In the words of Abraham Joshua Heschel, “You have suspended the trivialities of thinking that stultify unique learning experiences. You have a passionate regard for the marvel that is everywhere!” So wrote Sue Cohen, president of the Beth Shalom Temple Center Sisterhood, in a thank you card presented to… Read more »
If I were to ask the Tucson International Jewish Film Festival committee members, whom I have the pleasure of working with to create this signature community-wide event, about the three films from this year’s line-up that they each found most meaningful, it’s unlikely I’d get any duplicate answers. That’s… Read more »
UArizona Hillel’s annual fundraiser is less than three weeks away–on February 11–and we are thrilled that Head Football Coach Jedd Fisch will be our special guest at the opening mini-plenary. Our signature event–Come Home to Hillel–is a truly unique and fun night out. Unlike any other fundraiser (or friendraiser) in… Read more »
Jewish Family & Children’s Services (JFCS) of Southern Arizona is proud to participate in the fifth annual International Refugee Shabbat, which takes place February 3-4, 2023. Founded by HIAS (originally the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society), it is a moment for congregations, organizations, and individuals in the United States and… Read more »
Avey Marie Lopez-Hanshaw (Aviva Miryam bat Azriel) will celebrate becoming a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, January 28th, 2023 at Congregation Kol Ami on Country Club Rd. She is the daughter of Dr. Elise & Mr. Robert Lopez-Hanshaw, and the granddaughter of Donna Greenwood, Manuel Lopez, and Karen & Mark… Read more »
The idea for Handmaker to host Brandeis Lectures in their Great Room originated about five years ago when Brandeis Lecture Coordinator Ellie Eigen was visiting a friend of hers at Handmaker, Carol Zuckert. Eigen had been coordinating the Brandeis Tucson Museum of Art Docent Talks and was looking for… Read more »
Chesed in Judaism is kindness, but it is also much more. It means acts of freewill, generosity of spirit, and assisting people and the world in ways that create a positive, meaningful difference. We are taught as Jews that a foundational aspect of the entire world lies in such… Read more »
Tucson lost one of its most fervent community champions Dec. 25, 2022 when Don Luria, 87, passed away after a short illness, surrounded by family, at his Tucson home. He leaves a legacy of accomplishment in, business, government, education and nonprofit service across more than 50 organizations spanning 65… Read more »
As a result of strategic planning arising from community study data, and an education workgroup of rabbis and community leaders convened by the Jewish Philanthropies of Southern AZ (JPSA) in 2020, the Tucson J is intentionally enhancing Jewish learning opportunities for youth and teens through formal and informal channels… Read more »
Over 1,200 women philanthropists from 80 communities around the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, and Israel came together at Jewish Federations of North America’s (JFNA’s) three-day International Lions of Judah Conference in Phoenix, where they raised a collective $24.2 million supporting Federations’ mission to build flourishing Jewish communities. The conference… Read more »
Tucson Hebrew Academy (THA) is committed to the Jewish value of Gemilut Chasadim (acts of loving kindness). Every week, they recognize their student’s mitzvot (acts of kindness) by giving out the Honorable Menschen Awards at a school-wide gathering called Oneg Shabbat. It is there that two students from lower… Read more »
The centerpiece of formal learning opportunities at UArizona Hillel are our cohort-based learning fellowships, intensive opportunities that can have profound impacts on student lives. It’s a brilliant model because Hillel International provides a framework, curriculum, incredible resources, and some grant funds, but the program allows for customization by individual… Read more »
Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, is always a welcome, bright spot as the days grow shorter and the nights chillier. Even here in Tucson, where the nights are not quite as chilly as elsewhere this time of year. The Hanukkah celebrations started early this year at Handmaker. Residents had… Read more »
Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center (TJMHC) has hired Ori Tsameret as Programming & Education Director. A recent Magna Cum Laude graduate of Tulane University in New Orleans, Ori comes to TJMHC with an impressive background in educational, cultural, and museum work. His focus areas in both his academic… Read more »
Jerrold M Lyons left us on November 24, 2022, after a brief struggle with cancer, followed by a private funeral. He was preceded in death by his dear wife, Joann, in 2010. He now rests beside her. Jerry, as we always called him, leaves behind three children; Ron … Read more »
Rabbi Richard B. Safran of Tucson, Ariz., (formerly of Fort Wayne, Ind.) passed away on December 2, 2022, at the age of 92. Rabbi Safran was the local Jewish Community Chaplain for many years. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., he served his Jewish congregations, his communities, his friends and his… Read more »
Thanks to Better Together, Handmaker is the beneficiary of two Intergenerational Programs that began this fall. Rabbi Cantor Emily Ellentuck from Tucson Hebrew Academy (THA) applied for and received a Grant from Better Together to plan four, year-long Intergenerational programs with THA’s 7th and 8th Grade classes and Handmaker… Read more »
Betty Gould Garfield, of Tucson, peacefully passed away October 19, 2022, in San Diego, Calif., with her daughter, Judith, by her side. Betty was born on Valentine’s Day in 1924 in New Haven, Conn., and lived there until 1936 when the Depression compelled her family to move to Los… Read more »
Over 200 people attended Tucson Hebrew Academy’s annual Tikkun Olam fundraiser honoring Dr. Jill (z”l) and Dr. Herschel Rosenzweig and their many contributions to THA, the Jewish Community, and the greater Tucson area. Over the years, the Rosenzweigs have shown genuine acts of generosity, with a strong emphasis on… Read more »
Community leaders from 16 different Jewish community agencies across Southern Arizona met Thursday, October 27, at the second Jewish Ecosystem of Southern Arizona meeting in an effort to “build an infrastructure to promote collective decision making and learning,” according to Todd Rockoff, Tucson J. President and CEO. The Ecosystem… Read more »
