military dictatorships toward liberty. Instead, this created a vacuum that is being filled by Islamist movements. Beth Ami Temple is located inside Palo Cristi Church at 3232 E Lincoln Dr., Paradise Valley. The program is free, but reservations are required. 602-956-0805 | bethamitemple@hotmail.com
SUSAN COLIN JAN. 30 CONCERT BENEFITS NefeshSoul
Singer and Valley resident Susan Colin will perform a concert on Saturday, Jan. 30 at 7:30 pm as a fundraiser for NefeshSoul, a progressive Jewish congregation. The event will be held at the Valley Unitarian-Universalist Congregation at 6400 W Del Rio St., Chandler, AZ 85226. Colin is an award-winning composer whose contemporary settings of Jewish and Jewish-themed music are used by congregations around the country. “This is the Jewish music for everyone,” says Colin. Singing in both English and Hebrew, using diverse musical styles that incorporate world beats, jazz and folk, Colin’s warm, angelic voice draws listeners to a place of spirituality. One reviewer wrote, “Susan Colin sings with a clarity that is breathtaking and rare.” (Dallas Morning News). Colin has released five CDs, including “The Work of a Lifetime,” which was recorded in 2015 in Phoenix at Brick Road Studios and Big Bug Sound. Colin’s “Healing Song,” “Psalm 150” and her newest hit, “Blessings,” are available along with all her music at iTunes, oySongs and CDBaby. While many songs are contemplative, many are upbeat, and some songs take a lighter approach. “Call Your Mother” is a fun yet poignant expression of a parent’s experience of the empty nest. Accompanying Colin at this concert are Valley musicians: Shea Marshall (piano), Scott Leader (guitar), Joe Costello, (drums) and Bob Lashier (bass). Colin is the cantorial soloist and music director at NefeshSoul. She also sings at Congregation Beth Israel in Scottsdale for b’nai mitzvah, and is the owner of oySongs.com, an online distributor of Jewish music. Tickets for the concert are $10 for adults, $5 for children under 18, and $20 for families (parents with children living at home). 480-759-1930 | nefeshsoul.com
the Tucson talk will be at 7 pm at Congregation Young Israel. Chabad of Scottsdale hosts the 6:30 pm program in the Valley as part of its Jews in the World Lecture series. Forty years ago, Sassy and 100 commandos flew more than 2,500 miles to Uganda to rescue more than 100 Israeli and Jewish passengers held hostage by Arab terrorists. Sassy will share his personal experience of the daring July 1976 operation that lasted 90 minutes, and rescued 102 hostages. Five Israeli commandos were wounded and one, the unit commander, Lt. Col. Yonatan Netanyahu, was killed. All the hijackers, three hostages and 45 Ugandan soldiers were killed. Sassy will recount the mission step-by-step from the moment he was called to duty. His story is Israel’s story of courage, endurance, optimism and a willingness to sacrifice it all for the right to live in freedom. Sassy now lives in Calabasas, CA, with his wife and three children. Tickets for the Jan. 24 talk at Congregation Young Israel/ Chabad (2443 E Fourth St., Tucson) are $18. For tickets, visit chabadtucson.com/rsvp or 520-881-7956. Tickets for the Jan. 25 program at Chabad of Scottsdale (10215 N Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale) are $20 in advance or $25 at the door. For tickets, visit chabadofscottsdale.org or call 480-998-1410.
SAVE THE DATE February 26, 2016
OPERATION ENTEBBE: A FIRST HAND ACCOUNT IN TUCSON AND THE VALLEY
IDF’s elite Red Beret paratrooper Sassy Reuven shares his role in the famed hostage rescue mission code named “Operation Thunderbolt” Jan. 24 in Tucson and Jan. 25 in Phoenix. Hosted by Chabad Tucson and the Weintraub Israel Center, ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | JANUARY 2016 89