The recent Valley Jewish Federation study on needs of our senior population confirmed what many already knew: It is imperative that the Jewish community provide services, opportunities and care for our burgeoning senior population. Enter Smile on Seniors, a national program developed by the Chabad and administered locally by Rabbi Levi and Chani Levertov. The…
It’s no secret that when a recession hits, the arts get hit first and recover last. Some Arizona companies simply could not weather the downturn. But through careful strategic planning and significant fundraising, the Arizona Opera is alive and well and developing creative programming to increase its base for the future. Arizona Opera recently announced…
“A shtetl with washing machines” is how Hershey Felder affectionately describes the Montreal of the 1970s he grew up in. “It was a strong, close-knit Jewish community.” Hershey, who will be performing his one-man show of Irving Berlin for Arizona Theatre Company this month, loved the warm blanket of protection he felt as a young…
Family rallies to ensure Casino Night is an award presentation and fundraiser to remember Casino Night 2015 at the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center takes on a western flair under starlit skies at the Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus on Oct. 17. The community is invited to bring out their jeans, boots and…
(This is the first post in Arizona Jewish Life’s project to help bar and bat mitzvah students achieve their mitzvah project goals. To have your project posted on our site, contact [email protected]) David Machbitz comes from a family that not only believes in the value of education but also puts their time, energies and resources…
Sam Fox loves to conceptualize great dining experiences. Sam Fox never dreamed he would be where he is today. Certainly not when he was a young kid going through the booths at his parents’ deli in Chicago, looking for spare change that slipped out of customers’ pockets. And not when he would bus tables or…
Education is a hotly debated topic in the United States. Recent state budgetary decisions in Arizona have many concerned that we will never be able to pull up from the bottom of the list in providing quality education for our children, teens and young adults. However, funding is not the only obstacle to education. A…
There is a long tradition of Jews as magicians, illusionists and mentalists. The most famous of the 19th and early 20th centuries was Harry Houdini, a rabbi’s son born Erik Weisz. Israeli psychic Uri Geller became famous in the 1970s for bending spoons, presumably by merely looking at them. Most people are familiar with David…
The Phoenician Resort on Camelback Road in Scottsdale features magnificent luxury with exquisite furnishings and decorative touches, a carefully manicured 27-hole championship golf course, crystal-clear pools and a variety of restaurants – all nestled at the base of Camelback Mountain. But no matter how ornate or elaborate the buildings and grounds are, they wouldn’t attract…
Sara Bernstein is a Jewish American Princess. On a regular basis, she dons her princess costume and wig, flashes her warm and sparkly smile, and makes little girls’ dreams come true. Oh, she’s not a JAP kind of princess – she’s the best kind of princess there can be, in the tradition of Cinderella, Sleeping…
