Temple or congregation?
In Vallejo’s Congregation B’nai Israel’s March newsletter, congregation president Gail Lamkins asked, “Did you notice we have a freshly painted sign?” She went on to explain that one week the sign said, “Temple” B’nai Israel, and the next week it was changed to “Congregation” B’nai Israel. The reason: Rabbi David White pointed out that the only true Temple was in Jerusalem. Congregant Harry Policar covered the cost of the correction. Katie Policar, in the meantime, was beautifying the sanctuary with new flowers.
Going with the flow
When Hadassah Lieberman dropped out at the last minute from the East Bay federation’s Women’s Philanthropy Division’s major annual event, Choices, mother-daughter chairs Barbara Barer and Michelle Barer Moskowitz remained calm and focused, reports Arlene Burbank, the federation’s marketing director. Jewish Telegraphic Agency journalist Sue Fishkoff filled in beautifully for the crowd of 400 at the Oakland Rotunda. Lieberman, who had fallen and couldn’t travel, phoned in and delivered a greeting via Moskowitz.
Mastering opera
Lullabies sung to him by his grandmother triggered opera stage director Yefim Maizel’s interest in music during his childhood in Latvia. He and conductor Alexander Katsman, both Soviet Jewish émigrés who live in San Francisco, are offering would-be opera performers a one-day master class on Friday, March 30, with a chance to perform what they learn — arias from Russian operas — the next day. Visit www.opera-academy.com for info on Gems of Russian Opera.
Short shorts …
Marilyn Waldman and Matt Berler will chair Phase II of the Contemporary Jewish Museum’s Campaign for the New Museum. The two, who are CJM trustees, are charged with raising the final $8.5 million of the $77 million project, planned to open in spring 2008 … Marc Dollinger, the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Chair in Jewish Studies and Responsibility at San Francisco State University, has been named to the California Advisory Committee of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. He’s one of 18 members.
Barbara and Barry Kaye are chairing Jewish Family & Children’s Services’ annual Fammy Awards gala, to be held Saturday, March 24 at the Ritz Carlton. Co-chairs are Lowell and Julie Singer (San Francisco), Anne and David Steirman (North Peninsula), Anessa Karney and Stuart Goldstein (South Peninsula), Suzanne and David Broad (Marin) and Lynn and Baer Rambach (Sonoma County) … Daniel Handler and Lisa Brown were honorary chairs of the Bay Area Jewish Healing Center’s fourth annual dinner held March 7 at the Four Seasons. Emerald Yeh emceed … Naomi Greenstone and Adam Elegant were installed as ADL regional board chair and executive committee chair, respectively, at the group’s annual meeting and dinner in February.
Lorry Lokey donated $33 million to Stanford University to help build a stem cell research center. It’s the largest donation the school’s medical center has received from an individual. Lokey founded Business Wire, an electronic distributor of news releases, in 1961 and sold it last year to Berkshire Hathaway for $500 million … Brandeis Hillel Day School’s Marin campus is among the county schools that help improve the Mt. Tamalpais watershed — and thus Marin folks’ water — says the Marin Municipal Water District in an insert with water bills … Rabbi Chaya Gusfield is filling in as Jewish chaplain at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center while Nicole Bloom is on maternity leave.
Finally, apologies to Raya Zion, whom I called Ray Zion in the last Faces.
CopyrightJ, the Jewish news weekly of Northern California