor Fine Art Gallery exhibits. Nine new works joined the J’s robust collection of more than 40 sculptures by local, national,… Read more »
Members of our community who have been ordering Kosher Mobile Meals delivered to their home for the last six months have not only received a delicious kosher meal prepared in Handmaker’s kitchen, but some have had their meal delivered by none other than Rabbi Shemtov of Chabad Tucson! Rabbi… Read more »
2021 Jewish Community Award Winners The Jewish Community Awards and Welcome Back Celebration will be held on Nov. 1 at 5:15 pm at the Tucson Jewish Community Center Sculpture Garden. The event will honor those working to enhance Jewish life in Southern Arizona and celebrate the opportunity to come together as a community once… Read more »
Some may be surprised to learn that Jews have been active in Tucson’s political, commercial, and cultural life for nearly 200 years. Today, that heritage continues, and includes a contemporary group of local musicians that has been gathering weekly for more than a decade to play the unique Jewish… Read more »
A recent segment of NBC’s “Chicago Med” began with the story of a crowd watching a clearly disturbed young man in the midst of a psychiatric incident so severe that he was unable to recognize his own mother or his surroundings. The doctor (a former police officer) who arrived on… Read more »
Richard “Dick” Belkin Tucson Hebrew Academy will honor Richard “Dick” Belkin at its 2021 Tikkun Olam Celebration next month. The virtual celebration will be held Sunday, November 7, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. Dick and his wife, Sherry, moved to Tucson in 1989. They found a welcoming Jewish community in which they have… Read more »
Aaron Rottenstein In their October issue, Forbes Magazine announced that Aaron Rottenstein has been named one of America’s top 500 Next-Gen Wealth Managers of 2021. Aaron is the only Tucsonan to make the list. Quoting from Forbes selection for the Top NextGen Advisors: “There’s a reason millions of families are entrusting… Read more »
The 3,100 employees of Cox Arizona today announce grant donations of $80K to 21 Southern Arizona nonprofit education, diversity and environment and sustainability programs during a difficult time. This marks the 25th year that Cox Arizona employees, through Cox Charities, have raised funds to help the communities in which they… Read more »
Longtime Southern Arizona Jewish community member Boris Kozolchyk was recently nominated for a Nobel Prize for his extensive work addressing international economic justice. Among the distinguished organizations and individuals that nominated him are the University of Rio de la Plata and the Argentine Comparative Law Association. “Having worked with… Read more »
Tucson-native and UArizona student, David Lex, wrote a longform article about the life of Rabbi Philip Lewkowicz, known to our community affectionately as “Rabbi Billy,” for his journalism class. In it, David describes Rabbi Billy’s journey to spiritual discovery and teaching, as well as how he came to call… Read more »
Families with young children have faced unique challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our Southern Arizona Jewish community agencies and synagogues are proud to be able to provide a variety of resources to support these families, from the beginning of the pandemic and as it has evolved over time. Among… Read more »
The Jewish History Museum and Holocaust History Center (JHM/HHC) is welcoming visitors back to its campus with advance registration, beginning Oct. 7. The Jewish History Museum is housed in the oldest synagogue in the Arizona Territory, which was built in 1910, and tells the story of the Jewish presence… Read more »
Handmaker residents began the Jewish New Year of 5782 with a beautiful and festive meal together on Erev Rosh Hashanah in the Great Room at Handmaker. We were all grateful to be able to eat and celebrate the start of what we hope we will be a better new… Read more »
Retired Tucson Fire Department Assistant Chief Michael “Mike” McKendrick Retired Tucson Fire Department Assistant Chief Michael “Mike” McKendrick was inducted into the Arizona Fire Service Hall of Fame on Sept. 9. Mike worked for Tucson Fire for more than 30 years and, upon retirement, founded the Greater Tucson Fire Foundation (GTFF). The GTFF provides firefighters with health and… Read more »
Greek Jewish Society members erect the UA Hillel sukkah “When a person is happy, gloom and suffering stand aside. Yet greater still is to gather courage to actually pursue gloom, and to introduce it into the joy, such that the gloom itself turns into joy.” – Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, Likutei Moharan, Part II 23:1:3-4 This week I… Read more »
As part of an ongoing effort to create safe spaces to talk and learn about Israel, the Weintraub Israel Center, a joint project between the Tucson JCC and Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona, are leveraging Israeli actress and activist Noa Tishby’s recent book “Israel: A Simple Guide To The… Read more »
Rosh Hashanah preparation and celebration lasted the entire month of Elul at Tucson Hebrew Academy (THA). The blowing of the shofar was heard on our grounds every morning. Fifth and sixth grade students created their own shofrot. Seventh graders took a field trip to Handmaker to blow the shofar and… Read more »
