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Friday December 7, 2007

Shorts: Bay Area

Temple Isaiah joins human rights group

Temple Isaiah in Lafayette is the first congregation in the country to join K’vod Habriot: A Jewish Human Rights Network. Launched this week by Rabbis for Human Rights-North America (RHR-NA), it is the first national network of rabbis, Jewish communities and individuals dedicated to human rights.

The official launch date is Monday, Dec. 10, International Human Rights Day and the sixth night of Chanukah.

K’vod Habriot is Hebrew for “the dignity of all human beings.” By joining the organization, members commit themselves to ensuring human rights for all by educating themselves about current human rights issues. They will receive Action Alerts from RHR-NA and will be connected to other American Jews dedicated to promoting human rights.

To join K’vod Habriot: A Jewish Human Rights Network, visit the RHR-NA website at www.rhr-na.org or call (508) 696-1880.

Youth Orchestra debuts in S.F.

The Jewish Community Youth Orchestra will hold its debut performance 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9 at the Jewish Community High School of the Bay, 1835 Ellis St., San Francisco. A Chanukah candlelighting and reception follow the performance.

Gary Sheldon, former director of the Marin Symphony, will conduct the orchestra, which he helped start last summer.

The teen orchestra will be joined by cantorial soloists Roslyn Barak of Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco and David Margules of Congregation Rodef Sholom in San Rafael.

Admission is free. For more information, check www.jcyo.org.

Bay Area group one of Slingshot’s top 50

Jewish Milestones, a Berkeley organization, was recently honored by Slingshot as one of the 50 most innovative Jewish nonprofits in North America.

This is the third year that Jewish Milestones has been featured in Slingshot. Milestones trains volunteers and professionals to provide ritual services, such as weddings, baby-namings and Kaddish for deceased parents, to unaffiliated Jews.

Slingshot was founded three years ago as an annual publication highlighting 50 innovative Jewish agencies — a Zagat-style resource guide for donors.

The agencies are chosen by members of Grand Street, a network of 18- to 28-year-olds who are or will soon be involved in their families’ philanthropy.

This year eight of the agencies highlighted in Slingshot are also the recipients of supporting grants, money pooled from young philanthropists that total more than $400,000. All of the grant recipients represent one of four identified needs in the Jewish community: helping Jews find connection, meaning, identity and education within their communities.

For information on Slingshot, go to www.2164.net. For Milestones, go to www.jewishmilestones.org.

Think tank holds panel discussion on Mideast foreign policy

The Jewish Policy Center, a Washington, D.C. think tank affiliated with the Republican Jewish Coalition, is sponsoring a panel discussion titled “American Foreign Policy in the Middle East: Dangerous Times, Dangerous Neighborhood.” The event takes place 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9, at S.F.’s Congregation Emanu-El.

The panel features leading Jewish conservative voices, including columnist Mona Charen, Commentary magazine editor John Podhoretz and author/talk show host Denis Prager. Syndicated radio talk show host Michael Medved is the moderator.

Congregation Emanu-El is located at 2 Lake Street, San Francisco. Admission is free. For more information, call (415) 751-2535.

Wiesel’s alleged attacker changes plea

Eric Hunt, the man accused of assaulting Elie Wiesel at a San Francisco peace conference, changed his plea last week back to not guilty by insanity.

The 23-year-old New Jersey man originally pleaded insanity in the February attack before altering his plea to not guilty over the summer.

Hunt’s trial has been scheduled for March 2008. Wiesel told j. his testimony already has been recorded.

Deadline passes for Camp Swig bidders

The Reform movement is one step closer to selling Camp Swig, but the buyer is unlikely to be a local Jewish group. The group reportedly missed the deadline to increase its bid for the Saratoga facility.

Although some members of HaMakom, which had bid $5 million to purchase the dormant camp, denied to j. that a deadline existed, officials at the Union for Reform Judaism confirmed that there was a Nov. 30 deadline — and that HaMakom missed it.

“We have not heard from them at all,” said URJ spokeswoman Emily Grotta on Dec. 5.

Grotta said the URJ entered negotiations with a non-Jewish buyer, which bid $6 million. But “the paperwork is not signed yet,” she added. “We are hoping to have a signed agreement shortly.”

The sale cannot become final until it is approved by the URJ’s board of trustees or executive committee. Since it is unlikely that the paperwork will be ready for either of their December meetings, approval may not come until the next round of meetings in March.

“Once we’ve entered into a signed agreement with the group, we are ethically bound to [sell] to them,” said Grotta.

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