Pro-Israel gathering in the works for Palestinian festival
San Francisco Voice for Israel will organize a pro-Israel demonstration at “Nakba at 60,” a Palestine peace and solidarity festival planned for Saturday, May 10 in San Francisco.
Several Palestinian and Arab musicians will perform; youth and cultural programs will be ongoing during the festival, which was planned by numerous Bay Area pro-Palestinian individuals and organizations.
The festival begins at 10 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. in San Francisco’s Civic Center.
Voice For Israel encourages people to attend the festival from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. to join its pro-Israel demonstration. Signs will be provided; attendants should bring their own American and Israeli flags. Signs or graphics offensive to any racial or ethnic group (including, but not limited to, Arabs, Islam or Palestinians) will not be allowed.
For more information, visit www.araborganizing.org/main.html or www.sfvoiceforisrael.org.
Builders open homes for JCC benefit
Prominent real estate developers and builders are throwing open their doors for this year’s Annual Home and Garden Tour in Silicon Valley.
The theme is “Dream Homes of Silicon Valley: Tour the Personal Homes of Our Premier Builders,” and visitors will have a unique opportunity to see how some of the area’s most prominent developers live.
Sponsored by the Addison-Penzak JCC, proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the recreational, health and fitness, social and cultural needs of the center. The two-day event will kick off May 17 with a 6:30 p.m. cocktail reception at the Monte Sereno home of Mary and Paul Doble and will continue with tours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 18 and from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 19.
Advance tickets for the tour cost $35 in advance and $40 at the door. Tickets to the cocktail reception cost $50 and $75 and include the price of the tour. Visit www.svjcc.org for more information.
Sports essay contest looking for entries
The Center for Sport and Jewish Life is looking for young essayists to ponder the question, “What does it take to succeed at sports?”
Entrants will be judged in three categories: grades 6 through 9, grades 10 through 12 and college students and others. Olympic gold medal swimmer Lenny Krayzelburg will be an honorary judge.
The deadline for entry is June 23. For more information, visit www.CSJL.org or email JewishSports@gmail.com.
East Bay federation honors leaders
The Jewish Community Federation of the Greater East Bay will honor Oakland philanthropist Mathilde Albers at its 90th annual meeting. Also honored will be this year’s winner of the Lesser Young Leadership Awards and longtime federation donors.
The event will be held at 6:30 p.m. May 21 at Temple Beth El, 1301 Oxford St., Berkeley. RSVP by Wednesday, May 14 to rona@jfed.org or (510) 839-2900 ext. 229.
Celebrate Russian culture in Palo Alto
The Albert L. Shultz JCC is inviting the community to immerse itself in Russian culture at its 16th annual Russian American Fair on May 18.
“Several thousand people, English and Russian speakers, gather to enjoy an enriching day of Russia-themed activities. It is also a way for our émigré community to share their native culture and express their gratitude for their warm acceptance in American life,” said Boris Vladimisky, émigré director at the ALSJCC.
Ethnic foods, children’s games, arts and crafts vendors, live music and dance performances will abound at the fair, held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Terman Middle School campus, 655 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto. Tickets are $3-$5 and children under 12 are free. Visit www.paloaltojcc.org for more information.
OU leader speaking in Oakland
Orthodox Union president Stephen J. Savitsky will visit Beth Jacob Congregation in Oakland to meet with the community’s leadership and membership. He will be there on Shabbat, May 16 and 17.
The Oakland visit is part of a yearlong, 10-city North American tour for the New York-based OU leader. At Beth Jacob, he will speak on the topic of the OU’s role in guaranteeing the survival of the Jewish people.
For more information on Savitsky’s visit, call Beth Jacob Congregation at (510) 482-1147.
Israel @ 60 festival in Silicon Valley
An outdoor festival with food vendors, an Israeli-style market, carnival games and other family fare will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 11 at the Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center, 14855 Oka Road, Los Gatos.
Indoor activities include singing by synagogue youth choirs, panels of speakers on topics related to Israel, and a showing of “It’s About Time,” by the Silicon Valley Jewish Film Festival.
There will also be an art exhibit and sale from Yavneh Day School in the JCC auditorium, and the photo exhibit “Traveling the Holy Land,” on loan from the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. The day begins at 9:30 a.m. with a Walk for Israel, starting from Congregation Shir Hadash in Los Gatos.
For details visit www.svjcc.org.
BBYO seeks advisers
The Central Region West region of the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization is looking for volunteer advisers for chapters throughout the Bay Area.
Each BBYO chapter requires one to three adult volunteers to plan and supervise events, help chapter leaders and offer support to chapter members. Volunteers must be at least 22 years old. For more information, contact the BBYO-Central Region West offices at (650) 627-8560 or email Shanie Kletter at skletter@bbyo.org.
Vintage postcards at Sherith Israel
Visitors to the vintage Jewish postcard exhibit at Congregation Sherith Israel will be able to take a visual tour through time, perusing a collection of 8,000 Jewish-themed postcards that feature Israel’s diverse people and places, past and present.
The exhibit, on loan by postcard collector Stephanie Comfort of Dallas, is being displayed in celebration of Israel’s 60th birthday, and will be on display through May 31 at Congregation Sherith Israel, 2266 California St., S.F.
StandWithUs taking fellowship applicants
StandWithUs, which trains the next-generation of Israel advocates, is accepting applications from college students for its Emerson Fellowships. The deadline for applying for the 2008-2009 academic year is June 1.
Fellows receive a stipend and are eligible to go on a special Birthright Israel trip, or be chosen to intern at the StandWithUs office in Israel in the summer of 2009. For more information or to apply, visit www.standwithuscampus.com.
JCCSF connecting organic farmers, consumers
The Jewish Community Center of San Francisco is beginning its first season as part of a national Jewish initiative that connects individuals and families with a local organic farm.
The program, Tuv Ha’Aretz, is a community-supported agriculture group, or CSA. The JCCSF CSA is the second in the Bay Area (Chochmat HaLev in Berkeley started a chapter last year) and is one of 18 Jewish CSA’s in North America.
Tuv Ha’Aretz has a double meaning: good for the land and the best of the land. It was started by Hazon, a N.Y.-based nonprofit that promotes Jewish environmental education and sustainable farming and food practices. The JCCSF group is in partnership with Hazon, EcoJews of the Bay and Congregation Emanu-El.
Through Tuv Ha’Aretz, the first Jewish CSA project in North America, individuals pre-purchase a share of a farmer’s produce for an entire season. The CSA guarantees the farmer a secure market and gives members access to local, organic produce at competitive prices, while helping to preserve farmland and build community. Tuv Ha-Aretz is also a platform for educational and community-building programs that explore the intersection of food and Jewish tradition.
Through the entire growing season, members can pick up their fresh produce once a week from the JCCSF, at 3200 California St.
To sign up, visit www.jccsf.org or contact Rabbi Eve Ben-Ora at (415) 292-1251 or via email CSAinfo@jccsf.org.
A taste of spring in Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz Hillel is celebrating the season with its third annual fundraising dinner, A Taste Of Spring, an evening of food, wine and entertainment, on May 18.
Entertainers Dror Sinai and Rachel Valfer will perform Jewish songs from around the world as guests enjoy a four-course meal prepared with local produce. Each course will be served with wine donated by Hallcrest Vineyards.
Proceeds from a live and silent auction, which includes vacation packages for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and a week’s stay in Hawaii, will go to support programming for Santa Cruz Hillel students.
The dinner will be held at Hollins House, 20 Clubhouse Road in Santa Cruz, May 18 at 5:30 p.m. Space is limited to 100 and tickets will be sold for $100 each. Call (831) 426-3332 or email rick@santacruzhillel.org to make a reservation.
Clarification
Last week’s story “The Third Generation” should have said Alexandra Wall believes that both Jews and Palestinians should each have their own state.
CopyrightJ, the Jewish news weekly of Northern California