Barbara Lewkowitz and Laurel Ginsburg, both active synagogue members, were so touched by the experiences of asylum seekers, they mobilized their congregations to provide humanitarian support.

As the number of asylum seekers at Arizona’s southern border increases, so too does the number of buses dropping off migrants at International Rescue Committee community shelters in Phoenix.

The East Valley Jewish Community Center, Temple Beth Sholom of the East Valley and Temple Emanuel of Tempe are partnering to present a live virtual piano recital at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 25.

Eddie Chavez Calderon lives his life two years at a time. The Arizona Jews for Justice’s campaign director’s status as a recipient of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program is reevaluated on a two-year cycle.

The Jewish holidays are ripe with tradition and Passover is no different. Families have long-standing rituals that have been passed down through generations, evoking memories of seder tables, searching for the afikomen, reciting four questions and a delicious meal.

When Stacy Augustine met a man who had lost both legs during Syria’s civil war, she knew she could help. Using a friend’s truck and ramp, she delivered her deceased father’s scooter to the man, giving him back his dignity and independence. “He dreamed of getting to the mosque on his own,” sh…

This week, the Jewish News is sharing more stories of people, organizations and synagogues that are stepping up for their community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Feb. 13, Emily Zappa, teacher and head of school at Desert Jewish Academy, received a special thank-you plaque and check for $250 from PayPal for being one of five local teachers who have made a positive impact on the community during a difficult year.

On Feb. 12, Sheryl Bronkesh, president of the Phoenix Holocaust Association, received her second COVID-19 vaccine alongside Rise Stillman and Frieda Allweiss, both Holocaust survivors. Initially, the three were scheduled to be vaccinated Monday, but their appointments were moved up by the Ar…

Two prominent Jewish organizations in the Valley are bringing new people on board.

Quite literally among the booms and billows of black smoke across the nearby Gaza border deep in Israel’s southern Negev Desert, Shlomit, one of three communities of Halutza, laid a cornerstone and broke ground for its future community center. The new Jewish National Fund (JNF-USA) project, …

When the deadly respiratory infection Streptococcus zooepidemicus — commonly known as “strep zoo” — was discovered in an East Valley location of Maricopa County Animal Care and Control in January, director Mary Martin knew just who to call.

In Arizona, one in six people struggles with food insecurity, according to the Arizonans Preventing Hunger Action Plan 2017. Yecheskel Friedman, co-founder and president of Ezras Cholim of Phoenix (ECP), is quick to point out that this number includes many members of the Jewish community. Th…

Congregation Kehillah’s Helping Hearts and Hands Committee recently started a program to help congregants share previously owned medical equipment.

Duet: Partners In Health & Aging continues an almost 30-year-old tradition of raising funds for the interfaith organization during the holidays.

Temple Chai and Temple Kol Ami are both now official collection centers for PCs for Refugees (PFR), a local nonprofit that refurbishes old computers and gives them to refugees in the Valley.

Next month, a group of teenagers from around the Valley will be in Houston from Dec. 24-29 to help with Hurricane Harvey relief efforts as part of the Bureau of Jewish Education’s (BJE) second Hebrew High Winter Care-A-Van.

With Puerto Rico still reeling from the devastation left by Hurricane Maria, Valley residents and Jewish organizations are working together to help the beleaguered island.

When Suzanne Fuchs first arrived at Shirley Kaiser’s doorstep about two years ago, she was pleasantly surprised to see a mezuzah affixed to the doorpost.

For most people, reading a book or magazine is an easy activity, but for those who are visually impaired or physically limited, reading can be an impossible task.

About 75 children who attended local Jewish day schools last year received a supplemental scholarship from the Jewish Day School Scholarship Fund, but with tuition rates rising, more funds will be needed.

The national group Slingshot recently released “Slingshot ’17,” a guide that highlights innovative Jewish projects in North America. Four of the 50 programs on the list are currently active in the Valley’s Jewish community.

A cohort of leaders from the Valley’s Jewish community took part in several events that remembered victims of the Holocaust and re-emphasized the importance of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Years ago, when Rabbi Martin Scharf’s son was in Cub Scouts, the organization needed someone to serve as an auctioneer for the Scouts’ cake auction. Little did Scharf know that he’d then begin a career of auctioneering at nonprofit events to raise money for a variety of causes.

Families at the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center’s preschool are working to help one of the school’s teachers who recently has been diagnosed with West Nile virus.