Kseniya DeLano Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Southern Arizona (JFCS) has named Kseniya DeLano as the agency’s president and chief executive officer, effective April 6. DeLano joined JFCS in 2024 as the agency’s finance director and most recently served as chief administrative officer. “As a member of JFCS’ senior leadership team, Kseniya has already demonstrated a deep commitment to the agency’s mission and its impact on the community,” said… Read more »
Dr. Hirsch Handmaker, a devoted physician, lifelong learner, and beloved father and grandfather, passed away March 9, 2026, surrounded by the enduring love of his family. His life was defined by intellectual curiosity, compassion for others, and deep devotion to the people he loved. Born July 2, 1940, in… Read more »
All are invited to be a part of Southern Arizona’s annual Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) commemoration on Sunday, April 12, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. This year’s event, titled ”The Legacy We Leave Behind,” will be held in the Paul and Alice Baker Ballroom at the Tucson Jewish Community Center. The commemoration is a collaborative effort presented by the Tucson… Read more »
Tucson Hebrew Academy Spanish Teacher Miguel Montemayor reviews vocabulary with a student (Photo courtesy THA) This fall, Tucson Hebrew Academy launched a full-fledged Spanish program, expanding on what was formerly a middle school elective. On a recent Wednesday, eight students from the fifth, seventh, and eighth grades engaged in a spirited game of Pictionary, reinforcing their vocabulary lessons on food and restaurants as they… Read more »
Judith Manelis with Farfel (Photo: Steve Shawl) Who knew when I named my new dog Farfel seven years ago, that I would become a Judaic studies teacher to my non-Jewish neighbors? All I knew was that I wanted a dog to replace the female Yorkshire Terrier that I had lost 20 years earlier. Her name was… Read more »
Handmaker has been providing kosher meals to its residents and the community for over 60 years, and the Passover holiday is no exception. At Handmaker, observing Passover is a huge endeavor that requires the cooperation of staff, residents, and family members. The days and weeks leading up to Passover are full of preparation for the holiday, keeping Handmaker Executive Chef Claire Ferguson and… Read more »
The Shul of Rock band, part of the Shirei Simcha project started by Kol Ami Cantor Jen Benrey, rehearses on Feb. 12, 2026, led by Benrey (standing, with guitar) and Chris Tackett (seated, in red shirt). (Photo courtesy Kol Ami) Cantor Jen Benrey of Kol Ami Synagogue has started a teen band, the “Shul of Rock,” for students in grades 7-12, and a junior youth choir, “Sabra Singers,” for students in grades 2-6. Both are open to Jewish kids from across Southern Arizona. The band and choir are the… Read more »
Keynote speaker Tessa Veksler was thrilled to arrive at the Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona Women’s Philanthropy Connections brunch on March 8 and find a mirror emblazoned with her hashtag: #werenotgoinganywhere. Inside, more than 250 women were equally jazzed to hear from Veksler, a passionate Jewish and Zionist activist… Read more »
Art teacher Martha Rast, left, with Handmaker resident Grace Efaw (Photo: Nanci Levy) Handmaker residents have been thrilled with the recent enhancements to their activity programs. New art classes and music therapy sessions are furthering the goal of enriching the lives of the older adults Handmaker serves. Handmaker recently introduced dementia-friendly, accessible art classes in the Tynan Advanced Assisted Living, Kalmanovitz Memory Care, and Rich Long Term Care Skilled Nursing Neighborhoods, which include residents… Read more »
For more than a decade, the Mitch Dorson Scholar-in-Residence Fund has stood as a living expression of the belief that Jewish learning should be engaging, accessible, and meaningful. Established in 2012, the fund brings a visiting scholar or artist to Tucson to offer a popular exploration of Jewish life… Read more »
I can say without hesitation that my experience so far with Hillel at the University of Arizona has been nothing short of incredible. As I get ready to begin my second semester at college, I’ve been thinking a lot about those first few days on campus — and how far I’ve… Read more »
Shelley Pozez looks on as Brenda Landau uses an oversized dreidel to teach the traditional Hanukkah game to Homer Davis Elementary School students in 2023. Landau is director of legacy development at the Jewish Community Foundation at Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona. (Photo: JPSA) Eighty children at Homer Davis Elementary School currently receive snack packs of food to supplement their nutrition each weekend. “They rely on it,” says MaryCarmen Salazar Rubio, a reading instruction assistant and snack pack coordinator at Homer Davis, which is in the Flowing Wells School District. There’s always a waiting… Read more »
Sharon Glassberg has spent years bearing witness to history. As a Holocaust Survivor Services Coordinator at Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Southern Arizona (JFCS) and President of the Board at the Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center, she has facilitated weekly support groups, creating sacred space for survivors… Read more »
Jane Berenbeim, International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies immediate past president, center, with Southern Arizona Genealogical Society Co-Presidents Nancy Grayson, left, and Rich Schlesinger The Southern Arizona Jewish Genealogical Society won the Member of the Year Award at the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies’ 45th International Conference on Jewish Genealogy held in Fort Wayne, Indiana, from August 10-14, 2025. The IAJGS represents more than 90 Jewish genealogical societies worldwide. Rich Schlesinger and… Read more »
In recognition of Drowning Impact Awareness Month, Tucson Medical Center and the Tucson Jewish Community Center are partnering to host the annual Community Water Safety Day on Sunday, Aug. 24, from 1 to 4 p.m. The free event, hosted at the Tucson J, is designed to promote water safety… Read more »
Shamsedin Zamani, pictured with his four children, spoke at Tucson’s World Refugee Day program on June 20, 2025. His daughters wore traditional Afghan attire. (Photo: Dana Narter)
Longtime Tucsonans Dana Narter and her husband, Ed Baruch, were volunteers with the refugee resettlement program at Jewish Family & Children’s Services for several years. She wrote about one of her first experiences with the program for the AJP in July 2022. In 2023, JFCS asked if Narter and… Read more »
Delegates to the Association of Holocaust Organizations conference in Toronto, Ontario June 7-10 included Lori Shepherd, executive director of the Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center, middle row, seventh from left. (Courtesty Lori Shepherd) Each year, the Association of Holocaust Organizations, an international network of more than 130 organizations, hosts a summer conference devoted to the advancement of Holocaust education, remembrance, and research. Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center is a proud member of this amazing group of educators, scholars, and institutional leaders.… Read more »
The Tucson Jewish Community Center (the J) will honor volunteers and staff, elect new board members, and celebrate the organization’s 2024 accomplishments in the Alice and Paul Baker Ballroom on Thursday, May 15 from 5:30-7:30pm. The entire community is invited to join for a celebratory evening. Honorees include Amy… Read more »
At its April 2, 2025, board of governors meeting, Pima Community College honored Lisa Grabell for 20-plus years as a student mentor in PCC’s Teacher Certification program. Grabell is a Holocaust survivor from Vienna, Austria. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Mills College of Education in New York City,… Read more »
Scarlett Van Damme and Jacob Meyer were married on Saturday, February 15, 2025, at Wild Horse Ranch in Tucson, Arizona. Rabbi Malcolm Cohen of Kol Ami Synagogue officiated the ceremony beautifully following sunset. The happy couple did not host a traditional wedding party, but were honored by the attendance… Read more »
