The national director of ORT Russia will present an update on World ORT’s recent work around the globe to representatives of Valley Jewish day schools.

Following a four-year effort by Rabbi Nate Crane, associate rabbi at Congregation Or Tzion in Scottsdale, there is now a Jewish ritual and accompanying documents to celebrate and mark the adoption of children of all ages by Conservative Jewish parents.

Activist and former astronaut Mark Kelly is running to be the standard-bearer for the Democratic Party in the 2020 special election to fill the seat of the late U.S. Sen. John McCain.

Grand Canyon University (GCU) student Garrett Smith was not expecting that a presentation about the history of violins would help him better understand the human element of the Holocaust.

Construction is close to wrapping up on the 12,500-square-foot Molly Blank Jewish Community Center in Flagstaff — the first JCC in Northern Arizona’s largest city.

Ed Asner is known for such roles as Lou Grant on “The Mary Tyler-Moore Show” and Carl Fredrickson in the Pixar film “Up.” Lately, however, he’s been working to use his name and legacy to offer support for the families of differently abled individuals and help them develop their own self-conf…

A congregation can exist without a building and it can exist without a rabbi, but it cannot exist without a Torah, according to Rabbi Samuel M. Cohon of Congregation Beit Simcha in Tucson. 

The Jewish Genetic Diseases Center of Greater Phoenix has changed its name to the Minkoff Center for Jewish Genetics, while simultaneously introducing a new BRCA screening program for Arizona Jews to better understand potential hereditary cancer risks.  

Television legend and Emmy Award-winner Ed Asner will be the keynote speaker at Limmud AZ 2019, taking place on Sunday. Asner’s speech will be titled “Generation to Generation — Promoting Self-Confidence in Differently Abled Individuals.” 

Police continue to investigate who is behind the posting of anti-Semitic flyers near a high school in Mesa.

After much searching and interviewing, the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) has chosen Paul Rockower as its new executive director.

The Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival (GPJFF) starts this weekend and the standout feature is expected to be the filmed production of the long-running, one-woman Broadway play “Golda’s Balcony.” 

This year, Beth El Congregation’s older Talmud Torah students are learning about the Holocaust firsthand by interviewing our community’s survivors. This special program was created to enrich the curriculum of our Talmud Torah students, while increasing their awareness of the Holocaust and an…

Every day, from 5 to 7 a.m., Michael Epner wakes up and reads 25 newspapers. Ever since he was a child, the retired pediatrician has been obsessed with current events, and now he uses that obsession to teach other like-minded retirees about what is happening in America and around the world. 

For the past two decades, Israeli violin maker Amnon Weinstein has restored dozens of violins from the Holocaust. Each one tells a story of someone silenced. 

Phoenix resident Zachary Friedman is one of the thousands of federal employees who are heading back to work after being furloughed during the recent — and longest ever — federal government shutdown. Last week, President Donald Trump reached a temporary deal with congressional leaders to reop…

As a scientist, Minneapolis native Alejandra Dashe likes to dig deep and search for the reasons why things are they way they are. She gets the opportunity to do just that by teaching biology and anthropology at the Paradise Valley Community College. 

Debbie Berkowitz remembers her former husband, Jeff, as a loud, opinionated New Jerseyite who loved all sports but had a particular passion for coaching youth league basketball at the Valley of the Sun JCC (The J). Sadly, Marfan syndrome prematurely ended that passion in 2006, when Jeff died…

A Scottsdale rabbi has received a prestigious title from the Association of Reform Jewish Educators. Temple Kol Ami Rabbi Jeremy Schneider now holds the title of Reform Jewish Educator (RJE).

Kathy Rood and the Helping Hands Program of Jewish Family and Children’s Service (JFCS) will receive the Jewish Free Loan’s (JFL) 2019 President’s Award. 

A legend in Phoenix’s civil rights movement and one of the last from the 1950s era, Ruth Finn died on Jan. 19 surrounded by her family. 

Eddie Chavez Calderon can’t imagine ignoring the thousands of migrant families ICE has released from their detention facilities. 

Jewish Family & Children’s Service had long wanted to expand its hospital chaplaincy program to the West Valley, but the funds simply weren’t there — until now.

At least 660 Jewish children and young adults ranging in age from 20 to newborn already have university experience. They just don’t remember it because they weren’t born yet.

This year, the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) is dedicating itself to having a stronger Jewish presence at Phoenix’s annual march and festival to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Bjorn Krondorfer is worried about what lessons from the Holocaust people will remember and apply to the present.

Surprisingly, terrorism isn’t the biggest concern for the chief security officer of Israel’s Central Arava region, Nadav Eylon.

Sometimes, even the advisers need some advice.

Hollywood may still reign supreme in the film and TV arena, but Israeli filmmakers are contending more than ever for American viewers, as they distribute their work to audiences via streaming services.

Police in Lake Havasu City are investigating an act of vandalism at the city’s only synagogue.

Infertility can take an emotional toll, but a new organization, Fruitful, aims to provide support for women and couples in the Valley who are struggling to conceive a child. 

If you’re feeling nostalgic or simply want to tap into your roots, the East Valley JCC is holding a special event to celebrate the Jewish experience.

Three teens from the East Valley spent part of their winter break in Orlando with hundreds of other Jewish teens for the USY (United Synagogue Youth) 68th International Convention.

Interpreting and understanding the Torah can take a lifetime, and the rabbis and scholars who study the ancient sacred text often also have to relate it to congregants in the modern world. 

While Bonnie Bobman has studied Hebrew since she was in the third grade, and she can read and write it, she can’t speak the language well enough to hold a conversation. That’s why she’s now attending the Bureau of Jewish Education’s adult Hebrew learning course. 

Ringing in the New Year often means a big bash: a night for dancing, resolutions and a champagne toast at midnight. All you need to know is where to go and what to wear. 

It’s an undeniable fact: Comedy is an important part of the Jewish experience. Just ask Congregation Or Tzion Associate Rabbi Nate Crane. 

Six anti-Semitic incidents occurred across the region in the first 10 days of December.

The Valley of the Sun JCC offers a variety of summer camp programs that keep kids occupied with swimming, field trips and crafts. Now, thanks to a new organization, children with disabilities and those in extreme financial need will have the opportunity to take part in those programs as well.

Even before Mt. Sinai Cemetery opened in February 2005, Sandy Rife had been working to build the Phoenix cemetery’s legacy of effectively serving the Jewish community. 

When Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich came back from his recent trip to Israel, he felt a strong emotional reaction to what he saw in the area known as the Gaza envelope, particularly the city of Sderot. 

Cantors singing the National Anthem, fans wearing colorful kippahs and an exciting game of basketball between teams made up of rabbis, synagogue leaders and teens highlighted the Phoenix Suns’ Jewish Heritage Night.

Even as Randi Jablin works to romantically link single Jewish people in the Valley, she doesn’t think of herself as a matchmaker.

Although Maricopa County voters may not know Beth Meyer’s name, they’ve seen the results of her work. And recently, at that.

In its efforts to keep growing and evolving, Valley Beit Midrash is refashioning its executive team.