Just spent a long weekend in an eerily quiet (and surprisingly cool) Scottsdale. The home-price meltdown there has taken a toll. Hopefully it’s a “darkest hour is just before the dawn” thing.
Three Jewish-related places/experiences of note:
- The New Shul—This wonderful experiment in traditional egalitarianism is maturing nicely. What Rabbis Michael Wasserman and Elana Kanter and their backers started in a nondescript rented warehouse several years ago has blossomed into a 125-family congregation with a beautiful, bright, self-owned facility. Despite its growth, the New Shul has kept its warmth, spirit, and sense of purpose. It was great to catch up with old friends; to take in the rare experience of a non-Orthodox Jewish community firing on all cylinders. I'm sad we've not yet found anything in Austin that even approximates the New Shul's vibrant intimacy.
- The Jewish Collection—When Terry Epcar died a few years ago, Phoenix lost a mensch and two great Judaica stores. But Nancy Brooks’ Jewish Collection represents a strong shopportunity. The store's stock is broad and attractively merchandised. It includes everything from Guatemalan kippot, through Sammy the Spider stuffed toys—and, for that matter, stuffed, or gefilte, fish—to Hebrew lettered ASU T-shirts. The store's website and ecommerce don't do it justice. But if you’re ever at the northeast corner of Scottsdale Road and Shea Boulevard, it’s worth stopping on by.
- Fresh Mint—In recent trips to Scottsdale, we've eaten delightful Asian-inspired meals at Fresh Mint, a vaad-certified Kosher-vegan restaurant. (Yes, according to some standards, it's possible to be vegan and not kosher. And no, I don't know how.) The food there is reasonably priced and wonderfully light, the "home-made" deserts are delicious, and the service is friendly and efficient.
