Jewish News, July 29, 2022

HELPING THE HOMELESS

Arizona Jews for Justice bring cool air and water to the city’s many homeless.

TAMING YOUR ELECTRIC BILL

Supercooling is one way to beat the heat and help lower your electric bill.

On July 25, a new website launched to unite all of Phoenix’s Jewish voices in one cohesive space. JewishPhoenix.com is a site where visitors can easily connect to community organizations, find upcoming events, discover volunteer opportunities, enjoy lifestyle content and much more.

JewishPhoenix has been in the works since 2018, when the board of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix discussed the fact that there was no community calendar — no one place where anyone could go to see a comprehensive listing of what was going on in the Jewish community.

Federation board member and publisher of Java Magazine, Alan Zeichick, was chosen to chair the “tech/ data committee” task force to examine the problem.

“While we were doing an investigation to solve a calendar problem, the project, as so often happens, grew. Somebody pointed out that there was no website that you could look at if you were visiting Phoenix and wanted to find a kosher restaurant or some Jewish music — you had to get on Google and it’s very time consuming and can be very overwhelming,” said Zeichick.

The committee reached out to various technology experts, service providers and organizations to gain knowledge and expertise, including the Jewish Federations of North America and JewishBoston. In the end, the same software company that developed the JewishBoston website, RGB Media out of Tel Aviv, was hired to create JewishPhoenix.

“They took what they built for Jewish Boston

KATHY SHAYNA SHOCKET

In their newest collaboration, Julie Cohen and Betsy West, the filmmakers known for their documentaries about powerful women, including the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (“RBG”) and culinary icon Julia Child (“Julia”), now spotlight former Arizona congresswoman and Tucson resident Gabby Giffords.

“Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down” portrays Giffords’ relentless journey in the face of the tragic assassination attempt that changed her life in an instant on January 8, 2011.

Giffords was shot at point-blank range in the head during her “Congress on Your Corner” constituent event outside a Tucson grocery store.

The gunman killed six people, including a nine-year-old girl and wounded 12 others. In the panic of the mass shooting, some media outlets first reported Giffords was dead.

Directors Cohen and West, the Academy Award-nominated, Emmy-winning filmmakers, personalize the remarkable story of Giffords’ grueling recovery and her triumphant comeback.

They also capture the personal story of

Giffords and her husband, Mark Kelly, a former NASA astronaut and current Arizona senator.

With unprecedented access to filming the couple over two years, blended with Kelly’s home videos of Giffords in the hospital and rehab trying to regain her speech and mobility, Cohen and West give moviegoers a very candid view of Giffords’ perseverance.

Speaking with the filmmakers following the film’s premiere in Washington, D.C. with Giffords, they recalled the first time they met the couple during the pandemic over a Zoom call.

“A virtual meeting didn’t seem like the best

Jewish Political Candidates

Gabby Giffords giving a speech in an archival scene from “Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down." COURTESY OF BRIARCLIFF ENTERTAINMENT

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and reimagined it for what works for our community,” said Jennifer Starrett, content manager for JewishPhoenix. “The exciting thing about this site is that it involves the organizations and programs in our community and enables them to promote their events to the greater community in one space — versus their individual websites and calendars.”

An initiative of the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix (CJP), JewishPhoenix allows visitors to search by topics: families, kids, teens, seniors, lifestyle and Jewish learning; and once a selection is made, the entire page will refresh, showing only the blog posts and events pertaining to that topic.

Launching the community website was made possible in part by a grant from the Molly Blank Fund of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation and CJP is particularly grateful for support of the project received from locals, Michael Blank (Molly’s son) and his wife, Carmen.

Visitors can click on various organizations’ “microsites” from the “connect” page and filter their choices based on location or types of organizations, including camps, adult education, synagogues and more.

“It has their about section, a contact form and all of the blog posts and events that they have produced on their site so that people can find anything they need about each organization,” said Starrett. “Also, when you pull up an event, you will see at the top which organization is hosting the event and if you continue scrolling, it turns back into that organization’s microsite.”

WWW.JEWISHAZ.COM

“The new JewishPhoenix website is a great benefit for the community, providing an all-encompassing resource on Jewish services, events and organizations in the Valley,” said Linda Zell, executive director

of the Jewish Tuition Organization. “From a participating organization’s point of view, JewishPhoenix will provide a broader reach to both current residents and new residents.”

“I want the Jewish community to go there and find everything they want, love it and tell their friends,” said Zeichick. “And that the organizations who have spent their time and built out their individual web sections see enough traffic, business or sign-ups to justify their staying there and evangelizing. Those are my hopes and dreams.”

Sarah Bochenek, youth director and religious educator at Tempe Beth Sholom of the East Valley, helped organizations learn about JewishPhoenix and get their information together.

She learned about JewishPhoenix when she had to select a project to connect within the community as part of her involvement with the Women’s Leadership Institute. Bochenek found out about the opportunity at an “agency night,” where various organizations shared their needs.

“I had a really hard time deciding [on

a project] and then when I looked at JewishPhoenix, this helps every community I’ve been trying to reach and connect. I was just so excited to be able to help everyone — all in one project,” said Bochenek.

She runs the United Synagogue Youth (USY) at Temple Beth Sholom and feels that JewishPhoenix will be valuable for teens because they will be able to see all the programming geared towards them across the Greater Phoenix area.

“It allows for them to know that there’s more out there for them regardless of where they’re located and it also lets the kids who aren’t affiliated and aren’t already involved see that there is a lot going on,” she said.

College students will also find information suited to them. “I am so excited for Hillel to participate in this much-needed new community website,” said Debbie Yunker Kail, executive director of Hillel Jewish Student Center at Arizona State University. “We are eager to share Hillel events and opportunities with the broader community and appreciate how easy CJP has made it for us to participate as a local agency.”

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COURTESY OF MALA BLOMQUIST

Alicia Moskowitz, executive director of Beth El Phoenix, also sees the website connecting the greater community and expanding their circle by letting everyone know what new events, services, holiday celebrations and social action projects they are hosting.

“We work hard to provide a robust and vibrant offering of Jewish cultural, learning and spiritual life in Phoenix,” said Moskowitz. “JewishPhoenix will encourage those seeking Jewish experiences to connect more easily with our congregation to find what appeals to them. We are very excited to be part of it!”

There is also a “Welcome to Phoenix” page with many “best of” lists for newcomers to the area and a “get help” button showcasing different resources to help residents in times of need.

“As a communal professional, I am very excited for this new website,” said Jessielyn Hirschl, director of development and

GIFFORDS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

way to begin a relationship, especially with someone who has aphasia, a brain condition that makes communication challenging,” said Cohen.

“But within a few minutes of meeting Gabby and her husband, Betsy and I were texting each other that we had to make a documentary about this phenomenal person.”

The directors said they were also compelled by the couple’s love story, which is reflected when Kelly retires from NASA in the wake of his wife’s profound injuries and assumes the role of caretaker.

Eventually, Giffords resigned from Congress to focus on her recovery. And a decade later, Kelly would decide to run and win the senate seat once held by the late John McCain.

The filmmakers wanted to highlight these pivotal roles. In fact, in the film, Kelly reveals how he first thought his job going into space was risky, but as it turns out, it was actually his wife’s job that was riskier.

Cohen and West were also drawn to Giffords’ spirit, her love of music (which is incorporated artfully into the film and played a significant role in Giffords’ recovery) and her sense of humor.

Not only did Giffords tell them in that very first Zoom meeting that she was a fan of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and a fan of their “RBG” film, but she lifted her foot into the view of the camera to show she was wearing RBG socks.

Film footage shows Giffords as rising political star before the assassination attempt on her life, including her 2007 victory, when she became Arizona’s first Jewish congresswoman.

Celebrating her bat mitzvah in 2021, at age 51, at which she chanted prayers, sang along with the congregation and played “Amazing Grace” on the French horn, is part of Giffords’ comeback story.

There’s a brief clip included in the film

outreach for Jewish Free Loan. “Having a centralized site will allow us to more easily refer clients and community members to other Jewish organizations and resources throughout the Valley. I am also particularly looking forward to the regularly updated community calendar, which will help us take a more holistic approach to schedule events. As a community member, I can’t wait to see how this site helps unify our growing community.”

Near the bottom of the page is a “holidays” section containing blogs, events and recipes that will be updated as the different holidays approach. If an organization has a holiday event, they can tag it and it will show up on the specific holiday page.

“JewishPhoenix.com offers individuals, organizations and programs a new way to engage with one another around fresh content that is created and curated around the needs and interests specific to our community,” said Richard Kasper, interim

CEO of the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix.” I couldn’t be prouder of our JewishPhoenix team, which has made this an easy-to-use, innovative, destination website that’s equally valuable to long-time residents and newcomers alike. After months of hard work and planning, the Center for Jewish Philanthropy is delighted by the launch of JewishPhoenix.com.”

“There’s a lot to explore and you can get lost, but in a very good way,” said Starrett. “This will show off what’s happening in our community and hopefully bring people out who might not have connected before. It will be a great resource when people are Googling ‘Jewish Phoenix,’ this site will come up and show them how vibrant and exciting our community is.” JN

For more information, visit jewishphoenix.com.

Jewish News is owned by the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix.

of Giffords practicing for her bat mitzvah. Cohen and West recalled that during that filming, they were talking off camera with Rabbi Stephanie Aaron, the spiritual leader of Congregation Chaverim in Tucson.

“We spoke to Rabbi Aaron, who is Gabby’s rabbi and who Gabby is quite close to and had been close to before she was shot as well,” they said.

“The rabbi was in the hospital visiting her, in the early days when Gabby was first at the medical center in Tucson before she was transferred to Houston, and the rabbi talked about that during those early occasions being so concerned about Gabby’s survival that she even said a prayer. There’s a Jewish prayer that you say when you fear that the angel of death is near and Rabbi Aaron did say that prayer over Gabby in those early days.”

Today, Giffords’ transformation over tragedy keeps her busy running her organization Giffords.org, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing gun violence.

And most recently, she’s been traveling to promote the film.

After the recent screening at The Loft Cinema in Tucson, Giffords and Kelly sent a video for the special presentation at Harkins Theatres Camelview at Fashion Square in Scottsdale, explaining the reason for their absence.

“Presidential Medal of Freedom,” said Giffords proudly, of the nation’s highest civilian honor at which she was presented on July 7, along with 17 other recipient, including the late John McCain.

As we see Giffords traveling on her recumbent trike in the film, she says, “I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t talk, now I’m giving speeches again. I tell myself move ahead. I don’t look back. Words once came easily and today I struggle to speak, but I have not lost my voice.” JN

“Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down” is playing in theaters nationwide.

Kathy Shayna Shocket is a writer and reporter based in Phoenix and Los Angeles, Calif.

Gabby Giffords riding her recumbent bike in a scene from “Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down.”

Local family embarks on a mission to keep pets safe

ELLEN BRAUNSTEIN

AScottsdale family is bringing a personal tragedy to the forefront in a public awareness campaign to keep pets safe during home construction.

In 2021, Julie and Maury Kessler’s family lost their 14-year-old Shih Tzu, Oakley, to an accidental drowning. A roofing contractor had placed a lightweight clear plastic loosely over the pool.

Let out to do his business, the curious canine slipped on the plastic and fell into the water. Julie Kessler heard barking and ran outside, spotting Oakley under the covering. She jumped in but was unable to save him.

“It was a horrible, horrible, horrible experience. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone,” Kessler said. “We still struggle with Oakley’s death.”

Oakley was a special addition to the family. Being Jewish, the Kessler’s even had a “bark” mitzvah when he turned 13 with a ceremony and speeches.

Kessler can’t bring back Oakley, but she is channeling her pain into purpose and prevention. She has made it her mission to help other families avoid tragedy.

She founded “Oakley’s Oath,” a grassroots safety effort that is raising awareness on social media accounts and Nextdoor, a neighborhood social networking app.

“We aim to educate homeowners and businesses about keeping pets safe when repairs are being done at home,” she said.

“We’re basically trying to inform people to be cautious and communicate with the contractors in your home.”

Contractors disrupt normal household routines, said Kessler, who works in her husband’s optometry business. “Doors are open. There’s just a lot going on.

If people communicate less, accidents will happen.”

“For Oakley, that plastic covering was just different enough to attract his attention and change his routine.”

Kessler said people should ask more of their contractors. When the Kesslers decided to repair their roof, they asked the typical questions: How long would the project take? What is the repair cost? Is there anything they should know in advance?

“I think a lot of people are caught up on just doing a great job, but if families aren’t safe, then who cares?”

She wants contractors to be aware of safety measures to keep families safe. She is thinking ahead to an Oakley’s Oath business certification or even consumer protection legislation. “It’s kind of my Amber Alert,” she said.

Kessler is grateful she was able to save the life of another dog through an alert she posted on the Nextdoor app. “A family had a contractor at their house and saw their dog walking on a pool tarp and they were able to save its life because of our message,” Kessler said. “They had a different outcome.”

Kessler devised a top 10 list of precautions every homeowner and contractor should take. They run the gamut from insisting that sliding doors be closed and outside gates locked at all times to asking the company if any chemicals in use would be toxic to pets.

The Kesslers owned three dogs at one point. One died soon after they lost Oakley. “We believe Spex, Oakley’s litter mate, was broken-hearted,” Kessler said. “Pets truly are members of the family.” JN

Ellen Braunstein is a freelance writer based in Chicago.

OAKLEY’S OATH

TOP 10 LIST FOR HOMEOWNERS

Remember to PAWS: Prevent Accidents with Safety

1. Ask workers what you need to know to protect your children and pets.

2. Insist that sliding doors be closed and outside gates locked at all times. If workers need to prop gates or doors open for any reason, make sure they let you know.

3. Lock your doggie door so pets can’t go outside without your knowledge.

4. Find out if a tarp or other covering will be placed over your pool. Make sure it’s sturdy, covers the entire pool and is weighted down around the perimeter.

5. Ask if the company will be using any chemicals that would be toxic if ingested by pets.

6. Keep pets safe and out of workers’ way by using a kennel or secure room. Alert workers with a sign reading “Pets inside. Do not open.”

7. Make sure your pet is microchipped and wearing a collar and tags with your name and phone number. This step is vital if your dog escapes.

8. Make daily checks of work areas and remove any hazards.

9. Check back in with workers frequently about any changes or adjustments they may be making that could impact pet safety in and around your home.

10. Be extra vigilant. Accidents can happen even if you’ve done your homework. Find Oakley’s Oath on Facebook and Instagram or by emailing oakleysoath@gmail.com.

From left to right, Julie Kessler, Spex, Renee Kessler, Oakley, Faith Kessler, Maury Kessler and Panda.

AJJ offers cool air, water to homeless during Arizona’s deadliest season

SHANNON LEVITT

Avideo of a United Parcel Service driver collapsing from heat exhaustion on a Scottsdale porch went viral last week, perfectly illustrating how dangerous spending prolonged periods of time outdoors during an Arizona summer can be.

After a few moments, the man in the video stood up and returned to his truck, but for the majority of Greater Phoenix’s homeless residents there are few ways to escape the city’s increasingly hot summers. It’s become a literal life-and-death issue as roughly 40% of confirmed heat-related deaths in Maricopa County in 2022 have been homeless people, according to Axios Phoenix.

This month, in an attempt to offer direct assistance to this vulnerable population, Arizona Jews for Justice (AJJ), the social justice arm of Valley Beit Midrash (VBM), initiated a project to bring some cool air and water to the city’s many homeless encampments.

Austin Davis, AJJ’s community outreach organizer and founder of AZ Hugs for the Houseless, drives a van packed with water and cooling equipment to different homeless gathering spots around the city every day, save Shabbat.

“I’m finding people who have heat exhaustion or are actively having a heat stroke,” Davis said. “I can’t tell you how often I’ve found someone passed out in their tent. There’s no relief from the heat, even at night.”

After more than two years working with this population, he’s become used to some pretty hairy situations. He sometimes finds people who have overdosed on opioids and has to use Narcan, the brand name for the drug naloxone, to save them.

The intense heat of a Phoenix summer adds a new layer of difficulty for people who are already struggling to survive.

Recently, he met a pregnant woman suffering from heat stroke. Fortunately, he found space in a local shelter for her and her husband and he heard soon after that she had given birth to a healthy baby.

“I take people to the hospital all the time,” he said. “I’ve had to call the ambulance for people who are in dire circumstances. The heat can hit you harder than you realize and people get dehydrated so quickly.”

Usually accompanied by two to five volunteers, Davis drives to an encampment and parks the van. Depending on the location, he can generally park within 50 feet of people. There are a few city park rangers, he said, who approve of what he’s doing and allow him to park closer. That’s important because, as Davis is very cognizant, it is vital for the people he works with to be able to keep a close eye on their possessions. And some people are not very mobile, which keeps them from

the city’s cooling centers.

Before setting up, Davis walks over to people so he can both check to see if anyone needs immediate help and explain what he’s doing. He always gives his phone number to anyone who wants it so they can call him if they need assistance later. He said he receives 30 to 50 calls a day in addition to texts.

He pulls out a big, blue canopy from the back of the van and sets out foldable chairs underneath its shade. In the van are two air conditioning units powered by a generator, two 10-gallon water dispensers and mister fans that Davis attaches to a water-filled bucket. He places the misters strategically so people get the best of the AC combined with the mist. There is an additional table with ice water, cups and a heat-relief first-aid kit.

All of this was purchased with a grant from the City of Phoenix for $8,599, according to Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, VBM president and dean. He added that Yassamin Ansari, a relatively new Phoenix city councilwoman, helped significantly in the grant process.

Arizona Faith Network also granted AJJ $2,500 a month for a total of four months and Islamic Relief USA contributed a total of $10,000. In just under a month, AJJ has spent $9,000 on supplies.

In lieu of VBM having its own facility, which is prohibitively expensive, Yanklowitz said this is a direct way to mitigate a terrible problem.

“As a Jew, the most urgent life and death cases are where Jews need to be,” he said. “This is about Jewish people taking part in their community and showing a commitment to justice as Abraham did.”

Yanklowitz hopes this program will continue and grow but that will depend on “our Jewish communal support,” he said. As long as local Jews continue to volunteer and donate, VBM can keep “hitting a gap that nobody else is hitting.”

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“We need to show up,” Yanklowitz continued. “We can’t wait for others to come to us. There are all the people way on the margins and we’re out there with them.”

Both he and Davis emphasized that this project is not only about offering a few hours of cool air, rather it is an opportunity for Davis and AJJ volunteers to sit and talk with people, share a meal and find out what services they need help in accessing, whether it’s getting into a detox program or filling an eyeglass prescription.

“A lot of people just need a teammate to make it through,” Davis said. “It’s hard to get yourself out of homelessness alone. There’s a lot working against you. You usually wake up dehydrated and hungry.”

One of the most well-known and intractable encampments Davis visits is called The Zone, an area near Phoenix’s capital, between Madison and Jefferson and 10th and 15th

avenues. When he started volunteering in 2020, there were roughly 200 people on any given day, he said. Now, he guessed there are approximately 1,200 people.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it,” he said. “No human being deserves to live in those conditions.” Still, Davis doesn’t let the growing need get him down. “The people we serve, I consider them my family. That’s what drives the work, the love and the relationships.” JN

For more information, visit arizonajewsforjustice.org. Shannon Levitt is a freelance writer living in Glendale.

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Austin Davis sets up a small oasis so that the homeless can take a break and cool off in the scorching summer temperatures.

COURTESY OF AUSTIN DAVIS

NCJW AZ reaches out to the next generation of social justice advocates

MICHELLE TALSMA EVERSON

“The National Council of Jewish Women has evolved from the oldest Jewish women’s organization into a social justice movement,” said Civia Tamarkin, president of the National Council of Jewish Women Arizona (NCJW AZ). Recently, the NCJW AZ recruited five new board members to help the organization’s goal of attracting a new generation of Jewish women interested in volunteering and advocating for social justice and change.

According to the group’s website, the National Council of Jewish Women is “a grassroots organization of volunteers and advocates who turn progressive ideals into action. Inspired by Jewish values, NCJW strives for social justice by improving the quality of life for women, children and families and by safeguarding individual rights and freedoms.”

“In Arizona, we [NCJW] are at the forefront of progressive advocacy initiatives to support access to reproductive health care, women’s empowerment, gender equity, voting rights and humane immigration policies,” Tamarkin said. “We certainly realize that the efficacy and sustainability of our work and our organization depends on enlisting a younger, diverse membership. The shift to a new generation is essential to drive lasting social change because they and their families are directly impacted by the policies we promote.”

NCJW AZ’s signature legacy project is the development of Ruth Place, a sexual violence trauma recovery center to empower survivors suffering intermediate and long-term trauma to take back full control of their lives, according to Tamarkin. “We have cultivated

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community partnerships and hope to raise sufficient funds to provide service in the coming months,” she said. “Our goals are to expand our advocacy and grow our membership so we can extend our impact and influence to create transformational change across all communities. Our most pressing goals are to enable access to reproductive health care and combat Arizona’s abortion bans, as we did by winning an injunction against the state’s fetal personhood law. We already are mobilizing our campaign to get out the vote and create voter awareness that our democracy and freedoms are on the ballot in November.”

Tamarkin added that NCJW AZ is a unique umbrella social justice organization that advocates within a framework of reproductive justice. “We have a broad spectrum of issues

within our advocacy wheelhouse,” she explained. “But we also focus on community service that dovetails with our advocacy agenda. For example, our development of Ruth Place is an outgrowth of our longtime work to end sexual violence and exploitation as well as empower women.”

To continue their work, NCJW AZ is welcomes their five new board members with open arms and high hopes.

“NCJW AZ has become a driving force for social justice in the community and our advocacy is attracting a younger membership that wants to play a key role in creating transformational social change,” Tamarkin said. “We are excited to be welcoming these new board members who will help us to reach a new audience and continue to grow our membership.”

New NCJW AZ board members:

Jacqueline Adler is a Scottsdale resident, Arizona native, and has been in the financial services industry for over 20 years. “My passion is to educate and empower women so they can proceed with confidence as they make financial decisions,” she said. “I hope to help create an effective and meaningful financial literacy program that empowers and inspires the women and men we help to go into the world and achieve whatever they desire.”

Amy Levine Herman works as the organization development and change management practitioner at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General, Office of Chief Strategy Officer Team. “We recently moved back to Arizona from Washington, D.C. and wanted to be a part of an organization that could make a real difference in Arizona,” she said. “I saw the great work they were doing around voting rights, abortion rights and immigration and I wanted to be a part of it.”

Meaghan Kramer is a civil rights lawyer at the Arizona Center for Disability Law, where she is the managing attorney for the healthcare team. “Social justice has always been at the center of my life. NCJW is one of the organizations doing real work to fight off injustice and make our state safer for marginalized Arizonans,” she said. “While this is certainly a dark time for women and LGBTQ folks, I feel better knowing these women are fighting for us. These are battles we’re called to fight as Jews and I’m glad to play a role in that.”

Anita Malik currently works as the chief operating officer at LawLytics, a legal technology company. “I’m passionate about social justice and building communities for positive change, and I have watched as NCJW AZ has been a leader in making such important change happen for us here in Arizona,” Malik said. “As such, joining the board felt like a natural fit and an impactful way for me to use my skill set, community connections, and learnings from past advocacy work.”

Rena Saltzman is a research development project manager at Arizona State University. “I joined NCJW AZ to make a difference for Arizona,” she said. “NCJW AZ will provide me the opportunity to engage with like-minded women to strengthen our voice and choices — not only for today but for future generations. I hope to impact our community in a positive and meaningful way.” JN

For more information, visit ncjwaz.org. Michelle Talsma Everson is a freelance writer and editor based out of Phoenix.

Headed back to Israel? Here’s your travel guide

FRAN KRITZ

Israel officially began welcoming tourists back in November after a year-and-a-halflong travel pause for leisure travelers. Now, with summer upon us, many more people vaccinated and so many itching to visit the Holy Land for the first or umpteenth time, the land of Israel beckons with its millennia-old wonders and some just-opened sites.

Travel

Be prepared for sticker shock. Tickets from the U.S. to Israel during the height of COVID-19 (when few were traveling) could be as low as $600 round trip. Now, with more travelers flying and fuel prices exploding, tickets, especially for direct flights, have hovered at $2,000 or more for a round-trip ticket, for those who haven’t purchased already. Stopovers cut the ticket price pain a little, like a KLM flight that stops in Amsterdam for 12 daytime hours. And while the usually cheaper Turkish Airways ticket prices are higher now, too, if you do find a relative bargain for the airline, it’s good to also know that Istanbul now sports a kosher sandwich machine in the terminal for flights to Israel and those lucky enough to qualify for the airline’s club privileges in Istanbul will find some kosher food options.

Both Israel and the U.S. have ended pre-flight testing, for now. But it could be reinstated if cases climb further and especially if new variants emerge. Israel, for example, has closed the door to, but not dismantled, it’s Ben Gurion testing facility where arriving passengers, including tourists, previously had to take a PCR COVID-19 test at their own

expense and quarantine until results were emailed some hours later. Don’t rely on your friends and Facebook postings for the rules when you travel. The Health Ministry of Israel, which requires an entry statement from visitors within 10 days of your arrival, has a hotline with operators that speak English to help you fill out the form and answer questions about the rules of entry. Call 011 972 08-6241010. It’s no longer a 24/7 line, but hours do extend past the end of the 5 p.m. Israel workday. (Israel is currently seven hours ahead of EST.)

Make sure you have health insurance coverage before you go, said Mark Feldman, a director of Diesnhaus Travel in Jerusalem. “I’ve seen tourists out of pocket thousands of dollars if they have to be treated for a heart attack or other serious illness while in Israel,” Feldman said. Check your employer or personal health insurance to see if it covers foreign travel specifically to Israel and bring documentation with you. Check your travel insurance for health coverage. No coverage? You can buy a health policy for a few dollars a day; check online or with a travel agent.

What to do

Some new attractions have opened since your last visit.

Tuvia Book, an educator and tour guide, said many new hotels have opened in Israel over the past two years including the Six Senses Hotel near Eilat, The Efendi Hotel in Acre/Akko, the refurbished Mizpeh Hayamim in Rosh Pinna and the new Soho House in Tel Aviv-Jaffa. Book said the glass walls and terraces at the Six Senses “make you feel as if you’re living outdoors.” The Mizpeh Yayamim has a spa, organic farm and orchards.

The once slightly tired Museum of the Diaspora in Tel Aviv has been refurbished and reopened as Anu (We): the Museum of the Jewish People. Museum exhibits include Jewish history, religion and culture. High-tech features in many of the exhibits add to the fun of the visit; current exhibits include ones on synagogues and Jewish food. On Fridays, visit for free.

Book also recommends, for visitors 10 and older, a visit to a new national park, Khan Sha’ar HaGai at the intersection of Highway One and the Beit Shemesh turnoff. This road saw fierce battles during the War of Independence, said Book, and in memory of the men and

women who took part in them, a heritage center was established to mark the 1947/1948 battles to keep the road to Jerusalem open. Book said the site focuses on “the physical and emotional difficulties young convoy members faced, such as … whether the trucks should carry guns or food to besieged Jerusalem.” Displays include codebooks and interviews with people who took part in the battles.

For the younger set, Jerusalem’s Sokolov Park, near the Inbal Hotel, now includes a library with children’s books in English and a shaded seating area, near the swings and slides that have options for both little ones and older children. The library was dedicated in memory of Elan Garfinkel of Washington, D.C., by his parents, Jay and Renee, who made aliyah from D.C. several years ago. The park abuts several markets with cold drinks and ice cream.

Not far from the park the small museum at Jerusalem’s Heichal Shlomo on King George Street has a lovely exhibit of Judaica paper cuts, by Israeli artists. On your way to the exhibit have a look at the newly renovated fountain at Paris Square, a welcome attraction on hot days.

View of the Mediterranean Sea and Tel Aviv from Jaffa. COURTESY OF JILLIAN DIAMOND

Where to eat

Wolt, a food delivery service that opened in Israel just a few months ago, will expand your eating horizons. Many of the country’s best restaurants such as Jerusalem’s Caffit, Sima and HaMesilah, offer slightly limited versions of their menus though the offerings from Lucianna in the Mamilla mall recently included many pastas and a mouthwatering beet salad. And Ben Ami on Emek Refaim sent an Israeli breakfast with all the fixings — in tiny containers — and the omelet still hot! For the best adult/child option make a reservation at Café Gan Sippur in Jerusalem’s Sacher Park. You can watch the Frisbee games from your seat and take toddlers for a stroll when they’ve finished eating. A recent breakfast included mushrooms over teriyaki polenta. A holdover from Corona (what Israelis call COVID-19) days remains at the cafe: You can pick up

Doing good

Gift shops at Yad L’Kashish (Lifeline for the Old), Shalva and Shekel help support the organizations’ work. Arnie Draiman, a consultant who advises philanthropists on giving in Israel, has a list of vetted organizations and also offers a half-day session for $250 that can match your

a breakfast picnic basket and eat on the park’s grounds.

Journalist Linda Gradstein, who reviews restaurants for the Jerusalem Post, said while many restaurants either switched to delivery or closed, others actually opened during this period. For a splurge, she said not to miss Darya in the Tel Aviv Hilton. The cuisine is “Silk Road” incorporating elements from Uzbekistan, China, India and Tajikistan. “I so enjoyed my meal here for a review that I brought my entire family to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary,” Gradstein said.

Ashkelon has also become a mecca for kosher restaurants as more Anglo and French immigrants flock to the city, Gradstein said. “One I particularly enjoyed was Rashel. It was like visiting Morocco and they have now opened a branch in the Tel Aviv port.”

interests with organizations that could use your help. For more information, visit draimanconsulting.com/my-favoritemitzvah-heroes/. JN

Fran Kritz is a freelance writer living in Washington, D.C. This piece first appeared in Baltimore Jewish Times – a Jewish News-affiliated publication.

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Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust awards $195,000 grant to the Arizona Jewish Historical Society

e Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust awarded a $195,000 grant to the Arizona Jewish Historical Society (AZJHS) to support its important cultural and educational programs over the next three years.

e AZJHS will receive $65,000 annually in general operating support during 2022, 2023 and 2024. As arts and culture organizations continue to face uncertainty while slowly emerging from the pandemic, the trust chose to award multi-year general operating grants to select arts and culture grantees with smaller operating budgets.

“ e trust does so much good work in our community,” said Dr. Lawrence Bell, Arizona Jewish Historical Society executive director. “In addition to their very signi cant nancial support, the trust has also helped us grow as an organization, providing workshops on board development, strategic planning and implementing best business practices at every level of our nonpro t organization.”

Past grants to the AZJHS include a $225,000 gi in 2008 to support the restoration of Phoenix’s rst synagogue as the Cutler-Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center. e Center now serves as a museum, cultural center, events venue and the permanent home of the AZJHS.

Funds from the current grant will provide valuable operational support as the AZJHS embarks on a new capital campaign to create Phoenix’s rst Holocaust education center on the Cutler-Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center campus. e AZJHS has currently raised more than $6.7 million in cash and pledges toward its goal of $15 million for this project.

the First Place Global Leadership Institute, we aim to make supportive housing options more accessible, a ordable and attainable. e Greater Phoenix Housing Market Analysis will provide insights into what members of this population need and want and help us design a blueprint for making

First Place AZ is forming a 15-person leadership advisory group to oversee the research analysis conducted through online surveys taken from August 4-22. Individuals with autism and I/DD and their family members are invited to participate. Community and civic leaders and housing analysts will also weigh in. A kicko meeting will be held ursday, Aug. 4 at 6:30 p.m. ose interested in participating can register at rstplaceaz.org/

Katz is an Arizona native and member of Congregation Beth Israel. She co-chaired Young Jewish Phoenix, now known as NowGen, for a few years and even met her husband, Adam Katz, at a YJP event. Katz works for Eide Bailly, a CPA and consulting rm in Phoenix.

Additionally, Katz was elected treasurer, Kimberly Kur remains vice president and Edward M. Ober was elected president in April. ey will serve one-year terms, at which point they are subject to re-election.

Hillel also extended their gratitude to Joel Schaller, who completed six years of service on the board in June.

intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD) in Phoenix.

The Greater Phoenix Housing Market Analysis, conducted by the First Place Global Leadership Institute Center for Real Estate & Community Development, is the rst-ever study to comprehensively address housing needs of adults living with autism and I/DD. e analysis will collect market data, identify barriers and explore how public, private, nonpro t and philanthropic sectors can work together to respond to market demand.

Adults with autism and other I/DD face a critical shortage of housing options and access to support they need to thrive. In 2021, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) reported a 54.2% increase in the number of individuals with an ASD diagnosis served by their non-Arizona Long-Term Care System (ALTCS) health plans.

“Among the looming questions for parents like me is, ‘Where will my loved one live, who will care for them and how will they thrive when I’m no longer here?’” said Denise D. Resnik, First Place AZ founder and president/ CEO and mother of an adult son with autism. “ rough

Hillel Jewish Student Center at Arizona State University recently announced the election of four new members to their board of directors at their June 8 board meeting. ey will all serve two-year terms, at which point they are e four new members are Carrie Aaron, Shelley Cohn, Dr. Gary Grove, MD and Elyse Katz, CPA.

Aaron is on the MCA Financial Group team and community boards, including Women in Philanthropy at ASU and Arizona List. She is very passionate about Jewish students receiving a warm, safe and meaningful college experience and is eager to make a di erence by joining the Hillel at ASU board. She also sits on Hillel’s Advisory Council.

Cohn has served as chair and board member of the Arizona Community Foundation, council member of the LGBTQ Center for Philanthropy at the Arizona Community Foundation, chair and board member of Childsplay and chair and board member of the Desert Botanical Garden.

Dr. Grove is a board-certi ed general and geriatric psychiatrist and a distinguished life fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He is past president of Hillel; past board member of the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center; and past board member, executive committee member, campaign vice chair, associate executive director and campaign director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix.

Justin Pressman named Western Region executive director of AFHU

American Friends of the Hebrew University (AFHU) has appointed Justin Pressman as executive director of its Western Region, which encompasses Arizona.

In his new position, Pressman will develop regional strategic campaign plans, as well as implement and

A rendering of the main entrance of the Arizona Jewish Historical Society Holocaust education center. COURTESY OF ARIZONA JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Justin Pressman COURTESY OF AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY

Denise Resnik

COURTESY OF FIRST PLACE AZ

evaluate major giving campaigns in support of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel’s premier academic institution and research powerhouse.

“We are thrilled to welcome Justin to our team to lead AFHU’s programming and fundraising efforts in the Western Region,” said Joshua Rednik, American Friends of the Hebrew University CEO. “With his experience and contacts along with our longstanding presence in the region, we believe we are well positioned for future growth and greater awareness of meaningful philanthropic opportunities in support of the Hebrew University.”

Pressman previously served as West Coast executive director for American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic, one of the world’s foremost orchestras. During his tenure, he mobilized national and regional leadership cohorts to exceed ambitious fundraising goals, launched new chapters in San Diego and Dallas to expand the institution’s donor base and leveraged the Philharmonic’s virtual and live programming to reach new and diverse audiences.

“I look forward to expanding AFHU programming and building even greater support for the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in the Western Region,” said Pressman. “ is role aligns my passion for Israel with the university’s research and entrepreneurial advancements.”

philanthropic services division, I look forward to working with our donors, prospects and volunteers to cultivate and secure these important relationships.”

informed care and child development. She has conducted community outreach, education and collaborative program e orts to enhance awareness of infant-toddler development and child abuse prevention in the Arizona community. Awerbuch’s work focuses on building program infrastructure and data management to best support local and national nonpro t growth focusing on children’s wellbeing. She holds a master’s of advanced study in infant family practice from Arizona State University and is endorsed by the Infant Mental Health Coalition of Arizona. Also, Rabbi Aviva Funke has a new title at BJE, associate director. In addition to being Hebrew High principal, she will be organizing and implementing “IGNITE – Inspire & Empower Today’s Jewish Educators.”

e new IGNITE program received funding from the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix to work with religious teachers across the Greater Phoenix area.

Early Learning Center receives NECPA accreditation

e Early Learning Center of the East Valley Jewish Community Center recently achieved National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA).

Len Gutman named VP of philanthropic services at Jewish Family & Children’s Service

Len Gutman has been named vice president of philanthropic services at Jewish Family & Children’s Service (JFCS). Gutman was most recently the director of philanthropy at Sojourner Center, a subsidiary of JFCS. As vice president of philanthropic services, he will oversee the organization’s overall fundraising and development e orts, including working with donors and prospects for annual gi s, major gi s and planned gi s. He will also be responsible for marketing and communications across the organization.

“Len has been an integral part of our philanthropic services team at Sojourner Center and is well-poised to take on this role at JFCS,” said Dr. Lorrie Henderson, president and CEO of Jewish Family & Children’s Service.

Gutman is a long-time nonpro t executive, having held fundraising and marketing positions with such organizations as Special Olympics Arizona and the American Heart Association. Other previous experience includes roles at Life Technologies, Apollo Group and Delta Airlines, in addition to owning a marketing communications consultancy.

“In my time at Sojourner Center, I have come to know and respect the work that JFCS does in our community, providing behavioral health, healthcare, and social services and support to individuals and families of all ages, faiths and backgrounds,” said Gutman. “As we grow our

New hire and title change at Bureau of Jewish Education of Greater Phoenix Marina Awerbuch will join the Bureau of Jewish Education of Greater Phoenix (BJE) on Aug. 1 as its program director, working with Passages Lecture Series, adult learning and family programming. Awerbuch will also work with Linda Feldman in additional family programming and teacher training for the preschools.

With 13 years of experience working with children and parents in community-based settings, Awerbuch has delivered continuing education seminars to professionals and families on evidence-based parent education, trauma

e NECPA was established in 1991 to encourage quality and recognize excellence in early childhood programs throughout the United States and other countries. According to its website, “NECPA standards encompass the whole child by assessing relationships between the child and teacher, program and center relationships with families and program community relationships.”

“Achieving The National Early Childhood Program Accreditation is the recognition of our high standards at the Early Learning Center,” said Pam Morris, ELC director. “Our teacher’s commitment to providing a warm, nurturing environment that focuses on the individual needs of our children is just one area where we excel.” JN

Rabbi Aviva Funke COURTESY OF RABBI AVIVA FUNKE

Marina Awerbuch COURTESY OF BUREAU OF JEWISH EDUCATION OF GREATER PHOENIX

Len Gutman COURTESY OF JEWISH FAMILY & CHILDREN’S SERVICE

Editorials To The Editor

Support the ‘Respect for Marriage Act’

La st month, when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and reversed 50 years of abortion rights jurisprudence, the dissent predicted that the court’s reasoning could be used to challenge other cases involving individual freedoms, including the right to use contraception and the right to marry a same-sex partner. The dissent’s warning was clear: “Either the mass of the majority’s opinion is hypocrisy or additional constitutional rights are under threat. It is one or the other.” And while the majority opinion promised that was not the case, Justice Clarence Thomas said otherwise — and suggested the conservative majority of the court might not be done with decisions that are ”demonstrably erroneous” and which the court has a duty to “correct.”

Considering that large majorities of Americans support the right to an abortion, contraception, gay marriage and interracial marriage — all rights that were considered well settled until this year — there have been concerted efforts to address those issues through federal legislation, in an effort to establish a

Ukraine’s

national standard.

Last week, House Democrats, joined by 47 Republicans, passed the Respect for Marriage Act by a vote of 267-157. The five Democratic members of the state’s delegation voted for the bill but all four Arizona Republicans — Andy Biggs, Paul Gosar, Debbie Lesko and David Schweikert — voted against the measure.

The act’s chief purpose is to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which makes same-sex marriage illegal. That law was overturned by the court in its 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision. Under the new law, same-sex marriage would be permitted under federal law and would prohibit states from discriminating against marriage decisions of two people “on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity or national origin.”

The Respect for Marriage Act is not about holy wedlock. It is about civil rights. And since a resounding 70% of U.S. adults say that same-sex unions should be recognized by law — a majority that includes 83% of Democrats and 55% of Republicans — it is time for the Senate to act.

First Lady

Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska was in Washington last week, where she worked to reawaken awareness about Ukraine’s plight in its ongoing efforts to defend against an unprovoked, brutal Russian attack. She asked Congress for additional defense systems to block Russian missiles and spoke with first lady Jill Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Agency for International Development head Samantha Power, among others.

During her congressional visit, Zelenska displayed highly emotional evidence of the toll Russian airstrikes are taking on her nation and particularly its children. Her heart-wrenching photo presentation included pictures of a 4-year-old girl killed in an air strike that badly wounded her mother, a girl in a pink headband shot by Russian soldiers, a 3-year-old boy learning how to use a prosthetic limb and one showing three generations of a family — grandmother, mother and baby daughter — killed in an air strike.

The carnage in Ukraine from the punishing attacks by Russian forces

is undeniable. But, unfortunately, we have reached the point in the ongoing war where the daily devastation has become just another news story for most Americans. Coverage has slipped from front page headlines to less prominent news stories buried among many others. Perhaps it’s the summer malaise or maybe we have become numb to the violence. And maybe it’s just hard to remain focused on a war taking place halfway around the world.

Which begs the question whether Zelenska is the right person to help recapture the world’s attention and support for war-weary Ukraine?

Zelenska was a scriptwriter for her husband, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was an actor and comedian before winning the presidency in 2019. They have been married since 2003. During her husband’s rise to political prominence, she kept mostly out of the spotlight, describing herself as “a non-public person.” But the war forced Zelenska into a more prominent role and she seems to have embraced it.

A bill similar to the House bill, sponsored by Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and co-sponsored by Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Rob Portman of Ohio, needs eight more Republican senators to pass the filibuster threshold. But those Republican votes may be difficult to find. While Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska is leaning toward support, others like Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida call the House bill a “stupid waste of time,” and others joined Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah in seeking to deflect consideration when he said, “I don’t think we need to lose sleep over it unless there were a development that suggested the law was going to be changed.”

Romney’s approach is wrong. As we learned from the Dobbs decision on the right to an abortion, it is always too early until it’s too late. And the disturbing yet honest warning from Justice Thomas is precisely the kind of “development” that should cause the Senate to act and to enshrine in law the right to marriage that most of this country considers self-evident. JN

“She learned that the little girl’s name was Elsa, and when it came time for lunch, she hated the Israeli food being served on the plane. Gross thought that is one more thing this child will have to adjust to in their new country.”

I am distressed by the above quote in Mala Blomquist’s article (“Taking the trip of a lifetime,” July 8, 2022). Once again the Israeli authorities are trying to turn Ethiopian Jews into European Jews. I am sure there are enough Ethiopian chefs in Israel who could have catered wat (stew), injera (bread) and other Ethiopian delicacies for the new olim so they would feel comfortable on the flight to Israel. If there aren’t enough chefs, a program to train Ethiopians should be commenced immediately.

The hegemony is starting even before the Ethiopians land in Israel. This was tried, and to some extent succeeded, with the Yemenite Jews shortly after the state was founded. I hope the Israeli government takes more steps to preserve the culture, food and customs of these new Ethiopian Israelis.

Hershl Edward Weberman, Phoenix

Zelenska has earned good reviews for her advocacy. She received a standing ovation from Congress for statements such as, “Our family represents the whole world for us, and we do everything to preserve it. We cry when we cannot save it. And we remain completely broken when our world is destroyed by war.”

There is precedent for a first spouse to play an important role in history. Eleanor Roosevelt comes to mind, as she was once called “The First Lady of the World” by President Harry S. Truman in recognition of her human rights advocacy and achievements. Eva Peron is another example, as her 1947 “Rainbow Tour” of Europe helped Argentina improve its global relations.

Whether history remembers Zelenska in the same vein remains to be seen. But regardless of how she is portrayed, we cannot ignore the fact that her tragic message of continuing death and devastation in Ukraine needs to remain front and center in our international consciousness. Her visit was an urgent summer wake-up call. JN

A NOTE ON OPINION

I have read and reread the article about Mr. Glassman (“Jewish attorney running to be Arizona’s top cop,” July 8, 2022). I do not begrudge his right to run again for political office. What does bother me is how, as it was written in the article, “Glassman said that he changed from a Democrat to a Republican on June 16, 2015, the day President Trump announced his candidacy.”

Mr. Glassman, having burnt bridges up and down the state of Arizona has finally burnt the only connection he had left — the Democratic Party. He could have simply sat out an election, be a mensch, and find something else to do. But no. He announces, proudly, that he’s a “Trump Republican.”

That speaks volumes.

Robert Grossfeld, East Valley

I was astounded, as were my friends, that you did an article on Rodney Glassman (“Jewish attorney running to be Arizona’s top cop,” July 8, 2022). Just because he is Jewish doesn’t make him good enough to be voted into office. When he touts endorsement by a known antisemite and racist, he doesn’t get our votes. Even Gosar’s family wants nothing to do with him because Gosar touts Israel, if you’re up on why Christians adore Israel, it’s not truly a good thing.

Illa Kallish, Peoria

We are a diverse community. The views expressed in the signed opinion columns and letters to the editor published in the Jewish News are those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the officers and boards of the Jewish Community Foundation, Mid-Atlantic Media 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.

The James Webb Telescope looks at the universe through the eyes of God

BENJAMIN RESNICK | JTA

Back in December, human beings, a weird variety of uniquely frail, lithe and hairless monkeys, launched into space a new, $10 billion dollar telescope, 21 feet in diameter and, like many great temples, covered with golden mirrors.

The James Webb Space Telescope is 100 times more powerful than the Hubble telescope. It traveled a million miles from earth with a mission — the first fruits of which we saw last week with the photographs released by NASA — that is almost unfathomably grandiose: to peer out (that is, to look back) at the moment when the first stars turned on and cleared away limitless clouds of primordial gas, seen as light that has been traveling towards us for 13.6 billion years.

Readers of Bereshit — Genesis — learn about a time when all was tohu vavohu — when all was formless and dark — and there is a strong chance that Webb will show us the very moment when something happened and then there was light.

We will be able to see that moment of creation. The moment when the first stars began to burn, unfathomable

vessels of brightness that would create the carbon, the nitrogen and the oxygen that make up 86.9% of our bodies, which would later shatter to create our heavier atoms, which would combine with the hydrogen created during the Big Bang. All of this means, by some alchemy of thermodynamics that is, for me, still shrouded in darkness — or perhaps by

coming from some mysterious vibration of immortal and timeless energy, echoing through the universe from the beginning of time.

This energy has existed from the moment when the very first lights went on and will exist after the very last lights

wink out. When all returns to a formless nothingness, those little pieces of starlight that are me will still be there, perhaps joining in a cosmic dance with those that are you, forming something new, maybe something wonderful. These are and were and will be the very same

SEE RESNICK, PAGE 14

Vote “yes” to give Dreamers the same in-state tuition rates as everyone else

RABBI JOHN LINDER

s we know, learning is one of the cornerstone values of the being a Jew. Torah is as sweet as honey, on our lips as children and throughout our lives. That value bridges our religious and secular lives.

Education makes us stronger as individuals and as a community. It provides a foundation upon which we can not only envision the world as it should be, but gives us the tools to respond to the world as it is. Education equips us to be engaged in the public square, leading not just with our hearts, but with our minds.

As Jews, we are obligated to be engaged in the affairs of the communities in which we live. As residents of Arizona, I’m writing to urge you to vote “yes” on Prop. 308 this November. Prop. 308, reverses the cruel and unfair Prop. 300 of the mid-2000s. Prop. 308 would finally let Dreamers — hard-working

Aundocumented young people brought to Arizona from other countries as infants or children through no choice of their own — pay the same in-state tuition rates at Arizona public colleges and universities as their high school peers.

Right now, some 2,000 Dreamers have to pay up to three times as much as their peers. That’s not smart and it’s not right.

Let’s start with why it’s not smart. Making higher education accessible for Dreamers lifts up not only the individual but entire families, for generations and entire communities. By making Dreamers eligible for the same tuition costs as other in-state students, after these students graduate, they can contribute to the economy and pay taxes and grow our economy. It is estimated that the average graduate with a bachelor’s degree pays $381,000 more in taxes over his/her lifetime than a high school graduate.

Last year, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) eligible Arizona residents paid more than $87.3 million in state and local taxes. They

go to our schools, play with our kids, work in our businesses and attend our churches. Every graduation season, they are among our highest-ranking high school graduates. Yet, each year, we force them to pay $22,283 more than their peers to attend the University of Arizona.

Once Prop. 308 changes that, Arizona universities will be more competitive — and Arizona businesses will attract and retain more in-state talent. What’s more, the state legislature has found that Prop. 308 would have zero impact on the general fund. And other conservative states have passed similar laws. Utah, Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas are among 20 states that have passed in-state tuition for Dreamers and currently have an advantage over Arizona in the search for top-notch employees.

But passing 308 isn’t just the smart thing to do for Arizona — it’s also simply the right thing. The most frequently cited commandment in Torah is to remember the stranger, the immigrants in our midst. That’s our story! We were strangers

in the land of Egypt, as we have been throughout our history. As Jews, we know what it’s like to be persecuted, singled out, cast out and exiled. That’s why we’re sensitive to other people having that experience — and why we show up for them as allies.

It’s great that the federal executive order DACA, which just marked its 10th anniversary and now faces an uncertain future in the U.S. courts, has allowed Dreamers to study and work here legally. But what’s the point of paying for their K-12 education if we’re not willing to cover them a few years more so they can maximize their personal and vocational potential — not just for themselves and their families, but for the entire state? Don’t we want as many highly educated, specially trained workers as possible to meet the challenges of our booming economy?

Again, these are OUR kids — Arizona kids. It’s simply not fair that

SEE LINDER, PAGE 14

An image released by NASA on July 12, 2022, shows the edge of a nearby, young, star-forming region in the Carina Nebula, captured in infrared light by COURTESY OF NASA, ESA, CSA, STSCI/HANDOUT VIA XINHUA

Jewish unity and diversity

hile I was leading a congregational trip to Israel this past June, Israeli author A.B. Yehoshua passed. He was a dynamic person and novelist. And he liked to create dialogue and debate. For example, I recall him once saying, “Judaism outside Israel has no future. If you do not live in Israel ... your Jewish identity has no meaning at all.” Needlessly arrogant and provocative? Yes! Interesting premise to start a discussion and debate? Yes!

For Yehoshua, Israeli nationality represents the sole factor of the Jewish future, predicting that Diaspora expressions of Judaism will fade to oblivion. My experience as a pulpit rabbi in the Diaspora suggests otherwise. I have met countless numbers of Jews with a deep commitment to explore meaningful religious observance even as they express deep concern for the welfare of Israel. Furthermore, my recent trip to Israel also brought me in contact with many Israelis who expressed heartfelt thanks for our dedication to their community and heartfelt interest in learning more about our Diaspora streams of liberal Judaism.

Rabbi Eric Yoffie, former president

RESNICK

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

atoms that now make up my bones and blood, and which — through whatever unfathomable, godly magic — fire electricity through my brain, so that one day, also out of darkness, I look out on the world, see its lights and colors, discover the taste and fragrance of milk, come to smile and laugh and walk and speak and eventually (not me but others like me) grow up to build machines to look back in time.

We are the universe coming to know itself. We are the eyes of God peering out into endless darkness, lighting fires of imagination and ingenuity that allow us to reach into our bodies to make them well, and to travel to the great orbs in the sky, and to look deep into the past, with a golden vessel like the altar of incense overlaid in gold, burning through time and thick with the fragrance of memory, hiding its illuminations somewhere beneath the smoke. And we come to understand what and where and when we are. And we will see the moment that we’ve been reading out for all of Jewish history: “Vayomer elohim yehi or, vayehi

Wof the Union for Reform Judaism, responding to Yehoshua, wrote, “To be a Jew is to be a part of the Jewish people and the Jewish religious tradition. The interplay of religion and peoplehood is complex, but both pillars are essential to any individual, community or state that aspires to be and to stay Jewish. And the Jewish significance of the State of Israel … rests precisely in the fact that in Israel alone, where Judaism’s entire pulse is collective, societal and communal, can national consciousness and religious consciousness develop fully ... [Our task] is to advance the partnership of the Jewish people and to insist that all Jews who care must view the Jewish people as a single entity, however diverse.”

This need not be an either-or equation. The communities of Israel and Diaspora can exist harmoniously, perhaps even symbiotically. Each serves an important purpose and each faces unique challenges. I recall a college student who came into my office to interview me for a term paper she was writing. She asked me what the greatest challenge to liberal Jews is today. I told her: Diaspora Jews feel more acutely the threat of assimilation into a majority non-Jewish culture and the spiritual pitfalls of material prosperity; Israeli Jews must confront the effects of a Judaism stripped of religious expression, even as they confront extremist Orthodox policies that threaten to alienate them from

their Judaism.

This week’s Torah portion provides a Jewish standard for deciding when diversity is legitimate and when it degenerates into divisiveness. The tribes of Israel are preparing to cross the River Jordan and to enter the Land of Israel. Our national history is about to begin. At the river’s edge, the tribes of Reuben and Gad remind Moses that he had agreed to permit them to retain land east of the Jordan, where they would build towns and establish settlements for their families. Unlike the rest of Israel, their God-given inheritance was to be on the east side of the Jordan River.

This first assertion of Jewish diversity troubled Moses, but when he inquired of God, the Holy One confirmed that what Reuben and Gad proposed was permissible. The two tribes had particular needs that differed from those of the other tribes. Finding a way to meet their own needs was a healthy response to the richness of human variety.

Recognizing the distinct needs of Reuben and Gad and not considering those needs as a threat to the larger group, required Divine revelation. God was able to see that human variety need not lead to anarchy or hostility.

Even while recognizing the value of diversity, God and Moses realize that diversity is not the only value. There are limits to how far diversity can go while remaining a Jewish value. For example,

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Moses instructs the two tribes that they may build settlements for the women and children but the men must fight with the other ten tribes until all of Israel has received its inheritance.

Diversity is legitimate so long as each Jewish group keeps the well-being of the entire Jewish people in mind. We are all limbs on one body. As the rabbis saw it, “all Israel are comrades.”

When Moses affirmed the right of the Reubenites and Gadites to dwell in Diaspora, conditional on their support for their brothers and sisters in Israel, he affirmed the legitimacy of both communities, interdependent, each strengthening the other.

So as long as we understand that our Jewish self-interest requires us to care for, and to be involved in, the defense and love of all Jews, our particular understanding of how to be Jewish or what Judaism may mean can only enrich our larger Jewish community. JN

Rabbi Jeremy Schneider is the spiritual leader of Temple Kol Ami in Scottsdale and vice president of the Board of Rabbis of Greater Phoenix.

LINDER

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or” — God said, “Let there be light and there was light.”

We cannot — and perhaps will never — be able to see further, into those 250 million years after the Big Bang but before the stars, when all was a dark, hot soup, unformed and void, tohu vavohu.

Like you, perhaps, like everyone in the world who has ever looked seriously into the thermodynamics of man, I don’t know what to make of all this. I don’t know what to do with the knowledge that I was forged in starlight or that the space between my atoms is empty, a vacuum, like the void into which, according to the Kabbalists, the Unending poured first light. I don’t know what to make of the fact that every piece of me has existed and will exist for all time.

It seems as though the fires of my imagination are endless, that my capacities of love and hate, laughter and tears, are endless and abiding and real. And I believe that I am indeed looking out on the world through the eyes of God and, as the great Christian mystic Meister Eckart famously said, that “the eye with which I

see God is the same eye with which God sees me.”

I don’t know what to do with the knowledge that all the electrons in my body hum and create this divine illusion of being which is the same as the divine majesty of nonbeing.

But when I imagine myself one day returning to the stars — and when I looked at the new images of the universe released this week by NASA — I am indeed filled with a sense of wonder and humility and comfort and gratitude. Maybe someday we will build a telescope even more mighty. Maybe we’ll go back farther and marvel at the dark work of creation, the world before the letter “bet” in bereshit, the blank whiteness concealing and revealing all mysteries.

Until then, each year, we’ll roll back the scrolls, we’ll read the story again and, with our clumsy and marvelous fingers, we’ll try to touch creation. 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.

they’ve gone to school all their lives alongside other Arizona kids, under the illusion of fairness, only to find that they’re shut out of an affordable higher education merely because they came here undocumented as children. They had no say in the matter! And yet despite that shaky footing, they’ve proven to be among our state’s finest scholars — and hardest workers.

Making higher education as accessible for them as everyone else in our state just makes dollar sense. But it’s also just the right thing to do. Whether you are following the moral compass of a specific faith community or heeding the universal call to love your neighbor as yourself, this is an opportunity to walk the talk — to lead with fairness and compassion.

Voting “yes” on Prop. 308 is a mitzvah, yes. But it’s more than that — it’s a mitzvah in concert with the self-interest of our state. It’s just the smart thing to do! JN

Find area congregations at jewishaz.com, where you can also find our 2022 Community Directory.

ENDS

PARSHAH MATOT-MASSEI NUMBERS 30:2 - 36:13

RABBI JEREMY SCHNEIDER

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

Jewish candidates on the primary ballot

Please note that the views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the candidates. Jewish News does not support or endorse any political candidate.

MALA BLOMQUIST | MANAGING EDITOR

Arizona is holding its primary election on Tuesday, Aug. 2. During a primary election, voters select candidates either to narrow the field for an elective office or to determine the nominee for each political party in advance of the November general election.

Jewish News sent questions to Jewish candidates at all levels of government to introduce them to readers before they drop off their ballot or step into the voting booth. The answers of those who responded are listed below.

Morgan Abraham

Running for: Arizona State Senate to represent District 18.

Why are you the best candidate for this position?

I’ve spent my life working to make Southern Arizona a better place to live, work and raise a family. As a small business owner, I’ve built and created thousands of affordable housing units. As an intelligence officer in the United States Army, I’m fighting to protect and defend our country. As a State Representative, I‘ve introduced bills to get rid of tax loopholes, fund education, create a public pre-K system, retire coal and natural gas plants and increase the supply of affordable housing in our community. I have also helped negotiate budgets at the legislature that add billions into our schools, infrastructure and water future.

I’m running for the state senate to fully fund our public schools and fight in the legislature against the Republican extremist bills threatening our democracy and right to vote. I have the experience, energy and enthusiasm to get the job done. With your support, I’ll continue

state senate.

What are the top three things you want to accomplish during your tenure in office?

This year at the legislature, I helped negotiate a budget that added $1 billion to our schools. I also helped negotiate a water package worth $1 billion to secure Arizona’s water future. I also worked to block many bills threatening our right to vote in Arizona and our democracy.

Next year I hope to build off that momentum and continue to add dollars into the classroom in Arizona, secure Arizona’s water future and protect our right to vote here in Arizona.

How does being Jewish shape your political philosophy?

Being Jewish has shaped my values which shapes how I view the world. The core Jewish values are values that I live by and govern by. These values include the emphasis we have on “community” or the focus on how we are “keepers of the earth” or even how important “trustworthiness” is for us. These Jewish values shaped who I am today and how I govern.

Seth Blattman

Running for: Arizona House of Representatives to represent District 9. Why are you the best candidate for this position?

I am a small business owner and I grew up here. I took over running a family business nine years ago when it had fallen on tough times. I did that because I felt a responsibility to help. I now feel a responsibility to my state. I love Arizona and want to help it succeed on all fronts. In addition, I feel a responsibility to run

against my opponent, whose own people have said she’s too extreme. As a Jewish American, I cannot allow a person who has posted antisemitic conspiracy theories to hold public office.

What are the top three things you want to accomplish during your tenure in office?

Education: Arizona is currently 49th in the nation in education spending. Being bottom of the barrel in anything is bad, let alone how much we choose to invest in our children’s future. I want to fully fund public education. Good schools lead to an educated workforce allowing our economy to thrive for decades to come.

Economy: We are currently experiencing rising pricing and looking at a period of economic uncertainty. It is my goal to help small businesses and working-class families as we navigate our way through this time.

Reform: I want to look at structural reforms in government, including government ethics reform and campaign finance reform. The fact that we are 49th in the nation in education, the fact that the current majority governs counter to the will of the people; this tells me something is wrong with our system. Nobody is happy with the current political climate and the level of vitriol between the two parties. It is my goal to turn down the volume, to work across the aisle, and to reform government to make it less about the politicians and more about the people they are meant to represent.

How does being Jewish shape your political philosophy?

My moral compass is guided by my Jewish faith. Fundamentally, I believe we need

SEE JEWISH CANDIDATES, PAGE 16

ADAM IS RUNNING FOR CONGRESS TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER THROUGH OUR SHARED VALUES AND CREATE OPPORTUNITY FOR ARIZONA’S FAMILIES.

Adam has seen firsthand how the Valley withstood the pandemic and how inspiring it is when Arizonans pull together and work towards common solutions. Our current Congressman is out of step with our community, and is more concerned with lining his own pockets than creating economic opportunity for Arizonans.

Adam will put people first, create a culture that drives Arizona forward, and hold those who get in the way accountable.

METZENDORFFORCONGRESS.COM

PLEASE

Tom Horne is the only Jewish person ever elected to statewide executive office in the entire history of Arizona. If elected State Superintendent, he will bring academic excellence back to our schools.

good people in office. People who will make the right decisions and will stand up for what they believe in. I believe in bipartisanship and working together to achieve a common solution. I am less concerned with someone’s political party and more concerned with whether they are there for the right reasons and intend to work on behalf of all the people in their district.

Alma Hernandez

Running for: re-election to the Arizona House of Representatives to represent District 20.

Why are you the best candidate for this position?

I have been serving my community for almost four years now and have been able to deliver by working across party lines to ensure we could bring funding where needed. As the chair of the bipartisan caucus, I have shown that I am a true leader and have what it takes to get the job done.

I consider myself to have a pragmatic approach to serving my constituents and will continue to do so for as long as I’m elected.

What are the top three things you want to accomplish during your tenure in office?

As I have been serving already, I will let you know what I have accomplished and what I hope to do in the next session. I passed mandatory Holocaust Education, a Moment of Silence, Training for School Resource Officers, and Funding for the Area Agency on Aging for elderly services. I also worked on several criminal justice reform pieces of legislation that did not make it through the entire way, and I will be re-introducing them this year.

How does being Jewish shape your political philosophy?

I am very proud to be Jewish. I was raised to do the right thing. I feel that a pillar of

Judaism is tikkun olam and helping those who need us — that is what I try to do every day. Judaism has a strong history and political impact that is extensive and goes back to ancient times. There are so many social justice issues that Jews have been at the forefront of and truly fighting for equal rights and justice for all people. Being Jewish has impacted how I see the world and approach politics. I am constantly reminded that there is always something greater than ourselves and we must always strive to improve because we have a whole generation coming after us that depends on us.

Consuelo Hernandez

Running for: Arizona House of Representatives to represent District 21. Why are you the best candidate for this position?

Throughout my life, I have always believed that building relationships — across the political spectrum — has greater long-term potential for moving key legislative items forward. We need a legislative system that functions to serve people, not just political ambitions. Working together, we can move Arizona forward.

That’s why I am running for Arizona House. I am going to the Arizona House to get things done — and to avoid playing unnecessary or unproductive politics. What are the top three things you want to accomplish during your tenure in office?

1. Education: As someone who has spent the last several years working hard for the students, faculty and parents at Sunnyside Unified School District, I will go to the Arizona House to fight to restore complete funding to our public schools.

2. Protecting our Democracy: The lesson of the 2020 election cycle was clear: the Arizona Trump GOP is willing to

to stay in power. Indeed, while they know they can’t overturn the 2020 election, they are passing legislation aimed at destroying access to the ballot, particularly for communities of color.

3. Rebuilding our Economy: Rolling out of this pandemic, it will be critical for Arizona to rebuild our economy, create greater opportunity for our small business community and ensure we are putting Arizonans back to work. How does being Jewish shape your political philosophy?

Being Jewish has helped ground me to remind me what is important in life. Family, values and tikkun olam — trying to improve the world. Rabbi Aaron [Congregation Chaverim] is someone who has helped remind not just myself but our congregation and the Tucson community of what matters in life and why the world needs us to show up and help others.

Tom Horne

Running for: Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction

Why are you the best candidate for this position?

I was superintendent of schools from 2003 to 2015. My focus was academic performance of the students. When I left office, Arizona students performed above the national average on all three measures of the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT). After I left office, leadership lost focus on academics and learning, and test scores plummeted. I will get the focus back on academics and get our test scores back to where they are competitive on the national level. I also wrote a bill to stop to ethnic studies in Tucson, which explicitly included critical race theory in its curriculum. My bill passed the legislature my last year as superintendent when I was elected Arizona attorney

general. As attorney general, I enforced the law and ethnic studies and critical race theory ended in Tucson. When I took office, under bilingual education, 4% of non-English speaking students became proficient in English per year. I brought in English immersion, which raised the one-year rate to 29%. I will reinstate English immersion to assure success for non-English speaking students.

What are the top three things you want to accomplish during your tenure in office?

1. Bring back focus on academics and raise test scores.

2. Put a stop to critical race theory. Teachers are there to teach academics, not to abuse their position by pushing an ideology on their captive audience.

3. Continue to be a champion for parental choice.

How does being Jewish shape your political philosophy?

Under Jewish tradition, when we die, we are asked, “Did you have a fixed time for study every day.” I cherish the Jewish tradition of scholarship. I am shocked by the decline in academics in our schools and that is why I am running for this office, even though my friends tell me I am going backward after being attorney general.

Adam Metzendorf

Running for: U.S. House, Arizona’s First Congressional District

Why are you the best candidate for this position?

I was taught growing up through my faith and family that if something is wrong, you can’t sit on the sidelines. I live in Scottsdale and I worked for the Phoenix Suns as director of membership experience. I oversaw the season ticket membership constituencies for the Phoenix Suns, Mercury and Arizona Rattlers. I love

where I live and was working in my dream job, but I left because the person representing me isn’t right for our district.

In my role with the Suns, I was the person who had to create the strategy and execution around retaining everyone through the pandemic. That takes an ability to lead with empathy, proactivity and transparency. You also need to invite in discourse and hear perspectives from people who don’t see things the same way. When people genuinely feel heard, you can find out the primary concern and address that head on. Additionally, if people feel heard, they are typically open to hearing perspectives from the other side. Through that process, we retained an industry-best 96% of our members. While we are competitive and want to be the best team, we made sure to share our best practices with our direct competitors so we all could rise together.

To me, that’s what Congress is missing. What are the top three things you want to accomplish during your tenure in office?

I look at this through the lens of what I hear from constituents when I ask about the issues that are important to them and what we can achieve in two years.

1. Economy and job creation: I want to execute the bipartisan infrastructure bill and pass the bipartisan innovation act in a way that can stimulate our local economy.

2. Create a Southwestern state water caucus: I want to create a caucus to address our water crisis. So we can be solution-based federally and collaboratively about the water issues of our region as a whole. If we do this the right way where we can provide wins for Democrat and Republican districts, I believe this can be a catalyst to bring bipartisanship back to the issue of climate before it is too late.

3. Healthcare: Almost everyone I speak to, regardless of party, brings up the cost of life-sustaining prescription drugs. I will work to reduce the cost and bring access and transparency to healthcare for Arizonans.

How does being Jewish shape your political philosophy?

My Judaism guides me through my fourth platform pillar, which I consider doing the right thing. I will speak out against antisemitism, racism and rhetoric directed against our LGBTQ+ community and public educators. I will also stand for human rights. These include the right for a person to have a safe and legal abortion, to vote and to live in a world where they don’t have to fear being shot at school, synagogue or a Fourth of July parade. When it comes to passing legislation, there is too much at stake right now and doing nothing is unacceptable. We can’t sit by and even if it costs me re-election, as a Jew, I have an obligation to do something and never be silent.

Shiry Sapir

Running for: Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction

Why are you the best candidate for this position?

I am a mother who understands that the failure of the education system cannot be fixed by the people who brought us to this place. We need outsiders with business experience, with life experiences who will make the best decisions for our children. When I served in the Israeli military, I worked with bereaved families, assisting them with logistical, financial and emotional needs. I will do the same for the families of Arizona in my role as the superintendent.

What are the top three things you want to accomplish during your tenure in office?

1. Remove politics and concentrate on academics. Our children are failing on every level and by every measure. The time spent in school needs to be solely dedicated to instructional time and enhancing the children’s academic achievement. We need to repeal Common Core and bring rigorous standards into the classroom.

2. EVERY Child Read Initiative is a priority for my administration. Seventy percent of the children in Arizona in third grade cannot read at grade level. I will focus on bringing training in phonics to the teachers and programs that concentrate on getting our children proficient readers. For the first three years of the students’ life, they learn to read. Then they read to learn. We are failing miserably in getting them to read and therefore they become dysfunctional students for the remainder of their learning experience.

3. Enhance teacher training so our teachers are the best in the nation. The teacher is the most important component in the success of our students. We must make sure they are well trained, well treated and have an employment environment where they can thrive. The lack of discipline and chaos in our classrooms today make it impossible for the teachers to enjoy their time with the kids. We must reform how the system manages teachers and work on recruiting, retaining and compensating our teachers better.

How does being Jewish shape your political philosophy?

I believe in family and values that center around being virtuous. This country was founded on Judeo-Christian values and I love that about the United States. I believe teaching our children to love themselves, their families and their country is monumental to their success in school and life. Being from Israel, we are taught early on to cherish those values. I will work to do the same here in Arizona. JN

Adrian Fontes is an Arizona native and veteran of the United States Marine Corps, who has spent a lifetime fighting for justice and defending our Democracy.

Ways to tame your electric bill

ROSIE ROMERO, JR

It seems as if the temperatures get higher every summer and it’s harder to stay cool while keeping the utility bills in check. There are ways to keep cool without heating up your wallet.

Savings plan

Taking time to ensure you are on the right plan for your household is the best place to start. Generally, optimum savings come from time-of-use and demand-type programs. These plans from Salt River Project, Arizona Public Service and Tucson Electric Power divide energy into two categories, on-peak and off-peak.

On-peak hours are the times of day when most people use a lot of electricity. They are usually in the middle of a hot afternoon when air conditioners are running and dinnertime when people are cooking, showering, washing dishes and doing laundry. The electricity used during those times costs more than the energy used during off-peak hours, which generally occur in the evenings and on weekends.

These plans charge based on when you use energy. Money is saved by shifting your home’s electrical workload to off-peak hours. The hours considered to be on- and off-peak vary between utility companies. With some planning, comfort does not have to be sacrificed.

You can manage the demand yourself with an Energy Management System. With this unit, you choose your demand setting based on how well you can stagger activities. The system monitors the usage. The system works to keep the demand down by not allowing your home to use energy that surpasses the set demand. You program the maximum desired demand load depending on the savings you want to achieve. Keeping your home’s energy demand low by spreading out energy consumption offers the potential for significant savings.

Here’s what doesn’t work:

1. Changing the thermostat setting for short periods several times a day. If you are gone for less than six hours, leave your thermostat where it is. Many people believe that cranking the thermostat way up when they leave the house will reduce the cost of their energy bills. Not true.

2. Lowering the thermostat to 60 degrees when you get home to kick the system into high gear and cool the

home quicker. That won’t cool your home any faster and will use more energy than if you set the thermostat to a reasonable temperature.

Your best bet:

Set it and forget it. Set various schedules for work and sleep on weekdays and weekends and let the programmable thermostat “remember” when to change for the most efficient and comfortable result.

Supercooling

Long-time listeners of “Rosie on the House” have heard us talk a lot about the benefits of supercooling. If you are new to the area and have yet to hear about it, pay attention. This cooling strategy can save you a lot of money when done consistently and correctly.

Steve and Gina Koepp, owners of Advanced Home Systems, a Rosie on the House certified partner, explain the method.

The air conditioning system is run as cold as the family can tolerate during off-peak hours while energy is plentiful and cheap. Once the on-peak hours begin, the thermostat is turned up to keep the unit from coming on, thus allowing the home to rely on the cooling from the morning.

This practice can seem a bit counterintuitive, especially since you hear your air conditioner running consistently to accomplish the supercooling of your home. However, the fact is, you’re buying power at 85% below the going rate.

Think of it this way: if the gas station is going to sell gas for $3 a gallon between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. today and the next day between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. they are going to sell it for $25 per gallon, when are you going to buy gas?

How to supercool:

To supercool your home, follow these best practices:

1. Turn your AC down as low as you can stand it (68-74 degrees, ideally) during your off-peak hours. This will cool your whole house down to the studs. It will cool the walls, the clothing in your closets and the carpet under the couch. When your off-peak hours are over, that cooling will last through your on-peak hours.

2. Turn your AC up as high as possible and still be comfortable (78-85 degrees, ideally) during your

on-peak hours. This will allow your AC to shut off and save you money during the most expensive time of day. The coolness built up during the off-peak hours should last well into the evening before the AC needs to cool you down again.

More energy-saving and cooling tips:

There are additional actions you can take to help maintain cool air during on-peak hours and keep it locked in:

• Minimize the number of times the door is open to the outside.

• Because dinner falls during on-peak hours, avoid heating up the house with baking and cooking. Move cooking outside with the grill or experiment with recipes for the crockpot, microwave or stove.

• Set the water heater on a timer, only to produce hot water when needed.

• Run the washing machine, dryer, pool pump and dishwasher during off-peak as much as possible.

• Reserve home remodeling projects for weekends so you can use your power tools when off-peak rates are in effect.

• Run the vacuum cleaner, iron and kitchen appliances on weekends. Each one uses only a little bit of electricity, but when combined, the kilowatt-hours add up.

• Shade all windows and check your weather stripping at each door.

The living adjustments aren’t difficult. Just be flexible and plan your day around your energy consumption. Depending on the efficiency of your unit(s), quality of your home’s construction, etc., supercooling should reduce your summer cooling bills by about 20-25%, plus, you will be much more comfortable. You can’t beat that! JN

Toby Weinstein Broker Associate

Rosie Romero, Jr. is co-owner of Arizona’s home improvement radio program ‘Rosie on the House.’

Use a smart thermostat to set the desired demand load depending on the savings you want to achieve. COURTESY OF SHUTTERSTOCK

Is it still a good time to buy a home?

EVAN WHITE

What a difference a few months make! For the past two years, we have been in an extreme seller’s market. Homes were flying off the market at record prices with so many offers that realtors could hardly keep up. The real estate market has changed rather quickly, but it doesn’t mean it’s a bad time to buy a home.

During this housing boom, I’ve had many clients who were frustrated because they weren’t getting their home offers accepted. I’ve had clients put in 10 or more offers, just to get outbid every time. Until recently, there were so few listings that it became a record low — dating back more than 40 years.

What were the two most common things I was hearing from future homeowners? They wanted more houses to come on the market and less competition for those houses. Guess what? That time has come! Over the last few months, we have seen a steep increase in listings in the Greater Phoenix area. Also, from talking with realtors and clients, most homes are not getting anywhere close to as many offers as before. These two things have given buyers a much better chance to find (and close) on their next home. In addition, because of the increase in listings and less buyer demand, sellers are now willing to look at price reductions on their homes. They are open to giving “seller concessions” (money towards closing costs) and making repairs.

Why have we seen a drop in buyer demand? One of the main drivers is higher interest rates. Interest rates have steeply increased since the beginning of 2022. The reason behind rising interest rates is inflation. Inflation has grown at a rapid pace this year and caught many off guard. However, we expect some relief with interest rates towards the end of this year and next year. As the economy slows, interest rates do start to decline. There will be a good chance for many clients who purchased this year to refinance to a lower interest rate in the near future.

If we end up in a recession later this year or next, will that spell doom and gloom for the housing market? Surprisingly, the housing market stayed strong through recessions dating back to the 1960s. Recessions often bring lower interest rates and increased buyer demand. The only time we have seen housing prices decrease dramatically is from the Great Recession

in the late 2000s. Some of the main reasons for that were: too many houses built, homeowners in adjustable rate mortgages and lax lending standards. Today’s market is very different than it was during the Great Recession.

If you are a renter, you have been feeling the increase in rental prices. We don’t see these rental prices declining in the short term. Rent increases have ‘pushed’ clients to look towards homeownership.

Buying a home in this market has become easier for buyers. While homeownership is not right for everyone, there are many reasons to jump in this summer and find your dream home. JN

Evan White is a partner in Road to Home Mortgage, a local mortgage brokerage in Phoenix. In 2021, he was ranked in the top 1% of producing loan officers in Arizona and a top 20 purchase loan officer with the largest wholesale lender in America. He can be reached at Evan@rthmortgage.com or 602-888-7990.

Traditions & Memories

Hashanah: September 26 & 27

October 5

The High Holidays are made for tradition. This year we reflect on the past, gather in-person and begin the journey of moving forward into a sweet new year. Reach engaged, a luent and educated Jewish readers in the Valley with strong buying power to wish the community Happy New Year and also to promote your products and services.

Featured Event

THURSDAY, AUG. 4

A memoir that explores the stories of survival, tragedy and hope:

1-2 p.m. Join Valley Beit Midrash for a virtual presentation by Joel Poremba as he shares the memoir of his father, Nathan. Poremba shares the stories of survival, tragedy and hope against the backdrop of the resilience of a nine year old Polish Jew between 1939 and 1945. For more information, visit: valleybeitmidrash.org/event/a-memoir-that-explores-the-stories-of-survival-tragedy-and-hope/.

Events

SUNDAY, AUG. 14

TBS-EV Open House: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Join Temple Beth Sholom of the East Valley, 3400 N. Dobson Rd., Chandler for an open house to learn more about our classes, services, religious school, youth groups and more! For more information, visit tbsev.org.

BBYO Fall Kickoff: 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Join Mountain Region BBYO for their first event of the year at Mavrix, 9139 Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale for bowling, food, arcade games, laser tag and fun! Open to ALL Jewish teens in grades 8-12. For more information, visit bbyo.org.

Israeli Film Series: 1:15-2:15 p.m. Join the East Valley Jewish Community Center for a free online film screening of “Leaving Paradise.” The film will be available all day on Sunday, Aug. 14. For more information, visit evjcc.org/film/.

TUESDAY, AUG. 16

NowGen August Happy Hour: 5-7 p.m.

Join NowGen for a happy hour at TapHouse Kitch, 6137 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale to connect with other Jewish adults in their 20s through 40s in community, philanthropy and leadership. For more information, visit jewishphoenix.com/organization/nowgen/.

MONDAYS

Mahjong: 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Join the East Valley Jewish Community Center, 908 N. Alma School Rd., Chandler in-person for mahjong. This program is intended for players with prior experience and for those who have received the COVID-19 vaccination. Masks will be required. Cost: Free. For more information and to register, visit evjcc.org/mahjong. For further questions, call the EVJCC at 480-897-0588.

THURSDAYS

Storytime at Modern Milk: 9:30 a.m.

Join Modern Milk, 3802 N. Scottsdale Rd, #163, Scottsdale for an in-person storytime for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. We will integrate favorite 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.

SUNDAYS

BAGELS: 9-11 a.m. Join the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center, 12701 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale, for Bagels And Gabbing Every Last Sunday of the month in-person. Grab a bagel and a cup of coffee 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 apm.activecommunities.com/ valleyofthesunjcc/Activity_Search/1787.

Meetings, Lectures & Classes

MONDAYS Ethics of Our Fathers: 7 p.m. Learn with Rabbi Zalman Levertov online. Tune in at: bit.ly/2Y0wdgv. Cost: Free. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.

Quotable Quotes by our Sages: 7 p.m. Learn with Rabbi Shlomy Levertov online. Tune in at: JewishParadiseValley.com/ class. Cost: Free. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.

Partners in Torah: 7:30 p.m. Join a growing group of inspired learners with Project Inspire. Cost: Free. Tune in at: 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. Learn with Rabbi Yossi Friedman online. Tune in at: ChabadAZ.com/LiveClass. Cost: Free. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.

Torah & Tea: 7:30 p.m. Learn with Rabbi Yossie Shemtov online. Cost: Free. For more information, visit Facebook.com/ ChabadTucson.

TUESDAYS

Let’s Knit: 1:30-3:30 p.m. Share the pleasure of knitting, crocheting, etc. and help others with a project or pattern. Can’t knit? We can teach you! Every level welcome. We will be sitting outside at the Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus and social distancing. Our last meeting before August will be Tuesday, May 11. Cost: Free. For more information, email Nicole Garber at nicoleg@mpjcc.org.

Paint & Sip: 5:30-7:30 p.m. Aug. 16. Join the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center, 12701 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale for a step-by[1]step painting class with a glass of wine! Our instructor, Orit, will guide you as you use acrylic paints to create your own beautiful painting inspired by the beach. All levels welcome. For more information, visit vosjcc.org.

Keep Calm and Play Mahjong: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Play mahjong from home with myjongg.net. Cost: Free. To join a table, email Nicole at nicoleg@vosjcc.org.

Maintaining an Upbeat Attitude: 7 p.m. A class exclusively for people in their 20s and 30s, learn how Jewish Mysticism can help with your attitude with Rabbi Shlomy

Levertov online. Cost: Free. Tune in at: JewishParadiseValley.com/YJPclass. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.

WEDNESDAYS

History of the Jews: 11:00 a.m. Learn the Jewish journey from Genesis to Moshiach online with Rabbi Ephraim Zimmerman. Cost: Free. Tune in here: zoom.us/j/736434666. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.

Torah Study with Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley: 11 a.m.-noon. TBS of the West Valley’s weekly virtual 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. The goal is to achieve an understanding of what the text is and what it can teach us in the contemporary world. For more information, contact the TBS office at (623) 977-3240.

Happiness Hour: 11:30 a.m. An online class taught by Rabbi Pinchas Allouche that delves into texts and references culled from our traditions to address a relevant topic and draw uplifting life lessons from it. For more information or to join, visit cbtvirtualworld.com.

Torah Study with Chabad: Noon. Take a weekly journey to the soul of Torah online with Rabbi Yossi Levertov. Cost: Free. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.

Lunch & Learn: 12:15 p.m. Grab some food and learn online with Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin. Cost: Free. Tune in on Zoom by emailing info@ChabadTucson.com. For more information, visit ChabadTucson.com.

The Thirteen Petalled Rose: 1 p.m. An online Kabbalah class that studies “The Thirteen Petalled Rose” by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz, focusing on the many foundational and transformational concepts of Kaballah and Jewish Mysticism and applying them to everyday life. For more information or to join, visit cbtvirtualworld.com.

Knit a Mitzvah: 1-30 p.m. On the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month, check in with fellow knitters who are making items to donate as part of this Brandeis National Committee Phoenix chapter study group. For more information, contact Ronee Siegel at ronees@aol.com.

JACS: 7:30-8:30 p.m. Virtual 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.

Words & Whiskey: 8:30 p.m. Join a free weekly, virtual learning session for men. To RSVP, email rmollenaz@gmail.com or call/ text 310-709-3901.

THURSDAYS

Ladies Torah & Tea: 10:30 a.m. Learn about the women of the Torah with Mrs. Leah Levertov online. Cost: Free. Tune in at: ourjewishcenter.com/virtual. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.

Talmud - Maakos: 11 a.m. Learn with Rabbi Shlomy Levertov. Cost: Free. Tune in at: JewishParadiseValley.com/YJPclass. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.

Mindfulness Gatherings: Noon. Hosted by Hospice of the Valley via Zoom. Cost: Free. To join by phone dial 1-253-215-8782, 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.

The Science of Everything: 4 p.m. Explore the most fundamental work of Chassidut: the Tanya, with Rabbi Boruch. Cost: Free. Tune in at: zoom.us/j/736434666. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.

Teen Discussions: 7-8:30 p.m. Learn with Rabbi Tzvi Rimler online, Cost: Free. Tune in at cteen.clickmeeting.com/east-valley. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.

SATURDAYS

Middle Eastern Percussion - Beginner Level: 12:45-1:45 p.m. Join One World Dance and Music Studio, 3312 N. Third St., Phoenix to learn the fundamentals of Middle Eastern rhythms on tabla/doubek (drum), riq (tambourine) and zills (finger cymbals). Cost: $20 per class. For more information, visit oneworlddanceandmusic.com.

Book Discussion: 1:30-2:30 p.m. Join Or Adam Congregation for Humanistic Judaism on the third Saturday of every month for a virtual book discussion. For more information and to register, contact oradaminfo@gmail.com.

SUNDAYS

Soul Study: 7:15 a.m. An online class exploring the secrets of the Tanya and Jewish mysticism, taught by Rabbi Pinchas Allouche. Cost: Free.

Chassidus Class: 9 a.m. Learn about the Chasidic movement with Rabbi Yossi Friedman. Cost: Free. Tune in using this link: ChabadAZ.com/LiveClass. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.

COURTESY OF VALLEY BEIT MIDRASH

Jewish War Veterans Post 210: 10 a.m. Any active duty service member or veteran is welcome to join monthly meetings, now virtual, every third Sunday, Cost: Free. For more information, email Michael Chambers at c365michael@yahoo.com.

Anxiety in the Modern World: 6 p.m. Learn the secrets of the Torah for living stress-free in the current environment in a virtual class with Rabbi Boruch, with Chabad of Oro Valley. Cost: Free. Tune in using this link: zoom.us/j/736434666. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.

Shabbat

FRIDAYS

In-person services: Congregation Beth Israel is holding services in the Goldsmith Sanctuary limited to 100 people, excluding clergy and staff. Members and guests must be fully vaccinated (two weeks since your last vaccination) and wear a mask. Children may attend and must be able to wear a mask for the duration of the service. 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. To make your reservation, contact Gail Gilmartin at 480-951-0323 or at ggilmartin@cbiaz.org.

In-person services: Temple Chai is holding Friday evening (5:30 p.m. Nosh, 6:16 p.m. sevice) and Shabbat morning (varying dates and times). For more information, contact Sheana Abrams at (602) 971-1234 or sabrams@templechai.com.

In-person services: Congregation Or Tzion is holding Friday evening (6:00 p.m) and Shabbat morning (9:30 a.m.) services indoors. 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.

Tot Shabbat at Pardes: 10 a.m. on Aug. 12. Join the Bureau of Jewish Education of Greater Phoenix in partnership with PJ library at Pardes Jewish Day School, 12753 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale for Shabbat music, crafts and a meaningful preschool Shabbat experience. Please bring a new school supply for the school supply drive. For more information, visit bjephoenix.org/ events/2022/08/12/tot-shabbat-at-pardes.

Tot Shabbat in the Park: 9:30 a.m. Free tot-Shabbat every Friday morning at Cactus Park. Shabbat music, toys and a meaningful pre-school Shabbat experience. Is it your child’s birthday? Sponsor a Shabbat for $36.00. For more information and to register, visit playdatesbydesign.com/upcoming-classes.

Shabbat at Beth El: 11-11:45 a.m. Celebrate Shabbat with songs, blessings and inspirational teachings. Rabbi Stein Kokin from Beth El Congregation will lead us 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.

Welcome Shabbat: 11-11:45 a.m. Join the JFCS Virtual Center for Senior Enrichment each Friday for a soothing and inspiring program to welcome Shabbat. Each week a different guest host will lead the program with song and celebration. Cost: Free. For more information, visit jfcsaz.org/cse.

Erev Shabbat Service: 5:30 p.m. 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.

Kabbalat Shabbat: 5:30 p.m. Congregation Kehillah invites you to join services via Zoom, every other Friday, with Rabbi Bonnie Sharfman and cantorial soloists Scott Leader and Erica Erman. For the dates, visit congregationkehillah.org/events and to register and receive the link, please email info@congregationkehillah.org.

Pre-Shabbat Kiddush Club: 6 p.m. Say kiddush with Rabbi Mendy Levertov online. Cost: Free. Tune in here: ourjewishcenter. com/virtual. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.

In-person Third Friday Shabbat: 7-8 p.m. The Desert Foothills Jewish Community Association hosts a Shabbat service followed by a program. Contact Andrea at 480-664-8847 for more information.

Seniors

MONDAYS

Tai Chi with Brian Stevens: 10-10:30 a.m. Tai Chi and Qigong are health practices that incorporate a form of ancient Korean healing martial arts known as DahnMuDo, which produces an overall limitless state of being, through focused movement and focused breathing. Experience a renewed sense of being, boost your immune system and enjoy doing so in this virtual class. For more information and to register, visit jfcsaz.org/events/. Contact CSE Director Jennifer Brauner at seniorcenter@jfcsaz.org or 602-343-0192 with questions.

Dance Fusion with Michele Dionisio: 11 a.m.-noon. Presented by JFCS Center for Senior Enrichment. Cost: Free. For more information, visit jfcsaz.org/cse.

Sip & Schmooze: 11 a.m. Sip on kosher coffee or tea, enjoy a homemade pastry and Schmooze with great company every second Monday of the month at Luci’s Barn at the Orchard, located at 7100 N. 12th St., Phoenix. RSVP Appreciated: chani@sosaz.org or (602) 492-7670. For more information, visit www.sosaz.org.

Featured Presentation: 12:30 p.m. 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 full details visit sosaz.org/ virtual or email Rabbi Levi Levertov at levi@sosaz.org.

Brain Fitness: 1-2 p.m. Join Toby Lazarus in this virtual brain fitness class, which works to engage the brain in innovative ways in a variety of cognitive areas and can help increase mental acuity. Word play, puzzles, memory games and problemsolving activities are employed to enhance your brain power. Cost: Free. For more information and to register, visit jfcsaz.org/ events/. Contact CSE Director Jennifer Brauner at seniorcenter@jfcsaz.org or 602-343-0192 with questions.

TUESDAYS

Zumba Gold with Adriana Padilla: 9:30-10:15 a.m. This virtual class is perfect for active older adults who want a modified Zumba class with lower-intensity. Class focuses on all elements of fitness:

SEE CALENDAR, PAGE 22

Upcoming Special Sections

Senior Lifestyle

August 5

From home health aides to financial planners, independent living facilities to nursing homes, this is the perfect venue to showcase how your business can help older Jewish residents navigate retirement.

Robert “Bob” Arvil Rosenthal, resident of Scottsdale and the son of Lewis and Evelyn Rosenthal, died on June 7, 2022.

Born in Waterville, Maine on November 17, 1928, Bob graduated from Phillips Andover Academy (‘46), and Colby College (BA ’50). While at Colby, he wrote, directed and produced two musical comedies in partnership with Waterville native, Colby classmate and lifelong friend Kenneth Jacobson who wrote the music and lyrics.

Bob graduated from Harvard Business School in 1952 and joined the Air Force during the Korean War. Following service as an officer, he returned to Waterville and joined his father in the family business of both land development and woolen goods manufacturing. The family remained in the woolen mill operations until the early 1970s with mills in North Montpelier, Vt.; Pittsfield, Lewiston and Corinna, Maine; North Adams, Mass.; and Conastee, S.C. Following that period, he concentrated on real estate development. Together with his father, and then his son Andy, the family owned and managed 800,000 square feet of industrial buildings and built, owned and managed a total of over 1 million feet of shopping center space in Waterville, Brunswick, Lewiston and Millinocket, as well as other buildings in those cities and elsewhere in Maine. With the family, he also built, owned and managed the Atrium chain of motels in Brunswick, Waterville and Millinocket, Maine.

He is survived by his wife Rona of 66 years; son, Andrew (Wendy) Rosenthal of Carrabassett Valley and Rome, Maine; daughters Carolyn Kopans of Brookline, Mass. and Lauren (Allen) Kropp of Cumberland, Maine; and five grandchildren Leah Rosenthal, Benjamin Kropp, Elena (Lanie) Kropp, Hannah Kropp and William Kopans. His thoughtfulness, warmth and sense of humor will be sorely missed.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in his honor may be made to Chans Hospice or a charity of your choice. A graveside service was held at Sharon Memorial Park in Sharon, Mass.

Murray W. Hollenberg, M.D. loving husband, father and grandfather passed away suddenly on June 30, 2022 at age 87.

Beloved husband of Nancy for 61 years, devoted father of Dr. Gary (Susan) of Pittsford, NY, Karen (Dr. David) of St. Louis, MO and Kathy of Phoenix. Grandfather of Alex, Michelle and Ronnie Hollenberg and Gabrielle and Charlie Smoller. Brother of Dr. Joan (Dr. John) Goble, and the late Stanley Hollenberg and the late Rona (Bob) Levenstein.

Dr. Hollenberg, a prominent Phoenix ophthalmologist for 29 years, retired in 2001. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada in 1935 to Dr. Michael and Sara Hollenberg he was the youngest of four children. In 1960, Murray graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Science in Medicine and a M.D. He married Nancy Finkleman in Winnipeg in 1960. He interned at the Winnipeg General Hospital and did post-graduate training at the New York University Post Graduate Medical School, the Manhattan Eye and Ear Hospital and Buffalo General Hospital. In 1965 he began practice in Winnipeg. In 1971 he moved to Phoenix to begin solo ophthalmology practice. He was always available for his patients. As a 10-year staff volunteer at the Maricopa County Hospital eye clinic he supervised ophthalmology residents. Fridays from 1971-1979 he maintained a practice in Cottonwood at the Marcus Lawrence Memorial Hospital, the only ophthalmologist in the Verde Valley at that time.

Murray and Nancy are lifelong members and supporters of Congregation Beth Israel and supporters of the Jewish Federation of Phoenix since 1972. They previously supported the Jewish Federation of Manitoba. He contributed to many Jewish organizations and felt a moral obligation to support the State of Israel. He served on the AIPAC board.

Murray was a member of a prominent and widely known medical family in Winnipeg. His father, Dr. Michael Hollenberg, was the oldest of five brothers who all became physicians. Six of his cousins became physicians. Murray’s sister, Dr. Joan Goble, is a retired Pediatric Ophthalmologist in California.

Murray and Nancy’s son Gary is Professor of Clinical Radiology at the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, NY and daughters Karen and Kathy are both CPA’s.

Murray was widely read with a special interest in history and current events. He will be remembered for his generosity, integrity, dry sense of humor and love of family.

CALENDAR

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

cardiovascular, muscular conditioning, flexibility and balance. Come to this virtual class ready to sweat, and prepare to leave empowered and feeling strong. For more information and to register, visit jfcsaz. org/events/. Contact CSE Director Jennifer Brauner at seniorcenter@jfcsaz.org or 602-343-0192 with questions.

Movie Discussion Group: 11 a.m. 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.

Israeli Folk Dancing Series: 1:15-2:15 p.m. from Aug. 16-Sept. 20. Join the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center, 12701 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale for a variety of Israeli and other folk line dances. This workshop is open to all levels, no prior dance experience of any kind is necessary. For more information, visit vosjcc.org.

Brain Games with Friends: 2-3 p.m. Challenge your brains while having fun. Experts believe that active learning helps maintain brain health by preventing loss of cognitive skills such as memory, reasoning and judgment. For more information or to register, visit vosjcc.org/j-at-home-adults.

WEDNESDAYS

Fitness Fun with Zoe: 10-10:45 a.m. In this virtual class, do some light chair exercise with optional weights. Class follows a format of a warmup weight free movement, optional weights, then a cool down. Some standing options, however all moves can be done sitting. Presented by JFCS Center for Senior Enrichment. Cost: Free. For more information, visit jfcsaz.org/cse. Contact CSE Director Jennifer Brauner at seniorcenter@jfcsaz.org or 602-343-0192 with questions.

MILESTONES

OBITUARY

JAY BRADLEY ROSEN

Chair Yoga with Zoe: 11-11:45 a.m. Grab a chair and sit down for a 45-minute chair yoga class with Zoe! Yoga is beneficial to mind, body and spirit. Prior to class, please let Zoe know if you have any limitations in order for exercises to be modified. No prior yoga experience required. Presented by JFCS Center for Senior Enrichment. Cost: Free. For more information, visit jfcsaz.org/cse.

THURSDAYS

In the Kitchen with Benita: 12:30 p.m. Join Smile on Seniors on the fourth Thursday of every month for some delicious cooking or baking fun! Cost: Free. For full details visit sosaz.org/virtual or email Rabbi Levi Levertov at levi@sosaz.org.

FRIDAYS

Welcome Shabbat: 11-11:45 a.m. Celebrate Shabbat virtually with songs, blessings and inspirational teachings. For more information and to register, visit jfcsaz.org/ events/. Contact CSE Director Jennifer Brauner at seniorcenter@jfcsaz.org or 602-343-0192 with questions.

Adult Chair Ballet Class: Noon-12:45 p.m. Join Jennifer Cafarella and Elaine Seretis from Ballet Theatre of Phoenix as they teach a ballet class that will help improve strength, flexibility, movement and balance. No prior dance experience required. Presented by the JFCS Virtual Center for Senior Enrichment. For more information, visit jfcsaz.org/cse.

Musical Friday: 12:30 p.m. 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

Jay Bradley Rosen of Scottsdale died July 14, 2022. He was 74 and was born in St. Paul, Minn.

Jay is survived by his wife, Karen Ann Rosen; daughters Tamara Ann Erickson of Lake Forest Park, Wash. and Danielle Lynn Krotin of Phoenix; mother, Pearl Rosen of St. Paul, Minn.; and four grandchildren.

Memory wall provided by Sinai Mortuary of Arizona (sinaimortuary.net).

Donations in his name can be made to Swi Youth Foundation, 16099 N. 82nd St. #B2A, Scottsdale, AZ 85260 or Jewish Free Loan, 3443 N. Central Ave. #707, Phoenix, AZ 85012.

OBITUARY

ESTHER JAGERMAN

Esther Jagerman of Scottsdale died July 13, 2022. She was 98. She was born in Vienna, Austria and was a member of Congregation Or Tzion and a life member of Hadassah.

Esther is survived by her daughters Ruth Rotkowitz of Peoria and Helen Locke of Scottsdale; four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Services were held at Green Acres Cemetery on July 17, o ciated by Rabbi Andy Green and arranged by Sinai Mortuary of Arizona.

Donations in her name can be made to the Phoenix Holocaust Association (phxha.com) or Smile on Seniors (smileonseniorsaz.com). JN

Eight days after the loss of his wife of 74 years, Ardyce, Stanley Felix passed away at his home in Scottsdale on June 30, 2022. He was 98 years old. A loving couple from day one, they were seldom apart.

Family togetherness was of utmost importance to both of them and this played out in everyday life and later in frequent travels with extended families.

A man of fine intellect, Stan exercised this prowess in all his pursuits. He was born Dec. 29, 1923 and was admitted to MIT at 16, destined to become an engineer. This was interrupted by military service after which he changed course, returned to San Francisco and finished his degree at University of California, Berkeley. He became a CPA while also building a real estate company. Now known as JFRCO, the business has grown under the direction of multiple generations of family members. Developing a software program, CentreSoft, for shopping center management, became a highlight of his career. This important achievement melded his accounting skills with property management and is still used in the industry. An effective problem solver, he assumed a leadership role in organizations with which he associated. While living in Contra Costa County, Calif. he served as president of the JCC. There he established a performing arts fund in his wife, Ardyce’s, honor which provided opportunities for youth to participate in musical theater.

A Toastmaster himself, he often touted the importance of skillful public speaking. He established a fund at Kent Denver School to promote instruction in speech and debate.

Stan kept up with the events of the day and lived with vitality his entire 98 years. He loved to read, relished old movies and some new ones, and always had music playing throughout the day.

A man of honor and conviction who knew the power of hard work, he laid a strong ethical foundation for his family. He would say his biggest achievement was the family he created with Ardyce of three daughters, which led to seven grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren.

Stan is survived by daughters Judith Adler, Margot Zaterman (David Zaterman) and Stefanie Felix; grandchildren Aron Adler, Matt Adler, Max Green, Mitchell Green, Amy Zaterman, Danny Zaterman and Brent Zaterman; and great-grandchildren Kayla and Caden Adler, Shayna, Zach and Sam Adler, Rudy Green, Henry and Bennett Green, Sloane Seltzer and Lily James Hirsch Zaterman.

Honeylou Charlotte Reznik of Scottsdale, passed away peacefully on June 26, 2022. She was 92.

Honeylou was born in Chicago, Ill. on July 27, 1929. She moved to Arizona in 1943 and attended Phoenix Union High School. She married Morris Reznik on March 12, 1949 and was married for 61 years.

Together they owned and operated The Jewel Box in downtown Phoenix for over 60 years. Honey’s passion was buying and selling Indian jewelry. In her spare time, while raising four kids, she enjoyed crossword puzzles, bowling, tennis, writing poems, mah-jongg and watching Jeopardy and The View. Her sense of humor, and wit will long be remembered by all along with her beauty and grace. Having lunch and dinner with friends was her way of socializing and exploring new places to eat. Whenever she could, she loved to indulge in the kosher hot dogs at Costco.

There was nothing Honeylou loved more than to have her family and friends close to her. Honey’s life will forever be cherished in the lives of her children, Randi (Dean Corley), Steven (Sharon Marie), Adrian and Sharon Lee. Honey was a devoted grandmother to Jessica (Justin Dennis), Sarah (Taylor McFarland), Benjamin (Nicole), Jonathan and Nicholas (Karrisa). She was a proud great-grandmother to Thomas, Madelyn, Sloane, Charlotte, Kellen, Steven, Hannah and Mac. In addition, there are many devoted nieces, nephews and friends around the country.

A special shout-out of appreciation and gratitude to her amazing caregivers, Emily Wielimborek and Minna Selig. Honey was preceded in death by Morris, her parents Alexander and Esther Rubin, her sister, Elayne and brother, Dan.

A private memorial was held on July 9, 2022. In lieu of flowers, donations in her name can be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Make-a-Wish Foundation.

Anne Ziprin Lang died May 20, 2022. She was 61.

Anne was born on January 3, 1961, on the island of Manhattan to Natalie Boxer and Jordan Ziprin, who left New York with their two daughters for Phoenix in 1967. Anne attended Madison Simis and became a bat mitzvah at Temple Beth Israel. As a student at Central High School, she received recognition as a National Merit Scholar finalist and decided to attend UCLA.

Anne was accomplished and ambitious. After graduating with an economics degree in 1983, she remained in Los Angeles, working as a consultant in real estate and was rumored to have been offered a Hollywood contract. In 1991, she received a scholarship to attend law school and decided to elope with Daniel Lang on July 17. They moved to Sacramento in 1992, to start a natural food company, and that is where their daughter Zoe was born. An idyllic month was spent in Forte de Marmi, Italy, near Pisa, in 1994 to mark Daniel’s 50th birthday. And in 1996, the Lang’s made their home in Boulder, Colo. and welcomed their son Aidan.

Anne was a beauty and a breadwinner. In any group in which she participated, the other participants soon recognized her acumen. A gifted public speaker, Anne listened more than she talked. She never boasted about her mind’s grasp. Her uncanny common sense demonstrated her decency, kindness and morality. Her fine mind enabled her to analyze any issue and consider every nuance. Anne read voraciously and followed every lead, yet she recently marveled “interesting how you only know slivers of people.”

Anne was a true friend and a sister to so many. Again and again, she came to the rescue of family, friends and community without hesitation and with great optimism. For many years, she helped Sudanese refugees coming to Boulder to adjust to the very different life they were experiencing. She was an engaged citizen and an engaging companion — with or without a cocktail. Her empathy, compassion and fight came from her core belief that everyone had the right to a good, happy and healthy life.

Anne is survived by her beloved husband of 31 years, Daniel Lang; children Zoe Rose Lang Staarmann and Aidan Morris Lang; sister, Alisa Ziprin Shorr; brother-inlaw, Kenneth Shorr; and nephew, Reuven Shorr. She leaves all her family heartbroken by her death.

Anne was considerate and competitive. In her personal and professional life, she put other’s needs and wishes ahead of her own, though in any endeavor notwithstanding, she achieved positive results. She had a great sense of humor and tolerated Daniel’s puns with a smile and savored the antics and achievements of her children. In Anne, Zoe and Aidan had an extraordinary, devoted mother, compassionate friend and encouraging mentor. Anne looked forward to becoming a grandmother to her children’s children but her passing has deprived her children of this joy.

Diagnosed with CLL/SLL in 2016, Anne faced her illness with wit and grit and an unimaginable grace. She walked and hiked daily until the last weeks of her life, usually with Zoe, every morning, no matter the temperature; and she was overjoyed when they hiked 100 miles in just five days along the coast of Portugal in May 2019. That is where this photograph for this obituary was taken. She followed politics almost as closely as tennis, looked forward to figuring out what to make from every farm share box and treasured being alive. Anne remained informed, decisive and lucid through it all. She was aware of the alternative burial process that became legal in Colorado in May 2021 and chose to have her body composted. Contributions in Anne’s memory can be made to Aishel House-Chabad at the Medical Center in Houston (chabadtmc.org) a refuge for those seeking advanced and specialized medical care. A uniquely textured woman was Anne, a womensch among menschen. She especially loved celebrating Jewish holidays when she would do battle with a brisket, share a delicious meal with family and friends and make a toast to L’chaim! Her mantra was HINENI. May her memory be a blessing.

JUDEE LYNN GROSSMAN SHEEHAN

On June 2, 2022, Judee Lynn Grossman Sheehan passed away from a rare, aggressive, fast-growing cancer.

She leaves behind her son, Brandon Marvin Sheehan; brother, Barry Grossman; sister-in-law, Rena Grossman; sisters Lauren Beth Gorman and Saramae Teich; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, Godchildren and friends.

Luckily, Judee was from a close-knit family, who all kept in touch. Judee was blessed with all of these people in her life.

40-CLASS SERIES: Pearls of Jewish Wisdom on Living with Kindness

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz

May 2022 - Feb 2023 @ 10:00 am PT

Women’s Resilience and Survival in the Holocaust

Professor Bjorn Krondorfer

Wednesday, Aug 24 @ 1:00 pm PT

Nature and Revelation: what the Jewish calendar teaches us about their relationship

Dr. Elana Stein-Hain

Thursday, Sept 8 @ 1:00 pm PT

Shalom Aleichem: a model for working with development trauma

Rabbi Lisa Goldstein

Thursday, Oct 20 @ 1:00 pm PT

The Jewish Jail Lady and the Holy Thief: A lm screening and Q&A

Rabbi Mark Borovitz and Harriet Rossetto

Sunday, Nov 6 @ 4:00 pm MT

Speaking Religious Truth to Political Power

Rabbi Dr. Andrea Weiss

Wednesday, Dec 7 @ 1:00 pm MT

A memoir that explores the stories of survival, tragedy and hope

Joel Poremba

Thursday, Aug 4 @ 1:00 pm PT

The Problem of Evil

Samuel Lebens

Wednesday, Aug 31 @ 10:00 am PT

Prophecy: What Does it Mean Anyway?

Jonnie Schnytzer

Thursday, Aug 11 @ 10:00 am PT

Finding Spirituality in the Laws and Customs of the High Holidays

Rabbanit Sharona Halickman

Thursday, Sept 1 @ 9:00 am PT

Staying Human –Can Judaism speak to the issues raised by Arti cial Intelligence?

Harris Bor

Wednesday, Sept 14 @ 10:00 am PT

Get real! Can psychedelic experiences be healing? Can they teach us anything about ourishing in everyday life?

Rabbi Dr. Aaron Cherniak

Thursday, Oct 27 @ 10:00 am PT

The other oven in the Talmud – how a Halakhic discussion sparked a great soul

Rabbi Michael Marmur

Thursday, Nov 17 @ 10:00 am MT

Nothing But the Truth? Balancing an Embrace of Tradition with Personal Integrity

Rabbi Leon Morris

Wednesday, Dec 14 @ 10:00 am MT

God’s Prayer: The Central Image of Selihot

Rabbanit Leah Sarna

Thursday, Sept 15 @ 1:00 pm PT

SHERMAN MINKOFF LECTURE: What is the Jewish Future in America?

Rabbi David Wolpe

Thursday, Oct 27 @ 7:00 pm PT

Reading Vayikra with our Children: Strategies, Challenges and Opportunities

Dr. Tammy Jacobowitz

Thursday, Dec 1 @ 1:00 pm MT

Darkness Will Envelop Me: Meditations on Chanuka and Winter

Dr. Devorah Steinmetz

Thursday, Dec 15 @ 10:00 am MT

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz President & Dean

The Jews of China: Enduring Survival in the Middle Kingdom

Dr. James Baskind

Thursday, Aug 18 @ 1:00 pm PT

Repentance as the transformation of self through the call of the other

Dr. Tanya White

Wednesday, Sept 7 @ 12:00 pm PT

“Shomei Keoneh”

(Hearing Legally Counts as Speaking): Creating a Community Which is Inclusive of the Blind, the Deaf and the In rm

Rabbi Ysoscher Katz

Wednesday, Sept 21 @ 1:00 pm PT

Nadav and Avihu: A Pastoral Study in Bereavement

Rabbi Joseph Ozarowski

Thursday, Nov 3 @ 1:00 pm PT

HAMMERMAN FAMILY LECTURE: SHANDA: A talk about secrets and shame, guilt, and pride

Letty Cottin Pogrebin

Monday, Dec 5 @ 7:00 pm MT

Building a Better Life: The Search for Happiness and Meaning, lessons from ancient traditions and modern science.

Rabbi David Wolpe

Thursday, Jan 12, ‘23 @ 1:00 pm MT

Ruach Hamidbar