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PASSOVER
SENIOR LIFESTLYE
Congregation Beth Israel has a garden with biblical plants from the Passover story
Dr. Robert Kravetz shares his vast collection of medical artifacts
APRIL 1, 2022 | ADAR II 29, 5782 | VOLUME 74, NUMBER 16
Phoenix realtor helps Ukrainian refugees LEENIKA BELFIELD-MARTIN
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s the Russian invasion of Ukraine persists into its fourth week, many Americans are searching for ways to help refugees. One local realtor has tapped into his international network to help find housing and other assistance for those fleeing the country. “It’s more than just about the Ukrainian people. It’s a moral, human issue. We as humans have a moral obligation to help people who want to live a free life on this planet,” realtor Oleg Bortman said. Bortman is a Ukrainian Jew who came over to the United States with his sister and parents in 1979. He was only a toddler during this time, but his parents had shared with him the stories of how they traveled from Austria to Italy before eventually immigrating to the U.S. “We spent between five to six weeks in two foreign countries without speaking the language and without any money. So I can’t imagine what it’s like or how difficult it would be uprooting my whole family like these refugees have done,” he said. Once he found out that a cousin of his from Florida had relatives displaced by the conflict, he knew that it was time for him to use his skills as a realtor to help. “I saw all the stuff going on with the bombing of the buildings, apartment complexes and hospitals. So I felt that connection and an obligation to humanity to help people,” said Bortman. He asks others to tap into their sense of empathy and see the refugees as people who need support. “These aren’t bad people,” he said. “These are refugees that are being torn out of their homes, are being bombed and their lives are being turned upside down.” SEE REALTOR, PAGE 2
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Levenbaum Chabad House gets a grand dedication MALA BLOMQUIST | MANAGING EDITOR
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n the evening of March 13, 2022, guests invited to the dedication event celebrating the newly named Levenbaum Chabad House, Rohr Jewish Student Center received a red-carpet reception. Candle-lit lanterns led the way to The Law Tigers Outdoor Recreation Center filled with a variety of food stations, bar, giant ice sculpture and live music. The construction of the recreation center broke ground in the backyard on March 20, 2017, and began the fiveyear transformation of the 80-year-old building at 971 S. Ash Ave. in Tempe. Upgrades include a new kitchen, hospitality suites, student lounge, basketball and entertainment courtyard, landscaping, shatterproof windows and new doors. The upgrades result from the generosity of Paradise Valley residents Warren and Judy Levenbaum. Warren Levenbaum is a partner of Levenbaum Trachtenberg, an injury law firm based in Phoenix with offices throughout the western U.S. He’s also the founder and CEO of the American Association for Motorcycle Injury SEE LEVENBAUM, PAGE 3
Warren, in bow tie, and Judy Levenbaum, center, at the dedication event surrounded by their children, student leaders and Rabbi Shmuel and Chana Tiechtel. COURTESY OF CHABAD AT ASU
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NATIONAL Oscars 2022: the most memorable Jewish moments
INTERNATIONAL
Ukraine says a memorial to Jews murdered during the Holocaust was damaged by Russian shelling
ISRAEL
‘Negev Summit’ to become regular event for Israeli and Arab parties to the Abraham Accords