Dozens of Tucson Jewish community members fanned out across the city on Jan. 20 for a Day of Chesed. Chesed means “kindness” in Hebrew. Volunteers participated in various service projects, such as packing care kits for people experiencing homelessness and donating blood to the American Red Cross. The Day… Read more »
The Hebrew word “chesed” is often translated as “loving-kindness” or simply “goodness.” The Tucson Jewish community’s Day of Chesed on Jan. 20 will offer many ways to do good in our community, from a clothing swap to visiting with Handmaker residents. The Day of Chesed is organized by Levia… Read more »
Hava Leipzig Holzhauer was due to start her role as President and CEO of Jewish Philanthropies of Tucson in December 2023. After the Oct. 7 terror attacks in Israel, she jumped in early upon request, joining meetings remotely to help the community deal with the antisemitism that soon ensued.… Read more »
It’s possible that this article you are about to read was written by a robot. I’m not saying I’m a robot, I’m saying the article could have been written by a robot. For those who are unaware, there is a technology available on the internet called ChatGPT, a form… Read more »
There was excitement in Tucson’s Jewish community when Jeremy Kneller-Hernandez announced on social media that he plans to open an East Coast-style deli here, filling a void in the local culinary scene. Kneller-Hernandez grew up in Tucson and spent summers in New York visiting his maternal grandparents. He waxes… Read more »
M. David Ben-Asher, MD died peacefully in his sleep, on December 28, 2024, in Tucson, at the age of 93. He was born in Newark, N.J., to Dora and Samuel Ben-Asher on June 18, 1931. He earned his Bachelor of Science from Syracuse University and his Doctor of Medicine… Read more »
Emily McDonnell and Brad Cohen of Chapel Hill, N.C. were married on November 7, 2024. The wedding took place in Tucson at The Oasis at Wild Horse Ranch with Rabbi Yosef Lopez (Tucson) officiating. Emily is the daughter of Lewis and Esther (Tucson and Kayenta), and Brad is the… Read more »
Dr. Bryan Shumaker and his wife, Linda, were winter residents in Southern Arizona for six or seven years before becoming full-time residents in November. They sold their house in northern Michigan and settled into a home in Dove Mountain. Southern Arizona’s dark skies and its astronomy community are a… Read more »
“I’d like to help you, because you helped me.” What a strange way to start a conversation. And even stranger was the fact that the woman who walked into my office and said that was a complete unknown to me. My mind did the panic-scan where I mentally cycled… Read more »
Wicked, the movie based on the Broadway musical, based on the book by Gregory Maguire, has brought the musical back to mainstream popularity. To date, the movie has grossed over $350 million domestically and is once again shining a spotlight on a stage that has been profoundly influenced over… Read more »
Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center is thrilled to announce a new initiative, the Rabbi Joseph H. Gumbiner Community Action Project. Inspired by the social activism of one of Tucson’s founding rabbis, the Gumbiner Project fulfills an integral part of the Museum’s mission, that of collaborating with diverse people… Read more »
Chip Rosenfeld says Oct. 7, 2023, was “a watershed moment” that inspired him to get more involved in Tucson’s Jewish community. The retired physician was surprised by how deeply he felt “that was my people” under attack. Rosenfeld and his wife, Sara, attended a community Shabbat gathering at the… Read more »
Opening the curtain on its 34th year, the Tucson J International Film Festival starts on January 8, with in-person screenings and special events for select films through January 19, with most films streaming virtually from January 17 through January 31 for the Greater Tucson area. This year screenings will… Read more »
“Even the smartest of us can get played,” says Levia Nahary. “Anyone can be deceived,” says Rabbi Dr. Bennett Blum. Both Nahary and Blum are talking about ways scammers exploit older adults. Nahary, a former cybersecurity analyst, will present “Practical Ways to Stay Safe Online” at the upcoming Southern… Read more »
Everyone holds a multitude of identities that guide our choices: gender, race, occupation, sexuality, and more. As a professor, my research expertise is in how individuals negotiate these many, and often competing, identities when making choices. Perhaps it shouldn’t have come as a surprise to me, then, that I… Read more »
“Quirky enough to be interesting.” That’s what Kari Marsh thought when she first heard about Harvest912, a small nonprofit that provides shoes and foot care for unhoused people. Based in Erie, Pa., Harvest912 was looking to start a Tucson branch. Harvest912 got its start when founders Kit and Tad… Read more »
For ten years, the Z3 Project – which began at the Oshman Family JCC as a conference and has now grown to include Leadership Labs and a think tank – has been empowering Jewish community leaders and lay people to reimagine Jewish engagement for the 21st century by uniting… Read more »
Nineteen years ago, Harold Grinspoon started PJ Library by sending books to families raising Jewish children in Massachusetts with the goal of sharing Jewish stories that empower families and inspire joyful Jewish living. From those humble beginnings, today, PJ Library sends out more than 670,000 books to 40 countries… Read more »
Three lines of text about an obscure, ancient ritual changed her life. Rabbi Sharon Brous told this to a crowd of more than 250 gathered on Sunday, Nov. 17 at the Edgar B. Berger Performing Arts Center for “Community in Unity,” an event presented by Jewish Family & Children’s… Read more »
Parker Bennett Ingvoldstad, son of Nils and Hadyn Ingvoldstad, and grandson of Sheldon Stone will become a Bar Mitzvah on 11/23/24 at Chabad of Oro Valley. Parker attends Dove Mountain CSTEM school and is in the 8th grade. He is a member of the National Junior Honor Society. He… Read more »
