The Smart One: A Grandfather’s Tale melds Ken Goodman’s ancestral history with a rollicking good story. The book, his first one for young readers, portrays a Jewish family’s quandary at the turn of the 20th century in the former Vilnius district of Lithuania, which is now in Belarus, a former Soviet Republic. Goodman depicts Old…
Life doesn’t end at retirement, and the Jewish holidays don’t stop when people move into senior living communities. Just ask Janice and Howard Lavitt, who moved into Maravilla Scottsdale almost three years ago and have never looked back. “Initially, our children told us about the community,” Howard says. “We liked the lifestyle. The other places…
Retiring attorney Donald Harris is taking on a new challenge. We talked to him in the barely controlled chaos of his longtime law offices, where he was closing shop after 42 years to devote his efforts to his role as president of the Maricopa County branch of the NAACP, the National Association for the Advancement…
Pens move and thoughts flow the fourth Saturday of every month at Congregation NefeshSoul in Chandler when Susan Price leads “Journaling for Spiritual Growth.” The class gives participants a chance to explore the myriad benefits associated with writing from the heart, while seeking new heights in self-discovery. They also mine experiences, hopes, dreams and Jewish…
On a 1996 trip to the former Soviet Union to teach women how to start a business, Janie Kuznitsky presented four women with espresso machines, coffee beans and accessories and trained the women to lead seminars enhanced by the experience of great coffee. Look in the dictionary for the word “volunteer.” It would make good…
The recent Valley Jewish Federation study on needs of our senior population confirmed what many already knew: It is imperative that the Jewish community provide services, opportunities and care for our burgeoning senior population. Enter Smile on Seniors, a national program developed by the Chabad and administered locally by Rabbi Levi and Chani Levertov. The…
Campers from the Valley of the Sun JCC Camp Shemesh visited the JFCS Senior Center on June 16 to share their enthusiasm and love of music. Campers and seniors divided into teams and competed in a music trivia competition. When songs were playing, seniors and campers danced and grooved to the tunes. Music from the…
For clients from as far away as London, from cities across the U.S. and throughout the Valley of the Sun, Nanean Fann has helped families find care and living environments for their elderly parents. In a classic example of identifying a need and filling it, Elderchoice, the business Nanean founded some 25 years ago, came…
Broadway show tunes and cantorial music roll off senior’s tongue Music makes the world go round for Scottsdale virtuosa Sharon Friendly. The classically trained performer has been singing professionally for most of her life and relishes every opportunity to belt out a tune. “I love the challenge of performing and making people laugh or cry,”…
