May 4, 2018 19 Iyar 5778 Volume 74, Issue 9
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INSIDE Dining Out Guide .......15-21 Mother’s Day .............. 12-14 Arts & Culture ....................9, 11 Classifieds .............................26 Commentary ..........................6 Community Calendar...........24 In Focus...........................23, 27 Insiders View........................22 Letter to the Editor ................7 Local ...............................2, 3, 9 National .................................11 Obituaries .............................26 Our Town ..............................27 Synagogue Directory...........10 Volunteer Salute ....................2
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Local forum on response to sexual violence is eye-opening PHYLLIS BRAUN AJP Executive Editor
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lba Jaramillo, J.D., has worked for almost two decades in the field of human rights, particularly immigrant and women’s rights. She’s an expert on domestic and sexual violence, both as a professional and as a survivor herself. Yet none of that prevented her from being terrorized by a serial stalker, right here in Tucson. Jaramillo was one of six panelists at a 2018 Local Leader’s Forum held Friday, April 20 on “How does our community respond to sexual violence?” The morning event was a powerful and enlightening examination of the issue not only in Southern Arizona but in American society as a whole.
Photo: Simon Rosenblatt
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Joan-e Rapine of Jewish Family & Children's Services speaks, flanked by Amalia C. Mora of the University of Arizona, left, and Alba Jaramillo of YWCA Southern Arizona.
Organized by the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona and the Jewish History Museum in collaboration with the YWCA Southern Arizona, the panel featured five women and one man, all of whom have spent years in the trenches, working with social service agencies and
other nonprofit organizations. The forum was held at the JFSA office, known as the Harvey and Deanna Evenchik Center for Jewish Philanthropy, with about 45 people in attendance. “We are delighted to be putting on this program, and very sad and angry that we have to,” said JCRC Chair Richard White, opening the
event. Hollywood celebrities have put the #MeToo movement into the spotlight, he said, but there is much that needs to be addressed locally “for people who are never going to appear in the headlines, and just need our help.” Liane Hernandez of the YWCA and Jaimie Luria of the Jewish History Museum served as moderators. Although each panelist’s perspective was different, the pervasiveness of the problem and the need to focus on prevention and education were among the themes that emerged. Amalia C. Mora, Ph.D., program coordinator at the University of Arizona’s new Consortium on Gender-Based Violence, spoke of being a survivor not only of sexual violence but also of the See Forum, page 4
Jewish Latino Teen Coalition life-changing for local youth The last print edition before our summer break will be July 13. Look for our next print edition on Aug. 17.
DEBE CAMPBELL AJP Editorial Assistant
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don’t know what path I would be on right now without JLTC . . . everything has changed,” says Catalina Foothills High School junior and student body president Peris Lopez. The Jewish-Latino Teen Coalition is life-changing for the sophomores and juniors it brings together annually from high schools across Tucson. JLTC’s 14th cohort of students, 11 including Lopez, spent months of intentional education and preparation that culminated in a legislative advocacy mission to Washington, D.C., April 9-13. Competitive applications open each fall. After rigorous interviews, a selection committee builds a diverse, multi-gendered, multi-eth-
Photo courtesy Jewish Latino Teen Coalition
SUMMER SCHEDULE
At the United States Capitol on April 11, (L-R): Isabella Luna, Rebecca Dubin, Sophie Holtzman, Peris Lopez, Rachel Davenport, Senator Jeff Flake, Eric Brown, Yuval Barel, Jessica Hernandez, Rafi Zinman, Sophia Greenhill, and Manuel Barcelo
nic group that commits to months of education and weekly workshops, building knowledge and skills for advocacy and leadership, says local therapist Shari Gootter, the passionate volunteer leader for the coalition for the past 12 years. “They learn to discuss, disagree,
CANDLELIGHTING TIMES:
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understand, work together and share openly and honestly. It’s an experience of self-reflection, exploration and learning more about themselves through the group. My favorite thing to watch is the kids start out one way and end up another,” she says of the process. “The
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kids are changed in so many different ways, sometimes you just don’t know how.” Lopez now is considering a new career path in political science, she says, “something dealing with the public and legislation.” During the course of the program, Lopez organized the local March for Our Lives event against gun violence, held March 24, which drew 8,000 participants. “It’s strange to picture myself as that person,” she says. University High School junior Sophie Holtzman also surprised herself this year, organizing student walkouts and sit-ins. “I was always interested in politics and minimally involved. JLTC showed me that even as a teenager, we can make a difference on the local and national level.” As the teens explore, they select
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See Teen, page 7