Post-Its

Composing prayers as a response to the world

Rabbi Hazzan Avraham Alpert

Do you get frustrated from reading the news? If you are like me, you find it difficult to restrain yourself from posting and reposting on social media in response to the stories that upset you. It’s good, though, to have other ways to answer the irritations that come with… Read more »

Finding ourselves in familiar, unfamiliar places

With a name like Batsheva, I also have a Starbucks name, “Beth,” for ordering in person. I know that the name Batsheva is not easy for people. It might be the first time that they encounter the name and that it is hard to spell if you are not… Read more »

Stephen Jacobs

Stephen Frank Jacobs, 90, died Feb. 24, 2019. Mr. Jacobs was born in New York City to Henry Lawrence Jacobs and Josette Frank. He grew up in Greenwich Village and received his B.S. in physics from Antioch College and his Ph.D. in physics from Johns Hopkins University. He moved… Read more »

Thomas Abrams

Thomas Abrams, M.D., 67, died Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019. Dr. Abrams was a family practice doctor in Tucson for more than 30 years. His love of the arts included photographing flora and natural parks and writing poetry, as well as supporting many local cultural organizations. He is survived by… Read more »

Lynn Saul

Lynn Saul, 73, died Feb. 22, 2019. Ms. Saul was the daughter of the late Samuel and Ruth Saul. Her passions included writing and teaching poetry. Survivors include her partner, Joseph Antone; son, Kevin (Nicole) Koch of Tucson; daughter, Erica (Carol Anderson) Moore of Minneapolis; siblings, Wendy Saul of… Read more »

Pearl Kitay

Pearl Kitay, 88, died Feb. 14, 2019. Mrs. Kitay was preceded in death by her husband of 64 years, Harold. Survivors include her son, Barry (Holly) Kitay, and daughter, Nancy Galdi, all of Tucson; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. A celebration of life will be held at a future… Read more »

Janice Yost

Janice Muriel Yost, 82, died Jan. 31, 2019. Ms. Yost was born and raised in Kansas City, the only child of Max and Toby Joffee. Her family moved to Los Angeles in 1957, where she attended the Pasadena Playhouse School of Dramatic Arts (now the State Theater of California).… Read more »

Harold Langer

Harold Langer, age 67, died Jan. 9, 2019, in Los Angeles. Mr. Langer was born in Louisville, Kentucky, to Rubin and Esther Langer. The Langer family moved to Tucson in 1968. There Mr. Langer became a successful financial advisor with RBC Wealth Management. Survivors include his wife of almost… Read more »

Jared Bernard Matheson

Jared Bernard Matheson, son of Teresa and Brandon Matheson, will celebrate becoming a bar mitzvah on March 16, at Congregation Anshei Israel. He is the grandson of Darlene and Robert Moen of Sartell, Minnesota; Susan Matheson of Tucson; and Debra and Landon Matheson of Chicago. Jared attends Tucson Hebrew… Read more »

Skylar Naomi Dehnert

Skylar Naomi Dehnert, daughter of John and LeeAat Dehnert, will celebrate becoming a bat mitzvah on March 9 at Congregation Or Chadash. She is the granddaughter of George and Tamar Mednick of Saratoga, California, and Janet Dehnert of Tucson. Skylar attends The Gregory School, where she achieves high honor… Read more »

Many people hazy on what Messianic era will bring

Not too long ago I was at Tucson Hebrew Academy doing a couple of guest presentations for the third, fourth, and fifth graders, and what unfolded while doing so was rather exciting. The topic was the Jewish view regarding the Moshiach (Messiah) and the Messianic era. Essentially, my goal… Read more »

Leonard Coris

Leonard Coris

Leonard M. Coris, 78, died Jan. 31, 2019, of complications related to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Mr. Coris was born March 29, 1940, in Boston, Massachusetts, to Betty and Al Coris. He attended the Brookline public schools and MIT, where he earned master’s degrees in both food science and finance. He… Read more »

Tucson groom enlists support of Toby, the cat, for proposal to his bride

(L-R): Bruce and Donna Beyer, Amy and Thomas Allen Brannock, and Billie and Thomas Brannock at Skyline Country Club, Oct. 20, 2018 (Steven Palm Photography)

Amy Rebecca Beyer, daughter of Bruce and Donna Beyer of Tucson, and Thomas Allen Brannock, son of Thomas and Billie Brannock of St. David, Arizona, were married on Oct. 20, 2018, at Skyline Country Club with Rabbi Batsheva Appel officiating. Attendants included Lisa Beyer of San Francisco, sister of… Read more »

Bethany Sarah Zashin

Bethany Sarah Zashin, daughter of Lisa Zashin and Todd Zashin will celebrate becoming a Bat Mitzvah on Feb. 16 at Temple Emanu-El. She is the granddaughter of Marsha Rosenblum of Tucson, the late Robert Rosenblum, and the late Joyce Zashin. Bethany attends Tucson Waldorf School. She enjoys playing the… Read more »

Gifts from the heart

Rabbi Helen T. Cohn

Tzedakah is usually translated as “charity” but a distinction is often made between the meanings of these two words. “Tzedakah” comes from the Hebrew root that means righteousness or justice.  “Tzedek, tzedek tirdof” — “Justice, justice you shall pursue” — is often quoted in support of financial contributions that… Read more »

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, interfaith activist who raised millions in Christian donations for Israel, dies at 67

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein arriving in Israel with the first group of immigrants brought by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, Dec. 22, 2014. (International Fellowship of Christians and Jews)

(JTA) — To the many colleagues and supporters of Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, who died Wednesday at the age of 67, he was a man of vision whose enormous drive to succeed both facilitated and complicated his relentless efforts on behalf of the Jewish people. As head of the International Fellowship… Read more »

Polsky-Brown wedding

Rachel Polsky and Alex Brown

Rachel Ashley Polsky, daughter of David and Tricia Polsky of Tucson, and Alex Thomas Brown, son of Thomas and Karla Brown and Mark and Lynne Gomez, all of Tucson, were married Nov. 4, 2018 at Stillwell House with Rabbi Thomas Louchheim of Congregation Or Chadash officiating. The matron of… Read more »

Martin Fogel

Martin M. Fogel, Ph.D., 98, died Jan. 6, 2019. Mr. Fogel was born in the Bronx, his father a Polish Catholic tailor, his mother a Russian Jew. Upon graduation from James Monroe High School, Mr. Fogel moved to California, where his father had sought a better livelihood as a… Read more »

Sam Zales

Sam Zales, 53, died Jan. 15, 2019. Mr. Zales was an avid reader and writer. He taught Russian and American literature at the University of Arizona Osher Lifelong Learning Institute with his stepfather, Kenneth Greenfield. Survivors include his mother, Ruth Zales of Tucson; sister, Melissa (Tim) Zales Koller of… Read more »

Marilyn Berg

Marilyn Ann Berg, 75, died Dec. 24, 2018. Born in New York City, Ms. Berg moved to Tucson with her family at age 12 because she suffered from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. She attended Tucson High School and the University of Arizona, and was a lifelong poet. A participant in… Read more »