Local professionals attended the International Chabad Young Jewish Leadership Summit
MAKING MATZAH
IDF soldier Yedidya Harush runs a matzah bakery near Gaza
Cantor Ross Wolman knows every Sunday school kids’ name at Temple Chai, the Phoenix synagogue he’s worked at and loved for the last decade. When any one student of nearly 200 kids raises a hand, Wolman can call on them by name. True, he learned some of their names because he led them in song in the temple’s early childhood program. Moreover, as a parent, he got to know some better because they were friends with his own children. But he also works at it. In his downtime, even while watching his beloved Philadelphia Eagles, he’ll look at photos and test himself on student names, simply because it matters.
Melissa Epstein, Temple Chai
SHANNON LEVITT | STAFF WRITER
Cantor Ross Wolman is known for being great with kids at Temple Chai.
“He knows every child and everyone’s name. He can call any of them up to participate at family retreats or tot Shabbats. He called my kids up to help him light the menorah at Chanukah in Carefree,” she told Jewish News.
His effort on that front alone will make her miss him when he leaves. After 10 years, Wolman is leaving Temple Chai this summer and moving to Chicago with his wife, Malka, and their three kids, Aviv, Bina and Elie, to join the clergy of North Shore Congregation Israel.
“It will be hard to replace him,” Epstein said. “He knows everyone and makes them feel that this is their home, too.”
David Epstein, her husband, feels the same.
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“Cantor Wolman is, unfortunately, irreplaceable. He knows our kids, he knows every kid — every kid’s name, every family. I was heartbroken when I learned he was leaving,” he told Jewish News.
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SOPHIE STERN
said Jon Meyers, director of ADDPC.
“Our hope is to create and promote
about her Judaism with her fellow council members and speaking out for her rights and beliefs.
about her Judaism with her fellow council members and speaking out for her rights
She already has some practice at advocating for herself.
she earned her position, Meyers said.
had to apply and demonstrate that she had something valuable to contribute, he said.
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He joked that the cantor even gets him to sing, a challenge given that, in his estimation, he has a voice for speaking but not singing.
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“It’s easy to sing along with him because he makes it a fun environment, and he’s always smiling,” Epstein said.
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As cantor, music is Wolman’s main job, however much he relishes his roles as teacher, camp leader and cleric. Yet, it’s always more than just music to him. For example, during a Friday night service, he sometimes mutes his own voice to encourage the congregation to sing louder, allowing other voices to fill the space.
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To become a council member, Stern had to apply and demonstrate that she had something valuable to contribute, he said.
told Jewish News. “It’s not about me; it’s about bringing people together.”
Still, it’s also about the music.
“She’s on the council because she deserves to be on the council,” he said. Stern is creating a life and career as a member of her community, which makes her a great addition.
“She’s on the council because she deserves to be on the council,” he said. Stern is creating a life and career as a member of her community, which makes her a great addition.
“One time, I was in class and someone called me the R-word and I told him not to. The teacher was in the hallway and another student repeated the word,” she said. Rather than letting the situation go, she told her theater teacher, who was able
She already has some practice at
“One time, I was in class and someone called me the R-word and I told him not to. The teacher was in the hallway and another student repeated the word,” she said. Rather than letting the situation go, she told her theater teacher, who was able
“If someone has a disability, saying the R-word is like saying the F-word,”
“If someone has a disability, saying the R-word is like saying the F-word,”
While performing in the musical “Hairspray,” she had another occasion to tangle with the offensive word, which
While performing in the musical “Hairspray,” she had another occasion to tangle with the offensive word, which
“That’s really bad and my friend said it on stage. I was not OK with that, so I went to the director and told her it was a bad word for people with disabilities, but she wouldn’t take it out,” Stern said.
“That’s really bad and my friend said it on stage. I was not OK with that, so I went to the director and told her it was a bad word for people with disabilities, but she wouldn’t take it out,” Stern said.
didn’t have.
She let her mother know about the conflict and they were able to convince the director of the need to remove the word from the script.
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“I’m called to be a performer and, of course, I sing the big stuff during the holidays. But my real mission, my passion, is getting folks to sing together,” Wolman
August 18* August 25
As a kid growing up in Pennsylvania, his musical parents usually sang to him before bedtime. He started playing the piano when he was little and loved singing in synagogue. In the 1990s, he was hooked on alternative rock music — “1992 is when the bug really bit me.” Following in the footsteps of his guitar-playing rabbi, he learned to play the instrument, too. By eighth grade, a new rabbi asked him to assist with music at services.
Stern graduated from McClintock High School in Tempe last year and now attends Glendale Community College, with a focus on dance. She is a regular performer at Detour Company Theatre, a Scottsdale theatre company for adults with intellectual, developmental and physical disabilities.
Stern graduated from McClintock High School in Tempe last year and now attends Glendale Community College, with a focus on dance. She is a regular performer at Detour Company Theatre, a Scottsdale theatre company for adults with intellectual, developmental and physical disabilities.
Later, he joined NFTY (Reform Judaism’s national youth organization) and spent five weeks in Israel. He played the guitar on bus trips and led his friends in musical prayer. When he got home, his rabbi told him he should become a cantor, a position his small synagogue
He studied music education at Temple University, where his voice teacher was a cantorial soloist. After college, he enrolled at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion School of Sacred Music, which has since been renamed for Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music in honor of the American singersongwriter of Jewish music.
In fact, when Stern attended her first council meeting in January, she couldn’t wait to tell people of her involvement with Detour and share information about its upcoming shows.
In fact, when Stern attended her first council meeting in January, she couldn’t wait to tell people of her involvement with Detour and share information about its upcoming shows.
“There’s no question that she is going to thrive,” Meyers said. “She’s very gregarious and passionate about the things that matter to her.”
She let her mother know about the conflict and they were able to convince the director of the need to remove the word from the script.
“My friend Al was next to me when I told the director and he gave me the biggest hug ever and said that he loved me so much,” Stern said. Sadly, Al died in a car crash on Oct. 24, 2021.
Heart Can’t Even Believe It: A Story of Science, Love and Down Syndrome,” Silverman’s book about her daughter. When Gesher’s speakers’ bureau, Damon Brooks & Associates, was asked to find a speaker about Down syndrome for an event this spring, Hummell first asked Silverman to speak, thinking Stern might be too young.
Heart Can’t Even Believe It: A Story of Science, Love and Down Syndrome,” Silverman’s book about her daughter. When Gesher’s speakers’ bureau, Damon Brooks & Associates, was asked to find a speaker about Down syndrome for an event this spring, Hummell first asked Silverman to speak, thinking Stern might be too young.
They decided instead that Stern should tell her own story; it’s a real bonus that she is not afraid of public speaking.
“That was hard; it’s very hard to get emotions out and I was very, very upset,” she said.
“My friend Al was next to me when I told the director and he gave me the biggest hug ever and said that he loved me so much,” Stern said. Sadly, Al died in a car crash on Oct. 24, 2021.
“That was hard; it’s very hard to get emotions out and I was very, very upset,” she said.
In addition to studying music, Wolman also had to follow “a very rigorous academic program with history, Torah, Talmud and a pastoral care program. There’s a lot of overlap between the rabbinical and cantorial programs,” he explained.
On the recent anniversary of his death, Stern made a cake and took it to the crash site.
On the recent anniversary of his death, Stern made a cake and took it to the crash site.
“I don’t know how I did it without crying. I’m so proud of myself,” she said.
“I don’t know how I did it without crying. I’m so proud of myself,” she said.
When called upon, he can, and does, take part in all aspects of the liturgy.
Amy Hummell, executive director of Gesher Disability Resources, agreed that Stern is a good fit for ADDPC because of her ability to self-advocate.
“It’s not the same when someone tries to tell a person’s story for them,” Hummell said.
They decided instead that Stern should tell her own story; it’s a real bonus that she is not afraid of public speaking.
“It’s not the same when someone tries to tell a person’s story for them,” Hummell said.
Additionally, helping people with disabilities find jobs was one of the reasons for acquiring the bureau. Unemployment in the disability community is upwards of 75% and of that percentage, 75% are ready, willing and able to work — but haven’t been given the opportunity, Hummell said.
Stern looks forward to sharing insights
“There’s no question that she is going to thrive,” Meyers said. “She’s very gregarious and passionate about the things that matter to her.”
One of Wolman’s proudest achievements at Temple Chai came during his
Stern looks forward to sharing insights
Hummell co-hosted a book event with Meyers a few years ago for “My
Amy Hummell, executive director of Gesher Disability Resources, agreed that Stern is a good fit for ADDPC because of her ability to self-advocate.
Hummell co-hosted a book event with Meyers a few years ago for “My
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Additionally, helping people with disabilities find jobs was one of the reasons for acquiring the bureau. Unemployment in the disability community is upwards of 75% and of that percentage, 75% are ready, willing and able to work — but haven’t been given the opportunity, Hummell said.
“People have it in them to speak up but don’t know how, and often they’re not cheered on. Sophie has family support
“People have it in them to speak up but don’t know how, and often they’re not cheered on. Sophie has family support
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Sophie Stern at her high school
Sophie Stern at her high school graduation in 2022
In 2022, Cantor Ross Wolman led a b’not mitzvah and service trip to Israel. As a cantorial student, he studied in Israel and loves speaking in Israel. His connection to the Israeli community in Arizona is something he values. COURTESY OF CANTOR ROSS WOLMAN
interview with then-senior Rabbi Mari Chernow. The two talked about different ways to explore prayer with music. The resulting Prayer Lab is an experimental service that attempts to expand the boundaries of traditional services and takes place a few times a year. Past Prayer Labs have used art and poetry, theatrical interpretations of the weekly parshah, dance and movement.
Last fall, Wolman suggested using the lyrics of Billy Joel’s “Turn the Lights Back On” for the Kol Nidre Prayer Lab.
“The song is about dissension in a relationship and wanting to come back together to resolve hurt. It was perfect for Kol Nidre,” Temple Chai Rabbi Bonnie Koppell told Jewish News.
Sada Gilbert, who sings in the choir during Prayer Lab, “treasures” the service.
“Cantor Wolman invites everyone into the music, and when we do Prayer Lab, he is a collaborative musician. He makes space for others, space for the music and welcomes ideas. He’s a wonderful singer and musician and it could be the Wolman Show, but it’s not. He invites everyone to be part of the music,” Gilbert told Jewish News. His inclusiveness is one of the reasons she and her family joined the synagogue.
“Prayer Lab is an amazing concept of an introduction to prayer with music. It is a way to look at a Friday night service with completely different eyes and ears, and people love it,” Ginny Keller told Jewish News. Keller is a past board president of Temple Chai and has been a member for 36 years.
“When Prayer Lab is on the calendar, our sanctuary is filled with congregants and non-congregants,” she said.
Koppell said one of Wolman’s most admirable qualities is that he’s always learning, “always on the cutting edge of
secular and Jewish music.”
Recently, she asked Wolman to include one of his songs in a service she was leading. Afterward, her mother told her, “Wow! That song really made your sermon.”
During a High Holiday service a few years ago, Koppell and Wolman did the same kind of thing using music from “Fiddler on the Roof,” a musical Koppell loves to quote. She talked, and he interwove song lyrics to reinforce her sermon’s lesson. When she learned he was leaving Temple Chai, she asked to recreate it.
“On April 18, we’re doing an encore,” she said. Wolman will also be honored at a Temple Chai service and dinner on May 2.
Wolman is also proud of his efforts to create a Temple Chai sound. From the beginning, he included the synagogue’s past cantors and choir members to work with him on this project. His enthusiasm was palpable.
“He brought such excitement and enthusiasm with him that it was a perfect fit for us. He had so much to bring to us we had to slow him down and say, ‘Let us get used to this first before we get everything,’” Keller said.
While Temple Chai already considered itself a singing congregation, she said that Wolman brought “new songs and new instruments to bring out the nuances of the music.” Anyone taking a quick peek into his office can see a cajón, a Peruvian box-shaped percussion instrument; a harmonium, a keyboard organ-like instrument; and a shruti box, similar to the harmonium but smaller. Just ask, and Wolman is happy to demonstrate any and all of these.
As much as his musical gifts are admired, many Temple Chai members associate their cantor with the kids and his impact on them.
At a dinner with older congregants, Koppell said when she brought up the prospect of Wolman’s departure, the response was, “If you ask my grandkids, Cantor Wolman is Temple Chai.”
“The way he works with kids is unparalleled,” Gilbert said. “Nothing phases him in terms of their attire or behavior, they’re always welcome.”
Gilbert added that Malka Wolman, a Temple Chai early childhood teacher, “will also be massively missed — her contributions and the way she connects people.”
David and Melissa Epstein’s favorite weekend for the last three years is the weekend they spend at Temple Chai’s family camp.
“We’re not the outdoorsy type, but Cantor Wolman makes it a wonderful experience for us and our kids. Now I convince other people to go,” Melissa said.
Growing up, David’s cantor always wore a suit and tie, which made him seem unapproachable. Wolman, on the other hand, is the opposite.
“He plays with the kids and they love him,” he said. “Cantor Wolman isn’t just a member of the clergy; he’s a member of the temple.”
Keller remembered when Wolman interviewed for the job, he wanted to visit the Sunday school.
“He came into the sanctuary where we were waiting, and there were a million kids following him like the Pied Piper of Hamelin — they just connected with him immediately,” she said.
She said Wolman’s “energy, innovations and leadership will be incredibly missed” at Temple Chai, but that while change is always difficult, she has complete confidence that “his music will continue to light Jewish services and Jewish campers for a long, long time.”
Cantor Ross Wolman teaches Torah to Jewish campers. COURTESY
CANTOR ROSS WOLMAN
Cantor Ross Wolman led AZ Jews for Pride, one of his passion projects during his time in Phoenix. He is pictured here at Phoenix Pride with his wife, Malka, and three children.
COURTESY OF CANTOR ROSS WOLMAN
Cantor Ross Wolman holding his guitar.
COURTESY OF CANTOR ROSS WOLMAN
Scottsdale celebrates Frank Jacobson as one of its ‘history makers’
SHANNON LEVITT | STAFF WRITER
In 1987, Frank Jacobson moved his family to Scottsdale to become the president and CEO of Scottsdale Cultural Council, now called Scottsdale Arts. He arrived on Labor Day weekend, two weeks before the Salt River PimaMaricopa Indian Community closed the northern side of Pima Road, blockading their property from Scottsdale. Relations between the city of Scottsdale and the Native American community were at a low ebb.
“We had to figure out how to have programs for the Native American kids in the same way we did for kids in Scottsdale,” Jacobson told Jewish News.
Jacobson and his colleagues worked hard to develop art programs that connected people. They were so successful that city council members asked him how they did it.
“We went beyond performances and exhibitions. We looked for ways to engage people in new ways. That’s what I loved, and I had an incredibly talented group of people working with me,” he said.
In recognition of Jacobson’s many years of dedication and service to the community, the Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce will induct Jacobson into its History Hall of Fame on Thursday, April 10.
Jacobson is a regular at the annual event, but last fall, he was shocked to learn he would be one of 2025’s six honorees.
“I was blown away when I got the call about the award. I’m very touched by it,” said Jacobson, Congregation Or Tzion member and past president.
On the other hand, Scottsdale community historian Joan Fudala was not a bit surprised to find her friend and colleague of many years among the list of awardees.
“During his years at the helm of Scottsdale Arts, Frank did so much for the community in terms of raising its status and reputation. He really propelled Scottsdale’s public art programming, installing many new pieces of public art, expanding programs that were free and open to the public,” Fudala told Jewish News.
“Joan probably knows more about me than anybody in this town,” Jacobson laughed.
Fudala explained that when Jacobson arrived, Scottsdale was at “a pivotal point” with its arts programming, given that it had just created a new standalone nonprofit.
“Frank took that new nonprofit and organized so many programs,” she said.
In her view, one of the most impressive feats he tackled was transitioning an old movie theater into the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art.
In 1995, Jacobson and his team convinced the community and city council to buy a discount movie theater that “had seen better days,” Fudala said.
Once the project was complete, “it was just another jewel in the crown, one that Frank was instrumental in getting going.”
Some of the most challenging months in Jacobson’s tenure came after Sept. 11, 2001.
“Obviously, it was a big challenge for everybody around the country,” Jacobson said. His board chair encouraged Jacobson and his team to be part of the solution.
“We decided that we wanted to program events that would appeal to people across the country to visit Scottsdale. Thus, we created events all over the community to bring people together,” Jacobson said.
Art has always been in Jacobson’s blood. He has a Master of Fine Arts degree in theater directing. His first job after graduate school was at the University of Montana in Missoula, where he taught theater, directed plays and managed a theater company.
“It was everything I wanted to do, but the challenge was that in the early 1970s, there was a very small Jewish population there. I don’t think there was a rabbi in the entire state of Montana,” he said. He wondered what he would do when it was time to send his children to Hebrew school.
Frank Jacobson is pictured at the Arizona Jewish Historical Society.
COURTESY OF JEWISH NEWS
Frank Jacobson with singer and actress Audra MacDonald during his time as head of Scottsdale Arts. COURTESY OF FRANK JACOBSON
Frank Jacobson, left, with Chuck Pettit, the second board chair at the Cultural Council.
COURTESY OF FRANK JACOBSON
Frank Jacobson is pictured with State Senator Carolyn Allen, one of the first people he met in Scottsdale when she was the acting director of the former nonprofit, Scottsdale Arts Center Association (SACA). COURTESY OF FRANK JACOBSON
Then Denver came calling with a job at the Western States Art Foundation, now Federation. Working there allowed him to get to know art leaders throughout the western United States, including in Scottsdale.
As much as he enjoyed the work, he wanted to be part of a community. Thus, he took a job in Arvada, a Denver suburb, leading the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities.
“I was so excited about that because I was in the community, which I loved,” he said. The last two years of his tenure in Colorado, he was recruited to run the City and County of Denver’s Theaters & Arenas Division. In that job, he was running some of the city’s biggest event venues, which was exciting, but also very political and, therefore, had an uncertain future. Should the mayor not be reelected, he wasn’t sure what would happen.
Taking the job in Scottsdale not only offered a new challenge but also a new community, one in which he and his wife, their children and grandchildren are still very much part of.
Though Jacobson’s path has veered from his original love of directing, he still loves theater.
“I learned that there were people who were much more talented stage directors, but I still love it. You have to be a little
bit more left brain, and I was a little more right brain. Nevertheless, I also enjoyed the management. And I always saw my work in the arts as sort of secular missionary work,” he said.
Fudala said he’s been enormously successful in that particular “mission.”
“Frank’s breadth and depth of knowledge has been great at getting art things off the ground. He’s been the right guy at the right time in so many places in Scottsdale,” she said.
Since leaving Scottsdale Arts in 2006, Jacobson has continued to use his right brain when it comes to fundraising, including for the arts. For example, he helped Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West get off the ground by raising seed money, writing concept plans, hiring architects and searching for the museum’s director. Ironically, the museum is also one of this year’s History Hall of Fame inductees.
In 2008, Jacobson took his fundraising and marketing skills to the Jewish Family and Children’s Service. Nine years later, he decided to retire — kind of. His LinkedIn profile still states: “Sort of Retired” Nonprofit Executive.
Jacobson is also very involved in the Valley’s Jewish community. He joined the board of Har Zion Congregation,
SEE JACOBSON, PAGE 7
Scottsdale young Jewish leaders joined international Chabad meeting in New York
SHANNON LEVITT | STAFF WRITER
Sarah Ben Harush of Scottsdale was one of a dozen young Jewish professionals who attended the International Chabad Young Jewish Leadership Summit in New York this January. The conference drew more than 700 people from 100 cities and 30 countries across the globe.
Ben Harush was excited for the opportunity to meet and interact with people in a similar stage of life, both personally and professionally.
“Being able to meet so many young Jewish professionals in one place, over a weekend, sounded like a lot of fun,” she told Jewish News.
She also trusts and respects the leadership of Rabbi Shmuli Bronstein and his wife, Mushkie, who accompanied the Valley delegation to New York. When Ben Harush moved to Scottsdale in 2023, she and her husband lived next door to the Chabad emissary couple before they moved to open Chabad of Old Town-South Scottsdale. Ben Harush attends events both there and at Chabad
of Scottsdale.
The Bronsteins took the helm of the Chabad Young Professionals of Scottsdale group in 2022. According to the rabbi, the group’s approximately 100 members overlap considerably with Old Town Chabad attendees.
Along with Ben Harush and her husband, a pilot, the Scottsdale group included professionals in accounting, finance and fitness.
The weekend offered workshops and panels on balancing career ambitions with Jewish identity, dealing with antisemitism in the office, community building, promoting emotional well-being and fostering spiritual growth. Breakaway sessions based on various professions also discussed Torah perspectives.
Jim Kapenstein, a vice president at The Walt Disney Company, talked about his experiences as an observant Jew working in the secular corporate world.
“Hearing him talk about being sincere and confident about his Judaism, even when that means sometimes having to miss important meetings to keep Shabbat, was a real highlight of the weekend,” Bronstein told Jewish News.
“His non-Jewish colleagues saw his sincerity and that made them support and respect him. Here’s someone who oversees millions of dollars in acquisitions and if he has to leave it because of a Jewish holiday, he does. That was inspiring for everyone.”
Ben Harush, Momentum Unlimited’s systems and SalesForce administrator, agreed that Kapenstein’s talk was interesting.
“I’m lucky that I don’t have to advocate for being able to take Shabbat off because that’s one of Momentum’s core principles. He talked about how if you show respect for your beliefs, others will respect you for it. It was a good takeaway about knowing who you are and showing others that,” she said.
Overall, the weekend exceeded her expectations.
“I met people in the same space as me that I can connect with over our shared experiences,” she said.
Louis Shulman, another attendee from Scottsdale, agreed that the weekend was meaningful.
“Being in a Jewish environment where keeping Shabbos felt natural, made all the difference. I left feeling recharged and inspired to do a full Shabbos again soon.
The speakers were excellent, and connecting with so many like-minded Jewish young professionals was incredible. I know I’ll be staying in touch with the people I met this weekend.”
Since the meeting, Bronstein has seen an increase in attendance at events. Those who went to New York have been reaching out to other young professionals and encouraging them to get involved.
“People want to be an ambassador for Judaism,” he said. “One person told me since coming back, he realized how important it is to bring Judaism into the office, so he’s taking the initiative to show his Jewish pride.”
On Sunday, everyone paid a visit to the Ohel in Queens. It is the burial site of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson and his father-in-law Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn, the two most recent ChabadLubavitch rebbes.
Hundreds of people gathered there to pray and share experiences. It was Ben Harush’s first time visiting.
“You hear about it as an incredibly spiritual place and you show up and see it’s in a little neighborhood, which is kind of nondescript. But you walk in, and there’s something about the air; it’s calm and peaceful despite being packed full of people. You’re able to reflect about the weekend, your life and what you can take on for yourself and the community. It was amazing,” she said.
There was also a mitzvah auction, where people pledged various mitzvot, such as putting on tefillin or lighting Shabbat candles.
Ben Harush said it was a way for people to take on certain mitzvot without being overwhelmed, given the various levels of observance of the attendees.
“It kept it from being overwhelming for folks who don’t already keep kosher or Shabbat. It’s a more approachable and realistic way of saying, ‘Here’s a step you can take to work towards that,’” she explained.
Bronstein was gratified that those who went to New York with him felt they learned a lot, were happy to take on mitzvah resolutions and “grew in their Judaism.”
“Events like the CYP Leadership Summit are vital for providing our young Jews with the support and inspiration they need to lead confidently and maintain their Jewish identity amidst adversity. I am looking forward to seeing the positive impact of the summit on the Scottsdale community,” he said. JN
Young Jewish professionals from Scottsdale traveled to New York to participate in a weekend international event. COURTESY OF RABBI SHMULI BRONSTEIN
his synagogue, before it merged with Congregation Or Chadash to become Congregation Or Tzion.
His dad and mentor became the president of his synagogue when he retired, and Jacobson decided that was a good model to follow. In 2018, he joined the leadership of Or Tzion. Two years later, he was its president.
Though technically “retired,” he also headed up a fundraising campaign to open Scottsdale Community Bank. A couple of years later, he led the Hilton Family Holocaust Education Center’s capital campaign, raising millions of dollars to build the first Holocaust museum in Phoenix.
According to his longtime friend Don Carson, Jacobson’s plunge into leadership of various community roles is typical. Carson is a past president of Scottsdale’s Chamber of Commerce and a former inductee into its History of Hall of Fame. However, he quipped that his biggest accomplishment “is being lunch monitor at my daughter’s school and involving myself in Scottsdale for the last 30 years.”
Carson is also the person who called Jacobson to relay the good news about his induction, just as he’ll be the person to present him with the award in April.
“Frank had no idea, and his response
was endearing and lovely,” Carson told Jewish News.
Carson and Jacobson were both members of Scottsdale Charros, a nonprofit run by a volunteer group of business and civic leaders. The group raises funds for youth programs, educational scholarships and grants to local charities.
“‘Don’t shirk your share,’ that was our motto. That’s Frank,” he said.
“Frank believes deeply in the community and is always willing to do anything to help make it better. Anything you give Frank to do, he’s gonna get it done. He’s rock solid.” JN
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Building coalitions to fight antisemitism is ‘a marathon, not a sprint,’ JCPA head tells Tucson audience
SHANNON LEVITT | STAFF WRITER
Last June, CEO of the Jewish Council For Public Affairs (JCPA) Amy Spitalnick joined U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on a livestream to talk about antisemitism. Strategy consultant Stacy Burdett also participated in the conversation titled “Antisemitism and the Fight for Democracy.”
When Ocasio-Cortez approached her, Spitalnick agreed to participate right away, even though she has “fundamental disagreements on a number of fronts” with the New York Democrat, she told a Tucson audience on Monday, Feb. 10.
“Being able to have that conversation for her audience, which doesn’t typically hear from someone like me — who identifies as a liberal Zionist, has a deep and personal relationship to Israel and who leads a Jewish legacy organization — is critical,” she said.
Spitalnick spoke at the Tucson Jewish Museum and Holocaust Center (TJMHC) for its 2024 Lakin Lecture Series on Antisemitism. She talked about
the importance of Jews saying yes to difficult conversations, especially when one’s interlocutor may not be perceived as an ally (“Ocasio-Cortez raises many strong feelings in the Jewish community with regards to Israel and Gaza”) but is open to hearing different points of view.
“We had a frank conversation about what it means to show up as allies, what antisemitism looks like, what Zionism actually means to most American Jews, versus the twisted way it’s been portrayed in public debate,” she said.
The day after the webinar dropped, Ocasio-Cortez denounced a protest outside of a Nova Music Festival exhibit as antisemitic.
“The callousness, dehumanization and targeting of Jews on display at last night’s protest outside the Nova Festival exhibit was atrocious antisemitism — plain and simple,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X.
Spitalnick said that action “created a permission structure for other progressive officials to approach Israel-related protests with complexity and nuance.”
She credited the seminar with bringing people into the fight against antisemitism who might otherwise have thought they didn’t have a place there. That is merely one example she gave of the concrete benefits of coalition building.
Lynn Davis, director of the Rabbi Joseph H. Gumbiner Community Action Project, who directed the evening’s conversational format, asked Spitalnick what she viewed as the Jewish community’s biggest obstacle to forming lasting coalitions with other communities.
“It’s not an easy time to be a Jew in America. It’s not an easy time to be doing work that’s focused on coalition building or inclusive democracy right now,” she said, alluding to some of President
Donald Trump’s executive orders around immigration, transgender people and diversity. “These are policies to divide communities and further break apart the very coalitions we need right now.”
In a political climate that does not encourage dialogue and inclusion, Spitalnick said it’s more important than ever for Jews to continue seeking to build large coalitions. It’s a matter of their very safety.
“If we’re going to be serious about fighting antisemitism, we can’t do it alone. We need to understand that it’s deeply interconnected with other forms of hate,” she said.
Before stepping into her job leading JCPA the month before Oct. 7, Spitalnick served as executive director of Integrity First for America, a nonprofit that won its lawsuit against the white supremacist hate groups responsible for the violence following the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
After Oct. 7, some of the first calls of support she received were from nonJewish colleagues and friends she had made working on civil rights and prodemocracy legislation.
Maya Wiley, head of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, with whom she worked on programming around the intersection of antisemitism, racism and democracy, called her on Oct. 8 to ask how she was.
“I don’t need people to call me and say, ‘Hey, I’m going to put an Israeli flag on my front door,’ I just needed someone to understand the pain I was in and that my community was in,” she said. “It’s sometimes messy and complicated, but we’re not powerless.”
Spitalnick advised that everyone should pull back somewhat from social media.
She used herself as an example, saying she allows herself five minutes before she wants to toss the phone out of the window. She said it’s also important to continue having conversations and forge partnerships, even when they can be draining.
“This work is a marathon, not a sprint,” she said.
Spitalnick was the third speaker in the series’ four-part lineup. Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism Rabbi Jonah Pesner spoke in September, followed by Georgetown Professor of Jewish Civilization and campus administrator, Dr. Jacques Berlinerblau in November. vice president of Race Forward Eric Ward will speak in March.
The response to the series overall and to Spitalnick’s talk in particular has been positive, Lori Shepherd, TJMHC’s executive director, told Jewish News in an email.
“Folks are really looking to not just learn about the issues but how they can be a part of the positive work around the issues,” she said.
The series is funded by a grant from the Alma and Ed Lakin Education Fund, which was established at the Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona by their daughter in order to honor the Lakin’s lifelong commitment to Holocaust Education, the people of Israel, to Jewish life and to combating antisemitism and advocacy for social justice. JN
To watch the event, go to youtube.com/ watch?v=2jxVK8EVAFE.
Amy Spitalnick, left, joined U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, top right, and Stacy Burdett for a Youtube livestream last June. SCREENSHOT
When G-d calls
RABBI SHOLOM TWERSKI
PARSHAH VAYIKRA:
LEVITICUS 1:1 - 5:26
This Book that we are beginning now — Leviticus — begins with a phrase that we don’t often find throughout the Torah. While we often find a phrase before G-d instructs Moses, “G-d spoke with Moses, saying …,” this time even that phrase is preceded by another one, “He called to Moses, and G-d spoke with him from the Tent of Meeting, saying ...” What does it mean that G-d called and what is the significance of that phrase?
Two medieval commentators, Rashi (Rav Shlomo Yitzchaki) and the Ramban (Nachmanides), express different opinions as to what this means, and there are lessons to be learned from both perspectives.
Ramban writes that this is related to what we find at the very end of the last book. When the Tabernacle was
Commentary
finished, the Glory of G-d rested within the confines of the building, symbolized by a cloud filling and surrounding the structure and a Heavenly fire flaring within. Moses required G-d’s permission to penetrate the cloud to His Presence. Moses was not allowed to enter of his own volition and had to wait to be summoned to enter. According to this understanding, the permission to enter the Tabernacle only had to be given once, the very first time. Once permission was granted, it was understood to apply to all future communications.
In Rashi’s view, this was not a one-time occurrence. This was G-d calling Moses’s name with love. Every time G-d wanted to communicate something to Moses, it was preceded by Him calling Moses’ name. For brevity, the Torah only mentions it once, but this was an ongoing and constant introduction any time G-d wanted to talk with Moses. How does this apply to us? What can we learn from these views?
The Tabernacle was the place where the Divine Presence was most evident, but the true purpose of the Tabernacle was a place where every individual could go
to encounter G-d and develop a relationship with Him. Indeed, when the original command was given to build it, the commentators point out that G-d didn’t say He would dwell within it, but rather that He would dwell within them — the nation. G-d’s Desire is not to dwell in a house of cloth and gold, the ultimate goal is to have a dwelling in the hearts of His nation.
While we have an enormous loss of not having the Temple to assist us in attaining that relationship, the relationship itself is no less desirable to G-d in our current state. We merely have to work harder to achieve it.
The rules of engagement are the same. G-d must call to us to enter the relationship. We may not enter the relationship on our terms, it must be on G-d’s terms. He expresses how and when we can enter His arena by way of His Torah which serves as the instruction manual of how He wants us to have that relationship. We cannot hope to have a real relationship outside of that framework.
On the other hand, going to the other extreme would be a grievous error. Before every communication, G-d called out,
The Passover message of freedom
RABBI JEFFREY SCHESNOL | SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
PSHABBAT CANDLE LIGHTING
APRIL 4 - 6:33 P.M.
APRIL 11 - 6:38 P.M.
SHABBAT ENDS
APRIL 5 - 7:29 P.M.
APRIL 12 - 7:35 P.M.
Find area congregations at JewishAZ.com, where you can also find our 2025 Community Directory.
“Moses!” To get so caught up in the details of the laws that one forgets or forgoes their individuality is also not what G-d desires. We must be careful that we don’t miss the forest for the trees.
Our service of G-d ought not to be as merely one in a crowd, devoid of personal meaning. All of one’s personality, life circumstances and upbringing come to the fore within the context of conformity to Torah laws.
May our service of G-d and our relationship with Him be strong and vibrant, both as a result of adherence to His Torah and as a consequence of showing up with the fullness of our humanity. JN
Rabbi Sholom Twerski is the assistant rabbi of Beth Joseph Congregation and the rabbinic administrator at the Greater Phoenix Vaad HaKashruth.
assover, which begins on the evening preceding the fifteenth day of the Hebrew month of Nissan, this year April 12, is the great spring celebration of the Jewish people. Passover began as an amalgamation of the long-abandoned spring festivals celebrating the birthing of lambs (chag hapesach) and the first harvest of wheat (chag hamatzot) celebrating new life and became the commemoration of the story of the biblical exodus and escape from slavery in ancient Egypt. The Exodus story is an archetypal struggle for freedom from oppression and slavery that was overlaid onto these older and univer-
sal themes of birth, renewal and sacrifice.
The celebration traditionally lasts seven days, beginning with a seder (meaning “order,” as in the order of symbolic foods commemorating important values at the Passover dinner), which is a gathering of family and friends for a holiday meal. It’s a holiday celebration that is actually a meal.
The Passover Seder is a meal at which we are reminded to “welcome the stranger, for we too, were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 23:9)
The Passover Exodus saga may be viewed as a foundational allegory of any people struggling for liberty — a tale that relates to the courage and determination of a people fleeing slavery for freedom.
before us as they fled danger and persecution. It is incumbent upon us Jews and as people of the world to remember that we are interdependent. We are children of the world, and we must be concerned about the plight of others who are not as fortunate as we are. Just as our ancestors once built new lives in a land far from home, refugees and asylum seekers today are on a similar quest for safety and opportunity worldwide. In this critical moment, our responsibility to welcome the stranger has never been more important.
legally and safely. We hold ourselves accountable to do whatever we can to practice the good deed (mitzvah) to repair the world (tikkun olam).
A Passover Seder celebrates the quest for freedom in ancient times, in recent memory and today. During Passover, we remember and honor those who came
That is why, in honor of Passover, we support those who have left everything behind in search of safety. Passover is a reminder that supporting refugees and asylum seekers is a sacred obligation. Guided by our Jewish values, we need to help displaced individuals rebuild their lives without fear of violence — honestly,
A NOTE ON OPINION
The Passover story has been passed down over the ages because it offers inspiration and hope that people, no matter how oppressed, can overcome their conditions; they can achieve dignity and freedom. This is our Passover message: We will think about how we can help rid our world of inhumanity and signify our gratitude for life and our commitment to live a life of hope. JN
Rabbi Jeffrey Schesnol is a member of the Board of Rabbis of Greater Phoenix, director at Arizona Jewish Historical Society and ceremonial and spiritual leader of Or Adam Congregation for Humanistic Judaism. OPINION
We are a diverse community. The views expressed in these opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the views of the officers and boards of the Jewish Community Foundation, Center for Jewish Philanthropy, Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix, Cleveland Jewish Publication Company or the staff of the Jewish News. Letters must respond to content published by the Jewish News and should be a maximum of 200 words. They may be edited for space and clarity. Unsigned letters will not be published. Letters and op-ed submissions should be sent to editor@jewishaz.com
Rabbi Jeffrey Schesnol
COURTESY OF RABBI JEFFREY SCHESNOL
Rabbi Sholom Twerski COURTESY OF RABBI SHOLOM TWERSKI
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edidya Harush was fighting in Khan Younis in Gaza as part of an elite unit in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) when he was notified that his business, Emunah Matzah Bakery, did not have the funds to pay its more than 50 employees.
“I’m in Gaza, and there is no service on my phone, so I take my commander’s phone and go on the roof,” he said. “I’m able to reach my banker and I ask him to please give me a small loan, so I can pay the salaries.”
But the banker said he could only give him money if he took out a personal loan with a guarantee, so that’s what Harush did to pay his employees.
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In 2023, Harush opened Emunah Matzah Bakery in Netivot, Israel, 13 miles from the Gaza border. After a successful Passover season, he was looking forward to growing his business when Hamas attacked on Oct. 7, and Harush was called to duty.
“I risked my life, my family was evacuated to a hotel and I was thinking about everything but my business,” he said. “I was thinking about the hostages while we were fighting in Gaza, saving my soldiers’ lives, taking Hamas down and making sure Israel is a safer place.”
When he returned home in March 2024, he realized he had a ton of matzah to sell, but many of the contracts from the previous year had been canceled because of the war.
Appointed as Jewish National Fund-
USA’s Halutza Liaison, Harush works to cultivate the underdeveloped region in Israel’s southwestern corner into a thriving community. To help his business out, JNFUSA purchased $35,000 worth of matzah. They then partnered with an affiliate, MAKOM, to distribute it to evacuated communities across Israel for Passover. Others bought the matzah to donate to IDF troops fighting on the front lines.
“My employees are working, it’s not their problem that I’m in Gaza and I can’t sell my matzah,” he said. “And that’s where very amazing people who live in America come in, to basically help me continue to protect the state of Israel.”
One of the “amazing” Americans is Scottsdale resident Adena Friedman. She is a mom of three boys, Sammy, 11, Jacob, 10, and Noah, 8, who attend Pardes Jewish Day School, where Friedman has been the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) president for the last four years.
A fellow parent at the school, Stacy Palestrant, reached out one day to Friedman to ask if she would be interested in a project that her brother, Daniel Palestrant, who lives in New Hampshire, was involved with.
“Stacy told me, ‘You work so hard, you know so many people and I just know my brother could use your help on this project,’” said Friedman.
Daniel Palestrant had been helping Harush distribute matzah by purchasing it, having it shipped to the United States and then delivering it up and down the East Coast from Maine to Florida.
His goal was to create a sustainable business model for Harush so he could have a way to sell his matzah in the future, but he needed help in getting this done. So, Friedman agreed to a call with Palestrant and Harush.
She admitted that during the call, she was moved by Harush’s story. “So, the three of us had our FaceTime and that was it,” she said. “I went cuckoo with excitement. I was so eager and ready to get started.”
Friedman realized she had a lot to learn, so she began on Google, educating herself on drop shipping and 3PLS (third-party logistics), to streamline the process from the previous year.
She also contacted a good friend from her college days at the University of Arizona, Brian Proud, who owns a website development company. He offered to build a website and help with the e-commerce side of things, free of charge.
“I knew nothing about building websites, e-commerce, warehousing and clearing customs from Israel and bringing
in an item and storing and shipping it,” she said.
Her goal this year was to sell 720 boxes of matzah to the Valley’s Jewish community, and as of the middle of March, she was just over 100 boxes shy of her goal.
“Yedidya is just this beautiful, inspiring human, who cares about his employees,” said Friedman. “I tell people I’m working on this passion project in Gaza. I’m obsessed with wanting to help him succeed.”
On the Emunah Israel website (emunahisrael.com), there is a video of the shmurah matzah-making process inside the Israeli bakery. From the time the flour is first mixed with the water, the workers have 18 minutes to complete the matzah, so they are constantly moving, sometimes even dancing, as they go from rolling the dough to cooking it in an open-fire oven.
“And one minute past 18 minutes, it’s already like a bread. It’s not kosher anymore,” said Harush. He takes pride in the stringent timing because he worked in a matzah factory as a teen, and they did not always follow the exact process.
He said his matzah is also unique in that the water comes from Jerusalem, and the wheat is grown in fields outside the bakery’s doors — the same fields that
Supernova music festival survivors ran across to escape Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7.
“These are fields filled with love and hope, and this is our message, that we live and grow in the Gaza envelope,” he said. “With this great darkness, the only thing that can fight it is adding light. And how do we add light? We help each other,
and we stay united. We take down the walls and the prejudgments we add on each other and love and help each other in whatever way we can.” JN
For more information, visit emunahisrael.com, or contact Adena Friedman at adenafriedman@ gmail.com or 310-936-5948.
Yedidya Harush with the Israel Defense Forces in Gaza.
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‘Mitzvah Connect’ assists widows and orphans in Israel
SHANNON LEVITT | STAFF WRITER
Ever since Oct. 7, 2023, Mindy Franklin has wanted to do everything she could to help Israel. As a member of Greater Phoenix’s Jewish community, Franklin has worked with Volunteers for Israel to help many people in the Valley find ways to volunteer in Israel. Still, she’s always looking to do more.
“I feel there’s such a need, and they need us more than ever,” she told Jewish News.
Adopting a family became one of her main goals. To make that goal a reality, she reached out to various groups until she found Colel Chabad, one of Israel’s oldest charities that provides assistance to the country’s neediest people, including widows and orphans.
“Helping widows and orphans is exactly what I want to do,” Franklin said. Fortunately, for the success of the resulting project, “Mitzvah Connect,” she
has the support of many in the community, including Rabbi Pinchas and Esther Allouche, who both encouraged her to do it. In fact, Esther Allouche is so enthusiastic about the project she is partnering with Franklin.
“Since Oct. 7, we have been looking for ways to do something meaningful,” Allouche told Jewish News. She initially led Congregation Beth Tefillah’s campaign to send supplies to soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and her son is a soldier deployed to Gaza. When the opportunity to help widows and orphans appeared, she knew she wanted to be part of that.
“It’s so painful to hear about the widows and orphans, and this lets us connect with them and hear their stories. We send money to them, but it’s more meaningful than that. It touches the heart,” she said.
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“HELPING WIDOWS AND ORPHANS IS EXACTLY WHAT I WANT TO DO.”
MINDY FRANKLIN
Allouche said one of the best things about Mitzvah Connect is that it allows people donating to know something about the people they’re helping.
Mitzvah Connect will raise funds for Natalie, an Israeli woman who lost her husband, Tal, on Oct. 7. He was a soldier who was killed in action protecting the residents of Kfar Aza, a kibbutz in southern Israel. Natalie is now left to raise three young children under the age of eight, one of whom is blind.
Colel Chabad was founded in Lithuania in 1788, and is the oldest continuously operating charity in Israel. It operates a network of soup kitchens and food banks, dental and medical clinics, daycare centers, widow and orphan support and immigrant assistance programs. It also provides interest-free loans, camp scholarships, career training and job placement, subsidized weddings for the poor and many other social-welfare projects.
Though the new organization is just getting off the ground, Allouche and Franklin believe it could grow very quickly. For now, Congregation Beth Tefillah has
been providing information about it in the synagogue’s newsletter and on its website. It will also be promoted at the synagogue’s gala in April.
Allouche hopes that other Jewish organizations and synagogues will help grow Mitzvah Connect to assist more needy people in Israel.
“We feel that a Jewish person living in the Valley needs to have a connection in Israel. That’s why we gave it this name. We’re all one nation, and we’re all connected,” Allouche said.
For Franklin, it’s simple. Israel needs assistance and she’s going to do what she can, and whatever it takes, to bring as many others around to her way of seeing things.
“The need in Israel is great. My hope is for all the Jewish organizations and synagogues to copy this program and start helping each of these families,” she said.
She’s anxious for Mitzvah Connect to succeed for Natalie, her children and all the other families she wants to help support.
“Israel needs us. Their crisis is our crisis,” she said. JN
To donate, visit bethtefillahaz.org/payment.php.
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SENIORS
SHANNON LEVITT | STAFF WRITER
One summer afternoon in Phoenix, about 20 years ago, Dr. Alan Singer was performing a bris (Jewish circumcision ceremony) in a family’s
living room crowded with guests. The temperature outside hovered at 115 degrees. Before the ceremony began, people snacked on wine and cheese.
Suddenly, a man — likely overcome by the combination of cheese and heat — fainted. Someone called 911, and before Singer knew what was happening, a dozen
firemen dressed in rubber boots and yellow jackets burst into the living room in the middle of the bris.
“That sort of disrupted things,” Singer
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told Jewish News. Luckily, the man was fine and Singer was able to complete the task at hand.
Singer, who retired from pediatrics in 2011, stepped away from serving as one of Greater Phoenix’s mohels in January, after more than 30 years and approximately 10,000 brises in the Valley. Though, at the age of 81, he “still has steady hands and has never had a bad outcome,” Singer’s wife, also a pediatrician, suggested it might be time to go out on a high note.
“I didn’t want to get to the point where people start whispering, ‘Don’t call him because he’s pretty shaky,’ or ‘He’ll need a nap,’” Singer quipped.
Looking back over his long career, there’s a lot that he liked about the job. The best thing is that he was an essential part of helping guide a baby boy in “a Jewish direction. Even if one parent isn’t Jewish, having a bris shows an intent from
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both sides of the family to point their son in a Jewish direction.”
For a long time, American Jewish families didn’t hesitate to have a bris. More recently, some have decided, for various reasons, to have a baby naming ceremony only. Yet, in all his years of being a mohel, Singer said he’s never had a family regret doing it, while many have said they wished they had done it.
“It’s something that you never get a chance to go back and redo,” he said.
Singer wouldn’t redo his decision to become a mohel either, even though it’s a role he hadn’t considered when he started out as a pediatrician in private practice in East Lansing, Michigan. At that time, the city’s small Jewish community of about 3,000 didn’t have a local mohel.
Thus, until Singer took up the scalpel, so to speak, Jewish parents of new baby boys — for whom a bris is mandatory given that it’s prescribed in the Torah — had to arrange for a mohel from Detroit, about 90 miles away. The cost included transportation and sometimes, even lodging. On top of that, there was always the chance that a competing bris in Detroit would take precedence.
Singer got involved when the head of Michigan State University’s Hillel learned his wife was expecting a baby boy. Singer was the rabbi’s daughter’s pediatrician, and was asked to assist with his son’s bris. The rabbi provided the prayers and baby naming, and Singer did the circumcision.
“We were a bris team,” Singer said. It wasn’t until 1990, when Singer moved to Phoenix, that he decided to become formally certified with the encouragement of Rabbi Mark Bisman, the spiritual leader of Har Zion Congregation (now Congregation Or Tzion), his synagogue. Singer now belongs to the New Shul in Scottsdale.
He attended New York’s Jewish Theological Seminary for a course on conducting the ceremony, its rules and regulations and medical exceptions. He also had a letter from a local hospital SEE MOHEL, PAGE 20
Alan Singer retired this year from being a mohel in the Valley. COURTESY OF
Local author writes of his own experience with autism and communication
MALA BLOMQUIST | MANAGING EDITOR
April is Autism Acceptance Month and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are more than five million adults living with autism spectrum disorder in the United States. Local author Jay Rothman is one of those adults, and his book, “Opening Boxes: How to Navigate Life When You Have Autism,” is meant to “help people with autism so they can communicate better with the rest of the world.”
Rothman originally just had the title with the word “Boxes” and changed it to “Opening Boxes” after he thought more about it.
“Sometimes people tend to put people with autism in a box, or in a confined area because they think this is how they should be defined,” said Rothman. “The book teaches people how to communicate with others, so that we can be out of our box and in the open world.”
Rothman was diagnosed with autism
in 2008, when he was 46. He had been working on his communication skills with a counselor who suspected he was autistic, but a formal diagnosis came later from a psychiatrist.
He started writing in high school, where he contributed to the school’s newspaper. He graduated from the University of Missouri in Columbia with a degree in political science in 1982, and went on to work as a reporter, editor and photographer for daily and weekly publications. He eventually owned his own business, which included writing, photography and public relations.
He moved to Arizona in 2005 to be near his father who was ill. His father passed away in 2007, and Rothman decided to stay.
Upon a recommendation from his rabbi in Missouri, he joined Temple Chai in Phoenix. Several years later, he joined Congregation Beth Tefillah in Scottsdale. He stopped attending during COVID-19
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and has not returned.
“I used to go to services every Friday for decades, and I would sometimes go on Saturday mornings, too,” he said. “Because of COVID I stopped, and then because of my cancer.”
Rothman was diagnosed with Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia in 2015, a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a rare blood cancer characterized by an overproduction of a specific antibody, leading to a thickening of the blood and other complications. There is no cure, and he receives ongoing infusion treatments.
Despite his health challenges, he said he worked on the book for about nine years.
“I thought it was in good shape and then I decided to make major changes. I took out chapters and added new ones. It’s really wonderful now,” he said. “Dr. Temple Grandin wrote a blurb that’s on the front cover of the book.”
Grandin has been an outspoken proponent of autism rights and neurodiversity movements. She was diagnosed with autism at the age of three and documented the insights she gained from her personal experiences with autism and was the subject of the Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning biographical film “Temple Grandin.”
Six years ago, when Grandin was speaking in Phoenix, Rothman approached her after her talk.
“I was speaking to her about my manuscript, and then she interrupted me and said, ‘Will you write a chapter for my book?’” So, Rothman wrote a chapter in the second edition of Grandin’s book, “Different … Not Less.”
Rothman’s own book contains 26 chapters covering topics from managing money
to eliminating sadness. He said the information he covers is helpful for those with autism and those who are neurotypical.
“We need assistance with a lot of things,” he said. “For example, with employment, how to find a job and keep it. Unemployment rates reported with people with autism are about 75 to 85%.”
His hope is that it will help people communicate better with their friends and family members, making a positive difference in their lives.
“I mention to be literal, to avoid using subtext, because we only understand the words that are spoken,” he said. “Autistics have a better understanding when things are visual, when they’re not verbal. For example, if I ask somebody how I get to a certain place while driving, and they say, go left, go right, do this, do that — I don’t get it. But when I look at a map, then I memorize it.”
He also said that most people with autism don’t look at the other person when they’re being spoken to or when they’re speaking. And often, the person speaking misconstrues the autistic person as being inconsiderate. He suggests that people with autism look at the forehead of the person they are talking to for brief moments, which makes a big difference.
Rothman added that making small talk is also difficult for people with autism.
“We have certain subjects that we are interested in,” he said. “But we have to open up and talk more about the weather, about movies and find out what other people are interested in. And that’s what we need to learn to do.” JN
“Opening Boxes: How to Navigate Life When You Have Autism” is available on Amazon.
Jay Rothman and, inset, the cover of his book, “Opening Boxes: How to Navigate Life When You Have Autism.” COURTESY OF JAY ROTHMAN/SCREENSHOT
Colorectal cancer doesn’t care about your age
BOB ROTH | COLUMNIST
It doesn’t take a Hallmark card or a designated awareness month to remind us how critical it is to talk about colorectal cancer. While March is officially Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, the need for education, prevention and action doesn’t stop on March 31. Colorectal cancer remains one of the deadliest, yet most preventable, forms of cancer. Screening saves lives. Even now, in April, the call to action stands; get screened, know your risk and don’t wait for symptoms to take this disease seriously. Too many lives, young and old, are still being lost when they don’t have to be.
Colorectal cancer has long been considered a disease that strikes later in life, but the reality is shifting. Today, more adults under 50 are being diagnosed than ever before. People born around 1990 have twice the risk of colon cancer, and four times the risk of rectal cancer, compared to those born in 1950. That’s not a slow uptick; that’s an epidemic in the making.
Take the tragic story of Craig Roh, a local Arizona football star who played at Chaparral High School, the University of Michigan and in the NFL. He passed away last year at age 33 after an 18-month battle with Stage 4 colon cancer. Roh leaves behind a young son and a heartbroken family. Roh isn’t alone. Bailey Hutchins, a TikTok creator, died at 26 after a two-year battle with colon cancer. Georgia Gonzalez, a 35-year-old mother in Australia, died just six months after her diagnosis. Bryce Ramsey, a Mississippi pageant winner, was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer at 33. She initially dismissed blood in her stool as hemorrhoids. It wasn’t until she dug into her family’s history that she realized how serious it was. That’s the key point: family history. Genetics play a powerful role in colorectal cancer risk. Individuals with a first-degree relative who had colon cancer are two to three times more likely to develop the disease. In families with Lynch syndrome or familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), that risk can approach near certainty if left undetected.
While rates among younger adults are climbing, we can’t forget that older adults still account for the majority of cases and deaths. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the highest death rate occurs among adults aged 75 to 84, nearly 78 deaths per 100,000 people. We’ve made progress with screening in this group, and it’s saving lives. But too many older adults skip the test, whether out of fear, discomfort, or thinking they’re too old to benefit. That’s simply not true. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends
regular screening through age 75, and even beyond that depending on individual health and screening history.
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. In 2025 alone, more than 152,000 people are expected to be diagnosed, and over 53,000 will die from the disease. That’s one person every ten minutes. These numbers are jarring, but the silver lining is that most of these deaths are preventable. Colonoscopies remain the gold standard. They detect cancer and prevent it altogether by removing precancerous polyps before they become malignant. One colonoscopy can reduce the risk of dying from colorectal cancer by up to 68%.
In response to the growing number of cases in younger adults, screening guidelines have changed. The American Cancer Society and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force now recommend starting screening at age 45 instead of 50. For African Americans and other high-risk groups, screening may need to begin even earlier. Black Americans have higher incidence and mortality rates than any other group. Hispanics, too, are seeing a troubling rise in cases and are often diagnosed at later stages due to lower screening
rates. These disparities aren’t just statistics. They represent our friends, neighbors and loved ones.
Dr. Dan Meline, a respected gastroenterologist in Scottsdale, put it best: “We are seeing more young adults diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and often by the time they present with symptoms the disease is already advanced. This is why screening, starting at age 45 or earlier with family history, is so important. We have the tools to prevent this cancer. We just need to use them.”
The good news is that we have multiple options for screening today. Colonoscopy every 10 years, FIT tests annually that detect hidden blood in the stool and Cologuard, the fecal DNA test, are just a few. Some of us who’ve had polyps are asked to come back every five years. Most insurance plans cover these screenings with no out-of-pocket cost. No one should have to choose between financial hardship and lifesaving care.
Beyond screening, lifestyle choices matter. Regular exercise, a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, maintaining a healthy weight and limiting red meat and alcohol all help reduce risk. Quitting smoking is another powerful step. But let’s be clear — while lifestyle helps, it’s not a substitute for
Happy Passover
screening. You can do everything right and still be at risk if cancer runs in your family. That’s why genetic counseling and testing are becoming more important tools in our cancer prevention toolbox.
We owe it to ourselves, and to the ones we have lost, to take action. Talk to your doctor. Know your family history. Get screened. Don’t wait for symptoms. By the time you notice blood in the stool, weight loss or abdominal pain, cancer may already be advanced. Half of those diagnosed after symptoms appear will die from the disease. That’s a number we have the power to change.
There’s no shame in talking about colon cancer. There’s only power in prevention. We’ve seen too many bright lives cut short. People with futures, families and dreams. Their stories remind us of what’s at stake. If you’re over 45 and haven’t been screened, now is the time. If you’re younger and have a family history, don’t delay. If you’re older and haven’t had a recent screening, it’s not too late. Colorectal cancer doesn’t care about age. But we can. And we must. JN
is
Bob Roth
the managing partner of Cypress HomeCare Solutions.
certifying him to do circumcisions there, liability insurance and a letter from Bisman, stating that he was in good standing in the congregation, an active member of the community and would not take advantage of anyone.
Throughout the 1990s, Singer performed an average of about 20 brises a month, all while working full time as a pediatrician. Sometimes he did one before work, sometimes after. He even scheduled some on his lunch break. He estimated that 60-65% of the brises he performed were for Reform families and 20% were for Conservative families. He’s also done them for Orthodox families.
“At my height, I was doing about 250 a year. When I first came to town, there were only two of us mohalim who were non-Orthodox, and now there are more. People tend to get referred by their friends, by their rabbi, by their pediatrician. There were many times I never even knew how they got referred to me,” he said.
Jewish News in an email.
The biggest shift he noticed over the years was the number of Jewish families inquiring if he could perform a ceremony without the circumcision or on a different timeline.
“I never deviated from the rules on timing, but if the baby’s sick, you can do it beyond the eighth day,” he explained. Though he wanted to be flexible and reasonable, there were only a few times when he found he could be, and still be true to tradition, when people asked for modifications.
He also never charged for his services. Instead of taking payment, he encouraged families to donate to Jewish charities.
“I did this as a service to the community,” he said. Plus, there’s the satisfaction of “seeing a baby launched in the Jewish direction.”
He didn’t limit himself to the Valley. Rabbi Robert Eisen was the spiritual leader of Tucson’s Congregation Anshei Israel for 21 years before moving to the Valley. He met Singer when he came to Tucson to act as a mohel for a local family.
“With that first exposure came first impressions: He was and is authentic, caring, empathic and deeply committed to the mitzvah factor of the procedure. As much as the parents may have been nervous, his gentle manner was calming and encouraging. And, as he proceeded with his ‘task,’ it seemed like he glowed, empowered as he was from the spiritual dimension of the moment,” Eisen told
He entered people’s lives at a time when they were very sleep deprived, nervous and uptight. They trusted him with “the little wonder of their life.” Even when the parents were doctors themselves, “when it’s their baby, and they’re the mommy and daddy and not the doctor, there’s a tension until it’s done. When I hand the baby back to the mother, there’s a sigh of relief.”
Having served so long in the Valley, he sometimes does a bris for sons of fathers he first met as babies themselves.
“I run into families all the time who recognize me, or I recognize them, and I find out how their son is doing. The other day I talked to someone whose son is now in medical school in Tucson, whose bris I did 22 years ago. It’s nice getting that continuity,” he said. JN
Community Seders for Passover 2025
I
f you are new to the area, don’t have family in town to celebrate with or are not hosting Seder this year, chances are you can find a community Seder to celebrate the anniversary of our people’s exodus from Egyptian slavery close to where you live. Here is a list of Passover Seders around the state.
FRIDAY, APRIL 11
Beth Ami Temple Community Seder
5:30 p.m. at 4027 E. Lincoln Drive, Paradise Valley. Join Beth Ami for a community seder in their sanctuary inside Unitarian Universalist Congregation. $60 per person; reservations due by April 7. For more information, visit bethamitemple.org.
SATURDAY, APRIL 12
JCSVV First Night Passover Seder
5:30 p.m. at Jewish Community of Sedona & the Verde Valley Synagogue, 100 Meadowlark Dr., Sedona. Join Rabbi Alicia Magal for an evening of story, song and symbolic food. Cost: $72 members ($90 nonmembers), $25 ages 6-12, ages under 6 free; reservations due by April 9. For more information, visit jcsvv.org/ passover-first-seder-2025.
Temple Beth Shalom Passover Seder
5:30 p.m. at 12202 N. 101st Ave., Sun City. Join TBSWV for its community Seder. Cost: $50 for adults, $18 ages 6-13, free for ages 5 and under. Make your reservation by April 7 by calling the temple at 623-977-3240 or visit tbsaz.org.
Chabad Jewish Center of Mesa Passover Seder
6:30 p.m. at Chabad Jewish Center of Mesa, Gold Canyon and Apache Junction, 941 S. Maple, Mesa. Cost: $36 adults, $18 children under 12. For more information, visit chabadmesa.com.
Chabad of Surprise Community Seder
6:30 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn, 16601 N. Stadium Way, Surprise. Relive the Exodus story and enjoy a threecourse meal. For more information, visit jewishsurprise.com.
Live from Hillel! It’s Saturday Night Seder
6:30 p.m. at 1012 S. Mill Ave., Tempe. Join Hillel at ASU’s team as they share their favorite rituals throughout the evening. Open to students and community members. For more information, visit hillelasu.org/Passover.
Chabad at ASU Passover Seder
6:45 p.m. at Smetana Family Shul at the Levenbaum Chabad House, 971 S. Ash Ave., Tempe. Open to college students, family members, faculty and the greater community. For more information, visit jewishasu.com.
Chabad of Gilbert Passover Seder
6:45 p.m. at Chabad Jewish Center of Gilbert, 4475 E. Carriage Way, Gilbert. Cost: $36 adults, $18 children. For more information, visit jewishgilbert.com/seder.
Chabad Lubavitch of Fountain Hills
Community Passover Seder
7 p.m. at Chabad Edelman Jewish Center, 16830 E. Avenue of the Fountains, Fountain Hills. Join Chabad for an in-depth Hebrew/ English Passover experience with a four-course meal. Cost: Free; Donations appreciated. For more information, visit jewishfountainhills.com/pesach.
Chabad of the East Valley Passover Seder
7:30 p.m. at The Pollack Chabad Center for Jewish Life, 875 N. McClintock Dr., Chandler. Enjoy a meaningful and interactive Seder with gourmet cuisine. Cost: $65 adults, $55 ages 3-12 before April 5. For more information, visit chabadcenter.com/seder.
Chabad Tucson Communal Passover Seder
7:30 p.m. at Chabad Lubavitch of Tucson, 2443 E. Fourth St., Tucson. Passover Seder meal led by Rabbi Yossie Shemtov and Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin with full-course dinner, reading of the Haggadah, songs and stories. For more information, visit chabadtucson.com.
Chabad of Moon Valley Community Seder
7:45 p.m., address provided upon registration. Enjoy a family-oriented Seder. Cost: $36 adults, $18 children. For more information, visit jewishmoonvalley. com/passoverseder.
Chabad of North Phoenix Pesach Seder
7:45 p.m. at 22044 N. 44th St. #100, Phoenix. Enjoy a Seder with handmade matzah, wine and dinner spiced with traditional customs. Cost: $50 adults, $30 ages under 12; prices increase by $10 per person after April 1. For more information, visit ourjewishcenter.com.
Chabad of Scottsdale Community Passover Seder
7:45 p.m. at 10215 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Enjoy a community Seder with hand-baked shmurah matzah, wine and dinner with traditional customs. Cost for residents: $70 adults, $41 children; prices increase by $10 per person after April 6. For more information, visit chabadofscottsdale.org.
Chabad of the West Valley Community Seder
7:45 p.m., address provided upon registration. Join Chabad for its community Seder. Cost: $50 adults, $25 children. For more information, visit ichabad.org.
MALA BLOMQUIST | MANAGING EDITOR
Chabad of Ahwatukee Community Passover Seder
8 p.m. at a private residence, address provided upon RSVP. Join Chabad for its community Seder. Cost: $36 for adults, $20 for children. For more information, visit chabadahwatukee.com/seder.
SATURDAY, APRIL 12 & SUNDAY, APRIL 13
Chabad of Anthem Annual Passover Seder
7:45 p.m. on April 12 and April 13, email rabbi@jewishanthem.com for address. Enjoy a Seder with hand-baked matzah, kosher wine and a gourmet dinner. Cost: $40 adults, $25 children. For more information, visit jewishanthem.com.
Chabad of Paradise Valley & Arcadia Passover Seder
7:45 p.m. on April 12 and 8 p.m. on April 13 at Mockingbird and Lincoln Drives, Paradise Valley. Enjoy an interactive Seder. Cost: $50 adults, $30 children, $36 Young Jewish Adults (YJP). For more information, visit jewishparadisevalley.com.
Chabad of Goodyear Community Seder
8 p.m. on April 12 and April 13, address provided upon registration. Enjoy a Seder with hand-baked matzah, wine, dinner and traditional customs. For more information, visit jewishgoodyear.com.
Chabad of Phoenix Passover Seder
8 p.m. on April 12 and April 13 at 2110 E. Lincoln Drive, Phoenix. Enjoy an interactive Seder with gourmet cuisine. Cost: $54 adults, $36 children before April 5. For more information, visit chabadaz.com/seder.
Chabad of Prescott Passover Seder
8 p.m. on April 12 and April 13 at 418 N. Washington Ave., Prescott. Enjoy gourmet Passover cuisine and an interactive Seder. Cost: $54 adults, $18 children, $150 family. For more information, visit jewishprescott.org/ seder.
Chabad of Flagstaff Community Seder Nights
8 p.m. April 12 and April 13 at Molly Blank Jewish Community Center, 930 W. University Ave., Flagstaff. Cost for residents: $75 ages 12 & up, $30 ages 4-11, ages 3 and under free. For more information, call 928-255-5756 or visit jewishflagstaff.com.
Happy Passover
SUNDAY, APRIL 13
Congregation Beth Israel Second Night Seder
5 p.m. at 10460 N. 56th St., Scottsdale. Join CBI for a second night Seder. For more information, visit cbiaz.shulcloud. com/event/second-night-seder.
Sun Lakes Jewish Congregation Second Seder
5 p.m. at Trilolgy at Power Ranch Community Ball Room, 4369 E. Village Parkway, Gilbert. Join Sun Lakes Jewish Congregation for their annual Seder. For more information, visit sunlakesjewishcongregation.org.
Temple Kol Ami 2nd Night Seder
5:30 p.m. at 15030 N. 64th St., Scottsdale. Join Rabbi Schneider and Cantor Noa for a participatory Seder. Catered by Culinary by Julie. Gluten-free and vegetarian options available. Limited seating available. Cost: $50 adult members ($65 nonmembers), $35 children ages 3-12 ($40 nonmembers). For more information, visit templekolami.org.
Temple Chai 2nd Night Passover Seder
6 p.m. at 4645 E. Marilyn Road, Phoenix. Join Cantor Ross Wolman for a community Seder. Cost: $60 adults
($75 nonmembers), $35 ages 3-12 ($50 nonmembers), free for ages 3 and under. Register by April 7. For more information, visit tcaz.shulcloud.com/ event/2025-2nd-night-seder.
Temple Solel Second Night Community Passover Seder
6 p.m. at Temple Solel, 6805 E. McDonald Dr., Paradise Valley. Join Temple Solel for a traditional, kosher-style Passover meal. Cost: $50 adult members & guests ($60 nonmembers), $30 ages 5-12 ($40 nonmembers), ages 4 and under free; reservations will be accepted until 12 p.m. on April 11. For more information, visit templesolel.org.
Beth El Phoenix Second Night Seder
7 p.m. at 1118 W. Glendale Ave., Phoenix. Join Beth El for a second night Seder. Cost: $75 adults ($65 vegetarian meal), $25 ages 5-12, $10 ages 3-4. For more information, visit bethelphoenix. com/pesach. JN
For more information on events, activities and recipes for Passover, visit JewishPhoenix.com.
The ultimate Jewish meatloaf recipe
SONYA SANFORD | THE NOSHER
Nicknamed “Yiddish meatloaf,” klops is an egg-filled meatloaf that likely originated in Austria, but became popular with Polish Jews, and throughout Eastern Europe. Prior to World War I, Vienna was known for its lavish cuisine and layered dishes. Klops — with its striking hard-boiled egg center — was commonly served in restaurants, as well as in homes. While it may look fancy, klops is prepared with deceptively
simple ingredients: ground meat, like beef or veal, onions, egg and matzah meal (or, during most of the year, bread crumbs). This is a true old world dish; meaty, hearty and very filling.
Favored by Ashkenazi Jewish communities, you’ll find recipes for this meatloaf in classic Jewish culinary tomes like Claudia Roden’s seminal “Book of Jewish Food” and Gil Marks’ “The World of Jewish Cooking.”
Klops
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
• 3 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled
• 2 pounds lean ground beef (90/10)
• 1 medium onion
• 3–4 cloves garlic
For the glaze (optional): ¼ cup ketchup
Directions:
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• 1/3 cup matzah meal
• 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt (reduce to 1 tsp if using table salt)
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 large egg
Hard-boil three eggs and peel them. (This can be made up to one day in advance and stored in the fridge.)
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment. If you do not have this sized loaf pan, you can form the meat into a loaf directly onto a parchmentlined sheet pan.
Prepare the vegetables. Very finely mince your onion by pulsing it in a food processor, or grating it on the medium-hole of a box grater (you can also use a knife to finely dice your onion, but for flavor it’s ideal to use a processor or grater.) In a food processor or using a microplane, finely chop or grate your garlic. Finely chop your parsley. In a large bowl, add the ground beef, minced onion and garlic, chopped parsley, matzah meal, salt, pepper and egg. Using clean hands, mix the meatloaf mixture until well-combined, but be careful not to overwork the mixture to avoid toughness.
Assemble the klops by placing a third of the meat mixture into the bottom of the loaf pan. Place the eggs upright into the pan, spacing them evenly apart. Add the remaining meat mixture to the pan, and make sure the top of each egg is covered. If forming onto a sheet pan instead of a loaf pan, place a third of the meat into a 9×5-inch rectangular shape, place the eggs on top upright, and form the remaining mixture around the eggs into a loaf; making sure the tops of each egg are covered by the meat. Place in a preheated oven for 50 minutes. If using a ketchup glaze, brush it onto the top of the loaf and continue to cook for an additional 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F. If you’re skipping the glaze, check the temperature of the klops after 1 hour, and continue cooking 10 minutes, or until it reaches 160°F. Once cooked, let the klops rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving!
Notes:
Klops can be made one day ahead and stored in the fridge. It can be served cold, or it can be reheated wrapped in foil at 350°F until warmed through. The eggs can be prepared up to one day in advance and stored in the fridge. JN
In Gloria Kaufer Greene’s “The Jewish Holiday Cookbook,” she explains: “Jews of Germanic background brought this tasty meat loaf to Israel, where it has become very popular. It is often prepared in advance then chilled, so it can be served at picnics on such festive occasions as Lag B’Omer and Yom Ha’Atzmaut.”
Klops can be whipped up quickly, but the trickiest bit is nestling the hard boiled eggs into the center, making sure each one is carefully covered with the ground meat mixture before baking. Some like to add a layer of caramelized onions on top after the klops comes out of the oven, and others prefer ketchup or tomato sauce as a glaze while it cooks. I’m partial to a ketchup topping, with its tangy bright note and glossy finish; but if you’re a traditionalist, feel free to omit it. As comforting as it is to eat meatloaf of any kind, there’s something undeniably impressive about slicing into klops, and revealing a happy golden yolk peeking through the center of each serving.
This story originally appeared on The Nosher.
Klops, a traditional Ashkenazi meatloaf filled with hard-boiled eggs. COURTESY OF SONYA SANFORD
Noodles for Passover? Yes, it’s possible!
MICAH SIVA | PJ LIBRARY’S PASSOVER HUB
The week of Passover can be a challenge when it comes to feeding your family, especially if your little ones are already tough to please at the dinner table. Many of their favorite dishes, including chametz-heavy pasta and pitas, are likely off the table for the week.
Because of my experience not only as a mom, but also as a dietitian, I like to give my family the option to build their own meals. This offers kids, the youngest diners in particular, a level of independence, while also ensuring that the options available are nourishing and something that each person likes. This often means I’m doing a “build your own bowl” or “build your own soup” bar for dinner, satisfying my needs for a nutritious, adult-friendly dinner and offering a variety of kid-friendly options as well. But don’t be fooled — this kind of meal can be easily assembled using ingredients like pre-cut and frozen vegetables and shredded rotisserie or leftover chicken, to go along with your soup and matzah balls. On our table,
we serve peas, carrots, broccoli, corn, edamame beans, chicken, green onions, dill, parsley, jalapenos (for the adults!) and Passover-friendly noodles.*
If your kid is like mine, noodles are a staple in your dinner rotation, and just because it’s Passover doesn’t mean you have to take them off the menu. I like to make protein-packed, egg-based “noodles” for the holiday. I throw them into soup, top them with tomato sauce, and even serve them with shredded cheese and butter. Using these noodles is a great way to get extra protein into your child’s diet, no matter what time of the year it is. If some of the ingredients or items listed are not within your customs, please do what is best for your family!
Micah Siva (@noshwithmicah) is an award-winning cookbook author, trained chef, registered dietitian and food photographer, specializing in modern Jewish cuisine.
This recipe originally appeared on PJ Library’s Passover Hub. For more information and recipes, visit pjlibrary.org/passover.
Passover-Friendly Egg Noodles
Serves 4
Ingredients:
• 4 large eggs
• 4 tablespoons potato starch*
*Tip:
• ½ cup water
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• Oil, for cooking
Potato starch is often available right next to the matzah meal and other Passover staples in the kosher section. You can also find it in the baking aisle or buy it in bulk from many online retailers.
Directions:
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs.
In a medium bowl, combine potato starch, water and salt until smooth.
Add the potato starch mixture to the eggs and whisk to combine.
Heat oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat.
Add ¼ cup of the egg mixture and swirl to coat the pan.
When the top is set, (about two minutes), carefully flip to cook the other side for about 30 seconds.
Set aside to cool, and repeat with remaining batter.
When all the batter is cooked, roll up into crepes and then slice into noodles. JN
egg noodles are a hit with the kids.
Special anniversary
Super Bowl snacks
California dreaming
good for your heart
Expertise for mommy & me
Congregation Beth Tefillah’s Babyccino, a mommy and me group hosted by Dr.
Sharing stories
Cookie
Watching the Super Bowl with Smile on Seniors. Seated from left are Michael and Elaine Kates, Janet Lottman and Leslie and Brad Levy.
during its recent weekly Tuesday meeting. Gewirtz is a child psychologist and spoke about mindful parenting.
The lucky ones
Beth El Phoenix donated nearly 500 boxes of mac ‘n cheese and more than 100 children’s books to Vista Colina Family Shelter in Phoenix for Purim.
OF BARBARA LEWKOWITZ
Thirteen Hamilton High School Air Force JROTC students recently attended a Post 610 Jewish War Veterans’ meeting to learn about their time in the service. Each cadet paired up with a vet to hear their story so they could later be able to share it with fellow cadets.
Ellen Shulman Tuckman, right, and Helena Feldman Nathan celebrated the 69th anniversary of their b’nai mitzvah in February. Nathan traveled from New Orleans to join Tuckman at Congregation Beth Israel in Scottsdale, where they both took turns reading from their Torah portion.
Shifris was presented Arizona Jews for Justice’s Justice Champion Award for Excellence in Service & Character in late January from Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz.
OF
I’ll take a big check
Lilach Mazor Power, Jewish entrepreneur, owner of the Giving Tree Dispensary and founder of the pre-roll brand Sneakers, hosted a $10,000 giveaway in February. Here, she presents a giant check for $10,000 to military veteran, Matthew Sabo.
Shabbat Shalom
Mazel tov Cantor Noa!
That’s a
Hike your own hike
Congregation Beth Tefillah’s youth directors, Rabbi Yisrael and Eden Kumer, led a leadership training for teens while hiking in Phoenix. The goal was to empower the teens to lead fun and engaging activities for younger kids.
On Tuesday, Feb. 25, Temple Kol Ami’s board of trustees unanimously voted to extend Cantor Noa Shaashua’s contract for five more years.
Rahav leads young families as they sing Shabbat songs at Congregation Beth Tefillah’s Mishpachti Tot Shabbat. The program will take place before Shabbat every month.
OF
This COMMUNITY page features photos of community members around the Valley and the world. Submit photos and details each week to editor@jewishaz.com by 10 a.m. Monday.
Mazel tov!
Gloria Bold, right,
OF DONNA HARRIS
Colton
From left, Marvin and Sandra Finkelstein, Rabbi Levi Levertov, Herb Spiwak, Ethel Schmall, Sharon Friendly, Howard and Ilene Kornblue and Vicki Diamond at Smile on Seniors’ “It’s Not Just Lunch and Heart Health” event on Feb. 5.
Grab a bag
Raya Sandler, right, and Lyla Katz were among those who gave away Purim treats, mishloach manot, to senior living communities for Tikkun Olam Together’s mother-daughter service group on Sunday, March 2.
KATZ Coffee campaign
Michelle Jameson, Director of U. S. Vets -Phoenix, happily accepted 163 cans of coffee collected by Jewish War Veterans, Post 619. Pictured from left are John Hermann, Jameson, Nancy Stutman and Charles Gerson.
Abigail Gewirtz,
From left, Freeman Rosenblum, Alan Nathan, Glenn Miller, David Rosen, Keith Rezendes, Beverly Nathan and Shirley Rosenblum are pictured at Smile on Seniors’ “Deli Night” event on Jan. 29.
From left, Marvin Kline, Lori Roth, Marci Beliak, David Weinstein, Mark and Susie Magier, Sharon Cohn, Pat Singer and Tina Firetag are pictured at Smile on Seniors’ “Not Just Lunch and Music” event on Tuesday, Jan. 8.
OF SMILE ON SENIORS
Several staff members of the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix traveled to Los Angeles in January for the Jewish Federations of North America regional gathering. Back row from left are Kaylie Medansky, Kay Campanella, Sarah Ben Harush, Jennifer Starrett, Richard Kasper, Andrew Gibbs and Rich Solomon. Front row from left are Sheryl Press and Gail Baer. COURTESY OF JEWISH FEDERATIONS OF NORTH AMERICA
Time for tea
Harriet Colan, office manager at the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center, third from right, led a group VOSJCC members on a day trip to the English Rose Tea Room in Carefree in February. COURTESY OF HARRIET COLAN
Phoenix Holocaust Association observed International Holocaust Remembrance Day with a presentation by Georgia Hunter, author of “We Were the Lucky Ones.” Pictured from left are Hunter, Sheryl Bronkesh, Leslie Feldman and Busy Philipps. COURTESY OF DANIEL FISCHPAN, INVOKE VIDEO
Featured Event
TUESDAY, APRIL 8
Documentary Film Series:
7 p.m.. Arizona Jewish Historical Society, 122 E. Culver St., Phoenix. Join the AZJHS for a screening of “A Real Pain,” the movie about two Jewish American cousins who travel to Poland to honor their deceased grandmother who was a Holocaust survivor. $5 for AZJHS members, $10 for nonmembers. For more information, visit azjhs.org/a-real-pain.
Events
THROUGH APRIL 4
Rosenbluth Family Charitable Foundation Genocide Awareness Week @ ASU: Times vary. Arizona State University, 1151 S. Forest Ave., Tempe. Join the ASU School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies along with ASU Jewish Studies for a weeklong event addressing how we, as a global society, confront violent actions and current and ongoing threats of genocide and related mass atrocity crimes, throughout the world, while also looking to the past for guidance and to honor those affected by genocide. For more information, visit shprs. asu.edu/GAW.
FRIDAY-SUNDAY, APRIL 4-6
“Colleyville”: Times vary. Harkins Scottsdale 101, 7000 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix. Join the Phoenix Film Festival for this thriller based on the true events of a gunman who took hostages inside a Texas synagogue. For more information, visit phoenixfilmfestival. com.
SATURDAY-SUNDAY, APRIL 5-6
LAFF “The Family Tree”: 7 p.m. Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays. Sun Lakes Country Club, 25601 E. Sun Lakes Blvd. N,, Chandler. Join the Sun Lakes Jewish Congregation’s Laughter and Friendship Forever (LAFF) troupe as they perform an original musical comedy, “The Family Tree,” with an interfaith cast of more than 30 performers. Cost: $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Purchase tickets at ticketsource.us and enter Sun Lakes Country Club in the search location tab.
SUNDAY, APRIL 6
“999: The Forgotten Girls”: Online, all day. Join the East Valley Jewish Community Center for its Israeli Film Series featuring a documentary about the first Jewish transport to Auschwitz, which included 999 Slovak girls and young women. Cost: Free; registrants will receive the link the evening of April 5. For more information, visit evjcc.org/film.
Religious School Round-Up: 9:30-11:30 a.m. Congregation Or Tzion, 16415 N. 90th St., Scottsdale. Join Or Tzion’s Roz Goodell Religious School for a chance to learn more about the program for children going into pre-K or kindergarten. For more information, visit otaz.org/roundup.
MONDAY, APRIL 7
The Shabbat Parent: A Real Talk Book Talk with a Mom and Rabbanit: 10 a.m. Online. Join Valley Beit Midrash for a virtual event featuring a presentation by Rabbanit Alissa Thomas-Newborn. She will share personal stories and reflections on her new book, “Shabbat Guidebook for Parents: Halacha of Caring for Infants, Toddlers, and Young Children on Shabbat and Yom Tov.”
For more information, visit valleybeitmidrash.org.
TUESDAY, APRIL 8
Breaking the Stereotypes on Native Americans: 10 a.m. East Valley Jewish Community Center, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Join the EVJCC for a presentation by Phoenix Art Museum docent David Obuck examining some of the attempts to break stereotypes in Native American art. Cost: Free. For more information, visit evjcc.org.
Women’s Passover Seder at Temple Beth Shalom: 12 p.m. Temple Beth Shalom, 12202 N. 101st Ave., Sun City. Join the Sisterhood of Temple Beth Shalom for the Barbara Moss Community Women’s Seder. Cost: $20 per person; reservations and payment required by April 3. For more information, call 623-977-3240.
THURSDAY, APRIL 10
Technion Strength in a Time of Turmoil: 8-9 a.m. Address provided upon registration. Join American Technion Society (Phoenix Chapter) for their annual breakfast. For more information, contact lgrier@ats.org.
FRIDAY, APRIL 11
Rising Above Together: ADL Conference on Antisemitism: 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Omni Tempe Hotel at ASU, 7 E. University Drive, Tempe. Join the Anti-Defamation League, Arizona State University and other community partners for an event that brings together civic leaders, educators, law enforcement, students, interfaith partners and more- to share ideas and work on real ways to fight antisemitism and hate. Cost: $36 per person; registration closes on April 8. For more information, visit jewishphoenix.com/events/ adl-summit-on-antisemitism-and-hate.
SUNDAYS
B.A.G.E.L.S: 9-11 a.m.; last Sunday of the month. Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Grab a bagel and a cup of coffee at Bagels And Gabbing Every Last Sunday and enjoy some time with your friends and make new ones. You must register to attend. Bagels and coffee will be provided. Cost: Free for members, $5 for guests. For more information and to register, visit vosjcc.org.
THURSDAYS
Storytime at Modern Milk: 9:30 a.m. Modern Milk, 13802 N. Scottsdale Road, #163, Scottsdale. Storytime for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. Integrates children’s books and songs while giving parents new ideas for play. Cost: $5. For more information and to register, visit modernmilk.com/after-baby.
Meetings, Lectures & Classes
SUNDAYS
Chassidus Class: 9 a.m. Online. Learn about the Chasidic movement with Rabbi Yossi Friedman. Use this link: ChabadAZ.com/ LiveClass. Cost: Free. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.
Jewish War Veterans Post 210: 10 a.m. Online. Any active duty service member or veteran is welcome to join monthly meetings, every third Sunday. Cost: Free. For more information, email Michael Chambers at c365michael@yahoo.com.
Anxiety in the Modern World: 6 p.m. Online. Learn the secrets of the Torah for living stress-free in the current environment with Rabbi Boruch of Chabad of Oro Valley. Cost: Free. Use this link: zoom.us/j/736434666. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.
MONDAYS
Pomegranate Guild of Judaic Needlework, Desert Cactus Chapter: 10 a.m. The Oasis at Sagewood, 4555 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix. The guild meets the third Monday of the month, adjusted when necessary to accommodate Jewish holidays. For more information, visit pomegranateguild.org.
Mahjong: 1:30-3:30 p.m. East Valley Jewish Community Center, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Come play mahjong each week. For all levels. Cost: Free; registration required at evjcc.org/mahjong.
Ethics of Our Fathers: 7 p.m. Online. Learn with Rabbi Zalman Levertov. Use this link: bit.ly/2Y0wdgv. Cost: Free. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.
Quotable Quotes by our Sages: 7 p.m. Online. Learn with Rabbi Shlomy Levertov. Use this link: JewishParadiseValley.com/ class. Cost: Free. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.
Partners in Torah: 7:30 p.m. Online. Join a growing group of inspired learners with Project Inspire. Cost: Free. Use this link: us04web.zoom.us/j/3940479736#success, password is 613. For more information, email Robin Meyerson at robin@projectinspireaz. com.
Learning to Trust in God: 7:30 p.m. Online. Learn with Rabbi Yossi Friedman. Use this link: ChabadAZ.com/LiveClass. Cost: Free. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.
Torah & Tea: 7:30 p.m. Online. Learn with Rabbi Yossie Shemtov. Cost: Free. For more information, visit Facebook.com/ ChabadTucson.
Single Parent Zoom: 8 p.m. First and third Monday of every month. Join The Bureau of Jewish Education’s Family University single parents’ group for those looking to form friendships and build their support system with like-minded people. For more information or to register, visit bjephoenix.org/ family-university.
TUESDAYS
Let’s Knit: 1:30 p.m. Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Share the pleasure of knitting, crocheting, etc. outside the social hall in the campus. Can’t knit? They will teach you! Every level welcome. Cost: Free. For more information, visit vosjcc.org.
Maintaining an Upbeat Attitude: 7 p.m. Online. A class exclusively for people in their 20s and 30s, learn how Jewish Mysticism can help with your attitude with Rabbi Shlomy Levertov. Use this link: JewishParadiseValley.com/YJPclass. Cost: Free. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.
Torah Studies: 7:30 p.m. Online. Learn with Rabbi Mendy Levertov. Use this link: ourjewishcenter.com/virtual. Cost: Free. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.
WEDNESDAYS
Torah Study with Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Online. Weekly study group explores that week’s portion and studies different perspectives and debates the merits of various arguments. Intended for adults, Torah study is open to students of all levels. For more information, contact the TBS office at 623-977-3240.
Happiness Hour: 11:30 a.m. Online. Class taught by Rabbi Pinchas Allouche that delves into texts and references culled from our traditions to address a relevant topic. For more information or to join, visit cbtvirtualworld.com.
Lunch & Learn: 12 p.m. Online. Grab some food and learn with Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin. Use this link: Facebook.com/ChabadTucson. Cost: Free. For more information, visit chabadtucson.com.
Torah Study with Chabad: 12 p.m. Online. Take a weekly journey of Torah with Rabbi Yossi Levertov. Cost: Free. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.
The Thirteen Petalled Rose: 1 p.m. Online. Kabbalah class that studies “The Thirteen Petalled Rose” by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz, focusing on the many concepts of Kaballah and Jewish Mysticism and applying them to everyday life. For more information or to join, visit cbtvirtualworld.com.
Grief Support Group: 5-6 p.m. Online via Zoom. Therapist Susan Charney MCW, LCSW, leads a grief support group every first and third Wednesday of the month virtually for individuals experiencing the loss of an adult child or sibling. In lieu of any fees for these sessions, donations to Temple Solel are appreciated. For more information, contact susancharneycounseling@gmail.com.
History of the Jews: 7 p.m. Online. Learn the Jewish journey from Genesis to Moshiach with Rabbi Ephraim Zimmerman. Use this link: zoom.us/j/736434666. Cost: Free. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.
JACS: 7:30-8:30 p.m. Online. Zoom support group for Jewish alcoholics, addicts and their friends and family on the first and third Wednesdays of the month. Cost: Free. For more information, email jacsarizona@gmail. com or call 602-692-1004.
THURSDAYS
Interfaith Course on Jewish Humor: 10-11:30 a.m. April 3, 10 and 17. Temple Shalom of the West Valley, 12202 N. 101st Ave., Sun City. Join TBSWV Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan for this course analyzing jokes dealing with Jews and Judaism from different perspectives. Cost: $20 for members; $35 for nonmembers. Registration deadline is March 31. For more information, visit tbsaz.org.
Ladies Torah & Tea: 10:30 a.m. Online. Learn about the women of the Torah with Mrs. Leah Levertov. Use this link: ourjewishcenter. com/virtual. Cost: Free. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.
Talmud - Maakos: 11 a.m. Online. Learn with Rabbi Shlomy Levertov. Cost: Free. Use this link: JewishParadiseValley.com/YJPclass. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.
The Science of Everything: 11 a.m. Online. Explore the most fundamental work of Chassidut: the Tanya, with Rabbi Boruch. Use this link: zoom.us/j/736434666. Cost: Free. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.
Mindfulness Gatherings: 12 p.m. Online. Hosted by Hospice of the Valley via Zoom. Cost: Free. To join by phone, dial 1-253-2158782, meeting ID 486 920 2119#, to get the Zoom link or for further questions contact Gill Hamilton at ghamilton@hov.org or 602-748-3692.
Weekly Mahjong: 1-3 p.m. Temple Solel, 6805 E. McDonald Drive, Paradise Valley. Join Temple Solel each Thursday afternoon for mahjong. Lessons available for beginners. Cost: Free. RSVP via email to dottiebefore@gmail.com so they know how many tables to set up.
Teen Discussions: 7-8:30 p.m. Online. Learn with Rabbi Tzvi Rimler. Use this link: cteen. clickmeeting.com/east-valley. Cost: Free. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.
SATURDAYS
Saturday Mindfulness Gatherings: 9:30 a.m. Online. Hosted by Hospice of the Valley. To join by phone, dial 1-253-215-8782, meeting ID 486 920 2119#. To get the Zoom link or for more information, contact Gill Hamilton at ghamilton@hov.org or 602-748-3692.
Book Discussion: 1:30-2:30 p.m. Online. Join Or Adam Congregation for Humanistic Judaism on the third Saturday of every month for a book discussion. For more information and to register, contact oradaminfo@gmail.com.
Shabbat
FRIDAYS
Shabbat in the Park: 10-11 a.m. Cactus Park, 7202 E. Cactus Road, Scottsdale. Join the Bureau of Jewish Education of Greater Phoenix monthly for music, parachute play, crafts and a family Shabbat experience. For more information, visit bjephoenix.org.
Welcome Shabbat: 11-11:30 a.m. Online. Celebrate Shabbat with the JFCS Virtual Center for Senior Enrichment. Each week a different guest host will lead the program with song and celebration. Cost: Free. For more information, visit jfcsaz.org/cse.
Shabbat at Beth El: 7:15 a.m. and 5:45 p.m on Zoom; 9:30 a.m. at Beth El Phoenix, 1118 W. Glendale. Ave., Phoenix or livestreaming on YouTube. Celebrate Shabbat with songs, blessings and teachings with Rabbi Stein Kokin the first Friday of every month. Special guests will be welcoming Shabbat during the remainder of the month. For more information or to join, visit bethelphoenix.com.
Erev Shabbat Service: 5:30 p.m. Online. Rabbi Alicia Magal will lead a service livestreamed for members of the Jewish Community of Sedona and the Verde Valley. Cost: Free. For more information and to obtain the Zoom link, visit jcsvv.org/contact.
Shabbat Service: 5:30-6:30 p.m.; Oneg at 5 p.m. Temple B’rith Shalom, 2077 Brohner Way, Prescott. Join Temple B’rith Shalom for a musical and spiritual Shabbat service. For more information, visit brithshalom-az.org.
Shabbat Services: 5:30 p.m. nosh, 6:15 p.m. service; morning service has varying dates and times. Temple Chai, 4645 E. Marilyn Road, Phoenix. For more information, contact Joan Neer at jneer@templechai.com.
Pre-Shabbat Kiddush Club: 6 p.m. Online. Say Kiddush with Rabbi Mendy Levertov. Cost: Free. Use this link: ourjewishcenter.com/virtual. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.
Shabbat Services: 6 p.m; 9:30 a.m. Congregation Or Tzion, 16415 N. 90th St., Scottsdale. Services are also live streamed at otaz. org/livestream. For more information about services, events and membership, visit congregationortzion.org or call 480-342-8858.
First Friday Shabbat Services: 6:15 p.m.; Oneg at 7:15 p.m. Valley Unitarian Universalist, 6400 W. Del Rio St., Chandler. Join Congregation NefeshSoul for Friday night services the first Friday of each month in the sanctuary building of Valley Unitarian Universalist. For more information, contact Jim Hoffman at 480-329-3316.
Shabbat Services: 6:15 p.m; 10 a.m. Congregation Beth Israel, 10460 N. 56th St., Scottsdale. Services held in the Goldsmith Sanctuary. Participants must pre-register by Thursday at 5 p.m. Priority will be given to members first and then guests. If there are more requests than available seats a lottery system will be used. For more information or to make a reservation, visit cbiaz.org/ shabbat-services.
Kabbalat Shabbat and/or Shabbat morning service: 6:30 p.m.; 10 a.m.; dates vary. Congregation Kehillah, 5858 E. Dynamite Blvd., Cave Creek. Join Rabbi Bonnie Sharfman and cantorial soloists Erica Erman and Scott Leader either in person or via Zoom. For safety reasons, please register ahead of time. For dates, visit congregationkehillah. org/event/. Register by emailing info@congregationkehillah.org.
Shabbat Services: 7 p.m. Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley, 12202 N. 101st Ave., Sun City. Services are followed by an Oneg. Services are live-streamed on YouTube. For more information and to get the YouTube link, visit tbsaz.org or call 623-977-3240.
Shabbat Services in Sun Lakes: 7-9 p.m. Sun Lakes Chapel, 9240 E. Sun Lakes Blvd. North, Sun Lakes. Sun Lakes Jewish Congregation conducts Reform Shabbat services on the second Friday of each month. New members welcome. For more information, call 480-612-4413 or 480-580-1592.
Shabbat Services with Beth Ami Temple: 7 p.m. Services held at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Phoenix, 4027 E. Lincoln Dr., Paradise Valley. Join Beth Ami Temple Rabbi Alison Lawton and Cantorial Soloist Michael Robbins as they lead Shabbat services twice a month. For more information, visit bethamitemple.org.
Third Friday Shabbat: 7-9 p.m. Group meets at a North Scottsdale location. The Desert Foothills Jewish Community Association hosts a Shabbat service followed by a program. Contact 602-487-5718 for more information.
Seniors
MONDAYS
Fitness Xpress Series with Zoe: 11-11:30 a.m. Online. Presented by JFCS Center for Senior Enrichment. Workout features weight and band exercises as well as yoga poses. Exercises will be demonstrated standing, but can also be done sitting in a chair. Cost: Free. For more information, visit jfcsaz.org/cse.
Sip & Schmooze: 11 a.m. milk + honey, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Sip on kosher coffee or tea, enjoy a pastry and schmooze every second Monday of the month. RSVP appreciated to chani@sosaz. org or 602-492-7670. For more information, visit sosaz.org.
Featured Presentation: 12:30 p.m. Online. Join Smile on Seniors Mondays and Wednesdays to learn from a variety of presenters about topical issues, like Q&As with medical professionals, entertainers and lectures. Cost: Free. For more information, visit sosaz.org/virtual or email Rabbi Levi Levertov at levi@sosaz.org.
TUESDAYS
Movie Discussion Group: 11 a.m. Online. Join Smile on Seniors on the third Tuesday of every month hosted by Issy Lifshitz. Cost: Free. For full details and the movie of the month visit sosaz.org/virtual or email Rabbi Levi Levertov at levi@sosaz.org.
WEDNESDAYS
Fitness Fun with Zoe: 10-10:45 a.m. Online. Presented by JFCS Center for Senior Enrichment. Workout features light chair exercises with optional weights. Cost: Free. For more information, visit jfcsaz.org/cse.
Chair Yoga with Zoe: 11-11:45 a.m. Online. Presented by JFCS Center for Senior Enrichment. 45-minute chair yoga class. No prior yoga experience required. Cost: Free. For more information, visit jfcsaz.org/cse.
THURSDAYS
Memory Cafe: 10-11 a.m. first Thursday; 1-2 p.m. third Thursday. Online. Presented by Jewish Family & Children’s Service. Program for those with changes in their thinking or memory, mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease or a related disorder, along with their care partners. For more information, visit jfcsaz.org/our-services/ older-adult-services/memory-cafe/.
In the Kitchen with Benita: 12:30 p.m. Join Smile on Seniors on the fourth Thursday of every month for some delicious cooking or baking fun! Cost: Free. For full details visit sosaz.org/virtual or email Rabbi Levi Levertov at levi@sosaz.org.
FRIDAYS
Welcome Shabbat: 11-11:30 a.m. Online. Celebrate Shabbat with the JFCS Virtual Center for Senior Enrichment. Each week a different guest host will lead the program with song and celebration. Cost: Free. For more information, visit jfcsaz.org/cse.
Sit or Stand Ballet Class: 12-12:45 p.m. Online. Presented by JFCS Center for Senior Enrichment. Jennifer Cafarella Betts and Friends from Ballet Theatre of Phoenix teach this class. Grab a chair or you can stand next to a chair or counter. Cost: Free. For more information, visit jfcsaz.org/cse.
Musical Friday: 12:30 p.m. Online. Join Smile on Seniors on the first Friday of every month for a musical presentation. Cost: Free. For full details visit sosaz.org/virtual or email Rabbi Levi Levertov at levi@sosaz.org. JN
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