In the fall of 2018, the quarterly meeting of the Jewish community’s organizations and congregations, convened by the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix, abruptly set aside its intended agenda. A few days earlier on Shabbat, a horrific act of murder had taken place in the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. In a conference room…
NowGen (formerly Young Jewish Phoenix) was reinvented in 2016 to foster connections and help build the Phoenix Jewish community. Since 2016, NowGen has expanded to include a growing number of programs that help deepen these connections. NowGen has now launched three focus areas: LIVE, GIVE and LEAD. LIVE provides the opportunity to connect to each…
The period between Rosh Hashanah, this year beginning sundown on September 29 and ending with Yom Kippur the evening of October 9, is known as The Days of Awe. This reference was first noted in the Jerusalem Talmud and expressed the idea that this 10-day period provides us with the opportunity to reflect on our…
This month we celebrate Shavuot, which commemorates the giving of the Torah, or law, by G-d to the Jewish people – think Charlton Heston receiving the ten commandments in Cecil B. DeMille’s Passover classic. Also known as the Feast of Weeks, it occurs 50 days after the second day of Passover. As one might expect,…
This month, I will be ending my 42nd mission to Israel just as the nation enters into Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day. This day was officially enacted in 1963, and while it has traditionally been dedicated to fallen soldiers, its commemoration recently has been extended to include civilian victims of terrorism. But, all is not…
April marks the end of nearly two months of Violins of Hope programming. I am proud that federation supported this important project spearheaded by two amazing leaders and supporters of Federation, Julee Landau Shahon and Rachel Hoffer. I continue to be deeply moved by the collaborative spirit of the 30 organizations, both Jewish and non-Jewish,…
Purim is a celebration of Jewish deliverance. It recognizes Queen Esther’s courage to come forward as a Jew and convince her husband, the King of Persia, to spare her people from the extermination planned by the prime minister, Haman, who felt the Jewish leader Mordechai slighted him. As punishment, for his crimes, the bodies of…
As things began to turn in Germany in the 1930s, both sets of my grandparents made the brave decision to leave behind their homes and all they knew to start anew in America. This past summer, as part of the Federation mission to Berlin and Budapest, I was the first member of my family to…
As I complete my second year as CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix, I take great pride in where the organization is going. We have concluded our 2018 development efforts and raised nearly $5 million, which includes a $3.5 million annual campaign – an increase of $100,000 over last year. To our generous…
In the words of Adam Sandler, “Put on your yarmulke, here comes Hanukkah.” Did you know that Hanukkah is not a Jewish holiday? Though Hanukkah is canonized by the Catholic and Coptic churches in the Book of Maccabees I and II, it is not canonized in the Hebrew Bible. Both books share the history of…
