If you asked Shlomo Pri-tal 30 years ago what his retirement would look like, he never would have imagined it would include making glass art.

Roberta Harmon has always been drawn to working with people with special needs.

Twins Eli and Brian Hemmert of North Scottsdale weren’t sure what they wanted to do for their b’nai mitzvah project — until Aug. 27.

Emery Kutz knows all too well how food can bring people together---and keep them apart.

A group of 12 Jewish tweens are fundraising to ensure a jolly Christmas for two local kindergartners.

The East Valley Jewish Community Center recently opened a kosher food pantry with a big assist from a Catholic organization.

Adina Anhalt didn’t hesitate to offer her help when she learned of an opportunity to support Afghan refugees resettling in Arizona.

Paul Rockower, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Phoenix, was caught by surprise at Tuesday’s annual meeting of the Arizona Faith Network, “Hope, Healing and Humanity.”

Rabbi Moshe and Sashie Levertov were directing the Aleph-Bet Preschool & Kindergarten in Phoenix and raising their four kids, all between age 8 months and 6 years, when Sashie was diagnosed with leukemia at age 27 in January 2012.

Owen Fabert served in England for 16 months during the Korean War in an anti-aircraft intelligence unit.

Books line the dining room table and even the floor at Ettie Zilber’s house, and more are on the way. All the books are about the Holocaust. Zilber will soon deliver them to the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry.

There’s no good time during Phoenix’s hot summer to train for a cycling event.

Bob Braudy wasn’t yet 10 years old when somebody painted a swastika on the steps leading up to his family’s house in Yonkers, New York.

Jewish Family & Children’s Service provides support and counseling to more than 40,000 people in Maricopa County each year, largely enabled by financial support from individuals and corporate entities.

On Sunday, Sept. 26, Jay Jacobs, CEO of Martin Pear Jewish Community Center in Scottsdale, will spend 12 hours, albeit with some breaks, on a treadmill. His day-long physical feat is the highlight of the eponymous “See Jay Run” fundraiser for MPJCC’s SMILE Campaign.

Rabbi Dean Shapiro has always been interested in justice and making the world a better place. That’s why he became a rabbi in 2008.

Jewish Family & Children’s Service is in need of food donations and volunteers. Its Just 3 Things food pantry in Phoenix needs non-perishable and non-expired foods, including soup, rice, pasta, canned fruit and vegetables, as well as cleaning supplies and personal care items, such as soa…

Hanna Haimov will be making soup for the High Holidays — a lot of soup.

Steve Goode doesn’t usually visit Arizona in the summer.

Emily Schwartz, a Temple Emanuel of Tempe board member, recently found herself on the verge of complaining about the customer service of a local eatery. Her “hangry, frustrated self” got online to issue a complaint on a restaurant’s website.

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.