HEADLINES | 4
SPECIAL SECTION | 20
ON THE BALLOT
ESTATE PLANNING & PLANNED GIVING
Sam Stone is running for a Phoenix City Council seat in District 6. The election is March 14.
Should you write your own will or hire a professional?
1948
YEARS
2023
MARCH 10, 2023 | ADAR 17, 5783 | VOLUME 75, NUMBER 12
Ten Jewish organizations pledge ‘equality for all’ SHANNON LEVITT | STAFF WRITER
T
en Jewish organizations pledged to work toward workplace equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBTQ+) individuals and their allies. On Tuesday, Feb. 21, at the Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus (ILJCC) in Scottsdale, leaders of 10 of the campus’ tenants gathered to sign the ONE Community business pledge that states: “As business and community leaders, we understand that if we want to compete for top talent, we must have a diverse and inclusive workplace.” Angela Hughey, ONE Community’s president and co-founder, reminded those gathered that equality is still an issue for the LGBTQ+ community, given that only about a half-dozen municipalities in Arizona, representing about half of the state, have laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. She also spoke of the high level of threats and physical violence the LGBTQ+ community faces, citing an incident that happened only two days before. On Sunday, Feb. 19, Brick Road Coffee in Tempe was forced to evacuate after receiving a bomb threat for hosting a drag story hour event, highlighting for Hughey the urgent nature of her work. “We’re not where we need to be,” Hughey told Jewish News. However, she is optimistic that the state is moving towards equal protections for all, and the pledge is a part of that forward movement, serving as an entryway to a larger conversation about inclusion for those who sign, she said. “Last year, we saw a record number of anti-LGBTQ
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Magen Am Arizona trains Jews to defend their own SHANNON LEVITT | STAFF WRITER
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an Turner cares passionately about the safety of Greater Phoenix’s Jewish community, which is why he helps recruit and train community members to take care of their own. Magen Am Arizona is a wholly owned subsidiary of Magen Am USA, a nonprofit organization that trains armed Jewish security teams “to protect the lives of other Jews.” The subsidiary registered as a nonprofit corporation in Phoenix on March 8, 2022. Magen Am is Hebrew for “shield of the nation.” On Saturday, Feb. 18, at 8 p.m., 11 graduates of its first cohort of trained guards celebrated the completion of more than 125 hours of training at Congregation Beth Joseph with a melaveh malkah, a meal following Shabbat. Turner, Magen Am Arizona’s director of operations and training, has been interested in security for some time. He lived in Israel for about 10 years and was a lone soldier in the Israel Defense Forces. In the
Magen Am Arizona volunteers train in the desert.
early 2000s, he volunteered with Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, where he received training from a mini-law enforcement academy, in addition to becoming an emergency medical technician (EMT). Later, when his twin sons were in high school, he made it a family affair by joining them in a police explorer program, designed to
COURTESY OF MAGEN AM ARIZONA
educate youth on law enforcement and community involvement. Turner lives in Central Phoenix and is a commercial real estate broker by day. Magen Am is his side hustle, one that came about because of the mass shooting at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Congregation, he told Jewish News. SEE MAGEN AM, PAGE 3
Octogenarian artist At 85, Nancy Kravetz has a solo exhibit at The Gallery at Mountain Shadows Resort. See page 14. COURTESY OF JEWISH NEWS
SEE PLEDGE, PAGE 2
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In Mel Brooks’ ‘History of the World Part II’ Albania to build museum to citizens who Team Israel is playing in the 2023 World saved Jews during Holocaust Baseball Classic. Here’s what to watch for. Jewish jokes reign from BCE to the Beatles