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Dr. Robert Kravetz was honored at AZJHS’ annual meeting
Scottsdale senior Joanie Rose wants to ‘build bridges, not walls’
1948
YEARS
2023
JUNE 9, 2023 | SIVAN 20, 5783 | VOLUME 75, NUMBER 19
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Arizona OKs $5 ‘Jewish Matchmaking’ showcases million to protect Scottsdale sisters faith communities from terror attacks, M hate crimes MALA BLOMQUIST | MANAGING EDITOR
SHANNON LEVITT | STAFF WRITER
O
ver the last 18 months, Tucson’s Prince Chapel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church experienced a series of troubling incidents. First up was a stone through one of the church’s stained glass windows. Then a bible and copy of “Harry Potter” were set ablaze and tossed into the window well leading to the building’s basement. Additionally, the church and its neighbor, the Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center, had their air conditioning units vandalized and copper wire stolen. The church’s pastor, Rev. Gerald Richard, reported the crimes. As a former prosecutor, he believes in utilizing the criminal justice system, and while he doesn’t know the motivation behind the broken glass and the arson, “I have to take every precaution for my congregation,” he told Jewish News. Using private funds, the church put wire cages around the air conditioning units and set some basic security measures into place. “There’s more to do. We live in a time of individuals using weapons to get their point across as we can see with so many mass shootings. We will take steps to prevent that with armed security,” Richard said. While he had to rely on personal money for the initial work, he has reason to hope the state will fund enhanced security measures for his church and others going forward, thanks to the effort of a coalition of religious and nonprofit organizations throughout the state and a bipartisan political process. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs signed a budget into law last month that includes $5 million in funding to secure the state’s small and medium-sized SEE PROTECT, PAGE 2
atchmaking is an ancient tradition in Jewish culture, first recorded in the Torah. On May 3, Netflix turned the spotlight onto that tradition, known as shidduch in the Orthodox world, with the premier of “Jewish Matchmaking.” The show follows matchmaker Aleeza Ben Shalom as she modifies the Orthodox model to help Jewish singles — Orthodox, Conservative and Reform, as well as secular — find their forever partner. Over the past 15 years, Ben Shalom has successfully led more than 200 Jewish singles to engagement. Scottsdale sisters Ophir and Tav Gross, willing to try things the “old-fashioned way,” appear in episodes six and eight, respectively, of the new reality show. The Gross family are members of Congregation Beth Tefillah in COURTESY OF OPHIR GROSS Scottsdale and Ophir, 30, attended the Phoenix Hebrew Academy Tav, left, and Ophir Gross. and the now-closed Jess Schwartz Jewish Community High School. Tav, 24, went to Pardes Jewish Day School in Scottsdale and then graduated from Chaparral High School. She just completed her master’s and, after an internship and passing a board exam, will become a registered dietitian in 2024. Their Israeli mother, Avital (Tali) Gross, also known as Morah Tali, has been a Hebrew teacher at Pardes Jewish Day School for 20 years. “I feel like she’s probably taught half of the community’s children at one point,” joked Ophir. “We’re so rooted in the community.” In March 2022, Ophir was on a Facebook singles group page when she saw a post that the new Netflix show was accepting casting applications. After researching whether the person who created the post and the company she worked for were legitimate, Ophir applied. “They asked a few questions, asked for a bio and asked me to submit some pictures and my social media profiles,” she said. “So, I did all that and about a month went by and I didn’t hear anything.” A real estate agent (Ophir writes a monthly column for Jewish News’ Home Services special section), Ophir saw a California number come through on her phone and, thinking it was from a listing agent, she answered. Instead, it was a call from the casting company. That phone interview lasted for over an hour; she made it to round two and an additional phone interview. After that, she did a video interview “to make sure I was suitable for TV,” she said. SEE MATCHMAKING, PAGE 3
Tips for online banking safety Greater Phoenix area banking professionals share advice on how to safely digitally bank. See page 19. PHOTO COURTESY OF SCOTTSDALE COMMUNITY BANK, BANK 34 AND JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
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