In a milestone event, Tucson Hebrew Academy (THA) is set to commemorate 50 years of unwavering dedication to Jewish education with a Gala at Tanque Verde Ranch on Sunday, March 10th, starting at 5 pm. Founded with a visionary promise, THA has become more than just an educational institution;… Read more »
What would it take for someone to work at the same workplace for 20 or more years? Or even 5 or more years? Whatever it might be, Handmaker must have it for 48 people, because that is the number of employees who have worked there for 5 years or… Read more »
Thirty years after she was a medical intern, Suzanne Koven, MD, MFA wrote an essay, “Letter to a Young Female Physician,” telling newly minted doctors what she wished she knew back then. She described the sexist assumptions, “some infuriating, some merely annoying,” that plague medicine and “another, more insidious… Read more »
This past Sunday, Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center (TJMHC) unveiled our new mural to the public. The mural was painted by high school students participating in the Museum of Contemporary Art Tucson’s Minor Mutiny Teen Council, which provides teens with the opportunity to participate in public art projects… Read more »
Mandy Patinkin has an unbridled zest for life. Whether he is talking about a morning walk with his dog or his extraordinary career as an actor, singer, and storyteller, Patinkin’s voice booms with enthusiasm. The Tony and Emmy Award-winning star brings that joie de vivre to Tucson next month,… Read more »
Remembrance and hope, in Hebrew zikaron v’tikvah, are the themes of the Butterfly Project, an international effort to teach social justice through the lessons of the Holocaust. On Sunday, Jan. 28, from 1 to 4 p.m., Southern Arizona residents and visitors can travel Tucson’s Butterfly Trail, seven installations of… Read more »
David Tannenbaum, with gold medal The Maccabi Pan-American Games recently concluded in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Some 4000 Jewish athletes from 24 countries competed for medals in 20 sports in an expression of Jewish pride through athletics. I was fortunate to be among the 650-member Team USA and competed as a cyclist in the 60-69… Read more »
Daniel Asia, a classical composer and professor at the University of Arizona Fred Fox School of Music, turned 70 in June. The school paid tribute to him in October with a festival of music by Asia, his teachers, and friends. Asia’s birthday celebration will continue this month with concerts… Read more »
The search for life beyond Earth was once the realm of science fiction. Now, with the discovery of thousands of exoplanets — planets that orbit stars beyond our solar system — it is almost certain that life exists on other worlds, says Chris Impey, University Distinguished Professor of Astronomy… Read more »
Participants in the Tucson Jewish Community Center’s Taglit program for young adults with disabilities are joining members of Congregation Bet Shalom this year to make sandwiches for those in need. Bet Shalom has packed lunches for the needy on an irregular basis for years, says Rabbi Avi Alpert. When… Read more »
More than 90 residents and guests took part in a Hanukkah celebration and dinner for Saddlebrooke’s Jewish Friendship Group on Dec. 11, 2023. For the JFG’s annual mitzvah project, each participant brought a new children’s toy, money, or gift cards, which were donated to Tucson Medical Center for children… Read more »
The International Association of Jewish Free Loans and 17 member agencies in the U.S. have provided over $3.3 million in an interest-free loan for emergency financial assistance to Israeli individuals and families. The Tucson Jewish Free Loan raised funds to contribute $36,000 to the effort, says Allison Wexler, executive… Read more »
Residents of Tucson’s B’nai B’rith Covenant House longed for a mural to enhance the back wall of the facility’s patio, says Abbie Stone, president of the board of Covenant House, an affordable housing community for older adults funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. “We try… Read more »
Barbara Levkowitz, 96, of Tucson, AZ, passed away on December 16, 2023, surrounded by her children. Barbara was born in the Bronx, N.Y. to Max and Lilly Wendell on June 13, 1927. She was the youngest sibling to Esther and Herbert. Her parents moved to Tucson when she was… Read more »
On Sunday, January 7th, Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center (TJMHC) will welcome Dov Waxman as the final presenter in this season’s Lakin Lecture Series on Antisemitism. Dr. Waxman is the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Professor of Israel Studies at UCLA. His research focuses on the Israel-Palestine Conflict,… Read more »
Capt. Jeff Hamblen of Northwest Fire recently signed up to train with Israel’s Emergency Volunteer Project. He expected to help his Israeli counterparts put out fires. He didn’t expect to be flying into a country at war. Hamblen’s travel date was Oct. 7, 2023, the day Hamas launched a… Read more »
Lights… camera… action! The Tucson J International Film Festival opens January 11, with in-person and virtual screenings and post-film programs for select films through January 21, and virtual screenings of most films continuing through January 31. The 2024 Tucson J International Film Festival is multi-access, running from January 11… Read more »
The eight days and nights of Hanukkah were filled with much light, song and dreidel playing at Handmaker. Even before Hanukkah began, residents were treated to a pre-Hanukkah Concert by David Wien and Rabbi Avi Alpert of Congregation Bet Shalom in the Grand Foyer. Hanukkiah were lit in every… Read more »
Over the past 50 years, Tucson Hebrew Academy (THA) has been at the forefront of fostering community action among its students. Through initiatives like annual volunteerism fairs, service-oriented field trips, and the impactful Passport to Peace program, five generations of students have been encouraged to learn to embody mitzvot,… Read more »
Gabriel Ivker of StandWithUs Many Jewish teens are experiencing antisemitism linked to the Israel-Hamas war. In the coming months, Congregation Anshei Israel will present two free workshops about antisemitism that are open to high school students community-wide. The second workshop also will include a session for parents or guardians of teens. Gabriel Ivker,… Read more »
