Tagged HEADLINES

Yesterday a devastating act of antisemitism was discovered at the Chabad on River. An entry door was defaced with a swastika and an antisemitic slur. This comes just weeks after vandalism against Congregation Chaverim where a rock was thrown through a window in the front door of the synagogue. These horrendous antisemitic acts… Read more »

Eliana (Ellie) Kate Boling and Daniel (Danny) Abraham Anderson were married on Sunday, May 23, 2021 at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort. Rabbi Stephanie Aaron and Rabbi Billy Lewkowicz officiated the ceremony at the waterfall, which was followed by the reception on the upper terrace. Bridesmaids were Ellie’s friend, Madison… Read more »

Mara Aspinall

With the increased availability of COVID-19 vaccinations and updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, many in the Southern Arizona Jewish community are feeling cautiously optimistic about a summer that looks very different from years past. The Maimonides Society, a fellowship of healthcare professionals who are dedicated to… Read more »

Stacey Tarquinio, LPC

After more than a year providing Chaplaincy services by phone as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ability to be at the bedside of a patient in the hospital, or sit and visit with a Handmaker resident is such a blessing! Since March 16, 2020, the Jewish Federation… Read more »

Marcia Zaccaria accepts the Maricopa County Chapter of the NAACP Freedom Fund Community Award for Civic Engagement on behalf of Congregation M’Kor Hayim Racial Justice Task Force

Congregation M’kor Hayim is a 90-member synagogue located in Tucson, Arizona. One week after the killing of George Floyd, M’kor Hayim member Jane Levin proposed a Racial Justice Task Force to Rabbi Helen Cohn. This proposal was met with enthusiasm by both the Rabbi and the M’kor Hayim President… Read more »

Adventure Bus participants returned to the campus of Handmaker Jewish Services for Aging after 14 months on May 11, 2021. Handmaker residents rejoiced in the reunion with past participants, welcomed new friends, and greeted volunteer coordinator Bruce Pitz. Beginnings Tucson winter visitor Adrienne Drell originated the idea for Adventure… Read more »

Divorce Recovery, Inc. and Jewish Family and Children’s Services of Southern Arizona (JFCS) have announced their merger to offer individuals and families of Southern Arizona the support, guidance, and resources needed while going through a divorce or separation. JFCS has acquired Divorce Recovery’s assets, resources, and curriculum, and the… Read more »

The Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona strongly condemns the vandalism against Congregation Chaverim. A rock was thrown through a window in the front door of the synagogue earlier this week and left the Jewish community shaken by this terrible act of violence. There… Read more »

Watching a TV drama unfold as a crime is committed, the suspect is apprehended, tried, and convicted in one hour (including commercials) has always been unrealistic to those of us who have been participants in both sides of “law and order.” The juxtaposition of watching the entire trial seeking… Read more »

Carol Stern with Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir

Carol Stern passed away on Friday, May 14, 2021. She and her husband, Al, of blessed memory, provided invaluable leadership to the Tucson Jewish community for decades, serving as moving forces behind the establishment of our vital institutions. Among her other key contributions, Carol was instrumental in creating Women’s… Read more »

Josh Hurand Z''L

Beloved husband, father, friend, teacher, writer, gardener, advocate, connector, Tucson enthusiast, and grateful human, Joshua Mark Hurand, age 48, died peacefully at his home in Tucson, AZ on May 6, 2021 surrounded by loved ones. Born in Lansing, MI on April 15, 1973 to Gary and Carol Hurand, he… Read more »

Registration for the 2021 JFSA/JCF Joint Annual Meeting is now closed. We will post a video online after the meeting has taken place. We hope to see you at future events.   The Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona (JFSA) and Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona (JCF) will hold… Read more »

Sage Elise Wexler

Sage Elise Wexler was called to the Torah as a Bat Mitzvah on April 24, 2021 at Congregation Or Chadash. She is the daughter of Allison and Michael Wexler, of Tucson, and granddaughter of Charlene and Sam Wexler of Chicago, and Jerry and Sue Zandman of Lido Beach, NY.… Read more »

Gabrielle “Gabi” Mintz

Second-year University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson student Gabrielle “Gabi” Mintz has been awarded the Shirley D. Curson Medical Student Scholarship from the UArizona Hillel Foundation. Second-year medical student, Gabrielle “Gabi” Mintz, in the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson, has been awarded the Shirley D. Curson… Read more »

Dr. Marcela Kepic, Associate Professor of Practice at the University of Arizona

COVID-19 has impacted everyone’s lives, leaving us with a deep sense of grief as we grapple with the loss of loved ones, jobs, freedom, and many other sources of stability and joy. The Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Southern Arizona (JFCS) domestic violence prevention program, LEAH (Let’s End… Read more »

Stuart K. Nelson

Stuart K. Nelson of New York City and Tucson, Arizona passed away on April 9, 2021. He is the son of the late Solomon and Helen Nelson and was predeceased by his sister Dr. Anafred Nelson Halpern. Stuart is the cherished husband of Linda Marcus Nelson, beloved father of… Read more »

Hundreds of women came together on March 14, 2021 at Connections, the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona’s (JFSA) signature Women’s Philanthropy event, to honor the Jewish community’s continued philanthropic work and address the growing problem of food insecurity in Southern Arizona in ways both big and small. After a year unlike any other, hunger is… Read more »

Arizona State Representative Alma Hernandez

State Representative Alma Hernandez, a Democrat representing Arizona’s 3rd district, re-introduced a bill at the start of the legislative session that would make a substantive change to the state’s public school curriculum and have Arizona join 15 other states in mandating Holocaust education in public schools. Presently, there is… Read more »

The world of sports prides itself on references to fair play and teamwork. Have those references always been applicable?  Not so much. This month, after the excitement of March Madness has dissipated, we need to look at  both commercial and amateur sports historically to see where justice has been… Read more »

A collection of pictures of Handmaker residents from April 2021

Late last month, Handmaker finally received guidance from the Arizona Health Department to begin to loosen some of the restrictions that residents have been living with for months. What a relief! And, what a blessing that this happened just in time for Passover! This meant that we could have… Read more »