HEADLINES | 6
SPECIAL SECTION | 18
CUBA
CHARITABLE GIVING
A mission trip to Jewish Havana
Advice for giving tzedakah the smart way
DECEMBER 13, 2019 | KISLEV 15, 5780 | VOLUME 72, NUMBER 6
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Valley of the Sun JCC to be Orthodox Union study renamed for Martin Pear program comes to Phoenix RICH SOLOMON | MANAGING EDITOR
ELLEN O’BRIEN | STAFF WRITER
“H
e would be horrified if he was still living, I think.” Jonathan Hoffer, a partner at SMS Financial and Martin Pear’s son-in-law, was trying to imagine what his humble father-inlaw’s reaction would be to learning that the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center is going to be named in his honor. “But I think he’d be so pleased for the community to honor him in this way and to see the impression he left on those who knew him.” Pear was the executive director of the Phoenix Jewish Community Center when it was located on Maryland Avenue, before it moved to the Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus and was renamed the Valley of the Sun JCC in 2002. His work ethic and compassion were legendary in an industrious community known for its empathy. “It would be hard for him,” said Pear’s daughter, Rachel Hoffer, of the building name. “But at the same time, I think he would also be extremely proud and honored because he believed so deeply in the Jewish Community Center and peoplehood.” The renaming coincides with the VOSJCC’s new capital campaign to support multiple improvements to the facility. Called “More J on the Way — Are You In?,” the campaign has already raised $2.5 million out of its total $10 million goal. The Hoffers were one of the many families in the community that the JCC approached about investing in its future. They agreed to gift a contribution to the campaign, and in the process worked to honor Pear’s selflessness. “He wasn’t a leader who wanted to be the center of attention. He just wanted to make a difference in community,” Rachel said. “He had a passion for being with people and inspiring people, and having them put their best foot forward and highlighting their strengths.” To VOSCC CEO Jay Jacobs, Pear’s name is associated with excellence,
“G
reat launch of @SCP_Learning at the Yeshiva in Phoenix this week, a packed house!” read a Nov. 1 tweet from Jeremy Rovinsky. “All kinds of observant Jews — Litvish, Chabad, Modern, Sefardi, Bucharian — coming together to master Hilchos Shabbos! #SCPrevolution.” In November, Phoenix became one of 28 new locations for the Orthodox Union’s Semichas Chaver Program, an interactive halachah learning program for men that teaches practical lessons in Jewish law and ethics in six-month intervals. Rovinsky, a Phoenix resident and the dean and general counsel for Rabbi Gavriel Goetz instructing the first OU National Paralegal College, was completing a two-and-a-half-year-long class held in Phoenix. halachah program nine months before the #SCPrevolution. At the time, PHOTO COURTESY OF JEREMY ROVINSKY he found himself wondering, “What’s next?” As it turned out, SCP was next. Rovinsky heard about the SCP program, and between the one-night-a-week sessions, the six month certification process and the abbreviated source material, he knew that it would be an accessible option. “I felt it would be manageable for a regular guy in the community to make it a success,” Rovinsky said. Hoping to launch the program in Phoenix, he sent an email to a generic address on the OU website and received an unexpected response. The email he sent went directly to SCP founder Rabbi Elyada Goldwicht, who SEE OU PAGE 3
Lone Soldier letters What are Phoenix’s children sending to Israeli soldiers this year? Go to Page 13 to read the thoughtful messages. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE EAST VALLEY JCC
SEE PEAR, PAGE 2
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