HEADLINES | 5
CHARITABLE GIVING | 10
JEWISH CITY SHAPERS
INVITING ALL TO THE TABLE
Larry Lazarus, Martin Shultz and Mo Stein were instrumental in the revitalization of downtown Phoenix
Arizona Kosher Food Pantry partnered with Black Business Owners of Glendale to pass out Thanksgiving meals
1948
YEARS
2023
DECEMBER 8, 2023 | KISLEV 25, 5784 | VOLUME 76, NUMBER 7
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Mazelpalooza celebrates 25 years of AG calls being young, Jewish and together emergency meeting of Civil Rights Advisory M Board to discuss antisemitism, hate crimes SHANNON LEVITT | STAFF WRITER
SHANNON LEVITT | STAFF WRITER
A
rizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said she felt compelled to call an emergency meeting of the Arizona Civil Rights Advisory Board on Tuesday, Nov. 21, “because hate and antisemitism are clearly on the rise in Arizona and across the country.” Mayes said that the incidents under discussion range from harassment to threats of violence, which are “not just attacks on the Jewish community but are an affront to the values that we uphold as Arizonans and Americans.” She began by thanking the board for gathering on short notice, which spoke to “the gravity of the issue.” She reaffirmed her office’s “unwavering commitment to protecting the safety and dignity of all Arizonans.” She assured people that all incidents are being monitored with an eye to prosecution, if necessary, and urged the public to report any incident of concern to her office and the authorities. “This problem requires us to speak out and to speak up,” she said. “Hatred has no place in our state.” The board invited four speakers to address the issue of antisemitism in the community SEE MEETING, PAGE 2
azelpalooza, the annual party for Jewish young adults in Greater Phoenix, will be celebrating its 25th anniversary on Dec. 24. “The message this year is unity and showing our Jewish pride, now more than ever before,” said Andrew Gibbs, NowGen director and Mazelpalooza organizer. While Gibbs understands that it might “feel weird to think about parties right now,” less than three months after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, “it’s important for so many of us to share Jewish joy and Jewish community in this moment.” He is challenging partygoers to bring at least one friend who’s not involved in the Jewish community. After all, Mazelpalooza has a low barrier for entry, with no need for synagogue affiliation or participation in any Jewish organization or professional group. As long as one is Jewish or “Jew-ish” (folks who feel only loosely connected to their Judaism) and between the ages of 21 and 45, this is the right place. Celebrating Jewish community has been at the heart of Mazelpalooza since the beginning. Only 25 years ago, there was no social media to build those Jewish connections for young adults. When Steven Schwarz first approached the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix in the late 1990s about a need for programming designed specifically for that demographic — i.e., community service, fundraising, happy hours, etc.
Partygoers from Mazelpalooza 2022.
COURTESY OF BULLSEYE VIDEO
— the response was positive, and soon, the Federation’s Young Leadership Division (YLD) was born. During that same period, there was a trend of young Jews gathering in cities across the country on Dec. 24, (Christmas Eve) to host their own festivities on a night many of them might otherwise spend alone with Chinese food and a video. SEE MAZELPALOOZA, PAGE 3
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