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Friday November 2, 2007

Faces

by suzan berns

A great victory

Dr. Michael Franzblau of Marin participated in the World Medical Association conference in Copenhagen in early October, where Dr. Yoram Blachar, president of the Israeli Medical Association, was chosen as president-elect of the international body of doctors. Franzblau, a clinical professor emeritus in dermatology at UCSF, noted that the Israeli beat candidates from New Zealand and India in the hotly contested election. “It was a great victory,” he said.

Jewish stars

The Marin Independent Journal reports that Mill Valley’s Hannah Rose Kornfeld is playing a lead role in “Ruthless, the Musical,” at the Purple Onion in San Francisco. The production spoofs Broadway musicals and campy movies, and Hannah plays Tina, a talented 8-year-old who “accidentally” murders the competition. Hannah’s dream role is to play Anne Frank. You can catch her camping it up through Nov. 3 … KQED’s “Forum” host Michael Krasny’s new book, “Off Mike,” has been on the S.F. Chronicle’s top 10 nonfiction books for two weeks. Krasny will be speaking about it around the Bay Area this month, including appearing at the Contra Costa Jewish Book & Arts Festival on Thursday, Nov. 1 … San Rafael resident Cynthia Pepper’s short film “Flutterby” was one of several pieces featuring children and dance at the Children’s Festival at the Mill Valley Film Festival last month. Pepper is a filmmaker, choreographer and visual artist who has produced several award-winning films on dance.

And one more …

Stacey Horowitz writes that her son Avi Horowitz, a sixth-grader at Ronald C. Wornick Jewish Day School, won a spot in the International Presentation of Performers (iPOP) in Los Angeles in January. He’ll be acting and modeling for an audience of agents, casting directors and other folks in the “business.” iPOP encourages participants to raise the $6,000 needed for fees, training and so on. Stacey notes that the first 10 sponsors who commit $100 by Nov. 14 will be listed in the event program. If you’d like to help, contact Stacey at brumlee@astound.net.

Short shorts …

Leah Turchin, Michele Helm and Elana Isaacs have joined the staff of the East Bay Jewish Community Federation. Turchin, formerly with Shalom Bayit, is the Young Leadership Division associate. Helm is the in-house designer, working with Arlene Burbank, director of marketing and public relations, and Isaacs is the new director of the East Bay Jewish Community Teen Foundation … Caron Tabb has left the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation’s Israel Center, where she produced Israel in the Gardens among other jobs, to join Mynewredshoes.org as co-executive director. The nonprofit provides new clothing and shoes to underprivileged children in the Bay Area for the first day of school.

Mara Kassoff, formerly of Jewish Vocational Service, is the new membership specialist at Hadassah’s Central Pacific Coast Regional office … Congregation Beth Am welcomes Rabbi Adam Allenberg, the synagogue’s new rabbi and program director, at Friday night services Nov. 2 … Stewart Florsheim will read his original poetry at Priya restaurant in Berkeley at 7 p.m., Nov. 12, as part of the Poetry Express series.

And from the Buckeye State …

I noticed that Michael Flaksman, whose dad, Leslie, was the exec at the Akron JCC, was here in mid-October playing cello with a group at Old First Church.

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

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