The Weintraub Israel Center arranged for 400 pencil cases filled with back to school supplies to be distributed to students in Tucson’s Partnership2Gether region in Israel. Tucsonan Asher Amar initatiated the project. The message on the cases reads, “(Wishing you) a successful school year, with love, Partnership2Gether family, the… Read more »
(L-R): Dani LeCompte, Foothills Club giving chair; Bryan Davis, JCRC director; Justin Martinez, National Bank of Arizona vice president and incoming Foothills Club president; Lew Hamburger, JCRC Homer Davis Project co-chair Supporting Homer Davis The Foothills Club, a nonprofit organization that raises funds to support community programs for children and families in need, recently donated $1,500 to the Jewish Community Relations Council’s Homer Davis Project, which provides food assistance, tutoring and other support for children at Homer Davis Elementary… Read more »
(L-R) Front kneeling: Adrian Lehrman; front row: Rachel Badalov, Alyssa Lee, Rochelle Felix, Dreo Polonski, Or Shenkar, Sapir Curiel, Rebecka Sokoloff, Heidi Saxton, Emily Youngerman, Lola Maas, Rivkah Selmon, Alexis McKinstry; back row: Noah Meyer, Avin Kreisler, Rafe Centuori, Benjamin Manninen, Jacob Anderson Tucson Hebrew Academy graduation Tucson Hebrew Academy held its eighth grade graduation on Thursday, May 8. Based on their academic achievements, the graduates had a variety of high school options from which to choose. This year’s graduates will move on to University High School, St. Gregory College Preparatory School,… Read more »
The Tucson Jewish Youth Choir, led by Cantor Janece Cohen, performs. Israel 66 Celebration About 500 people attended the Israel 66 Celebration held Wednesday evening, May 14, at the Tucson Jewish Community Center. Coordinated by the Weintraub Israel Center, which is a joint program of the JCC and the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona, the event included children’s activities, Israeli… Read more »
(L-R) Donald Diamond, honorary capital campaign chair, with former JCC chairs Lex Sears, Tom Warne, Lynda Rogoff, Brenda Viner, Bill Viner, Dick Belkin, Larry Haas, Fran Katz and Gerry Tumarkin break ground for the JCC’s new sports and wellness facility upgrade. (Courtesy Bolchalk Frey Marketing) JCC renovation groundbreaking The Tucson Jewish Community Center held a groundbreaking ceremony April 29 to usher in the renovation and expansion of the facility. Along with creating a larger space for gym equipment and classes, the renovation will allow the JCC to increase programming options. The 100,000 square foot… Read more »
Pictured are Beth Alpert Nakhai, Yom HaShoah co-chair (seated on bimah); and at the candelabra, left to right, Cathy Borinstein, representing the office of Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild; survivor Annique Dveirin, her granddaughter Haley Dveirin, and son, Keith Dveirin.Pictured are Beth Alpert Nakhai, Yom HaShoah co-chair (seated on bimah); and at the candelabra, left to right, Cathy Borinstein, representing the office of Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild; survivor Annique Dveirin, her granddaughter Haley Dveirin, and son, Keith Dveirin. (Simon Rosenblatt) Yom HaShoah About 250 people attended the community Yom HaShoah commemoration, “Diplomatic Acts of Conscience and Courage,” on Sunday, April 27 at Temple Emanu-El. Along with a candlelighting ceremony honoring local survivors, the afternoon event featured a lecture about Gilberto Bosques,… Read more »
Congregation Chofetz Chayim Yochanan Gordon and Rabbi Israel Becker held a mock sword fight as Gavriel Aronov snapped a photo at Congregation Chofetz Chayim’s Purim party on Sunday, March 16. The event, which included dinner and a professional magic show, was attended by more than 80 people. Temple… Read more »
(L-R): Lynn Bultman, JCC senior vice president and CFO; Phyllis Braun, AJP executive editor; Kristin Taft, JCC director of special needs services. (Lori Riegel/AJP) Operation Sandwich Employees of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona and the Tucson Jewish Community Center packed sack lunches on Monday, Feb. 24, for Operation Sandwich, a program that feeds homeless people at the Southside Shelter. Started by Jill Rich, Operation Sandwich provides lunch for 50 homeless people three… Read more »
JCC Love of Reading Mayor Jonathan Rothschild read to students in the Tucson Jewish Community Center’s early childhood education program on Wednesday, Feb. 12 as part of Love of Reading Week. Rothschild read “Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons” by Eric Litwin and poems from “A Light… Read more »
Repairing a Torah, stitch by stitch Rabbi Batsheva Appel completed a special project with Temple Emanu-El’s confirmation class on Sunday, Jan. 26. Appel learned from a scribe how to sew a Torah scroll onto new etzei chayim (literally, Trees of Life, the wooden poles to which the parchment is… Read more »
A Tucson Tu B’Shevat More than 100 people attended a Tu B’Shevat celebration on Thursday, Jan. 16 sponsored by the Weintraub Israel Center, the Tucson Jewish Community Center and the Congregation Or Chadash religious school. The holiday is known as the “New Year for the Trees” and the event… Read more »
(L-R): Melissa Hall, Nancy Cohen and Rosa Cohen at the blackjack table Margie Fenton award Some 200 people gathered on Sunday, Jan. 5 at Mercado San Agustin for the annual meeting of the Jewish Community Relations Council and to celebrate 10 years of the Jewish Latino Teen Coalition, a program of the JCRC and the Office of Congressman Raul Grijalva. Eileen… Read more »
Hadassah regional leader Cathy Olswing was installed as president of Hadassah’s Desert-Mountain Region on Sunday, Dec. 15 at a ceremony at Lodge on the Desert. The region encompasses eight southwestern and mountain states. As president of the region, Olswing will sit on the national board of Hadassah. Rochelle Edelman… Read more »
Rabbi Yossi Winner cycles the UA Chabad menorah to a new location on campus. (Courtesy UA Chabad) Mitzvah 613 Torah dedication Hundreds of people gathered on Sunday, Dec. 8, to witness the dedication of Congregation Anshei Israel’s new Torah, the culminating event to a yearlong celebration of the synagogue’s 83rd anniversary. The event included learning stations and art projects for all ages, performances by adult and… Read more »
Giffords honored with Jewish Heritage Award More than 250 people turned out as the Jewish History Museum honored Gabrielle Giffords with the 2013 Jewish Heritage Award on Sunday, Nov. 3 at the Marriott University Park. Barry Friedman, JHM president (pictured at right), presented the award to Giffords as her… Read more »
