Jewish News, May 24, 2024

HEADLINES | 6

BIG JEWISH FUN

The Bandler Family Park at Congregation Beth Israel is open for the whole community

‘Never to be afraid again,’ local Jews honor the memory of Holocaust victims

SHANNON LEVITT | STAFF WRITER

On Sunday, May 5, Congregation Beth Tefillah Rabbi Pinchas Allouche asked the hundreds of people gathered at the Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus for a communal Yom HaShoah event, honoring the memory of six million Jews slain during the Holocaust, to stand for his invocation.

Allouche began by repeating a question that had been asked of a Holocaust survivor he knew. Eliezer, the survivor, had been asked what it is that Jews want.

Eliezer’s response to the question was to recount his memory of Sept. 23, 1942, a terrifying day in which he and his girlfriend ran away from Nazis just arriving in their small Polish town. The two found an open apartment and hid. Soon after, a mother and her three children also entered the apartment in search of a hiding place. The mother hid behind flour sacks with Eliezer and his girlfriend, while the three children found another spot.

A group of Nazis entered the apartment and found the children. The youngest, a 6-year-old boy, cried and called out for his mother, “Mama! Mama!” His older brother, only 8, shushed him and told him not to give his mother’s position away. The Nazis left with only the children.

“They did not see us,” Eliezer said.

He told Allouche that he would always be able to picture that mother knocking her head against the wall because she had remained quiet in her hiding place, forced to watch Nazis dragging her children away for all time.

“So what is it we Jews want? We never want to be afraid to say Mama.”

Before his prayer, Allouche reminded those gathered that it was only 80 years ago that “young and old were starved, shot, gassed and burned to ashes because they

SEE MEMORY, PAGE 2

KVETCHING ABOUT COMMISSION

Ophir Gross talks about paying buyer’s agent’s commissions

Greater Phoenix Jews celebrate Israel’s birthday with bouncy houses, food trucks and poetry

On Wednesday, May 15, an estimated 2,000 people came out to celebrate Israel’s 76th birthday. The 95-degree heat was not as burdensome as it otherwise might have been thanks to some cloud cover, which allowed people to mill about, catch up with old friends and watch their kids enjoy some games and rides.

The Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center (VOSJCC) in Scottsdale hosted the “Israel at 76 Community-wide Celebration” on the large sports field between its building and Pardes Jewish Day School. The Yom Ha’atzmaut event offered a plethora of things to do. For example, many perused a shaded shuk that stood along one side of the event, providing a place to purchase Judaica and other items. Additionally, the delicious smell of good food coming from various food trucks permeated the grounds. Tables were set up for people who bought food and drink or brought their own.

“The overall feeling was one of community and fun,” Leah Zigmond, VOSJCC’s chief officer of youth and family programming, told Jewish News in an email.

Many local Jewish organizations were on site Wednesday to introduce themselves to people and make a pitch for their offerings. Many sponsored one of the games or rides to draw people in.

For example, Jewish Free Loan (JFL) sponsored a giant swinging ride and its booth sat in front of the line. Ian Kornbluth, a board member, told Jewish News that most of the people who had approached his table were familiar with JFL’s work. However, one person who stopped by only learned of it that day. Kornbluth was able to give him a good rundown of what JFL does.

SEE BIRTHDAY, PAGE 3

It’s all in the genes

Minkoff Center for Jewish Genetics hosted a fundraiser where guests learned about genetic testing.

See page 8.

SHANNON LEVITT | STAFF WRITER

Attendees of Israel's 76th birthday celebration enjoyed games and activities at the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center on May 15. COURTESY OF JEWISH NEWS

were deemed guilty of the crime of being different.” He pleaded with the attendees to remember “what happens when hate takes hold of the human heart” and “humanity fails to recognize that those who were not created in our image are nonetheless created in God’s image.”

The Israeli legislature created Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day in 1951. It falls every year on the same date the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising began in 1943. The Phoenix Holocaust Association (PHA), which organizes the annual event and prioritizes Holocaust education, always takes the opportunity to present its Shofar Zakhor Award to a person or group that has made an outstanding contribution to Holocaust instruction.

This year, the award was presented to two local teachers: Heather Land of Mesa’s Mountain View High School and Sandra Flayton of Scottsdale Unified School District.

January 20

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“Every day, I am reminded of the power of words to combat antisemitism,” Land said in accepting the award. In her work, she is inspired by famed Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel’s reminder that “neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim,” and teaches her students that silence in the face of injustice “is nothing short of complicity.”

April 7

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Flayton thanked PHA and the Holocaust survivors in attendance for their recognition of her dedication to teaching the subject matter. She also thanked “the survivors who are no longer with us who walked through my classroom door and who had the strength to tell their stories.”

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Flayton told the audience that “the Jewish people will never fall victim to antisemitism again.” That sentiment permeated an event that came nearly seven months after Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel led to the greatest loss of Jewish life in a single day since the Holocaust ended.

PHA Vice President Eva Flaster

“Our hope is to create and promote opportunities for people to be embraced, become part of the community and find equitable opportunities wherever they

Meyers first came to know Stern through her mother, Amy Silverman, who read her personal essays about raising a daughter with Down syndrome on KJZZ, National Public Radio’s Phoenix affiliate station.

Meyers was so captivated by the essays that he reached out to Silverman, and the two became friends.

reminded the audience that there are still over 100 hostages in Gaza and pointed out an empty chair in the front row, symbolizing their existence and the hope for their safe release.

That’s how Stern first learned of the open council seat, but there’s no doubt she earned her position, Meyers said.

To become a council member, Stern had to apply and demonstrate that she had something valuable to contribute, he said.

Richard Kasper, CEO of the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix (CJP), spoke of a “shocking rise and mainstreaming of antisemitism” since the Oct. 7 attack. (CJP partnered with PHA on the 2024 Yom HaShoah event.)

Every year this commemoration is meaningful and important, said PHA President Sheryl Bronkesh, whose parents were both survivors. However, with tears in her eyes, Bronkesh said this year the event held special significance for her both because the remaining survivors are aging, making it difficult for them to come to these events or to speak to students, and because of a rise in the number of antisemitic incidents nationally.

“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.

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.

Several survivors in attendance lit candles assisted by “4Gs,” the great-grandchildren of Holocaust survivors.

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 his prayer, Allouche asked people to remember God’s admonition not to oppress the stranger.

While Jews primarily observe Yom HaShoah, Jewish allies are always welcomed.

“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.”

Stern looks forward to sharing insights

This year, those attending the annual ceremony included a religious cross section of leaders, including members of the Lutheran-based, religious order the Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary, local

about her Judaism with her fellow council members and speaking out for her rights

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 to intervene.

“If someone has a disability, saying the R-word is like saying the F-word,” Stern said.

leaders from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, representatives from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix and the Arizona Faith Network and clergy from six local synagogues.

While performing in the musical “Hairspray,” she had another occasion to tangle with the offensive word, which appears in the script.

On Monday, May 6, PHA and CJP co-hosted “Unto Every Person There is a Name,” a day-long reading of Holocaust victims’ names inside the campus.

“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.

On the same day, the East Valley Jewish Community Center in Chandler held its “2024 Yom HaShoah Commemoration,” with a lecture, recital and candle-lighting ceremony.

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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“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.

Pianists Hannah Creviston and Baruch Meir played melodies written by composers killed in the Holocaust, and Björn Krondorfer, director of the MartinSpringer Institute (MSI) at Northern Arizona University, who found out as an adult that his father was a German soldier at a slave labor camp in Poland, spoke to 100 attendees.

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.

“It’s not the same when someone tries to tell a person’s story for them,” Hummell said.

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.

Amy Hummell, executive director of Gesher Disability Resources, agreed that Stern is a good fit for ADDPC because of her ability to self-advocate.

Local community leaders also participated in the EVJCC’s candle lighting ceremony, including Bob and Melanie Shaha of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints, Pastor Victor and Cynthia Hardy of the Congregational Church of the Valley, Chandler Police Assistant Chief Dave Ramer and Riann Balch, City of Chandler community development and resources senior manager. JN

Hummell co-hosted a book event with Meyers a few years ago for “My

For more information, visit phxha.com.

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

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Sophie Stern at her

Björn Krondorfer, director of the Martin-Springer Institute at Northern Arizona University, was the featured speaker at the East Valley JCC Yom HaShoah commemoration on May 6. COURTESY OF LEISAH WOLDOFF

Fourth-generation survivors Eva Markowitz, Tyler and Olivia Feldman, assist Holocaust survivor Rise Stillman to light a candle to honor those lost during the Holocaust. COURTESY OF PHOENIX HOLOCAUST ASSOCIATION

“We’re here to educate the community,” Kornbluth said, adding the location was good because the ride drew a lot of people.

That was the sentiment of those staffing the Jewish National Fund-USA’s (JNFUSA) table as well. Behind them was an inflatable version of the classic arcade game, Skee-Ball, with children waiting in line to play.

“Everybody loves Skee-Ball!” Becca Norton told Jewish News. Norton is the senior Israel advocacy and engagement director for JNF-USA Southwest.

Deb Rochford, JNF-USA national campaign director, told Jewish News she and her colleagues were at the event to celebrate the day, as well as to help recruit Jewish teens for Alexander Muss High School in Israel. Alexander Muss is a studyabroad program for high school students, with programs that run throughout the year and range from six to 18 weeks in length. There is still time to sign up for some sessions later this summer.

“We have to get kids to Israel to learn about the country, so when they get to college they’re not like a deer caught in the headlights,” Rochford told Jewish News, alluding to protests over Israel’s war in Gaza that cropped up on dozens of college campuses, including in Arizona, this spring. Many protests have included an anti-Zionist sentiment. “We have to teach them how to defend their Zionism.”

Norton said talking to teens in the relaxed, game-like atmosphere of Wednesday’s gathering made it “a more organic conversation” when kids approach asking, “What is this about?”

Yonatan Ayash, 12, sat at the Shevet Shemesh table. Ayash, a student at Desert Canyon Middle School, has been a member of the organization for three years.

“We do a lot of fun activities, like play games that teach us about holidays and other things,” he told Jewish News.

Above all, he wants to make things better for people, and that was why he was willing to give his time to work the table.

“It’s important to help the community,” he said.

At about 6 p.m., an hour after the festivities started, a group of Pardes students gathered in front of the bandstand to sing The Star-Spangled Banner.

Rabbi Aviva Funke, principal of the Bureau of Jewish Education of Greater Phoenix’s Hebrew High, talked about the last seven “excruciating” months and the importance of coming together as a Jewish community.

“Through adversity we are reminded of our indomitable spirit,” she said before introducing two girls from Shevet Shemesh to read an original poem, with lines describing, “From the ashes of the past a phoenix rises high, Israel’s spirit shines, never to die,” and “a people’s resilience touches the sky.”

The poem reflects on the terrorist attack

on Oct. 7.

“Our hearts remember the past, the hostages, the missing, the loved ones that didn’t last,” and ends with a resolution to stand strong.

“On Yom Ha’atzmaut, we stand tall and proud, celebrating Israel’s independence, our hearts loud, with Jewish pride, we sing and dance.”

Next, Funke introduced representatives from seven Valley Jewish youth organizations. Each spoke about their Jewish identity and Israel, then sent up “peace and blessings” in the form of large, white and biodegradable, dove-shaped balloons.

Funke told Jewish News that the doves were in lieu of a torch lighting that would have been a fire hazard and difficult to see in daylight.

“We wanted a visual sensation to be seen from everywhere,” she said of the doves, representing “blessings for peace in Israel.”

While most people came only for the celebration, there were a few dozen protesters, evenly divided between pro-Israel and pro-Palestine, at the entrance of the VOSJCC on Scottsdale Road. They stood together in clumps on either side of the driveway, sometimes talking, sometimes shouting or yelling expletives at one another.

“I care about everybody; I’m distraught about everything,” Joan Levin Sacks, who came for the celebration but ended up talking to the protesters, told Jewish News. She ended up conversing with Rumsey Salman, who has been protesting the war for 140 straight days, often on Scottsdale Road. Salman, a Palestinian-American, is the younger brother of former Arizona House Rep. Athena Salman.

While people around them often used raised voices, Sacks and Salman conversed calmly, even if they sometimes talked past one another and disagreed on the basic facts on the ground. Salman said he had been screamed at, attacked and robbed several times but still believed that dialogue was useful in “changing one person’s mind at a time.”

Sacks also said she hopes “dialogue can work because we have so much in common.”

By the end of the evening, Scottsdale police officers who were on site the entire time, along with private security, arrested one pro-Israel protester for allegedly grabbing a pro-Palestine protester’s sign and one pro-Palestine protester who got out of her car on Scottsdale Road to wave a flag and block traffic, according to an ABC 15 Arizona report.

“The whole thing is sad, sad, sad,” Sacks said. JN

A balloon in the shape of a dove. COURTESY OF JEWISH NEWS

Singers from Pardes Jewish Day School sing the Star-Spangled Banner on Wednesday, May 15. COURTESY OF JEWISH NEWS

Shevet Shemesh member Yonatan Ayash stands with his father, Dan Ayash, on Wednesday, May 15.

JEWISH NEWS

Jewish National Fund-USA representatives Becca Norton and Leila Mikal stand with Levi Miller in front of their table at the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center on Wednesday, May 15. COURTESY

Celebrating Jewish heritage at ASU

SHANNON LEVITT | STAFF WRITER

While May is the official celebration of Jewish heritage in the United States, a time to discover, explore and celebrate the vibrant and varied American Jewish experience, not every Jewish organization has the luxury of using a calendar-conscripted timeline to join in the festivities.

For example, Hillel at Arizona State University (ASU) had to consider the realities of final exams, graduation and the normal activities of the early May wrap up to the year when it created its own Jewish Heritage Week, April 11-16, devoted to celebrating the Jewish heritage and cultural pride of students on campus.

On the first day, Hillel Community Engagement Specialist Devin Davidson kicked things off with a special version of her “Dev’s Donuts,” an activity she typically does in league with her Greek life responsibilities for Hillel. On Thursday, while students enjoyed their donuts, she introduced a “Write to your Roots” activity, asking people to think of their Jewish

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influences and write a letter to those who have supported them in their Jewish journeys in honor of the week.

Many students wrote to grandparents and other family members, while some wrote to an Israeli soldier.

Hillel President Beth Goldsobel, a junior, wrote to her mother, someone who has long worked in the Jewish community and taught her daughters “to love Judaism and love being Jewish.”

In the letter, Goldsobel wrote about memories of spending weekdays at the temple where her mother directed education and how that translated to her own involvement in Hillel.

“I asked myself, ‘What’s my Jewish journey and why do I feel it’s so important to be involved in Judaism?’ For me, a lot of that stems back to her,” Goldsobel told Jewish News.

Friday’s Shabbat meal honored “Judaism around the globe” and incorporated traditional Ashkenazi, Sephardi and Mizrahi foods. Hillel’s weekly Shabbat dinners are prepared by meal-delivery service Maddox Lane, whose owner specializes in the Mediterranean diet and is very familiar with an Israeli menu. They were excited to incorporate Iraqi, Moroccan, Tunisian and other dishes of Jews from the wider region.

“It was a beautiful meal,” Davidson told Jewish News. “A lot of students didn’t know what Middle Eastern Jewish food looked like and they were curious to know where it came from, so it also became an educational moment.”

On Monday, Hillel hosted Hamsa Club, a clothing brand inspired by pop culture that celebrates being Jewish. The clothing line started in 2016 in Los Angeles and is embraced by many Hillel members, including at ASU.

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“They set up a pop-up shop outside Hillel with a lot of clothes, and it was a great engagement tool for getting students out,” Davidson explained.

The culminating event took place on the final day, a Tuesday, when three survivors from the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel’s Supernova music festival spoke to about 40 Jewish students at Hillel. Ending with the survivors gave “a beautiful arc to the week,” Hillel Assistant Director Taylor M. Silverman told Jewish News.

“The event was a moment of solidarity for a week in which we were asking our students to consider who we are as a community and where we’re going. Finishing with the survivors was the best way to do that,” she said.

The intimate setting in Hillel’s building helped add to the power of the event, Goldsobel said. Each speaker told their story and showed photos and videos to emphasize different points. There was a Q&A session at the end of their presentation.

One survivor was asked how he is able to keep going after surviving such a horrific incident. “You don’t move on. You kind of rebuild and just have to start over,” Goldsobel paraphrased. “Hearing from these people, who experienced such a traumatic event, was really impactful. They were getting emotional sharing their stories but they had such resilience. I can’t name the exact feeling but it really was an amazing experience.”

Many of the students present shared the same sentiments and let Hillel staff know they felt more empowered after hearing the survivors’ stories.

whole year has gone since Oct. 7. We’re having these moments of joy and celebration, but we also know there are more stressful things going on in the world and it’s okay to have both of those feelings happening at the same time,” she said.

Silverman said many Jewish students have been “yearning for some joy and pride,” which is part of what the week was all about. Whereas one Jewish student might want to remove any visible signs of his Judaism, another may feel now is the perfect time to be more visibly Jewish.

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Since the Hamas attack on Israel, there have been several pro-Palestinian demonstrations on ASU’s campus and some Jewish students have reported feeling uncomfortable, even unsafe, given some of the anti-Israel and anti-Zionist rhetoric coming from the protests.

Protesters set up an encampment on campus the same Friday Hillel hosted a special Senior Shabbat for graduating students. Within hours, ASU and Tempe police had removed the encampment and arrested 72 protesters. This juxtaposition of celebrating the end of the year with the stress of walking by a tense protest was not isolated, according to Goldsobel.

“That’s kind of how it seemed this

“Students are feeling their Jewish identity is really prominent right now, especially in how they show up on campus, and Jewish Heritage Week was one way to honor that,” she said.

At least 100 students participated in the celebratory week, many of whom haven’t had much formal Jewish education before interacting with Hillel.

Students have been asking to learn more about their heritage and Judaism in general, Davidson said.

“Hillel is always here to help you learn and dive into your roots,” she said. JN

For more information, visit hillelasu.org.

A Hillel at ASU student writes a letter to someone important to his Jewish journey during Hillel’s Jewish Heritage Week in April. COURTESY OF TAYLOR M. SILVERMAN

Hillel Community Engagement Specialist Devin Davidson brought donuts to the letter-writing event for Hillel’s Jewish Heritage Week in April. COURTESY OF TAYLOR M. SILVERMAN

Survivors of the Supernova music festival were part of the culminating event of Hillel’s Jewish Heritage Week in April. COURTESY OF TAYLOR M. SILVERMAN

Congregation Beth Israel’s inclusive park will be full of ‘big Jewish fun’ and so much more

SHANNON LEVITT | STAFF WRITER

Mark Slepak and his wife, Pam, were among the first Congregation Beth Israel (CBI) members to select a colorful wall panel that will soon decorate a small piece of the Bandler Family Park and Field at CBI. One glimpse of a rainbow image convinced Slepak the panel would be the perfect bridge between his family’s past and the park’s future.

The rainbow Slepak saw was drawn by Chloe Carriere, a CBI member and artist, who crafted various designs for those looking to purchase a wall panel to memorialize their connection to the park. Carriere will sketch the outline chosen by the buyers on different wall panels, and the buyers will fill it in with paint themselves.

Slepak’s rainbow panel will exist alongside images of children at play and at rest, all imagery meant to highlight the inclusive and sustainable elements of the park. Slepak was drawn to it because his father raised him to believe rain and rainbows were lucky. He even named his grocery store in San Diego the Rainbow Market.

“When I saw that rainbow, I said, ‘We’re in!’” Slepak told Jewish News. “We’re excited about it!” his wife echoed.

Slepak is a longtime CBI board member and “an invaluable and tireless partner” in making the park a reality, CBI President

Steve Bandler told several dozen people gathered at the park’s official opening and ribbon cutting on Sunday, April 14.

About 18 months ago, Bandler, the park’s namesake, first started planning how to best utilize the 1.131-acre of land that sits adjacent to the Scottsdale synagogue. He saw it as a “blank slate” that could be used primarily by children but also by the Jewish community and the larger secular community as well.

“I started thinking about a park that was fun, safe and peaceful; its use is limited only by our own imagination and creativity,” Bandler said.

It took some time to get everyone to agree, according to senior CBI Rabbi Stephen Kahn.

“At Beth Israel, we don’t do it halfway.

We either do it right or we don’t do it at all,” he said. That dedication against half measures led to some contentious meetings, at times, but ultimately, it paid off with the park and field many will love to use.

Bandler was always clear that everyone in the community should be able to use it, especially children, and despite any disability they may have.

To ensure he was making that possible, he met with Amy Hummell, executive director of Gesher Disability Resources. He wanted the field’s playground to meet the accessibility guidelines of the American with Disabilities Act and needed guidance.

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“Amy looked at me, kind of smirked, and said, ‘Well, accessible is a start,’” Bandler said. He felt a little deflated and asked her what she meant. Hummell explained that accessibility can’t be the end goal.

“You can get people to the field but what will they do once they’re there?” she asked him.

With her assistance and the advice of Ability360, a disability and support services organization, Bandler started thinking about the adaptive playground equipment and space the park would need to be really useful for those with disabilities.

The day before the official opening, several Gesher kids gathered on the field for kiddush, followed by freeplay on the playground.

“Watching them, I started to cry,” Bandler said. His dream for a truly inclusive park had come true. SEE PARK, PAGE 9

“THIS IS A PLACE FOR ALL TO COME, PLAY AND THRIVE. THIS IS A SYMBOL OF TOGETHERNESS.”

ARIZONA REPRESENTATIVE MATT GRESS

Chanen Preschool kids enjoying the many recreational opportunities available at The Bandler Family Park and Field at Congregation Beth Israel.

COURTESY OF DANIEL FISCHPAN, INVOKE MEDIA

Pictured from left are Congregation Beth Israel Chief Communal and Executive Officer Robin Roeder, Rabbi Stephen Kahn, Jillian Bandler, Linda Bandler, Steve Bandler, Rep. Matt Gress, Scottsdale City

Councilwoman Tammy Caputi and Rabbi Sara Mason-Barkin. COURTESY OF DANIEL FISCHPAN, INVOKE MEDIA

Gesher makes plans to purchase more residential ‘forever’ homes

SHANNON LEVITT | STAFF WRITER

As soon as Andy Stodola turned 13, his mother, Susan, decided that one day her son would need a certain level of independence, allowing him to “live his own life” despite his disability; she told a breakfast gathering of Gesher Disability Resources’ supporters on a Friday morning in mid-April.

Now in his late 30s, Andy is a resident at Keshet House, one of the homes owned and managed by Gesher. He and two other disabled adults have resided together in the three-bedroom house in Phoenix since Gesher purchased it in 2011.

What sets Keshet House and Shalom House, Gesher’s other residential home purchased in 2001, apart from other independent living situations for adults with disabilities in Greater Phoenix is that both are identifiably Jewish.

“We wanted Andy to be in a Jewish home,” his mother said. “For years and years, we would gather every Friday night to have Shabbat dinner together.” The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted that tradition, but she was happy to note that it’s finally getting back up and running.

The breakfast meeting was a chance for Gesher leaders to pitch the idea that now is the time to buy at least two new residential homes, even though the housing market has become considerably more expensive in the last decade. The fundraising goal is $2 million to buy two homes.

“Our other programs are doing so well that it’s time to ramp up and expand our residential homes,” Gesher’s immediate past president Nora Schaefer, told Jewish News.

Schaefer told the gathering that the organization had proven very successful in providing educational support and enrichment in local Jewish day schools and planning social outings and activities for Jewish children and adults with disabilities, allowing them to develop their Jewish identities and embrace their religious heritage.

Scott Weiss, whose firm WeissBrown hosted the “fundraising and brandraising” breakfast, agreed that the time is right for buying and filling more homes with disabled Jewish adults able to live away from their parents.

“This is absolutely necessary and it’s one of the biggest needs,” Weiss told Jewish News. “This is a long-term game.”

Gesher was founded in 1985 by Becca Hornstein and Joyce Berk-Lippincott, two Valley moms who wanted their disabled children to be able to go to religious school

and participate in Jewish celebrations and events. Before they created the Council for Jews with Special Needs (Gesher’s original name), there was no such agency. They had to build it.

In 2017, the agency changed its name to Gesher Disability Resources to more accurately reflect what it’s become. Gesher is a Hebrew word meaning “bridge,” and that’s what the agency is for its members, especially as it focuses on projects that promote independence.

Amy Hummell, Gesher’s executive director, told the crowd that a decade ago, her organization was asked by one of the Jewish day schools to come and help with six students. Now, Gesher serves students in six Jewish day schools, three K-8 schools, three high schools and works with 130 students on secular education, including reading, writing and math.

“The thing is our kids keep getting older, which is lovely because you’re supposed to get older. But what do you do when the school bus stops coming? This is about helping people live as independently as possible,” she said.

Hummell noted that Gesher’s plan had always been to open up more residential homes but the pandemic, along with the subsequent employment difficulties, delayed things. However, the need for housing never abated, and she emphasized that Gesher’s houses are Jewish homes.

In Arizona, only Gesher has created Jewish homes in residential neighborhoods for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, she said. The Jewish element is paramount.

“We (Jews) need to stick together because this is more than four walls; it’s a gathering spot, it’s a community and we are ready,” she said.

Stodola offered personal insights, even about problems people should expect.

Gesher matches the families of three to four disabled adults prepared to live together, and Stodola compared these relationships to marriages. “Sometimes there are communication problems and differences about how to resolve issues. But once you’re in the house, there is no divorce,” she said.

She also said staff turnover has been problematic because many people live on the west side of Phoenix and prefer to work closer to where they live.

Mark Bregman, an attorney and Gesher board treasurer, explained the first two homes were chosen because of

their proximity to the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center in Scottsdale. However, because so many Jewish families and activities are now located in the West and East Valleys, that is no longer “a limiting factor.”

Price, on the other hand, is. Shalom House cost $200,000 and Keshet was twice that amount.

“We’re being told we need more than a million dollars for the next house,” Bregman said.

Hummell said there are two family pairings “ready to move in.” Once Gesher purchases the homes, the families and

community will still need to pay for things, such as upkeep, while Gesher funds pay for insurance. Caregiving for residents is done through individual contracts with the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD). Costs for that care are roughly $250,000 per year, which the state of Arizona pays for.

Hummell and several of her board members stayed after the breakfast to answer more detailed questions supporters and potential donors had about DDD and financing. She stressed that while “we would love checks, we would also SEE HOMES, PAGE 9

Inside the sukkah at Keshet House. Pictured from left are: Jared Katz, Ed Katz, Stacy Rosenthal (Gesher’s director of programs), Andy Stodola and Robbie. COURTESY

Minkoff Center fundraiser spotlights value of ‘knowing your genes’

MALA BLOMQUIST | MANAGING EDITOR

Dr. Alejandra Dashe gave a crash course in biology to attendees at the Minkoff Center for Jewish Genetics fundraising event, “It’s All in Our Genes,” on April 18, at the Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus in Scottsdale.

Dashe is a senior instructional designer at Arizona State University’s Learning Enterprise where she develops STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) courses.

She explained DNA and what can happen when mutations arise, causing diseases and disorders.

Dashe is six years out from a breast cancer diagnosis and although she didn’t have any genetic markers for the disease, her two daughters will have to get screened in the future.

“Knowing how genes are inherited and manifest themselves in our bodies gives us knowledge about the diseases and why we

must get screened,” she said. “When you know about how these genes work, it helps you understand the biological information that is being presented to you. You are better equipped to ask your healthcare professionals questions. You’re better equipped to help your family members and yourself with making decisions. You are enabled. You have power.”

The Minkoff Center provides awareness, education and screening for Jewish genetic diseases. It also offers prenatal screening and works with genetic counselors to provide one-on-one personalized service.

In 2019, it launched a BRCA screening and referral program and holds screening events twice a year and also offers BRCAteers, a group for BRCA-positive individuals to meet regularly to discuss how to mitigate the risk of cancer and provide support for one another.

BRCA1 and BRCA2 are tumor suppressor

genes that everyone has, but mutations in these genes can increase the risk of breast cancer at a young age. BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations are more common in women of Ashkenazi or Eastern European Jewish ancestry, with 1 in 40 women in this demographic having a mutation.

“We are the only ones in the entire state and one of the few on the West Coast that are providing these services,” said Michelle Abrams, president of the Minkoff Center’s board of directors.

Preconception genetic screening was important to Madeline and Mat Sherman. Mat has a rare neurological disorder, KleineLevin syndrome (KLS), and even though genetic testing cannot diagnose this specific condition, “it was important for me to know if there was anything within our gene pool that has the potential to impact our future kids, like KLS has impacted me,” said Mat.

The couple learned about genetic testing at “Limmud, the Jewish Day of Learning,” where Wendy Carriere, executive director at the Minkoff Center, hosted an informative session about the importance of getting tested even before trying to conceive.

They both received genetic testing and admitted that waiting for the results was nerve wracking. “We knew the information we would receive would inform one of the most important decisions we would make in our lives together,” said Madeline.

When the Shermans received their results, a genetic counselor reviewed the details and answered all of their questions.

“Fortunately, we did not share any of the same genetic mutations,” said Mat. In December, they welcomed their first son, Micah.

“Our genetic test results gave us the peace of mind we needed when we made the decision to start a family,” said Madeline.

Ashley Pantier and her husband, Joshua, were young and healthy when they decided to start a family, so they declined genetic testing and soon welcomed a 9-pound, 8-ounce baby boy, Christopher.

The baby was meeting all the developmental milestones until his first birthday arrived. “Christopher wasn’t

walking,” said Pantier. “You’re a new mom, so everyone’s saying, ‘Don’t worry.’ But at 15 months, he still wasn’t walking.”

When Christopher was 18 months old, they received a referral to physical therapy but after a month, he was getting weaker, not stronger. They were then referred to a neurologist at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, but the appointment wasn’t for three months.

“I said, ‘I’m not waiting three months to figure out what’s wrong with my child,’” she said.

Pantier and her husband did genetic carrier screening and discovered they had a mutation that matched for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

“One in 40 people are carriers of SMA and don’t know it,” she said. “And my husband and I were both carriers. No one in our family was ever diagnosed with this condition but we were both carriers.”

With the genetic screening results, they were able to get into Phoenix Children’s Hospital immediately.

At Christopher’s diagnosis, there was one treatment available designed to stop the progression of the disease that causes muscle weakness. “Because genetic carrier screening allowed us to diagnose him three months earlier, we saved three months of muscle loss and were able to start him on treatment,” said Pantier.

Unfortunately, the damage was already done. Today Christopher walks with crutches and braces on his feet, but his mother said nothing stops him, and his favorite sport is soccer.

When their daughter, Emily, was born in 2020, they knew she might have SMA.

“We tested her at 3 days old and had her results at 5 days old,” said Pantier. “At 5 ½ weeks old, she received a life-changing gene therapy.” That stopped her symptoms before they could start.

“Today, she is our crazy, kooky, vibrant girl and just turned four last week,” said Pantier. “She has absolutely no signs or symptoms of the disease because of genetic carrier screening and our ability to have the roadmap to change her life.” JN For more information, visit jewishgeneticsaz.org.

From left, Wendy Carriere, Michelle Abrams and Minkoff Center for Jewish Genetics supporters Carmen and Michael Blank. COURTESY OF MINKOFF CENTER FOR JEWISH GENETICS

Madeline Sherman, left, with her husband, Mat, and mother-in-law, Randi Jablin.

COURTESY OF MINKOFF CENTER FOR JEWISH GENETICS

CBI leaders and guests were joined by elected representatives at the park’s official opening ceremony. Scottsdale City Councilwoman Tammy Caputi, a member of Temple Chai in Phoenix, spoke of her official role in redeveloping open spaces to community gathering spots.

“I can’t think of a better example of that than what I see here today,” Caputi said.

Arizona Representative Matt Gress (R-04) praised the park’s adaptable playground and wheelchair-accessible basketball court.

“This is a place for all to come, play and thrive. This is a symbol of togetherness,” he said.

“My mind is just exploding with all of the ways to envision this beautiful space and how it will continue to nurture joyful, joyous experiences for years to come,” said CBI Rabbi Sara Mason-Barkin.

Bandler also envisioned the park as an “environmentally friendly” place. To make that happen, the builders used recycled materials for the patio deck, the playground’s rubber and the artificial turf.

Eighty percent of the plants used are native specifically to Arizona or the Southwest in general. That translates to plants that are resistant to cold, tolerant of drought and attractive to birds and butterflies.

“But not bees because we have kids here,” Bandler laughed before admitting, “well, a few bees.”

The park, behind the security of a locked fence, includes a soccer field, basketball court, playground and concession stand, which will allow a multitude of uses, Bandler said. Naturally, CBI classes will be able to use it, as will all its members for various religious and secular activities. It can also be used by other synagogues, Jewish groups or non-Jewish groups. The nearby Scottsdale Country Day School will be able to use the playground and field, people can use it for a farmer’s or craft market or for group sports.

“Its purpose is really for community building,” Bandler said. “It is of paramount importance that it’s not just a CBI asset or facility. It’s available to the entire community.”

Kahn echoed that sentiment, explaining that making the world a better place is not just a trite idea. “We’re building a playground, because that’s what Jews do,” he said.

While some might wave it off as just a park, no big deal, Kahn said the intention behind it is a big deal.

“The love that went into it is now reflected, and I pray that that will be what is reflected every single day from here on,” he said. JN

For more information, visit cbiaz.org.

HOMES

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

love mouthpieces.” She told people to look around the room and ask themselves who is missing. Fundraising is critical but advocacy is too.

“We cannot grow if people don’t know what we’re doing,” she said.

Some at the breakfast were Gesher’s most enduring supporters, including Schaefer, who first became involved because of her son, Lucas, who was born with 18p deletion syndrome, a chromosomal condition that causes physical and intellectual disabilities. Schaefer described it as “such a rare syndrome it doesn’t even get a cool name.”

When Lucas was born, Schaefer was told by doctors that the syndrome meant he would never be able to walk or talk.

Happily, he will graduate from New Way Academy in Phoenix on May 24, and plans to attend Beacon College in Leesburg, Florida, next fall.

Schaefer said that Gesher and the New Way faculty, some of whom were at the gathering, have been invaluable to her son’s success. She told the crowd that even though her son is moving on, she has no plans on going anywhere. “Gesher can’t get rid of me!”

Ed Katz held a similar sentiment. He has been involved with Gesher since 1988

when his son, Jared, was only 5. Although Jared recently passed away, Katz intends to stay involved with the organization.

“I told Amy she’s not done with us!” he told Jewish News.

Though his son was not a candidate for independent living, he sometimes celebrated Jewish holidays at Keshet House. Katz appreciated that residents could celebrate their culture.

Hummell also emphasized that point. “We’re not looking for one of two single homes that stay on their own. We’re looking to build the whole community — these are Jewish homes.

That’s the faith that keeps us together.” JN

For more information, visit gesherdr.org

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Chloe Carriere holds two of her designs. COURTESY OF JEWISH NEWS

The Slepak family chose a rainbow design for their portion of the wall. Mark and Pam Slepak stand on either side of their son, David, and daughter-in-law, Milina. OURTESY OF JEWISH NEWS

Amy Hummell, left, Scott Weiss and Nora Schaefer at the Gesher Disability Resources breakfast in April. The organization plans to buy new residential homes for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. COURTESY OF JEWISH NEWS

Israelis feel “called up” — for service or research

MALA BLOMQUIST | MANAGING EDITOR

Best-selling author Saul Singer didn’t know how profound his research for his latest book with Dan Senor, “The Genius of Israel: The Surprising Resilience of a Divided Nation in a Troubled World,” would be until after Oct. 7. The book hit the U.S. market on Nov. 7, a month after Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel.

Senor and Singer also co-wrote “Start-Up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle,” but this time, instead of concentrating on Israel’s technology, they focused on its people.

In researching his book, Singer discovered that Israel is a “young” nation with the median age being 29; it has the lowest rate of “deaths of despair” (deaths by suicide or alcohol and drug abuse); and, according to the 2024 World Happiness report, is the fifth happiest country in the world.

“The Israeli people are the strongest in the world,” said Singer. “I would say that’s another way of saying the Israeli people are the most resilient in the world. When we are united, we are invincible.”

Singer, along with Professor Moran Bercovici, were the keynote speakers at the American Technion Society, Phoenix Chapter’s inaugural breakfast, “Choosing Optimism: Technion’s Role in Shaping Israel’s Future,” at Sands at the Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale.

The American Technion Society funds scholarships, research, labs and facilities at Technion – Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel.

“The Technion started an emergency reservist fund that has been critical for the students and faculty on the campus,” said Julee Landau-Shahon, co-chair of the event. “Technion opened up the dormitories right after the war to the victims of terror and offered shelter to those who had lost everything.”

Singer, who lives in Jerusalem, said that on Oct. 6 there were massive protests in Israel against the government. “We were kind of tearing ourselves apart over judicial reform,” he said. “It was kind of one of the most divisive times in history and within hours,

JEWISH EDUCATION

essentially instantly, Israel flipped from the depths of division to the heights of unity.”

Singer added that everyone in Israel has a feeling of being “called up” for duty. Either they’ve been physically called up to serve with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) or they are called up at home to do what they can to help.

On the campus of Technion, 3,000 students and many faculty members reported to service with IDF after Oct. 7.

Despite several of his graduate students serving in the IDF, Bercovici’s remaining graduate students were “called up” to continue research developing the Fluidic Shaping method his lab pioneered. This method uses the physics of fluids to shape liquids into optical components in minutes.

them to cure gel nail polish.)

“The power of the lens is dictated by the volume of liquid injected. If you inject a smaller volume, the lens will be thinner, less curved, with a longer focal distance. It takes four minutes to create a lens,” he explained. “The surface quality that we’re getting is superior. We’re really pushing hard to bring this to the market to help developing countries.”

Bercovici also has a collaboration with NASA to design a future space telescope on the scale of tens of meters. For comparison, the James Webb Space Telescope’s mirror is 6.5 meters in diameter and the Hubble Space Telescope’s mirror is 2.4 meters.

Bercovici started his journey in optics when he met Professor David Zilberman, an Israeli American agricultural economist and department chair at the University of California, Berkeley, in 2020. The men were discussing their research when Zilberman asked Bercovici if he could create eyeglass lenses.

Zilberman explained that between one and two billion people worldwide require corrective lenses but don’t have access to eyeglasses.

Bercovici said making lenses is one of the technologies that has remained mostly the same over the past 300 years. Aside from electricity and automation, the principle remains the same. The lenses are machined and ground from glass or plastic, with 90% of the material being discarded.

“There’s a lot of waste, a lot of running water to cool the machinery, a lot of energy to run it and once you’re done, it looks nothing like a lens. It looks like a piece of chalk,” he said. “Then, you need to polish it to give it the nice surface quality you need for a lens. And that’s a process that simply cannot be done in low-resource settings.”

“Astronomers are looking to achieve far more than what James Webb can do, like image exoplanets and planets outside of our solar system,” he said. He further explained that to do that, it would take a telescope the size of a football field, and no technology can create something like that on Earth. Even if there were, there would be no rocket big enough to launch it into space. But a large amount of liquid can be taken into space. So, he is taking the same concept used in the lab and conducting experiments in a zero-gravity environment and in space. He and his graduate students have successfully completed experiments in the “vomit comet,” NASA’s aircraft used to train astronauts in parabolic flight maneuvers that create a zero-gravity environment.

Israeli astronaut Eitan Stibbe also ran experiments in space with positive results.

“This was the first time in history that optics were made in space,” said Bercovici. In addition to the telescope application, he explained that lenses can be used for astronauts when their vision needs to be corrected due to microgravity. The technology can also be used to fix systems onboard that require optics.

“These are all grad students from Technion who are responsible for designing these experiments, running them and doing them in microgravity,” said Bercovici.

Bercovici set to work in the lab, creating an atmosphere of zero gravity in an aquarium (obtained from a pet store near Technion) where he could inject a polymer into a circular ring and create two spherical surfaces. All that needs to be done to transform the sphere from a liquid to a solid lens is to turn on a UV light to cure the polymer. (He said he bought the hot-pink UV lights from a nail salon where they use

“You hope for things that could happen and that you have some kind of role that maybe you can help make them happen —that’s the situation in Israel now.” said Singer. JN

For more information, visit technion.ac.il.

From left to right: David Chivo, ATS chief development officer; Rob Marsh, member of ATS Advisory Council; Julee Landau-Shahon and Robert Shahon, event co-chairs; Randi Jablin and Alan Jablin, event co-chairs; Lisa Grier, ATS director of development; Saul Singer, author; Sharona Feller, event co-chair; Technion Prof. Moran Bercovici and Dr. Daniel Feller, event co-chair. COURTESY OF SARA WATERMAN

COMMUNITY BRIEFS

Pro-Israel protester barred from ASU for harassing woman in hijab

A young Jewish man affiliated with Arizona State University was caught on video harassing a woman wearing a hijab, a Muslim head covering, at a pro-Israel rally on Sunday, May 5.

In the video that has now gone viral, Jonathan Yudelman, a postdoctoral research scholar at ASU’s School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership, is seen approaching a woman in a hijab who is backing away and pleading with him to leave her alone. Yudelman gets within inches of her and puts his hands up and chest out in what appears to be an effort to physically intimidate her without actually touching her.

Local Jews arrested for vandalism

Lisa Karlovsky, former chair of the Arizona chapter of the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC), and her husband, Dr. Matthew Karlovsky, a local urologist, were both arrested and charged with criminal damage the last week of April. The couple, along with their neighbor, Bryan Long, stand accused of vandalizing the cars of pro-Palestinian protesters. Matthew Karlovsky and Long were charged with seven counts of criminal damage each and Lisa Karlovsky was charged with two counts.

The trio drove to Congregation Beth Israel on Sunday, Jan. 28, when they

In the video, the woman can be heard saying, “You’re disrespecting my religious boundaries.” Yudelman’s reply, “You disrespect my sense of humanity, b----,” is also audible.

According to an ASU spokesperson, Yudelman was placed on leave on Monday, May 6, and is “not permitted to come to campus, teach classes or interact with students or employees.”

Three days later, ASU President Michael Crow released his own statement, saying that Yudelman “is no longer permitted to be on campus and will never teach here again.”

learned that a few dozen people were gathered across the street to protest the presence of Anti-Defamation League (ADL) CEO Jonathan Greenblatt. Those gathered protested ADL’s assertion that anti-Zionism is antisemitism and called for a ceasefire in Gaza. One large sign read “Judaism Yes, Zionism No,” and a selfidentified Jewish protester carried a sign with the same message. Protesters also waved Palestinian flags and chanted, “It’s not complicated; Gaza will be liberated.”

There was a large Phoenix and Scottsdale police presence as well as private security surrounding the synagogue.

Change of leadership at Phoenix’s Brandeis chapter

After two years, Leith Baletin and Ellen Widoff are stepping down as co-presidents of the Brandeis National Committee Phoenix Chapter. Baletin was the first man to serve in the role. Joyce Steinberg and Stephanie Klopper will take over the leadership position of the Phoenix chapter, one of the original and largest chapters.

Steinberg earned a PhD in rehabilitation counseling from the University of Arizona, where she was an adjunct professor supervising graduating students. She also managed a statewide initiative for technology programs, helping people with disabilities use adaptive technology to integrate into

the community.

Klopper has been an educator for more than 30 years in California and Arizona, with a focus on secondary and college-level education.

Both are longtime Brandeis members and served together as vice presidents of study groups. The two moved the group from a paper-based registration system to an online system.

The new co-presidents “welcome any in the community who would like to join us in our mission,” Steinberg and Klopper wrote in an email to Jewish News.

The Brandeis National Committee, previ-

The incident happened during a proIsrael rally organized by Chabad at ASU, Hillel at ASU and Olami at ASU. More than 100 students, alumni and community members gathered “as a united Jewish community in the center of campus today to show support for Jewish students on campus and stand in solidarity with Israel and every one of the hostages,” wrote Rabbi Shmuel Tiechtel, head of ASU’s Chabad, on Facebook.

Most press and political attention has focused on concerns over Jewish students’s safety in the face of pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses, though there has been

Greenblatt lauded the partnership between law enforcement and the Jewish community. He started speaking shortly after 6 p.m. and the protesters dispersed soon after, one police officer told Jewish News. When the protesters returned to their cars, they discovered several of them had been vandalized with messages like “Baby Killer” and “Rapist,” as well as Stars of David keyed onto hoods and side doors. The court document lists that 16 cars were vandalized for a total of more than $45,000. The Phoenix Police Department reported having “probable cause” to arrest the Karlovskys and Long on April 25.

ously called the Brandeis National Women’s Committee, was created to provide books for the new, expanding library.

Widoff told Jewish News that she was proud of the accomplishments she and Baletin achieved while leading the chapter.

The group’s signature “Book and Author Event” brought in almost 1,300 participants. They offered 181 study groups, ranging from book groups, neighbor travels, hiking, yoga, dining experiences, mahjong, canasta, great decisions, studying poet laureates and discussion groups.

During their tenure, they also held

Arizona State Senator faces repercussions for appearance on antisemitic show

A Republican Arizona State Senator was barred from using the Senate’s video room after he used the space to be interviewed by Stew Peters, a far-right talk show host who has called Adolf Hitler a “hero.”

Sen. Anthony Kern (R-27) used the Senate’s broadcast facility on Wednesday May 1, for an appearance on Peters’ talk show to denounce Mesa Representative Lorena Austin, a Democratic state lawmaker, for using the room to host a drag story hour with Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona last month.

Peters, a Holocaust denier, promotes many white supremacist and antisemitic conspiracy theories and uses violent rhetoric against

marginalized groups, most notably Jews and the LGBT community. He has referred to Judaism as a “death cult built on the blood of murdered babies.”

Republican Senate President Warren Petersen banned Kern from using the Senate video room after Kern received criticism for using the room for the appearance.

Kern wasn’t the only Republican to complain about Austin’s event.

“Use of House facilities for radical activism to promote dangerously perverse ideology will not be tolerated while I am speaker,” posted House Speaker Ben Toma on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter.

Toma revoked all the Democrats’ privileges

a rise in both antisemitic and Islamaphobic incidents, according to the FBI and Jewish and Muslim advocacy groups.

Yudelman taught a “Great Debates in American Politics” course the spring semester of 2024, and last fall he taught a course called “Great Ideas of Politics and Ethics.” According to the class description, students were assigned to read “ancient, medieval and modern thinkers in the Greek, Jewish, Christian and Muslim traditions.”

The incident took place just off campus, and the ASU spokesperson said the university referred the matter to the Tempe Police Department for a criminal investigation. JN

ADL Arizona released a statement on Jan. 29, a day after the crime was discovered, saying, “ADL had no involvement in the vandalism” and added that the organization “condemns such hateful acts.” While Lisa Karlovsky was chair of the local RJC chapter, she wrote several opinion articles for Jewish News. JN

13 public events, including lectures, dances, tournaments and other group activities. JN

For more information, visit brandeisphoenix.org.

for use of meeting rooms in the chamber.

Kern posted about the event first, using it to criticize Toma. Both are competing in the GOP primary for Arizona’s Eighth Congressional District.

Kern was interviewed live but did not correct Peters, who falsely said there were children at the story hour. Kern, who was at the Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6 and is under indictment by Arizona’s Attorney General for his role in a fake elector scheme, also said Christians should “rise up” in preparation for battle.

“It is time for battle. This is our 1776 moment … We have to rise up and get our country back,” Kern said. He added that he

believed God appointed Donald Trump to be president. JN

Reporting from the Arizona Mirror was used in this article.

Dr. Matthew Karlovsky, left, and Bryan Long in their mugshots. COURTESY OF MARICOPA COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

Pictured from left are Leith Baletin, Joyce Steinberg, Stephanie Klopper and Ellen Widoff. COURTESY OF GALE GRADUS

Sen. Anthony Kern, R-Glendale, uses the Senate’s broadcast facility to appear on a far-right talk show that has openly endorsed antisemitic rhetoric.

What does that have to do with the price of tea at Sinai?

RABBI ARTHUR LAVINSKY

PARSHAH BEHAR:

LEVITICUS 25:1 – 26:2

There’s an old expression that is used in general conversation when you hear someone say something that seems out of place: “What does that have to do with the price of tea in China?” The Hebrew equivalent of that phrase is “Ma Inyan Shmita Etzel Har Sinai?” Literally, “What do the laws of the Sabbatical year have to do with Mount Sinai?

This week’s Torah portion, Behar (at the mountain) inspired that question. It begins: “And the Lord spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai saying … the seventh year shall be a Sabbath of rest for the land, a

Sabbath for the Lord; you shall not sow your field, nor prune your vineyard.”

The question that the rabbis ask is “What do the laws of the Sabbatical year have to do with Mount Sinai?” because, as a rule, most of the mitzvot are not mentioned specifically in connection with Sinai.

The classic answer given by Rashi and others is that “Just as the Ten Commandments were given at Sinai, so too were the laws of the Sabbatical year and all of the other mitzvot as well.”

We should acknowledge that all the 613 commandments have their origins at Mt. Sinai. They are all important, and we cannot decide which ones are essential and which are expendable.

I find another explanation equally compelling. Just as Mount Sinai only became holy because of God’s revelation of The Law, we also have the potential of making any place holy as long as it is filled with

Torah and mitzvot.

People often forget that we have mitzvot Beyn Adam Lamakon (commandments between ourselves and the Almighty) and mitzvot Beyn Adam L’Chavero (commandments relating to how we treat fellow human beings). No Jew is complete until he or she fulfills both sets of commandments to the best of his or her ability. Observing the ritual laws does not exempt us from observing the ethical mitzvot (like charitable giving or forgiving debt), just as observing the ethical laws doesn’t exempt us from ritual mitzvot. It is the obligation of every Jew to include their Jewish faith and practice into their routines every single day. We should be meticulous about rituals such as showing kindness to other human beings as we are about lighting candles as we usher in the Sabbath. We should be as concerned about being honest in our business dealings as we are about reciting

Temple Solel's Eastern European trip

RABBI JOHN A. LINDER

God’s invisibility liberates us from our limited vision, creating the possibility of experiencing the presence of God in unexpected ways, at any time, in any place.

In 1966, Temple Solel became the caretaker of a Czech Torah scroll from the Memorial Scroll Trust in London, one of 1,564 scrolls rescued from the Shoah. The story of these scrolls finding their way to the Westminster Synagogue in London is, in and of itself, nothing short of a miracle. Our Czech scroll, dedicated in honor of Mort Scult becoming Temple president, has been held in the arms of each b’nai mitzvah and carried through the congregation during the hakafah for every High Holy Days and sacred occasion to this day. Every time, a holy moment.

Temple Solel’s Czech Scroll, bearing the scars of Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, was one of the 1,564 scrolls ripped from arks by the Nazis before laying in rubble in synagogues throughout Bohemia and Moravia, in then Czechoslovakia. It was Nazi protocol to carefully catalog each scroll with details of the specific towns and synagogues from which they were

stolen. A small number of these scrolls, including the one entrusted to Temple Solel, are known as “orphan scrolls,” as their origins remain unknown. It is said that Hitler intended for all the scrolls and Judaica to be placed in a Museum of an Extinct Race in Prague.

Fast forward to 2013. I met Jeffrey Ornstein, chairman of Memorial Scroll Trust, in Phoenix at a Czech scroll commemoration. I asked him for the name of a “lost community,” a town and synagogue that never knew the fate of their Torah scroll. Jeffrey promptly sent me the name, Kehila Liberec. Seeds planted by the unseen hands of God.

On my sabbatical in 2019, I met rabbinic student David Maxa in Berlin, as he was preparing to serve as rabbi of Kehila Liberec upon his ordination. Maxa helped arrange for my wife, Nancy, and me to spend Shabbat with his congregation-tobe, Kehila Liberec. Sacred seed giving way to a budding relationship.

All this leading to our Temple Solel trip to the Czech Republic and Hungary this past April. We met Maxa in Prague,

at Etz Chayim, the Reform congregation he founded. Maxa would be the first Czech-born rabbi to serve a congregation in Prague since WWII. We visited the Pinkas Synagogue in Prague’s Jewish Quarter, where members of Maxa’s family are amongst the 80,000 Bohemian and Moravian Jews murdered in the Shoah. Our Solel group of 17 spent a morning in Terezin concentration camp, quietly bearing witness to the 33,000 Jews who died in the ghetto of malnutrition and disease, the 88,000 deported to Auschwitz and other extermination camps and the 15,000 survivors, carrying the indelible markings of hell.

From Terezin to Kehila Liberec, a Reform congregation, rebuilt on the footprint of their former synagogue destroyed during Kristallnacht. Over the entrance, and wrapped around the building, whose architecture mirrors the Star of David, are the words, “V’hitpaleil Yonah el Adonai Elohav mimei hadag:” “Jonah prayed to God from the belly of the fish …”

Imagine, a Jewish community re-emerging from the death and darkness of the

our prayers regularly and with kavannah (intention). And we should be as mindful about what emanates from our mouths as we are about what goes into our mouths if we observe the laws of kashrut.

The Torah may have been revealed to our ancestors thousands of years ago at Mount Sinai, but the revelation is an ongoing experience, and we are free to accept the Torah anew in every generation. Let’s make Torah and mitzvot an integral part of our lives. In so doing, our synagogues, our homes and our places of work can all transform into places of holiness!

Shabbat Shalom. JN

Shoah, related to Jonah, as their families did, crying out to God from the depths. For each of us walking through that door, into a joyful Torah service, Nancy given the honor of lighting the Shabbos candles, Rabbi Maxa leading services, the children at home on the bimah and voices heard through the building, breaking bread together, Jews of Phoenix with Jews from Liberec — sisters and brothers. Seeds bearing divine fruit.

Although our orphan Czech scroll resides in the ark at Temple Solel, it has found its spiritual home in Kehila Liberec — no longer a lost community. My oh my, the presence of God was palpable, shining from the depths of our souls. JN

John A. Linder is the spiritual leader of Temple Solel in Paradise Valley and a leader of the Valley Interfaith Project.

Rabbi Arthur Lavinsky is a retired pulpit rabbi and U.S. Navy chaplain and former president of the Board of Rabbis of Greater Phoenix.

Rabbi Arthur Lavinsky COURTESY OF RABBI ARTHUR LAVINSKY

Rabbi

The Temple Solel group at Kehila Liberec. Rabbi David Maxa is seated far left.

COURTESY OF RABBI JOHN A. LINDER

REAL ESTATE

Kvetching about commission for buyer’s agents? Think again before considering this home-selling

OPHIR GROSS | COLUMNIST

W

e get it. Selling your house is a schlep. The decluttering, the staging, the preparing, the interviews with real estate agents — all this before the home is even on the market! There is a magnitude of decisions to make when selling a home and many can come at a price. So, it’s very tempting to think you can save a few bucks by not offering a commission to a buyer’s agent. However, don’t allow this mirage to fool you — by skimping out on this cost, you will end up hurting the sale of your home and ultimately lower the money that ends up in your pocket.

If you’ve been keeping up with the news lately, you’ve probably heard about the recent lawsuit between homeowners and the National Association of Realtors with claims related to broker commissions. Media outlets are having a heyday,

mistake

Do you need a real estate attorney?

MALA BLOMQUIST | MANAGING EDITOR

For many people, buying a home is the biggest investment they will make in their lifetime. Real estate transactions involve legal contracts and complex paperwork and while it’s not a legal requirement in Arizona to have an attorney when buying a home, it can ensure that your interests are protected throughout the process and provide peace of mind.

Real estate attorneys provide a wide range of services in addition to overseeing the purchase and sale of residential and commercial property. These services include negotiating contractual terms, resolving contractual disputes, dealing with mortgage issues and handling zoning and construction matters.

“Even though licensed realtors all use standard Arizona Association of Realtors (AAR) forms, every purchase or sale of a home is unique, and there are always issues that arise that require prompt negotiation and resolution,” said Ellen K. Lawson, residential real estate attorney with Ellen Lawson Law. She also noted that licensed real estate agents cannot give legal advice, so it is best to have an

attorney from the very start to help you navigate the process and resolve any issues that arise.

Stockton D. Banfield, an attorney with Dyer Bregman Ferris Wong & Carter, PLLC, said hiring a real estate attorney depends on the situation. “If it is a typical

purchase off the MLS (multiple listing service) using AAR forms, then no. If there is a problem with title that needs to be resolved to close escrow, then yes,” he said.

Real estate attorneys have a fiduciary duty to their clients, which means they are going to advocate for their clients and negotiate favorable terms whenever possible. “Experienced real estate attorneys anticipate issues and try to avoid problems by proactively working with their clients, the title companies and the parties’ real estate agents,” said Lawson.

Banfield said that you will also need to consult an attorney when clearing a title or partitioning property.

A clear title is necessary for any real estate transaction as it establishes legal ownership. Title companies must do a title search to check for claims or liens of any kind against a title before it can be deemed clear. Erroneous surveys and unresolved building code violations are two examples of why a title might not be clear.

and division of the proceeds among the co-owners. This process is typically initiated when divorcing parties cannot agree or when there is a disagreement or dispute between co-owners regarding the management, use or disposition of the property.

If you are behind on your mortgage payments and are facing foreclosure, it is also a good time to seek legal counsel.

“The focus of my law practice is helping homeowners who have fallen behind on their mortgage payments, to avoid losing their home to foreclosure, a.k.a. a trustee sale,” said Lawson. “I negotiate loan modifications with my clients’ lenders to get their mortgage loans back on track.”

If a person has already experienced foreclosure, an attorney can apply for the excess proceeds, which is the money left over from the trustee sale bid, after the mortgage balance and other recorded liens and judgments have been paid off.

Banfield said the advantages of hiring a real estate attorney are “peace of mind with an understanding of how title is held to the property and the best way to hold title, to ensure that the owner is able to do what they want with the property.”

“The real estate attorney will review the purchase contract documents and draft any needed addendum language and will review the title commitment from the title company to make sure the seller’s title is marketable,” added Lawson. “The attorney will also oversee the inspection process and negotiate any needed repairs. There can also be issues where the seller or buyer cannot close by the agreed upon closing date. It’s far better to hire an attorney early on to look after your best interests and help you achieve a successful closing, than to come to an attorney with a real estate problem after closing has already occurred.” JN

To “partition” property means to bring a proceeding in court to force the physical division or sale of the property

For more information, visit Ellen Lawson Law at ellenlawsonlaw.com; visit Dyer Bregman Ferris Wong & Carter, PLLC at dbfwclegal.com.

Stockton D. Banfield, left, and Ellen K. Lawson.

COURTESY OF STOCKTON D. BANFIELD AND ELLEN K. LAWSON

something we are all too familiar with lately. Headlines have been sweeping the nation, demonizing the real estate industry and creating a frenzy among consumers for the sake of “journalism,” with the most common takeaway from the ongoing settlement: sellers don’t need to offer a commission to the buyer’s agent and shouldn’t!

The truth is sellers never needed to offer a specific commission. In fact, on the MLS, the Multiple Listing Service used to share property listings, if a seller wanted, they were able to offer $1.00 as a buyer’s agent’s commission. Although this has always been permitted, just like how you’re able to wear your left shoe on your right foot and your right shoe on your left foot, it’s not recommended. Let me explain why.

While it may be appealing to save a couple thousand dollars on commission fees, losing out on your buyer supply can be detrimental. And by not offering a buyer’s agent any commission at all, you are doing just that.

In very simple terms, the buyer is the giver, and the seller is the receiver. The buyer must give the seller funds in exchange for the house. No money, no sale. If the average home price in Phoenix is around $450,000 and the minimum downpayment for a conventional loan is 5%, a buyer must come up with at least $22,500 just to be in the running for the house. Many buyers, especially first-time home buyers, scrape together everything they can to come up with this amount. Now let’s add on the cost of representation. The financial strain on buyers to pay additional funds for representation will very likely sway buyers from looking at your home due to unaffordability. Less eyes on your home means less demand. Less demand means your home will be sitting a lot longer on the market. And you guessed it, to generate more demand if your home is sitting for too long, you’ll need to make your home more affordable, which requires a price reduction — less money in your pocket.

Another issue that comes up with not offering any co-broker commission is self-represented buyers. Let me pose a few questions. Would you give yourself your own haircut? Would you conduct your own root canal? Represent yourself in court? If you answered no, you see where this is heading. Buying a home is usually the largest transaction one does in their life. And for the largest transaction

one might ever make, with hundreds of thousands of dollars on the line, it’s an unsettling thought having it all ride on Joe Schmo, your unrepresented buyer with zero real estate experience whatsoever. Not only will your listing agent be frustrated by all the additional work they now have to do, and are not getting compensated for, the chances of error and possible future litigation due to said errors are highly probable. And again, mistakes during real estate transactions can cost. A lot. A lot more than a negotiated cobroker commission.

So, how do we navigate the current real estate market? Obviously, sellers want to net the highest amount they can and should be able to, but the question to ask is at what cost? Are you willing to risk cutting costs on the front end, only to possibly lose more on the back end? Are you willing to deter buyers and inhibit your demand by attempting to cut corners? Are you willing and equipped to deal with the legal ramifications of a couple hundredthousand-dollar deal going sour by working with an inexperienced, unrepresented buyer? The potential complications are endless. And for what? To cut corners in a frivolous attempt to save money.

The key is communication. Commissions are always negotiable, and the right agent will work with you to reach your goals in a way that leaves you in the best possible position. You should be having open dialogues with your real estate agent regarding commissions, the value they bring to the table, how they affect buyer behavior and, ultimately, the sale of your prized asset. A good agent will go over the pros and cons, supply market stats that relate to your specific property, while simultaneously having your best interest at heart. After all, it is our fiduciary duty. So, let’s all stop kvetching about paying buyer’s agent’s commissions. Remember, you’re paying them to deal with the headache, so you don’t have to. JN

Ophir Gross is a realtor with Coldwell Banker Realty and has a combined skillset of business strategy and consumer psychology. She is a member of JNFuture Root Society, Women in Philanthropy, NowGen Phoenix, attends Congregation Beth Tefillah and began her roots in the community at the Phoenix Hebrew Academy and, formerly, Jess Schwartz High School. She can be reached at ophir.gross@ cbrealty.com or 480-794-0807.

Jewish News is published by the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix, a component of the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix.

Toby Weinstein - West USA Realty

I love my job! There is nothing else I would rather do than being a real estate agent and property manager! Even though I have been licensed for over 35 years, I still love working with “firsttime” home buyers. I am still thrilled and excited when I find the “dream” home for that first-time home buyer or the “perfect” home for the last-time home buyer. Factors such as rising interest rates and a shortage of inventory have made home buying more di cult, but my years of experience have enabled me to help buyers through the complex, and at times, competitive home buying process.

At times, I have been asked to sell a home for someone experiencing a life changing event and it is gratifying to get the home sold quickly so the client can move on with their life. Through the years, I have acquired various resources that are helpful to sellers like estate sale companies, handymen, contractors, pet sitters and almost anything they would need to make their move as stress free as possible.

The property management services I o er are a result of working with local and out-of-state clients wanting rental properties. I realized that it would be an additional service I could o er my clients. They receive full-service management, their rental property appreciates and their mortgage is paid by tenants. It is one of the best ways to build a secure financial future.

Toby Weinstein Broker Associate

2024 Congratulations

Sammie Brodsky

Graduating from Phoenix Country Day School

Headed to Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia

Sadie Feinberg

Graduating from Horizon High School

Headed to University of Wisconsin, Madison

Ethan Lipson

Graduate from New Way Academy

Headed to Paradise Valley Community College, Phoenix

Daniel Monheit

Graduating from Pinnacle High School

Headed to University of Arizona Honors College, Tucson

Jackie Ozer

Graduating from Desert Mountain High School

Headed to Chapman University, Orange, California

Kimmy Pasternack

Graduating from Desert Mountain High School

Headed to Tulane University, New Orleans, Lousiana

Lucas Schaefer

Graduating from New Way Academy

Headed to Beacon College, Leesburg, Florida

Nicole Solomon

Graduating from Pinnacle High School

Headed to Arizona State University, Tempe, to study nursing

Kimmy Pasternack Tulane University

Daniel Monheit University of Arizona

Jackie Ozer Chapman University

Congratulations Ethan. We are so very proud of you. You are now college-bound and your future is beyond bright. Aim for those stars.

Mom and Dad

Attending PVCC

New Way Academy, Class of 2024

Congratulations Lucas on graduation from New Way Academy! We are so proud of all your accomplishments. Off to college you go!

Attending

Congratulations to Sammy Brodsky as he graduates from PCDS and begins college at Emory University!

Attending Emory University

Support

troops

Pup safety

Seder creates community

Calling

at the Ahwatukee Recreation Center in April. Pictured from left

right: Tamma and Sal Notaro, JWV

Vice Commander Dan Tilsner, Elliott Reiss and JWV

Scottsdale Mayor Daniel Ortega, right, attended the Oakley’s Oath Pup-a-Palooza Spring Festival fundraising event in April at Chaparral Park in Scottsdale. Standing with the mayor is Julie Kessler, founder of the nonprofit and a member of the Jewish community.

OF LILA BALTMAN

Featured Event

WEDNESDAY,

JUNE 5

Business & Professionals Summer Gathering:

5-7 p.m. Address in Central Phoenix provided upon registration. Join the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix's Business & Professionals group for a keynote conversation between Bob Roth, managing partner of Cypress HomeCare Solutions and K.C. Kanaan, co-founder and CEO of Envoy America. Cost: $25 per person; registration closes on June 4. For more information, visit phoenixcjp.regfox.com/bp-summer-gathering.

Events

SUNDAY, MAY 26

The Great Lag B’Omer Parade: 10 a.m. Parade starts at Granada Park, 6505 N. 20th St., Phoenix. Join Chabad for a rally and parade from Granada Park to Chabad of Phoenix, inflatables, water fun and food for sale. Cost: Free. For more information, visit chabadaz.com/parade.

THURSDAY, MAY 30

Embracing Impermanence for Mindful Living:

1-2 p.m. Online. Join Valley Beit Midrash for a virtual presentation by Melanie Gruenwald, executive director of Kabbalah Experience. For more information, visit valleybeitmidrash.org/event/ embracing-impermanence-for-mindful-living.

Happy Hour with Arizona Jews for Justice: 6:30-7:30 p.m. Address provided upon registration. Join Arizona Jews for Justice for an evening of wine and discussion. Cost: Free. For more information, visit arizonajewsforjustice.org.

SATURDAY, JUNE 1-AUG. 31

Summer Camp for Adults: Times and addresses vary; some classes available online. Join Brandeis National Committee Phoenix Chapter for activities and classes throughout the summer. For more information, visit brandeisphoenix.org/summer-camp.

SUNDAY, JUNE 2

Chamber in the Chapel: Father & Son Duo: 3-5 p.m. Beth El Phoenix, 1118 W. Glendale Ave., Phoenix. Join Beth El for a performance by Markus Pawlik and Ariel Pawlik-Zwiebel of classical musical for violin and piano, highlighting Romantic classics and the Jewish influence on music of the early 20th century. For more information, visit bethelphoenix.com/ father-son-duo.

MONDAY, JUNE 3

Book Signing: 6:30-7:30 p.m. Changing Hands Bookstore, 300 W. Camelback Road, Phoenix. Join Scottsdale resident Drew Binsky for a signing of his new book, “Just Go” A Globe-Trotting Guide to Travel Like an Expert, Connect Like a Local, and Live the Adventure of a Lifetime.” For more information, visit changinghands.com.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5

Shavuot Ice Cream Social: 5:30-7 p.m. Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Join VOSJCC for an evening of learning with Rabbi Aviva Funke, ice cream and socializing on the pool deck. This event is for ages 18 and up. Cost: $5. For more information, visit vosjcc.org/program/ shavuot-ice-cream-social.

SUNDAY, JUNE 9

“Apples and Oranges” film screening: Available to stream online all day. Join the East Valley Jewish Community Center for this documentary about the kibbutz movement in Israel after the Six-Day War. Cost: Free. For more information, visit evjcc.org/film.

Summer Splash: Margaritaville: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Join the Valley of the Sun JCC for fun poolside. Cost: Free; registration required. For more information, visit vosjcc.org/event/ summer-splash-2024.

TUESDAY, JUNE 11

Tikkun Leil Shavuot: A Reform Community Evening of Study: 7-10:30 p.m. Temple Chai, 4645 E. Marilyn Road, Phoenix. Join Rabbi Stephen Kahn, Rabbi John Linder, Rabbi Jeremy Schneider and Rabbi Emily Segal for an evening of Torah learning followed by a dairy dessert oneg. Cost: Free. For more information, visit tcaz.shulcloud.com/event/tikkun-leil-study-evening-shavuot-a-reform-community-gathering.

FRIDAY-SUNDAY, JUNE 14-16

Documentary Film Screening. Online. Join the Arizona jewish Historical Society for a screening of “Jerry Lewis: The Man Behind the Clown.” Cost: Free; registration required. For more information, visit azjhs.org/jerry-lewis.

TUESDAY, JUNE 18

Moving from Welcoming to Belonging Presented by 18Doors. 10-11:30 a.m. Online via Zoom. Join 18Doors and the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix for the first in a professional development series tailored for professionals and lay leaders working within the Jewish community. Cost: Free. For more information, visit phoenixcjp.org/inclusionpd1.

Shabbat

FRIDAYS

Family Shabbat: 11 a.m. Jordan's Corner, 15681 N. Hayden Road Suite 116, Scottsdale. Join the Bureau of Jewish Education of Greater Phoenix for this special summer Shabbat on June 21. 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: 11-11:45 a.m. Beth El Phoenix, 1118 W. Glendale. Ave., Phoenix. 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, 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 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.

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, visit cbiaz.org/shabbat-services.

Kabbalat Shabbat and/or Shabbat morning service: 6:30 p.m.; 10 a.m.; dates vary.

For safety reasons, please register ahead of time. For dates, visit congregationkehillah.org/ event/.

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 602487-5718 for more information.

Shabbat Services with Sun Lakes: 7 p.m. Sun Lakes Chapel, 9240 E. Sun Lakes Blvd. North, Sun Lakes. Sun Lakes Jewish Congregation conducts services on the second Friday of the month. For more information, contact 480-612-4413.

Shabbat Services with Beth Ami Temple: 7 p.m. Gloria Christi Federated Church, 3535 E. Lincoln Dr., Paradise Valley. Rabbi Alison Lawton and Cantorial Soloist Michael Robbins lead Shabbat services twice a month. For more information, visit bethamitemple.org. JN

Betty D. Bond (neé Berland)

June 13, 1935 – May 16, 2024

With profound sadness, we announce the peaceful passing of Betty D. Bond, age 88, surrounded by her family after a long illness. Betty was the heart and soul of her family, born to the late Max and Clara Berland in Kenosha, Wisconsin. She was the loving and steadfast wife of Dr. Philip A. Bond, her husband of nearly 68 years, and her best friend and partner in a beautiful journey that spanned over 73 years.

Betty was a devoted sister to William (Suzanne) Berland and the late Milton (Bella) Berland. Her legacy continues through her children Mark Bond, Rob (Leslie M. Bond) and Larry (Jennifer H. Bond). She was an adored grandmother to Sarah, Lauren, Jennifer (Steven Limbaugh), Zoey (fiancé Alex Portin), Juliana (John Gallagher), Asher, Kelly, Avigail and Jonathan.

Known for her endless positivity, encouraging words, warm smile and lemon bars, Betty was a beacon of light to all who knew her. Her love and kindness were immeasurable and will be missed deeply.

Funeral services were held at Sinai Mortuary of Arizona on May 19, 2024. The family kindly requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Betty’s memory to the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix (Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix) or the Alzheimer’s Association.

Betty’s spirit will forever be cherished and remembered. May her name always be for a blessing.

Congregation Kehillah, 5858 E. Dynamite Blvd., Cave Creek. Join Rabbi Bonnie Sharfman and cantorial soloists Erica Erman and Scott Leader.