Jewish bridal fair in Palo Alto on Feb. 25; workshops include interfaith issues this year
Couples planning a Jewish wedding, including interfaith couples, may want to attend the upcoming Jewish Wedding Fair in Palo Alto. Sponsored by the Albert L. Schultz Jewish Community Center, the Sunday, Feb. 25 fair features a showcase of Jewish wedding bands, Judaic artists, Jewish organizations, food samples and a fashion show.
The program also includes workshops such as “How to Pick a Ketubah,” “Two Faiths, One Ceremony: A Guide to Interfaith Ceremonies,” “Tips and Pitfalls that Make or Break a Wedding,” “Finding Your Perfect Fit ... in a Rabbi,” and “What Makes a Wedding Jewish?”
The fair runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Lucie Stern Community Center at 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. Admission is free. For more information, contact Stephanie Brown at (650) 852-3506 or visit www.hcnc.org/contest for more information.
‘Book buddies’ program launched
Congregation Emanu-El is set to start a “book buddies” partnership with the second-grade class at Starr King Elementary School in San Francisco.
The synagogue is looking for people to donate $20 by the end of the month, which Starr King will use to purchase appropriate books for the students to read and the class to keep.
Each donor will be matched with a second-grader. When the students complete a book, they will send a letter to their adult book buddy describing what they liked about the book and a little about their life. The adults are encouraged to write back.
Book buddy programs have been successful in several other low-income schools with large minority populations. Among the benefits, students see and appreciate the community support, get more reading instruction and have an opportunity to emphasize reading skills they might not receive otherwise.
Congregation Emanu-El hopes to expand the program to help other classes and schools.
To participate, please send a check for $20, payable to Congregation Emanu-El, attention of Terry Kraus, 2 Lake St., S.F. 94118.
East Bay foundation offering camp tuition
The East Bay Jewish Community Foundation has announced it will offer financial aid to East Bay teens wishing to attend a Jewish camp or go to Israel this summer.
“No teen in this community will be denied a Jewish experience because of lack of funds,” said Lisa Tabak, the foundation’s executive director.
Teens searching for a camp program should contact Janet Rothman at the Bureau of Jewish Education by March 1 at jrothman@bjesf.org or (415) 751-6983 ext. 107. Teens interested in organized Israel trips can contact Marilyn Kinch at marilyn@jfed.org or (510) 839-2900 ext. 256.
CopyrightJ, the Jewish news weekly of Northern California