Through the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP), the Arizona Department of Homeland Security (ADHS) recently awarded nearly $500,000 to five Southern Arizona Jewish organizations for security infrastructure upgrades. The five organization awardees are Congregation Chofetz Chayim, Handmaker Jewish Services for the Aging, Hillel Foundation at University of Arizona, the… Read more »
Donna Moser, Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award Recipient Donna Moser, a Lion of Judah member for 23 years, will be honored with the prestigious Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award at the 2022 International Lion of Judah Conference, December 11-13, in Phoenix. The award commemorates the contributions of the founders of the Lion of Judah, Norma Kipnis-Wilson and Toby Friedland (of… Read more »
Anne Hameroff, JPSA Co-Chair Following up on last week’s announcement of a new Interim CEO, Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona (JPSA) announced today that Anne Hameroff has accepted re-appointment as Board of Trustees Co-Chair, a position she will hold until May 2023. Hameroff will continue to work alongside C0-Chair Bruce Ash to help… Read more »
The Tucson Jewish Community Center (the J or the Tucson J) is expanding its Healthy Aging Programs with the rollout of Mind + Body Elder Care and Parkinson’s Fitness Program in August and September. With one in five persons being over age 65, elder adults comprise over 20% of… Read more »
Rabbi Kleinman Growing up in Tucson, Alanna “Lonnie” Kleinman did not know any female rabbis or any religious leaders who identified as LGTBQ. Now Kleinman is joining a much more diverse rabbinate, one that more fully reflects the fullness of Jewish communities. On May 22, almost 50 years after Rabbi Sally… Read more »
JFCS refugee client taking English Placement test As a faculty member at the University of Arizona, summer is the perfect time for me to get caught up on projects that I have set aside during the school year, and to do things that I enjoy. As the semester was winding down in May, my husband and… Read more »
Dr. Jacobson in front of the Krakow JCC I recently returned from two weeks in Krakow, Poland, volunteering with the team at the Jewish Community Center (JCC) of Krakow in their terrific effort to assist Ukrainian refugees. I traveled to Poland with my brother, Bruce Jacobson, who lives in South Carolina. Our contact was Jonathan Ornstein, Executive… Read more »
Tania Spivak, new Early Childhood Director, Congregation Anshei Israel After a 6-month endeavor to recruit an Early Childhood Director, Congregation Anshei Israel (CAI) has announced that Tania Spivak has been hired to fill the position starting July 11, 2022. The Early Childhood recruitment committee consisting of CAI President Evelyn Sigafus, Rabbi Sara Metz, Executive Director Debra Lytle, HR… Read more »
Jill Rozenzweig (of blessed memory) was a longtime advocate of children and believed that services for at-risk children could change the trajectory of their lives. Jewish Family & Children’s Services (JFCS) continues to support her vision with a variety of programs and services. One of these services includes trauma-informed… Read more »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
On April 1, the Tucson Jewish Community Center (The J) welcomed long-standing, local non-profit Arts for All Inc., to the organization under the umbrella of its Disability Program Services department. For 36 years, under the outstanding leadership of Executive Director Marcia Berger, Arts for All, Inc. has been serving… Read more »
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 »
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 »
Adar was a busy month at Tucson Hebrew Academy (THA)! THA, together with the JCC and Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona (JPSA) collected food for the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona in the Chai (18) days leading to Purim! Mishloach Manot : משלוח מנות , also called a Purim basket, is a… Read more »
The Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona (JPSA) is pleased to announce Together in Jewish Learning on Tuesday, April 5th at the J and via Zoom, with keynote speaker Aaron Henne. Henne is the Artistic Director of theater dybbuk, an arts and education organization whose work illuminates universal human experience… Read more »
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 »
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 »
