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Following Shabbat in late February, roughly 4,000 Jewish teenagers from across the country and around the globe gathered in Times Square, the heart of New York City, for CTeen’s “Meant2B” event. The annual international Shabbaton and celebration of Jewish pride saw teens jumping, dancing, si…

Healthy minds and bodies are important but even more so as we age. Being mentally and physically healthy leads to a better outlook on life. If we don’t take the time for self-care and focus on our overall well-being, depression can set in. When this happens, we lose our drive and motivation …

The nostalgia of summer camp has been close to my heart lately. I’ve been filled with gratitude for parents who had the means to send me and saw the value of the camp experience in molding my character. If you have never been to camp as a kid, the good news for adults of all ages is it’s not…

Fitness is one of Ruth Dryjanski’s priorities in life. It’s so essential, in fact, that she schedules all of her appointments, even those for radiation therapy, around her fitness classes. A few months ago, she was diagnosed with breast cancer but it didn’t dissuade her from fitness — quite …

Everyone has BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, but only some have mutations in those genes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in every 500 women in the United States has a mutation in either her BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene. About 50 out of 100 women with a BRCA gene mutation …

Jennifer Brauner is Jewish Family and Children’s Service (JFCS) site director for the Center for Senior Enrichment (CSE) and the new director of its Creative Aging program. “Creative Aging” is a national movement aimed at “fostering an understanding of the vital relationship between creative…

As the Jewish High Holidays near, we begin to take the time to reflect, recharge and renew ourselves for the year to come. Last year, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, for many of us, were observed at home as the pandemic prevented us from being in-person at our congregations. We experienced a d…

Being a brand-new mom who has spent most of her mom-life quarantined with a new baby, my daily routine has been about as smooth as my son’s sleeping schedule. Keeping the stress down to healthy levels is hard enough without a pandemic. With the High Holidays just around the corner, I can fee…

Holiday time is no stranger to stress. The anticipation of seeing friends and loved ones in person again, preparing traditional meals and keeping the strength up to last through lengthy services can create some anxiety. As a seasoned rebbitzin and nationally-certified Pilates teacher I have …

"Bet El synagogue Casablanca -torah scrolls" by dlisbona is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Two weeks ago, on July 18, our 85-year-old father began having weakness that completely sapped him of his energy — he could barely move. Less than 24 hours later, we called 911 as his weakness led to a fall. We thought this all could be connected to a cardiac issue. He had a complete work-up…

Connie Wolf, 76, swam competitively in high school. When she moved to Arizona 24 years ago, swimming became her go-to exercise, one she could do year-round in the desert. She would often be found in Martin Pear Jewish Community Center’s pool in Scottsdale. But as she got older, she swam less.

What do former Arizona Governor Rose Mofford, actor Gary Coleman, writer Kurt Vonnegut and songwriter Leonard Cohen all have in common? Sadly, they all died from a fall.

During the pandemic, we have collectively increased awareness of what the experts in their fields had on their radar all along. The epidemiologists were predicting this pandemic. Public health experts have been bracing for problems caused by underfunded infrastructure. And health care expert…

Tucked between a dance school and a 60’s retro lounge on a quiet street in Tucson, sits a small Middle Eastern and African foods store. But Al Basha Grocery isn’t just a place to get kosher meats and hard-to-find ingredients.

By the time Neal Bendesky had his bar mitzvah, he knew that as much as he loved sports, he was better suited to sports management than as an athlete on the field of play. And while that saved him from the injuries prone to athletes, decades of working in a high-profile career in marketing an…

It’s a busy day in the emergency room when an elderly lady with advanced dementia and pneumonia is wheeled in by ambulance. She is at death’s door. I introduce myself to her two daughters as the emergency physician and notify them of their mother’s critical condition.

Ian and Alexa Sachs with their new twin son and daughter and dog.

To speak about infertility is taboo. It always has been and probably always will be. This is why we are sharing our experience.

As a career nomad I have had the joy of experiencing life from coast to coast. Each new job brought me to a new community in which to live and work. For some, the idea of making numerous cross-country moves over the span of five decades would be a frightening proposition. For me, it was the …

As the saying goes, “Aging isn’t for the faint of heart,” and fitness is how we make sure that our heart, and the rest of our body, stays strong. The list of fitness options is endless. The key is to find what you enjoy and keep moving.

As increasing numbers of people get vaccinated, pre-pandemic behavior is becoming more common. Still, Passover will be challenging for some this year, whether because they haven’t been vaccinated, they’re unable to travel or they’ll be separated from family and friends.

Next week I will make brisket and charoset and set the table with fine china. But this Passover will be very different than any other. It will mark the first that my mom, Thelma Kurzweil, will not be at my seder.