“Arizona was a revelation to me,” says New England native Nancy Kravetz, describing her reaction the first time she saw “a palo verde tree, exotic cacti, the desert colors, sunsets and rock formations – the whole visual landscape.” She and her husband, Bob, a semi-retired gastroenterologist, and their three sons have lived in the Valley…
Performing slow, gentle, flowing movements, participants in Debora Bloom’s Tai Chi classes are immersed in an ancient Chinese modality that has been compared to “moving meditation.” Known for enhancing the body, mind and spirit, these weekly hour-and-a-half classes, held at Temple Beth Shalom in Chandler and are open to everyone of any age in the…
By Nicky Blackburn, courtesy Israel21c An early-stage Israeli ophthalmic medical devices startup has developed a revolutionary artificial cornea implant that holds out hope to millions of blind and visually impaired people suffering from diseases of the cornea. The nanotech-based solution by CorNeat Vision of Ra’anana is a synthetic cornea that uses advanced cell technology to integrate…
Sam Primack is a man with a plan. At a very early age, he fell in love with acting and has been pursuing his dream ever since he was introduced to the stage. “When I was 3 years old, my grandma took me to see a production of ‘Aladdin’ at Desert Stages Theatre in Scottsdale,…
I moved to Phoenix in 1999. It took me a while to find my place, connect with like-minded people, and tap into a thriving artistic community. I have to admit, at first I felt lost and alone. The first person I met who gave me hope that I could actually live and be happy in…
More than a year ago, the Friends of Israel committee at the Sun Lakes Jewish Congregation launched a project to help lone soldiers. “Lone soldiers” are volunteers from all over the world with no immediate family in Israel, who serve in the Israel Defense Forces. The Lone Soldier Project came about while the committee was…
From the time we were wearing footie pajamas (December is pretty cold in New York), my younger brother and I would lead the family in the blessings over each night of Hanukkah. We couldn’t wait to see what presents awaited us! Some of my favorites were Rock’em Sock‘em, Robots, Battleship, a National Geographic viewfinder, Spirograph…
Starting this month, if you venture past the BJE Jewish Community Library at the Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus, you may notice some changes. The library is going to begin a pilot program, sharing its space with the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center. “We would like the community to use this shared space…
Brazil was nothing like I had expected it would be. Lush, bustling and diverse, it was a thriving country of varied landscapes and cultures. My family’s primary reason for going was to visit our 17-year-old daughter, Lauren, who in 2004 was a foreign exchange student for the year. Despite the exhausting 20-hour trip from Tucson,…
