David Tannenbaum, with gold medal The Maccabi Pan-American Games recently concluded in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Some 4000 Jewish athletes from 24 countries competed for medals in 20 sports in an expression of Jewish pride through athletics. I was fortunate to be among the 650-member Team USA and competed as a cyclist in the 60-69… Read more »
Daniel Asia, a classical composer and professor at the University of Arizona Fred Fox School of Music, turned 70 in June. The school paid tribute to him in October with a festival of music by Asia, his teachers, and friends. Asia’s birthday celebration will continue this month with concerts… Read more »
The search for life beyond Earth was once the realm of science fiction. Now, with the discovery of thousands of exoplanets — planets that orbit stars beyond our solar system — it is almost certain that life exists on other worlds, says Chris Impey, University Distinguished Professor of Astronomy… Read more »
Participants in the Tucson Jewish Community Center’s Taglit program for young adults with disabilities are joining members of Congregation Bet Shalom this year to make sandwiches for those in need. Bet Shalom has packed lunches for the needy on an irregular basis for years, says Rabbi Avi Alpert. When… Read more »
The International Association of Jewish Free Loans and 17 member agencies in the U.S. have provided over $3.3 million in an interest-free loan for emergency financial assistance to Israeli individuals and families. The Tucson Jewish Free Loan raised funds to contribute $36,000 to the effort, says Allison Wexler, executive… Read more »
Residents of Tucson’s B’nai B’rith Covenant House longed for a mural to enhance the back wall of the facility’s patio, says Abbie Stone, president of the board of Covenant House, an affordable housing community for older adults funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. “We try… Read more »
Barbara Levkowitz, 96, of Tucson, AZ, passed away on December 16, 2023, surrounded by her children. Barbara was born in the Bronx, N.Y. to Max and Lilly Wendell on June 13, 1927. She was the youngest sibling to Esther and Herbert. Her parents moved to Tucson when she was… Read more »
On Sunday, January 7th, Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center (TJMHC) will welcome Dov Waxman as the final presenter in this season’s Lakin Lecture Series on Antisemitism. Dr. Waxman is the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Professor of Israel Studies at UCLA. His research focuses on the Israel-Palestine Conflict,… Read more »
Capt. Jeff Hamblen of Northwest Fire recently signed up to train with Israel’s Emergency Volunteer Project. He expected to help his Israeli counterparts put out fires. He didn’t expect to be flying into a country at war. Hamblen’s travel date was Oct. 7, 2023, the day Hamas launched a… Read more »
Lights… camera… action! The Tucson J International Film Festival opens January 11, with in-person and virtual screenings and post-film programs for select films through January 21, and virtual screenings of most films continuing through January 31. The 2024 Tucson J International Film Festival is multi-access, running from January 11… Read more »
The eight days and nights of Hanukkah were filled with much light, song and dreidel playing at Handmaker. Even before Hanukkah began, residents were treated to a pre-Hanukkah Concert by David Wien and Rabbi Avi Alpert of Congregation Bet Shalom in the Grand Foyer. Hanukkiah were lit in every… Read more »
Over the past 50 years, Tucson Hebrew Academy (THA) has been at the forefront of fostering community action among its students. Through initiatives like annual volunteerism fairs, service-oriented field trips, and the impactful Passport to Peace program, five generations of students have been encouraged to learn to embody mitzvot,… Read more »
Gabriel Ivker of StandWithUs Many Jewish teens are experiencing antisemitism linked to the Israel-Hamas war. In the coming months, Congregation Anshei Israel will present two free workshops about antisemitism that are open to high school students community-wide. The second workshop also will include a session for parents or guardians of teens. Gabriel Ivker,… Read more »
Tucsonan Lindsey Baker wasn’t sure of the exact term for her family relationship with Rose Lubin, a 20-year-old Israel Defense Forces soldier who was killed by a knife-wielding terrorist in Jerusalem on Nov. 6, one month into Israel’s war against Hamas. Lubin was the granddaughter of Baker’s father’s first… Read more »
Thanks to Sandy and Maureen Salz of Oro Valley, a new MICU (mobile intensive care unit) for Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency medical service, has arrived in Israel to help care for those dealing with increased violence, in response to Hamas attacks. Two events marking the sponsorship took place… Read more »
Some 200 people gathered at Congregation Anshei Israel at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 3, for Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona’s “A Light in the Darkness” Israel solidarity event, which provided an update on the situation in Israel since the horrific Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks and the subsequent… Read more »
Tucson J President and CEO, Todd Rockoff will serve on the inaugural advisory board for a new organization called Global Jewry, joining a coalition of 225 prominent Jewish thought leaders from all over the world. Global Jewry is a grassroots effort to broaden and strengthen the ties that bind… Read more »
Participants gather Oct. 10 for a vigil organized by University of Arizona Jewish groups in response to Hamas attacks on Israel. (Courtesy University of Arizona Hillel) Tensions have been high on the University of Arizona campus in response to the war that began with the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. UArizona Jewish groups including Hillel, Chabad, Olami, and Mishelanu organized a vigil on Oct. 10. That event, which drew more than 300 attendees, was… Read more »
I was heartbroken when my son, a tech sergeant and Jewish lay leader in the Air Force, informed me that he and his family would be moving to London from Charleston, S.C., where they were stationed at the time. It was Thanksgiving of 2021, and everyone was excited except… Read more »
Hava Leipzig Holzhauer’s official start date as president and CEO of Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona is Dec. 4, but she will be joining the community on Dec. 3 for a solidarity gathering for Israel called “A Light in the Darkness” because of its proximity to Hanukkah. The event… Read more »
