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Friday January 4, 2008

Faces

by suzan berns

An oldie, but goodie

Sherith Israel’s Cantor Rita Glassman sang concerts in Progressive (Reform) congregations in Rio de Janeiro, São Paolo and Porto Alegre, Brazil, during a recent trip, where she notes, women are not readily accepted on the bimah. She writes, “There was much discussion in São Paolo about my participating in the Kabbalat Shabbat service before my musical program [at Congregacão Israelita Paulista] as a woman chazzan, and finally I was allowed to sing from the bimah, but not when the ark was opened. When I finished singing the last piece in the Shabbat service, I returned to my seat in the congregation, and two older women tapped me on the shoulder and whispered what a beautiful job I had done!”

Later, after the concert, another young woman who had never heard a female cantor told Glassman that she “experienced God in the sanctuary for the first time. It was all very moving for me,” Glassman said. The concert in Rio was part of a 65th anniversary celebration for the congregation. Glassman presented a shofar to the synagogue that was made by Maurice Kamins, a Sherith Israel congregant.

Recollecting Chanukah

Chabad folk drove a “car menorah” around southern Marin in the weeks before Chanukah. Rebbetzin Chana Scop reports that it sent a message about spreading the light of community. The car menorah was welcomed with horns, thumbs up and Happy Chanukah greetings, along with many calls in response to the “spot the Car Menorah” contest. According to an Associated Press story, “car menorah parades” — convoys of cars sporting large metal menorahs on the top — took place in 100 cities around the world, including Moscow, Sydney and Los Angeles.

If you know Suzie …

Susan Morenstein and Susan Berston write that the Susans are gathering again. Morenstein and Berston, both of San Francisco, are chairing this year’s event. The Susan Gathering will take place Jan. 24 on scenic Pier 39 at Neptune’s Palace. If you’re a Susan, Suzanne, Sioux (or any other derivative), you’re invited to join the festivities. Visit www.susangathering.com for details.

Short shorts …

San Anselmo’s Woody Weingarten, j.’s managing editor emeritus, is the new chair of Marin Man to Man, a support group founded 15 years ago for men whose partners have or have had breast cancer. San Rafael’s Marv Edelstein and San Anselmo’s Dan Goltz are vice chair and secretary-treasurer, respectively. The group meets Wednesday mornings at Denny’s in Corte Madera. For info on the group, visit www.Marin-Man-to-Man.org or call 415-459-3434 … San Francisco Jewish Film Festival Program Director Nancy Fishman was a guest curator for the 2007 U.K. Jewish Film Festival. She also moderated a panel on “Sexual and Other Politics — Jews, Activism and Identity” … Neil Taxy has been named new president to the Board of Governors of the Jewish Community High School of the Bay, succeeding Murray Zucker who completed a three-year term … Suzanne Krasna of Walnut Creek was among a dozen participants from across the nation taking part in American Technion Society’s 2007 Planned Giving Mission to Israel last November.

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

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