Dot Kret found her career path at an early age. She saw how others treated her high school friend who had muscular dystrophy, who told her, “Once you’re in a wheelchair, you become invisible.” That resonated with her. “I had major problems with that,” says Dot, president and CEO of DK Advocates, Inc. “My goal…
When my kids were little, we lived in a small town in Israel. I spent almost every afternoon in the playground at the end of our street, hanging out with other moms as we watched our kids on the swings or in the sandbox. That’s where we shared parenting advice, asked about babysitters, offered up…
Jill Kessler’s path to Jewish educational leadership began with her mother, Janet Feinberg. No, Janet was not head of a school, like her daughter is at Pardes Jewish Day School, or a teacher. She never had the opportunity to pursue a college degree. But she instilled in her daughters a commitment to the value of…
One perfectly timed question changed the course of Deb Rochford’s career. Four years ago, Deb was at a luncheon for the Phoenix Symphony with philanthropist Sheila Schwartz. Deb had recently closed azTeen magazine, which she had published bimonthly for six years, and was thinking about what to do next. Sheila asked Deb where she was…
“It was one of the most transformative experiences of my life,” says Josh Kaplan, describing the six weeks he spent this summer with the Alexander Muss High School in Israel. “I don’t consider myself a particularly religious Jew. I find myself much more connected through culture and history. And I really didn’t know what to…
Photo: Yael Grauer records her “Monday Morning Dumpster Dive” podcast. How does a nice Jewish girl get to be a national technology journalist? In the case of Yael Grauer, it was rather serendipity and has led in some very interesting directions. Her writing career started early, with self-publishing at the age of 12 and writing as a national…
The Jewish Tuition Organization (JTO) recently announced that its 2015 year-end revenue, exceeded $4 million, up 12% from last year. The largest increase was in corporate support, which grew by 32.5%. Funds raised by the JTO are used for need-based scholarships for children at Desert Jewish Academy, Pardes Jewish Day School, Phoenix Hebrew Academy, Shearim…
“I have one foot in tradition and one foot in the future. I believe an art form shouldn’t be set in amber. It needs to breathe,” says renowned klezmer violinist, composer and ethnographer Yale Strom, who will be in Phoenix to headline Klezmania at the Arizona Jewish Historical Society on Sunday, Aug. 7 at 3…
The Associated Press reported yesterday that a man charged with plotting a terrorist attack on a motor vehicle office in metro Phoenix had also expressed intent to target the Tucson Jewish Community Center last year. To read the full story, go to tucson.com. “We have spoken with our law enforcement partners and we’ve been assured that law enforcement is not aware…
Photo by Kfir Sivan Joining a growing international trend, the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality recently opened Tel & Take, Israel’s first library of things. Tel Aviv residents can borrow stuff like drills, picnic tables, camping equipment or pet carriers for a contribution of 10 NIS (less than $3). The list of objects in the library was…
