Post-Its

Maxwell Kinney Baruch

MAXWELL KINNEY BARUCH, son of Dana Narter and Edward Baruch, will celebrate becoming a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, Oct. 13 at Congregation Or Chadash. He is the grandson of Marcia and Irwin Narter of Palm Desert, Calif, and MaryEllen and Hurd Baruch of Tucson. Max attends BASIS Tucson North.… Read more »

Gray Oliver Blaney-Koen

A son, GRAY OLIVER BLANEY-KOEN, was born Sept. 13, 2012 to Lisa and Daniel Blaney-Koen of Chicago. Grandparents are Mike and Gerri Koen of Oracle and Howard and Marie Blaney of Boulder, Colo. Gray joins his brother, Brach William Blaney-Koen.  … Read more »

Faina Luterman

Faina Luterman, 73, died June 22, 2012. Born in Belaya Tserkov, Ukraine, Mrs. Luterman was a Holocaust survivor. She received a master’s degree in physics/astronomy from Orenburg State University, in the former Soviet Union. Mrs. Luterman taught physics and astronomy at high school and college levels for over 30… Read more »

After High Holidays we ask, ‘And then what?’

According to history as I was taught, during World War II, when the leaders of the Japanese armed forces presented their plan to attack Pearl Harbor to the emperor for approval, after all the parties involved had stated their case and guaranteed the success of the mission, the emperor… Read more »

Yoel Don Avisror

A son, YOEL DON AVISROR, was born Sept. 4, to Allison Brown Avisror and Yossi Avisror of Boston, Mass. He joins his sister, Ella Rose. Grandparents are Patrice Janoff Brown and Ronald J. Brown of Tucson and Minneapolis, Minn., and Mazal Avisror of Hod Hasharon, Israel. Great-grandparents are Ronald… Read more »

David Seltzer

David H. Seltzer, 81, died Aug. 22, 2012. Mr. Seltzer graduated from Long Island University. He served in the Korean War and was decorated. Mr. Seltzer owned several businesses including all the Morrow’s Nut Houses in Tucson and the original Famous Sam’s on Prince Road and First Avenue. Mr.… Read more »

Cutler-Amster

David Cutler announces the engagement of his daughter, Shana Diane Cutler, to Mickey Amster, son of Rabbi Moshe and Natalie Amster of Los Angeles. Shana is the daughter of the late Felicia Cutler and the granddaughter of Lois and Ev Broder of Tucson and Esther Gross of Baltimore, Md.… Read more »

Heisler-Cogan

Michael and Barbara Heisler announce the engagement of their daughter, Laura Shayna Heisler, to Scott Philip Cogan, son of Jesse and Sandy Cogan of Livingston, N.J. Laura graduated from St. Gregory College Preparatory School and the University of Arizona with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. She is currently… Read more »

A fresh start or a September song?

Rabbi Samuel M. Cohon

The great beauty of the Jewish High Holy Day season is the wonderful opportunity it provides for each of us to start over. Whatever it is that we have done in the past year, whoever we have offended, however we have failed, we now have the chance to begin… Read more »

Isabella Pauline Brody-Calixto

ISABELLA PAULINE BRODY-CALIXTO, daughter of Sandra and Sol Brody, will celebrate becoming a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, August 25 at Temple Emanu-El. She is the granddaughter of Bonnie and Bill Brody of Port St. Lucie, Fla., and Delia and Rafael Calixto of Columbia. Isabella attends St. Gregory College Preparatory… Read more »

Felix-Stokes

Heidi Felix, daughter of Simcha and Margarita Felix of Tucson, and Daniel Stokes, son of Barbara and the late William Stokes of Torrance, Calif., were married Sunday, June 24, 2012 at La Mariposa Resort in Tucson. Rabbi Ben Herman of Congregation Anshei Israel officiated. The bride is the granddaughter… Read more »

Margaret Michaela Cramer

MARGARET MICHAELA CRA­MER, daughter of Amy Silverstein Cramer and Amelia Craig Cramer, will celebrate becoming a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, Aug. 18 with Congregation Or Chadash at the Tucson Jewish Community Center. She is the granddaughter of Margaret Craig Chrisman of Tucson, Bette Craig of Taos, N.M., Dhun Silverstein… Read more »

Emma Frances Goodman

A daughter, EMMA FRANCES GOODMAN, was born July 15 to Rebecca and Ted Goodman. Grandparents are Linda and Andrew Kunsberg of Tucson; Beanie and Markus Rohtbart of Bloomfield Hills, Mich.; and Don and Gloria Goodman of West Bloomfield, Mich.… Read more »

Alan Cohen

Alan Cohen

Alan Cohen, 84, died June 28, 2012. Born in Portland, Ore., Mr. Cohen attended the University of Oregon and was a member of Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity. He played professional baseball with the Cleveland Indians and for the old Tucson Cowboys during the 1950s. He started an independent insurance… Read more »

Rabbi’s corner: Protas story reveals power of human spirit

Rabbi Helen T. Cohn

Those who knew Ruth Protas would not be surprised to learn how much laughter there was at the shiva minyan held last month several days after her death. Every story about Ruth revealed her love of life, her laughter, her sense of humor and her spunk. Several pictures at… Read more »

Health and wellness, food and hunger issues spur B’nai Mitzvah projects

Gavin Cohen with his cousin, Trinity Hungerford

Every year dozens of Tucson teens who turn 13 choose a cause to support — through deeds, funds or both — as they prepare for the ceremonies and celebrations that mark their coming of age as B’nai Mitzvah. These mitzvah projects, as they’ve come to be known, assist a… Read more »

Presumptuous JDate suitor is ‘the one’

Rebecca Light and Joshua Wertlieb

Rebecca Sara Light, daughter of Marcia and Ken Light of Tucson, and Joshua Michael Wertlieb, son of Dr. Donald Wert­lieb and Lorre Polinger of West Newton, Mass., were married May 20, 2012 at the Phoenix Art Museum. Rabbi Steven Foster of Denver, Colo., a family friend, officiated. The matron… Read more »

Obituary: Ruth Protas

Ruth Protas

Ruth Protas (nee Kimmel), age 100, died July 14, 2012. Born in Poland, Mrs. Protas emigrated to New York in 1920, where she met her husband, David Protas, with whom she raised a family.  After David’s death in 1973, she moved from North Bergen, N.J., to Phoenix, Ariz., where… Read more »

Paul Ash, community leader, weighlifting champ, dies

Paul Ash in 1957, when he won the U.S. national weightlifting championship (Courtesy Bruce Ash)

Real estate executive, world-class athlete and Tucson community leader Paul Ash, 81, died in Encinitas, Calif., on June 24, 2012. “When the term ‘the greatest generation’ was coined, Paul Ash could very well have been the prototype,” says Stuart Mellan, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Southern… Read more »

Ariel Lamdan

ARIEL LAMDAN, son of Cherie and Oded Lamdan, will celebrate becoming a Bar Mitzvah on Thursday, July 12  at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Israel. He is the grandson of Eileen Metz of Cincinnati, Ohio and Ruth and Victor Lamdan of Haifa, Israel. Ariel attends Orange Grove Middle School,… Read more »