Post-Its

Ralph Stein, 82, died March 11, 2013. Born in Pittsburgh, Pa., Mr. Stein graduated from the University of Pittsburgh and attended Ohio State University as a graduate student in nuclear engineering. He began his career as a chemical engineer for Battelle Institute in Columbus, Ohio. At Battelle, in the… Read more »

Salomon Hemmo, 83, died March 4, 2013. Born in Cairo, Egypt, Mr. Hemmo emigrated to Israel in 1953. He married Marylou Chaiten and moved to the United States in 1965. He was a restaurateur in Tucson. Survivors include his wife, Patricia Hemmo; children, Philip Hemmo of Springfield, Ill., David… Read more »

Cantor Lawrence Gustav Barr, 90, died Feb. 11, 2013. Cantor Barr celebrated religious services and counseled residents at Handmaker Jewish Services for the Aging for the past 12 years. Survivors include his wife of 66 years, Sonia Barr; children, Stefani (Carl) Litvak of Tucson, and Alan (Donita) Barr of… Read more »

Clara Davidson, 93, died Feb. 11, 2013. In 1948, Mrs. Davidson moved from New York to Tucson. She worked as an administrative assistant for the Tucson Unified School District for 20 years. After retirement, she volunteered at the Arthritis Foundation, the Cancer Society Thrift Shop, and the Association for… Read more »

Annette Freed, 88, died Jan. 15, 2013. Born in Detroit, Mich., Mrs. Freed lived on Long Island, N.Y., where she worked as a knitting instructor and volunteered for ORT, before moving in 1964 to Tucson, where she managed Cele Peterson’s and owned the Monterey Beauty Salon. Survivors include her… Read more »

Bess Falkow, 94, died Jan. 15, 2013. Born in Albany, N.Y., Mrs. Falkow met her husband, Maurice, in elementary school. Following World War II, they moved to Tucson. She was a real estate agent and volunteered at Congregation Anshei Israel. Mrs. Falkow was preceded in death by her husband… Read more »

Rabbi Lee Avram Kivel, 80, died March 13, 2013. A graduate of New York University and rabbinical school, Rabbi Kivel served as a rabbi for 17 years before retiring to Tucson, where he was involved in the family business of commercial real estate. Rabbi Kivel was a supporter of… Read more »

Ahh … Passover: • Chag HaMatzot — The Festival of Matzah • Chag HaPesach — The Festival of the Passover Offering • Chag HaAviv — The Spring Festival • Z’man Cheiruteinu — The Time of Our Freedom Z’man Cheiruteinu — The Time of Our Freedom. This is freedom? Cleaning… Read more »

Evelyn Barbarosh Bersh, 101, died Feb. 23, 2013. Mrs. Bersh was born in Newark, N.J., raised her family in South Orange, N.J. , where she volunteered at the National Jewish Home for Asthmatic Children, and moved to Tucson in 1972. Playing piano by ear since age eight, Mrs. Bersh… Read more »

Barbara A. Harow, 76, died Feb. 19, 2013. Mrs. Harow is survived by her son, Jay Harow of Tucson; brother, Eric Bernhardt of Pennsylvania; sister, Judith Steo of North Carolina; four grandchildren; and former husband, Marvin L. Harow. Graveside services were held in the Temple Emanu-El section of Evergreen… Read more »

Gerald Blum, 88, died Dec. 29, 2012. Born in New York City, Mr. Blum graduated from Stuyvesant High School in 1942 and New York University in 1949. He served in the Army Air Force and fought in China during World War II. In 1989, Mr. Blum retired as president… Read more »

ALEXANDER SHAOL BERNSTEIN, son of Harriette Levitt and Michael Bernstein, will celebrate becoming a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, March 9 at Congregation Young Israel. He is the grandson of Carol and the late Dr. Jay Bernstein of West Bloomfield, Mich., and the late Sady and Morris Levitt. Alex attends… Read more »

ELENA SHEA ECELBARGER, daugh­ter of Bess and Paul Ecelbarger, will celebrate becoming a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, March 16 at Temple Emanu-El. She is the granddaughter of Judi and Bob Rubin, Laura and Jack Obzrut, and Mark Thaler, all of Tucson. Elena attends Gridley Middle School, where she is… Read more »

Rabbi Ben Herman

Surprise: It’s Happy New Year time again! Did you know that there are four Jewish new years, one of which, Rosh Chodesh Nissan, will occur this coming Tuesday, March 12? According to the first Mishnah in Tractate Rosh Hashanah: “The first of Nissan is the new year for kings… Read more »

Aileen Bernstein Weisman, 89, died on Feb. 1, 2013. Mrs. Weisman moved to Tucson from Long Island, N.Y. She was a member of Congregation Anshei Israel. Mrs. Weisman was preceded in death by her husband, Theo­dore Weisman. Survivors include her sons, Steven (Susan) Weisman of Tucson and Harold (Connie)… Read more »

The Book of Esther may be a completely invented melodrama, yet under the buffoonery we find a deeply human challenge. The heart of the story — both physically and emotionally — comes at the moment that Mordecai asks Esther to approach the king and plead on behalf of the… Read more »

Lynn Sharon Strauss, 76, died Jan. 11, 2013, in Shreveport, La. A 45-year resident of Tucson, Mrs. Strauss operated an office consulting firm for medical practices specializing in computerized record keeping. She was a long-time member of Congregation Anshei Israel, where she was elected secretary-treasurer of the board of… Read more »

Milan Bier, 92, died Jan. 15, 2013. Born in Vukovar, Croatia (then part of Yugoslavia), Mr. Bier spent four years as a refugee in Yugoslavia, Italy and Switzerland during World War II. He graduated from the University of Geneva and immigrated to the United States in 1945. He received… Read more »

Rabbi Jason Holtz

It has been a bit more than one month since the Newtown tragedy, where 26 people, including 20 children, were killed. It has been a bit more than two years since the tragic shooting here in Tucson. The sad reality is that the amount of violence involving guns in… Read more »

DIANE OLIVIA ZASHIN, daughter of Lisa and Todd Zashin, will celebrate becoming a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, Jan. 19 at Temple Emanu-El. She is the granddaughter of Marsha and Robert Rosenblum of Thousand Oaks, Calif., and Joyce Zashin of Tucson. Diane attends Orange Grove Middle School, where she plays… Read more »