HEADLINES | 6
SENIORS | 14
AZ IDF HEROES
SENIOR SEX
Josh Mondlick and Andy Becker were inspired to help IDF reservists after a men’s mission to Israel
Psychologist Larry F. Waldman talks about his book, “Silver Sex: Insights into Senior Sexuality”
JULY 12, 2024 | TAMUZ 6, 5784 | VOLUME 76, NUMBER 21
Beating the heat for those on the street, Jewish volunteers assist interfaith event SHANNON LEVITT | STAFF WRITER
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n a hot Sunday afternoon in Central Phoenix, the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix’s (CJP) Shalom Phoenix Volunteer Corps (SPVC) joined forces with the Arizona Faith Network (AFN), the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Phoenix (JCRC) and Arizona Jews for Justice (AJJ) to bring a bit of heat relief to those with few reliable means of escaping it. The gathering of more than 100 volunteers, who donated bottled water, sunscreen, lotion, chapstick, wet wipes, first aid kits and granola bars and packed them into portable bags along with information about cooling centers and free transportation, took place at First Congregational United Church of Christ (First Church UCC) on Sunday, June 23, under the direction of AFN, an interfaith organization that promotes peace through interreligious education and dialogue, and uses collaborative social action to heal the ills of the world. Right now, one of the gravest ills in this town is living on the street, given that the first 20 days of the month have made this the hottest recorded June in the Valley. “People are dying,” AFN Executive Director Rev. Katie Sexton-Wood told Jewish News. “The least we can do is open up our communities of faith to let people in, so they don’t die on the street.” Rich and Jaime Goldman, who learned of the volunteer opportunity on JewishPhoenix.com, echoed the sentiment. Both are members of Congregation Kehillah in Cave Creek. SEE VOLUNTEERS, PAGE 2
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Rabbi David Rebibo, Phoenix’s legendary Orthodox pioneer and visionary, dies in Jerusalem SHANNON LEVITT | STAFF WRITER
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abbi David Rebibo first toured Phoenix in 1964 while investigating the possibility of starting a Jewish day school. Rebibo was there at the behest of a small cadre of Jewish families in the Valley that had contacted Torah Umesorah – National Society for Hebrew Day Schools, a well-regarded Orthodox charity promoting Torah-based Jewish education in North America, to seek its assistance in starting a school. The charity’s director, Joseph Kaminetsky, enlisted Rebibo to scout the area and determine whether to proceed. The young Rebibo arrived in a desert city with a population of 10,000 Jews, give or take, most of whom were not observant. In fact, even the act of keeping kosher was a challenge due to limited resources; there was one shochet, a person certified to perform ritual slaughter, in town but for most kosher products, people had to drive a considerable distance and stock up. What the small group of Phoenix Jews was asking for was not easy and another rabbi may have turned them down. Rebibo, however, was not one to back down in the face of adversity. He accepted the Rabbi David Rebibo, the legendary leader of challenge and moved to Phoenix in 1965. What quickly became Greater Phoenix’s Orthodox Jewish community, clear was that the young rabbi had an even larger vision of what the passed away on June 15, in Jerusalem. COURTESY OF DAVID SEGAL Orthodox Jewish community could become. Sadly, the pioneering Rebibo, who influenced and touched the lives of a multitude of Jews, passed away on Shabbat, June 15, in Jerusalem, after succumbing to a long illness. SEE REBIBO, PAGE 3
‘Nerding out’ on elections Jews for a Secular Democracy hosted “Election Integrity: Ensuring Trust at the Local Level” on June 4. See page 18. SCREENSHOT COURTESY OF JEWISH NEWS
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Hostage posters ripped off the wall outside Brad Schneider’s office a week after his house is picketed after midnight
French voters reject far right — but elevate left-wing alliance with history of antisemitism allegations
Israeli soldiers are finding Judaica in Gaza — and trying to locate the items’ owners