Phoenix Jewish Community Foundation welcomes new board members
The Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix welcomes three new members to its governing board. AJ Rosenthal, a junior at Phoenix Country Day School, was elected to a two-year term, replacing Joey Lernor, who left the JCF Board of Directors last spring to begin his college career at the University of Arizona. New board members elected for a three-year term are Scottsdale attorney Andrew Plattner, who specializes in business and corporate and estate and tax planning, and retired physician, Don Schon.
The Jewish Community Foundation’s Board of Directors ensures that the JCF adheres to its mission, goals and guiding principles, while exploring additional ways the foundation can serve as a resource to the Jewish community. jcfphoenix.org
JAC opens Makor Center
Jewish Arizonans on Campus recently opened Makor, a new educational center to host programming for JAC; its young professional affiliate, jLIVE; and its Bucharian Program, EMET. Director of Makor Rabbi Leib Bolel says, “New initiatives that develop within the Jewish community out of necessity means bigger and better things for the Jewish community at large.” Makor is housed at a temporary location at 14425 N Scottsdale Road while its new facility in Scottsdale Business Center at 13402 N. Scottsdale Road undergoes renovations, targeted for completion in December. myjac.org
Chef Kevin Fink to be featured at food and wine festival
Kevin Fink, executive chef and owner of Austin’s Emmer & Rye is one of the visiting celebrity chefs featured at azcentral Food & Wine Experience, Nov. 4-6 at Salt River Fields, Talking Stick Resort. Fink, who appeared on the July 2016 cover of Food & Wine Magazine, naming him one of the Best New Chefs 2016, grew up in Tucson and graduated from Northern Arizona University. He opened Emmer & Rye in November 2015 and previously served as director of operations for the award-winning Zona 78 Italian Kitchen in Tucson. Fink began his culinary career 15 years ago and his achievements include cooking at Trattoria 13 Gobbi in Florence, Italy, as well as front-of-house service at Thomas Keller’s iconic The French Laundry. Fink continued his career by staging at Copenhagen’s Noma and the competitive Noma Test Kitchen. azcentralfoodandwine.com
Walden joins UA Hillel
Philadelphia native Michel Walden joins the University of Arizona Hillel Foundation staff as director of Jewish student life. Among his responsibilities are engaging with UA Jewish students and leading Wildcat Jewish student leaders in creating meaningful Jewish experiences for students on campus. Michael also holds the position of Ezra Fellow, a program for early career Jewish professionals that includes training in experiential Jewish education and immersive Jewish learning. Michael earned his Bachelor of Arts from Cornell College and a master’s degree in medical biochemistry from Drexel University. Before coming to Hillel, Michael spent several years working and volunteering in Israel as part of Masa Israel, Livnot U’lehibanot and Onward Israel. He completed a Hebrew ulpan and studied at Yeshiva Aish Ha Torah and Ohr Sameach Yeshiva. Michael looks forward to sharing his experiences with Jewish Wildcats and guiding them in meaningful Jewish activities while on campus. uahillel.org
Citron moves up at THA
The Tucson Hebrew Academy is thrilled to announce the promotion of talented educator Kendra Citron to the position of assistant principal. Citron has over a decade of experience in the field, previously serving THA as an instructional coach, Title 1 reading and ESL tutor. Citron earned a master’s degree in bilingual and bicultural education from Northern Arizona University and has taught in public schools as well as advanced degree programs for teaching and teacher training. She holds National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification and fosters excellence at THA through teaching the enrichment program; teacher coaching, observation and evaluation; team professional development and more. thaaz.org
Tucson JCC promotes Malin, hires Tobin and Simpson
The Tucson Jewish Community Center announces the promotion of Emily Malin to director of Special Needs Services (SNS/Taglit). Former director Kristin Taft left The Tucson J after several years to pursue new opportunities. Malin has been at The J for a year as Special Needs Services coordinator. She has worked in the field of special needs, camping and youth for more than 15 years. Malin studied education and non-profit management at Arizona State University and has always had a passion for helping others. Her volunteer work includes the Camp Swift Foundation.
Tim Tobin joins Special Needs Services as assistant director, a new position that reports to Malin. Tobin studied special education at Pima College and the University of Arizona. He worked for 10 years with the Catalina Foothills School District C.A.R.E program and also worked for Amphitheater School District in their special needs program. For the past four summers, Tobin has worked at The J in SNS.
Additionally, Celia Simpson has been hired as assistant aquatics director and swim coach, a new position reporting to Aquatics Director Brandon Rannebarger. The J recently launched the new J-Rays Swim School program and Simpson will be an integral part of that and The J’s expanding aquatics program. Simpson graduated from Boston University, where she swam and studied environmental analysis and policy. She began swimming competitively at the age of nine and taught swimming lessons and coached for four summers during high school and college. tucsonjcc.org
Jewish History Museum hires Schachter-Brooks
Lisa Schachter-Brooks joins the Jewish History Museum as the new director of operations, overseeing operations, programming, marketing and finances for the newly expanded museum campus, which now includes the Holocaust History Center. Originally from Miami, Lisa has been involved both professionally and as a volunteer in Jewish communities in Berkeley, CA, Boston and Miami. She most recently worked as director of development at University of California Berkeley Hillel. For 12 years she served as director/owner of Costa Rican Adventures, an environmental education travel company that specialized in school group tours in several Central American countries. Though Lisa and her family recently relocated to Tucson from Oakland, CA, they spent last year on a Costa Rican adventure of their own. jewishhistorymuseum.org
Arizona Helping Hands finalist for Sterling Award
The Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce will hold its 31st Annual Sterling Awards on Nov. 18 at the Embassy Suites Scottsdale. As the chamber’s marquee event, the Sterling Awards embody the spirit of the chamber by celebrating the people and companies that make the community a great place to live, work and play. Arizona Helping Hands President and CEO Dan Shufelt announced that AHH is a finalist in the nonprofit category for this prestigious award. AHH provides essential needs for children in foster care. Nicknamed the “Care Barn,” AHH supports children who have been removed from their families due primarily to abuse (physical or substance) or neglect and provides a bed, clean clothes, hygiene products, books, toys and more to help ease the transition into a new family. azhelpinghands.org
Kahn named vice president of Scottsdale Active 20-30 Club
Isaac Kahn was appointed vice president of membership of the Scottsdale Active 20-30 Club, an organization he has been involved in for almost eight years. The non-profit supports children’s charities through fundraising events. Last year the group raised more than $425,000. Kahn has also been involved with other philanthropic activities, including the National Kidney Foundation of Arizona and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Arizona. Passionate about real estate and architecture, Kahn co-founded Palmyra Development Co. in 2013 and has been practicing real estate in the Valley for over 13 years. Kahn holds a master’s degree in real estate development and remains very active in supporting investors with buying, selling and flipping homes in Scottsdale and Phoenix. scottsdale2030.org
Harvey Frutkin retires
The Frutkin Law Firm announced the retirement of Harvey Frutkin from the practice of law. Harvey has worked with a focus on estate planning, taxation and corporate law for more than 40 years. While a partner at Cavitch, Familo, Durkin & Frutkin in Cleveland, Harvey participated on the Board of Directors and as president of the firm from 1992-2006. He spent the last five years as senior counsel at the Frutkin Law Firm in Scottsdale, where his son, Jonathan Frutkin, is the principal. Harvey is a published author and editor of 10 white papers and articles. He served as an adjunct professor of law in federal corporate taxation at Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland. He has been a frequent lecturer at the Cleveland Tax Institute and other business panels. frutkinlaw.com
Beth Jo Zeitzer on cover of Who’s Who in Business
President and Designated Broker of R.O.I. Properties Beth Jo Zeitzer graces the cover of the 2016 Who’s Who in Business a special publication of Republic Media. The edition features 50 of the state’s highest ranking women and Zeitzer is featured in the section marked “Arizona Economy.” Zeitzer has more than 20 years of experience in the legal and real estate industries. She has a strong background in the turnaround, repositioning and disposition of real estate assets, from single family residential to income producing properties of all types, including multi-family, retail, office and industrial properties. roiproperties.com
Lippel sisters open Woops! in Tucson
Sisters Ellie Lippel and Naomi Lippel recently opened Woops! bakeshop at 845 E University Blvd., near the University of Arizona campus in Tucson. Ellie worked in marketing and operations at Woops! in New York since the company started in 2012. Naomi worked for many years in non-profit management in Albuquerque, NM. Both are from Tucson. They decided to move back to be close to family, and bring a bit of New York with them by opening a Woops! in Tucson. This is the first Woops! bakeshop franchise (the others are corporate-owned) and the first outside the Northeast – filling a niche with macarons and offering quality coffee and pastries with a neighborhood feel. The bakeshop specializes in French macarons, offered in a wide variety of flavors and colors. bywoops.com
Goldstein’s art on tour at Pita Jungle
Scottsdale digital, multimedia artist Deena Goldstein continues her “Tour de Pita Jungle,” with featured works now on display at the Pita Jungle restaurant located at 20910 N Tatum Blvd, Suite 140, in Phoenix. This is the second of several Pita Jungle restaurant locations across the Valley that will feature Goldstein’s work over the next year. Each location displays newly created pieces by the artist, which are for sale. Goldstein’s work is eclectic and varies based on her source of inspiration – ranging from the ethereal to iconic Western imagery and salvage work. Goldstein’s work may also be found at Xanadu’s Online Gallery, as a featured juried artist, as well as on her own web gallery. deenagoldstein.com
New Chompie’s open in Glendale
Chompie’s commemorated the opening of its newest restaurant in Glendale on Sept. 8. Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers, Glendale Chamber Chairman of the Board Jeff Blake and Glendale City Councilor Lauren Tomachoff helped Chompie’s owners Lou and Lovey Borenstein and daughter Wendy Tucker Borenstein cut the ribbon on the new restaurant. They were joined by the Glendale Fire Department Honor Guard. The location is the fifth for Chompie’s and its first in the West Valley. The New York-style delicatessen, restaurant, bagel factory, bakery and caterer has served the Valley since 1979 with breakfast-all-day, lunch and dinner seven days a week. Chompie’s Glendale location joins four others in Scottsdale, Phoenix, Chandler and Tempe. chompies.com
Wine Spectator highlights Israeli wines
Israel’s wines are featured (and praised!) in the cover story of Wine Spectator magazine’s Oct. 15 issue, on newsstands now. The piece, titled “The Wines of Israel,” examines how fine wine production is now part of a rich cultural tapestry, as a generation of modern-minded winemakers explore what is possible on their arid land. Included in the story are reviews of more than 100 Israeli wines, a list of the country’s best bottles and an in-depth guide to Israel’s top wineries, restaurants and lodgings. Additionally, a video posted at WineSpectator.com takes a look at the history of wine in Jewish life. winespectator.com
i2i Optique relocates
i2i Optique (Optical Boutique) moved to 8320 N Hayden Road, #E103 in Scottsdale. Their opticians have 60 years of combined experience. i2i carries everything from prescription glasses to contacts, including: Face A Face, Tom Ford, J.F. Rey, Boz, Lafont, Alexander Dass, Etnia Barcelona, Ovvo and other top brands. They also create custom clip and rimless eyeglasses. Their mission is to guarantee the highest quality optical products at the most affordable prices in Scottsdale. i2ioptique.com
Kaye Portrait Stories on display downtown
Artist Lauri Marks Kaye will display 20 drawings from her series, “A Tucson Portrait Story” in the windows of the historic Roy Place Building, on the corner of Stone Avenue and Pennington Street in downtown Tucson, from Oct. 20-Dec.31. The paintings depict people, places, and events in the Old Pueblo and make up the first half of a 40+ series. Kaye is the artist behind Create For The People Ventures, creating original and commissioned artwork. Kaye provides hand-drawn customized portraits with subjects ranging from people, social issues, politics, pets and businesses to current events. Clients complete a questionnaire in order to provide interesting and relevant information about the subject. Kaye weaves the information together to create a truly unique piece of art that tells a story. These continuous line drawings feature immense, intricate detail. Words, quotes, facts and images are integrated to make for a striking and entertaining piece. createforthepeople.com
