Arizona Jewish Historical Society

Brick by brick, generation by generation. Our community shows up for one another, laying the foundation that carries everyone forward. 💙

✡️ Across Arizona, Jewish life continues to grow, through shared traditions, meaningful gatherings, and strong connections. From learning about holiday traditions in Jewish preschools to celebrating Chanukah in Carefree and connecting with other Jewish professionals at networking events, we gather, share, and build something meaningful together.

📸: Valley of The Sun J, Hillel Jewish Student Center at ASU, Chabad at ASU, Congregation Beth Tefillah, NowGen PHX, Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix

🚨 Last call for artifacts

A photograph tucked away. A letter carried across continents. A uniform worn, preserved, and passed down. Artifacts are powerful traces of history. Each one holding a moment, a memory, a life. 🖼️📜

Do you have something like this in your family?

As we build the permanent collection for the Hilton Family Holocaust Education Center, opening in 2027, we’re looking for items connected to Holocaust survivors and families who built their lives in Arizona. Each piece holds an experience and connects us to a life we must remember.

Submissions are closing soon. Don’t let these testimonies go untold.

👉 Learn how to contribute: https://bit.ly/4daTEJS

The story of Hollywood is, in no small part, a Jewish story. From the founders who built the studios to the comedians who redefined American humor, Jewish creativity has shaped the films, television, and comedy that entertains and inspires generations. 🎬✨

🍿 Share your favorite Jewish filmmaker, actor, or movie in the comments!

Tonight looks like this:

📖 Learning
💬 Conversations
🍰 Dairy dishes

Shavuot invites us to slow down and reconnect with tradition, each other, and the meaning behind it all.

Who’s part of your Shavuot night? ✡️

🍽️ Shavuot tastes like this.

Warm cheese blintzes, lightly crisped, and filled with something sweet. Dairy dishes have long been the centerpiece of the holiday, a delicious thread connecting us to tradition and the celebration of receiving the Torah. Some rituals live on the plate and in our hearts. 💙

📌 Save this recipe from Dinner at the Zoo for your Shavuot table: https://bit.ly/4c8IUvm

🧳 Before he could walk, Ralph Vogel was already on the run. Born in Frankfurt in 1939, his family fled after his father’s arrest and imprisonment at Buchenwald, beginning a journey that would take them across continents in search of safety. Years later, Ralph carries that account forward, sharing what survival, loss, and rebuilding truly mean.

🗓️ Friday, June 5 | 10 am
💻 Zoom

👉 Register: https://bit.ly/4mLCE0d

📷 Step back in time with us. A single photograph highlights a moment. A collection captures a world. Jewish life in Arizona grew through generations of people who built community, preserved traditions, and created a sense of belonging.

🕍 The Torah presentation at Temple Solel of Paradise Valley by Rabbi Maynard Bell
👩🏻‍🍳 Women baking for the Phoenix Jewish Community Center Annual Fair
🧑🏻‍🤝‍🧑🏻 Children studying at Temple Chai
📖 Members of the Phoenix Jewish Federation with Governor Jack Williams

✡️ This Jewish American Heritage Month, we celebrate that legacy, both past and present. Which photo stands out to you most? 💬

📸: Arizona Memory Project (State of Arizona Research Library)