Weintraub Israel Center
The Tucson J is home to the Weintraub Israel Center, a joint project with the Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona and the Tucson J. The mission of the Weintraub Israel Center is to engage the Jewish and broader communities of Southern Arizona in building a living bridge to Israel, its people, culture, and history. The Weintraub Israel Center invites community members of all ages and stages to create and nurture a self-propelled, personal relationship with Israel and Israelis.
In our work we rely on the three core operating principles of Z3:
Unity, not uniformity
Engaging as equal partners
Diversity of voices
Our Generative Mission Statement for Israel Engagement:
Upcoming Events
News, Resources + Ways to Support Israel
In light of the current situation in Israel, we wish to provide you with thoughtful updates and ways to get involved.
News Resources
- October 7: This website stands as a testament to the unwavering spirit of survivors who bear witness to the unspeakable terrors of October 7th, horrors that continue to haunt the hearts and minds of countless souls across the land of Israel.
- Unholy: Yonit Levi of Israel‘s Channel 12 News and Jonathan Freedland of The Guardian are two of the most prominent journalists in the world today. They are also Jews. Each week, join as they dissect and debate current events shaping Israel, Jewish life – and the wider world. Make every Friday morning Unholy.
- Congressional Leaders Speak on Support for Israel “On the outside, I don’t look like I have scars … the biggest scar that I have is in my soul,” said Noa Ben Artzi-Pelossof, granddaughter of the late Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who recounted her experience as a survivor of the Hamas attack on the music festival in Israel on October 7. She delivered her remarks, along with congressional and Jewish community leaders and Biden administration officials, during an event in support of Israel hosted by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations (CPMAJO) at the Sixth and I Historic Synagogue in Washington, D.C.
- Israel from the Inside, created by Daniel Gordis, is a news source meant for people who are curious about understanding Israel and Israelis.
- Resilience and Ingenuity in Crisis Ten days into a brutal new reality, much of Israeli society has picked itself up from the shock of the initial attacks and quickly mobilized toward helping the war effort.
- JEWISH NATIONAL FUND‘s Daily Israel briefings: Follow JNF-USA’s briefings on Facebook every morning at 9am (AZ time)
Donations
NEFESH B’NEFESH, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, is creating a database of international physicians willing to volunteer in Israel during this challenging time. Who can volunteer? This initiative aims to ease the strain on hospitals and clinics during this time of war, specifically calling on doctors with valid licenses from North America, the UK, South Africa, Australia, and the EU. Nurses, and paramedics from abroad looking to volunteer can visit the MOH website and submit their information there.
Breastmilk Donations for Israeli infants in need Save The Milk is partnering with The Haredim Rescue Union to coordinate the delivery of breastmilk to Israeli infants who have been displaced. If you are interested in donating, please fill out the requested info below and we will be in touch with instructions on how you may be able to help. Click Here
Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona’s Israel Relief Fund 2023
This fund supports Federation’s core overseas partner organizations below:
The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC):
Within hours of the initial ambush in Israel’s south, JDC activated its emergency response team and action plans. JDC’s main focus has been on vulnerable seniors, people with disabilities, children and young adults at risk, families in financial distress, and the unemployed. Activities have included:
- Providing emergency support for people with disabilities, including access to a hotline with social workers and psychologists
- Strengthening the capacity of nursing institutions for elderly Israelis who have fled from the current conflict zone
- Expanding mental health interventions for children and youth at risk
- Training front-line professionals to meet the unprecedented needs among the most vulnerable children and families, the elderly, and people with disabilities
The Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI):
The Jewish Agency is focusing on the following areas:
- Operating the Fund for the Terror Victims.
- Caring for the safety and resilience of employees and staff in the field, especially in areas affected by the fighting. Working with emissaries to provide psychological assistance where needed.
- Care of program participants in various programs, including sensitive personal situations resulting from the current situation.
- Taking 2000 Olim from absorption centers in the South for a five day respite period.
- Providing respite activities for children and teenagers in families who prefer to stay.
- Supporting 2700 residents of Amigour elderly care facilities in the South.
The Israel Trauma Coalition (ITC):
Working in coordination with the Home Front Command, ITC’s Southern Resilience Centers remain on high alert. With staff and residents confined to their homes, services are being provided via telephone and zoom.
MAGEN DAVID ADOM,
Israel’s National Emergency Pre-Hospital Medical and Blood Services Organization.
Mental Health Resources from JFCS
Crisis Services:
Arizona crisis resources for all ages:
Southern Arizona crisis line: (520) 622-6000
- Walk in available 24/7 at Crisis Response Center located at 2802 E District St (South of Ajo and Country Club)
HOPE Warm Line – (not for immediate risk) Pima County: (520) 770-9909, Other Counties: (844) 733-9912
- Free, confidential, non-emergency phone line with access to Peer Support operators
- Hours are 8AM-10PM every day, 365 days/year
Arizona crisis resources for Youth:
Teen Lifeline: Arizona’s only teen-to-teen crisis hotline – Call: (800) 248-8336 (TEEN) Text: (602) 248-8336
- Call and Text crisis line
- Available for calls 24/7/365, text weekdays 12-9 PM and weekends 3-9 PM, peer counseling 3-9 PM daily
- Teenlifeline.org
National (US) crisis resources for all ages:
- National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is 988 – CALL, TEXT, OR CHAT 24/7
- National Crisis Text Line (24/7): Text “MATTERS” or “HOME” to 741741 (texting any word will work)
National (US) crisis resources for youth:
National Teen Line: 800-TLC-TEEN (800-852-8336) or text “TEEN” to 839863
- Peer supports “teens helping teens”
- Phone line available 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM (PST); Text line available 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM (PST)
Crisis intervention and suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth
TrevorLifeline Phone: (866) 488-7386 Available 24/7/365
TrevorLifeline Text: Text “Trevor” to 1-202-304-1200
- Available Monday-Friday from 3PM ET – 10PM ET/ 12PM PT – 7PM PT
TrevorChat: Online instant messaging with a TrevorChat counselor
- Available 7 days per week from 3PM ET – 10PM ET/ 12PM PT – 7PM PT
- Trained counselors provide support to youth who are in crisis, feeling suicidal, or just need a safe, non-judgmental person to talk to
Counseling services:
Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Southern Arizona
- Provides behavioral health counseling services for all ages
- Accepts AHCCCS (Medicaid) insurance, Medicare, or self-pay (no private insurance)
- Call (520) 795-0300 or email intake@jfcstucson.org to request services
- This website allows you to search for a therapist in your area and you can filter for providers who take your insurance, as well as other filters to help you find a counselor that is a good match
- Most clinicians in private practice on the Psychology Today website take various forms of insurance including commercial insurance plans (e.g. BCBS, United, etc.)
- Counseling provider in Tucson, takes multiple types of insurance, specialize in trauma
- (520) 838-0918
- Takes private insurance
- Counseling provider in Tucson for variety of issues
- (520) 827-6372
- Takes private insurance
- Integrated approach to treatment (mind-body connection)
- (520)981-4547
Cathexis
- Counseling services for various issues; specialize in trauma, depression, and family conflict
- (520) 329-1250
- Takes private insurance
- Treat variety of issues
- (520) 524-4757
- Takes private insurance
Mental health platform providing online mental health services directly to clients, up to 6 months of therapy at no cost for individuals who have been impacted by the war in Israel.
Kids
PJ Library’s Israel Hub: If you are struggling, as many of us do, to navigate conversations about events in Israel with your children or grandchildren, PJ Library has compiled a shortlist of resources.
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Explore more about Israel
Travel
Are you an adult age 18-26? Learn about Taglit Birthright trips!
Traveling to Israel? Check out Israeli chef Michael Solomonov’s restaurant recommendations
Explore Israel like National Geographic explorer!
Check out the myriad resources found on the Tel Aviv Tourism website
Good Reads
The Zionist Ideas: Visions for the Jewish Homeland―Then, Now, Tomorrow – The most comprehensive Zionist collection ever published, The Zionist Ideas: Visions for the Jewish Homeland—Then, Now, Tomorrow sheds light on the surprisingly diverse and shared visions for realizing Israel as a democratic Jewish state. Building on Arthur Hertzberg’s classic, The Zionist Idea, Gil Troy explores the backstories, dreams, and legacies of more than 170 passionate Jewish visionaries—quadruple Hertzberg’s original number, and now including women, mizrachim, and others—from the 1800s to today.
Day After Night by Anita Diamat – Based on the extraordinary true story of the October 1945 rescue of more than two hundred prisoners from the Atlit internment camp, a prison for “illegal” immigrants run by the British military near the Mediterranean coast south of Haifa. The story is told through the eyes of four young women at the camp who survived the Holocaust.
Check out SAPIR for news and thought-provoking Jewish Conversations
Activist, actress, and author, Noa Tishby explores Jewish history and politics in Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth
Learn about Israel’s culture of innovation in Start-up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle
Ever wonder about Hebrew? In the Beginning: A Short History of the Hebrew Language is a fascinating read
Read about the creation of the modern state of Israel in National Jewish Book Award Winner, Israel: A History
Find more reading from the National Jewish Book Council
Blogs + Social Media
Follow @globaljews for awareness about the racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity of Jewish identity and experience
Neil Lazarus Helps understand some the complexities of the Israel-Palestinian-Pan Arab conflict
Danny Gordis is an American born Israeli who writes about current political and social issues with an emphasis on Israel- North America relations
Good News from Israel provides updates of good news stories from Israel
Have your own travels featured on the official @visit_israel’s Instagram through #VisitIsrael or #HolyLandPics
The Z3 Project fosters renewed conversation on world Jewry and Israel relations through learning, engagement, and dialogue
Music
To be up-to-date, check out this evolving Apple Music playlist of current Israeli hits.
Israel has a rich history of beautiful folk music, check it out at this Spotify playlist.
Z3 Podcast
Every month, a leading thinker will join Amitai, Z3’s Executive Director, to discuss the most pressing and interesting topics concerning the dialogue between the Diaspora and Israeli Jewish communities.
Connect
Yuval, our community Shalicha want to meet you! Yuval is here to help you create and nurture a self-propelled, personal relationship with Israel and Israelis. Whether you have questions, want to share your interests, or simply wish to connect, Yuval is eager to chat with you. Reach out today to schedule a “coffee date” and embark on a journey of discovery and connection with Israel.
Yuval Malka
(she/her)
520.577.9393
