Special Sections

If you’re looking for a day or overnight trip from Tucson, Southern Arizona has plenty of options — some will even give you a bit of a respite from the summer heat. Here are a few suggestions: It’s always a cool 47 degrees underground for the Queen Mine tour… Read more »

It’s almost monsoon season and it’ll be raining toads — Colorado River toads (a.k.a. Sonoran Des­ert toads), that is! The Colorado River toad is a large, bumpy, brown amphibian that is a common nocturnal visitor to Tucson yards every monsoon season. Most of the year they live buried in… Read more »

Cats have been domesticated for thou­sands of years, but there are many popular myths that can hinder the care of these animals. In many cultures, including those of Russia, Japan and ancient Egypt, cats have been revered, or seen as all-knowing and good luck. Unfortunately, this reverence has led… Read more »

Pima Animal Care Center will hold a free vaccination  and wellness clinic on May 21. The first 100 patrons between 9 a.m. and noon will receive diagnostic testing and vaccines for their pets, thanks to grant funding from Banfield Charitable Foundation. Pet services offered at no charge (and worth… Read more »

Miriam Furst (Sheila Wilensky)

Tucsonan Miriam Furst has been teaching in the field of gifted education for more than 30 years. She’s still at it, researching stimulating activities that illustrate concepts she’s trying to convey. But instead of K-8 or college students, students in Furst’s sharp mind classes are residents at Handmaker Jewish… Read more »

Elizabeth Katz, DMD

Establishing good dental hygiene for children begins long before they have all of their teeth. Children should begin seeing a dentist when they get their first tooth, or by their first birthday, according to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Visiting a dentist within the first year of life… Read more »

What does a triangle sound like? What noise do you think the color purple makes? Israeli scientists have made the seemingly impossible possible by helping the blind ‘hear’ colors and shapes normally perceived visually. Hebrew University of Jerusalem researchers have shown that through the use of sensory substitution devices,… Read more »

A garden path can combine different materials for visual interest. (Jacqueline Soule)

Destination is defined as “a set point for the end of a journey.” But we are also reminded that, “Whereever you go, there you are,” suggesting that sometimes the journey is more important than the destination. One place where both of these sayings can be equally true is in… Read more »

This photo collage was inspired by the word ‘Echad’ in the Shema prayer. (Jenni Steinberg Pagano)

First of all, let’s get one thing straight. Buying “Real Art” is a great thing. Supporting artists whose work you love is an important part of creating a home that satisfies your soul. I encourage you to buy other people’s creations. But sometimes that isn’t the best solution. Perhaps… Read more »

Dining Out p. 13 Dining Out p. 14 Dining Out p. 15 Dining Out p. 16 Dining Out p. 17 Dining Out p. 18 Dining Out p. 19 Dining Out p. 20 Dining Out p. 21 Dining Out p. 22… Read more »

Sarah Chen

As a young mom, the biggest single change I’ve noticed, Jewishly, is that I’ve gone from the happy-go-lucky Receiver of the Experience to the all-encompassing, ever-busy Provider. I used to sit around the Seder as a middle schooler rolling my eyes, sighing, wishing we could move faster. Then as… Read more »

The patio at Bodega Kitchen & Wine

Tucson isn’t the left bank of Paris, but elegant ambiance, lovingly prepared Southwest and ethnic dishes, and spring outdoor dining all contribute to the tasty local restaurant scene. “Spring creativity came to me in a dream last week about drinks,” says Chef Coralie Satta, owner of Ghini’s French Café.… Read more »

In a photo from the late 1940s, Rabbi Osher Levitan (right) supervises production of Passover matzah at the Streit’s matzah factory on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

For the past year, filmmaker Michael Levine and producer Michael Green have been documenting the story of the last family- owned matzah factory in America, the Streit’s matzah factory on New York’s historic Lower East Side. The result is “Streit’s: Matzo and the American Dream” , a feature length… Read more »

In the Exodus story, Moses decides to rescue his people after he hears God speak to him through the burning bush. But when New York City-based artist Jan Aronson imagined the famous episode in which Moses must decide which path to take in life, she didn’t see a magic… Read more »

More gluten-free products are available at Passover, and an array of blogs offers recipes on how to use them. (Hillel Kuttler)

BALTIMORE (JTA) – Grasping a jar of jam in the Passover aisle of a large supermarket here, Kevin Brinson turned to a stranger and asked, “Do you know when Passover ends this year?” Brinson isn’t dreading the holiday to the extent that two weeks before its start, he’s already… Read more »

Amy Hirshberg Lederman

Ever since I can remember, I have been in a relationship with God. Despite growing up in a family of agnostics, I always believed in, and even felt, the presence of God in my world. My idea of God as a child was that of a Biblical God —… Read more »

The Etablissements Rene Neymann matzah factory is located in the Alsatian city of Wasselonne. (Courtesy of Etablissements Rene Neymann)

(JTA) — For most Jews, matzah season comes once a year. But for Jean-Claude Neymann, matzah, or “pain azyme” in French, is a defining family tradition. Neymann runs the oldest matzah bakery in France, located in the town of Wasselonne near the German border. The family company, Etablissements Rene… Read more »

BOSTON (JTA) — Growing up in Bosnia, Merima Kljuco was familiar with the Sarajevo Haggadah. The medieval, illuminated manuscript was considered a treasure of the Bosnian National Museum for more than a century. Its 600-year journey from Spain through Italy and then Sarajevo, and its survival through persecution and… Read more »

BOSTON (JTA) — Frolicking frogs and magical matzah balls are featured in this season’s crop of new Passover books for children that are sure to engage, inform, entertain and inspire. David A. Adler, author of the hugely popular early reader “Cam Jansen” series, offers “The Story of Passover.” Adler… Read more »

Planning Passover meals is always a wonderful challenge. For the Seders, most of us focus on traditional family recipes because they are tried and proven, and because everyone likes them (and often asks for these favorites dishes). But what about the remaining six days of meals? Once the big… Read more »