Our Town

People in the news 6.29.18

Tucson native NIKKI BAIM, a sophomore in the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, has won the 2018 Walter S. and Syrena M. Howell essay competition for “The Sports Department of Corrections: How false reports by ESPN criminalized the University of Arizona… Read more »

Business briefs 6.29.18

NANCY WALTER SCOTT has joined FIT BODY BOOT CAMP’s Foothills location to lead the Fit Body Forever program, a fitness program designed for adults 55+. She is certified as a functional aging specialist by the Functional Aging Institute in West Lafayette, Indiana. Foothills Fit Body Boot Camp is located… Read more »

In focus 6.15.18

Nathan Rix, right, “passes the torch” of leadership to Maya Levy.

Tucsonans continue NFTY regional leadership Maya Levy was elected president of the NFTY Southwest Region in April at the NFTY Spring Kallah in Mesa, Arizona, succeeding Nathan Rix, another Tucsonan.… Read more »

People in the news 6.15.18

Steven Meckler

Tucson photographer STEVEN MECKLER will receive the American Advertising Federation Silver Medal Award at the Tucson Advertising Hall of Achievement event on Sept. 6 at Hacienda del Sol Guest Ranch Resort. The Silver Medal is a nationally recognized award that honors men and women who have made significant contributions… Read more »

Business briefs 6.15.18

Rabbi Batsheva Appel

TEMPLE EMANU-EL’s board of directors has announced that RABBI BATSHEVA APPEL will continue as the congregation’s sole rabbi. Her title will be “rabbi” rather than “rabbi educator,” and she will provide oversight of the Kurn Religious School and the Jewish Lifelong Learning program (formerly the Adult Education Academy), rather… Read more »

Business briefs 6.1.18

DR. JANIS WOLFE GASCH, founder and director of ARIZONA HEARING SPECIALISTS, is retiring after more than 35 years in private practice. She will transition the practice, which she founded in 1981, to two of her longtime staff, Greg Swingle, Au.D., and Kristi Hesse (Swingle), Au.D. Gasch has been active… Read more »

In focus 6.1.18

Temple Emanu-El confirmation Temple Emanu-El celebrated the confirmation of nine students at Shabbat services on Friday, May 18. The confirmands are, alphabetically, Rachel Borrego, Javier Dittmar, Carter Mann, Samuel Ramirez, Bela Rein, Samir Rein, Sydney Ruskin, Eve Spiegel, and Katherine Zinn.… Read more »

In focus 5.18.18

Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild, right, presents Temple Emanu-El’s commemorative plaque to Rabbi Richard Safran (Steve Shawl)

Rabbi Richard Safran honored with ‘Love and Laughter’ Temple Emanu-El held a brunch with the theme “Love and Laughter” on Sunday, April 29 to honor its adjunct rabbi and Tucson’s longtime community chaplain, Rabbi Richard Safran. The event, held at Hacienda Del Sol Guest Ranch Resort, included entertainment from… Read more »

People in the news 5.18.18

Miriam Arden placed as a semifinalist at the 35th Annual National Shakespeare Competition in New York City on April 23, Shakespeare’s birthday, competing against 55 students from around the country. Arden, the daughter of Susan Brish and Scott Arden, and a junior at Catalina Foothills High School, won the… Read more »

Business briefs 5.18.18

GABRIELLE ERBST has been named director of admissions at TUCSON HEBREW ACADEMY. A native Tucsonan and the first alumnus in this role, Erbst has been THA’s director of student support services for the past four years. She is a graduate of the University of Arizona with a bachelor’s in… Read more »

In Focus 5.4.18: Israel@70

The University of Arizona Marching Band takes the stage after leading the opening parade. (Yossi Lasko)

Some 4,500 people attended “Israel@70: A Living Bridge,” a festival celebrating Israel’s 70th Independence Day, on Sunday, April 22 on the Jewish community campus. The free festival organized by the Weintraub Israel Center included live entertainment, food, kids’ activities, a shuk (market) featuring local Jewish organizations and other vendors, and… Read more »

In Focus 5.4.18

Seated (L-R): Walter Feiger, Sidney Finkel, Barbara Agee. Standing: Yulia Genina, Naama Potok (Mrs. Frank), Ann Arvia (Mrs. Van Dann), Harold Dixon (Mr. Kraler), Annique Dveirin

Holocaust survivors meet “Anne Frank” cast Three actors from the Arizona Theater Company production of “The Diary of Anne Frank” spent the morning with Holocaust survivors at Jewish Family & Children’s Services on Tuesday, April 24. The actors and the survivors talked about their relationship to the production and… Read more »

Business briefs 5.4.18

MARY ELLEN LOEBL will receive the 2018 Arizona Education Association Partners in Education Award. Loebl is coordinator of “Making A Difference Every Day: The Homer Davis Project” for the Jewish Community Relations Council of the JEWISH FEDERATION OF SOUTHERN ARIZONA, which provides weekend food packs and other assistance for elementary school… Read more »

People in the news 5.4.18

Tu Nidito Children and Family Services will honor SOOZIE HAZAN and MAYA LURIA along with Lani Baker, Jenine Dalrymple and Judy Wood as the 2018 Remarkable Moms at the nonprofit organization’s annual gala, The Remarkable Celebration, on Saturday, May 12 at the Westin La Paloma Resort. For more information,… Read more »

In focus 4.20.18

Fran Katz

Katz completes eighth Boston Marathon Jewish Federation Senior Vice President Fran Katz completed her eighth Boston Marathon on Monday, with a finish time of 4:07:34, qualifying her for next year’s race. She showed up for work bright and early Tuesday morning, unscathed. “I’ve never run in conditions like that… Read more »

Business briefs 4.20.18

THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF SOUTHERN ARIZONA has hired CAROL SACK as the Jewish community concierge. Sack spent more than 30 years working in the Tucson nonprofit community with the last 15 years in the Jewish community. Most recently she was a senior philanthropic advisor at the Jewish Community Foundation… Read more »

People in the news 4.20.18

EDWARD J. SCHWAGER, M.D.

EDWARD J. SCHWAGER, M.D., FAAFP was honored April 6 as the Arizona Family Physician of the Year by the Arizona Academy of Family Physicians during its annual clinical education conference in Carefree, Arizona.  A native Tucsonan, Schwager graduated with honors from the University of Arizona College of Medicine in… Read more »

People in the news 4.6.18

The American Psychological Association Division 22, Rehabilitation Psychology, selected ALAN L. GOLDBERG, PSY.D., APBB, J.D., to present the 2018 Leonard Diller Award Lecture on Contributions to Neurorehabilitation at its annual conference, held Feb. 22-25 in Dallas. The award recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions to neurorehabilitation and… Read more »

Business brief 4.6.18

Nine attorneys of Tucson law firm MESCH CLARK ROTHSCHILD have been recognized as 2018 Southwest Super Lawyers. They are Michael McGrath and Fred Petersen for Bankruptcy: Business; Gary Cohen for Business Litigation; Mel Cohen for Construction Litigation; Doug Clark for Personal Injury; Thom Cope for Employment Litigation: Defense; David… Read more »

In focus 4.6.18

Former Miss Israel visits Tucson The first Ethiopian-born contestant to win the title of Miss Israel visited Tucson last week. Yityish “Titi” Aynaw, Miss Israel 2013, spoke at Tucson Hebrew Academy to a group of fifth-eighth graders about her life story. She told her tale from life in a… Read more »