(L-R) Rabbi Jack Silver, Susan Rubin, Cathy Becskehazy, Peter Becskehazy Secular Humanist Jewish Circle Affirmation Shabbat On May 30, the Secular Humanist Jewish Circle celebrated the long term identification of Cathy Becskehazy as a secular humanist Jew. Becskehazy chose her Jewish name and spoke about her journey as a Jew by choice. Rabbi Jack Silver of Tempe, member of… Read more »
Back row: Michael Gibson, Sarah Jones, Joshua Arden, Kacie Bauer, Rabbi Samuel M. Cohon, Rabbi Batsheva Appel, Cantorial Soloist Marjorie Hochberg. Front row: Gabriel Cohon, Isabella Brody, Dalya Parker, Meghan Ramirez, Athena Focazio-Moran, Rebecca Bauer (Joe Steiner) Temple Emanu-El confirmation Temple Emanu-El’s 5775 confirmation class led the Shabbat evening service on Friday, May 22. Music of the Night On May 9, Congregation Or Chadash honored Cantor Janece Cohen on the 25th anniversary of her ordination as a cantor and the receipt of… Read more »
(L-R): Cantorial soloist Marjorie Hochberg; Rabbi Samuel M. Cohon; b’not mitzvah Fran Haggerty, Margaret Lambert and Sharon Geiger; teacher Margaret Kendle
Adult b’not mitzvah celebrate at Temple Emanu-El Temple Emanu-El’s yearlong adult b’nai mitzvah course culminated in a group b’not mitzvah ceremony on Saturday, May 2, with the class leading Shabbat morning services. Tucson Hebrew Academy festival celebrates STEM fields More than 600 people… Read more »
Left to right: Allie Kaufman, Leah Cresswell, Alma Hernandez, Rachel Mayer, Alana Newman, Jamie Nora Oko and Mariel Wilk
UA Hillel honors graduates The University of Arizona Hillel Foundation recognized graduating seniors at its final Shabbat of the semester on Friday, May 1. Anshei Israel celebrates 85 years More than 300 people celebrated Congregation Anshei Israel’s 85th anniversary on Sunday, May 3. The… Read more »
Honoring the liberators Each year, from Yom HaShoah through Victory in Europe Day, the Holocaust display cabinet in the lobby of the Tucson Jewish Community Center is decorated to honor the liberators of the concentration camps in Europe, complete with a mannequin dressed in a 1940s U.S. Army uniform.… Read more »
Hillel honors Holocaust From Wednesday, March 25 at noon through Thursday, March 26 at noon, the University of Arizona Hillel Foundation sponsored its 24th annual Holocaust vigil. The 24-hour student-led program provides an opportunity to educate all students and community participants on the UA campus. One highlight of this… Read more »
See Jane sing The University of Arizona Hillel Foundation held its annual fundraising event on Sunday, March 8 at Centennial Hall. Emmy and Golden Globe award winner Jane Lynch, known for her portrayal of Sue Sylvester on television’s “Glee,” combined acerbic wisecracks with engaging song styling in a cabaret-style… Read more »
On March 4, the Weintraub Israel Center held a Bechayed BePurim (Together on Purim) party with Chabad on River and the Israel American Council. The event included dinner, a Megillah reading and Israeli music. Enjoying the festivities are Shira Barel (center) with, from left, Tamar, Amit, Ofri and Lee Benjamin. Purim celebrations from around our community … Read more »
(L-R): Edden Dembsky, Daniel Pressman, Naama Cohen (UA Israel Fellow), Jack Goldberg (AIPAC National Field Organizer), Alma Hernandez, Michael Sheridan, Pablo Granados, Ryan-Ann Armendariz, Shaina Marco, Consuelo Hernandez UA CATPAC honored Members of CATPAC Wildcats for Israel, the University of Arizona’s bipartisan pro-Israel political club, attended the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee policy conference in Washington, D.C., March 1-3. The group won the Duke Rudman Leadership Award, AIPAC’s top honor for student leadership. … Read more »
(L-R) Ryan Armendariz, Naama Cohen (University of Arizona Hillel Israel Fellow), Edden Dembsky, Sivan Shahmoon and Alma Hernandez fundraise for Save A Child’s Heart on the UA Mall. Hillel supports Save a Child’s Heart The University of Arizona Hillel Foundation’s Wildcats for Israel club held a fundraiser for Save a Child’s Heart on the UA Mall on Feb. 10. Almost $250 was raised over four hours for SACH, an Israel-based nonprofit that provides urgently needed pediatric heart… Read more »
Rabbi Gedaliah Druin talks to University of Arizona students and other members of the community at the University of Arizona Hillel Foundation about the restoration of the Arizona Center for Judaic Studies’ Torah scroll on Feb. 10. (John Winchester/Arizona Center for Judaic Studies) Rabbi Gedaliah Druin, a master scribe, spent Feb. 10 and 11 working on the restoration of a Torah scroll owned by the Arizona Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Arizona (left). The scroll, which is thought to be nearly 200 years old and originally used by… Read more »
Children took part in a PJ Library story walk in the sculpture garden of the JCC. At each set of pages from “Matzo Frogs” by Sally Rosenthal, illustrated by David Sheldon, they performed an activity relating to the story, such as hopping like frogs and pretending to catch flies with their tongues. PJ Library kids also decorated picture frames and created soup kits for seniors in the community. (John Wu) Super Extraordinary Sunday The Jewish Federation’s Super Extraordinary Sunday phonathon and mitzvah day was held Jan. 25 at the Tucson Jewish Community Center. More than 150 volunteers made calls to community members, who pledged more than $229,000 to the 2015 Community Campaign, which supports humanitarian, educational and social programs… Read more »
Back row (L-R): Rabbi Batsheva Appel, Rabbi Samuel M. Cohon, Bonnie Golden (Temple president), Ken Silverman, Moira Silverman, Amanda Caldwell, Jason Feld, Lauren Katz, Jonathan Katz and Marcia Katz. Front row: JCTEY-NFTY members Emiliano Miller, Levi Rubin, Rachel Levy, Lucy Heller (Photo: Steve Shawl) The Rebecca Katz Family Library and Youth Center at Temple Emanu-El was dedicated on Dec.16 in memory of Rebecca Lynne Katz. The new facility includes a collection of Jewish children’s books, games, space for video and digital technology and comfortable furnishings. The library will also serve as a lounge… Read more »
The Strauss ECE Dancing Dreidels perform at Temple Emanu-El’s “Greatest Hanukkah on Earth! XVI” on Sunday, Dec. 14. About 550 people attended the event.
Tucson Hebrew Academy first graders roll dough for challah. THA challah making Every Tucson Hebrew Academy student rolled dough and braided challah on Thursday, Dec. 4. The dough was prepared by teachers the day before. The significance of challah was explained to the students and all said the blessing while they separated out the portion of dough traditionally… Read more »
Back row (L-R): Jared Friedman, Jacob Peters, Rafi Herreras-Zinman. Middle: Leah Tolby, Michael Artzi, Ellie Friedman, Rothschild, Hannah Baker, Amanda Bressler, Sam Gordon. Front: Richard Fisher, Jenny Steinberg, Emma Finkelstein, Lily Wexler, Michaela Davenport, Aaron Green.
B’nai Tzedek In commemoration of Kristallnacht on Nov. 9, members of B’nai Tzedek Tucson Teen Philanthropy, a program of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona and the Jewish Community Foundation, engaged with community organizations that support those who have been persecuted and become refugees. Later they joined the Jewish… Read more »
(L-R) Rosie Eilat Khan, Marcia Abelson, Ricki Weinstein-Wolf, Hedy Feuer, Judy Schultz and Peggy Langert (Courtesy Hedy Feuer) Walking to end breast cancer On Oct. 12, volunteers joined the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona Women’s Philanthropy team at the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk, held at the Kino Sports Complex. Hillel Israelpalooza The University of Arizona Hillel Foundation held its… Read more »
(L-R) Hirsch Handmaker (Kalmanovitz campaign co-chair), Jane Kivel (Handmaker Foundation past chair), Lowell Rothschild (Kalmanovitz campaign co-chair), Terry Perl (Handmaker board chair), Art Martin (Handmaker president and CEO), Alice Baker, Myles Beck (Handmaker past chair), Mayor Jonathan Rothschild and Paul Baker. The Bakers are among the top donors to the Kalmanovitz campaign, along with the Steven Ohren Foundation. (Frederick Clark Photography) Kalmanovitz Center dedication Some 200 guests attended the dedication of the Paul and Lydia Kalmanovitz Elder Care Center on Monday, Oct. 27. Located on the campus of Handmaker Jewish Services for the Aging, the center is a partnership between Handmaker and Tucson Medical Center. The Kalmanovitz Foundation pledged $3… Read more »
(L-R): Tova Braunstein and Tsipi Goeta-Kreisler assemble packages. The Jewish Women’s Circle of Chabad on River gathered 20 women on Sunday, Sept. 21 to pack honey cakes, apples and honey for the residents of Handmaker Jewish Services for the Aging. The Jewish Women’s Circle has sponsored this project for more than 10 years.… Read more »
Mayor Jonathan Rothschild presents a proclamation declaring “Education and Sharing Day” on March 31, 2015 in honor of the Rebbe to the five Chabad leadership couples in the area. (L-R): Rabbi Ram Bigelman, Rabbi Yossi Winner, Rabbi Ephraim Zimmerman, Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin, Rabbi Yossie Shemtov, Rothschild, Chanie Shemtov, Feigie Ceitlin, Naomi Winner, Chani Bigelman and Mushkie Zimmerman (JW Photographers) Some 400 people filled the Tucson Jewish Community Center ballroom to hear Rabbi Joseph Telushkin discuss his New York Times best-seller, “Rebbe: The Life and Teachings of Menachem M. Schneerson, the Most Influential Rabbi in Modern History” on Sept. 15 in an event organized by the JCC, Chabad Tucson… Read more »
