From the Desk of Chloe Loos | Director of Director of Arts + Culture ⋆ JCC Tucson

From the Desk of Chloe Loos | Director of Director of Arts + Culture

June 6, 2025

From the Desk of Chloe Loos | Director of Director of Arts + Culture

Parashat Nasso: Who Counts, and What Do We Owe Each Other?

This week’s Torah portion, Nasso, starts by continuing the census of the Israelites, assigning certain ages and genders specific duties for the care of the Mishkan, the sacred communal space. The portion then shifts to a series of rituals, each reflecting a different facet of human experience.

We encounter the extremely troubling ritual of the sotah, where a woman suspected of infidelity undergoes a public ordeal to prove her innocence or guilt. There is no equivalent ritual for a man suspected of betrayal; this absence is relevant for both ancient and modern gender inequities and power. What does it mean that suspicion, from one individual, can set this process in motion? Who bears the burden of proof? Where is the accountability for the accuser, regardless of if their fears are founded or not? We know all too well what false accusations can do to individuals and communities.

Next, we learn about the elusive Nazirite vow, which explains the way a community member may set themselves apart through a path of voluntary holiness through asceticism. Unlike the Levites, who are born into a life of service, a Nazir opts in. Thus, while tradition may assign some roles, there is always an opportunity for personal choice and commitment.

We then encounter the Birkat Kohanim, the Priestly Blessing, and its words of protection, grace, and peace—for all. Blessing and divine encounters are not tied to gender, age, tribe, or status, but given freely to everyone. While only some can do the blessing, all are welcome to receive.

These pieces all raise questions for us today: Who is seen and counted? Who decides what roles we play, or what we’re worthy of doing? What responsibilities are assigned, and what responsibilities do we take on ourselves? And most of all, what do we owe one another in sacred community?

In a world where exclusion and erasure too often happen, Nasso challenges us to pay attention to everyone, to bless generously, to make room for both sacred obligation and individual autonomy. We must make sure everyone in our midst is seen, counted, and held, here in the wilderness.

From fostering wellness and lifelong learning to celebrating Jewish life and identity, the J is a place where everyone has a place and a purpose. This week’s Torah portion, Nasso, invites us into the complexity and beauty of communal life and teaches us that a thriving community depends not on uniformity, but on the intentional inclusion of each person’s unique offering. The portion is also filled with rituals that ground the community, including the Birkat Kohanim, the Priestly Blessing. These rituals remind us that sacredness doesn’t just happen—it’s made through intention, repetition, and care. At the J, we honor this idea every day; our work is rooted in the belief that every program, service or offering, when done with our community at the heart, becomes a vessel for blessing.

The week began with over 170 community members across Sunday evening and into the wee hours of Monday morning gathering to celebrate Shavuot together with the “Proudly Jewish Together at Sinai” program put on in partnership with Congregation Anshei Israel, Kol Ami Synagogue, Congregation Beit Simcha, Congregation Bet Shalom, Congregation Chaverim, M’kor Hayim, Weintraub Israel Center, Tucson Hebrew Academy, and the Tucson Jewish Museum and Holocaust Center, and made possible with generous support from the Yale and Elinor Palchick Family Foundation and Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona. Between a 20s + 30s Happy Hour, Choose Your Own Learning Sessions (including Make + Take and Israeli Shavuot Cheesecake with community Shlicha, Yuval Malka), a Musical Niggun Lab, and a Community Beit Midrash exploring the idea of Jewish Peoplehood, plus so much more, the holiday was meaningful, joyful, and full of learning! Before the evening program, PJ Library grown-ups created their own Charcuterie boards in honor of the holiday. How did you celebrate Shavuot?

In the Fitness + Wellness Center, our community stays motivated during the summer season! Parkinson’s Exercise Wellness Program participants continue to find camaraderie and connection in group exercise classes with instructor and trainer Veronika Zinsmaier (and others – but you can read more about Veronika and the program here!).

And in the pool, our Stingrays Swim Team started the week attending the Southwest Classic with impressive results — every swimmer who raced earned either a States or Regionals qualifying time standard, and we saw best times on nearly every swim! Join us in congratulating State Qualifiers Logan MacDonald and Jacqueline Tjia and Regionals Qualifiers Eva Sofia Blanco Vietor, Azion Freeman, Benjamin Lopez, Abby North, Ally North, Jaqueline Tjia and Manuel Velasquez! All week, the Stingrays have been racking up laps for their annual Swim-a-thon; thank you to those who pledged to show their support, and if you haven’t, there’s still time!) But the Stingrays aren’t the only ones enjoying the water! Master’s Swimmers hit the pool deck every day of the week but Sundays, and swim lessons remain a popular (and important!) summer activity here at the J.

Last but certainly not least, Week 2 of Camp J was in session and amid their usual weekly schedules, specialist activities stood out this week! Campers embraced the Virtue of the Week, Chesed (loving kindness). In Kadima, campers worked as a team to play Ultimate Frisbee Football and a game where they worked together to get as many items to their team’s side. In Wilderness, campers created bird feeders, learned to identify different birds, and played a game using different bird calls. In Tikkun Olam, Giborim campers learned about soldiers in the IDF and wrote cards to them; they also made friendship bracelets. In art, campers created cards and bracelets to give to friends. In cooking, our Camp J chefs learned about two important aspects of kindness: sharing and teamwork. They worked to cut different vegetables to create their own version of “stone soup”. And in Discovery, creative campers worked as teams to design and paint rocks, then hid their rocks outside for other friends and community members to find. The true highlight of the week however, was the return of the Tzofim Friendship Caravan! Campers enjoyed the lively performance — it didn’t take long for the J’s ballroom to be filled with dance and song!

Where or how did you find make meaning or lean into ritual this week? As you welcome Shabbat, we invite you to reflect on how you can make the week ahead just a little bit more sacred and how you can fill your cup with the blessing of community. Shabbat Shalom.