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Thursday October 4, 2007

Faces

by suzan berns

Drumming up a living

Alan Schechner of San Rafael always wanted to be a drummer, writes his mom Barbara Schechner (also of San Rafael). “But despite parental encouragement to have a back-up plan for earning a living, he went on pursuing his passion.” She’s proud to announce that her son’s passion has resulted in a book/CD that was awarded five out of five stars by Modern Drummer magazine. It’s called “The Art of Transcribing Drum Set, Book 1” — a great Chanukah (yes — it’s coming sooner than we think) present for a fledgling drummer in your family.

Buy art, support Parkinson’s research

Collage-maker, sculptor and now painter Deborah Friend, who lives at the Jewish Home, will put her vibrant original collages up for sale Sunday, Oct. 14, from 1 p.m.-5 p.m. at the Rosenberg Center in the Jewish Home on Silver Avenue in San Francisco. Friend notes that until she was stricken with Parkinson’s disease and moved to the Home, she merely admired art. Now she makes it. Proceeds from the sale will go to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. She hopes to raise $18,000. For information, contact Friend at z3hava@yahoo.com or 415-587-8386. Again … think Chanukah!

Kudos and mazel tovs

Anat Pilovsky, overall campaign chair for the Women’s Alliance of the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation, will be honored by the Jewish Study Network at its annual banquet Nov. 4 at the Santa Clara Convention Center. For information, call (650) 961-4576 … The Stanford Israel Alliance was recognized by the Israel on Campus Coalition for an op-ed entitled “Reject this Non-Solution.” The article, which appeared originally in the Stanford Daily, was named the “Best Student-Authored Piece Appearing in the Israel Campus Beat” (a weekly e-newsletter). Mark Donig accepted the award for the group … Rachel Marder, a summer intern at j., forwarded the info that Saratoga Congregation Beth David and Rabbi Daniel Pressman will receive awards from United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism next month for three things: its Chazak group (for people 50 or older), school newsletter and special needs program.

Short shorts …

Judge Quentin Kopp writes that he has been reappointed to the California High Speed Rail Authority by the State Senate and in July, was re-elected to a one-year term as chair. In addition, the retired judge serves in the California Assigned Judges Program in San Mateo Superior Court … Portland, Ore., native Lorry Lokey has granted $1.5 million to establish the Lorry I. Lokey Chair in Judaic Studies at Portland State University. The new position will support a scholar with expertise in the history and culture of modern European Jewry in the Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies … Michael Roth, formerly president of the California College of the Arts, took over as the 16th president of Wesleyan University on July 1.

Jill Maleson writes that her daughter Sherrie Rose Maleson has been named founding preschool director of Gan Ami at Congregation Beth Am in Los Altos Hills … Gleaned from the Marin IJ, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, former S.F. Mayor Willie Brown and Richard Rubin (husband of the honoree) were among celebrants at a surprise party for Marcia Smolens of Marin, celebrating the 30th anniversary of her lobbying firm.

Mea culpa … Inadvertently left off the list of the Dear Sudan, Love Marin workers were Fanny Rifkin and Debby Rose. And it’s Joni Pratt (not Platt).

This columnist can be reached at faces@jweekly.com.

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