“Grief is love with nowhere to go.” These poignant words were shared by Erika Frost, grief support specialist at Thema Hospice, during the first session of a four-week class series being offered at Handmaker this month. 

By the time people reach their 70s, many have experienced the loss of loved ones, including parents, siblings, friends, or partners. But grief can take many forms, especially later in life. It may also arise from the loss of independence, a transition to a new living situation, or the challenges of adapting to changes in a family member’s or partner’s health and needs. 

As Erika reminded participants, “Grief is one of the most human experiences we will ever have, but many of us were not taught how to move through it.” 

Recognizing the need for support during difficult times, Handmaker has partnered with Thema Hospice to offer Growth Through Grief, a four-week series designed to provide connection, understanding, and gentle tools for navigating grief and life’s many changes. The response so far has been overwhelmingly positive. 

Although Handmaker staff members were also invited to participate, the first sessions have primarily drawn residents. With Erika’s gentle guidance and thoughtful prompts, some participants have shared their personal experiences, while others have chosen simply to listen. Both are welcome. At the end of the first class, several residents reported feeling a little lighter. One resident, who had been experiencing shoulder pain that she thought might be related to her grief, shared that her discomfort had decreased considerably. 

Erika emphasized that grief is a deeply personal experience, quoting author and grief expert David Kessler: “Each person’s grief is as unique as their fingerprint.” She also offered practical advice for supporting someone who is grieving. Listening without judgment, rather than offering advice or trying to find a silver lining, can make a meaningful difference. Everyone deserves the space to experience grief in their own way and in their own time. 

Although this is the first time in recent years Handmaker has offered this type of class series for residents, it will not be the last. Residents have expressed gratitude for the opportunity to come together in a supportive environment, and the positive response has encouraged Thema to offer another series this winter for residents, staff, and family members. The upcoming program will include a session in early December focused on coping with the “holiday blues,” which can be especially difficult for those experiencing grief. 

Erika closed the first session by sharing a poem by Terry Kettering, “Elephant in the Room,” which speaks to the discomfort many people feel when acknowledging another person’s grief. Its opening lines offer a powerful reminder of why these conversations matter: 

There’s an elephant in the room. 

It is large and squatting, so it is hard to get around it. 

Yet we squeeze by with, “How are you?” and “I’m fine,” and a thousand other forms of trivial chatter. 

We talk about the weather. We talk about work. We talk about everything else, except the elephant in the room. 

For years, Evelyn Damashek Varady meticulously researched the lives of her parents, Hela and Janek Damashek, with particular emphasis on how they survived the Holocaust. She combed documents, letters, photos, and interviews with family members to fill in the gaps left by her parents’ reticence and their early deaths: her mother’s when she was only nine years old, and her father’s when she was 22. She knew that her parents fled Krakow the day after Germany attacked Poland and survived the Holocaust in part by living under Polish Christian aliases in Warsaw.

Her father’s brother, Marek, who’d survived the war years with her parents, praised her research but thought the first draft of her manuscript lacked drama. She agreed and decided to take a more creative approach, imagining her parents’ emotions and details of the ordeals they endured.

The result is “Two Cars and a Wagon: A Family’s Holocaust Escapes and a Daughter’s Remembrance” (Wheatmark, 2026), which she will discuss on Monday, Nov. 9 at 4 p.m. at the Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center. (Note revised date.)

Although she had known the broad outlines of their stories, she had a breakthrough in 2010, when her stepmother gave her a suitcase full of her father’s papers.

She discovered that her parents’ false identity papers were dated April 1943. They’d survived three and a half years of the war without them.

Throughout the book, Varady is candid about what is invented. She begins with a chapter titled “Hela and Me: An Imagined Conversation,” seeking Hela’s permission to write as if her mother were telling her own story.

“It was extremely important to balance the so-called creative details that documented history, whenever I could, within the narrative, and be transparent about my sources,” Varady says. “In fact, some of what may have seemed creative details were actually based on other people’s memoirs,” such as a list of supplies in the German prisoner-of-war camp where her father, a doctor, treated patients after being arrested in Warsaw in October 1944.

One particularly chilling bit of research she unearthed is a Nazi questionnaire documenting all medical personnel in the occupied areas. With the help of Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust museum, she found the one for Stryi, Ukraine, the town her parents had fled to. With a Jewish star next to her father’s photo, it proved that the Nazis had known her parents’ address in Stryi and that they were Jewish, “and that my grandparents were Jewish, and even the names of my great-grandparents that I never even knew until I saw this Nazi document.” 

“I had no idea that they were on the radar of the Nazis for two years while they were in Stryi,” she explains.

In the first half of “Two Cars and a Wagon,” Varady reconstructs her parents’ stories with the tension and flair of historical fiction. 

The second half recounts key elements of her life and research, starting with a Yom HaShoah commemoration in Tucson in 1984 in which she and her husband participated, “the beginning of a quest to gain clarity about my identity as one voice in the community of second-generation Holocaust survivors.”

Later, Varady became a docent at the Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center. At first, sharing her family’s story with visitors was difficult.

“Over time, I’ve come to realize that the darkest, most horrific chapters of history should not be hidden; they are part of our legacy as humans,” she says.

Registration is required for Varady’s Nov. 9 talk at the museum; register here.

Ned served in the U.S. Army and pursued a medical degree at Case Western Reserve. During residency at Cleveland’s Mt. Sinai Hospital, he specialized in obstetrics and gynecology, a decision that would benefit generations of women who relied on his gentle care and good counsel.

Nathaniel’s greatest achievement was meeting Suzanne (Latin) Bloomfield (deceased), to whom he was devoted for 66 years of marriage. They were blessed with three loving children, daughter Miriam, son Andrew, and daughter Rachel (deceased).

Ned contributed continuously to the community he loved. He volunteered at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Clinic, Jewish Family Services, Catholic Social Services, Davis-Monthan Clinic, and the Jewish Federation; he served on the Boards of Directors for the Pima County Medical Society, United Way, and Temple Emanu-El—including several terms as president.

He volunteered as Medical Director of Planned Parenthood for 10 years, and chaired the State Health Dept. committee that helped Pima County develop family planning funding. He also chaired St. Joseph’s Hospital OB-GYN Dept. twice, and performed the first intrauterine fetal blood transfusion in Tucson in 1965.

Ned and Sue understood that a vocation provides purpose in life, but the arts provide its beauty. Their home was filled with Suzanne’s paintings and Nathaniel’s violin melodies. He played in the Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra and gathered musicians weekly for chamber music.

After retirement, Dr. Bloomfield worked at TUSD’s Instrument Repair Shop, making donated and broken instruments accessible to students. He and Sue regularly volunteered for Tucson’s Festival of Books.

Ned is also survived by his beloved grandchildren, Becca (Jeff) Peters and Aaron Bloomfield, and great-grandchildren Isabelle and Amelia Peters. He adored his extended family, dear friends, and congregation. The family is deeply grateful for all the compassionate caregivers who made his days comfortable.

Services will be held: 10 a.m. Monday, Oct. 19, 2026 at Evergreen Mortuary Chapel, 3015 Oracle Rd.

Donations in his memory may be made to Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Southern Arizona, or Planned Parenthood.

The third anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel is a memorial for those murdered and taken hostage, but it is also much more, Hava Leipzig Holzhauer, president and CEO of Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona, said at the start of “Kindling Hope,” the community’s commemorative event hosted by the Weintraub Israel Center, a program of Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona and the Tucson Jewish Community Center,  held Wednesday evening. 

The days since Oct. 7, 2023, have also become “about a Jewish awakening, a forceful break out of our sheltered cocoons of assimilation and safety” to the knowledge that we must protect our community and push back against antisemitism in many spheres, from education and politics to healthcare and the arts, she said.  

Most of all, she said, we must “teach our children, grandchildren, and ourselves about our identity and our people’s history,” resisting the pressure of “misguided thinking, of misinformation” so that we may be proud and stand strong, “exhibiting the age-old resilience now embedded within us. “ 

After Leipzig Holzhauer acknowledged dignitaries including government officials, law enforcement officers, and clergy in the crowd, she introduced Shay Oren, recently arrived in Tucson as the community’s new senior shaliach (Israeli emissary). Oren spoke of his 10/7 experience, the abrupt shift from honeymooning in Tuscany to joining his air force squadron near the Gaza border. He described his frantic drive south, fielding a call from a friend pinned down by terrorists and not knowing if he should detour to save him or continue his drive as he was trained to do. Ultimately, he called another friend for the rescue mission, and thankfully, both survived. 

He also described visiting Kibbutz Kfar Aza and the Nova music festival site four months after the attacks and his chagrin at being unable to save more lives. 

Three years can seem like it was yesterday and like it was a lifetime ago, he said, adding, “In the past three years, I’ve gathered, unfortunately, stories for a lifetime. We have to honor those heroes every day, as what they’ve done was yesterday. So we can grow together tomorrow.” 

Following prayers led by Rabbis Yehuda Palgon, Samuel Cohon, Stephanie Aaron and Sara Metz, Oren and his wife, Amit, took part in a torch lighting ceremony with other community leaders, bringing the flames to the crowd of more than 325 people, who in turn lit battery-operated tapers (see video above, or click here). 

The keynote speaker, Uri Sharon, grandson of the late prime minister, spoke of clearing Kibbutz Kfar Aza with his squadron and seeing children’s artwork on the walls. Sharon vowed he’d return to work with those children. 

On deployment in Khan Yunis, Sharon used a pocket camera to capture small moments in the everyday lives of soldiers — a card game, a shower crafted from a kettle and a jerry can. Later, working alongside the displaced children of Kfar Aza as he’d promised, he grew to love watercolors, painting the children playing at their improvised school or on his family’s farm, where they could interact with animals. 

Every six months he’d return for reserve duty, bringing his camera with him. “Bit by bit, slowly, a kind of testimony was starting to form from two completely opposite universes,” he said. 

He displayed his paintings of children alongside his photos in an exhibit in Israel he called “Tom Yaldut,” which means “Innocence of Childhood” in Hebrew, but also can mean “End of Childhood.” 

“Putting pictures of war and paintings of little kids, I thought it’s inappropriate,” he said. “But I realized that’s simply our reality.”  

Following Sharon, JPSA’s education associate, Molly Dunn, explained her transformation from an undergraduate who vaguely supported the anti-Zionist Jewish Voice for Peace, to a proud Jewish educator and Zionist. 

“I believed that when a community was vulnerable, other people had a responsibility to stand beside them. I still believe this, but I never thought that applied to the Jewish people. I thought we were fine,” Dunn said, explaining that 10 years ago she didn’t even know what Zionism meant. 

Working on her doctoral dissertation about human trafficking, she said, “I started thinking about the Holocaust through the lens of a people who had been forcibly displaced, exploited for their labor, separated from their families, and murdered. And I realized I had never asked the basic question about the Jews living in Israel: How would they come to be there? Some were Holocaust survivors. Some had been expelled or displaced across the Middle East and North Africa. Others belonged to Jewish communities that had remained in the land for centuries. I had accepted a story in which Jews simply arrived in Israel as Western colonizers. Once I started asking who those Jews were and how they got there, that story stopped making sense to me. I began studying Jewish history, antisemitism, and Israel, and I started asking whether the things I had learned to believe were actually true. By the time October 7th happened, my understanding of Israel and Zionism and antisemitism, and of myself as a Jew, had already changed enormously. And then came October 8. Suddenly, what I had begun to understand about Jews as a people stopped being theoretical.” 

She realized that “without Jewish community, I was living in a world where almost everyone except Jews were teaching me who the Jewish people are. Jewish scholarship and Jewish community gave me something I had been missing — a shared reference point from which I could think for myself and understand myself. Three years after October 7, I know this isn’t just about me.” 

Citing her work with JPSA’s Center for Jewish Resilience and the newly relaunched Hebrew High, Dunn said that while we can’t control the conversations young Jews might encounter, “what we can do is make sure that our children enter them with confidence in who they are and knowledge of their own history.” 

JPSA Board Chair Jeff Artzi ended the evening by referring to the candle lighting ceremony, a reminder that “darkness is not the end of the story. Those lights represent memory, but they also represent hope.”  

Just as we have many times before, when the Jewish community faces darkness, he said, “Our response must be to come together like we did tonight.” 

As the crowd slowly dispersed, local artist Julie Szerina Stein shared her thoughts on Sharon’s keynote address, calling it a tender demonstration of the power of art to help us express and somehow relieve our sadness. 

“It was a very good night,” she said.  

Ahead of the 2026 general election on Nov. 3, JPSA’s Center for Jewish Resilience asked every candidate for a locally elected race the same four questions about their priorities for the office they seek and how they would prevent and respond to antisemitism within the authority of that office.

The guide includes 24 races, from governor to U.S. Congress to school boards. All candidates were contacted in the same manner through their published, official campaign channels. Thirty-two of the 68 candidates in those races answered. Their answers appear in the guide as they submitted them, with light corrections to spelling and typos. Candidates who did not reply, or could not be reached, are listed in every race; the guide’s response table shows, at a glance, who chose to participate with the Jewish community through this guide.

Read the guide online

Download the printable guide (PDF)

Eight of the 13 candidates for statewide office answered, among them the Democratic and Republican candidates for attorney general, Kris Mayes and Warren Petersen, and for secretary of state, Adrian Fontes and Alexander Kolodin. Neither Katie Hobbs, the Democratic candidate for governor, nor Andy Biggs, the Republican candidate, answered; the one candidate for governor who did is Teri Ann Hourihan of No Labels. In the guide’s inaugural and primary edition in June, no statewide candidate responded.

Down the ballot, 13 of the 28 candidates for the Legislature answered, as did 5 of the 11 running for Congress.

Like Jewish Community Relations Councils (JCRCs) and other Jewish community organizations across the country, the Center for Jewish Resilience prepared this guide as a nonpartisan voter education resource. Our goal is to provide voters with access to candidates’ perspectives on issues of direct concern to the Jewish community and the broader public.

Answers pertaining to issues that are not Jewish-specific, such as healthcare and taxes, were not vetted.

The four questions

The following is the text of the four questions candidates were invited to answer:

Question 1  ·  Top three priorities

What are your top three priorities for the office you are seeking, and how would those priorities affect Tucson, Pima County, or Arizona residents?

Question 2  ·  Antisemitic hate crimes

According to ADL’s 2024 Audit, antisemitic incidents in the U.S. reached the highest number in their recorded history. If elected, what specific steps would you take within the authority of the office you are seeking to prevent, respond to, and reduce antisemitic hate crimes, harassment, vandalism, and discrimination?

Question 3  ·  Security for Jewish institutions

Jewish Federations of North America has reported that Jewish communities spent $800 million nationally on security, including guards, security directors, training, and facility hardening in the past year. What role should the office you are seeking play in helping Jewish institutions, houses of worship, schools, and community centers remain safe while maintaining public access and civic trust?

Question 4  ·  Israel-related antisemitism

Antisemitism is an old hatred that morphs over time in how it targets Jews. Today, anti-Jewish hate can appear in rhetoric that targets Jews because of their connection to Israel, blames Jewish constituents collectively for Israel’s actions, promotes replacing Israel, or denies that Jews have a right to self-determination in their ancestral homeland. Not to be confused with disagreement with Israeli government policy, how would you address this form of contemporary anti-Jewish hate within the authority of the office you are seeking?

Early ballots go out on Wednesday, October 7.

Read the guide online

Download the printable guide (PDF)

William J. Fishkind, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, physician, teacher, and friend, passed away on October 1, surrounded by the love of his family.

Bill dedicated his life to medicine and to serving others. As the founder of Northwest Eye Specialists (now Oracle Eye Physicians & Surgeons) in Tucson, he spent more than 50 years caring for patients and helping them regain not only their vision but often their independence and quality of life. To Bill, medicine was much more than a profession; it was a calling and a privilege.

A highly respected ophthalmic surgeon and educator, Bill was board-certified in both internal medicine and ophthalmology. He authored numerous publications and textbooks and taught physicians and surgeons throughout the world. He served in many professional leadership roles, including president and later president emeritus of the Outpatient Ophthalmic Surgery Society. Yet despite his many accomplishments, Bill remained humble and deeply committed to the community he served.

Bill’s commitment to service extended beyond medicine to the Jewish community that meant so much to him. A devoted member of Temple Emanu-El in Tucson, he served as president of the congregation, helping guide and strengthen the synagogue during his tenure. He found deep meaning in his faith, valued the friendships and sense of community it provided, and took great pride in supporting Jewish life in Southern Arizona. His leadership was characterized by the same thoughtfulness, integrity, and dedication that defined every aspect of his life.

While service to others shaped much of his life, Bill also embraced every opportunity to learn, explore, and experience the world around him. He had an adventurous spirit and a lifelong love of flying. He cherished the freedom of being in the air, traveling to new places, meeting new people, and experiencing the world. His curiosity, energy, and willingness to explore were defining parts of who he was.

Above all, Bill treasured his family. He is survived by his beloved wife, Wendy; his children, Jennifer and Bret; and his four grandchildren, who were his greatest sources of pride and joy. His family will remember not only the accomplished physician, but also the husband, father and grandfather who loved them deeply, shared his wisdom, encouraged their dreams, and filled their lives with stories, adventure, humor, and love.

Though he will be deeply missed, Bill’s legacy lives on through the countless patients he helped see the world more clearly, the community he served with such dedication, and the family he loved so dearly.

His service will be held on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, at 9 a.m. at Evergreen Mortuary, 3015 North Oracle Road, Tucson, AZ  85705.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to causes that were especially meaningful to Bill. Contributions may be made to the Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona,  Hospice of the Valley, or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

A woman of deep faith, Marsha was an active member of Congregation Anshei Israel in Tucson. Her commitment to community service was evident through her leadership roles with the Brandeis National Committee (BNC), where she served as Past President in both Southern California and Tucson, Arizona. Marsha’s effervescent personality, sense of fashion and love for storytelling made her a cherished figure in her community.

An avid sports fan, she also enjoyed traveling, having explored destinations like Europe, China, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, and the Panama Canal.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of nearly 52 years, Robert “Bob” Rosenblum, her sister Joan Levi, and her parents Bebe and Edward Rothenberg. She is survived by her children, David (Marla) Rosenblum of Simi Valley, CA, Lisa (Howard Fish) Zashin of Tucson, AZ, Melissa (Layne) Cogan of San Diego, CA, and Joshua (Michele) Rosenblum of Brooklyn, NY. Marsha was also a devoted grandmother to Nathan (Amanda) Rosenblum, Rachael (Garrett) Helgesson, Eli Rosenblum, Diane Zashin, Aubree Rosenblum, Jacob Cogan, Ila Rosenblum, Bethany Zashin, and Ben Rosenblum, and a great-grandmother to Luckie Rosenblum.

She is also survived by her brother Alan (Georgina) Rothenberg and sister Gay (Paul) Tanner.

Services were held at Evergreen Mortuary. Memorial contributions may be made to the Brandeis National Committee (BNC), an organization close to Marsha’s heart. Marsha’s legacy of warmth, wisdom, and wit will be fondly remembered and sorely missed by all who knew her.

Buddy was born on February 21, 1930, to Sadie and Harry Rosenbluth. Growing up in the Bronx, NY, he had a childhood filled with neighborhood adventures, music, theatre, and lifelong friendships. His love of singing led him to perform in a college barbershop quartet, “The Hobarteers”; in the later years, The Hobarteers would perform at the Hobart College class reunions. Buddy was also a drum major and a pretty good boxer. A man of many talents.

Buddy proudly served his country in the United States Army, spending time stationed in Germany. After returning home, he opened a children’s clothing store in Jersey City, NJ.  On a trip to Tucson, his uncle Joe Rosenbluth introduced him to Joan Hirsh, who became the love of his life, with whom he built a beautiful marriage and a family that became the center of his world.

A hardworking and respected businessman, Buddy’s retail career continued at Hirsh’s Shoes. Alongside his business partner, Sid Hirsh, he helped build a successful business with 7 stores that served the Tucson community from Campbell Avenue to Park Mall. Through hard work, sound judgment, and smart investing, Buddy retired at the age of 65, and enjoyed many years traveling the world with Joan and spending time with family.

Above all else, Buddy was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He had an extraordinary gift for listening, offering thoughtful advice, lending a helping hand, and making everyone around him feel important. Whether sharing stories from trips to Las Vegas, enjoying a poker game, following the stock market, cheering on the Arizona Wildcats, or relaxing with a scotch and soda, Buddy embraced life with enthusiasm and gratitude. His wit, wisdom, and generous heart touched everyone fortunate enough to know him.

Buddy is survived by his beloved wife, Joan Rosenbluth; his three children, Kathy Rosenbluth and spouse Mike Segalotto, David Rosenbluth and spouse Denise, and Mike Rosenbluth and spouse Erin Duffy; along with his grandchildren Caitlyn Rosenbluth, Connor Rosenbluth, and Kayleigh Rosenbluth, extended family, and many dear friends whose lives were enriched by his kindness and love.

Buddy will be deeply missed, lovingly remembered, and forever celebrated. As those who loved him often said, “Everybody loved Buddy Ro,” and that sentiment will continue to ring true for all whose lives he touched.

Fred was born on September 4, 1932, in Brooklyn, NY, to Michael and Anne Teitelbaum. He graduated from Weequahic High School in 1950 and worked as a salesman for over thirty-five years. On February 13, 1954, Fred married Dorothy Garbeil and together they raised two sons, Paul and Michael. Fred had a passion for bowling, golf, and card games. He also loved dining out, attending Broadway shows, going on cruises, and being with friends.

Fred is survived by his two sons Paul (wife Susan) and Michael (wife Barbara), seven grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren.

A graveside service was held at Evergreen Cemetery, 3015 N Oracle Rd (520-888-7470).

Boris was born to Abram and Chana Kozolchyk in Havana, Cuba, and grew up in the suburb of Marianao with his beloved sister, Marta, alongside many — many — cousins, aunts, uncles, and one formidable grandmother, “la Boobeh Tzipa Rochel.”

Beyond his devotion to family, Boris was a fierce and loyal friend, music lover, and high school boxer, whose nom de guerre was the Borko Kid. He was also a law school baseball teammate of a young Fidel Castro at the University of Havana.

Upon obtaining a doctorate in civil law there in 1956, then a diploma of comparative law at the Faculté International de Droit Compare in Luxembourg in 1958, Boris came to the United States to continue his legal education and career.

He got an L.L.B. at the University of Miami, then taught at Southern Methodist University before pursuing an L.L.M. and S.J.D. at the University of Michigan. From there, Boris became the RAND Corporation’s first resident consultant on law and economic development in 1967.

It was then that he began dating Billie Herman, whom he’d met at the wedding of his cousin to hers in 1955. A language barrier, the Atlantic Ocean, and Billie’s crush on Boris’s best friend were impediments to romance the first time around. But by 1967, he spoke English, lived in the U.S., and visited New York City, where she lived. He asked her out, and — despite accidentally locking himself in her building’s storage room, where she’d sent him on a mission — Boris dazzled the beautiful young social worker.

After a whirlwind romance, they married that same year and moved to San Jose, Costa Rica, where he directed a legal reform project for USAID and taught at the University of Costa Rica’s law school. A two-year honeymoon of sorts, his project resulted in an abiding love of the Central American countryside and lifelong friends. The project also resulted in legal aid clinics, court clerkships, and university curricula.

From there, Boris took a position at the University of Arizona’s law school, where he taught for nearly fifty years while he and Billie raised three deeply beloved children — Abbie, Raphael, and Shaun. The family’s home at the base of the Catalina Mountains was a constant source of beauty and solace for him, especially when he took in the desert views from his office windows.

Over the decades, he also guest lectured internationally, served as a delegate to the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, and founded the National Law Center for Inter-American Free Trade (later renamed the Kozolchyk National Law Center in his honor) with the aim of helping developing countries through legal training and increased access to credit.

The many awards and accolades he earned along the way give his family great pride, but his greatest source of pride were his children and grandchildren.

He is survived by his wife Billie Kozolchyk; children Abbie Kozolchyk, Raphael Kozolchyk (Diana Rubin), and Shaun Kozolchyk (David Kozolchyk Plotkin); grandchildren Sigal, Liana, Alex, Ethan, Jacob, and Rebecca Kozolchyk; sister Marta Olchyk (Oscar Olchyk of blessed memory); nephew Samuel (Debbie) and niece Sonia Olchyk, and many other loved ones.

His family is inexpressibly grateful to his devoted and loving caregivers.

Services were held at Congregation Anshei Israel. Burial followed at Evergreen Mortuary and Cemetery; a recording is here: https://tinyurl.com/3kj2fy98

Memorial donations can be made to Congregation Anshei Israel, Congregation Chaverim, the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, or the charity of your choice.

“Pink & Purpose” creates a supportive space for Jewish women to learn about breast and gynecological cancer awareness, genetic risks, early detection, and emotional well-being, whether you are supporting a loved ones who has been diagnosed or you are facing a diagnosis yourself. By combining expert medical perspectives with real-life personal stories, the evening aims to empower women with actionable knowledge while fostering deep connections. 

An Inspiring and Multidisciplinary Panel 

The centerpiece of the evening is a panel discussion featuring local Jewish women who bring both professional expertise and deeply personal insights to the table: 

• Lindsey Baker, MBA (LR Baker Consulting) will share her unique personal experience navigating a breast cancer diagnosis and the power of community.  

• Alexa Cook, MS, CGC, a Board-Certified Genetic Counselor at Banner Health, will offer expert guidance on genetic counseling, testing, and education — a topic of vital importance in the Jewish community given hereditary risk factors like BRCA mutations. 

• Rina Fox, PhD, MPH, is a Clinical Psychologist, Assistant Professor of Psychology, and Researcher at the University of Arizona. Her work focuses on cancer survivorship and quality of life, with a particular interest in the psychological and emotional well-being of individuals and families navigating cancer diagnosis, treatment, and life beyond cancer. 

Putting Community Into Action Through Chessed 

Beyond education, “Pink & Purpose” emphasizes active loving-kindness (chessed). During the evening, participants will come together for a hands-on service project to assemble care packages for local women undergoing cancer treatment/surgery at TMC Health Cancer Center. 

These care packages are generously sponsored by Yasa Leah Anderson and family in loving memory of Shoshana Leah bat Yosefa Leah (Shannon Anderson). This act of community support serves as a meaningful tribute, ensuring that women facing cancer treatment feel wrapped in love, comfort, and solidarity. 

An Evening of Togetherness 

To round out the evening, attendees will enjoy pink treats and refreshments, access educational resources provided by Sharsheret (the national Jewish breast and ovarian cancer organization), and connect with friends old and new. Guests are encouraged to wear a touch of pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 

About TTC Tribe 

TTC Tribe brings Jewish women together throughout the year by hosting monthly events ranging from guest speakers and creative art workshops to hands-on community service projects. To stay updated on all upcoming monthly Tribe events, visit tucsontc.org/tribeevents. 

 Event Details & Registration: 

• Date & Time: Tuesday, October 6 at 6:00 PM 

• Location: Provided upon RSVP 

• RSVP & Registration: tucsontc.org/pink 

For more information about this event, contact Rochie Leiter, Director of TTC Tribe, at rleiter@tucsontc.org.  

Barry A. Friedman, M.D., 82, retired infectious disease specialist and former board president of the Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center, died Sept. 25, 2026. 

Dr. Friedman was born Oct. 29, 1943, to Elizabeth and Sol Friedman in Dayton, Ohio. He received his undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and his medical degree from The Ohio State University College of Medicine. 

He established a private practice in Tucson and later worked in infection control at Tucson Medical Center. He was chair of the Board of Medical Examiners of Arizona, now the Arizona Medical Board. 

As a child, Dr. Friedman’s family sent him to summer camp at Indian Acres in Fryeburg, Maine, so he would avoid catching polio. He was later a counselor and then camp doctor at Indian Acres. He and his wife, Madeline, built a cabin on the property bought from the camp in 1989, and spent many summers there. 

Dr. Friedman was instrumental in the formation of Tucson’s Jewish History Museum, directing its growth from an historic restoration project to its opening in 2005. He loved serving as a docent and was board president from 2006 to 2015. He also led historic Jewish cemetery tours. When the museum campus reopened in 2016 after the expansion of the Holocaust History Center, it named the original museum the Friedman Family Jewish History Museum.  

In 2012, the museum honored Dr. Friedman with its Jewish Heritage Award, recognizing his “contribution to preserving and teaching the Jewish heritage of the American Southwest.” The museum later established a Volunteer of the Year Award in his name. The Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona honored Dr. Friedman along with Ray Davies, Rabbi Thomas Louchheim, and Beth Alpert Nakhai with a Special Recognition Award in 2015 for their work with the Jewish History Museum and Holocaust education.  

Dr. Friedman was a trustee of the Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona from 2011-12. He and Madeline signed the Endowment Book of Life at the JCF in the late 1990s and established the Barry and Madeline Friedman Family Endowment Fund at the Foundation in 2014.  

Dr. Friedman is survived by his wife of 43 years, Madeline; children, Bruce, Joel (Tanya), Gabrielle and Zev; five grandchildren, Maxine, Jackson, Oliver, Jude, and Jonathan; and sister, Joann (Jeff) Timbanard of Paradise Valley, Arizona. 

Services will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 10 a.m. at the Evergreen Mortuary & Cemetery chapel, with Rabbi Sara Metz and Cantorial Soloist Nicole Chorny officiating. 

Tucson Hebrew Academy began its 53rd school year in August with another milestone already behind it: reaccreditation from Cognia, an independent organization that evaluates schools for educational quality. 

The review examined several areas of school life, including student engagement, academic growth and support, leadership, staff practices, and continuous improvement. 

“Our mission at Tucson Hebrew Academy is to provide our students with exemplary academics,” said Head of School Johanna Shlomovich, who is beginning her sixth year at Tucson Hebrew Academy. “By combining Cognia’s standards with our own expectations and the expertise of our teachers, we’re able to deliver on that mission year after year. The fact that we’re able to do so while grounding that education in Jewish values and a nurturing community makes it even more meaningful.” 

Cognia’s continuing accreditation process operates on a six-year cycle. Schools are asked to examine their own practices, provide supporting evidence, and participate in an external review. Review teams look at student performance and school improvement efforts, observe classrooms, and speak with members of the school community. 

At Tucson Hebrew Academy, planning for the review took six months and included staff preparation, the collection and analysis of documentation and data, faculty, parent and student surveys, classroom observations, interviews and meetings with the Cognia accreditation team. 

Jennifer Lehrfeld, Director of General Studies, said the process involved contributions from across the school. 

“This reaccreditation reflects a tremendous amount of work from our teachers, staff, leadership, and everyone who contributed throughout the process,” Lehrfeld said. “We’re incredibly grateful for the time and care they put into it, but ultimately, this work is about our students and making sure we continue providing them with the strongest educational experience possible.” 

Tucson Hebrew Academy received a higher score in its most recent review than it did during its previous Cognia evaluation. 

Accreditation can also be one factor for families to consider when comparing schools. Not every private school seeks outside accreditation, and parents may want to ask whether a school is accredited, which organization provides that accreditation, and what standards are included in the review. 

What started out with Handmaker hosting one series of art talks in the fall of 2018 for the Tucson Chapter of the Brandeis National Committee has blossomed into a truly special partnership. Beginning this fall, Handmaker will host five different lecture series for this group, to the delight of Brandeis members and Handmaker residents. Handmaker provides the venue, and Handmaker residents are invited to attend the lectures, too. 

Here are the five study groups: 

Retired Professor Dr. Art Friedman will be returning this year to teach two study groups. Art has been an avid mineral collector for over 65 years and will bring in samples of his incredible collection for “Mineral Madness.” In this study group, attendees will learn how to classify and identify minerals and even take field trips to the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show and the Alfie Norville Mineral Museum. In his class on “Jewish Religious and Ritual Objects,” Art will share objects from his collection of ritual and heirloom Judaica and discuss their historical value. 

Dan Weisz has always had an interest in nature and our desert. When he retired, he took up photography and birding more regularly. His “Meet Your Winged Friends” class will offer a series of presentations on the beautiful birds that share our corner of the world. This class has been a favorite of Handmaker residents for the last few years. 

Anyone interested in recent Supreme Court decisions regarding such matters as voting rights, presidential powers, electronic surveillance, and more will enjoy attending John Risberg’s study group, “Current Issues in Supreme Court Jurisprudence.” 

And everyone is excited to welcome back Harvey Wolfe for his class, “Classical Music with Harvey Wolfe.” Harvey is a retired cellist from the Cleveland Orchestra and has performed professionally for 60 years on five continents with most major conductors. At this year’s lecture series, Harvey will guide attendees through the music and entertain them with anecdotes about the lives of the Four B’s – Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, and a mystery fourth or more. 

Handmaker is proud to host these Brandeis lectures, and residents are happy to be able to learn with and from Brandeis Committee members. 

If you would like information about the Tucson Chapter of the Brandeis National Committee, including other lectures, study groups, and events, visit brandeistucson.org. If you would be interested in attending a sample lecture as a guest of Handmaker, please contact Nanci Levy at nlevy@handmaker.org. 

Emily Hager, Director of Programming and Education at the Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center, wrote her master’s thesis at the University of Arizona on Nazi looting and provenance. 

The enormity of the Nazis’ looting during World War II was staggering, says Hager, who learned that “a conservative estimate is 20% of Europe’s treasures were plundered, touched, taken by the Nazis at one point or another.” 

She will present a gallery chat at the museum, “Ownership Interrupted: Looting During the Holocaust” on Thursday, Oct. 1, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 

Hager will connect her knowledge of the largest art theft in history to the stories of Holocaust survivors documented in videos and exhibits in the museum’s Holocaust Center.   

“We preserve the memory of the 270-plus survivors who made Southern Arizona their home after the enduring the horrors of the war, and we’re so blessed and so lucky to be able to have their generous time and share their stories,” she says. “I’m going to be pulling a lot from their stories, pulling from their own personal experiences of what happened to them during the Holocaust.” 

For example, one survivor, Pawel Lichter, who later lived in Nogales, grew up as the son of the movie theater owner in his town in Poland. “The Nazis would come in and pillage his house, day after day after day, and they would take the equipment from the movie theater that his father owned,” Hager says. 

Across Europe, the Nazis took everything of value they could find, “from the paintings down to the silver in your grandmother’s china cabinet,” she says.  

Even today, 81 years after the Holocaust, museums around the world have gaps in the provenance of many items due to Nazi looting. Researchers continue to help heirs with restitution claims, although in many cases, items like a family’s ritual objects — think silver  Kiddush cups or candlesticks — can never be located, Hager says. The Nazis melted large amounts of stolen gold, silver, and platinum objects to fund Germany’s war effort. 

Perhaps the most famous restitution case involved the Gustav Klimt painting known as the “Woman in Gold,” popularized by the film with Helen Mirren and Ryan Reynolds.  

“That is a perfect example. It was hanging in a museum, and they didn’t know that the heir, the niece, existed even,” Hager says. But because the Nazis were so meticulous in their documentation, they left behind millions of pages of evidence, many with photographs of the looted artworks, which bear witness to the theft, confiscation, coercive transfers, and downright pillaging of property belonging to those they planned to expel or annihilate.  

“I’ve always found it very fascinating in trying to understand what an object has been through, because ultimately, what an object is links back to a person, right? Someone owned that; someone created that; someone used that. 

“It’s those stories that really drive me, and it really beautifully connects back to the museum because we do preserve these stories,” Hager says.  

Ultimately, museum visitors should understand “that the Holocaust is not a closed chapter,” Hager says.  Through exhibits and events, the museum helps people understand what can happen when hatred and bias go unchecked, she says.  

The gallery chat is free, but registration is required, here. 

AgeWell Day, a morning of learning and camaraderie for Jewish community members age 60+, returns on Sunday, Oct. 25.  

First held in November 2023 and repeated every spring and fall since, AgeWell Day has become a popular tradition in the Southern Arizona Jewish community.  

More than two-thirds of the people who have attended an AgeWell Day event have attended more than once, says Robyn Schwager, Director of Impact and Engagement at Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona. 

“Our recent community survey showed that people are looking for opportunities to socialize and engage Jewishly,” she adds. “This can happen at a program, event, or religious service. AgeWell Day provides another wonderful social opportunity that is fun, safe, and educational.” 

AgeWell Day is hosted by Handmaker, Jewish Family & Children’s Services, the Tucson Jewish Community Center, and JPSA. 

The day will begin at 9 a.m. with a Resource Expo, followed by class sessions at 10:10 a.m. and 11:10 a.m. When they register, participants choose from a menu of classes that include fitness (this time, Holistic Chair Yoga and Israeli Dance), art (Batik Challah Covers), and discussions (“What Is a Kaporenik? The Irony and Wit of the Yiddish Language” with Prof. Gil Ribak and “Beyond the Midterm Elections” with Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin). Space is limited in some classes, and they fill up quickly, Schwager says.  

The Resource Expo has been expanding every year.  Participants can meet representatives from Jewish agencies and synagogues as well as secular companies and organizations that provide services to aging adults, including home health care options, retirement living, financial services, estate planning, and learning opportunities at OLLI-UA (the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Arizona). 

Attendees can even get a flu shot or Covid-19 booster at AgeWell Day. 

The day will end with a healthy lunch.  

Register here. The early bird registration fee is $5 through Oct. 10. Registration is $10 Oct. 11-22, or $15 on the day of the event, space permitting. The location will be provided upon registration. Contact Alissa Noel, JPSA Impact and Engagement Coordinator, at anoel@jparizona.org or by phone at (520) 647-8464 for financial assistance, transportation, or help with registration. Transportation requests must be received by Oct. 16. 

AgeWell Day is an initiative of the Southern Arizona Jewish Community Ecosystem and is supported by a generous grant from the Community Fund to Support Jewish Elderly and Disabled, held at the Jewish Community Foundation at JPSA. 

Jewish Family and Children’s Services is kicking off 5787 with exciting events throughout the fall. Coming first is AgeWell Day — a biannual event presented in partnership with Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona, Handmaker, and the Tucson JCC. AgeWell Day focuses on connecting older Jewish Tucsonans (60+) with resources, classes and community.

Sophie German, JFCS’s Director of Older Adult and Community Services, reflects, “AgeWell Day is meaningful to me because it brings Jewish older adults, and community partners together in a welcoming space focused on healthy aging, connection, and access to resources. It reflects JFCS’s commitment to helping older adults remain supported, informed, and engaged in their community while strengthening the partnerships that make this work possible.”  

AgeWell Day will be held on Oct. 25th, 2026, and attendees can register here. 

While Sophie’s department gears up for AgeWell day, others at JFCS are working hard in service of our upcoming 85th Anniversary Block Party and Mural Reveal. If you pass by JFCS’s building between now and the beginning of November, you may see Pen Macias, one of Tucson’s premier artists, working on Tucson’s newest mural. JFCS will be unveiling this mural at our celebration on Nov. 8, 2026. The mural is designed to celebrate our work as an organization over the past 85 years, which has changed according to community need over time and includes assistance for Holocaust Survivors, divorce recovery programs, mental health counseling for all, and the resettlement of refugees from the former Soviet Union. Our celebration will include remarks from CEO Kseniya DeLano, as well as Tucson officials and the artist. It will be fun for the whole family, with face painting, balloon animals, eegees, a community resource fair, and a DJ. To join us in celebration, you can RSVP on our website, which has additional information about timing, parking, and activities. We can’t wait to see you there! 

Liza Rosenberg, a new member of the Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona Young Women’s Cabinet, went to the YWC retreat Aug. 21-22 knowing only two of the other women. 

She left, she said, feeling “like I’ve known all the women for years and years and years.”  

Rosenberg, 40, started a business last year and admits she initially thought of YWC as a networking opportunity.  

“It was really amazing how we bonded, and it just turned into so much more,” she says. “I feel like every single person went in very vulnerable and very willing to listen, and as a result, it was just so beautiful. Everyone just kind of got to know each other on a much deeper level.” 

The programming allowed everyone to open up, she says, explaining that the 19 women broke into smaller groups to discuss questions such as “Who shaped you as a person?” and “What legacy do you hope to leave in the Southern Arizona Jewish community? What do you hope people will say about this group 20 years from now?” 

Josh Faryab, 40, attended the Young Men’s Group retreat at a cabin on Mt. Lemmon Aug. 28-30.   

“It’s a great way to meet new people, build a community, have friends all in a similar space in life,” says Faryab, who notes that he’d never been part of a formal group before. 

He’d met some of the 17 other retreat participants briefly at previous JPSA events, but this was his first opportunity to really get to know them. “Acquaintances before, friends after,” he says. 

Along with enjoying the social aspect of the retreat, Faryab was impressed with the programming, which included envisioning hypothetical situations, such as “Imagine you’re part of the JPSA board. How would you choose to allocate money to greater causes and what values drive you to focus on this particular cause?” 

Exploring those scenarios was “a fun exercise. I’ve never really been involved in philanthropy before,” he says, and the retreat helped him feel that he was coming into his own as an adult. 

“I still don’t always see myself as this person who’s 40 years old, who has his family, and now he’s part of the community — an opportunity to lead something and see something that’s bigger than himself,” he says. “But it is my time, and this is a really nice way to take that first step towards leadership.” 

Faryab appreciated the diversity of careers among the 18 men at the retreat, who included doctors, lawyers, people in real estate, city workers, and more. 

Rosenberg, whose first name is pronounced “Leeza,” grew up in Tucson but was born in the former Soviet Union. She was three when her family emigrated. 

Her mother worked for many years with the infants at the Tucson Jewish Community Center, and Rosenberg spent a lot of time there growing up. She attended Tucson Hebrew Academy with JPSA Young Leadership Manager Nate Weisband, who invited her to join the Young Women’s Cabinet. 

Now she’s the age her parents were when they left Belarus, uprooting themselves to give Rosenberg and her sister a better life, where they were free to embrace Judaism. 

“Watching my parents learn a new language when they were 40 … it’s all kind of going full circle,” she says of joining YWC. “Maybe that’s also why it hit me — it’s just so nice to be rooted in the community too and just be surrounded by so many strong women.” 

For Rosenberg, while the programming at the retreat was intriguing, equally important, she says, was an unscripted after-dinner bonding session, when the 19 women gathered in YWC chairs Jamie Kippur-Yoder and Melissa Landau’s hotel casita in their pajamas. 

The women made pressed flower bookmarks, ate snacks, and chatted. “We didn’t talk about being Jewish, but we all connected on things we like and who we are as humans and our kids and our spouses and all of that stuff. It was so nice to have that time too,” says Rosenberg. 

When he was growing up in Los Angeles, being Jewish didn’t feel particularly important to Faryab, although he attended Jewish day schools from third through eighth grades.  

“As I’ve gotten older, the cultural and traditional aspects of Judaism and Jewish culture [became] so important to me that I really want to have that as part of my life that I could pass down to my child,” he says, explaining that beyond his immediate family, he didn’t have a Jewish community in LA. 

Along with an invitation from Weisband to join the Young Men’s Group, Faryab was influenced by his friendship with former YMG member Michael Shiner. Faryab met Shiner when both were students at the University of Arizona, and the friendship was a factor in his decision to move to Tucson in 2021 with his wife, who was pregnant with their daughter. 

“There’s always something about Tucson that felt special,” he says. “This feels like a really nice place to have a family.” 

In August, I received a phone call from Tucson friends who were visiting my hometown of New Bedford, Massachusetts, on their way to Cape Cod. They had just discovered an old synagogue on South Sixth Street not far from the harbor. It was a red brick building, they said, with a Star of David on the front. It was now a church. Did I know the building? 

Not only did I know the building, but it was my childhood synagogue, Tifereth Israel. My father and grandfather were among its founders. I have the original photograph pictured in this article capturing its dedication on Sept. 14, 1924. My father was all of 27 years old. He is standing second from the left.

Which brings me to today. The phone call unleashed a torrent of memories. The bimah of this synagogue was where I stood for my Bat Mitzvah, gave a speech on college night, and where I was confirmed. The synagogue building is where I started Hebrew school, enjoyed the glorious sukkah that I described in “A Sukkah Saga” last fall in the Arizona Jewish Post, and attended Shabbat services. 

But the memories that seem most notable, perhaps because of the time of year, are of the High Holidays, when most of the Jewish community, by then living west of the city center, walked a mile to the synagogue. As we made our way down Hawthorne Street, with its beautiful canopy of elm trees, we acknowledged other walkers also on their way to the synagogue where we would celebrate the holidays together. 

We were all members of a closely knit immigrant community of Jews in a city of 120,000. Some say there were 2,000 Jews in New Bedford at that time, but it is hard to imagine that we were that many.

I can remember sitting next to my father on Rosh Hashanah. He is wrapped in his tallis. On his other side sits Uncle Nathan, my grandmother’s brother, a warm and comforting presence. I can remember the feeling I had of belonging to a community with family members, neighbors, friends. And at the end of services, we all gathered in front of the synagogue on South Sixth Street to wish each other Shanah Tovah (Happy New Year). 

What a rich and comforting Jewish childhood I enjoyed. I am not sure I understood or appreciated it at the time, but I do now. And I am thankful for the memories. These experiences enriched my life with a sense of belonging to a larger community, and because of them, I was able to reach out and find comfort and joy in a local synagogue, although I am fairly new to Tucson.

It is important to say that the Jewish community is here for anyone who wants to be part of it. Not just the synagogues, but the “J” (Jewish Community Center) and all Jewish communal service organizations. But if someone feels lonely or isolated — feelings often associated with older adults, and also common in other age groups — and is eager to find friendship and a sense of community, I believe the synagogue is the place to start. 

I spoke on the phone recently to a long-time friend who lives in New York’s Greenwich Village. In spite of her surroundings, she is feeling isolated and disconnected. I recommended that she try out some local synagogues and go to services. I even used the internet to look up what synagogues were in her neighborhood. There were many: Orthodox, Conservative, Chabad, unaffiliated, Reform. I suggested that she start going to Shabbat services and described my own journey and experience of finding community and friendship in Tucson. She hadn’t thought about it, although she had been very active in Jewish life in her younger years. She said she would do so.

Perhaps some readers, like me, have cherished memories of religious celebrations and have found friendship and community in a Tucson synagogue. But if there is anyone who is unaffiliated, feeling isolated or alone, in need of community and friendship, again, I suggest that you reach out and attend services at a local synagogue. You can visit more than one until you find one that works for you.

We have ample choices here. You may not know anyone on day one, but if you are open to meeting others who care about being Jewish, you will find your place and will no longer feel alone. 

And if you need transportation, there are several options. Try calling Jewish Family & Children’s Services at (520) 795-0300 for services funded by Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona, the Pima Council on Aging at (520) 790-7262, or Sun Van at (520) 798-1000, to name a few. 

All you need is openness and a Jewish heart.

Happy New Year!

Judith Manelis is a writer, editor, and journalist whose work has appeared in American Jewish newspapers and magazines. Her book “This Shall Tell All Ages: Art, Music and Writings of the Holocaust” was published by United Jewish Appeal.  

Sukkot, the Jewish harvest festival, also known as the Festival of Booths, takes place this year from sundown on Friday, Sept. 25, until nightfall on Friday, Oct. 2.  

Sukkot is a holiday of joy and thanksgiving. It commemorates both the autumn harvest and the memory of the Israelites taking shelter in temporary huts while wandering in the desert following the Exodus. The Hebrew word “sukkot” is the plural of “sukkah,” meaning “hut” or “booth.”  

Families and congregations build sukkot, temporary dwellings with at least two and half walls and a roof made of organic materials such as palm fronds, through which you can see the stars at night. They decorate the sukkah with harvest symbols. Families traditionally take some or all their meals in a sukkah. Another custom is waving the lulav and etrog, known as the Four Species. A lulav is a bundle of branches that includes palm, willow and myrtle, and an etrog is a citrus fruit that looks like a large, bumpy lemon. 

Congregations in Southern Arizona also hold Sukkot Festival services and parties. Here are some of the sukkot and celebrations you can visit this year: 

Congregation Anshei Israel: Sept. 25, 5:45 pm Community Shabbat/Sukkot Service and Dinner, in the Rabbi Eisen Beit Midrash and on Zoom. Dinner at approximately 7 pm. Registration and payment required for dinner no later than Wednesday, Sept. 23. 

Sept. 26: 9:30 am Shabbat and 1st Day Sukkot Service, In Person and on Zoom 

Sept. 29, 7 pm, Sip, Schmooze, & Shake! Young Adult Sukkah Night in the Anshei Israel Sukkah; RSVP here 

Oct. 1, 6 pm, Sisterhood in the Sukkah. RSVP by Sept. 17. 

Congregation Beit Simcha: Sept. 23, 3 pm, Build the Sukkah Party  

Sept. 25, 6:30 pm, Sukkot Shabbat Service 

Sept. 26, 9 am, Sukkot Bagels and Lox Torah Study; 10 am Sukkot Morning Services in the Sukkah 

Sept. 27, 6 pm, Potluck Dinner in the Sukkah for new members, prospective members, members and friends 

Congregation Bet Shalom: Sept. 26, 9:15 am, Shabbat and Yom Tov Services 

Sept. 27, 9:15 am, Yom Tov Services followed by Light Kiddush Lunch in the Sukkah 

Sept. 29-Oct. 1, 5:30-7:30 pm, Dwell in the Sukkah and Learn with Rabbi Lopez 

Beth Shalom Temple Center (Green Valley): Sept. 25, 7 pm, Sukkot Service 

Chabad Tucson/Congregation Young Israel: Sept. 26, 9:30 am, Morning Service; 12 pm, Kiddush in the Sukkah  

Chabad Oro Valley: Sept. 26, 10 am Sukkot Service 

Sept. 27, 10 am Sukkot Service; 4-5 pm, Open Sukkah at the home of Rabbi and Mushkie Zimmerman 

Congregation Chaverim: Sept. 23, 4-5:30 pm, Sukkah Decoration 

Sept. 25, 5:30 pm, Sukkot Dairy Potluck, 6:30 pm Sukkot Services 

Kol Ami Synagogue: Sept. 25, 6:30 pm Erev Sukkot Shabbat Evening Service, in the Sanctuary and Virtual 

Sept. 26, 10 am Shabbat Sukkot Festival Morning Service, in the Sanctuary and Virtual 

Handmaker: Sept. 26, 9 am, Sukkot Festival Services in the Great Room, followed by Kiddush in the Sukkah at approximately 1 pm 

Tucson Jewish Community Center: Sept. 29, 4:15-5:45 pm, PJ Library Snacks in the Sukkah 

Oct. 2, 6-9 pm, Young Adult First Friday Shabbat in the Sukkah; email  kelseydavita@gmail.com to register for the potluck 

Tucson Hebrew Academy: Sept. 30, 4:45-6:30 pm, Sukkot Carnival with Dinner/Snacks for Sale. Registration required 

Tucson Torah Center: Sept. 28, 4-5:30 pm, Sukkah Party. RSVP at tucsontc.org/sukkahparty 

The weeklong celebration of Sukkot is immediately followed by another two days of celebration (one day in Israel) of Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah, observed this year on Oct. 3 and 4. For more Sukkot events plus Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah services, please consult congregational websites.