Post-Its

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 »

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 »