Arizona Jewish Life hires Editor Rhona Melsky
Arizona Jewish Life magazine has expanded its editorial team and hired Rhona Melsky as editor.
Born in New York City, where her family attended a Conservative synagogue, Rhona is a long-time journalist and writer/editor who honed her skills at trade publications in that city directly after college. While attending Queens College, City University of New York, she studied Yiddish for three years.
She began her career as a desk/copy editor at Lebhar-Friedman in New York working on a variety of the company’s publications. She next worked as a copy editor and then special projects editor at DM News, also in New York City, whose offices were a mere 10 blocks from the World Trade Center. Having witnessed the 9/11 tragedy firsthand, she was interviewed by her manager and quoted in the publication. Rhona then worked as a reporter for community newspapers in New Jersey, covering everything from the police blotter, local government and education to restaurant reviews and the arts.
Rhona and her husband, a special education teacher, moved to Arizona in 2003 (she also lived in Scottsdale during her high school years and attended Saguaro High School and went to services occasionally at Congregation Har Zion). Her career in Arizona has included stints as a project editor at The Arizona Republic and as a copywriter for various companies. She most recently worked as a remote consultant using her editorial skills for Dun & Bradstreet based in Shorts Hills, NJ.
She and her husband reside in Mesa and are very involved with animal rescue and advocacy, both serving on the advisory board of Gilbert-based Wildhorse Ranch Rescue. They share their lives with six rescued dogs and a rescued mustang. A trained opera singer, you can sometimes find Rhona singing with her ’80s band on weekends, with her husband behind her on drums. A long-time vegan, she also loves to ski, travel and laugh. Rhona is excited to bring her experience as a journalist to Arizona Jewish Life, and help it grow within the
community and beyond.
[email protected] | 480-888-5374
Janet Arnold new JFCS senior concierge
Janet Arnold has been hired by Jewish Family & Children’s Service as the new concierge to the senior Jewish community. The position was created after an extensive survey of needs and wishes of the senior community and was conducted by Janice Friebaum on behalf of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix. The half-time position is funded by a grant from the federation. Janet is available to find the answers to questions dealing with anything from socialization, classes and programs, to housing and transportation and beyond.
Janet has lived in the Valley since 1957 and has been actively involved in the local Jewish community all of her life. She previously served as president of the Greater Phoenix Region of Women’s American ORT (now ORT America), as the director of early childhood education at the Phoenix JCC, and as the founding producing director of the Arizona Jewish Theatre Company. During the 24-year life of the theatre, Janet produced more than 80 main stage shows and 60 children’s shows, touching the lives of tens of thousands throughout Arizona. She is also a past president of the International Association for Jewish Theatre, a network including Jewish theater artists from around the globe. For the past few years, Janet has been a writer and associate editor for Arizona Jewish Life magazine and a freelance theater actor and director. She sits on the boards of the Greater
Phoenix Jewish Film Festival and the Arizona Jewish Historical Society.
[email protected] | 480-599-7198
Robyn Dafoe Named Vice President for Clinical Services at JFCS of Southern Arizona
Robyn Dafoe was named vice president for Clinical Services at Jewish Family and Children’s Services of Southern Arizona in June. Previously she was the director for Quality Management and Utilization Management at Pantano Behavioral Health Services, where she worked for the past 10 years. Dafoe also has worked for Child Protective Services, Arizona’s Children’s Home and the Arizona Long Term Care System.
“Robyn brings a tremendous amount of experience as both a clinician and an administrator of mental health services to children and families,” said JFCS President and CEO Carlos A. Hernández. “Her experience will help JFCS move toward expanding the breadth and array of clinical services to both the Jewish community and the general community.”
JFCS of Southern Arizona is a nonprofit agency that has provided expert social and behavioral health services to the Jewish and greater Tucson community for 74 years. JFCS helps children, adolescents, adults and seniors of all religious and ethnic origins meet their full potential by restoring well-being, cultivating self-sufficiency and strengthening family life. The agency’s staff and board are guided by the Jewish traditions of healing the world (tikkun olam) with loving kindness (chesed) through just and charitable deeds (tzedakah).
jfcstucson.org | 520-795-0300
Brenda Landau Joins JCF of Southern Arizona as a Legacy Officer
Brenda Landau joined the legacy team at the Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona (JCF) as a legacy officer in June.
Brenda was most recently the senior vice president for the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona for seven years. Prior to that she served as the director of education for Congregation Or Chadash for eight years, and director of interfaith and family programming at the Tucson Jewish Community Center for two years.
“With the addition of Brenda to our legacy team at the foundation, we will continue to provide a high level of support for our donors, potential donors and their professional advisors,” said JCF Chief Executive Officer Tracy Salkowitz.
Founded in 1975, the JCF of Southern Arizona 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 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.
jcftucson.org | 520-577-0388
Jeffrey Schesnol becomes endorsed celebrant
Jeffrey Schesnol has completed three years of Madrikh (Jewish studies certified para-rabbi) preparation at the International Institute for Secular & Humanistic Judaism and is invested as a endorsed celebrant by the American Humanist Association. He will also be an ordained Madrikh as of spring 2016.
He serves as the endorsed celebrant and ceremonial leader of Or Adam Congregation, Phoenix’s only exclusively cultural, spiritual, ethical and ancestral Jewish congregation that celebrates human potential and responsibility emanating from Jewish experience.
Jeffrey officiates and co-officiates at customized weddings, baby namings, bar/bat mitzvahs and memorial ceremonies for interfaith, intercultural and same-sex couples, Jewish or not. Or Adam offers adult bar/bat mitzvahs and affirmation ceremonies for those who are adopted into Judaism. Adoption (instead of conversion) classes are taught by Jeffrey and include eight sessions of two hours each.
Jeffrey teaches Hebrew language and comparative religion in the Or Adam Sunday School which holds K-8 classes the fourth Sunday morning of the month. He is the ceremonial leader of Or Adam’s Shabbat services, celebrated the second Friday night of the month, and he leads all Jewish holiday celebrations. Classes and services are held at the Cutler-Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center in downtown Phoenix. Jeffrey is a current board member and past president of the Society for Humanistic Judaism, the national organization that assures access to 28 member congregations throughout the country, and is also the president of Or Adam.
[email protected] | 602-824-9038 | or [email protected]
480-663-7788
New Retail Vision at OdySea in the Desert
The Shops at OdySea in the Desert are slated to open July 2016, offering a unique and entertaining shopping experience showcasing the local Arizona culture and cuisine in a very distinctive way. Located at the OdySea in the Desert Entertainment complex at the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community in Scottsdale, The Shops will offer an open air marketplace comprised of 78,000 square feet of innovative “themed” restaurants and individual retail offerings all centered in a bustling European-styled courtyard with lively stage performances and 360-degree visibility from a multitude of surrounding attractions including Butterfly Wonderland, OdySea Mirror Maze, the OdySea Aquarium, Fliteshop (indoor sky diving facility), the AZ Skywheel, and Aquatic Oasis, a flagship water destination.
According to founder Amram Knishinsky, Ph.D., “It was important for us to offer an authentic venue to further enhance the entertaining experience here at OdySea in the Desert. My inspiration came from visiting Europe where I was intrigued with the local artisans showcasing the uniqueness of their area. I’m always inclined to make a purchase when I know it is local.”
OdySea in the Desert is located at 9500 East Via de Ventura in Scottsdale (101 Freeway and Via de Ventura.)
480-951-2100 ext. 202.
