Rabbi Don Bacharach Dean of Kollel
Rabbi Don Bacharach has been the Rosh Kollel, dean of the Phoenix Community Kollel, since he and his family moved to Phoenix from the Chicago area in December 2013. He studied at Ner Israel Rabbinical College in Baltimore, where he received his master’s degree in Talmud law. He received his rabbinic ordination in Jerusalem. his wife, Dina, has a master’s degree in education and over 10 years experience in elementary through college-age and adult education. They have four children. Rabbi Bacharach has recruited four new full-time rabbis and their families to join the Kollel team this year. Dina has established monthly “TLC” programming for women, with TLC standing for Torah, Learning and Creativity. The Phoenix Community Kollel’s center is located at 6516 n Seventh St. in Phoenix.
602-433-0300 | aztorah.com | dbacharach@aztorah.com
Allie London Joins Jewish Community Foundation
Allie London has been appointed program officer for the Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona. She is responsible for overseeing and managing the foundation’s grants program.
“The foundation is committed to our community and works closely with community agencies and donors to move towards a stronger tomorrow,” says JCF Chief Executive Officer Tracy Salkowitz. “We are delighted to have found someone with Allie’s skill set. she will be a tremendous addition not only to the foundation but to our entire community.”
A native New Yorker, London recently relocated to Tucson from Chicago. “I am passionate about nonprofit causes and excited to use my experience and skills gathered over two decades in marketing, copywriting and client engagement to benefit JCF and the Jewish community,” says Allie, who received her B.A. in politics and journalism from New York University. 520-577-0388 | allie@jcftucson.org
Stuart Shatken Elected President of JCFSA
Stuart Shatken has been elected president of the Board of Trustees of the Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona. Shatken has served as a JCF trustee since 2010. “Stuart brings years of legal, marketing and Jewish community experience to the foundation,” says JCF CEO Tracy Salkowitz. “His knowledge of and enthusiasm for our work makes him a great partner in helping people understand the importance of remembering the community now and always. no one understands legacy the way Stuart does.” Board members Jane Ash and Andra Karnofsky were elected vice presidents. New board members are Myles Beck, Aaron Rottenstein and Linda Tumarkin. Founded in 1975, JFC is an independent organization that is an affiliated agency of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona. The foundation’s Legacy Team provides expert support for individuals and families (and their professional advisors) interested in supporting what they care about through donor-advised funds and endowment funds, and organizations interested in establishing custodial funds for long-term support. 520-577-0388 | jcftucson.org
David T. Eastman Attends National Law Conference
David T. Eastman of Morris, Hall and Kinghorn, P.L.L.C, in Phoenix attended the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys Annual Conference held May 15-17, 2014, in Scottsdale. NAELA members and speakers have helped define this area of law, and at this year’s annual conference, attendees from across the country participated in interactive sessions led by experts in the field to sharpen their skills and knowledge on these topics. The conference included the following general and breakout sessions: Ending Alzheimer’s; Middle Class Estate Planning; the Effect of the Affordable Care Act on the Future of Special Needs Planning; Financial Services – Long-Term Care Insurance; and Planning for Clients with Multiple Sclerosis and Other Neurological Disorders. David is a partner at MHK.
888-222-1328 | 602-248-2352 | morristrust.com
U of A Hillel Foundation Welcomes Staff
Deborah Jassem has been named Development Director for the Hillel Foundation at the University of Arizona. She will oversee all fundraising activities and special events for Hillel. Deborah joins Hillel after serving as a consultant for several nonprofits throughout the country including the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, CA, and as director of philanthropy for Tohono Chul. Prior to joining Tohono Chul, she held several development positions with the U of A and the of U of A foundation. Deborah holds a master’s degree from Trinity College in Hartford, CT, and a Bachelor of Arts from Central Connecticut State University. Dljassem@email.arizona.edu
Amalia Mark has been named Director of Jewish Student Life. Amalia will be building relationships with Jewish students all over campus as well as collaborating with Jewish student leaders to enhance the quality and integrity of Jewish campus life. Amalia will also be supporting the programming that takes place year round at the U of A Hillel, from biweekly Shabbat celebrations to the annual 24-hour Holocaust Vigil. A 2013 graduate of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, with a major in theater, Amalia spent this past year as a fellow for Repair the World, where she was a community organizer and volunteer mobilizer in Baltimore City.
520-624-6561 | arizona.hillel.org
Anshei Israel Taps Sarah Artzi for School Post
Congregation Anshei Israel announced the appointment of Sarah Artzi as Interim Religious School Administrator. A lifelong member of CAI, Sarah brings to the position a love of learning and teaching, as well as her experience as a religious school teacher and active member of many Tucson local institutions and organizations. Born and raised in Tucson, Sarah is the daughter of Sue and the late Saul Tobin.
A graduate of Brandeis University with a B.A. in Judaic Studies, Sarah’s involvement in Jewish life began by attending CAI’s then-nursery/ kindergarten, religious school and USY. She attended and worked at Camp Ramah and worked at several Jewish agencies in New York and San Diego following college, returning to Tucson after marrying. Sarah and her husband, Jeff, have three children who all attended CAI’s Preschool, where Sarah was very active in its Parent Action Committee. She and her children all became B’nai Mitzvot at CAI as well.
Sarah will work with Rabbi Robert Eisen and CAI’s new Cantorial Soloist Nichole Chorny to ensure CAI’s religious school will continue to thrive. Congregation Anshei Israel is the largest Conservative synagogue in Tucson, serving Southern Arizona since 1930.
520-745-5550 | caiaz.org
Lisa Owens Takes Post at Health Club
Born and raised in Southern California, Lisa Owens considered herself a “Valley girl.” After completing her studies at the University of California, Berkeley, however, she made the transition to become an “Arizona Valley woman.” Lisa came to the Valley because her husband, David, was transferred, but she was happy to uproot their family, including their two sons, to the desert. For seven years, Lisa was director of membership at the Valley of the sun JCC, where she enjoyed working within her roots of the Jewish community. In June she was named Director of Membership at the DC Ranch Village Health Club and Spa. The 81,000-square-foot health club is located at 18501 N. Thompson Peak Pkwy. in Scottsdale.
480-515-4056 | lowens@dmbclubs.com | villageclubs.com
Tucson JCC Names New Board, Chair
The Tucson Jewish Community Center announced the 2014-15 board of directors at its annual meeting held May 13. Five individuals were elected and installed, including new board chair, Barney Holtzman, managing director of the Tucson law office of Fennemore Craig. He has been a member of the JCC for 15 years and served on the board since 2000. Holtzman is also a board member for Ben’s Bells, a local Tucson charity. Other incoming board members are Gabby Levy, Noah Pensak, Rachel Green and Barry Baker. The Tucson JCC is currently undergoing major renovations to many of its areas to expand and better meet the needs of the community. tucsonjcc.org
Frank Jacobson Elected to National Board
Jewish Family & Children’s Service announced Frank Jacobson, VP of Marketing & Development of JFCS, has been elected to the board of directors of The Association of Jewish Family & Children’s Agencies at its annual conference held in May in Montreal, Canada. For the last two years Frank has served on the National Conference Planning Committee and the Communications Committee for AJfCA. He also served as co-chair for the Marketing and Development Conference Task force. Frank has more than 40 years’ experience working with nonprofits and municipalities in the areas of management, fundraising, strategic planning and public affairs, as well as working with boards and public officials. He has been VP of Marketing and Development for JFCS since 2009. The AJFCA is a membership organization with approximately 125 Jewish human service agencies in the United States and Canada. ajfca.org | jfcsaz.org
Development Leader Kathleen Norton Joins Tesseract School
Tesseract school appointed Kathleen Norton as the new Executive Director of Advancement effective Aug. 4. Tesseract is an independent school with campuses in Paradise Valley and Phoenix that inspires students from preschool through 12th grade to realize their individual potential by preparing them for the 21st century. Norton brings broad experience and a proven track record of development results to Tesseract. As Vice President-fund Development and Community Relations at St. Joseph’s Foundation/ Barrow Neurological Foundation, Norton secured multi-million dollar gifts and raised a total in excess of $10 million for key initiatives. Norton began her career in education and is dedicated to advancing learning. She also has a long-standing connection to Tesseract having served as Diirector of Admissions in 2001. “We are extremely excited to have Kathleen Norton join our team,” says Tesseract Head of School Mark Bistricky. Norton returns to Tesseract at an important time. The school has plans to grow and expand to keep pace with market demands, starting with facility growth and enhancement.
tesseractschool.org
BBYO Mountain Region Hires Laura Charnofsky
BBYO has hired Laura Charnofsky as the new Senior Regional Director for the Mountain Region based in Scottsdale and Brett Richman as Associate Regional Director for Las Vegas. An Arizona native and Mountain Region BBG alumna, Laura Charnofsky graduated from Arizona State University in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in nonprofit leadership and management. For the past five years, she has worked in nonprofit fundraising, most recently as a Special Events Manager for a large, local nonprofit. The scope of her experience with BBYO is broad, from active member throughout high school, to former administrative employee to current chapter advisor. Laura also sits on the board of directors for Desert Jewish Academy and owns a small health and wellness company. Laura will continue in her chapter advisor role and assumes her full-time director role the first week of september.
BBYO is the largest pluralistic organization for tweens and teens. The Mountain region includes greater Phoenix, Tucson, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas and the beginnings of a chapter in the Tahoe/Reno area. mlemchen@bbyo.org | bbyo.org
