Rabbi Kleinman Growing up in Tucson, Alanna “Lonnie” Kleinman did not know any female rabbis or any religious leaders who identified as LGTBQ. Now Kleinman is joining a much more diverse rabbinate, one that more fully reflects the fullness of Jewish communities. On May 22, almost 50 years after Rabbi Sally… Read more »
This spring, Handmaker learned that they had received two Arizona Daily Star’s Reader’s Choice awards for 2021; one for Best Skilled Nursing/Rehab Facility and one for Best Continuing Care Retirement Community. As the community outreach coordinator at Handmaker for nearly seven years, this does not surprise me. My office… Read more »
Just what do the dedicated staff at University of Arizona Hillel do all summer? In some ways, it’s our busiest season. We hate it when the students are away, but we use every moment of the time to prepare for their return. This summer we’re particularly busy, with three… Read more »
Richard Bernard “Dick” Belkin, born June 5, 1933, in Hartford, Connecticut, died July 7, 2022, in Tucson, Arizona. Dick Belkin was perhaps the most positive and inspirational person you will ever meet, a man of great integrity, creativity, and infinite kindness. In his younger days as a television personality,… Read more »
Charles H. (“Chuckles”) Whitehill passed away on July 5, 2022. Chuck was a longtime Tucsonan and dedicated member of the Jewish community since arriving as a freshman at the University of Arizona (UA) in 1948. He was a member of Tau Delta Phi Fraternity. Shortly after coming to Tucson,… Read more »
JFCS refugee client taking English Placement test As a faculty member at the University of Arizona, summer is the perfect time for me to get caught up on projects that I have set aside during the school year, and to do things that I enjoy. As the semester was winding down in May, my husband and… Read more »
On June 16th, in New York, Rabbi Cantor Emily Ellentuck received rabbinic ordination from The Rabbinical Academy at Mesifta Adath Wolkowisk. She serves as Cantor for Congregation M’Kor Hayim and works at Tucson Hebrew Academy as program coordinator and teaching Judaic Studies and tefillah.… Read more »
Dr. Jacobson in front of the Krakow JCC I recently returned from two weeks in Krakow, Poland, volunteering with the team at the Jewish Community Center (JCC) of Krakow in their terrific effort to assist Ukrainian refugees. I traveled to Poland with my brother, Bruce Jacobson, who lives in South Carolina. Our contact was Jonathan Ornstein, Executive… Read more »
Tania Spivak, new Early Childhood Director, Congregation Anshei Israel After a 6-month endeavor to recruit an Early Childhood Director, Congregation Anshei Israel (CAI) has announced that Tania Spivak has been hired to fill the position starting July 11, 2022. The Early Childhood recruitment committee consisting of CAI President Evelyn Sigafus, Rabbi Sara Metz, Executive Director Debra Lytle, HR… Read more »
Jill Rozenzweig (of blessed memory) was a longtime advocate of children and believed that services for at-risk children could change the trajectory of their lives. Jewish Family & Children’s Services (JFCS) continues to support her vision with a variety of programs and services. One of these services includes trauma-informed… Read more »
Lindsey Baker (left), Jeremy Sharpe (right) Former Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona (JPSA) COO Lindsey Baker and current JPSA board member Jeremy Sharpe are both honored in Biz Tucson’s current issue as members of “22 Rising Stars to Watch: Tucson’s Next Generation of Leaders”. The magazine describes the list of “leaders and visionaries” as community… Read more »
As an adult community day program and part of the Handmaker Family of Services, SandRuby Community Programs has been providing care for adults, and respite for their caregivers, for many years. The program moved to its current location, a beautifully remodeled 6,000 square foot clubhouse, in May of 2016,… Read more »
Kelsey Jannerson, new Assistant Director, UArizona Hillel After a vigorous search that included candidates from across North America, the University of Arizona Hillel Foundation is pleased to announce that Kelsey Jannerson will be joining as its incoming Assistant Director. In that role, she will put mission at the heart of her work to lead programming and… Read more »
13 graduates completed their prerequisites in both Judaic and secular studies and graduated from Tucson Hebrew Academy (THA) on May 18, 2022, 17 Iyar 5782. For the first time in three years, the ceremony returned home to Amster Auditorium on the THA campus after an online graduation for the… Read more »
When I was accepted into the Jewish Latino Teen Coalition (JLTC) in December of last year, I didn’t really know what I was in for. I knew it was going to be somewhat related to politics, culture, and advocacy, but at the time I saw it as a minor… Read more »
In the next five years, our incredible UArizona Hillel will double its staff and triple its revenue so that we can quintuple our student engagement. These goals are lofty but totally achievable. This academic year alone we doubled our pre-COVID engagement numbers, and as we continue to focus on… Read more »
Handmaker was a hive of activity, celebrations and opportunities for learning during the month of April, with even more happening in May. Passover dominated a big part of the month with preparation, planning, and eventually celebrating, with festive and delicious Seders both nights, led by Rabbi Richard Safran and… Read more »
Phyllis Salmon passed away March 25, 2022, just short of her 94th birthday. A dedicated wife and mother, Phyllis was preceded in death by Norman, her loving husband of 66 years, and survived by daughters Chelley Salmon and Gayle Salmon Gayle. Due to Covid, no public service was held.… Read more »
A new exhibit, “Here at Our Sunset Gates: The Life and Legacy of Rose Silver,” has opened at the Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center (TJMHC). Rose Sosnowski Silver was a Jewish immigrant from Vienna, Austria, who became the second woman to graduate from the University of Arizona College… Read more »
After two consecutive years of having to cancel their trip to Israel due to Covid, Tucson Hebrew Academy (THA) has resumed the trip this year, and their 8th graders are having a blast! They arrived in Israel on Erev Yom HaZikaron (the eve of Israel’s Memorial Day) and joined… Read more »
