Post-Its

Betsy Tanzer

Betsy Chernoff Tanzer, 84, died May 12, 2019. Mrs. Tanzer was born on Nov. 18, 1934, in Middletown, Connecticut, to Phillip M. and Pauline S. Chernoff. She grew up in Middletown with two brothers and a twin sister. She attended Brandeis University, University of Michigan, and graduated from the… Read more »

Berthold Lippel

Berthold (“Bert”) Lippel, 87, died May 5, 2019. Mr. Lippel was born in Dusseldorf, Germany. He and his family experienced the growing hostility of the Nazi regime, including witnessing the infamous Kristallnacht. They fled to Belgium, occupied by Germany, and spent the next years in hiding. Berthold and his… Read more »

Joan Schwartz

Joan Schwartz died April 26, 2019. Joan was a beloved wife to David B. Waine; also a beloved mother to Ariel Jason Schwartz, Rayna Leora Schwartz, and Danielle Tamar Schwartz; and Janae Adele Newhouse-Waine. Joan was originally from Long Island, New York, but spent much of her career in… Read more »

Dubois-Bokoff

Nancy and Jeff DuBois announce the engagement of their son, Jeremy, to Hilary Bokoff, daughter of  Allison Glickman and Marc Bokoff of New London, Connecticut. Hilary graduated from The Williams School and Boston University with a bachelor’s of business administration. She currently works in event marketing for a conference… Read more »

Riley Danielle Strizver

Riley Strizver

Riley Danielle Strizver, daughter of Brad and Susan Strizver, will celebrate becoming a Bat Mitzvah on May 18, 2019 at Congregation Or Chadash. She is the granddaughter of Paul and Judy Silverman, and David and Leah Peck, all of Tucson, and the late Robert Strizver. She attends Desert Sky… Read more »

Jenna Evelyn Strizver

Jenna Strizver

Jenna Evelyn Strizver, daughter of Brad and Susan Strizver, will celebrate becoming a Bat Mitzvah on May 18, 2019 at Congregation Or Chadash. She is the granddaughter of Paul and Judy Silverman, and David and Leah Peck, all of Tucson, and the late Robert Strizver. She attends Desert Sky… Read more »

Tucson Hebrew High holds creative commencement

Front row (L-R): Erika Spivack, Natalie Feldman, Jillian Cassius, Michael Gross; second row: Geva Ozeri, Mallory Hulsey, Rachel Davenport, Rebecca Dubin, Maya Levy; Back: Yuval Barel, Aaron Green, Téa Weiner, Brandon Esbit, Rafael Herreras-Zinman. Not pictured: Isaac Hammer

“Live, from Tucson, it’s Tuesday night!” The class of 2019 kicked off the 41st Tucson High School for Jewish Studies (Hebrew High) Commencement on April 30 in the rousing spirit of “Saturday Night Live.” The program, driven and written by the students, featured all the hallmarks of SNL, includin… Read more »

Yiddish motto explains the counting of the Omer

Every day during the month of Iyar, we observe the mitzvah of Sefirat HaOmer, or counting the Omer. This mitzvah begins on the second day of Passover and continues until the eve of Shavuot. The counting is practiced daily after nightfall with some counting from a Siddur (prayer book),… Read more »

Jeffrey Mendelsohn

Jeffrey Mendelsohn, 67, died April 22, 2019. Mr. Mendelsohn was born in Kansas City, Missouri, to Archie and Marjorie Mendelsohn. He  graduated from the University of Arizona in 1972. Survivors include his child, Seth (Adrienne) Mendelsohn of Longmont, Colorado; brother, Stephen (Karen) Mendelsohn; and two grandchildren. A service will… Read more »

Marvin Fortman, J.D.

Marvin Fortman, J.D., 88, died May 7, 2019. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he was a professional musician (clarinet, sax, flute, bass) before moving to Tucson in 1950 and graduating from the University of Arizona with honors while co-owning “Tiny’s Circus Drive-In” with his brother and father. The Army… Read more »

Lori Joyce Ruben

Lori Joyce Ruben, 60, died April 19, 2019. Ms. Ruben was born in Los Angeles and moved to Tucson last year to be near her mother. She was a marketing/product manager at Accenture. A former horse owner, she won several awards for dressage. Survivors include her mother, Carole Culman… Read more »

Edith Muhlrad

Edith N. Muhlrad, 95, died April 12, 2019. Mrs. Muhlrad was born in Newark, New Jersey, on August 12, 1923. She was preceded in death by her husband of 65 years, Norbert F. Muhlrad; and sisters, Sara Joffe and Anne Cook. Survivors include her children, David Muhlrad and Cindi… Read more »

Sanford Berlin

Sanford Berlin

Sanford Sidney Berlin, 81, died April 6, 2019. Dr. Berlin was born in Detroit, Michigan and at age 9 moved with his family to Tucson until high school. His family joined Temple Emanu-El, where he celebrated becoming a bar mitzvah. After graduating from Mumford High School in Detroit, he… Read more »

Seymour Simon

Seymour Simon

Seymour Simon, 100, died April 10, 2019. Born in Brooklyn, New York, on Jan. 18, 1919, Mr. Simon earned his BA at the City College of New York in 1939, law degree at St. John’s University in 1948, and Masters of Law at New York University in 1955. He… Read more »

Ruth Ganeles

Ruth Ganeles

Ruth Lubin Ganeles, 84, died March 31, 2019 after a three-year battle with pancreatic cancer. Mrs. Ganeles was a volunteer at Connecticut Hospice in Banford, the first inpatient hospice in America, and Albany Medical Center In New York, where she helped develop their first surgical waiting area. She was… Read more »

Logan Daniel Lazarus

Logan Daniel Lazarus, son of Emily and Adam Lazarus, will celebrate becoming a bar mitzvah on April 6, at Congregation Anshei Israel. He is the grandson of Ellen Yasmer and the late Larry Yasmer of Tucson and Sandra and Joel Lazarus of Davie, Florida. Logan attends Orange Grove Middle… Read more »

Tucson philanthropist and developer Don Diamond dies at 91

Donald R. DiamondDonald R. Diamond

The Tucson Jewish community mourns the loss of local philanthropist, businessman, and real estate developer Donald R. Diamond, who died March 25 at the age of 91. His daughter Rabbi Jennifer Diamond and Cantor Janece E. Cohen conducted funeral services March 27 at the Tucson Jewish Community Center. Rabbi… Read more »

Eugene Drew

Eugene (Gene) Anthony Drew, 74, died March 21, 2019. Mr. Drew was born in Niagara Falls, New York. He served in the Navy during the Vietnam War, moving to Tucson in 1974 to attend the University of Arizona. He served Pima County as a juvenile probation officer for troubled… Read more »

Myrna Lyons

Mrs. Lyons grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. She was a Women’s Philanthropy director at the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona in the 1990s. Mrs. Lyons was predeceased by her husband, David. Survivors include her sons, Jonathan (Jamie) Lyons of Marietta, Georgia, and Brett (Marlo) Lyons of Los Gatos,… Read more »