Arizona Jewish Life June 2017 Vol. 5 / Issue 9

JUNE/JULY 2017

STAYCATIONS & SUMMER FUN INSIDE FOUR PEAKS AMETHYST MINE SOUTHERN ARIZONA WINERIES

JUDAISM IS MORE THAN SKIN DEEP JEWS AND PLASTIC SURGERY

KRISTY

MORCOM Wildlife World Zoo’s media pro discovers Judaism through genetics

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2017 1

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TRAVEL THE WORLD THROUGH MUSIC AT PHOENIX’S #1 ATTRACTION

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strategic thinking about wealth Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management has been helping ultra-high net worth individuals, their families and foundations plan for and grow their wealth for decades.

Based in New York City, the Family Wealth Group at Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management is a specialized team of interdisciplinary strategic advisors providing a full range of family office services to meet the complex needs of the UHNW marketplace. These services include financial & investment planning, estate & family succession planning, philanthropic advisory and administrative services.

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Managing Director Private Wealth Advisor 522 Fifth Avenue, 10th Floor New York, NY 10036 212-296-6704 robert.stolar@morganstanley.com Source: Barron’s “Top 100 Financial Advisors,” April 20, 2015. Barron’s “Top 100 Financial Advisors” bases its ratings on qualitative criteria: professionals with a minimum of seven years of financial services experience, acceptable compliance records, client retention reports, customer satisfaction, and more. Finwancial Advisors are quantitatively rated based on varying types of revenues and assets advised by the financial professional, with weightings associated for each. Because individual client portfolio performance varies and is typically unaudited, this rating focuses on customer satisfaction and quality of advice. The rating may not be representative of any one client’s experience because it reflects a sample of all of the experiences of the Financial Advisor’s clients. The rating is not indicative of the Financial Advisor’s future performance. Neither Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC nor its Financial Advisors or Private Wealth Advisors pays a fee to Barron’s in exchange for the rating. Barron’s is a registered trademark of Dow Jones & Company, L.P. All rights reserved. © 2015 Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management, a division of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, LLC. Member SIPC. CRC1179133 04/15 8225582 PWM001 04/15 4 JUNE/JULY 2017 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

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Arizona Jewish Life • June/July 2017 • Sivan-Av 5777 • Volume 5/Issue 9

FEATURES 14

STAYCATIONS & SUMMER FUN

COVER STORY

Kristy Morcom: Discovering Judaism through genetics 40

JEWS WITH ATTITUDE Vitani: A real, ready-to-drink martini 14

32

BUSINESS A financial family: Flader Wealth Consulting Group Judaism is more than skin deep Ins & Outs ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Judith Amiel-Bendheim: Art inspired through exploration David Hock: One of a kind in the Valley’s theater community

40

FOOD Chef’s Corner: Who says soup has to be eaten hot?

Taste of Arizona: Franco’s Italian Caffe HOME & LIFESTYLE Harvesting, storing and preserving herbs from the garden

16 18 20

46 48

50 52

54

SENIORS Roberta Elliott: Embrace the refugee 56 The Greenberg Gals are a “Committee of Two” 60

JKIDS & TEENS Family Time: Boosting a child’s immune system by eating what?

Kids & Teens summer calendar

62 64

ISR AEL

Solemn events mark Yom Hazikaron First-ever construction-tech hub opens in Israel Summer fun in Israel

66 68 70

COLUMNS Chef’s Corner by Lucia Schnitzer A Taste of Arizona by A. Noshman Family Time by Debra Rich Gettleman To Life! by Amy Hirshberg Lederman

50 52 62 71

JLIVING To Life! Finding meaning in life’s challenges 71 The Caravan is coming!

72 Desert Foothills Jewish Community’s Summer Film Festival 74 Federation notes 75 Faces & Places 76 Previews 80 Calendar 82

46

56

At home or on the road, a good book enhances summer 22 Purple mountain majesties 26 Summer Staycation Style 30 Three unique vintners of Southern Arizona’s wine country 32 Staycations & Sumer Fun Directory 38

COVER: Kristy Morcom with Snicklefritz, a kinkajou. Photo by Matthew Strauss

8 JUNE/JULY 2017 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

STOP DWELLING ON POOR HEALTH AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT

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ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2017 9

JUNE/JULY 2017 Arizona Jewish Life • Sivan-Av 5777

Volume 5/Issue 9

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H OW TO R E AC H U S

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Complimentar y copies of Arizona Jewish Life magazine are available at dozens of retail locations including A J’s Fine Foods, Chompie’s, Eli’s Deli, synagogues, Jewish communit y centers and organizations, enter tainment venues, restaurants and professional of f ices.

UPCOMING ISSUES August 2017: Annual Resource Guide & Education Supplement September 2017: Ar ts & Enter tainment /High Holidays

P U B L I C AT I O N A N D D E A D L I N E S Arizona Jewish Life magazine is distributed on the f irst of the month.

Stor y ideas for features and special sections are due 45- 60 days prior to publication.

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CO N T R I B U TO R S

FACES & PL ACES: Photos from past events are due about 20 days prior to publication.

Evan Blomquist Melissa Hirschl Abigail Klein Leichman Deborah Moon Melinda Myers Tori Rosenblum Masada Siegel Teddy Weinberger Sheila Wilensk y

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A Prince Hal Production ( TGMR18) 2016-2017 MediaPort LLC All rights reserved The content and opinions in Arizona Jewish Life do not necessarily reflect those of the publishers, staff or contractors. Articles and columns are for informational purposes only and not intended as a substitute for professional advice. Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, Arizona Jewish Life, and its agents, publishers, employees and contractors will not be held responsible for the misuse of any information contained herein. The publishers reserve the right to refuse any advertisement. Publication of advertisements does not constitute endorsement of products or services.

10 JUNE/JULY 2017 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

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SW_CGAIsraelS_AJL_3.5x9.875.indd 1

5/18/17 2:04 PM

As summer heats up, our Staycations/Summer Fun section provides tantalizing suggestions for cool getaways. Try rock-hounding at 7,000 feet above sea level, or head to one of Southern Arizona’s wineries for a chilled glass of Chardonnay or Viognier. Take the family for a long weekend in one of our beautiful resorts; our fashion column offers a packing list that will keep you cool in the season’s hottest styles.

While this issue offers a multitude of ways to enjoy your summer, our next issue will give you the information you need to experience our vibrant community all year long.

Robert Philip

Arizona Jewish Life’s 2017-2018 Resource Guide will be available in August. Our annual guide can help you navigate the many diverse agencies, businesses, congregations and more that create our vibrant community.

AUGUST 2016

WANDER NO MORE

N AV I G AT E Y O U R WAY T O T H E JEWISH COMMUNITY

Cindy Saltzman

COMING SOON 2017/2018

RESOURCE GUIDE

The annual guide will also include our education supplement.

From preschools to colleges, the supplement will include profiles of area educational resources to help you find the perfect fit for your family.

So enjoy your summer and get ready to explore our Resource Guide.

Let us help you create your own Jewish journey.

PLUS E D U C AT I O N SUPPLEMENT I N S I D E • PA G E 5 8

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Jewswith

Attitude

Vitani: A real, ready-to-drink martini

By Mala Blomquist

Eric and Jackie Gichner enjoy a good martini, but when they went looking for a pre-made, premium vodka-based version at the store, they soon realized such a beverage didn’t exist. “There was nothing on the shelves that was a ‘true’ cocktail like you would get from a bartender,” explains Jackie. “They were all either malts or wine-based, which if you want a real martini you want vodka. They were all weak. If I want a martini, I want a strong martini – like I would get at a bar.”

So Eric and Jackie decided to be the ones to introduce this type of martini to the market. There was one little problem – they had no experience in the liquor industry. Eric had studied – Jackie Gichner finance at Arizona State University and was working as a trader for the Chicago Board of Trade and Jackie was an event planner.

“The biggest surprise was just how difficult the whole process

was,” says Jackie. “I know nothing is easy. But it was every single thing – every single thing was a challenge.” From the threads on the cap and how much space there is at the top of the bottle to negotiating where your shelf space is going to be in a store, everything is more complex when it comes to selling spirits.

The liquor industry’s many laws and regulations, in combination with state liquor laws and individual store rules, presents a challenge to those attempting to produce and sell alcohol. Getting liquor on the shelves is a multi-step process. First, they send their bottles to a small distillery in St. Louis, where their recipes are developed and their martinis are bottled.

From there, the product gets shipped to a distributor who in turn sells it to retailers.

This three-tier system is something that was put in place after Prohibition and is the standard method of how spirits are marketed today. “You can’t just pitch it like a regular product – it has to go through so many different people,” says Jackie.

“Our whole purpose is to create what you would get from a bartender – when there is no bartender.”

14 JUNE/JULY 2017 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

After overcoming these obstacles and putting more than three years into research and development, the Gichners launched Vitani in 2015. Thankfully, coming up with the name was a much easier process – Eric and Jackie picked two letters from each one of their children’s names: David, Taylor and Dani.

They also worked on coming up with a cocktail brand. “Our whole purpose is to create what you would get from a bartender – when there is no bartender,” explains Jackie. This branding also included coming up with sleek and original packaging, which was recyclable but not made of glass so consumers could take it to the pool, beach, boat or concert venues. They chose aluminum which has the advantage of chilling five times faster than glass and staying cold longer. It also has a longer shelf life.

“You can open it and shut it and drink it again in two weeks, it’s

CONGREGATION BETH TEFILLAH Rabbi Pincus Allouche Congregation Beth Tefillah is a welcoming, vibrant synagogue where you are sure to feel at home. Our name is an expression of our primary objective: to serve as a “house of prayer” and a spiritual lighthouse to every Jewish man, woman, and child regardless of background, affiliation or level of observance.

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www.bethtefillahaz.org 10636 N. 71 st Way, Scottsdale AZ 85254 (480) 600-5065 info@bethtefillahaz.org membership@bethtefillahaz.org Jackie and Eric Gichner, creators of Vitani martinis.

not like wine that goes bad,” says Jackie.

Vitani martinis are available in five flavors: Dirty, Cosmo, Citrus-Ginger, Elderpear and Cucumber. “The Cosmo is hands down the best seller, then the Dirty – if people drink dirty martinis, then they love it because it is pretty spot on,” explains Jackie. The Elderpear (flavored with pear, honey and elderflower) is popular due to its sweetness, while the CitrusGinger attracts those looking for something more tart and refreshing. The Cucumber Martini won a silver medal at the San Francisco International Spirits Competition in 2015. The martinis come in a 250-milliliter single-serving size and also 750 milliliters for those who want to share their beverage.

They often do demonstrations at the stores that carry Vitani, so that people can try it and realize that it is a “real” drink. Eric and Jackie are currently researching other flavors and toying with the thought of introducing other beverages to the Vitani line. “The biggest obstacle is getting it out there,” says Jackie, but she knows one thing is easy, “We have something that appeals to everyone’s taste.”

Vitani can be found at AJ’s Fine Foods stores; on the menu at resort locations including The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, Boulders Resort & Spa, Hotel Valley Ho and The Phoenician Resort; and while hitting the links at Desert Mountain Club, Country Club at DC Ranch, Quintero Golf Club, and Trilogy Golf Club at Vistancia. For more information, visit drinkvitani.com.

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Business

A financial family: Flader Wealth Consulting Group

Allan Flader

By Melissa Hirschl

Allan Flader knows a thing or two about money – and family.

As managing director of Flader Wealth Consulting Group (FWCG) with the Royal Bank of Canada in Phoenix, Allan’s job truly is a “family affair.” His “dream team,” consists of his brother Michael, a specialist in retirement planning, brother Brian, a Chartered Financial Consultant and his mom, Norma, the bookkeeper. Chris Young, a Certified Financial Planner, is also on board. All are there to walk you through the daunting maze of the financial world. FWCG, which receives top rankings in the Phoenix Business Journal, Barron’s and the Financial Times, provides estate planning, portfolio management, tax minimization strategies and advice, life insurance and investment/stock advice. “We will talk to people having issues with Social Security, mortgage companies and even car dealerships,” explains Allan. “We also refer attorneys or CPA’s if need be. Any question people have we’re the ‘go-to’ people. If we don’t have the answer, we get it.”

Allan relates that the group is not – Allan Flader

interested in growth at any cost. “We are interested in longterm relationships that really help people, he explains. “It’s a pretty big responsibility. People work their whole lives and accumulate a big chunk of money they trust us with. We make decisions that change people’s lives.”

“It’s been a very smooth and symbiotic relationship,” says Michael. “Sometimes families say they can’t work with each other, but we don’t have that construct. It’s a more natural flow; an extension of the family relationship we have. There’s no water and oil here; we have no barriers and work everything out.”

The path to creating FWCG was steep and rocky, but the summit was always in Allan’s viewfinder. Graduating with honors from the University of Arizona was no guarantee of employment, as he soon found out. “I sent my resumes to E.F. Hutton, Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers and every financial organization I could think of,” he says. After a slew of rejections, he got hired as a financial adviser for Merrill Lynch. When asked who his clients were, he laughs and says, “whoever would take me! I worked extremely hard and did do some things that were unusual. For starters, I outworked everyone. Some days I made

“We are interested in longterm relationships that really help people. It’s a pretty big responsibility. People work their whole lives and accumulate a big chunk of money they trust us with. We make decisions that change people’s lives.”

16 JUNE/JULY 2017 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

300 phone calls a day, and worked to 8 pm every night.” Always looking for a cutting edge, Allan also took the initiative to receive the Certified Investment Management Analyst designation in conjunction with the Wharton School of Business while working for Merrill Lynch.

While finance clearly rocks his world, Allan is equally passionate about the Jewish community. He is a major sponsor of the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center and Jewish National Fund. He is also on the board of the Jewish Community Foundation and is a recipient of the JCC’s Irv Shuman award.

“I have a hard time saying no,” says Allan, “so I support many organizations. This was the first year the temples in the East Valley combined their resources for a centralized Purim Carnival, and I was the major sponsor.”

While Allan lives by the creed, “work hard, play hard,” he makes time for renewal and balance. He treasures his time with his wife and kids and also revels in kicking back with friends, working out and seeking out new adventures. “I love going to new places, seeing how people live and learning about their cultures,” he says.

Allan admits he sometimes plays the part of psychologist with his clients.

“People are emotional about money, which can knock them off course,” he says. “Market declines can cause people to panic, and that’s the worst thing they can do. I try to get people from point A to point B, but still stay on the train.

Basically, I have to talk them into rational decisions, versus emotional ones.”

Another challenge according to Allan, is that in today’s technological worth, investors confuse information with knowledge. “A lot of information you read is downright wrong and can be detrimental. Even if information is accurate; it doesn’t mean it should be acted on. We are client focused and very concerned about our clients and doing the right thing.”

Flader Wealth Consulting Group is located at 2398 E. Camelback Road #700 in Phoenix. Contact them at 602-3815388 or visit fladergroup.com.

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ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2017 17

Business

By Deborah Moon

Judaism is more than skin deep

“When we try to look our best, we beautify the vessel, so our beautiful soul shines through,” says image consultant Diane Faith.

She notes that synagogues keep their Torah scrolls in beautiful arks and often dress the scroll in a bejeweled and ornate mantle that reflects love and respect for the Torah. “When you carry the Torah in something beautiful, the inside shines through more.”

As members of the Modern Orthodox congregation Beth Tefillah, Diane and her husband, Scottsdale plastic surgeon Dr. Sean Lille, both say they turn away clients and patients who are seeking beauty for the wrong reasons.

“Religion was able to give me an added dimension of relating to patients,” says Dr. Lille. “Instead of seeing a body that had a problem, I saw souls. … I am able to give [patients] candid answers and take into account the husband or family. If I see a fractured soul, I can’t do surgery. I turn away 20 to 25% of patients because of that concept.”

Diane says that people have a misconception that makeovers, jewelry, nice clothes and plastic surgery are superficial.

“There is a difference between nice things and flashy, superficial,” she says. “I am just trying to help people become the best version of what they want to project.”

As a certified image consultant by the Association of International Image Consultants International (AICI), Diane says she helps people understand that how they look affects the people they attract. “Women who are frustrated they keep meeting the wrong type of man need to understand that the image you project affects who you attract. If you want a person who respects modesty, you can’t project an image 180 degrees from that.”

“As a makeover consultant, I work with people who may want or have had plastic surgery but don’t feel complete,” she says. “They need to know how to do makeup and clothes and put it all together.”

Diane says many people are familiar with the Jewish injunction against tattoos and think that plastic surgery must also be forbidden. To reconcile her Jewish observance with her belief in a projecting a positive image, she consulted Beth Tefillah Rabbi Pinchas Allouche. Diane says she learned that plastic surgery is not always OK, but in certain circumstances, it is permitted.

The three circumstances when the Torah permits plastic surgery are 1) to remove any abnormality; 2) Psychological 18 JUNE/JULY 2017 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

Diane Faith

need (including stress over appearance); 3) To facilitate a happy marriage or to heal the love in a marriage.

"You are not allowed to harm yourself,” says Rabbi Allouche.

“Under these three circumstances, it is a healing surgery."

Speaking about the three times plastic surgery is permissible, he says: • "To remove a blemish is repairing the body.”

• "Many texts speak about embarrassment. ... If a person is too embarrassed to walk among people, then plastic surgery is healing."

•"In the Bible, marriage is often parallel to love. It is rooted in Leviticus 19:18 'Love your fellow as yourself.' To love your

department of plastic surgery.

When the couple started to have children, Diane wanted to be sure they had a Jewishly appropriate home. Dr. Lille says she began to take classes and “started to gain an interest in a closer connection with God.” “As things grew with her, she felt it was important I come along on her journey,” he says, noting he did so with some reticence. Converting to a kosher home was especially problematic as he says he had long enjoyed cooking some treyf foods. “She said it was important I commit to trying it for at least six months.”

He kept kosher and participated in Shabbat and other rituals.

“Slowly, slowly I began to realize the significant impact it had made in me,” he says. “I had attained professional and material goals to a level of comfort, and I was at a stage of life when I thought ‘now what?’ I was missing deep meaning and purpose.”

He calls Judaism very powerful and notes that once he understood that power, he could not turn back.

“I was embedded in circles of the mundane,” he says. “Torah Judaism allowed me to connect those circles and elevate them to a higher purpose and that is what makes life meaningful.”

Dr. Sean Lille

spouse, you need to be attracted [to one another]. If plastic surgery can heal the attraction and is constructive for love, then plastic surgery is permitted."

However, while he says those are “general permissions for plastic surgery," he urges people to talk to their own spiritual leader or counselor.

"Consult your own therapist or advisor as to whether the embarrassment is great enough or if love is at such great risk that plastic surgery is necessary."

In general, he says that "if enhancement is for a special purpose, such as to enhance love, then it is permitted. If it is only for a selfish purpose, then it is not permitted."

The Lille family was not always so deeply religious.

An Arizona native, Dr. Lille says he spent most of the first 10 years of his life in various parts of Asia where his father was first stationed as a Marine and then later worked for various companies. In much of Asia, the only international schools were Catholic schools, which he attended even though his family was Jewish.

“Judaism was mainly a cultural attachment for me,” says Dr. Lille. “I had the typical attachment to Israel of pride in their achievements, but I was religiously ignorant. Judaism was a feel-good type of experience for me; it did not involve action.”

The two met in Seattle when he was completing his residency in general surgery at the University of Washington and Diane was an executive with the pharmaceutical company BristolMyers Squibb. The couple moved to Illinois for Dr. Lille’s residency in plastic surgery, at Southern Illinois University Medical Center. In 1999, they moved to Arizona for Dr. Lille’s fellowship in aesthetic plastic surgery at the Mayo Clinic Scottsdale, where he then served as an associate in the

The Lille family

Diane and Dr. Lille are both active with AIPAC and many other Jewish organizations, and she is on the board of directors for Congregation Beth Tefillah.

Married for 23 years, the couple has four children, all of whom are involved in Judaism.

Jacob, 20, spent the summer after high school at Yeshiva in Jerusalem. He is now a political science major at Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University. This summer he will be an AIPAC intern in Washington, DC. Last year he helped fund-raise to build a sports court for Tempe Chabad, where he is on the board, to help kids be shomer Shabbat by providing a fun place to play sports and hang out together after services.

Eva, 16, who just returned from a semester at Tichon Ramah Yerushalayim; Raquel, 11; and Ezekiel, 9, are in Israel for a family trip, about the fourth time they have gone as a family.

Dr. Lille took Jacob for Shavuot and they both said they enjoyed it so much that Diane is eager to have that experience again this year.

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2017 19

INS & OUTS

Adam Goodman

Frazer Ryan Goldberg & Arnold LLP

Goodmans wins BOOST! Award from Arizona Community Foundation The Arizona Community Foundation’s Pakis Center for Business Philanthropy has chosen Goodmans Interior Structures as one of its first-ever winners in the BOOST! Prize competition.

An office furniture dealer with offices in Phoenix, Tucson, and Albuquerque, Goodmans will receive $40,000 to boost their efforts as good corporate citizens. Fann Contracting Inc., a Prescott-based highway and civil construction company, also received a BOOST! Prize, as well as $40,000.

Goodmans is one of the first certified B Corporations in Arizona, a legal designation that recognizes commitment to the community, the environment and employees. Under the leadership of third-generation President & CEO, Adam Goodman, the company has become a nationwide leader in products that support cultural alignment, workplace strategy and sustainable construction practices.

Goodmans will use the BOOST! Prize dollars to enhance three of its many programs that give back to the community: GoodTHREADS Boutique, which is a clothing bank in southern Arizona that collects and distributes clothing to foster, adoptive and kinship families; the AIM to Make a Difference program for furniture repurposing that matches local nonprofits with surplus used office furniture; and Good Inc., an incubator that gives mission-aligned startups access to Goodmans work environment, including mentorship with executives in human resources, marketing, technology, finance, operations and sales. goodmans.com

Iris Karas

Melissa Hall

main offices in Phoenix located at 3101 N. Central Ave. “Our new Scottsdale office provides more convenience for our north Scottsdale clients,” says managing partner James W. Ryan. “And gives them the option of meeting with their attorney at our Phoenix or Scottsdale location.”

Founded in 1989, Frazer Ryan is a 2017 “Best Law Firms” honoree in trusts and estate law, tax law, tax controversy, ERISA law, elder law and estate controversy. The firm’s 24 attorneys include nine certified legal specialists, six Best Lawyers in America honorees, and 10 Super Lawyers honorees. frgalaw.com

Iris Karas opens personal and educational consulting practice Iris Karas has opened a consulting practice in Tucson specializing in personal counseling, educational support and college guidance. Iris has 30-plus years of experience as a therapist, guidance counselor and teacher. She works with individuals, students of all ages, and parents to meet personal and academic challenges with creativity and insight. Iris believes each individual has a unique combination of talents and strengths. Her work is to discover and nurture those positive attributes through individualized private sessions.

She earned a master’s degree in education in community mental health from Northeastern University, a bachelor’s degree of science in psychology from Northeastern University and a certificate of advanced graduate studies in guidance counseling from American International College. iriskarasconsulting.com

Frazer Ryan Goldberg & Arnold opens new location

Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona hires Melissa Hall

Frazer Ryan Goldberg & Arnold LLP has opened an office at 9933 E. Bell Road in north Scottsdale. This new location, which opened May 1, marks Frazer Ryan’s first expansion beyond its

The Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona has hired Melissa Hall as office and facilities manager. She will transition from her

20 JUNE/JULY 2017 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

BBYO

current position as executive assistant at the Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona, where she has worked for the past 16 years. She will support both JFSA and JCF when they move into their new location. She started at JCF as marketing and events coordinator, added technology coordinator to that position, then became a legacy coordinator before moving to her current role. Melissa serves on the board of Congregation Or Chadash. She is a former Tucson Hebrew Academy board member and a former member of the JFSA Young Women’s Cabinet. jfsa.org

BBYO sends record amount of teens to conclave Tucson’s BBYO groups, Abba Godol AZA and Kadima BBG, sent a record 20 teens to the Mountain Region conclave held in Prescott on April 6-9. Since their establishment in 1924 and 1944, the Aleph Zadik Aleph (AZA) and B’nai B’rith Girls (BBG) have served as BBYO’s core teen leaders. BBYO is an international movement aspiring to involve Jewish teens in Jewish experiences. Six members ran for the regional board, with Josh Cohen elected regional aleph godol (president), Jaden Boling elected regional gizbor (treasurer) and Avin Kreisler elected regional shaliach (Judaics vice president). Tucson senior Alex Senti, as regional moreh (membership vice president), led a membership drive that increased regional membership by more than 12 percent. tucsonjcc.org

Todd Herzog’s song selected for music project Local musician, Todd Herzog, had one of his songs selected for inclusion in the Dunst Social Justice Music Project – a project to benefit the Religious Action Center of the Union for Reform Judaism. Todd’s song, “Here and Today,” will be included in a

Todd Herzog

Steven Meckler

musical collection designed to provide new social justice music for public singing in congregations, summer camps, youth groups and community gatherings of all kinds. Eight songs were selected from 43 submissions nationwide. All selected artists will be flown to Nashville, TN for recording. The expected release date is December 2017.

Todd has been an artist-in-residence at the JCC Maccabi ArtsFest and with several of the day schools in the Phoenix area.

He continues to impact the Jewish community and beyond with his uplifting music. In addition to his duties as Cantorial Soloist at Temple Solel, Todd travels around the country doing concerts, services and artist-in-residence weekends. toddherzog.com

Steven Meckler wins ADDY gold Steven Meckler of Steven Meckler Photographer won a District Gold ADDY Award for color photography for “School Lunch Trays” published in Edible Baja Magazine, in the American Advertising Federation’s District 12 competition. The mission of the ADDY competition is to recognize and reward creative excellence in the art of advertising. The District competition included a total of 317 entries from advertising federation clubs throughout Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and El Paso.

Gold and Silver ADDY Award winning entries from the District 12 competition are eligible to compete in the AAF National American Advertising Awards competition, which was judged in May. The final tier of awards will be announced during the national awards gala event on Saturday, June 10 at The Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana as part of the 2017 AAF National Conference. mecklerphotography.com

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2017 21

S TAYC AT I O N S & S U M M E R F U N INS IDE: 22 S UMMER R EA DIN G 26 FOUR P EA KS A MET H YST MIN E 30 SUMMER S TAYCAT IONS S TYLE 3 2 SOUT H ERN A R IZONA' S WIN E COUNT RY 3 8 STAYCAT IO N S & SUMMER FUN D IRECTORY

At home or on the road, a good book enhances summer Compiled by Deborah Moon

FOR ME, A GOOD BOOK IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF a great vacation, whether that vacation is to an exotic locale or just a short break from my normal routine. If I have a book that carries me off to new experiences, reminds me of the best and worst humans are capable of, or makes me think deeply about important issues, my time away is enriched.

Every year new books arrive on my desk from publishers, publicists and authors.

Following are brief snapshots of some of those books so you can join me in this journey to escape the daily routine or gain the knowledge to navigate reality better.

Almost Autumn, by Marianne Kaurin, Arthur A. Levine Books, ages 12 and up, hardcover, $17.99.

This novel brings the secrecy and uncertainty in World War II Norway to life for young readers with a tale of first love.

Ilse Stern, 15, is disappointed when her longtime crush Hermann fails to turn up for their first date. But Hermann is busy secretly working with the resistance to help Jews flee the country to escape the Nazis, and he finds he must lie to his parents and to Ilse, the girl he loves. Under German occupation, Jewish families such as the Sterns worry every day if they should stay or flee.

YOUTH

FICTION

The Rabbi Thanks the Crows, written and illustrated by Renate Dollinger, French Press Travel Books, paperback, $15.99.

Behind God’s Back, by Harri Nykanen, translated by Kristian London, Bitter Lemon Press, paperback, $14.95.

Renate Dollinger has been painting shtetl scenes for decades. Her new children’s book uses her art to tell the story of 7-year-old Sheindel, who lives in a shtetl and can talk to the animals. One day while picking mushrooms in the forest, Sheindel falls asleep and doesn’t return home. With the help of a friendly crow and the village rabbi, Sheindel finds her way home.

22 JUNE/JULY 2017 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

This Nordic crime novel featuring Jewish policeman Ariel Kafka came out in 2015. But as a mystery lover, I had to share this quirky tale set in Helsinki’s Jewish community with Israel connections featured prominently.

Kafka knows the murder victim, having dated the Jewish businessman’s daughter 20 years earlier. A second murder victim draws the interest of both the Finnish Security Police and Mossad, pulling Kafka into a world of international intrigue and high-level corruption.

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Tell Me How this Ends Well, by David Samuel Levinson, Hogarth/Crown Publishing/Penguin Random House, hardcover, $27.

This darkly comic novel is set in 2022; anti-Semitism in the United States is soaring after Israeli refugees flood the country.

America’s isolationist president refuses to come to the Jewish state’s aid, which allows it to be overrun by its Arab neighbors.

Levinson uses the dysfunctional Jacobson family’s Passover gathering to explore the mechanics of generating hate, how easily xenophobia and fear can spread in a frustrated nation, and how seemingly harmless events can lead to unthinkable terror.

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The Fortunate Ones, by Ellen Umansky, William Morrow/Harper Collins, hardcover, $26.99.

Two women suffer the loss of the same painting decades apart on two continents. Unable to escape the Nazi wave darkening Europe, Rose’s parents send her from Austria to England on the Kindertransport. With her family dead, Rose tries to start a new life while searching for the painting her mother had cherished.

In modern Los Angeles, Lizzie carries the guilt of that same painting being stolen years earlier from her father’s home when she threw a party. The painting draws the two women together and ignites an unexpected friendship.

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NONFICTION We the Resilient: Wisdom for America from Women Born Before Suffrage, edited by Sarah Benor and Tom Fields-Meyer, Luminare Press, paperback, $24.95.

The book stems from the website IWaited96Years. com, which made international headlines in the weeks before the election. The site featured stories of women born before women could vote who were casting ballots for Hillary Clinton. After the election, the authors spoke to the women about their disappointment and how the nation could move forward. The book features reflections from 78 women from across the country, all born before the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote in 1920. The women’s narratives describe how the United States has survived challenges from the Great Depression to World War II and the McCarthy Era. The women also offer advice about how the country can face the future.

The Place I Live, The People I Know: Profiles from the Eastern Mediterranean, by Lori Mendel, Archway Publishing, paperback, $23.99.

Mendel taught in California and Paris before making Aliyah.

Her book shares the stories of people she knows from Eilat north to the Syrian border. Jews, Arabs, Christians and Druze full of passions and contradictions pepper the pages, providing a flavor of Israel’s diversity.

24 JUNE/JULY 2017 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

In-Between Days: A Memoir about Living with Breast Cancer, by Teva Harrison, Anansi, paperback, $15.95.

Teva Harrison shares her journey of surviving breast cancer through short personal essays and comic illustrations in this graphic memoir. Diagnosed at age 37, she deftly balances the sadness of cancer and an uncertain future with everyday acts of hope and wonder.

Dancing on a Powder Keg, by Ilse Weber, translated by Michael Schwartz, Bunim & Bannigan, Ltd., hardcover, $34.95.

Before the Nazi annexation of Czechoslovakia, Ilse Weber was known in the German-speaking world for her songs, theater pieces and books for children.

She and her husband, Willi, were able to get their older son, Hanus, on the Kindertransport to England, where he was cared for by Ilse’s friend, Lilian Von Lowenadler. The book features letters between Ilse and Lilian from 1933 to 1944, when Ilse and her younger son were killed at Auschwitz, as well as poems hidden in Theresenstadt and recovered by Willi.

The Daughter Who Sold Her Mother: A biographical memoir, by Irena Powell, AuthorHouse, paperback, $34.79.

Powell shares the story of her mother’s life during the turbulent decades of the 20 th century including the Holocaust, communism, Zionism, fascism and anti-Semitism. She weaves

together fragments of her mother’s memories shared over the years. As a young Jewish mother, she fought to save the life of her newborn infant (the author) in Nazi-occupied Poland. The book explores the complex legacy of “the second generation” – those whose parents were Holocaust survivors.

Threshold of Pain, by Vera Meisels, Speaking Words Publishing, paperback, $18.

Born in Czechoslovakia in 1936, Meisels’ happy childhood ended when her family fled to the forest to escape the Nazis. After two years surviving in that harsh climate, soldiers caught the family. With her mother and sister, she was sent to the Terezin ghetto. The stories constitute a dialogue between Vera the child and Vera the woman.

Her stories show a longing for the pre-war period but also for wartime experiences such as her stay at the children’s home in the ghetto, where she painted and acted in the ghetto’s production of the play “Firefly.”

Survivor: A portrait of survivors of the Holocaust, by Harry Boden, Cassell Illustrated, hardcover, $39.99.

Portrait photographer Harry Boden spent five years traveling the world to photograph survivors of the Holocaust. The 110 images each face a short handwritten reflection from the subject, creating a moving portrait of those who survived the darkest era and now live with those memories. A section at the end of the book provides more information on each survivor’s experiences.

BDS Unmasked: Radical Roots, Extremist Ends, by Dan Diker, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, paperback, $20.

This report has been published by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs as the Boycott, Divest and Sanction movement and anti-Semitism have been on the rise internationally. The book addresses the perception by some in the West that BDS is a progressive, nonviolent boycott movement to establish a Palestinian state. The book’s forward describes BDS as the rejection of Zionism and discusses the BDS connection to terror-supporting groups in the United States and Europe.

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2017 25

From top: Evan Blomquist gets ready to board the helicopter.

The helicopter maneuvers onto its landing shelf.

Purple mountain majesties

By Evan Blomquist

26 JUNE/JULY 2017 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

DID YOU KNOW THAT ARIZONA CLAIMS A precious gemstone, of which there is only one known source on the planet, as its own?

Siberian Red is a type of amethyst originally discovered in the Ural Mountains on the other side of the globe. It is purple, like most natural amethyst that typically originates from South America. However, the Siberian Red variety has a distinctively dark purple hue with flashes of ruby red that attract gem cutters worldwide. The mine in the Ural Mountains was pinched out years ago, but the Four Peaks Amethyst Mine continues to produce the stone. The deposit was known to early territorial explorers who have actively worked the deposit as a business venture off and on for the past century. The crown jewels of several European countries contain Siberian Red amethyst from Arizona’s world-famous mine.

The distinctive Four Peaks range can be seen by gazing east from Fountain Hills. Just look for four mountain peaks aligned of about the same size. Along with Weaver’s Needle, the San Francisco Peaks of Flagstaff and the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Four Peaks is one of the most recognizable geological features of Arizona. If you have excellent eyesight, you might even be able to spot the mine situated between the two southernmost peaks.

Rock hounds occasionally enjoy a vista, but our heads are often tilted down, scanning the ground for lithic treasures. Spotting a rock hound is easy as they often end up with cactus needles stuck in their foreheads. I confess to a lifelong affection for hunting for rocks, and I hold fond childhood memories of adventures with my dad as

we searched the desert southwest for interesting stones. There is something thrilling about finding a rock in the wild, and bringing it home to study, cut and polish. When you live in the city, rockhounding requires committed weekends following vague maps from various rockhounding guides, or the occasional tip generously passed along by an old timer or desert rat. Being a Chrysler man, my dad considered ground clearance to be a trivial handicap that could be overcome with mass and momentum.

Recently, Sami Fine Jewelry of Fountain Hills and the owner of the Four Peaks Amethyst Mine gave me the opportunity to elevate my rockhounding obsession to a new level. Less than an hour after arriving in downtown Fountain Hills, I was digging for rare amethyst at a mining camp 7,000 feet above sea level in the rugged Mazatzal Mountains.

Doug Hill, our shuttle driver, drove our tidy group of five adventurers about 30 minutes north on the Beeline Highway to an abandoned ranch where an idle helicopter awaited. Along the way, he provided us with a contemporary history of the mine. He taught us that the word amethyst means ‘not intoxicated’ and that the ancient Greeks believed that alcohol would not make you drunk if taken from an amethyst chalice. Once we arrived at the staging point, we were briefed on safety procedures and promptly boarded the mine shuttle bird. Minutes later we were airborne and headed eastbound toward the peaks.

Approaching the peaks was exhilarating. I was fortunate to be riding shotgun with the pilot, so I got a firsthand view of the unapparent landing site. When the mining camp came into view, I could see it was on a small shelf nestled within the sheer vertical cliffs of the peaks. The pilot lets me know that concern was unwarranted as we hugged the cliff face on approach. Moments later, the skids lighted on a small designated landing zone and we were efficiently escorted off the helicopter and led up a short trail to the main

camp amidst the rotor wash.

Greeting us at the camp was the mine owner, Kurt Cavano, who extended our education by providing a geologic history of the mine. He described a recipe for creating the Siberian Red amethyst which included intense pressure, silica-laden, superheated water, iron and a special ingredient: manganese. The coveted gemstone is produced only after 1.3 billion years of baking in the proper conditions.

Only two full-time miners are currently employed to work the Four Peaks mine. Considering that there is no vehicular access to the area high up on the cliffs, their commute consists of a fivemile hike (with 70-pound backpacks) through the rugged Four Peaks wilderness. The miners take enough provisions for twoweek mining sessions because of the access difficulty. Captured rain is a source of water, and a few solar batteries provide a little electricity for some evening television entertainment.

Mining for amethyst consists of digging with screwdrivers in the soft matrix, following seams of the amethyst deposit.

Explosives along with other percussive mining methods cannot be utilized as the gemstone is easily fractured – rendering it worthless. Twice each year, in the spring and fall, the mine owner rents a helicopter to recover the mined crystals. About 2,000 pounds of material is removed from the mountain each year. The load is then ‘high graded’ (sifted for quality) to about 50 pounds of potential gem-quality material. This select ‘rough’ is then

Continued on page 29

Amethyst crystals from the Four Peaks Amethyst Mine.

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2017 27

S TAYC AT I O N S & S U M M E R F U N

Four Peaks

Inset: The entrance to the Four Peaks Amethyst Mine.

Bottom: Amethyst crystals on the walls inside the mine.

THE WORD AMETHYST MEANS ‘NOT INTOXICATED’ THE ANCIENT GREEKS BELIEVED THAT ALCOHOL WOULD NOT MAKE YOU DRUNK IF TAKEN FROM AN AMETHYST CHALICE

28 JUNE/JULY 2017 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

S TAYC AT I O N S & S U M M E R F U N

shipped to China for cutting as China is home to some of the finest gem cutters in the world. Only a handful of cut gems returns to Arizona, where they are then set in jewelry by lapidary artisans such as those at Sami Fine Jewelry.

We were fitted with proper mining helmets and met the resident miners who escorted us inside the mine. The distance from the entrance to the back wall of the mine was only about 40 feet. Kurt explained that there had been six different entrances over the century or so of active mining. However, only one entrance is still currently available for use. Rock slides and diminished returns have kept the mine entrance moving.

Standing inside the mine proper was like being inside of a geode. The light from our headlamps revealed glistening walls and ceiling of amethyst crystals. Certain areas were roped off as they were actively being mined, but there were many other exposed places available for scratching. I found an area that looked promising and began to dig with my screwdriver. It did not take much effort to dislodge a cascade of fine sand from the hole I was digging. My natural rock hound instincts took over, and I had a hunch there was something there. After poking and scraping, I uncovered a small flat surface, the telltale side of a crystal! I carefully chipped away in the surrounding material as the crystal became more exposed. After a few minutes of prodding, I noticed the crystal jostle a bit indicating it could be liberated. I gripped

the crystal with my free hand and carefully removed it from the wall. In the interest of saving time, I simply bagged the gem and went back to digging. Long before I was ready to end my short prospecting career, we were notified that our lift back to civilization was on its way to the landing zone.

Paving the ground around the entrance to the mine was a gravel made up of sun-bleached amethyst tailings. The violet walkway had my eyes pulled to the ground as, being a rock hound, I am always searching for unusual stones. We were encouraged to take anything that captured our interest, so I filled my Ziplock baggy with unique specimens for further study back home.

As the helicopter lifted off, the pilot turned and dove away from the mountain slope. The ride was a thrilling escape from gravity that took my thoughts back to being with my dad, riding in his Chrysler, floating into the sunset with a trunk full of the desert’s treasures.

When is comes to items on Arizona’s “bucket list” The Four Peaks Amethyst Mine tour would be in the top ten. Tours are available one weekend in October and one weekend in April during harvest times. Considering there are a limited number of seats, reservations are required. For more information, contact Sami Fine Jewelry in Fountain Hills at 480-837-8168 or visit samifinejewelry.com.

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16195-5-TSR_Staycation_7-35x4-8.indd 1

5/11/17 2017 11:22 AM ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 29

SUMMER STAYCATION STYLE Throw these in a bag and stay a while

By Tori Rosenblum

Summer is finally here, and when you live in sunny Arizona, there’s no reason to leave town for a long weekend. Just pack a bag of the season’s hottest styles and go on a staycation to one of our beautiful resorts. I’m providing you with your fashion packing list.

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3 4 30 JUNE/JULY 2017 ||ARIZONA ARIZONAJEWISH JEWISHLIFE LIFE

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7 1 • ONE-PIECE WONDER No staycation would be complete without lounging by the pool. That means you can’t forget a sizzling suit. This year’s swimsuit of choice is the one-piece – but I’m not talking about your mother’s bathing suit.

Gone are the days when wearing a one-piece meant you were a serious swimmer or afraid to show off a little skin. Try a sexy style with cutouts, mesh, an open back or side details to spice up your swim style.

2 • MULTICOLOR CLOSET This summer, choose pieces that are bursting with color! Go head to toe with vibrant hues or balance bold color with crisp white. Vacation style is all about rocking rainbow looks. Pack your bag with bright

pinks, yellows and oranges that are brighter than the sun.

3 • EASY DRESS A casual, no fuss dress is always the perfect option for staycationwear. It’s easy and comfortable, plus you don’t have to worry about putting an outfit together. Throw some sundresses in your suitcase, for easy, breezy looks to wear from poolside to tableside at a nice dinner. Maxi, knee length or mini dresses – it doesn’t matter! A sundress is a must have.

4 • NAUTICAL STRIPES Channel your inner sailor in classic blue and white stripes. Yes, nautical stripes may be a pattern we’ve seen time and time again, but

modern silhouettes like a crop top or flowy maxi dress bring it to the 21st century. No matter how you wear them, bring along sea inspired Stripes.

a top handle satchel. Leather, straw or woven – it doesn’t matter! A top handle bag that can be worn crossbody is a must have when it comes to summer accessories.

5 • COOL COVER-UP Now that you’ve packed your suit, it’s time for a great cover-up. This season, conceal yourself in flowy options like a caftan or wide legged, gauzy pants. Or show off that suit in a sarong or crochet dress. The key is to choose a cover-up you’re comfortable in.

7 • SUPER SLIDES When packing for a long weekend, sandals are a must. Slip into a pair of slides that can mix and match with any of your looks. Slides with texture and shine are the shoes to have. They are interesting and fashion forward – able to be dressed up or down - while being easy and comfortable for all day wear.

6 • BAG OF THE SEASON: TOP HANDLE SATCHEL Last but not least is a woman’s secret weapon – her purse. This summer, every woman should carry

So, when you’re getting ready to pack up for the long weekend, don’t stress! Just remember this packing list, and you’ll be good to go.

ARIZONA ARIZONAJEWISH JEWISHLIFE LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2017 31

S TAYC AT I O N S & S U M M E R F U N

Three unique vintners of Southern Arizona’s wine country

By Mala Blomquist Arizona may not be the first place you

ROBERT CARLSON III – CARLSON CREEK VINEYARD

think of when you think of fine wines,

Robert Carlson III moved to Arizona when he was 18 from Southern California to study aerospace engineering. His dream of being an astronaut was quickly shattered when he realized what engineers have to do. He then studied art, political science, economics and pre-law. After graduating and working in politics for a bit, he was offered a position as a stockbroker at Charles Schwab.

In 2008, he realized that it wasn’t the right environment for him. “The market was crashing, and I was working at my desk for 10 hour days,” he remembers. Perhaps it was his screen saver that subliminally changed his course - it was rows of grapes growing in a vineyard.

“I had gotten into wine while in college,” Robert explains. “[I had] friends [who] worked at high-end restaurants, and we used to do the complimentary tasting from distributors and occasional drink the unfinished bottle that tables would order at the end of the night. I got to try wines I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to afford.”

His family had been into farming for generations back east, and his father and grandfather had always wanted to get back into it, so he came to his father (his grandfather had already passed) and the rest of his immediate family with his idea to start a vineyard. Everyone was on board, so Robert cashed in his 401K to help buy the land in Willcox, east of Tucson, and they started from scratch.

“The day after I quit Charles Schwab, I started looking for an internship at a winery, took classes at UC Davis, read everything I could find and hired people who

but to quote Bob Dylan “The times they are a-changin’.” In fact, viticulture (the study of grape cultivation) began in Arizona in the 16th century when Spanish missionaries planted and harvested grapes for use in their religious ceremonies. Arizona also has two designated AVA’s (American Viticultural Area) which are federallyrecognized wine-grape growing regions distinguishable by geographic features, with boundaries defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau and the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Sonoita Vineyards, Kief-Joshua Vineyards and Carlson Creek Vineyard are located in Sonoita-Elgin and Willcox of Southern Arizona, which are both AVA areas. The stories that led all of these winemakers to the vine may all be different, but their end goal is the same – to put Arizona on the map when it comes to the world of wine.

32 JUNE/JULY 2017 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

Above; The Carlson Creek Vineyard in Willcox.

Right: John Carlson, Robert Carlson III, and Robert "Bob" Carlson, Jr.

knew what they were doing,” says Robert. His brother, John, did the same. He moved from Santa Barbara to help with the winery. John had a liquor license before he could legally drink – now he heads up the winemaking at Carlson Creek.

There were a number of factors that led to the decision to purchase land in Willcox. “The magic of Willcox is first and foremost the altitude. The mitigating effects of altitude can make up for your latitude,” explains Robert. “Nice warm days and cooler nights allow the grapes to fully ripen while retaining a lot of their acids.” You need a lot of acid in grapes to balance out the alcohol levels and sugars to make a balanced wine. Willcox also has welldraining soil. This type of soil benefits the grapevines since they don’t like their “feet wet” and it also prevents things like disease and mold.

They buy their vine cuttings from disease-certified nurseries out of state, mostly in California. “We buy from disease-certified nurseries because if you were to bring in vines from other parts of the world, there is the possibility of disease. In fact, doing just that almost destroyed the world’s grape population in the 1880s,” explains Robert. “[The] Phylloxera [aphid] came across with the vines and destroyed vineyards across Europe. It feeds on the roots, and the European grapevines weren’t as adapted as the American vines.” The Europeans then began grafting the Phylloxera-resistant American rootstock onto their grapevines, providing a solution to the infestation. The majority of grapes are still grown that way today. “So those $1,000 bottles of Bordeaux – they have American roots,” jokes Robert.

Carlson Creek grows 11 different varieties of grapes including Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Grenache and Mourvedre. They currently have 60 acres under vine and are the third-largest vineyard in the state. The 2016 harvest sold the most grapes in their entire history – sourcing to 10 other Arizona wineries.

This demand for grapes led to their recent expansion of 280 total acres and the purchase of a second tasting room in Scottsdale and a new space in Willcox. This new space (an old Chevy dealership built in the 1940s) will be home to a new tasting room, along with space for fermentation, aging and bottling of future vintages.

Robert’s goal for the future includes bringing more acreage under vine. “I’d like to see us [become] a large regional to seminational presence. The idea would be to plant out our entire vineyard – 280 acres – so that would make us the largest vineyard in the state,” he says.

Continued on page 34

Robert Carlson III, center, cutting the ribbon at the opening of their wine tasting location in Scottsdale.

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ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2017 33

S TAYC AT I O N S & S U M M E R F U N

No matter how big Carlson Creek Vineyard gets, the most rewarding thing for Robert is that he is doing something with his family. “I talk to my parents every day. I have a better family connection than I would have had I stayed in finance,” he says.

“That family connection we get from having the winery, there is also a more intimate connection in what you do. Every day is different. You can be in the vineyard one day and the next traveling around the world extolling the benefits of Arizona wines. The

personal connection to it is more real than anything I’ve ever done in my life.”

Carlson Creek Vineyard’s wine tasting rooms are located at 115 Railview Ave. in Willcox and 4142 N. Marshall Way in Scottsdale.

Hours at the Willcox location are 11 am to 5 pm Thursday through Sunday and Scottsdale hours are noon to 8 pm Wednesday through Sunday. For more information, contact 520-766-3000 (480-9470636 in Scottsdale) or visit carlsoncreek.com.

LORI REYNOLDS, SONOITA VINEYARDS

The first grapevine planting on the Babacomari Ranch in 1973.

Inset: Lori Reynolds with her grandfather, Dr. Gordon Dutt at Sonoita Vineyards.

Sonoita Vineyards is the oldest commercial vineyard and winery in Arizona. Dr. Gordon Dutt started an experimental vineyard in 1973 along with Frank and Blake Brophy on the Brophy’s Babacomari Ranch in Elgin, about 50 miles southeast of Tucson. Dr. Dutt was a 34 JUNE/JULY 2017 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

soil scientist at the University of Arizona and was doing soil testing at the time when he discovered that the soil’s composition on the ranch was a 99% match to soil in the Burgundy region of France. After having success with the experimental

vineyard, he began operating the first commercial vineyard in Arizona in 1979 and opened the winery in 1983.

Today, Lori Reynolds runs the vineyard that her grandfather began. She grew up and attended high school in Safford, AZ where her mother started a charter school and her father was a corrections officer. They would come to the vineyard often.

Lori attended the University of Arizona to study veterinary medicine with a minor in chemistry. After she had graduated, she discovered that the vet life was not for her. She took a few years off to start her family until one day, she spoke to her grandfather about what her next path should be. “He told me, ‘You were born to do wine,’ and I thought, I love wine – you’re right,” says Lori.

She took classes through the UC Davis Extension program and earned her degree in viticulture and enology. She then was mentored by fellow vintner, Kent Callaghan of Callaghan Vineyards. “He helped me taste and test barrels, and after a year was up, I was on my own,” explains Lori.

Sonoita Vineyards “is a one-stop shop” and currently has 40 acres under vine growing varieties such as Pinot Noir, Petit Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sangiovese and Mission.

“The Mission variety is the ‘old grape’ of the Catholic Church used to make the communion wine,” says Lori. “And Sangiovese is my grandfather’s favorite grape.” Dr. Dutt is 87 years old and resides in the foothills of Tucson. He occasionally makes it out to the vineyard. “He loves to come down and boss everybody around during harvest,” jokes Lori.

Lori is thankful that he still can visit. She is also thankful he set up the vineyard with sustainability in mind. The vines grow terraced up a hill so that when it rains, water comes down into berms and gets caught, watering the rows. Any excess rushes down the hill and flows into a retaining pond to sustain the cattle that live on the ranch. This way, the two wells on the property can take a break when it rains. “Grandpa knew we live in a desert and we need to harvest as much water as we can,” explains Lori. Even the gray water from the winery goes to water the grass.

Lori admits that her biggest challenge with running a winery is being a mother too. With “three active little boys” she has to fit in planting, harvesting, soccer, baseball and school, but she admits, “I love what I do. I get to share my art and science with everybody. I love it!”

She also hopes that her children can take the winery into its third generation and keep living in Elgin. “Our winery is not just a production facility, there is a vineyard house on the property – my kids call it the ‘farmhouse,’” says Lori. This way she can keep her grandfather’s vision moving forward. “Winemakers are Type A personalities – we may have different ways of doing it, but we all get to the same end – producing world-class wines.”

Sonoita Vineyards is located at 290 Elgin-Canelo Road in Elgin. Their tasting room is open from 10 am to 4 pm daily, except major holidays. They will be hosting their annual HarvestFest on July 29 from 10 am-4 pm. For more information, contact 520-455-5893 or visit sonoitavineyards.com.

Jcation Staycation SUMMER

SPLASH

SERIES

Stay cool by our pool!

Grab your swimsuit, towel and sunscreen and spend the day at The J with friends and family!

Every Sunday in June & July 11am-2pm DJ • Music • Kid’s Activities Games • Rock Wall & More!

Everyone welcome!

Members: Free | Guests: $3

For details, visit vosjcc.org/summersplash

480.483.7121 | vosjcc.org 12701 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale 85254

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2017 35

S TAYC AT I O N S & S U M M E R F U N

KIEF MANNING, KIEF-JOSHUA VINEYARDS It seems like Kief Joshua Manning was meant to be a winemaker. “I started working in a wine shop when I was 15 and making beer and wine as a hobby at the house,” he remembers. He went to UC Davis in California for two semesters and then moved to Australia, finishing his undergrad degree in wine technology, marketing and management at Monash University.

He then went on to earn a master’s in viticulture and Kief Manning, enology from Kief-Joshua Vineyards the University of Melbourne.

He worked in Australia for five years and then returned to Arizona, starting his winery in Elgin, southeast of Tucson, in 2003.

When he first started Kief-Joshua Vineyards, there were only five wineries in the entire state of Arizona. “This is the second oldest wine growing region in the country – in Southern Arizona – dating back to 1560,” Kief explains. “Most people don’t realize that it was illegal to make wine in Arizona between 1915 to 1980.” The winemaking happening now in the state is a re-emergence of a former industry. “We’ve been the fastest growing wine industry in the country for the last 10 or 12 years.

We’ve gone from five wineries in 2003 to 104 today in the whole state,” he adds.

His vineyard is located on 60 acres with 24 total acres under vine. “We process everything here on site. We do all of our own winemaking and then most of our wine is sold out of our cellar door at the tasting room, but we are also available in [locations around] the state and at Total Wine and Cost Plus World Market,” says Kief.

Being able to share his wine with others is one of Kief ’s favorite parts of the process. “You spend a whole year growing the grapes; then you spend a year and a half to two and a half years producing the product. Once you get the wine in the glass, you can stand back and say – after three years we can let other people taste it now.”

He admits the biggest challenge of running a vineyard is a combination of Mother Nature and time. “This is a small family 36 JUNE/JULY 2017 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

business. It’s just me and my mom [Charlene] and dad [ Jeff ],” says Kief. He did have one employee who left recently. She worked for Kief while her husband was in military training at nearby Fort Huachuca.

“After having an employee, I think I’ll have to find some more,” he jokes.

There is no argument that he needs the help.

Kief opened a second location in Willcox, about 90 miles east of Tucson. “The major reason for two locations, besides diversification, was to spread out the weather risk,” explains Kief. “A lot of times if we receive frost or hail in one location, it won’t hit the other, so there have been years like 2010 where we lost our entire crop to hail. That’s when I bought the property in Willcox.”

Kief grows about a dozen different grape varieties including Syrah, Zinfandel, Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Mourvedre and Viognier. He also buys fruit from three other vineyards in southeastern Arizona.

The winery owners in the area are a tight-knit group.

“Everybody who is actually growing and producing, the 40 of us until 2011, we have all ‘grown up together’ so to speak,” says Kief. “We do festivals together, we all travel to different locals, and we get to hang out and taste each others’ wines.”

Kief admits that the industry is growing, but he doesn’t ever want it to become like Napa, CA. “Arizona is set up to cater to more small, boutique producers, and I hope that we continue to stay that way,” he says. “It’s hand-processed, hand-produced, small-batch boutique wines – so you get that variation from year to year. We are not doing huge blends for consistency; we aren’t just making wines – we are trying to make the best wine we can.”

Kief-Joshua Vineyards are located at 370 Elgin Road in Elgin and 4923 E. Arzberger Road in Willcox. Wine tastings are 11 am to 5 pm daily in Elgin, and 11 am to 5 pm Friday through Sunday in Willcox. For more information, contact 520-4555582 or visit kj-vineyards.com.

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2017 37

STAYCATIONS & SUMMER FUN DIRECTORY Butterfly Wonderland

Cosanti

9500 E. Via de Ventura, Scottsdale 480-800-3000 • butterflywonderland.com

6433 E Doubletree Ranch Road, Paradise Valley

Visit America’s largest butterfly pavilion with more than

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and Tropical Waters of the World.

Children’s Museum Tucson

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our own stables or relax poolside and experience the resort’s

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completely renovated outdoor and indoor spaces.

38 JUNE/JULY 2017 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

Musical Instrument Museum (MIM)

ice cream, gelato and candy. There is also a splash pad and

4725 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix 480-478-6000 • mim.org

Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center

With more than 6,500 musical instruments and objects

12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale

on display, MIM provides a one-of-a-kind experience for all ages. MIM’s five Geographic Galleries showcase music and cultures from every country in the world through multimedia that allows you to hear, see and feel the creative spirit of people as they play their instruments.

large lawn area.

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OdySea Aquarium

more! JCC members and children under 2 are Free. Adult

9500 E. Via de Ventura, Scottsdale

guests: $3; children ages 2 & up: $2.

480-291-8000 • odyseaaquarium.com

than 30,000 animals in 50 exhibits. The facility includes a

Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West

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action Program, Behind the Scenes Tour and daily events.

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Talking Stick Resort

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ed attraction and Smithsonian Affiliate. In June, enjoy four “Western Wednesdays” events with the kids, plus new exhibitions: Grand Canyon (opens June 6) and Western film

Experience world-class entertainment, poolside bashes,

history (opens June 20); in addition to several ongoing art

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Resort. The AAA Four Diamond venue is celebrating the season with its Summer Staycation Package, and rates start as low as $129 per night. Based on availability from June 1 to September 29.

The Orchard PHX 7100 N. 12th St., Phoenix Facebook.com/TheOrchardPhx This concept features three options for your palate. Pomelo is a full-service restaurant serving contemporary American food. Luci’s at The Orchard is a quick-service restaurant and marketplace offering breakfast and lunch, gourmet coffee and novelty items. Splurge Ice Cream & Candy Shop offers ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2017 39

KRISTY MORCOM DISCOVERING JUDAISM THROUGH GENETICS

BY MALA BLOMQUIST

40 JUNE/JULY 2017 ||ARIZONA ARIZONAJEWISH JEWISHLIFE LIFE

Kristy holds Flash, a baby wallaby.

PHOTO BY MATTHEW STRAUSS

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2017 41

KRISTY MORCOM

G

enes are tricky. They affect everything from your blood type to intelligence. More and more companies are offering genetic testing for everyday consumers to trace their ancestry and their vulnerability to specific diseases.

Most days you don’t give genetics much thought. That is unless you are Kristy Morcom, who found out she was BRCA1 positive at 18 years old.

Kristy wanted to be tested for a BRCA1 (BReast CAncer) genetic mutation as soon as she became an adult due to her family’s history. Her maternal grandmother, Christine Schoentrup, died in 1972 when she was 47 from liver cancer, although now the family believes it was breast cancer that had metastasized. Christine had six daughters (Sharon, Margaret, Marie, Jeanne, Teresa and Bonnie) and one son (Michael).

The oldest daughter, Sharon St. Peter, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004 at age 59. That same year Margaret Ronstadt, who was 57, was also diagnosed.

Marie discussed her two older sisters’ diagnoses with her doctor.

He suggested that she be tested for the BRCA1 gene mutation.

She was tested and received a positive BRCA1 result. Sharon and Margaret were also tested and had the same result as Marie.

When the three remaining sisters received their results, the only one that tested negative was Bonnie Morse. Six sisters, five positive BRCA1 test results.

Kristy (who is now 31) wanted to find out as soon as she was able if she too carried this genetic mutation. “When I turned 18 I got tested and found out I was positive,” she says. “So, since I was 18 it was always in the back of my mind that I would have to plan my life out accordingly.” She met with an oncologist, Dr. Jerry Olshan, who helped her make a plan that included a double mastectomy and hysterectomy, surgeries that both her mother, Teresa Waddell and her aunts Marie George and Jeanne Ried elected to undergo since receiving their positive results. “The doctors wanted me to move forward with the surgeries as soon as I was done having children. The sooner I had the surgeries, the less of a chance I would have to develop cancer,” explains Kristy.

When Kristy first met with Dr. Olshan, research on the BRCA mutations was relatively new. In 1990, geneticist Mary-Claire King discovered the gene and then in 1994, scientists at the University of Utah were able to clone it, increasing the ability to understand how mutations in it led to breast cancer. One of the pioneers of genetic testing and BRCA research at that time was Myriad Genetics in Salt Lake City, UT. Kristy’s blood sample was sent to Myriad for the BRCA analysis. During one of her meetings with Dr. Olshan, he shared the news that Myriad was able to trace her particular mutation back to the one common in those of Ashkenazi descent. Being young and not understanding the impact of this information, she just thought that it meant she was linked to a group of people from Eastern Europe. “I didn’t understand the connection. I was always so concerned with the cancer aspect of it; I didn’t put the pieces together,” she explains.

GETTING ON WITH LIFE Kristy tried to lead as much of a normal life as she could, going 42 JUNE/JULY 2017 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

BELOW: Christine Schoentrup, Kristy Morcom's maternal grandmother.

BOTTOM: Christine Schoentrup's children, from left (back) Margaret and Sharon, (front) Marie, Teresa, Jeanne, Michael and Bonnie. Bonnie is the only daughter who does not have the BRCA1 mutation.

FACING PAGE: Right, Kristy holds Flash, a baby wallaby. Far right, Teresa Waddell was pregnant with Kristy in this photo taken in 1986.

Crème Brûlée

PHOTO BY MATTHEW STRAUSS

“The doctors wanted me to move forward with the surgeries as soon as I was done having children. The sooner I had the surgeries, the less of a chance I would have to develop cancer.” —Kristy Morcom to community college and even moving to away,” Kristy says. They had just had their Wyoming briefly. She returned to Arizona first child and like most new parents were because she was homesick and to follow her adjusting to life with a newborn. Thinking passion for working with animals. about when to have the next one wasn’t Her primary focus when she returned yet a topic of conversation. They often was to get the prerequisites she needed to weighed the pros and cons. “We were attend the Exotic Animal Training and worried if we didn’t have a second child Management Program offered at Moorpark and I moved forward with these surgeries College in California. that we would regret it later,” explains “I went to the Wildlife World Zoo, Kristy. So they decided to go forward with Aquarium & Safari Park to volunteer and the plan to have another child. The couple Kristy visiting the Wildlife World Zoo when welcomed twin boys in 2014. gain experience – to increase my chances she was a toddler. of getting accepted to Moorpark,” explains A couple of months after Ace and Jax Kristy. Shortly after beginning her volunteer were born, Kristy was back meeting with work, the zoo offered her a paid position. “I started in the gift the oncologist, this time with a definitive plan as she explains, shop for a couple of months until a position opened up working “They wanted me to breastfeed for three months and then be with animals. They then hired me into the education department done with breastfeeding for three months and then move forward where I worked as an education specialist and animal trainer.” As with the surgeries.” an education specialist, Kristy led the wildlife encounter shows, Her first surgery was twofold. The first surgeon performed the hosted the lory parrot feeding and traveled to schools, libraries double mastectomy, then the plastic surgeon inserted the spacers, and events with different animal ambassadors educating the which are deflated implants. That was the worst part of recovery public about animals and conservation. for Kristy. “I went in every other week for a couple of months, and Kristy met Justin Morcom in 2009. Their relationship became they poke you with a syringe and inject saline [into the spacers]. serious quickly, and when she knew they were going to get They are slowly expanding the space where the implant will go. married, Kristy again met with her oncologist, “So I could map They are stretching the skin and the muscle because the implant out what the next part of my life would look like.” They married in goes under the muscle,” she says. The muscles help support 2010 and welcomed daughter Ivy into the world in 2012. the implant and make it easier to detect cancer in the future.

“After Ivy was born, I met with my oncologist again, and he Kristy has an excellent support system within her family, so she told me that I shouldn’t wait to have a second child, that if it was able to take the downtime she needed to heal. “The hardest was something I wanted, I should move forward with it right Continued on page 45 ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2017 43

Kristy Morcom with her husband Justin and children Ace, Ivy and Jax. PHOTO BY JCPenney Outdoor Photography

GENE SPEAK BRCA1 and BRCA2 (BReast CAncer genes 1 and 2) are human genes that produce tumor suppressor proteins.

These proteins help repair damaged DNA and, therefore, play a role in ensuring the stability of the cell’s genetic material. When either of these genes is mutated or altered, such that its protein product either is not made or does not function correctly, DNA damage may not be repaired properly. As a result, cells are more likely to develop

additional genetic alterations that can lead to cancer.

BRCA1 and BRCA2 are the most well-known genes linked to breast cancer risk These particular changes, or mutations, in BRCA1 and BRCA2, occur more frequently in Ashkenazi Jews than in the general population. These mutations increase the risk of certain types of cancer, including breast and ovarian in women and breast and prostate in men. About one out of every 40 individuals of

44 JUNE/JULY 2017 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry have a mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, as compared to one out of every 400-800 members of the general population, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

A harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation can be inherited from a person’s mother or father. Each child of a parent who carries a mutation in one of these genes has a 50 percent chance (or 1 chance in 2) of inheriting the mutation

(cancer.gov).

Prophylactic mastectomy is surgery to remove one or both breasts to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer.

According to the National Cancer Institute, prophylactic mastectomy in women who carry a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation may be able to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer by 95%. (breastcancer.org)

KRISTY MORCOM hedgehogs, a bearded dragon, a leopard gecko, Madagascar hissing part was not being able to lift my kids for months. I was able to cockroaches and a desert millipede. snuggle them, and I was surrounded by family who was able to do All of her children love animals and enjoy coming out to the zoo, all the ‘heavy lifting,’” she jokes. and she is making sure to educate them on everything from animal Her second surgery would also be a double procedure. This facts to conservation efforts. “Ivy knows more about animals than time the plastic surgeon would insert the breast implants, and her your average adult,” jokes Kristy. gynecologist would perform a bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy – a procedure where the surgeon removes the ovaries and fallopian NEW DISCOVERIES tubes but leaves the uterus intact. “With my gene mutation, right Now, with the surgeries behind her, Kristy has started doing her now there is no research that suggests that I am at an increased research and discussing her Jewish heritage more with her aunts risk of developing uterine cancer, so they left it,” says Kristy. By not and her mother. “Once my family found out what the Ashkenazi removing the uterus and combining both surgeries at once rather connection truly meant and started discussing things, it all made than individually, allowing Kristy a shorter recovery period, which sense to them,” she says. “No one was aware of that lineage.” was advantageous with the little ones at home.

Even though her mother and aunt Bonnie were young at the She did have one unexpected surgery though. She had been time of their grandmother’s death, the older sisters knew that she home a couple of weeks from her last surgery when she started had come to the United States from Germany with her parents. experiencing terrible abdominal pain. “The hospital told me that She met and married an American man and assimilated into her I was just stressed out – being such a young mother and having life in the U.S. She raised her children with no religious foundation such radical surgeries and all. I kept trying to tell them that’s and would never discuss her life in Germany before emigrating. not what it was,” Kristy recalls. After a misdiagnosis of ulcers, This fact has driven both Kristy and she went to another hospital and was her sister Cody Crosier (who has tested admitted immediately for emergency negative for BRCA1) to find out more gallbladder surgery. “Afterwards, I felt about their Jewish background. They like a million dollars!” have begun to look into their ancestry, One of the drawbacks of her surgery hoping to find out more about their greatis that it has thrown her young body into grandparents and the mysterious life that early menopause. they had before leaving Germany. “I’m But being BRCA1 positive, she is leery excited to look into it more and embrace of doing hormone replacement therapy. it,” says Kristy of her newly discovered “It’s a gray area. Some doctors say you Judaism. can do hormone replacement and some She is also embracing her health doctors say you absolutely can’t,” explains and accepting the changes in her body.

Kristy. “I found that you have to do a lot “Honestly, my body image and the way of research and educate yourself and find that I feel about myself now is better out what works best for you. There is no after all these surgeries than it was prior. black or white answer. I figured if I can I had really good doctors, and they did a get through without doing any of the phenomenal job,” admits Kristy. “I used to hormone replacement – that is my safest be insecure; now I feel a lot more confident bet. They are just not sure of my chances Kristy brings a baby porcupine to her weekly in my self-image. It’s crazy – I thought of getting cancer because I still have some television segment on Arizona Midday with host I would be a lot more insecure after the of those cells.” Kristy says that returning Destry Jetton. surgeries.” to work has also helped her symptoms.

There is a lot of controversy around whether or not people should She took about a year and a half off, part of it was due to bed rest have these tests, especially at such a young age. “Knowing since I from her pregnancy with the twins, and the other was her recovery was 18 helped me come to terms with all the surgeries I was going time from her surgeries. Kristy is currently the director of media to have to go through,” Kristy explains. “I had plenty of time to relations at the zoo. digest it and to get over the fact that I was going to have to go Her work entails doing several television segments each week, through these surgeries. Seeing my aunts get cancer and one was visiting the local stations with some of the “animal ambassadors” able to beat it, while my other aunt wasn’t so lucky. Seeing what she from the zoo. Once of these ambassadors is Kristy’s personal had to go through – it made my decision really easy.” pet, Snicklefritz. “Snick” as Kristy calls her, is a kinkajou, a She felt fortunate that they had a test out for the BRCA1 gene nocturnal mammal native to Central and South America. Kristy mutation and that once she knew that she was positive, knowing has a special permit to own Snick, and she is quick to say that she had options about how to deal with it. “kinkajous do not make good pets!” Kristy is not a proponent of “The surgeries are hard, but would have been much harder if I people owning exotic animals due to the fact that exotic animals was sick,” she reflects. “Having to deal with surgery not knowing if have different needs than domestic pets and people do not know you were going to survive the outcome, I can’t even imagine…” how to care for them properly.

Fortunately, now she doesn’t have to.

Kristy’s other pets at home include three African spurred tortoises, two dogs, four cats (three hairless and one hairy), two ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2017 45

Judith Amiel-Bendheim: Art inspired through exploration

By Masada Siegel

Persistence pays off – as does following your dreams, and artist Yehudit ( Judith) Amiel-Bendheim doesn’t have to look for inspiration any further than her own family.

“I was born and raised in Jerusalem, Israel. My parents were both born in Iran and arrived in Israel when they were very young. Both sets of my grandparents were early Zionists, and they dreamt about coming to Israel to build up the country,” explains Judith. That was in 1930 before the State of Israel even existed. They left everything behind, walked and drove their camels and horses for more than two years until they arrived in Jerusalem.

Her parents, big believers in education encouraged them to be good students. “My mom always insisted on us going to the library, to museums and seeing shows. She told us the best way to see the world is through the eyes of the artists and the words of the writers,” says Judith.

Judith received her degree in Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science from The School of Medicine at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and her MBA from Business College in Ono, Tel Aviv.

She worked as a pharmacist for many years in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and eventually became a marketing manager for major international pharmaceutical companies.

“I had a great time working and traveling through Europe, Asia and the U.S.,” Judith explains. “I was exposed to new people, new food, customs, environments, architecture, and most of all: new cultures. It felt like my eyes were open.

I could see what my mom used to say about ‘see the world.’”

Also, on every trip, she gave herself a few extra days just to go to museums and enjoy the art and the culture. “I think that this was, and still is, a major influence on me and my life.”

Judith was expanding her worldview and filling her mind with works of beauty in all respects. She took these experiences 46 JUNE/JULY 2017 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

and filed them away, not necessarily knowing that she would eventually put them to good use in a future career.

Judith started taking different art classes, and while she enjoyed them, she never thought about being a professional artist. “I started making jewelry for myself and ceramic pieces for my home. I always loved to cook, so I even decided to make my own dishes for my food,” she states.

Ten years ago, she met her husband, Paul Bendheim, a native of Arizona. He had lived in Israel for many years, but decided to come back to Arizona and live in Phoenix. Since Judith didn’t want to go through getting her pharmacy license here in the U.S., she decided the time was right to pursue her passion of creating original ceramic and jewelry pieces.

“Life is always opening new doors and opportunities, and once I made my decision, it seemed that many friends and family kept asking me to buy my necklaces,” says Judith. As a start-up artist, she has a small studio with a potter’s wheel where she throws pieces and makes jewelry. She also works at the Phoenix College studio to make some of her ceramic pieces. “I take classes, learn and try new ceramic techniques, tools, glazing ideas and firing in kilns. Meeting other ceramic artists at the studio, exchanging ideas and being exposed to new techniques help me to develop and grow as an artist. I both hand-build and throw on the wheel,” Judith explains.

Judith’s inspiration comes from within; she calls it – the artist's soul – and says she is influenced by her environment.

She appreciates geometric lines and shapes of architecture, the abstract elements of the desert landscape, such as the richness of succulents and cacti in her home garden.

Other ways she draws inspiration from is by visiting museums and art galleries.

Judith says, “Seeing the work of great artists including painters, sculptors, fashion and furniture designers; their use of shapes, colors and lines are sources of inspiration. I like to collect pictures and articles, look and read them again

and again.” Many times she’ll sketch a concept for a piece, changing it numerous times during the actual process of making it. Both her ceramic and jewelry pieces are simple with clean lines. She abides by the “less is more” philosophy, believing that it stems from her pharmaceutical, scientific side: to “keep everything clean and simple.”

Judith’s work resonates with her customers as well as in competitions. In 2014, she was a finalist at Martha Stewart’s “American Made” national competition, under the ceramic category and in November 2016, one of her jewelry pieces – a necklace – was awarded first place at The Arizona State Fair.

“I am inspired by the idea that my artwork lifts other people and makes them happy,” shares Judith. “I know that people always are looking for ways to be happy and feel positive. I feel

gratified if my art contributes to this.”

Making her pieces is a long process, especially with ceramics: you have to let the wet piece dry, put it in the fire, glaze it and fire it again. Sometimes it takes more than a week to complete a piece. As for her jewelry, she can make a piece and have it on her table for weeks sitting there, but only when she is completely happy and satisfied with it, she considers it finished. “My advice to people who are passionate about art is – just try it!” says Judith. Don’t think about it, let your hands do the work.”

Judith’s pieces can be found locally at Objects in Scottsdale, Kiss Me Kate in Phoenix and Changing Hands Bookstore. For more information, visit ceramicsbyjudith.com.

Federation matters to me because Federation funding of the JFCS Senior Concierge project enables me to make a positive difference in the lives of our community’s Jewish seniors.

YOUR GIFT MATTERS.

Strengthening Jewish life and identity and providing for Jews in need here, in Israel and around the world

Janet Arnold

480.481.7031 | jewishphoenix.org/donate

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2017 47

David Hock:

One of a kind in the Valley’s theater community

word business is in there, that it’s all show.”

Scottsdale Musical David moved to Theater Company (SMTC) Arizona in 2001. “I has come a long way since moved here the week of its humble beginnings 9-11,” he remembers. in the gym of Shiloh “I drove here. I couldn’t Community Church in fly because no planes Phoenix where 50-70 were flying.” The original audience members sat on position he moved here folding chairs to watch for did not work out, so “Carousel.” “I still had an he began teaching at a orchestra – even back then dance studio in north I had to have live music,” Phoenix, in addition to says David Hock, executive running a club volleyball producer, owner and team. The team practiced founder of SMTC. Now, in the gym at Shiloh SMTC performs at the Community Church.

Tempe Center for the Arts “I took a hiatus from (TCA), selling out their volleyball, and my Jewish shows with 2,000-3,000 in guilt kicked,” says David. attendance.

“I felt really bad that David has been in the David Hock they were going to lose professional theater world that revenue.” He had for 30 years. “I’ve done been renting the gym national tour stuff; I was a performer for a while - way back for between $6,000-$7,000. Someone at the dance studio when,” he says. “I figured out that I was not the most talented suggested that David put on a show. The gym had a stage, guy in the world and found out that I could choreograph. I lighting and a sound system. “I had gotten out of the saddle, moved out of performing into choreography because I thought and somebody got me to jump back in,” he jokes. it was easier to hire and fire than be fired.” Choreography led to Due to unforeseen circumstances, after three shows SMTC directing and then to producing. had to find a new place to perform. David approached Phoenix A strong business background has come in handy for David Country Day School to inquire about using their facilities throughout his career. “I can do budget proposals and all the because his daughter attended school there. “I knew the financial stuff and then turn around and be artistic,” explains principal, I knew the drama teacher, and I sat down with them David. “It is called show ‘business’ – people just forget that the and said, ‘Let me just try it once, let me do one show and if

By Mala Blomquist

48 JUNE/JULY 2017 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

it works, then let’s go for it,’” remembers David. It ended up working, and SMTC performed there from 2012 to 2014.

Then Phoenix Country Day announced that they were doing renovations, meaning their theater and parking lot were scheduled to be closed. “I had announced I was doing 'Cabaret,' and suddenly I had nowhere to do it,” says David. “My choices were to figure it out or shut it down. I felt that we had too much momentum to shut it down.”

David approached Tempe Center for the Arts. He admits he had never been to the center.

“I called them up, and I went down there. All I had to do was walk in the building – that was it,” he reflects. “They were very welcoming and have been amazing to work with; – David Hock it has been an absolute godsend.”

Since that summer in 2014, SMTC has been performing two to three shows a year at TCA. “We have grown [so much]. My orchestra is better, I use national touring sets and costumes,” explains David. “We bring everything in, but use local talent. I get lucky and find talented performers. The talent level of the leads is very, very good. The goal is always to keep the talent and quality level of the shows very high.”

He shares his philosophy, “If we don’t put on a good show – those people are not going to come back and buy tickets for the next one. It behooves me to keep the quality level up.”

David kids his cast members that he is all about the “widget” – the product. “Some people do theater as their hobby, and we are just not that,” he says. “It’s not about the social aspect of it.

I’m all for everyone meeting new friends, falling in love or killing each other – but that’s not the driving force of the reason to do the shows. The reason to do the shows is purely to put on a good show for the audience, not for the cast.”

Putting on a good show for the public is universal in theater, but David has noticed a significant change in the Valley’s theater companies. “I’m the only Jewish guy doing it now,” he laments.

“At one point in time, everyone was Jewish. Arizona Jewish Theatre Company had Janet Arnold, Actors Theatre of Phoenix had Matthew Wiener and Arizona Theatre Company had David Ira Goldstein. Every theater company was being run by somebody Jewish – and now I’m it.”

David notes that the Jewish influence was so prevalent here without it being a very large theater community. He also recognizes just how many plays out there have a Jewish angle to them.

“I’ve done ‘Fiddler,’ I’ve done the West Coast premiere of ‘Sondheim on Sondheim,’ I just did ‘That Irving Berlin Thing,’” he continues. “‘Cabaret,’ ‘The Producers’ – which is the most Jewish show ever done in the history of the world.”

David jokes about some of the props leftover from these shows, “I have two Nazi banners in my garage from ‘Cabaret,’ and I have Nazi helmets from ‘The Producers.’ So anytime anybody wants something Nazi, they’ve got to ask me for it.”

Even “West Side Story,” which SMTC will be performing Aug. 17 through the 20, was originally written as a conflict between the Jews and the Catholics, but Leonard Bernstein and Jerome Robbins soon realized that wasn’t going to work for a variety of reasons. It remains a very racially-charged show. David wants to approach his production differently.

“As long as I’ve been around, the idea of the storyline gets lost because the show has always been about dance – not the story,” he explains. “Yes, it’s Romeo and Juliet, I get that, but it’s very racial. It’s our turf; you can’t be here. Get out; you’re not American. We are living that right now. There will always be people who don’t like people of different ethnicities or religions to mix. I think ‘West Side Story’ will hit home, but maybe a little differently than times in the past.”

David admits, “I’m not trying to push buttons, but I want to make everyone think as much as I can while I’m at it.” And that’s just one of the reasons why “West Side Story” will be filling the seats at Tempe Center for the Arts this summer.

For more information about Scottsdale Musical Theater Company, contact 602-909-4215 or visit scottsdalemusicaltheater.com.

“If we don’t put on a good show – those people are not going to come back and buy tickets for the next one. It behooves me to keep the quality level up.”

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2017 49

CORNER

WHO SAYS SOUP HAS TO BE EATEN HOT?

By Lucia Schnitzer Photo by Matthew Strauss

Lucia Schnitzer and her husband, Ken, own Pomelo (a full-service restaurant), Luci’s at The Orchard and Splurge (a candy and ice cream shop), all at The Orchard Phx, 7100 N 12th Street, Phoenix. They also own Luci’s Healthy Marketplace, 1590 E Bethany Home Road, Phoenix, which they opened in 2009 in Lucia’s honor after her successful battle with breast cancer.

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Summer is here, and the thought of eating hot soup may not be as appealing when the temperatures soar to 110 degrees. My family is a big fan of cold soup and enjoys a chilled bowlful of fruit or vegetable goodness throughout the year.

Consider making a big batch of soup and savoring it throughout the week, or freeze some for a quick meal to enjoy later. Get creative and turn classics into cold favorites. This Thai coconut soup is creamy, savory and full of flavor. Enjoy it hot or cold. Pair this soup with a crisp sesame salad with shredded chicken and peanuts and a cold Singha beer. Now that’s refreshing!

Thai Curry Coconut Soup

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger 1 small butternut squash (about 1 pound) 1 bunch baby bok choy 2 tablespoons avocado cooking oil 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth 3.5 ounce package of rice noodles 1-13 ounce can coconut milk salt and pepper for seasoning

until the butternut squash is tender.

While the soup is simmering, bring a small pot of water to a boil for the rice noodles. Once boiling, add the rice noodles and cook for 2-3 minutes, or just until tender. Drain the rice noodles in a colander and set aside.

Once the butternut squash is tender, add the coconut milk to the soup. Stir, taste, and season with salt and pepper.

Pour in a blender and pulse or use an immersion blender until the mixture is smooth.

Finally, add the bok choy greens and let them wilt in the hot soup.

To serve hot, divide the rice noodles among four bowls.

Ladle the soup over the noodles, then top with red onion, cilantro, a wedge or two of lime and a drizzle of Sriracha.

To serve cold, first, chill the soup in an ice bath. Fill the sink or a large bowl with ice and cold water. Pour the hot soup into a container and place in the ice bath. The container should be level with the ice. Leave container in the ice bath for a total of 30 minutes, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes to distribute the heat and aid cooling. Remove from the ice bath and refrigerate the soup for at least three hours, or overnight, before serving.

Garnishes:

½ red onion 1 bunch fresh cilantro 1 lime, cut into wedges Sriracha sauce to taste

Directions:

Prepare the vegetables for the soup and garnishes first. Mince the garlic and grate the ginger using a small-holed cheese or Microplane grater. Peel and dice the butternut squash into oneinch cubes. Wash the bok choy, separate the fibrous stalks from the delicate green ends and chop the stalks into one-inch strips; then chop the greens and set aside. Thinly slice the red onion and roughly chop the cilantro.

Add the cooking oil to a large soup pot along with the minced garlic, grated ginger and Thai red curry paste. Sauté the garlic, ginger and curry paste over medium heat for 1-2 minutes.

Add the diced butternut squash and chopped bok choy stalks to the pot (not the leafy green ends) along with the chicken or vegetable broth. Bring the pot to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 5-7 minutes, or

GREAT WITH BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER

WANDER NO MORE

azjewishlife.com ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2017 51

FOOD RESTAURANT REVIEW

taste of

Arizona

A taste of Italy

Whether it was called Franco’s Trattoria, or Franco’s Italian Caffe, for 30 years (off and on), there has been a Chef Franco Fazzuoli restaurant serving hungry Arizonans. There have been four different locations over the years, with each incarnation having a special offering.

Franco’s Italian Caffe, in the heart of Scottsdale, is an intimate dining experience featuring fine Italian food at Franco’s famously moderate prices.

Franco’s restaurants have always enjoyed a loyal following of customers, and have long been “special occasion” restaurants, where anniversaries and birthdays are often celebrated. Franco’s Italian Caffe is more of a cozy spot, without large tables, where couples or parties of four can find a gourmet meal with prestige but no pressure.

One of my favorite Arizona stories is how Franco hired a former governor of Arizona, with no experience, to be a pastry chef at his restaurant. You may be old enough to remember J. Fife Symington, III, the 19th governor of Arizona, who was found guilty on seven counts of bank fraud (the convictions were later overturned) and was forced by Arizona law to resign as governor. Symington reinvented himself by going to culinary school, and upon graduation, went to work at Franco’s Trattoria located in the Camelback Esplanade, which oddly enough, was one of Symington’s former properties included in his trial. People flocked to the restaurant to see the former governor toiling in the kitchen where one of his best recipes is still featured on the menu today at Franco’s: Governor’s Chocolate Cake.

For this experience, an adorably petite Italian friend joined me – who can eat like nobody’s business – as I needed back up. Franco’s can be rich, and heavily sauced, and then there were the heavenly desserts I remembered from other locations.

Quick note: The restaurant’s menu descriptions are sparse, so the ones you see are my best attempt. Over the course of a few visits, this is what we had:

Bufala Mozzarella and Tomato

THIS MONTH’S RESTAURANT

Franco’s Italian Caffe $$$

4327 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale 480-481-7614 francosscottsdale.com

Portobello Mushroom $11.00

(Roasted, sliced and drizzled with a vinaigrette)

Grilled veggie and mushroom lovers as we are, we couldn’t resist ordering this appetizer.

A generous serving of thickly sliced, beautifully charred portobello arrived for us to share.

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Contact A. Noshman at a.noshman@azjewishlife.com

It was still hot from the grill, had a wonderful texture and a smoky flavor. The vinaigrette added a nice, almost citrus tang – complimenting the meaty mushroom. A must try.

Bufala Mozzarella and Tomato $14.00 (Fresh mozzarella over sliced tomato, served with an arugula salad and vinaigrette)

Another beautiful appetizer served as fresh as it could be.

The cheese had almost a cream texture which complemented with firm and flavorful tomato. No drizzle of balsamic, as most restaurants do, but I did not miss it. There were only two slices of tomato and cheese which I felt was a bit sparse (probably because I loved it so much) but the side salad was plentiful and delicious. I truly enjoyed the bitterness of the fresh arugula with the sweet, citrusy and I believe parmesan-laden tangy dressing. I remember saying to my friend, “It is times like this I think I could become a vegetarian.”

Personally, I wouldn’t call it spicy, but I guess there is a little bit of heat to it. The filet was excellent, cooked to perfection (medium rare, just like I ordered) and some of the most tender, melt-in-your-mouth steak I’ve had in a long time. For me, there was a bit too much sauce which almost drowned this beautiful steak, so being resourceful, I simply scraped some off.

The veggies were all nicely done but played second fiddle for sure to the main event. All of this and a nice price, too – for a filet.

Ravioli

Governor’s Chocolate Cake

Tiramisu $8.75

(Traditional coffee flavored Italian custard made with ladyfingers and topped with cocoa)

This dessert has all of the flavors of a delightful tiramisu, especially with the cocoa topping, but fell a little flat for the both of us on texture. It was very wet. It made it a little soggy for me, though I must confess, we ate the entire dessert.

Governor’s Chocolate Cake $8.75 Ravioli $19.50

(Ravioli stuffed with Ricotta Romana cheese and spinach, served with a tomato basil sauce)

A small mountain of ravioli was laid before me, and I’m glad there were two of us because it was deceptively rich. All fresh ingredients wrapped in a sometimes firm noodle, each bite was mouthwatering. The sauce was very nice and ample. I found it a little salty for my taste; my eating-machine friend did not.

There was none to take home, so I guess that tells you we liked it just fine.

Filet Mignon All’Arrabiata $38.00

(Two pieces of filet cooked to order and covered in a spicy red sauce, served with carrots, spinach and roasted potatoes)

(Generous slice of chocolate layered cake with chocolate filling and chocolate icing)

It turns out that Governor Symington is a much better pastry chef than he was a governor. It is a heavenly slice of chocolate cake with layers of chocolate mousse filling. Almost like an ice box cake, served cold, as it should be. If you are sharing, be quick with your fork because this one is going to disappear. This cake is no crime.

Franco’s Italian Caffe is a gourmet restaurant with white linen tablecloths, but it manages that without being stuffy or pretentious. Instead, you find a relaxed, easy-going atmosphere with friendly staff who knows their menu. They are only open for dinner, and the meal always begins with a complimentary basket of assorted bread and oil. There’s no rush, take your time, enjoy your meal, and make sure you come back for more.

All’Arrabiata is a red Italian sauce made from garlic, tomatoes and red chili peppers, all cooked in olive oil.

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2017 53

Harvesting, storing and ome preserving herbs from & the garden ifestyle Preserving herbs allows you to enjoy fresh-from-the-garden

H L

flavor all year round. Photos courtesy Bonnie Plants.

By Melinda Myers

Enjoy herbs all year round. Harvest herbs now for garden-fresh meals and preserve a few for the winter ahead.

Snip a few leaves or leaf-covered stems as needed. For the same intensity of flavor, you generally need two to three times more fresh herbs than dried, except for rosemary, which has an equally strong flavor fresh or dried.

Continue harvesting herbs as needed throughout the growing season. And don’t worry about harming the plant; regular harvesting encourages new growth, which means more for you to harvest. Just be sure to leave enough foliage to maintain plant growth.

You can remove as much as half of the foliage from annual herb plants. This is about when the plants near their final height. You can remove up to one-third from established perennial plants that have been in the garden for several months or more. Harvest when the 54 JUNE/JULY 2017 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

plant has formed buds, but before they open into flowers for the greatest concentration of flavor. This is the perfect time to harvest herbs you plan to preserve.

Use a pair of garden scissors or pruners for faster and easier harvesting. Make your cuts above a set of healthy leaves to keep the plants looking good. Then preserve the flavor and zest of herbs with proper storage and preservation.

Store thin leafy herbs such as parsley and cilantro for up to a week in the refrigerator.

Place in a jar of water, like a flower arrangement, and loosely cover with a plastic bag.

Keep basil out of the fridge to avoid discoloration and store other herbs on the counter for quick and frequent use.

Wrap dry thicker-leafed herbs like sage and thyme in a paper towel, set inside a plastic bag and place in a warmer section of the refrigerator.

Freeze sprigs, whole leaves or chopped clean

Store thin leafy herbs such as parsley and cilantro for up to a week in the refrigerator.

herbs on a cookie sheet. Or pack clean diced herbs in ice cube trays and fill the empty spaces with water. These are great for use in soups and stews.

Store the frozen herbs and ice cubes in an airtight container or baggie in the freezer.

Or bundle several stems together, secure with a rubber band and use a spring-type clothespin to hang them in a warm dry place to dry. Make your own drying rack from an old embroidery hoop, string and S hooks. Visit Bonnie Plants do-it-yourself Herb Drying Rack project (bonnieplants. com) for detailed instructions.

Get creative and use some of your herbs to make a fragrant edible wreath.

Use fresh herbs that are flexible and easier to shape into a wreath. They will

dry in place and can be harvested as needed.

Speed up the drying process in the microwave. Place herbs on a paper towel-covered paper plate. Start with one to two minutes on high. Repeat for 30 seconds as needed until the herbs are brittle.

Store dried herbs in an airtight plastic or glass jar.

Keep enjoying these fresh-fromthe-garden flavors throughout the remainder of the season. And consider preserving a few for you, your family and friends to enjoy throughout the winter.

Melinda Myers has more than 30 years of horticulture experience and has written more than 20 gardening books, including Small Space Gardening. Visit melindamyers.com for more tips and gardening videos.

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2017 55

SENIORS

Roberta Elliott:

Embrace the refugee

The refugee camp in Ritsona, Greece.

Photo by Roberta Elliott.

By Sheila Wilensky

As the daughter of a Jewish refugee, Roberta Elliott knows “the heart and soul of a stranger better than most.” Her father, Franz Engel, left Vienna at age 29 – five months after Hitler’s invasion in 1938. He went into hiding then spent two years in a French alien camp. He ended up working for HIAS: Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society for eight months in Lisbon in exchange for passage to the United States.

Franz disembarked in Newark, NJ on Dec. 7, 1941, the day Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. If resettlement in a new land 56 JUNE/JULY 2017 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

wasn’t difficult enough, what a surprise it was to reach the United States the same time we entered World War II. Since her father’s death in 1993, Roberta has physically retraced his steps through Europe. A writer who has also worked for Hadassah and HIAS, her lifelong quest has been striving to ensure a safe passage for refugees.

During retirement, that quest has intensified, inspired by her father’s history and Leviticus 19:33-34: “The strangers who sojourn with you shall be to you as the natives among you, and you shall love them as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”

“Fortunately, everything in my life is integrated,” says Roberta. “I’ve spent my life working in the Jewish community.”

For the past dozen years, Roberta has been actively engaged in a very diverse Reconstructionist synagogue, Bnai Keshet, in Montclair, New Jersey; she and her husband live in Tucson part of the year.

“I just recently realized that my direction is strongly influenced by my rabbi. He’s a seeker of social justice, as am I. He’s turned me into not just a seeker, but a change agent for social justice,” she states.

In Tucson last spring Roberta delved into the Arizona/ Mexico border with the Samaritans, a project started by a local Presbyterian church. Her first time before heading into the Sonoran Desert with two other retirees, “I attended training that carefully laid out the legal framework by which we are able to carry out our mission,” she explains. “We learned that we are able to provide humanitarian aid – food, water and

H2-Oh what a great place to live.

Roberta sorts shoes for distribution in Vienna, Austria in 2015.

medical assistance – but are forbidden to abet an illegal in reaching his or her American destination.”

Roberta also volunteered with Iskashitaa Refugee Network, a local nonprofit that intersects food justice with refugee assistance. In the early 2000s, Barbara Eiswerth, an environmental scientist and activist troubled by the thousands of citrus trees overloaded with unused fruit in private backyards, at public institutions and in empty lots, got the brilliant idea to put refugees to work to help other refugees.

Instead of going to waste, hundreds of pounds of citrus were harvested and donated to refugees.

Roberta’s work didn’t stop in Tucson. Last June, she spent two weeks assisting refugees in Greece. “Although my time was interesting and worthwhile, the vast number of volunteers were 20-somethings,” she says, adding that “being in a refugee camp was a very sobering and upsetting experience for someone who grew up in the lap of luxury on the East Coast.”

Eight hundred families, including around 500 children, were housed in 150 tents at a refugee camp in Ritsona, Greece.

It was around 100 degrees. “When was the last time since

Yes, we have a pool.

It’s nice. It’s refreshing. And it’s calling your name. But that’s not the only reason La Siena is such a great place to live.

There’s also the many options you’ll find for fitness, socializing, healthy fine dining, and more. And if you need a little help, we offer assisted living services, too.

We invite you to see it all for yourself at a complimentary lunch and tour.

Please call 602.910.6319 to schedule.

I n de p e n de n t & A s s i s t e d L i v i ng

909 East Northern Avenue • Phoenix, AZ SRGseniorliving.com • 602.910.6319 ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2017 57

Roberta captures her reflection while two refugee girls play.

antiquity you heard of a successful Greek military campaign?” asks Roberta.“Yet the military ran the camp operation.”

There was no ventilation. Tent flaps couldn’t be left open because of swarming mosquitoes and poisonous snakes.

Refugees slept on the ground. “No human beings should be warehoused in these camps. They were nightmares,” she affirms.

With no social support system in Greece, Roberta returned to her hotel at night exhausted. For a month after arriving home in New Jersey, she says, “I had mild PTSD.” This summer, Roberta decided to get two friends to return to Greece with her for two weeks in July. All of the arrangements for their upcoming trip will be made on Facebook, through “amazing” grassroots organizations that have sprung up all over the place. At this point, she and her friends are researching opportunities for meaningful work in the Victoria Square 58 JUNE/JULY 2017 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

area of Athens where most of the refugee squats (abandoned buildings) are.

“We are facing a modern-day Exodus of dramatic proportions,” notes Roberta. “There are 65 million displaced persons in the world; 12 million in Syria and 4 million refugees outside of Syria. In Greece at the moment, there are 47,000 refugees.”

Lamenting that she never knew the name of the Austrian family who helped her father hide his family’s possessions in Vienna, that she won’t ever be able to thank them, Roberta is adamant about doing her part – bearing witness – in the current crisis.

“My spiritual life and my private life are of a whole,” says Roberta. “We’re put on this Earth for a reason, and it’s to help those who need help.”

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SENIORS

Joyce Stern Greenberg, and her daughter-in-law, Sandy Greenberg star in “Committee of Two.”

The Greenberg Gals are a “Committee of Two”

By Melissa Hirschl

Two songbirds turned snowbirds have given new meaning to the term, “make it a double.” Joyce Stern Greenberg, and her daughter-in-law, Sandy Greenberg; part-time residents of Sun City Grand and the Chicago area, performed “Committee of Two,” last winter in Arizona. A lighthearted musical, with script and song lyrics by Joyce, the cabaret features two aging ingénues who have reunited to plan their college reunion.

They played to standing ovations last winter, at The Colonnade retirement community in Sun City Grand and also at the Sun City West Foundation Building, with their humorous outlook on aging. The pair’s outstanding musical director/ accompanist, Allan Kaye, flew in from Chicago for these special performances.

“Throughout my life, I have worked with people of all ages,” says Joyce. I created inter-generational shows in Chicago, and it thrills me to see the joy that people of any age can have when 60 JUNE/JULY 2017 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

expressing themselves through drama or song.”

Like Shirley Temple, Joyce showed the world what she was capable of at a very young age – 3. Singing and dancing her heart out, she frequently performed with her brother, who accompanied her on his accordion. At 5, tap and dance lessons rounded out her burgeoning talents. “My mom, who would later become my accompanist, was always promoting us, carrying around clippings, and getting us gigs,” says Joyce. “She was a real driving force. During World War II, we performed for servicemen at USO’s, veterans hospitals, and even on street corners, selling bonds and stamps for the war effort.”

In her teens, Joyce began to work professionally as a singing comedienne. She also wrote song parodies and individualized them for events of all kinds, including bat and bar mitzvahs and anniversary parties. The scope of Joyce’s talents continued to evolve over time. At 16, she taught singing and drama, and at 17, she took 70 students on a tour of Chicago to perform for Jewish groups like Hadassah, B’nai B’rith and others.

Her involvement in the many facets of show business has been life-long, and even includes a 10-year stint as Artistic Director at Oakton Community College in Skokie, IL, where she conducted drama workshops for seniors and directed the nationally recognized “Acting Up!” troupe of seniors, which she also guided in writing their own original musicals.

During her college years at Northwestern University, Joyce befriended fellow speech/drama student, Judy Samuelson. The two came to learn the true meaning of the timeless saying “good things come to those who wait.” Their paths crossed once more, 50 years after graduation, when Judy was part-owner of the Wilmette Theater in Wilmette, IL. “The theater presented live stage shows, and I had always wanted to do intergenerational musicals,” says Joyce. “So I created a proposal.

Little did I know that I would be presenting it to Judy. Excited by the prospect, she agreed to produce the shows, which I created, directed and hosted between 2009 and 2012.”

In 2012, Judy left her position at the theater, but Joyce’s creative juices kept on flowing. She came up with the idea of writing a musical for the two of them based on their reallife experience of meeting 50 years after graduation. Thus, “Committee of Two” was born. “Judy was my first partner in the show, and we actually performed it for a real Northwestern reunion,” says Joyce. “The following year, my daughter-in-law, Sandy stepped in, when Judy couldn’t continue. “It helped that she sang in the same key as Judy,” Joyce says with a smile. “It made life really easy for our accompanist.”

Sandy’s life has also been a rich tapestry of performance arts, and her background includes singing at Temple Beth El in

Illinois. “Singing and dancing have been in every part of my life,” says Sandy. “My mother was enthusiastic about the arts, and every chance she got, she’d bring me to operas, ballets, plays or musicals.” Sandy eventually received a scholarship to Loyola University in Chicago, where she earned a degree in theater arts. For many years of her adult life, she worked in banking and continued to perform in local theater productions. That is where she met Earle Greenberg, who was entranced when he saw her play Marion in the “Music Man.” Since then, she has been his leading lady and being a singer/actor himself; they have performed in numerous musicals together over the last 27 years. “Our son grew up watching us dance, act and sing,” says Sandy.

Both Joyce and Sandy have the fortune to have had lifetime support of friends, teachers and spouses. “When I got married to my husband Donald,” says Joyce, “I still needed to be involved in the creative world; directing, teaching or acting. I didn’t know any other life. I feel so blessed that my husband and my parents recognized something in me and encouraged me. I have done the same with my children – who are now also involved with musical theater and visual arts. I can’t imagine what my life would have been if I didn’t have the opportunities to explore whatever talent I had.”

Joyce and Sandy will be back next winter, performing “Committee of Two,” although venues are yet to be determined.

The women are available for performances at luncheons, banquets, fundraisers, special events, reunions and retirement communities. For more information, contact Committee of Two at 847-254-0898 or contact@committeeoftwo.com.

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FAMLY TIME

s d i K too s n e e T &

J

Boosting a child’s immune system by eating what???

By Debra Rich Gettleman

Just when you thought parenting couldn’t get any more confusing, a researcher challenges a begetter belief to be as conventional as chocolate cake.

Lately, it’s harder and harder to be a parent. A March study in the journal Pediatrics proffered that the long-term cognitive benefits of breastfeeding were negligible to non-existent. This past February, at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Boston, Dr. Brett Finlay suggested that our obsession with hygiene and a squeaky clean water supply could be responsible for the upsurge in childhood asthma. None of the hypotheses offered are as damning as the news out of Canada by biochemist, Scott Napper Ph.D., that eating boogers may boost children’s immune systems. What?

Since Neanderthal times, parents have sternly chastised children to “Stop picking your nose!”

If a toddler took the additional step of eating picked nose spoils, parents have been known to explode with shame, rage and disgust as they physically restrained youngsters from further digging and dining. But in this topsy-turvy world of political mayhem and virtual reality, it’s no wonder that our most reliable tenets are being turned on their ears.

According to Dr. Napper, all kids try to taste things that come out of their noses. Perhaps nature is pushing kids to adapt this very behavior. Accepting that nose picking can boost one’s immunity to illness is a more unconventional view of human biological processes. Dr. Napper told his college biochemistry class at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada that the reason snot tastes so sweet is a signal to the body that it should be eaten and that perhaps the immune system was dependent upon information obtained from the pathogens contained in the mucus.

62 JUNE/JULY 2017 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

“From an evolutionary perspective, we evolved under very dirty conditions, and maybe this desire to keep our

environment and our behaviors sterile

isn’t actually working to our advantage.”

–Dr. Brett Finlay

Maybe toddlers are just fulfilling their bodies’ true evolutionary destiny.

Mucus is secreted by tissue lining the mouth, nose, throat, lungs and gastrointestinal tracts. It traps bacteria, dust and other unwanted pathogens before they enter the body. Dried out mucus and its collection of undesirables are what we’ve come to know as boogers. He harkened back to the whole “hygiene hypothesis” by James T. Li, M.D., Ph.D. of the Mayo Clinic that claims that early exposure to germs and certain infections boost children’s immune systems.

“From an evolutionary perspective,” Dr. Napper told reporters, “We evolved under very dirty conditions, and maybe this desire to keep our environment and our behaviors sterile isn’t actually working to our advantage.”

Dr. Napper’s plan to test his theory is to set up a clinical study where all volunteers get an immune-boosting molecule delivered up their noses. Half the group is instructed to pick and eat the molecule while the other half leaves the molecule intact inside the nose. Then the good doctor plans to measure immune responses, and if they are higher in the booger-eaters he’ll be able to validate his hypothesis. (I’m really not making this up.)

When asked about the theory, William Schaffner, M.D., past president of the National Foundation of Infectious Diseases, expresses doubt. Dr. Schaffner contends that people ingest boogers all the time without actively picking and eating them. “Because it’s part of your own body fluids,” explains Dr. Schaffner, “You swallow nasal secretions all the time during the day and while you’re asleep.”

Thus, the great booger debate continues. Scientific findings may evolve and change, but there remains important parental advice that cannot be questioned surrounding this critical issue. Remind your young ones that you can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose. However, you still can’t pick your friend’s nose.

Debra Rich Gettleman is a mother, blogger, actor and playwright. For more of her work, visit unmotherlyinsights.com

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2017 63

J

K iednsstoo Summer Calendar & te

June 7, 14, 21 & 28

WESTERN WEDNESDAYS at Scottsdale’s Museum

of the West, 3830 N Marshall Way, Scottsdale from 10 am-1 pm. The museum will have engaging and educational activities for children ages 6-14. 480-686-9539 or scottsdalemuseumwest.org

June 10, July 15 & August 12

PARENT’S NIGHT OUT at Xtreme Gymnastics,

15821 N 79th St. #3, Scottsdale from 6-10 pm. Leave your kids for a fun-filled Saturday evening of gymnastics fun, games and group activities while you go out and have a lively time of your own! For ages 3-12; open to non-members. $24/individual, $58/family. Reservations required. 480-596-3543 or xtreme@xtremegymnastics. com.

June 16

Through Sept. 3 (Sundays)

S.T.E.A.M. SUNDAYS at the Children’s Museum Tucson, 200 S 6th Ave., Tucson. Features S.T.E.A.M.-based (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) educational programming on Sundays, with reduced admission all day of only $3 per person. 520-792-9985 or childrensmuseumtucson.org.

June 2

TOT SHABBAT at 5:45-7:15 pm at Congregation Anshei Israel, 5550

FAMILY SHABBAT at Congregation Anshei Israel, 5550 E 5th St., Tucson from 5:45 pm (service), 7 pm (dinner). This interactive and upbeat Shabbat celebration for families incorporates fun-spirited melodies and family-themed activities. We’ll share Shabbat dinner, followed by Open Lounge in the Youth Center with games and fun. $25 per family (two adults & up to 4 children); adults (13+) $10 per person. RSVP by June 12 to Kim, 520-745-5550 ext. 224 or edasst@caiaz.org.

June 18

FAMILY DRUMMING WORKSHOP at the Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E Mayo Blvd., Phoenix from 11 am-4 pm. Catch the rhythm and learn the basics of African, Latin and pop-music hand drumming with master instructor Frank Thompson. $12/person; does not include museum admission. 480-478-6047 or mim.org.

July 2

SUMMER DIVE-IN MOVIE at the Valley of the Sun Jewish

E 5th St., Tucson. Special Kabbalat Shabbat Service for young families to welcome the Sabbath with stories and songs, followed by kid-friendly Shabbat dinner. $25 per family (2 adults & up to 4 children). Additional adults $10 per person. RSVP by May 2 to Kim, 520-745-5550 ext. 224 or edasst@caiaz.org.

Community Center, 12701 N Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale at 7:45 pm.

Grab a towel, family and friends for an evening of fun featuring family friendly movie from the cool of the pool! For details and pricing, visit vosjcc.org/diveinmovie.

June 3-Aug 26 (Saturdays)

July 4

River Road, Tucson from 11-11:30 am. 9:30-10 am Hebrew reading for elementary school-aged children; 11 am-noon conversational Hebrew, prayers, stories, Torah reading for birth to grade 6.

Also, join us for PJ Library story time. Free. 520-577-1171 or cbsaz.org.

Jewish Community Center, 12701 N Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale from 1-4 pm. Two sparkling pools, live DJ, music, kids’ activities, fitness classes, rock climbing wall, splash pad and so much more! Everyone welcome!

Members and children under 2 are free. $3 adult guests; $2 children ages 2 & older. For more information, visit vosjcc.org/summersplash.

SHABBAT EXPERIENCE at Congregation Bet Shalom, 3881 E

June 4-July 30 (Sundays)

JCATION STAYCATION SUMMER SPLASH SERIES at the

Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center, 12701 N Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale from 11 am-2 pm. Grab your towel and spend the afternoon at The J. Two sparkling pools, weekly themes, live DJ, kids’ activities, fitness classes, rock climbing wall, splash pad and so much more!

Everyone welcome! Members and children under 2 are free. $3 adult guests; $2 children ages 2 & older. For more information, visit vosjcc.org/ summersplash.

64 JUNE/JULY 2017 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

JCATION RED, WHITE & BLUE BASH at the Valley of the Sun

July 7

TOT KABBALAT SHABBAT at Temple Emanu-El, 225 N Country Club Road, Tucson from 5-7 pm. Child-centered service with songs, stories and music led by Rabbi Batsheva Appel. Shabbat dinner of kosher chicken and sides (vegetarian upon request), followed by dessert oneg on the playground. $10 adults, under 13 free. 520-327-4501 or templeemanueltucson.org.

CAMPS CONGREGATION ANSHEI ISRAEL SUMMER CAMP for ages 2-6 offers weekly sessions June 5-July 21.

5550 E 5th St., Tucson. 520-745-5550 ext. 229 or caiaz.org.

EAST VALLEY JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER holds Camp Rimon through August 4 for kids entering K through grade 9; CIT Program for grades 10-12. 908 N Alma School Road, Chandler. 480-897-0588 or evjcc.org.

FRIENDLY PINES CAMP offers 1- & 2-week overnight camp

sessions June 11-July 22 in the cool pines of Prescott for ages 6-13. 888281-CAMP or friendlypines.com.

For children entering grades K-10

Every summer has its own story.

What story will your child tell?

TEMPLE KOL AMI EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER holds

Campl Kol Ami for non-napping 3s and preK only. 2-day to 2-week themed sessions from May 29-July 28. 15030 N 64th St., Scottsdale. 480-9515825 or templekolami.org/early-childhood-center.

TUCSON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER summer camp’s theme is Lights, Camera, Camp J! 2-week sessions for all ages run through August 9. 3800 E River Road, Tucson. 520-299-3000 or tucsonjcc.org.

VALLEY OF THE SUN JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER

holds Shemesh Summer Day Camp weekly through August 4 for grades K-8. 12701 N Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. 480-634-4949 or youth@ vosjcc.org.

XTREME GYMNASTICS is holding Fit-n-Fun Summer Day Camp weekly for ages 3-12 through July 28. 15821 N 79th St., Scottsdale. 480596-3543 or xtremegymnastics.com.

Traditional, Specialty & Travel Camps are filling fast!

$3 ADMISSION EVERY SUNDAY

MAY 28 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 3

Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math all summer long!

200 S. 6th Ave. in Downtown Tucson 520.792.9985 ChildrensMuseumTucson.org

 ﹕

• Weekly field trips • Swim & Splash pad • Specialized teen programming • Circus School • LEGO™ Robotics Open • Science to all!

• Art & Performance • Best local sports experts • Exciting out-of-state adventures

Don’t let your child miss out.

Register today!

vosjcc.org/ShemeshSummer2017  ﹕

youth@vosjcc.org | 480.634.4949 | vosjcc.org 12701 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale 85254 ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2017 65

ISRAEL

Solemn events mark Yom Hazikaron

SCOTTSDALE Yom Hazikaron (Israeli Memorial Day) is different in its character and mood from the American Memorial Day. In Israel, for 24 hours (from sunset to sunset), all places of public entertainment (theaters, cinemas, nightclubs, bars, etc.) are closed. It begins at sundown (8 pm) when a siren is sounded across the country for one minute. Everybody stops what they are doing, including cars driving on the highway, and observes the silence to show their respect and remember the fallen. That evening, the official State Ceremony to mark the start of Yom Hazikaron takes place at the Western Wall (the Kotel) in Jerusalem. Unlike in many other countries, Israel’s wars have taken place at home. Being a small country, almost everybody 66 JUNE/JULY 2017 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

knows somebody who died in the country’s wars making Yom Hazikaron an incredibly personal time of remembrance.

The following day, a siren sounds for two minutes, at 11 am, and again the country stops to remember. Following this, memorial ceremonies take place across the country – either public or private, to remember the country’s fallen.

All radio and television stations broadcast programs portraying the lives and heroic deeds of fallen soldiers. Most of the broadcasting time is devoted to Israeli songs that convey the mood of the day.

The Israeli American Council – Arizona held a Yom Haz-

ikaron event at the Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus in Scottsdale on April 30. The guest speaker of the evening was 1st. Lt. Ohad Roisblat, commander of an APC in the Gaza

neighborhood of Shujaiyeh during Operation Protective Edge.

Ohad led the Golani Brigade into battle. On July 20, 2014, during one of the most difficult battles in Gaza, their unit

was hit. Ohad lost 7 of his recruits that day. He was severely wounded himself and was evacuated to a hospital.

He shared his dramatic story and described the minutes after his vehicle was hit by an anti-tank rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) and went up in flames. “No one spoke. There was

nothing. Only the APC [armored personnel carrier] going up

in flames. And you are really close to the fire. It was a horrible feeling. I took out the only weapon I had – a hand grenade; I

put it up against me, and simply told myself ‘I won’t come out of this alive.’”

The evening also included performances by local artists and Shevet Shemesh (Israeli Scouts of Arizona) members and

counselors singing the Hatikvah and The Star Spangled Banner. Marty Haberer, executive director of the Jewish FederaFAR LEFT: Shevet Shemesh Members performing, from left: Orian Wandrove, Jordan Sagy, Lee Burstin and Dana Ozer.

ABOVE: Guest speaker Ohad Roisblat, left, with Shahar Edry IAC-AZ regional director.

LEFT: Shevet Shemesh Counselors singing the Hatikvah and The Star Spangled Banner.

tion of Greater Phoenix, was the master of ceremonies.

TUCSON

The Weintraub Israel Center of Tucson held a Yom Hazikaron ceremony at the Tucson Jewish Community Center on April RIGHT: From left, Israelis Or Maoz, University of Arizona Hillel Foundation Israel Fellow; Bar Alkaher, Tucson shinshin; Netanel Achituv, Tucson Hebrew Academy teacher-emissary; Yuval Barel, daughter of Tucson shlicha Oshrat Barel; and Leah Avuno, Tucson shinshin, perform at the Yom Hazikaron ceremony.

Photo by Marty Johnston

30. More than 100 people attended the ceremony, to honor Israel’s fallen soldiers and victims of terror. The ceremony was preceded by “My Israel Moment,” reminiscences from local rabbis and Jewish community leaders. Marking the 50th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem, the ceremony included reflections on the 1967 Six-Day War.

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2017 67

SOSA’s Tel Aviv offices.

First-ever construction-tech hub opens in Israel

By Abigail Klein Leichman

The Israeli launch of the world’s first construction-tech hub aims to provide construction companies and realestate developers everywhere access to disruptive high-tech innovation.

Announced on April 27, the Construction Innovation Zone is a unique joint project of the Israel Builders Association, the Tel Aviv-based SOSA platform for global startup ecosystems, the Israeli Construction and Housing Ministry and the Israeli Economy Ministry.

“The state of Israel has proven itself as a leader in the world of high-tech and innovation, changing the way we communicate, the way we drive and now the way we build,” said Minister of Construction and Housing Yoav Gallant at the launch held at SOSA, where the hub will be based.

“We are championing the combination of new technologies 68 JUNE/JULY 2017 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

to create new models of operation, improve methods of construction and accelerate production times. This initiative will lead to progress and innovation in the construction industry, and as more and more startups join, and as the program expands to new industries, many more breakthroughs will be created,” Yoav stated.

Software and hardware solutions for the actual building process – as well as planning, managing and financing construction projects – are included under the rather new construction-tech umbrella.

Drones and robots

“We are in a unique position to create the next ‘it’ technology field,” says Uzi Scheffer, CEO of SOSA. “Much like the efforts the Israeli government took to spark the auto-tech

industry with grants and a positive regulatory environment, our partnership will help lay the groundwork for the fundamental disruption of the multi-trillion-dollar global construction and real-estate development industry.”

Connecting the two huge industries of construction and high-tech necessitates creating a niche ecosystem in Israel, involving startups, investors, academia, government agencies, regulators and service providers.

new and established companies with cutting-edge solutions for the traditionally conservative construction sector.

“The Israel Builders Association is trying to actualize the potential that the global high-tech community can offer to the ‘low-tech’ world of construction, which until now has remained under their radar,” said Chaim Feiglin, vice president of the Israel Builders Association.

Pain points in the construction industry are similar worldwide, yet Uzi says SOSA searched unsuccessfully for construction-tech hubs anywhere else.

Given Israel’s robust and geographically dense innovation ecosystem and its collaborative business culture, situating the Construction Innovation Zone in the startup nation makes sense.

“Construction technology is really an unexplored vertical,”

“Most of the companies in this ecosystem will be Israeli, but not all. We will start locally, but we see huge opportunity for this Minister of Construction and Housing Yoav Gallant speaking at the SOSA Construction Zone program,” says Uzi. launch on April 27. Photo by Ofer Amram Examples of Israeli companies that already offer high-tech products for construction include Dronomy of Tel says Uzi. “Through SOSA’s unique and extensive network we’re Aviv and Beyon3D of Herzliya. able to take new verticals and position them fast and efficiently Dronomy uses off-the-shelf drones to inspect construction in the center of the high-tech industry and connect them to the sites autonomously, creating 2D and 3D models to compare relevant people. We have the ability to help corporations tap actual progress against building plans in order to spot any into innovation taking place not only in their industries, but in discrepancies. “This will have a huge impact, and it doesn’t take others as well.” much to implement it,” Uzi comments.

SOSA, founded in 2013 by 20 Israeli innovation pioneers Beyon3D offers a fully automatic robotic manufacturing including Rami Beracha and Chemi Peres, helps corporations process to turn a 2D drawing or 3D model into a prefabricated and individual members engage with startups across various building component using high-grade concrete and gypsum verticals. SOSA will work with the Economy Ministry’s Israel mixes and a self-leveling sealer for coating and finishing.

NewTech program, which focuses on the development of full ecosystems involving stakeholders with a common vision.

Uzi says that startups and established companies in the fields “This initiative with SOSA, the Ministry of Economy, and of project management, supply-chain management and fin-tech the Ministry of Construction and Housing, will connect our also are of interest to construction companies. industry with the high-tech world, and help actualize the monumental potential which Israel can bring to the world of construction technology,” says Chaim.

Tapping into innovation

The Israel Builders Association’s 2,000 members will help identify pain points, and will work with SOSA to create open innovation programs leading to pilots and partnerships with

This article provided by Israel21c.org.

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2017 69

Summer fun in Israel

The water park at the Shefayim Kibbutz Hotel in Israel.

By Teddy Weinberger

The school year in Israel runs from Sept. 1 through June 30. Israeli kids especially look forward to hahofesh ha-gadol (“the big vacation,” as summer break is universally called here), because they go to school six days a week. So during the school year they seldom get a chance to sleep over at a friend’s (if they have parents like me and Sarah) or to have a lazy morning (unless they are not synagogue-goers).

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70 JUNE/JULY 2017 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

Summer camps begin during the first week of July, and last for about three weeks. Almost all of these are day camps.

The regular camping sessions end with July and there are few camping options in August. This is where the “family fun” part comes in.

There are many family-friendly options for touring Israel, and because Israel is a small country, driving distances are eminently manageable – a three-hour drive is considered a very long drive in Israel. Since there is absolutely no chance of rain in the summer, you don't have to be an especially talented “woods person” to go camping, and many families do so at one of Israel’s beautiful nature reserves.

However, because I do all the cooking in our family and I want our family vacation to be a vacation for me, as well, we elect to go to places that have a (kosher) meal plan. Options here range from hotels (in some cases these can be more reasonable than you might imagine) to kibbutz guest houses, to youth hostels, to Society for the Preservation of Nature Field Schools. These Field Schools are an excellent way of touring the country. Each of the schools runs programs covering its particular geographical area. Tours are usually in Hebrew, though the society also conducts tours in English. It’s amazing how, if I am the one to plan a particular hike, all of my children become critics and carefully weigh the pros and cons of my proposed trek before rendering their verdicts, but with a hike organized by a third party everyone falls in line.

Americans touring in Israel will be struck by the absence of warning signs, guardrails and security fences that routinely surround any area in the States with even the remotest possibility of danger. My Mom suggests that this is because Israelis have more of a sense of personal responsibility. It could be, too, that thanks to living in various states of war for so long, Israelis have a more liberal sense of what constitutes danger. In any case, don’t be surprised if you find yourself at the edge of a cliff on what was advertised as a “moderate” hike.

Then there are Israel’s beautiful beaches, plus surefire kidpleasers like water parks. We combined both a few summers ago in staying at the Shefayim Kibbutz Hotel just north of Tel Aviv. Kibbutz Shefayim has a gorgeous semi private beach (where a lifeguard served us watermelon on a tray while we were sitting in the shade), plus it runs a huge water park complete with wave pool, water slides and inner tubes.

Summertime is also a chance to hear some great outdoor concerts. And this being Israel, you may find top Israeli performers coming right to your neighborhood. Over the years, some of Israel’s top artists have given summer concerts right here in Givat Ze'ev.

At the end of August, Sarah and I are planning to get away for a few days to a lovely B&B in the North. Summer is nice here in Israel, and taking a vacation from “family fun” is nice, too.

Teddy Weinberger, Ph.D., writes from Givat Ze’ev, a suburb of Jerusalem just over the Green Line. He and his wife, Sarah Jane Ross, made aliyah in 1997 with their five children. Teddy is director of development for Meaningful, a company that works with Israeli nonprofit organizations.

Finding Meaning In Life’s Challenges

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L iving

Amy Hirshberg Lederman

The number 40 in the Jewish tradition holds a unique spot in our history and collective psyche.

The flood lasted for 40 days. Moses went up to the mountain to receive the Torah for 40 days and 40 nights. The Hebrew people wandered in the desert for 40 years. We are forbidden to study Kabbalah until we have reached the age of 40. And the list goes on.

I am not a superstitious person. In fact, I am downright skeptical about things like palm readers, tarot cards and Ouija boards. Yet I can’t help but think that it was more than a mere coincidence that my own life-altering experience occurred during the month that I celebrated my 40th birthday.

It had been a banner year for me. My law practice was booming, my two young children were thriving, and my husband and I celebrated our 10th anniversary – still very much in love. “If only I could stop the clock right now,” I thought, recalling the many times I had heard my father say those words to me when I was young.

Then I got really sick. Things escalated from bad to worse as I lay in bed delirious, my fever inching above 105 degrees. It took several days of my husband’s persistence until I was diagnosed with Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a potentially fatal reaction to the sulfa antibiotic I was taking.

Weeks of steroids later, I re-entered life with a puffy face and a renewed appreciation for how precious and precarious life can be.

What occurred during those few bleak days, however, is what I have come to view as a wakeup call from God. For during that time something sparked inside of me and I soon realized that, like it or not, there was no turning back. Four months later, while I was eating breakfast with my husband, I told him about my epiphany.

“I’m thinking of closing my law practice to study Judaism,” I said as I stirred milk into my coffee.

“And I’m thinking of growing my hair long and becoming a rock star,” he crooned back.

Several hundred conversations later, I embarked on a journey that changed my life for the better in ways too numerous to count. I sold my law practice that year and began to study, learn, teach and write about Judaism. Now, almost 24 years later, I realize that I didn’t just have a career change. I had a life change. For in pursuing my dream, I gave myself the opportunity to find out who I was and what I most deeply value.

I look back on what happened in my 40th year as more than mere coincidence. There was a reason I got sick, although I certainly didn’t understand it at the time. Whether it happened because of an infection, a faulty medical diagnosis or Divine intervention, it opened the doors of my heart to help me understand something important about my life.

I, like everyone, have faced numerous challenges throughout my life, many of which make no sense at the time and are overwhelming to navigate. When my husband, Ray, was diagnosed with lung cancer at 61, no one could believe it. How could a healthy, non-smoker who had just retired get cancer? Why him? Why now? Why? What I learned through Ray’s illness and since his death has served to fortify what I began to understand at 40. That it is not in spite of the challenges we face but through them that we arrive at a deeper awareness of who we are and what we value.

We alone can decide if we will let our experiences become catalysts for personal growth or stumbling blocks to our development. We alone will determine if loss, grief and hardship will open up our hearts or close them.

I have come to appreciate that our challenges can serve as teachers and touchstones for valuable life lessons.

Anything we fear teaches us the courage to overcome fear. Anything we can’t control teaches us how to let go and have faith that we will be able to handle the outcome, whatever it is. And perhaps most importantly, anything we lose teaches us that it is because of the uncertainty and impermanence of life, that we must strive to make the most of the time that we are given.

Amy Hirshberg Lederman has written more than 300 columns and essays that have been published nationwide. amyhirshberglederman.com ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2017 71

The Caravan is coming!

The Tzofim Friendship Caravan is celebrating over 40 years of bringing excitement, energy and friendship to North America. Founded in 1973, the first Caravan came to the United States to bring a message of hope and peace for Israel. Since that first Caravan, the program has grown to three different groups traveling across North America, from New York to California to Wyoming and Tennessee, spreading joy and goodwill for Israel.

Each Caravan is made up of a group of five girls and five boys, ages 16 to 17, and their two leaders. They are chosen to be members of the Caravan based on their maturity, fluency 72 JUNE/JULY 2017 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

in English, and of course their talent in the performing arts.

After several rounds of competitive auditions and interviews, the scouts spend a year training and rehearsing for their exciting summer in North America.

The Caravan is visiting Arizona this summer from June 11 to 20. The leaders of this group will be Chen Shachar and Yoni Michalowsky. Both Chen and Yoni began with the scouts at the age of 9 and have been counselors as well as participants in the Caravan tour in 2010. Upon their return, they set their sights on becoming leaders. “Being a part of this project was the most powerful experience I've ever had, and the combination

between being a leader of 10 wonderful teenagers and strengthening the bond between Israel and the U.S.A., seemed to me as the most meaningful job I could ever choose,” says Chen. Yoni has a similar reason for becoming a Caravan leader, “After finishing the military service in the IDF, I looked for a meaningful job combining leadership and education. The amazing experience being part of the 2010 Midwest Caravan led me to that decision,” he says.

Preparation for the Caravan starts in January. The group meets every weekend to practice for the performances and plan educational activities. The leaders meet separately during the week to learn about their responsibilities and how to manage their team. “We believe in trust, and therefore we build it as a group from the start,” explains Yoni. “I want to make sure that the kids, communities and Chen and I have a meaningful experience.”

After the tour, both Chen and Yoni plan on traveling for a bit before returning to Israel. But for now, they are most excited to be part of this experience once again. “To be coordinating and leading the Caravan instead of participating in it, looking from the side on the young Caravan members and watching them bloom, spreading happiness and joy around them, going through a process and creating deep connections with people they meet through their journey,” says Chen. “I’m very excited to be a part of this amazing project once again, and can’t wait to arrive in Phoenix with the best Caravan you have ever seen, and bring our Israeli Scouts spirit to you again!”

The schedule for Caravan performances: June 11: 11 am at Temple Beth Shalom

12202 N. 101st Ave., Sun City

4 pm at Cutler-Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center

122 E. Culver St., Phoenix June 12: 7 pm at Congregation Or Tzion

9096 E. Bahia Dr., Scottsdale June 13: 7 pm at Beth El Congregation

1118 W. Glendale Ave., Phoenix June 14: 7 pm at Temple Chai, 4645 E. Marilyn Road

Phoenix June 15: Temple B’rith Shalom, 2077 Brohner Way Prescott June 19: 7 pm at Temple Solel, 6805 E. McDonald Dr. Paradise Valley June 20: 7 pm at Temple Kol Ami, 15030 N. 64th St.

Scottsdale All performances are free and open to the public.

For more information, contact 480-216-4280 or visit israelscouts.org.

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mtsinaicemetery.com ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2017 73

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Desert Foothills Jewish Community’s Summer Film Festival

Desert Foothills Jewish Community Association has been providing fellowship and spiritual support since 1998. The purpose of DFJCA is to offer the Jewish community an unaffiliated organization for themselves and their friends. Meetings are held monthly, at the offices at Grayhawk, located at Thompson Peak Parkway and Hayden Road in Scottsdale, on the third Friday at 7 pm. They present a short original worship service, conducted by a ritual committee, followed by a Program and oneg Shabbat. They are not, and consciously elect not to be a formal temple or synagogue.

DFJCA is presenting its annual Summer Film Festival with three documentaries being shown monthly immediately following Shabbat services at 7 pm, at a north Scottsdale location.

The film festival was started years ago, as explained by Lewis Rappaport, president of the DFJCA, “Many of our members leave Arizona in the summer and yet, those who are here want a service so they can say yahrzeit, a Mishebeirach, etc. We came up with the idea of a regular service and the DFJCA Summer Film Festival to meet the needs of all our members.”

The following are the three films that were selected for the DFJCA Summer Film Festival.

FRIDAY, JULY 21

“Isa: The People's Diva”

Isa Kremer spoke Russian, Yiddish, Italian, French and Spanish. She lived life to the fullest as a beloved singer of authentic Yiddish songs. She was the first woman to perform Yiddish songs on the concert stage and legitimized the language as a valid part of Jewish culture. The film chronicles Isa's life across five decades. She performed in Istanbul, Poland, New York City (at Carnegie Hall) and at many other venues. Not only did her life parallel the major events of the 20th century, her career was directly affected by their aftermath.

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 18

“Detroit: Remember When the Jewish Community”

This film traces the roots of Jews in Detroit from the 1700s with the arrival of the first Jewish fur traders and culminates in the importance of Jewish leadership in the political, civil rights, arts, cultural, medical, hospitals and educational life of the region today. The film explores Jewish life in Detroit including the early days, discrimination, religious and cultural traditions, politics, civil rights, education, philanthropy and future leaders. This is an entertaining and enriching documentary for all.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15

“The Jewish Journey: America”

The film explores what it meant to be part of a tightknit Jewish community in the Old World and make the heartbreaking decision to leave family behind, whether for economic opportunity or to escape persecution. Incredible archival photographs and footage bring to life the personal stories of first to fourth generation Jewish Americans who took the leap of faith and made it to America.

First attendance is free. Membership to DFJCA is $60 per year. For additional information, contact Andrea at 623-7153930 or visit dfjca.org.

FEDERATION NOTES Living the Torah

By Marty Haberer

Shavuot. What a wonderful and special time! We stop, as a people, and joyously express our gratitude to G-d giving us the holiest of gifts, our beloved Torah that has sustained us and nurtured us to this very day.

Torah is a gift to the Jewish people, one perhaps that too many of us take for granted as we go about our day-to-day lives. Thus, Shavuot also is a reaffirmation, an opportunity to take time out, reflect, and rededicate ourselves to the principles embodied in this holiest of gifts.

Among these sacred principles, and one that is closest to my heart as executive director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix, is the imperative that we take care of one another. We are commanded to do this with love, compassion and concern for the well-being of Jews everywhere – in the Valley, in Israel and throughout the Jewish world.

For us – the wonderful lay leaders, dedicated staff, generous donors and partner agencies – the “us” that makes up our Federation, these core Torah principles are never far from our collective heart.

So, for me, the one blessed with the privilege of leading this great organization professionally, Shavuot is not only a time to express my gratitude to G-d for the gift of Torah and the way it has enriched my life. It also is a time to express my gratitude to all of you – our community – for your collective willingness to work together to build an even stronger Jewish future for all of us.

We are your Federation, helping Jews in need and building vibrant Jewish communities

Join us!

We have a variety of opportunities to engage your interests: Business & Professionals Groups - strengthens relationships among Jewish professionals through education, networking, and community and philanthropic engagement NowGen – engages young Jewish adults through meaningful programs that foster a deeper connection to Judaism and Jewish life in the Valley of the Sun Women’s Philanthropy – educates, engages and develops women as community leaders and raises funds to further the Federation’s mission

Marty Haberer is the executive director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix.

480.634.4900 | jewishphoenix.org ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2017 75

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FAC&EPLSACES

HAND PAINTED – The ladies of Congregation Beth Tefillah painted hamsas during Crafts & Cocktails in May with acclaimed Jewish artist Brooke Foster. Everyone went home with a unique acrylic painting. In Jewish tradition, the hamsa represents the hand.

CONFIRMATION CELEBRATION – At Temple Chai on May 6, members of the temple’s 5776 confirmation class celebrated with family and friends. From left: Mac McGraw and Quinn Akin are pictured with incoming 5777 Temple Chai Temple Youth (TCTY) president Isaac Weiss. Photo by Leni Reiss

LESSONS LEARNED – More than 60 guests attended the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix’s Corner Office: Lessons Learned from Jewish Business Leaders featuring panelists Rory Carder; president of Davis; Mitch Ginsberg, CEO of CommLoan; and Ari Spiro, president of ORION; and moderator Adam Goodman, president & CEO of Goodmans Interior Structures. The event was held May 3 at The Phoenix Plaza.

Pictured from left: Federation’s Business & Professionals Chair Adam Goodman with panelists Ari Spiro, Rory Carder and Mitch Ginsberg.

BOOK WORMS - Congregation Beth Tefillah’s April Bookclub read and discussed the book The Prime Ministers by Yehuda Avner. The book was a hit and the club had a great discussion about this literary masterpiece.

NO PLACE ON EARTH PREMIERE – Members of the Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival, Phoenix Holocaust Survivors Association and Generations After pose with cave explorer Chris Nicola at the soldout Southwest premiere of his film, “No Place on Earth,” held at the Cutler-Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center on May 7.

YOM HA’ATZMAUT – Congregation Beth Tefillah in conjunction with Gesher Disability Resources celebrated Israel, with song, dance and art!

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Pictured from left: Sandra Barckholtz, Chris Nicola, Belinda Richter, David Richter, Sheryl Bronkesh and Bob Segelbaum. Photo provided by Sandra Barckholtz

CONTINUING THE LEGACY – On April 20, Valley Beit Midrash hosted a book talk titled “Why Be Jewish? – Continuing the Legacy of Edgar Bronfman.”

The panel, held at Temple Kol Ami, was facilitated by Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz with with the book’s editor, Ruth Andrew Ellenson, and President of The Samuel Bronfman Foundation, Adam Bronfman serving as panelist.

The event was co-sponsored by the Jewish Book Council.

Pictured from left: Adam Bronfman, Ruth Andrew Ellenson, Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, and Suzanne Swift of the Jewish Book Council.

TRACING ROOTS AND BUILDING TREES – On April 30, at the end of year community reception for the Tracing Roots and Building Trees program in Tucson. This program brings together Jewish teens and seniors for learning, sharing and relationship building. Brian Litwak (left) is a resident at Handmaker and was paired with Emily Bregman (standing, right), a Tucson Hebrew High teen.

Pictured with her parents, Phil and Dani and cousin Sondra. Phil and Sondra are part of the Handmaker Family, who founded Handmaker Jewish Services for the Aging in 1963.

SHARING THEIR STORY – On April 20, speaker and author Marty Brounstein shared the story behind his book, Two Among the Righteous Few: A Story of Courage in the Holocaust at the 5th Annual Genocide Awareness Week at Scottsdale Community College. Marty is pictured with his wife, Leah Baars.

Photo by Nancy Neff

REPAIRING THE WORLD – On April 23, the Valley Beit Midrash Teen Mussar Fellows volunteered at St. Vincent de Paul as part of their service project for Repair the World. Pictured from left: Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, Max Pernick, Julien Polster, AJ Rosenthal, Rafi Turner, Jessica Zucker, Elise Nochomovitz, Allison Tarr (behind) and Meghan Dorn.

YEAR-END CELEBRATION: Temple Beth Sholom of the East Valley’s celebrate the last night of Hebrew High for this year.

Pictured: back row, from left: Jessica, Eli, Jaryd and Jeremy. Front row, standing, from left: Nitza, Leah, Sarah, Leah and Ruti (seated).

COLOR GUARD – Scottsdale Post 210 of the Jewish War Veterans participated in the Yom Hashoah Commemoration Ceremony at Temple Chai in Phoenix on April 23. Post 210 provided the Color Guard to open the event. Participants included Senior Vice Commander Fred Lipovitch and Commander Rochel Hayman.

PRESCHOOL GRADUATION – Temple Beth Sholom of the East Valley’s Sholom Preschool’s graduation celebration. From left: Allen, Rocco, Myles, Zoe, Julianna, Yishaiah and Carmen.

BETTER TOGETHER – On May 11, Valley Beit Midrash hosted the third installment of its Jewish-Muslim Dialogue series with their partners from the Islamic Speakers Bureau of Arizona (ISBA). The discussion, held at Temple Kol Ami, was facilitated by Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz from VBM and Azra Hussain from ISBA, and focused on the rise of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism in America.

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Ignition

More than 360 women, and a sprinkling of men, attended the annual Women’s Philanthropy luncheon on March 30 at the Scottsdale Hilton Resort. The event raised $123, 229, including 70 new gifts and 89 increased gifts, to strengthen Jewish Life and identity and provide for Jews in need here, in Israel and around the world. This year’s event showcased the work of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix and its partner organizations here and overseas.

TOP LEFT 2016 Gerda Weissmann Klein and Kurt Klein Award recipient Sandy Belfer presents the 2017 award to Judy Laufer MIDDLE LEFT 2017 IGNITION! Co-chair and Gerda Weissmann Klein and Kurt Klein Award recipient Judy Laufer with her husband Nathan and son Andrew BOTTOM LEFT Women’s Philanthropy Chair Esther Schon presents DeeDee Vecchione with the Rising Star Award

78 JUNE/JULY 2017 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

ABOVE 2017 Annual Campaign Co-chair Julee Landau Shahon with Women’s Philanthropy Campaign Chair Gail Ober and Women’s Philanthropy Chair Esther Schon

TOP LEFT Featured performer Andra London entertained guests with a heartwarming, powerful testament to the work of our Jewish community through inspirational songs and stories MIDDLE LEFT Some of the 360+ women who attended the 2017 IGNITION! Luncheon BOTTOM LEFT Women’s Philanthropy Chair Esther Schon presents the Madricha Award to Suzanne Swift TOP RIGHT 2017 IGNITION! Co-chairs Judy Laufer and Karen Nagle with featured performer, Andra London (center) BOTTOM RIGHT DeeDee Vecchione and Jill Sandler are all smiles at the 2017 IGNITION!

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2017 79

PREVIEWS

ADULT SUMMER CAMP AT THE TUCSON J

NEW EXHIBIT AT THE CUTLER PLOTKIN JEWISH HERITAGE CENTER

Kids aren’t the only ones who can enjoy camp this summer – adults can, too! Daily, from June 12 through 16, 9 to 11:30 am, adults can explore the world at the Tucson Jewish Community Center at 3800 E. River Road in Tucson. Channel your inner adventurer and introduce yourself to the languages, cultures, and cuisines of China, France, Italy, Mexico and Israel. Each day of the Around the World: Adult Summer Camp will focus on a different country’s culture and will include a language class, art making activity and cooking class. The countries scheduled are: Mexico on Monday, June 12; China on Tuesday, June 13; Italy on Wednesday, June 14; France on Thursday, June 15 and Israel on Friday, June 16.

The cost for this new program is $60 for members per day, $50 for non-members, or $225 for the entire week-long experience for members and $275 for non-members.

For more information, please contact Barbara Fenig, director of arts & culture, at bfenig@ tucsonjcc.org or 520-299-3000 x236, or register at tucsonjcc.org.

“Love & Marriage – The Cultural Evolution of Jewish Weddings 1912-2016” will be on display throughout the summer at the Cutler Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center at 122 E. Culver St. in Phoenix. This presentation, a collaboration between the Jewish Heritage Center and the Sylvia Plotkin Judaica Museum, features 13 wedding gowns, dresses and suits from wedding ceremonies in Phoenix and various other locations. Also features Jewish customs from Ashkenazi, Sephardic, Orthodox, Conservative, FEDERATION CARDOZO Reform and Secular weddings. The objects and SOCIETY EVENT artifacts on display demonstrate Jewish ritual, The Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix Cardozo custom, tradition and law which are on view with Society will host an ethics continuing legal explanations, observation, and commentary. education event on Thursday, June 22 from 7:30 Jordan Kroop Pieces range from a 1928 ketubah to a modern to 11:30 am at Phoenix Plaza, 2901 N. Central chuppah. See film clips from some of the most Ave. in Phoenix. The event entitled “Vocal Traits noteworthy Hollywood Jewish wedding scenes which are available for & Hidden Bias” is sponsored by Lane & Nach, Perkins Coie and R.O.I. viewing on tablets in the gallery. Also on display, an entire Chinese Properties. wedding party’s costumes and customs, a nod to the center’s previous Jordan Kroop, partner at Perkins Coie, will present an engaging and occupant – a Chinese Baptist church. humorous exploration of emerging vocal characteristics among young, Gallery hours are Tuesday and Thursday from noon to 3 pm and by often female, colleagues that may trigger unconscious biases associated appointment. Suggested donation for admission is $5. For more with age, gender and socio-economic background. information, contact Jeffrey Schesnol at jschesnol@azjhs.org or visit Participants also will compete in a fun, fast-paced quiz on world religions azjhs.org/exhibits using the latest mobile technology.

SCHMOOZE AND CRAFT Schmooze is a Jewish social organization that brings together singles, couples and families in their 30s and 40s in the Valley through hosting regular events. In June, one of their family events features a fun and

crafty afternoon on June 11 from noon to 2 pm at Temple Chai at 4645 E Marilyn Road in Phoenix, participants can make and decorate stained wooden picture frames –perfect for Father’s Day gifts. The cost is $10 (per picture frame) and includes all the supplies. You can pay with cash at the event. Light refreshments will be served. Please RSVP by contacting lisahvos@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/azsschmooze.

80 JUNE/JULY 2017 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

“This is a great way for legal professionals to get all their ethics CLE for the year and have fun at the same time,” says Raphael Avraham, chair of the Cardozo Society.

The Cardozo Society is one of three division of Federation’s Business & Professionals Groups, which also include Chai Tech and Real Estate & Finance.

“The Business & Professionals Groups seek to bring people together for networking and personal development,” says Adam Goodman, chairman of the Business & Professionals Groups. “This fascinating CLE is one more great opportunity to build relationships that strengthen our community.”

The cost to attend is $90 and includes breakfast. Dietary laws observed. For information and to register, contact 480-481-1754 or visit jewishphoenix.org/cardozoethics.

PREVIEWS Sept. 6 at 7:30 pm in Phoenix; Sept. 9 at 7:30 pm in Sedona.

“Classical Jewels,” Mozart clarinet quintet and Schubert piano quintet.

Sept. 7 at 7:30 pm in Phoenix; Sept. 10 at 2 pm in Sedona.

“Tempest to the Silver Age,” world-acclaimed pianist, Mikhail Yanovitsky. Sept. 16 at 7:30 pm in Sedona; Sept. 17 at 3 pm in Phoenix.

Tickets prices are $25 per person/per concert. If you purchase one ticket, you can get a second at half price. Or, if you buy tickets to all four concerts, you only pay for three. For more information, contact 602-402-4551 or visit redrocksmusicfestival.com.

Lucy Kaplansky

LUCY KAPLANSKY AT THE MIM Lucy Kaplansky is performing at the Musical Instrument Museum at 4725 E. Mayo Blvd. in Phoenix on Friday, July 7 at 7:30 pm. Ticket prices range from $28.50 to $38.50.

Blending country, folk and pop styles, Lucy has the unique ability to make every song sound fresh, whether singing her own sweet originals, covering country classics by June Carter Cash and Gram Parsons, or singing pop favorites by the Beatles and Nick Lowe. Lucy’s iconic voice has been featured in film and on television, including in commercials for Chevrolet’s iconic “Heartbeat of America” jingle. A Billboard-charting singer and one of the top-selling artists on Red House Records, she has topped the folk and Americana radio charts and has been featured on shows throughout the world. One of the most in-demand harmony singers, Lucy has sung on countless records, performing with Suzanne Vega, Bryan Ferry, Nanci Griffith and Shawn Colvin. For more information, contact 480-478-6000 or visit mim.org.

SUMMER MAH JONGG Play mah jongg this summer at the Jewish Federation Northwest Division at 190 W. Magee Road #162 in Tucson. These weekly mah jongg circles will be held every Wednesday afternoon from 12:30 to 3:30 pm from June 7 through Aug. 30.

Participants should bring: their own National Mah Jongg League Card (the office does not sell cards), $1 tzedakah donation to Jewish Federation Northwest, $4 for the afternoon play (change is better than dollars), a snack to share with the group (the facility is dairy kosher) and a smile!

Call first to make sure that they have the requisite number of mah jongg sets available. There are usually multiple tables going. For more information, call 520-505-4161 or email northwestjewish@jfsa.org.

RIDE FOR THE LIVING

The Tucson Jewish Community Center in partnership with Israel Ride, Ride for the Living and the JCC Association of North America’s Cycle for Good program will present a fundraising cycling event, Ride for the Living on Friday, June 23. This virtual ‘ride’ will be held at the Tucson J’s Indoor Cycling Studio and will raise money for the JCC in Krakow, Poland.

Participation helps support programs that are RED ROCKS MUSIC FESTIVAL building renewed Jewish life in Poland.

RETURNS The event will take place from 8 to 10 am and The Red Rocks Music Festival educates, is open to the entire community. There is a engages and challenges audiences through a suggested donation to participate in the ride. You unique collaboration of musicians from leading can register at tucsonjcc.org.

Arizona performing arts organizations and worldSpencer Roberts, a personal trainer, triathlon acclaimed artists. coach and exercise physiologist who works at The The festival will present eight concerts in Phoenix J will lead the ride. He adds, “We are honored to and Sedona from Sept. 3 through 17. The ride for the rebirth and rebuilding of Jewish life in concerts in Phoenix will be held at the Cutler Poland. This virtual ride reminds us that reaching Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center at 122 E. Culver out strengthens our worldwide community and St. and those performed in Sedona will be at the together we are leading the movement.”

Sedona Creative Life Center, 333 Schnebly Hill Ride For The Living was inspired by JCC Krakow Road. member Robert Desmond who rode his bicycle Mikhail Yanovitsky 1,350 miles from London to Auschwitz visiting The performances scheduled are as follows: WWII sites of liberation along his journey. After joining the JCC and becoming an active member, he realized his ride Dueling Piano Divas, Andria Fennig and Ashley Snavley performing should not have ended in a place of loss, but rather at a place of hope, “Americana Treasured Masterpieces.” Sept. 3 at 3 pm in Phoenix; Sept. 8 JCC Krakow, joined by the Jewish community and friends from around at 7:30 pm in Sedona. the world. For more information about the Ride for The Living, visit friendsofjcckrakow.org/ride-for-the-living.

“World Music,” performing classical, Klezmer, jazz and Balkan selections.

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SUMMER CALENDAR Throughout the summer

Love & Marriage – The Cultural Evolution of Jewish Weddings 1912-2016. See page 80.

June 3 Schmooze Singles and Couples Pool Party (30s & 40s) with AVIV of Arizona. 5-8 pm at a private home in Central Phoenix. For additional details and to RSVP, visit Facebook.com/azschmooze.

June 4 CBT Got Talent at Arizona Jewish Historical Society, 122 E Culver St., Phoenix from 5-7:30 pm. Congregation Beth Tefillah presents a talent show featuring the stars of our community.

Categories for children, teens and adults. $10 adults, $5 ages 6-12. If you are interested in participating, contact Arielle at ariellenourit@ yahoo.com or visit bethtefillahaz.org/event/ talent-show.

Schmooze Young Families Play at the Splash Pad (20s-40s). Meet at the Splash Pad at the Scottsdale Quarter from noon-1:30 pm. For additional details and to RSVP, visit Facebook. com/azschmooze.

2-3:30 pm. Bill Adler leads stimulating discussion each month on current events. Bring ideas to share with the group. For more information, contact Harriet at 480-481-7033 or harrietc@ vosjcc.org.

dinner, socialize and make new friends. Dinner is separate checks. Please contact Bunneye at 602371-3744 for current schedule of restaurants and to reserve your place.

June 7-Aug. 30 (Wednesdays)

Singles Shabbat Dinner with Project Jewish Love at Congregation Beth Tefillah, 10636 N 71st Way #1, Scottsdale from 7:30-9:30 pm. For singles age 40 and older. $18 advance registration. RSVP required. For more information, contact admin@ projectjewishlove.com.

Summer Mah Jongg. See page 81.

June 11 Schmooze and Craft. See page 81.

Sweet & Salty Senior Summer Social at the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center, 12701 N Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale from 2-4 pm. Socializing, snacks and songs by TA Burrows, featuring best hits from the ‘50s and ‘60s! Sponsored by Above and Beyond Senior Placement Service and Jewish Family & Children’s Service. $5 donation. Register by June 8 at vosjcc. org/seniorsocial or call 480-599-7198.

June 12-16 Adult Summer Camp at the Tucson J. See page 80.

June 12-July 17 (Mondays) Tiles with Style at the Tucson Jewish Community Center, 3800 E River Road, Tucson from 5:308:30 pm. Make colorful mosaic tiles of varied shapes and sizes, and use them to fill a wall niche, to make wall decorations or a sculptural tile for your garden, or to cover a table or backsplash.

Six, two-hour sessions with Instructor Gerrie Young. $105 ($85 JCC members). To register call 520-299-3000 or visit tucsonjcc.org.

Syrian Breakfast Cooking Class at the Tucson Jewish Community Center, 3800 E River Road, Tucson from noon-3 pm. Learn how to cook a traditional Syrian breakfast with Chef Shahd. $70 ($65 JCC members). Space is limited, to register call 520-299-3000 or visit tucsonjcc.org.

June 13 J une 6 & 20, July 18, August 1 & 15 Book Signing and Q&A at the Tucson Jewish Community Center, 3800 E River Road, Tucson at JBN Networking Lunch at Mimi’s Café, 8980 E 7 pm. A book launch party and signing by local Shea Blvd, Scottsdale from noon-1:30 pm. Join author Jillian Cantor of her new book, The Lost Jewish Business Network of Arizona members Letter. The book signing along with a question and their guests gather for lunch, education and and answer period with the author will take place networking. jbnaz.org. in the Jewish Heritage Center at The Tucson J. June 6, 13, 20 & 27 Free and open to the public. 520-299-3000 or Let’s Knit at the Valley of the Sun Jewish tucsonjcc.org.

Community Center, 12701 N Scottsdale Road, June 15 Scottsdale from 1:30-3:30 pm. Share the Book Discussion at the Cutler-Plotkin Jewish pleasure of knitting and crocheting. Help others Heritage Center, 122 E Culver St., Phoenix from with projects and patterns. Can’t knit? We’ll 7-8:30 pm. Join author Marcia Fine will discuss teach you. No reservations required. For more her new book, Hidden Ones: A Veil of Memories. information, contact Harriet at 480-481-7033 or Free. Please RSVP to Lbell@azjhs.org. harrietc@vosjcc.org.

June 7 & July 5

June 15 & July 20

Let’s Talk Current Events Discussion Group at the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center, 12701 N Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale from

Let’s Eat Mature Mavens Dinner at the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center, 12701 N Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale at 5 pm. Meet for

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June 16 & July 28

Our Jewish Generation Singles Shabbat Dinner with Project Jewish Love at 7:30 pm. For singles age 21-39. $18 advance registration. RSVP required. For more information, contact admin@ projectjewishlove.com or ourjewishgeneration. com/events.

June 21 & July 19 Singles Meet and Mingle Happy Hour with Project Jewish Love from 6-8 pm. For singles age 40 and older. For more information, contact admin@ projectjewishlove.com or visit projectjewishlove. com/events.

June 22 Cardozo Society event “Vocal Traits & Hidden Bias.” See page 80.

June 23 Ride for the Living. See page 81.

June 25 Broadway Goes to Hollywood at the Tucson Jewish Community Center, 3800 E River Road, Tucson at 1 pm. Desert Melodies performs songs from the best Broadway shows and Hollywood musicals. $10. To register call 520-299-3000 or visit tucsonjcc.org.

July 7 Lucy Kaplansky at the MIM. See page 81.

July 9 Singles Meet and Mingle Coffee Hour with Project Jewish Love at 10 am. For singles age 40 and older. For more information, contact admin@ projectjewishlove.com or visit projectjewishlove. com/events.

July 21, Aug. 18 & Sept. 15 Desert Foothills Jewish Community’s Summer Film Festival. See page 74.

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