Special Sections

‘Spirit’ offers free Jewish learning for men and boys

(L-R) Rabbinic student Avrohom Luban talks with Tucsonans Max Lazar and Al Gordon during a ‘Spirit’ study session in 2014. (Courtesy Southwest Torah Institute)
July 12, 2019 /

The 2019 Dr. Paul W. Hoffert Spirit Program, a free Jewish learning opportunity for men and boys from the Southwest Torah Institute’s Naomi Adir Center for Torah Education, begins July 28 and runs through Aug. 11. In morning or evening sessions, individuals or groups can study the topic of… Read more »

Elder Rehab powers retired Tucsonan toward the century milestone
July 12, 2019 /
Lee Chutkow accepts an award certificate from Elder Rehab coordinator Sharon Arkin, recognizing his nine semesters of continuous participation. (Courtesy Arkin)

Lee Chutkow, M.D., 92, has a goal: To reach his 100th birthday. In pursuit of that goal, Chutkow, a retired psychiatrist, classical music maven, and Shakespeare and poetry buff, keeps his mind and body active through the Elder Rehab program at the Tucson Jewish Community Center. Five years ago,… Read more »

New school year brings exciting programs to Tucson Jewish community
July 12, 2019 / Phyllis Braun, AJP Executive Editor

Local Jewish educators are gearing up for the new school year, which starts next month. Here are some of the new programs awaiting students. Congregation Anshei Israel is introducing a new, integrated youth education program, B’Yahad (Together). B’Yahad will provide experiential learning opportunities for students of CAI’s religious school… Read more »

JFCS workshops give Holocaust survivors from Russia end-of-life guidance

L-R: Iosif Beskin, Gregory Tselnik, and Raisa Moroz examine advance directive documents at a workshop. (Courtesy Raisa Moroz)
July 12, 2019 / Debe Campbell, AJP Assistant Editor

This summer, Jewish Family & Children’s Services conducted a series of workshops on advance directives and ethical wills for the 40 Russian-speaking Holocaust survivors in the Tucson community. Nearly half attended. “It is not in Russian culture to talk about final days or what would happen with a person… Read more »

Here are 6 favorite Jewish foods you should stop eating

A bagel with lox and cream cheese is supremely unhealthy. The bagel alone has the nutritional equivalent of five slices of white bread. (Fudio/Getty Images)
July 12, 2019 / Alix Wall, JTA

With summer barbecue season finally here, Americans everywhere will be firing up their grills and feasting on their favorite foods. But many of our culinary indulgences come with a cost. We’re not just talking about foods that are overly salty, fatty and sugary. There are foods that actually raise… Read more »

Is there enough creativity in your life?
July 11, 2019 /

New research suggests Americans may be picking up paint brushes over remote controls. Two-thirds of adults in a recent survey say they seek to use their creativity more in life, and 77 percent would rather give up their Netflix subscription for a year than their favorite creative hobby. The… Read more »

In the Swiss Alps, locals and haredi Orthodox tourists find ways to get along

Cyclists near Arosa with the mountains in the background, June 4, 2014. (Tim De Waele/Getty Images)
July 3, 2019 / Cnaan Liphshiz, JTA

AROSA, Switzerland (JTA) — A calmer, safer and more beautiful place than this Alpine skiing town is difficult to imagine. In summer, cyclists abandon their unlocked mountain bicycles (there’s virtually no crime here) outside cafes surrounded by wild coniferous forests. They enjoy reasonably priced regional treats on terraces whose… Read more »

Singapore, once more: Tucsonan finds Jewish community still thriving

Susan Wortman and Jack Pinnas in front of Maghain Aboth Synagogue in Singapore. Note the large silver mezuzah on the doorframe. (Anne Lowe)
June 28, 2019 / Anne Lowe, Special to the AJP

Four years ago, my husband, David, was asked to teach aviation law in Singapore for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Naturally, I went along for the trip. While there, I spent five weeks researching the Jewish community in that Southeast Asian country. When I returned to Tucson, I presented many PowerPoint… Read more »

For beach-lover, Shabbat at Chabad of Monterey makes great memories

L- R: Rabbi Dovid, Motty, Binie, Mendy, Zevi, Yossi, Moshe, and Rivky Holtzberg near Chabad of Monterey (Courtesy Binie Holtzberg)
June 28, 2019 / Barbara Russek, Special to the AJP

As Shabbat approaches, Jews throughout the world exchange warm wishes of “Shabbat Shalom.” But how do we achieve that transformative Sabbath peace? As I discovered during my stay last summer on the Monterey Peninsula, Rabbi Dovid and Rebbetzin Binie Holtzberg, directors of Chabad of Monterey, extend hospitality to all… Read more »

Proper techniques for flossing your teeth for optimum oral health
June 26, 2019 / Cristian Macau, DDS

Flossing your teeth every day removes food particles, plaque, and debris that brushing can’t reach. This helps you keep your teeth and gums as healthy as possible. Additionally, flossing can help you avoid bad breath. Holding the dental floss Break off about 18 to 24 in (46 to 61… Read more »

At Israel’s first student-run health clinic, the mantra is health care for all — and it’s free

Neta Sagi, a volunteer at Haifa’s student-run Ruach Tova Health Center, examines a patient with an ultrasound machine. (Larry Luxner)
June 26, 2019 / Larry Luxner

Sponsored content from JTA: HAIFA — At the Ruach Tova Health Center in this northern Israeli city, three medical students are hard at work trying to keep up with the steady flow of patients. Nicole Kasher, a third-year student from Los Angeles, reviews patient charts. Galilee native Neta Sagi… Read more »

Cooling off tips from our staff and friends

Michelle Shapiro, left, with Wil Thomas, loves to cool off with gelato. She’s tried every flavor at Blue Ice Gelato. It’s the only gelateria in Arizona that pasteurizes its milk in-house. (Photo courtesy Michelle Shapiro)
June 14, 2019 /

The AJP asked its staff and colleagues at Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona to share their secrets for beating the heat in Tucson’s triple-digit summers. Gail Barnhill: “Start gardening at 9 p.m. under yard lights and jump in the pool every 15 minutes. I swim with my five grandsons.… Read more »

Adopt-A-Bee program at Tohono Chul to support National Pollinator Week
June 14, 2019 /

Tohono Chul is holding its fourth annual Adopt-A-Bee program. The whimsical program, which allows participants to “adopt” and name a native bee, helps Tohono Chul communicate its passion for preservation and conservation. Adopt-A-Bee aims to increase awareness of the various native bee species in Southern Arizona, and to promote… Read more »

Tucson natives, plus Italian chef, make Frost gelato a hit

Frost co-founder Jeff Kaiserman, left, enjoys a sorbettini (dairy free milkshake made with sorbet and sparkling water); Chef Nazario Melchionda, center, indulges in marble black cherry gelato, and Stephen Ochoa has a cone with stracciatella and creama di biscotti gelato, May 29. Photo courtesy frost A Gelato Shoppe)
June 14, 2019 / Barbara Russek, Special to the AJP

It was a sunny afternoon this May with temps in the ’90s, a preview of this month’s triple digit coming attractions. After lunch at a local café, I craved a dessert that was at once scrumptious and refreshing and wouldn’t break the calorie bank. Light bulb moment! I hurried… Read more »

Local First Arizona’s ‘Independents Week’ offers savings
June 14, 2019 /

Local First Arizona will celebrate its annual “Independents Week” June 29-July 7. During Independents Week, LFA encourages Arizonans to “go local” by supporting as many locally owned businesses as possible. For the entire week, consumers can use LFA’s Golden Coupon for 20 percent discounts at hundreds of participating businesses… Read more »

Tohono Chul prepares for 28th annual bloom night
June 4, 2019 /

Tucson, AZ (June 4, 2019) Every summer thousands of Tucsonans visit the gardens at Tohono Chul to catch a glimpse of the majesty and beauty of the Queen of the Night, the night-blooming cereus Peniocereus greggii. The gardens have the world’s largest collection of this plant. When the summer… Read more »

With just the right ‘Goldilocks situation,’ herbs can thrive indoors

Fresh herbs have more flavor than dried, and can be easy to keep once you find their “Goldilocks zone.”
May 31, 2019 / Jacqueline A. Soule, Ph.D., Special to the AJP

Full disclosure: you can grow herbs indoors, but it is not easy. There are two “Goldilocks situations” that must be dealt with. These two situations are water and light. Too much or too little of either is bad — you need to get it just right. To add another… Read more »

5,000-year-old yeast used by Israeli scientists to brew a pretty good beer

Beer cruse from Tel Tzafit/Gath archaeological digs, from which Philistine beer was produced. (Yaniv Berman, courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority)
May 31, 2019 / Marcy Oster, JTA

Israeli scientists are using ancient yeast to brew a beer fit for a pharaoh. The researchers have isolated yeast from ancient pottery used to brew beer and used it to create the same libation that was presumably drunk by the Egyptian pharaohs, Iron Age rulers, and ancient Jewish leaders.… Read more »

Started from seed, pomegranate bears fruit

Celebrating the Tucson Jewish Community Center’s pomegranate tree, now bearing fruit on its first anniversary, are Early Childhood Education students with (L-R): ECE teacher Kristina Li, Dale Green and Tammy Lewis from the J’s building services department, Lipowich, and Adi Olshansky, Weintraub Israel Center P2G school twinning coordinator. WIC is a joint project of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona and the J, dedicated to bringing the cultural richness of Israel to Tucson. (Debe Campbell/AJP)
May 31, 2019 /

The pomegranate, said to have 613 seeds corresponding to the 613 mitzvot (commandments) in the Torah, frequently is a symbol of Israel. It is one of the seven species of Israel listed in the Torah, along with wheat, barley, grapes, figs, olives, and dates. As part of building living… Read more »