HEADLINES | 9
SPECIAL SECTION | 15
TEACHING THE HOLOCAUST
SENIOR LIFESTYLE
Local group to teach Holocaust to prisoners
Jewish War Veterans’ online auction
NOVEMBER 5, 2021 | KISLEV 1, 5782 | VOLUME 74, NUMBER 5
$1.50
Rabbi Barton Lee, Jewish leaders get rare sneak peek inside Mesa Arizona Temple 79, remembered for his warmth W and impact NICOLE RAZ | STAFF WRITER
NICOLE RAZ | STAFF WRITER
L
ongtime community leader and Jewish educator Rabbi Bar ton Lee died Monday, Oct. 11. He was 79. Lee was Hillel at Arizona State University’s first fulltime professional staff member as rabbi and executive director for 42 years before he retired in 2014. As an ASU faculty associate, Lee taught courses in history, religious studies and Jewish studies and was also an educator with the Bureau of Jewish Education of Greater Phoenix. In 2011, Lee and his longtime friend and colleague, Rabbi Roy A. Walter, published “My Prayers: A Jewish child’s book of prayers for every day.” Lee is survived by his wife Marcie; two children, Nira, 33, and Noam, 36; and grandson, 7 months. Nira Lee said her dad had the kindest heart, was a great listener and loved his work at Hillel. “I don’t remember a time in my life where he made me feel bad about myself,” Nira said. So many people are quick to give advice and aggressively advocate for what they think is best for somebody else, “and that was not him,” she said. “He would listen and guide the conversation in such a way where it helps you choose the direction. And he never was arrogant enough to believe that he knew better.” Her dad was also a bit of a goofball, she said. “A lot of people talk about this twinkle in his eyes, and a lot of it was mischief, and silliness,” Nira said. “He never took himself too seriously.” He used to joke that he loved college so much that he never left. SEE LEE, PAGE 2 Debbie Yunker Kail, who
hen Temple Chai’s Rabbi Bonnie Koppell received an invitation to tour Arizona’s oldest temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, she didn’t think twice before accepting. “I felt like the LDS community was reaching out with a hand of friendship, and that’s an important thing to accept — someone’s offer of friendship,” she said. About 20 Jewish community leaders have toured or visited the temple ahead of its rededication on Dec. 12. The tour was a rarity. Temples are different from chapels or meetinghouses, where Mormons attend Sunday services and where anyone is welcome to worship. Temples are reserved for special ceremonies, like marriages. After being closed for over three years for a major renovation, the temple is open to the public for five weeks before it will be sealed. The renovation included new roofing and drainage, windows, furniture, landscaping and a new visitor center. “The physical spaces are very, very different from what we might expect as a worship space,” Koppell said. “They’re elegantly and beautifully furnished, and there’s a grandeur about them.” Stanton Curry, who personally invited many of the Jewish leaders who attended, said it is important to build and strengthen relationships with people of different faiths.
A group of Jewish community leaders stand outside the recently renovated Mesa Arizona Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after a tour on Thursday, Oct. 14. COURTESY OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY RELATIONS COUNCIL OF GREATER PHOENIX
“There are a lot of needs to be served in our community. We’re good at some things; we’re not good at other things, and working in a partnership, we can all get a lot more done,” he said. “We have that kind of relationship with a number of religious groups, including the Jewish leadership in the Valley.” It’s also nice to invite people over to your house, he said. “People are curious, SEE TEMPLE, PAGE 3 and there are beautiful things
New kosher food pantry in the East Valley Last month, the East Valley JCC opened its JBox Food Pantry in partnership with St. Vincent de Paul. To see more photos, go to p. 26. COURTESY OF LEISAH WOLDOFF
KEEP YOUR EYE ON jewishaz.com
NATIONAL
At least 9 former Nazis died in the US while awaiting deportation. 3 House Democrats want to know why.
INTERNATIONAL French chief rabbi calls Jewish prospective presidential candidate an ‘antisemite’
ISRAEL
Warming relations between Israel and Arab countries creates new application for Aravrit, script combining Hebrew & Arabic