Prior to her recent move to Arizona from her native Philadelphia, Cheryl Blumenthal managed “Golden Slipper on the Main Line,” a lifelong learning program for Jewish seniors. So it appears that her position here, as the adult program director for the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center, is indeed a perfect fit. Much of…
Barbara Friedkin arrived at my home in a Subaru. As she stepped out of the car, her 5’3” frame was perched atop open-toed slides, and she wore a flowing tunic and pants set. Her blonde hair cascaded around her round cheeks that were raised by her smile. “This is The Mystic of Cave Creek,” I…
Pictured above: Joyce Tischler and her dog, Deja. When Joyce Tischler was a law student 40 years ago, animal law didn’t exist. Now the Animal Legal Defense Fund Joyce cofounded in 1979 has three offices on the West Coast and thousands of attorneys protecting animals’ rights. For Joyce, protecting animals is all about tikkun olam,…
Do you care for one of the more than 33,000 Arizonians diagnosed with cancer every year? Barbara Kavanagh does, and is dedicated to cancer caregiver education. Barbara is the president and CEO of Arizona Myeloma Network. “When my husband was diagnosed with multiple myeloma 26 years ago, we were devastated and felt so alone,” says Barbara….
By Mala Blomquist and Irene L. Stillwell At the beginning of each year, millions of Americans make resolutions to improve their health. Seniors are a large part of the population that resolve again and again to adopt a healthy, active lifestyle; but just like the rest of the population, most do not keep those resolutions….
“Arizona was a revelation to me,” says New England native Nancy Kravetz, describing her reaction the first time she saw “a palo verde tree, exotic cacti, the desert colors, sunsets and rock formations – the whole visual landscape.” She and her husband, Bob, a semi-retired gastroenterologist, and their three sons have lived in the Valley…
Performing slow, gentle, flowing movements, participants in Debora Bloom’s Tai Chi classes are immersed in an ancient Chinese modality that has been compared to “moving meditation.” Known for enhancing the body, mind and spirit, these weekly hour-and-a-half classes, held at Temple Beth Shalom in Chandler and are open to everyone of any age in the…
By Nicky Blackburn, courtesy Israel21c An early-stage Israeli ophthalmic medical devices startup has developed a revolutionary artificial cornea implant that holds out hope to millions of blind and visually impaired people suffering from diseases of the cornea. The nanotech-based solution by CorNeat Vision of Ra’anana is a synthetic cornea that uses advanced cell technology to integrate…
In the mid-1960s Libby and Bernie Weiner would escape the winter weather in Kankakee, a small town a few hours from Chicago where Bernie headed a successful insurance agency, to soak up the sunshine here in the Valley. When and why did the couple make the move permanent? Bernie recalls, “In the early ‘80s recession,…
Duet has been in the Valley for more than 30 years, working on improving the quality of life for older adults. Duet is an interfaith nonprofit and offers services to people of all faiths. Their primary areas of focus are: connecting homebound adults who are no longer able to drive with caring volunteers who provide…
