Hanukkah at Handmaker Hanukkah came early this year! The Sunday night after Thanksgiving was the first of eight nights and days of celebration in every neighborhood in Handmaker. Hanukkah celebrations included nightly candle lighting and Hanukkah song singing, as well as lots of dreidel playing and holiday cookie decorating.… Read more »
Hannah Aviva Ellentuck celebrated becoming a Bat Mitzvah on Dec. 20, 2021. The service took place in her backyard led by Rabbi Avi Alpert and her mother, Cantor Emily Ellentuck of M’Kor Hayim. She is the daughter of Max and Cantor Ellentuck, of Tucson, and granddaughter of Wayne and… Read more »
In March of this year, researchers in Israel revealed newly discovered 2000-year-old Dead Sea Scroll fragments including the following lines from the prophet Zechariah: “These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to one another, render true and perfect justice in your gates…” A member of… Read more »
Center for Jewish Philanthropy Board of Trustees member Morgan Abraham was appointed this week to fill the vacancy in the Arizona House of Representatives left by Stephanie Stahl-Hamilton, who was appointed to fill a Senate vacancy. Abraham, a Democrat, was appointed by Pima County supervisors to represent Legislative District… Read more »
The Z3 Project is a signature program of the Oshman Family JCC in Palo Alto. Since 2015, the program has been providing the Jewish community with a unique opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions about the Diaspora and Israel. Now in its sixth year, Z3 has become a global… Read more »
Tucson Hebrew Academy is gearing up for Hanukkah! To celebrate, our teachers and students have planned fun and meaningful activities to take place over the eight-day festival that include: Starting the day with an all-school Hanukkah candle lighting. Making Hanukkah Judaica in Art class (ceramic oil jugs, Hanukkiot, and… Read more »
Free Smart Phones for Handmaker Staff At an employee appreciation event on November 5, Handmaker staff received free LG Smartphones, including an unlimited talk, text, and data plan with T-Mobile, at no cost to them! This is a new benefit being offered to Handmaker employees, sort of an early… Read more »
Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Southern Arizona (JFCS) is thrilled to reinitiate its Resettlement Services. For 18 years, JFCS helped newly arrived refugees settle into the Tucson community, and with the arrival of Afghan refugees to our community, the organization relaunched and expanded its refugee services this past… Read more »
Next April when we sit down at our Seder tables, many of us will participate in the familiar responsive reading: Reader: Avadim Hayinu – We were slaves in Egypt. All: We remember our histories; we acknowledge our pasts. Reader: Ata b’nei horin – Now we are free people. All:… Read more »
The full video of the Jewish Community Awards and Welcome Back Celebration is now available online. The event was held on Nov. 1, 2021 at the Tucson Jewish Community Center Sculpture Garden. It honored those working to enhance Jewish life in Southern Arizona and celebrated the opportunity for community… Read more »
The Jewish History Museum & Holocaust History Center in downtown Tucson has a streamlined new name: Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center. The name, approved by the Museum’s Board of Directors in October, is the result of months of deliberations and conversations with stakeholders, says Board President Eric Schindler.… Read more »
After 21 years of dedication to the Tucson Jewish Community, Rabbi Robert Eisen stepped down in June 2020 as the spiritual leader of Congregation Anshei Israel. This December 5, the last night of Chanukkah and the holiday of rededication, Congregation Anshei Israel will be dedicating the remodeled Beit Midrash… Read more »
In early October, the Claims Conference announced pensions for certain groups of Holocaust Survivors who previously did not receive funding. These include Survivors of the Leningrad Siege, those hiding in France, and those persecuted in Romania. These funds will support 6,500 survivors worldwide, recognizing the trauma and terror that… Read more »
Pam Meyer (Photo by Jennifer Stewart) Jewish National Fund-USA’s (JNF-USA) lay leaders and professional team are delighted to announce the appointment of philanthropist, Pam Meyer as the organization’s new Board President in the Desert States region. In a statement, Meyer said: “JNF-USA has always had a special place in my heart. It is a great… Read more »
Dr. Mitchell Scott Pozner My loving son, Mitchell, a pediatrician, died suddenly in his sleep on Thursday, October 21, 2021 in Sharon, Massachusetts. He was born on July 22, 1960 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada to me, his mom, and his dad, the late Dr. Samuel Pozner. He will be dearly missed by his… Read more »
On Sunday, October 24, the Tucson J welcomed an estimated 250 guests for “A Celebration of Sculpture,” an inaugural festival marking the opening of its Sculpture Garden and Indoor Fine Art Gallery exhibits. Nine new works joined the J’s robust collection of more than 40 sculptures by local, national,… Read more »
Members of our community who have been ordering Kosher Mobile Meals delivered to their home for the last six months have not only received a delicious kosher meal prepared in Handmaker’s kitchen, but some have had their meal delivered by none other than Rabbi Shemtov of Chabad Tucson! Rabbi… Read more »
2021 Jewish Community Award Winners The Jewish Community Awards and Welcome Back Celebration will be held on Nov. 1 at 5:15 pm at the Tucson Jewish Community Center Sculpture Garden. The event will honor those working to enhance Jewish life in Southern Arizona and celebrate the opportunity to come together as a community once… Read more »
Rabbi Thomas A. Louchheim Background: I received both doses of the Moderna vaccine in March of this year. Just over two weeks ago I suffered a bad cold, and was asked to be tested. On the fourth day of my symptoms, I received a positive antigen test. Nine days into my quarantine, I… Read more »
Some may be surprised to learn that Jews have been active in Tucson’s political, commercial, and cultural life for nearly 200 years. Today, that heritage continues, and includes a contemporary group of local musicians that has been gathering weekly for more than a decade to play the unique Jewish… Read more »
