Special Sections

Eight colorful new murals scattered around downtown will do more than beautify Tucson — they’ll provide an economic boost by helping to brand Tucson as an exotic, world class destination, and by reducing the money spent on graffiti abatement, says Michael B. Schwartz, director of the nonprofit Tucson Arts… Read more »

Marlene Harris is a stage 4 lung cancer survivor. The staff at the University of Arizona Cancer Center call her their “miracle kid.” “Trust me, I am,” she says. Harris was diagnosed on Jan. 18, 2013 with stage 4 non-small cell adenocarcinoma, an advanced stage of cancer. “My very… Read more »

University of Arizona College of Medicine professor Paul Gordon, MD, MPH, is living a dream he’s held onto for 40 years. An avid cyclist since high school, Gordon has always wanted to bike across the continental United States. On April 22, his dream came to life when he put… Read more »

It was a mild evening in late January 2014 when Michael Chaison’s heart stopped beating. He was working as a referee at a high school soccer game between Sabino and Salpointe, he says, and “about 20 minutes in, I turned to run up the field and I basically just… Read more »

(Kveller via JTA) — My camp duffel bags are 30 years old. This is the first time since 1986 that they will not make the trek with me from Chicago to Wisconsin for a summer filled with outdoor adventure and friendship. As a lifelong camper and now “retired” camp… Read more »

Israeli race-walking champion, academic and Holocaust survivor Shaul Ladany celebrated his 80th birthday on April 1 by walking nonstop for 80 kilometers, one kilometer for every year of his life — almost 50 miles. Ladany walked a circular track on the streets of his home community of Omer, near… Read more »

Angela Salmon, a program coordinator at Handmaker Jewish Services for the Aging, doesn’t mind if her clients don’t always remember her name. She doesn’t mind if they sometimes have to search for the right words. When she and her clients are together on the Adventure Bus, a program for… Read more »

Katherine Marguerite Zinn, daughter of Erin Samuels, will celebrate becoming a bat mitzvah on May 14 at Temple Emanu-El. She is the granddaughter of Elizabeth Samuels of Tucson and Douglas Woods of Shepardsville, Ky. Katie attends Pistor Middle School where she is in honors classes, on the yearbook committee,… Read more »

(Family Features) — Staying well-hydrated is especially important during the summer months, particularly in hot climates like the Sonoran Desert. Consciously replacing your fluid content becomes essential for overall health. “Every system in your body — from reproduction and digestion to circulation, mood and memory — depends on water,”… Read more »

RIO DE JANEIRO (JTA) — A Dutch Christian organization is planning to sail a “replica” of Noah’s Ark to reach Brazil during the Summer Olympics and the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Longer than an official soccer field, the vessel was built following the biblical measurements given in… Read more »

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It’s spring and even though our winters are mild, the season finds us looking for new, fresh foods to enjoy. Restaurants across Tucson are dishing out fare designed to tempt our palates, with a special emphasis on Mother’s Day, May 8. Mama’s Famous Pizza and Heros is giving a… Read more »

JACKSON, N.J. (JTA) – Pinchas Cohen spent most of Monday wandering around Six Flags Great Adventure under a blazing sun, wearing a knee-length black coat and carrying a big box of shmura matzah under his arm. An imposing, Russian-born Chabad-Lubavitch Hasid who now lives in Brooklyn, Cohen came to… Read more »

  After seeking in vain for a holiday menu that inspired her and was healthy for her family, Kenden Alfond, founder of the Jewish Food Hero blog, created one instead.  “The Jewish Food Hero Cookbook: 50 Simple Plant­Based Recipes for Your Holiday Meals”  is organized around the 10 major Jewish holidays. This Passover version of shepherd’s pie… Read more »

  (JTA) — Even during Jewish holidays, when food is so abundant, it is possible to eat healthfully. My cookbook, “Great Meals with Greens and Grains,” highlights many of my favorite plant-based, vegetarian recipes that not only are healthy but delicious. And many of its recipes are kosher for… Read more »

Corn (Pixabay Commons)

ROCKVILLE, Md. — On Passover, Lynne Sandler will be passing on the beans and rice. Sandler, a member of Conservative Agudas Achim Congregation in Alexandria, Virginia, said she won’t take advantage of her movement’s ruling in November that permits eating a category of food called kitniyot that includes rice, beans… Read more »

(JTA) — Afikomen hunts, a rambunctious pup and the catchy classic “Dayenu.” All are featured in a half-dozen new Passover books for children that will inform and entertain even the littlest kid — or a whole herd of ’em. The eight-day holiday kicks off this year on the evening of… Read more »

(The Nosher via JTA) — With Passover comes lots of cleaning, matzah eating, and potato peeling. I know, I know — potatoes get a bad rap during Passover because they’re one of the seemingly few things we can eat (and therefore are made very frequently during these eight days). But I say… Read more »

The Matza & More program sponsored by Jewish Family & Children’s Services brings Passover bags to Tucson-area residents who otherwise could not afford food and other items for a seder. From children to seniors, volunteers find significant connections in this longstanding program. Gary Cohen’s two sons, Grant, 11, and… Read more »

Vida and Eliot Barron have not wasted a minute since they started coming to Tucson 19 winters ago in 1998. Motivated by all of the blessings they have had in their 57 years of marriage, the bottom line for them is to share good things with people who need… Read more »