HEADLINES | 7
SPECIAL SECTION | 13
SHAYNA MAIDELS
HOME FOR THE HIGH HOLIDAYS
There's a new social group in the area for women.
Beth El’s cantor from 1974 to 1985 returns for the High Holidays.
SEPTEMBER 9, 2022 | ELUL 13, 5782 | VOLUME 74, NUMBER 25
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Center for Jewish Philanthropy’s CEO plans a new approach for community’s future SHANNON LEVITT | STAFF WRITER
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ne of the best things about Richard Kasper’s job as the CEO of the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix (CJP) is the perspective it affords him. Through his daily contact with the Jewish community, he gets to figure out what and where the needs are and how he and CJP can help. Early in his career as an attorney, Kasper learned an important lesson about himself. He realized he was the kind of lawyer whose favorite part of the job was helping his clients solve problems, sometimes even before they were aware one existed. That instinct has served him well in his 30 years in law, nonprofit governance, community building and philanthropy. His previous role, since 2013, was as CEO of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix. “One of the highlights of the work for me is leaving people better off than when I first encountered them,” Kasper said. “People in the Jewish community have learned through the years to turn to him for advice. They know that if he can help, he will,” said Sheryl Quen, vice president, community impact for CJP. At the end of August, CJP announced Kasper as its CEO. He had been serving as the interim CEO since the organization was officially launched in 2021. Bob Silver, CJP board chair, said the board has come to rely on Kasper’s leadership. “As CEO of the CJP, he
A Jewish student at Kyrene Altadeña Middle School endured months of antisemitic harassment.
COURTESY OF JTA/SCREENSHOT VIA GOOGLE MAPS
Phoenix school failed to protect middle schooler subjected to months of antisemitic harassment MALA BLOMQUIST | MANAGING EDITOR
numerous classmates during the 2018-2019 school year. federal investigation concluded that Kyrene School The district reached a resolution with the U.S. District failed to protect an eighth-grade student Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at Kyrene Altadeña Middle School from five months of on Aug. 23. OCR is responsible for enforcing Title VI antisemitic harassment in school and on social media, by PHOENIX SCHOOL, PAGE 2
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Partnering with pups The Arizona Humane Society is finding ways to partner with the Jewish community. See page 8. COURTESY OF GESHER DISABILITY RESOURCES
NEW APPROACH, PAGE 3
KEEP YOUR EYE ON jewishaz.com
NATIONAL
Military Religious Freedom Foundation and its Jewish leader face murder-for-hire threats
INTERNATIONAL
This Romanian rabbi spent 7 years translating the Torah into Romanian — even though he moved away
ISRAEL
Israel says its forces likely killed Shireen Abu Akleh in new report