Special Sections

For many Jewish nonprofits, fundraising often can seem like an art — a process of educated guesswork based largely on intuition, word of mouth and experience. So when David Gad-Harf, the chief development officer of the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey, saw a way to introduce more science… Read more »

Members of the B’nai Tzedek Teen Advisory Council take a break at the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona on Nov. 18 after working with B’nai Tzedek’s newest teens to pack Thanksgiving food bags for 62 students at Homer Davis Elementary School as part of this year’s New Teen Social Action Sunday. (L-R) Belle Soyfer, Madeline Levy, Allison Whitehill, Sarah Cassius, Abigail Herz. In front: Eli Soyfer.

“Something magical began to happen among the villagers. As each person opened their heart to give, the next person gave even more. And as this happened, the soup grew richer and smelled more delicious.” — from “Stone Soup” by Jon J. Muth The B’nai Tzedek Tucson Jewish teen philanthropy… Read more »

In "Emanuel and the Hanukkah Rescue," author Heidi Smith Hyde explores what it means to hide one's identity through the tale of a spirited 9-year-old boy in a Massachusetts port town. (Courtesy Kar-Ben Publishing)

BOSTON (JTA) — An imaginative historical tale of adventure set on the high seas will captivate young readers this Chanukah season. “Emanuel and the Hanukkah Rescue” is one of a few new children’s books for the eight day Festival of Lights, which begins this year on the evening of… Read more »

NEWTON, Mass. (JTA) — Gateways: Access to Jewish Education, a Boston-based agency for Jewish special education, is offering eight suggestions from experts for a Chanukah celebration that is child friendly and fully accessible for children with special learning needs: 1. As Jewish parents and educators, we place a lot of… Read more »

Diane Heiman, co-author of "It's a...It's a...It's a Mitzvah," with children at a JCC of Greater Washington book event. (Courtesy Diane Heiman)

NEW YORK (JTA) — Chanukah, when children look forward to getting gifts and gelt, is an ideal time to recall Judaism’s commitment to helping others and tikkun olam, repairing the world. Two recently published books, “The Mitzvah Project Book: Making Mitzvah Part of Your Bar/Bat Mitzvah … and your… Read more »

NEWTON, Mass. (JTA) — Gateways: Access to Jewish Education, a Boston-based agency for Jewish special education, is offering eight suggestions from experts for a Chanukah celebration that is child friendly and fully accessible for children with special learning needs: 1. As Jewish parents and educators, we place a lot of… Read more »

From Kung Pao kosher comedy to a swinging Mardi Gras version of the “Dreidel” song, two new Chanukah season releases explore the intriguing, delightful and sometimes perplexing ways in which American Jews have responded to Christmas. In a book and an audio CD compilation, the holiday season known as… Read more »

Writer Dasee Berkowitz’s 4-year-old son, Tamir, prepares to battle the the bad guys — his way of showing courage, which we celebrate at Chanukah. (Courtesey Dasee Berkowitz)

My 4-year-old son is obsessed with superheroes, dressing up at every opportunity as the superhero du jour to do battle with the bad guys lurking around the corner. (My 2-year-old daughter is just as enthusiastic, but at her age all she can really muster is a “meanie” face.) From… Read more »

Roast capon with olives makes a great Chanukah dish -- especially for olive lovers. (Ann Stratton)

When I married 55 years ago, I knew nothing about cooking. I grew up during war years in Europe when food was not available. So my exposure to food, and particularly traditional food, was nonexistent. After I married, I decided to take cooking classes, first studying with chef Michael… Read more »

Frony Chaima from Malawi, with a heifer her family received from a Heifer International supporter

Heifer International is known for practical, philanthropic gift-giving. Since 1944, Heifer’s mission has been to end hunger and poverty through gifts that provide self-reliance. The organization currently offers 30 kinds of livestock, trees, seeds and agricultural training to needy families in 42 countries, including the United States. Donations may… Read more »

With this Chanukah season calling for a Lincoln connection, why not light a Lincoln menorah? (Edmon J. Rodman)

LOS ANGELES (JTA) — We need to celebrate a Lincoln Chanukah this year. It’s not because of the new Spielberg movie — that gives us something to do on Christmas Day — but because of the 150th anniversary of a little-known event in American history that threatened to expel… Read more »

Walter Ferguson’s childhood encounter with birds piqued a lifelong interest.

Road kill, for most people, is something you try not to look at too closely and leave behind. But for Walter Ferguson these misfortunate animals could be a prized treasure. Ferguson, one of the world’s preeminent wildlife artists, would never wish for a little creature to be maimed. However,… Read more »

High-quality ingredients, local specialties and seasonal cuisine are on tap for new fall menus in Tucson. Everything is “fresh, homemade” at Tavolino Ristorante Italiano, says owner and chef Massimo Tenino. “Coming from Italy, I take for granted that every day we bake fresh bread in our pecan wood-burning oven.”… Read more »

BALTIMORE (JTA) – Every Jewish community wants more Raymonde Fiols among its active retirees. The question is whether those communities are prepared to meet the needs she and hundreds of thousands of “younger seniors” and older ones will have in the near future. Now 76, Fiol has resided in… Read more »

Stephanie Neidermyer, LMFT, in the lobby of the new northwest office of Jewish Family & Children’s Services

Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Southern Arizona, a nonprofit agency that offers social and behavioral health services to the Jewish and greater Tucson community, recently opened an office on the Northwest side, at the corner of Oracle and Magee Roads. Shoshana Elkins, vice president of programs and services… Read more »

Wearing a tattered house robe and with a cigarette dangling from her hand, the pregnant woman in a low-income neighborhood opened the door. Would she cut down on smoking now that her first child was on the way, the expectant mother was asked by the visiting nurse? The response:… Read more »

Matt Bycer showing off an etrog from his farm in the backyard of his home in Scottsdale, Ariz., Sept. 20, 2012. (Chavie Lieber)

(JTA) — Matt Bycer is like any other 33-year-old attorney who wakes up at the crack of dawn to exercise. Except that rather than sweating to a P90X regimen, Bycer, in a T-shirt, shorts and cowboy hat, lugs 170 buckets of water across his backyard in Scottsdale, Ariz., to… Read more »

...becomes a funky-chic chalkboard lamp

 Jenni Steinberg Pagano’s fifth grade teacher once declared that she’d be “forever known for her ability to make something out of nothing.” The manager of the 1st Rate 2nd Hand Thrift Store for the past year, Pagano has been making good on that early promise, bringing her UCLA design… Read more »

The University of Arizona Pima County Cooperative Extension will offer free master gardener presentations this year at Wilmot-Murphy Library on Wednesdays at 1 p.m and Oro Valley Library on Fridays at 1 p.m. Topics and dates (Oro Valley in parentheses) include the following: Oct. 3 (5): Preparing your vegetable… Read more »

After blotting spills on granite countertops, dry with a soft cloth

(StatePoint) — Natural stone is one of the hottest trends in home decor. According to a 2012 survey conducted by Harris Interactive, three-quarters of homeowners who intend to remodel their kitchens in the next two years would like to install granite countertops. “Granite and marble countertops and floors add… Read more »