Jewish News, July 12 2024 by jewishaz

AZ IDF HEROES

Josh Mondlick and Andy Becker were inspired to help IDF reservists after a men’s mission to Israel

SENIOR SEX

Psychologist Larry F. Waldman talks about his book, “Silver Sex: Insights into Senior Sexuality”

Beating the heat for those on the street, Jewish volunteers assist interfaith event

SHANNON LEVITT | STAFF WRITER

On a hot Sunday afternoon in Central Phoenix, the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix’s (CJP) Shalom Phoenix Volunteer Corps (SPVC) joined forces with the Arizona Faith Network (AFN), the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Phoenix (JCRC) and Arizona Jews for Justice (AJJ) to bring a bit of heat relief to those with few reliable means of escaping it.

The gathering of more than 100 volunteers, who donated bottled water, sunscreen, lotion, chapstick, wet wipes, first aid kits and granola bars and packed them into portable bags along with information about cooling centers and free transportation, took place at First Congregational United Church of Christ (First Church UCC) on Sunday, June 23, under the direction of AFN, an interfaith organization that promotes peace through interreligious education and dialogue, and uses collaborative social action to heal the ills of the world. Right now, one of the gravest ills in this town is living on the street, given that the first 20 days of the month have made this the hottest recorded June in the Valley.

“People are dying,” AFN Executive Director Rev. Katie Sexton-Wood told Jewish News. “The least we can do is open up our communities of faith to let people in, so they don’t die on the street.”

Rich and Jaime Goldman, who learned of the volunteer opportunity on JewishPhoenix.com, echoed the sentiment. Both are members of Congregation Kehillah in Cave Creek.

SEE VOLUNTEERS, PAGE 2

Rabbi David Rebibo, Phoenix’s legendary Orthodox pioneer and visionary, dies in Jerusalem

Rabbi David Rebibo first toured Phoenix in 1964 while investigating the possibility of starting a Jewish day school. Rebibo was there at the behest of a small cadre of Jewish families in the Valley that had contacted Torah Umesorah – National Society for Hebrew Day Schools, a well-regarded Orthodox charity promoting Torah-based Jewish education in North America, to seek its assistance in starting a school. The charity’s director, Joseph Kaminetsky, enlisted Rebibo to scout the area and determine whether to proceed.

The young Rebibo arrived in a desert city with a population of 10,000 Jews, give or take, most of whom were not observant. In fact, even the act of keeping kosher was a challenge due to limited resources; there was one shochet, a person certified to perform ritual slaughter, in town but for most kosher products, people had to drive a considerable distance and stock up.

What the small group of Phoenix Jews was asking for was not easy and another rabbi may have turned them down. Rebibo, however, was not one to back down in the face of adversity. He accepted the challenge and moved to Phoenix in 1965. What quickly became clear was that the young rabbi had an even larger vision of what the Orthodox Jewish community could become.

Sadly, the pioneering Rebibo, who influenced and touched the lives of a multitude of Jews, passed away on Shabbat, June 15, in Jerusalem, after succumbing to a long illness.

‘Nerding

out’ on elections

Jews for a Secular Democracy hosted “Election Integrity: Ensuring Trust at the Local Level” on June 4.

See page 18.

SHANNON LEVITT | STAFF WRITER

Rabbi David Rebibo, the legendary leader of Greater Phoenix’s Orthodox Jewish community, passed away on June 15, in Jerusalem.

“People are suffering and dying,” Rich Goldman told Jewish News. “If there’s anything we can do, we want to do it.”

Jaime Goldman said that she’d never seen so many people living on the streets in her decades in the Valley.

“More and more people are falling through the cracks,” her husband concurred.

AFN has been running heat respite centers every summer since 2020, and First Church UCC is one of the few that is open all day, every day of the week. AFN partners with Maricopa County, the City of Phoenix, private foundations and donors to run 14 centers across the Valley.

Marlin Guzman and Roger Stauffer are members of the church housing the respite center and tell people on the street about it. People have even begun sleeping in the alley behind Stauffer’s house and he takes them water because “it’s just so hot,” he said.

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Already this summer, about 5,500 people have accessed the sites, four times as many as last June, when the temperatures weren’t yet quite as high. People are able to come into air conditioned halls and have water, basic supplies and access to bathrooms. Every site is staffed by AFN, whose normal seven-member staff balloons to between 65 and 80 in the summer.

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Some respite centers have social workers helping to enroll people in transitional housing or substance use programs. All of the sites are equipped with Narconon and Naloxone, and all of AFN’s staff are trained to use them in a crisis situation. One thing AFN is always in need of is more volunteers and donations, especially of water.

August 4

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Participants Sherri Mankofsky and Marlene Maier learned of the event through an SPVC email. Both moved to the Valley recently and wanted to be involved with the Jewish community and volunteer.

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.

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

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

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

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.

“The Shalom Phoenix program not only serves as the welcome wagon for individuals who are new to the community or looking to get more involved, but the addition of the Volunteer Corps provides folks with a meaningful opportunity to get involved while giving back,” said Kaylie Medansky, CJP’s vice president of community engagement.

This seemed like a good volunteering opportunity for Maier, who brought dog food, another much-needed donation item.

“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.

“I’m mortified by seeing people standing outside in this heat,” she told Jewish News.

Lisa Bien, another Shalom Phoenix member, is always looking for ways to help people.

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.

“I know there are homeless people everywhere, but how can you be homeless in this heat? Even people with air-conditioned houses complain about the heat all the time,” Bien told Jewish News.

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.

Last week, on a walk around her neighborhood, the Temple Chai member saw a woman on the sidewalk who looked exhausted and defeated. Bien offered her the water bottle she always carries and was thanked profusely in return.

“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

“There are no guarantees for any of us, so we all have to help each other,” she 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.

She let her mother know about the conflict and they were able to convince the director of the need to remove the

“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.

She especially liked joining an interfaith event and working with people from different religious backgrounds, a point that dovetails with the SPVC’s mission.

“That was hard; it’s very hard to get emotions out and I was very, very upset,” she said.

2024 Phoenix Jewish News

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.

12 April 19

“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.

“It’s immensely important for the nonJewish community to see first-hand the Jewish value of tikkun olam in action,” Medansky told Jewish News in an email.

“I don’t know how I did it without crying. I’m so proud of myself,” she said.

Amanda Garcia, JCRC’s associate director, was happy to see such a big turnout.

“We’ll do as much as we can do,” she told Jewish News.

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

Brandon Nahsonhoya, AJJ’s homeless

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

12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 201, Scottsdale, AZ

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 high school

Gary and Mary Dokes organize granola bars and snacks to hand out to people on the streets. COURTESY OF JEWISH NEWS

Pictured from left are Amanda Garcia, JCRC’s associate director; Judah Garcia; Joseph Garcia; Arene Rushdan, AFN’s community resilience program manager; Brandon Nahsonhoya, AJJ’s homeless outreach coordinator; Rev. Katie Sexton-Wood, AFN’s executive director; and Kaylie Medansky, CJP’s vice president of community engagement.

COURTESY OF JEWISH NEWS

Fortunately for those left behind, his many accomplishments live on, as does his name.

The Jewish day school he successfully founded within the first year of his arrival, Phoenix Hebrew Academy (PHA), has grown exponentially and exists side by side with the Orthodox synagogue Beth Joseph Congregation, which he also started in 1965. The campus is called the Rebibo Center for Jewish Life in honor of its beloved founder.

From the start, Rebibo knew the importance of building all aspects of observant Jewish life. Along with the synagogue and school, he started the Greater Phoenix Vaad Hakashruth, a kosher supervising agency. With grit, determination, an abundance of good humor and Odette, his wife and partner in all that he did, Rebibo established the foundation for welcoming a strong Orthodox community in the Valley. And that was just the first year.

“Rabbi Rebibo was that rare individual, a true visionary. Most people follow the trend and do what they have to do, but he saw into the future,” explained Rabbi Harris Cooperman, Rebibo’s colleague and friend of 40 years.

By the time Rebibo moved with his young family to Phoenix, he was already a man of the world. He was born in Rabat, Morocco, attended a yeshiva in Aix-les-Bains, France, and studied law at the University of Paris. When a rabbi from Brooklyn’s Mir Yeshiva traveled to France, and needed help speaking with local Jewish leaders, he hired Rebibo. That connection led to Rebibo’s move to New York, first to study and then teach at Yeshiva Magen David, also located in Brooklyn.

Rebibo left New York to lead a small synagogue in Memphis, Tennessee, before moving to Phoenix. Though he was not in Memphis long, he made a distinct impression on the southern city.

Tina Sheinbein, one of Rebibo’s many friends and congregants, visited Memphis years after the rabbi left. Once people learned she was from Phoenix, they would ask if she knew him, telling her they remembered him fondly.

“He was one of those people who could walk in whatever world he was in, whatever community. He was successful in all of them,” she told Jewish News. Her husband, Irwin Sheinbein, was one of the first Phoenicians to meet Rebibo back in 1964. Sheinbein’s father was among those who had originally wanted a Jewish day school, and the 14-year-old Irwin tagged along as Rebibo was introduced to the place. His first impression of the rabbi was that “he was very pleasant to talk to, very engaging and you wanted to be around him.”

More than half a century later, and that first impression has never changed.

Rebibo was more than a rabbi to Sheinbein; he was part of his family and a close friend. Sheinbein’s family members served on PHA’s board and were active in the synagogue. Rebibo officiated at his wedding to Tina and oversaw the conversions of each of their four adopted children.

When each child was six months old, Rebibo had to submerge them three times in the mikvah (another key to Jewish community that Rebibo built), and it made him nervous.

“The rabbi was terrified because they were so tiny, but Tina told him, ‘Just drop them in and get them out quickly — just do it!’ We thought by the fourth one he wouldn’t be as anxious but he was,” Sheinbein told Jewish News, smiling at the memory.

“Rabbi Rebibo was always there. From our marriage, our children, to deaths in our families, he participated in every aspect of our lives,” Sheinbein said.

David Goldstein, the vice president of Beth Joseph and PHA’s combined board of directors, credits Rebibo with his turn to Orthodoxy. His family got to know the rabbi in the 1980s and though they weren’t Orthodox, they found him to be welcoming to Jews of all levels of observance.

“I had a pair of phylacteries and I asked Rabbi Rebibo if they were kosher. It turned out they weren’t but soon after that, he called me up and said, ‘I have something important to see you about tonight.’”

Goldstein lived in North Scottsdale, a fair distance from Rebibo’s Central Phoenix home base. It was a time when the distance still had to be navigated on

surface streets and took much longer to cover. Still, Rebibo drove to his house that evening to give him a kosher pair and refused any payment.

“That was the kind of person he was. I still use them, too,” Goldstein said, tearing up.

Goldstein did the legal work for Rebibo when he opened the Phoenix Community Eruv, a ritual halakhic enclosure that enables activities which are normally prohibited on Shabbat, in 2005.

“Without him, young Orthodox families would not have moved to Phoenix,” Goldstein said. “Founding these institutions allowed the community to flourish.”

David Segal, former owner of Segal’s Kosher Foods, moved to Phoenix when he was five and was promptly enrolled in PHA along with his four older sisters. Segal’s father was a shochet and came when Phoenix’s only shochet decided to move on. Part of the draw was Rebibo.

“My father wouldn’t have moved here if not for the school and the synagogue,” Segal told Jewish News.

“At that time, it was unchartered territory for Orthodoxy and it was a longshot. But with a lot of hard work and help from others, it came together and there’s been tremendous growth,” he said.

Rebibo will be remembered for creating much of Phoenix’s Orthodox infrastructure — Beth Joseph, PHA, the Eruv and Vaad, as well as the Greater Phoenix Community Kollel and the Orthodox Rabbinical Council — but his role in building the community

Rabbi David and Odette Rebibo with Vanessa McGann at an event honoring the rabbi and his wife before they made aliyah. COURTESY OF VANESSA MCGANN

Rabbi David Rebibo with David Segal’s mother, Pearl. Rebibo played a part in all the milestones of Segal’s life, including his wedding, his children’s weddings and his mother’s burial. COURTESY OF DAVID SEGAL

Rabbi David and Odette Rebibo having lunch with Irwin and Tina Sheinbein in Israel. COURTESY OF TINA SHEINBEIN

ENGINEERS

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VOLUNTEERS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

outreach coordinator, came by to collect the bags that had been packed and deliver them to people who aren’t able to get to a respite center. Nahsonhoya drives AJJ’s iconic bus to various parts of the city, trying to reach as many people as possible.

“This has been the worst year by far for homeless people that I’ve seen since I started doing this work and the summer has already been super busy,” Nahsonhoya told Jewish News. He started with AJJ in the last year but has been working with people on the street since 2015.

He can’t get over how many times people

REBIBO

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relationships was no less important and no less memorable.

He worked often with Rabbi Albert Plotkin, who led Congregation Beth Israel for 36 years and was another legendary Jewish figure in the Valley. Both strove for good relationships with the entire Jewish community. Rebibo also welcomed Chabad of Arizona Rabbi Zalman Levertov when he arrived in Phoenix in the 1970s.

He also worked well with Rabbi Moshe Tutnauer, who led the Conservative Congregation Beth El. Tina Sheinbein originally belonged to Beth El, so when she married Irwin, Rebibo and Tutnauer officiated the wedding together, a first.

Goldstein called Rebibo “a consummate bridge builder with great people sense.” He was also known for his charisma, humor and playfulness.

When Goldstein found a jar of chili garlic sauce with a symbol on it he didn’t recognize, he showed it to Rebibo, who said he would look into it.

The next day he got a fax with the Vaad letterhead. “About your chili garlic sauce, which has become something of a cause célebre, I have good news and I have bad news,” it read. “The good news is that it is kosher. The bad news is that I’m keeping the jar.”

Segal recounted that Rebibo once purchased a home barber kit to use on his four sons but they wouldn’t let him near their hair. He called around asking if he could cut the hair of his congregants’ children. Segal’s father told him to come on over.

“That haircut pretty much traumatized me,” Segal laughed, recalling that Rebibo had basically put a bowl on his head. “I’m still in therapy over that 1969 haircut. If I had been older, I would have told him to stick to being a rabbi.”

One of Rebibo’s great friendships was with Vanessa McGann, who is not Jewish but was his secretary at PHA for more than 15 years, and stayed on once he left

tell him they’ve been made to feel less than others because of their unhouses status. His job is not only to hand thirsty people bottles of water or shoes to those with none but to connect with them on a human level. After thousands of conversations, he has collected “stories for days,” he said. JN

To register for the Shalom Phoenix Volunteer Corp, visit phoenixcjp.regfox.com/center-for-jewishphilanthropy-volunteer-program. To learn more about and volunteer with Arizona Jews for Justice, visit arizonajewsforjustice.org; for Arizona Faith Network, visit arizonafaithnetwork.org.

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

out of a sense of loyalty to him and the school he built.

McGann laughed when she recalled the rabbi calling her to come in for an interview, telling her to ask for David. When she did the other employees were startled but not Rebibo.

“We talked for a long time and it was an instant connection. He hired me on the spot. He had been interviewing for weeks, looking for someone he clicked with,” McGann told Jewish News. McGann said that as a boss, Rebibo was kind and respectful. He didn’t stand on ceremony, so if a toilet overflowed he’d grab a mop. He didn’t tout his accomplishments, many of which she discovered by reading about them in the newspaper or hearing from someone else.

“He didn’t talk about doing things. He just did them,” she said. “I’m still discovering his achievements.”

In the days after Rebibo’s passing, McGann has been fielding the phone calls of many bereft people who can’t believe the legendary rabbi is gone.

“I’m 68. I should be retired but I don’t want to leave. When Rabbi Rebibo moved to Israel, he asked me to keep the school going, and I said I would. He would call me every couple of weeks to check in. I still feel like he’ll call,” she said, a slight wobble in her voice.

Rabbi Yisroel Isaacs, Beth Joseph’s senior rabbi and head of the Vaad, called Rebibo “a unicorn — a unique individual with a rare combination of qualities,” when he and Odette were being honored before they made aliyah in 2020.

“He was able, with his unique combination of talent, people skills, optimism, Jewish pride, tenacity, charisma and sense of humor, to firmly establish the infrastructure of an observant Jewish community in Phoenix against all odds,” Isaacs told Jewish News.

“Rabbi Rebibo was a legend. He was like a second father to so many of us,” Tina Sheinbein said of her longtime friend, mentor and rabbi.

“There will never be anyone like him again.” JN

Momentum trip includes Arizona contingent of Jewish moms

SHANNON LEVITT | STAFF WRITER

As soon as Phoenix mom Shoshana Simones learned of the chance to join a special trip to Israel, designed exclusively for Jewish mothers, she knew right away she wanted to go.

“It happened a little last minute, but I immediately said, ‘I’m in,’” she told Jewish News. Phoenician Erin Deuble and Scottsdale mom Veronica Lange also didn’t hesitate before saying yes to the May 13-19 Israel Unity Mission trip organized by Momentum, a group that focuses on connecting people to their Jewish heritage. Kaylie Medansky, vice president of community engagement for the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix (CJP), invited all three women and also took part. CJP subsidized part of the trip’s costs.

All three Valley moms were especially excited to show their support for the Jewish state after the unprecedented terrorist attack it survived on Oct. 7.

“A lot of Jewish people have struggled since Oct. 7, and being there gave me a certain sense of completeness or understanding. Being able to hold hands with women living on kibbutzim and walking on those grounds was incredible,” Simones said.

The global solidarity mission trip included participants from Australia, Canada, Panama, South Africa and the United States. Israeli moms also participated, something Simones really appreciated.

“Spending time with the women from Israel was really a highlight,” she said. “They weren’t guest stars.”

Momentum, which works in partnership with Israel’s Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, guided the women through a full schedule every day

DEMOCRAT FROM THE DISTRICT

My immigrant journey from Ireland and my wife’s escape from an extremist regime during the Iranian revolution shaped our reverence for American democracy.

This very district gave me and my family the opportunity to seek and achieve the American Dream, a dream we must deliver for future generations.

that included everything from hearing from family members of those taken hostage by Hamas to visiting the attack sites to meeting with government officials to volunteering on a farm picking vegetables.

Deuble was grateful for the volunteer opportunities because they allowed her and the others to lend a hand to everyday Israelis whose lives have changed considerably since the Hamas attack and the start of the war in Gaza. She happily picked kohlrabi on a farm outside of Tel Aviv, packed boxes for Israeli soldiers and put batteries in headlamps and ensured they worked.

“It was really cool that we got to actually use our hands and help Israel. They have a shortage of workers now, so being able to get out there and pick vegetables just felt right and good. It was one of my favorite pieces of the trip,” she told Jewish News.

The group also heard lectures from several experts on a range of topics. Dr. Deborah Gilboa, a pediatrician and youth development expert, stood out especially for Deuble because of the neuroscience approach Gilboa took to Judaism and motherhood.

“The way she spoke about the brain and development and being able to connect that to Judaism was really special and cool,” Deuble said.

Before the May trip, Lange hadn’t visited Israel in about a decade. She loves the country and longed to return, especially after Oct. 7.

“I kept telling my friends that I want to go and help, even if I’m cleaning bathrooms, cooking meals, painting a fence — I just want to be there,” she told Jewish News.

Pictured from left are Veronica Lange, Erin Deuble, Kaylie Medansky, Shoshana Simones and Neta Pyasi, a Jewish mom from Canada. They all were part of the Momentum Israel Unity Mission trip in May.

OF SHOSHANA SIMONES

Jewish mission mates help IDF reservists called to duty in Israel

MALA BLOMQUIST | MANAGING EDITOR

It’s no surprise that traveling together as a group brings people closer. That’s what happened to the participants of the men’s mission trip to Israel at the end of 2019, sponsored by the then-Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix. They all still keep in touch via a text chat group; Josh Mondlick and Andy Becker, both mission members, have children the same age and often get together with their families.

“I had been to Israel before but every time you go, it’s a different perspective,” said Mondlick. During the mission trip, the men met with members of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and saw some of their operations.

In the time following the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, Mondlick thought about the IDF reservists living in the States, particularly in Arizona, who would be called up to fight in the ongoing war.

“These guys have lives here, and their country’s calling them back to fight, so who’s going to help support them in terms of their expenses and the fact that they have rent and a car payment,” said Mondlick.

Men and women called up for reserve duty who live in Israel, whether salaried employees or self-employed, receive reserve duty pay from the National Insurance Institute for the days they serve.

He asked the chat group who helps reservists from the States and many responded , “That’s a great question!”

One of the tenets of the men’s mission is that participants continue to make an impact in their local Jewish community. So Mondlick suggested they try to figure out a way to raise money and subsidize the expenses that the Valley reservists are experiencing while they are in Israel.

But the IDF doesn’t release the list of reservists nor where they are coming from.

“I’m a black-and-white person and I don’t know who I am trying to raise money for, and I don’t know how much money I need to raise,” said Mondlick.

Becker offered to try to locate reservists in Greater Phoenix, and he successfully found two and identified their recurring expenses to set a goal for fundraising. The next challenge was how to funnel the money to the recipient. The men knew if they asked their friends, they would Venmo them money but they wanted something more official.

“The problem is that I didn’t know anything about this world,” said Mondlick.

“You can’t just donate to an individual directly, so you’ve got to donate to an organization and then somehow the orga-

nization needs to be able to issue funds.”

Mondlick reached out to Richard Kasper, CEO of the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix (CJP), to see if he could offer advice and help in some way.

“We put our heads together and came up with a way that we could help because they needed to be working with a nonprofit to get this done in the most effective way,” said Kasper. “Not to say that they couldn’t have done it without us, but they got more bang for their buck with us.”

The CJP set up a fund called AZ IDF Heroes to be able to collect the money as a legitimate charitable organization.

“It was critical because of the amount of money that we were trying to raise that we did it through a nonprofit,” said Becker. “Thanks to that cooperation, we were able to make an impact immediately. It’s a lot of work to set up a nonprofit and to get the IRS recognition for a 501(c)(3). If we had to go that route, it would have been months before we could make an impact.”

Kasper then contacted Ellen Friedman Sacks, executive director of Jewish Free Loan (JFL). Sacks said the organizations have worked closely for years. She then met with Mondlick and Becker to learn more about AZ IDF Heroes and the vision the men had for the program.

“I was very moved by and impressed with the concept and goals of the project and excited about the opportunity for JFL to help bring Josh and Andy’s vision to fruition,” said Sacks. “Our experience with distributing financial assistance directly

to individuals has given us the ability to be part of this type of community-driven project.”

The soldiers would apply for loans through JFL, and CJP would repay the loan immediately with the donated funds.

“We sent JFL the funds and they cleared the loan — it worked out nicely,” said Kasper. Both CJP and JFL are absorbing the costs associated with managing the money.

“So, 100% of the donations, minus credit card fees, go to the reservists, which is awesome,” said Mondlick. “We wouldn’t have gotten that with GoFundMe.”

Andy reflected that it all started because of the friendships built through the men’s mission. “When Josh came in with this idea, I thought this is our opportunity to make that impact and to give back and be inspired by the mission that we went on and leverage that network of very successful individuals in our local community that want to help.”

Added Mondlick, “I think it’s something special to funnel the money through Jewish organizations to provide for other Jewish people in our community.” JN

To donate, visit phoenixcjp.givingfuel.com/ support-the-jewish-community-foundation and in the field “Is there an existing Foundation fund you would like your contribution to support?” enter AZ IDF Heroes.

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

Members of the men’s mission to Israel in 2019 at the Kotel. Andy Becker is in the back row in the blue shirt and Josh Mondlick is in the red shirt; both men are wearing baseball hats. COURTESY OF ANDY BECKER

A few times during the trip, she found herself walking a few paces behind the rest of the group on a street and was approached by Israelis curious about the badge she wore and the tour’s mission.

“When they heard we were here to show our support, they almost cried and said thank you for being here. That these strangers were so happy to have people from around the world supporting them was really touching and meaningful,”

Lange said.

Simones was in Israel 18 months ago and said the difference between that trip and May’s was “stark.” The group landed on Yom Hazikaron (Memorial Day), and she said the generally somber day was particularly difficult this year.

“The country feels broken in many ways, and the pain was all around us. You could feel how broken and hurt people felt,” she said, but added that there was also a profound sense of unity.

Lori Palatnik, founding director of Momentum, said in a press release that the trip was both about showing Israelis that the Diaspora has their backs and sending Jews back to their countries with the message of Israeli resilience.

That’s something Deuble took to heart. Listening to people tell their stories of witnessing the horrors of Oct 7, she

understood their hope that she and the other Jewish women would share what they heard and become their advocates.

Hearing parents talk about waiting for messages from their children that never came was profound. “In a room full of moms, there was not a dry eye. That day changed me,” she said. She plans to continue advocacy by putting hostage posters up around her neighborhood to remind people that the trauma is ongoing.

Lange is frustrated by a lot of opinions

about Israel and the war in Gaza that she’s heard, and advises people to go to Israel and experience the country firsthand.

“People should feel the pain, the hope and all that we (the trip participants) felt. It’s easy to judge from your living room in Arizona but it’s not easy to send your kid off to war,” she said. JN

MAYOR DAVE ORTEGA’S RECORD OF SUCCESS!

Police, Fire and Ambulance: Champions and fully funded training, technology and facilities each year to protect our neighborhoods and businesses.

Water Security: Defends Scottsdale water against “wildcat” dry-lot houses in the county and protects our multi- billion investment for Scottsdale residents.

Short-Term Rentals: Passed the toughest ordinances to hold STRs accountable, and assigned extra police to shut down party houses and restore peace.

Preserve Western Heritage: Champions the blueprint to save Old Town, promotes tourism, culture & arts, spur citywide economic vitality and protects our quality of life. Small business owners are the foundation of our renowned reputation.

Cut Apartment Height and Density: Slashed exorbitant mega-apartment subsidies gifted to developers by opponents on previous councils.

Build-out Public Facilities: Uses his architect expertise, despite inflation, to complete Bond projects, add a new dog park, and community facilities.

Protect and Preserve: He strongly supports ballot measures which restore our parks, protect the Preserve and fund more police, firefighters and park rangers at each site. Vote YES to reduce sales taxes and renew safe open spaces which underpin residential and commercial property values.

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

Erin Deuble, left, and Shoshana Simones listen to Oct. 7 survivors on their trip to Israel in May.

Mayor Dave is a 45 year Resident of Scottsdale,

Mayor Dave is a 45 Resident of Scottsdale,

Maricopa County Republican leader says she wants to ‘lynch’ Stephen Richer, a Jew

SHANNON LEVITT | STAFF WRITER

On Monday, June 24, Maricopa County

Recorder Stephen Richer, a Jewish Republican, shared a video of Shelby Busch, first vice chair of the Maricopa County Republican Committee, telling a crowd, “If Stephen Richer walked in this room, I would lynch him.”

“‘Lynch’ shouldn’t be a word you casually default to,” Richer told Jewish News through a direct message on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, where he posted the video of Busch.

In his post on X, which included a clip of the video with Busch’s comments, Richer pondered why she would choose a word that dredges up so much terrible racist history instead of saying simply “I’d kick his butt” or even “I’d kill him.”

“If you don’t understand the historical baggage that word comes with, then go to Montgomery, Alabama,” Richer told Jewish News, alluding to the city’s National Memorial for Peace and Justice, known informally as the National Lynching Memorial, a memorial to commemorate thousands of Black lynching victims in the U.S.

Richer also pointed out that people in the room laughed at her remark and nobody told her she’d gone too far. “This isn’t healthy. And it’s not responsible. And we shouldn’t want it as part of the Republican Party,” he posted on X.

The same month that Busch made her remarks, U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino stated at a press conference that there had already been 18 federal election-related threat cases in the nation, seven of which involved threats against Arizona officials. Threats, harassment and security concerns are constantly top of mind for Richer and his staff, some of whom have quit due to the stress. “I could walk away from anything except for if somebody got hurt while doing this process,” he told Jewish News last December.

Busch leveled the threat, which she has since walked back as “a joke,” at a Republican meeting in March hosted by Jerone Davison, who is running to be the Republican candidate for Arizona’s 4th Congressional District. Don Hiatt, one of Richer’s primary opponents, was also present.

(Richer said he was sent the video on June 23, and shared it immediately.)

Busch starts by disparaging the idea of unity for unity’s sake and saying the word “makes my skin crawl.” She points to Hiatt and calls him “a good Christian man and he believes in what we believe in.” Then, she points to another person in the audience and asks people to pretend he is also running for the recorder’s office.

“He’s a good Christian man that believes what we believe. We can work with that, right?

That’s unity. We’re gonna shake hands, and we’re gonna agree that we’re gonna run a good Christian foundation campaign and we’re gonna treat each other well. That’s unity,” she said, careful to emphasize “Christian” in every sentence.

Then, she turned her ire on the very idea that Richer should be included in what she referred to as “the principles we believe in and the American cause that founded this country.”

She said the great mission of politics is Jesus Christ. “We have to be careful when we talk about unity and make sure we really understand what that means,” she said.

Though Richer didn’t directly call out Busch’s comments for anti-Jewish bias, the Anti-Defamation League Arizona and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Phoenix issued a joint statement doing just that.

“We urge Ms. Busch to retract and apologize, and the Maricopa County Republican Party to stand against such rhetoric,” the statement reads. She has not done so.

“Disgusting. Not many Republican officeholders or would-be electeds condemned this outrageous attack. We’ll take note of who didn’t,” posted Maricopa County Supervisor Thomas Galvin, a Republican, on X.

Busch is also chair of We The People AZ Alliance PAC, a right-wing group focused on conspiracies around elections. At the same March meeting, she reiterated disproved allegations about unregistered voting machines used in both the 2020 and 2022 elections.

Davison, for whom Busch was campaigning, posted on X to Richer

Maricopa Association of Governments

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that the whole episode is “a deflection to take the steam off of the way you ran corrupt elections.”

He also took issue with the idea that Busch was biased against Richer for being Jewish.

“Shelby wasn’t being an anti-same (sic), nor was she expressing any kind of racial

hatred. No one ever knew or cared if you were Jewish or not,” Davison posted.

Richer shot back that the way Busch “defaulted to the word “lynching” gives you insight into her heart.”

At the meeting that started the whole controversy, Busch ended by saying, “With faith in Jesus Christ, we will overcome.” JN

Family means everything to us. From the communities we create to the connections we make with residents, everything we do is rooted in our history as a ﬁfth generation family business.

The naches of interfaith marriage

AVAH MONTGOMERY | SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

Click. Scroll. Click. 50%, 49.6%, 0.4%. My ancestry results populated the screen, reminding me that I am a product of intermarriage. I am proud of my Jewish mother — a product of two Brooklynites, whose parents had immigrated from Poland. I am equally proud of the other half of my heritage. Initially raised without a religious base, my dad was later baptized in the Catholic Church. I am almost a perfect split between Ashkenazi Jewish genetics and Northwestern European blood. Yet, upon reading this information, I felt a heaviness weighing upon my heart. The belief that Judaism is carried forth through matrilineal descent is not lost upon me. I understand that in the eyes of the Torah, in the eyes of G-d, I am considered fully Jewish. My genetics do not reflect this fact.

I believe that I represent a growing population of folks who have come to find themselves in an odd in-between stage, struggling to reconcile their Jewish heritage and their non-Jewish bloodline. It is difficult to straighten all of these conflicting facts and beliefs. How do we define being Jewish? Does our definition make distinctions based on bloodline, heritage, culture or another of the facets of Judaism? After all, is it not vital to consider how people identify rather than boxing them into a category?

I often wonder why it is that I consider myself half-Jewish. After all, I believe myself to be Jewish, and my mother was raised Jewish. Thus, under Jewish law, I am a Jew. Yet, the other half of my history tugs on my soul. I think of the Montgomery line — our history

"IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DETERMINE WHAT JUDAISM PROVIDES TO EACH INDIVIDUAL BECAUSE WE ARE ALL AFFECTED BY OUR FAITH DIFFERENTLY AND INTERACT WITH OUR SPIRITUALITY IN DIFFERENT WAYS."

as Vikings, my ancestors who traveled the seas far and wide. As I peer into the mirror, my reddish hair stares back at me, a remnant of my Irish family. I see my fair skin, so light that I can watch the bluish-green hues of blood pulse through my veins. Blood that is intertwined with so many stories. With memories. With adventures. So, which line of thought do I follow? The one that recognizes the Torah and the text of my ancestors, or the one that closely aligns with my innermost feelings? How do I reconcile these two notions?

To continue this line of questioning, Rabbi Nissan Dovid Dubov writes, “The decision to marry out is perhaps the most telling moment, when a person must consider what being Jewish actually means.”

So, we are now faced with a new set of questions: Can you fully retain your identity as a Jew, while also being married to someone who does not share the same faith? Does any of it matter if two people love each other? I believe that it is beautiful when two people choose to love each other, even though they have grown up with different religions. Torah is filled with

stories of love. Our world was created out of love. Day and night. Sea and earth. Sun and moon. Each two halves of a whole are inextricably connected to each other — much like two soulmates. Our story is filled with exquisite forms of love that teach about the trials and tribulations of life. So, if a person were to marry a nonJew, is their love considered lesser? Or rather, would it be far more constructive to simply accept people?

Rabbi Yosei writes, “For the youth it (manna) was like bread; for the elderly it was like oil; and for the children it was like honey. Each received what was appropriate.” It seems extremely powerful to recognize that each person needs and values different things, especially regarding how they view, live and express their Jewish identities. Judaism provides each with different things. For some, hope and inspiration and for others, strength and courage. We take from our faith what we need to survive in this world. It is impossible to determine what Judaism provides to each individual because we are all affected by our faith differently and interact with our spirituality in different ways. I approach my Judaism with the lens

that I am half-Jewish. I recognize both sides of my ancestry. So perhaps, we need not reconcile our identities but instead allow them shape who we are.

As I look back on this journey of recognition and acceptance, I now see that I have nothing to be ashamed of. Half-Jewish or not, there’s beauty in accepting ourselves for who we are. We each come with our own baggage, with our own beliefs and faiths. It is magnificent to recognize our individuality and how this corresponds with how we interpret our Judaism, and how we see ourselves in the world.

There is power in acceptance — of ourselves, each other and our own identities. There is power in the joy that is created by belonging. JN

Avah Montgomery is a senior at Shadow Mountain High School in Phoenix, member of the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix’s Youth Philanthropy board, writer/ editor for jGirls+ magazine and a member of the Shalom Hartman Institute’s Youth Fellowship Program.

How to disagree as Jews in a time of deep schisms

RABBI IRWIN KELLER | JTA

Abeloved friend has barely been able to speak with her brother since the fall. She has a rich Jewish life, has Palestinian friends and experiences grief at the war in Gaza. Her brother also has a rich Jewish life and strongly voices his support for Israel and its operations in Gaza. Communication between them grew terse and judgy, and quickly petered to a tense silence.

I’ve heard many such stories this year about family, old

friends, colleagues. I even know of marriages in which the war cannot be discussed, planting a new inhibition that begins to seep into everything.

I want better for us. On the other side of this terrible time we are in, I want there to be a Jewish community that can still hold each other in love. I want friendships and family relationships to emerge intact. I don’t want this to be the time people point back to as the moment

A NOTE ON OPINION

the unhealable schisms emerged. How do we hold conflict now so we can still be family in the future?

The Talmud (Eruvin 13b) tells of a dispute between the students of Hillel and the students of Shammai. We are not told what the dispute is about, only that it has been raging for three years. These rival circles are, in my imagination, close to fisticuffs when a bat kol, a heavenly voice, clears its throat and famously proclaims: Eylu

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

Avah Montgomery COURTESY OF AVAH MONTGOMERY

SHABBAT CANDLE

How to be a red heifer

PARSHAH CHUKAT: NUMBERS 19:1 - 22:1

As I return from a quick trip to New York City, the cross-country flight gives me time to put my thoughts into words. This was a trip with a few purposes. One was celebrating a family engagement party, and another was commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s passing. The Rebbe, considered by many to be the most influential Jewish leader of the 20th century, had an impact on tens of thousands of people and, by extension, many more times that. Visiting his resting place for his yartzeit, I could not help but notice his lasting impact which is still felt acutely today. The long lines waiting to have a moment to pray at his resting place tell the story of the many who still look to his guidance and teachings for direction. Equally as intriguing was the diversity

v’eylu divrei Elohim chayim. Both these and these are the living words of God. This is unexpected. Instead of simply declaring who is right, the heavenly voice announces that there is something divine flowing through both camps, even if their conclusions are in opposition.

This is a radical thought — that the argument of the person whom we are so quick to dismiss as misinformed or uncaring or naive might nonetheless be divinely inspired. Perhaps if we look carefully enough, if we can peer through the tough words and argumentative heat, we might perceive a holiness underlying our adversary’s words, just as we might imagine a holiness underlying our own position.

Hearing the divine in your opponent’s words is a big ask in these tense times. We are all made in the divine image, the Torah tells us, so maybe we can find the divinity in each other’s words by listening closely for the deep humanity within them. When you say words about the war, words that I think are wrong, can I let myself hear the deep humanity, the divine humanity, that is vibrating underneath them? Can I hear your fear for Jewish survival, the pain of your ancestors, your desire to belong, your hope for a better world, your prayer for peace? Can you hear mine?

What would it be like to listen to the adversary who is also a childhood friend or colleague or cousin and say, “I hear your words, and I’m hearing in them a

of people who gathered as brothers and sisters. There were people in Chassidic garb, people in more classic Orthodox dress, secular people and a mix including many non-Jews. One thing they all shared in common is that they recognized the importance of being there.

What would bring so many people out on a muggy New York summer day to commemorate a rabbi who passed 30 years ago? What about him and his messages still resonate so strongly today and perhaps even stronger?

My reflections bring me to this week’s Torah portion, where we speak amongst other topics of the para aduma, the red heifer. When someone would come into contact with a dead person, they would experience a jolt from the lack of life. That soul shock of being in proximity of something which has lost its connection to the source of life, would render the person impure. The process of the red heifer was the sprinkling of its ashes that were mixed with spring water. How and why this seemed to do anything, we are not told. But Moses knew. The Midrash tells us that G-d revealed the reason and

method of the red heifer to Moses and only him.

Why Moses? Because he was the quintessential leader. He tells us why himself when he is advocating for a fitting replacement. He asks of G-d “please choose someone who possesses the spirit of G-d.” People are very different and complicated. A leader for one may not understand another. Only G-d knows and accepts everyone for who they are, as they are. Please find a leader who will do the same. For that and only that is an acceptable leader.

This was his understanding of what a leader should be. Not one who gets caught up in the differences and shtick that isolates the masses, but on the commonality. This was Moshe. And that is the parah aduma. It touches and restores the core of life itself. The G-dliness that is within us all that truly does make us all one.

The Rebbe was such a leader. Always looked into the deepness of people and how to connect. With them. Them to each other. And them to G-d. And more than anything else, he

"ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS TERRIBLE TIME WE ARE IN, I WANT THERE TO BE A JEWISH COMMUNITY THAT CAN STILL HOLD EACH OTHER IN LOVE."

fear for our future. Am I right? I fear for our future too, although I am led to a different conclusion.”

This is a skill I want for all of us, to find what connects us at the root even though it blossoms differently in each of us. I should point out that while this can help us carry conflict less damagingly, I

am not suggesting that everyone’s view is right and everybody wins. Because sometimes a decision needs to be made, a course laid. Perceiving divinity on all sides doesn’t change that. In fact, in our Talmud story, after announcing the divinity in the views of both parties, the heavenly voice declares: “However, the

20 - 8:18 P.M.

believed in people and their eternal soul. If G-d gave a challenge that means He also gave immense strength to deal with it. Pushing young people into positions beyond their age bracket but believing in them more than they believed in themselves. That’s how he built the vast network we now know simply as Chabad. Be a leader. Such a leader. Look to the soul of our fellow and see their wholeness. Their G-dly goodness. Be there for them. Connect with them. Lead by example. That is how we build a better world. A world that will be filled with peace and G-dliness. A Moshiach world. And may that day come speedily in our days. Amen. JN

law is in accordance with the school of Hillel.”

If both views are God’s living words, why does the school of Hillel carry the day? The Talmud says it is because the school of Hillel is notably humble in its process, listening, restating and trying to understand the arguments of the school of Shammai before venturing their own ideas. This is an ancient way of saying, “I hear you” — and meaning it.

It’s also worth noting that the legal rulings of the school of Hillel are generally more lenient and favor compassion. They are rulings designed with kindness in mind, while those of the school of Shammai elevate principle over impact. This seems to suggest that the choices we make should not cause harm. All things being equal, go with the viewpoint that effects a net increase in happiness.

So that’s the recipe for holding conflict. It might not bring agreement, but it could change who we are in these conflicts and who we are after them. Let’s not give up on each other. Let us bet on a future we can’t quite see, in which we still care about each other, still talk, and still see the divine humanity in each other’s words. JN

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media. This story was originally published on My Jewish Learning.

Rabbi Dovber Dechter is the co-director of Chabad of Downtown Phoenix.

Find area congregations at JewishAZ.com, where you can also find our 2024 Community Directory.

RABBI DOVBER DECHTER

COURTESY OF GETTY IMAGES VIA JTA

Rabbi Dovber Dechter COURTESY OF RABBI DOVBER DECHTER

New pieces from old ‘treasures,’ bead donation spans ages and art forms

MALA BLOMQUIST | MANAGING EDITOR

When jewelry artist Florie Amster died in 2017, she left behind thousands of beads, most of them on her dining room table. The beads remained untouched until Amster’s husband, David, died in May of this year and their children needed to sell their parent’s home.

Amster owned a business called Necklace Treasures, which she started after her friend Risa Mallin enlisted her help in making a necklace. Amster was one of the first people that Mallin met when she moved to Phoenix 50 years ago. The two women bonded over motherhood, with children the same age, and were both members of Beth El Phoenix. Mallin was vacationing in Santa Fe

when a necklace caught her eye. Her husband offered to buy it for her, but Mallin said it was too expensive and she would make one herself. He asked her if she knew how. “No, but I’ll learn,” she replied.

She bought all the beads and when Amster saw them, she offered to take the beads home and make the necklace for her friend. Her parents had been in the jewelry business, and she knew exactly what to do.

“I was thrilled because I didn’t want those beads at my house,” said Mallin. “I just wanted one little necklace.”

That necklace was the spark for Amster’s business. She became known for her custom pieces, often fashioning old, unworn

charm bracelets into necklaces.

“Florie was extremely creative, and that’s why she called it ‘Necklace Treasures’ because people would bring in their old jewelry and she would remake it into something new,” said Mallin.

Mallin said the family offered visitors to take some jewelry with them during Amster’s, and her husband’s, shiva. “Florie died suddenly, probably making beads that day and buying beads the day before,” said Mallin. “Her husband didn’t continue the business — it just stopped when she passed.”

Amster’s children told Mallin that they didn’t know what to do with all the beads, and Mallin offered to take care of them. She told them the origin story, which started with the necklace in Santa Fe. The children told her she could have everything.

“I told them I didn’t want the beads 30 years ago, and I don’t want them now!” 82-year-old Mallin said. “When she finished a necklace, she put the extra beads on the table. The table was probably covered with four inches of beads.” Amster used the table as her workspace and her living room as her showroom.

Mallin enlisted the help of Amster’s many friends, and together it took a

dozen of them about 50 hours to pack up all the beads.

She knew that children would love all the different-sized, mismatched beads and decided to donate them where they could be incorporated into craft activities.

“My granddaughter in Northern California volunteers at Ronald McDonald House in Palo Alto, and I’ve got a couple of shoe boxes for her. I have a niece who’s a doctor at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, so she took three boxes of beads,” she said.

She also donated boxes of beads to Camp Daisy & Harry Stein in Prescott, Camp Ramah in California, the Boys and Girls Club of Scottsdale and the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center (VOSJCC).

When Mallin reached out to Leah Zigmond, chief officer of youth and family programming at the VOSJCC, Zigmond was ready to turn the beads over to camp staff. However, when she started looking at them more closely, a cloisonné enamel bead caught her eye.

“There are some real statement pieces here, so we are completely changing the plan,” she said.

She asked Mallin if it would be OK to use the beads at a staff event with employ-

“FLORIE WAS EXTREMELY CREATIVE, AND THAT’S WHY SHE CALLED IT ‘NECKLACE TREASURES’ BECAUSE PEOPLE WOULD BRING IN THEIR OLD JEWELRY AND SHE WOULD REMAKE IT INTO SOMETHING NEW.”

RISA MALLIN

A group of Florie Amster’s friends gather to sort beads. From left to right: Cynthia DuBrow, Gayle Weiss, Ruth Ann Perlman, Saturn Klein, Risa Mallin, Terri Fields and Sara Klein. COURTESY OF EMILY MALLIN

ees of the VOSJCC, and she agreed.

Zigmond contacted local jewelry artist Keylee Sanders, whose child attends the VOSJCC Early Childhood Center, to see if she would teach the staff the basics of jewelry making and help them make meaningful pieces, and she agreed.

After the atrocities in Israel on Oct. 7, Sanders created a “Stand With Israel” bracelet with royal blue beads, six white beads (one for each point on the Star of David) and gold-plated beads to signify strength (keyleesanders.com). All proceeds from the $18 bracelet go directly to The Lone Soldier Center in Israel.

Zigmond has one of these bracelets, which is especially poignant because her son is a lone soldier stationed in Gaza now.

“I’m glad she will work with us on this project because I think she has a gift for making meaning from jewelry,” said Zigmond. “It will allow the staff to go home with a really beautiful piece that they make themselves.”

Another place where people may go for jewelry-making supplies received a donation of the beads.

The Art Resource Center (The ARC) in Tempe “collects and gives away art supplies free of charge to any teacher or nonprofit that walks through our doors,” said artist and The ARC founder, Sherrie Zeitlin. Artists and makers can also select

materials and pay according to what the items are worth to them.

The donated beads were sorted and put out on the floor. “They were absolutely lovely and are probably all gone already!” she said.

Zeitlin had not met Mallin before, and they enjoyed playing Jewish geography.

“She’s terrific and we found all sorts of connections, so it was a lot of fun meeting her,” said Zeitlin. Her family has been in the Valley since 1918 and her grandparents were instrumental in the founding of Beth El Phoenix.

“It’s been a wonderful mitzvah for Florie’s friends to have helped me pack up the beads,” said Mallin. “Florie would be so happy that her beads were making children happy.” JN

One box of beads the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center received. COURTESY OF JEWISH NEWS

A necklace made by Florie Amster from organization pins Risa Mallin had from Hadassah, ORT, Israel Bonds and Women’s League. COURTESY OF RISA MALLIN

SENIORS

Jewish psychologist talks senior sex

SHANNON LEVITT | STAFF WRITER

OCBI 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.

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

ver the years, psychologist Larry F. Waldman, 77, listened to many of his patients as they bemoaned their dwindling sex lives. He worked with couples and families for nearly half a century. Unsurprisingly, sex and intimacy were always big topics.

“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.

“Bedroom issues were common and when patients felt comfortable, they told me about them,” he told Jewish News. Sometimes, people were ready to throw in the towel and accept sexless relationships or a future with declining intimacy rather than face uncomfortable conversations trying to get to the heart of the matter.

“People don’t always like to seek help but I would tell them, ‘Don’t throw sex away,’” 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.

That’s one of the main reasons he just completed his eighth and final book, “Silver Sex: Insights into Senior Sexuality,” published by Outskirts Press and available next month.

The Jewish Waldman, who is “supposedly retired” after 45 years of private practice but continues to teach graduate-level counseling courses and publicly lecture

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.

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.

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

“YOU HAVE THE CARICATURE OF THE OLD GOAT, OLD LECHER OR COUGAR, WHICH PUSHES THE IDEA THAT IF SENIORS ARE ENGAGING IN SEX IT’S DISGUSTING. THAT’S A DANGEROUS MYTH FOR AGING PEOPLE.”

— including for the Bureau of Jewish Education of Greater Phoenix’s Marriage University, thought he had written his last book until a widowed friend told him he was dating again.

“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.”

“He told me there’s so much stuff out there about older people and sex, and then he told me I should write about it,” Waldman said.

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.

He had to admit his curiosity was piqued. The message the wider world sends to seniors is not a good one, he said. You’re old; you’re incompetent; you’re weak; you’re invisible.

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

When it comes to sexuality, the message is even more dire and more direct: Just forget about it; you’re old, why bother?

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

“I’ve heard the same even from my friends. A lot of my clients thought that

“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.

“IT’S MORE THAN JUST ‘PICK ME UP AND DROP ME OFF,’ IT’S WHAT YOU AND I WOULD DO FOR OUR FAMILY MEMBER.”

K.C. Kanaan

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.”

he’s a decent human being,” Kanaan said. “I called my Jewish friends, some of whom have family members in Israel, and checked on them, too. The way I look at it is we’re all human beings. We all suffer and as long as we keep an open mind, we’ll be fine.”

and took sex off the table, which is fine if both parties are OK with it. However, that’s often not the case and it doesn’t have to be,” he said.

In his new book, he delves into various issues around aging and how physical and emotional health impacts it. Waldman talks about his own experiences with keeping as fit as possible, including recently becoming certified to teach yoga, a practice he’s maintained for years.

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.

Kanaan, now 60 and technically a senior, believes Envoy is the perfect illustration of respecting the dignity of aging people. Within a few months of the company’s partnership with the Jablins, the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix, which had learned from a community survey that transportation was one of seniors’ greatest needs, joined in, eventually taking the program over completely.

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!”

Almost two decades ago, he began regularly practicing yoga and even led classes for other residents of his Phoenix condo complex.

“Two years ago, I decided to make it ‘kosher’ and got certified,” he said. He enrolled in Scottsdale Community College’s program, and though many

For more information, visit gesherdr.org HOMES

Several seniors who used the service said that it changed their lives. For

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.

example, a trip to the doctor’s office used to be a six- to seven-hour ordeal, between waiting for Dial-a-Ride — which does not go across city lines — and bus rides, whereas Envoy provided a direct route. The program is now called Senior Rides and is administered by the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix (CJP).

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.

people started with him, only six graduated from what he called “a rather demanding” program.

“I was the only man to graduate and the oldest, 22 years older than the next oldest,” he said.

Kanaan was hosted by CJP’s Business & Professionals group for its “Summer Gathering” event on Wednesday, June 5, to speak about how Envoy has helped to change the landscape of senior care in Phoenix.

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

The book argues that good health overall is built on the three-legged stool of physical, mental and emotional wellbeing, each of which he addresses. SEE SEX, PAGE 16

Affordability is one of the barriers to this kind of full-service transportation, and seniors pay only 25% while CJP

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Larry Waldman PHOTO COURTESY OF LARRY WALDMAN

LARRY WALDMAN

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.

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

Protecting our seniors from modern-day scams

BOB ROTH | COLUMNIST

In our ongoing effort to safeguard our seniors, it’s imperative to address a concerning trend: scams targeting the elderly. It’s essential to shed light on the dangers that lurk beneath the surface — dangers that specifically target our aging loved ones with alarming sophistication.

The National Council on Aging has identified five major scams, collectively responsible for over 65% of reported incidents targeting seniors. These scams aren’t your run-of-the-mill cons; they’re highly evolved operations leveraging technology to exploit the vulnerabilities of our aging population.

Consider the government impersonation scams, where individuals receive calls from purported IRS or Medicare representatives, threatening dire consequences if immediate action isn’t taken. These scams rely on sophisticated tactics, such as spoofed phone numbers and persuasive personas, to deceive even the most cautious individuals.

Then there are sweepstakes and lottery scams, which entice seniors with promises of grand prizes, only to demand upfront fees that leave victims both disappointed and financially strained.

Robocalls and phone scams inundate unsuspecting seniors with false claims of expiring warranties or impending legal action. These automated calls not only disrupt daily life but also take advantage of the trusting nature of our elderly population.

And let’s not forget the despicable grandparent scam, where fraudsters exploit the emotional bond between grandparents and grandchildren to extort money under false pretenses.

Adding to the concern is the rise of

deep-fake technology, allowing scammers to impersonate voices and faces with alarming accuracy. Imagine receiving a call or video message that appears to be from a loved one, only to discover it’s a malicious attempt to exploit your trust.

But there’s hope. We can protect ourselves and our loved ones from falling victim to these scams by staying informed and vigilant. Simple precautions, like verifying the identity of callers and refraining from sharing personal information, can significantly reduce the risk of exploitation.

However, it’s essential to recognize that scammers are constantly evolving their tactics. In recent years, there has been a surge in online scams targeting seniors, particularly through social media and email. These scams often involve fraudulent investment opportunities, fake charity appeals or romance scams.

Romance scams have seen a sharp rise with the increasing popularity of online dating. Scammers create fake profiles on dating websites, preying on the loneliness

Bob Roth COURTESY OF BOB ROTH

Most of his career has been spent helping people develop better mental health through therapy, as well as through his public speaking and published articles. Now that he’s also a senior, his mission has shifted to helping those in his age bracket with all they can do, and expect to do, as they age, and that includes having a happy and healthy sex life.

Older adults spend a lot of time talking about ailments, he said. He wants them to know it’s also good to talk about sex and acknowledge that they are sensual beings. “It’s OK for an older person to hold their partner’s hand or show physical affection,” he said.

Waldman’s wife was a little fearful when he first told her he was writing this book. Now that she’s read the manuscript, she’s very supportive, he said. Her friends have asked if she’s embarrassed but she proudly responds that the book “is full of good information.”

people under the age of 45 think sex ends after 60.

Worse, the media often portrays seniors having sex as funny or absurd. “You have the caricature of the old goat, old lecher or cougar, which pushes the idea that if seniors are engaging in sex it’s disgusting. That’s a dangerous myth for aging people,” he said.

Luckily, one of his sons read a recent article in Huffington Post that made many of the same points, making him more apt to talk about the book and the subject.

At the end of the day, Waldman wants people to talk about sexuality rather than hide from it, at any age.

“If there are hormonal issues or erectile dysfunction, get help. It’s out there,” he said. During his entire career, he’s said the same thing. He knows how much mental health, in general, is stigmatized, keeping people from seeking help. “Being embarrassed to ask for help with any of it is doing yourself a disservice.”

and vulnerability of older adults. They cultivate relationships over time, gaining their victims’ trust before asking for money to cover supposed emergencies or travel expenses. At Cypress HomeCare Solutions one of our retired caregivers, who was amazing with so many of our clients and their families, fell prey to one of these scammers and lost her entire life savings to them. It broke my heart to learn about this from her.

The COVID-19 pandemic provided fertile ground for scammers to exploit fear and uncertainty. From fake vaccine offers to phishing emails posing as government health agencies, seniors have become prime targets for pandemic-related scams.

with the opportunity to learn from experts and share their own experiences, fostering a sense of community and empowerment in the fight against fraud. But perhaps the most effective defense against scams is open communication and support within families and communities. By encouraging seniors to speak up about any suspicious calls or messages they receive and offering assistance in verifying the legitimacy of such communications, we can create a network of protection that spans generations.

Waldman’s two adult sons didn’t really want to talk about it.

“Kids don’t want to think about their parents being passionate,” he said. But they’re in the age bracket that needs good information. After all, sexuality is one way seniors are dismissed. Surveys show that

He hopes his book helps seniors “get on the bandwagon. You shouldn’t feel disgusted or embarrassed. It’s perfectly OK that you’re having sex,” he said. JN

To purchase an early copy of the book, email Larry Waldman at lfw@larrywaldmanphd.com.

In response to these evolving threats, organizations and government agencies have ramped up efforts to educate seniors about the latest scams and how to protect themselves. Online resources, such as the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) “Pass It On” campaign and the AARP Fraud Watch Network, offer tips and tools for recognizing and reporting scams.

Furthermore, community initiatives and senior centers often host workshops and seminars on scam awareness and prevention. These events provide seniors

While the threat of scams targeting seniors may be ever-present, it’s not insurmountable. By arming ourselves with knowledge, staying vigilant and fostering a culture of support, we can empower our seniors to navigate the digital landscape safely and securely. Together, let’s unveil the hidden threat of modern-day scams and ensure a brighter, more secure future for all.

Bob Roth is the managing partner of Cypress HomeCare Solutions. SEX

Jewish Republican hopes to represent the state’s second legislative district

SHANNON LEVITT | STAFF WRITER

Ari Bradshaw, young, Republican and Jewish, is vying to become the next representative of District 2 in Arizona’s State House. The fourth-generation Phoenician talks openly about struggling in the city’s traditional public schools and becoming successful only after receiving scholarships to attend private school. His political views were also shaped by the loss of both his father and cousin due to opioid addictions, something he hopes to address as a legislator.

Bradshaw has been endorsed by Rep. Alexander Kolodin, the only Jewish Republican currently serving in the Arizona State House.

Bradshaw became a bar mitzvah at Temple Solel in Paradise Valley, and his family is connected to the Jewish Community of Sedona and the Verde Valley. Recently, he has been attending Chabad services in Moon Valley after meeting Rabbi Shneur Wolfman while campaigning and knocking on doors.

Bradshaw answered a few questions for Jewish News about his political history, what he hopes to do in office and his commitment to Arizona’s Jewish community.

How did you get interested in politics?

I became interested in politics in my youth and have always lived in highly competitive swing districts where politicians were invested in meeting and informing the community. Since middle school, I have been interested in reading the books of Ayn Rand and John Locke, “The Federalist Papers” and other fundamental works concerning classical liberalism and Western political philosophy.

Like many, my family was divided during the COVID era, and the political dysfunction we witnessed during that time from leaders on both sides of the aisle compelled me to get involved. As a Jewish person who has studied the Talmud, I’ve always believed we can disagree with one another and still get along and work towards common understandings and compromises.

I don’t want to wake up in 20 years and tell my future children and grandchildren, like so many of our Jewish ancestors before us, that we have to leave the state due to a loss of our liberties, prospects or safety. I lost my father and cousin to the opioid epidemic and was a product of school choice. I helped lead a charity

and founded a small business to help get me out of a rough financial spot, and I witnessed the way political propaganda drives many families, including my own, apart.

Why do you consider yourself to be the best candidate for this position?

I am the only candidate running for the seat who was born and raised in Arizona; my grandparents still live in the district to this day. I helped lead the Ink4Kidz charity for underprivileged students in Greater Phoenix. I got involved in large part because I want to preserve what has made Arizona an amazing place to live for my family, and so many others, for the past 100 years. Our pro-family, probusiness and common sense ways are at risk due to increasingly radical politicians on both sides of the aisle who care more about national attention than they do about addressing the issues facing us locally.

Which issues would you like to focus on legislatively should you win?

Water, education and the economy.

I support establishing a statewide water market, a brackish groundwater program and equalizing water guarantees for buildto-rent and build-to-own developments. Every child deserves excellent educational opportunities regardless of income or zip code. I am a product of school choice, and believe the state should support families who choose to utilize district public, charter, private and homeschool options.

I am also the owner of two small, local businesses. I hope that Arizona can

lead the way in developing a two-track education system to generate more early career professionals while supporting the rapidly growing tech industry throughout the state.

How does being Jewish shape your political philosophy?

If elected, I will be one of just a handful of Jewish officials in our government, joining Alex Kolodin as the only other Republican Jew in office. I have been standing up strong for our Jewish community, especially amidst rising antisemitism post-Oct. 7. I also have a great relationship with Alma and Consuelo Hernandez, two Democratic Jewish members of the State House. We all believe in doing the right thing for Arizonans, regardless of party affiliation, and standing up for the Jewish community amidst rising antisemitism. JN

Jewish News does not endorse any political candidate and welcomes the opportunity to interview any Jewish candidate running for office.

Ari Bradshaw with his girlfriend, Jenna Moore. COURTESY OF PRISCILLA MOORE

Ari Bradshaw COURTESY OF PRISCILLA MOORE

‘Nerding out’ on elections with Jews for a Secular Democracy

SHANNON LEVITT | STAFF WRITER

Wrapping up an online discussion focused on informing the public about election processes and how to overcome election skepticism, Pima County Recorder Gabriella Cázares-Kelly reminded viewers that “elections are administered by your friends and family and neighbors, real people following protocols and law, doing our very best to make voting as easy and accessible as possible so people can participate in one of our most fundamental rights as Americans.”

It was a salient point to make after the hourlong, detailed explanation by election officials in three American counties of how the process works and the

multiple layers of security involved in ensuring its legitimacy. Broward County, Florida Supervisor of Elections Joe Scott said American elections have never been safer; Clerk Lisa Brown from Oakland County, Michigan emphasized that regardless of party affiliation, election workers are committed to upholding the U.S. Constitution and getting the voting process right.

Jews for a Secular Democracy (JSD), an initiative of the Society for Humanistic Judaism (SHJ), hosted “Election Integrity: Ensuring Trust at the Local Level” on Tuesday, June 4. Tucson resident Katie Reiter, JSD’s national program coordinator, hosted the webinar,

which was co-sponsored by Or Adam Congregation, a Scottsdale SHJ affiliate.

“The goal of the webinar was to share nonpartisan, trustworthy information about how our election system works and how we can protect it,” said Bill Parsons, Or Adam president.

Brown, Cázares-Kelly and Scott spoke candidly about some of the most polarizing issues when it comes to election integrity, explaining signature verification, describing the layers of security for transporting and tabulating ballots and testing voting machines to ensure they recognize undervotes, overvotes, stray pen marks, etc. There is also equal representation of Democrats and Republicans in checking the accuracy of any questionable ballots, and the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) system helps eliminate fraud by crosschecking voter information across the country and catching anyone who tries to vote in two places.

All three officials hammered home their efforts to get “elections 101” information out to the public by answering any and all media requests, using social media for tutorials, opening their facilities to public tours and explaining ad nauseam “the day-in-the-life of a ballot,” from the moment a voter picks it up to the moment it is verified and tabulated.

Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer was not part of the webinar but also wants voters to see firsthand how his office works, and has been encouraging county residents to take an elections facility tour.

“I firmly believe we would be much better situated as a community if we got to give all 4.5 million residents of Maricopa County a two-hour elections

tour,” the Jewish Richer told Jewish News.

Cázares-Kelly, who oversees voter registration, early voting and document recording for a county of 630,000 registered voters, explained the lengths her office goes to in helping people vote. For example, early voting for military and overseas voters starts 45 days before the election.

“We have mailed a ballot to space; we’ve sent them to submarines; we’ve sent them on the back of a camel into the middle of the desert in the Sahara. We do whatever it takes to get people those ballots,” she said. She does it with a staff of 50 full-time employees that balloons to 120 during an election.

Before 2020, election offices were quiet places but the last four years “have put a heavy spotlight” on them, Cázares-Kelly said. She gets at least one media request every day and she says yes to all of them. “If people want to nerd out and talk about voting, I want to be in that space.”

A lot of the anger has come from people being fed misinformation about the election results, but Cázares-Kelly, the first Native American to hold elected Pima county office and one of only four Native Americans to ever hold countylevel office in Arizona, said it’s important to remember how emotional voting can be for communities that have a history of being denied the right to vote.

“The 100th anniversary of the Indian Citizenship Act just passed, which means we’ve only been considered U.S. citizens for a century. So, I understand when people encounter a problem voting it can be terrifying for them. As necessary as it is to talk to those who are angry and have been misinformed, it’s just as critical

Jews for a Secular Democracy hosted “Election Integrity: Ensuring Trust at the Local Level” on Tuesday, June 4. Pictured clockwise from top left are facilitator Nomi Joyrich and election officials Lisa Brown, Joe Scott and Gabriella Cázares-Kelly.

“I FIRMLY BELIEVE WE WOULD BE MUCH BETTER SITUATED AS A COMMUNITY IF WE GOT TO GIVE ALL 4.5 MILLION RESIDENTS OF MARICOPA COUNTY A TWO-HOUR ELECTIONS TOUR.”

STEPHEN RICHER

to show up for people who have no idea what the process looks like — and most people just want to know, ‘Where do I go? How does this work?’”

One of the biggest pieces of election misinformation to gain ground after 2020, the idea that dead people vote, was also part of the discussion.

All three officials talked about the time spent maintaining voting rolls and checking for deceased people who are registered voters. “We’re literally looking at obituaries,” Cázares-Kelly said.

Her office also looks for death certificates issued via land transactions and cross-references them. However, if a registered voter dies after the ballots have gone out, or if they die outside of Arizona, they could receive a ballot. If someone fraudulently attempts to vote that ballot for the deceased, it is illegal and that person will be prosecuted.

Brown said that in the rare instance

when it happens, “it’s most often a family member who knows what mom’s signature looks like and tries to forge it. But we catch it because the barcode scanner picks up on the discrepancy between the date of her death and when we receive it.”

“If you want the number of dead people on the voter registration rolls to be zero, you would need to put a heart monitor on everybody who’s registered to know the second they die,” Scott said. “It takes time to remove them. We only have a problem if that dead person actually shows up to vote, and that is extremely rare, and they do get prosecuted.”

All three noted that there has been a tremendous turnover of election workers and that is in large part due to threats to their safety. Seven of 15 county recorders in Arizona have left their post. CázaresKelly described some of the threats and “yucky phone calls” she personally received following the 2022 election,

when extremists criticized the speed at which votes were being tabulated in Arizona, something Richer has also talked about. The Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center helps keep the state’s election officials in contact with the FBI and local police for their physical safety.

The number of calls to Pima County were small compared to the hundreds Maricopa County received. On the other hand, “I live in the same district where (former Arizona Congresswoman) Gabby Giffords was shot. It only takes one, and I

don’t ever want to minimize it,” she said. Even with all the headaches and threats, the three officials said they love their work and happily have been able to find people who still want to work elections. Brown ended the discussion by echoing Cázares-Kelly’s point about the humanity of election officials: “We’re your neighbors and your friends. We go to the same synagogue and we shop at the same grocery store.” JN

For information on Jews for a Secular Democracy, visit jfasd.org.

Janeen supports:

• Building more Affordable Housing

• Fully Funding our Public Schools

• Restoring our Abortion Rights

• Protecting our Environment

“I am ready to serve as your Representative. I want to hear your thoughts on our most pressing issues. My number is below. Let’s talk!”

ADAM

Celebrity appearance

artist, is shown at the Five15Arts gallery exhibit “Went

Tel Aviv memories

Arizona State University (ASU) President Michael Crow is pictured in the center of six ASU students and two ASU alumni at an ASU alumni event in Tel Aviv on May 20. The students are in Israel with Birthright and the alumni are teaching English in Israel this year.

Featured Event

SUNDAY, JULY 28

PHA Ice Cream Social:

1-2:30 p.m. Beth El Phoenix, 1118 W. Glendale Ave., Phoenix. Survivors, 2Gs, 3Gs, family and friends are welcome to join the Phoenix Holocaust Association for ice cream and all the fixings. Cost: $10 per person, $5 ages 12 and under, free for survivors. For more information, visit phxha.com/events/ice-cream-social.

Events

DAILY, THROUGH JULY 31

Summer Zoom Classes at JFCS Center for Senior Enrichment: Times vary. Join the Jewish Family & Children’s Service Center for Senior Enrichment for a variety of classes throughout the month. Cost: Free. For more information, visit jfcsaz.org/our-services/ older-adults-services/class-calendar.

SATURDAY, THROUGH 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, JULY 14

“The Unorthodox” Film Screening: Available to stream online all day. Join the East Valley Jewish Community Center for this feature film about the establishment of the Shas political party. Cost: Free. For more information, visit evjcc.org/film.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 17

LGBTQ+ Inclusion and Belonging Presented by Keshet: 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Online via Zoom. Join Keshet and the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix for a virtual professional development training focused on learning more about LGBTQ+ identities and making connections between LGBTQ+ rights and Jewish values. Cost: Free. For more information, contact engagement@phoenixcjp.org.

VOSJCC and NowGen Young Adult Night Swim: 7-9 p.m. Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Join NowGen at the VOSJCC pool for an evening of music, socializing, games and snacks. Alcohol will be available for purchase. For ages 21-45. Cost: $18. For more information, visit vosjcc.org/program/ night-swim-with-now-gen.

THURSDAY, JULY 18

Yalta and the Place of Anger in Leadership: 1-2 p.m. Online. Join Valley Beit Midrash and co-sponsor Congregation Or Tzion for a virtual presentation by Rabba Sara Hurwitz, co-founder and president of Maharat, the first institution to ordain Orthodox women as clergy. She also serves on the Rabbinic staff at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale. For more information, visit valleybeitmidrash.org/event/ yalta-and-the-place-of-anger-in-leadership.

Create Booties for Dogs, Support Our Pet Donation Drive: 6-7 p.m. Address provided upon registration. Join Arizona Jews for Justice for a family-friendly event to create foot booties in support of the unsheltered community and their furry companions. AJJ is also collecting donations until July 18 of dog and cat food and supplies to distribute. Cost: Free. For more information, contact arizonajews4justice@ gmail.com.

SUNDAY, JULY 21

Warfare and Lawfare: Special Briefing with Former Chief IDF Lawyer: 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Online via Zoom. Join Beth El Phoenix for a special briefing with the former IDF chief military advocate general, the army’s top lawyer, Maj. Gen. (res.) Avichai Mandelblit, who has also served as attorney general and cabinet secretary, where he negotiated the Kotel Agreement. Register at bit.ly/avichai210724.

From Mozart Favorites to Traditional Jewish Melodies: 3 p.m. Arizona Jewish Historical Society, 122 E. Culver St., Phoenix. Join the AZJHS for a selection of classic works composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Fritz Kreisler, Bela Bartok and traditional Jewish melodies performed by violinist Moshe Bukshpan with Lali Breen on piano. Cost: $30, $25 AZJHS members. For more information, visit azjhs.org/mozart.

Okinawan Karate Safe & Secure Seminar: 4-5:30 p.m. Congregation Beth Tefillah, 6529 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale. Join CBT for a class to learn breathing, balance, confidence, timing and distance. Class is for ages 18 and up. Cost: Free; donations accepted. For more information, visit bethtefillahaz.org/event/okinawankarate-do1.html.

THURSDAY, JULY 25

Line Dancing Night at Handlebar Js: 6-8 p.m. Handlebar Js Western Bar, 7116 E. Becker Lane, Scottsdale. Join the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center for an evening of line dancing. Cost: $25, $18 VOSJCC members; ticket includes line dancing lesson, two drinks and appetizers. For ages 21+. For more information, visit vosjcc.org/program/ line-dancing-night-at-handlebar-js.

SUNDAY, AUG. 11

2024 Jewish Community Day with the Diamondbacks: 1:10-4 p.m. Chase Field, 401 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. Join the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix and other Jewish organizations for an afternoon of baseball and Jewish community pride as the Arizona Diamondbacks take on the Philadelphia Phillies. Tickets are in the Jewish community area with activities for all ages, giveaways, a photo booth and more. Ticket also includes a Jewish Community Day Diamondbacks in Hebrew hat giveaway (limited quantity available). Cost: $28-$80 adults, $25 ages 15 and under. For more information, visit phoenixcjp. my.canva.site/diamondbacks.

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.

Sundays are for the Family Weekly Feed: 3-5 p.m. Tempe Beach Park, 80 W. Rio Salado Pkwy., Tempe. Join Arizona Jews for Justice and AZ HUGS for the Houseless every Sunday to serve food to those in need. For more information and to RSVP, email Arizonajews4justice@gmail.com.

Anxiety in the Modern World: 6 p.m. Online. Learn the secrets of the Torah for living stressfree 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

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.

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.

CALENDAR

THURSDAYS

Personal Jewish Spirituality: 10-11 a.m. Temple

Beth Shalom of the West Valley, 12202 N. 101st Ave., Sun City. TBSWV will present a four-part interfaith adult education course (June 6, 13, 20 and 27) to help participants understand their own sprituality and find ways to enrich their spiritual lives. Cost: $20 members; $35 nonmembers; registration deadline June 3. 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 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 Service: 6-7 p.m.; Oneg at 5:15 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: 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.

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.

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

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

Arlene Rudley

Arlene Rudley, a longtime resident of Scottsdale, passed away peacefully on June 29, 2024. Born and raised in Queens, New York, Arlene was the cherished daughter of Moe and Yetta Klein. She pursued a life-long passion for education, graduating from Oswego State Teachers College (now SUNY Oswego) at age 20.

RICHARD ASKINAZI

It is with sadness that we announce the sudden passing of Richard Askinazi, age 89, on June 11, 2024, in Phoenix.

He was born in New York City in 1935 to Israel Askinazi and Molly Cohen. HIs parents had emigrated from Greece to the U.S. in the 1920s. He remained proud of his Greek and Jewish heritage throughout his life. Richard served in the U.S. Army for six years, both in Germany and in Korea. Upon his return to New York, he worked as an accountant for the City of New York until he retired in 1991. He relocated to Arizona in 2005, where he met his surviving spouse, Harriet Schwartz. They married in 2007 and remained devoted to each other until his passing.

Richard was a founding member of the Copper State Post 619 of the Jewish War Veterans, operating out of Sun Lakes, and served in various positions for a number of years.

He is survived by his wife, Harriet; his sister, Sylvia Greenbaum; and myriad nieces and nephews. The funeral service, officiated by Rabbi Irwin Weiner, was held on June 14,2024, at the Valley of the Sun Mortuary and Cemetery in Chandler.

Shortly after graduation, Arlene married the love of her life, Noel Rudley. The couple enjoyed a remarkable 69 years of marriage, a deeply loving equal partnership that was ahead of its time. The young couple settled on Long Island, where they raised their two children, Douglas and Suanne.

Arlene’s dedication to education was evident throughout her life. She began her career as a substitute teacher while her children were young and later transitioned to full-time teaching in the Commack School District. She loved children and taught third and fifth grade. Many students reached out to her later in life to convey the impact she had on their lives.

She and Noel moved to Scottsdale some 30 years ago. There she taught English as a second language and took up hiking and golf. She was an inveterate reader and enjoyed playing mahjong and bridge with her many longtime friends in the area. She was active in Brandeis Phoenix, where she was able to combine her commitment to lifelong learning and devotion to Jewish life.

Her family was always the center of her life. In addition to her husband Noel, and her children Douglas (Mary Way) and Suanne (Dean Gain); Arlene is survived by her grandchildren Mark and Jeffrey Rudley, Madeline Johnson (Trevor) and Leigh Kloss (Elias Sideris); and her six-month-old great-grandson Aaron Johnson, who delighted her in her final months; as well as her brother Roger Klein and her nieces (Felicia Klein and Alyce Rudley) and nephews (Peter, Adam and Michael Spiegel and Brett and Todd Rudley). Her beloved sister Judy Klein Spiegel (Rick) of Phoenix predeceased her by only a few weeks.

Arlene was an outgoing, energetic, warm and steady presence in the lives of her many friends and will be missed by all. The family plans to hold a private celebration of Arlene’s life. Donations in her memory may be made to Brandeis Phoenix (brandeisphoenix.org/donate).

Phyllis Keizerstein

Phyllis Keizerstein passed away at 88 years of age on June 3, 2024.

Mom was born on August 1, 1935, in the Bronx to David and Celia Birnbaum. She lost her husband of 65 years, Jerry, only seven months ago. Living in memory care with the addition of hospice for the last seven months, she was the life of the party, and they miss her very obvious presence there. Mom was independent and could be seen wheeling herself around the dining room, encouraging other residents to eat ... a Jewish mother until the end.

Volunteer work was always very important to Phyllis, and she brought volunteerism into our family’s values. Beginning with Kivel, several hospitals followed, along with the Jewish War Veterans with our dad.

Mom loved to play games and was very competitive; mahjong being her favorite. She enjoyed cards and bingo at assisted living, mainly because of the chocolate she received when she won. It’s safe to say that chocolate in various forms was her first love.

Phyllis is survived by daughters Amy Coles (Perry) and Mindy Lefkowitz (Todd); and a proud Bubby to Chelsea (Raphael), Jordana (Chase), Alan, Joshua (Catherine), Erik, Allie (Alex) and Andrew (Katie). She was also a loving Bubby to her great-grandchildren Nash, Ivy, Navy, Rhen and Alexander.

On June 10, 2024, we were honored with a heartfelt service at the gravesite with Rabbi Levi Levertov at the Valley of the Sun Mortuary and Cemetery in Chandler.

Donations are appreciated to a wonderful organization: Smile on Seniors (sosaz.org.)

Leone Zendle

Leone Zendle died June 18, 2024, at Affinity Senior Living in Cathedral City, California. She was less than three months away from her 90th birthday.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Isadore and Shirley Kahn; her husband of 68 years, Seymour “Buzz” Zendle; her son, Jeffrey Todd Zendle; her daughter, Amy Zendle; her brother, Jerome Kahn; and her sister, Elaine Kirschner. She is survived by her son, Dr. Les Zendle (Jerry Hanson) and several nieces and nephews.

Leone was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1934 and moved to Phoenix with her parents and siblings in 1949. As a teenager, she was active in BBG (B’nai B’rith Girls), during which she met her husband who was an AZA (Aleph Zadik Aleph) president. Both the Kahn and Zendle families were extremely involved in the then-small Phoenix Jewish community. They were longtime members of Beth El Congregation. Leone was Queen Esther at Beth El’s Purim Ball in 1952.

She graduated from West High School in 1952 and attended Phoenix College. She worked for several years as a school secretary at both Lookout Mountain Elementary and Mountain Sky Junior High schools in Phoenix.

In 2008, she and her husband moved from Phoenix to the Coachella Valley to be near their surviving children Les and Amy. Although they greatly missed their life-long friends and family back in Phoenix, their children always came first.

Leone was an expert in the game of mahjong, she also enjoyed Rummikub as well as solving crossword and jumble puzzles. Throughout her life she was known for her intelligence and wit. Even in later years, she remembered everything from the distant past to recent people and events.

She was a loving, caring, giving person, who had a great sense of humor and always found things to laugh about despite her physical condition and the losses of too many family members and friends. She will be greatly missed by those who remain. Her memory will be a blessing forever.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to the Jeffrey Todd Zendle Memorial Fund at Beth El Congregation, 1118 W. Glendale Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85021; or to the Amy Zendle At Home Care Fund at ACT for MS, 73710 Fred Waring Drive #118, Palm Desert, CA, 92260; or the charity of your choice.

Judy Spiegel

We are saddened to report that Judith Klein Spiegel of Phoenix, passed away unexpectedly in her sleep on June 11, 2024, after several years of heart-rendering struggle with rapidly progressive Alzheimer’s Disease. Her passing is the loss of a remarkable loving and beloved soul who was adored by family, friends and hundreds of grateful clients.

Born in Queens, New York on May 11, 1946, to Moe and Yetta Klein, raised in Glen Cove, Long Island, she graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. and an R.N., then went on to achieve a double master’s degree at the University of California San Francisco. She returned to New York, working with the city hospital system and soon after finally agreed to marry her college sweetheart, Richard Spiegel. After he graduated medical school, they started a family and she turned to teaching as they moved across the country for his military service and specialty training. She had academic appointments at Hunter College, the University of Cincinnati and Bergen Community College, while raising their three boys, Peter, Adam and Michael.

In 1977, they moved the family to Phoenix, where she did postgraduate work in family therapy at ASU and eventually opened a counseling practice in Scottsdale, which flourished through the ensuing decades bringing relief, consolation and comfort to her clients, both couples and individuals, across the Valley. Not even strangers could ignore the warmth and kindness she exuded. Not satisfied with the success and admiration engendered, once her boys grew up, she went back for more clinical training to be certified as a psychiatric nurse practitioner.

She also found time to contribute in various ways to the community at large such as: supervising the therapy supervisors of the JFCS clinics, and serving on the Board of JFCS; advancing access to nurses by helping guide legislation through the state legislature and being appointed to the State Board of Nursing on the Advanced Practice Committee; teaching psychiatry residents in the County Hospital program; a loyal Penn alum interviewing local applicants and serving on the Board of Trustees’ National Council of Pennsylvania Women.

With all her professional success, her longest and most satisfying career was with her family, bursting with pride raising her three very good men with Rick, her soul mate and the love of her life, and later being the loving Grammy to her seven grandchildren. Always full of youthful energy and enthusiasm, even into her later years, a talented horsewoman since childhood, she always enjoyed new adventures. She and Rick traveled the world together, from the Great Wall of China and the Taj Mahal to safari in Africa and the pyramids in Egypt, the ruins at Machu Pichu and the capitals of Europe. Any words of praise, however, cannot give justice to our dearest memory, her always youthful, radiant face and her magic, comforting smile.

She is survived by her husband, Richard; her sons and daughters-in-laws Peter (Laura), Adam (Ellen) and Michael (Sabrina); her grandchildren Mason, Holly, Chloe, Max, Beckett, Emerson and Maddox; her sister, Arlene Rudley (Noel); brother, Roger Klein; and six grieving nieces and nephews Douglas, Suanne, Erika, Andrew, Mathew and Felicia.

In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association and Planned Parenthood.