Sculpture Blooms at the Tucson J

Did you know the Tucson J is home to one of the largest public sculpture gardens in the state? The Jill Rosenzweig Memorial Sculpture Garden is home to over 40 large-scale sculptures, and, in addition to revolving exhibits in the Fine Art Gallery, and a variety special events throughout the year, the Garden has helped to put the J on the map as a premier destination for arts in Tucson. To mark both the closing reception for the indoor Tucson J Fine Art Gallery sculpture show, “Sculpt: A Celebration of Sculpture,” and welcome new temporary and permanent pieces in the Sculpture Garden, each year, the Tucson J holds a celebratory sculpture event. 


“The Jill Rosenzweig Memorial Sculpture Garden opening event has grown from a private event for limited attendees to a celebration open to the entire community,” said Jennifer Selco, Senior Director of Jewish Living + Engagement. “Artist talks and demonstrations continue to be important staples of the event in addition to live music, delicious food, and time to stroll the Jill Rosenzweig Memorial Sculpture Garden to view the sculptures.” 


With a focus on reflection and connection, this year’s event, “Sculpt: Sculpting the Season, An Evening of Art, Intention & Renewal,” will be Sunday, September 14 from 4-6pm at the Tucson J.  


“This year, Sculpt falls right before the High Holidays, so I drew a lot of inspiration from the month of Elul, which is understood as a time of reflection, introspection, and teshuvah (return). I hope this year’s event encourages people to pause and truly engage with the works and with themselves,” said Chloe Loos, the Director of Arts + Culture at the Tucson J.  

sculpt

Behind the Selections

A juried show, each piece was chosen with careful consideration by fellow artists. These jurors include:  

  • Joan Rudd, a seattle-based figurative sculptor and curator. 
  • Andy Iventosch, a Tucson potter, specializing in domestic ware and larger pieces, such as pots, vases, and jars.  
  • Amy Pozez, an artist and former art teacher, focused on custom art for common spaces of multi-family developments.  

“I made a point to view and review the entries multiple times in order to familiarize myself with the work in a variety of contexts,” said Ivantosch. “I tried to discern what kind of story  each entry is trying to say. What kinds of expression are the artists trying to convey in their pieces. I reviewed the entries with considerations towards their uses of materials and craftsmanship with the chosen materials.” 


The jurors agreed that sculpture offers guests a unique and, in some ways, a more immersive experience than a traditional 2D exhibition. “Sculpture is an artistic feat of engineering, said Pozez. “It’s a blend of expression and structure. Which to me, adds a whole layer of awe and creates more questions. How does it stand? What is it made of? Is there something inside? Why did they choose that material? How did they make it? What does their studio look like? How did it get here?” 


While each juror has a favorite piece chosen for the show, Pozez put it best, “Each time I consider this question, I pick a different piece, which tells me we picked some good stuff.” 


Five new pieces have been chosen to be added to the Jill Rosenzweig Memorial Sculpture Garden for a one-year residency. Guests are invited to view them beginning August 14.  
Previous Sculpt events in the Jill Rosenzweig Memorial Sculpture Garden.

An Invitation to Pause

“We are often go-go-going all the time, and the idea of taking intentional time for reflection and contemplation while surrounded by these beautiful works of art and really letting them to speak to us is exciting to me,” said Chloe.  


“It is my hope that this event serves as an oasis in the whirlwind of post-summer, back-to-school, new Jewish year timeline and reminds us to slow down, observe both ourselves and the things around us, and reflect.”  


Sculpt: Sculpting the Season is free and open to the public. Along with viewing the sculptures and meeting the artists, guests will be able to participate in creative reflection-based activities and enjoy wine tastings, charcuterie from Humbleboard and music from local musicians, Leila Lopez and Rebecca Foreman.   


Please reach out to Chloe Loos with questions.  

Learn more here!

From the Desk of Rabbi Stephanie S. Aaron | Congregation Chaverim

Shabbat Shalom
Shabbat Shalom

From the Desk of Rabbi Stephanie S. Aaron | Congregation Chaverim

Parashat Pinchas: What’s in Your Name?

We know his name; it is the title of this parashah, Pinchas! But what about their names? The five daughters of Tzelophechad: Machlah, Noa, Choglah, Milcah and Tirtzah who draw near to Moshe and stand before him, before Eleazar, the Cohain, before the princes and the entire congregation at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Who are they? What is their lineage? From where do they acquire the holy chutzpah to draw near, to stand before Moshe, before Eleazar, before the princes of the tribes, before the entire congregation? They are the five daughters of Tzelophechad, son of Chefer, son of Gilad, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, from the families of Manasseh, son of Joseph. They can surely claim an exalted lineage, but they are not sons and they draw near with a clear message. What do their names indicate about their courage and resolution to stand before their community? Chazal, our sages, teach us that our parents become n’vi’im, prophets, when naming us as our names will become important guides as we come to understand and live out our soul’s purposes in this world. We only know their father, Tzelophechad’s name, their mother’s name is not given. Machlah, entreaty, Noa, movement, Choglah, partridge, Milcah, queen, and Tirtzah, willing; as one, they move forward, to entreat, soft-winged like a bird, with their queenly presence, as one, they willingly come forward to stand at the entrance of  the Ohel Mo’ed, the Tent of Meeting.

 

They say, “Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not among the congregation that joined against Gd, the congregation of Korach; he had no sons. Why should the name of our father be lost among his family because he had no sons? Please give us our just inheritance.” 

 

These daughters, tikravna, drew near. The language of the Torah helps us understand the very nature of their plea; they drew near. The root of the word, korbanot, offerings, is the same as their drawing near, kof, reish, bet; teaching us that their drawing near is rooted in the same place of soul as the drawing near to the Holy One was for our ancients. The entire system of offerings, often translated as sacrifices, was based in the desire to draw near, to come close to Gd. These sisters drew near with wisdom and the law was changed; they inherited their father’s portion.

 

How do we as modern Jews interpret the ancient messages and meanings of our holy text? How do our Hebrew names give us the holy chutzpah to stand before Moshe Rabbeinu, Moses our teacher, Eleazar, the Cohein, the leaders of our tribes, and our gathered community of Jews? Let us draw near and stand at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and together live Torah!

In this week’s Torah portion, Pinchas, we encounter the powerful story of the daughters of Zelophehad—five courageous sisters who “draw near” to Moses and the leaders of Israel to advocate for their rightful inheritance. Their act of stepping forward, of coming close with clarity and purpose, brings about real change and sets a precedent for justice in our tradition. At the Tucson J, we are inspired by this model of sacred closeness—of drawing near to community, to tradition, and to one another. Our mission is rooted in creating a space where people feel empowered to engage, connect, and be heard—where every individual, like the daughters of Zelophehad, has the opportunity to help shape the future for themselves, our community, and the world around us.

 

Last Friday, over 60 young Jewish adults “drew near” to one another with a Shabbat Happy Hour at the Tucson J pool. The group began the evening with a casual kiddush before enjoying a potluck-style dinner with drinks and conversation flowing, and ended the (very warm!) evening with time in the pool. It was special to enjoy time “after hours” together, see old friends, and connect with new ones. 

On Tuesday, Camp J Maccabiah kicked off with the entire camp dividing into two teams – Purple and Teal – “drawing near” to teammates and with each camper conjuring their own courage and resilience! The competition was fierce but friendly all week long and there was no shortage of team ruach (spirit) with chants and cheers echoing throughout the facility at all times, save for “Silent Lunch.” Competitions included sports from Gaga to Potato Sack Races to Relays of all kinds, water games like Bucket Brigade, Balloon Toss, and Biggest Belly Flop, food competitions like Apple Bobbing, Peanut Butter Whistling, and “Chopped”, plus Kahoots trivia and Banner and Mascot Making, and so much more. And of course, teams collected sportsmanship points for being kind and compassionate competitors. In the end, the Teal took the win with a total score of 4,076 points to Purple’s 3,736. Join us in wishing all Camp J campers a Mazal Tov Godol (big congratulations) for their outstanding effort, and especially our Camp J staff for creating such a memorable and fun-filled experience for all. 

 

The week truly set the mood as we prepare to host the 2025 JCC Maccabi Games in just over one week! We are proud to bring this historic event to Tucson and welcome thousands—between athletes, coaches, delegation heads, spectators, host families, and others—to “draw near” to community, Jewish Peoplehood, friendship, and fun. It’s not too late to join in as a volunteer or spectator—the deadline to register is Monday, July 21. Please also be advised that the J has limited operating hours during The Games; see our hours page here for more information. We hope to see you there and are so grateful to all of the people who have helped bring Maccabi to life and the many hundreds of community members volunteering their time the week of. 

 

As we welcome Shabbat, we invite you to consider who and what you are drawing near to and how that holy closeness has an impact on your own life and those around you. Shabbat Shalom.

 

*We would like to note that, over the last couple of weeks, we have experienced some delays in the delivery of emails due to a glitch with our third-party software. We apologize if this, or any emails from the Tucson J, arrive in an untimely manner. We appreciate your patience as we work to resolve the issue.

Reminders, Resources + Learning

Each week we share resources for more learning:


Last week’s resources: 

This week’s resources:

Is there a topic you’d like to learn more about? Email Jenn Selco with requests.