News

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Rockets fired from Gaza rained down on southern Israel, causing some damage to homes and other property on Monday. At least one rocket landed on a playground in the city of Sderot, causing damage. The previous evening, the Israeli army struck military targets belonging to the… Read more »

(JTA) — Billionaire entrepreneur Leslie Wexner, under fire for his ties to the disgraced late financier Jeffrey Epstein and allowing a culture of sexual harassment and bullying of female employees at Victoria’s Secret, is stepping down from his L Brands retailing empire. L Brands announced on Thursday that it… Read more »

(JTA) — At least four infants have contracted herpes in New York City in the past six months after undergoing a circumcision rite in which the ritual circumciser, or mohel, cleans the circumcision wound by oral suction. Three cases of herpes have been reported since December and four since… Read more »

(JTA) — For the second time in three days, the Auschwitz Museum has condemned Amazon for selling Nazi-era anti-Semitic children’s books in English and German. “When you decide to make a profit on selling vicious antisemitic Nazi propaganda published without any critical comment or context, you need to remember… Read more »

(JTA) — The institutions of the Jewish community of Milan are in lockdown, along with other faith communities and others, following the discovery of coronavirus cases in the Italian city. “Schools are out, including ours,” Claudia Bagnarelli, a founder of Milan’s Jewish school, which has 500 students, told the… Read more »

This is a developing story. NEW YORK (JTA) — More than 50 Jewish community centers in 23 states have received emailed bomb threats since Saturday. None of the threats have been found to be credible, though local law enforcement agencies have been notified. Officials do not know who sent… Read more »

Rabbi Yossie Shemtov

Handmaker Jewish Services for the Aging continues its annual Three Rabbis Lecture Panel next month, exploring “The Future of the Tucson Jewish Community.” Rabbi Yossie Shemtov of Orthodox Congregation Young Israel, Rabbi Robert Eisen of Conservative Congregation Anshei Israel, and Rabbi Thomas Louchheim of Reform Congregation Or Chadash will… Read more »

Live Theatre Workshop has purchased a new property after 26 years of renting its current location. The theatre arts nonprofit will hold a groundbreaking event Friday, March 6 at 10 a.m. at the new location, 3322 E. Ft. Lowell Road. A $1 million capital campaign to renovate buildings and… Read more »

Tucson native Alexander Boxer, author of “A Scheme of Heaven: The History of Astrology and the Search for our Destiny in Data” (W.W. Norton & Company, 2020), will return to his hometown as a presenting author at the Tucson Festival of Books, March 14-15 on the University of Arizona… Read more »

Last spring, community leaders from the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona and the Jewish Community Foundation began a community visioning project that was soon dubbed “2020 and Beyond: Reimagining Jewish Life in Southern Arizona.” After initial stages that included hiring an outside consultant and holding meetings with stakeholder groups… Read more »

Sara Hurand says she’s never known anyone like her brother, Josh Hurand, a psychotherapist in Tucson who has a gift for connecting people. “He makes business connections, creative connections, light and fun connections, and deep and enduring connections. He is meaningfully close with family members both near and far,… Read more »

Unscrewed Theater and Beth Shalom Temple Center in Green Valley will partner for a BSTC fund-raiser next month, “Dine and Laugh!” Comedy troops from Unscrewed Theater, an improv club based in Tucson, will perform while attendees enjoy a three-course dinner on Saturday, March 21, at the Madera Crystal Ballroom… Read more »

To cut down on pollution created by gasoline-powered lawn and garden equipment, the Pima County Department of Environmental Quality, in partnership with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, has created the “Cut Down Pollution” program. “Our region exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s health standard for ground-level ozone on… Read more »

A full array of Southern Arizona Purim parties will ensure that this most fun holiday of the Jewish calendar is action-packed. Take your pick from a string of family-friendly events, submitted by area synagogues and agencies. Friday, March 6 6 p.m.: Purim Shabbat Early Shabbat tot and child-friendly service;… Read more »

Handmaker Jewish Services for the Aging continues its annual Three Rabbis Lecture Panel next month, exploring “The Future of the Tucson Jewish Community.” Rabbi Yossie Shemtov of Orthodox Congregation Young Israel, Rabbi Robert Eisen of Conservative Congregation Anshei Israel, and Rabbi Thomas Louchheim of Reform Congregation Or Chadash will… Read more »

There is a nationally recognized Girl Scout program for Jewish troops across the United States and Tucson has its own troop. Girl Scout Troop 613, which includes girls in second to fourth grades, is led by one of the girls’ mothers, Nichole Chorny, who is the cantorial soloist at… Read more »

Congregation Bet Shalom’s first Tu B’shevat Farm Festival brought about 80 community members of all ages together, including congregants, University of Arizona Hillel Foundation students, youngsters, and young adults connected to local farms and outdoor education programs. “The Midbar Project is a way for our people to connect with… Read more »

A rapidly growing global population, ecosystem degradation, changing climate conditions, and water and land scarcity all contribute to the need for integrated and innovative food production technologies. Researchers at the University of Arizona are testing a vertical farming approach. Fueled in part by a $2.7 million grant from the… Read more »

The practice of dentistry looks much different than it did at the turn of the century. Technological advancements are making trips to the dentist quicker, less painful, and more reliable, while other product developments are enabling better oral self-care. “These new technologies are having a huge impact on how… Read more »

Many people would just as soon avoid scheduling a dental appointment unless an unbearable toothache lands them reluctantly in the dentist’s chair. Fear of pain is one reason for procrastination, but it’s not the only factor. People worry a routine checkup could reveal the need for expensive, major work.… Read more »