From the Desk of Charlie Paige | Sr. Director of Disability Program Services

Shabbat Shalom
Shabbat Shalom

From the Desk of Charlie Paige | Sr. Director of Disability Program Services

This week’s parasha, Va’etchanan, meaning “I entreated,” is part of Deuteronomy, the final of book of the Torah. The people of Israel are camped just east of the Jordan River. Moses describes his failed efforts for God to revoke the divine decree that Moses will not enter the Land himself: “I pray You, let me go over and see the good land that is beyond the Jordan, that goodly mountain and the Lebanon.” But God, firm in the judgement to Moses, responded: “Enough! Speak no more to Me of this matter.” (Deuteronomy 3:23)

 

God then instructs Moses to go up to the top of the summit to see the good land that is beyond the River and tells Moses “for you shall not cross this Jordan.” God instructs Moses to encourage and strengthen Joshua “for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you shall see.”

 

Moses now speaks to the people of Israel about an essential theme of this parasha: if they are to survive in the Land, and survive as a people, they must follow the teachings in the Torah they received at Sinai.

 

As I read commentaries and interpretations of this parashah, what resonated with me most was the idea that the lesson Moses teaches the Israelites is the same lesson God was trying to teach him. Moses longed to cross the Jordan and did not want to accept that he would not. God’s response reminds him that his relationship with God is not dependent on reaching a particular destination. Whether Moses remained on the east side of the Jordan or entered the land with Joshua and the Israelites, his path to God remained the same—through faith, trust, and living according to God’s commandments.

 

Working at the Tucson J has exposed me to Judaism and the Torah. In our work to serve youth and adults with developmental disabilities, we infuse Jewish values and culture into our programming. Just as the early childhood program is guided by the Sheva lenses, the Disability Program Services department is enriched by the wisdom of these lenses, as well as the JCC Association’s Eight Guiding Principles of Inclusion that are also rooted in Jewish values.

 

Reading this Torah portion reminded me that Judaism teaches us that our relationship with God is both deeply personal and profoundly communal. Through my work at the J and my meaningful exposure to Jewish values, I have come to appreciate what I see as a sincere and ongoing journey to honor, understand, and live out those values in service to others.

Va’etchanan, invites us to reflect on what it means to build a life grounded in purpose and connection. In this portion, Moses recounts the giving of the Ten Commandments, and also, for the first time, speaks the Shema, a prayer so powerful we are commanded to say it twice daily. The call to “love Adonai your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your might” is followed immediately by the charge to teach these values to our children, speak of them in our homes, and carry them into every aspect of our lives. At the Tucson J, we strive to create the kind of community those words envision—where Jewish values are experienced across generations, not only in our Jewish programming, but in everything we do.

 

Daniella Ironi, Jr. Community Shlicha (emissary), is one person who, over the last 1.5 years, has worked to help the J and our broader Jewish community fulfill this goal. Daniella originally came to the J to support in the planning efforts for the 2025 JCC Maccabi Games + Access here in Tucson, specifically focused on “Hang Time” programming for the teens—but by the time the Games were over, her vibrant spirit had captured our hearts. So, we found a role for her working closely with Yuval, our Sr. Community Shlicha, at the Weintraub Israel Center (a partnership between the J and Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona) to infuse programs across the community with Jewish values and foster a strong connection to Israel. On Wednesday, we said l’hitraot (see you later) to Daniella with a lunch at JPSA honoring her contributions to our entire community, and wished her well on her next adventure! Daniella will be dearly missed, and we know the relationships she built here will continue to have a lasting impact.

 

Speaking of strong leaders who make an impact, we got the news that Devin Johnson, the J’s Applications Administrator and Data Manager, was elected to the Board of Tucson Young Professionals! Devin’s work at the J is invaluable to our community (he even won a Beth Stern Staff Excellence Award (pictured here!). Often behind the scenes, he is responsible for overseeing the technology that ensures our operational success—and we know that he will be a wonderful addition to the group. Join us in wishing mazel tov (congratulations) to Devin!

Just like that, Camp J continued for it’s last full week before a partial session next week, and with it came a whole lot of fun. Highlights included petting bunnies and guinea pigs with our friends at TRAK, making greeting cards and block prints in art, theatre games with counselors, plenty of pool time, and trips to Oro Valley Aquatics Center and the Tucson Museum of Art! 

 

Participants in Disability Program Services met with team members from AZPM’s Tucson Spotlight for a very special workshop in partnership with Story Slaw, that will result in an upcoming public performance. As a group, they learned about the importance of storytelling, crafted personal narratives centered around the theme of bravery, and then filmed the telling of their stories. Stay tuned for more information about the performance coming soon! 

 

Every day people of all ages and abilities come to the J to meet their wellness goals and build community—this week, the competition was on for members of our Co-ed Volleyball League as they make their way toward the championship in two weeks! Registration is open now for fall Sports + Recprograms, join us! 

 

Taken together, these moments remind us that a strong Jewish community is built through the people who show up for one another every day—with leadership, kindness, creativity, and a shared commitment to something greater than themselves. As we welcome Shabbat, may Va’etchanan inspire us to continue strengthening those connections, passing our values from generation to generation, and finding meaning in the communities we build together. Shabbat Shalom.

Reminders, Resources + Learning

Each week we share resources for more learning:

This week’s resources:

Last week’s resources:

 

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