First Place AZ, a nonprofit serving adults with autism and other special needs, was recently awarded a $50,000 House to Home prize in the Autism Speaks HeroX crowdsourcing challenge. First Place was selected from among 250 competitors from 63 countries who submitted ideas for developing alternative housing and support services for the growing number of adults…
The late Dan Schay in his final performance, Theater Works’ production of “The Quiltmaker’s Gift,” December 2015 Theater Works will pay tribute to Dan Schay, the company’s late executive director, by naming the 2016 New Works Festival in his memory. Dan, who died in April, was dedicated to providing new experiences for playwrights, actors and the community…
June 26 marks the first anniversary of the landmark ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States requiring states to recognize and license marriages between two people of the same sex. To commemorate this historic decision, JFSA Pride, a program of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona, will host a celebration of marriage equality in the Jewish History Museum’s Einstein-Sim…
On a recent visit to his hometown of Douglas, AZ, Abe Villarreal went to the border town’s cemetery to pay respects to family members. While there, he remembered stories he’d heard about an abandoned Jewish cemetery, so he went on a quest down winding dirt roads in search of it. When he found the cemetery…
Jewish War Veterans Post 210 Commander Michael Chambers’ military past is surprisingly diverse. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy after high school, then after making aliyah, spent six years in army intelligence in the Israel Defense Forces. He then volunteered for the U.S. Air Force reserves when he returned to the States. Not only that,…
Nature knows no borders. At the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, this is more than just a slogan. It’s the mission that brings Israeli, Palestinian, Jordanian and international students together to tackle the environmental issues of the Middle East. The Arava Institute, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, was founded to build bridges between…
Even as a young girl growing up in Israel, Zoe Rubinstein had the instincts of a healer. “It was mostly focused on animals, bringing those injured pigeons and kittens home, although my mom wasn’t happy about it,” she says. “As I got older and had a family, this need to heal was transferred to people,…
Grammy-award nominated soprano Arianna Zukerman will headline the Arizona premier of “Annelies,” an oratorio based on the Diary of Anne Frank, on April 9 and 10. Zukerman, daughter of renowned Israeli violinist and conductor Pinchas Zukerman, has a long and personal history with this piece, which she says resonates with audiences in a very powerful…
Although it’s been described as a hidden gem, El Encanto Condominium is truly hiding in plain sight smack dab in the heart of Tucson’s historic Sam Hughes neighborhood, on busy Sixth Street, just east of Treat. Built in 1940, as luxury apartments for well-heeled winter visitors, Hollywood starlets filming at Old Tucson Studios and military…
Odette Evans doesn’t let her age get in the way of her passion for life. At 80 years young, she has more energy than many people several decades younger. She works as a Realtor, lifts weights, takes Zumba and aerobics classes, entertains friends and family with home-cooked meals and travels internationally. Oh, and she looks…
