Arizona Jewish Life Oct 2016 Vol. 5 / Issue 1

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strategic thinking about wealth Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management has been helping ultra-high net worth individuals, their families and foundations plan for and grow their wealth for decades.

Based in New York City, the Family Wealth Group at Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management is a specialized team of interdisciplinary strategic advisors providing a full range of family office services to meet the complex needs of the UHNW marketplace. These services include financial & investment planning, estate & family succession planning, philanthropic advisory and administrative services.

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Robert Stolar

Managing Director Private Wealth Advisor 522 Fifth Avenue, 10th Floor New York, NY 10036 212-296-6704 robert.stolar@morganstanley.com Source: Barron’s “Top 100 Financial Advisors,” April 20, 2015. Barron’s “Top 100 Financial Advisors” bases its ratings on qualitative criteria: professionals with a minimum of seven years of financial services experience, acceptable compliance records, client retention reports, customer satisfaction, and more. Finwancial Advisors are quantitatively rated based on varying types of revenues and assets advised by the financial professional, with weightings associated for each. Because individual client portfolio performance varies and is typically unaudited, this rating focuses on customer satisfaction and quality of advice. The rating may not be representative of any one client’s experience because it reflects a sample of all of the experiences of the Financial Advisor’s clients. The rating is not indicative of the Financial Advisor’s future performance. Neither Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC nor its Financial Advisors or Private Wealth Advisors pays a fee to Barron’s in exchange for the rating. Barron’s is a registered trademark of Dow Jones & Company, L.P. All rights reserved. © 2015 Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management, a division of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, LLC. Member SIPC. CRC1179133 04/15 8225582 PWM001 04/15 ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 5

Wander No More

Arizona Jewish Life • October 201 6 • Elul 57 76 - Tishrei 57 7 7 • Volume 5 / Issue 1

12

FEATURES

EMPOWERED WOMEN IMPROVE THE WORLD

COVER STORY

Rabbi Elana Kanter: Cultivating leaders

Melissa Manchester: Living in the light

40

Patricia Klahr: Advocate against abuse Dot Kret: Giving hope again

JEWS WITH ATTITUDE

Dina Bacharach: A voice for moms Jill Kessler: Propelled by education

Gelie Akhenblit: The child Refusenik behind NetworkingPhoenix

22 22 23 23

12

& feminism

24

Ilana Lowery: Keeping real journalism

BUSINESS Ins & Outs A tour through OdySea Aquarium

18

alive

14 18

acumen to JNF

music “Denial” opens film festival bubbe’s music

Noa to share music with open hearts Straight up a capella fun

49 51 53

Chef’s Corner: Seven Healthy Foods for Women

Taste of Arizona: Coconut’s Fish Cafe

55 56

Design an outdoor room to enjoy this fall

I sculpt with textiles

Pro tips and trends for the best party ever 70 GreenScreen provides a personalized

HOME & LIFESTYLE

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Pink Perfect

JKIDS & TEENS/BAR & BAT MITZVAH SHOWCASE

FOOD

28 30 Tips for clean eating 31 Steps for a smooth divorce 32 Feel bold, learn to fight dirty 34 Businesses win when women fight for others 36 Jeremy Scott’s mad minute workout 38

45 47

Desert Gathering: Not your

25 27

Ashkenazi women under-tested

Music + Festival reveals forbidden

34

Finding the perfect match

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

25

Deb Rochford: Bringing business

58 60

party experience

Dual bar mitzvah fulfills a holy task

72 74

Get away from home for idyllic bar or

77 79 Teens empowered to show the real Israel 82 Family Time: Walk between the raindrops 83 Kids & teen events 84 bat mitzvah

Bar & bat mitzvah showcase

49

SENIORS Millard Seldin: Going strong at 90 It’s a wanderful life

63 66

JLIVING

YOUNG ADULTS Meet Leah and Bar, Tucson’s

first shinshinim

87

COLUMNS 64 ON THE COVER Melissa Manchester opens Fall Fest.

Photo by Randee St. Nicholas

Chef’s Corner by Lucia Schnitzer A Taste of Arizona by A. Noshman Family Time by Debra Rich Gettleman To Life by Amy Hirshberg Lederman

6 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

55 56 83 91

VOS JCC pays tribute to Bill Levine JFSA gears up to raise a new roof To Life! The gift of the hummingbird Derrick Hall to be honored by Arizona Jewish Historical Society Federation notes Previews Faces & Places Calendar

88 90 91 92 94 94 96 98

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Wander No More

A rizo n a J ewi s h Li fe • E l u l 57 76 - T i s h r e i 57 7 7 • Vo l u m e 5 / I s s u e 1

PUBLISHERS

H OW TO R E AC H U S

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AS S O C IATE E D ITO R , EVE NTS CO O R D I NATO R & S O C IAL M E D IA E D ITO R Mala Blomquist

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Leni Reiss WEBMASTER Karl Knelson A RT D I R E C TO R Philip Nerat

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UPCOMING ISSUES November 2016: Charitable Giving & Seniors December 2016: Hanukkahh Gif t Guide & Explore Arizona

P U B L I C AT I O N A N D D E A L I N E S

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8 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

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A Prince Hal Production ( TGMR18) 2016-2017 MediaPort LLC All rights reserved The content and opinions in Arizona Jewish Life do not necessarily reflect those of the publishers, staff or contractors. Articles and columns are for informational purposes only and not intended as a substitute for professional advice. Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, Arizona Jewish Life, and its agents, publishers, employees and contractors will not be held responsible for the misuse of any information contained herein. The publishers reserve the right to refuse any advertisement. Publication of advertisements does not constitute endorsement of products or services.

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ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 9

Wander No More

Shana Tova u'Metuka!

This month we are excited to highlight Empowered Women. The word “empower” can be a bit controversial. Some interpret it to mean strident, selfish or even brash. However, in our Empowered Women’s section, we use it in the true sense of the word: “Make someone stronger and more confident. Liberate.”

Judaism is filled with empowered women, from Sarah to Ruth (coincidentally, both our mother’s names) and Esther, Golda Meir and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, to the very epitome of modern empowerment, Sheryl Sandberg.

Robert Philip

And is it just a coincidence that so many Jewish actresses – Gal Gadot, Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis – play super heroes or super moms in movies? We like to think there is a connection.

But the true reason we feel it is so important to devote a special section all about women is that women are still significantly underpaid and under-represented in key decision-making positions in the boardroom and beyond. And while women, whether working away from home or stay-at-home moms, may have the significant power of decision-making at home, they are still vastly underrepresented in the other house, the House of Representatives.

The socio-economic benefits of empowering and educating women are huge. In fact, investing in girls’ and women’s education has been proven to be one of the most effective ways to reduce poverty and, of course, improve the lives of our most important national treasure, our children.

Cindy Saltzman

Women do have the power to change the world.

We hope in the following pages, you will be inspired, educated and nourished by the wonderful women and resources we highlight.

Wishing you and yours a sweet, happy and healthy New Year.

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Jews With Attitude

Gelie Akhenblit:

The child Refusenik behind NetworkingPhoenix

By Lauren Vargas

People often ask Gelie Akhenblit if she’s fearless. As a CEO, entrepreneur, mentor and single mother, Gelie seems to juggle a million things at once, and still flourishes. In 2008, she took a leap of faith, quit her corporate job, and launched NetworkingPhoenix.com, now a successful online platform and calendar of networking events across the Valley, with over 37,000 members.

She didn’t stop there. Just this year, Gelie embarked on a new adventure, launching a consulting business that offers team training and tailored consulting for companies and entrepreneurs.

Gelie’s the first to admit that her journey has not been a smooth ride, but she credits her challenges and struggles from a young age for propelling her forward. “I prefer to be uncomfortable. That’s how I know that I’m growing as a person,” she said during a TEDx Talk she presented last year.

In 1989, 8-year-old Gelie and her family were Refuseniks; Russian Jews who were denied permission to leave the Soviet Union. Finally given the green light by Soviet authorities, Gelie, her parents, uncle and grandparents left everything behind in search of a better life in the United States.

“We abandoned everything we’ve ever known,” said Gelie.

“All our possessions, our friends, our family, our language, our culture, our citizenship. We left to get on a plane and go somewhere. We didn’t even know where we were going.”

Even at that young age, Gelie said her family’s resilient spirit and strength stuck with her. She learned that if there’s something better out there, something higher to reach for, that everything below it is not even an option.

The Akhenblits went from Moldova to Moscow, from Moscow to Austria, then landed in Italy. Once in Italy, the family was sent to the U.S. embassy, where they were grilled 12 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

with questions.

“They asked us where we would like to go once we got to the U.S., and being that we didn’t have any friends or family here, we didn’t really have a preference,” said Gelie. “We had only heard that San Diego was nice, so that’s what we asked for.”

After the meeting at the embassy, Gelie recalled that all the Refuseniks gathered in a park to find out if their names were pulled out of a hat, which meant they would be cleared to move on to their final destinations. If you heard your name called, it was like winning the lottery. Many families were stuck in limbo for years, some living on the streets, simply because their names were never called.

“It just so happened that they pulled our names out of the hat first. My entire family. We got so fortunate,” she said.

“They told us we were going to Arizona. No one in Russia in 1989 had ever heard of Arizona. We started asking around and someone said, ‘It’s the desert, so expect camels and sand dunes.’

I think my grandma almost had a heart attack just hearing that.”

When the Akhenblits got off the plane in New York, they were shocked to be greeted by an entire media team. Little did they know, the Arizona Jewish community was eagerly awaiting their arrival. The local Jewish federation had opened a fund to bring some of the Refuseniks to the Valley. When Gelie’s family arrived in Phoenix, there was even more media attention.

“It’s lights, it’s cameras, it’s balloons, it’s flowers, it’s people and they’re clapping. It was unbelievable,” said Gelie. “How many refugees get this kind of welcome to the United States?

Not many.”

Gelie said the incredible welcome and overwhelming support her family received when first immigrating to Arizona is one of the biggest reasons why her sense of community is so deep, and why she and her business have strong ties to the Phoenix area.

Nevertheless, acclimating to an entirely new way of life in the U.S. was not easy, especially for 8-year-old Gelie. As many children of immigrants know, the younger generation typically picks up the new language first, and is therefore required to help their parents translate anything and everything; from attending doctor’s office visits, to making important phone calls.

“You think it, I was involved in the process,” said Gelie. “That does something to you psychologically. When you’re young and put in situations you’re not comfortable with, but then you get through them, it propels you. It becomes part of your journey. It becomes part of who you are.”

Fast forward several years, Gelie put herself through school and graduated with a degree in communications from Arizona State University where she was active in Hillel. But after working a few corporate jobs, she realized she wasn’t happy.

“I suddenly realized that I’m just not a very good employee.

I’m a very hard-working person, I’ve been working since I was 14, but the idea of being constrained and doing one thing only for the rest of my life didn’t jive with me.”

Gelie started attending networking events to see what else was out there, and immediately fell in love with the process.

Sigma ad 2016.pdf 1 8/23/2016 7:42:34 AM

“Right away I felt something happening to me. I couldn’t stop smiling. It really kind of felt like I was falling in love. And I was. I felt like nothing could go wrong. It was a natural high,” she said. “I walked out of that first event and thought, how do I do this again?”

It didn’t take long for Gelie to decide that networking was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. She just had to figure out how to make money doing it. Meanwhile, she was still working full-time in corporate America.

“In December of 2007 my manager called me into the office and asked me to work some extra hours for a certain project. I honestly don’t even remember what I was going to say, but when I opened my mouth, I said, ‘I quit.’ It was literally something out of a movie scene, because I did not expect those words to come out, but clearly, I was so ready to break free.”

So she did break free.

With no business experience, nothing but a simple idea, she launched her startup, NetworkingPhoenix.com.

In addition to promoting networking events hosted by other groups, Gelie organizes several events herself. For example, the company recently hosted its 20th Signature Event – an event that averages more than 1,300 attendees each time.

Her goal is to take her empire nationwide, and soon global, having recently launched “boot camp” webinars for entrepreneurs and businessminded people who can log in from anywhere in the world.

“I want to leave my daughter, Aris, with a legacy. I want her to know what her mom did and who her mom is,” said Gelie.

“I’m here because my parents took the journey. I’m here because I took the journey and I hope everyone else follows their own journey, because you never know where it may lead.”

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ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 13

BIZ

INS & OUTS

AJ Rosenthal

Andrew Plattner

Don Schon

Rabbi Leib Bolel

Phoenix Jewish Community Foundation welcomes new board members The Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix welcomes three new members to its governing board. AJ Rosenthal, a junior at Phoenix Country Day School, was elected to a two-year term, replacing Joey Lernor, who left the JCF Board of Directors last spring to begin his college career at the University of Arizona.

New board members elected for a three-year term are Scottsdale attorney Andrew Plattner, who specializes in business and corporate and estate and tax planning, and retired physician, Don Schon.

The Jewish Community Foundation’s Board of Directors ensures that the JCF adheres to its mission, goals and guiding principles, while exploring additional ways the foundation can serve as a resource to the Jewish community. jcfphoenix.org

JAC opens Makor Center Jewish Arizonans on Campus recently opened Makor, a new educational center to host programming for JAC; its young professional affiliate, jLIVE; and its Bucharian Program, EMET. Director of Makor Rabbi Leib Bolel says, “New initiatives that develop within the Jewish community out of necessity means bigger and better things for the Jewish community at large.”

Makor is housed at a temporary location at 14425 N Scottsdale Road while its new facility in Scottsdale Business Center at 13402 N. Scottsdale Road undergoes renovations, targeted for completion in December. myjac.org

Chef Kevin Fink to be featured at food and wine festival Kevin Fink, executive chef and owner of Austin’s Emmer & Rye is one of the visiting celebrity chefs featured at azcentral Food & Wine Experience, Nov. 4-6 at Salt River Fields, Talking Stick Resort. Fink, who appeared on the July 2016 cover of Food & Wine Magazine, naming him one of the Best New Chefs 2016, grew up in Tucson and graduated from Northern Arizona University. He opened Emmer & Rye in November 2015 and previously served as director of operations for the award-winning Zona 78 Italian 14 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

Kevin Fink

Mike Walden

Kendra Citron

Kitchen in Tucson. Fink began his culinary career 15 years ago and his achievements include cooking at Trattoria 13 Gobbi in Florence, Italy, as well as front-of-house service at Thomas Keller’s iconic The French Laundry. Fink continued his career by staging at Copenhagen’s Noma and the competitive Noma Test Kitchen. azcentralfoodandwine.com

Walden joins UA Hillel Philadelphia native Michel Walden joins the University of Arizona Hillel Foundation staff as director of Jewish student life. Among his responsibilities are engaging with UA Jewish students and leading Wildcat Jewish student leaders in creating meaningful Jewish experiences for students on campus. Michael also holds the position of Ezra Fellow, a program for early career Jewish professionals that includes training in experiential Jewish education and immersive Jewish learning. Michael earned his Bachelor of Arts from Cornell College and a master’s degree in medical biochemistry from Drexel University. Before coming to Hillel, Michael spent several years working and volunteering in Israel as part of Masa Israel, Livnot U’lehibanot and Onward Israel.

He completed a Hebrew ulpan and studied at Yeshiva Aish Ha Torah and Ohr Sameach Yeshiva. Michael looks forward to sharing his experiences with Jewish Wildcats and guiding them in meaningful Jewish activities while on campus. uahillel.org

Citron moves up at THA The Tucson Hebrew Academy is thrilled to announce the promotion of talented educator Kendra Citron to the position of assistant principal. Citron has over a decade of experience in the field, previously serving THA as an instructional coach, Title 1 reading and ESL tutor. Citron earned a master’s degree in bilingual and bicultural education from Northern Arizona University and has taught in public schools as well as advanced degree programs for teaching and teacher training. She holds National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification and fosters excellence at THA through teaching the enrichment program; teacher coaching, observation and evaluation; team professional development and more. thaaz.org

Emily Malin

Tim Tobin

Celia Simpson

Lisa Schachter-Brooks Dan Shufelt

Tucson JCC promotes Malin, hires Tobin and Simpson The Tucson Jewish Community Center announces the promotion of Emily Malin to director of Special Needs Services (SNS/ Taglit). Former director Kristin Taft left The Tucson J after several years to pursue new opportunities. Malin has been at The J for a year as Special Needs Services coordinator. She has worked in the field of special needs, camping and youth for more than 15 years.

Malin studied education and non-profit management at Arizona State University and has always had a passion for helping others.

Her volunteer work includes the Camp Swift Foundation.

Tim Tobin joins Special Needs Services as assistant director, a new position that reports to Malin. Tobin studied special education at Pima College and the University of Arizona. He worked for 10 years with the Catalina Foothills School District C.A.R.E program and also worked for Amphitheater School District in their special needs program. For the past four summers, Tobin has worked at The J in SNS. Additionally, Celia Simpson has been hired as assistant aquatics director and swim coach, a new position reporting to Aquatics Director Brandon Rannebarger. The J recently launched the new J-Rays Swim School program and Simpson will be an integral part of that and The J’s expanding aquatics program.

Simpson graduated from Boston University, where she swam and studied environmental analysis and policy. She began swimming competitively at the age of nine and taught swimming lessons and coached for four summers during high school and college. tucsonjcc.org

Jewish History Museum hires Schachter-Brooks Lisa Schachter-Brooks joins the Jewish History Museum as the new director of operations, overseeing operations, programming, marketing and finances for the newly expanded museum campus, which now includes the Holocaust History Center. Originally from Miami, Lisa has been involved both professionally and as a volunteer in Jewish communities in Berkeley, CA, Boston and Miami. She most recently worked as director of development at University of California Berkeley Hillel. For 12 years she served

Isaac Kahn

as director/owner of Costa Rican Adventures, an environmental education travel company that specialized in school group tours in several Central American countries. Though Lisa and her family recently relocated to Tucson from Oakland, CA, they spent last year on a Costa Rican adventure of their own. jewishhistorymuseum.org

Arizona Helping Hands finalist for Sterling Award The Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce will hold its 31st Annual Sterling Awards on Nov. 18 at the Embassy Suites Scottsdale. As the chamber’s marquee event, the Sterling Awards embody the spirit of the chamber by celebrating the people and companies that make the community a great place to live, work and play. Arizona Helping Hands President and CEO Dan Shufelt announced that AHH is a finalist in the nonprofit category for this prestigious award. AHH provides essential needs for children in foster care. Nicknamed the “Care Barn,” AHH supports children who have been removed from their families due primarily to abuse (physical or substance) or neglect and provides a bed, clean clothes, hygiene products, books, toys and more to help ease the transition into a new family. azhelpinghands.org

Kahn named vice president of Scottsdale Active 20-30 Club Isaac Kahn was appointed vice president of membership of the Scottsdale Active 20-30 Club, an organization he has been involved in for almost eight years. The non-profit supports children’s charities through fundraising events. Last year the group raised more than $425,000. Kahn has also been involved with other philanthropic activities, including the National Kidney Foundation of Arizona and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Arizona. Passionate about real estate and architecture, Kahn cofounded Palmyra Development Co. in 2013 and has been practicing real estate in the Valley for over 13 years. Kahn holds a master’s degree in real estate development and remains very active in supporting investors with buying, selling and flipping homes in Scottsdale and Phoenix. scottsdale2030.org ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 15

BIZ

INS & OUTS

Harvey Frutkin

Beth Jo Zeitzer

Ellie and Naomi Lippel

Harvey Frutkin retires The Frutkin Law Firm announced the retirement of Harvey Frutkin from the practice of law. Harvey has worked with a focus on estate planning, taxation and corporate law for more than 40 years. While a partner at Cavitch, Familo, Durkin & Frutkin in Cleveland, Harvey participated on the Board of Directors and as president of the firm from 1992-2006. He spent the last five years as senior counsel at the Frutkin Law Firm in Scottsdale, where his son, Jonathan Frutkin, is the principal. Harvey is a published author and editor of 10 white papers and articles. He served as an adjunct professor of law in federal corporate taxation at Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland. He has been a frequent lecturer at the Cleveland Tax Institute and other business panels. frutkinlaw.com

Beth Jo Zeitzer on cover of Who’s Who in Business President and Designated Broker of R.O.I. Properties Beth Jo Zeitzer graces the cover of the 2016 Who’s Who in Business a special publication of Republic Media. The edition features 50 of the state’s highest ranking women and Zeitzer is featured in the section marked “Arizona Economy.” Zeitzer has more than 20 years of experience in the legal and real estate industries. She has a strong background in the turnaround, repositioning and disposition of real estate assets, from single family residential to income producing properties of all types, including multi-family, retail, office and industrial properties. roiproperties.com

Lippel sisters open Woops! in Tucson Sisters Ellie Lippel and Naomi Lippel recently opened Woops! bakeshop at 845 E University Blvd., near the University of Arizona campus in Tucson. Ellie worked in marketing and operations at Woops! in New York since the company started in 2012. Naomi worked for many years in non-profit management in Albuquerque, NM. Both are from Tucson. They decided to move back to be close to family, and bring a bit of New York with them by opening a Woops! in Tucson. This is the first Woops! bakeshop franchise (the 16 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

Deena Goldstein

Chompie’s

others are corporate-owned) and the first outside the Northeast – filling a niche with macarons and offering quality coffee and pastries with a neighborhood feel. The bakeshop specializes in French macarons, offered in a wide variety of flavors and colors. bywoops.com

Goldstein’s art on tour at Pita Jungle Scottsdale digital, multimedia artist Deena Goldstein continues her “Tour de Pita Jungle,” with featured works now on display at the Pita Jungle restaurant located at 14858 N Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd in Scottsdale (Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd. and Thompson Peak).

This is the second of several Pita Jungle restaurant locations across the Valley that will feature Goldstein’s work over the next year. Each location displays newly created pieces by the artist, which are for sale. Goldstein’s work is eclectic and varies based on her source of inspiration – ranging from the ethereal to iconic Western imagery and salvage work. Goldstein’s work may also be found at Xanadu’s Online Gallery, as a featured juried artist, as well as on her own web gallery. deenagoldstein.com

New Chompie’s open in Glendale Chompie’s commemorated the opening of its newest restaurant in Glendale on Sept. 8. Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers, Glendale Chamber Chairman of the Board Jeff Blake and Glendale City Councilor Lauren Tomachoff helped Chompie’s owners Lou and Lovey Borenstein and daughter Wendy Tucker Borenstein cut the ribbon on the new restaurant. They were joined by the Glendale Fire Department Honor Guard. The location is the fifth for Chompie’s and its first in the West Valley. The New York-style delicatessen, restaurant, bagel factory, bakery and caterer has served the Valley since 1979 with breakfast-all-day, lunch and dinner seven days a week. Chompie’s Glendale location joins four others in Scottsdale, Phoenix, Chandler and Tempe. chompies.com

Wine Spectator

i2i Optique

Lauri Marks Kaye

Wine Spectator highlights Israeli wines Israel’s wines are featured (and praised!) in the cover story of Wine Spectator magazine’s Oct. 15 issue, on newsstands now.

The piece, titled “The Wines of Israel,” examines how fine wine production is now part of a rich cultural tapestry, as a generation of modern-minded winemakers explore what is possible on their arid land. Included in the story are reviews of more than 100 Israeli wines, a list of the country’s best bottles and an indepth guide to Israel’s top wineries, restaurants and lodgings.

Additionally, a video posted at WineSpectator.com takes a look at the history of wine in Jewish life. winespectator.com

i2i Optique relocates i2i Optique (Optical Boutique) moved to 8320 N Hayden Road, #E103 in Scottsdale. Their opticians have 60 years of combined experience. i2i carries everything from prescription glasses to contacts, including: Face A Face, Tom Ford, J.F. Rey, Boz, Lafont, Alexander Dass, Etnia Barcelona, Ovvo and other top brands. They also create custom clip and rimless eyeglasses. Their mission is to guarantee the highest quality optical products at the most affordable prices in Scottsdale. i2ioptique.com

Kaye Portrait Stories on display downtown Artist Lauri Marks Kaye will display 20 drawings from her series, “A Tucson Portrait Story” in the windows of the historic Roy Place Building, on the corner of Stone Avenue and Pennington Street in downtown Tucson, from Oct. 20-Dec.31. The paintings depict people, places, and events in the Old Pueblo and make up the first half of a 40+ series. Kaye is the artist behind Create For The People Ventures, creating original and commissioned artwork.

Kaye provides hand-drawn customized portraits with subjects ranging from people, social issues, politics, pets and businesses to current events. Clients complete a questionnaire in order to provide interesting and relevant information about the subject. Kaye weaves the information together to create a truly unique piece of art that tells a story. These continuous line drawings feature immense, intricate detail. Words, quotes, facts and images are integrated to make for a striking and entertaining piece. createforthepeople.com

Jewish CAREER Services can help you SUCCEED! (602) 452-4627 Funded by a grant from the Jewish Community Foundation

www.jfcsaz.org ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 17

Business

OdySea Aquarium A tour through

By Mala Blomquist • Photos by Cassandra Nicholson

OdySea in the Desert in Scottsdale

is a 35-acre entertainment complex encompassing OdySea Aquarium, Butterfly Wonderland, OdySea Mirror Maze, Dolphinaris, Polar Play and various shops and restaurants (opening soon) and is poised to become, “The number one ‘man-made’ destination in the state,” according to principal founder Amram Knishinsky, Ph.D. The newest attraction, OdySea Aquarium, opened Sept. 3 and is the largest aquarium in the Southwest. Amram states that OdySea is “the most unique way for people to connect with marine life.” If you haven’t experienced it yet, we invite you to enjoy a tour in words and photographs.

Upon entering OdySea, guests are transported out of the desert and into an underwater wonderland. The journey through the aquarium “follows a drop of water” as it falls from the sky and makes its way to the ocean. These “drops” are symbolized by aquatic orbs suspended from the lobby ceiling, filled with colorful fish.

Before heading to the upper level via escalator, visitors are encouraged to visit the restrooms. This may be unusual under normal circumstances, but this bathroom is anything but normal. The mirrors above the sinks in both the men’s and women’s restrooms have been replaced with viewing windows into the enormous Shark Waters tank. So, while guests are washing their hands, they can watch giant sharks swim by. A huge hit for kids and adults alike!

The first stop on the upper level is the Rivers of the World Interactive Map. This map shows various rivers across the world with the option to press a button on a screen and watch a short video of the landscape. Throughout this section are creatures

18 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

that inhabit the American rivers such as fresh water turtles, Siamese crocodiles, trout, paddlefish and gars.

This section morphs into the next, Rainforest Rivers where the fish get bigger and more dangerous. Tanks of pacu, archer fish, arapaima and piranhas fill this area. Adjacent to many tanks are placards with information about what the animals like to eat and where they live, along with “fun facts,” such as: “Piranha attacks on humans are anecdotal for the most part, but the piranha will become aggressive if it feels stressed, threatened or hungry.”

At the end of Rainforest Rivers is Otter Banks. Here playful Asian small-clawed otters frolic in and out of the water. These otters are the smallest of the 13 otter species (thank you, fun fact!) and very entertaining to watch. They make high-pitched chirping noises as they interact with one another.

After visiting the otters, guests can stop for a snack or meal at the Lighthouse Café or get their hands wet interacting with the sea cucumbers, sea stars, hermit crabs, sea snails and other creatures in the 2,000-gallon Tide Touch Pool.

The next tank houses rays, angelfish and bamboo shark and the SeaTREK experience. For an additional $99.95 per person, guests ages 9 and older can don a wetsuit and special helmet and walk underwater amid sea creatures from the Indo-Pacific region of the world.

After the SeaTrek experience comes Penguin Point, home to African black-footed penguins. These animals are the most expensive inhabitants of the aquarium, according to Amram.

“The 20 penguins traveled all the way from South Africa, being quarantined in New York before arriving here,” he explains.

There are also two large animatronic penguins (Pip and Polly)

that banter back and forth answering questions about the penguins’ natural behavior. Later this fall, guests will be able to get up close and personal with the penguins through the Penguin Interaction Program.

The next stop is to head down to the lower level via the Deep Ocean Escalator. As the escalator descends, visitors are encased in an acrylic tunnel filled with soothing water sounds as ocean creatures swim overhead.

To the right of the escalator is Sharks of the Deep, featuring more than eight different species of sharks, including scalloped hammerhead, California leopard, blacknose, bonnethead sharks and more. There is also the Deep Ocean 3D Theater featuring “Underwater Giants,” a 10-minute film produced for the aquarium by award-winning MacGillivray Freeman Films.

If guests choose to bypass the 3D Theater, they can take a leisurely walk by the tanks in the Bizarre & Beautiful area, inhabited by California spiny lobster, lionfish, king crab, nautilus, moray eel and a giant Pacific octopus (coming soon).

Next up is the section called Reef Jewels. Here Nemo fans will come upon a tank filled with clownfish colored in many

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variations of their typical orange, white and black stripes.

Other tanks in this area contain banded butterflyfish, giant jawfish and delightful seahorses. The focal point of this area is the Great Barrier Reef Tunnel, which is “the most diverse Great Barrier Reef exhibit in the world,” says Amram.

Saving the biggest and best (and Amram’s favorite!) experience until the end, guests can enter the one-of-a-kind Living Sea Carousel. Here visitors sit in a rotating theater and are educated and entertained during a 20-minute presentation featuring stops in front of four separate, unique, enormous aquariums: Open Ocean, Sea Turtle Reef, Sea Lion Sound and Shark Waters.

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After exiting the Living Sea Carousel, Ocean Art greets you with moon jellyfish and a martini glass-shaped aquarium.

Guests can also linger watching the sharks from Shark Waters, but unfortunately, there is nowhere to view the sea lions other than the Living Sea Carousel or the Behind the Scenes Tour, $29.95 per person for ages 6 and older.

The tour ends, like most attractions, in the OdySea Treasure Gift Shop. Here visitors can purchase aquarium-related merchandise including books, T-shirts, jewelry, stuffed animals and art.

That concludes our tour of the OdySea Aquarium. To visit in person, OdySea is located at 9500 E Via de Ventura, Scottsdale. Open daily from 9 am-6 pm. Admission tickets are sold with a scheduled entry time, and the cost is $34.95 for adults and $24.95 for children. For more information call 480291-8000 or visit odyseaaquarium.com.

EMPOWERED WOMEN Improve the World Power can take many forms.

We’ve profiled seven successful women. Four of them share their stories about empowering other women to blossom as community leaders, break the cycle of domestic violence, overcome obstacles to employment and connect with other Jewish moms. Three tell how they themselves were empowered by important women in their lives, who helped shape their career choices in Jewish education, Israel advocacy and business journalism.

If you don’t have a mentor to turn to, we have resources to help you find your own power.

Fitness, self-defense and healthy eating are the building blocks for physical strength and safety.

Understanding their genetic makeup gives women power over their health and that of their children. Being adequately prepared can empower women through the process of divorce.

New life-like prosthetics restore the self-confidence of breast cancer survivors.

We also have some interesting myth-busting research about women as negotiators.

We hope the women and resources on the following pages will inspire and inform you to take control of your life and give you the power to repair the world.

RABBI ELANA KANTER

ILANA LOWERY

PATRICIA KLAHR

DOT KRET

DINA BACHARACH

22 Rabbi Elana Kanter: Cultivating leaders 22 Patricia Klahr: Advocate against abuse 23 Dot Kret: Giving hope again 23 Dina Bacharach: A voice for moms 24 Jill Kessler: Propelled by education & feminism 25 Ilana Lowery: Keeping real journalism alive 25 Deb Rochford: Bringing business acumen to JNF

JILL KESSLER

DEB ROCHFORD

RESOURCES: 27 Finding the perfect match 28 Ashkenazi women under-tested for cancer genes 30 Pink Perfect 31 Tips for clean eating 32 Steps for a smooth divorce 34 Feel bold, learn to fight dirty 36 Businesses win when women fight for others 38 Jeremy Scott’s mad minute workout ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 21

EMPOWERED WOMEN Improve the World

RABBI ELANA KANTER:

Cultivating leaders

By Nancy Ben-Asher Ozeri

See a need, fill a need.

“It came to my attention that on certain boards of our community women are underrepresented,” says Rabbi Elana Kanter, director of the Women’s Jewish Learning Center in Scottsdale. “I really believe that our strength as a community depends very much on having enough women in leadership roles, together with men. To have women underrepresented in our day and age is not good for anybody, … it’s not good for the whole Jewish community.”

An intrinsic part of the center’s mission is “to strengthen and express the presence of women in Jewish communal leadership” for the benefit of the Greater Phoenix Jewish community. Last year, that goal became a reality with the first cohort of the Women’s Leadership Institute, a joint project of the center and PJ Library.

Rabbi Kanter, who was part of the first class of women rabbis at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, put together a program

that pairs 10 up-and-coming leaders, ages 25-45, with 10 seasoned mentors, women with years of experience as either professionals or volunteers who share her commitment to developing a new generation of women leaders.

“There was a time where we thought there might be a crisis in leadership, as we looked around and saw that those of us who got really active in our 30s and 40s were not going to be replaced so easily,” says mentor Berry Sweet in a video created to mark the completion of the first cohort’s program of study, this past June.

In addition to monthly group study sessions, the mentors and mentees meet one-on-one monthly. “The mentors are supporters and cheerleaders, and an extra set of eyes that can help, [and provide] insights from their own experience,” Rabbi Kanter says.

Each of the younger women also takes on a project to benefit the community, which continues through the end of this year. Several are involved in PJ Library, one woman spearheaded the first Passover seder for the Council for Jews with Special Needs and another is working with Limmud AZ. The impact, however, will be felt far beyond these individual projects. “These women will be a future core that our community should call upon to take on many

22 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

leadership roles throughout the vast community that exists in Metropolitan Phoenix,” mentor Tina Sheinbein says in the video.

Rabbi Kanter stresses the importance of the relationships and the network of support, which will stay with these women as they each follow their own paths to leadership. But she also notes the impact on the mentors: “[In] any teacher-student relationship … the student grows the teacher, while the teacher tries to help the student grow. That’s been true of the mentors and the mentees, in really interesting ways. It’s definitely furthered the learning of the mentors.

It’s been a win-win for both.”

PATRICIA KLAHR:

Advocate against abuse

By Mala Blomquist

Chrysalis has been in operation for more than 35 years and the last 18 years Patricia Klahr has been at the helm as president and CEO. What was originally started

by a woman in her home has since grown to include shelters for women and men, outpatient counseling, offender treatment programs, children’s services, community education and more.

Patricia started as an intern from Arizona State University in 1983, after volunteering for the shelter. After her internship, she was hired as an overnight advocate and worked her way up, leaving for six years to work for Jewish Family & Children’s Service and then returning in 1998 as CEO. “I’m not sure if Chrysalis chose me or I chose Chrysalis,” reflects Patricia.

Patricia was raised in a home that was “open to everybody” and she has what she calls a “social work mindset” – her sister is a social worker. “There was always a sense of helping people. If someone needed a place to stay, it didn’t make a difference if you were Jewish or not Jewish. If you wanted to come for Passover, you came for Passover; it was always an open home for anybody and I loved having that. That is a lot of where I get my strength from,” Patricia explains.

She has also gained strength from the women she has seen come through the shelter over the years. “I would honestly say that there were so many women when I was working in the shelter, they were some of the most courageous people and they gave me the strength

EMPOWERED WOMEN Improve the World

to continue on, and also to continue to fight the fight.

I think people who are in an abusive situation, whether it was then or now, there is a lot of shame around it. There is nothing to be shameful about, and I think that it is important for people to realize that they are not alone,” she shares.

Patricia’s role today is to oversee 50 employees, directly and indirectly work with the multiple sights and programs, meet with donors, raise funds and ensure that “the issue of domestic violence does not get lost.”

Patricia serves on the Governor’s Commission to Prevent Violence Against Women and assists planning the annual Lighting Arizona Purple: Domestic Violence Awareness Event, which occurs during Domestic Violence Awareness Month (October). On Oct. 3, from 6-7 pm, Governor Ducey will light the State Capitol purple as a symbol of Arizona’s dedication to ending domestic violence.

She will also be a featured speaker at the Beth Ami Temple Speaker Series in early 2017. Although she has not finalized her presentation yet, she plans on discussing domestic violence in the Jewish home. As Patricia states, “If we can help educate, whether it’s at a temple or in a newspaper or magazine, then we are doing our job.”

DOT KRET:

Giving hope again

By Nancy Ben-Asher Ozeri

Dot Kret found her career path at an early age. She saw how others treated her high school friend who had muscular dystrophy, who told her, “Once you’re in a wheelchair, you become invisible.” That resonated with her.

“I had major problems with that,” says Dot, president and CEO of DK Advocates, Inc. “My goal is for people to not be invisible, for people to have a voice, to have people do what they want to do and succeed in their lives.”

Dot turned her passion into a successful business with offices in both Phoenix and Tucson.

DKA provides job training and life skills for people who face obstacles to employment.

“We help people become employable and employed,” she explains. “Towards that goal, we work with folks with all types of barriers to employment – physical disabilities, foster kids, kids who have been part of the juvenile court system, low income, homeless, people with criminal backgrounds, disabled veterans, behavioral health

issues – all kinds of folks who just need a hand, and we try to provide that.”

More than half of DKA’s 400 clients each year are women and the company takes special care to address their concerns.

Their training programs have flexible schedules to accommodate mothers who, for example, need to take their children to school. They also tailor job placements to help women succeed, by finding employers near their homes who can work with their scheduling needs. A working mother of two sons, now in their 20s, Dot strives to create an environment that’s welcoming for moms and kids.

Clients learn valuable skills on the job, while earning minimum wage through DKA’s various divisions. These include PakMail (packing and shipping services), Food FUNdamentals and Thought for Food (food service, nutrition and meal planning) and Archive Advantage (document imaging and data transformation – think converting your wedding video or slides to digital files).

Through the company’s pro bono work, clients get a sense of what it means to give back to the community. DKA pays trainees and donates their time to projects like meal preparation for the Ronald McDonald House and scanning tribute items for the January 8th Memorial Foundation, where Dot serves as president of the board of directors.

“All of our training programs are very supportive and

nurturing, to help people get over those issues that are standing in the way of them getting jobs,” says Dot. In addition to job skills, that may also include emotional issues and lack of self-confidence.

“We had a woman who scored a two on our 100-point computer assessment when she first came in.” A few weeks into her computer skills training class and working with Archive Advantage, she was asked to explain to a guest visiting the facility what she had learned. She brightened up as she described what she had accomplished. “She was like a whole new person,” says Dot. “We help people have hope again.”

DINA BACHARACH:

A voice for moms

By Nancy Ben-Asher Ozeri

When my kids were little, we lived in a small town in Israel.

I spent almost every afternoon in the playground at the end of our street, hanging out with other moms as we watched our kids on the swings or in the sandbox. That’s where we shared parenting advice,

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 23

EMPOWERED WOMEN Improve the World

asked about babysitters, offered up used clothes or toys and scheduled play dates.

Meet the playground bench of the digital age – Arizona Jewish Moms.

Just a little over a year ago, Dina Bacharach started this Facebook group to provide a network for moms to “share anything and everything about being a Jewish mom in Arizona.” The group already has more than 400 members and Dina says she gets requests to join daily.

“It’s a great way to unite all the different moms out there in the community, regardless of synagogue affiliation or background or observance.

Just to connect as a Jewish mom,” says Dina, who moved to the Valley three years ago when her husband, Rabbi Don Bacharach, assumed leadership of the Phoenix Community Kollel. She says the group is very diverse, creating friendships among women who say they would never have met without this forum. It’s also a great resource for expectant moms and mothers moving to Arizona, who naturally have lots of questions.

The main focus is moms helping out other moms – answering questions, sharing information, providing referrals and suggesting kid-friendly activities. “It builds a strong community feeling,” says Dina. “I find a lot of kindness going on in this group, which has been really, really wonderful.”

When someone joins the group, Dina encourages them to introduce themselves.

Often friendships are born as women realize they come from the same city or have children the same age.

Dina screens out requests from vendors, so that the page does not become a portal for pitching products and services. “That takes away from the whole point of it.

People are not interested in a marketing situation. They want the community feeling,” says the 31-year-old mother of five.

However, the first Sunday of each month is “Shameless Plug Sunday,” where members are encouraged to promote their own businesses. “There are a lot of talented and creative business-oriented moms in the group. This gives them a platform to share their expertise. You can post your business card, your website or other information. It gives moms an opportunity to share a little bit more about themselves and, as a friend, to share what they do. People really enjoy being able to do that,” Dina says.

She points out that as the group grows, people become more comfortable sharing information. “They realize it’s a safe environment to post things. … Even though we might live in different parts of Arizona, different backgrounds, different observance, there’s always what to connect to with each other,” she says.

24 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

Find Arizona Jewish Moms at facebook.com/groups/ azjewishmoms.

JILL KESSLER:

Propelled by education and feminism

By Nancy Ben-Asher Ozeri

Jill Kessler’s path to Jewish educational leadership began with her mother, Janet Feinberg. No, Janet was not head of a school, like her daughter is at Pardes Jewish Day School, or a teacher. She never had the opportunity to pursue a college degree. But she instilled in her daughters a commitment to the value of education.

Janet’s family did not have the means to send her to college. After high school, she went to work as a secretary for a firm in the Diamond District in New York until she got married and then stayed home to raise her daughters, like most of the women she knew.

However, Janet had one friend who was as an elementary school teacher.

“In a way, my mother idolized her,” says Jill. “She thought it was so wonderful

that this woman had gotten to go to college and pursue her passion, and that she was a teacher and loved working in the school, and she was also raising her two children.

We were very influenced by my mother’s awe of this woman, who was clearly doing something that my mother didn’t have the opportunity to do.”

Her parents both placed tremendous emphasis on the importance of their daughters getting an excellent education and stressed that they would do everything possible to make that happen. “It was never a question of ‘if you go to college.’ It was ‘you will be going to college.’ There was a theme that ran through my home at an early age,” Jill says.

And the theme was taken to heart. Jill’s older sister has a doctorate in higher education, her younger sister is an attorney, and Jill earned two master’s degrees (in child development from Sarah Lawrence College and later in education with an emphasis on diverse learning from the University of Phoenix). “I think the message got through loud and clear,” she says. “It wasn’t forced on us. It was a genuine hope and wish she had for us, because she didn’t have that opportunity to get a formal education and be exposed to other areas where she might have had an interest to work outside of the home.”

As a young woman, Jill saw the impact that the budding

EMPOWERED WOMEN Improve the World

feminist movement had on her mother, empowering her to pursue a two-year degree in interior design from a local community college. This enabled her to work freelance part time and still be there for her children.

“The expectation for her was that you get married, you were the housewife and that dinner was on the table when my dad got home,” Jill says.

“But through the shifting in the ’60s and the ’70s, women began to work outside of the home, and there was Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan and all of these women who were challenging the role of women.

She was involved in that and it had a profound influence on my sisters and me.”

ILANA LOWERY:

Keeping real journalism alive

By Mala Blomquist

A lot has changed in the newspaper business since Editor-in-Chief Ilana Lowery was first hired by the Phoenix Business Journal 22 years ago.

What has not changed is her passion for journalism.

She explains what she enjoyed about journalism early on, “The whole idea of being able to tell stories through other people’s eyes and to explain to people how and why things happen and what we can do about it – just all of that.”

Her high school English teacher and newspaper advisor nurtured that love and she went on to major in journalism.

She worked on the college newspaper, did internships, worked at an NBC-TV affiliate and then a small-town Chicago daily paper before deciding in 1989 to move out West. “My goal was to get to California.

My mom had a friend in Arizona, so I got here and I never left,” she says. “I saw so much potential in the Valley.

It was easy to get to know people; there were lots of opportunities and people were supportive.”

Shortly after she arrived, she was hired at Independent Newspapers, Inc., a community newspaper chain based in Scottsdale. “I was editor of three papers. I learned more in those seven years than I did during any of my education, at the TV station or anything, because you had to do everything. I had to do everything from reporting, to writing, to editing to taking my own photos all the way to paste up.

It was a crazy amount of hours, but I really loved it.”

From there she was offered a position at the Business Journal, where she worked

her way up the ranks to her current position. The Business Journal also has a strong relationship with Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications, where Ilana teaches as an adjunct professor. The Business Journal also picks at least one intern per semester from the Cronkite School.

“I think it is so important for students to understand the value of journalism and what real journalism is, and should be. The whole idea that journalism is more entertainment, really motivates me to want to make young journalists understand that it is so much more important to provide people with good, solid information,” explains Ilana. She also sees the importance of giving her interns valuable work experience. “We treat them as an employee, they are here to learn and to do work, and that is what we do.” She also adds, “It is an industry that, I think, provides a lot of opportunity for women.”

With her position at the Business Journal comes an active community involvement schedule that includes working with young people at organizations such as Jr. Achievement, Valley Leadership, Girl Scouts and New Pathways for Youth.

From a mentoring standpoint, “Working with the students at Cronkite, through teaching or the internships at Phoenix Business Journal,

are the most important to me,” she says. “When we start really talking and working with young adults. I think what you tell them, or what you help them determine, is really going to help them shape their future.”

DEB ROCHFORD:

Bringing business acumen to JNF

By Nancy Ben-Asher Ozeri

One perfectly timed question changed the course of Deb Rochford’s career.

Four years ago, Deb was at a luncheon for the Phoenix Symphony with philanthropist Sheila Schwartz. Deb had recently closed azTeen magazine, which she had published bimonthly for six years, and was thinking about what to do next. Sheila asked Deb where she was working and Deb replied that she was in between jobs. Sheila told her that she needed to look into Jewish National Fund.

“I didn’t know what Jewish National Fund was at that time,” Deb says. Although she supported Israel in other

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ways, she was not a donor to JNF. So she looked it up online and was intrigued.

At Sheila’s recommendation, Deb called then Regional Director Ted Kort, citing Sheila as a reference and, after an interview, he hired her as associate director. Since then, Deb’s trajectory at JNF has been steadily upward, as she was subsequently promoted to Arizona regional director, then Desert States executive director and most recently to executive vice president of the Desert States and Southwest Region.

“This is professionally, the most meaningful thing that I’ve participated in,” says Deb. And she clearly credits Sheila with having the foresight to see how Deb could take her 20 years of experience as a business owner in the private sector and apply it to benefit JNF, to run it like a for-profit business. “I would not be in the position that I’m in today with Jewish National Fund had Sheila not recognized my potential. She knew … that I was philanthropic, but had she not taken the time to suggest that I make that call and allow me to use her name, I wouldn’t be in this position.

It’s important for women, especially, when they know

of these job openings, to help other women get these doors open,” says Deb. Sheila’s impact didn’t end at the open door. Deb consults with her frequently, providing status reports and seeking advice. “I listen to what she says. She is knowledgeable about the business community and the community of philanthropy and Israel. Her voice matters. I respect her opinion. She’s a leader in the community. She’s been an unbelievable mentor for me.”

Deb says that Sheila has always been philanthropically involved. In addition to JNF, the causes she supports include BBYO, the Bureau of Jewish Education, AIPAC, Congregation Beth Tefillah and the Phoenix Symphony.

Deb’s relationship with Sheila enabled the establishment of the Schwartz-Hammer Jewish National Fund Alexander Muss Impact Fund, which sends five rising high school seniors to Israel for six weeks each summer. The scholarship is funded by Sheila; her son, Frank Schwartz, and his wife, Jennifer; and her daughter, Lesley Hammer, and her husband, Eli. Through this fund, Sheila and her family are creating “a generation of Zionists,” says Deb (see related story in J Kids & Teens).

Finding the

perfect match

By MyTopMatchMaker Karen Stein

What are the five things you look at most closely when determining a “good match”?

Similarities. I truly believe it’s not a make or break thing, but having similar interests just really helps, and having a common ground to stand on is a great igniter to a relationship.

Spiritual or religious practices. This tends to be either one of the most important or least important requirements of my clients.

What makes them, them. For instance, I like to know what they think makes them unique, and people tend to stop and think on this one. They begin to not only understand what they want, but potentially further understand themselves, all with a question that they were never asked or never thought about.

History. Childhood is arguably the most influential period of our lives. I want to know where there was joy, where there was pain. I ask them: “What things would you take from your childhood and what would you leave behind?” This is an essential base to build upon.

Their journey. We all have a vision. Maybe you only see a few weeks out, or you have your whole life planned, but what I I think about is, can these strangers come into each other’s lives – which they will inevitably change – and help each other continue their own individual journeys?

What are the three most important factors that determine the success of a long-term relationship? You may have heard them all before, but there’s a reason.

Communication. It’s a must; it’s practically a survival tactic. The happiest couples I know on some level communicate openly. From my experience, a lack of communication can lead to an array of problems.

Morals/values. It helps, but your ideas of fun don’t have to line up. However, in general, morals and values do. People keep these things close to heart, so being on the same page allows a certain vitality in many areas of the relationship.

Loyalty. Be loyal. Be true. That means something different for everyone, and I’m not here to define it for you, but whatever that means to you or your partner, be it for each other.

Not to get too cheesy, I’ve been lucky throughout my life. I’ve seen that love transcends all and, more than anything, I rely on my intuition. It’s not a game of numbers, I’m not an algorithm. People know when it’s just right – and it’s a beautiful enigma.

1 IN 75 WOMEN WILL DEVELOP OVARIAN CANCER IN THEIR LIFETIME

Jewish women have a 24% higher risk of developing ovarian cancer over their lifetime due to a mutated BRCA gene. We encourage you to know the symptoms and consult your doctor about any personal concerns or questions.

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Ashkenazi women under-tested for cancer genes

EMPOWERED WOMEN Improve the World

By Deborah Moon

A

shkenazi women are under-tested for genetic risk for breast and ovarian cancer, according to medical oncologist Dr. Lucy Langer, the national director of genetic risk, evaluation and testing for Compass Oncology and US Oncology Network.

Ashkenazim (central or eastern European Jewish descent) have a one in 40 chance of having a harmful BRCA1/2 (BReast CAncer) genetic mutation. Only one in 400 people in the general U.S. population have such a mutation.

A mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2 increases a woman’s lifetime risk of breast cancer from 12% (1 in 8) to as high as 80% (8 in 10); lifetime risk of ovarian cancer increases to between 16% and 60% versus just under 2% for the general population. Men with BRCA1/2 mutations also have increased risks of cancer – colon, prostate, pancreatic and breast.

Dr. Langer’s comment echoes a finding from an international conference held in Israel this summer. The conference was sponsored by Cure Breast Cancer Foundation and brought together breast cancer researchers from the United States, Europe and Israel. A press release from the symposium noted that testing for mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 only for those with suspicion-arousing family histories may deny other people with the mutations the opportunity to undertake prevention strategies.

In a news conference at the end of the symposium, Conference Chair Dr. Larry Norton said, “not having a family history does not mean that you should not be tested.” Dr. Norton, who is the medical director of the Evelyn H. Lauder Breast Center of Memorial Sloan Kettering Medical Center, continued, “Indeed, testing all Ashkenazi Jews, as an example, finds twice as many people with mutations as testing just those with family histories.”

“Knowing that one has a dangerous mutation could well be life-saving, since one can do things that minimize one’s risks,” he added.

Genetic screening for cancer risk began with BRCA testing, 28 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

which is at one end of the spectrum where the increased risk is well documented. At the other end, says Dr. Langer, are genes such as the CHEK2 gene mutation, for which the individual risk of cancer is modified by family history.

As knowledge of inherited gene mutations that can lead to cancer has grown, many labs now offer panelbased genetic testing, which looks at a large set of genes in a single test. Dr. Langer says labs offer panels that look for six (all related to breast and ovarian cancer), 25 or 36 mutations, with one lab in Seattle testing for 99, which many physicians feel is excessive.

Dr. Langer recommends using a panel based on a patient’s family history. “Panels include genes for which you can take action if they are found,” she says. “It is actionable.”

Carriers of genetic mutations found in these panels should consult with genetic counselors regarding their increased risk of developing breast cancer, ovarian cancer, colorectal cancer and possibly thyroid or kidney cancer.

The Jewish Genetic Diseases Center of Greater Phoenix offers genetic counseling and other resources at jewishgeneticsphx.org/ hereditary-breast-ovarian-cancer or 480-668-3347.

Genetic counselors can help patients consider appropriate responses including early and more frequent screening, lifestyle alterations, certain medications and preventive surgery.

“For example, a patient with a CHEK2 mutation who does not have a family history of ovarian cancer is likely not at a very high risk; the risk of breast cancer increases with the number of cases reported in the family,” says Dr. Langer. “CHEK2 is also associated with a risk of colon cancer, so surveillance colonoscopies are recommended at about twice the usual frequency (one every five years) for patients with colon cancer in their family.”

Early detection is a key factor in survival rates for many cancers.

Improved detection and treatment have substantially increased

survival rates for women with breast cancer. The National Cancer Institute reports that five-year survival rates increased from 75.2% in 1975 to 90.6% in 2008; death rates fell an average of 1.9% each year from 2004 to 2013.

Survival rates for ovarian cancer, which Dr. Lucy Langer is frequently detected much later than breast cancer, have also improved from 33.7% in 1975 to 46.2% in 2008. The NCI Fact Sheets note that the statistics “are based on large groups of people, they cannot be used to predict exactly what will happen to an individual patient.”

Dr. Langer says some exciting new treatments have emerged in recent years.

For instance, breast cancer that is HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) positive, is often more aggressive and harder to treat with hormone treatments used for other types of breast cancer. A new drug, pertuzumab (Perjeta), was approved by the FDA in 2014. “When we use pertuzumab with standard chemo before surgery … patients can actually feel the cancer shrinking,” says Dr. Langer. “If we do chemo before surgery, we can do ultrasound and other studies to show the treatment is working.”

She says immunotherapy cancer treatments may be “the wave of the future.”

Dr. Langer says that Keytruda, which “made the mass in President Carter’s brain go away, if you remember that story … boosts the immune system to recognize cancer as a foreign cell rather than (part of ) self.”

She says these new drugs can have immune-related side effects, but they appear to be effective.

Two parallel developments in ovarian cancer research – targeting and immunotherapy – are also very exciting, according to Dr. Tanja Pejovic, who heads the Gynecologic Cancer Lab at Oregon Health and Science University’s Knight Cancer Institute.

Targeting allows doctors to tailor cancer treatment toward the unique molecular profile of a tumor. That means the very BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic mutations that make a woman more susceptible to ovarian cancer also make the tumor cells more susceptible to targeted treatment. Women with a BRCA1 or 2 mutation have proteins in their cells that do not perform the DNA repair of normal cells, explains Dr. Pejovic: “The proteins just are not working properly,” making women more likely to develop cancer. Yet those same mutated BRCA proteins make it “easier for chemo to kill the cancer cells.”

Immunotherapy is a parallel development in which cancer vaccines can be targeted to specific proteins. “Almost all ovarian cancer cells have a protein, survivin, in great amounts that is very low in normal cells,” Dr. Pejovic says. “The vaccine marks the protein and activates the immune system to attack those cells with the protein.”

As part of the US Oncology Network, Arizona Oncology is currently running a clinical trial for patients whose breast cancer is triple negative (lacking HER2, estrogen and progesterone).

The trial uses standard chemo and an experimental drug before surgery. Information on this and other clinical trials is available at arizonaoncology.com.

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Israeli breast cancer survivor launches

Pink Perfect M ichelle KolathArbel was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010, leading to a one-sided mastectomy, which was followed by reconstructive breast surgery. After three operations, Michelle, like many survivors, was disappointed when she looked in the mirror and no longer saw her nipple.

As she says, “It was like missing the topping on a Michelle Kolath-Arbel cake – I was incomplete.”

She researched nipple replacement options, but couldn’t find one she liked.

She didn’t feel ready for another round of intrusive reconstructive surgery.

Nipple tattoos often fade after 18 months because the ink cannot contain iron, which would interfere with follow-up MRIs. Existing nipple prostheses were not ~ Michelle suitable for her needs. She Kolath-Arbel wanted the look and feel of a real nipple.

So Michelle decided to create a better artificial nipple. She launched Pink Perfect, an Israeli-based company that produces realistic, custom and ready-made adhesive silicone nipples for women who have undergone unilateral or bilateral mastectomies.

Each style comes in eight different color variations of brown and pink. They are waterproof and can be worn in the shower, swimming pool or ocean.

“I got my self-confidence back,” says Michelle, and others agree, if the numerous testimonials on her website are any indication.

“They arrived like a box of chocolates – six little pink pieces of perfection. Seeing a complete breast in the mirror has made the most incredible difference. I look and feel whole again, which has translated to improvements in other areas of my life,” a customer named Linda wrote.

For more information, visit pink-perfect.com.

“It was like missing the topping on a cake – I was incomplete.”

EMPOWERED WOMEN Improve the World

Tips

for clean eating

By Mala Blomquist

A

ward-winning registered dietitian nutritionist, Cordon Bleu-certified chef and best-selling author Michelle Dudash has created recipes for busy moms struggling to feed their families nourishing meals while the clock is ticking.

As an on-the-go working mom herself, Michelle understood early on that it is possible to cook like a chef while eating like a nutritionist, which is where the idea materialized for her first book, Clean Eating for Busy Families: Get Meals on the Table in Minutes with Simple and Satisfying Whole-Foods Recipes You and Your Kids Will Love (Fair Winds Press, January 2013). In January 2016, Michelle launched her online program: Clean Eating Cooking School: Monthly Meal Plans Made Simple (cleaneatingcookingschool.com).

The clean eating food movement has gained popularity over the last several years. Starting to eat clean does not have to be daunting.

“The clean concept boils down to eating whole foods and minimally processed foods made with whole-food ingredients that are good for your body and good for the planet,” says Michelle. “Keep these tips in mind, and you’ll be on your way in no time.”

Here are her five food rules for eating clean: CHOOSE FOODS CLOSEST TO THEIR NATURAL STATE The less processed foods are, the more naturally occurring vital nutrients and the fewer harmful ingredients they contain.

Instead of components that sound like things from lab

experiments, opt for foods with ingredients you find in home kitchens.

ENJOY A COLORFUL ARRAY OF FOODS Each color of the rainbow provides a unique blend of diseasefighting, immunity-boosting antioxidants, phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals.

GO LOCAL AND SEASONAL Foods that travel shorter distances to get from farm to fork leave a smaller carbon footprint, making them better for the planet. Start by reading the signs next to your produce and the labels on the backs of packages.

CHOOSE HUMANELY PRODUCED FOODS THAT ARE GOOD FOR THE PLANET Learn what you can about the companies you buy food from.

Every time you check out at the grocery store, you are voting for who will fail or succeed.

ENJOY EVERY BITE Food not only nourishes and fuels our bodies and minds, it also provides entertainment, encourages creativity, invites togetherness and rejuvenates the soul. Food should taste good first and then be good for us also. As often as possible, enjoy food intentionally while seated at the table and avoid mindless snacking.

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 31

EMPOWERED WOMEN Improve the World

Steps for a smooth

divorce

By Lindsay E. Benjamin, J.D.

Q: I am going to get a divorce. What are my first steps?

A: First and foremost, I am very sorry to hear the news. Moving forward with

a divorce, or dissolution as it is called in Arizona, is never easy. There are ways, however, with the right planning to make the process a bit smoother and easier for you:

1. Pay attention to your mail:

What bills are coming to the house? How much are they? Where do you bank and invest your money? Find a copy of your last few tax returns, including any business tax returns, and make copies of everything.

2. Keep a calendar:

Keep track of how often your spouse travels. Once you physically separate, you should also want to keep track of how often your spouse sees and contacts the children. This is important when trying to determine a parenting time schedule in the future. I have had many clients who claim that the other parent is hardly seeing the children, but this is very hard to demonstrate to the court. If you keep a separate calendar of your spouse’s travel and parenting time for numerous months, it will help validate your assertions and get the schedule you want.

3. Change your thinking:

As hard as it may be at times, you must find a way to put your love for your children above the disdain you have for your spouse. You two are the only parents your children have, and they should never be forced to be in a position where they have to choose sides or have anxiety because both of their parents will be at an event. You should be able to sit together at their graduations and dance together at their weddings.

It may seem far-fetched at this time, but it can be a reality, depending, in part, on how you treat one another during the dissolution process.

4. Consult with a qualified attorney:

People receive a considerable amount of bad information through the media, movies and even from friends with the best of intentions. Every divorce is different and has its own individual circumstances and, as such, your dissolution process needs to be tailored specifically to your family. Unfortunately, much of my practice involves modifying orders for people who previously retained attorneys that do not limit their practice to family law (or they did not retain an attorney at all), and it costs them twice as much as it would have had they retained the proper attorney from the beginning. Note that many orders cannot be modified at all, which makes it imperative that your case is handled correctly from the start.

There is life and happiness after a divorce‌ you’ll see. I wish you the very best of luck.

Lindsay E. Benjamin, J.D. is of counsel and focuses on family law at the Tyler Allen Law Firm in Phoenix. allenlawaz.com 32 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

More Info: Call: 480-668-3347 info@jewishgeneticsphx.org

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Left: Krav Maga works well for smaller people against larger attackers. Since it does not rely on strength, power or athleticism it is very popular for women wanting to learn self-defense.

EMPOWERED WOMEN Improve the World

Feel bold, learn to fight dirty

By Deborah Moon

A

couple of years ago, a now-retired Krav Maga instructor explained to me why the hand-tohand combat techniques developed for the Israeli military are ideal skills for women’s self-defense.

“There are no rules when you’re fighting for your life, so we teach ‘dirty fighting,’ striking vulnerable targets such as the eyes, nose, throat, groin, and secondarily knees and shins to make the attacker fall,” Mark Blake told me.

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence reports that one in three U.S. women have suffered physical violence from a partner, one in five women have been raped, and 1 in 7 women have been stalked and fear she or someone close to her will be harmed or killed.

34 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

Now women anywhere can learn the self-defense techniques of Krav Maga. A press release from Krav Maga Worldwide announces the first-ever online academy.

Krav Maga Worldwide Academy members can learn life-saving self-defense tips anywhere they have an internet connection. The website (kravmaga.com/academy) offers links to local academies for learning in person, but if you live far away from one of the three Krav Maga centers in Arizona, you can still learn the techniques to defend yourself against larger, stronger attackers.

Krav Maga emphasizes neutralizing the threat, avoiding injury to yourself, going from defending to attacking as quickly as possible, and using any tool or object nearby as a weapon.

Founder Imi Lichtenfeld was a champion boxer and wrestler who adapted his formal skills to include street fighting as the Nazis rose to power in the 1930s bringing anti-Semitic attacks to Bratislava, Slovakia, where Lichtenfeld lived. He took those skills to pre-state Israel training local Jewish defense groups and paramilitary organizations such as Haganah. He then spent 30 years developing and teaching his close combat technique to Israel Defense Forces before retiring and sharing Krav Maga with civilians. Today, Krav Maga centers around the world teach his life-saving defense techniques.

With the new online academy, students can learn at their own pace wherever they live. Each lesson incorporates slides, printouts, forums, peer chat, bookmarks, notes and progress tracking. Classes available are designed for learning the basic techniques of Krav Maga, for teaching kids anti-bullying, and for defenses to use against guns.

The self-defense lesson teaches the key pillars of selfprotection. According to the website: “We instruct you on the most effective ways to get out of dangerous situations, such as choke holds and headlocks. … This lesson is integral to Krav Maga, as it will help to ensure your safety in a hostile situation.”

Founded in 1997 to promote Krav Maga throughout the United States and around the world, Krav Maga Worldwide trains and certifies instructors and licenses more than 150 authorized Krav Maga Worldwide training centers in the United States, Canada, Japan, Mexico, South America and Europe.

So, in a center or online, self-defense options are readily accessible.

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 35

Businesses win when women fight for others A

new Tel Aviv University study on women in the workplace finds women are as savvy and exacting as their male counterparts when negotiating with or on behalf of friends.

The study was conducted by Dr. Hilla Dotan of TAU’s Coller School of Management and Professor Uta Herbst of Potsdam University in Germany. It will appear in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing.

Dr. Dotan and her team conducted two laboratory studies, which paired 216 MBA students in single-gender teams, some of whom were friends and some of whom were not. The teams engaged in several multi-issue negotiations – concerning pesticide products in one scenario, and airplane engines and parts in another.

“When we looked at the negotiation tactics and outcomes of these young professionals, we found several differences between men and women,” said Dr. Dotan. “However, the one condition under which we found no difference between men and women was when women negotiated in teams of friends.

“We found that women negotiate better outcomes when negotiating on behalf of others whom they care about. Men do not exhibit a difference in this respect. What’s important for women is the sense of fighting for others, for their friends, for something bigger than themselves.”

QUESTIONING ASSUMPTIONS According to Dr. Dotan, existing research is “disheartening.”

Men initiate negotiations four times as often as women; 36 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

women negotiators generally achieve 30% less than their male counterparts; 20% of women do not negotiate at all even when they believe they ought to; and women consider negotiations a chore rather than a pleasure.

“We consistently read that women negotiate lower outcomes than men. But is this really true?” said Professor Herbst. “We know that women generally behave differently in the workplace. They focus on maintaining relationships and cooperation and fostering harmony, which are ripe circumstances for negotiations. This behavioral aspect and the process of negotiations have commonly been overlooked in existing research.”

“Women tend to focus on the process of negotiations and on building relationships and reputations,” said Dr. Dotan.

“These outcomes may not be seen in the immediate commercial outcomes, but may be observed over time. This difference may indeed explain the differences between the genders and calls on researchers to take a more longitudinal perspective to evaluating negotiation outcomes.”

THE BUSINESS BENEFIT OF WORKPLACE FRIENDSHIPS Dr. Dotan believes that company management would benefit from fostering and encouraging personal relationships at work.

“Women naturally form relationships and these organic friendships shouldn’t be touched, because they ultimately prove profitable for the company,” said Dr. Dotan. “Companies would also be wise to recruit employees’ friends – although we should

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“What’s important for women is the sense of fighting for others, for their friends, for something bigger than themselves.” ~ Dr. Hilla Dotan Tel Aviv University’s Coller School of Management

remember that ‘not all friendships are created equal.’”

In prior research Dr. Dotan studied how friendships in organizations impacted various organizational outcomes, including performance.

“I found that trust-based friendships are best for individuals and organizations,” she said. “We’re now studying whether women who form such trust-based friendships and negotiate in teams of friends achieve equal or better commercial outcomes than men.”

Dr. Dotan and her colleagues are also currently exploring the implications of friendships among individuals on opposing teams and how they affect negotiation outcomes.

Tel Aviv University is one of the world’s most dynamic research centers and Israel’s most distinguished learning environment. American Friends of Tel Aviv University pursues the advancement of TAU in the United States, raising money, awareness and influence through international alliances.

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Jeremy Scott’s

Scottsdalebased author, coach, athlete and trainer Jeremy Scott is a former collegiate athlete and cum laude graduate turned best-selling author of “Make Success Mandatory” and “Get Lean Gluten Free”. His blog has been named one of the top 20 fitness blogs online

by Breaking Muscle. SHAPE Magazine named him one of the 50 Hottest Trainers in America. Jeremy is a contributor for Men’s Health Magazine and also a Reebok sponsored athlete. jeremyscottfitness.com

Mad minute workout W elcome to “The Mad Minute Workout.” Set up a simple four-movement bodyweight circuit. Select a rep-range and complete the circuit as many times you as you can within the given time frame – in this case one minute, hence the name “Mad Minute.” A 10-minute workout would be 10 total rounds starting a new round on the minute, every minute.

Prisoner Squats

T-Pushups

Start standing tall with your feet shoulderwidth or slightly wider apart, place your hands near the back of your head (as if you were being arrested – aka prisoner style).

With a straight back, tighten your core, shift your hips back and lower as far as your hip mobility allows. Making your sure your heels are pressed firmly to the floor as your knees bend. “Back straight, chest out” –look straight ahead, not at the floor. Pause at the bottom of your movement for a split second and return to your starting position. 5 reps.

T-pushups are a great way to integrate your shoulders, chest and core into one amazing metabolic movement. Start in prone pushup position with your hands about shoulder-width apart. Perform standard pushup, but at the top of the movement, twist your feet and hips and lift arm from the floor raising it toward the ceiling, as your entire body turns in sync making your body a perfect “T.” Return slowly to the starting prone position and repeat with the opposite hand. Keep your body in a straight line from head to heel as your torso turns in sync. 6 reps, 3 per arm.

Seal Jacks

Mt. Climbers

Stand tall with your feet together and hands in front your chest.

Simply open up with your feet and hands moving together jumping as you spread your arms and legs at the same time. Once you reach your full range of motion with your feet and arms snap back to the starting position with your hands coming just short of clapping.

10 reps.

Begin in the pushup position with your hands about shoulder-width and your weight supported by your toes and hands. Holding your body in a straight line from your head to heel, flex your knee and hip driving one knee as close to your stomach as your mobility allows. Return to starting pushup position and repeat with the opposite leg. Quickly repeat extending and flexing your knee and hip in alternating fashion making sure your body remains in a straight line with little to no movement in your lower back. If you imagine you have a glass of water on your back and try not to spill it, you will ensure you are getting the most out of your core. 10 reps, 5 per leg.

38 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

Second Annual Modern Israel Conference

December 4-5, 2016 | The University of Arizona Conference Cost: $100/Individual • $150/Two Individuals Dinner Cost: $50/Individual

Prof. Asher Susser,

Introduction: Israel’s Changing Society & Politics

Prof. Dan Ben-David,

Israel at a Crossroads: The View from 30,000 Feet Dr. Einat Wilf,

Back to Basics: Israeli Education, Society & Politics

Prof. Aomar Boum,

Peculiar Ties: The Cultural & Political Capital of North African Judaism in Israel Prof. Elie Rekhess,

The Arabs in Israel: Reconsidering the “1948 Paradigm” Prof. Joel Peters,

Israeli Foreign Policy

Prof. Shibley Telhami,

Shifting Public Attitudes on Coexistence & Peace Prof. Ilan Troen,

Israel & the Land of Israel Prof. Yoram Peri,

The (Fatal) Decline of the Israeli Left Prof. Anita Shapira,

Keynote Address: Israel 2016: Vision and Reality

Today Israel faces the daunting task of balancing its unity and diversity. The issues Israel faces today as a nation and as individuals call for a careful assessment of its changing society and politics. This conference brings together a team of acclaimed historians and social scientists from Israel and the United States to address in an informed fashion the present state of Israeli society and the choices Israelis face as they look to their future as a Jewish and democratic state.

Conference Sponsors:

For more information, call (520) 626-5758 or visit judaic.arizona.edu/IsraelConference2016 ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 39

40 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

MELISSA MANCHE STER

LIVING LIGHT IN THE

BY MALA BLOMQUIST

MELISSA MANCHESTER wears many hats, including a crown on the cover of her 2015 album “You Gotta Love the Life.” This singer, songwriter, musician, actress and teacher has been in the business for more than 40 years. “You Gotta Love the Life” is her 20th album and she still performs about 70 shows a year. She explains that her concerts now are “a combination of my most recent album, my hits and stories about songwriting and people that I’ve known and remarkable friends – a combination of everything.”

This latest album was a special collaboration for Melissa because she was able to work with many extraordinary artists including Stevie Wonder, Dave Koz, Dionne Warwick, Keb’ Mo’, Al Jarreau and the late Joe Sample.

But the amazing artists were not the only intriguing part of this album; “You Gotta Love the Life” was financed by a fan-based campaign through Indiegogo, encouraged by her students from USC Thornton School of Music. “There are very few (recording) labels left and it was my students that opened my eyes to a new market that allows so many people to get their music out without having a record label intervening,” Melissa explains. “The trade off is that you don’t have a big engine behind you. What the blessing is, is that you get a chance to make a very pure version of your music.”

PHOTO BY RANDEE ST. NICHOLAS

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 41

M E L I S S A M A N C H E S T E R D I S CO G R A P H Y

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This pure version of her music includes many musical styles, as she explains, “That is my musical taste. It’s very varied and over the years record companies tried to talk me out of having a variety of music. That’s why it was so rewarding to perform. I was free to do what I do, to finally have an album where I could reflect my true soul – my musical soul, at least – and have it coproduced by Terry Wollman. It was really fantastic.”

Melissa says that her subject matter naturally lends itself to a variety of musical styles, “The subject matter sort of sings itself, then I sort of know what musical world it needs to be settled in.”

This experience also enabled her to come full circle, to “complete the cycle of how I used to make albums,” Melissa says, describing the creative process of building previous records. “It was live musicians having musical discussions.” When asked if she has a favorite artist to work with, her reply is heartfelt, “It doesn’t work that way. I am blessed by having beautiful colleagues along the way and they have not only blessed me with their friendship, but with their talent, so each one is very unique and they have brought many blessings to my life.”

Lately, her attention has been drawn to a new project. She wrote the music for “The Sweet Potato Queens” musical, which premiered in Houston in March. It was a collaboration with Rupert Holmes, who wrote the book, and Sharon Vaughn, who wrote the lyrics. The play is loosely based on the life story of New York Times best-selling author and SPQ founder Jill Conner Browne and the organization’s philosophy, which was born out of her need for some excitement and a new direction.

The play had a successful debut and is in discussion for future productions.

The fact that she has dabbled in so many arenas with her musical talent no doubt stems from her childhood. “My dad was a bassoonist with the Metropolitan Opera for 30 years, so there was classical music around the house. My sister and I took piano lessons. There was just music around the house and the neighborhood. It was a fantastic version of normal. There was also a lot of Broadway show music, because my mother was a beautiful singer, besides being a fashion pioneer,” says Melissa. Her mother, Ruth Manchester, launched one of the first female-owned design and manufacturing firms in the mid-1960s, Ruth Manchester, Ltd., which was located on 7th Avenue in New York City. She was known for her “angel dress” design in the 1970s, as well as her wrap dresses, which were sold at Bloomingdale’s.

When asked about her mother’s influence, Melissa shared, “My mother shaped me in terms of my philosophy. She always 1982

1982

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42 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

1983

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Clockwise above: Itzhak Perlman, 1972; backup singer for Bette Midler’s Harlettes; Billy Crystal; Dionne Warwick and Bob Hope; guest appearance on the Muppets; Barry Manilow and Stephen Sondheim

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said, ‘You better be having a good time.’ I think that is consistent with the adage ‘Living well is the best revenge.’ She came from real poverty and … she sort of dreamed her way into a fantastic life and did not become victimized by her suffering or by the suffering of her parents. It was remarkable that she spiritually overcame that, that she practically overcame that, and she sort of insisted on celebrating life, whether for large reasons or small reasons. She just always found a way to see the glass half full. She was extraordinary, really.” Ruth passed away last year at the age of 93.

Mid-life bat mitzvah

Melissa’s mother was raised in an Orthodox Jewish family, but her father was an atheist. Since the couple had agreed early on that it was a battle they chose not to pursue, Melissa and her sister would just watch their mother light the Shabbat candles every Friday night, never being encouraged to learn the prayers. “We just watched this beautiful woman dawdling over the candles,” Melissa describes. But there was also an ironic twist, “As God would have it, we lived right next to a shul, which we never went into, but on High Holy Days we would open all the windows and we could hear the service.”

Melissa raised her two children Jewishly and they both became b’nai mitzvah. While preparing for these events, she was moved to celebrate her own bat mitzvah – at the age of 50. “It was really a deeply interesting experience because I was mostly in a class with converts. It was fascinating to see what moved my fellow students

“I have not ever performed in Israel, but that is on my bucket list – at the top of the list actually.” – Melissa Manchester to choose Judaism. Over and over and over again I would hear the word community and it was very touching because I always felt community.”

When asked if she is observant today, her reply is genuine, “I light Sabbath candles. I pray to God every day, all the time. I pray to God in a way that I have come to understand him/her. I can’t imagine life without that component of my life.”

Along with her faith is the strong desire to perform in Israel. “I have not ever performed in Israel, but that is on my bucket list – at the top of the list actually,” says Melissa.

Something that she can scratch off her bucket list is writing a 1989

1995

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FALL FEST Melissa Manchester kicks off Arizona Musicfest’s inaugural Fall Fest. Melissa will perform her unforgettable hits, including “Don’t Cry Out Loud,” “Come In from the Rain,” “Through the Eyes of Love,” “Midnight Blue” and her Grammy Award-winning pop single, “You Should Hear How She Talks About You,” as well as highlights from her new album, “You Gotta Love the Life.”

Fall Fest runs from Oct. 28-Nov. 7. Other performances include Young Musicians Fall Concert, Bluegrass Duet: The Lonely Heartstrings Band & Mipso, and The Midtown Men: Broadway’s Original Jersey Boys.

WHO Melissa Manchester WHEN Friday, Oct. 28, 7:30 pm WHERE Highlands Church, 9050 E Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale TICKETS $34-$76 BOX OFFICE 480-840-0457 azmusicfest.org PHOTO BY RANDEE ST NICHOLAS

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 43

1997

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Hanukkah song, which was originally supposed to be a response to the Christmas song “Feliz Navidad.” She had been working on the song, she had captured the bars and measured how many times “Feliz Navidad” was repeated, but the final inspiration for the song came as a response to a tragedy.

“I also wrote [the song] in response to the awful bombing several years ago in Mumbai, where a young rabbi and his wife were killed,” Melissa says, referring to Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife, Rivkah, directors of Chabad-Lubavitch of Mumbai, who were killed by terrorists in 2008. “As it turns out, because I was in such a state of anguish, I found a Chabad that was sort of near me and I went there.

The congregation was packed and the young rabbi that was speaking to console everybody happened to be the best friend of the young rabbi that had been killed. What

2000

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“Life shows up for me in songs, you know? Some people make quilts and some people sketch and I write songs.”

– Melissa Manchester

2012

was so extraordinary was that he had visited his friend and his wife, and he said, ‘Here we are with our collective despair and what did G-d insist that we do to combat this darkness? More darkness? No! G-d wants us to bring more light into the world – more light!’ and I went home that night and I wrote ‘Let There Be More Light.’”

Melissa recorded the song with the Colorado Springs Children’s Chorale. She is expecting it to be released either this month or in November. She also hopes that StandWithUs, an organization that serves to educate the public about Israel and combat anti-Semitism, will use the song to promote their mission of peace and understanding.

Although that song is finished, there are many more unfinished snippets that remain.

As Melissa put it, “Life shows up for me in songs, you know? Some people make quilts and some people sketch and I write songs.”

And for that, we are thankful.

Thanks to your generosity, thousands of Jews around the world will have a

Sweet

New Year! jewishphoenix.org

44 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

2015

Music + Festival reveals forbidden music

By Nancy Ben-Asher Ozeri

Amernet String Quartet

“Last year I read a book called Forbidden Music – I don’t know how I got the book or why I did – which is about composers whose music was forbidden to be performed by the Nazis.

I found it fascinating,” says Daniel Asia, composer and professor of music at the University of Arizona.

The book included well-known composers, such as Arnold Schoenberg and Kurt Weill, along with other lesser-known musicians. While in London last fall, Asia met the author, Michal Haas, who asked if he had ever heard of Hans Winterberg. Asia had not. That’s because Winterberg’s musical archive had been sealed under a Nazi law and only recently opened. Winterberg was practically unknown.

With a whole new treasure trove of music to explore, Asia’s fascination with forbidden music became the inspiration for the UA Fred Fox School of Music’s “Music + Festival 2016: Forbidden Composers – Schoenberg, Weill, Winterberg.” This is the ninth annual composers festival, directed

by Asia. Featuring a conference, a symposium and four concerts, the festival takes place Oct. 14-16 on the UA campus in Tucson.

“Winterberg’s story is astonishing,” says Asia. An AustroHungarian composer, he survived Theresienstadt, a concentration camp in Czechoslovakia, only to be sent on a forced march to Germany. “German speakers were unwelcome in other countries after the war,” Asia explains. He ended up in Munich, where he was hired by the Bavarian Radio Orchestra.

“He was a composer of some note, but was marginalized, as most composers were after the war who did not write in the serial style made popular by Schoenberg. His music was recorded by the Bavarian Symphony. After he died in 1972, “his archive was put under some Nazi law that said it couldn’t be opened until 2040 because he was Jewish,” says Asia. His grandson and Haas got the ruling overturned and the archive was opened last year.

“There might be a few pieces here that will enter the repertoire, and that’s a big deal,” says Asia, who has spent months going through the archive and is excited to bring Weingarten’s music to audiences who have never heard of him. “We are bringing this music back to life.

How cool is that?”

Although Schoenberg, Weill and Winterberg composed in vastly different styles, the common thread among them is that their music was banned by the Nazis because they were Jewish. The festival explores their lives and the relationship between serious and ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 45

Music + Festival 2016: Forbidden Composers – Schoenberg, Weill, Winterberg When: Oct. 14-16 Where: The University of Arizona Fred Fox School of Music, Holsclaw Hall, Crowder Hall and Room 146. Southeast corner of Park and Speedway in Tucson.

Tickets: Conference, Symposium, Concerts I, II and IV: Free; Concert III: $10 general, $7 UA employees and seniors 55+, $5 students.

Box Office: 520-621-1162, tickets.arizona.edu Conference: Friday, Oct. 14, 9:30 am-12:30 pm & 2-5 pm; Room 146 Michael Haas, Stephen Hinton, Sabine Feisst Symposium: Saturday, Oct. 15, 1 pm; Room 146 Robert Gordon and Aaron Mobley Concert I: Saturday, Oct. 15, 2:30 pm, Holsclaw Hall Timothy Kantor, violin; Jackie Glazier, clarinet; Theodore Buchholz, cello; Diana Chiknaikin, cello; Juan Mejia: cello; Alexander Tentser, piano; Tannis Gibson, piano; Luis Rubalcaba, piano.

Schoenberg, Six Little Piano Pieces; Winterberg, Suite for Clarinet and Piano; Weill, Cello Sonata; Winterberg, Cello Sonata; Schoenberg, Fantasy for Violin and Piano Concert II: Saturday, Oct. 15, 7:30 pm, Crowder Hall Arizona Symphony Orchestra, Thomas Cockrell, conductor; UA Wind Ensemble, Chad Nicholson, conductor; UA Studio Jazz Ensemble, Angelo Versace, director.

Weill, My Ship; Weill, Blues-Potpourri; Schoenberg, Fanfare; Schoenberg, Five Pieces for Orchestra; Weill, Symphony No. 2; Schoenberg, Theme and Variations; Weill, Three-Penny Opera; Weill, Suite Panaméenne.

Concert III: Sunday, Oct. 16, 2 pm, Holsclaw Hall Amernet String Quartet Schoenberg, String Quartet No. 0; Weill, String Quartet No. 1; Winterberg, String Quartet (1957) Concert IV: Sunday Oct. 16, 5 pm, Holsclaw Hall Arizona Wind Quintet; UA Symphonic Choir, Elizabeth Schauer, conductor; Kristin Dauphinais, mezzo-soprano; Tannis Gibson, piano.

Schoenberg, from Three Folk Songs; Weill, Kiddush; Weill, Cabaret Songs; Schoenberg, from The Book of the Hanging Gardens; Winterberg, Woodwind Wind Quintet For information, visit music.arizona.edu 46 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

popular music. Highlights include Schoenberg’s “Five Pieces for Orchestra,” Weill’s “Three-Penny Opera,” and Winterberg’s “Wind Quintet.” All Winterberg performances will be American premieres.

“Schoenberg was a committed Jew, who then became a Lutheran, who then became a Jew again,” says Asia. He wrote the opera “Moses and Aaron” to “try to figure out the relationship between these two biblical characters. In his later life, he was committed to Zionism and Judaism.”

Kurt Weill In the 1930s and ’40s, after fleeing Nazi Germany, Schoenberg worked tirelessly to help other Jews escape Europe. Although Schoenberg was known as a rebel for inventing the 12-tone approach to composition, Asia says that the music he wrote later in life from Los Angeles was more “old school.”

“We’re going to present the complete picture of Schoenberg: Schoenberg the revolutionary and then Schoenberg the man who, in his 40s, 50s and 60s moderated … and discovered … continuity of the generations,” says Asia.

If Schoenberg wrote for the musical elite, Weill wrote Hans Winterberg for the populace.

Asia describes Weill as “another nice Jewish composer, whose father was a cantor.” Like Schoenberg, his early music was in the late romantic idiom, as influenced by Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss. But when he discovered jazz in Berlin, he “went completely over to the other side and started writing popular songs influenced by … Tin Pan Alley. … like ‘Three-Penny Opera.’”

Forced to leave Germany, Weill ended up in New York, where he was a significant presence on Broadway until his death at the age of 50. Weill, too, was a devoted Zionist. His liturgical piece “Kiddush,” commissioned for Arnold Schoenberg New York City’s Park Avenue Synagogue in 1946, will be performed on the last day of the festival.

The conference includes keynote speaker Haas, who will present on Winterberg; Dr. Stephen Hinton, author of Weill’s Musical Theater, on Weill, and Dr. Sabine Feisst, author of Schoenberg’s New World: The American Years, on Schoenberg.

“The speakers will talk about the composers, but will also talk about their sense of themselves as Jews and as Jewish composers,” Asia says.

On Saturday, Aaron Mobley and Robert E. Gordon of the School of Music will present a symposium reflecting on the places and larger Professor Daniel Asia directs the University of Arizona’s Music + Festival. cultural context in which all three of the composers lived and worked.

Two concerts will be presented on Saturday and two on Sunday, including a performance by the Amernet String Quartet.

“The Amernet emphasizes the music of the Jewish diaspora, given its members’ diverse Jewish backgrounds and, through our teaching and concertizing worldwide, aim to discover and disseminate the works of composers whose voices were silenced,” says the Amernet String Quartet’s Jason Calloway.

For information, visit music.arizona.edu.

Deborah E. Lipstadt wrote History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier, the autobiography behind “Denial.”

Photo courtesy Emory University

“Denial” opens film festival

By Mala Blomquist

The 16th Scottsdale International Film Festival kicks off Oct. 6 with an opening celebration complete with live music, food, beverages and the screening of “Denial,” based on the book History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier by Deborah E. Lipstadt., “Denial” recounts Lipstadt’s legal battle for historical truth against historian David Irving, who accused her of libel when she declared him “one of the most dangerous spokespersons for Holocaust denial” in her 1993 book Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory. In the British legal system, in cases of libel, the burden of proof lies on the accused, therefore it was up to Lipstadt and her legal team to prove the essential truth that the Holocaust occurred.

Academy Award winner Rachel Weisz portrays Lipstadt in the film and Timothy Spall plays Irving.

Although the trial occurred in 2000 and the book came out in 2005, the timing of the film’s release and current events are not lost on Lipstadt. “There is something uncanny about it all.

When we planned on this film and fixed a date for making it, no one involved thought it would have the resonance that it does. Sadly, so. The rise of anti-Semitism is one aspect. It is prevalent in the world in so many ways. But on an even ‘larger’

stage is the contemporary debate over facts vs. opinions, lies vs. truth, which is roiling the American political arena,” she says.

Lipstadt also states that while hard-core Holocaust denial is not as prevalent as when she confronted it in the courtroom, “What is on the increase is soft-core denial. That is what we call sloppy comparisons to the Holocaust, Holocaust inversion (e.g. the IDF = the Nazis, the Palestinians = the Jews… whatever you feel about the Palestinian/ Israeli situation a comparison to the Holocaust is inaccurate in the extreme), etc.”

She also shares, “There is a difference between fact and opinion, between truth and lies. There are not two sides to every story.

One can argue about many aspects of the Holocaust – whose idea was it? What was the Germans’ primary motivation? etc. – but not whether it happened or not.”

The importance of accurately portraying Lipstadt’s story was paramount to those behind the movie. “I was in steady contact with David Hare, who wrote the screenplay. I was sent various drafts of his screenplays and was asked for my reaction, comments and corrections. Both David Hare and the director Mick Jackson visited me in Atlanta, attended my classes, met my students and talked with my friends. They wanted to get a ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 47

16th Scottsdale International Film Festival The festival showcases more than 50 films from more than 20 countries during five days and nights of screenings, Oct. 6–10. Among the diverse offerings are acclaimed dramas, thrillers, comedies, documentaries, kid-friendly flicks and more. 480499-TKTS (8587) or scottsdalefilmfestival.com.

Opening night

WHEN: Thursday, Oct. 6 Reception, 6 pm; screening of “Denial,” 7:30 pm WHERE: Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E Second St., Scottsdale TICKETS: $39

Film festival

WHEN: Oct. 7-10 WHERE: Harkins Shea 14 Theatre, 7354 E Shea Blvd., Scottsdale TICKETS: $12, $9 students, $5 children; discounts for tickets purchased before opening night; VIP passes and packages available

48 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

feel for my life,” shares Lipstadt. “Then when Rachel Weisz joined the cast she reached out to me. She plumbed my memory for anecdotes about my personal and professional life, about my family, my personal history. She wanted to know everything she could. This, she told me, would all in some imperceptible way help her craft the character you see on the screen. I am told by friends in the movie business – something entirely new to me – that the level of involvement I had is unprecedented.”

Lipstadt was asked to be a consultant when the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum was in its design stage and currently serves on the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, having been originally appointed by President Bill Clinton and reappointed by President Barack Obama. “I treasure the fact that I could make a small contribution to the museum,” she says, “My work revolved around showing what the press and, hence, much of the public knew during the time of the Holocaust and in the 1930s about what was going on.”

She is also Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies at Emory College of Arts and Sciences.

She wants a message to resonate with students who see the film, “I would hope that they all take away from this film the significance of the Holocaust and a deep understanding of what hate left unchecked can accomplish. For the Jewish students, I hope they would also understand that, while the Holocaust can never be forgotten, it cannot be the raison d’etre of their lives. They should maintain their Jewish identity despite not because of anti-Semitism and hatred.”

Desert Gathering: Not your bubbe’s music

By Deborah Muller

The rich diversity of Jewish music comes alive for music lovers of all denominations and levels of observance at this fall’s 4th Annual Desert Gathering Jewish Music Fest. Roots rock, soul, Americana, classic rock and traditional Jewish song are among the musical styles showcased at the free outdoor community gathering on Sunday, Nov. 6, noon-5 pm at Steele Indian School Park in Phoenix.

“This year’s festival will bring together people from all different segments of the community through the powerful medium of music,” says Todd Herzog, three-time performer and founder of the Desert Gathering Jewish Music Fest.

“It will be a day to unite all of Phoenix’s Jewish population and music lovers of all backgrounds and religions in a show of community and togetherness, not divisiveness and otherness,” explains Herzog, cantorial soloist at Temple Solel in Paradise Valley Providing the music to back up this lofty yet attainable goal is world-renowned singer Rick Recht, one of the most celebrated Jewish artists of modern time and a pioneer of Jewish rock music. Recht has elevated the medium of Jewish music as a powerful and effective tool for developing Jewish pride and identity and was featured in TIME Magazine’s “10 Stars of the New Jewish Music” in 2013.

Also performing at the festival is singer-songwriter Joe Buchanan. Hailing from Houston, Buchanan combines the feel-good, toe-tapping elements of country, roots rock and folk genres of his Texas upbringing, with his love of the complex melodic and harmonic character of Jewish music and his goal of fostering community to create Jewish Americana.

“I look at music like a conversation. It can speak to where we are in our lives and help bring folks closer together, which is something I think we need,” says Buchanan, who converted to Judaism. “I think it's easy sometimes to feel alone, and music can be a great way to help build connection – whether that's

Joe Buchanan brings Jewish Americana to Desert Gathering

“This year’s festival will bring together people from all different segments of the community through the powerful medium of music.”

– Todd Herzog, founder, Desert Gathering Jewish Music Fest

relating to a struggle or celebrating something beautiful together – or strengthen a connection to our beliefs.”

The festival offers a variety of food vendors and artisans.

Expanded participation from community religious schools and synagogues and local cantors provide a plethora of homegrown talent. PJ Library is sponsoring PJ Ark-ade, which includes family-friendly activities like face painting, rock walls and arts ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 49

Jewish rock pioneer Rick Recht

and crafts for younger folks.

The festival returns to the amphitheater side of Steele Indian School Park for a more intimate performance venue and natural hillside seating. The open-air environment has no walls, both literally and figuratively. ”This is a festival that tears down the barriers that so often divide the community. For that reason, and so many more, it should not be missed,” says Herzog.

The DGJMF, founded in 2013, celebrates Jewish music, culture and community and saw over 2,000 attendees last year. Free general admission tickets are available with advance online RSVP. VIP festival passes include VIP tent access, catered buffet, designated VIP seating, commemorative souvenir, preferred parking and meet-and-greet opportunities with musical talent.

4th Annual Desert Gathering Jewish Music Fest

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2016 12-5 PM STEELE INDIAN SCHOOL PARK AMPHITHEATER & CIRCLE OF LIFE AREA

The Valley’s largest celebration of Jewish music, food & community.

FREE general admission & VIP tickets available at DesertGatheringAZ.org EVENT INFO 480.425.0700 | MEDIA CONTACT 602.515.2304 50 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

WHEN: Sunday, Nov. 6, noon-5 pm WHERE: Amphitheater at Steele Indian School Park, 300 E Indian School Road, Phoenix COST: Free general admission with advance reservation; $75 for VIP ticket package INFORMATION: 480-425-0700 or info@desertgatheringaz.org WEBSITE & TICKETS: desertgatheringaz.org

Photo by Ronen Akerman

Noa to share music with open hearts

By Nancy Ben-Asher Ozeri

On Nov. 5, Israeli-American singer/songwriter/percussionist Noa brings her distinctive musical style to the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts.

“I am very happy to be coming back to Arizona,” says Noa. “This tour is very intimate and passionate; it’s a sort of musical biography in many ways, diverse and personal, rhythmic and lyrical. It will feature new songs and old, in English, Hebrew and Yemenite. It will highlight, beyond everything, the 26-year collaboration between [musical director and guitarist] Gil Dor and myself, and the unique style created by the deep resonance between us.”

Noa, whose given name is Achinoam Nini, was born in Israel to parents of Yemenite origin and grew up in the United

States. This diversity is reflected in the scope of her musical range. She has performed with a long list of renowned artists internationally, including Pat Metheny, Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, Andrea Bocelli and Sam Lee. She sang a beautiful duet of “Fields of Gold” with Sting this past April in Paris. She co-wrote and recorded the theme song for Roberto Benigni’s Academy Award-winning film, “Life is Beautiful.” Noa was the first Jew to perform in the Vatican 20 years ago and has been back many times since.

She’s also a strong advocate for Jewish-Arab artistic cooperation. In 2009, Noa and Israeli/Palestinian artist Mira Award represented Israel at the 2009 Eurovision song contest.

Mira and Noa continue to tour together, with a concert ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 51

You’re

Invited Join us at the Arizona Inn for an evening of tasty morsels and shockingly good art!

Halloween Night

Monday, October 31, 3pm-9pm

Arizona Inn

“We’d be so thrilled and honored to be able to share music and ideas with as many opened hearts and minds as we can, and we have learned already that Arizona is full of them.”

- Noa

2200 E Elm Street, Tucson We’re taking Tubac to Tucson for one special night!

www.tubacartandgifts.com

Join all the fans of the

Brandeis National Committee Phoenix Chapter Presenting

“ Unforget table!

T he Ext raordinary Christopher Caldwell, Mentalist ” Saturday November 12th, 6:00 to 9:00 pm. at McDowell Mountain Center, 16116 N. McDowell Mountain Ranch Road.

Doors open at 6:00pm for dessert.

Showtime is 7:00 pm. $25.00/person.

Seating will be limited so register early.

BNC-Phoenix Chapter Event Registration Address: PO Box 13755 Scottsdale, AZ 85267-3775 Phone: 914- 943-7804 Email: marciala@msn.com 52 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

scheduled for the end of this month in Washington, DC. She is active on the public board of the Umm El Fahem Gallery, the The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies and the Polyphony Conservatory in Nazareth, all institutes where Jews and Arabs gather to share knowledge, music and art.

“These days I am spending most of my time promoting an idea that Gil Dor and I have initiated, of a huge Woodstocklike peace concert in Israel and Palestine in the summer of 2017. Details to come. I can tell you it’s very exciting, and we are generating enormous interest and support,” she says.

Above all, Noa loves playing music and interacting with audiences around the world. She looks forward to the concert in Scottsdale. “I’d like to urge the community to attend, and please, bring your non-Jewish friends as well,” she says. “Please trust us with two hours of your time. We’re coming a long way.

We’d be so thrilled and honored to be able to share music and ideas with as many opened hearts and minds as we can, and we have learned already that Arizona is full of them.”

WHO: Noa WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 5, 8 pm WHERE: Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia G. Piper Theater, 7380 E Second St., Scottsdale TICKETS: $25-$49 BOX OFFICE: scottsdaleperformingarts.org/ event/noa-2016 or 480-499-8587

Straight No Chaser (from left): Mike Luginbill, Dave Roberts, Randy Stine, Steve Morgan, Don Nottingham, Charlie Mechling, Walt Chase, Tyler Trepp, Seggie Isho and Jerome Collins.

Photo by LeAnn Mueller

Straight up a capella fun

By Nancy Ben-Asher Ozeri

You may not know Walt Chase by name, or be able to pick him out of the 10 men who make up the a capella group Straight No Chaser. But, if you’ve seen them on tour or seen a video of “The Christmas Can-Can,” you just might recognize him as the “dreidel guy.”

Although Walt’s not Jewish, the role was a natural fit. “A lot of people mistake me for being Jewish, all of the time. I used to date a girl back in college for over a year-and-a-half. She told her parents that I was Jewish and the whole time that we dated they never questioned it,” he says.

Walt is one of the original members of SNC, which started in 1996 at Indiana University as a group of friends who liked to sing, and were not afraid to ham it up under the spotlight.

When the founders began graduating in 1999 and went on to jobs mostly outside of music, they chose replacements and established SNC as an ongoing group on campus. “I think the greatest idea for us was to keep the group at school as a legacy at Indiana University,” he says.

In 2006, IU hosted a 10th-anniversary reunion show for the original lineup. When they posted clips from a 1998 concert on YouTube, their rendition of “The 12 Days of Christmas” went viral. This inspired the group to reassemble and go pro.

The rest is history – and you can catch their 20th-anniversary tour in Tucson on Oct. 17 at the Fox Tucson Theatre or in Phoenix on Dec. 31 at the Mesa Arts Center.

Their rendition of “The 12 Days of Christmas” is a mash-up

of 15 classic Christmas songs that segues into a re-imagined version of Toto’s “Africa.” In the middle of the medley, says Walt, “there’s a guy who steps out as the token Jew and sings ‘Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel,’ and the group stops and gives him a moment of ‘What are you doing man? We’re doing holiday songs.’ It’s a nod to the fact that Hanukkah definitely gets screwed around the holiday seasons with the amount of [Christmas] songs that are played on the radio, that are … sung in schools and such. That works with the comedic aspect. In college, the ‘dreidel guy’ was a guy named Mike Itkoff, a nice Jewish boy from Columbus, OH. He was hysterical doing it.

When the group re-formed back in 2008, Mike did the group for a year and then he left, and left a void of the ‘dreidel guy’ and that was passed down to me. I’ve been doing it ever since 2009, so I’m the de facto token Jew in the group now, although I’m not Jewish.”

In “The Christmas Can-Can” (arrangement and lyrics by Walt), the “dreidel guy” role expanded to include a pouting introduction, “It’s not fair if you’re Jewish,” and the line “Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, I made it out of clay. You realize that Christmas ain’t the only holiday.” Then, as the rest of group sings an ode to Santa, Walt starts to walk off stage, saying, “I’m going to go buy some Chinese food.” The group pulls him back in with “Hava nagila, happy Hannukah to you,” ending with a multi-cultural holiday finale.

This musical melting pot is just one example of their inimitable style, which has garnered the group a diverse fan base from toddlers to centenarians.

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 53

Purchase tickets at asukerr.com or 480.596.2660

Harlem Quartet

Thursday, November 17 at 6 p.m.

dining experience with classical music Latin, rumba, reggae

Todo Mundo

Saturday, January 21 at 7:30 p.m. jazz, pop

An Evening with Ralna English Wednesday, February 8 at 7:30 p.m.

Show your ticket stub and mention Arizona Jewish Life Magazine at ASU Kerr’s concessions stand for one free item!

Senior, military and group discounts available.

Student tickets for most shows are $10 w/ ID.

6110 N. Scottsdale Rd. (off Rose Lane) Scottsdale, AZ 85253 asukerr.com 54 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

“For folks who have not seen Straight No Chaser before, we do a mix of just about every type of music from back in the ’50s doo-wop, through Motown, through stuff you would hear on the radio nowadays and literally everything in between,” says Walt. “A good portion of our show is all of those genres of music. It’s family friendly.” Their signature vocal style appeals to all ages – from kids grooving to their a capella versions of The Weeknd’s “Can’t Feel My Face” and the Bruno Mars/ Mark Ronson hit “Uptown Funk” to a superfan in New Jersey who has seen more than 50 concerts and will soon celebrate her 100th birthday.

The group is well known for blending old tunes and new together, like “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours.” These are all arranged by members of the group or in collaboration with former members. “The hardest part of the job is figuring out what’s going to work in an a capella setting for 10 voices performing live. A lot of that has to do with finding songs that are a capella friendly … that have a lot of harmony,” Walt says.

Six out of the 10 original members still tour with SNC, putting on at least 150 shows a year from coast to coast. The four newer voices were culled from graduates of the legacy group at Indiana, keeping the tradition alive. “The one thing that keeps us centralized and grounded is that we all come from the same thing,” says Walt.

“Many of the guys in the group had musical aspirations … but the majority of us, including myself, really were just singing in college to be able to sing around campus, just do a different type of music and be able to sing a capella like a lot of our friends were on other campuses. … We all went our separate ways after we graduated and were brought back together because of this viral ‘12 Days of Christmas’ video on YouTube. Now it’s become a multi-million dollar business, where we have our own LLC touring group and an album with Atlantic Records every year, and working with artists like Sir Paul McCarthy, Stevie Wonder, Dolly Parton and Elton John.

“None of us thought that this would come from not only our group, but from an a capella group. There are a lot of a capella groups out there doing it, but there are not a lot of 10-person a capella groups … who have made this into a career, … especially not a group that started from a casual, non-auditioned atmosphere out of college, like we were. We’ve defied a lot of odds and have defied a lot of our own beliefs by doing this. … We’ve been blessed with an opportunity and hope that we make people happy.”

Straight No Chaser: “I’ll Have Another” 20th Anniversary Tour IN TUCSON: Monday, Oct. 17, 7:30 pm; Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W Congress St., Tucson. Tickets: $39.50$59.50; foxtucson.com or 520-547-3040.

IN PHOENIX: Saturday, Dec. 31, 8 pm; Mesa Arts Center, Ikeda Theater, One E Main St., Mesa. Tickets: $49-$160; mesaartscenter.com or 480-644.6500.

CORNER

SEVEN HEALTHY FOODS FOR WOMEN

By Lucia Schnitzer Photo by Matthew Strauss

Being in my 40s, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is vital, even more so as I get older. It's important for both genders to eat an array of healthy foods. But for women, science shows these seven foods could offer that extra edge by promoting bone, breast and heart health and even weight loss: salmon, flax seeds, walnuts, Greek yogurt, cranberry, kale and tomatoes.

These stuffed salmon rolls are rich in omega-3 fatty acids from both the salmon and the walnuts. Accompany these rolls with a kale salad, adding flax seeds, cranberry and tomatoes with a Greek yogurt vinaigrette dressing on the side. Voila!

You’ll have a meal that incorporates all seven foods. Enjoy!

STUFFED SALMON-WALNUT ROLLS Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil 1/4 cup minced onion 1 clove garlic, minced 4 cups chopped spinach 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 cup cooked brown rice 2 teaspoons lemon zest 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 1 pound salmon fillet, skinned and pin bones removed 55 MARCH 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium heat.

3. Add onion; cook until tender but not browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, spinach, salt and pepper and cook until spinach starts to wilt, about 3 minutes.

4. Remove from heat.

5. Add cooked rice to spinach and stir in lemon zest until well combined.

6. Spread spinach mixture evenly over salmon and sprinkle with cheese and walnuts. Roll up gently using toothpicks or butcher’s twine to secure.

7. Place salmon on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in oven until fish is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes.

8. Transfer to cutting board and let rest 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with steamed seasonal vegetables or kale salad.

Lucia Schnitzer and her husband, Ken, own Pomelo (a full-service restaurant), Luci’s at The Orchard and Splurge (a candy and ice cream shop), all at The Orchard Phx, 7100 N 12th Street, Phoenix. They also own Luci’s Healthy Marketplace, 1590 E Bethany Home Road, Phoenix, which they opened in 2009 in Lucia’s honor after her successful battle with breast cancer.

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 55

FOOD

RESTAURANT REVIEW

taste of

Arizona

Grilled Mahi Mahi

Hawaiian fresh fish sets Coconut’s apart

By A. Noshman

Normally, I don’t review chain restaurants, but when it originates from the Hawaiian chain of islands… well, that’s a chain I can link to.

I love Hawaii and have been to four of the eight major islands. Each is unique, from the stark volcanic landscape of the Big Island of Hawaii, to the lush mountains of Kauai with its 460 inches of rain per year. Despite the differences among the islands, there is a constant sense of peace, spirit, and knowing that you are but a speck of something grander. Island people are easygoing, full of joy and surrounded by a bounty of food swimming in the blue waters of the Pacific. Hawaiian cooking has absorbed the best influences of nearby islands and Pacific Rim countries and fused them into traditional dishes. Combining those techniques and flavors with the freshest fish from the Pacific (I just now realized that Pacific means peaceful in character or intent), and you’ve got a dinner that makes your tummy and all of you happy.

Maui, considered the most romantic destination of the chain of islands, is the birthplace of Coconut’s Fish Cafe. The family-owned restaurant expanded from Maui to the Valley of all places (in three locations) and we are the better for it. The desert could use some pacifying.

One of the things I like about Coconut’s Fish Cafe is that I have never waited more than eight minutes for the food to arrive from the time I order. In a way, it’s fast food, except it’s healthy and delicious; two words that often do not go together.

Their location on Shea Boulevard is small. I counted eight tables shaped like surfboards 56 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

THIS MONTH’S RESTAURANT

Coconut’s Fish Cafe

$$ 7366 E Shea Blvd., Scottsdale 480-596-2987 16640 N Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale 480-275-6690 1155 W Ocotillo Road, Suite #1, Chandler 480-247-7900 coconutsaz.com

Contact A. Noshman at a.noshman@azjewishlife.com

and a long counter, with additional seating on a large, misted outdoor patio. You place your order at the counter, are given a number and the food is brought to your table on real plates; a real meal at an excellent price. It’s hard to fathom this combination of ordering like fast food but receiving grilled fresh fish as good as, if not better, than any pricey seafood restaurant. The fish is flown in fresh from Hawaii four times a week and cut fresh daily, and you know that in the first bite.

Over the course of a couple of visits, here is what I had:

Ahi Poke $11.99

(Hawaiian classic, raw Ahi marinated in soy, garlic and green onions. Served with house-made taro chips.)

Poke Poke (as I always called it), is a raw fish salad served as an appetizer. Think of it as Hawaii’s answer to ceviche.

Coconut’s version is made with fresh Ahi (white tuna). The freshness overtakes your taste buds and you are transported to the ocean. Mixed in are fresh avocado, sesame seeds and an Asian sweetness that makes the salad delightfully refreshing.

Taro is a root vegetable that can be sliced thin, salted and fried (or baked but these were so good they had to be fried). It’s like a potato chip only better. I stack the Ahi on the chip and use it like a cracker. Sushi lovers, ceviche lovers, this is definitely for you.

A quick note about serving lemon with fish. To me, it’s like serving ketchup with steak. I love ketchup, but I wouldn’t put it on a steak. I love lemon, but I love the taste of fish more and lemon to me, masks the flavor. Why do that to seafood?

Fish Tacos $10.99

(Two fish tacos made with 17 ingredients including ono and mahi mahi, white corn tortilla, organic tomato salsa, house-made coleslaw and mango salsa, gluten-free) The fish tacos are what the restaurant is famous for ,and they have a quote from Zagat on the wall claiming them to be the “perfect fish taco.” Well, they’re right. Ono (also called wahoo) is in the mackerel family and is a white, delicately flavored fish (also kosher).

I am again served within eight minutes despite the fact the restaurant is packed and I sit at a long counter awaiting the famous tacos. There are two large fish tacos, colorful as could be, hot and ready for me to dive in. They give me a fork, but I’m not exactly sure how I’m supposed to eat this. Embracing the fact that I am facing a wall and no one can see me, I pick it up with my hands as best I can and start eating big bites.

Absolute heaven. The fish is nicely grilled and chopped into bite size pieces. The salsas are sweet and not hot, and all of the fresh ingredients including the tortilla just sort of combine and melt together in your mouth. There are crisp and crunch from

Grilled Mahi Mahi Local Style Cooked “Asian Flair” $10.99

(Grilled and seasoned, served over brown rice, with tomato and cheese or substitute steamed vegetables [add $1] and “famous” coleslaw.)

There are three types of fish to choose from but six different ways to have them prepared.

So if I do the math right, this makes 18 different items and the choosing gets a little daunting, but I persevere. I go with mahi mahi, or dolphinfish (not from the dolphin family and yes, it’s kosher), and choose “Asian Flair” for the cooking style, and though I’m not a fan of brown rice, I stick with that, too. Eight minutes later arrives a beautifully grilled, generous piece of fish resting on a bed of rice with coleslaw on the side.

Again, the first bite reveals the freshness of the fish. It is perfectly seasoned and grilled, flaky, moist, delicate and drizzled with an aioli made with ginger and wasabi that provides the slightest bit of heat and compliments the dish very well. Remember how I’m not a fan of brown rice? I am now, at this place. The rice doesn’t seem as brown or as firm as usual. It’s softer, more delicately flavored, and a perfect pairing for the fish on top. The famous coleslaw is made with coconut milk, I think. I found it crisp and delicious but wouldn’t say it’s famous, instead sort of ordinary but fresh.

I liked it being ordinary, though. There were so many flavors going on that it was almost like a cool palate cleanser between bites.

Ahi Poke the coleslaw, and in all, just a tasty taco. Not a fan of glutenfree foods but this tortilla works and is probably very smart marketing.

There are steak and chicken tacos on the menu as well, even some chicken pasta, but I didn’t go there. There are also Hawaiian brewed beers on draught, but my focus was fish.

Funny how an Arizona born and bred boy digs the ocean.

You’ve got to love the price, quality, friendliness and above all, freshness of Coconut’s Fish Cafe. Catch this wave, brah!

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 57

Home & Lifestyle Design an outdoor room to enjoy this fall

By Melinda Myers

Photo courtesy Gardener’s Supply Company 58 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

No matter your budget, space or gardening experience, you can design an outdoor entertainment area for you, your family and friends to enjoy, as fall descends on the desert.

Start by gathering ideas from magazines, blogs and websites like gardeners.com for examples of outdoor garden spaces.

Next, select an area that is convenient and suitable for outdoor entertaining. Define the space using outdoor rugs and furniture or tall planters to serve as walls. A bistro set and a couple of chairs make for an intimate space on a balcony. Those with more

Select an area that is convenient and suitable for outdoor entertaining. Define the space using outdoor rugs and furniture or tall planters to serve as walls. room may want to include an outdoor wicker and teak dining set. Fill the planters with ornamental grasses, papyrus, cannas and other flowering plants to create a living screen.

Also, you can add a splash of color and flavor to the planters by growing herbs and vegetables combined with flowers in your garden space. Include ingredients for your favorite drinks, appetizers and meals. Your guests will enjoy plucking a few mint

leaves for their iced tea or mojito, harvesting fresh greens from a salad garden bar and dressing up the meal with a few pesticidefree edible flowers like nasturtiums, calendula and daylilies.

Busy gardeners and those who travel may want to try selfwatering pots. These containers have built-in water reservoirs to provide a constant flow of water to the plants. This means you need to water less often, while still enjoying healthy and productive plants.

Add some height and focal points with topiaries. Purchase a sculpted evergreen or train vines up a twisted topiary frame to create a bit of living art. And don’t forget to add some garden art and statuary.

Extend your enjoyment with outdoor lighting. A few votive candles in old glass punch cups are perfect for intimate gatherings in small spaces. Add a bit more illumination with the help of solar illuminated planters, solar deck lights, post caps and solar cubes and spheres. No buried electric lines or extension cords needed. Use these lights to lead you down the path to your garden space or brighten the space for an evening of fun.

So get busy creating the garden room of your dreams. Once you get started, you will be looking for more opportunities for that quiet getaway, outdoor kitchen and more ways to enjoy your garden.

Melinda Myers has more than 30 years of horticulture experience and has written over 20 gardening books, including Small Space Gardening.

She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything: Food Gardening For Everyone” DVD set and the nationally syndicated “Melinda’s Garden Moment” TV and radio segments. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine. Visit melindamyers.com for more gardening videos and tips.

Ask for Gary Kravetz, Fleet Director RIGHT HONDA’s Fleet and Internet Department welcomes different buying clubs like Costco, Sam’s, all credit unions, Police and Fire Departments, Motorola, Intel, etc., so please call or email to see if your company is an approved organization.

The buying process for our fleet and internet department is done at your speed. Our Fleet and Internet Managers will use their 15 years of experience to help answer all of your questions.

This is a stress and hassle-free buying program and we are proud to help serve the local companies of Scottsdale and the sorrounding areas. Contact us today to get started.

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ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 59

H&L I sculpt with Photo by Neil Peters, Fotograffe

By Masada Siegel

Laura Tanzer has a passion for fashion and it shows in every fiber of her creations. A fashion designer based in Tucson, she was chosen to attend Arizona Emerging Designer Bootcamp and participate in Phoenix Fashion Week in mid-October at the Talking-Stick Resort in Scottsdale.

Her love of her craft has inspired her to seek beauty in her work and share it with the world, also allowing others to enjoy her inspiration.

“First, I am an artist, and as such, I must have beauty around me, and I must create as much beauty as I possibly can,” says Laura. “It happens that my artistic expression is three dimensional and personal, and I sculpt with textiles. The human form has always been the most fascinating form for artists, and that will never change. We also are amazingly creative individuals, who just want to represent ourselves to our own best advantage. I merely engineer the clothing that helps others to present themselves in their best light.”

Tanzer’s road to becoming a designer took a few twists and turns. She attended the Parsons

School of Design and honed her technical skills at Fashion Institute of Technology, where she graduated with honors.

Subsequently, she worked in the New York City fashion district before acquiring a master’s degree from New York University’s Stern School of Business. Her interest in the fundamentals of creating a sustainable practice brought her to pursue a Ph.D. at the University of Arizona’s School of Renewable Natural Resources and the Environment, where she also worked as a teaching associate and adjunct professor.

Laura explains, “It was always my intent to combine my business and fashion skills, and to create a company that could reflect my passion for fashion, while also implementing the sustainable practice concepts that I taught at the University of Arizona.”

She hails from a long line of creative people, all of whom emigrated to the United States from Eastern Europe and Russia. “My mother is an artisan (a master potter), and her father was an artist, as were his father and grandfather. We have the coppersmith artifacts from their work in Russia,” Laura says. “My father’s father was an inventor and an artisan, although his family did not support his artistic talents. My grandmother, my muse, could sew and was very creative in her own right. So, I come by the talent quite well. In our family, as with many other Jewish families, education was very important, as was cultivating natural talents, honing skills and generally being a good member of the community. ” Her Jewish upbringing was unique. Although her father grew up in a very observant household, he did not want to raise his children as observant Jews.

Photo by Neil Peters, Fotograffe

Photos by Paul Davis III 60 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

Laura Tanzer at work in her downtown Tucson studio •Photos by Mike Simons

Laura explains, “The result backfired on him when I decided, as a young woman, to visit cousins who had emigrated to Israel.

I spent a fair amount of time there in the early ’90s. I learned the rituals that I was denied in my youth. I also learned to shoot an M16. I learned a lot about the Israeli life and political points of view.”

Her Jewish values play a role in strong beliefs about the importance of sustainability and environmental awareness.

“To me, it is the same set of values – be a good member of the community. Service. Stewardship. Social justice. Contribute to the overall wealth of the community as best you can,” she says.

Laura, who is a lifelong learner, has relished the opportunity to be a part of the designer bootcamp and further her skills. “In Bootcamp, they work us hard, expect us to be professional in all of our presentations, dealings and opportunities. We have a lot

of homework – much of it focused on how to organize a small business, make sales, create and use a budget and marketing plan, talk to potential investors, etc. This is serious. It is not about putting on a pretty show. It is about creating a viable business in the hard- driving fashion world.”

She also believes that fashion is about expressing yourself in a positive way, that enhances your self-esteem and makes you feel good about yourself and your figure. “In fashion, it is important to dress oneself as who you are. I also think it is important to not follow certain trends that are detrimental to self-esteem, such as skimpy clothing for males and females that makes one feel self-conscious and badly represented. Clothes should fit.

They should look great and feel comfortable. You should be empowered by your clothing, not inhibited by it.”

Your wardrobe fits.

Shouldn’t your closet?

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plus Free Installation Minimum purchase of $2000 $2000. May not be combined with any other offers or existing contracts.

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Closets | Garages | Home Offices Entertainment Centers | Wall Beds | Wall Units Pantries | Craft Rooms | Laundry Rooms | Mud Rooms | Wine Rooms

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ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 61

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Home Theater, Hi-Fi Audio, 4K UHDTV, A/V Furniture, Whole House Music, Surveillance, Networking, Security, Lighting Control, Motorized Shades, Custom Installation

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62 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

[seniors]

Millard Seldin at his 90th birthday celebration. Photo by Keith & Melissa Photographers

Millard Seldin: going strong at 90

By Mala Blomquist

Millard Seldin turned 90 in August this year, but his voice and mind are as strong as his convictions. He is a businessman, builder, developer, horse racing enthusiast and breeder, philanthropist, father, grandfather and doting husband.

His days now are filled with keeping track of wife Beverly’s caregivers and working from his home office, although he does manage to go into the office of Seldin Real Estate, Inc./Kent Circle Investments “to do filing and a few meetings.”

His business career started when he returned home to Council Bluffs, IA, from serving two years in the U.S. Navy during WWII. “My dad wanted to build homes, and he needed a body to learn the business and operate that end of it, that’s where I got involved learning to build homes and develop,” says Millard. He graduated from the University of Iowa, in 1951.

In 1957 he moved the company to Omaha, NB, where he

acquired 1,000 acres to develop. He built homes and from there it developed into a complete community with shopping centers, apartments, churches, schools and more.

In the late ’80s and early ’90s he became more involved in real estate in Arizona and California. Millard co-founded Southwest Value Partners and, according to a 1997 article in the Wall Street Journal, the company accumulated 30% of the class A office space in downtown San Diego. Since 2002, Millard has worked closely with his son Scott in the offices of Seldin Real Estate, Inc./Kent Circle Investments in Scottsdale.

His keen business sense transformed a hobby of handicapping race horses (predicting which horses will win) to owning and breeding his own. In 1978 Millard bought his first two horses at the Ocala, FL sale. For his 89th birthday, his children purchased Awesome Mil as a surprise. This horse has not started to race yet, but is expected to be a formidable presence on the track.

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 63

When asked about his fondest memory of horse racing, Millard is reflective, “I guess one of the best parts of the whole business has been meeting and making friends. [There are] so many hard-working people in the industry who passionately love and enjoy being around horses. That has really been one of the nicest and greatest things about the business, the friends you’ve made and the people that you become very good friends with – and you appreciate their love.”

The Seldins used to travel to watch their horses compete in various stake races and would spend summers in

Experience matters.

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By any measure, 28 years of experience in senior living is a lot.

And through the years, we’ve helped many people find a lifestyle perfectly suited to them. Our secret?

We listen. And we’ve found that every person’s need or desire to move is incredibly unique.

We’ve created equally unique places to live with great social opportunities, fine dining, accredited care services, and more. All with you in mind.

Come see how good it feels to have experience on your side. Please call now to schedule your complimentary lunch and tour.

Awa r d -Wi n n i ng M e mor y C a r e Hawthorn Court • 13822 South 46th Place at Ray Road Phoenix, AZ • 480.367.8999 I n de p e n de n t & A s s i s t e d L i v i ng The Village at Ocotillo • 990 West Ocotillo Road Chandler, AZ • 480.558.0246 La Siena • 909 East Northern Avenue Phoenix, AZ • 602.910.6319

SRGseniorliving.com 64 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

Millard and Beverly on their wedding day, Nov. 27, 1960

Omaha. But in 2000 Beverly required surgery after she fainted in the shower and broke her neck. They had a problem getting the proper 24-hour care she needed in Omaha, so they stopped visiting there.

Beverly had neck surgery in 2000 at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix and also had surgery there in 2009 for spinal stenosis. Millard had been told that about 85% of the population at one time or another will have back problems. So in 2013 he donated a gift to help fund a new laboratory at Barrow for the research of spine surgeon Nicholas Theodore, M.D. “Even though the research program was not something that would benefit Bev, it held promise to the population as a whole,” explains Millard. The Beverly and Millard

Seldin Family Disc and Spinal Regeneration Lab was named in their honor.

Philanthropy has always been an important part of the Seldins’ lives and in honor of his 90th birthday, Millard’s family donated $50,000 to Pardes Jewish Day School in Scottsdale, where his granddaughter and twin grandsons attend. When it comes to giving, Millard has this advice for his children, “Mainly they should give from their heart and always realize it’s much better to give than receive.”

More wisdom that Millard shares is, “One of the most important things I believe is the importance of the Golden Rule. Another thing is getting along with others, accepting others as they are, rather than trying to change people.”

When asked what advice he might give his younger self, he is reflective, “Then I was always looking at new, challenging opportunities to conquer, and I was never satisfied until they were either realized or dropped. I more or less reflect now on the importance of being content and satisfied, versus on the go, go, go and so forth. I remember the quote ‘You can’t push a string’ – I guess that comes with being 90.”

He admits one of the downsides of turning 90 is that many of his good friends and business associates have passed away. But he tries to remain upbeat and active, and he says, “You have to keep your mind going.” He recently read about one secret to aging, “If you are conscientious, you are going to live longer.” If that is the case, Millard Seldin may be blessed with many, many more years ahead of him.

L’Shana Tova 5777 We Celebrate the New Year and Millard’s 90th

Life blooms here.

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Close to Tucson Medical Center

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Restaurant-style dining in our signature café or in-room dining service Transportation to local shopping, dining and entertainment destinations Door-to-door service to scheduled medical appointments A wide choice of activities, events and entertainment Full-service beauty salon Well-stocked libraries and reading rooms Game room, billiard room and more Free Wi-Fi and a computer lab Complete fitness center and spa Spacious living rooms Many charming outdoor patios Handmaker has it all. Compared to other living facilities, our active lifestyle options and modern amenities truly shine.

Millard and Beverly Seldin, Scott and Beth Seldin, Derry and Wendy Seldin, Traci and David Moser, and grandchildren: Ariana, Ben, Marina, Grayson, Grant, Aaron

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[seniors]

Steve and Jan Hertzfeld (kneeling in front) with the Beth Ami Temple Strollers on the Lost Dog trail in McDowell Sonoran Preserve. (From left) Bob Johnson, Arnie Schwartz, Stu Meckler, Marvin Freedberg, Joan Lowell, Rich Katz and Susan Pollack

It’s a

wanderful life

By Deborah Muller

Steve and Jan Hertzfeld at the summit of Pikes Peak in Colorado.

66 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

With the prevalence of Google Maps and GPS, there is very little chance for people to run off course in today’s world, but according to one Valley couple, all who wander are not lost.

Steve and Jan Hertzfeld are wanderers.

Actually, they are wanderers, hikers, strollers, adventurers and explorers. Embodying the phrase “active members of society,” the husbandand-wife team enjoys nothing more than discovering nature and staying physically fit while exploring the myriad of great hiking destinations throughout Arizona. Rain or shine, these Phoenix residents hit the trails to hike Havasupai Falls, scale the Superstitions and

Steve and Jan Hertzfeld revisit the site of their honeymoon trip, the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

meander through the McDowell Sonoran Preserve.

The Hertzfelds are beshert, a match made in REI heaven.

With their mutual love of physical activity, exploration and nature, it’s no wonder that for their honeymoon in 1991, Steve and Jan hiked the Grand Canyon rim to rim – in one day.

Each Hertzfeld has been active since a young age. Jan, 59, who currently serves as the fitness coordinator for all of Maricopa County’s employees, reveals she was “born active

and wanted to be a gym teacher since the age of four.” Steve, an IT specialist at the Phoenix Veterans Administration and a volunteer registered nurse at a South Phoenix clinic, shares similar feelings on exercise. “I have always been active,” Steve, 65, explains. “I have never been a big gym rat though, choosing to enjoy the outdoors, the adventure, the curiosity and the challenge.”

Jews throughout history have been labeled “wanderers”

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 67

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because, for thousands of years, their history as a people has been defined by expulsion, exile, migration and a search for a homeland. While Steve and Jan have found a home in Phoenix, their wanderings figure prominently in their Jewish identities too, but in a much more positive way.

“Not to be too hokey, but so many of the places we hike really get me emotional,” says Steve. “I really am in awe of how amazing they are and that G-d had to have some say in their creation. And using the literal meaning of tenant, I guess I am a wanderer. I never get enough of seeing new places and especially the people.” Some of the amazing places the couple has explored include Pike’s Peak, Mt. Whitney and the Appalachian Trail in the United States, as well as Tanzania’s Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mexico’s Copper Canyon and Chile’s Torres del Paine.

“I guess I am a wanderer. I never get enough of seeing new places and especially the people.”

– Steve Hertzfeld

Steve and Jan are longtime members of Beth Ami Temple in Paradise Valley, having joined the boutique congregation in part because of its mission to serve the spiritual and social needs of active and involved adults.

To that end, the Hertzfelds formed and currently lead the Beth Ami Temple Strollers, the congregation’s social club devoted to actively exploring the outside. Some of the monthly excursions, which are split into groups based on varying levels of activity, have included the White Tank Mountains and Boyce Thompson Arboretum. The off-road excursions can take a more cosmopolitan turn at times, with the group regularly sauntering along the Phoenix First Friday Art Walk or Scottsdale Thursday Art Walk.

While the Strollers welcome people of all ages, the hikes mostly appeal to adults over 50. The word hike might be off-putting to some people, so “strollers” is used in its place.

For older adults looking to enjoy the outdoors and important physical activity, which Jan advocates as integral to both physical and mental health, group hiking is one of the most popular local pursuits. Besides the chance to enjoy fresh air and new sights, group hikes also provide good company and a chance to connect with the outdoors and one’s fellow congregation members.

On their own, the exploration enthusiasts annually lead hundreds of hikes ranging from charity walks to extremely vigorous climbs for the Strollers, the Phoenix Jewish Singles Meetup Group, as part of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, and many more with friends and family. When the day is done and the hiking boots are removed, the Hertzfelds prop up tired feet in well-deserved rest and reflect on their most “wanderful” life.

For more information about the Beth Ami Temple Strollers, visit bethamitemple.org.

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vosjcc.org/sundays Valley of the Sun JCC - 12701 N. Scottsdale Rd. Corner of Sweetwater & Scottsdale Rd. ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 69

JKids & Teens too SPECIAL

BAR & BAT MITZVAH SECTION

INSIDE 70 Pro tips and trends for the best party ever 72 GreenScreen provides a personalized party experience 74 Dual bar mitzvah fulfills a holy task 76 Get away from home for idyllic bar or bat mitzvah 77 Bar & Bat Mitzvah Showcase 82 Teens empowered to show the real Israel 83 Walk between the raindrops 84 Kids & Teen Events

70 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

Pro tips and trends for the best party ever

By Mala Blomquist

There is no shortage of ideas on the internet when it comes to planning a bar or bat mitzvah celebration. You can find everything from Pinterest-perfect pictures to blogs covering misadventures in the mitzvah party planning world. But somewhere in between there’s plenty of good ideas and good advice.

ADVICE

“The best advice for mitzvah moms and dads is: take that nap! If you are doing a night party, force your kid, corral that kid, onto a bed for at least an hour (parents too!) before the night event. It is so exciting, so overwhelming, years and years of prep [involved] – so it’s easy when the party comes, to be exhausted,” explains Barb Shapiro of GreenScreen Entertainment & Novelties, LLC (greenscreenaz.com). In her years in the business, she has seen kids too exhausted or stressed out to enjoy their own party.

Barb also stresses the importance of planning, “Simultaneously plan everything. It can feel overwhelming, but make a spreadsheet of each category.” She suggests to pick the date (about two years out) and then secure the venue. The venue and the DJ are the most crucial pieces, but everything needs to be considered as a separate component. The photographer, videographer, adjunct entertainment, cake, caterer, linens all need to be figured in.

“One thing that mitzvah parents need to understand when they are going to select their vendors and why they need to do it early, is because just about every vendor I know does much more than the mitzvah market. We do weddings, corporate events, sporting events, house parties, etc. Mitzvah moms often think very regionally; they know of a few temples in the area, and who may else be having a mitzvah on a certain date, but it’s much wider than that, especially in peak season,” Barb advises.

THEMES

Themes are crucial to any celebration and there are ways to tie in activities with the theme selected. Here are some of our favorites: Winter Wonderland: Rent a life-sized snow globe for a décor centerpiece and photo opportunity for the guests, especially if they can go inside the snow globe.

Science: Have an interactive “mocktail” bar for kids, complete with beakers and test tubes filled with colorful juices and steaming dry ice.

Chocolate: A mirror shaped like a giant Hershey’s kiss makes a unique sign-in board. Use individual chocolate bars for place cards.

Football: Turn the dining area into one big tailgate party with pop-up tents and lawn chairs.

Star Wars: Have different “Star Wars” movies playing on television screens throughout the venue.

Avengers: Hire professional entertainers to race into the ballroom on a ‘chase’ after the super villains, an interactive experience for the guests and great photo opportunities for the guest of honor.

Fashion: Set up a red carpet and ropes for a photo opportunity and design place cards to look like American Express platinum credit cards.

Animals: Face painting to transform guests into their favorite animal and animal prints (zebra, giraffe, tiger) on everything from kippas to cake.

TRENDS

Take a look at what’s trending on mitzvahmarket.com, “the largest online resource” for bar and bat mitzvah party planning: 1. 4-hour vs. 5-hour parties – lose the formal cocktail hour 2. Email RSVPs – a greener option and saves the cost of paper and stamps 3. Candy bars/buffets – double as party favors 4. Clever logos – design a logo to use on everything from invitations to place cards 5. Dancer T-shirts – customized T-shirts for motivational dancers 6. Food trucks – for an exit treat when your guests leave the party 7. Custom sneakers – kids can express their style and be comfortable dancing 8. Dual purpose sign-in boards – like mirrors, pillows or chairs 9. Creative candle lighting displays – cupcakes, floating candles, ice sculptures and puzzles 10. Big grand entrances – golf cart, surf board, Segway or bicycle are new ways to enter 11. Meaningful mitzvah projects – something that will leave a lifelong desire to do good 12. Montage with voice-overs – moms and dads lend their voices to videos 13. Hashtag events – create a custom hashtag for your celebration 14. Food – some kids are requesting more sophisticated food options, like sushi

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ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 71

BAR & BAT MITZVAH

GreenScreen Thanks to the green screen behind them, guests can choose the background to look like they’re somewhere else.

provides a personalized party

experience

Select motorcycles in the background to be the leader of the pack.

Put yourself in the Oval Office as commander in chief.

By Mala Blomquist

The idea for GreenScreen Entertainment & Novelties, LLC was born from an unfortunate situation that turned into a blessing, like some unfortunate situations tend to do. Barb Shapiro’s daughter had a bat mitzvah celebration coming up and Barb’s mother, who had not been well, passed away. “I was ill-prepared for my own mitzvah. I only had the place. And a wonderful friend of mine gave me all her vendor names and rescued me. I decided, from that moment on, to pay it forward because she had been so wonderful,” explains Barb.

Although she went on to help friends at Temple Chai in Phoenix plan their celebrations, Barb knew that she did not want to be a party planner. She did, however, want to do something in the mitzvah market.

A year before her son was scheduled to become a bar mitzvah, Barb’s friend came home from a celebration in Colorado with a video of party guests’ heads superimposed on bodies of professional dancers. Barb thought, “Now that’s something I would love to do in the mitzvah market.” So, she talked to her husband, Burton, who Barb calls, “unbelievably creative” and “we recorded songs, hired dancers and made our 72 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

own music video product.” GreenScreen Entertainment was born.

Burton thought it would be cool to offer party goers an 8x10 magazine cover photo, like they have at Disneyland, so he started getting creative. He took a photography class and some additional training, so by the time their son celebrated his bar mitzvah, four years after their daughter, they were in business.

Technically, their son’s bar mitzvah party was their third job.

Their number one product at GreenScreen Entertainment is their open-air photo booth. Very different from a traditional photo booth, their setup can accommodate up to 17 people in one picture.” explains Barb. “Because we shoot against a green screen we make the guest look like they are somewhere else. We have over 300 backgrounds to choose from.” Client may select 24 backgrounds, shown on a custom display board, from which their guests can choose. These photos range from Times Square to riding in a car in the desert.

Parents like to pick photos around a theme and Barb helps them flesh out their options. “I always say, let’s do some in that theme, but let’s round out the [display] board because ultimately all the guests are going home with photos. Let’s make sure that you, and they, say, ‘Best party ever!’”

Through this process, they can shoot and print up to 100 The movements are converted to pages – each with a slightly pictures an hour. “Guests see the pic right after it is taken and varied background – printed, go through the cutter and voila! they are dropped into the scene. We then ask for approval, if The guest has their very own flip book as a party favor. they have closed eyes or messy hair, we will gladly re-shoot Green Screen also creates digital T-shirts and hats that the picture,” Barb explains. “Then the photo is printed, placed resemble air-brushed designs, but because they are heat-pressed in a frame and bagged up for the guest. That way the guest using transfers, you can wash them and not worry about the participates in the party favor they receive.” colors bleeding. They also will shoot music videos during a Another popular product that GreenScreen provides is party where the guest can take home a thumb drive to keep the airbrush tattoos. “I was a little hesitant because in the Jewish memory forever. culture we don’t tattoo our bodies, but I was convinced that it Since Burton does all the graphic work (when he’s not at his was paint, it washes off, it comes off, day job, as a doctor) he can create so I reluctantly got into the airbrush “Because we shoot against a custom designs for the green screen tattoo business,” jokes Barb. backgrounds, as well as custom green screen we make the guest centerpieces, place cards, banners, The tattoos are good during cocktail hour at the beginning signing boards – pretty much look like they are somewhere of the party, when something is everything you need to complement needed to keep the kids occupied. your celebration. else. We have over 300 Barb also says, “You have to be The attention to detail is in mindful of anything that you bring backgrounds to choose from.” everything they do, and Barb’s in at cocktail hour; it has to have background as a former teacher speed to it. You have to be able to with a master’s degree in teacher service everybody during that time period.” Even though speed training comes in handy when running this business. She does is of the essence, Barb’s motto is, “Never rush anyone, ever.” have some sage advice for anyone in the mitzvah entertainment They can do up to 90 airbrush tattoos an hour and guests have business, “You have to really like 13-year-olds. If you don’t, get 375 design choices to choose from. Oh, and they smell like out of the mitzvah market! If you don’t enjoy this age group, cotton candy! don’t do it.”

GreenSceen offers their unique on-site ActionPages flip For more information on the services and products they books with moving backgrounds. These little books with offer, or to book them for your next event, contact GreenScreen business-card-sized pages are created when the guest picks Entertainment & Novelties, LLC at 602-541-1615 or their props and background, and then move for 7-10 seconds. greenscreenaz.com.

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 73

BAR & BAT MITZVAH

Dual bar mitzvah fulfills a holy task

By Melissa Hirschl Photo by Molho Photography

Great stories often begin with the musing of “what if.” The story of Issac “Ike” Feiges and Max Miller is one of those. With a gulf of 67 years between them, the two celebrated a dual bar mitzvah ceremony in May. Ike, 80, could not have envisioned a more poignant ceremony.

Not only did he have the unique opportunity to share a memorable and spiritual event with his young friend, but he also transcended an incredibly painful past. While most American children were busy playing ball or riding bikes, Ike was bravely trying to stay alive in a place synonymous with death: Auschwitz. From the age of nine to eleven, Ike miraculously escaped the tentacles of a madman bent on wiping out every vestige of Jewish life and culture. With no rabbis around when the camp was finally liberated, he never experienced the joy of becoming a bar mitzvah. “For over 70 years a door was shut closed,” says Max’s dad, Jeff Miller.

“Today we kicked that closed door back open.”

Born in Czenowitzh, Romania, Ike started life in a typical middle-class home. His nightmare began with the proverbial 74 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

“knock on the door.” He was taken on a freight train as a young boy of eight, to Auschwitz with his mother, two sisters and father. “My father was very valuable to the Germans because he had a much-desired skill. He was a talented tailor,” says Ike. After a harrowing two-day train ride with hardly any food and water, Ike was hidden in the barracks under floorboards by a family friend. “I was told what to do, and I was a good listener,” he says. With rags on his feet to combat the bitter cold winters, Ike had to endure sawdust soup, moldy food, no showers and lice everywhere. “To make things even worse,” he says, “I contracted Typhus, a disease caused by rodent droppings. I had a high fever but miraculously survived with no medication.

When the adults were outside the barracks I was in there all by myself; mainly fantasizing.” When Russia liberated the camp in 1945, Ike and his reunited family were sent to a DP (displaced persons) camp in Vienna and eventually to one in Germany, before entering the U.S. in 1951 and settling in Baltimore, MD. Ike went on to work for the government as an electrical engineer.

Ike’s story of incredible hardship and bravery became a lightning rod at a Passover seder that Mike and Max were both invited to three years ago. At this dinner, there were many

children who were learning about the events of the Holocaust, including Max. Upon learning that Ike never became a bar mitzvah, Max was so moved, a question immediately leaped into his head... what if he and Ike could have a bar mitzvah together? That “what if ” question set the stage for an extraordinary and significant event neither will ever forget.

“I was surprised with joy at such a nice young man’s great idea,” says Ike. Max’s enthusiasm was palpable that night, according to his mother, Stephanie. “He was determined to share his special day with Ike,” she says. “I was talking, and he kept trying to get my attention because he was so excited. I had no idea of what he was thinking at the time.”

A sacred gift

The next day, Stephanie, called Ike and his wife, Nancy, to arrange a brunch to discuss the possibility. “Max was so anxious to talk to Ike,” says Stephanie, “he couldn't wait and asked Ike the day before. Ike slept on the proposal, and gave the answer Max was so eager to hear the next day... yes. The two families quickly bonded over the next few years; sharing Chanukah celebrations and Shabbat dinners.

The bar mitzvah ceremony, officiated by Rabbi Micah Caplan of Congregation Or Tzion in Scottsdale, was held this past May at the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center, which was able to accommodate the 250 people who came to honor Ike and Max. “By stepping up at the bar mitzvah, Max and Ike really went back 70 years and fulfilled a holy task that 1.5 million children weren’t able to possess,” says Rabbi Caplan “For that, they are both heroes. They brought a special and

sacred gift to our community. They became bar mitzvahs not only for themselves but for the millions who never could during the Holocaust.”

There was a moving moment during the service that served as a stark reminder of how Jews have come full circle since World War II. Rabbi Caplan had previously taken a group of teenagers on March of the Living to visit concentration camps in Europe. He skillfully intertwined the significance of these visits during the service. He brought back a slab of rock from one of the camps. During the service he took it out to further emphasize the haunting connection that still lingers through that rock.

“My bar mitzvah was the best thing in life that’s ever happened to me,” says Ike. “During all those years, I was content not having one. Now I am overwhelmed. The Torah portion read during the service speaks of the holiness of relationships. Long ago as a young boy, I lived in a time where people abused me and my people. Today I am blessed with Max, I am blessed with Nancy, I am blessed with the Miller family and I am blessed with my Or Tzion family. We lost a son at the age of 15 who had a bar mitzvah and mine was a great connection to him as well.”

The evening party, for families and friends of both Ike and Max, was held at the Hilton Embassy Suites (formerly Chaparral Suites). “Ike and Max made a grand entrance with sunglasses and a smoke machine with dramatic music being played,” says Nancy. “The only thing we didn't do is lift Ike in the traditional chair dance; we danced around him instead. I was afraid they would drop him,” she laughs.

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 75

BAR & BAT MITZVAH

Get away from home for idyllic bar or bat mitzvah

A family celebrates their son’s bar mitzvah in the rain forests of Costa Rica.

By Deborah Moon

Taking b’nai mitzvah celebrations on the road can relieve mental and financial stress, promote family bonding and create a double set of memories to last a lifetime.

A destination bar or bat mitzvah can be the ideal solution for a family facing special needs – either in terms of family dynamics or a child with learning or developmental differences.

More than a decade ago, Ellen Paderson began planning destination bar and bat mitzvahs. With more than a hundred such celebrations under her belt, she realized how well they would fit the needs of children with anxiety or developmental issues as well as families’ special needs.

“Many children are shy and don’t want to get up in front of the whole congregation, but they can do it in front of 20,” says Ellen.

Through her 22-year-old travel company Smiles & Miles Travel, Ellen not only handles all travel arrangements, she has connections with synagogues throughout the world.

They include Prague and Italy as well as at historic American synagogues in St. Thomas and Curacao. For celebrations on cruises or in the rainforest or other exotic locations, she has a cantor willing to join the trip to officiate and bring a Torah and prayer books.

While some families have the education piece in hand, Ellen can arrange tutors, who work via Skype or FaceTime, to prepare the child for the service.

She shares a story from one of her tutors who worked with twins, one of whom had autism: “We began our lessons about six months before the trip, and we focused on having each child accomplish prayers and blessings that were age and skill 76 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

appropriate. We created a teaching/ learning experience that was challenging without pressure or stress. We adapt our lesson for the individual student.”

She says another tutor explains, “Our goal is to make it easy for the child to participate as much as possible in the bar/bat mitzvah ceremony, to make them feel good about being Jewish and to appreciate their rich heritage, their roots and who they are.”

When picking a destination, Ellen says she reminds the parents to consider the child’s interests. For a child who likes nature and adventure, planning a trip to visit the art museums in Italy is not going to be a hit.

Though an exotic family vacation might sound expensive, Ellen says for many families it is actually cheaper than throwing a big party for everyone in the congregation – a party where the bar mitzvah will spend little time with relatives who travelled across the country to see them. Conversely, on a cruise or at a resort, the extended family will often have several days to bond over shared meals and excursions. The service, family and vacation will combine to create lifelong memories.

“Sometimes divorced families find it easier to be in a destination and can share the joy,” says Ellen. Depending on whether the divorce was friendly, she notes, parents in different states might come together in one destination, or a father might plan a destination bar mitzvah after the mother hosted a celebration in the synagogue.

For more information about Smiles & Miles Travel, visit barmitzvahvacations.com.

BAR & BAT MITZVAH

Showcase

ODYSEA AQUARIUM

9500 East Via De Ventura, Scottsdale 480-266-7127 • odyseaaquarium.com/host-your-event Blu Culinary Creations, the exclusive caterer for OdySea Aquarium, invites you to host your mitzvah somewhere extraordinary! From 50-2,800 guests, OdySea Aquarium will provide a unique experience and lasting memories.

Offering a variety of unique venue space options, your mitzvah can be customized to fit your vision and needs, and the guest list can even include a penguin or otter!

THE PHOENICIAN

6000 E Camelback Road, Scottsdale 480-423-2710 • thephoenician.com We have a variety of ballroom space for various group sizes along with menu options that can be customized to fit your price point. The Phoenician has a 30-year history in the Valley of creating memorable events that exceed expectations for quality, service and style.

EVENING ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

7340 E Indian Plaza, Scottsdale 480-429-6000 • eveningentertainmentgroup.com Evening Entertainment Group has pioneered the art of event planning in Arizona. Our concepts, Livewire and The Mint Ultra Lounge, are undeniably the Valley’s most exclusive event destinations and have everything you will need to make your mitzvah memorable. Let us make your experience stressfree and seamless with our professional team and turn-key properties.

MIRACLE MILE DELICATESSEN

4433 N 16th St., Phoenix 602-776-0992 • miraclemiledeli.com Miracle Mile offers a unique bar/bat mitzvah dining experience, for either a delicious Kiddush or a phenomenal feast at any point throughout the family’s celebration period. Miracle Mile’s attention to detail and excellent customer service from beginning to end will put any Jewish mother’s (and father’s) mind at ease.

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 77

BAR & BAT MITZVAH

Showcase CHOMPIE’S

3481 W Frye Road, Chandler, 480-398-3008 7700 W Arrowhead Towne Center #1145, Glendale, 623344-3104 4550 E Cactus Road, Phoenix, 602-710-2910 9301 E Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, 480-860-0475 1160 E University, Tempe, 480-557-0700 chompies.com Chompie’s Catering considers its service to be just as important as the food, with a dedicated team who will oversee your catering needs, from menu customization to delivery, setup and service staff. With 37 years of experience, Chompie’s Custom Catering can be counted on to ensure your event's success.

BAR/BAT MITZVAH VACATIONS

508-238-4088 • barmitzvahvacations.com Destination bar or bat mitzvahs fit the needs for many families. Celebrate in a historic synagogue, on a cruise or in an exotic location. We handle travel arrangements; coordinate arrangements for the service including a Torah, prayer books and officiant; and can arrange tutors who work through Skype or FaceTime. Contact Ellen Paderson at ellenp1@comcast.net.

ANCALA COUNTRY CLUB

11700 E Via Linda, Scottsdale 480-391-1000 ext. 237 • ancalacc.com Ancala Country Club, with stunning views of Camelback Mountain, the natural beauty of the McDowell Mountains and the golf course, sets the canvas for breathtaking photos. Ancala’s elegant ballroom, with its high ceilings and charming patio strung with soft white lights, is the perfect venue for your bar/bat mitzvah.

78 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

POMELO

7100 N 12th St., Bldg. One, Phoenix 602-633-2600 • pomelophx.com Pomelo, built around a 1920s adobe house, is a place for delicious, straightforward American food and drinks, with an Arizona twist. Enjoy the dining room, patio, The Orchard Phoenix lawn or entertainment in The Barn. Hold your mitzvah here using our on-site catering.

ASU KERR CULTURAL CENTER

6110 N Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale 480-596-2660 • asukerr.com Rustic, distinct and affordable, the historic ASU Kerr Cultural Center welcomes your creativity. Bring any insured caterer. Stock your own bar and hire an insured, certified bartender to pour. Wow guests with your personal touch and our professional edge – Kerr’s skilled technical staff loves to help bring your ideas to life.

PHOENIX ZOO

455 N Galvin Pkwy., Phoenix 602-286-3800 • phoenixzoo.org The Phoenix Zoo is the perfect place for your mitzvah – from outdoor sites surrounded by nature to the perfect ballroom to dance the night away. As a nonprofit, the zoo relies on revenues from private events to support its animal and education initiatives. Enjoy hosting your celebration while making a difference.

ANCALA COUNTRY CLUB Ancala Country Club with stunning views of Camelback Mountain, the natural beauty of the McDowell Mountains and the golf course sets the canvas for breath taking photos.

Ancala’s elegant ballroom with its high ceilings and the charming courtyard patio strung with soft white globe lights is the perfect venue for your bar/bat mitzvah, wedding, social or business event.

Our team exemplifies country club customer service making you and your event special and unique.

You name it, we’ll cater it, and we have it all!

Breakfasts • Luncheons • Dinners Hors d’oeuvres • Party Platters Buffets • Beverages • Desserts AND

Custom Cakes, Too! All Events and Group Sizes 11700 E. Via Linda Scottsdale, AZ 85259 480-391-1000 x 237 www.ancalacc.com

Custom Service Set Up and Service Staff Available See Catering Menu at www.chompies.com

Valley Wide Delivery

Call 480-348-CATR (2287) ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 79

BAR & BAT MITZVAH

Showcase TUCSON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER

3800 E River Road, Phoenix 520-299-3000 • tucsonjcc.org The Tucson J is the most versatile location in Tucson! We can accommodate your special themed party to make it a lifelong memorable event. Our venue has multiple indoor and outdoor spaces, including a gorgeous sculpture garden, fine art gallery, gymnasium and much more, all in a kosher (dairy) environment.

80 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

INA LEVINE JEWISH COMMUNITY CAMPUS

12701 N Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale 480-481-7123 Located in north Scottsdale with a great view of McDowell mountain.

We can accommodate a service in the morning for up to 380 people including the Kiddush and lunch. In the evening, we can host a reception for 300 with dining room tables and chairs. We have a fully-equipped 5,000 square foot banquet hall. There is also an amphitheater and garden to host your cocktail hour under the stars.

Your perfect b’nei mitzvah is just a phone call away.

Considering a Destination or Cruise Bar / Bat Mitzvah or Wedding?

TALK TO THE

EXPERT! kWe coordinate all travel and event arrangements on land or sea. kCelebrate in a historic synagogue or exotic location.

MOLHO PHOTOGRAPHY

111 E. Dunlap Ave. #290, Phoenix 602-758-1621 or 602-703-6775 molhophotography.com Yaakov and Pinina are professional photographers who work as a team and love what they do. They believe it is a privilege to capture emotions and visual family stories at your special point in time. Call for bar/bat mitzvahs, weddings, birthdays, baby naming, family & pet portraits, life & memorial ceremonies, business events and more – see galleries and video clips at MolhoPhotography.com.

The Jerusalem Synagogue in Prague

“Ellen did all the planning and worrying for us. All we had to do was relax and enjoy our family!”

kExperts on Costa Rica, Italy, Prague, Mexico, Caribbean Islands – You name it! kArrangement for all religious needs plus Rabbi / Cantor. kWe can arrange tutors through Skype/FaceTime – and for special needs kids, too.

20+ Years of Experience.

Extensive Local Contacts Everywhere! • Hassle-Free!

SMILES & MILES TRAVEL / BAR MITZVAH VACATIONS

Contact Ellen Paderson, Owner/Travel Consultant 508-238-4088 / ellenp1@comcast.net smilesandmilestravel.com / barmitzvahvacations.com ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 81

JKids & Teens too Teens

empowered

to show the real Israel

By Nancy Ben-Asher Ozeri

“It was one of the most transformative experiences of my life,” says Josh Kaplan, describing the six weeks he spent this summer with the Alexander Muss High School in Israel. “I don’t consider myself a particularly religious Jew. I find myself much more connected through culture and history. And I really didn’t know what to expect when I went on this program. But Israel, quite literally, became my classroom, as we studied the 4,000 years of Jewish history. To me, that was one of the most incredible ways of experiencing Israel for the first time. To be able to put context to what I’m seeing makes it that much more meaningful and that much more special, because I feel much more connected to Israel as a nation, as a land, as a culture. And it was a great learning experience.”

Josh was one of 10 Arizona seniors who participated in the Jewish National Fund program as AMHSI Impact Fellows.

These AMHSI Leadership Track fellowships are funded by the 2016 Schwartz-Hammer AMHSI Impact Fund and the JNF Boruchin Educational Fund, which cover tuition, on-campus housing, a meal plan, educational materials and trip costs. The AMHSI curriculum covers 4,000 years of Jewish history, using the land of Israel as a living textbook, with educational visits to the places where historical events occurred, in the context of the era being studied.

Joining Josh as 2016 Arizona fellows were Amanda Bley, Caroline Carriere, Max Cohen, Shir Czopp, Yochanan Gibly, Brian Grobmeier, Lola Maas, Hannah Miller and Allison Tarr.

In addition, recent high school graduate Asif Becher received a JNF Boruchin scholarship.

For Josh, a senior at Rancho Solano Preparatory School, one of the most meaningful moments was the first time he went to the Kotel. “I had brought my great-grandfather’s tallis with me to Israel because before he passed away a couple years ago it was kind of his last wish to go see and experience Israel.

I brought it with me when we went to celebrate Shabbat at the Kotel. That was the first time I saw the Western Wall.

I walked up and I was wearing his tallis, and I just lost it. I 82 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

Josh Kaplan (right) and Hannah Miller were among 10 Arizona AMHSI Impact Fellows in Israel this summer.

started crying. It was very surreal, thinking that I was in Israel, because for my great-grandfather and for me, Israel was kind of a figment of our imagination. And experiencing it like that with my great-grandfather right beside me was something very special and something I will never forget,” Josh says.

Another powerful memory that Josh has from Shabbat at the Kotel was when he was pulled into a dancing circle of Chassidic men. “I think it was then when I realized that religion has the potential to unite people not to divide us. Even though this Chassidic rabbi and I were from totally different denominations of Judaism, the Judaism is what connected us,” Josh says.

The group returned to the Kotel after studying the First and Second Temple periods. “For me, that was the ultimate culmination of my Israeli learning,” says Josh. “I had this religious connection that I felt, but also the historical and cultural understanding of the Western Wall’s importance and that just blew me away.”

Since returning home, Josh is eager to share his experience and knowledge with others. He put together a video of footage that he filmed in Israel, documenting his experience, and posted it on social media. “I think a lot of people have come to see that Israel isn’t a scary place, but actually a very beautiful and thriving nation,” says Josh. He also spoke at his school, where he says he is one of only two Jewish students, and is addressing JNF community events. “I feel much more prepared to share with other people not only what I learned, but also about what Israel is really like. There’s so much xenophobia and almost a hatred toward Israel, but all that comes from a lack of knowledge, not an innate desire to discriminate. I feel much more comfortable being able to educate the people in my community after experiencing Israel firsthand and learning all about it.”

For information about AMHSI and scholarship opportunities through the Schwartz-Hammer AMHSI Impact Fund and the JNF Boruchin Educational Fund, contact JNF Israel Programs Admissions Director Audrey Lewis at alewis@ jnf.org or 480-4478100, ext. 983.

JKids & Teens too [Family Time]

Walk between the raindrops

By Debra Rich Gettleman

I’m sitting at my computer, writing. It’s 3:30 in the afternoon and there is a sudden and torrential downpour that seems to appear out of nowhere. I’ve just poured a cup of tea and for a moment I’m enjoying the beauty of the rain and the wet wind that brought it in as I sip on my Earl Grey. Then suddenly it dawns on me that Eli, my 12-year-old, is getting off the bus from school right about now and will be drenched to the bone after running the three blocks from the bus stop to our house.

OMG, this is a job for Super Mom! I bolt away from the computer, grab my keys, wallet and rain boots and run out to the car to save my son. Sure there have been numerous rainy days when I’ve been at work or in meetings at this exact hour. Granted he has managed to run home in the rain on multiple occasions and not met with any serious harm. But it is this moment, I convince myself, that is the make or break moment of motherhood. “A good mother,” I think to myself, “Will race to her son and whisk him out of the elements and into her warm, dry, yellow Fiat.”

I will get to the bus stop before my poor helpless little boy has to step into the cold, harsh rainy reality that awaits him.

As I pull around the corner, I see the bright yellow school bus approaching. “Yes,” I think with great pride in myself and awe in my maternal instincts. My son steps slowly, cautiously off the

bus. The other children follow him close behind. Surely he will see my yellow and black bumble bee vehicle stopped right next to the school bus. He looks at me and I think I see the deep disappointment in his eyes. “But I’m here,” I want to say to him.

“I got here just in the nick of time.”

Then like a flash he is off, racing away from me towards home. I honk. He continues to run, as if he is literally trying to avoid me. “I’m faster than him,” I think, and I speed up to catch him. I roll down the window. “You don’t want a ride home?” I ask pleadingly. “Nah, mom. I want to run in the rain with my friends. See ya at home,” he says, and I watch him as he laughs and dances under the big wet droplets of rain with his pals.

I think I’ve forgotten what it feels like to dance in the rain, to appreciate the adversity of inclement weather, to know that it’s okay to get wet sometimes because you are going to dry off in the end and the sheer act of getting wet can be fun and satisfying . Sometimes we grown-ups worry too much about frizzy hair and drenched sneakers. As greeting card mogul Vivian Greene once said, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass… It’s about learning to dance in the rain.”

Thanks for reminding me, Eli. I love you to Pluto and back.

Debra Rich Gettleman is a mother, blogger, actor and playwright. For more of her work, visit unmotherlyinsights.com

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Kids & Teen

EVENTS October

Xtreme Gymnastics Endless Opportunities to Move, Learn, and Excel

Ongoing:

CLUB J AT VALLEY OF THE SUN JCC

Provides after-school programs ranging from sports to cooking and crafts to Israeli culture and more for those in K-8. Transportation from nearby schools available. Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center, 12701 N Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. 480-634-4949 or youth@ vosjcc.org, vosjcc.org.

J CARE AT EAST VALLEY JCC

Parent drop-off or bus transportation from area schools for grades K-7. Includes homework club, cooking, Israeli culture, dance, sports, gymnastics and more. Early pick-up from Kyrene schools on Wednesday early dismissals. East Valley Jewish Community Center, 908 N Alma School Road, Chandler. Contact Jeff at 480-897-0588 or hastj@evjcc.org, evjcc.org.

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J-CARE AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM AT TUCSON JCC Includes a variety of activities, Homework Hangout (help from education specialists), arts, sports or teens can hang in the Youth Lounge. Bus transportation from schools available for K-12. Tucson Jewish Community Center, 3800 E River Road, Tucson. Contact Scott at 520-299-3000 ext. 192 or szorn@tucsonjcc.org, tucsonjcc.org.

Through Oct 9

A LITTLE PRINCESS is an enchanting musical adaptation of the book by France Hodgson Burnett. Presented by East Valley Children’s Theatre. Times vary. $15 adults, $11 ages 17 and under.

Mesa Arts Center, One E Main St., Mesa. 480-756-3828 or evct.org.

Oct 1

SHAKES IN THE SUKKAH is a Sukkot party for teens in the Sukkah at Rabbi Dov’s home. 5:30 pm. RSVP to CTeen@chabadaz. com or 602-793-0152.

Oct 3

TECH CLASS FOR KIDS IN GRADES 5-12. Students will work alongside directors to design and make props as well as learn the many elements necessary to make rehearsals and shows run smoothly. Presented by Stage Dreams Youth Theatre. 4-5:30 pm every Monday (grades 7-12) or Tuesday (grades K-8) for 12 weeks. $190. Happy Valley Baptist Church, 24220 N 43rd Ave., Glendale.

623-252-9001 or stagedreams.net.

Oct 5 & 19

STORYTIME FOR TOTS! Bring your tots, ages 2-5, for story time, featuring fun education on butterflies, caterpillars and more! Included with admission: $19.95 adults, $17.95 ages 13-17, $12.95 ages 3-12, ages 2 and under free. 10 am. Butterfly Wonderland, 9500 E Via de Ventura, Scottsdale. 480-800-3000 or butterflywonderland.com.

Oct 7

SCHOOL DAYS OUT FOR GRADES K-8. Special activities Mathnasium of Arcadia Mathnasium of Scottsdale Mathnasium of North Scottsdale Mathnasium of Paradise Valley --Coming Soon (480) 739-1652 mathnasium.com

84 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

such as sports, art, swimming, cooking and more. 9 am-4 pm (preand post-care hours for grades K-5 available for an additional fee, 6th grade and older may roam). $45 member, $55 non-member. Tucson JCC, 3800 E River Road, Tucson. 520-299-3000 ext. 394 or tucsonjcc. org.

TOT SHABBAT at 5:45-7:15 pm at Congregation Anshei Israel,

5550 E 5th St., Tucson. Special Kabbalat Shabbat Service for young

families to welcome the Sabbath with stories and songs, followed by kid-friendly Shabbat dinner. $25 per family (2 adults & up to 4 children).

Additional adults $10 per person. RSVP to Kim, 520-745-5550 ext. 224 or edasst@caiaz.org.

Oct 7, 14, 21 & 28

MOMMY & ME ROCK SHABBAT at Temple Kol Ami Early

Childhood Center, 15030 N 64th St., Scottsdale from 9-10:30 am.

Teacher-led class for moms and their children ages infant to 2 years.

Moms connect and share experiences while their children learn and grow.

Classes are just $5 per class (or $35 for a 10-class pass) for Temple Kol Ami members. Non-members pay $10 per class (or $75 for a 10- class pass). For registration or information contact 480-951-5825 or tkaecc@ templekolami.org.

Oct 7-16

THE MUSICAL ADVENTURES OF FLAT STANLEY, JR.

conduct a clinic covering basic golf terms and proper golf etiquette. One adult is required to be a caddy for each child during the event. $5. Tee times: 9 am, 10 am, 11 am (arrive 15 minutes prior to tee time). 520-2993000 or tucsonjcc.org.

FALL INTO SUKKOT FUN from 10 am-3 pm at the Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. PJ Library joins us with wonderful Sukkot stories and fall projects. Children make decorations to hang in our sukkah and have fun making edible sukkah creations. 480634-4949 or youth@vosjcc.org.

FAMILY WELLNESS FESTIVAL features interactive exhibits, fitness demonstrations, nutrition tips, free car seats and more. Noon-4 pm.

Free. Tucson Jewish Community Center, 3800 E River Road, Tucson.

GETTING CRAFTY from 2-3:30 pm at the Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. A family-friendly afternoon of crafts and fun! Your mishpacha creates a special project together to take home and enjoy as a family. $20 members, $30 non-members. 480-634-4949 or youth@vosjcc.org.

features the beloved children’s book character. Call for times. $16/$21 adults, $14/$16 youth. Desert Foothills Theater, 33606 N 60th St., Scottsdale. 480-488-1981 or dftheater.org.

Oct 20

Oct 7-23

SUKKOT CELEBRATION: SHANGHAI SUKKAH at the

CHARLOTTE’S WEB, The Musical features the beloved barnyard

animals from E.B. White’s classic. 7 pm Fri., noon & 3:30 pm Sat., 12:30 & 4 pm Sun. $18. Valley Youth Theatre, 525 N First St., Phoenix. 602-2538188 or vyt.com.

Oct 8

WATER DAY OF PLAY AT MESA COMMUNITY COLLEGE,

1833 W Southern Ave., Mesa. Inflatables, face painting, water slides, live entertainment, educational and interactive booths. 9 am-2 pm. Free. Sign up for raffle prizes at jyl@shapeupus.org. 602-996-6300 or shapeupus.org.

PIZZA IN THE HUT! See page 94 Tucson Jewish Community Center, 3800 E River Road, Tucson. Celebration featuring PJ Library’s story time, songs with Scott and Julie, light Shanghaiinspired snacks and our signature mini-sukkah shakes. 5 pm. Free. 520299-3000 or tucsonjcc.org.

Oct 21

SHABBAT STAY AND PLAY/SHABBAT ON THE GO

features singing and blessings in the art gallery, a special lunch discount for participating parents and children and play space fun immediately following. 10 am. Free. Tucson Jewish Community Center, 3800 E River Road, Tucson. 520-299-3000 ext. 236 or tucsonjcc.org.

Oct 9

ERTH’S DINOSAUR ZOO LIVE! Observe, meet and interact with amazingly life-like dinosaurs and other creatures presented in a theatrical performance. 2 pm at Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W Congress, Tucson. $22$64. 520-547-3040 or foxtucson.com.

Oct 10 & 31

PARENT-TOT CLASS for ages 9 to 24 months and their parents.

Participants sign songs, make art projects, read stories, have a snack and share parenting advice. Free. 9-11 am at Congregation Anshei Israel, 5550 E 5th St., Tucson. 520-745-5550 or edasst@caiaz.org.

Oct 15

KID’S NIGHT OUT – GET WILD @ THE J for grades K-5 at the Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. 6-10 pm.

Parents, enjoy the night out while the kids create animal masks, play animal bingo and make their very own animal crackers! $20 members, $30 non-members. 480-634-4949 or youth@vosjcc.org.

TEEN’S NIGHT OUT – MOVIE & FROZEN YOGURT at the Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. 6-10 pm. Fifth and sixth graders start the evening in The J’s Teen Lounge for Havdalah and mixers, then hop in the vans to check out a new location each month. All entry costs are included and a snack is provided upon return to The J by 9:35 pm. $40 members, $50 non-members. 480-6344949 or youth@vosjcc.org.

ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:

• Games • Activities

• Music • Krav Maga

• Snacks • And More!

FREE ADMISSION • JTOPhoenix.org

Oct 16

ITTY BITTY OPEN AT THE TUCSON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER, 3800 E River Road, Tucson. Golf for kids

ages 3-5. Program provides all participants with a set of plastic golf clubs.

Prior to tournament, golf professionals from Skyline Country Club will ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 85

Ballerina Dreams • Open Enrollment • Small Class Sizes • Nurturing Environment • Renowned Facility • Effective Curriculum • Ages 3-Adult

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OCTOBER 21, 2016

IMAGINE

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[young adults]

Meet Leah and Bar, Tucson’s first shinshinim

By Nancy Ben-Asher Ozeri

Sitting down for an interview at 8 pm on a Tuesday night, after a long non-stop day of classes and meetings, Leah Avuno and Bar Alkaher are still bubbling over with energy and enthusiasm. The Jewish Agency for Israel could not have found a more perfect pair of 18-year-olds to bring Israel to life for the Tucson Jewish community.

Leah and Bar are the first participants in the Shinshinim Young Ambassadors Program to spend a year of service in Tucson. So far, they are loving it and it looks like Tucson loves them.

“Shinshinim” is the plural form of the Hebrew acronym for “sh’nat sherut” – a year of community service that many Israeli teens take on between graduating from high school and enlisting for mandatory service with the Israel Defense Forces. The two were among 115 Young Ambassadors selected from some 3,000 applicants to represent Israel in communities around the world. It’s easy to see why. They both exude confidence, warmth, a love for Israel that they are eager to share and … did I mention enthusiasm?

Leah, who was born in Ethiopia and made aliyah as a toddler with her mother and aunt in 2000, lives in Kiryat Malachi, a city in Tucson’s Partnership2Gether region in southern Israel.

She served as chair of the local youth council for three years and volunteered to lead Birthright groups that visited Kiryat Malachi. Leah applied to be a Young Ambassador because she wanted to do something meaningful after high school. “I wanted to give back to the people,” says the oldest of seven siblings. She was also intrigued by American Jews, who had been so instrumental in supporting programs that benefit Ethiopian immigrants and others in her community, that she wanted to better understand their connection, why they were driven to help people on the other side of the world.

Bar grew up in Shimshit, a northern village in the Jezreel Valley, about 20 minutes inland from Haifa, where he was born. When he was in 5th and 6th grade, his family lived in Virginia while his mother did post-doctoral work at Virginia Tech. In high school, he served as a youth group counselor and wanted to do something similar, working with kids, for his year of service. So the Young Ambassador Program seemed like an ideal way to combine his passion and his skills. He wants to give Americans a different perspective on Israel, to see the country the way he sees it, not the way it’s presented in the media.

Leah concurs. When she was working with Jr. USY (a youth group for 7th and 8th graders at Congregation Anshei Israel)

Bar Alkaher and Leah Avuno on the campus of the University of Arizona

just before the interview, she spent an hour or so answering questions about her life in Israel. “Because I live very close to the Gaza Strip, they were so curious. They thought it’s always dangerous. That’s why it’s so important that we’re here. They have someone first hand, telling them the truth and about life in Israel. They were so amazed that we are doing everything that they basically do. We were comparing stuff – what do you after school, what do you like to do? They were so amazed that we are so similar at the end of the day. We can talk to them about bands and celebrities, the silly stuff that connects us.”

Leah and Bar also stress the importance of connecting with young adults and participating in activities at the University of Arizona Hillel Foundation. They see this as an opportunity to influence future leaders and help combat the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Movement.

Their days are packed with activities. As Bar puts it, the more places they visit, the greater their potential impact. One-onone conversations are the most influential, Leah says, noting that people are very interested in talking to them, wherever they go. I think it’s in response to their own openness and energy. Although their assignment is primarily to work with children and teens, they find that adults are just as likely to engage them in conversation. For example, one day while she was eating lunch at the Tucson Jewish Community Center, between working with kids in the Early Childhood Education and young adults in the special needs program, Leah was approached by a woman in her 80s. She turned out to be a Holocaust survivor, and soon the two were sharing their life stories.

“Those are the moments that are stuck in my head. Honestly, these are the things that excite me and I want to experience them every day,” says Leah.

To follow the adventures of Leah and Bar in Tucson, like them on Facebook at facebook.com/TucsonShinshinim-192190631150877.

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 87

J

Bill Levine affixes a mezuzah on the doorpost of the building named after his first wife, Ina Levine.

VOS JCC g pays tribute to n i v i L Bill Levine

INSIDE 88 90 91 92 94 94 96 98

VOS JCC pays tribute to Bill Levine JFSA gears up to raise a new roof The gift of the hummingbird Derrick Hall to be honored

by Arizona Jewish Historical Society Federation Notes Previews Faces & Places Calendar

88 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

The Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center will honor philanthropist and community leader Bill Levine on Nov. 19 at the Arizona Biltmore. Actor and comedian Jason Alexander, of “Seinfeld” fame, headlines the gala.

When Jewish community leaders decided to move the existing JCC to the northeast Valley in 1999, Bill secured and donated 30 acres at Scottsdale Road and Sweetwater, with a vision of building a community campus that would include space for community organizations, a school, meeting places and The J. The campus was named in memory of Bill’s first wife, Ina Levine. She and their children had been actively involved in The J for more than 40 years.

“This is an opportunity for us to honor someone who is so deserving for what he’s

join us

FOR A SPECIAL

HONORING

BILL LEVINE

done in the community and the impact that he’s had on the community as a whole,” says Jonathan Hoffer, J board chair, who is co-chairing the event with his wife, Rachel. “The old JCC, before it closed, was a place he used to take his kids to, so he understands the value of the relationships that the JCC can build.”

Jonathan and Rachel are a fitting example of the impact those connections can have, since they met each other at The J. Jonathan points out that he met his business partners there also. “I’m one of many examples of the friend and business relationships that come out of the JCC. Because of Bill and the gifts that he’s made to the community, he’s allowing the next generations to have those same opportunities,” he says.

Bill’s generosity has also benefitted the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC, where the Levine Institute for Holocaust Education was named in his honor. With a history of more than 50 years in business in the Valley, Bill has supported many local organizations as well.

“To our knowledge, Bill has never been honored in such a way before, and because he is such a humble, gracious man, it is unlikely he will be honored this way again,” says J President and CEO Stuart Wachs. “He is a passionate and generous supporter of The J. He believes in what The J means to the community.”

Tickets for the dinner event are $500 per person. For information about tributes, sponsorships and registration visit vosjcc.org/levineevening.

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 19 6:30PM ARIZONA BILTMORE

FEATURING JASON ALEXANDER

Register at vosjcc.org/LevineEvening

BENEFITING THE

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 89

JLiving Architect’s rendering of the new Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona facility, targeted for completion in 2017. Courtesy CDG Architects

JFSA gears up to raise a new roof

By Nancy Ben-Asher Ozeri

It’s time. After more than 25 years of squeezing into a renovated ranch house, next door to the Tucson Hebrew Academy, the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona is, at last, launching a capital campaign to build a new facility right around the corner, on the Jewish community campus.

“When I started here 20 years ago, I asked Bruce Beyer, one of our most active lay leaders, if he would chair a committee

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to oversee our facility, our little house. He said, ‘Sure. If you promise me that we’re going to be replacing it someday,’” says JFSA President and CEO Stuart Mellan. That day has arrived.

The property on River Road was purchased in the 1980s as a temporary home for the Tucson Jewish Community Center until its new building on the corner of River and Dodge was ready in 1989. When The J moved out, the federation and the Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona moved in.

As both organizations grew, the foundation moved off campus in 2007, because there simply wasn’t enough room under one roof.

Since the Federation coordinates the timing of capital campaigns among the beneficiary agency partners, Mellan says they waited for the other organizations to accomplish what they needed before ramping up efforts to expand their own digs.

“At the moment, all of the facilities are updated sufficiently, and it’s our turn,” says Mellan. “So we are proceeding to create a professional office on the campus, which will unify the federation and the foundation into one facility.” Mellan also points out that the new facility will be “very security conscious.

The world has changed sufficiently and it’s really vital to have a security orientation around our offices.”

Deanna Evenchik chairs the “Next 70” campaign, which formally kicks off this fall, marking JFSA’s 70th anniversary.

“We’ll be asking the community to participate throughout our federation campaign season,” says Mellan. The current estimated goal is $4.5 to $5 million to cover the construction, some operating costs for the building and security upgrades throughout the grounds of the campus.

The new 18,000 square-foot building will sit at the northwest corner of the Jewish community campus and will be connected to the Tucson J by a promenade walkway. It will also include a social hall, which will be managed by The J, to provide additional meeting and rental space. Construction is slated to begin Dec. 1, with completion targeted for the end of summer 2017.

Fred Mascia from CDG Architects designed the building, with inspiration from the film “Raise the Roof ” about the reconstruction of a Polish synagogue. Mellan says that Mascia chose to incorporate the structural imagery of a Turkish tent from the reconstructed synagogue ceiling into the lobby. It also has biblical echoes of Abraham and Sarah welcoming strangers into their tent. “A tent could be a very meaningful image for an organization that wants to be welcoming and inclusive,” Mellan says.

TO LIFE!

The gift of the hummingbird A mother hummingbird minds her miniature nest on Amy Hirshberg Lederman’s porch.

By Amy Hirshberg Lederman

I have become aware of many things since my husband Ray died. At first, it had to do with the content of my dreams – visual images and messages that brought me closer to feeling his presence in my non-waking hours. As time went on, that closeness has come through beautiful images I see in the natural world – on hikes in the mountains, in the sky at sunset and often in my own back yard, mostly through visits from hummingbirds.

For many years, we both witnessed the beauty of these tiny but determined creatures as they drank from feeders on our back porch. But now, I feel an almost intimate connection with them as they have made their home in nests in both my front and back yards.

I am not a “woo-woo” kind of gal, but I knew something significant was going on when I noticed a nest no bigger than a half of a walnut shell on the tiny twinkle light suspended over the seat where Ray often sat when we ate dinner outdoors.

I couldn’t be on my porch for more than a minute without the hummer hovering overhead. I began to wonder: Is this a messenger from the “other side” wanting to tell me something?

Should I do anything about it? Put up extra feeders? Talk to the tiny glittering creature as it whizzed overhead?

I started reading books about the meaning of the hummingbird. I learned that it is the tiniest of all birds and the only creature that can stop while traveling at full speed. It can hover or fly forward, backward, up or down, its wings moving in the configuration of an eight, the sign for infinity.

In many traditional cultures of the Western world, the hummingbird has powerful religious and spiritual significance.

In the high Andes of South America, the hummingbird is a symbol of resurrection. Hopi and Zuni legends tell of hummingbirds intervening on behalf of humans, convincing the gods to bring rain. Other mystical traditions believe it represents the past and the future and opens up the heart center, bringing joy, happiness and love into the world. And there is a belief that the hummingbird represents a messenger between the worlds. One thing was certain: anyway I looked at it, having a hummer on my back porch was a good thing.

But one morning everything changed. As I was drinking my coffee on my front porch, I noticed something that resembled a feathered tiny tea cup on a branch of the potted ficus tree next to our front door. There, camouflaged amidst the leaves, was the

tiniest, most compact nest I have ever seen. The nest was home to two tiny hummer eggs no bigger than the tip of my pinkie on the same porch where I had created a meditation garden to honor Ray after he died.

The magic and miracle of having hummingbird nests on my front and back porches continues to overwhelm me. I stop several times each day to watch the mommy birds, whose wings normally flap 50 times per second, sit perfectly still atop their nest. I marvel at the complexity of the home they have constructed for their babies, made of moss, fiber and plant down, and how smart they are to choose secure, shaded spots on the porch for their babies. I feel like I am living on the Disney Nature Channel as I watch this unfold: first eggs and now babies the size of my thumbnail, peeking out from tiny nests.

I have always loved animals, but there is something so precious about this experience that I can’t stop thinking about how these mommy hummers have given me an opportunity to experience both awe and compassion in viewing their maternal process.

The Jewish commandment to treat animals with compassion is mentioned on numerous occasions throughout the Torah and the Talmud. In the book of Deuteronomy, we are commanded not to work on the Sabbath and likewise, must not require our animals to do so. We are told how to avoid causing suffering (“tza’ar ba’alei chayim” in Hebrew) by not muzzling an animal when it is working (so that it can eat when it needs to) or plowing with an ox and mule together (because their unequal size and strength will cause them both to suffer). But what I love most is the prohibition of taking baby birds from the nest while the mother is present because of the pain that she would experience. How amazing to think that more than 2,500 years ago, our Jewish ancestors were concerned with protecting the feelings of a momma bird!

Hummingbirds often return to the same location to build a new nest on top of the old one. I look forward to next spring when I hope to be blessed again with the joy and wonder that these little hummers have given me.

Amy Hirshberg Lederman has written more than 300 columns and essays that have been published nationwide. amyhirshberglederman.com

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 91

JLiving

Arizona Diamondbacks President and CEO Derrick Hall outside of Chase Field, Phoenix. Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Arizona Diamondbaks

Derrick Hall to be honored by Arizona Jewish Historical Society

By Mala Blomquist

On Saturday, Nov. 12, the Arizona Jewish Historical Society will present Arizona Diamondbacks President & CEO Derrick Hall with the 2016 Heritage Award at the Musical Instrument Museum. The Heritage Award is given to individuals who have made an exceptional impact on the community through outstanding leadership, service and dedication.

Derrick has turned the Diamondbacks organization into a model franchise in the sports industry and throughout the business world. He also has put an emphasis on volunteering.

In its short history, the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation and organization have provided $40 million in charitable giving, including more than $19 million during Derrick’s 10 years of leadership since he was named president in September 2006 (the title of CEO was added in January 2009).

In an interview with Arizona Jewish Life magazine in May 2013, Derrick said that Diamondbacks employees from the front office to players volunteer “without cameras because it’s the right thing to do. … Tikkun olam is a passion of mine and an alignment for me to baseball … Philanthropy is common 92 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

in the industry, but we are near the top. From management to players, the Diamondbacks have a strong philosophy of giving back, which aligns with my Jewish upbringing.”

On a personal level, Derrick is a force in his own right.

He serves on 25 boards, including the Arizona Mexico Commission, Great Hearts Academies, Arizona Chamber of Commerce, Greater Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau, Muscular Dystrophy Association (where he also served as national vice president), National Advisory Council for Pancreatic Cancer, Make-A-Wish America, Positive Coaching Alliance and the Phoenix Thunderbirds. He is a past recipient of the 2014 Anti-Defamation League’s Torch of Liberty Award and is a member of Temple Solel.

Proceeds from this gala event go towards the ongoing restoration of the Cutler-Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center.

Originally built in 1921, this historical Phoenix landmark served as Phoenix’s first synagogue. The building also served as a sanctuary, religious school and social center for the Jewish community from 1922-1949. It later became a Chinesespeaking Baptist church and then a Spanish-speaking Baptist church. Purchased by the Arizona Jewish Historical Society

in 2002, the center now serves as a museum and event venue open to people of all faiths. The center is a Phoenix Point of Pride and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

“Following the restoration of the building in 2009, we have sought to transform this unique historical landmark into a useful and dynamic resource for our community,” says Executive Director Larry Bell. “Since that time, we have worked to position ourselves as a leading Jewish arts and culture organization. We sponsor an array of arts and culture programs that make a significant impact on our community.” These include public art exhibitions in the gallery, a monthly documentary film series, a monthly book discussion group, genealogy classes and seminars. The CutlerPlotkin Jewish Heritage Center serves as a venue sponsor for interfaith forums organized by Arizona Interfaith Movement.

“We have also begun to organize live musical and theatre programs, including a summer music series, which was attended by some 400 people,” says Larry.

In recognition of the AJHS’s growing profile as an arts and culture organization, the organization has received grant funding from the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix, Arizona Humanities and the City of Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture.

“Our goal is to present a positive vision of Jewish identity – to Jews and non-Jews alike – through arts, culture and history education. Within our local Jewish community institutions, arts and culture is often overlooked,” Larry says. “According to most surveys, the majority of American Jews today identify as Jews through culture, rather than religion or politics. It is extremely important that we reach out and engage this portion of our population in Jewish community life. In addition, it is important for the general public to know who we are, what we believe and the ways we have contributed to the larger society around us. This is why the Arizona Jewish Historical Society is so important. There is no other organization like us in our community.”

The event includes a cocktail reception, award program and an original parody of “Damn Yankees” by members of Phoenix Theatre. People of all faiths are welcome.

The Arizona Jewish Historical Society is located in the Life-Legacy-HH-JewishLife-3.504x4.875-FINAL.pdf 1 8/19/2016 12:59:06 PM Cutler-Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center

Wishing you a year full of happiness and joy!

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2016 Heritage Award

WHAT: To benefit the Arizona Jewish Historical Society WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 12 Food and cocktail reception at 5:30 pm Award ceremony and performance at 8 pm WHERE: Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E Mayo Blvd., Phoenix TICKETS: $180. Sponsorships and advertising opportunities also available.

RSVP: 602-241-7870 or azjhs.org

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This Rosh Hashanah, make this year count for years to come...

The High Holy Days are a time for reflection, and imagining the possibilities for the future. Offering a range of medical, mental health and social services, Jewish Family & Children’s Service helps foster a future where families are healthy, our children are safe, and our elders can live with dignity.

Please consider a Legacy gift or endowment to JFCS.

Jewish Family & Children’s Service

To create your Jewish legacy contact: Frank Jacobson, VP of Marketing & Development Frank.Jacobson@jfcsaz.org 602-567-8329 • www.jfcsaz.org

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 93

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Living

FEDERATION NOTES

Why federation? Beyond funding

By Steven Schwarz

Whenever I am asked why I spend so much time volunteering for the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix, I ask back a simple question: “What would our community look like without the Jewish Federation?” No Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus. No Jewish Tuition Organization. No staff at Arizona State University fighting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement … the list goes on. So, my answer is simple: “The federation is the lifeblood of our community.”

I personally want my kids growing up in an environment in which they feel like The J is a second home and in which they can attend a strong Jewish day school. Though my kids may not go to ASU and participate in Hillel, many parents’ children will. My parents may never benefit from the services of the federation-funded JFCS Senior Concierge, but thousands of other seniors do. Without federation, none of this happens. A strong federation, through its planning, convening, capacity building, engagement and funding, provides a strong foundation for the community that enables our synagogues, schools and other organizations to blossom.

While I do give my time, and some dollars, to very worthwhile non-Jewish community organizations, I recognize that only Jews will support Jewish causes. If we want them to exist, we need to dedicate a significant portion of our time and dollars to ensure that they do.

The federation is no longer just a distributor of dollars. It is an organization that identifies needs and gaps in our community and helps determine how to fill them. As board chair for the past two years, I have seen the enormous work necessary to bring together the various community constituents to build a vibrant and sustainable community.

Federation does so many things that aren’t promoted enough.

Among them: • helping to create a solution that not only resolved the Valley of the Sun JCC’s pool issue, but that made a huge positive impact on The J for its members and the community • conducting emergency campaigns to combat the BDS movement and address anti-Semitism in Europe • helping thousands of persecuted Jews from all over the world gain safety through aliyah to Israel • rescuing community organizations in crisis, such as the East Valley Jewish Community Center devastation from fire • assisting Hillel at ASU to restructure its leadership and funding needed staff positions • building a successful Israel Center to connect our community more fully with Israel There is so much more beyond the funding that the federation does and we look forward to sharing more with you in the future. I am extremely excited about the future of our community and the role that the federation can play in it.

Happy and Healthy New Year. L’Shanah Tova.

Steven Schwarz is chairman of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix Governing Board of Directors.

94 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

PREVIEWS PREVIEWS

SIMPLY WELL FOR WOMEN The Tucson Jewish Community Center in partnership with Gloria “Gigi” Dunn, M.D. and Kathleen Mueller, M.D. presents the first Simply Well for Women program on Oct. 8 and 9. This two-day educational experience for women runs from 9 am-5 pm on both days. Simply Well for Women is designed to offer guidance about your choices and how they directly influence your physical and emotional wellness, and about how to Gloria “Gigi” Dunn, M.D. and Kathleen Mueller, M.D. implement an individualized approach to change. Your $500 tuition allows you and a young woman of your choice to attend this two-day program. For tickets visit tucsonjcc.org or simplywellproductions.com.

DESIGN & LIFESTYLE MARKET Barbara’s Picks has declared October Love Your Home & Lifestyle Month. From 10 am – 4 pm on Oct. 15, more than 30 design and lifestyle vendors will assemble at Allstate Appliances, 15250 N Hayden Road, Scottsdale to showcase their products and services. Known as Barbara’s Picks, each of these vendors are hand selected by Barbara Kaplan, an industry advocate and one of the Valley’s leading interior designers. Throughout the event there will be drawings for amazing prizes, including a grand prize valued at more than $1,000. For more information, visit barbaraspicks.com.

BRANDEIS FALL OPENING EVENT The Brandeis National Committee will hold its Opening Fall Event on Oct. 19 at noon at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, 6360 N Campbell Ave., Tucson. Please bring hotel toiletries, personal-care items, new socks and underwear for children, teens and women to benefit Emerge! Center Against Domestic Abuse. For $39 per person, you have a choice of filet mignon, salmon or veggie pasta; plus entertainment featuring Crystal Stark and Khris Dodge. tucsonbnc.org.

PIZZA IN THE HUT! Celebrate Sukkot with music, art, pizza dinner, special homemade dessert and more from 5:30-7 pm on Oct. 20 at the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center, 12701 N Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Kosher dietary laws observed. Member families are $25; non-member families are $40 per family, up to five people. Additional family

NESHAMA CARLEBACH

members are $8 per person. For more information, contact 480-634-4949 or youth@vosjcc.org.

NOWGEN HOSTS HAPPY HOUR Join the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix’s NowGen young Jewish adults for happy hour from 6-8 pm at Boondocks Patio & Grill, 4341 N 7th St., Scottsdale on Oct. 20. Engage, network, have fun and learn about JDC Entwine! For more information, visit Upcoming Events at facebook.com/nowgenphx.

BENEFIT FOR ANIMAL RESCUE Allstate Insurance at 14144 N 100th St., Scottsdale, which is independently owned and operated by agent Robert Harris, hosts an open house and fund raiser for Foothills Animal Rescue on Oct. 22 from 9 am-1 pm. The Harris Agency will offer free windshield chip repair, free document shredding and free refreshments with any donation to or adoption from Foothills Animal Rescue. Also on hand will be Scottsdale police and fire department to talk about personal and fire safety. “As a full-service insurance agency, we are a one-stop shop for all insurance and financial needs, and we enjoy giving back to our community, such as the Foothills Animal Rescue," Harris says. For information contact the Allstate office at 480-342-8146.

NESHAMA CARLEBACH AT THE FOX A leading superstar in Jewish entertainment, Neshama Carlebach continues the legacy established by her father Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach. Like her father, Neshama’s talent and charisma captivate and endear her to people of all ages, faiths and backgrounds. Neshama Carlebach

will perform Oct. 29 with the Glory to God Singers, led by Reverend Milton Vann– a true interfaith musical event at 7:30 pm, Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W Congress, Tucson.

Neshama has performed and taught in cities worldwide, has sung on the Broadway stage, has sold more than one million records and was a six-time entrant in the 2011 Grammy Awards. Tickets: $25-$50. For more information, contact 520-547-3040 or foxtucson.com.

BAGELS OVER BERLIN In advance of Veterans Day, “Bagels Over Berlin,” a new documentary celebrating Jewish veterans of the Army Air Corp who contributed to the Allied victory in World War II, will premiere on Oct. 30 at the Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus, 12701 N Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale.

Director Alan Feinberg will participate in a post-screening question and answer session with the audience. “Bagels Over Berlin” will be shown free of charge by the Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival and Bureau of Jewish Education. To reserve advance tickets, visit bjephoenix. org or call 480-634-8050.

TUBAC ART AND GIFTS AT THE ARIZONA INN Tubac Art and Gifts is concocting a Pop-Up Gallery on Oct. 31, 3-9 pm at the Arizona Inn, 2200 E Elm St., Tucson.

Come dressed as you are or dressed as you aren’t, but be prepared for shockingly good art: paintings, mesquite furniture, pottery, glass and jewelry. The first 100 to register will receive a complimentary adult beverage. Call Jen at 575-640-6569 for details. If you want to stay the night at the Arizona Inn, mention Tubac Art and Gifts Halloween Party for a 10% discount. tubacartandgifts.com.

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 95

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FACES & PLACES

JSU KICKOFF – On Saturday night Aug. 28 Arizona Jewish Student Union kicked off the 2016-2017 club season at Main Event Entertainment in Tempe. Thirty students from eight Valley JSU schools enjoyed games of laser tag, the floor-to-ceiling ropes course, bowling, unlimited arcade games and more. Pictured: Alex Paul, Emily Kaplan, Alyssa Langley, Branda Statman, Rachel Dickman, Brian Dickman, Abe Leiferman, Benji Knapp, Josh Meirovits, Ben Leshin and Avrahama Friedman.

SOCIAL CLUB – Veterans, family and friends gathered for the Jewish War Veterans Scottsdale Post 210 monthly social on Sunday, Aug. 28 at BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse at Desert Ridge Marketplace in Phoenix. Pictured: Jerry, Sam and Cyndi Rosenstein and Bill Lamb.

HEBREW SCHOOL FOR GROWNUPS – It's never too late to learn your Alef Bet! Feigie Ceitlin led a five-week “Read it in Hebrew” crash course for adults at Chabad Tucson in preparation for the High Holidays.

TEE TIME – Schmooze Singles & Couples spent the morning putting around at TopGolf in Scottsdale on Sunday, Aug. 14. Pictured: (back) Jessi Levin, Adam Levin, Jamie Oskin and Elise Oskin; (front) Lindsay Gilbert, Emmeline Altschul, Lisa Marie Rohdeman and Meghan Dorn.

SHALOM CHAVERIM! – On Aug. 28, Adam Sprintz, Cantorial Soloist Diana Povolotskaya and Rabbi Stephanie Aaron greeted old and new members at Congregation Chaverim’s annual open house and back to school event. Pictured from left: Noah Richter, Sydney Andresen, Diana Povolotskaya, Shinshinim Young Ambassador Leah Avuno and Brennen Feder (front). Photos by Ariel Miklofsky 96 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

FACES & PLACES TEACHER TRAINING WITH DR. BOB – Dr. Bob Wortman joined the Tucson J’s Early Childhood Education teachers for a half-day of literacy-specific development. Dr. Bob, a national consultant for educators in elementary and early childhood education, lives in Tucson and teaches at the University of Arizona.

FUN IN THE SUN – The Tucson Jewish Community Center’s annual membership appreciation picnic drew friends and family to the pool for food and entertainment on Labor Day.

SWING SET – The Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix’s NowGen teamed up with Moishe House for a fun evening of swing at the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center on Tuesday, Aug. 23. Twenty young adults got into the swing of things with a lesson from Dance Fusion instructors. Photo by Stacey Cohen

TALES FROM THE CYBERCRYPT – On Thursday, Aug. 25 panelists Howard M. Cohen, Esther Schindler and Yael Grauer shared entertaining stories from their experience as technology journalists at the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix Business & Professionals Group Chai Tech event at DeskHub, Phoenix. Guests also enjoyed networking, drinks and appetizers. Pictured below: Chai Tech committee members Mikelle Belfore and Alan Zeichick (event moderator) with Haley Halsted and Scott Markowitz. Photos by Amanda Garcia / Jewish Federation of Greater

MAKING A SPLASH – More than 700 members and guests dove right in to celebrate the grand opening of the new aquatics center at the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center on Sunday, Aug. 21. The recently upgraded facility features two sparkling pools, splash pad and climbing tower. The fun included a DJ, music, icy treats, a mermaid and more.

Photos by Sandey Tuneto LION PRIDE – Sandy Rife was all smiles as she and her daughter, Julie Herman, celebrated Sandy’s recognition as an inspirational leader with the Jewish Federation’s of North America Lion of Judah Kipnis-Wilson/ Friedland Award. The award was presented during the International Lion of Judah Conference in Washington, DC, Sept. 11-13.

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 97

OCTOBER CALENDAR Through Oct 9 Liberace! Meet the man behind the grand. Call for times. $41-$86. Phoeix Theatre, 100 E McDowell Road, Phoenix. 602-254-2151 or phoenixtheatre. com.

Through Oct 11 Discoveries Unfinished with Peaceful Delight features works by Christine Zabramny and paintings by Betty Seery at the Tucson Jewish Community Center, 3800 E River Road, Tucson.

Gallery hours vary. 520-299-3000 ext. 106 or tucsonjcc.org.

Through May 31 John Coleman: Past/Present/Future features the artist’s creations in charcoal, graphite, oil and bronze, plus some works in progress. Western Spirit: Scottsdale's Museum of the West 3830 N Marshall Way, Scottsdale. Included with museum admission: $13 adults, $11 seniors (65+) and active military, $8 students (full-time with ID) and children (6-17), free for museum members and children 5 and under. 480-6869539 or scottsdalemuseumwest.org.

Oct 11 The Russian Grand Ballet’s Swan Lake features the full-length classic production of the world’s most famous ballet. 7:30 pm at Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W Congress, Tucson. $39-$118.

520-547-3040 or foxtucson.com.

Oct 12

Oct 6-10

16th Scottsdale International Film Festival.

See page 48.

Oct 7-Jan 8 Kehinde Wiley: A New Republic showcases more than 50 of the artist’s painting and sculptures.

Times vary. $5 adults, $3 ages 6-17, plus general admission (required). Phoenix Art Museum, 1625 N Central Ave., Phoenix. 602-257-1880 or phxart.org.

Oct 8 & 9 Simply Well for Women. See page 94

Oct 11 Erev Yom Kippur (Kol Nidre) 98 OCTOBER 2016 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

Picnic & Library with Schmooze young families (20s-40s). Meet at the Scottsdale Civic Center Mall, 3939 N Drinkwater Blvd., Scottsdale at noon followed by playtime at the Civic Center Library starting at 1 pm. For additional details and to RSVP, visit Facebook.com/azschmooze.

Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah

Music + Festival 2016: Forbidden Composers – Schoenberg, Weill, Winterberg. See page 53.

Oct 14-Nov 20 A Palette of Fiber Arts at the Tucson Jewish Community Center, 3800 E River Road, Tucson.

View the eclectic work of the Tucson Handweavers and Spinners Guild. Works on display include tapestry, soft sculpture, wearables and household items. Experience more of the Guild’s work at their Reception and Fiber Arts Gala on Oct. 29. Gallery hours vary. 520-299-3000, tucsonjcc.org or thsg.org.

Old Town Bar Crawl with Schmooze for singles and couples (30s and 40s). As we begin a new week, join other Schmooze members for an evening of bar hopping and prizes. Start the evening at 7 pm at the Blue Moose, 7373 E Scottsdale Mall #22, Scottsdale. For additional details about the bar route and prizes, visit Facebook.com/ azsschmooze.

Shanghai Circus and Acrobats of the People’s Republic of China perform their unique blend of acrobatics, Chinese circus and Peking Opera.

6:30 pm at Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W Congress, Tucson. $24-$48. 520-547-3040 or foxtucson. com.

Oct 23

Oct 14-16

Happy New Year! Rosh Hashanah 5777 begins at sundown.

Rosh Hashanah Treats with Schmooze young families (20s-40s). Celebrate Rosh Hashanah with other Schmooze young families with apples, honey and playground fun. Meet at Cactus Park, 7202 E Cactus Road, Scottsdale at 10 am. For additional details and to RSVP, visit Facebook. com/azschmooze.

Oct 5

Benefit for Animal Rescue. See page 95

Oct 24-25

Oct 2

Rosh Hashanah. Check our online calendar for times and locations of services throughout the state. azjewishlife.com.

Oct 22

Yom Kippur

Oct 15

Oct 3-4

Performing Arts, 4132 E Pecos Road, Gilbert. $59. 480-279-7194 or higleycenter.org.

Design & Lifestyle Market. See page 94

Oct 15-16

Willie Nelson & Friends perform at Celebrity Theatre, 440 N 32nd St., Phoenix. 8 pm Sat. and 7 pm Sun. $67-$127. Tickets: dannyzeliskopresents.com.

Oct 16-24

Sukkot begins at sundown and continues through Shemini Atzeret on Oct. 24.

Oct 17

Straight No Chaser: “I’ll Have Another” 20th Anniversary Tour. See page 54.

Oct 17, 24 & 31

Beginner’s Tai Chi at Temple Beth Shalom of the East Valley, 3400 N Dobson Road, Chandler at 2:30 pm. Open to the general public; no experience required. 480-897-3636 or taichi@ tbsev.org.

Oct 19

Brandeis Fall Opening Event. See page 94

Oct 20

NowGen Happy Hour. See page 95

Oct 21

Men Are From Mars/Women Are From Venus is the light-hearted off-Broadway comedy hit that covers everything from dating and marriage to the bedroom. 7:30 pm at Higley Center for the

Oct 27

Chasing Rainbows Gala: Boz Scaggs headlines this fundraiser for the Fox Tucson Theatre Foundation. 7:30 pm at Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W Congress, Tucson. $75-$300. 520-547-3040 or foxtucson.com.

Oct 28 - Nov 7

Fall Fest. See page 43

Oct 29

Neshama Carlebach. See page 95

Oct 30

“Bagels Over Berlin.” See. Page 95 Rabbi Joseph Telushkin at 7 pm at Temple Chai, 4645 E Marilyn Road, Phoenix. The Valley Beit Midrash opening event features Rabbi Telushkin’s lecture on being a good person in a morally complicated world; on forgiveness, self-esteem and why it’s so hard to change. $18 suggested donation. Preregister at valleybeitmidrash.org/ events.

Oct 31

Tubac Art and Gifts at the Arizona Inn. See page 95

Nov 3 & 4

6th Annual Celebrity Golf & Gala is a fundraising event benefiting the Chrysalis foundation and its goal to end domestic violence. The Celebrity Golf Invitational is Nov. 3 at the Talking Stick Golf Club beginning at 8 am; the Celebrity Gala is Nov. 4 at Jet Linx Scottsdale at 7 pm. For more information: noabuse.org/get-involved/events.

Nov 5

Noa. See page 52.

Nov 6

4th Annual Desert Gathering Jewish Music Fest.

See page 57.

Women’s Philanthropy Mitzvah Day. Open to all women in the Jewish community for a hands-on day of service while learning about the important work of many of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix’s strategic partners. Participating location across the Valley.

Please wear comfortable clothes and closed toe shoes. Breakfast provided at each site – dietary laws observed. Contact womensphilanthropy@ jewishphoenix.org or 480-481-1752.

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2016 99

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