City overview
Phoenix is the sunbaked capital of Arizona: desert mountains you can hike before breakfast, the Heard and Phoenix Art Museum, spring baseball and golf, and an easy base for Sedona and the Grand Canyon. The city has one of the Southwest's most established Orthodox communities, concentrated in North Central Phoenix along 7th Street, with several shuls, a community eruv, a local kashrut Vaad and a cluster of kosher restaurants, bakeries and markets. Chabad runs centres across the city, and Phoenix is also home to a large Bukharian Jewish community with its own synagogues.
Chabad on 7th Street
Phoenix, AZ
Rabbi
Rabbi Buzzy Ajzenszmidt
Phone
602-717-7352Website
https://www.chabad7.comChabad centre for the 7th Street community in North Central Phoenix, offering synagogue services, Shabbat dinners, adult education and holiday programmes.
Getting Around
Public transit
Valley Metro runs the light rail (the A Line east–west through Downtown Phoenix to Tempe and Mesa, and the B Line north–south along Central Avenue) plus a citywide bus network.
Pay with a reloadable Copper Card from the station ticket machines or in the Valley Metro app, and validate before boarding. The free PHX Sky Train links the airport terminals to the light rail at 44th Street/Washington. Transit is limited in the North Central Phoenix Jewish neighbourhood, so most visitors drive or use rideshare.
Rideshare
Uber, Lyft and Waymo (driverless cars) all operate in Phoenix, including pickups at the Terminal 3 and Terminal 4 curbs at Sky Harbor Airport.
Car rental
A rental car is the most practical way to get around spread-out Phoenix and the easiest way to reach Sedona and the Grand Canyon (guided tours also run).
All the major companies operate from the PHX Rental Car Center, reached from both terminals by the free PHX Sky Train.
Airport
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) is about 3 miles east of Downtown Phoenix and roughly a 15–20 minute drive from the North Central Phoenix kosher area. Flights use Terminal 3 and Terminal 4, linked around the clock by the free PHX Sky Train, which also runs to the Rental Car Center and the 44th Street/Washington light-rail station.
Good to know
Best time to visit
October through April is the best time to visit, with warm, dry days, while June to September regularly brings highs above 100°F (38°C).
Insider tips
Phoenix does not observe daylight saving time and stays on Mountain Standard Time all year and Shabbat times shift against other US cities between March and November. Most kosher food is concentrated on and around North 7th Street between Camelback Road and Northern Avenue. Many kosher places close early on Friday and reopen on Saturday night. For kashrut questions, the Greater Phoenix Vaad HaKashruth is based at 515 E Bethany Home Road (602-277-8858). Drink more water than you think you need, even in winter.
Safety & emergency
Phoenix is generally safe for visitors who use normal big-city awareness, particularly downtown at night. The main hazard is heat: from May to October carry plenty of water, hike only in the early morning, and take trail closures and heat warnings seriously. City trails on Camelback Mountain and Piestewa Peak are steep and see frequent rescues. Emergency (police, fire, ambulance): 911. Phoenix Police non-emergency (Crimestop): 602-262-6151.
Local time
4:05 AM
+4 hrs from NYC
Plug
Type A/B
120V
Currency
US Dollar
Kosher map of Phoenix, AZ
Pick a place on the map or search an address or hotel to see what is kosher around it.