Teen Tikkun Olam Awards deadline near
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2008 Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards.
The award will honor five teens who exemplify outstanding leadership in tikkun olam; that is, teens who are helping repair the world through volunteerism, social justice or activism.
Each winner receives $36,000 that can be used to further the teens’ vision for tikkun olam or to help pay for their college education.
California residents ages 13 to 19 who self-identify as Jewish are eligible for the award. Their projects can benefit the Jewish or general community.
The awards are funded by the Helen Diller Family Foundation, a supporting foundation of the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation’s Jewish Community Endowment Fund.
The deadline is Tuesday, March 11.
Visit www.sfjcf.org/diller/teenawards for nomination forms and more information, including a video of last year’s winners. Contact Robyn Carmel at robync@sfjcf.org or (415) 512-6432 for more information.
Pianist to play Albert L. Schultz JCC
Russian pianist Evgeni Mikhailov will perform in the South Bay in a concert sponsored by the Albert L. Schultz Jewish Community Center. Winner of the Rachmaninoff International Piano Competition and many other contests around the world, Mikhailov has performed more than 400 concerts worldwide, as well as numerous master classes.
The concert takes place 7 p.m. March 23, at the Cubberley Center, Room M-4, 4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. Tickets are $12 to $15. For tickets or information, call the JCC at (650) 493-9400.
Gap Year Fair offers alternative to college
Jewish Community High School of the Bay will have a Gap Year Fair on March 16 at the school, 1835 Ellis St., San Francisco.
A gap year refers to a year that high school graduates spend working, traveling, volunteering or studying after leaving school but before enrolling in a university.
The fair is free and open to the public. High school seniors and their families are encouraged to attend the fair, which runs from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
More than 20 organizations will be at the fair, including Jewish agencies such as Masa and Nativ and secular agencies such as Sojourns Abroad and Global Quest.
For more information, contact Geoff Smith, college adviser, at (415) 345-9777 ext. 174.
Temple Isaiah to hold women’s Torah night
Temple Isaiah in Lafayette will mark Rosh Chodesh on Monday, March 10 with a women’s Torah study evening.
The evening also celebrates the publication of “The Torah: A Women’s Commentary,” a book that for the first time explores biblical perspectives and observations of female rabbis. The book will serve as the centerpiece of the discussions.
The event begins at 7:30 p.m. For two hours, cantors, rabbis and Torah scholars from around the East Bay — from Reform to Renewal to Orthodox and everything in between — will teach about Torah text using the commentaries provided in the “Women’s Commentary.” Participants will be able to choose from a variety of teachers and topics and can attend two 45-minute workshops.
Temple Isaiah is at 3800 Mount Diablo Blvd. To RSVP, contact Rabbi Judy Shanks at (925) 283-8575.
Rabbi Irwin Kula to speak at JCCSF
Popular rabbi and author Irwin Kula will be in town to speak at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco. The title of his lecture is “Judaism Beyond the Tribe: Jewish Wisdom in a Postmodern World.”
Kula is a frequent guest on “The Today Show” and will host a new PBS series, “Simple Wisdom.” He serves as president of the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership (CLAL), and is author of the book, “Yearnings: Embracing the Sacred Messiness of Life.”
He speaks 8 p.m. March 16 at the JCCSF, 3200 California St., S.F. Tickets: $8-$10. Information: (415) 292-1233 or www.jccsf.org/arts.
CopyrightJ, the Jewish news weekly of Northern California