For many people, the Jewish National Fund’s “Blue Box” (or pushke) was an integral part of their childhood. Teaching children to give to charity and treat people who are less fortunate with compassion instills the Jewish concepts of tzedakah (charitable giving), tzedek (justice) and chesed (mercy or kindness). Research has shown that teaching children to…
Arizona Helping Hands 480-889-0604 azhelpinghands.org Arizona Helping Hands is the state’s largest provider of basic needs to kids in foster care. We operate on less than 8% overhead, receive no governmental support, and rely on the Arizona Foster Care tax credit to support our important work Dror for the Wounded 646-710-3767 drorfoundation.org The Dror for…
Pictured above: Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix CEO Marty Haberer with Sheryl Bronkesh, Janice Freibaum and Monique Mendel of the Phoenix Holocaust Survivors Association which received the 2017 Belle Latchman award for its Generations After program. The Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix is now accepting applications for its 2018 Belle Latchman Community Service Award. This…
“Justice, justice shalt thou pursue.” ~Deuteronomy (16:20) While charitable giving conjures up thoughts of generosity and benevolence, in Judaism the concept is a commandment, an obligation. Helping the poor and needy is a duty in Judaism. Yet beyond fulfilling physical needs, as Jews we also strive to create a better, more just world for generations…
When Starr Sanders was 13, she asked a friend about a tall guy practicing basketball at a Phoenix high school. “Oh, you don’t want to be with him,” her friend advised, “He’s into causes.” At that moment Starr decided that she did want to be with him. It wasn’t long until she and Andy became…
An ethical will is a document that is written to express someone’s deepest personal values in order to pass those along from one generation to the next. It is not legally binding. This practice, though it dates back to biblical and medieval times, resurfaced in the Jewish community around the 19th century and more recently…
Making the decision to write an ethical will can feel fulfilling, even empowering. However, sitting down and writing one can be truly challenging. The wonderful thing is that there is no right or wrong way to write an ethical will, and yours can be as simple or complex as you wish. (See accompanying article “What is…
Irwin Sheinbein is no stranger to community service. His family has been involved with the Phoenix Hebrew Academy since its inception in 1964, and Irwin has held positions on various boards, Federation committees, and has both raised funds and participated in the Bike-a-Thon for Yeshiva High School. There is another bike ride that he has…
Patty Vallance admits she is not one to “write a check” when it comes to community needs. Instead she jumps in with both feet to create “sustainable programs and things that are truly meaningful.” Even the business she currently runs, Family Friends Estate Sales, has a charitable giving component built into the business model. “Ten…
Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and Nov. 11 became a federal holiday beginning in 1938. In the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became legally…
