Post-Its

Rochelle Rubin

Rochelle Rubin, 80, died Oct. 22, 2016. Mrs. Rubin was an interior designer for more than 40 years, with projects across North America. Survivors include the love of her life, Irwin Sattinger; her and Irwin’s children, Mark (Leigh Bernstein) Rubin, Pam (Craig) Gleichman; Wynne (Pete) Haakenstad; Jane Wilson, who… Read more »

Benjamin Aaron Sargus

Benjamin Aaron Sargus, son of Tamara Sargus and Bryan Sargus, will celebrate becoming a bar mitzvah on Saturday, Oct. 29 at Temple Emanu-El. He is the grandson of Sheila and Ken Sommerman of New York, N.Y., and Karen and Larry Sargus of Canal Winchester, Ohio. Ben attends Basis Tucson… Read more »

Gabriel Alexander Friedman

Gabriel Alexander Friedman, son of Diana & Rick Friedman, celebrated becoming a bar mitzvah on Saturday, Oct. 15 at Congregation Or Chadash. He is the grandson of Barbara and Joseph Friedman of New York, N.Y., Norman Statland of Sarasota, Fla., and Marilyn Statland of Florham Park, N.J. Gabriel attends… Read more »

Jim Lipsey

James L. Lipsey, 95, died Oct. 7, 2016. Born in Omaha, Neb., Mr. Lipsey graduated from Omaha Central High School and the University of Nebraska. He enlisted in the Air Force two weeks after Pearl Harbor and served for five years — stateside and in the Pacific Theater of… Read more »

Deborah Margolis

Deborah Evelyn Swade Margolis, 92, died Oct. 5, 2016. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., she married Bernard Israel Margolis during a two-week furlough before he headed off to the Pacific. They were married for nearly 60 years before his death in 2002. Mrs. Margolis was also preceded in death by… Read more »

Irving Olson, artist, world traveler, dies at 102

Irving J. Olson, 102, entrepreneur, photographer and philanthropist, died at his home in Oro Valley on Oct. 1, 2016. Born on Nov. 26, 1913, in New Britain, Conn., he chalked up the first of many lifetime achievements: recognition by the governor as the heaviest newborn in Connecticut that year… Read more »

Neil Russakoff

Neil Russakoff, 50, died on Sept. 23, 2016, of complications from bone marrow transplantation due to chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Russakoff was a pediatrician in Tucson. He is survived by his wife, Maria (Isaacs); sons, Max and Ben; parents, David and Ina Russakoff of Birmingham, Ala.; brothers, Steven (Wyndi) Russakoff… Read more »

Patricia Ann Makemson Stevenson

9/28/1930 – 7/5/2016 Patty, known fondly as Goober, was the great-great-great-grandniece of Union General Joseph Hooker, and a direct descendant of Malcolm the 1st, King of Scotland. She was a woman of courage and compassion; “The true majesty of a royal daughter is inside her”. (Psalm 45:14) Our Mom… Read more »

Ma Nishtanah: How different will this year be?

Rabbi Robert Eisen

Ma nishtanah halailah hazeh mikol halailot  …?  How do we read that phrase? How is this night different from all other nights … or, How different this night is from all other nights! The first is what we are taught, the latter is how it could be better (more… Read more »

The synagogue remains at the heart of Jewish life

Rabbi Samuel M. Cohon

  What is the most important institution in Jewish life? Judaism has existed for 3,800 years, and over the centuries we’ve had a variety of organizations that have effectively served God and the Jewish people.  Each has played an important role in the continual evolution of our religion and… Read more »

Sylvia Smith

Sylvia Smith died on Aug. 15, 2016, her 99th birthday. Mrs. Smith was born in New York City to immigrants from Eastern Europe. She graduated from Hunter College, then the women’s adjunct to the highly selective City College of New York, as a biology major, and was elected to the… Read more »

Liliana Jade Isaac

Liliana Jade Isaac, daughter of Nina and Andrew Isaac, will celebrate becoming a bat mitzvah on Sept. 17 at Congregation Anshei Israel. She is the granddaughter of Dr. Seth and Sharon Weintraub of Jacksonville, Ore., the late Frances Sydney, and Barbara and Chuck Isaac of Phoenix, and the great-granddaughter… Read more »

Leonard Cooper

Leonard Frederick Cooper, 90, died Aug. 24, 2016. Born in Manhattan, N.Y., Mr. Cooper served in the U.S. Army from 1944 to 1946, in the European and Mediterranean theatres, and received the European, African, Middle-Eastern Campaign Medal, Good Conduct Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Rifleman’s Badge and was… Read more »

Fern Feder

Fern Feder, 87, died Aug. 23, 2016. She was born and raised in Chicago, where she met her husband, Ed, and raised their two sons. Mrs. Feder became an advocate for deaf education after her son Mark was diagnosed as being deaf at birth. After the diagnosis, she completed… Read more »

Take the speech improvement challenge

Rabbi Israel Becker

Nearly 2,000 years ago, the Talmud taught us that when a person leaves this world, he/she will be shown their entire life. Our private showing will include audio and video playback of every single conversation of ours. Every single word that we uttered during our lifetime will be presented.… Read more »

Zev Yisrael Kwasman

A son, ZEV YISRAEL KWASMAN, was born June 17, 2016 to Orit and Adam Kwasman of Scottsdale, Ariz. Grandparents are Della and Donald Kwasman of Tucson, Livia Sklar of Alpharetta, Ga., and Myron Sklar of Mt. Vernon, N.Y. Great-grandparents are Allan Charles of Tucson and Serena Goldring of Miami… Read more »

Claire Nasch

Claire Nasch, 94, died Aug. 14, 2016. Mrs. Nasch was born in Konstanz, Germany. Survivors include her sons, Victor Nasch and Richard Nasch; brother, Jack; and one  granddaughter. Services and interment were in New Jersey. Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 1159 N. Craycroft Road, Tucson,… Read more »

Election overload sparks thoughts of G-d

Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin

At a recent political fundraiser, an acquaintance made an interesting comment. He said he was jealous that, although I am an American resident, I had my native country of Canada on which to fall back. My buddy, a political junkie, was referring to the presidential elections in November. If… Read more »

Miriam Barsk

Miriam Barsk, 88, died May 22, 2016. Born in Chicago, Mrs. Barsk graduated early from high school, married Willard Davey in 1944 and moved to Dodgeville, Wisc. After they divorced in 1948, she returned to Chicago. While working at White Photo Sales, she met Benjamin Barsk and they married… Read more »