Keeping Jewish - December 2024

BS”D

Tradition, Inspiration and Celebration · December 2024 - Kislev 5785

· Published by Chabad Tucson

Terror in the Emirates

Chabad Rabbi Zvi Kogan was abducted and killed

Supporting Patients

5 women who volunteer

at Tucson Medical Center

Kasha Varnishkes

An Eastern European dish with a Chassidic history

Welcome to Town

Marcus Mendleson is planning the 2025 JCC Maccabi Games

PRO SCHOOL CHOICE How Yehoshua Bedrick became an advocate for educational freedom

It’s Chanukah! Things to know about celebrating the Festival of Lights and some silly gift ideas Keeping Jewish | December 2024 |

OPINION

The Jewish outreach and education network of Southern Arizona 2443 E 4th Street, Tucson, AZ 85719

Where To Find Purpose In Life

By Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Rabbi Yossie Shemtov REBBETZIN Chanie Shemtov OUTREACH DIRECTOR Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin PROGRAM DIRECTOR Feigie Ceitlin

In the early 2000s, I had the privilege and pleasure of spending holidays in Zhytomyr, Ukraine. It was exciting to see historical depictions of the shtetl come to life and empowering to see how local Jews were eager to engage with their faith.

Affiliates: Congregation Young Israel, Chabad at the University of Arizona, Chabad on River, Chabad of Oro Valley, Chabad of Sierra Vista, Chabad of Vail and Lamplighter Chabad Day School of Tucson

But more importantly, it was motivating to work under the auspices of Chief Rabbi Shlomo Wilhelm, who embodied youthful energy and Chassidic faith.

EDITOR Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin

Spending many a Passover and Rosh Hashanah with his community gave me a deep appreciation for the dedication needed to keep a community together — not to mention reviving one that had been beaten down by the atrocities of both the Nazis and Communists.

COPY EDITOR Suzanne Cummins CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Zalman Abraham, Yehuda Altein, Phyllis Braun, Feigie Ceitlin, Mendel Kalmenson, Sari Kopitnikoff, Mordechai Lightstone, Menachem Posner, Tzali Reicher, Mordechai Schmutter, Benjamin Weiss PHOTOS Unsplash.com SPECIAL THANKS Chabad.org Arizona Jewish Post EDITORIAL & ADVERTISING Phone: 520-881-7956 #12 Email: info@ChabadTucson.com SUBSCRIPTION: ChabadTucson.com/SubscribePrint Keeping Jewish is published in print periodically by Chabad Tucson and is distributed free in Tucson and Southern Arizona.

Chabad Tucson does not endorse the people, establishments, products or services reported about or advertised in Keeping Jewish unless specifically noted. The acceptance of advertising in Keeping Jewish does not constitute a recommendation, approval, or other representation of the quality of products or services, or the credibility of any claims made by advertisers, including, but not limited to, the kashrus of advertised food products. The use of any products or services advertised in Keeping Jewish is solely at the user’s risk and Chabad Tucson accepts no responsibility or liability in connection therewith.

Note: “G-d” and “L-rd” are written with a hyphen instead of an “o .”

This is one way we accord reverence to the sacred divine name.

This also reminds us that, even as we seek G-d, He transcends any human effort to describe His reality.

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Before World War II, a third of Zhytomyr’s population was Jewish. When the Nazis invaded, most of its 30,000 Jews fled east, leaving 10,000 behind. Many who stayed were tragically shot and buried in mass graves. After the war, some Jews returned, only to face Communist repression, which outlawed religious practice.

Rabbi Wilhelm and his wife Esther arrived in Zhytomyr in 1994. They worked out of the old synagogue on Malaya Berdichevskaya Street, whose facade was distinct with its faded yellow-painted bricks. They labored to cater to the elderly Yiddish-speaking population while attracting the then-Russian-speaking younger crowd.

“When we arrived in Zhytomyr 30 years ago, the atmosphere was depressing, outdated, and disconnected,” he recently recalled. “Even water only ran in the taps in the middle of the night, from midnight until two in the morning.”

Over time, Rabbi and Mrs. Wilhelm renovated the synagogue, repaired the Jewish cemetery, opened the Or Avner Jewish day school, built the Alumim

2023, Hamas terrorists attacked Israel and rained rockets on Ashkelon.

It was as if the community had never left the horrors of Ukraine.

In talking about his experiences, Rabbi Wilhelm made a fascinating confession: “When I was looking for a place for my shlichut (a rabbinical position), there were two places I said I would never go—Zhytomyr and Ashkelon,” he said. As a rabbinical student, he had spent time working in both locations and didn’t see himself living in either of them.

As Divine providence would have it, he became Zhytomyr’s Chief Rabbi. And two years ago, after the war broke out, he also ended up in Ashkelon. He became perhaps the only Chabad Rabbi to lead a community split between two locations—both of which he had initially hoped to avoid.

The Alter Rebbe writes in Tanya (chapter 37), “The purpose for which [humans were] Children’s Home for orphans, uplifted many created and for which [our souls] descended souls and provided food to many hungry to this world, is so that G‑d may have a mouths. They also opened eight Chabad residence precisely in the lowest realms, centers in western Ukraine. to turn the darkness of this world into the light of holiness.”

This past summer, I met Rabbi Wilhelm again after many years of not meeting face Many search for their calling in life and to face. It was at his son’s wedding, which struggle to find an occupation suited to was held in Brooklyn, New York. It wasn’t fulfill their passions. The Chassidic view too much later that I made a startling is to see where you are as where you are discovery about his mission with Chabad— meant to be — and to both be inspired one that left me with a profound lesson and inspire your surroundings whenever about finding our purpose in the world. you find yourself, whether you initially envisioned it or not.

He told me that after Russian forces invaded Ukraine, the majority of his In the words of Rabbi Wilhelm, “The simple community, including the residents of understanding is that you go where you are the orphanage, fled to avoid the horror. needed, not where you want to go.” Where The bulk of his community moved to the you are is where your mission is. It’s up to southern Israeli city of Ashkelon. He you to find your passion there. divided his time between both cities.

- Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin is the Outreach Director of But the days of respite in Israel didn’t Chabad Tucson, the Jewish network of Southern last long. On Simchat Torah — October 7, Arizona

NEWS

Chabad Shows Strength After Rabbi’s Murder in UAE 6,500 Chabad Rabbis gather in New York during Thanksgiving weekend

By Mordechai Lightstone - Chabad.org Rabbi Zvi Kogan, a 28-year-old Chabad emissary in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), was abducted and murdered by Islamic terrorists in late November of this year.

When Yisroel Kozlovsky, co-director of Chabad-Lubavitch of Mumbai, India, heard about this, he had two reactions.

First, he felt the pain and horror of losing a colleague, but very soon after, he was filled with resolve for the future.

Though separated by the watery expanse of the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, the flight between Mumbai and Dubai is a mere three hours long, making Kozlovsky and his Chabad colleagues in the UAE relative neighbors. What’s more, Kogan’s role in providing kosher food in the Emirates meant that he often served as a conduit for kosher products to Chabad in India.

“This past Passover, we had trouble getting enough matzah for our seder, due to the war in Israel,” Kozlovsky says. “Zvi stepped in to help us get what we needed.

We only met face-to-face a few times, so I did not know him very well. But he jumped in to help me. He made my problem his problem.” Kogan’s murder was devastating.

Kozlovsky also knew what he needed to do next.

“I flew to New York to be with my fellow Chabad emissaries as soon as I could arrange it,” Kozlovsky said. “We had all just lost a brother. We needed to connect and be together during this time - not just to commiserate but to reapply ourselves to our purpose.”

It’s in this spirit that Kozlovsky and thousands of Rabbi Kogan’s colleagues gathered in New York for the 41st annual International Conference of ChabadLubavitch Emissaries, also known as the Kinus Hashluchim. Running from November 27 to December 2, the gathering unites more than 6,500 rabbis and lay leaders from all 50 U.S. states and more than 100 countries and territories around the world.

The Kinus is an annual event replete with workshops on a wide range of subjects, including mental health, fundraising, social media, and end-of-life counseling, to name a few. This year, it culminated with the gala banquet, which brought all of the Chabad rabbis and their guests together in a giant conference center in New Jersey.

By far, the most meaningful aspect of

the Kinus is always the joint visit to the Ohel, the resting place of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, in Queens, NY. The rabbis go en masse to pray for their families, communities, and humanity at large.

“When you are isolated in your own community, the background noise of daily life can overwhelm you and drown out your focus,” Kozlovsky says. “But at the Kinus, when you visit the Rebbe’s resting place and connect with friends and colleagues from all over the world, you realign yourself. Your mission to connect to and embrace every Jew comes back to focus.

This is why I’m here.”

Kogan, who has been buried in Israel.

Rabbi Duchman said, “Our job has never been clearer: To remind every Jew who they are and why they are here. The world needs to hear our voices. Do more, stand prouder, fight harder, reach further. This is about us and our people. We are not just here to survive. We are here to transform the world.”

The International Conference of ChabadLubavitch Rebbetzins (Kinus Hashluchos) will be held in New York on February 19 – 23, 2025.

This year has been a particularly difficult one for Jews not only in Israel, which since the October 7 attacks has seen thousands of rockets rain down on it, including Iranian ballistic missiles, but also around the world. As Jewish communal leaders, Chabad rabbis stand on the frontlines of world Jewry—from the towns of northern Israel to U.S. college campuses, the Ukrainian war zone to the UAE. Rabbi Levi Duchman, director of Chabad of the UAE and chief rabbi of the Emirates, announced that he will be building a new center called Beit Zvi, named after Rabbi

Rabbi Zvi Kogan, who was murdered, and his wife Rivky

Keeping Jewish | December 2024 |

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PROFILE

PRO (SCHOOL) CHOICE How Yehoshua Bedrick became an advocate for educational freedom

By Tzali Reicher Yehoshua Bedrick, a resident of Phoenix, Arizona, recognized the need for school choice from a very young age, even if he didn’t realize it at the time.

The turning point came during his school years in Windham, New Hampshire. After elementary school, local students were typically assigned to a well-regarded public school in a neighboring district. But just before he was set to attend, the school ended its agreement with his district, forcing Windham’s children to attend an underperforming school instead.

Though his family was able to afford a private alternative, the randomness of being pulled from the school he wished to attend had a lasting impact. “It was a watershed moment,” says Bedrick, now 41.

As a child, Yehoshua Bedrick went by Jason, the eldest of three sons, in a proudly Jewish yet largely secular family. The family owned a successful local furniture business, and he was expected to eventually be involved in its management.

Though he did study commerce, he began to search and delve more deeply into his Judaism and found that his mission in life was not in the family business.

Bedrick began to observe Jewish practices, such as fasting on Yom Kippur, eating more kosher food, and spending Shabbat at Chabad in Merrimack Valley, Massachusetts. “I loved every second of it,” Bedrick fondly says. A Birthright trip to the holy land of Israel led him to wear a kippah and tzitzit regularly, even after returning to the U.S. Chossid in the Legislature During his college years, Bedrick read the works of economist Milton Friedman, widely regarded as the godfather of the school choice movement. Friedman championed educational freedom, asserting that parents—not the government—should decide their child’s school.

The Bedrick family (from left): Bayla, Mendy, Chaya, Dovid, Yehoshua, Ayzik and Rivkah in Phoenix, May 2023

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The school choice movement opposes the traditional model, where public schools receive funds based on district enrollment,

locking families into assigned schools.

Instead, advocates suggest that local and state authorities provide vouchers, empowering families to choose public or private schools that best suit their children’s needs.

While Bedrick was writing a paper on the subject in college in 2004, a school choice bill failed by a single vote in the New Hampshire State Legislature. Frustrated, he vented about it to his professor after class when his professor asked, “What are you going to do about it?”

The question stuck with him. A law that could have changed lives had failed by just one vote. “I wondered if the outcome would have been different if I’d been in the legislature,” he says. “So I decided to do something about it.”

At 21, while a senior in college, Bedrick ran as an Independent on a school choice platform. He was motivated by concern for the less fortunate–children whose families couldn’t afford to live in a district with a good public school, or to pay for private education. His relentless campaigning drew more attention than he anticipated. Though he didn’t win, the experience connected him with influential figures and gave him his first taste of running for public office.

In 2006, New Hampshire Republicans encouraged Bedrick to run in the state primary elections. Despite the challenges of campaigning as a religious Jew—such as avoiding campaigning on Shabbat and holidays—Bedrick won his race and began his term in early 2007.

Standing at an imposing 6’3” with a black beard and carrying a bright red lunch box filled with Kosher food, Bedrick stood out as a proud Jew. Many representatives who rarely shared their Jewish identity began subtly letting him know there were more Jewish people in the House than he expected.

“I was always getting ‘bageled,’” he recalls with a chuckle, using the term for when people reveal their Jewishness through casual comments or hints. “I’d get people with last names like Kuirk or Smith

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VOICES walking up to me and saying, ‘You know, I’m Jewish too,’” Bedrick remembers. “It was like being part of a secret network.”

Soon, other Jewish representatives who hadn’t known each other began connecting, forming a quiet camaraderie within the legislature. For many, Bedrick’s presence created a space where they felt comfortable expressing pride in their heritage for the very first time.

d, Between legislative sessions, Bedrick was able to continue his Jewish studies at re Yeshivas Tiferes Bachurim in Morristown, New Jersey.

After a narrow (but somewhat welcome) defeat in his 2008 race, Bedrick was introduced to Chaya Welner, a graduate he of the University of Arizona who had been a regular at Chabad Tucson, led by Rabbi Yossie and Chanie Shemtov. The couple were soon married and now live with their five children in Phoenix—her hometown. e He delivers a weekly Torah class, and or continues his mission to make education es freedom accessible to everyone.

to everyone,” says Bedrick, who travels nationwide, advising lawmakers, drafting bills, and testifying at hearings for school choice. A prolific writer, he publishes indepth reports and op-eds in major outlets like The Wall Street Journal and New York Post, with 54 published pieces last year alone.

He is especially passionate about how school choice helps Jewish families. “School choice benefits our Jewish community by reclaiming tax dollars for our children’s education,” he says. “Without it, we pay taxes for schools we don’t wish to use and then pay again for costly Jewish education.”

“We see the benefits of Arizona’s generous school choice program,” he says. “Today, 100% of students in Arizona’s Jewish schools cover much or all of their tuition through tax-credit scholarships or K–12 education savings accounts. When Cheder Lubavitch of Arizona started over a decade ago, it served only a few children. Now, together with Beis Chana girls’ high school, it has over 150 students.”

“This same trend is happening in Florida and other states,” he notes. “People are moving to places where school choice has rew been enacted, and communities are growing ugh Bedrick now works for The Heritage and thriving thanks to the educational him Foundation, working within their Center reforms spreading across the country. s for Education Policy. He has previously worked at the Cato Institute in Washington, School choice empowers parents to seek D.C. and was the first director of policy an education that better aligns with their at EdChoice, the organization founded by values and worldview.”

Milton Friedman to advance educational The Lamplighter Chabad Day School, s choice. run by Chabad Tucson, also benefits d “School choice is my life’s work, and I spend from the tax credit. To learn more, visit ChabadTucson.com/TuitionTax an the majority of my time working to make educational freedom and options accessible

Yehoshua Bedrick speaks about school choice as seen on C-SPAN

A Face of Choice

Yehoshua Bedrick meets fellow school choice advocates during a conference

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HOLIDAYS 101

10 Chanukah Facts You Should Know

Women gather at Rachel’s Tomb * Photo: kerenkeverrachel.com

Tucson’s tallest Menorah installed by TEP outside City Hall in Downtown Tucson last year

By Menachem Posner Though all of us know that Chanukah (or Hanukkah) is a wintertime Jewish holiday on which we light the menorah every night for eight nights, some might night know that this holiday marks the victory of the Maccabees over the Syrian Greeks.

1. Eight Nights=Miracle Lights Why is Chanukah eight nights long?

The Talmud asks and answers: “On the 25th of Kislev, the days of Chanukah are eight. One may not eulogize on them, and one may not fast on them. This is because when the Greeks entered the Sanctuary, they defiled all the oils that were in the Sanctuary. And when the [Maccabees and their warriors] overcame them and emerged victorious over them, they searched and found only one cruse of oil that remained with the seal of the High Priest. And there was sufficient oil there to light the candelabrum for only one day. A miracle occurred, and they 6

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lit the candelabrum from it for eight days. The next year, the sages instituted those days and made them holidays with the recitation of Hallel and prayers of thanksgiving.”

But there’s more. Seven represents all that is found within this world. There are seven days of the week, and in fact, the world itself was created in seven days.

Then there is the number eight, which represents that which is above, that which does not fit into the neat slots that hold the bits and pieces of our lives. The number eight evokes the transcendent and the G-dly. Eight is the number of miracles.

2. Light After Dark The Chanukah candles must burn after night falls since their purpose is to bring light into darkness. But they need to be lit early enough that someone will be around

to see them. The lights need to be seen so they can serve their function of reminding others of the great miracle G-d wrought.

3. The Silent Holiday Chanukah is the only Jewish holiday not mentioned in the 24 books of the Bible.

It gets a by-the-way mention in Tractate Shabbat of the Mishnah. In the context of discussing Shabbat candles, the Chanukah candles (and by extension, the Chanukah holiday) get their time in the Talmudic sun.

4. Before There Were Potatoes, There Was Cheese!

The widespread custom today is to enjoy potato latkes on Chanukah since the oil they are fried in reminds us of the miracle of the flames on the Temple menorah burning for eight days. But there is an

older custom to eat cheese pancakes on Chanukah in memory of the dairy meal (with added intoxicants) that the brave Judith fed the Greek general before she killed him to save her village. Apparently, cheese latkes morphed into potato latkes (potatoes were unknown in the Old World until the late 16th century), and a new custom was born.

5. You Light a Hillel Menorah In the days of the Talmud, there were two major academies of learning: Hillel and Shammai. The House of Hillel taught that every night of Chanukah, we add another candle—as we do today. The House of Shammai, however, maintained that we begin with eight lights on the first night and light one less flame every night, ending Chanukah with a single flame. Tradition tells us that when Moshiach comes, we will follow the rulings of the House of Shammai.

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HOLIDAYS 101 or windowsill. Many, including Chabad, continue to light in a doorway to recreate the ancient tradition of being surrounded by holiness.

6. Syrians, Greeks, Hellenists, or Yevanim?

We sometimes hear of Greeks, Syrians, or even Hellenists in the Chanukah story.

So who exactly were the interlopers who were expelled from the 2nd Temple by the Maccabees? All of the above! After the death of Alexander the Great, his empire was broken up: the Seleucid Greek Empire was based in Syria, and the Ptolemaic Empire had its base in Alexandria, Egypt.

The soldiers stationed in Judea belonged to the Syrian Greeks. And who are the Hellenists and the Yevanim? The very same people: Hella is the Greek word for Greece, and Yavan is how we say it in Hebrew.

7. Menorahs Everywhere On the first Chanukah, candles were lit all over the courtyard of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. This brought the Chanukah light from the inner sanctum of the Temple, the holiest spot on earth, out into the open.

As Jews continue to observe Chanukah all over the globe, menorahs burn bright in towns and cities everywhere.

8. Were the Maccabees Really So Great?

Any kid who attends Chabad preschool can tell you that the heroes of the Chanukah story are the Maccabees, the clan who led the brave insurgency against the Greek invaders. But it was not all good. Judah Maccabee and his family were Kohanim,

10. How Chanukah Went Public The menorah’s purpose is to spread awareness far and wide. This is why it is lit nightly in synagogues, but the tradition has grown much larger in scope in recent times.

Raphi, a student at Lamplighter Chabad Day School, prepares for Chanukah

members of the priestly tribe chosen by G-d to minister in the Holy Temple. Judah Maccabee’s successors took the kingship for themselves, something that rightfully belonged to the descendants of King David from the Tribe of Judah. Indeed, it did not take long until the monarchy of Judea was dragged down into a series of unending power grabs and bloody intrigue.

9. Is Your Menorah in the Doorway or at a Window?

A common custom outside Israel is to light the menorah in a window. In Mishnaic times, it was placed outside, to the left of the door, opposite the mezuzah on the right, symbolically surrounding the home with holiness.

Over time, diaspora challenges moved the menorah indoors, often to a doorway

In 1973, Chabad yeshiva students decided to distribute menorahs in Manhattan. To draw attention, they built a large menorah from wooden scraps and cinder blocks and secured it to a car roof. In 1974, Rabbi Abraham Shemtov lit a large wooden in front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, symbolizing freedom.

The Menorah Blessings Before lighting the Chanukah candles, we thank G‑d for giving us this special mitzvah and for the incredible Chanukah miracles: Bah-rookh ah-tah ah-doh-noi eh-loh-haynoo meh-lekh hah-oh-lahm ah-sher ki-dehshah-noo beh-mitz-voh-tahv veh-tzee-vahnoo leh-hahd-lik nayr kha-noo-kah.

Blessed are You, Lord our G‑d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to kindle the Chanukah light.

Bah-rookh ah-tah ah-doh-noi eh-loh-haynoo meh-lekh hah-oh-lahm sheh-ah-sah nee-sim lah-ah-voh-tay-noo bah-yah-mim hah-haym biz-mahn hah-zeh.

Blessed are You, Lord our G‑d, King of the universe, who performed miracles for our forefathers in those days, at this time.

By 2016, Chabad had set up over 15,000 public menorahs in more than 90 countries, On the first night of Chanukah, including iconic locations like the White Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024 (or the first time House, Eiffel Tower, Trafalgar Square, Brandenburg Gate, Red Square, Gateway on Chanukah you perform this mitzvah), add the following blessing: of India, and Sydney Opera House. In Arizona, large menorahs are displayed at the State Capitol in Phoenix and El Bah-rookh ah-tah ah-doh-noi eh-loh-hayPresidio Plaza outside the City Hall of noo meh-lekh hah-oh-lahm sheh-heh-khehTucson. yah-noo veh-kee-mah-noo ve-hig-ee-yahnoo liz-mahn hah-zeh.

For a listing of local events, visit: ChabadTucson.com/Chanukah2024

Blessed are You, Lord our G‑d, King of the universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this occasion.

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LOCAL

Welcome to town:

Marcus Mendleson, 32

By Benjamin Weiss About Me: Born in Ilford, a suburb northeast of London, I attended Ilford Jewish Primary School and King Solomon High School.

With a traditional Jewish upbringing, I loved summers at Chabad’s Gan Izzy Day Camp and playing football for the local Jewish team. I later trained as a primary school teacher at Oxford Brookes University.

Define Chabad: Home. Anywhere in the world, I search for a Chabad.

Define Tzedakah: Doing the right thing—whether giving money, offering a ride, or helping others.

I’ve worked at Limmud UK, sold chocolate, and ran young professional activities for Aish UK, an education organization, amongst other things. Now, I’m the Assistant Director of the JCC Maccabi Games 2025 at the Tucson Jewish Community Center.

Define Happiness: Family.

Hobbies: Food, sports, and a little musical theatre.

Moving to Tucson:

Comfort Food:

I moved here 8 months ago from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Adjusting from humid tropical heat to the dry desert heat was a shift. Despite Tucson’s size, it feels like a small town since it’s so spread out.

Everyone was so welcoming that within weeks, it felt like I’d been here for months.

Old-school Ashkenazi chicken soup with kneidlach (Matzah balls). Daily comfort?

Chocolate.

Kvetch: Rudeness and lack of manners.

Currently Learning: Tanya, the foundational text of Chassidus.

Favorite Mitzvah/Holiday: Passover. Cleaning with my mom and preparing the kitchen are special memories. Seder night is my favorite night of the year—more than my birthday. I love the people, the stories, the Matzah, and even the maror!

Cherished Jewish Memory: Getting my Tefillin. My Zeida, Alan, who was actually named Angel, insisted on buying me the biggest and best pair (“I want the ‘real’ big ones. I want Marcus to 8

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have the best,” is what he said). They’re my most treasured possession, and I take them everywhere I go.

Jewish App: Siddur + Tehillim Anywhere.

Go-To Word: “Shvitz” (sweat). “How are you?”—”Och, I’m shvitzing.”

Historical Jewish Figure: Rabbi Moshe Muller, assistant director of

Chabad of Ilford, who made Judaism fun and meaningful for me and many others.

He sadly passed at the age of 43 in 2016.

His influence inspires my pride in being Jewish.

October 7, 2023: I was working with teens I’d taken to Israel, and Hamas attacked many of the places we visited. It made the events personal and underscored the importance of engaging with young Jews. I’ve also helped provide context and balanced information to those who reached out, specifically non-Jews, because of the onesided reporting provided by the media.

Kvell/Nachas: My nephews. I have to show people every new picture of them.

Claim to Fame: I am proud to have achieved my 15-year dream of moving to America.

Looking Forward To: Hosting the JCC Maccabi Games in July 2025. We’re expecting thousands of Jewish athletes, spectators and volunteers to gather in Tucson for sports, Jewish unity, and identity-building. Trent & Ariel Waller

KOSHER

Kasha Varnishkes

By Feigie Ceitlin Kasha Varnishkes, a classic Eastern European comfort food, combines earthy buckwheat groats, caramelized onions, and tender bow-tie pasta for a satisfying and wholesome meal. Simple to prepare and deeply nourishing, it’s a dish that warms both body and soul.

In Chabad tradition, kasha holds a special significance on the 19th of Kislev, the date marking the liberation of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of Chabad Chassidism. Imprisoned in czarist Russia in 1798 for supporting the poor in the Holy Land of Israel, Rabbi Schneur Zalman— known as the Alter Rebbe—reportedly ate kasha during his imprisonment.

Preparing and enjoying this dish honors that pivotal moment in Jewish history, which led to a renewed focus on spreading the mystical teachings of the Torah to the broader world.

INGREDIENTS: 1 lb bow tie pasta 2 large onions 2 tablespoons canola oil 1 cup roasted whole grain buckwheat groats (kasha)

1 large egg 2 cups water (boiling) 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper DIRECTIONS: 1. Cook the bow tie pasta in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, heat canola oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add chopped onions and sauté until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside. * The Blessing on Mezonos Baruch atah A-donay, Elo-heinu Melech Ha’Olam borei minei mezonot.

Blessed are you L-rd our G‑d, King of the Universe, Who creates various kinds of sustenance.

— Rebbetzin Feigie Ceitlin is the program director of Chabad Tucson and head of school of Lamplighter Chabad Day School.

Keeping Jewish | December 2024 |

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HEALTH

By Phyllis Braun, Arizona Jewish Post Time means nothing in a hospital.

As a volunteer at Tucson Medical Center, Linda Kunsberg often conveys this message to patients who arrive for surgery or their loved ones waiting for the procedure to be over.

She explains to patients that the time their doctor told them to arrive is just for checking in; their surgery won’t start for another two hours or more if the doctor is delayed by an operation that takes longer than expected.

As for family members waiting to see a patient after surgery, that’s in the hands of the nurses. Kunsberg has to wait for their call, and many nurses won’t allow visitors until the patient has fully woken from the anesthesia.

Bringing Heart to Healthcare

Kunsberg has volunteered on Monday afternoons on the third floor of TMC’s orthopedic and surgical tower since 2012.

Jewish volunteers at the Tucson Medical Center help patients and visitors

“I absolutely enjoy and love it,” she says, noting that while some people get frustrated and yell at her for things out of her control, most are grateful for the services of the volunteers.

After the staff checks a patient in, Kunsberg notes their companion’s information. She also gives the friend or family member the patient’s tracking number, showing them how to follow the patient’s progress on monitors in the lobby, where different colors indicate pre-op, surgery, and other stages until the patient is discharged or moved to another floor for recovery.

Kunsberg is one of TMC’s cadre of more than 440 volunteers.

Clockwork from top left: Linda Kunsberg, Fay Green, Linda Silverman, Judy Silverman and Barbara Esmond. Photos: azjewishpost.com

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“There are so many advantages to having a strong volunteer force, whether it is reducing payroll costs or having individuals with a wide experience, but the greatest advantage is the heart of the volunteers,” says Jim Marten, TMC’s director of volunteers since March 2020.

“The volunteers bring such care and compassion to wherever they are participating in the hospital,” he adds.

r, sage eir During his first two years at TMC, there be were periods when volunteers were not allowed in the hospital due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “It was heartening to see how many volunteers wanted to r continue volunteering throughout the r COVID crisis, Marten says. is er Jewish community member Barbara Esmond, who started volunteering at TMC three or four years before the COVID epidemic, figured she’d be a good fit for the s of neonatal intensive care unit because twins eir run in her family, so she’s comfortable rs handling tiny babies. he After learning the NICU and pediatrics are the hospital’s most popular volunteer slots, she was happy to accept a temporary assignment on a surgical floor.

2.

When an opening in the NICU came up, she decided not to move, because she finds her work rewarding, whether it’s getting coffee for the parents of a child in surgery, who are not supposed to leave the surgical floor, or just talking to someone to help relieve their anxiety.

Esmond spent her working life as a garment contractor in a sewing factory. But she was a candy-striper in elementary and e junior high school and later volunteered in bby, hospitals in other cities as an adult.

nt Kunsberg’s professional career was for likewise unrelated to medicine. She was a configuration manager for Hughes Missile Systems and Raytheon for almost 40 years.

“I’ve got to be busy,” says Kunsberg, who often fills in for other TMC volunteers.

Anshei Israel congregant, Linda Silverman.

She started at TMC near the intensive care unit and cardiac catheterization laboratory but took a break when she and her husband went to Israel for his sabbatical.

Green has volunteered in the second-floor surgical lobby for the past three years.

“I feel like I’m doing a good deed for patients and a really good deed to my heart,” she says.

Green notes that the second floor provides everything from outpatient procedures to open-heart surgeries.

“Fortunately, we have a quiet room or meditation room,” she says, for families that need more privacy.

Sometimes, she says, people are excited after getting the doctor’s post-surgery report and want someone to hug, “because everything is so much better than they thought. And so, we’re there.”

Silverman, a TMC volunteer since 2008, works in the NICU. “The joyous part of the job is interacting with the babies, holding or feeding them,” she says. But often, the nurses and the babies’ parents have everything under control and she spends her time folding laundry.

Fay Green started volunteering at TMC in 2016; she’d spent 30 years as an uals administrator in a vascular surgeon’s office.

“I was used to being around patients, people that were ill and needed comforting,” says Green, who heard about TMC’s volunteer program from a fellow

Silverman took a break from volunteering when her husband, Shelby, became ill but returned to TMC for a weekly twohour shift a few months after his death

,”

Her volunteerism is partly inspired by her father, who logged 9,000 hours as a volunteer at the San Diego Hebrew Home for the Aged and lived to be 96.

Another Silverman, Judy, is Green’s volunteer partner on the second floor of TMC’s surgical tower.

Judy has also volunteered in TMC’s Ronald McDonald room, a respite area for people visiting the NICU, pediatrics, and labor and delivery. She still substitutes there on occasion.

Like Green, Judy spent most of her career in the medical field, working in front and back-office positions. She grew up on Long Island but has lived in Tucson for 47 years.

“I’m a frustrated nurse,” she says, explaining that she attended nursing school in Manhattan, including working with drug-addicted babies at Beth Israel Hospital, but dropped out when she was still in her late teens. To this day, she reads medical books and journals to stay abreast of the latest advances.

Judy, who opted for early retirement 13 years ago, used to volunteer two days a week at TMC. But she also plays mah jongg three times a week and decided she needed one free weekday for errands and appointments.

“We have a wonderful group of women — and men — who volunteer. I think they’re just very caring people,” Judy says. “It’s fascinating to me. I learn something new all the time. Hopefully, I make a difference in someone’s life.”

- Read the full article at azjewishpost.com

A legacy of caring Accredited by

Silverman worked for the University of Arizona from 1992 to 2007, providing support in the pediatric cardiology division, followed by pediatric nephrology, and finally in the applied mathematics program.

“I really liked working with the medical students and the residents” because of their maturity and dedication. she says.

The same was true of master’s and doctoral students in applied math.

ng

in June 2023. She also participates in the nationwide Women’s Health Initiative study, which, she explains, “is based on the reality that most medical research is done on men.”

Providing our Tucson community with comfort, dignity and compassionate care. We’re here for you.

A not-for-profit serving all in need in Tucson Available 24/7

(520) 827-5000 | hov.org Keeping Jewish | December 2024 |

11

THOUGHT

Priesthood: Kohen (

)

To Serve or Not to Serve

By Mendel Kalmenson and Zalman Abraham People commonly think of the priesthood as a privileged rank or status symbol at the top of the hierarchy. While Judaism’s Levitical priesthood may seem to follow this template, closer examination reveals that it works in quite the opposite manner.

Unlike the English word priest, which is a derivative of the Latin word prevost, meaning “one put over others,” the Hebrew word kohen means servant, or to serve, as in: “[bring] Aaron your brother and his sons… (l’chahano) to serve Me.”

to dedicate their lives to a higher cause beyond themselves.

Therefore, instead of those on the bottom, the masses, serving those on the top, in the Jewish model, those on the “top,” the priests, are meant to serve on behalf of those on the “bottom,” the community.

Like the kohanim in relation to the Jewish people, the Jewish people are meant to live a life of added scrutiny and purity in order to serve the spiritual needs of humanity.

Indeed, the Jews were charged by G‑d not to pronounce their ontological “aristocracy” to the world, but to lovingly preach and devotedly practice G‑d’s word, humbly serving as a living example of a morally upright lifestyle based on a sacred value system.

In a broader sense, this principle can be applied to the oft-misunderstood notion of “Jewish chosenness,” in which Jews were chosen by G‑d not to be held above others but to assume the sacred duty of serving as a light unto the nations. In fact, at the revelation of the Torah at Mount Sinai, the Jewish people were referred to collectively as a nation of kohanim.

The kohanim were essentially propertyless and thus were the sacred property of all Israel. The reason for this stipulation is explained in Scripture: “The Levites [the larger tribe of which the kohanim were a part] have no share among you because the service of G‑d is their portion.

Maimonides explained: “[Levites] were singled out to serve G‑d and minister to Him, to teach His upright ways and just laws to the multitudes, as it is written: They shall teach Your laws to Jacob, and Your instruction to Israel. For this reason, they were separated from worldly affairs.

They fought no battles like the rest of Israel; they inherited no land…”. Having no land of their own meant that the Levites were not financially self-sufficient or independent; rather, they had to rely entirely on the people’s gifts.

Interestingly, kohanim who served in the Holy Temple were required to have a haircut at least once every thirty days, and the high priest once a week. According to Kabbalah, hair represents self-expression.

Such self-expression was off-limits for kohanim, who were essentially public

12 | December 2024 | Keeping Jewish

The headstone of a cohen in the Bródno Jewish Cemetery in Warsaw, Poland * Photo: Cezary Piwowarski

servants completely committed to devoting their lives to the service of G‑d and others.

In fact, the more elevated the kohen, the more limited was their self-expression, which is why the high priest had to cut his hair weekly rather than monthly!

All Levites, kohanim or not, had a role to play in service to the community. In fact, the word “Levi” reflects the essence of the role of a Levite - it means to join and connect with others.

Within this context of communal service, we can more deeply understand the strict code of conduct by which the Levites and the Kohanim were expected to live. Above

and beyond all the commandments that applied to the Jewish people as a whole, the kohanim led even more circumscribed lives. For instance, they could not go to a cemetery or come in contact with the dead.

They also could not eat any food that may have come into contact with sources of ritual impurity as defined by the Torah.

The purpose of such strictures was so that the kohanim would always be pure and available to aid and support the spiritual needs of the Jewish people at a moment’s notice.

The uniqueness of the Levites and kohanim is not a privilege that sets them above others; instead, it is a responsibility

True, kohanim and Levites were, and still are, accorded precedence when it comes to religious honors—such as being called to the Torah before others and leading the after-meal blessings. The intention of such practices, however, is not to elevate them as individuals above others; rather, it is meant to honor the value and virtue of selfless public service that they represent.

This is reflected beautifully in a concise teaching from Ethics of Our Fathers: “Who is honored? He who honors others.” This short saying expresses a complete value system.

The Big Idea: In the Jewish tradition, one rises to the top by serving those at the bottom.

—An excerpt from People of the Word, by Mendel Kalmenson and Zalman Abraham, exploring 50 key Hebrew words that have

HISTORY

Amsterdam has been in the news as a place where Jews were recently brutally beaten by pro-Palestinian mobs and local police -at least at the onset- did not intervene.

Jerusalem of the West

But Amsterdam should not be written off based on this horrific set of events. The city boasts a rich Jewish history dating back over 400 years and has been a center of Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jewish life. Even after Dutch Jews were nearly snuffed out in the Holocaust, Jewish life has rebounded in this city of canals.

10. It Was Dubbed “Jerusalem of the West” Amsterdam’s reputation for Jewish scholarship and its thriving community earned it the title “Jerusalem of the West,” highlighting its far-reaching influence across Western Europe and beyond.

Here are 14 facts about Jewish Amsterdam’s prolific past, concluding with information about its vibrant present.

11. New Amsterdam Was Not as Welcoming

1. Jews Arrived There in the 16th Century The story of Jewish Amsterdam begins in the 16th century. Amidst religious conflicts and intolerance across Europe, the Netherlands stood out as a rare sanctuary of religious freedom, attracting Jews from various countries who sought refuge from persecution.

2. It Was a Haven for Hidden Jews In 1579, after breaking free from Spanish rule, the Netherlands offered a safe haven for Spanish and Portuguese conversos.

These individuals, who had been forced to convert to Christianity, could now openly embrace their Sephardic Jewish heritage without fear of the ruthless Inquisition.

3. Eastern European Refugees Found a Home There The mid-1600s brought another wave of Jewish refugees to Amsterdam, this time from Eastern Europe. These Ashkenazi Jews had fled violent Cossack-led attacks, often arriving in Amsterdam with little more than their lives. They were warmly welcomed by the local Sephardi community, who helped them rebuild their lives in the prosperous city.

4. Sephardim and Ashkenazim Thrived Side by Side Amsterdam became home to both Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews. Each group created its synagogues and appointed its rabbis, and the two communities coexisted

and Isaac Pereyra and David de Pinto, funded Torah study locally and in Jerusalem and Hebron. Physician Ephraim Boeno funded a new edition of the Code of Jewish Law, urging Rabbi Moshe Rivkash, a Lithuanian scholar, to enhance it with explanations, resulting in Be’er Hagolah.

14 facts about Jewish history and life in Amsterdam Amsterdam’s Portuguese Synagogue, completed in 1675, was then the world’s largest

12. Mesilat Yesharim Was Written There

By Yehuda Altein in harmony for centuries.

5. Jews Enriched Amsterdam’s Economy The 17th century marked the Dutch Golden Age, with Amsterdam becoming Western Europe’s wealthiest city, a hub for trade and finance. Jewish merchants, bankers, and entrepreneurs played an essential role in this prosperity, contributing significantly to commerce and even helping to finance the Dutch East and West India Companies.

6. Great Rabbis Lived There Amsterdam attracted notable rabbis such as Rabbi Menasseh ben Israel (1604–1657), a Portuguese former converso who guided the Sephardic Jews, and Rabbi Tzvi Ashkenazi (1658–1718), known as the Chacham Tzvi, who led the Ashkenazi community.

In 1654, Jews arrived in New Amsterdam (modern-day New York), then a Dutch colony, to a hostile welcome. Only thanks to the efforts of the Dutch West India Company were they able to stay and prosper. Despite the rough start, New York ultimately developed into what is now the largest Jewish community outside of Israel.

7. The Portuguese Synagogue Still Stands Today Completed in 1675, Amsterdam’s Portuguese Synagogue, or Esnoga, was the world’s largest at the time. Visiting in 1755, Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azulai (the “Chida”) praised its bright, spacious, and welcoming design. The candle-lit sanctuary still hosts services today.

8. It Was a Center of Hebrew Publishing Amsterdam became a beacon of Hebrew publishing, with Rabbi Menasseh ben Israel establishing the city’s first Hebrew printing press in 1626. Over the next two centuries, Amsterdam publishers produced sacred texts of impeccable quality, spreading Torah learning far and wide.

9. Its Wealth Was Used for Torah Study Wealthy Amsterdam Jews, like Abraham

In 1734, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato (the “Ramchal”), a young Italian scholar and kabbalist, settled in Amsterdam, where he authored his classic work, Mesilat Yesharim (“Path of the Upright”), a guide to ethical living that remains a staple of Jewish study.

13. It Was Anne Frank’s Home Nazi Germany’s 1940 occupation devastated Amsterdam’s Jewish community, with over 60,000 of 80,000 Jews murdered, including 15-year-old Anne Frank. Her family’s secret annex, discovered by the Gestapo, is preserved and protected as one of the major tourist sites in the city.

14. Jewish Life in Amsterdam Endures Though the Holocaust severely impacted the Jewish community in Amsterdam, Jewish life has since been revived. Today, the city is home to a vibrant Jewish community with active synagogues, schools, kosher restaurants, and several Keeping Jewish | December 2024 |

13

Photo: Comfycup

HUMOR

And only that front part inflates, so you don’t even need to take it off and then figure out how to remake it in a hurry when someone comes in. When someone comes in, you can jerk your head up and pretend you were working, and your tie will just look like it’s having an allergic reaction to something. So yes, you might have to deflate it in a hurry. Possibly using a stapler.

“I was just um… working.”

Presents of the Future

By Mordechai Schmutter Are you bad at buying Chanukah gifts?

head doesn’t land in someone’s armpit.

Well, do we have some ideas for you!

They’re bad ideas, of course, but that’s what makes them perfect because nobody else would have thought of them - no worries about duplicates with these gifts!

2. Another great gift for busy people is the Baby Mop ($13). This is a onesie outfit that you put on your baby, and it has a kind of shag carpeting attached to the front so the baby can sweep as he crawls. Basically, this onesie creates a loophole that allows for child labor. And it seems fair. Maybe this baby should do something to pull his weight after you carry him around all day, the little freeloader.

Note that all of these are real products that people are paying real money for, so you’re far from being alone out there.

1. You can buy someone traveling to New York a Comfycup ($17). This is a cup holder that attaches to the pole on the subway.

According to the promotional material for this item, “You don’t have to keep juggling your drink; trying not to spill it on your clothes, electronics, or other people.”

Besides, you know, all the other people who are holding this pole. I’m also pretty sure its producers assume that you’re not going to pick up the cup every time you take a sip- that you are just leaning into the pole and sipping from the top -and hoping your

14 | December 2024 | Keeping Jewish

On the other hand, the static-charge buildup will be ridiculous. (“Nobody pick up the baby!”)

But other than that, it’s a very smart Chanukah present, because you can put this on your baby and send him into corners of the house you don’t normally let him go. (“Hey, want to play in the attic?”)

And the good news is that he can get into vents, under furniture… Just spray the floor and let that baby go. Spilled your coffee? Let the baby play in it! Either

way, this is an especially great gift for the person on your list who runs a daycare.

3. You can also consider buying some microfiber cleaning slippers ($13). These are slippers with mops on the bottom and are a good way to tell your family member or friend, “Hey, you’re lazy, you drag your feet when you walk, and your house is gross!”

It’s also great to wear while you’re actually mopping, so you stop making footprints.

And this is a great gift for the person on your list with huge feet.

4. Another gift for the person who is constantly working is the Inflatable Pillow Tie ($20). This is an actual tie that you can wear, and the front part has a little mouthpiece that you can manually blow up so you can take naps while you’re at work.

No one in the office will know that you’re secretly sleeping at your desk. You’re just the guy with an ugly plastic tie and weird facial lines.

“Okay. Why is your tie stapled to your desk?”

Don’t wear it to your job interview.

5. Another item that’s great for people who learn well into the night is the Sleeping bag with legs and a hood ($50). Note that I did not mention it having arms. It’s basically a huge pair of pants with a hood.

This item is great for the person on your list who thinks they can defeat a bear in kickboxing. And it’s definitely better for the office than just an inflatable tie. Though I would recommend wearing it WITH the inflatable tie, so you can look professional.

6. Our final gift, for someone who is always in a rush, is Ironius: The Coffee Mug Iron. This is a coffee mug that has a large, flat bottom so you can use the heat of your coffee to iron your shirts. Mornings are always rushed, but this way, you can get two things done at once, while also probably spilling coffee on your clothes!

Because the mug does not have a lid. You get to pick: Do I want creases or stains?

You might get dressed before you have your coffee. But you can still take off your shirt and iron it wherever you do have your coffee, such as on the train!

It seems like it would pair well with a pillow tie.

GAME

A Messy Message

By Sari Kopitnikoff @thatjewishmoment

FUN PAGE

Take the Month of Kislev Quiz

By Menachem Posner

Can you understand oil spills? Use the decoder below to answer the question to this riddle: What did one bottle of oil say to the other on Chanukah?

Photo: Breslevmeir

Photo: Breslevmeir

2. In the Northern Hemisphere, Kislev occurs in: A. fall/winter B. winter/spring C. spring/summer D. summer/fall 3. On which day in Kislev does Chanukah begin?

A. 1, beginning the month with a burst of light B. 15, like Sukkot and Passover, each of which starts on the full moon C. 25, spilling into the following month 4. Counting from Nissan, Kislev is which month of the Jewish year?

A. Fifth

B. Seventh C. Ninth D. Eleventh 5. How many days does Kislev have?

A. 29 B. 30 C. 31 D. It varies between 29 and 30 6. What is the mazal (horoscope) of Kislev?

A. Akrav - scorpion (Scorpio) B. Keshet - bow (Sagittarius) C. Gedi - goat (Capricorn) 7. In Chabad tradition, 19 Kislev is: A. “The Rosh Hashanah of Chassidut” B. “The Early Chanukah” C. “The Day of Jubilation” 8. Which month comes after Kislev?

A. Marcheshvan B. Tevet C. Shevat D. Tammuz Answers: 1-D, 2-A, 3-C, 4-C, 5-D, 6-B, 7-A, 8-B.

1. Which biblical holiday occurs in Kislev?

A. Sukkot B. Shavuot C. Passover D. None of the above

Keeping Jewish | December 2024 |

15

B"H

Share the Light Chabad’s Chabad’s Chanukah Chanukah celebrations celebrations across across Southern Southern Arizona Arizona

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 25

SUNDAY, DEC. 29 2:30 PM - Oro Valley Marketplace Northwest Chanukah Festival with crafts, activities, food, Menorah lighting & gelt drop

5:00 PM - Downtown Tucson 41st lighting of Tucson's tallest Menorah outside City Hall of Tucson 5:00 PM - Veterans Memorial Park in Sierra Vista Chanukah Celebration with menorah lighting with food and music

5:00 PM - Purple Heart Park in Vail Chanukah Celebration with Menorah lighting, gelt drop, refreshments and music

Thursday, Dec. 26

5:00 PM - Fort Huachuca Main Post Chapel Menorah lighting with army personnel & residents

5:00 PM - Benson's Visitor Center Outdoor Menorah lighting with food and music

5:00 PM - Tubac Presidio State Historic Park Menorah lighting with stories & refreshments

5:30 PM* - Tucson Convention Center Chanukah On Ice with Menorah lighting, singing, refreshments and ice skating

Monday, Dec. 30 4:30 PM - Chabad Tucson & Tucson Mall Car Menorah Parade driving to Tucson Mall with Chanukah party at Catalyst 6:00 PM

Shabbos, Dec. 28 7:30 PM* - Chabad Tucson Havdalah & Family Game Night with Menorah lighting, refreshments and games

Wednesday, Jan. 1 5:00 PM - Grassy Park of Bisbee Outdoor Menorah lighting in front of the Copper Queen Hotel with refreshments

For more: Chabadtucson.com/chanukah2024 *Requires advanced registration

| December 2024 | Keeping Jewish