When people think of Jewish film, their minds tend to jump right to two subjects: religion and the Holocaust. While the Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival certainly embraces those subject matters, executive director Jerry Mittelman ensures that they make up only a slice of the wide spectrum of films the fest has to offer.

Naming herself after the provincial flower of Alberta, Canada, Loca Rosa is a performer with international flair.

Let your light shine.

With Hanukkah stretching over eight nights, there’s plenty to celebrate. And often plenty of leftovers.

These are a few of Chicky Winkleman’s favorite Hanukkah things: ironic, ugly sweaters adorned with Stars of David, his roommate’s Christmas tree and making latkes, alone in the afternoon.

For probably no reason beyond proximity on the calendar, Hanukkah and Christmas tend to get lumped together. Traditionally, the holidays actually have little in common.

What makes the Emmys such an exciting award show to watch is, unlike the Oscars, the winners are not prematurely set in stone. Almost anything can happen on the big night, sometimes resulting in the greatest underdogs triumphing in victory. I’ll do my best to predict what will win on Emmy Sunday. Even if I’m wrong though, at least I can undeniably say which shows should win in each category.

If you boil down the concept of breaking the Yom Kippur fast to its culinary essence, two basic rules become clear — make it easy to prepare and make it easy on the stomach.

The Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival has announced its newest board member, Janet Arnold. Arnold brings with her a wealth of knowledge and accomplishment gained through her decades of committed involvement in Valley arts organizations.

If you — or your kid — are blanching at the thought of yet another year of day-after-day brown bagged PB&J, perhaps this is the year to mix up the lunch box offerings a bit.

If you — or your kid — are blanching at the thought of yet another year of day-after-day brown bagged PB&J, perhaps this is the year to mix up the lunch box offerings a bit.

‘Ted” follows a similar formula to other buddy movies of its kind. There are two major things that distinguish the film though. For starters, “Ted” is a really funny movie, producing just as many laughs as “21 Jump Street” from a few months ago. Secondly, one of the buddies in question is a living teddy bear. The teddy bear is not merely a product of someone’s imagination like in “Calvin and Hobbes.” He’s literally a walking, talking stuffed animal that has been casually accepted into society.

So-called comedian Bill Maher is the poster boy for the brutish. He reminds me of a series of classmates during my school years. They were trash-talking bullies, encouraged by peers who would laugh, but always with unease.

So-called comedian Bill Maher is the poster boy for the brutish. He reminds me of a series of classmates during my school years. They were trash-talking bullies, encouraged by peers who would laugh, but always with unease.

During Passover each year much of the culinary focus is on the seder, the celebratory meal that commemorates the Jewish liberation and exodus from ancient Egypt.

If you ask Assistant Executive Director Adrian Bendick what her favorite movie at the Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival is, she probably wouldn't be able to give you a straight answer.

A long-running, one-man comedy show about an eccentric family is coming to the Herberger Theatre in downtown Phoenix, starting today.

Discover the childhood friendship in Poland prior to World War II between a Catholic boy, Karol Wojtlya, later known as Pope John Paul II, and Jerzy Kluger, a Jewish boy, who became the Pope's personal emissary to Israel, at the free Faces of Diversity Brown Bag series at noon Friday, Nov. 18, at the Phoenix City Council Chambers, 200 W. Jefferson St.

"What were they thinking?" 

As we prepare for another long hot summer, the Chandler Recreation Division has many classes in May and youth camps throughout the summer to help keep everyone active, healthy and engaged in learning new skills and meeting new friends.

The Arizona State University Art Museum’s Short Film and Video Festival takes place Saturday night, and it’s long been one of my favorite events of the year.

Just after sundown today at the home of Cheryl and Dereck Gardner, prayers will be read from the Haggadah, and then the couple and their two children will enjoy a traditional Passover meal just like they will sit down to an Easter feast on Sunday. Cheryl is Jewish; Dereck is Christian. The Peoria couple practice what they preach.

Just after sundown today at the home of Cheryl and Dereck Gardner, prayers will be read from the Haggadah, and then the couple and their two children will enjoy a traditional Passover meal just like they will sit down to an Easter feast on Sunday. Cheryl is Jewish; Dereck is Christian. The Peoria couple practice what they preach.

Birdie Neman Katz will always have a special place in her heart for the musical “Fiddler on the Roof.” Katz has portrayed several different roles in “Fiddler on the Roof” throughout her acting career, including the mother and her daughters. And now, she’s performing the role of Yente the Matchmaker in the national tour, which stops Tuesday at Arizona State University’s Gammage Auditorium.

Each year, the Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival offers a lineup of cultural films to the community and this year, its 15th, there are more films, more venues and more speakers.