Jewish Life
& Learning
Jennifer Selco
Director of Jewish Life & Learning
The Director of Jewish Life and
Learning position was created
with two goals. The first is to
serve as an internal resource
to all J staff. To this end, I work
closely with ECE and Camp J
as a curricular consultant to
help bring the values rooted in Jewish tradition to life,
to find meaningful ways to engage our children and
their families in Jewish holiday celebrations, and to
connect what we do in Tucson with our partnership
region in Israel. Speaking of Israel, Tamir and Chen,
Tucson’s 2017 Shinshinim, help bring Israel to life for
children in ECE, campers, and Taglit participants.
Secondly, my goal is to host meaningful, engaging
programs around Jewish life and culture for all people
of all ages. This year, all generations of The J family came
together to celebrate Jewish holidays. Many people
answered life’s biggest questions on our reflective
wall during the High Holy Days, enjoyed a sufganya
(jelly-filled donut) after a communal Hanukkiyah
lighting, created a Seder plate to use during Passover,
and more. Lunch & Learn programs were offered as an
opportunity to connect with a particular guest, such
as Benzy Kogen, a visiting High Holy Day Cantor, and
Neva Small who played Chava in the movie rendition
of Fiddler on the Roof. Inspired by Dr. Henry Koffler,
of blessed memory, The J was proud to host a series
around the idea of sacred aging and finding our
purpose in this world. Over 100 people participated in
a variety of sessions and workshops facilitated by local
rabbis, doctors, and artists. The J, in partnership with
the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona, became
a member of the Jewish Book Council. Through
this membership, we were able to bring high caliber
authors to share their stories with you, such as Rabbi
Naomi Levy who shared about moving findings as she
researched the connection between Einstein and the
Rabbi.
It’s been a busy first year, and I look forward to
continuing our work together.