Welcome! This is Who We Are

The Israel Center is Tucson's central resource for all things Israeli.  From Israel travel information to cultural programs, community dialogues, and innovative Tucson-Israel Partnerships, the Israel Center is a living bridge between the people and institutions of Tucson and Israel.  The Israel Center is a joint project of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona and the Tucson Jewish Community Center, in partnership with the Jewish Agency for Israel.

The Dialogue
The Israel Center works to facilitate the inter-communal dialogue between Israel and Tucson Jewish Community with an emphasis on mutual respect and the belief that the future of the Jewish people is based on its ability to establish a direct relationship between its various communities around the world.

Visiting Israel
The Israel Center works to offer as many people as possible a meaningful Israel experience.  The Israel experience  - visiting Israel and seeing life there – leaves a tremendous impression on participants.  Statistics indicate that young people who visit Israel with their contemporaries remember the Israel experience as one of the most important, formative and meaningful influences on their Jewish identity.

The Hebrew Language
A goal of the Israel Center is to facilitate the learning of Hebrew in the community, to hold workshops and meetings in Hebrew and to generally expose the community to the beauty of Hebrew as a vibrant language of the Jewish people around the world.  For the Jewish people – in Israel and the Diaspora – Hebrew can constitute a trans-generational and trans-continental bridge of cultural communication.  It is for this reason that we must make every effort to maintain Hebrew as a living language throughout the Jewish world.

Information Center (HASBARA)
The Israel Center, together with other communities institutions, educates the public with regard to the complex reality of the Middle East and of Israel's foreign policy.  The Israel Center – both in times of war and peace – stands behind Israel and its people and initiates activities to help ensure fair and accurate coverage in the local press.

The General Community
The Israel Center significantly contributes to the dialogue between the general community and the local Jewish community, and helps to maintain close ties with various institutions located throughout Southern Arizona.  Its programs and activities on subjects concerning Israel and Jews facilitate friendly relations with cultural and religious institutions active in the area.

The Israeli Community
The Israel Center strives to provide a framework of programs to maintain and strengthen ties to the local Israeli community.  It does so by strengthening he connection with Israel, its culture and language (especially for our children) and by encouraging the local Israeli community to participate in the Jewish community and its institutions, including the Jewish Federation, agencies and synagogues.