Post-Its

Introducing Arizona Jewish Post-Its

We are delighted to introduce Arizona Jewish Post-Its, a hub for stories from Arizona Jewish life. From lifecycle events to local happenings, this content is submitted and written by community members like you. Share and be heard on our community bulletin board! Check out the first edition of Post-Its.… Read more »

Suzi-Weiss Fischmann, founder of OPI Nail Lacquers, to headline Federation Connections 2021

Suzi Weiss-Fischmann

The Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona’s signature Women’s Philanthropy event, Connections, will be headlined this year by Suzi Weiss-Fischmann. Born in communist Hungary to Holocaust survivors, Weiss-Fischmann learned Hebrew in secret as a child. After promising her mother she’d keep kosher and observe Shabbat each week, she immigrated first… Read more »

Honoring on the legacy of the Arizona Jewish Post

The Arizona Jewish Post (AJP), like the Southern Arizona Jewish community, grew, blossomed, and transformed over the past 75 years. The Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona (JFSA) honors and celebrates the rich history of the AJP and its special place in our community. Timeline A powerful team Over the… Read more »

Barbara Janoff “BJ” Kaplan, age 90, dies

Barbara Janoff "BJ" Kaplan

Barbara Janoff “BJ” Kaplan passed away on Jan. 30, 2021 at age 90. BJ was a beautiful, gracious, genteel and dynamic presence in her communities in New York, Tucson, Washington, D.C., and Florida. She brought wit and humor, creativity and spontaneity to her family, friends and colleagues. She was… Read more »

Pursuing justice for all those who are hungry

Should a child go to bed hungry in this country of abundance? Should working parents with two children have to go to a food bank to supplement their ability to provide meals? Should an elderly person have to choose between filling a needed prescription or buying food for the… Read more »

JTA: Arizona Jewish Post shuts down after 75 years

(JTA) — The Arizona Jewish Post, a 75-year-old community publication covering the Jewish population of Tucson and southern Arizona, announced it would cease operations effective March 1. The Jewish Community Federation of Southern Arizona, which owns and operates the Post, announced the closure in an email to subscribers this week. The… Read more »

Relationships are the essence of Judaism

Amy Hirshberg Lederman

Human beings are born into relationship. It is our natural way of being – a state of need coupled with desire – without which we languish physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. In the Jewish tradition, being in relationship is regarded as one of the highest and most sacred of… Read more »

Bar Mitzvah: Aaron Zeldin

Aaron Zeldin celebrated becoming a Bar Mitzvah on January 30 at Congregation Or Chadash. He is the son of Jean Lee and Martin Zeldin and attends Orange Grove Middle School, where he plays tuba in the band. He enjoys various sports, hanging out with friends and is an avid… Read more »

Long-time Tucson resident, Harold Basser, age 94, dies

Harold Basser at his favorite restaurant in Tucson, Vivace

Long-time Tucson resident, Harold Basser, age 94, died of complications from COVID-19 on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021 at Tucson Medical Center. Earlier in his life, as a real estate developer in Boston, Harold helped pioneer the restoration and renovation of abandoned Industrial Revolution era factories and commercial buildings in… Read more »

Benjamin Miles Glaser born

Benjamin Miles Glaser born February 1, 2021 son of Karen and Peter Glaser of Washington DC, grandson of Judy and Chuck Schultz of Tucson AZ and Roni and Steve Glaser of Port Washington NY.… Read more »

Bat Mitzvah: Calista Morrison

Abbe Goncharsky

Calista Morrison, daughter of Christopher and Abbe Morrison, will celebrate becoming a bat mitzvah on Saturday, February 6, 2021 via Facebook Live from Congregation Or Chadash. Cali is the granddaughter of Sharon and the late Robert Goncharsky of Tucson, Arizona, and Joan O’Connell and Brian O’Connell of West Palm… Read more »

Keeping to Our Corners?

Rabbi Dr. Scott Saulson

Included in the gracious invitation from the Arizona Jewish Post to offer approximately 500 words to appear in the “Rabbi’s Corner” on a Jewish topic of my choice was the addendum that my words “may or may not be related to the weekly Torah portion.” In other words, no… Read more »

Bat Mitzvah: Melayna Rachel Matheson

Melayna Rachel Matheson, daughter of Teresa and Brandon Matheson, will celebrate becoming a bat mitzvah on Feb. 20, 2021 at Congregation Anshei Israel. She is the granddaughter of Debra and Landon Matheson of Chicago, Illinois; Darlene and Robert Moen of Sartell, Minnesota; and the late Susan Matheson. Melayna is… Read more »

Dick Stein, Tucsonan for almost 80 years, dies

Richard Louis Stein, aka Cactus Dick, 85, died Jan. 10, 2021. Born in Detroit, Dick spent close to 80 years in Tucson. A Tucson High School Badger, class of 1953, Dick served in the United States Army before returning home to work in the family businesses, Campbell Avenue Hardware… Read more »

Andrew Rosen dies

Andrew Lorin Rosen, age 66, died on Jan. 19, 2021 from Covid complications. Andy is survived by his wife, Gina, and his three children, Jared, Edie and Emanuel. Andy had a passion for his family history and jazz. Born in Brooklyn, he spent the last three decades in Tucson… Read more »

Two JHM programs to commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day

The Jewish History Museum/Holocaust History Center will mark Holocaust Remembrance Day and the liberation of Auschwitz with two online programs next week. “We Are Still Here: The Testimony of Margot Heuman, Auschwitz Survivor” screens the testimony of a Southern Arizona resident, newly recorded in the Holocaust History Center in… Read more »

Finding wisdom in the compost pile

Rabbi Sara Metz

This past June, my family moved from New Jersey to Tucson. As we started unpacking and dreaming of our life here, we looked to our yard. We knew that the blessing of rain is scarce in this desert climate. For that reason, we have worked with people who know… Read more »