Andre Ivory has had a fire in his soul for Judaism since his teens. That fire, coupled with an intense curiosity, set him on a course of self-discovery that dramatically altered his life. Since converting at age 20 and becoming a bar mitzvah at age 33, Ivory has fine-tuned his passion for Judaism into a…
When thinking of the historical hubs of Jewish life in pre-Holocaust Europe, most Jews invoke stories of their ancestors’ “old country” – places like Poland, Germany, Hungary and Russia. But Greece? Surprisingly, as I learned during a recent visit, Thessaloniki, Greece, the country’s second-largest city, has one of the richest and most vibrant Jewish histories…
Know your body, advocate for yourself when something feels wrong, find a support system. Two sisters-in-law who have forged an even stronger bond as sisters-in-survival want to share that message with all women. The two Young Israel members, Linda and Lucia Schnitzer, do that by speaking to women’s groups (especially encouraging Orthodox women to realize…
Timing couldn’t have been more serendipitous for Maxine Murray to start exercising at the Tucson Jewish Community Center. “I have a diagnosis of osteopenia, a condition which leads to osteoporosis,” says Maxine. “The medication known to treat this condition only builds bone density, not necessarily healthy bones. I had to do something additional to maintain…
A competitive ice skater until she tore her Achilles tendon at age 12, Jennifer Brooks stayed active in high school. But from age 18 to 30, “I did nothing … I was packing on the pounds,” she says. She got a wake-up call during a doctor visit in 2000. Her weight gain combined with her…
On Sunday, Oct. 18, the Tucson Jewish Community Center and Tucson Medical Center (TMC) present the second annual Family Wellness Festival. This free, interactive event will engage families of all ages and backgrounds from noon to 4 pm at the Tucson J. The Family Wellness Festival was created to help educate our community on the…
According to my good friend Selina, I scored a minus one on the “pamper scale” when we first met. Selina could book a massage or take time out for a cup of coffee without giving it a second thought. I, in the other hand, considered spending more than 15 minutes or $15 on a nonessential…
Arizona Jewish Life wants to help bar and bat mitzvah students achieve their mitzvah project goals. So we have added a “Mitzvah Project” button to our website. We want to hear from young people who need help getting signatures on petitions, raising funds for a charity, or collecting donations such as canned food or school…
Sophie Dube and Ryland Davidson thought long and hard about what they wanted to do for their respective bat/bar mitzvah projects. While both 13-year-olds chose opposite age groups to devote their time, they both had very personal stories behind their passionate choices. Sophie: a memory project For Sophie, daughter of Arizona real estate developer Steve…
Childhood obesity is on the rise in America – dangerously so. According to the Centers for Disease Control, childhood obesity has more than doubled in the past 30 years and now affects nearly 20% of children between the ages of 6 and 11. Blame it on video games, compulsive computer use or even our national…
