Calendar

Mar
12
Sat
NEW! Neshamah Minyan: A Service of and for the Soul at CAI @ Congregation Anshei Israel
Mar 12 @ 9:30 am – 10:30 am

Join us as Jordan Wiley-Hill, storyteller and founder/director of The Mindfulness Education Exchange, guides participants in how to deepen their relationship with the service, raise their prayer experience, and develop practices and understandings for everyday life.

Apr
21
Thu
Sweet Tomatoes “Fun-Raiser” @ Sweet Tomatoes
Apr 21 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Where are you taking your family for your last bit of hametz before Passover? Meet us at Sweet Tomatoes (6202 E. Broadway at Wilmot) for Fun-Raiser Night! Sweet Tomatoes will donate 15% of sales generated by Congregation Anshei Israel when diners present a special flyer. Flyers are available in CAI’s administrative office and on our website www.caiaz.org. Each flyer is good for everyone in your party … bring your friends and family! (Certain restrictions apply.)

Apr
23
Sat
Second Night Passover Seder at CAI @ Congregation Anshei Israel
Apr 23 @ 7:00 pm – 10:30 pm

Participate in one of Judaism’s most beautiful and meaningful festivals. Share great dialogue, family participation; supervised children’s play; traditional dinner by Handmaker Catering. CAI Members: adult $45; child $30; Non-members: adult $55; child $40; College & military $37. Reservations due by Apr. 18. Seating is limited.

Aug
14
Sun
Belakovskaia Chess Academy for Children – Fall 2016 Semester @ Tucson Jewish Community Center
Aug 14 @ 12:00 pm

WELCOME TO BELAKOVSKAIA CHESS ACADEMY – a Unique Fast-Learning Chess Program for Children in the Southwest U.S.

THE UNIQUE TRAINING PROGRAM IS DESIGNED BY ANJELINA BELAKOVSKAIA – A 3-TIME U.S. WOMEN’S CHESS CHAMPION, WOMAN INTERNATIONAL GRANDMASTER, WORLD CHAMPION AMONG STUDENTS (USSR TEAM) AND LEADER OF THE US OLYMPIC CHESS TEAM

My philosophy is to challenge kids through fast pace, very creative, yet highly organized and logical experience, that broadens their horizons, amazes them at what they are capable of and sets them off to explore and compete.

My goal is to help students develop critical thinking skills that they can utilize on the chess board and beyond, simultaneously preparing them to the States and National competitions.

Chess and Academic Achievements: Numerous studies have proven the benefit of chess in boosting academic achievements – http://www.psmcd.net/otherfiles/BenefitsOfChessInEdScreen2.pdf – and I strongly believe in it from my own experience – most of my students are taking Advanced Math, Reading and other subjects.

Schedule: 16 Weeks –
FALL 1 (8 weeks): Aug 14, 21, 28, Sep 4, 11, 18, 25, Oct 2
Break (1 week)
FALL 2 (8 weeks): Oct 16, 23, 30, Nov 6, 13, 20, __, Dec 4, 11

Each class is limited to 10 students.

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS & MEDIA COVERAGE:
1st Individual and Family Team Chess Tournament in Tucson
PBS / Arizona Public Media (05/27/2014): “US Chess Champion: Game Can Expand Kids Skills
UA@Work: “National Champion Teaches Students How Business Is Like Chess
Chess and Science Festival and All-Girls Chess Tournament at Flandrau Science Center – video
Find updates at: https://www.facebook.com/BelakovskaiaChessAcademy

Sep
24
Sat
Cong. Anshei Israel Neshamah Minyan: A Service of and for the Soul @ Congregation Anshei Israel
Sep 24 @ 9:30 am – 10:30 am

Join us as Jordan Hill, storyteller and founder/director of The Mindfulness Education Exchange, guides participants in how to deepen their relationship with the service, raise their prayer experience, and develop practices and understandings for everyday life.

Dec
3
Sat
4th Annual Chess and Science Festival & All-Girls Tournament – 2016 @ Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium
Dec 3 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Our 4th ANNUAL CHESS AND SCIENCE FESTIVAL & ALL-GIRLS TOURNAMENT is scheduled for Saturday, December 3rd, 2016

FESTIVAL IS OPEN FOR ALL!
Special Flandrau reduced admission: Adult $5, Child $3
THE EVENT INCLUDES:
 ALL-GIRLS CHESS TOURNAMENT IN 3 SECTIONS (OPEN, U800 & U400). USCF RATED. Entry Fee – please see details on events4chess.com
 VARIOUS CHESS ACTIVITIES
 MANY SCIENCE EXHIBITS FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS
 MUSEUM ADMISSION
 LASER SHOWS
 … AND MUCH MORE!

ORGANIZATION, SUPPORT AND SPONSORSHIP COMES FROM:
 3-TIME US WOMEN’S CHESS CHAMPION – WGM ANJELINA BELAKOVSKAIA
 BELAKOVSKAIA CHESS ACADEMY PARENTS
 FLANDRAU SCIENCE CENTER AND PLANETARIUM
 Numerous Tucson companies and organizations, including the University of Arizona,
College of Science and Math Department
 UNITED STATES CHESS FEDERATION

Our Mission: To organize a special and memorable event that will have a long lasting positive influence on participants, parents and observers, through promoting girls’ self-esteem, confidence, and ability to compete in intellectual areas and achieve great success in chess and beyond – including math, science, finance, business and life!

Info: www.ChessandScienceFestival.com (520) 370-0700 [email protected]
ALL-GIRLS tournament registration – events4chess.com
SPONSORSHIP – please support our event!!! You can donate by check, volunteer, set-up exhibits and more – we welcome all the help!

Apr
23
Sun
Shalom in Every Home: The Role of Spirituality in a Healthy Household @ Jewish Community Center
Apr 23 @ 11:00 am – 12:30 pm

Sacred time and emotional fullness can help promote meaningful and long-term family health. Enjoy an interactive and reflective conversation about bringing family closer together through age-old practices such as transforming a dining room table into an altar to create shared family spirituality. Speaker Avraham Alpert is the spiritual leader of Congregation Bet Shalom in Tucson and is in his final year of rabbinical seminary at the Academy for Jewish Religion in Los Angeles after serving as a hazzan for more than 18 years. He leads services and officiates a full range of life cycle events, counsels people in need, trains students of all ages, coordinates lay-leaders, develops programs, and teaches creative classes.

This is one of two April lectures in the Shalom in Every Home Healthy Family Lecture Series sponsored by Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Southern Arizona and the LEAH program, which is funded by the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona.

8th Annual JFCS of Southern Arizona Celebration of Caring honoring KATHRYN UNGER @ Tucson Country Club
Apr 23 @ 5:30 pm – 8:15 pm

Please join us in honoring Kathryn Unger for her community leadership, and more than two decades of support for JFCS of Southern Arizona.

With a passion for “Tikkun Olam” (repairing the world) and “Tzedakah” (acts of kindness and justice), Kathy has selflessly dedicated her time and energy to support Jewish organizations, and the under-served diverse populations of our community. She is the Past Chair of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona Board of Directors, and has served on the Boards of Directors of JFCS of Southern Arizona and the Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona.

The speaker for the event is CNN analyst and author David Gregory, a sought-after speaker on politics, world affairs, and now faith since the release of his book “How’s Your Faith? An Unlikely Spiritual Journey.” Over the last 25 years, David Gregory’s career in journalism has taken him across the country and around the world. He is a CNN political analyst, and host of his podcast which features interviews with newsmakers and thought leaders. During his 20 years at NBC News, David served as the moderator of Meet the Press for six years, and was chief White House correspondent during the presidency of George W. Bush. In his book, David writes about his life and quest to deepen his faith.

The emcee is Stella Inger, an Anchor with KGUN 9 in Tucson.

Event steering committee members include:

Barbara Befferman Danes
Heather Caine, Chair
Fred Fruchthendler
Carole Levi
Eric Mellan
Jill Rosenzweig
Betty Anne Sarver
Liz Weiner-Schulman

May
2
Thu
East Valley Yom Hashoah program @ East Valley JCC
May 2 all-day

The Center for Holocaust Education and Human Dignity of the East Valley Jewish Community Center will host a daylong program commemorating the victims of the Holocaust in observance of Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Registration is required for all programs. To register, click here.  All programs are free except for the Open Beit Midrash guided tour, which includes a kosher lunch.  To make a payment, click here.

  • Self-guided tours (Noon-3 p.m.): “Through the Eyes of Youth: Life and Death in the Bedzin Ghetto” is an exhibit created by the Martin-Springer Institute at Northern Arizona University that tells the story of young people in the Jewish ghetto of Bedzin, Poland, before, during and after the Holocaust. Reservations are required.
  • Guided tour and lunch (11 a.m.): Bjorn Krondorfer, director of the Martin-Springer Institute at Northern Arizona University, will lead a tour of the above exhibit as part of Open Beit Midrash. The cost is $14, which includes a kosher lunch following the tour. Reservations are required by April 29.To register, click here. To make a payment, click here.
  • Screening of “Shalom Italia” (1 p.m.): This documentary by Tamar Tal Anati tells the story of three Italian Jewish brothers set off on a journey through Tuscany, in search of a cave where they hid as children to escape the Nazis. Their quest, full of humor, food and Tuscan landscapes, straddles the boundary between history and myth, both of which really, truly happened. Reservations are required.
  • Teacher’s workshop (4-5:30 p.m.): In this free workshop, Bjorn Krondorfer, director of the Martin-Springer Institute at Northern Arizona University, will lead a tour of the exhibit and discuss how to approach stories from the Holocaust with students.  The program is geared toward teachers who teach high school or college students. Reservations are required.
  • Yom Hashoah ceremony (6 p.m.): Procession of survivors and their descendants and a candle-lighting ceremony; presentation by Holocaust survivor Marion Weinzweig, author of “Lonely Chameleon”; presentation by Bjorn Krondorfer, who will share his story about finding out as an adult that his father was a German soldier at a slave labor camp in Poland; and reading of names, Mourner’s Kaddish, El Maleh Rachamim led by Rabbi Michael Beyo. Reservations are required.

Partners of this East Valley JCC program include The Martin-Springer Institute of Northern Arizona University, Temple Emanuel of Tempe, Temple Beth Sholom of the East Valley and the Sun Lakes Jewish Congregation.

Mar
15
Sun
CANCELED Klezmer Fest @ East Valley JCC
Mar 15 @ 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm

The East Valley JCC and the City of Chandler will host the annual Klezmer Fest from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 15,  at the East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler.

Lively and upbeat,  klezmer is the traditional Jewish folk music of Eastern European Jewish communities. Over time, the style of music has grown to include instrumental music, Yiddish vocal music and modern fusion music that combines klezmer with world music such as Afro-pop, rock or hip hop. 

This music festival will also include a Yiddish Experience that includes workshops and lectures focusing on topics such as genealogy and the Yiddish language. In addition, there will be children’s activities, such as inflatables, face-painting and a petting zoo, as well as kosher pizza and salads available for sale by Brad’s Mobile Pizza Oven. 

Local bands include Jerusafunk, a nine-piece ensemble from Phoenix that blends traditional klezmer music with American Funk and other world music genres, such as jazz, salsa and samba; the Rural Street Klezmer Band of Temple Emanuel of Tempe that plays traditional Jewish soul music inspired by Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Yiddish theater and American jazz; Zaftic, whose rich and succulent sound is a mixture of Turkish, Arabic, Baroque, Irish and jazz; and Klezmerkaba, an 11-piece band from Tucson whose repertoire consists of klezmer pieces steeped in Eastern European tradition, as well as familiar Jewish, Yiddish and Israeli pieces from different eras and ethnicities. The festival will conclude with a massive jam session featuring all the musicians.

Tickets are $15 adults, $5 children up to age 12.

Visit evjcc.org/klezmerfest

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