HEADLINES | 6
ELECTION 2022 | 14
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CALLING JEWISH VOTERS
Julia Zilman honors her grandmother and Ukraine by creating a cookbook
Volunteers call on Jewish voters for the Arizona chapter of the JDCA
OCTOBER 28, 2022 | CHESHVAN 3, 5783 | VOLUME 75, NUMBER 3
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Arizona tax Arizona Kosher Pantry ready to roll credit allows local out kitchen on wheels filmmaker to bring his ‘Mensch’ home T SHANNON LEVITT | STAFF WRITER
SHANNON LEVITT | STAFF WRITER
M
ovies were always going to be part of David Ethan Shapiro’s future. At 8 years old, the Arizona native was already writing screenplays. A few years later, as the student body president at Chaparral High School, he appropriated the student government ad space during morning announcements to make little movies — he had a captive audience, after all. “They steadily became less ads and more full-blown short films,” Shapiro told Jewish News. “Some of the teachers weren’t into it, but others were fans and encouraged me to pursue filmmaking.” The encouragement worked. After graduating from New York University Tisch School of the Arts, where he studied movies, Shapiro moved to Los Angeles and started making them. He was the lead producer on, “Come Swim,” a short film that premiered at Cannes and Sundance film festivals and was a semifinalist for an Oscar in the Best Live Action Short category. Shapiro also executive produced and co-wrote “Shadow People,” a featurelength film being produced by Margot Hand and Nat Wolff. Hollywood is working out for him, but he doesn’t want to live in Los Angeles forever. He’s grateful that the last couple of years living through a pandemic proved to the industry that there can be flexibility in where the business happens. Thanks to Arizona’s new film tax credit, Shapiro is also grateful to have the opportunity to bring the film business that he loves SEE AZ TAX CREDIT, PAGE 2 back home.
hursdays at the Arizona Kosher Pantry (AKP) are always bustling. The day before Shabbat is the best time for Jewish families to pick up what they need for the week. Some items they buy and some they’re given, and there are always a few volunteers on hand to assist. Meanwhile, three full-time employees dip in and out, picking up food and sundries from a number of different places, including kosher restaurants and direct donations, but mostly from St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance, which they visit nearly every day. They bring it back to the pantry to divide into groceries to be given away or sold cheaply or as part of the hot meals they prepare and hand out. Activity at the pantry peaks on Thursday afternoons, but on any given day anywhere from 50 to 100 people stop by, and Yecheskel Friedman, AKP’s director, knows pretty much everyone who walks in the door. Jewish families are not the only people who depend on the pantr y, located on Seventh Street in central Phoenix. Friedman estimated that about 70% of
Yecheskel Friedman and Nina Targovnik stand in front of the Mazon Tov on Wheels. COURTESY OF SHANNON LEVITT
those who come are Jewish, but anyone needing food assistance is welcome. They come in and register their name and address — a verification of donations used for St. Mary’s — with no other questions asked. “Everybody gets fed,” Friedman said. “There’s no distinction, no discrimination. They can take as much as they feel they need.” The pantry, which has been in operation since early 2018, will soon be rolling out a SEE KOSHER PANTRY, PAGE 3
Investing to win Assessing the risks and options with rising interest rates is vital in transitioning markets such as what we are seeing now. See page 18. COURTESY OF OPHIR GROSS
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