If the names Ira J. Gaines and Cheryl Hintzen-Gaines are familiar to you, it isn’t surprising. You will see them included in donor listings in playbills and for myriad charities, causes and institutions in the Valley, nationally and internationally, including Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix, Hillel and AIPAC. One of the popular local points of…
Pictured above: Phil and Hannah Adelman with Marc Adelman. Marc Adelman and Hannah and Phil Adelman aren’t related – but theirs is a very special relationship. Here’s Marc’s brief backstory: He came to the Valley from Philadelphia with his parents and sister in the late ‘70s. He celebrated his bar mitzvah at Beth El Congregation,…
Prior to her recent move to Arizona from her native Philadelphia, Cheryl Blumenthal managed “Golden Slipper on the Main Line,” a lifelong learning program for Jewish seniors. So it appears that her position here, as the adult program director for the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center, is indeed a perfect fit. Much of…
At the Scottsdale home of Sonia and John Breslow, it’s reigning cats and dogs. From her earliest childhood memories in Omaha, NE, Sonia says she had a passion for any animal, but especially “puppies and kittens and rabbits,” and was always bringing home strays. “My parents tolerated my dedication to a point,” she recalls, “but…
He’s living proof that America’s Got Talent – and he definitely has The Voice! He is Allan Naplan, executive and producing director of Arizona Musicfest, the unique concert experience based at various venues in and around North Scottsdale. Prior to his current position, and following his professional singing career, Allen served in senior management roles…
Not only are Barbara Zemel and Jay Bycer fast friends – but they are also the formidable duo responsible in good part for the local success of Arizona Friends of Magen David Adom, (Israel’s Red Cross), the Jewish state’s emergency response, ambulance and blood center. The back story: Jay, along with his wife, Karen, volunteered…
“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…
In the mid-1960s Libby and Bernie Weiner would escape the winter weather in Kankakee, a small town a few hours from Chicago where Bernie headed a successful insurance agency, to soak up the sunshine here in the Valley. When and why did the couple make the move permanent? Bernie recalls, “In the early ‘80s recession,…
Brad Graber says his goal of writing a novel had been percolating for years but acknowledges that he “had to make a living.” He finally decided to fulfill his fantasy by saving enough money and retiring short of age 60. A native New Yorker with a master’s degree in healthcare administration, Brad and his spouse,…
If you’re a history buff, you might be interested in an innovative travel program sponsored by the Bureau of Jewish Education (BJE): A Presidential Libraries Tour to Southern California this summer, from August 6 to 11. BJE Executive Director Myra Shindler promises that “participants will connect with like-minded adults who enjoy travel and experiential learning…
