Valley View

Nothing in life is ever guaranteed, but Harriet Rosen was convinced a new program, Wise Aging, would succeed in the Valley just as it had in other parts of the country.

Jewish organizations and leaders in the Valley are telling people to act fast as the voter registration deadline for the upcoming Nov. 6 general election is Tuesday, Oct. 9.

For Yael Michaely, her husband Boaz, and their three young children, feeling at home in their new country began in earnest one autumn evening in 2004. For these Israelis recently transplanted to Newton, Massachusetts, the neighborhood sukkah hop transformed anonymous streets into a community and strangers into friends.

What started as a shared hobby with her father 35 years ago not only turned into a career for Janette Silverman, but also made her a well-known figure among Jewish genealogical groups around the world.

Last year, 59-year-old George and his wife, Paula, (not their real names) experienced a major life hurdle when George lost his job with a local health care company.

Valley Beit Midrash is beginning its new season of programming with a new executive team that will help expand the organization’s offerings.

After a year of construction and remodeling of the former retail store Gridleys, the Chabad Edelman Jewish Center has opened its doors in Fountain Hills. The center is the new permanent home of Chabad of Fountain Hills, which inaugurated the facility with its first Rosh Hashanah services.

With a heavy heart, Sandy Borken, vice president of Congregation Beth Hagivot, is preparing to close his place of worship after 14 years. This Yom Kippur will be the congregation’s last before Beth Hagivot shutters its doors on Oct. 12.

In advance of the High Holidays, the Anti-Defamation League is reaching out to synagogues and Jewish community institutions across the Valley and country to provide information on security preparedness and to remind them to make security an everyday priority.

Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey has chosen former U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl to fill the Senate seat held by the late John McCain.

Planning any event is never an easy task, and something as important as a bar or bat mitzvah requires a lot of preparation to create a special day for a child.

Chaya Mushka Ben-Shabat’s plan to change the world’s education system is starting local — right out of her own backyard.

Events

While the Red Rocks Music Festival may be an annual tradition for Arizona music lovers, it’s also a time of reunion for the festival’s executive director, Moshe Bukshpan. After all, the festival of chamber music is rooted in Bukshpan’s history as a professional violinist.

Jews across the Valley, state, nation and even the world continue to mourn the death of United States Sen. John McCain, a longtime friend of Israel, who died of brain cancer on Aug. 25. A funeral service will be held at the Washington National Cathedral on Sept. 1, where he will be eulogized by former presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush. He will be buried at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, on Sept. 2.

The Phoenix Mikvah’s opening in February brought attention to mikvahs across the Valley, inspiring many synagogues to also revisit their facilities.

As Joan Greene campaigns for the Democratic nomination for Arizona’s 5th Congressional District, she is pounding the pavement in order to connect with everyone in her community.

When the summer began, Temple Emanuel of Tempe said goodbye to three staff members. Now, with summer winding down, the temple has three new employees that have hit the ground running.

The Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix showed healthy growth and an increase in giving to community programs and organizations in 2017.

Since 2010, Valley resident Sue Adatto has traveled to Israel each summer with Volunteers for Israel to participate in the Israeli Sar-El program.

Approximately 600 students from around the world have descended on Phoenix for the 105th Alpha Epsilon Pi International Convention this weekend. During the convention, the young men will take part in class sessions that will teach them how to combat anti-Semitism and how to deal with the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement that has swept across many universities nationwide.

Events

Although URJ Camp Newman was held in a university setting instead of its former home in the mountains of Santa Rosa, California, this year, the camp feeling is alive and well, by all accounts.

In many ways, Dr. Daniel and Hana Lowenstein and their four boys, ages 7, 6, 4 and 2, are the newest poster family for North American aliyah. Deeply committed to the Jewish community — she works for the Orthodox Union’s Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus, while he’s a rabbi and psychiatrist — they decided to move to Israel because there was never a question about making their permanent home anywhere else.