Arizona Jewish Life October 2018 Vol. 7/Issue 1

OCTOBER 2018

INSIDE

2018 2019

Bar/Bat Mitzvah What’s trending now

Women Today Leaders in our community Steve Gaynor’s run for Arizona Secretary of State

MARLEE MATLIN Actor/Author/Activist featured at JNF National Conference

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 1

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CO N TE N TS Arizona Jewish Life • Oc tober 2018 • Tishrei- Cheshvan 5779 • Volume 7/Issue 1

is issue we highlight ceremonies and the brations that mark this accomplishment; intimate gatherings to over-the-top es in lavish 28 hotels. Though no matter t your background is, the ceremony itself markably similar. Fortunately, our tions and beliefs have prevailed through centuries and keep us connected.

of the best speeches I ever heard at a bat vah was my favorite for two reasons; first l, it was short, and secondly, it was edibly wise in its simplicity and insight. To phrase:

22

ow that you are smarter and stronger than think and braver than you feel. Keep calm mitzvah on."

gratulations to all of the b’nai mitzvah this

ing year and for years to come.

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FEATURES

WOMEN TODAY

COVER STORY

Alma Hernandez: One to watch Building women’s leadership roles in the community Breath and urine tests can detect breast cancer early Fall trends to fall for Uncovering a family secret Facing a gray divorce

Marlee Matlin: Breaking barriers and following her dreams 28

JEWS WITH ATTITUDE Meet superfan Fred Fingerhut 10 BUSINESS Steve Gaynor: Campaigning to ensure better elections Ins & Outs FRONT & CENTER Temple Solel event celebrates Leonard Bernstein’s legacy Jews and Jewishness in the Dance World

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FOOD Chef’s Corner: Spicing up comfort food 48

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editor@azjewishlife.com

events@azjewishlife.com

subscriptions@azjewishlife.com

e.com

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HOME & LIFESTYLE Buffalo Collection: Experience the American West ACTIVELY SENIOR Survivor’s reunion in Paris Brandeis is funding breakthroughs in brain research

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COLUMNS Chef’s Corner by Lucia Schnitzer To Life! by Amy Hirshberg Lederman

48 58

PHOTO COURTESY MARLEEMATLIN.NET

4 OCTOBER 2018 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

19 21 22 24 25

JKIDS & TEENS/BAR & BAT MITZVAH SEC TION Destination bar mitzvah Trending now Mitzvah Chit Chat For Dr. Ada Anbar, 83 is the new 13 Jacob Miller: New StandWithUs high school intern Kids & teens event calendar

34 36 38 40 42 43

JLIVING

ISRAEL Marc Prowisor and EJ Kimball visit the Valley

ON THE COVER: Marlee Matlin

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To Life! Sukkot: Living with uncertainty and joy 58 Guzmans honored at Gala 60 Federation notes 61 Previews 62 Faces & Places 64 Calendar 66

Parkinson’s Pioneer Treated more than 40,000 patients Served 3 decades at Barrow Led more than 200 Parkinson’s research studies Authored 6 books, including the best-seller on Parkinson’s

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r. Abraham Lieberman has been a Parkinson’s pioneer – an internationally recognized leader in the diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Along with Muhammad Ali, his patient for 30 years, and Muhammad’s wife Lonnie, Dr. Lieberman was instrumental in the development of the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute.

In honor of his upcoming retirement, Barrow will continue the Lieberman Legacy by naming the Parkinson’s research facility the Lieberman Parkinson’s Research Center. The center will expand clinical research efforts to develop new treatments - and hopefully, eventually a cure.

Help honor Dr. Lieberman and find a cure for Parkinson’s at SupportBarrow.org/LiebermanLegacy or by calling 602.406.3041.

SupportBarrow.org /LiebermanLegacy ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 5

PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE

OCTOBER 2018 PU B LI S H E R Cindy Salt zman

A DV E R TI S I N G A N D E D ITO R I A L D I R EC TO R Cindy Salt zman

E D ITO R- I N - C H I E F Mala Blomquis t

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Leni Reiss

ART DIREC TOR Philip Nerat

GR APHIC DE SIGNER Tamara Kopper

COLUMNIS TS

Amy Hirshberg Lederman Lucia Schnit zer

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Melissa Hirschl Deborah Moon L auren Reidy Phelan Tori Rosenblum Katrina Shaw ver

CINDY SALTZMAN Publisher

A rizona Jewish Life | Iyar-Sivan 5778 • Volume 6/Issue 8 In this issue we highlight ceremonies and the arlee Matlin is an actress and celebrations that mark this accomplishment; activist that is known worldwide, H OW TO R E AC H U S from intimate gatherings to over-the-top so we were thrilled to learn that parties in lavish hotels. Though no matter she would be speaking at the JNF National 602-538-A ZJL (2955) what your background is, the ceremony itself Conference being held in Arizona this is remarkably similar. Fortunately, our ADVERTISING SALES: advertise@azjewishlife.com month. And we were even more pleased traditions and beliefs have prevailed through BUSINESS: publisher@azjewishlife.com when she agreed to a no-holds-barred the centuries and keep us connected. interview for our cover story. We hope CALENDAR: calendar@azjewishlife.com youDISTRIBUTION: enjoy the interview and that you will distribution@azjewishlife.com One of the best speeches I ever heard at a bat take the opportunity to attend the mitzvah was my favorite for two reasons; first EDITORIAL: editor@azjewishlife.com conference. of all, it was short, and secondly, it was EVENTS: calendar@azjewishlife.com incredibly wise in its simplicity and insight. To azjewishlife.com/magazine-subscription We SUBSCRIPTIONS: are also celebrating women in this paraphrase: issue. We explore some of Arizona’s S U B SC R I P T I O N S A N D D I S T R I B U TION remarkable Jewish women and will “Know that you are smarter and stronger than continue to do so in future issues and on Home deliver y of Arizona Jewish Life you magazine is braver $12 forthan an you annual think and feel. Keep calm azjewishlife.com. subscription or $20 for t wo year s. Subscribe online and mitzvah on."at azjewishlife.com/ magazine -subscription or c all 602-538 -2955.

In Judaism, one of the most important Congratulations to all of the b’nai mitzvah this Compliment ar y copies of Arizona Jewish Life magazine are available at coming-of-age moments is becoming a and for years to come. dozens of ret ailpreparation loc ations including A coming J ’s Fineyear Foods, Chompie’s, Eli ’s Deli, bar/bat mitzvah. The to synagogues, Jewish communit y center s and organizations, enter t ainment become a bar/bat mitzvah is often a venues, res t aurant s and profes sional of fices. gateway to a more meaningful Jewish life andU future.

P COItMmarks I N G the I S Stransition U E S from childhood to adulthood and connects us to our past and our future, andAc reminds November/December: tively us Senior, Charit able Giving, Gif t Guide that we are part of a larger Jewish community every day.

M

PU B L I C AT I O N A N D D E A D L I N E S

Arizona Jewish Life magazine is dis tributed on the fir s t of the month.

Stor y ideas for features Emailand us: special sec tions are due 45 - 60 days prior to Subscriptions: azjewishlife.com/ magazine-subscription public ation. editor@azjewishlife.com publisher@azjewishlife.com Newsletter: azjewishlife.com, click events@azjewishlife.com advertise@azjewishlife.com on “Subscribe Now!”BIZ INS & OUTS: Busines s news is due 4 weeks before public ation. subscriptions@azjewishlife.com calendar@azjewishlife.com FACES & PL ACES: Photos from pas t event s are due about 20 days prior to Facebook/Twitter: @AZJewishLife distribution@azjewishlife.com public ation.

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C ALENDAR: Please pos t event s on our online c alendar. Relevant event s that are pos ted by the 10 th of the month before public ation will be included in the magazine. To reques t fir s t-time authorization to pos t event s online, go to azjewishlife.com and scroll down to the “c alendar acces s reques t ” link under “Quick Links” on the right. Af ter you submit the form, you’ ll receive an email with ins truc tions for pos ting future event s.

A Prince Hal Produc tion ( TGMR18)

2017-2018 MediaPort LLC All rights reserved The content and opinions in Arizona Jewish Life do not necessarily reflec t those of the publishers, staf f or contrac tors. Ar ticles and columns are for informational purposes only and not intended as a substitute for professional advice. Although ever y ef for t is made to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, Arizona Jewish Life, and its agents, publishers, employees and contrac tors will not be held responsible for the misuse of any information contained herein. The publishers reser ve the right to refuse any adver tisement. Publication of adver tisements does not constitute endorsement of produc ts or ser vices.

6 OCTOBER 2018 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

STEVE GAYNOR FOR SECRETARY OF STATE

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b b b b b

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b Arizona resident for 37 years b Husband and father of three b Successful businessman b Past AIPAC Phoenix Council Chair

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I believe the Secretary of State’s Office should be run in a non-partisan fashion, so that all citizens have confidence in the outcome of our elections. If elected, I will bring order, discipline and accountability to the Office.

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www.gaynorforsos.com

Paid for by Gaynor for Secretary of State. Authorized by Steve Gaynor.

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

| OCTOBER 2018 7

PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE

"Keep calm and mitzvah on."

M

CINDY SALTZMAN Publisher

arlee Matlin is an actress and activist that is known worldwide, so we were thrilled to learn that she would be speaking at the JNF National Conference being held in Arizona this month. And we were even more pleased when she agreed to a no-holds-barred interview for our cover story. We hope you enjoy the interview and that you will take the opportunity to attend the conference.

We are also celebrating women in this issue. We explore some of Arizona’s remarkable Jewish women and will continue to do so in future issues and on azjewishlife.com.

In Judaism, one of the most important coming-of-age moments is becoming a bar/bat mitzvah. The preparation to become a bar/bat mitzvah is often a gateway to a more meaningful Jewish life and future. It marks the transition from childhood to adulthood and connects us to our past and our future, and reminds us that we are part of a larger Jewish community every day.

In this issue we highlight ceremonies and the celebrations that mark this accomplishment; from intimate gatherings to over-the-top parties in lavish hotels. Though no matter what your background is, the ceremony itself is remarkably similar. Fortunately, our traditions and beliefs have prevailed through the centuries and keep us connected.

One of the best speeches I ever heard at a bat mitzvah was my favorite for two reasons; first of all, it was short, and secondly, it was incredibly wise in its simplicity and insight. To paraphrase: “Know that you are smarter and stronger than you think and braver than you feel. Keep calm and mitzvah on."

Congratulations to all of the b’nai mitzvah this coming year and for years to come.

Subscriptions: azjewishlife.com/ magazine-subscription

Email us:

Newsletter: azjewishlife.com, click on “Subscribe Now!”

advertise@azjewishlife.com

Facebook/Twitter: @AZJewishLife Call: 602-538-AZJL (2955) 8 OCTOBER 2018 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

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Jewswith

Attitude

Fred Fingerhut with a 1973 limited edition of a Leroy Neiman serigraph, part of his Ohio State Buckeye suite.

Meet superfan Fred Fingerhut

Story and photos by Leni Reiss

There are sports fans – and fanatics – and then there’s Fred

Fingerhut. When I phoned the longtime, now retired gyne-

cologist/obstetrician here in the Valley, he was at home, on his treadmill. He was engrossed in watching a taped replay of the

national championship Fiesta Bowl game between Ohio State University and the University of Miami – from 15 years ago.

“One of the best games ever,” the OSU alum enthuses. “We won it in double overtime!”

10 OCTOBER 2018 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

And when I visited with him at his central Phoenix home

(painted gray with a bright scarlet door – the school colors – and a school banner on the front lawn), we talked in a room dedicated to all things OSU.

This Toledo, Ohio, native and graduate of the OSU medical

school took to heart the advice to “go west, young man,” com-

pleted an internship/residency here in the Valley at St. Joseph’s Hospital and decided to make this his home after a two-year stint in Oklahoma.

He met his wife, Susi, at his alma mater. “She was an un-

Always “a big Buckeye fan,” Fred says that the home here in Phoenix the couple purchased in 1981 featured an extra room “that called out to be a shrine to Ohio State.”

Welcome to the OSU world.

dergrad and I was a med student,” he says, “and once we

met, I never dated anyone else. Bottom line,” he adds with

a big smile, “I love OSU, but Susi is the best thing that ever happened to me.”

The Fingerhuts started their family here in the Valley and

have a daughter and son. Fred opened his medical practice

in Maryvale in 1976 and retired after 38 years. Including his residencies, he is proud to report that he delivered 10,000plus babies.

Always “a big Buckeye fan,” Fred says that the home here

in Phoenix the couple purchased in 1981 featured an extra room “that called out to be a shrine to Ohio State.” With Susi’s blessing (“She’s a big fan too!!”) the Ohio Statethemed collection bloomed.

Fred first wrote personal letters requesting autographs

and autographed pictures and heard from legendary football

coach Woody Hayes and others including Jack Nicklaus, Jesse

Owens, Jerry Lucas and Howard “Hopalong” Cassidy. He ob-

tained a football signed by every OSU Heisman trophy winner, and even met and played golf with the only two-time recipient, Archie Griffin. A framed 1973 limited edition serigraph by

Leroy Neiman hangs over the couch. Entitled “Rivalry,” it is

part of the artist’s hugely popular Ohio State Buckeye Suite.

There are OSU-themed bobbleheads and Russian nesting

dolls, a bigger than life cardboard cutout of Brutus, the school

mascot, a light switch frame – and an O-chai-O kipah, lovingly needlepointed by Susi. Fred is wearing special-issue scarlet and gray Sperry Topsiders.

There’s also a “tip of the hat,” Fred says, to his Arizona years:

autographed and framed pictures of most of the members of the Diamondback team that won the 2001 World Series.

And there is hardly space for anything more.

Susi and Fred with a cutout of Brutus, the OSU mascot.

inspired by Susi who works out several days a week, says he is

checking out JCC exercise classes. “Susi and I do almost everything together,” he says, “and that includes eating, going to the

movies, and watching Jeopardy on television. That’s a tradition.

We just enjoy each other’s company.”

As I get ready to leave, Fred opens a desk drawer in his OSU

inner sanctum and takes out a plastic bag filled with Buckeyes, the “useless nut” he says, that grows on the Ohio state tree and

supposedly attracts good fortune. “I have one in my pocket right now,” he says, and proceeds to choose one of the small, shiny,

dark brown nuts with a light tan patch from his stash as a gift for me.

In 2011 New York Times reporter Nate Silver conducted a

study of football fans. He determined that Ohio State has the

most fans of any college team in the country. Fred Fingerhut sets a high bar.

Reveal: My husband Barry and I met at OSU. Go Bucks!!!

A self-described “world-class kibitzer,” the good doctor, ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 11

Business

Steve Gaynor: Campaigning to ensure better elections

By Mala Blomquist

Steve Gaynor will be facing Democrat Katie Hobbs for the position of Arizona secretary of state in the Nov. 6 general election. He defeated incumbent Michele Reagan in the Republican primary on Aug. 28.

Although a newcomer to the campaign trail, Steve has lived in Arizona for 37 years and has been a successful businessman since he purchased a small printing company in west Phoenix in 1988. In the early 2000s, he bought a printing plant in Denver and started one from scratch in Los Angeles. By 2007, the company had grown to about 350 employees and approximately $50 million in sales. That year he sold the Denver and Phoenix plants, leaving him with a commercial printing plant in Los Angeles which he still owns.

“I took a look at the office, what the secretary of state does, and I matched that up with my business background – what I know and know how to do. I found that it was a pretty good match,” says Steve when asked why he chose to run for this particular position.

The secretary of state is the chief elections officer of the state. The person in that role oversees the elections 12 OCTOBER 2018 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

that are conducted by the country recorders and election directors. They are also first in line to succeed the governor if he was to leave the office early.

In Maricopa County, here have been administrative and technical problems in past elections, and Steve aims to work with the county recorders and the election directors to help facilitate improvement.

“I view the secretary of state office as a turnaround.

Similar to a number of corporate turnarounds I’ve done in my career,” states Steve. “It’s an underperforming organization that hasn’t served its customers too well, and it just needs to be fixed.”

The “organization” has about 200 employees and a budget of about $25 million. “Having run business organizations for 35 years, I understand hiring, firing, motivating, capital expenditures and how to evaluate them,” says Steve. “There are a lot of skills that are applicable in the executive branch that I bring from business that will help.”

Steve also knows how to “reach across the aisle” and, if elected, plans to include people from all political parties to work in the office with him. “The election is partisan,

but the job is not,” says Steve of the secretary of state position. Before his campaign, he was very involved with AIPAC – The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a bipartisan organization, where he worked with people of “all political persuasions.”

Another critical area that Steve wants to address is cybersecurity. “There’s a number of bad actors that would like to disrupt our society and our elections,” he says. “It’s an area that I’ve done work in for a long time, and it’s important because we are in the information age where it is possible for people to disrupt our way of life.”

His concern is about some of the smaller counties that have fewer resources, making them more vulnerable. “If somebody wanted to penetrate the state, they would try to do it from the point of least protected,” says Steve. In a recent congressional report, Arizona scored as one of the most vulnerable states to a cyber attack, Steve’s goal

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Assisted living services that are about the whole family and the whole YOU.

Steve (center) with his family, from left, daughter Michelle, son-in-law Dan, wife Dorothy, sons Max and Mike.

is to change that statistic.

He has made it a point to travel to these smaller counties to learn as much as he can about the election issues in Arizona. “I’ve been an Arizona resident for 37 years, and I’ve learned more about the state in the last 12 months than in the previous 36 years,” he jokes.

His resides in Paradise Valley with his wife of 31 years, Dorothy. They have three adult children, all of whom have attended college in Arizona and live in the Valley.

Even though he has been in politics only a short time, Steve is passionate about fixing Arizona’s election cycle.

“Elections are really important to our society,” he says.

“You want someone to fill out a ballot and feel confident that their vote is going to be counted and handled properly.”

For more information, visit gaynorforsos.com.

But the best part? No matter if you need a little help or a lot, the difference you’ll feel will be amazing.

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BIZ

INSINS & OUTS & OUTS

Kevin Berkowitz

Noah Kutchin

MacQueen & Gottlieb bring Kevin Berkowitz on board Kevin Berkowitz comes to M&G from the Arizona Attorney General’s office, where he was an Assistant Attorney General in the Child Support Services Section. He also clerked at the Harla Davison Law Firm in Phoenix, where he worked primarily on criminal defense issues, and the Sam Bernstein Law Firm in Farmington Hills, MI, where he conducted legal research.

Kevin is a 2015 graduate (magna cum laude) of the Thomas M. Cooley Law School at Western Michigan University, where he was a member of the law review and received the President’s Achievement Award, an Honors Scholarship, and was on the Dean’s List every semester. Prior to attending law school, Kevin earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Arizona. Subsequently, he received his Master of Arts degree in Education with an emphasis in curriculum and instruction from the University of Phoenix.

“We were impressed by the wide variety of experience Kevin brings to the table and felt that would be a major benefit to our firm,” said Benjamin Gottlieb, a founding partner in the firm.

“He’s done work for the state, clerked for a criminal defense attorney and has a background in education.” mandglawgroup.com

Two new hires for Valley Beit Midrash Valley Beit Midrash introduces Noah Kutchin as their new Social Impact Coordinator and Lani Turri as their new Program Coordinator.

A recent graduate of Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Jewish Studies, Noah is passionate about education and has a background in teaching at different congregations between the Valley and Dallas (where he was born and raised). He is active in ongoing Holocaust education and has a true passion for lifelong learning.

As VBM’s Social Impact Coordinator, Noah will lead the Start 14 OCTOBER 2018 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

Lani Turri

Kate Chavez

Me Up! program, their growing portfolio of Jewish innovation projects, Jewish young professional programs, young adult immersive experiences and more.

Lani received her bachelor’s degree in English from the University of North Dakota and her master’s degree in Education from Vanderbilt University. She spent several years as a teacher and has a passion for learning. n her spare time, Lani enjoys spending time with her daughters and volunteering in the community.

As Program Coordinator, Lani will ensure that VBM’s robust offerings of quality Jewish programs are smooth, engaging, and deeply meaningful for all in the community. valleybeitmidrash.org

StandWithUs hires new coordinators StandWithUs, the non profit pro-Israel education and advocacy organization has two new members joining the team who will represent the Southwest and work with Arizona.

Kate Chavez is the new Southwest High School Coordinator.

Kate was born and raised in Los Angeles and went to Sonoma State University where she earned a degree in Political Science.

Kate has always had a passion for public service, international relations and Israel advocacy causing her to pursue political internships with congressmen and senators, involvement in student government on campus, and participation in advocacy trips to Israel, pro-Israel organizations and political organizations on campus.

After graduating, Kate spent a year immersing herself in Israeli society and taught English to children in Bat Yam, Israel. During that year, she fell more deeply in love with the people, culture, religion, and the country of Israel.

Charline Delkhah is the new Southwest Campus Coordinator.

Charline was born and raised in Los Angeles and graduated from UC Davis with a Bachelor of Science in Managerial Economics and a minor in Computer Science.

Going to college in Davis, she heard horrible and inaccurate

Charline Delkhah

Mitzvah Hub

things being said about Jews and Israel. She decided to get more involved and joined the Aggies for Israel student group.

Two years after joining the group, she became president, which helped her gain a newfound appreciation for Israel activism and education. She fell more in love with Israel during this leadership role and her trips to Israel. standwithus.com

Mitzvah Hub – new online portal for volunteers Community organizations seeking volunteers will now have a one-stop ‘hub’ thanks to the partnership between Jewish Family & Children’s Service and the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix. Called the Mitzvah Hub, this online portal will house information on a wide variety of community organizations seeking volunteers.

This joint effort, formerly known as the Jewish Community Mitzvah Project Booklet, will include projects that benefit organizations in the Jewish community that raise awareness and importance of supporting Jewish needs both locally and around the world as well as Jewish organizations, irrespective of the religion of their beneficiaries, which are consistent with Jewish values.

“We are excited to launch the revitalized Mitzvah Hub, offering opportunities for Jewish organizations in our community to find volunteers willing to help,” said Jody Goldman, volunteer coordinator at Jewish Family & Children’s Service. “We’re accepting submissions now for projects and are expecting to launch the site in the fall.” jfcsaz.org/volunteer

Rose Law Group keeps growing Scottsdale based Rose Law Group is proud to announce the addition of Aaron Green, an experienced litigator and transactional attorney specializing in real estate disputes

Aaron Green

Mark Robens

Geri-Lynn Bertagnolli

as part of its real estate transactions departments and experienced Family Law Attorney, Mark Robens, to its Family Law, Emergency Services and Aviation Practice Group.

Aaron Green received his J.D. from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University and his B.A. in Political Science from the University of Arizona.

He is certified by the Arizona Department of Real Estate as a real estate course instructor and regularly teaches classes in agency, contracts, disclosure, and other subjects to real estate professionals for the Arizona School of Real Estate & Business.

With more than 30 years practicing law, Mark Robens will handle cases involving complex family law matters, and emergency services including fire, medical and aviation issues.

Mark has also been recognized by his peers and Superior Court Judges as an AV Preeminent rated attorney with the highest possible rating on both legal ability and ethical standards for the previous 21 years.

He is also a former Judge Pro Tem of Maricopa County Superior Court Family Law Bench and frequently serves as a family law mediator. roselawgroup.com

Geri-Lynn Bertagnolli joins JFSA campaign Geri-Lynn Bertagnolli joins the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona as campaign administrative assistant. A Tucson native, Geri-Lynn has a master’s degree in e-commerce and a bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of Phoenix, where she also earned a human resources management certificate.

She has 25 years of administrative experience with forprofit and non-profit organizations. Most recently, she was an executive administrative assistant, human resources and support staff at Casa de los Ninos, Tucson. jfsa.org ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 15

ALMA HERNANDEZ: One to watch

By Mala Blomquist

WOMEN TODAY INSIDE 16 ALMA HERNANDEZ 19 WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP 21 EARLY CANCER DETECTION 22 FASHION: FALL TRENDS 24 UNCOVERING A FAMILY SECRET 25 FACING A GRAY DIVORCE

16 OCTOBER 2018 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

T

here are two open seats for the Arizona House of Representatives in District 3 and Alma Hernandez will be on the ballot for one of them having won the Democratic primary held on Aug. 28.

Alma has been the manager for many political campaigns and she was a delegate for Hillary Clinton. This is her first run for office because she is finally old enough. You must be 25 years old and Alma turned that age this year. “I have been involved in politics since I was 14 years old,” says Alma. “Running for office wasn’t a matter of, ‘Will she be running?’ as ‘When?’ ” She says her parents are overwhelmed to have all three kids running at the same time.

Alma’s sister, Consuelo, is running for the Sunnyside School District Governing Board in Tucson and her brother, Daniel, is running for re-election for Legislative District 2.

“My father always told us that the only way to change anything was if we got involved,” says Alma. Daniel started off as a fellow on Hillary Clinton’s 2008 campaign and Consuelo and Alma were volunteers. “My father would drive us around since we weren’t old enough (to drive). My parents have always been very supportive of everything we do. If there was a candidate we liked, we were always all in as a family.”

Alma chose to run for this position because a state representative influences what happens in Arizona – from deciding laws to dealing with the state budget. “I knew we were going to have two open seats in this election, so I said, ‘Why should I wait,’ I have no reason to wait or to recruit people from outside our district to run,” she says. “I was born and raised here and I have been helping everyone who has been elected for many years.” She had also just completed her Master of Public Health at the University of Arizona, so she figured it was a good time.

There are many challenges for running for office, and there are some you can’t avoid. Alma consistently has to prove her credibility because of her age. “I always remind myself that I have been involved in this for many years,” says Alma. “The outside world sees me as too young and judges my appearance.

At the end of the day, I need to keep doing what I’m doing and not worry about what they say.”

Clockwise from top: The Arizona Senate in action; Consuelo, Daniel and Alma Hernandez; Alma Hernandez; Rabbi Stephanie Aaron, left, and Alma Hernandez at Hernandez' naming ceremony at Congregation Chaverim.

Alma received national attention when former KKK leader, David Duke, tweeted a derogatory comment about her at the end of June. She believes that he thought she was an easy target. She did not respond to Duke, but the Arizona AntiDefamation League did.

She faces a quadruple set of challenges being in the political arena: she’s young, a woman, Hispanic and Jewish. Her mother’s grandfather was Jewish, and it’s the religion she has always felt a connection to.

Alma converted in 2015 and celebrated her bat mitzvah in 2017. “It was a big party, that’s a big deal in our family – to have big celebrations for the milestones we meet. I am very happy that I did all of it,” she says.

The entire family celebrates Jewish holidays together. “My brother is about the most Jewish guy I have ever met in my life, but he doesn’t have time to convert,” jokes Alma. “When we do Passover, he helps lead it. My mom wants my brother and sister to do their conversion, but I tell her to leave them alone.”

Alma worked at the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona as the Jewish Community Relations Council coordinator before leaving to run for office. She has been involved with AIPAC

HERNANDEZ PORTRAIT PHOTO BY JULIANNE CAPATI

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 17

WOMEN and the Jewish Latino Teen Coalition since high school. She also worked at Hebrew High on a program called “Tracing Roots” where teens work with the elderly.

It was through Hebrew High that she met attorney Tony Zinman, his son was one of her students. “(Tony and I) talked and agreed we needed to do something on the issues relating to gun violence, health care and more,” says Alma. As a result of this meeting, Tucson Jews for Justice was founded. The purpose of the group is to work on domestic issues that are affecting the community locally.

When the influx of immigrants trying to seek asylum reached the border this summer, Tucson Jews for Justice organized a call to action. “My mother is from Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, and all of her sisters were calling and letting us know that these families really needed help,” says Alma. They ended up driving more than five vehicles loaded with supplies of food, hygiene products and basic living necessities to Nogales.

“I come looking at these situations

Alma Hernandez celebrates her win after the August primary.

"My father always told us that the only way to change anything was if we got involved." ~Alma Hernandez

from a very different perspective form most people,” explains Alma. “Because I worked on immigration issues and my mother is an immigrant from Mexico, I feel a connection and bond to these issues. It goes back to who I am and who most of us are as people.” She tries very hard to be diplomatic and work with people whether they agree with her or not.

Alma is very proud of her heritage.

“I’m very proud to be Jewish and Latina – it’s just a very big part of who I am,” she says. “I feel it empowers me and is what continues to open the doors for others like me. I’m very fortunate to be where I am today and have been able to do so many things at such a young age. I don’t feel that I need to change who I am to please others. I am who I am, and people will have to take it as it is.”

For more information on Alma’s campaign, visit almaforarizona.org.

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WOMEN

Building women’s leadership roles in the community

By Mala Blomquist

R

abbi Elana Kanter established the Women’s Jewish Learning Center in 2010 as a center for high-level Torah study for women. Part of the mission of the center is to help develop women’s leadership within the community. The Women’s Leadership Institute is helping to fulfill that mission.

Started in the fall of 2015, the Women’s Leadership Institute brings mentors and mentees from the community together to deepen their Jewish learning, develop leadership skills and work together on social service projects.

Originally, Elana had to reach out to agencies and synagogues to see who would be a good fit for the program. “But after the first year we had no issue in terms of getting the next cohort,” she says.

“We have been blessed with these groups of great young women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, who are willing to commit the time to something serious, they put a lot into it, but also get a lot out of it.”

Elana is the matchmaker when it comes to pairing mentors and mentees. “We ask the mentees a few things that they are looking for in a mentor, then we try to see who might be compatible and see who might have some interests in common,” she says. She admits it’s not an exact science.

The group holds an overnight retreat in September so that everyone can get to know each other better. They will have a group

The Women’s Leadership Institute’s third year of mentors and mentees. study sessions monthly where the rabbi puts together a lesson on a leadership topic and a corresponding piece of Jewish text. Then the mentors’ job is to do some follow up work after these group study sessions.

“In November, we have an agency night where we have representatives from the community come, and the mentees learn from them about possible opportunities for their project,” says Elana. “Once agency night is over, then the mentor and mentee start talking about the project.”

Past projects have ranged from one-night programs to something that has kept going for 2-3 years now. “The mentee is researching what she wants to do and how she wants to do it, and the mentor is helping her with other connections in the community, being a sounding board and a cheerleader,” says Elana.

A few of this year’s projects include a Jewish Storyteller’s Program (Meghan Dorn), marketing materials for the Jewish Genetic Diseases Center of Greater Phoenix (Maryn Gordon), Financial Literacy Guide for Jewish Free Loan ( Jessielyn Kreitzer) and connecting the Jewish community to assist the ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 19

WOMEN

Syrian Refugee Resettlement Effort ( Jill Roig).

Elana is also hoping to grow the Women’s Leadership Institute concept by bringing it to other cities. Her family moved to Arizona from Birmingham, AL, where they had lived for seven years. She returns there once a year to lead a women’s retreat.

“We were talking to various people about this (program) – is this something you would like to start in your city – and Birmingham jumped on it,” says Elana. “They’ve got their group of mentees and mentors, and they started their program in September.”

She said that there are conversations in the works with other cities as well. “We are giving funding to Birmingham to start their program, but then they have to agree to fund and start a group in another city,” Elana explains. “They have to raise a small amount of money and it will become a ‘pay it forward kind of thing.’ ” Their funding comes from the Molly Blank Fund, Goldberg Trust, Jewish Community Foundation, Covenant

Sheryl Quen and Maryn Gordon; Marian Willis and Alissa Zuchman; Amy Tyre, Rabbi Elana Kanter, Jill Roig and Dale Singer; Becca Norton, Ellie Friedman Sacks and Michelle Kass.

Foundation and private donors.

The growth of the program is exciting – and essential. “One of the things we have discovered from ‘Me Too’ is that the picture for women is not nearly as advanced as we might have thought it was. We came to see some very hard realities on what the conditions for women are in the workplace,” she says.

Elana believes that harnessing the energy of young women and unleashing it on the community can only be a blessing.

She says, “It’s understanding that leadership cultivates other leadership, and if we want some serious changes in terms of the Jewish community’s welcoming of women into leadership and so on, we need to expand the numbers.”

For more information on the Women’s Leadership Institute, visit womenlearning.org.

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602-550-2351 outofarizona.com 20 OCTOBER 2018 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

WOMEN

Breath and urine tests can detect breast cancer early

R

esearchers have discovered that exhaled breath and urine samples can provide a fast and inexpensive breast cancer diagnosis.

This early and accurate breast cancer screening is being done using commercially available technology. The researchers were able to isolate and accurately identify breast cancer biomarkers using breath and urine analysis. Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Soroka University Medical Center used an inexpensive electronic nose gas sensors (e-nose) and gaschromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for urine analysis.

In their study, researchers detected breast cancer with more than 95% average accuracy using an inexpensive commercial electronic nose (e-nose) that identifies unique breath patterns in women with breast cancer. In addition, their revamped statistical analyses of urine samples submitted both by healthy patients and those diagnosed with breast cancer yielded 85% average accuracy.

“Breast cancer survival is strongly tied to the sensitivity of tumor detection; accurate methods for detecting smaller, earlier tumors remains a priority,” says Prof. Yehuda Zeiri, a member of Ben-Gurion University’s Department of Biomedical Engineering.

“Our new approach utilizing urine and exhaled breath samples, analyzed with inexpensive, commercially available processes, is non-invasive, accessible and may be easily implemented in a variety of settings.”

Besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women. About 1 in 8 U.S. women will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. In 2018, an estimated 266,120 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the United States, along with 63,960 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer.

About 40,920 women in the U.S. are expected to die in 2018 from breast cancer, though death rates have been decreasing since 1989, due in part to earlier detection.

Mammography screenings, which are proven to reduce breast cancer mortality significantly, can't always detect small tumors in dense breast tissue. In fact, typical mammography sensitivity, which is 75 to 85% accurate, decreases to 30 to 50% in dense tissue.

Current diagnostic imaging detection for smaller tumors has significant drawbacks: dual-energy digital mammography, while effective, increases radiation exposure, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is expensive. Biopsies and serum biomarker identification processes are invasive, equipment-intensive and require significant expertise.

“We’ve now shown that inexpensive, commercial electronic noses are sufficient for classifying cancer patients at early stages,” says Zeiri. “With further study, it may also be possible to analyze exhaled breath and urine samples to identify other cancer types, as well.”

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 21

WOMEN

FALL TRENDS TO FALL FOR

By Tori Rosenblum

A NEW SEASON

means a new excuse to try your hand at the most fabulous fall trends. But if you’re someone who usually stays true to your own unique style, and shies away from the hot new fashions, then you’ll be interested in the most wearable trends of the season.

FASHION TIP: Color works well on simple and structured silhouettes. Without other distractions, the color does the talking.

BOLD COLOR

Fall means cooler weather and with that comes layers like statement coats, big knits and other outerwear. Don’t fade into the background in a classic black jacket. Choose a pop of color like an orange wool coat or a steel blue trench.

22 OCTOBER 2018 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

LOVELY LAVENDER

Embrace the lighter side of fall with the must-have tone of the season, lavender. This soft purple hue is feminine, so try it in menswear-inspired silhouettes like a dress pant or a baggier blouse.

Dark tones are the typical choice when dressing for fall, but this season it’s all about lavender.

FALL FLOWERS

Keep the freshness of spring flowers moving forward into fall with dark floral sweaters, pants or dresses. Look for darker hues that combat the femininity of the typical floral print. Layer a floral maxi dress with a leather jacket and a studded bootie. These masculine and feminine elements always play well together.

UNLIKELY PAIRS

Take a look in your closet and marry your classic stripes and plaids together. As long as the prints are different enough from one another, they’ll stand out against each other. Polka dots, gingham, ditsy prints – mix and match them all for a style uniquely you.

HELPFUL HINT: When pairing prints: choose patterns with the same colors.

ANIMAL PRINT

Nothing says confidence like animal print! This season, replace a pop of color with a pop of primal leopard print. These spots were all over the runways, and I’m loving this revival as leopard print is an eye-catching pattern for the new season. But treat these spots carefully. Be selective in only choosing one or two patterned pieces per ensemble.

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 23

WOMEN

Uncovering a family secret

By Mala Blomquist

I

magine checking your Facebook messages and discovering a note from a woman who claimed to be your long-lost sister, yet you know you grew up an only child. What would you think?

That exact situation happened to Rabbi Allison Lawton almost seven years ago.

Her sister, Victoria Yegehiaian, had been searching for her since she was 14 years old. Her father and mother had divorced when she was a toddler, and he had remarried. She had tried to reach out to him, but he told her that he wanted nothing to do with her.

Then Victoria got the clue she was looking for. Before Allison was a rabbi, she spoke during Yizkor at a temple in Los Angeles, and they published what she said, including her father’s name.

“My sister got a hit on the internet from that, and then she knew my last name and was able to find me on Facebook,” says Allison.

The circumstances were complicated. It seems that Allison’s parents were trying to cover up their previous identities when they married, and her father had changed his name slightly. This name change further confused the situation as her father’s name did not match the one that Victoria was telling her was her dad’s name.

“Victoria Facebook messaged me and said ‘This is my name, this is my dad’s name, this is my grandmother’s name’ which I had known (was) my dad’s mother’s name,” says Allison. “She said she thought she was my sister. I assumed at the time that she

was younger than me and that my dad probably had an affair or something.”

Then Allison learned that Victoria was older and that she also had a brother. The truth was that her father had been married before and had children. “Everyone knew but me,” says Allison.

The siblings discovered that they all lived not too far from each other in Los Angeles, CA, so they decided to have their first meeting at Casa Vega, a popular Mexican restaurant in the area.

“It was surreal. We all look alike – it was obvious we were related,” remembers Allison.

“The first couple of years we did a lot of catching up,” says Allison. “They would feel bad for me because I grew up with this lie, and I would feel bad for them because they grew up without their dad – we did a lot of that.”

Today the siblings are very close. Allison’s brother, Mark Beekman, moved to Scottsdale a few years ago, so she stays with him every other weekend when she comes to the Valley to perform her duties as rabbi at Beth Ami Temple.

She currently resides in California and is director of Jewish life at Tarbut V’Torah Community Day School during the week.

Before becoming a rabbi, she taught both elementary and special education for 23 years.

Allison was raised Jewish, but Mark and Victoria were not.

“My brother has been to temple a few times, because he has a sister who is a rabbi, and he thinks that’s funny,” she says.

Allison has three children and her sister has five, so they all try to get together for holidays “It’s fun for the kids because some of the cousins are the same age,” she says. This summer, her older son even accompanied her sister and her family to Hawaii on vacation.

“I went from being an only child whose parents were deceased to having a brother and sister and nieces and nephews and great nieces and great nephews,” jokes Allison. “We are always working to create a family tie at this point.” One of those nieces even shares her name.

Since Allison’s parents had already passed prior to the siblings’ reunion, she will never know her parent’s need for secrecy.

“At some point, there are things in life that are better left alone, and I think this is one of those things,” she says.

“You learn in Judaism about forgiveness constantly. The ultimate form of forgiveness is just being understanding of the circumstances – even if you don’t understand the circumstances.”

Every only child wishes they had a brother or sister. Now Allison has both.

Allison embraces her new found siblings, Victoria Yegehiaian and Mark Beekman

24 OCTOBER 2018 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

WOMEN

Facing a gray divorce

By Mala Blomquist

W

e are all used to the saying, “50% of marriages end in divorce,” but recent research pins the figure between 42 and 45%. The main contributing factor seems to be that fewer people are getting married. Many are opting to live together instead of tying the knot.

There is one demographic, however, where divorce rates seem to be on the rise, even doubling – for those over age 50. This phenomenon is known as the “gray divorce.”

Divorce is painful for both parties but can be more difficult for women over 50. It’s especially hard if the woman has not been in the workforce for many years depending on their spouse’s salary or stayed home with children instead of advancing in their career.

If you are faced with such a lifealtering event, there are some steps that you can take right away to help ensure your financial stability moving forward.

GET LEGAL AND FINANCIAL ADVICE Some couples try to forgo hiring an attorney to save costs and do the divorce paperwork themselves. This route may work if there are not a lot of assets, or if you both can agree 100% on how to divide things. If your situation is more complicated (if you believe that your spouse may have hidden assets or you need to figure out child support and spousal support), hiring a professional can often lead to a better outcome.

FIGURE OUT YOUR EXPENSES List what your living expenses are (rent/mortgage, food, utilities) and how much money is coming into the household.

Understanding these expenses prior to the divorce proceedings begin gives you an advantage during negotiations.

PRIORITIZE YOUR OTHER SPENDING Look at some of your “extras.” Are you paying monthly for a gym membership or classes that you don’t attend? Do you buy your morning coffee or lunch every day? Cancel that unused membership and consider making your coffee and brown bagging it and put the savings towards bills that need to be paid.

PROTECT YOURSELF If you are covered on your spouse’s health insurance, your coverage could be canceled. That may also apply to auto, home

or life insurance if your spouse pays the premiums. See if your employer offers a plan or if you can stay on his health insurance until you can make other arrangements. Insurance brokers can assist in “shopping” coverage, at no charge to you because the insurance companies pay them.

INVEST IN YOUR FUTURE If you are not already enrolled, talk to your employer about their 401(k) plan. If they don’t offer a plan, you can set up an individual retirement plan yourself. Both the IRS and U.S. Department of the Treasury has information on their website regarding individual retirement accounts including traditional and Roth IRAs. You can set up an IRA with a bank, financial institution, life insurance company or stockbroker. The point is to save as much as you can as soon as you can.

BECOME MORE INVOLVED Investing in your time can be just as valuable as investing with your money. Women often become engaged in their community for personal support, while men participate for financial support, mentorship and networking. Utilizing your network can help you succeed in both your personal and professional life. Surrounding yourself with an active community and becoming more involved with areas outside your comfort zone can help keep you busy during and after a divorce, and create a support system that you can lean on in times of personal and financial stress.

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 25

BUFFALO COLLECTION: Experience the American West

By Lauren Reidy Phelan

N

estled in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale, Buffalo Collection is a destination not to be missed. Like the neighborhood it inhabits, the stunning gallery space expertly blends modern luxury with Old World charm.

Surrounded by specialty shops and bistros, the showroom is the true essence of luxury, featuring museum quality fine art and impressive high-end furniture. When you first enter the sunlit space, your eyes are immediately drawn to the walls, where iconic, dramatic Western images are captured in vivid detail. Beneath these paintings, custom

Laura and Michael Levenberg, owners of Buffalo Collection.

26 OCTOBER 2018 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

tables are decorated with one-of-a-kind masterpieces such as extraordinary bronze sculptures, adorned gourds and blown glass objects. Talented Western artisans handcraft each work of art.

Not to be outdone, the furniture on the showroom floor is as beautiful as the art surrounding it. Buffalo Collection brings you an extensive line of comfortable, luxury sofas and chairs, created from exquisite American Buffalo leather which are custom made to order for each client. Bison leather is truly unparalleled in it’s luxurious, strong and supple texture. Clients can choose from more than 30 different colors and select intricate detailing such as hand braiding, nail head, fringed or woven accents. Classic, timeless furnishings made in America, built heirloom quality utilizing strong hardwood frames, hand-tied springs, complete with down-topped cushions.

Experience extreme comfort with casual elegance. Available in classic and contemporary designs, these handsome pieces fit perfectly on a ranch or in a downtown loft.

In addition to original artwork and custom furniture, the gallery displays home furnishings which include fabulous pillows, unique tables, magnificent lighting, exceptional antiques and accessories, that work perfectly for mountain rustic to contemporary urban homes.

Owner’s Michael and Laura Levenberg have always been inspired by the American West and celebrate its spirit within their collection.

“Growing up in the Midwest in an avid skiing family, I fell in love with the West on my first ski trip to Aspen,” says Laura.

“Loving the open-minded environment, wide open spaces, the colors and warmth of the West, our business exudes all of this.

I am thrilled that our collection has its roots deriving from the classic American symbol.”

Like the eye-catching art and A contemporary distinguished furniture they showcase, the living room Levenbergs are committed to honoring with furnishings Buffalo Collections’ past while bringing it and accessories forward into the future. from Buffalo Buffalo Collection originated on a Bison Collection.

Ranch in Western Colorado in the early 1990s. It was founded by a botanist who was intent on restoring a native Buffalo range and developed a local meat business in the process. As the business grew, guest lodges were established on the ranch, which were outfitted in outstanding Buffalo leather furniture. The ranch hosted a plethora of visitors including wedding parties, corporate gatherings, fly fishers, river rafters, hunters and cowboys. Guests were intrigued by and interested in having this impressive furniture in their own homes and ranches; hence Buffalo Collection was born.

In 2011, the Levenbergs relocated the heart of the business from Colorado to sunny Scottsdale and opened their remarkable flagship store. In 2016, they expanded their boutique showroom to approximately 3,600 square feet.

Today, Laura and Michael keep the collection fresh by traveling across the West each summer to meet with prospective artists and to hand-select extraordinary pieces for the upcoming season.

They have expanded their Buffalo leather furniture line to include a variety of design aesthetics, offering everything from the traditional Ranch Club style collection to the mid-century modern style Colorado collection and much more.

Owner Michael Levenberg talks about the process of choosing a new artist for their showroom.

“First, do we like them personally as an individual and feel we could work well together. Then, do we feel that the merit of their work is of the highest quality and finally, that their work would be a good fit for the gallery?” he says.

Whether they’re introducing new generations to traditional Western artists, like Robert Rivera and Dan Deuter, or creating sleek modern furniture with classic materials and handcrafted details, the Levenbergs strive to create a collection that bridges the timeline from an older, simpler way of life to today’s contemporary, more sophisticated lifestyles. Their incredible gallery in Old Town Scottsdale provides the perfect space for the two worlds to meet.

Visit Buffalo Collection at 7044 E. Fifth Ave. in Scottsdale. Contact them at 480-946-3903 or buffalocollection.com.

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 27

COVER STORY

MARLEE MATLIN Breaking barriers and following her dreams

BY MALA BLOMQUIST

M

arlee Matlin was only 21 years old when she received the Academy Award for her role in “Children of a Lesser God.� She played Sarah Norman, a young deaf woman who is speechless by choice and working as a janitor at a school for the deaf and hard of hearing where she meets the new speech teacher, James Leeds, played by William Hurt. She won the Oscar for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role on March 30, 1987, and has held the title of youngest winner for that category ever since. She is also the only deaf Academy Award recipient in any category.

Paramount Pictures had wanted to produce a movie based on the Broadway play of the same name for years and had been searching for someone to play the lead. An agent sent a tape to Paramount of the whole company who had been performing the play in Chicago. Ironically, Marlee did not consider herself as a leading lady when someone spotted her in the background of that tape and asked her to audition. That audition led her to the role in the film.

28 OCTOBER 2018 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

“I am happy to have the opportunity to speak in front of other members of the Jewish community and talk about my story, and how I basically wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for my Jewish upbringing.”

–Marlee Matlin

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 29

COVER STORY

M A R L E E M AT L I N

got nominated for an Academy Award.”

Marlee has been clean and sober since Jan. 10, 1987. “When I came out and stood on that stage with the Oscar in my hand I was clean and sober,” she remembers. “I started (using) when I was 13 up until I was 21. Now I’m clean and sober for more than 30 years.”

A STAR IS BORN

Marlee credits Director Randa Haines with helping her tap into personal experiences to create the very intense emotional scenes you see in the film. “Randa knew where to find the spots and corners in my acting soul to pull from and bring to the table for the performance,” says Marlee.

After the movie was released, Marlee came to a serious realization. “I decided that regardless of the fame and attention that I was getting, I was going to get myself to a point where I could be clean and sober,” she recalls.

“The day after I won the Golden Globes I admitted myself into rehab at the Betty Ford Center, and that is where (I found out) I

30 OCTOBER 2018 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

Many people aren’t aware that Marlee wasn’t born deaf. Her parents discovered her hearing loss when she was 18 months old.

“My grandmother alerted my parents because her friend thought I was deaf. My dad claimed that I was just stubborn,” jokes Marlee.

The family had been visiting California, so when they returned to Chicago, they took Marlee to the doctor. He confirmed the grandmother’s diagnosis. “They don’t know what the cause was; whether it was a fever exacerbated by the plane flight or whether I just became deaf,” she says. She says her parents didn’t focus on why it happened, but more on what to do once they knew.

Growing up north of Chicago in the suburb of Northbrook, Marlee attended an oral school where she learned to speak, and at age 5 she learned American Sign Language. “That opened up my world,” she remembers. She then went on to attend a mainstream school that offered programs for the deaf. “I didn’t go to a school for the deaf because they were too far away and my mom and dad wanted to keep me at home.”

Marlee started acting when she was 7 years old. “I was at summer camp, and they asked me if I wanted to go on the stage and perform in sign language with some girls,” she says. She didn’t even know what a stage was at the time, but she agreed to do it.

“The response that I got from the audience and their smiling faces hooked me in.”

Opposite page clockwise: Marlee won a Golden Globe for “Children of a Lesser God” in Jan. 1987; Movie poster from the film; Marlee as character Sarah Norman; Marlee with her Oscar at the 1987 Academy Awards. Inset: Marlee with friend Henry Winkler.

This page: Marlee and Kevin Grandalski on their wedding day in 1993; Family holiday card, from left, Isabelle, Brandon, Sara, Kevin, Tyler and Marlee.

She then started acting at a nearby community theater that served both deaf and hearing children and at the Center on Deafness in Northbrook. Her first play was the “Wizard of Oz” where she got the lead in an unorthodox way. “I walked in and said, ‘I want the lead,’ and they gave it to me,” says Marlee.

A pivotal moment in her early acting career happened when she turned 13.

Henry Winkler came to watch a performance at the Center on Deafness. Afterward, he stayed to meet the young actors. Marlee was enamored with him and insisted on meeting him. She told him that she wanted to be an actor in Hollywood just like him.

She also remembers that her mother wasn’t so sure that acting was a good idea. She wanted Marlee to go to college and have a stable career. But what Henry Winkler told her that day made an impact. He said to her, “You know Marlee, you can be whatever you want to be, just follow your heart and your dreams will come true.”

Eight years later she was onstage accepting an Academy Award.

FAMILY FIRST

Marlee dated her co-star, William Hurt, for two years. In her 2009 autobiography, I’ll Scream Later; she goes into detail about their tumultuous and sometimes violent relationship. “I had never had an abusive relationship before, and as soon as I became clean and sober I realized that that was something I wouldn’t accept any longer,” says Marlee.

On Aug. 29, 1993, Marlee married law enforcement officer Kevin Grandalski. They met as he was monitoring traffic while she was filming the television show “Reasonable Doubts.” “I saw

him, and I was hooked! It must have been the uniform,” jokes Marlee.

“He’s not Jewish, but I believe that we can share both our beliefs in a household together,” says Marlee. “We celebrate both holidays, and we were married by both a rabbi and a priest on the front lawn at Henry Winkler’s house.”

Because Marlee and Kevin raise their four children: Sarah, Brandon, Tyler and Isabelle in an interfaith home, they let the kids make their own religious decisions. “If, at any time, they want to go on Birthright they will,” she says. She says none of the children have had a bar or bat mitzvah, but she did.

Marlee grew up in a Reform household and became a bat mitzvah at Congregation Bene Shalom in Skokie, IL, a synagogue for both deaf and hearing Jews. “I had the benefit of a rabbi who could sign,” she says. “I learned how to speak Hebrew phonetically, and I signed and spoke.”

With four children in the house (three of them are teenagers), a working husband and her travel schedule, Marlee keeps busy.

They also have a cat and a dog. She admits that they have a very supportive community and in-laws who are close by and happy to lend a hand.

When her kids have expressed an interest in acting, she has impressed upon them that they should finish school first. “I don’t want them to miss school to go act,” says Marlee. “If they want to act in school, if they want to take drama or theater, that’s fine with me. But I don’t want to take them out of school to act. I think that they need to finish school first.”

Her son Tyler has done theater in school and been cast as the lead in some plays. Her youngest daughter, Isabelle, is a cheerleader. Marlee remembers, “My best friend and I auditioned for the cheerleading squad, but they didn’t want us because we were deaf. Little did they know that we knew what we were doing – I still remember my cheer.”

A VARIETY OF ROLES

Marlee has starred in many television films including “Bridge to Silence,” “Against Her Will: The Carrie Buck Story,” “Dead Silence,” “Freak City,” “Where the Truth Lies” and “Sweet Nothing in My Ear.” She has also been nominated for four Emmy awards for her appearances on “Seinfeld,” “Picket Fences,” “The Practice” and “Law and Order: SVU.” Some of her roles came about through serendipitous encounters.

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 31

COVER STORY

M A R L E E M AT L I N

2018 JEWISH NATIONAL FUND NATIONAL CONFERENCE October 26-28, 2018 The Arizona Biltmore 2400 E. Missouri Ave., Phoenix JNF’s National Conference brings together more than a thousand committed Jewish and Israeli leaders, philanthropists and college students from across the U.S. and Israel to learn about the key issues of the day over a powerful and impactful weekend.

Captain (Res.) Libby Weiss

Marlee Matlin

Dr. Deborah E. Lipstadt

Izzy Ezagui

Ronald S. Lauder

Bari Weiss

Jamie Geller

SPEAKERS INCLUDE:

Captain (Res.) Libby Weiss, Marlee Matlin, Ronald S. Lauder, Dr. Deborah E. Lipstadt, Izzy Ezagui, Bari Weiss, Jamie Geller and more.

For more information, visit jnf.org.

32 OCTOBER 2018 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

For example, she got her part in “The West Wing” over a Chinese lunch with Aaron Sorkin. She had called him and told him how much she had enjoyed the premiere episode of the show and he suggested that they meet for lunch.

Over Chinese food in Beverly Hills, he explained his upcoming plans for the show. “A few days later, he had written a scene for me and the next thing I knew I was on the set of ‘The West Wing.’ That was one of my most wonderful experiences working on that show,” shares Marlee.

She played Joey Lucas, a California-based pollster and political operative on all seven seasons of that show.

A similar thing happened when she was offered a part on “Code Black” with Michael Seitzman.

She went to a party following the roast of Rob Lowe on Comedy Central. Marsha Gay Harden wanted Marlee to meet her boss, Michael Seitzman. He expressed an interest in having Marlee work on the show. “I said, ‘Let’s meet and talk about it,’ and he said, ‘No, I’m just going to write it,’ and the next thing I knew, he had already written a part for me on ‘Code Black.’ ” Working with Michael led to her most recent part as Jocelyn Turner, an ex-FBI agent whose hearing was lost when a bomb blew up near her on “Quantico.” This last season, Michael wanted to share her character’s backstory, so he dubbed her voice and had her play a person with full hearing.

“It was a great challenge and a very different kind of acting experience for me,” says Marlee. “I have to thank Michael for creating that challenge that’s never been done before, but now that we’ve done it, I think we can do it again.”

In 2015, she returned to her acting roots onstage, performing in the revival of “Spring Awakening” on Broadway. The play featured actors that both spoke and used American Sign Language. But Marlee admits that the challenge of such an intense schedule of working at nights and being away for so long discourages her from doing it again.

“After being in the film business for such a long time, I like the idea of working large chunks and then having time off to do things with the family,” she says. ”Theater is for people who live there or who have the freedom to be away from their family. I was gone from August to January, and that was much too long.”

From 2011 to 2017, Marlee played guidance counselor Melody Bledsoe in the popular ABC Family (now Freeform) series “Switched at Birth.” On that show, she performed in American Sign Language with English subtitles. “I have to thank Lizzy Weiss for giving television audiences the freedom to watch a deaf person perform in a language they’re comfortable with, as opposed to being translated all the time, which is the old way of doing things,” says Marlee.

The show has gained new fans since being released on Netflix, and it remains very popular with the teen demographic. “When I would come out of the theater at “Spring Awakening” half the audience or more were all “Switched at Birth” fans,” recalls Marlee.

CHARITABLE WORK

Marlee works with many charitable organizations. She has been a national spokesperson for the American Red Cross for years, and she has been named as an honorary board member of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. This board position is one near and dear to her as her father passed away from Multiple Myeloma in 2013.

Most recently, she is collaborating with Route 66 Promotions, an online retailer started by two deaf men in a garage in 2012. “Each month I develop a charity to donate the funds to and (in August) it was to Gallaudet University, the only liberal arts college for the deaf in the U.S.,” says Marlee.

She received an honorary doctorate from Gallaudet in 1987.

Marlee’s involvement also includes various Jewish organizations, appearing at many fundraising events. She will be in the Valley for the Jewish National Fund’s National Conference, Oct. 26-28 at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix. She will be part of the opening plenary on Oct. 26, along with JNF Chairman of the Board, Emeritus, Ronald S. Lauder.

“I am happy to have the opportunity to speak in front of other members of the Jewish community and talk about my story, and how I basically wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for my Jewish upbringing,” says Marlee.

Marlee went to Israel for the first time during the summer of 2017. While she was there, she received the Morton E. Ruderman award for her work promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities in Hollywood.

During her 10-day visit, she met with television executives, politicians and advocates in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Nazareth. “I was speaking to various groups and government officials about the importance of inclusion and diversity on behalf of Israel’s deaf and disabled population,” says Marlee.

Marlee was impressed by how welcoming, open and warm the people were. She was also very impressed by the level of dedication by the government and the people to diversity and inclusion. “Did you know that the Israel military welcomes people with disabilities and finds suitable positions for them depending on their skills?” she asks. “That doesn’t happen here in the U.S. The commercial sector as well was very open to discussing ways to increase diversity and inclusion.”

To further promote inclusion, Marlee is an executive producer on the new A&E documentary “Deaf Out Loud,” which premiered Sept. 12. The series will follow three predominantly deaf families as they raise their children in a hearing world.

She hopes this series will raise awareness further in respect of those who are deaf and hard of hearing. It’s just the latest step of Marlee’s tireless dedication and advocacy to prove to others what she’s known all along: not to let your challenges dictate your future or deter your dreams.

Clockwise: Cast of “Quantico”; Her return to the stage in “Spring Awakening” on Broadway in 2015; Marlee at Yad Vashem during her visit to Israel in 2017; Marlee with Lady Gaga at Super Bowl 50 in 2016, after Gaga sang and she signed the National Anthem; Marlee received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2009.

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 33

DESTINATION: Bar Mitzvah

KIDS & TEENS TOO!

34 OCTOBER 2018 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

A

sher Kaye, son of Denise and Eric Kaye, celebrated a destination bar mitzvah at Wilshire Boulevard Temple Camps in Malibu, CA. “Camp has been such an instrumental part of Asher’s life, and he has made a home away from home at Gindling Hilltop Camp, so it was only fitting for him to have a camp-style bar mitzvah at his second home,” says Denise.

The family started the weekend with a Shabbat dinner hosted by Asher’s loving grandparents Linda and Stan Burech, and Julia and Harvey Kaye.

They spent the night in the accommodations at Camp Hess Kramer and the next morning headed up to Gindling Hilltop Camp where they witnessed Asher become a bar mitzvah with both his aunts, Rabbi Erica Burech and Cantorial Soloist Emily Kaye officiating the service. Afterward, the group had brunch followed by camp activities such as Gindling Hilltop’s famous ropes course overlooking the ocean, arts and crafts, and gaga ball. There was time also to enjoy the beach and hiking, and that evening they danced the night away celebrating Asher’s accomplishments. The festivities ended around a campfire, roasting marshmallows and singing songs. It was a magical weekend for all involved – especially Asher!

Asher Kaye enjoying his destination bar mitzvah at Wilshire Boulevard Temple Camps in Malibu, CA.

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ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 35

BAR & BAT MITZVAH

Trending now

By Mala Blomquist Planning for a bar or bat mitzvah can become practically a full-time job with all of the decisions that need to be made from the venue to the favors. We searched party planning sites, Pinterest and blogs to see what some of the hottest trends happening in celebrations for 2018 are. We are happy to share them with you in hopes that it helps inspire an idea for your child’s bar/bat mitzvah.

#MYMITZVAH Since everything “trends” on social media, why not assign a hashtag (#) to your bar/bat mitzvah. If you share this hashtag with your guests at the beginning of the event, it will make it easy to collect photos that people have taken after the event is over. Merely search Twitter or Instagram after the party for pictures tagged with that hashtag and save your favorites.

You can even set up a screen where all the photos posted on social media with that hashtag are displayed in real time. This way guests can see their photos immediately and encourages them to use the hashtag.

BALLOONS: DECORATION OR SNACK? It seems like balloons have always been a mainstay in party decorating. Balloons are not going anywhere, and manufacturers are just getting more creative. Today, you can find them in all shapes and sizes. You can frame an entranceway with a traditional balloon arch, incorporate balloons into a garland or make them into table centerpieces. A unique twist is using lighted balloon columns as accents at each corner of the dance floor.

CREATING WITH COLOR The Pantone Color of the Year for 2018 is Ultra Violet. This trending color is striking and can be found in both natural and artificial decorating options. Flowers and succulents with purple undertones can be used in table arrangements, and everything from hanging paper lanterns to the frosting on the cake can be reproduced in this color.

A new trend is to use color as a “theme.” The party can be tied together using a single color or a color palette. If you like the Pantone color for this year, you can modify it by using lighter shades of purple for a summer party, or a deeper, darker tone for a winter celebration.

36 OCTOBER 2018 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

Did you know that you can make an edible balloon? By using a mixture of sugar, cornstarch, corn syrup, water, salt, gelatin to create the “balloon” and then adding helium, you can produce an edible decoration for your guests.

BAR & BAT MITZVAH

SAY “CHEESE” For entertaining guests, the photo booth has been a party staple for many years now, and the experience is becoming more high tech than just producing a strip of photos. Today’s photo booths can create shareable GIFs, video messages and slideshows.

The latest craze to hit is a 360 photo booth.

Guests can stand in a designated area, and a camera will shoot 360-degree photos. These photos can then be turned into a video and shared with your guests. Whatever option you choose, your guests will be able to upload their photos and videos and share them on social media (using your personalized hashtag).

FOOD FUN What’s a Jewish celebration without food? Interactive food buffets are a growing trend at bar and bat mitzvahs. You can set several snack buffets up and let guests choose their favorite item to nosh.

Set up a bagel bar with a variety of sweet and savory cream cheese spreads; a nacho bar with tortilla chips and salsa, guacamole and cheese; a hot pretzel station with dipping sauces like mustard and nacho cheese or have a popcorn bar with flavored seasonings like grated cheese or cinnamon sugar.

For more of a substantial meal, offer guests meat skewers with a variety of dipping sauces (eliminate dairy-based sauces for those who keep kosher) or for a meatless option, provide a pasta bar with variously shaped pasta, vegetables and sauces.

The options for dessert are endless. Set up a sundae bar with ice cream, toppings and sauces; design your own doughnut with glazes and sprinkles; s’mores can be kicked up a notch by offering flavored marshmallows, milk or dark chocolate and assorted graham crackers. Or, go all out on an elaborate candy buffet..

S.W.A.G. S.W.A.G. (stuff we all get) or party favors are a must at a teen’s celebration. The biggest trend in favors right now is personalization. Think outside of the traditional name or child’s initial. Use the hashtag you created or consider designing a logo for the event.

Choose items that the guests will really use, like sunglasses, water bottles, beach towels, phone chargers, playing cards, etc.

Hopefully, every time your guest uses the item, they will think back on the good time they had that day.

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 37

BAR & BAT MITZVAH

Mitzvah Chit Chat

M

itzvah Chit Chat started out as a Facebook group in Chicago in 2016. They have since branched out to other cities and earlier this year they launched Arizona Mitzvah Chit Chat.

Their website contains information on local vendors offering everything from décor and flowers to rentals and entertainment.

They offer a timeline with recommendations for what to do when, starting at 18 months out, all the way to the mitzvah day. They offer tips catered to Arizona and suggest booking the “BIG 3” (venue, photographer, DJ) as soon as you get your date because of our competitive market.

Once your big day is done you can share your child’s story in their “Chat & Tell” section. Parents can fill out an online form that includes details about vendors used on that day, with an option to upload up to eight photos. They state on the form that they try to post one every few days to give parents who are planning a look into a finished event.

For more information, visit arizonamitzvahchitchat.com.

Our space is your home. Host your next event with us!

Our professional event staff are experts in AV, room setup and event space planning.

We also have free, convenient parking.

To book a tour, please contact 480.481.7123 or info@iljcc.org.

We will make your event memorable.

• Bar/Bat Mitzvahs (Services & Celebrations) • Luncheons & Dinner Receptions • Fundraisers & Galas • Weddings, Parties & Showers • Meetings & More

38 OCTOBER 2018 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

12701 N. Scottsdale Rd. | Corner of Sweetwater & Scottsdale Rd.

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 39

BAR & BAT MITZVAH

For Dr. Ada Anbar, 83 is the new 13

By Katrina Shawver

D

r. Ada Anbar recently celebrated her first bat mitzvah at age 83. When her son Ran, a pediatrician living in La Jolla, CA, first suggested it last spring, the thought had never occurred to her, nor did she have any friends who had done so who could advise her. At the time she thought, “Why not?” and now admits, “I would recommend it to any other Jewish woman.”

In Ada’s youth, her parents held a bar mitzvah for her younger brother when he turned 13. However, the practice of a bat mitzvah for young women was still relatively new and had not yet spread to Israel where she was born and grew up.

The tradition of a bar mitzvah as a “coming of age” ceremony for young Jewish men dates back centuries. In the patriarchal Jewish culture of the times, women were not permitted to go to the bimah and read the Torah. This changed in 1922.

Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, the founder of the Reconstructionist movement, had no sons and four daughters. He decided to hold a small variation of the bar mitzvah for his 12-year-old daughter and named it a bat mitzvah, for daughter of the commandments.

Though shocking at the time, the practice slowly spread to Jewish communities worldwide.

Fast forward to 2018. When Ran suggested the bat mitzvah to Ada, he had already spoken with his rabbi, Rabbi Ron Shulman of the Beth El Congregation in La Jolla. The rabbi had agreed to prepare Ada and hold the bat mitzvah. In Judaism, there is a belief that a lifespan is 70 years, so age 70 represents a time of rebirth and renewal. Add 13 years, and 83 becomes the figurative age for a new bar or bat mitzvah. For an increasing number of

40 OCTOBER 2018 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

men and women, 83 has become the new 13.

Most younger children prepare Dr. Ada Anbar for up to a year for their mitzvah ceremony, part of which is learning Hebrew. However, Ada holds an MA in Hebrew literature, so language was not an issue. “I knew Hebrew, but I had not learned to chant the traditional blessings or trop. I practiced a few minutes every day. Ran not only recorded the singing of the blessings, he called me every evening to check on my progress. It was far less stressful as an adult,” she says.

Ran planned everything, including a catered luncheon for the family following the ceremony. Ran’s definition of family extended to an invitation for the entire congregation to help celebrate and honor Ada. The bat mitzvah was truly a family affair – each of her six grandchildren read prayers during the ceremony as both of her sons and their spouses sat nearby.

Always a trendsetter, age never stopped Ada from pursuing her dreams. She went back to school at age 42 to pursue a Ph.D. in early childhood education and insisted she pay for the degree herself. She published her first book at age 46. After her retirement from a 40-year teaching career, she published her second book at age 64, and a third book at age 69. Her fourth and latest book is set for release in December 2018.

Titled When Love Meets Dementia, the book addresses the issues she encountered with her husband’s dementia in his last four years of life. Michael passed away four years ago after

61 years of marriage, due to complications from frontotemporal degeneration or FTD. In her bat mitzvah speech to the congregation, Ada explained “I am submitting my fourth book for my bat mitzvah project.

The information in this book will be very helpful to many people. …. The purpose of this book is to shed light on this brain disease. This will be my small contribution to make our world a better place.”

Ada advises other women considering an adult bat mitzvah first to contact their rabbi. Even better, have a family member contact the rabbi on your behalf. The ceremony is both a symbolic renewal and a public rededication to the Jewish faith.

For Ada, her bat mitzvah was both and she says, “The best birthday party of my life.”

Locally, Ada is a member of The New Shul in Scottsdale. For more information on her books, visit adaanbar.com.

Katrina Shawver is a freelance writer and author of HENRY - A Polish Swimmer’s True Story of Friendship from Auschwitz to America.

B’NAI MITZVAH ARIZONA JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY

CUTLER PLOTKIN Jewish Heritage Center

A truly unique and memorable atmosphere for a B’nai mitzvah service and/or reception.

Call us at 602.241.7870 or e-mail sfaherty@azjhs.org for availability and further information.

122 E Culver Street Phoenix, AZ 85004 WEDDING PACKAGES AVAILABLE

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 41

O Jacob Miller:

New StandWithUs High School Intern

StandWithUs’ Southwest High School Coordinator, Kate Chavez with High School Intern Jacob Miller at the August conference.

42 OCTOBER 2018 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

nce again, StandWithUs meets the challenges of the 2018-19 school year with its campus Emerson Fellows and High School Interns.

Both programs select and train 90 student leaders from 90 schools throughout North America to educate their peers about Israel. The Emerson Fellows also combat anti-Israel rhetoric. The high school internship prepares students for the challenges they may face at university and in the community about Israel.

Although Arizona does not have an Emerson Fellow this year, we do have a representative in the High School Internship Program. Jacob Miller, who is currently a junior at Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix applied to the program because, “I read about BDS at universities and wanted to educate myself so that I am prepared to combat anti-Semitic and anti-Israel rhetoric on campus.”

He attended training in August where he learned organizational, leadership and debate skills; how to run effective programs and form coalitions with other groups; how to counter BDS campaigns and to utilize SWU’s various resources including the legal department and social media. One important session explained when legitimate criticism of Israel crosses the line into anti-Semitism. Importantly, he bonded with two new coordinators – Kate Chavez for high school and Charline Delkhah for campus.

The year-long program will also include two national conferences, ongoing education online workshops and funding to run programming in his high school and youth group. Once he completes the program, he will become part of the StandWithUs alumni network and will be able to continue with his Israel advocacy on a college level. Jacob will also continue to receive support from StandWithUs throughout his college career and beyond.

This summer, Jacob was also awarded The Bronfman Fellowship, a network of more than 1,200 pluralistic young Jews from Israel and across North America. The program includes a five-week, all-expensespaid trip to Israel where fellows explore deep existential questions and Jewish ideas while building friendships with peers who challenge and inspire them. He is also on the board of directors for the Jewish Community Foundation’s Youth Philanthropy Board and is currently serving as Religious and Cultural Vice President for Temple Chai’s youth group.

JKids & Teens Event Calendar ONGOING: Club J at the Valley of the Sun JCC Provides after-school programming 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 the 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-ups from Kyrene schools on Wednesday early dismissals. East Valley Jewish Community Center, 908 N Alma School Road, Chandler. 480-897-0588 or evjcc.org.

J-Care After-School Program at the Tucson JCC Includes a variety of activities, Homework Hangout program (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.

256 or jcare@tucsonjcc.org, tucsonjcc.org.

OCT. 5 Tot Shabbat at Congregation Anshei Israel, 5550 E 5th St., Tucson from 5:45 to 8 pm.

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 Day at the Zoo at Reid Park Zoo, 3400 Zoo Court, Tucson from 1 to 3 pm. Join The Tucson JCC, PJ Library and PJ Our Way for an afternoon at the zoo with an animal meet & greet, scavenger hunt, giraffe feeding and more. $10 per family. Register at tucsonjcc.org.

Israeli Sing-Along at Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona, 3718 E. River Road, Tucson

from 7:30 to 9 pm. Fun evening for the whole family with song leaders Erez and Gal. $10 per person. RSVP to Amir at 520-577-9383 or aeden@jfsa.org.

OCT. 7-DEC. 16 Jeff Berkowitz Youth Basketball League at the Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Newly structured program that includes five weeks of skill development followed by exciting games and tournament play. For more information, contact 480-481-7016 or sports@vosjcc.org.

OCT. 8-12 Shemesh Fall Break Camp at the Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale from 9 am to 3 pm; morning and afternoon care available. No school, no worries. Fun-filled days of sports, swimming, arts, games and more! Grades K-4. For pricing and additional information, visit vosjcc.org/shemeshcamps.

OCT. 13 Family Expo at Mesa Community College, 1833 W. Southern Ave, Mesa from 9 am-2 pm. 5K run and 1-mile family fun walk, stage performances, DJ, activities, giveaways, education booths, inflatables, face painting, food and more. Free; $25 for run participants.shapeupus.org.

Additional adults $10 per person. RSVP at 520-745-5550 or caiaz.org.

Tot Shabbat at Temple Kol Ami, 15030 N. 64th St., Scottsdale from 5:30 to 6 pm. Families with young children are invited to join us for Tot Shabbat. Rabbi and Cantor lead a musical Shabbat in the sanctuary that is loved by parents and children alike. Free. For more information: templekolamiscottsdale@ gmail.com or templekolami.org.

Tot Shabbat in the Northwest at Jewish Federation Northwest, 190 W. Magee Road #162, Oro Valley from 5 to 6 pm. Join other Northwest families with young children and we celebrate Shabbat together at the Northwest Division office of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona.

For more information, contact Mary Ellen at 520-955-1518 or pjlibrary@jfsa.org.

OCT. 20 Sensational Sports Kids Night Out at the Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale from 6 to 10 pm. Kids wind up for the World Cup with sports-related fun as Coach Alex leads group games and soccer! Members: $10; Guests: $20. Price per child until Oct. 15; $5 thereafter. Information and registration: 480.634.4949 or youth@vosjcc.org.

OCT. 14 Fun with Noah at the Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale from 9:30 to 11:30 am. Families enjoy a fun morning reading favorite Noah’s Ark stories and have a blast making and eating the rainbow! Free for ECC Families; $5 per guest family. Information and registration: 480.659.7769 or earlychildhood@vosjcc.org.

OCT. 23 Nurturing Your Child’s Creativity at Home at Valley Beit Midrash, 4645 E. Marilyn Road, Phoenix from 11am to 1 pm. Learn how to use methods such as questioning, providing feedback and creating home projects to inspire your child to think and do things more creatively. $25 suggested donation. For more information, visit valleybeitmidrash.org.

OCT. 19 Family Shabbat Expereince at Congregation Anshei Israel, 5550 E 5th St., Tucson from 5:45 to 8 pm. With our families, we’ll welcome Shabbat outside with rhythm, movement, ruach (spirit) and song, followed

by Shabbat dinner and Open Lounge in the Linda Roy Youth Center with games and fun. $25 per family (2 adults & up to 4 children).

NOV. 11 ZooAsana at the Phoenix Zoo, 455 N. Galvin Pkwy., Phoenix at 10 am. Yoga workshops for adults and kids, silent auction, face painting, vendors and more. $60 adults, $20 ages under 13; includes zoo admission. For more information, contact 915-407-3226 or zooasanayoga@gmail.com.

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 43

FRONT & CENTER

T

Temple Solel event celebrates Leonard Bernstein’s legacy

By Mala Blomquist 44 OCTOBER 2018 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

o honor what would have been Leonard Bernstein’s 100th birthday, Temple Solel is presenting a special concert on the anniversary of Bernstein’s death, Oct. 14.

“It’s an event that Solel is putting on in conjunction with The Phoenix Opera,” says Todd Herzog, cantorial soloist at Temple Solel. “John Massaro brought the idea to us and we decided to move forward with it.”

John Massaro and his wife, Gail Dubinbaum are the founders of The Phoenix Opera. John has also been the music director and played piano for High Holiday services at Temple Solel for many years, and Gail has performed as a substitute cantor from time to time.

During this special concert, John will be the pianist, Gail will be the host and narrator, and Todd will perform along with Rabbi Emily Langowitz and several members of The Phoenix Opera.

The evening will be “a mixture of his more popular music, like ‘West Side Story,’ along with a couple of more classical pieces,” says Todd. There are 15 pieces on the schedule.

“We are very thrilled to be doing this because we’ve been affiliated with Temple Solel for many years,” says Gail. “A lot is going into this program that’s different. I like being the walking, talking program guide and giving people insight into what they are hearing.” Gail will share fascinating information on Bernstein, his compositions, the backstory on the compositions and his affiliations with Gershwin and Copland and how they influenced his music.

Gail will also share a few personal anecdotes from the many times she had the privilege of performing with “Maestro Bernstein,” as she calls him.

The first time Gail met Leonard Bernstein, she was living in New York, singing with the Metropolitan Opera, when she was hired by the LA Philharmonic to be the mezzo-soprano soloist for Bernstein’s Jeremiah Symphony.

Since Bernstein did not know her, and he was not in the habit of conducting people that he had not personally put his stamp of approval on, she was contacted by his manager, Harry Kraut.

“Mr. Kraut said that Mr. Bernstein wanted to hear me live to audition,” remembers Gail. So she was sent the musical score, and a few days later she and her accompanist (her husband, John) Gail Dubinbaum with Maestro Bernstein

John Massaro

Gail Dubinbaum

Rabbi Emily Langowitz

Todd Herzog

arrived at Bernstein’s apartment.

“John and I went into his music room with all of the pictures, from everyone in the world, all over the piano and all of his scores…it was intimidating, like you have no idea,” says Gail.

Bernstein walked into the room, smoking and wearing a short robe, and sat about six feet from where Gail stood.

“I start singing Jeremiah for him, and at one point he jumped up and said, ‘No that’s wrong!’ ” says Gail.

Harry had sent them the wrong orchestral score!

“I continued singing and about half-way through Bernstein put up his hands and said, ‘Stop, stop!’ and I thought, ‘I’m going to die right now,’ ” says Gail. “He said, ‘No, I can’t say this. No, I shouldn’t say this. OK, I’ll say this. That is the most beautiful I’ve ever heard this sung.’ ” That is how Gail got the chance to sing the Jeremiah Symphony with Leonard Bernstein for the first time at the Hollywood Bowl.

She went on to perform with him in Boston and Pittsburg, the latter location was to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the creation of Jeremiah.

“I sang with Bernstein many, many times and it was always an honor – and thrilling,” says Gail.

Yet there was one opportunity to perform with Bernstein that Gail

did not get to do, and has regretted ever since.

She was invited by Bernstein to sing at a private concert for a rededication of a room in the Vatican. There would be a private concert for the Pope and then an open-air concert that would be broadcast by the Italian radio.

“I was in a production with the Metropolitan Opera at the time, and they would not let me out of my contract,” says Gail.

“Bernstein was going to fly me overnight on the Concord and get me into Rome the next day to sing at this concert. That didn’t happen, which was heartbreaking for many reasons.”

When she told Bernstein that she couldn’t go, he said that they would just have to get the “second best” singer to perform. That turned out to be Gail’s idol – world-renowned mezzo-soprano Christa Ludwig.

One of Gail’s prized possessions is a limerick that Bernstein wrote on the back of her music one day. She had asked for his autograph, and instead, he wrote this:

Love Always! Lenny WHEN 7 pm, Sunday, Oct. 14 WHERE Temple Solel 6805 E. McDonald Drive, Paradise Valley TICKETS $10 students, $25 general admission ($18 advance purchase by Oct. 1), $50 VIP includes a meet-the-artist champagne reception following the concert INFORMATION 480-991-7414 or templesolel.org/events

There once was a man from Yale, who was burning to sing like Gail.

He said my desi’ah’ to sing Jeremiah, is such that I rue being male.

Love always!

Lenny “That I keep in my music room,” she says. “It’s one of the best things I have in my collection of mementos from my career.”

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 45

FRONT & CENTER

A

Jews and Jewishness in the Dance World

special conference will be held on the Tempe campus of Arizona State University this fall.

Jews and Jewishness in the Dance World celebrates and examines the impact of Jews and the Jewish experience in the dance field and broader communities. The conference will be held Oct. 13-15.

The event will feature more than 90 movement and dance specialists from eight countries – Argentina, Austria, Canada, England, France, Germany, Israel and the United States. These include dancers and choreographers, along with videographers, critics, scholars, educators and dance/ movement therapists, among others.

The conference came about due to the encouragement of Dr. Hava Samuelson, the director of the Center for Jewish Studies at Arizona State University. “With the hiring of Liz Lerman as an institute professor by the Herberger Institute of the Arts,

she (Dr. Samuelson) recognized that between her and I there was a potential for holding a conference on dance,” says Dr. Naomi Jackson, associate professor in the School of Film, Dance and Theatre at ASU. Approximately 40 unique events will take place over three days, including presentations, lectures, workshops, booths and roundtables. Special events include two pre-conference workshops, three keynote presentations, a library exhibition overseen by Judith Brin Ingber, and evening performance curated by Liz Lerman and Wendy Perron.

The conference defines Jewishness very broadly as a diverse, ever-changing, social construction emerging out of specific historical and cultural contexts that require analysis and reflection. Jewishness covers shifting experiences of Diaspora, the Holocaust, Israel and Arab-Jewish relations. The event includes different dance styles, including modern, ballet,

Jesse Zaritt from the Center of Jewish Studies will be performing at the conference.

46 OCTOBER 2018 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

hip-hop and “street” forms, social dance, folk dance, Flamenco and considers developments in the art, educational, commercial and social spheres.

“The importance of it for the community is that it is an opportunity to demonstrate the major impact Jews and issues central to the Jewish experience have made on many aspects of the dance world as well as the Jewish community, as practitioners, educators, critics, scholars, therapists and funders,” says Dr. Jackson. “Many people do not know that such big names as Jerome Robbins or Arthur Murray were Jewish, or that the notion of tikkun olam is behind many people who have led the way in the fields of dance therapy and community dance.”

A contemporary living room with furnishings and accessories from Buffalo Collection.

SCHEDULE OVERVIEW Oct. 11, 7-8:15 pm Book Talk and Signing with Jewish dance expert Judith Brin Ingber Changing Hands Bookstore 300 W. Camelback Road, Phoenix Free; open to the public Oct. 12, 5-9 pm Performance Installation, Shabbat Dinner, and Special Presentation Temple Chai 4645 E. Marilyn Road, Phoenix Open to Temple Chai congregants, early arrivals at the conference and VIPS Ongoing through October Exhibition: “Reimagining Communities Through Dance” Noble Science Library 2nd Floor, ASU Tempe Campus, 601 E. Tyler Mall, Tempe Satellite exhibition: Lobby, PEEAST Building, ASU Tempe Campus

Jews and Jewishness in the Dance World Conference times Oct. 13, 8:30 am - 9:30 pm Oct. 14, 8 am – 10 pm Oct. 15; 8 am – 6:30 pm Free, online registration is required for all conference events, as outlined below: u Regular conference sessions and

evening events: one General Admission Ticket required. u Pre-conference workshops:

register individually.

A separate ticket is required for each workshop.

Open seating at all events on first-come first-served basis.

Space is limited.

For more information, visit jewishstudies.clas.asu.edu/ jewishdance-about.

Federation matters to me because it supports EVJCC programs that promote human dignity, teach respect and understanding of Judaism, and create lifetime relationships.

YOUR GIFT MATTERS.

Strengthening Jewish life and identity while providing for Jews in need

George Goffman

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ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 47

SPICING UP COMFORT FOOD I

love comfort food and everything it represents. Growing up in Arizona, I was so fortunate to be exposed to both American and Mexican cuisine. These foods tickle my nose with nostalgic childhood memories from my mother’s Sonoranstyle cooking to the traditional burger and fries. As I have gotten older, I have refined my taste buds to appreciate the flavors and traditional foods from around the globe. One of my favorites is the diverse fusion of Israeli cooking.

The exposure of Middle Eastern, European, Asian cuisine and so much more influences the plates of all who eat there. It was fun to see how some of my traditional foods, made slightly different by the cooking method or with seasonings, changed the whole experience for me.

This simple recipe makes the traditional meatball an exotic and delicious delight. My first encounter with these Persian meatballs was at a casual dinner at a friend’s house.

I walked into her home and was overtaken by the smell of spices and herbs; I thought I was at the shuk in Israel for a small moment. Of course, I had to get the recipe. I have since made this for my family and guests. I serve the meatballs with sautéed onions and raisins over turmeric rice.

This dish makes for a wonderful fall meal for any occasion that will leave a lingering taste of Israel on your tongue.

Recipe and photo by Lucia Schnitzer

PERSIAN MEATBALLS INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons avocado oil, divided 1/2 red onion, finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 egg 1 pound lean ground lamb (can substitute ground beef or half beef and half lamb) 1 tablespoon chopped parsley 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro 1/2 tablespoon chopped mint 1 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon each: cinnamon, cumin, coriander, ginger, cardamom, paprika and turmeric 1/2 cup of almond meal (or Panko bread crumbs) DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small skillet, add one tablespoon avocado oil and sauté the onion and garlic over medium heat until softened, set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg, and then add the remaining ingredients along with the sautéed onion and garlic. Mix well.

Form the meat mixture into 1-inch oval-shaped meatballs. Note: You can freeze pre-made meatballs in this raw state. Just thaw and cook as directed.

Pour 1 tablespoon of avocado oil into a shallow Dutch oven or cast iron skillet and heat to medium. Add the meatballs and sear them, turning once, 1-2 minutes per side. Work in small batches until all the meatballs are seared. Then put all the meatballs back in the pan.

Place the pan in the oven and cook 10-15 minutes until meatballs are cooked through.

Serve with meatballs over turmeric rice with sautéed onions and raisins.

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.

48 OCTOBER 2018 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

Have a special event coming up?

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The private dining rooms inside Pomelo at the Orchard as well as the beautiful Orchard Lawn and Barn can accommodate events as small as 12 guests or as large as 300.

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Originally an old citrus farm in the early 1900s, Pomelo is the site of the original home of the Wasser family!

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ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 49

Actively SENIOR

Survivor’s reunion in Paris

By Mala Blomquist

Charlotte Adelman says her father, Hershel, had a talent to “foresee things.” The one thing he did not foresee was what would happen to his family in Paris in the 1940s.

Hershel was approached by a cousin in 1938 who offered to take him, his wife, Rajzla, and their two children, Charlotte and Max, to the states. Hershel told him, “I came from Poland and I learned French, now I have to go to America and learn English?” He declined the cousin’s offer and decided to keep his family in Paris.

In 1940, when Charlotte was 8 years old, the Germans invaded France. When they first started rounding up the men, Hershel went into hiding.

In 1942 a policeman they had befriended tipped them off that the Germans would soon round up the women and children. Charlotte’s mother was in contact with her father, and he told her to seek shelter at the church across the street.

Seeking a long-term solution, he learned of a man who would take the family to safety in Vichy, France, in exchange for money and jewelry. The family went to the reported rendezvous point at an orphanage near the Sacré-Coeur Basilica to wait.

But the man gave their information to the Germans who surrounded the orphanage and drove all the parents off in a truck. While they were driving through a narrow street, Hershel thought they could escape by jumping off the truck, but Rajzla was afraid if she got caught, the Germans would kill her.

“My father said, ‘We live one time in life,’ ” says Charlotte. “Luckily he escaped, but my poor mother got taken to Auschwitz.” A year after the war ended, the family received a letter that Rajzla had died at Auschwitz in January 1943.

Charlotte remained at the orphanage with her brother, Max. One day, a Romanian woman came requesting to adopt a child. She picked Charlotte. At the time she was adopted, Max was in the hospital with scarlet fever.

“When she picked me up, she took me to her apartment near the Eiffel Tower,” says Charlotte. “I was a nosy body, so I went to the janitor and she told me, ‘You 50 OCTOBER 2018 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

Charlotte celebrating her 85th birthday in 2017

know, Charlotte, I would like to know what happens in that apartment.’ When Charlotte asked, “Why?” She replied that all the children that the woman brought into the apartment disappeared.

The janitor’s question was answered one day when Charlotte overhead the woman talking to some Germans.

Since her first language was Yiddish, she understood when the woman asked, “When are you going to give me the money for her?”

When Charlotte told the janitor, she asked if anyone could come and pick her up. She had her send a telegram to the apartment building where she had lived before and Madame Elazar came to her rescue.

Due to the neglect at the hand of her adopter, Charlotte remembers, “I was so dirty and smelly, it took a few weeks for her to scrub me and brush my hair and get the lice out. She cut my hair and someone made a dress out of fabric scraps.”

Years later Charlotte found out how fortunate she was to have been adopted at that time. While she was with the Romanian woman and her brother was in the hospital, the Germans raided the orphanage, killing all 79 children there.

Charlotte stayed with Madame Elazar for a few months until her father arranged for her to stay with the Quatreville family on their farm. Her father had been working for the Germans in exchange for what he thought would be the safe return of her mother. They still had no idea of the atrocities taking place. Also, this working arrangement allowed him to visit Charlotte.

One day, Madame Quatreville learned the Germans were doing another sweep and her father was sure to be

Ultimately, it’s your experience that matters.

Charlotte with her mother and Max before her mother was taken by the Germans.

picked up. She told him to take Charlotte away because the Germans knew she was staying there.

He found a contact with the underground and made arrangements to leave Charlotte at the edge of the woods where someone would pick her up.

The day they left, they were almost caught. “My father ran with me. We had a German shepherd running after us, so he dropped me in a little hole at the edge of the woods. He had a chance to tell the woman where I was, and he kept running,” says Charlotte. “When she came to pick me up, she said, ‘Charlotte, I can’t keep you because the Germans are going to come here,’ so they put me in a wheelbarrow and covered me up and took me back to the Quatrevilles.”

The Quatrevilles decided to hide Charlotte in the cellar of a home next to theirs that had been demolished. “They put a mattress, a kerosene lamp, a bucket to make and a little bucket to sponge bathe,” she describes of her living arrangement underground for the next nine months.

After staying in the windowless cellar for some time, Charlotte convinced the Quatrevilles to allow her to come up to the house for a night. Jeanette, their

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ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 51

traveled, spending time in Israel and Montreal, Canada.

There she met Alex Adelman. They married and moved to the states in 1957. While Charlotte was in hiding, Alex had been storming the beaches at Normandy.

For years, the only person Charlotte talked to about her past was Alex. When he died seven years ago, she decided to start sharing her story. She often gives presentations to local organizations, churches and school children.

One day, Charlotte received an exciting message on Facebook from Alain Quatreville, the little boy from France. He started the message with “Hello, Lolotte,” the name that he had called her since he couldn’t pronounce

Charlotte at 6 years old in the first grade

18-year-old daughter who was always bringing Charlotte her meals and taking care of her, had her boyfriend, Robert over.

Charlotte was enjoying her time with the family – until the Germans came to the door.

Robert didn’t know if they were there for him because he had missed his return time from furlough, or for Charlotte, so he picked her up and was going to jump out the window into the garden when he heard one of the men call out, Charlotte with her brother, Max, find their mother's name on the Wall of Names at the “Robert!”

Shoah Memorial (Memorial de la Shoah) in France.

He immediately dropped Charlotte and went with the police. They questioned him as to what Charlotte. He said after she left, he was so traumatized he had been carrying. He told them a backpack, but they that he named his doll after her. were not satisfied with his response.

“My grandson found out my story and shared it on “They came back around to the front of the house and Facebook and people were saying that we should be I heard them. I slid underneath a bed and made myself flat against the wall,” says Charlotte. Four-year-old Alain reunited,” says Charlotte. And that is exactly what is going to happen. “Alain is now 78 years old, a professor Quatreville was about to take a bath when the police of math and is married with three children.” They were arrived. “He saw the German go with a bayonet under reunited in Paris the second week of July.* the bed and he was going to scream my name. Before he When people ask her how she can recount her story in could do that, the grandmother put a bar of soap in his such detail, Charlotte says, “I go to bed with it and I get mouth.” up with it. The Germans didn’t get me, but they branded After the police left, Charlotte crawled out from under me – that story is never going to go away from me.” the bed. “I knew if I screamed they would kill me and She also shares the words she ends her presentations the whole family,” she says. “Mr. Quatreville saw me after with when talking to schoolchildren, “Love your family I came out from under the bed, and I was white as a – you have only one family in a lifetime – respect each sheet. He gave me a shot of cognac.” From that time on, other and be positive.”

Charlotte stayed in the cellar.

After the war, Charlotte was reunited with her father *Read the follow-up story of Charlotte and Alain’s and with the help of the Red Cross, her brother Max reunion in Paris at azjewishlife.com. was found two years later. The family returned to their apartment in Paris.

Charlotte was not content living in France, so she 52 OCTOBER 2018 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

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ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 53

Actively SENIOR

Brandeis is funding breakthroughs in brain research

scanning 2-photon, which takes pictures 60 times faster than current 2-photon microscopes in use. With the breakthrough of this new technology, pictures are taken so quickly, scientists can observe small movements of the brain that occur during heart rates and breathing, and by correcting the movement over time achieve higher resolution photographs. “In addition,” says Van Hooser, “there are new laser light sources that provide the illumination that allows us to see into the brain better than we could before. The basic idea of using laser light has been around for about twenty years, but the

By Melissa Hirschl

Private research at Brandeis University in Waltham, MA, is about to achieve a turning point in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s, epilepsy and Alzheimer’s. These diseases incrementally steal abilities most of us take for granted such as speech and motor skills. The university is poised to buy a cuttingedge 2-photon microscope that observes neural activity and anatomical features within the living brain. This titan of a microscope has a titan of a cost as well; half a million dollars, which is hoped to be raised through major Brandeis fundraisers. The powers of the 2-photon go well beyond the capabilities of Brandeis’ current microscopes, according to the university’s Associate Professor of Biology, Dr. Stephen D. Van Hooser. “It actually possesses the ability to uncover the inner workings of brain function and will permit scientists to understand how the brain is compromised in neurodegenerative diseases and hopefully reverse them,” Van Hooser explains.

Precision and high-resolution imaging are at the heart of what makes this microscope so impressive. Van Hooser, whose lab specializes in imaging of the living brain, is enthusiastic about the widespread applications that the microscope can provide. “Many people are familiar with MRI scans of the brain,” he says, “but an MRI can see only gross features and is about 1,000 times too insensitive to observe the activity of individual brain cells.

The 2-photon microscope we are seeking allows us to resolve the activity of hundreds of individual nerve cells in the living, behaving brain, in order to understand how this activity is shaped by experience or disease.” The longrange ultimate goal of this research is to be able to reverse these diseases of the nervous system or repair the brain after an injury.

As any amateur photographer knows, movement can be the bane of a sharp photo, as it can produce a blurry image. The same principle applies to the new resonant54 OCTOBER 2018 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

Dr. Stephen D. Van Hooser

technology for scanning the material this quickly has only been recently perfected.”

In the quest to secure the 2-photon microscope and expand brain research, Van Hooser has a major champion and cheerleader – local Brandeis chapter member, Caryn Balaban. The benefits of the microscope have the potential to affect her on a deeply personal level – her husband has Parkinson’s disease.

Caryn is involved with planning a major event in November to help fund the acquisition of the 2-photon microscope (see sidebar). A woman on a mission, Caryn is not only on the board of the Phoenix chapter but also has a position on the Parkinson’s Foundation’s People with Parkinson’s Advisory Council (PPAC).

Four years ago, her world experienced a seismic jolt when her husband Al received the devastating diagnosis of Parkinson’s. While still working as a CPA, Al has had substantial loss of motor skills.

“Parkinson’s is a thief that steals your brain and body,” says Caryn. “My husband is not a quitter, but it is hard for us to remain upbeat. He suffers from tremors, stiffening

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ISRAEL

Marc Prowisor and EJ Kimball visit the Valley

These men are coming to the Valley in October to share their different perspectives, but similar passions, regarding the nation of Israel

By Mala Blomquist

ONE ISRAEL FUND Marc Prowisor is a security expert living in Israel’s Shiloh Region and has worked for the past decade as security project director for One Israel Fund. He will be participating in a private fundraiser on Oct. 17 and on Oct. 18 he will be at the East Valley JCC in Chandler at 11 am and at the Valley of the Sun JCC in Scottsdale at 6 pm.

One Israel Fund is a project-based organization that is dedicated to the safety and welfare of the people of Judea, Samaria, the Jordan Valley and the reemerging communities of Gaza evacuees.

“We pick up and deal with all sorts of security issues, whether it be playgrounds, schools, synagogues, perimeter systems – all sorts of things. Anything and everything to help out the people there,” says Marc of One Israel Fund’s work in the region.

Marc has lived in Israel since he was 15 years old. He served in the Israel Defense Forces from 1981 to 1984 as a paratrooper. He fought in the Lebanese war and was involved with security operations in the Shiloh Region during the Intifada.

He receives security reports every day in his current position. Working in conjunction with the IDF and the security chief he assesses vulnerability in an area.

“You always have to be in touch with what’s going on 56 OCTOBER 2018 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

and always trying to figure out where the next problem could be and to prevent that,” says Marc. “This is something I’m very proud of. There’s not a week that goes by that something was prevented due to the efforts that we’ve made.”

Due to their accomplishments with security in Judea and Samaria, Marc gets contacted for assistance from other parts of Israel. “We were called down to the Gaza border by the security chiefs and directors,” he says.

“They said, ‘We need to do what you guys are doing.”

We were able to address their issues and help them out with fighting the fires and fighting possible infiltration by terrorists, and enabling them to keep their communities more secure.”

Marc is the only one in Israel who works with a fundraising organization that has his operational Marc Prowisor experience. “I can make sure the money gets to go where it’s needed and not just out there,” says Marc. “One Israel Fund is project-based and funds are restricted, so they go specifically toward the projects and not to fund an organization.”

When Marc travels to give presentations, he likes to speak about the situation in Israel and share things that are not covered in mainstream media.

“We are flooded with news and also flooded with philanthropic pressures, this is a great opportunity for people to connect and understand what’s going on,” he says. It’s the only land we have and people have to wake up to that. I think it’s important to us as a people.”

ISRAEL VICTORY PROJECT

a bright future where they can build their society and economy and be part of a world community – as opposed to their current EJ Kimball is the director of the Israel situation as outcasts.”

Victory Project at the Middle East Forum It’s a simple concept when you look at in Washington, D.C. He will be speaking it – the problem is how do you achieve that in the Valley on Oct. 29 at 6 pm as part outcome? of a community event presented by the EJ and the Israel Victory Project have Bureau of Jewish Education at the Valley been building support within Congress, the of the Sun JCC in Scottsdale.

Knesset and the policy community in the After law school, EJ began his career U.S. and Israel. “The idea is to bring this on Capitol Hill as a legal fellow with the EJ Kimball message outside of the Beltway,” says EJ. House Foreign Affairs Committee. He “We’ve been focused on D.C. and the policy then worked as the legal foreign policy community, executive and legislative branch, activists – counsel to Congresswoman Sue Myrick. now we want to bring this message around the county.”

“That was really rewarding work,” recalls EJ. “It started EJ is not sure how or when it will happen, but he has me on the path focused on counterterrorism. During ideas of what victory will look like. my time there I also started up, created and ran the “Victory is when Palestinians are penning harsh op-eds congressional anti-terrorism caucus to educate members rather than rockets,” he says. “When Israelis can travel about the nature of the jihadi threat.” into areas of the Palestinian population centers without He left the Hill and worked for some nonprofit and fear of being murdered. When Palestinian media or for-profit organizations that focused on counterterrorism textbooks don’t vilify Jews or Israel When government and government affairs. More than four years ago he mouthpieces talk about working with Israel – rather than started working with a group called the Israel Allies destroying it.”

Foundation, a nonprofit in D.C. that focused on building political support for Israel in governments around the world.

Then in 2016, he started his own business and began working with the Middle East Forum as one of his clients. Today he is running the Israel Victory Project full-time.

“I’ve been leading the effort in D.C. starting with the idea in 2016, and then it launched in 2017,” says EJ. “The idea of creating a new paradigm to resolve the conflict that moves away from Oslo (Accords) and the idea if only the two sides would sit and negotiate the conflict could be resolved.” The Israel Victory Project takes a step back and says wait, how do wars historically end? They don’t end through just negotiations. Before you can negotiate the terms that end the conflict, one side needs to give up its goal.

“We propose a different view, to convince Palestinian society that the war is over; that they have the possibility of a better, brighter future only when they accept that reality,” explains EJ. “Israel is here and it’s not going anywhere. To continue their rejectionism is only going to lead to more hardship, where recognition can lead to

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 57

L iving

J

TO LIFE

Sukkot:

Living with uncertainty and joy

By Amy Hirshberg Lederman

September in Tucson brings many things I love: cooler temperatures permitting long

walks in Sabino Canyon, intermittent rains that drench my garden and the Jewish holidays that kick off the new year. A sense of optimism, of new beginnings and opportunities fills the air.

In stark contrast, I began September with a horrendous car accident. A guy slammed

into me, totaling my car and giving me an opportunity to appreciate the safety feature 58 OCTOBER 2018 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

of airbags fully. When the ambulance came to the scene,

it is not a permanent structure meant to shelter us from

one look at the EMT’s face told me all I needed to

rain or winds or excessive heat. Yet in it, we create a

know. I was one lucky gal to have walked out of that car,

sacred space in which to experience and celebrate the

virtually unhurt, except for the bruising that the airbags

world around us.

caused.

I could have been seriously hurt, or worse. I'm not

We welcome our friends and guests into the sukkah to dine, and symbolically invite in the memories of

being overly dramatic or trying to gain sympathy. Just a

those who have inspired us in our lives. The Zohar, the

simple matter of a few seconds, the physics of the road,

classic Jewish mystical text, references ushpizin, which

the luck of the draw.

is Aramaic for “guests,” a reference to the seven supernal

Oddly, I don’t think a lot about dying even though so

“founding fathers” of the Jewish people. It is taught

much of the past almost seven years has dealt with the

that each one comes to visit us on a separate day in

process of and the aftermath to the death of someone I

the sukkah. By including our earthly friends along with

adored, my husband of 34 years.

the mystical references to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses,

I don’t really think much about dying because since Ray's death my focus has primarily been on living – with intention and a renewed commitment to stay true to

Aaron, Joseph and David, we link our past to our present as we create our future.

Sukkot is an annual reminder of the fragility of our

my own values, seeking to discern a deeper awareness of

existence; the sukkah never fully protects us from the

what’s most important to me now as I craft a new life and

elements nor is it intended to. Yet the holiday is referred

ways of being.

to as Zeman Simchatenu, our time of joy. How do we

But what I do think a great deal about is how precious and precarious the nature of our existence truly is. How

understand this paradox?

The marvel of the Jewish experience is that throughout

in just a few seconds it takes as you drive through a green

the ages, Jews have been able to countenance tremendous

light listening to NPR, everything can change. Done.

uncertainty while simultaneously maintaining faith and

Over. Finished. But hardly Dayenu (enough).

the ability to rejoice. That, in a nutshell, is what Rabbi

Five days after Yom Kippur, we celebrate the holiday

Jonathan Sacks calls “spiritual courage of a high order.”

of Sukkot, which means “booths” in Hebrew. As Jews,

Faith is the courage to live with uncertainty, to dwell

we are commanded to dwell in the Sukkah and “take the

with vulnerability in the open huts of our existence,

fruit of the citron tree (etrog), the branches of date palms,

relying on our tradition and community to give us the

twigs of a braided tree (myrtle), and willows of the brook

shelter and fortitude we need, not just to survive, but to

(combined to make the lulav), and rejoice before the Lord

rejoice and evolve.

for seven days.” (Leviticus 23:40).

Each year, we build temporary huts with only three walls, some of us decorating them with Martha Stewart flair, others just happy to hang a few papier-mâché fruits from the sechach, (the sukkah’s roof made of organic material which has been disconnected from the ground).

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

The sukkah does not fully protect us from the elements; ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 59

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Guzmans honored at Gala

The Arizona Jewish Historical Society will honor

Jewish Day School campus. He fervently works towards

Susan and Nestor Guzman with the 2018 Heritage

securing the survival of Israel as a member of AIPAC’s

who have made an exceptional impact on our

Relations Council which provides a collective voice in

Award. The Heritage Award is presented to individuals

National Council and serves on the Jewish Community

community through outstanding leadership, service and

advancing the cause of justice. Nestor is also an ardent

dedication.

Together, this couple has

enriched the Valley with over

four decades of volunteerism, leadership, civic engagement and philanthropy.

Susan and Nestor credit

their love for one another as the glue that bonds them in

their untiring commitment to working with and financially supporting organizations

and projects that serve to

support under-represented communities, eradicate

injustices and eliminate human suffering.

With boundless energy

and compassion, Nestor

Susan and Nestor Guzman

has served on the boards of many Jewish and non-

supporter of the Arizona non-profit Leading For

renovation of the first synagogue in Phoenix, now home

Aging’s board of directors.

to transform the King David School into the Pardes

impactful work. She actively garners volunteers to

Jewish organizations. Proud of his contribution to the

to the Arizona Jewish Historical Society, he also worked

60 OCTOBER 2018 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

Change. He also served on Duet: Partners In Health & Susan’s heart lies in bringing people together to do

support temple activities, organizes dinners to connect

FEDERATION NOTES Wishing You a Sweet New Year

By Marty Haberer

people and serves as the hostess at her home for charitable events. Susan’s passionately seeks to help improve the lives of others. You may find her hosting a blood drive for the American Red Cross, volunteering at a Hospice of the

Valley facility, helping a blind Holocaust survivor shop for food through Duet, or serving meals to the homeless at the Lodestar Day Resource Center.

The program speaker will be Bret Stephens, Pulitzer

Prize-winning editor and journalist with the New York

Times. Mr. Stephens served as the op-ed editor with the

Wall Street Journal in the U.S. and Europe, was the editor of the Jerusalem Post before joining New York Times in 2017. He has also received many awards for his writings on national defense and economic issues. He is also the author of several books.

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, Arizona's first synagogue and later

became a Chinese-speaking 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.

Exhibitions and programs educate the public about

Jewish heritage as well as the diverse history of Arizona.

The center is a Phoenix Point of Pride and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

2018 Heritage Award Gala When: Saturday, Oct. 20.

Cocktail reception at 6:30 pm; dinner and program at 7:45 pm Where: Scottsdale Plaza Resort, 7200 N.

Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale Tickets:Call 602-241-7870 or visit azjhs.org/

HeritageAward

As we ushered in year 5779, I became acutely aware (and particularly proud) of the work we do at the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix year round.

It is our mission to strengthen and engage a vibrant Jewish community while providing for Jews in need here in the Valley, in Israel and around the world. We actualize this mission through our four core impact areas: engaging the next generation, enriching senior lives, caring for Jews in need and building vibrant Jewish communities.

The real beauty of our mission is that we could not be successful without our generous donors who make the mission possible and our strategic partners whose hands perform the work of serving our Jewish families every single day. It’s our school partners who provide Jewish education so we can “teach our children well” and ensure the next generation of Jews. It’s our Israel and overseas partners, our congregations and even the informal relationships we have with Jewish and non-Jewish organizations throughout our Valley, that ensure a more vibrant quality of life for Jews around the world and here in our community.

What a privilege it is to be a part of such an inspired and active Jewish community, with donors and volunteers who give of their time, their talent and their treasure. To each of you, your families and all those you love, I wish you a G’mar Chaitma Tova. May you all be inscribed in the Book of Life and for a good year.

Marty Haberer is CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix Marty Haberer is the CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix.

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 61

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PREVIEWS

Rabbi Laura Gellar

Art by Joanne Krawchuk

FIBER ARTISTS OF SOUTHERN ARIZONA

Work from Fiber Artists of Southern Arizona (FASA) – a group committed to creating and promoting the fiber arts – will be on exhibit Oct. 4 through Nov. 1 at the Tucson Jewish Community Center at 3800 E. River Road in Tucson.These textile and mixed media artists express contemporary themes based on their individual experiences. The Tucson area group shares a common interest in exploring creative expression through their fiber art. A variety of ideas are interpreted using both historical and non-traditional techniques.

Participating artists: Trish Hastings-Sargent, Joanne Krawchuk, Sharon Nemirov, Jeanmarie Nutt, Ruth Sharp, Aimee Smythe, Peggie Thomas, Mary Vaneecke and Janet Windsor There will be an artist’s reception on Sunday, Oct. 7 from 2 to 4 pm and gallery talks with the artists will be held on Tuesdays, Oct. 9, 16, 23 and 30 at 3pm.

To learn more about FASA and to see examples of their latest art, visit FASA-art.com

OPENING LECTURE OF THE SEASON

Join Valley Beit Midrash for their opening lecture of the season: Wise Aging: Getting Good at Getting Older! with Rabbi Laura Gellar at Temple Chai at 4645 E. Marilyn Road in Phoenix on Oct. 7 from 7 to 8 pm.

Rabbi Geller, Rabbi Emerita of Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills, was the first women to lead a major metropolitan synagogue as Senior Rabbi.

As Rabbi Emerita, she is one of the founders of the first 62 OCTOBER 2018 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

synagogue-based village, ChaiVillageLA, which is part of the national Village Movement. Currently, Rabbi Geller is working with her husband, Richard Siegel, on a book entitled Getting Good at Getting Older: A Practical Guide Grounded in Jewish Wisdom to be published by Behrman House in later this year. For more information, visit valleybeitmidrash.org.

COMMUNICATING WITH ANIMALS

We know that animals communicate with each other.

But can we learn to enter their world and communicate with them? Can we learn to “read” body language with the animals we love? How can we explore telepathic, non-verbal communication?

This interactive workshop on Oct. 15 from 2 to 4 pm at the Tucson Jewish Community Center at 3800 E. River Road in Tucson explores various projects with animal communication. We explore teaching animals to use our methods, as well as learning how to connect on their terms.

Do animals have thoughts and feelings? What would they like us to know? What if we could communicate with them?

Drawing on the latest scientific findings we explore their inner lives and the powerful human-animal bond. Includes stories of communicating with animals who have passed on. Get inspired about how you can improve the connection and deepen the bonds with the animals in your world. Genie Joseph, MFA, PhD, is a certified dog trainer, animal-behavior specialist, and therapy dog handler. She previously served on the board of Tripler Army Medical Center’s HumanAnimal Bond Program, which brings dogs in to see patients and providers, to lower stress and improve morale. She is the creator of The Animal Consciousness Institute and works with rescue horses. Genie was awarded the President Obama’s Silver Volunteer Service Award for her work with military families.

Class is $20 per person; $15 for J members. To register, visit tucsonjcc.org.

PREVIEWS PREVIEWS

Photo courtesy Joel Zolondek

FAMILY CAREGIVER SYMPOSIUM

More than 65 million people, nearly one third of the U.S. population, are family caregivers that provide unpaid care for a loved one. On Thursday, October 18, Duet: Partners In Health & Aging will host the Family Caregiver Symposium – an event meant to equip, empower and celebrate family caregivers. The event will take place from 9 am. to 1:30 pm at First Christian Church of Phoenix at 6750 N. Seventh Ave. in Phoenix and costs $20 for family caregivers and $40 for professionals.

The year’s speakers include Pierre N. Tariot, M.D., director of Banner Alzheimer’s Institute and research professor of psychiatry at University of Arizona College of Medicine; Pauline Boss, PhD, family therapist, pioneer theorist of ambiguous loss and author of Loving Someone Who Has Dementia; and Wayne Tormala, chief of Arizona Department of Health Services Bureau of Tobacco & Chronic Disease. The moderator is Kathy Ritchie, reporter at KJZZ News 91.5.

Free on-site, non-medical adult day care available for loved ones, provided by Beatitudes Campus and In-Home Programs.

Reservations are required. For more information, visit duetaz. org/calendar/family-caregiver-symposium.

Challah Bake

of the East Valley at 875 N McClintock Dr. in Chandler.

New this year is a men’s event on Monday, Oct. 22 from 6 to 8pm at the Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road in Scottsdale. The men’s event will include dinner, a Jewish version of Ted Talks and Jewish learning.

All participants in the events are invited to keep the worldwide Shabbat at their home with the 1.5 million Jews around the world keeping Shabbat or be placed in one of the many homes and dinners or lunches around town. To be placed for Shabbat or to register for any of the programs, call 602-4691606 or visit shabbatprojectaz.com.

SHABBAT PROJECT ARIZONA Shabbat Project Arizona, part of the Worldwide Shabbat Project, is in its 5th year in Arizona and is expanding out to more areas of the Valley.

The theme of this year’s Shabbat Project is “Stop Doing. Start Being.” Built into the fabric of our Jewish life is to take just one day; Shabbat and just stop doing and start being.

What better way to prepare for the Worldwide Shabbat Project then to attend one of the three Challah Bakes and Shabbat Shuks for women and girls ages 9 and up.

The event has expanded to three locations this year to make each event more intimate and more accessible to all women and girls across the Valley. There will be challah coaches at each event. There are nearly 200 countries and more than 8,000 partners worldwide doing the Shabbat Project.

The three Challah Bakes and Shabbat Shuks will be held on Thursday, October 25th from 6 to 8pm at: Congregation Beth Tefillah at 10636 N 71st Way in Scottsdale; Beth El Congregation at1118 W Glendale Ave. in Phoenix and Chabad

The San Diego Jewish Men's Choir

JEWBILATION!

The award-winning and Billboard charting San Diego Jewish Men's Choir will be coming to the Phoenix area on Oct. 21to perform a concert at Temple Solel at 6805 E McDonald Dr., in Paradise Valley from 3 to 5 pm.

Their program they will be performing is entitles Jewbiltion! An Afternoon of Well-loved Jewish Music.

The San Diego Jewish Men's Choir’ mission is to preserve, promote and share our rich heritage of beautiful Jewish Choral music. This is fulfilled through performances at community events, festivals, senior centers, synagogues and through the worldwide distribution of CD recordings, often to charitable organizations. For more information, visit sdjmc.org.

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 63

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S E C A F & PLACES NEW EAGLE SCOUT - Jason Mittelman, 17, of Phoenix, has earned the Boy Scouts of America’s highest advancement award, the Eagle Scout Award. A member of Troop #14 in Ahwatukee, Jason is one of only approximately 6 percent of all Boy Scouts who attain the Eagle rank.

DRUMMING ALONG - Seniors and staff from both JFCS Center for Senior Enrichment and Beth El Congregation enjoying the Drumming Circle at Beth El Congregation.

ISRAELI CRAFT -- Sheila Schwartz, left, and Gayle Weiss near a reproduction of a mural

by Johanan Simon at the Mingei International Museum at Balboa Park in San Diego. The mural was part of a collaborative retrospective exhibit highlighting 70 years of Israeli craft. Photo by Leni Reiss

TED TALK - TED-Ed Club has posted Pardes Jewish Day School student Jennifer Marhoffer’s talk on their TED-Ed Club website. Marhoffer’s talk is a powerful call for schools to stop cutting the arts in education.

64 OCTOBER 2018 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE

A SUCCESSFUL EVENT - Mary Jo West, center, with Phil and Hannah Adelman at the tribute honoring the couple at the Orange Tree Resort in Scottsdale. Among their other projects, the Adelmans have conducted volunteer Jewish services at senior living communities for more than 30 years. West, the first female prime time TV anchorwoman in the Valley, defined “SUCCESS” in her keynote address. Marc Adelman (no relation) hosted the event. Photo by Leni Reiss.

HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD - From left, Helen and Richard Brandt, Leni and Barry Reiss and Suzanne and Lennie Katzenstein walk the red carpet in Los Angeles on June 7 at the Dolby Theatre. The event: The American Film Institute’s Life Achievement Award in honor of George Clooney. Richard Brandt is a former president of AFI.

INTO THE NIGHT - Temple Beth Sholom of the East Valley’s USY group held an all-night event with friends from Beth El, Anshei and Or Tzion. It started with Havdalah, moved into some ice breakers, bowling, snacks, swimming then into breakfast.

GOLDEN GIRLS - Corbin Smiley, Sofia Abodie, Kaitlyn Friedman, Oriana Manfredi and Shea Oenning took Junior Olympic gold in the 200 Meter Freestyle Relay and the 200 Meter Medley Relay over the summer. The girls are members of the Valley of the Sun JCC’s J Swim Silver Team

FASHION FORWARD – Local businesswoman Lila Baltman had her creation, Hairglasses, featured on the runway at Fashion Week in New York. Photo courtesy Gianna Nicole Media

TURKISH SHABBAT – Congregation Beth Tefillah celebrated the Jews of Turkey, it’s traditional foods and its history over the summer with a Turkish Shabbat. CBT members with Turkish descent revealed their customs, memories and traditions.

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 65

OCTOBER CALENDAR Ongoing

Oct. 7

Bodies Revealed at OdySea in the Desert, 9500 E. Via de Ventura, Scottsdale. This limited-time exhibition offers an intimate and informative view into the human body. Admission prices are: $19.95 ages 13-64, $17.95 ages 65 and up, $14.95 ages 2-12; tickets are valid for the date selected. Guests may enter after 9 am. For more information, visit bodiesaz.com/ticketinformation.

Blessing of the Pets at Congregation Anshei Israel, 5550 E. Fifth St., Tucson at 11:35 am.

Everyone is welcome to join us – with your pet(s) safely leashed or caged – for a brief service to recognize how important our pets are to us. For more information, visit caiaz.org.

Through Oct. 14 West Side Story at Phoenix Theatre, 100 E. McDowell Rd, Phoenix. Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein’s breakout musical comes to life onstage at Phoenix Theatre. When Tony falls for Maria, it seems like love could conquer all…until their rival gangs go to war. They’ll risk everything to be together, and they may have to.

For tickets, visit tickets.phoenixtheatre.com.

Oct. 2 & 16 JBN Networking Lunch at Mimi’s Café, 8980 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale from noon to 1:30 pm.

Jewish Business Network of Arizona members and their guests gather for lunch, education and networking in Scottsdale. For more information, visit jbnaz.org.

Oct. 3 Jewish Sparks at the East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler from 7 to 8 pm. Workshop for adults that explores ways to enhance your Jewish cultural connection through music, food and hands-on activities. This month’s topic: Shabbat: The Difference Between Holiness and Everything Else. For more information, contact Andre at andre@evjcc.org.

Oct. 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31 Jewish Study Group: Nosh & Knowledge at Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale from 11 am to 12:30 pm. Explore a variety of non-political Jewish topics, including people, history, current events, laws, culture, humor, food and Israel. Free.

Information and registration: Bob Kalish, 602.375.3660 or joboaz@cox.net.

Oct. 4 Expresso Yourself! Sing Along with Shana! at Beth El Congregation, 1118 W. Glendale Ave., Phoenix from 10 to 11:30 am. Jewish Family & Children’s Service’s October Memory Café will feature the musical talents of Shana Rebilas Bousard, musical theatre actress and music therapist. For more information, visit jfcsaz.org.

Oct. 4-Nov. 1 Fiber Artists of Southern Arizona. See page 62.

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Men’s Club Cactus Kosher Hot Dog Day at Beth Emeth Congregation of the West Valley, 13702 W. Meeker Blvd., Sun City West from 11 am to 2 pm.

Enjoy a Hebrew National hot dog, soda and chips for $5. Call 623-584-7210 for more information.

Opening Lecture of the Season. See page 62.

Oct. 7, 14, 21 & 28 Yoga at Lululemon at the Quarter at 15059 N Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale from 10:30 to 11:30 am. Valley of the Sun JCC instructors lead free yoga classes in the courtyard behind True Foods.

Bring a yoga mat and dress for a beautiful, flowing outdoor practice. All levels welcome. Free.

Information: 480-481-7015 or healthandfitness@ vosjcc.org.

Oct. 10 Kafka’s Last Trial: The Case of a Literary Legacy at Perkins Coie, 2901 N. Central Ave., #2000, Phoenix from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Author Benjamin Balint shares a portrait of the literary genius and the story of Israel’s and Germany’s national obsessions came to a head in a hotly contested trial for the right to claim the literary legacy of the modern master. Books will be available for purchase at event. Hosted by the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix Cardozo Society. Professionals: $18 | Students: $10. Includes cocktail reception and hors d’oeuvres. Registration is required by Oct. 9 at jewishphoenix.org/kafka.

Oct. 11-15 Jews and Jewishness in the Dance World. See page 46.

way. For more information, contact Jessica Knight at 202-359-6835 or jessicabcgroup@outlook. com.

Oct. 18 Family Caregiver Symposium. See page 63.

Oct. 21 Gesher Disability Resources Community Outing to As You Wish Pottery Painting, 21001 N. Tatum Blvd., Phoenix from 1 to 3 pm. For more details and to RSVP please contact jacquelyn@gesherdr. org.

Israeli Film: “Shelter” at the East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler from 3 to 5 pm. In “Shelter,” a Mossad agent is sent on a mission to protect a Lebanese informer while she recovers from plastic surgery. What should be an easy assignment quickly turns into a labyrinth of espionage and intrigue inside a safe house.

Admission is free, donations are appreciated.

Reservations: 480-897-0588 or info@evjcc.org.

Jewbiltion! See page 63.

Oct. 22 Shabbat Project: Men’s Event. See page 63.

Oct. 23 Aging & Its Financial Implications: How to Start the Conversation with Your Parents – Options and Choices for Retirement Living Facilities at Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale from 5:30 to 6: 30 pm. Learn how to start a conversation with your aging parents. Participants receive worksheets, tools, tips and resources for understanding and evaluating various care options, as well as a Virtual Dementia Tour by Silverado Scottsdale Memory Care following the seminar at 6:30pm.

Experience first-hand the physical and mental challenges of dementia. Led by Lee Eisinberg of ABLE Financial Group-Scottsdale. Free, but advance registration is required at vosjcc.org/ careoptions.

Oct. 25 Oct. 14 Love Always! Lenny. See page 44.

Oct. 15 Communicating with Animals. Page 62.

Jewish Women of Phoenix Breast Cancer Support Group at Temple Chai, 4645 E. Marilyn Road, Phoenix from 6:30 to 8 pm. Supporting Jewish women in their journey through all stages of breast cancer – including treatment, recovery and the physical and spiritual challenges along the

Mega Challah Bake at Tucson Jewish Community Center, 3800 E. River Road, Tucson from 7 to 9 pm. The annual evening of friendship and inspiration as women and girls make challah, uniting with Jews across the globe participating in The Shabbos Project. A joint initiative of Chabad Tucson, the Tucson JCC and local congregations and organizations. Email Feigie@ChabadTucson. com for more information.

Shabbat Project Arizona. See page 63.

FAMILY EXPO

BULLYING PREVENTION - STRAIGHT TALK ABOUT BULLYING

5K RUN & 1 MILE FAMILY FUN WALK! SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2018 8am- 2pm Mesa Community College 1833 W Southern Ave, Mesa, AZ 85202

FREE Event - 25 Run $

SHAPE UP FAMILY EXPO

Stage performance, Fabulous DJ, Dance - Fun Activities – Food – Give-A-Ways Booths are educational and interactive for you!

Super Hero’s will be joining US!

SO MUCH MORE! 7AM REGISTRATION! Contact: Jyl@ShapeUpUS.org - 602-996-6300 - www.ShapeUpUS.org ***100% of All Donations will sponsor a teacher, school or your district~ to receive The Hip Hop Healthy Heart Program for Children™ Curriculum to implement into their Classrooms, P.E./Wellness, After-School Programs, and/or Camps

ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE | OCTOBER 2018 67

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