News

THA 8th Graders Celebrate Graduation on Campus

13 graduates completed their prerequisites in both Judaic and secular studies and graduated from Tucson Hebrew Academy (THA) on May 18, 2022, 17 Iyar 5782. For the first time in three years, the ceremony returned home to Amster Auditorium on the THA campus after an online graduation for the… Read more »

Jewish Latino Teen Coalition in Washington, D.C.

When I was accepted into the Jewish Latino Teen Coalition (JLTC) in December of last year, I didn’t really know what I was in for. I knew it was going to be somewhat related to politics, culture, and advocacy, but at the time I saw it as a minor… Read more »

THA 8th Graders Go to Israel!

After two consecutive years of having to cancel their trip to Israel due to Covid, Tucson Hebrew Academy (THA) has resumed the trip this year, and their 8th graders are having a blast! They arrived in Israel on Erev Yom HaZikaron (the eve of Israel’s Memorial Day) and joined… Read more »

What Passover Looks Like On Campus

At the heart of UArizona Hillel’s mission is to help students develop a vibrant, diverse, meaningful, and empowered Jewish community here on campus. The way that mission comes to life during Passover is to take direction from students, and to have a wide variety of programming and access points,… Read more »

THA’s Hagigat HaSefer – Receiving the first Siddur

Over the last week of March, at the Tucson Hebrew Academy (THA), we honored our 1st and 2nd graders by celebrating Hagigat HaSefer (the celebration of the book). During Hagigat HaSefer, our young students received their very first Siddur (prayer book), signaling the beginning of a lifelong love of… Read more »

Wyatt Earp’s Jewish connection and more included in a new documentary

When Josephine Marcus ran away from home in 1880, it is hard to imagine just how shocked her California-based parents must have felt. Teenage Josephine dreamt of becoming an actress and a dancer. These weren’t exactly the plans made by her Jewish immigrant family and Hollywood didn’t yet exist.… Read more »

JFSA and JCF rebrand as Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona

After more than two years of planning and collaboration, the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona (JFSA) and the Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona (JCF) have integrated into a single operating entity. The new organization shall be known as the Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona (JPSA).    “As JPSA, we… Read more »

Tucson Jewish Museum announces new director

Lori Shepherd

After an extensive and rigorous search, the Board of Directors of the Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center is pleased to announce that Lori Shepherd has accepted the position of Executive Director, effective March 16, 2022. Lori is the former Executive Director of the El Paso Holocaust Museum &… Read more »

My Single, Senior, Challenging, Meaningful Life

My birthday this year came and went with no bouquet of roses gifted to me by a special man and nary a sweet nothing whispered in my ear. It’s just not fair, I silently reproached the universe.  Why are there so many more women than men over 60 looking… Read more »

Student crafted, staff supported: How to enable doing Jewish

Sure, it’s UA Hillel’s mission to help students create a vibrant, diverse, meaningful and empowered Jewish community on campus, but how does that really work? How does our mission come to life? Typically, student-directed ideas surface, and staff helps to curate experiences that meet their needs. A few examples:… Read more »

JFCS to provide free e-books of “To Tell Our Stories: Holocaust Survivors of Southern Arizona” to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day

The first volume of “To Tell Our Stories: Holocaust Survivors of Southern Arizona,” published in 2015 by Jewish Family and Children’s Services of Southern Arizona (JFCS), is now available in a free e-book format on Smashwords. A free e-book version of volume two, which was first published in 2018,… Read more »

Handmaker celebrates Tu b’shevat Seder

Last month, Handmaker was honored to be one of the organizations included in a philanthropic event called Mitzvah Fair. The Fair was put together by students from the Kol Ami Religious School (Legacy Synagogues, Or Chadash, and Temple Emanu-el of Tucson), and Congregation Anshei Israel’s Religious School before Winter… Read more »

Of Blessed Memory : Ruthann Pozez

Ruthann Kornbleet Pozez passed away with her family by her side on Friday, Jan. 14, 2022. Ruthann was born July 13, 1926 in Kansas City, Kansas. She was predeceased by her loving husband of 61 years, Louis Pozez, her brothers, Seymour and Lawrence Kornbleet, and her parents, Hy and… Read more »