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 »
Ask any Tucson Hebrew Academy (THA) 8th grade graduate about their Jewish capstone trip, and you’ll hear their experience was awe-inspiring, magical, and indescribable. The THA 8th grade Jewish capstone trip is truly a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. The trip deeply connects students with their Jewish heritage by connecting classroom teachings… Read more »
Hosting the 2025 JCC Maccabi Games and Access in Tucson this summer will be a true community effort. More than 1,000 volunteers, 350 host families, and up to 100 local athletes ages 12-17 will be recruited to join staff members of the Tucson Jewish Community Center in creating a… Read more »
Earlier this fall, Tucson Hebrew Academy (THA), in partnership with the Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center, launched a new exhibit, Tucson Hebrew Academy: The First 50 Years. Serving Tucson families for more than fifty years, THA was founded by the Levkowitz and Leonard families in response to Rabbi… Read more »
Alyssa Engler celebrated becoming a Bat Mitzvah on November 9 at Congregation Bet Shalom. She is the daughter of Elizabeth Engler. Alyssa attends Tucson Hebrew Academy, where she is student council vice president. She is a competitive gymnast and hopes to continue this path all the way through college.… Read more »
The University of Arizona will establish the Edwin and Alma Lakin Holocaust, Human Rights, and Comparative Genocide Endowed Chair in the Arizona Center for Judaic Studies with a $2 million gift commitment from a lead anonymous donor and additional gifts from Tucson community members. The creation of the endowment… Read more »
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to reflect the change of the event’s date to December 14. On November 2, 2024, The New York Times released a front-page article, “A Whisperer to the Stars on the Middle East Conflict” by Nicole Sperling. She wrote, “Since Oct. 7 of… Read more »
