Arizona Jewish Post 12.6.19 by Arizona Jewish Post

December 6, 2019 8 Kislev 5780 Volume 75, Issue 23

S O U T H E R N A R I Z O N A ’ S A WA R D - W I N N I N G J E W I S H N E W S PA P E R S I N C E 1 9 4 6

Arts & Culture ............ 11, 22, 27 Classifieds ............................. 14 Commentary ..........................6 Community Calendar...........30 Letters to the Editor.............10 Local .................. 3, 7, 11, 12, 13 National ................................ 14 Obituary................................28 Our Town ..............................29 Recipe ...................................23 Religion & Jewish Life .........24 Synagogue Directory...........26 World ....................................25 WINTER PUBLICATION SCHEDULE Dec. 20 Jan. 10 Jan. 24

PHYLLIS BRAUN AJP Executive Editor

n a Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona interfaith mission Oct. 27Nov. 5, dubbed “Connecting Cultures, Communities, and Hearts,” 28 participants got a taste of Israel’s diversity and complexity, coming away with a new appreciation for the nation’s challenges, but no easy answers. Members of the group “were touched so deeply. They were affected for a variety of reasons, learning about the faiths and what’s sacred and what’s ordinary. I think that everyone’s lives were changed a little,” says Deborah Howard Jacob, a community volunteer who co-chaired the trip with her husband, pharmaceutical entrepreneur Jeff Jacob. Staff

Photo courtesy Graham Hoffman

Hanukkah Gift Guide 19-23 Legal Profiles 15-17

JFSA interfaith trip took Tucsonans into Israeli homes, hearts

Graham Hoffman holds a challah for Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona interfaith mission participants celebrating their arrival in Jerusalem on Oct. 30.

leaders were Jewish educator and author Amy Hirshberg Lederman and Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona CEO Graham Hoffman.

The trip “touched on so many of the faiths there: the Druze and the Bahai, Christian and Muslim, and the Jewish faith, and how it’s all intertwined,” Jacob says.

One of the trip’s first sessions was with Times of Israel political analyst Haviv Rettig Gur, who “set the stage,” Jacobs says, by describing how the growing divide between Israeli Jews and Diaspora Jews, particularly in North America, has its roots in their different origin stories. Rettig Gur also covered Israeli politics, much on the minds of Israelis who were waiting to see if Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz would succeed at forming a government, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had failed to do after the country’s Sept. 17 election. Jon Kasle, a communications executive at Raytheon who was visiting Israel for the third time, says many things were surprising on this mission, from the country’s See Interfaith, page 4

WIC, Fox to bring Israeli superstar David Broza back to Tucson DEBE CAMPBELL AJP Assistant Editor

sraeli singer/songwriter David Broza is considered one of the world’s most dynamic and vibrant performers. From his whirlwind finger picking to flamenco percussion and rhythms, to a signature rock and roll sound, his charismatic and energetic performances have delighted audiences throughout the world. Broza recently told the AJP that he fell in love with the poetry of Arizona’s first state poet laureate Alberto Álvaro Ríos 25 years ago. Songs inspired by this poetry will be part of his homage to Ríos when he returns to the Fox Tucson Theatre stage in Tucson, Saturday, Dec. 21. “This is the third time David

Photo courtesy Fox Tucson Theatre

INSIDE

w w w. a z j e w i s h p o s t . c o m

‘David Broza & Friends’ will perform at the Fox Tucson Theatre on Dec. 21.

Broza has been in Tucson to perform,” says Weintraub Israel Center Director Inbal Shtivi. “Our people do feel like he’s part of our family.” “I love Tucson. The first time

I came there I felt the closest I could feel to the desert and colors we have in southern Israel,” Broza says. “Even the air. It’s very much like we have. My body reacted to it right away.”

Broza has 25 number one hits in Israel, where he is a beloved national treasure. His unique blend of Israeli- and Spanish-infused guitar songs will be backed in See Broza, page 7

CANDLELIGHTING TIMES: December 6 ... 5:01 p.m. • December 13 ... 5:02 p.m. • December 20 ... 5:05 p.m.

ARIZONA JEWISH POST, December 6, 2019

LOCAL Beckers celebrate ‘40 Years of Torah Growth’

Experience Matters

CHERYL TOFF Special to the AJP

Clarification: Congregation Anshei Israel’s scholar-in-residence weekend with Rabbi Cantor Hillary Chorny (“CAI scholar-in-residence to ani-

Jim Jacobs

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520-444-1444 | Jim@JimJacobs.com | JimJacobs.com Photo: Britta Van Vankren

abbi Israel and Esther Becker of Congregation Chofetz Chayim will celebrate “40 Years of Torah Growth Together” with an on-line fundraising campaign on Sunday and Monday, Dec. 8 and 9, and a 40th anniversary dinner on the last night of Chanukah, Sunday, Dec. 29, at 5 p.m. at the synagogue. Married in 1973, the Beckers arrived in Tucson in 1979. “Even when we were dating, Esther and I shared a dream of outreach to move ‘out of town’ and inspire Jews that otherwise would not be reached,” says Becker. After high school, Becker dedicated his next 13 years to Torah study at the Rabbinical Seminary of America/Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim in Queens, New York, including three years at the seminary’s Jerusalem branch. He received ordination from the Rabbinical Seminary of America and from Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, the late chief rabbi of the State of Israel. While in New York, Esther worked for Brooklyn College and Equitable Life as a computer programmer and analyst to support her husband and young family. Following his ordination, Becker was approached with the idea of starting a synagogue on Long Island. At the same time, he learned of an opportunity to start a synagogue in Tucson. “Esther said, ‘Long Island is New York. Our vision is to go out of town and make an impact. Tucson is out of town. Let’s go for it.’” Becker drove across the country with his father’s Sefer Torah, which had been discovered by an American soldier in the ruins of a Berlin synagogue. The congregation’s first Shabbos service was held in their home. Soon the Beckers rented their first building for $160 a month. “The place became known as ‘the barber shop shul’ because for many years the space had been a barber shop,” Esther recounts. “Before holding our first service, we swept hair off the floor. Once during services a leaky water pipe filled one woman’s purse with water.” Despite these quirks, “in a short time Jews of all ages and backgrounds began to participate and we were a congregation,” she says. In May 1980 Chofetz Chayim moved to 5720 E. Fifth St, and in the summer

Esther and Rabbi Israel Becker

of 1984, to its current location at 5150 E. Fifth St., carrying the Torah in a procession that included future Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild. Becker began teaching a weekly Torah class upon arrival in Tucson. “For the last decade, the class has been called Biblical Breakthroughs,” he notes. “People tell me that when they come to the class, their whole week has changed.” The couple established The Southwest Torah Institute in 1986 “to make Jewish learning approachable and exciting for everyone. Classes were open to all Jews regardless of background or affiliation,” Becker relates. Although Becker is the longest-serving rabbi in the history of the Tucson Jewish community, the Beckers often have struggled for financial security. At one point, Becker called his mentor, the late Rabbi Henoch Leibowitz, who was the rosh yeshiva, or head, of the Queens seminary. “I said, ‘We’re finished. It’s over.’ The rosh yeshiva asked, ‘Are you closed or are you open? You are not closed until you are closed.’ His encouragement strengthened us to persevere. His unwavering trust in Hashem inspired us to strive to follow his example, not to be overwhelmed by our challenges, but to calmly ponder each issue and come to the appropriate solution.” Help came from an unexpected source. “One summer when Esther was visiting her parents in Brooklyn, one of the children needed to see a doctor. In conversation with the pediatrician, Esther spoke about our programs in Tucson. The doctor called his receptionist and ordered, ‘Hold all the patients. I must hear See Beckers, page 8

mate Shabbat with song, story,” AJP 11/22/19) is supported by The Rabbi Marcus Breger Fund at Congregation Anshei Israel.

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INTERFAITH continued from page 1

growth in the 12 years since his last visit, to the depth and range of cultures in evidence — “the everyday interaction with so many different types of people from around the world.” He was especially impressed by the number of millennials choosing to move to Israel. But Kasle says the most memorable aspect of the trip was spending time with Israelis in their homes, which “increased our collective understanding of the opportunities and challenges that Israel is facing as a nation, and what it is like to live there now.” “We had dinner in two different homes, one in Tucson’s partnership region (Kiryat Malachi/Hof Ashkelon), and one with educators at Pardes, the open yeshiva in Jerusalem, for Shabbat dinner in Jerusalem,” Hoffman says. “It was very powerful for the mission participants to be in essence welcomed into someone’s home as a stranger, afforded the opportunity to really sit and speak openly and ask questions and engage” in a way that may not happen on a more typical tourist trip. Similar experiences included a lunch in a Druze village and a meeting with an interfaith couple, Ora and Ihab Balha, a Jewish woman and a Palestinian Arab Muslim man, in Jaffa. “They shared with us the story of their meeting, falling in love, bringing both of their families along to a place of relative engagement with them,” Hoffman says. Ihab had been raised to hate Jews, but at age 20, meeting Jews for the first time, he and his Palestinian friends were drawn into dialogue, and he went on to become a peace activist. He and Ora started “The Orchard of Abraham’s Children,” which now has seven interfaith kindergartens, so that their children could be educated in an atmosphere that integrates languages, cultures, and religions. “The talk with them was fascinating and really meaningful for everyone,” Hoffman says, noting that there are websites about Ora and Ihab’s work, including a TEDx video of them performing Sufi whirling dervish dances. Kasle cites the group’s visit to the Bialik-Rogozin School in South Tel Aviv, an economically underserved area, as an example of Israel’s diversity. “We saw hundreds of children from many different nations,” he says, including Sudan, Eritrea, and the Philippines, “who had migrated to Israel with their families in recent years, being provided a quality school environment.” The school closes the opportunity gap for these students, enabling them “to matriculate into the right type of army service so that they’ll be set up career-wise for the future,” says Hoffman, adding that

ARIZONA JEWISH POST, December 6, 2019

it was “incredibly powerful” to hear many first graders, the children of migrants and refugees, identify themselves as Israelis. Yet Hoffman notes that the school is not perfect in its handling of the challenges these populations present. Bill Kelley, an executive at Diamond Ventures, Inc., was fascinated by the layers of history the trip revealed. As a real estate developer he found the mechanics of the earliest construction in old Jerusalem, “back in the day when it was just chiseling rocks with manpower,” especially intriguing. The rate of current development is “unbelievable,” he says. “I’ve never in my life seen so many cranes.” An “army brat” who stayed connected to the military as a board member of the Davis-Monthan 50, a civilian support group for the Air Force base, Kelley was inspired by Israel’s mandatory military service for men and women, particularly after a Shabbat home hospitality dinner where he met a couple and their three daughters who were either currently in the Israel Defense Forces or already had served. The three young women spoke highly of the experience and how it will help them going forward in life. As one of a number of Christians in the Tucson contingent, Kelley says it was “very emotional walking in the steps of Jesus” in Jerusalem and visiting the Sea of Galilee where Jesus preached. He recalls visiting a church near the sea, when a group of kids from Norway came in and started to sing. “It was just lovely,” he says, echoing off the ceiling of the circular sanctuary. Another once-in-a-lifetime experience was walking up the Masada trail with his wife, Jamie, skipping the tram that took the rest of the group to the top. “I was winded,” Kelley admits, but the historical perspective made the climb worth it. Eighteen participants extended their trip with a three-day sojourn in Jordan, which included the Petra archaeological site; Wadi Rum, the valley where “Lawrence of Arabia” was filmed; and Wadi Musa, where it is said Moses struck water from a rock. “The Jordan piece was unique, being able to explore in nature” after the intensity of the Israel trip, Jacob says. Lederman, who wrote about the mission in her Reflections column (“Israel is a nuanced, complicated country, as JFSA interfaith trip affirms,” AJP 11/22/19), stayed on a few more days to visit family in Israel. She spoke to the AJP from Jerusalem Nov. 12, the day hundreds of rockets were fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip after Israel killed an Islamic Jihad leader. “It’s surreal,” she said. “We know that’s going on, and yet, people are just doing life.” Schools were closed, but people were going to restaurants and otherwise

carrying on as normal. Lederman says she learned from the group’s tour guide, a “soulful, highly educated” young woman, “that the newer generation of Israeli’s is so exhausted and so committed at the same time.” “They don’t want to have to work so hard at creating an image for the rest of the world. They just want to live,” she says. Both Israelis and Palestinians the mission participants met, she says, “see the conflict more as a conflict between the governments not the people.” “We talked to people who were born into the struggle … and they didn’t ask for it.” she says. “They’re now several generations into it and how they view it is different from the generations that came before. I think that was very eye-opening for all of us.” Despite so much that would seem to drain Israelis, Lederman adds, “There is such a thriving, vibrant, electric, energetic society. There’s so much building going on, so much cultural development, so many start-ups, ideas that are becoming industries.” The group visited a border crossing near Bethlehem with Blue and White Human Rights, a part of the Institute for Zionist Strategies. Blue and White was created as

a Zionistic ideal, to enable individuals to support Palestinian rights and dignity and strengthen Israel as a just and worthy society. Together with Blue and White, the group walked through each of the stages of the security screening Palestinians must cross each day to enter Israel from the West Bank for work. Blue and White has worked with Israeli border police and others to reduce the wait for Palestinian workers coming into Israel from hours to about seven to 15 minutes, Hoffman says. They also met with a group called Shorashim (Roots), which brings together Palestinians living in the West Bank and Jewish settlers to try to build a framework for mutual understanding and cooperation, Hoffman says. He is keenly aware that when you sit on the beach in Tel Aviv, or in a Jerusalem café, enjoying the safety and freedom Israel affords its people, “as a part of the existence of this thriving first-world democracy, on some level we must also remember the compromised rights and quality of life in the West Bank and Gaza.” “You have to constantly grapple with the fact that these things are paradoxes that are increasingly problematic and difficult,” Hoffman says. “And yet you can’t expect any Israeli mother to accept sending her children to a kindergarten under the threat of rocket attack.”

Photo: Jon Kasle

JFCS donates local survivors’ stories to Yad Vashem

Susan Kasle of Jewish Family & Children’s Services presents Yad Vashem docent Robert Eden with books of stories by Southern Arizona Holocaust survivors, Nov. 3.

usan Kasle is vice president of community services at Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Southern Arizona, which coordinates services for Holocaust survivors living in Southern Arizona. For Kasle, a highlight of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona’s recent interfaith mission was representing JFCS during the mission’s Nov. 3 visit to Yad Vashem — The World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem. Kasle hand-delivered copies of the books, “To Tell Our Stories: Holocaust Survivors of Southern Arizona,” published by JFCS. “I felt humbled and honored to bring the Holocaust survivors’ testimonials to Yad Vashem — personal individual stories that will be part of collective remembrance,” Kasle says.

“We know of at least 268 people who survived the Holocaust and made Southern Arizona their home at various points in their lives,” she notes. The first volume of “To Tell Our Stories,” published in 2015, includes 36 stories; the second volume, published in 2018, includes another 45 accounts, all translated from Russian. The third volume, published in 2018 at the request of Russian-speaking survivors, includes 46 stories in Russian. The books are available for purchase at JFCS and on Amazon. In addition, the survivors hold frequent, well-attended readings in the community. The next reading is Jan. 10 at 2 p.m. at the Joyner-Green Valley Library. For more information, visit www.jfcstucson. org/services/holocaust-survivors-program. December 6, 2019, ARIZONA JEWISH POST

COMMENTARY What ZOA’s legal victory at UNC means for Jewish students across country SUSAN B. TUCHMAN and MORTON A. KLEIN JTA NEW YORK hose who care about Jewish college students should be celebrating a landmark legal victory in the fight against campus anti-Semitism. The victory stems from a civil rights complaint filed against the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill by our organization, the Zionist Organization of America. Triggered by the complaint, UNC agreed to take several crucial steps to address anti-Semitic harassment on the campus under the supervision and monitoring of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, or OCR. This legal victory is good news for Jewish students at federally funded schools everywhere, and should give Jewish students confidence that if they are harassed or discriminated against based on their Jewish ancestry, and their schools fail to address the problem, then OCR will vigorously enforce U.S. civil rights law to protect them.

Photo: Getty Images

The Old Well at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which agreed to take several key steps to address anti-Semitic harassment on the campus.

UNC and schools across the country also should appreciate the significance of this important development: If they fail to provide Jewish students with a learning environment that is physically and emotionally safe, they will face serious legal consequences that could include the loss of federal funding. Filed with OCR in April, the ZOA’s

complaint alleged that UNC sponsored a one-sided anti-Israel conference in March titled “Conflict over Gaza: People, Politics and Possibilities.” The three-day conference included a performance by the Arab-Israeli rapper Tamer Nafar that we and many others found offensive and antiSemitic. Before performing a rendition of his

2017 song “Mama I Fell in Love With A Jew,” Nafar encouraged the audience not to think of Rihanna or Beyonce when singing along but instead to “think of Mel Gibson” — the actor whose drunken anti-Semitic rant made headlines in 2006. “Go that anti-Semitic,” the rapper urged. “I cannot be anti-Semitic alone.” In a video that went viral, the audience — which presumably included university staff, students, faculty and “scholars”— can horrifyingly be heard singing along and laughing to the refrain, “Oh! I’m in love with a Jew.” Days after the conference, antiSemitic fliers were discovered on campus that referred to “an evil Jewish plot.” Based on the ZOA’s complaint, the OCR opened an investigation into whether the university violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by failing to address a hostile anti-Semitic environment. Before OCR could complete its investigation and make a Title VI determination, UNC expressed an interest in resolving the case. In a recent letter to the ZOA, the OCR advised us that UNC signed a Resolution See ZOA, page 10

In face of hate crimes, let 2020 be a year of respect, kindness and courage CARLOS GALINDO-ELVIRA ADL Arizona

oon it will be 2020. For some, the thrill of a New Year starting is tempered by concerns for what may be: an increase in hate incidents and/or crimes and increase in hate speech both online and on the streets. Since the start of 2019, ADL Arizona

has called out anti-Semitic and hateful incidents, from Flagstaff to Tucson, 33 times, by standing up for Jewish, African American, LGBTQ, Latino, and Muslim communities. We’ve expressed our reaction as disturbed, offended, appalled, concerned, shocked, horrified, troubled, and disappointed. Never have we been discouraged, as we’ve also seen the good will of many

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pbraun@azjewishpost.com

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Arizona Jewish Post Advisory Board Damion Alexander, Myles Beck, Barbara Befferman Danes, Bruce Beyer (chairman), Roberta Elliott, Cathy Karson, Steve Weintraub Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona Stuart Mellan, President • Fran Katz, Senior Vice President • Deborah Oseran, Chairman of the Board

ARIZONA JEWISH POST, December 6, 2019

who stand up against hate and the rapid response by law enforcement. In November, the FBI released 2018 data on hate crimes. There were 7,120 hate crimes reported nationally in 2018 … that’s 20 hate crimes per day. The most numerous hate crimes were race-based. Nearly 50% were directed against African-Americans. There was a 42% increase on hate crimes against transgender people. Nearly 60% of religious hate crimes were motivated by anti-Semitism. Since 1991, Jews have been the most common victims of religiously motivated hate crimes in the United States. The FBI also reported that anti-Hispanic crimes went up 14% — an increase for the third consecutive year. What should be the response in the face of these statistics? • Policymakers and industry leaders need to step up and take concrete action to stop this extremism from spreading. • The White House must call out this threat by name. • We need social media platforms to enforce their terms of service and take down hate speech. • We need all faith, educational, and nonprofit organizations to step forward and stand together. This is a time for mobilization. This is

a time for courage. In 2018, we witnessed a 23% increase of anti-Semitic vandalism and harassment incidents in Arizona. The spread of anti-Semitism is not something seen in far away places. It’s happening here in Arizona. It’s happening in Southern Arizona. Last August, flyers were found in Tucson promoting the ugly, anti-Semitic conspiracy theory that Jews have an outsized influence over the media, banks, and government. We cannot accept normalization of this ageold trope here or anywhere. Tablet Magazine author Carly Pildis wrote what needs to be said every day: “I believe we must stand up and fight antiSemitism. It is our patriotic duty, for antiSemitism is a threat to all Americans.” This is a time to preserve and strengthen our democracy — ensuring the protection of the First Amendment and interests of vulnerable communities. This too is our patriotic duty. One way ADL seeks to make an impact on Arizona communities is through ADL’s No Place for Hate® initiative. It provides schools and communities with an organizing framework for combating bias, bullying, and hatred, leading to long-term solutions for creating and maintaining a positive school climate. Currently, ADL Arizona partners with 51 schools across See Respect, page 10

ARTS & CULTURE / LOCAL Olson Center for Jewish Life jazz event to launch JFSA NW 2020 campaign DEBE CAMPBELL AJP Assistant Editor

azz vocalist and songwriter Robin Bessier and her jazz trio will bring the rich history of jazz alive at the Ruth and Irving Olson Center for Jewish Life’s 2020 Northwest Division of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona Campaign Kickoff dinner, “An Evening of Jewish Jazz Throughout the Ages” on Tuesday, Dec. 10. Bessier will combine selections from her “Jewish Jazz Connection Concert Series,” focusing on Jewish composer- and artist-influence on jazz as a truly American art form, especially on the intersection between African American and Jewish American cultures in the creation of what we often refer to as the “Great American Songbook,” she told the AJP. “The inspiration for this concert series began several years ago when I came to realize the enormous contributions from Jewish composers, which I fell in

BROZA continued from page 1

Tucson by the Afro-Cuban beats of the New York-based “Trio Havana,” led by flute virtuoso Itai Kris. “This is a new show with a Spanish flamenco singer and dancer and a Latino-Israeli flute player. I’ve always listened to Cuban music and I always like experimenting. This is a fresh trial for me to hear my music dressed up in Afro-Cuban rhythms. You’ll want to dance to it,” Broza promises. Even his famous Hebrew songs will feel Cuban. “For Tucson, I will pick the most fun songs and mix them predominantly with Spanish,” he adds. More than a singer/songwriter, Broza also is known for his dedication to sev-

love with in my first year creation.” as a music major at age Bessier has performed 18. This was personal for five concerts at the Tucson me, as it is on my mothJewish Community Center er’s side of the family (the in the past two years. The Jewish side) that we are first was an overview of musicians. I couldn’t help the contributions of Jewbut feel some pride in reish composers and artists alizing how much Jewish to jazz; the second focused musicians have contribon the music performed uted to the music I love so by Benny Goodman. The dearly. third, “From Rio with “That fascination was Love,” focused on Jewish Robin Bessier fueled when a friend of contributions to Brazilian mine told me an amazing story about jazz, both there and in the United States, his Jewish great grandparents, who had with a special focus on Stan Getz. The taken an African American boy under fourth concert was a celebration of the their wings in New Orleans and given Gershwin brothers, and the most recent, in him his first instrument. I won’t spoil November, focused on the music and life the story (which I will tell as an intro at of Irving Berlin. the concert) by sharing too much here, “I’ve been very fortunate to receive so but suffice to say that it motivated me to much support from the J, which has hostlook further into the history of jazz and ed these concerts, and I’ve been blessed the cultures that came together in its to have been joined by truly stellar musi-

cians,” she says. For the Olson Center’s event, Bessier will explore a sampling of songs from each decade from 1911 to the 1960s, with Chris Peña on piano, Mike Levy on bass, and Danny Brito on drums. Before moving to Tucson three years ago, Bessier lived and performed in Washington state, and recorded two albums. The first hit the top of the jazz charts the week of its release and remained in the top 40 for several weeks. The second album, all original material, “has been played literally around the world,” she says. Jewish Jazz Through the Ages will be held at The Buttes at Reflections, 9800 N. Oracle Road. The evening begins at 5 p.m. for cocktails, followed by the dinner and music at 5:30 p.m. Options are a threecourse salmon dinner or a kosher dairy meal upon request. Cost is $45. Check for availability at www.jfsa.org/nwcampaign kickoff2020 or contact Anel Pro at apro@ jfsa.org or 647-8455.

eral humanitarian causes, especially the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Since 1977, when his hit song “Yihye Tov” first hit the airwaves, he has been working to promote a message of peace. The song’s lyrics, roughly translated as “Things Will Be Better,” struck at the heart of the issue — that people all over the world want peace. Broza has yet another connection to Southern Arizona. Roadrunner Elementary School in Marana uses 24 special guitars from Broza’s One Million Guitars foundation, which aims to train disadvantaged young musicians in school music programs. The school’s music director, Erica Nagode, says the kids call them the “heart guitars” because of the unique heart-shaped hole in the soundbox. “It’s been great,” says Nagode about incorpo-

doing for over 40 years and will continue doing forever.” Broza was awarded a Spanish medal of honor by the King of Spain, Juan Carlos I, for his longtime contribution to IsraelSpain relations and his promotion of tolerance. He also has been named a Good Will Ambassador for U.N.I.C.E.F. The performance is sponsored by the Weintraub Israel Center, the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona, and the Tucson Jewish Community Center, with additional support from community members Liz Kanter-Groskind and Eric Groskind. Tickets are available at the Fox Tucson Theatre box office, 17 W. Congress or online at www.foxtucson.com. Enter code JFSA10 for a 10% discount. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m.

rating the donated guitars into her music program. It has allowed her to use the instruments in her music programs school-wide, for about 380 children. After-school performing music programs also have access to the instruments, which were introduced in 2018 through the Kids Rock Program. Broza is recording his first instrumental album in Spain, for release in spring 2020. “It is challenging to play like a guitarist,” he says, since he usually sings and plays. A documentary about Spanish guitar will accompany the album release. “My last international album, “East Jerusalem West Jerusalem,” also included a documentary that exposes my work using music as a bridge-builder. To get Palestinians and Israelis to know each other through music. It’s something I’ve been

December 6, 2019, ARIZONA JEWISH POST

STRONGER TOGETHER

BECKERS continued from page 3

A Monthly Look At The Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona’s Work In Our Community

SUMMITS FEATURE INTERFAITH ACTIVIST, AUTHOR Mohammed Al Samawi, center, was the guest speaker at the 2020 Campaign Summits luncheon and dinners in mid-November. Author of “The Fox Hunt: A Refugee’s Memory of Coming to America” (William Morrow), Al Samawi escaped a brutal war in Yemen and became an interfaith activist. The book is being adapted into a movie L-R: Men’s Division Vice-Chair Andrew Kunsberg, guest speaker Mohammed screenplay. Al Samawi, and 2020 Campaign Chair Melissa Goldfinger.

ANNUAL JEWELRY SALE GIVES CENTER NEW CHAIRS The Ruth and Irving Olson Center for Jewish Life reprised its annual Baubles, Bangles & Beads sale of “previously loved” jewelry in November. About 1,000 pieces of jewelry, purses, scarves, handmade glass, and novelty items were donated to the sale, which raised nearly $2,000. Nine volunteers helped sort, price, and sell over four mornings at the Harvey and Deanna Evenchick Center for Jewish Philanthropy and at JFSA’s Northwest location. Proceeds Northwest council member and volunteer funded the purchase of chairs for Jane Meyerson helps set up items for the profitable jewelry jumble sale on Nov. 6. the new center. LOCALS FUND U.S. PLAYERS IN ISRAELI OLYMPIC BID A strong Tucson connection spurred Leslie Glaze, Bruce Ash, and Bobby Present to raise about $40,000 this summer for JFSA’s collaboration with Jewish National Fund’s Project Baseball/Softball. The locallydonated funds sent former Wildcat softballers Vanessa Foreman and Tamara Statman, Arizonans AJ (L-R) Bobby Present, Vanessa Foreman, Kaiser, Jamie Morgan, and Leah Bruce Ash, Stacy Iveson, Audrey Saull White, and seven other Jewish Lewis, Tamara Statman, and players from across the United States Doug Liebman to field the 15-woman Team Israel to compete in the July European Softball Championships in the Czech Republic, a 2020 Olympics qualifier. Stacey Iveson, University of Arizona’s softball director of recruiting-operations, coached the team along with UArizona alumnae Debby Day and Lisa Bernstein. Italy dashed Team Israel’s hopes of qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics but Israel placed 9th among 23 teams, raising its European ranking.

Jewish Federation OF SOUTHERN ARIZONA

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this.’ The doctor told Esther, ‘You are doing what we all should be doing. I’ve got to meet your husband the next time he visits New York,’” Becker says. After meeting the rabbi, the doctor arranged a fundraising “parlor meeting” in his basement. Rabbi Amos Bunim, a noted community activist and author, shared the accomplishments of the Southwest Torah Institute that he had personally witnessed. Becker recalls, “At the end of the meeting, I could hear people tearing checks out of their checkbooks and we raised $15,000 that night. The meeting at the doctor’s house was a turning point for us, revealing that Jews outside of Tucson valued our outreach efforts and were willing to support us. In addition to our backers from within Tucson, during the late 1980s and early 1990s, I developed a network of donors in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Toronto, and Baltimore to help sustain us during those formative years.” At another fundraising presentation in New York, Becker met philanthropist Naomi Adir, whose donations, matched by donors in Tucson, led to the payoff of the synagogue’s mortgage in 1994. Over the decades, the Beckers’ outreach efforts continued to expand. In addition to teaching adults, Becker taught children at Tucson Hebrew Academy, the Tucson Jewish Community Center, and the synagogue’s own preschools. “With children, I focused on concepts of mutual respect, gratitude, the joy of being Jewish, and developing a personal relationship with G-d. I reached out through stories and songs with my guitar ‘Simcha,’” says Becker, who often created his own lyrics to teach various concepts. In the 1990s, Becker extended his teaching in partnership with the University of Arizona Hillel Foundation. “Those were beautiful years,” he remembers. “We had Shabbatons and classes and events which were life-changing for many students. Many who had never previously seen a Shabbos table were moved to shape their vision of Shabbos observance. Two students met for the first time at our Shabbaton and later they got married.” Once, a sergeant at Davis Monthan Air Force Base responded to a newspaper ad for a Talmud class. “He had grown up in Long Island, without much spirituality in his background. He enrolled in numerous classes and became a regular at our Shabbos table and at Chofetz Chayim,” the rabbi says. Through Esther’s late brother

and her sister-in-law in Silver Spring, Maryland, they arranged an introduction to a young woman. The couple fell in love over the telephone and when the young man flew to Silver Spring, they got engaged that weekend. “Today they are raising a beautiful Jewish family.” Beginning in 1995, Becker taught in the Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning. In recognition of his impact, he received the 1996 Community Professional of the Year award from the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona, which never before had been given to a rabbi. A group of students asked to continue learning after completing the two-year Melton program, “and our long-lasting Southwest Torah Institute Enlightenment Series began,” he says. “Rabbi and Esther have been a true blessing to our community,” says Stuart Mellan, JFSA president and CEO. “Driven by the purest mission to inspire a love of Judaism and Jewish living, they have inspired so many of us through their teaching, through their personal commitments, and their many kindnesses.” “It is said that words from the heart enter the heart, and that surely captures the teachings of Rabbi and Esther Becker. Their devotion, dedication, and commitment to opening hearts and minds has enabled those fortunate enough to have been their students or congregants to develop a deeper and richer understanding of the beauty of Judaism,” adds Amy Hirshberg Lederman, who founded and directed Tucson’s Melton school. In 2001, Becker was nominated for the prestigious Covenant Award, which honors exceptional Jewish educators in North America. Also in 2001, he created Tucson’s Spirit Program, an ongoing outreach program for Jewish men and boys featuring visiting scholars from Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim, his alma mater. In 2018, with the leadership of a student congregant and in conjunction with the Federation, he brought two rabbis and 12 yeshiva students from the Foxman Torah Institute in Cherry Hill, New Jersey to Tucson for three weeks of free Torah learning for men and women in a program called, “The Connection.” While raising a family and working full-time in the computer industry, Esther began teaching women individually and at Rosh Chodesh dinners. In 1997, she began teaching full-time at the Southwest Torah Institute. Grants from the Avi Chai Foundation and the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona led to founding the Women’s Academy for Jewish Studies.

‘It is said that words from the heart enter the heart, and that surely captures the teachings of Rabbi and Esther Becker.’

Since 2004, one of the Women’s Academy hallmarks has been an annual community-wide women’s book brunch in the High Holiday season. The Beckers worked for nine years to build the Perach Yisroel (Flower of Israel) Community Mikveh, which opened in 2003 for all Jewish women, with an interior by an award-winning local design firm Lori Carol and Associates. “We wanted to create a dignified, five-star facility that women look forward to using,” Esther says. In September 2014, Chofetz Chayim dedicated a new Torah written in Israel, with 150 people attending the celebration. Earlier this year, Becker made history by creating the Tucson Eruv Project, the first official demarcation of sanctified private space within the city. It allows for carrying objects within its boundary on Shabbat and other Jewish holy days. “This comes after several years of painstakingly detailed work in conjunction with Tucson Electric Power and Southwest Energy Solutions,” he says, noting that among others, the eruv benefits young families and those who need to carry medication or use walkers or canes. The Beckers currently teach over 100 students weekly, via individual, group and online classes, and lead periodic Israel journeys. The rabbi produces a weekly “Torah Energizer,” a short video exposition of the weekly Torah portion delivered by email, with 443 episodes to date. New programs include “Power Talmud,” a nightly study group for men, and a weekly Hebrew class for women. In addition to Shabbat and holiday services and community events, the synagogue holds daily minyans and bar mitzvah and bat Torah training. “Our outreach efforts have been assist-

ed by the help and creativity of congregants and students, which could not have happened without generous financial support from within the synagogue and the extended Tucson Jewish community,” Becker says, expressing thanks to all who have worked with them “for our first 40 years.” One student recently digitized 169 class cassette recordings, which will soon be available via the Tucson Torah website. Another congregant is transcribing all of the Torah Energizers into book form. The Beckers point to their parents as exemplars of Jewish outreach. “Both of our sets of parents were leaders in the community, always displaying tremendous amount of acceptance and love,” Esther says. Becker’s parents were Holocaust survivors and he grew up speaking Yiddish. The Beckers raised nine children here. “We were very blessed,” the rabbi says. “We included our children in our outreach activities. The life of our family and the life of our children was the life of the community. They developed a love of every Jew while growing up here in Tucson.” “Rabbi and I look at ourselves as simple messengers for the community. The people of Tucson are really special,” Esther adds. To participate in the fundraising campaign, visit www.causematch.com/en/ projects/tucsontorah-2019 or call Esther Becker at 591-7680 to make a pledge that can be paid over time. Either way, matching donors will quadruple donations. To RSVP for the 40th anniversary dinner, visit www.tucsontorah.org. For more information, contact Jeff DuBois at 248-8663 or oriolestuc@gmail.com.

Cheryl Toff is a Tucson Jewish community volunteer. AJP Executive Editor Phyllis Braun contributed to this article.

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Spiritual experience shared

As someone who grew up in Tucson and remembers the joy of seeing the “mousecars” as a kid, the story of Truly Nolen (“From ‘Antcars’ to ‘Mousecars,’ Tucson’s Truly Nolen delivers smiles worldwide,” AJP, 10/25/19) indeed brought a smile. But it might help readers to clarify a point of ethics in regard to Christian Science the faith in which Mr. Nolen was raised — and his experience with polio in the early 1950s. As a 23-year-old, he would normally make his own decisions in such a matter. The practice of spiritual healing in Christian Science is an individual commitment that involves sincere consecration and worship. It would be contrary to our teachings and values to insist that family members — or anyone — turn entirely to God for healing. Even had Mr. Nolen been a younger child whose parents held differing views, Christian Scientists would normally respect the wishes of the other spouse out of love and obedience to Golden Rule ethics. What matters above all is the well-being of the child. In that earlier era, there were a number of healings of medically diagnosed polio and its effects. One Christian Scientist, telling in a church periodical how prayer healed

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ZOA continued from page 6

Agreement on Oct. 14 requiring the chancellor to issue a communitywide statement expressing zero tolerance for anti-Semitic and other forms of harassment and encouraging reports of harassment. In addition, UNC must revise its written policies to make it clearer that the university prohibits anti-Semitic harassment. Also, for each of the next two academic years, UNC must host at least one meeting so that students, faculty, and staff can discuss with administrators any of their concerns about anti-Semitic incidents, and the university must address those incidents. Furthermore, for the next three academic years, UNC must include a component on anti-Semitic harassment in each training/orientation offered to the UNC community. OCR will be monitoring the university’s compliance with these and other requirements of the agreement. That may include OCR visits to campus, interviews with campus community members and requests for additional information, to ensure that UNC is fulfilling the agreement and complying with Title VI. This major breakthrough comes not long after another important development: Last year, under new leadership at the agency, OCR reopened the ZOA’s student-supported Title VI action against Rutgers University. The legal ac-

RESPECT continued from page 6

the state, touching the lives of over 50,000 students. Students participating with NPFH sign a Resolution of Respect at the beginning of the school year. Within that resolution, students pledge to seek understanding, speak out against prejudice and discrimination, support those who are the targets of hate, promote respect, not be an innocent bystander when it comes to opposing hate, and recognize individual dignity and promote intergroup harmony.

him as a young man, concluded, “I’m deeply and everlastingly grateful to God.” Perhaps something of that same spirit is what drew Mr. Nolen to Judaism. As the great rabbi and scholar Abraham Joshua Heschel pointed out, Jews and Christians share “an openness to God’s presence.” That comes from Heschel’s essay, “No Religion Is an Island” — a point that reminds people of all faiths that our shared spiritual experience can bring mutual understanding to help heal the religious divisions in our own time. — Diane R. Hanover, Christian Science Committee on Publication for Arizona

Apology to fellow survivors When I spoke to the reporter for the profile about me (“At 95, Tucsonan Bill Kugelman still charming, vigorous,” AJP 10/11/19), I misspoke in stating that others didn’t feel the boot of the Nazis during World War II. Anyone of the Jewish faith that lived under the Nazis, their life was threatened. I didn’t intend to minimize others when in fact every Jew living under the German boot was at risk of death. Thank you for correcting my statement. — Bill Kugelman tion detailed the threats, harassment and discrimination that Jewish students endured and the university failed to address. Importantly for Jewish students everywhere, when OCR reopened the case against Rutgers, it declared that when OCR assesses anti-Semitic bias in Title VI cases, it will use the State Department’s working definition of antiSemitism. The definition is excellent and applied by 31 countries around the world. It recognizes that while not all criticism of Israel is anti-Semitic, some crosses the line. Now OCR will have useful, much-needed guidance about the many ways that anti-Semitism manifests today so that the agency can more effectively address the problem. On campuses across the country, many proud and informed Jewish students are effective advocates for Israel. They — and their schools — should appreciate the welcome and essential message they have received from OCR: The harassment and intimidation of Jewish students will not be tolerated, and if schools don’t address these problems, then OCR can be counted on to make sure that Jewish students are afforded the safe and welcoming learning environment that every student deserves. Susan B. Tuchman is director of the ZOA Center for Law and Justice. Morton A. Klein is the national president of the Zionist Organization of America. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the AJP or its publisher, the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona.

From kindergarten to high school, students declare their school is No Place for Hate. In anticipation of 2020, wouldn’t it be better for all of us to make resolutions mirroring the ones made by these young people? We can, for the 365 days of the new year, respect one another’s opinion, act kindly to everyone, and demonstrate courage in the face of adversity. Let 2020 be the year of respect, kindness and courage.

Carlos Galindo-Elvira is the regional director for ADL Arizona. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the AJP or its publisher, the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona.

ARTS & CULTURE / LOCAL

Photo courtesy Arizona Theatre Company

ATC’s ‘Cabaret’ hits contemporary notes

Sean Patrick Doyle (center) and the company of Arizona Theatre Company’s ‘Cabaret’ in rehearsal.

PHYLLIS BRAUN AJP Executive Editor

abaret,” on stage at the Arizona Theatre Company in Tucson through Dec. 29, “has toe-tapping, show-stopping musical numbers,” says Sara Bruner, who is directing the ATC production. “It’s wildly entertaining … but it also has real meaning.” It’s such a famous show — there’s Bob Fosse’s 1973 film, the original 1966 Broadway musical, and a renowned 1998 revival, among others — that many people are familiar with the plot, which in the stage version brings together American author Cliff Bradshaw, English cabaret performer Sally Bowles, and the seedy Kit Kat Klub in Berlin during the waning days of the Weimar Republic, as the Nazis are beginning their rise to power. “Cabaret is so beautiful and vital; it stays resonant,” says Bruner. “It remains a piece that at almost any point in time offers some sense of self-reflectivity on a really deep level in both a political way and also in a personal way.” Bruner’s direction honors the past versions, but she isn’t seeking to recreate them. Instead, she uses them as a jumping off point to explore how to present the play at this moment in time. “So much of my career has been acting in Shakespeare plays,” she says, so for her, it’s all about the text. While you can’t take a blueprint of Weimar Germany in 1930 and match it up with America in 2019, “there are things that feel familiar,” she says. “There are lines in the play that you think, ‘My God, this sounds like it was written yesterday,’” Bruner says. “So we try to pull those things out and serve them up so the audience can hear them

and enjoy them … and hopefully be moved by them.” Sean Patrick Doyle, a Broadway, TV, and film actor who plays the emcee of the Kit Kat Klub in the ATC production, says it is his job “to capture all the bawdiness and humor and extravagance of the Weimar era. But also because ‘Cabaret’ is in that time, coming off the censorship of the Kaiser Wilhelm era, they were allowed to finally, in clubs, not just include bawdy humor and provocative dancing, but political satire. “We have a unique opportunity here to also comment on what’s happening currently politically, so that it’s a double punch,” he says. “‘Money,’ for instance, we’ve staged as kind of a comment on the 1% siphoning away money from the middle and lower classes,” he says, referring to one of the show’s iconic songs. “‘Two Ladies’ becomes a comment on toxic masculinity, through a vaudeville-burlesque lens.” The entire show, he says, “comments on the dangers of apoliticism and apathy. That’s a lesson worth receiving.” “‘Cabaret’ is undoubtedly one of the greatest musicals ever,” says ATC Artistic Director Sean Daniels, who adds that ATC, which will have a full live orchestra on stage, “is able to bring the best in our country to work with the best here.” “In terms of artists,” says Daniels, “Sara Bruner is one of the hottest directors in the country, just coming off a smash hit at Oregon Shakespeare Festival. And Jaclyn Miller’s choreography wowed Arizona audiences last year during ‘The Music Man.’ With a diverse cast packed full of Broadway credits, it promises to be a ‘Cabaret’ and a night unlike any other.” For tickets, visit www.arizonatheatre.org or call the Tucson box office at 622-2823. December 6, 2019, ARIZONA JEWISH POST

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collaborative Jewish community initiative that sprang from the Oct. 24 day of a learning journey to the U.S.-Mexico border at Nogales, Arizona, continues to move forward. “There are clearly two tracks of interest that emerged from the initial education event,” Jewish History Museum Director Bryan Davis told the AJP. Those are ongoing education on border issues and direct community action. The Jewish History Museum and the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona’s Jewish Community Relations Council are spearheading the ongoing community collaboration. “We are developing both tracks,” Davis says, while participants may be interested in either or both avenues. “The focus under the rubric of collective action will take some time to happen,” he adds, but promises that the spring will be full of opportunity. Meanwhile, several activities occurred in November. Dozens of community members rallied against the criminalization of the Jewish value of pikuach nefesh (saving a life) on Nov. 12. They participated at a press conference outside the federal courthouse in Tucson to support activist Scott Warren as he was re-tried for providing humanitarian aid to migrants. Warren, a volunteer for Tucson-based No More Deaths, was acquitted two days later after jurors deliberated two and a half hours over charges stemming from Warren’s Jan. 18, 2018, arrest in Ajo, Arizona. He was charged with two felonies for harboring illegal immigrants and felony conspiracy to smuggle. After a hung jury in the initial trial that ended July 2, the conspiracy charge was dropped. In the education track, the museum held an event Nov. 18 with testimony from a community member who spent years in detention. Participants also learned about Keep Tucson Together’s Rapid Response Network

Jewish community members rally in support of humanitarian Scott Warren on Nov. 12, the opening day of his retrial at the federal courthouse in Tucson. Those in attendance included Rabbi Avi Alpert, Rabbi Thomas Louchheim, Jewish Community Relations Council Chair Mo Goldman, Jewish History Museum Executive Director Bryan Davis, and JHM board member Eric Schindler.

that provides a hotline to respond to fear and anxiety surrounding immigration enforcement. They wrote letters and made cards for those currently in detention. The museum’s gallery chat at 11 a.m. today, “Forging Arizona: Narrative, Borders, and Identity,” features Anita Huizar-Hernandez, an assistant professor of border studies at the University of Arizona. Her research investigates how narratives have shaped the political, economic, and cultural landscape of the Southwestern borderlands and Arizona in particular. Scholar-in-residence Maxwell Greenberg will join the museum staff in January to focus on “Jewish Latinidad: A History of Jews, Race, and the U.S.-Mexico Border.” Greenberg is a doctoral candidate at UCLA and was a Skirball Fellow in Modern Jewish Culture. He will conduct three three-week courses, culminating in an endowed lecture on March 4.

Author to share insider look at widowhood in local talks also taught her how to use a computer, which she put to good use on JDate.” AJP Assistant Editor Miller is a writer, fine art photographer, ucson resident Sula Miller will discuss and documentary filmmaker. Her first book, her recent book “Welcome to … The “Memory Hit,” is a romantic science fiction Widows Club” (CreateSpace Indepennovella. She has exhibited her images in galdent Publishing, 2017) at two local venues leries across the country, and her documennext week. Tucson is the last stop on Miller’s tary work has aired on the Sundance Chanseven-state book tour that began in Florida. nel and PBS stations nationwide. She and her Sula Miller The novel was inspired by her mother-in-law, husband, Steve Waxman, moved to Tucson in Bernyce, who became widowed after 55 years of mar- late 2019. They worked together on the documentary “A riage, and her many friends who shared true accounts Call to Serve: South Florida Jews in the U.S. Military,” of widowhood. commissioned by a South Florida PBS affiliate, and are “This is not a memoir or a self-help book,” says Mill- currently working on a new documentary, “Vote Here,” er, who offers a rare look behind the gates of a vibrant slated for release next summer. South Florida Jewish senior community, where there’s Miller’s Tucson events are Dec. 12, 2 p.m. at Dusena whole new set of rules for widows, especially when it berry-River Library, 5605 E. River Road, and Dec. 14, comes to dating, sex, and love. 11 a.m., at Bookmans Northwest, 3733 W. Ina Road , in When asked how to best help grieving parents, Miller association with the Tucson Jewish Community Center. says “simply spend time with them and do things you She will read excerpts from “Welcome To … The Widcan all enjoy together. Sometimes even taking them out ows Club” and hold a discussion for those who have of their comfort zone as we did with my mother-in-law questions or wish to share their experiences of widowand the protagonist in the book — we took a swim in the hood. Copies of the book and “Memory Hit” will be ocean, something she hadn’t done in over 20 years. We available for sale and signing.

DEBE CAMPBELL

ARIZONA JEWISH POST, December 6, 2019

LOCAL Diplomat to speak as J Street honors Gellman

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Street will honor Larry is a member of the Council Gellman at a Tucson recepon Foreign Relations, Aspen tion on Monday, Dec. 16, Strategy Group, and American at 6 p.m., with guest speakers Academy of Diplomacy. PresiAmbassador Wendy R. Sherdent Barack Obama awarded man and J Street President Sherman the National SecuJeremy Ben-Ami. Sherman rity Medal for her work on the led the U.S. negotiating team Joint Comprehensive Plan of that reached the Iran nuclear Action (the Iran nuclear deal), Larry Gellman agreement in 2015. among other diplomatic acGellman has chaired the boards of the complishments. She is the author of “Not Milwaukee Jewish Day School (which he for the Faint of Heart: Lessons in Courhelped found and endow), Tucson He- age, Power and Persistence” (PublicAfbrew Academy, Jewish Federation cam- fairs, 2018). paigns in both Milwaukee and Tucson, J Street founder Ben-Ami served in and Israel Bonds, which honored him the mid-1990s as deputy domestic poliwith its Gates of Jerusalem Award. He is cy advisor to President Bill Clinton and a board member and former chair of the worked on seven presidential and nuNational Jewish Center for Learning and merous state and local campaigns. He Leadership. He was a founding member was recognized by the Forward weekly of the Tucson AIPAC board. At J Street, newspaper for three years as one of the he has served as a member of the finance “Forward 50”; by Ha’aretz, the Israeli daicommittee. A graduate of the first co- ly, as one of 50 “People of the Decade”; hort of the Wexner Heritage Foundation and by the Jerusalem Post as one of the program, he has lectured in Israel and world’s “50 Most Influential Jews.” Benaround the United States on Judaism and Ami’s family connection to Israel goes business ethics. Gellman has worked for back 130 years. His great-grandparents 10 years as a TV news reporter and for 40 were among the first settlers in Petah years as a financial adviser. Tikva. His grandparents were one of the Sherman is a professor of the practice founding families of Tel Aviv, and his faof public leadership and director of the ther was an activist and leader in the IrCenter for Public Leadership at the Har- gun, working for Israel’s independence vard Kennedy School and a senior fellow and on the rescue of European Jews beat the school’s Belfer Center for Science fore and during World War II. and International Affairs. She also is a The reception will be held at the senior advisor at Albright Stonebridge home of Larry and Kristen Gellman. Group and former U.S. under secretary To register, visit www.jstreet.org/2019of state for political affairs. She serves arizona-reception. Proceeds will benefit on the boards of the International Cri- the J Street Education Fund, a 501(c)3 sis Group and the Atlantic Council and organization.

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acha Baron Cohen has made a career out of playing absurd comedic characters, from the dopey Brit Ali G to the Kazakh journalist Borat to the Israeli veteran Erran Morad. He rarely gives interviews and stays relatively far from the movie star limelight. But on Nov. 21, Cohen tossed aside the humorous facade to excoriate the social media industry and the “autocracy” he says it promotes in a non-ironic speech. After receiving the international leadership award from the Anti-Defamation League at its annual conference at the Javits Center in Manhattan, the British Jewish comedian slammed social media sites as the “greatest propaganda machine in history” — reserving most of his 15-minute speech to specifically critique Facebook and its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg. “Facebook, YouTube and Google, Twitter and others — they reach billions of people. The algorithms these platforms depend on deliberately amplify the type of content that keeps users engaged — stories that appeal to our baser instincts and that trigger outrage and fear,” Cohen said. “It’s why YouTube recommended videos by the conspiracist Alex Jones billions of times. It’s why fake news outperforms real news, because studies show that lies spread faster than truth. “And it’s no surprise that the greatest propaganda machine in history has spread the oldest conspiracy theory in history — the lie that Jews are somehow dangerous. As one headline put it, ‘Just Think What Goebbels Could Have Done with Facebook.’” Cohen spent a significant part of his speech criticizing a recent address Zuckerberg gave at Georgetown University in which the Facebook founder spoke about the importance of upholding free expression on social media. Cohen called out Facebook for allowing political ads on its platform without verifying the veracity of their claims. Twitter and Google recently have taken steps to ban such ads. “Under this twisted logic, if Facebook were around in the 1930s, it would have allowed Hitler to post 30-second ads on his ‘solution’ to the ‘Jewish problem,’” Cohen said, saying the site should fact check all political ads. The actor also urged social media sites to consider delaying real-time posts that could spread hateful content, citing the gunman who attacked two mosques in New Zealand and livestreamed his attack. “Why can’t we have more of a delay so this traumainducing filth can be caught and stopped before it’s posted in the first place?” he asked.

Sacha Baron Cohen speaks at the Anti-Defamation League’s Never Is Now conference in New York, Nov. 21, 2019.

Cohen said that social media companies should be held responsible for the content spread on their sites, referencing a federal law that shields them from liability for specific posts. “Maybe it’s time to tell Mark Zuckerberg and the CEOs of these companies: You already allowed one foreign power to interfere in our elections, you already facilitated one genocide in Myanmar, do it again and you go to jail,” Cohen said. Cohen additionally addressed the idea that he promotes anti-Semitic stereotypes in his movies, which groups like the ADL have criticized. “Now I’m not going to claim that everything I’ve done has been for a higher purpose,” he said. “But when Borat was able to get an entire bar in Arizona to sing ‘Throw the Jew down the well,’ it did reveal people’s indifference to anti-Semitism.” Cohen said he has been “passionate about challenging bigotry and intolerance” his entire life and wrote an undergraduate thesis on the American civil rights movement “with the help of the archives of the ADL.” The ADL said that more than 1,600 people attended the daylong event, which included a range of sessions on anti-Semitism and hate. The organization also honored Hamdi Ulukaya, the CEO and founder of the Chobani yogurt company. Ulukaya, a Kurd from Turkey, has donated millions to help refugees and hired them in his factories. Ulukaya used his speech to condemn hate and call on businesses to help refugees. “[I]f government isn’t willing to act, I believe that business must lead,” he said. “This isn’t about politics. It’s about basic human decency.” Go to www.azjewishpost.com/category/opinion to read the full text of Sacha Baron Cohen’s remarks.

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When it comes to hiring a lawyer, a little homework goes a long way

here are scores of reasons and occasions that may require legal advice or action. When it’s time to find an attorney, making a choice can seem complicated. Take methodical steps to research, seek recommendations, and prepare before you make a selection.

Specialty

The law is complex and changes rapidly. No one can keep up with every aspect, so most lawyers and even firms specialize in a particular area of the law. Find an attorney who has experience relevant to your case, whether it be divorce, contracts, wills and probate, or civil concerns. An attorney who regularly drafts wills may not be the best choice to represent you in a courtroom if the problem is an auto accident.

Research

Ask family, friends, or colleagues for recommendations if they have hired a lawyer in the past. Check out websites and social media to home in on law firms or individuals who match your needs.

When reviewing attorney biographies, note their professional activities, associations, and credentials. Are they leaders in organizations or have they just paid to be a member? Have they lectured or published work about legal

areas relevant to your issues? Have they won awards for their work? Active participation in professional associations may indicate that the attorney is on top of trends and techniques applicable to your case.

If an attorney is not respected in the legal community, this could impact your case. Look for reviews from both previous clients and peers, ask for references, check the state bar website for disciplinary records, or ask attorney friends what they know about your candidate. The following sites and many others indicate the lawyer’s field of practice, their experience, their credentials, and endorsements from colleagues and former clients. Avvo.com displays attorneys by practice area and further narrows down the list by city, state, name, and legal topic. The site claims that it has rated 97% of U.S. lawyers and offers answers to 14.2 million legal questions and live advice for free. SuperLawyers.com is a similar directory site listing attorneys with a high degree of peer recognition. The State Bar of Arizona allows you to confidentially state your legal needs on its website. Lawyers interested in helping will make contact by email See Lawyer, page 16

LAW OFFICE OF DAVID I. KARP, P.L.L.C. David Karp and his firm take a practical yet thorough approach to help people create their estate plans and protect their loved ones. While most estate plans focus mainly on who gets your assets, his firm helps you determine the things that can go wrong to lead your plan astray — such as your husband’s next wife or a child’s future divorce — and designs a plan to protect your family accordingly. Their clients know that many years from now, when they look down and see the people they love and causes that they value, they will be able to smile and rest in peace and won’t be rolling over in the grave. Most clients can complete their practical estate plan in only three short meetings. The firm also helps clients obtain ALTCS/Medicaid and VA Aid & Attendance long-term care government benefits. It is among the only Tucson firms that help clients plan ahead to be able to obtain these benefits. The firm also offers a unique Client Care Program to allow clients to update their plans as their situation and the laws change. David Karp received his J.D. from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law and a BSE from the University of Michigan. He has strong ties to the Jewish community and is the proud father of two Tucson Hebrew Academy graduates including his oldest, who now teaches there. He is married to urologist Dr. Iris Bernstein.

(520) 395-1551 www.dkarplaw.com • dave@dkarplaw.com 5405 N. Oracle Road, Suite 101, Tucson, AZ 85704

David Karp ADVERTORIAL

December 6, 2019, ARIZONA JEWISH POST

JACOBY & MEYERS LAW OFFICES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SHORE DOMBROWSKI LAW FIRM, P.C.

Bonnie Shore Dombrowski was admitted to the Arizona Bar in 1988, after she graduated from the University of Arizona College of Law. She has been practicing in the area of plaintiff ’s personal injury and litigation almost exclusively since that time. Bonnie moved to Tucson from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1975 to attend the University of Arizona where she graduated with an undergraduate degree in sociology. Bonnie is married to Joseph and has four grown sons. O: (520) 622-2350 F: (520) 622-4543 2343 E. Broadway, Suite 112, Tucson, AZ 85719

Bonnie Shore Dombrowski

LAZARUS, SILVYN & BANGS, P.C. Keri Silvyn has been practicing land use law for over 20 years in Southern Arizona. She focuses on advising private developers and local governments on application of zoning codes, compliance with state statutes and current land use case law, and effective public/private partnerships. Keri is an owner and founding partner in the firm. She currently serves as chair of the Arizona State Land Board of Appeals, is on the Tucson Airport Authority Board, and has been named Best Lawyers® Lawyer of the Year annually since 2017 for Land Use and Zoning Law. Keri also was honored as Tucson’s Woman of the Year 2013. (520) 207-4464 5983 E. Grant Rd., Suite 290 www.lsblandlaw.com • ksilvyn@lsblandlaw.com

Keri Lazarus Silvyn, Esq.

LAWYER continued from page 15

for review and selection. https://azbar. legalserviceslink.com. The American Bar Association offers online public service-oriented referral services and tools to find the right lawyer and legal subscription plans that provide subscribers who pay a modest monthly cost to access lawyers to handle basic legal problems. www.american bar.org/groups/legal_services/flh-home/ flh-hire-a-lawyer.

Contact and Query

Use a website form or social media contact to initiate contact with an attorney, or call to speak to them directly. They should be able to answer some basic questions about how the law applies to you and explain the process toward resolving your case. Ask about the law firm or individual attorney and how they handle cases such as yours. The responses should go a long way toward deciding if this is a good fit. Talk to several attorneys to find the most comfortable fit and comfortable price point before making an initial consultation, which will have a cost. You will want to know about the fee structure before proceeding to that consultation.

Fees

There are three general ways attorneys will charge: by the hour (which could range from $100 to $1,000), a one-time flat fee, or by contingency (percentage of the amounts covered). A contingency fee may apply in a personal injury case; certain business transactions may come at a flat rate; most matters will be billed by the hour. Lawyers are required to discuss fees upfront with potential clients. Depending on the type of fee structure, ask some key questions. If it is on an hourly fee basis, ask the hourly rate; Merle Joy Turchik, Esq.

Merle Joy Turchik has more than 32 years representing employees and employers in employment matters. She is experienced in handling wage and hour (FLSA) and FMLA cases; matters before local, state, and federal administrative agencies (personnel boards, professional boards, ACRD/EEOC); discrimination cases (age, ADA – disability, race, national origin, religion, color, sex, sexual harassment, hostile work environment, sexual orientation, genetic testing); drafting and reviewing non-competition and severance agreements, wrongful termination, whistleblower claims, and alternative dispute resolution. Merle is an arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association and serves as a judge pro tempore for the Pima County Superior Court. Merle has been recognized in the 2019 and 2020 Editions of Best Lawyers in America for Employment Law – Individual.

ARIZONA JEWISH POST, December 6, 2019

Michelle S. Michelson represents individuals in Social Security Disability appeals in the administrative appeals process and in federal court. She understands the importance of technical competence, attention to detail, and empathy to help clients navigate the appeals process. Michelle is a graduate of Washington University School of Law and received a Master of Social Work degree from San Francisco State University.

Michelle S. Michelson ADVERTORIAL

Compiled from reports by FindLaw.com, Philadelphia-based Bovarnick and Associates, Forbes, the State Bar of Arizona, and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

LAW OFFICE OF MICHELLE S. MICHELSON, P.L.L.C.

TURCHIK LAW FIRM, P.C.

O: (520) 882-7070 • C: (520) 490-3976 merle@turchikawfirm.com www.turchiklawfirm.com 2205 E. Speedway Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85719

the minimum billing increments; if there is a charge for every phone call, letter, and e-mail; an estimate of how many hours the case may take; what other expenses might be required; and what happens if the case takes longer than anticipated. If it’s a contingency arrangement, ask about the likelihood of recovery; an estimate of the recovery; the percentage being charged by the attorney; the percentage most lawyers charge for the same type of case; anticipated expenses; and what happens if the case settles immediately. There are organizations in Arizona that provide legal assistance for free or at a reduced cost. Visit www.azlawhelp.org or call (866) 637-5341. AZLawHelp.org is a project of the Arizona Bar Foundation in partnership with Southern Arizona Legal Aid Inc., Community Legal Services, Inc., DNA People’s Legal Services, Inc., William E. Morris Institute for Justice, and the State Bar of Arizona with support from Legal Services Corporation.. Visit www. azlawhelp.org to search for information, download court forms, and find legal agencies that serve Arizonans most in need. In Tucson, these include the Arizona Center for Disability Law; Asylum Program of Arizona; Southern Arizona Legal Aid, Inc.; Catholic Community Services of Southern Arizona, Inc.; Our Family Services; Volunteer Lawyers Program – Pima County; Attorney General’s Office (Tucson); and Step Up to Justice. AZLawHelp.org also offers almost two dozen videos in a series called “Savvy Seniors,” on everything from raising grandchildren to estate planning. If all else fails, use a lawyer referral service. For a small fee, these services will find a lawyer for you. In Pima County, call 623-4625.

(520) 628-7777 www.michelsondisabilitylaw.com michelle@msmdisabilitylaw.com 177 N. Church Ave., Suite 200, Tucson, AZ 85701

PRISCILLA FRISBY ATTORNEY AT LAW, P.L.L.C.

As anti-Semitism rises, New York enacts law to teach police to recognize hate crimes BEN SALES JTA NEW YORK

ew York state police officers must be trained in how to recognize and respond to hate crimes under a new law. The bill comes as hate crimes in general — and anti-Semitic incidents in particular — are on the rise in New York City. Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods in Brooklyn have seen a string of assaults and vandalism directed at Jews and Jewish institutions. Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the measure on Nov. 25. Its chief sponsors are State Assemblywoman Nily Rozic of the New York City borough of Queens and State Sen. Todd Kaminsky of Long Island,

both Jewish lawmakers. “Hatred has no place in New York State and we will continue taking aggressive measures to stamp out hate whenever and wherever it rears its ugly head,” Cuomo said in a statement. The bill instructs the state Division of Human Rights and Hate Crimes Task Force to develop procedures for training law enforcement to handle hate crimes. It does not detail exactly what the training will entail. “With the steady surge of hate crimes across New York, there is little room for complacency,” Rozic said in a statement. “This new law will equip local law enforcement with the proper tools to identify, report, and respond to these crimes that continue to divide and instill widespread fear.”

Remember to recycle this paper when you ﬁnish enjoying it.

Ms. Frisby graduated from the University of Arizona magna cum laude with a double bachelor of arts in psychology and Spanish literature. She obtained her Juris Doctor from California Western School of Law in San Diego, California. After law school, Ms. Frisby came back to her home state and was thereafter admitted to the Arizona State Bar. In 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 her peers within the legal community and judges nominated her a Rising Star by Super Lawyers; an honor only received by the top 2.5% of all attorneys in the state. Ms. Frisby strives to obtain justice for all of her clients, explaining the process to them along the way and making sure they know what to expect by being honest with them regarding their case and the possible outcomes. Ms. Frisby handles criminal cases at the magistrate, city, state and federal levels, orders of protection, injunctions against harassment, and personal injury such as car accidents and wrongful deaths.

O: 520-628-1234 F: 520-620-5555 www.frisbylaw.com 177 N. Church Ave., Suite 807 Tucson, AZ 85701

Priscilla Frisby

LAW OFFICES OF ROBERT G. LEWIS, P.C.

James A. Whitehill

WHITEHILL LAW OFFICES, P.C. James A. Whitehill was born and raised in Tucson and is a University of Arizona College of Law alumnus. He has been practicing law in Tucson for over 30 years. He is certified as a specialist in real estate law by the State Bar of Arizona. His practice concentrates on real estate, estate planning, probate, and business. Mr. Whitehill is featured in Best Lawyers in America ©, Arizona’s Finest Lawyers, Tucson’s Top Lawyers, and Southwest Super Lawyers®. He was honored as “Man of the Year” and “Young Man of the Year” by the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona. He is the immediate past chair of the board of trustees of the Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona and a life member of the board of directors of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona. (520) 326-4600 James@WhitehillLaw.com www.jameswhitehill.com 2730 E. Broadway Blvd., #160, Tucson, AZ 85716

Former New Yorker Robert G. Lewis has been practicing divorce and personal injury law in Tucson for more than 34 years and founded the firm in 1989. He believes what distinguishes him from other Tucson lawyers is not just his success as a litigator – it is his commitment to his clients. As a married father of three, his primary goal is to protect the well-being of his clients and their families while finding solutions that help them to conserve their family assets. For the past 16 years, Martindale-Hubbell legal service has given Mr. Lewis an AV Preeminent Lawyer Rating, its highest possible review rating in both legal ability and ethical standards. Mr. Lewis has been a member of the State Bar of Arizona and the Pima County Bar Association since 1985. He has been a judge pro tempore in Arizona Superior Court since 2005. He is a past member of the executive council family law section of the State Bar of Arizona and a past member of the board of Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Southern Arizona.

(520) 615-3200 www.lewislawoffices.com 1785 E. Skyline Drive, Tucson, Arizona 85718

ADVERTORIAL

Robert G. Lewis, P.C. December 6, 2019, ARIZONA JEWISH POST

ARIZONA JEWISH POST, December 6, 2019

Hanukkah Gift Guide Crafts, volunteering, variety make Hanukkah meaningful for children SARAH GERSHMAN My Jewish Learning via JTA

Bring light out of darkness

There are many ways to make this year’s Hanukkah a real “Festival of Lights.” As Rabbi Arthur Waskow writes in his book “Seasons of Joy,” “Hanukkah is the moment when light is born from darkness, hope from despair.” Historically, this was reflected in the unlikely victory of the Maccabees over the Greeks,

Photo: pxhere

anukkah’s proximity to Christmas can complicate the holiday. For those who try to make Hanukkah more like Christmas, it inevitably seems to fall short. Yet while Hanukkah traditionally was not one of the most central holidays of the Jewish calendar, it can offer many opportunities for fun and joyous celebration. Here are some suggestions for how you can make this Hanukkah memorable while staying true to the essential meaning of the holiday.

in the oil that brought light for eight days instead of one, and in the very act of lighting candles during the darkest time of the year. Before lighting candles, try taking your family on a night walk. Go outside together and feel how dark it is. Even in the city, the month of December has a special darkness to it. Then come in from

the cold and light the menorah. Feel the contrast between the darkness outside and the light inside. The oil in the Temple menorah can be understood as an early example of energy conservation. In keeping with that theme, try using environmentally sustainable candles in your menorah this year. According to Hazon, a Jewish envi-

ronmental organization, “beeswax, soy, and palm oil provide more natural alternatives to the traditional paraffin Hanukah candles.” Several vendors sell beeswax Hanukkah candles, and GoodLight Natural Candles’ Hanukkah candles not only claim to be “clean burning and nontoxic,” but the company “contributes to sustainable palm farming.” Hanukkah also is a wonderful time to bring light into the lives of those around us. The winter months can be especially difficult for those who need help. Why not volunteer as a family at a local soup kitchen, shelter, or any place that is meaningful to you? Jewish homes for the aged often have Hanukkah parties or communal menorah lightings. These are opportunities to connect your children with the older generation and help make the celebration more festive for the residents.

Get creative

Hanukkah can be a great time for simple and fun family art projects. There is a See Children, page 20

December 6, 2019, ARIZONA JEWISH POST

Hanukkah Gift Guide

The Unexpected in Tombstone since 1978

CHILDREN continued from page 19

Happy Chanukah! Gift Certificates Available

custom for each member of the family to have his/her own menorah. This year, why not make your own? You can buy lots of small votive candles and decorate the glass with a collage of colorful pieces of tissue paper. When the votives are lit, light shines through the tissue paper like stained glass. This is a great hanukkiyah for the Friday night of the holiday, when the candles are supposed to burn for at least two hours — as long as Shabbat candles burn. No matter what kind of hanukkiyah you use, try to place it in as visible a spot as possible to fulfill the mitzvah of pirsumei nisa (publicizing the miracle). And don’t forget the decorations. Judaica stores sell lots of colorful Hanukkah decorations that make the house feel more festive. You may want to choose your own theme. I know one family that decorates their house with homemade pictures of Jewish holiday objects, which symbolize to them the uniqueness of Judaism — definitely a theme of the holiday.

Make each night special

One of the wonderful things about Hanukkah is that it lasts eight days. Giving each night a special theme can increase the excitement and take some of the attention away from presents. Themes might include “Tzedakah (charity) night,” “Sing-Off Night,” “Party Night” and, of course, “Presents Night.” I know a family that eats a different kind of potato latke (pancake) for dinner

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each night. Apples, cauliflower, or even meat can be delicious additions to the traditional potato latke. Cheese is also a great Hanukkah food, as it recollects the heroism of Judith, who cleverly fed Holofernes, a general fighting the Maccabees, salty cheese and wine. When the general promptly fell asleep, Judith cut off his head and thereby saved her town from his tyranny. Hanukkah also is an ideal time to do fun activities like playing music, taking pictures or making home movies documenting the year’s celebration. One family I know drips Hanukkah candle wax each night on their family album. Then, the following year, they take out the album, look at the wax and try to remember where they were and what they did on each night.

Celebrate our uniqueness as Jews

One of the miracles of Hanukkah is that the Jewish people were able to reconsecrate the Temple — our spiritual center and a powerful symbol of our uniqueness. Hanukkah today presents us with the opportunity to reconsecrate our own uniqueness as a religion, a people, and a culture. Hanukkah is a time to discuss as a family some of the blessings and challenges of being Jewish in a predominantly Christian country. One way to spark discussion on this subject is to watch a movie that in some way tackles the subject of assimilation. Some suggestions include “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” “Avalon,” “Keeping the Faith,” “The Jazz Singer,” “Monsoon Wedding” and “American Desi.” Have a joyous and meaningful Hanukkah!

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December 6, 2019, ARIZONA JEWISH POST

Hanukkah Gift Guide Hallmark Channel to broadcast its first Hanukkah movies

Photo: Crown Media

he Hallmark mas” to her family Channel will and worries about premiere its keeping up the ruse first two Hanukkahwhen she discovers themed movies this Joel is Jewish. month in honor of In “Double Holithe holiday, which day,” which prestarts this year on miers on Saturday, Dec. 22. “Our auDec. 21 at 7 p.m., dience is very vocareer-minded Recal, and they tell us becca (Carly Pope) when they’d like to finds her plans for see more of someHanukkah don’t go thing,” says Michelle as expected when Vicary, Crown Mea promotion opdia’s executive vice portunity comes up Brittany Bristow, center, plays Brooke in the first of two new Hallmark Channel Hanukkahpresident of proat work. When the gramming. “We’ve themed features, ‘Holiday Date.’ company CEO asks heard over the years that they would like to see [a Hanuk- Rebecca and her insufferable office mate, Chris (Kristkah movie] if a script came in that we liked. And that hap- offer Polaha) — also her main competitor for the propened this year — twice.” motion — to plan the company’s Christmas party, she “Holiday Date” premiers on Saturday, Dec. 14 at 7 realizes they must overcome their opposing styles to p.m. Brooke (Brittany Bristow) is dumped right before succeed. As their planning progresses, Chris embraces Christmas and enlists the help of actor Joel (Matt Co- Rebecca and her family’s Hanukkah traditions when he hen) to play the role of her boyfriend for the holidays. joins their nightly celebrations. In turn, Rebecca begins Brooke had described her ex-boyfriend as “Mr. Christ- to see him in a new light.

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Hanukkah Gift Guide

Photo: Leanne Shor

Lemon ricotta fritters: Easier and just as delicious as jelly doughnuts

LEANNE SHOR JTA I know that sufganiyot — jelly doughnuts — are traditional and beloved for Hanukkah. But I feel confident that once you try these easy and incredibly delicious ricotta fritters, you will be converted to these sweet fried treats. And if I’m making a confession, I have actually never loved traditional sufganiyot. Sometimes our family made our own, or bought from local bakeries, but were usually left feeling kind of “meh.” They were always a bit too bready and heavy. Around 10 years ago my sister enlightened us all with these perfectly crisp, round fritters. They’re so light and creamy with a hint of fresh lemon zest. The batter comes together in just five minutes, and it is as easy as making pancakes. We love to warm up some of my mom’s homemade jellies and jams for dipping. Since these babies are at their absolute best right when they’re fresh, I like to fry them up while I make tea after the holiday meal. The “wow” factor of fresh fritters is incomparable! Our guests love the deconstructed sufganiyot because it’s unexpected and gets people talking. I serve a variety of warm jellies like pomegranate, peach, and blackberry. Note: I doubt you will have any fritters left over, but if you do, store them in a paper bag for one or two days at room temperature. Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 4 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest 4 eggs 1/3 cup granulated sugar 2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese 2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 4-6 cups canola oil, for frying 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1 cup jam or jelly Directions: 1. Heat the oil in a large pot on medium heat until it reaches 365 F. 2. In the meantime, in a large bowl combine the eggs, ricotta, sugar and vanilla extract. Whisk thoroughly to combine. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and lemon zest; whisk thoroughly to combine. 3. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir with a spoon until the batter just comes together and there are no lumps of flour. 4. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, you can check if the oil is hot enough by placing a wooden spoon in the hot oil. If small bubbles form around the spoon immediately, the oil is hot enough. When the oil has come to temperature, use a No. 40 cookie scoop (2 tablespoons) to carefully scoop the batter into the hot oil without crowding the pan. 5. Cook for about 2-3 minutes per side until deep golden brown. Check the first fritter for doneness on the inside. 6. Use a slotted spoon or metal spider to remove the fritters and any excess oil, then transfer to paper towels to drain. 7. Dust with powdered sugar. 8. In a small pan, heat the jam or jelly until it becomes liquid, then transfer to a serving bowl. Serve immediately for best results. Serves 24 fritters. December 6, 2019, ARIZONA JEWISH POST

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RELIGION & JEWISH LIFE Joan Nathan dishes on her 15 favorite Jewish foods GABE FRIEDMAN JTA

Photo: joannathan.com

f you’re part of a Jewish family in the U.S., there’s a decent chance you grew up in the vicinity of a Joan Nathan cookbook. Her many books, like “Jewish Cooking in America,” have been staples of the American Jewish experience for decades. Nathan, 76, was honored Dec. 2 at a gala dinner for the Museum of the Jewish People at Beit Hatfusot in New York City. To mark the occasion, she has released a list of her “Jewish food must-haves” — we’ll take it to mean her favorite Jewish dishes. Nathan is noted for researching and promoting international Jewish cuisines, and her list reflects that diversity. Here’s the list, with her commentary, courtesy of the museum: Brisket braised in a savory wine and herb sauce: Long and slow is my mantra for brisket. If there is one Jewish dish that transcends many cultures, it is brisket, braised for a long time in a savory wine sauce with herbs. Moroccan challah with anise: Of all the challahs that I have ever tasted, my favorite is a Moroccan challah flavored with anise that I learned many years ago from a Moroccan woman living in a seventh floor walk-up with a tiny kitchen in Bordeaux. I have spiked my weekly challah ever since with anise seeds. Chicken soup with matzah balls: I honestly believe that chicken soup with matzah balls is in the Jewish DNA as the ultimate symbol of comfort food. I make mine with lots of vegetables, matzah balls flavored with dill, nutmeg and fresh ginger, and chicken fat. For holidays or for health, it works every time. Pletzel rolls with caramelized onions and poppy seeds: I still remember the first time I ate a pletzel, a Polish roll. It was in a bread basket with salt sticks served at Ratner’s on the Lower East Side. Chopped chicken liver: I love the chopped chicken liver from Wise Sons Deli in San Francisco. They load it with caramelized onions and use good schmaltz. It’s a real treat. Chocolate babka: I have yet to meet anyone who doesn’t like chocolate babka. I like it with good, bittersweet chocolate —not cocoa powder and not Nutella. Apricot rugelach: This is what put Jewish sweets on the map, although no one knew that they were Jewish when the late Maida Heatter put them in her iconic “Book of Great Desserts.” Hungarian chicken fricassee: I adore Mimi Sheraton’s Hungarian chicken fricassee with meatballs from her cookbook “From My Mother’s Kitchen.” There is something so satisfying about the chicken with the meatballs and tomatoes, especially with fresh tomatoes

Joan Nathan

around Rosh Hashanah. Libyan aharaimi (fish in tomato sauce): This is so good that it has become part of the panoply of Israeli cooking. Homemade gefilte fish: Until I tasted my mother-inlaw’s homemade gefilte fish, I didn’t like the dish. Now I invite friends to a “gefilte-in” and we all assemble the classic fish patties for Passover. Yemenite soup with hilbeh and hawayij (spice blends): I first tasted this many years ago sitting cross-legged on the floor at the home of the late Yosef Zadok, a jeweler, rabbi, and patriarch in Jerusalem. It is a comforting dish with ancient roots. Pickled lox with sour cream: Whenever I walk into Russ & Daughters, they immediately scoop out some of their absolutely delicious pickled lox with sour cream for me. Kibbeh with stuffed vegetables: There is never a trip to Jerusalem when I do not stop at Morduch’s in Mahane Yehudah, where I eat kibbeh (bulgur and ground meat croquettes) and all kinds of stuffed vegetables. Dampfknudeln: For me the crowning Jewish dish is probably not Jewish at all. Dampfknudeln is a brioche-like cake with a caramel sauce drizzled on top. The Bavarian dessert was popularized by Catholics and, through the centuries, variations crossed over to the German Jews, who served it with dairy meals. Salade juive: Each Jewish North African family has its own rendition of what the French call salade juive. It is cooked down tomatoes with a splash of peppers and maybe onions, and served cold with at least 11 other salads for the beginning of the Sabbath meal.

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Why Israelis feel at home on this remote Brazilian island

An Israeli couple at Second Beach in Morro de Sao Paulo, Brazil.

MARCUS M. GILBAN JTA MORRO DE SAO PAULO, Brazil

ummer is just around the corner here and the breathtaking beaches of Brazil’s northeastern coast soon will be packed with tourists from around the world. Many of them will be sababas. A derivative of an Israeli slang word that roughly means “cool,” sababas is how many locals in this picturesque car-free village refer to Israeli backpackers. “There’s an invasion of Israelis in the summer,” said Miguel Kertzman, president of the Jewish federation in the Brazilian state of Bahia. Kertzman estimates that some 5,000 Israeli tourists will disembark in Bahia’s capital city of Salvador between December and the Carnival holidays in late February. “The large majority are youths who have just finished the army and need to have a good rest and just relax,” Kertzman said. “There is no better place than Morro.” Settled in 1535, Morro de Sao Paulo — or St. Paul’s Hill — is one of five villages on Tinhare, one of 26 islands in an archipelago just off Brazil’s Atlantic coast. The once sleepy fishing village first drew hippies and backpackers in the 1970s and became a trendy destination in the 1980s, but even today Morro’s population is less than 4,000. Yet more than a dozen establishments along the village’s main street feature signs in Hebrew, including a hostel, restaurant, tourist agency, and a pizza place. Locals show off Hebrew tattoos, local children have Israeli names and flags display the Hebrew word for “messiah.” During the summer, the beachfront clubs are busy all night. Drugs are cheap and abundant. “For 22 years, I’ve always been told what to do and what not to do. We go straight from school to the army,” backpacker Boaz Cohen said. “Now nobody else tells me what to do. If I want to party, I will. I like to feel free. I know I’ll need to go to college and take care of the future, but during this travel period, I have no pressure.” Ortal Shani, 23, said many come because there are not so many rules. “People dance in the streets, fool around, feel free,

drink, smoke. It’s a worry-free life. It’s paradise,” Shani said. Not even the 24-hour trip seems to keep sababas from this Brazilian heaven. From Tel Aviv, it requires a 15-hour flight to Sao Paulo, followed by a 2 1/2-hour flight to Salvador, the capital of Bahia, and then a threehour boat ride to Morro. Israelis are the second largest group here by nationality (after Argentines, who have a dramatically shorter trip), according to the Cairu municipality, which includes Morro de Sao Paulo. Morro is by far the most sought-after destination for Israelis booking travel packages through Tisot Drom America, a tourist agency run by Mauricio Laukenikas, 44, a Rio-born member of the Jewish community of Salvador. “We are ready for another summer with lots of thousands of Israelis. The number grows every year,” Laukenikas told JTA. “Morro offers lush nature, lots of parties. It has become a meeting point for Israelis, who can speak their language and be well supported by the Chabad.” The local outpost of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement was opened two years ago and has already become a meeting place for Israelis in Morro. It is led by 24-year-old Rabbi Mendy Gerenstadt, who was born in Israel and brought to Brazil when he was 3 months old after his parents became Chabad envoys in Sao Paulo. “People spend three or four weeks here, and there used to be nothing of Judaism,” Gerenstadt said. “We hold prayers and classes, but also provide health assistance and help in the case of emergencies. I asked myself where was the place that needed more help, so here I am.” During the Carnival season, Gerenstadt will ship some 200 pounds of kosher meat to Morro from the Jewish community of Belem more than 1,000 miles away. “Our house is a place for Israelis to be in touch with Israel and Judaism,” he said. In 2012, a YouTube video helped make Morro even more popular among Israelis. A Brazilian rabbi with an internet television show interviewed a local Afro Brazilian youth, who amazingly answered in fluent Hebrew, including the Israeli hard-to-pronounce guttural “r” and several slang expressions. “Israelis are my friends, they are a present from God to me,” said Marcos dos Santos, who was filmed holding See Island, page 26 December 6, 2019, ARIZONA JEWISH POST

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AREA CONGREGATIONS REFORM

CONSERVATIVE

Congregation anShei iSrael

5550 E. Fifth St., Tucson, AZ 85711 • (520) 745-5550 Rabbi Robert Eisen, Cantorial Soloist Nichole Chorny • www.caiaz.org Daily minyan: Mon.-Thurs., 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.; Fri., 7:30 a.m.; Sun. and legal holidays, 8 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. / Mincha: Fri., 5:45 p.m. / Shabbat services: Sat., 9 a.m., followed by Kiddush; Tot Shabbat, 1st Fri., 5:45 p.m.; Family Service, 3rd Friday, 5:45 p.m.; Holiday services may differ, call or visit website. / Torah study: every Shabbat one hour before Mincha (call or visit website for times) / Talmud on Tuesday, 6 p.m. / Weekday Torah study group, Wed., 11 a.m. beverages and dessert provided.

ORTHODOX Congregation Chofetz Chayim/SouthweSt torah inStitute

5150 E. Fifth St., Tucson, AZ 85711 • (520) 747-7780 Rabbi Israel Becker • www.tucsontorah.org Shabbat services: Fri., Kabbalat Shabbat 15 minutes before sunset; Sat. 9 a.m. followed by Kiddush. / Mincha: Fri., 1 p.m.; Sat., 25 minutes before sunset, followed by Shalosh Seudas, Maariv, and Havdallah. Services: Sun., 8 a.m.; Mon. and Thurs., 6:50 a.m.; Tues., Wed., Fri., 7 a.m.; daily, 15 minutes before sunset. / Weekday Rosh Chodesh services: 6:45 a.m.

Congregation young iSrael/ChaBad of tuCSon

2443 E. Fourth St., Tucson, AZ 85719 • (520) 881-7956 Rabbi Yossie Shemtov, Rabbi Yudi Ceitlin • www.chabadoftucson.com Daily minyan: Sun. and legal holidays, 8:30 a.m.; Mon. and Thurs., 6:30 p.m.; Tues., Wed., Fri., 6:45 a.m. / Mincha and Maariv, 5:15 p.m. / Shabbat services: Fri. at candlelighting; Sat. 9:30 a.m. followed by Kiddush. Mincha, Maariv, and Havdallah TBA.

ChaBad on river

3916 E. Ft. Lowell Road • (520) 661-9350 Rabbi Ram Bigelman • www.chabadonriver.com Shabbat services: Fri., Mincha at candlelighting time, followed by Maariv. / Sat., Shacharit service, 9:30 a.m. / Torah study: women, Wed., 2 p.m.; men, Tues. and Thurs., 7 p.m. Call to confirm.

ChaBad oro valley

1171 E. Rancho Vistoso #131, Oro Valley, AZ 85755 • (520) 477-8672 Rabbi Ephraim Zimmerman • www.jewishorovalley.com Shabbat services: 3rd Fri., 5 p.m. Oct.-Feb., 6 p.m. March-Sept., all followed by dinner / Sat., 10 a.m. study session followed by service.

ChaBad Sierra viSta

401 Suffolk Drive, Sierra Vista, AZ 85635 • (520) 820-6256 Rabbi Benzion Shemtov • www.jewishsierravista.com Shabbat services: Sat., 10:30 a.m., bimonthly, followed by class explaining prayers. Visit website or call for dates.

REFORM

Congregation Beit SimCha 7315 N. Oracle Road, Tucson, AZ 85704 • (520) 276-5675 Rabbi Samuel M. Cohon • www.beitsimchatucson.org Shabbat services: Fri., 6:30 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m., with Torah study at 9 a.m; monthly Shabbat morning hikes.

Congregation Chaverim 5901 E. Second St., Tucson, AZ 85711 • (520) 320-1015 Rabbi Stephanie Aaron • www.chaverim.net Shabbat services: Fri., 7 p.m. (no service on 5th Fri.); Family Shabbat, 1st Fri., 6 p.m. / Torah study: 2nd Sat., 9 a.m., followed by contemplative service,10 a.m.

Congregation Kol SimChah

(Renewal)

4625 E. River Road, Tucson, AZ 85718 • (520) 296-0818 Mailing Address: 6628 E. Calle Dened, Tucson, AZ 85710, Shabbat services: 1st and 3rd Fri., 7:15 p.m.

ARIZONA JEWISH POST, December 6, 2019

Congregation m’Kor hayim 3888 E. River Road, Tucson, AZ 85718 (Tucson Hebrew Academy) Mailing Address: P.O. Box 31806, Tucson, AZ 85751 • (520) 305-8208 Rabbi Helen Cohn • www.mkorhayim.org Shabbat services: 2nd and 4th Fri., 7 p.m. / Torah study, 2nd and 4th Sat. 10 - 11:30 a.m.

Congregation or ChadaSh 3939 N. Alvernon Way, Tucson, AZ 85718 • (520) 512-8500 Rabbi Thomas Louchheim, Cantor Janece Cohen www.orchadash-tucson.org Shabbat services: Fri., 6:30 p.m.; 1st Fri., Friday Night LIVE (Sept.-May); 2nd Friday, Tot Shabbat (Sept.-May), 6 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m. / Torah study: Sat., 8:30 a.m.

temple emanu-el 225 N. Country Club Road, Tucson, AZ 85716 • (520) 327-4501 Rabbi Batsheva Appel • www.tetucson.org Shabbat services: Fri., 7:30 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m./ Torah study: Sat., 8:30 a.m. except when there is a Rabbi’s Tish.

temple Kol hamidBar 228 N. Canyon Drive, Sierra Vista • (520) 458-8637 www.templekol.com Mailing address: P.O. Box 908, Sierra Vista, AZ 85636, Friday night Torah study group: 6 - 7:15 p.m. / Shabbat services: Fri., 7:30 p.m.

TRADITIONAL-EGALITARIAN

Congregation Bet Shalom 3881 E. River Road, Tucson, AZ 85718 • (520) 577-1171 Rabbi Hazzan Avraham Alpert • www.cbsaz.org Shabbat services: Fri., 5:30 p.m. (followed by monthly dinners — call for info); Sat. 9:30 a.m., Camp Shabbat (ages 6-10) 10 a.m.-noon, followed by Kiddush lunch; 12:30-2 p.m. CBS Think Tank discussion led by Rabbi Dr. Howard Schwartz and Prof. David Graizbord; monthly Tot Shabbat (call for dates) / Weekday services: Wed. 8:15 a.m. / Hagim 9:30 a.m.

ISLAND continued from page 25

his son Assaf, a common Israeli name. Santos’ passion for sababas started accidentally. Raised in a poor family in the countryside, he moved to Morro 15 years ago seeking a job. He was hired at a local hotel, where he met an Israeli who was impressed by the way he treated the clientele and offered to teach him Hebrew. “He told me that because Israelis spend several months far from their families, they needed special care,” Santos said. “For him, I could be the right guy.” Today, Santos owns his own small hotel, Sampa no Morro. The reception area features several signs in Hebrew, an Israeli flag and two menorahs given as gifts by guests. A painted message in Hebrew — “I was in Morro with Marcos and his family” — has become a popular backdrop for selfies. “Everything I have today I owe to Israelis,” the 33-year-old evangelical Christian told JTA. “I can’t live without Hebrew. I even dream in Hebrew. In the winter, when there are not so many Israelis here, I spend the day talking to my Israeli friends on WhatsApp.” A second boost to Morro’s popularity among Israelis came in 2017, when the first season of the “Magic Malabi Express” comedy series aired on Israel’s Channel 10. The show is an adaptation of an autobiographical book by Miki Geva, an Israeli actor and comedian who visited the island after his military service, and the first season was shot in Morro. The series was a watershed moment, according to Yasmin Tiker, a 24-year-old Israeli who rents apartments to a clientele that is 80 percent Israeli. Born to a Brazilian mother who immigrated to Israel, she speaks flawless Portuguese. “Israelis often recommend places they like, post on the internet, leave testimonials. They make their point clear about what they like and rely heavily on tips from their countrymen,” Tiker said. “There is a connection among Israelis, something I haven’t seen in any other nationality. One helps the other a lot, no matter if they know each other or not. If an Israeli has a problem, he will never feel alone here.”

OTHER

Beth Shalom temple Center

1751 N. Rio Mayo (P.O. Box 884), Green Valley, AZ 85622 • (520) 648-6690 Rabbi Norman Roman • www.bstc.us Shabbat services: 1st and 3rd Fri., 7 p.m. / Torah study: Sat., 10 a.m.

handmaKer reSident Synagogue

2221 N. Rosemont Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85712 • (520) 881-2323 www.handmaker.com Shabbat services: Fri., 4:30 p.m., led by various leaders, followed by Shabbat dinner; Sat., 9:30 a.m., led by Mel Cohen and Dan Asia, followed by light Kiddush lunch.

JewiSh arizonanS on CampuS 2146 E. 4th Street Tucson, AZ, 85719 • (520) 834-3424 • www.myjac.org Shabbat hospitality and social events for UA students with Yosef and Sara Lopez. Shabbat services on request.

SeCular humaniSt JewiSh CirCle www.secularhumanistjewishcircle.org Call Cathleen at (520) 730-0401 for meeting or other information.

univerSity of arizona hillel foundation 1245 E. 2nd St. Tucson, AZ 85719 • (520) 624-6561 • www.arizona.hillel.org Shabbat services: Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and alternative services two Fridays each month when school is in session. Dinner follows (guests, $8; RSVP by preceding Thurs.). Call for dates/times.

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ARTS & CULTURE Seth Rogen, dad honored by Jewish group ARIELLE KAPLAN JTA NEW YORK eth Rogen and his father were honored by the secular Jewish group The Workers Circle — formerly known as The Workmen’s Circle until Monday night — for their contributions to Jewish culture, activism and promotion of the Yiddish language. Rogen, 37, who usually plays Jewish characters in his movies, recently studied Yiddish for “An American Pickle,” an upcoming film in which he plays a Jewish pickle maker who emerges from a pickle barrel after being stuck there for 100 years. Rogen’s father, Mark, 66, was an assistant director of The Workers Circle chapter in Los Angeles. Both of Rogen’s parents were Labor Zionists who have performed in Yiddish theater productions. The Workers Circle debuted its new name at a ceremony Monday in Manhattan nearly 120 years after its founding in 1900. “As the first woman to lead the organization, I am proud to uphold a welcom-

ing and inclusive culture,” the group’s executive director, Ann Toback, said in a news release. The Rogens were presented with the organization’s Generation to Generation award. In a short speech, the younger Rogen described the room as having “more people who speak Yiddish” than there has been “in any room since the shtetl in the 1920s.” The actor and filmmaker also added an anecdote about activism: When Seth was a child, his father made the news in his native Vancouver for interrupting a Hanukkah lighting ceremony to yell at an adversary, a man named Bill Vander Zalm, about all his “injustices.” (He did not elaborate.) The elder Rogen did so even though his wife, Sandy — the couple met on a kibbutz in Israel in the 1970s — told Mark that she would pretend not to know him if he went through with the plan to yell at the man during Hanukkah. “If you believe in something,” Seth Rogen said, “you should stand up for it, and yell about it, and scream about it, even if it will make you look so nuts that your own wife pretends not to know who you are.”

December 6, 2019, ARIZONA JEWISH POST

OBITUARY John Polacheck John W. Polacheck, M.D., 77, died Nov. 25, 2019, in Tucson, Arizona. Dr. Polacheck was born on April 10, 1942 in Milwaukee, where he grew up with his parents, Walter and Shirley Polacheck, and his younger siblings Linda, Mary, and Tom. After graduating as the valedictorian from Riverside High School, he attended Harvard University (class of ’64, cum laude) where he studied chemistry and was deeply involved in civil rights. He traveled to Love, Mississippi, with the Council of Federated Organizations as part of Freedom Summer, during which he was detained and assaulted by local law enforcement. He continued his activism while studying for his M.D. at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (class of ’69), including the 1968 protests against the war in Vietnam. He did his residency as a pulmonary internist at Montreal General, where he met his life partner and wife of over four decades, Faye Janet Libbey. He served with the Indian

ARIZONA JEWISH POST, December 6, 2019

Health Service in New Mexico (twice), Alaska, Arizona, and Nevada, between which he was a faculty researcher at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. In 1992, he and Faye settled in Tucson, where they lived with their son, Joshua, for the rest of their lives. He ran the Prostatitis Center from 1999 until his retirement in 2012. He was involved in the local flying, cactus, and amateur astronomy communities as well as being a lifelong supporter of the opera and symphony. Dr. Polacheck was predeceased by his wife, Faye, in 2015. Survivors include his son, Joshua, daughter-in-law Gugulethu, and one granddaughter, all of Tucson; sister, Linda (Mellis) of Chicago; and brother, Tom of Hobart, Australia. Memorial services will be held at the Jewish History Museum on Saturday, Dec. 14 at 6:30 pm. Memorial contributions may be made to the Navajo Hopi Health Foundation, Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Southern Arizona, or the NAACP.

OUR TOWN

Abigail Rose Stadheim, daughter of Suzie and Chad Stadheim, will celebrate becoming a bat mitzvah on Dec. 7, 2019 at Congregation Or Chadash. She is the granddaughter of Leah and the late Frederick Richter of Tucson, and Myrna and Robert Stadheim of Sun Lakes,

Arizona. Abigail attends Orange Grove Middle School where she is an honor student, plays percussion in the school band, and is a member of the student council. She is a competitive swimmer, and enjoys reading and sewing. For her mitzvah project, Abigail sewed and sold items, using the proceeds to provide underprivileged children with swim lessons.

Birth

A son, Asher Jax Goldstein, was born Oct. 15, 2019 to Steffany and Joseph Goldstein of Scottsdale. Grandparents are Ellen and David Goldstein and Tess and Mark Holcomb, all of Tucson.

People in the news Jeffrey Jacobson has been elected to the board of directors of the Alpha Epsilon Pi Foundation. Last year, he became the 74th supreme master (international president) of Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity. Jacobson is a member of the Tucson Hebrew Academy board of trustees and co-founder of the Will for Heroes Foundation, which provides legal documents such as wills, living wills, and powers of attorney to first responders free of charge. A graduate of Northern Arizona University, he is an attorney at The Law Office of Jeffrey H. Jacobson, PLLC. He is a member of Congregation Or Chadash. Send news of your simchas to localnews@azjewishpost.com or call 319-1112

Border trip enlightens NW/Hadassah group About 85 community members joined a trip to the U.S.-Mexico border wall in Nogales, Arizona, on Wednesday, Nov. 20. The bus trip, hosted by the Ruth and Irving Olson Center for Jewish Life and Hadassah Southern Arizona, included several speakers along the journey: immigration attorneys Alexandra Miller from Humane Borders and Gloria Goldman of Goldman & Goldman Immigration Attorneys; Fran Krackow, who volunteered at the Rincon Congregational United Church of Christ migrant shelter; and Phyllis Gold, Olson Center director. The group stopped for lunch and shopping in Tubac.

M’kor Hayim joins URJ

Photo courtesy Congregation M’kor Hayim

Aaron Chase Handler, son of Marla and Steven Handler, celebrated becoming a bar mitzvah on Nov. 16, 2019, at Congregation Or Chadash. He attends Orange Grove Middle School and plays on the basketball team. Aaron enjoys baseball, basketball, football, and Camp Interlaken in Wisconsin. For his mitzvah project, he is a spokesperson for “Pitch in for Baseball,” providing over $1,500 worth of new baseball equipment to underprivileged boys.

In focus

Photo Debe Campbell/AJP

B’nai mitzvah

(L-R): Carol Weinstein; Janice Brumer, a member of the Union for Reform Judaism national board; and Rabbi Helen Cohn

tues - sAt 8Am - 4pm

Congregation M’kor Hayim has joined the Union for Reform Judaism, the association of nearly 900 Reform congregations in North America. “Our congregation began in 2008. Now that we are fully established locally, we felt it was time to connect with the wider Jewish community,” Rabbi Helen Cohn said. She and M’kor Hayim President Carol Weinstein will attend the URJ Biennial later this month. Other local URJ member congregations include Or Chadash and Temple Emanu-El.

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR The calendar deadline is Tuesday, 10 days before the issue date. Our next issue will be published Dec. 20, 2019. Events may be emailed to office@azjewishpost.com, faxed to 319-1118, or mailed to the AJP at 3718 E. River Road, #272, Tucson, AZ 85718. For more information, call 319-1112. See Area Congregations on page 26 for additional synagogue events. Men’s Mishnah club with Rabbi Israel Becker at Cong. Chofetz Chayim. Sundays, 7:15 a.m.; Monday-Friday, 6:15 a.m.; Saturdays, 8:15 a.m. 747-7780 or yzbecker@me.com. Chabad of Sierra Vista men’s tefillin club with Rabbi Benzion Shemtov, first Sundays, 9 a.m., at 401 Suffolk Drive. 820-6256 or www.jewishsierravista.com. Southwest Torah Institute Beginners Hebrew for Women with Esther Becker, Sundays, 10:30-11:30 a.m., 14 sessions, no classes the last two weeks of December, at 5150 E. Fifth St. Free. Register at 591-7680. “Too Jewish” radio show with Rabbi Samuel M. Cohon on KVOI 1030 AM (also KAPR and KJAA), Sundays at 9 a.m. Dec. 8, David Broza, Israeli and world music star. Dec. 15, Debbie Cenziper, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “Citizen 865: The Hunt for Hitler's Soldiers in America.”

ONGOING Hawkins, 2nd and 4th Sundays, 5 p.m., no partners. Members, $6; nonmembers, $8. 299-3000.

Tuesdays, 10 a.m.-noon. Contact Raisa Moroz at 795-0300.

Cong. Anshei Israel parent-tot class, led by Ally Ross. Mondays, 9-11 a.m. Children up to 24 months and their parent(s). Free. Mandatory vaccination policy. Call Nancy Auslander at 745-5550 or visit www.caiaz.org.

Awakening Through Jewish Meditation — Discover Freedom, with Reb Brian Yosef, Tuesdays/Sundays at 10:30 a.m., at Cong. Bet Shalom. Free. Check calendar at www.torahofawakening.com.

Temple Emanu-El mah jongg, Mondays, 10 a.m. 327-4501.

Tucson J social bridge, Tuesdays and Thursdays, noon-3 p.m., year round. Drop-ins welcome. Meets in library on second floor. 2993000.

Cong. Anshei Israel mah jongg, Mondays, 10 a.m.-noon. All levels, men and women. Contact Evelyn at 885-4102 or esigafus@aol.com. Tucson J current events discussion, Mondays, noon-1:30 p.m. Members, $1; nonmembers, $2. Bring or buy lunch, 11:30 a.m. 2993000, ext. 147. Cong. Bet Shalom yoga, Mondays, 4:30-5:30 p.m. $5. 577-1171.

JFCS Holocaust Survivors group meets Bazaar. 327-4501.

concierge@jewishtucson.org.

Hillary Chorny and Cantorial Soloist Nichole Chorny. $18 suggested donation. RSVP at 7455550 or www.caiaz.org.

Tucson J Israeli dance, taught by Brandi

Friday / December 6

NOON: Cong. Anshei Israel book club discusses “To the End of the Land,” by David Grossman. Contact Helen Rib at 299-0340 or helenrib@yahoo.com. 4:30 PM: Beth Shalom Temple Center (Green Valley) “Carnival of Illusion” presented by Men’s Club and Sisterhood. At Scottish Rite Grand Parlor, 160 S. Scott Ave., Tucson. $36.95. To purchase tickets contact Gary Friedman at 344-7599 or grfriedman@yahoo. com.

Sunday / December 8

9 AM-NOON: Temple Emanu-El WRJ Hanukkah

ARIZONA JEWISH POST, December 6, 2019

Temple Kol Hamidbar (Sierra Vista) “Wrestling with Torah” study group, led by Reuben Ben-Adam, Fridays, 6-7:15 p.m. 458-8637.

Jewish History Museum/Holocaust History Center exhibit, “Asylum/Asilo,” through May 31. Drop-in hours Fridays 1-3 p.m., Saturdays/Sundays 1-5 p.m. 564 S. Stone Ave. 6709073 or www.jewishhistorymuseum.org.

Spouse Bereavement Group, cosponsored by Widowed to Widowed, Inc. at the Tucson J, Tuesdays, 10 a.m. Contact Katie at 299-3000, ext. 147.

Saturday / December 7

“Biblical Breakthroughs with Rabbi Becker” at the Southwest Torah Institute. Fridays, noon, for men and women. 747-7780 or yzbecker@me.com.

Cong. Anshei Israel gentle chair yoga with Lois Graham, Wednesdays, 9:30-10:30 a.m. Members of Women’s League, $6 per class; nonmembers, $8 per class. Contact Evelyn at 885-4102 or esigafus@aol.com.

Southern Arizona Jewish Genealogy Society, second Sundays, 1-3 p.m. at the Tucson J. Contact Barbara Stern Mannlein at 731-0300 or the J at 299-3000.

5:45 PM: Cong. Anshei Israel Tot Shabbat service and dinner. Hosted by 14-month to 2-year-olds’ classes. Dinner at 6:15 p.m. $25 family of 2 adults and up to 4 children; additional adults $10. RSVP for availability for dinner at 745-5550.

Jewish mothers/grandmothers special needs support group for those with children/grandchildren, youth or adult, with special needs, third Thursdays, 7-8:30 p.m. at Tucson J. Contact Joyce Stuehringer at 299-5920.

Beth Shalom Temple Center (Green Valley) art gallery presents “Playing with Paper” by local artist and educator Linda Lucas Larriva, through Jan. 6. Call 648-6690 for a viewing appointment.

Jewish 12-step sobriety support group meets Mondays, 6:30-8 p.m. at Cong. Bet Shalom. dcmack1952@gmail.com.

5:30 PM: Temple Emanu-El Shabbat Rocks! service with b’nai mitzvah students, followed at 6:30 p.m. by family Shabbat dinner, and traditional service at 7:30 p.m. 327-4501.

Cong. Anshei Israel Talmud on Tuesday with Rabbi Robert Eisen. Meets 6 p.m. 7455550.

Chabad of Sierra Vista women’s class with Rabbi Benzion Shemtov, last Wednesdays, 2 p.m., 401 Suffolk Drive. 820-6256 or www.jewishsierravista.com.

Weintraub Israel Center Shirat HaShirim Hebrew choir, Tuesdays, 7 p.m. Learn to sing in Hebrew. Contact Rina Paz at 304-7943 or ericashem@cox.net.

Beth Shalom Temple Center of Green Valley bagel breakfast and Yiddish club, first Sundays, 9:30 a.m. Members, $7; nonmembers, $10. 648-6690 or 399-3474.

11 AM: JHM Gallery Chat, Anita HuizarHernandez, Ph.D., UA assistant professor of border studies and author of “Forging Arizona.” Free. 564 S. Stone Ave. www.jewish historymuseum.org or 670-9073.

Tucson J canasta group, Tuesdays 1-4 p.m., and Thursdays noon-4 p.m. Instruction available and a beginners’ table every week. Call or text Lisa at 977-4054.

Temple Emanu-El Talmud study, Wednesdays, 10 -11:30 a.m. Text required, call 3274501.

9:30 AM-12:30 PM: Cong. Or Chadash Sisterhood Gift Shop Hanukkah Boutique. 5128500. 10:30 AM: Desert Caucus brunch with Steve Chabot (R-OH). Guests should be prospective members. Contact desertcaucus@gmail.com or 299-2410. 1:30 PM: Hadassah Southern Arizona Wine and Chocolates Philanthropy Event, Woman of the Year 2019 presentation, and installation of officers for 2020. Wine and chocolate tastings by Enchanted Bean. $25. At Ruth and Irving Olson Center for Jewish Life, 180 W. Magee Road, Ste. 140. RSVP for availability to Rochelle Roth at 298-3038. 2 PM: Tucson J Celebration of Heritage Concert Series presents Arizona Balalaika Orchestra with Romani-style vocalists Natalia Neazimbyetov and Guy Velgos. $10. 299-3000.

Tuesday / December 10

6 PM: JHM International Human Rights Day cards & cocoa, in collaboration with Casa Mariposas. Card and letter writing event for those held in detention in Arizona. Free. 564 S. Stone Ave. www.jewishhistorymuseum.org or 670-9073.

Wednesday / December 11

8-9:30 AM: Jewish Business Coffee Group meeting. At Tucson J. 299-3000, ext. 241, or

Thursday / December 12

2 PM: Book reading "Welcome to... The Widows Club," by Sula Miller. Free. At Dusenberry-River Library, 5605 E. River Road, 594-5345. Also Saturday, Dec. 14, 11 a.m. at Bookmans Northwest in association with the Tucson J, 3733 W. Ina Road. 579-0303.

Friday / December 13

7:45 PM: Cong. Anshei Israel Scholar-inResidence service and dinner with Rabbi Cantor Hillary Chorny of Temple Beth Am in Los Angeles presenting “The Torah of Innovation.” Mincha & Kabbalat Shabbat Service at 5:45 p.m. Dinner at 7 p.m.: members, $18 adults; $12 children; nonmembers, $22 adults; $15 children. $5 more per person after Dec. 9. RSVP for dinner at www.caiaz.org or 745-5550.

Saturday / December 14

9 AM: Cong. Anshei Israel Scholar-in-Residence Shabbat service. Rabbi Cantor Hillary Chorny presents “Targum and Torah.” 745-5550 or www.caiaz.org. 10:30 AM: Cong. Bet Shalom and PJ Library Tot Shabbat with Lisa Schacter-Brooks. Free. At Cong. Bet Shalom. 577-1171. 7 PM: Cong. Anshei Israel Cantors’ Concert, “Hadeish Yameinu K’kedem: Renewing Our Days as of Old,” with Rabbi Cantor

Sunday / December 15

7:45 AM: Tucson J Hot Chocolate Fun Run. 10K, 5K, or 1K run/walk. Pricing varies by route. Register at www.tucsonjcc.org or 299-3000, or arrive at 6:30 a.m. to register. 9 AM-NOON: Cong. Anshei Israel B’Yahad/ Mishpacha Hanukkah Program “Being Jewish in America: Dignity and Destiny.” Hanukkah activities and Maccabiah sporting competition. Free. RSVP by Dec. 11 to Kim at 745-5550, ext. 224. 9:15-10:15 AM: Cong. Anshei Israel Adult Studies Kollel “Wonder of Wonders, Miracle of Miracles,” presented by Rabbi Robert Eisen. Hanukkah activities and Maccabiah sporting competition. Free. RSVP by Dec. 11 to Tamara at 745-5550, ext. 225. 10 AM: Handmaker lecture. Yosef Lopez of Cong. Bet Shalom speaks about the Greek influence on Jewish living from Hellenistic times to the present. Free. 2221 N. Rosemont Blvd. RSVP to Nanci Levy at nlevy@handmaker.org or 322-3632. 10 AM: Temple Emanu-El Hanukkah Spectacular with student participation. 327-4501 or www.tetucson.org. 10 AM-NOON: Southern Arizona Jewish Artist Group. Informal networking meeting. At

Tucson J. Contact Carol Sack at concierge@ jfsa.org or 299-3000, ext. 241.

Monday / December 16

6 PM: J Street reception honoring Larry Gellman, featuring Amb. Wendy R. Sherman and J Street President Jeremy BenAmi. At home of Larry and Kristen Gellman; address provided on registration. $100; students/ young professionals free; sponsorships available. https://act.jstreet.org/donate/j-street-arizona-reception or cecilia@jstreet.org. 7-8:30 PM: Arizona Center for Judaic Studies Shaol & Louis Pozez Memorial Lectureship Series presents “‘Aliyah of the Mind: Zionism as Jewish Emancipation” with Dr. David Hazony of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Free. At Tucson J. 626-5758 or www. judaic.arizona.edu.

Tuesday / December 17

5:30-7:30 PM: REAP dinner and presentation, “The Silver Tsunami: How Watermark and the senior housing industry are preparing for the baby boomers,” at Watermark Communities — The Hacienda at the Canyon, 3900 N. Sabino Canyon Road. Members, free; nonmembers, $55. RSVP to Jeanette Dempsey at jdempsey@ jfsa.org or 647.8477.

Thursday / December 19

1:15 PM: Temple Emanu-El Jewish Novels Group discusses “The Dream Stitcher” by Deborah Gaal. 327-4501.

Friday / December 20

11 AM: JHM Gallery Chat, “Bonding Over Bread — Jewish & Mexicana Identity in Art,” with local artist Ondrea Bell. Followed by art making workshop. Free. 564 S. Stone Ave. www.jewishhistorymuseum.org or 670-9073. 5:45 PM: Cong. Anshei Israel Family Shab-

Saturday / December 28

bat Experience service and dinner. Dinner at 7 p.m.: members, $25 family of 2 adults and up to 4 children; nonmember family $30; adult (13+) $10. RSVP for dinner only by Dec. 16 at www.caiaz.org or 745-5550.

Saturday / December 21

8 AM: Temple Emanu-El Wandering Jews hike and Shabbat morning service with Rabbi Batsheva Appel at Seven Falls. 327-4501. 7:30 PM: Weintraub Israel Center co-sponsors Israeli singer/guitarist David Broza & Friends with Trio Havana at the Fox Tucson Theatre. Tickets at www.foxtucson.com.

Sunday / December 22

9:15 AM: Jewish War Veterans FriedmanPaul Post 201 breakfast meeting at B'nai B'rith Covenant House, 4414 E. 2nd St. Contact Seymour Shapiro at 398-5360. 3-4:30 PM: PJ Library and Cong. Or Chadash present “Hanukkah at Handmaker” multi-generational Hanukkah event. Religious school youth choir, stories and crafts. Free. At Handmaker, 2221 N. Rosemont Blvd. RSVP at www.jfsa.org/hanukkah@handmaker2019 or contact Mary Ellen Loebl at pjlibrary@ jfsa.org . 5 PM: Chabad of Tucson Hanukkah menorah downtown lighting. Free. El Presidio Park, 160 W Alameda St. www.chabadtucson. com. 5:45 PM: Temple Emanu-El Hanukkah dinner and klezmer concert. Preceded at 5:30 p.m. by Millstone Menorah lighting. Light jazz by ZemerZemer Klezmer Band during dinner. After dinner sing along with Cantorial Soloist Marjorie Hochberg and dance to klezmer tunes. Dinner: Members, $30; nonmembers, $35; ages 3-12, $9; Under 3, free. RSVP by Dec. 16 at www.tetucson.org/event/hanukkah-dinner or 327-4501.

UPCOMING

NOON-3 PM: Secular Humanist Jewish Circle Hanukkah Party with food and gift exchange. Members, $3; nonmembers, $5. At St. Francis in the Foothills, 4625 E. River Road. RSVP by Dec. 24 to Pat at ptdmnd@gmail.com or 481-5324. www.shjcaz.org.

Sunday / December 29

5 PM: Cong. Chofetz Chayim Hanukkah party, celebrating Rabbi Israel and Esther Becker’s 40 years in Tucson. Catered by Café à la C’Art under supervision of the rabbi. Adults, $36; Children under 11, $18. RSVP at www.tucson torah.org or call Jeff DuBois at 248-8663.

NORTHWEST TUCSON

All Ruth and Irving Olson Center for Jewish Life (JFSA Northwest Division) events are held at 180 W. Magee Road, #140, unless otherwise indicated.

ONGOING

Chair yoga with a Jewish flair taught by Bonnie Golden. At Ruth and Irving Olson Center for Jewish Life, Mondays, 10-11 a.m. $7 per class or $25 for four. 505-4161 or northwestjewish@ jfsa.org. NW Needlers create hand-stitched items for donation in the Jewish community. At Ruth and Irving Olson Center for Jewish Life. Tuesdays, 1-3 p.m. RSVP to judithgfeldman@gmail.com or 505-4161. Mah jongg, meets at Ruth and Irving Olson Center for Jewish Life, Wednesdays, 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., 505-4161. Chabad of Oro Valley adult education class, Jewish learning with Rabbi Ephraim Zimmerman. Wednesdays at 7 p.m., at 1171 E. Rancho Vistoso Blvd., #131. 477-8672 or www.jewishoro valley.com. Chabad of Oro Valley Torah and Tea for women, with Mushkie Zimmerman. Thursdays, 2 p.m., through Dec. 12, at 1171 E. Rancho Vistoso Blvd., #131. 477-8672 or www.jewish orovalley.com.

Friday / December 6

5:30-6:15 PM: Cong. Beit Simcha Tot Shabbat. Free. Contact Lori Riegel at 276-9244.

Sunday / December 8

10 AM-NOON: Ruth and Irving Olson Center for Jewish Life hosts Stuff the Truck event for 1st Rate 2nd Hand Thrift Shop. Drop off gently used, re-sellable items. All proceeds from items donated on this day will benefit JFSA Northwest Division. For more information, contact 505-4161 or northwestjewish@jfsa.org.

Monday / December 9

6:30 PM: Chabad of Oro Valley Women’s

Circle presents “Shabbat in an hour,” an interactive cooking demonstration with Chanie Schecter. Samples included. Recipe exchange — send your favorite kosher recipe when you RSVP to adeli@jewishorovalley.com. Suggested donation $5.

Tuesday / December 10

5 PM: Ruth and Irving Olson Center for Jewish Life JFSA Northwest Division Campaign Kick-Off, “An Evening of Jewish Jazz Through the Ages” with Robin Bessier and her jazz trio, at The Buttes at Reflections, 9800 N. Oracle Road. Sunset cocktail hour followed by dinner and program. $45. RSVP for availability at www.jfsa.org/nwcampaignkickoff2020 or contact Anel Pro at apro@jfsa.org or 647-8455.

Monday / December 16

5-6:30 PM: Ruth and Irving Olson Center for Jewish Life and Hadassah Southern Arizona book club discuss “The Spy Behind Home Plate” by Moe Berg, at the Olson Center. Jan. 27, “Uncovered: How I Left Hasidic Life and Finally Came Home,” by Leah Lax. RSVP at 505-4161 or northwestjewish@jfsa.org.

Tuesday / December 17

12:30-2 PM: Jewish Federation-Northwest community dining out event at Noble Hops, 1335 W. Lambert Lane. Purely social. Purchase your own fare. RSVP by Dec. 13 for an accurate headcount for restaurant staff at www.jfsa.org/ noblehops.

Sunday / December 22

5 PM: Chabad of Oro Valley community menorah lighting and Hanukkah celebration, Oro Valley Public Library, 1305 W. Naranja Dr. Food, music, “Gelt Drop.” 477-8672 or www. jewishorovalley.com.

and each month your Jewish child age 6 months to 8 years will get a FREE Jewish book or CD in the mail. Go to www.jewishtucson.org.

GoinG AwAy? Remember to stop delivery of the AJP at least a week before you leave town! Fill out the “delivery stops” form online at:

www.azjewishpost.com/print-subscription or call 647-8441 to leave a message with your name, address, zip code, telephone number and the dates you will be away.

December 6, 2019, ARIZONA JEWISH POST

ARIZONA JEWISH POST, December 6, 2019