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 »
Special Sections
Started from seed, pomegranate bears fruit
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 »
Cactus king that boosts landscaping takes centuries to mature
A sage survivor in the Sonoran desert, the stately saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) reigns over Tucson’s Southwestern landscape. The largest known cactus is symbolic of Arizona (the state flower) and iconic in classic Western films. Casting eerie, human-like shadows across the desert floor, they evoke images of solitude, expansive… Read more »
Fashions for spring and summer offer dramatic ways to play with color
Whether in psychedelic hues or more muted pastel tones, tie-dye is one of the hot trends for summer 2019, according to Cosmopolitan magazine. Tie-dye hit the runway on sneakers, jeans, and even a breezy slip dress. Cosmopolitan also sees fringe popping up everywhere, whether on skirts or the straps… Read more »
SAACA to open maker space at Tucson Mall
In August, the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance will open Catalyst, a 14,000 square foot maker and community creative art space, and a permanent home for the organization, at the Tucson Mall, 4500 N. Oracle Road. Catalyst will feature four distinct maker spaces, including an arts and crafts… Read more »
Native Tucsonan produces soulful entertainment through documentary, film
Documentaries, feature films, and animation in production by native Tucsonan Judy Ben-Asher’s Starry Sky Films focus on her discoveries about health and wellness. “These are all passion projects with the cohesive thread to uplift and educate, resolve misinformation, and find answers,” she says. The “Truthseeker®” documentary film follows Ben-Asher’s… Read more »
Local mental health writer turns tragedy into healing, prevention
Mitchell A. Leutenberg had a mental illness. The first time he tried to die by suicide, he asked his parents not to tell anyone. He died at his fourth attempt eight years later in 1986. He was 30 years old. In the years since, Mitchell’s mother, Ester Leutenberg, has… Read more »
At UA, Melamed humanizes medicine for future doctors
Ellen Melamed’s medical humanities courses at the University of Arizona are encouraging medical students to develop empathetic relationships with their future patients. Melamed, the child of Holocaust survivors, draws on her family’s history of trauma and illness, as well as her own experiences in the arts, to inform her… Read more »
9 rare photos from Israel’s War of Independence
(JTA) — May 9 was Israel’s Independence Day, which commemorates the country’s official Declaration of Independence in 1948. The country celebrated with rallies, fireworks displays, flyovers by the Israeli Air Force and family barbecues. It was a hard-fought independence — the day after the declaration, a coalition of Arab… Read more »
Want your kid to excel in college? After high school, try a break in Israel.
Within months of graduating from a Jewish high school near Boston in 2017, Asher Dale had an internship that he “absolutely loved” at Forter, an Israeli technology startup that sells online fraud protection services. The company, which processes more than $50 billion in transactions annually for a global network… Read more »
Did this beloved ancient Jewish scholar introduce the world to pizza?
In 1983, the Italian-Israeli professor Sandra Debenedetti Stow stunned the scholarly world with an explosive article that proposed that Jews introduced pizza to the European diet. She cited Yehuda Romano, a 14th-century Hebrew scholar from Italy, who translated Maimonides’ use of the word “hararah” (a type of flatbread) in… Read more »
Broadening our scope: Trends in millennial giving
We may find it convenient to believe that because young adults in our community are not exhibiting the same historically Jewish behaviors as their parents, they do not feel a strong connection to Jewish life. Nevertheless, consistently, when polled, millennial Jews report having strong, positive feelings about being Jewish.… Read more »
JWI Flower Project cards help survivors of domestic violence gain independence
More than 45,000 women and children spend each Mother’s Day in domestic violence shelters. Jewish Women International is again sponsoring its Mother’s Day Flower Project, which uses donations for Mother’s Day cards to send flowers and financial literacy resources to more than 200 domestic violence shelters across the United… Read more »
Seasonal ingredients bring fresh flavor to Mom’s favorite menu choices
Spring is here, and Mother’s Day is just around the corner on May 12. The AJP asked some local chefs to spill the beans on their favorite spring ingredients, ideal dishes for mom, and other culinary convictions. … Chef McKenzie Taylor, Forty Niner Country Club Describe one new dish… Read more »
A New York mother revives the lost tradition of the Jewish birthing amulet
When I went for my 37-week pregnancy checkup, my doctor informed me that I was walking myself straight over to Labor and Delivery for an induction. While I waited to be admitted, my husband ran home to walk the dog and check off items on my birthing “to do”… Read more »
Mixed Roasted Vegetables with Tahini Sauce: A colorful dish inspired by spring
This article originally appeared on The Nosher. A colorful spring-inspired platter of roasted vegetables is the perfect side dish for your seder dinner or any time you are entertaining a crowd. For this particular mix, I chose a whole head of cauliflower, smaller cauliflower florets in purple and yellow, shallots,… Read more »
6 quirky Passover traditions to inspire your seder
(JTA) — There are several do’s and don’ts when it comes to the Passover seder: what we may or may not eat, and the story we are obliged to tell. Within these guidelines, how do 21st-century American Jews manage to keep Passover engaging and alive? Some find the secret to… Read more »
500 doctors who serve US Jewish communities sign letter urging vaccinations
(JTA) — Some 500 doctors who serve Jewish communities across North America have signed on to a letter calling on all children and healthy adults to be vaccinated. “We the undersigned doctors who faithfully serve the Orthodox Jewish communities of North America, strongly urge all members of our community… Read more »
From 1600s Europe to a lesbian feminist seder, these 4 Haggadahs are a trip through Jewish history
NEW YORK (JTA) — From graphic novel Haggadahs to a Donald Trump-themed one, if you’re looking for a certain kind of guide to the Passover seder, chances are it’s out there. Recent years have seen a proliferation of political, environmental, family-friendly, or just plain irreverent Haggadahs, but the urge to… Read more »
This cartoon matzah character is huge in Holland — and not just among Jews
AMSTERDAM (JTA) — Anywhere else in Europe, a muscular cartoon character named Max the Matzah would have amounted to little more than an inside Jewish joke. But in the Netherlands, where matzah for many non-Jews is a household item year-round, Max became an unlikely hit with the general population.… Read more »