Hanukkah is right around the corner and that means dressing for eight festive nights! As we enter the joyful season, we see a shift toward cooler weather and holiday style with winter fabrics and flourishes. Sure, a little black dress or menswear suit is always a solid choice for the party scene, but who says…
You’re the One. Ruby Ruby. Voodoo. Sexy Rexy. If you recognize these as names of roses, you’re probably a rosarian. If you don’t, there’s no time like the present to become one and join legions of lovers and cultivators of roses the world over. What’s so special about the rose? Not only is it the…
As the story goes, afternoon tea began in the early 19th century, when Anna Russell, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, is said to have complained of growing very hungry between the more substantial meals of breakfast (7 am) and dinner (8:30 pm). She requested that her servant bring tea and a light snack, perhaps a…
How can I pull the plug on a gift exchange that I did not initiate, but have participated in for the past two years? I met a friend on a bridge cruise after my divorce. Many of the single women were hunting for a man. I wasn’t, and ended up in a random pairing with…
After a three-month adventure seeking beauty in the world, many thoughts race through your mind, especially when you have quit your job, run out of money and have no clue what comes next. However, a philosophical discussion on the meaning of life with a perfect stranger is not one of them. A tall man stood…
Full disclosure: Myra Richman and I met in Columbus, Ohio as collegians and “sisters” in a Jewish sorority. She comes from small-town life in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. I am a native New Yorker. To me, Myra – my “first Canadian” – was unique, soft-spoken and elegant. Since our happy reunion, she has admitted that she…
Creative Aging is a national initiative based on studies showing that older adults live longer, better lives if they are actively involved in the arts. The movement is aimed at fostering an understanding of the vital relationship between creative expression and quality of life for older adults. Jewish Family & Children’s Service is offering a…
Innovative ideas are bustin’ out all over at the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center in Scottsdale. A bastion of the community, “The J” is on a mission to become your one-stop place for everything fun and engaging in Judaism. Many programs are being revamped and expanded. New Managing Director Kim Subrin, a “make…
Many children in both Nogales, Arizona, and its sister city Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, would not recognize a tennis court, let alone know the rules of the game. For Charlie Cutler, a former professional tennis player, the goal is to change that. Charlie grew up in Portland, Oregon, attending Havurah Shalom where he became a bar…
Age is just a number when it comes to making the world a better place. That’s what Alexandra Sklar and Lisa Geyser, the founders of the nonprofit Families Giving Back, believe. Lisa and Alex became fast friends in a parenting group when their oldest children were 6 months old. “We were new moms, Jewish, and…
