Two members of Congregation Beth Israel in Scottsdale, previously in the pages of Jewish News, were named by Phoenix Magazine in its “Great 48 class of 2020” on June 23.
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Two members of Congregation Beth Israel in Scottsdale, previously in the pages of Jewish News, were named by Phoenix Magazine in its “Great 48 class of 2020” on June 23.
Much has been written about the reasons Israel is faring better than the United States in protecting its populace from the COVID-19 pandemic. A recent article by JNS Jerusalem Bureau Chief Alex Traiman, for instance, outlines the top 10 reasons for this, among them the fact that Israel close…
The time traveling adventure film “Back to the Future” is one of my all-time favorites. A familiar chorus in the Roth household is, “Roads? Where we’re goin’, we don’t need roads.”
The word “liminal” means threshold. The liminal space is the “crossing over” or transition space.
What would life be without color? Perhaps it would be like watching a black and white TV all the time — pretty boring. Fortunately, color surrounds us, yet we are unaware how much we react to it. Some colors leave us feeling faded and spent while others lift our spirits and energize us.
Thankfully, for the great majority of people who have contracted COVID-19, the symptoms appear to be relatively mild. But some people are falling ill for months, and many of those who get sick will experience cognitive impairment during the course of the illness. It is crucial for everyone, …
She’s the silver vixen of the stand-up — the comedic grandmother audiences wished they had.
Michael Cohen joins a Shabbat service in New York with the help of Zoom.
Skype calls with grandchildren and emails might have made up the bulk of seniors’ dealings with technology until the coronavirus pandemic upended their daily lives and interactions. Fast-forward three months and some octogenarians can be found hopping on a Zoom call to attend Shabbat service…
Tzedakah, or charity, is at the heart of Judaism, but the coronavirus has changed the donation landscape for 2020. Charitable organizations are doing their best to help meet basic human needs in this moment, but they are the ones most likely to suffer from an economic downturn.
To be holistic is to understand that all parts are intimately interconnected and justifiable only in reference to the whole. When you take into consideration the whole body or person, you are thinking and acting holistically. This concept can be applied to design as well.
Growing up, Harry Burstyn heard his father, a Holocaust survivor, scream in his sleep at night.
If Arizona lifts its stay-at-home orders next month, vulnerable groups, like the elderly, will be asked to continue to shelter in place.
Portrait of Liz Cohen working in studio.
"Lowrider Builder and Child," 2012, C-print, 50x60 inches
"Sledge Hammer," 2006, C-print, 50x60 inches
Beginning with an unlikely stint studying economics, Liz Cohen followed a somewhat circuitous path to a successful career as a photographer, performance artist and professor at Arizona State University. Recently selected as one of 175 winners of a prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship awarded to…
You’re at home, stuck in isolation from COVID-19 and, worst of all, just ran out of “Shtisel” episodes to binge. Luckily, “Unorthodox” scratches a similar itch.
This is an unprecedented, unnerving and uncertain time. Small businesses in particular are struggling in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those businesses that have remained open are dealing with the fallout stemming from the fear of the spread of the disease, shrinking investments, curtailed…
While their parents may have relied on tape recorders and CDs for their own b’nei mitzvah preparations, students today learning to chant Torah can turn to YouTube.
It’s hard to believe that it’s been just a little more than a month since the coronavirus claimed its first life in the U.S.
Summer camp normally conjures images of songs by the fire, swimming and games, bunkmates and camp counselors and maybe even some pranks and high jinks. But this is not a normal year. At a time when kids’ attention would ordinarily turn to summer vacation and which camp they’ll attend, now th…
Debbie Greenberg’s son, Aaron Mazer, was diagnosed with celiac disease at the age of 17.
At Passover, we recall the 10 plagues, recite the four questions, have two seders and leave one cup empty for Elijah.
Like many modern women, Michelle Azar Aaron juggles many balls.
When it comes to Passover, the seder gets all the press. And for good reason — it is kind of the Super Bowl of holiday meals. But there are a number of other meals that must be consumed during the holiday or we would get awfully hungry.
Passover desserts used to be a challenge. How do you make something everyone will love without using flour? Fortunately, with more and more people eliminating gluten from their diets, a whole slew of recipes has dominated the food blogs in the past number of years. There are entire cookbooks…
Campers have a lot of opinions when it comes to technology: why TikTok is better than Vine, which filter is best on Instagram and what the best apps are. Parents have opinions, too: whether that screen will mush brains, the need to reach their child 24/7 and their child’s independence.
This month, just in time for everyone staying inside, HBO debuted a new six-part miniseries sure to resonate both with older Jewish readers, as well as those occupied and preoccupied with the current state of U.S. politics.
No Jewish prayer is more central to our liturgy than the Shema, the quintessential statement of faith that reminds us of the covenant we share with God. Each morning and each evening, when we lay down and when we rise, in the waters of the mikvah as one converts, at the end of the day and on…
I love decorating from the heart, and my mind often turns to using candles throughout the year, because they are so versatile and nostalgic. They can be placed in unexpected places to transform the space.
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness month, and while no cancer can be completely avoidable, the worst consequences of colorectal cancer are preventable if caught early enough.
As we age, we often look for ways to remain active and youthful. Deep down we know that a fountain of youth doesn’t exist, but that doesn’t stop our quest for ways to look and feel younger and more vital.
A friend of mine emailed me an article entitled, “How to Stay Young.” In it the unknown writer says, “Surround yourself with what you love, whether it’s family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, and hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.” At the end he adds, “Life is not measured by the …
Over 30 million Americans own a business. Small businesses are viewed as a way for entrepreneurial individuals to devote their time and talents to a project they feel passionate about, as a way to take charge of your own schedule, and as a way to make additional income. Whether it is your si…
For many students, taking a second language used to mean choosing between French and Spanish and even then not until high school. These days, however, more students have been signing up for Hebrew in public and charter schools — and at much younger ages.
Braid, half-up or chignon? Vintage-style curls or smooth waves? Wreaths, tiaras, hair pins or leaf crowns? And you thought choosing the groom was the hardest wedding-related decision you’d have to make.
There are hundreds of amusement and theme parks in the United States. There’s the Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari in Santa Claus, Indiana; Paul Bunyan Land in Brainerd, Minnesota; and, if you’re so inclined, there’s Dollywood, the Dolly Parton-themed amusement park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
The cost of a wedding can be very expensive. For those who are footing the bill, figuring out how to pay for it and how much to budget for all its myriad costs can potentially add a lot of stress to newly formed relationships.
Many couples in the Greater Phoenix area can give themselves the best wedding present of all — the chance to learn about marriage before stepping under the chuppah.
When I was working on my latest Aging Today column, it occurred to me that I wished I could write again about women and heart disease — that’s how important it is for women to have all the right information. The more women know, the better the chance they’ll be able to recognize it and corre…
Everyone has times in their life when it seems difficult or impossible to change or manage a situation. What is considered a crisis to one person may be manageable to another.
Ed. note: Recently, we sent a query to Hospice of the Valley asking if there might be a volunteer in the Shabbat Blessings program interested in writing an article about their experience serving Jewish patients and families at such a difficult time of life. Two of the volunteers responded qu…
There has been more poetry and songs written about romance, love and sweethearts than any other subject. It is not hard to understand why two people fall under the spell of romance. Personally speaking, I have vibrant memories of my first loves going back to grade school.
The right selection of flowers can elevate any event, and artificial floral arrangements have recently emerged as a popular design trend.
Q: My husband and I just purchased a new home. We quickly painted the downstairs; it has a casual look with yellow and burnt orange. The couches are covered in blue denim fabric.
On Dec. 20, 2019, President Trump signed the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act. The act is considered the most impactful legislation affecting individual retirement accounts in decades; it has many changes pertaining to small business owners, IRA holders and IRA benef…
A number of years ago, as conversations about gender and school-bathroom usage popped up across North America, we at Camp Havaya considered how to respond in accordance with our values. We decided that it wasn’t a discussion we could have in the abstract; we knew we would have to dive in wit…
There are a lot of factors seniors take into consideration when looking for a care facility: cost, proximity to family, food, religious services. But seniors who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender face additional obstacles; namely figuring out if a home is safe for them to live as the…
When my grandparents retired to Florida full time, they did not join a synagogue. Active and committed Jews for their entire lives, they just didn’t expect to live all that long. Somehow they assumed that they would enjoy a few quiet years, and then quietly pass on. As the decades accumulate…
