January 2014

JValley news January 2014

of a e f i l e h t n i a day t n e d u t s h e n v ya es t a r b e l e c l e l hil nts e d u t s f o s n generatio ew n s e h c n u a l federation jvalley app

Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley 14855 Oka Rd. Suite 200 Los Gatos, CA 95032 Change Service Requested

Published by the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley December 2013

NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID SAN JOSE, CA PERMIT #553

TH E FIF TH AN N UAL

2014

JEWBILEE

Celebrating

SUNDAY, JANUARY 26TH 1:00PM-8:00PM CELEBRATE JEWISH LIFE AND LEARNING AND BE A PART OF THE FIFTH ANNUAL “JEWBILEE”.

Join Bay Area Rabbis, Scholars, Artists, and Educators for a full afternoon of classes, programs and performances. There will be an Open Kosher Buffet, Jewish Film Festival Screenings, programming for families, daycare, an afternoon of Judaic Studies courses and much more!!!

JEWISH LIFE KEYNOTE SPEAKER: RABBI SHAI BELOOSESKY Include s kosher buffet and free childcar e

SUNDAY, JANUARY 26TH FROM 1:00 – 8:00 PM AT THE APJCC $10 general admission, $8 seniors/ students/kids, under age 4 free For more information, visit the Jewbilee website

®

www.SiliconValleyJCC.org/Jewbilee

Jewbilee will be held at the Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center, Levy Family Campus, 14855 Oka Road, Los Gatos, CA 95032.

Food service under Orthodox Supervision.

Direct all questions to the APJCC Center for Jewish Life and Learning at CJLL@svjcc.org or 408.357.7411.

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JValley news JValley.news is published by the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley JEWISH FEDERATION CEO: Jyl Jurman jyl@jvalley.org 408-357-7500

EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Amanda Glincher amanda@jvalley.org 408-357-7503

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS: Pat Bergman Kay Gatell

ADVERTISING: Amanda Glincher amanda@jvalley.org 408-357-7503

SIMCHAS: Andrea Greyber agreyber@yahoo.com

BILLING: Jeri Jensen jeri@jvalley.org 408-357-7507

Published six times a year by the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley.

All articles must be submitted typed, double-spaced. We reserve the right to edit all copy. JValley.news is not responsible for the content of paid advertising.

Send copy to JValley.news, 14855 Oka Rd., Suite 200, Los Gatos, CA 95032. Fax: (408) 356-0733.

CANDLELIGHTING San Jose, CA

Friday, December 27..................4:39 p.m.

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from the ceo

I am writing this as I am headed to New York City to be part of the Executive Committee of the Jewish Federations of North America. It is quite an honor to be selected for this Board and I take this responsibility very seriously. I hope to adequately represent our community to our national organization. I feel recommitted to our collective mission after my sabbatical. I am very grateful to the board of the directors and to you, a member of our community for the opportunity to have a six weeks sabbatical after 25 years of service. I spent a portion of my time in Israel.

I was so fortunate to be able to just “hang out” in Israel. My other trips to Israel have been missions where each and every day was planned to maximize our time. This time, I was able to just ‘be’ in Israel and experience life there at my own pace. What a havaya (experience)! I feel reconnected and grateful for the experience.

My sabbatical did not mean that the Federation was dormant—in fact, we have been busier than ever. This week alone we culminated the local “Warm up the Winter” campaign, collecting over 500 coats and blankets for Emergency Housing Consortium, held the Mah Jongg Tournament which raised over $2,200 to provide food for those in need in our community and in Israel. My staff is developing a Federation app for your smart phones— more information is on page 5. We had a dinner with Israeli journalist Alon Ben-David to thank our major donors and we are holding the free Community Leadership program series with Dr. Steven Windmueller. I hope you join us for some or all of our events.

Best wishes for a safe and fun winter break! jyl jurman Jewish Federation CEO

content Local Highlights

JCC acquires Hatikvah House Sinai receives award for greenbuilding Jews and Broadway Women of the Wall Gertrude Alexander exhibit Our Legacy: Rick and Doris Davis

Jewish Federation receives 4-star rating Nancy Falchuk comes to Silicon Valley

Education Specials 5 11 12 16 16 21 24 33

In Every Issue Community photos Recipe column Rabbi’s column

Ask the Clergy Datebook Obituaries Simchas Professional Directory

JCRC Young Leadership joins Natitional From Generation to Generation @ Hillel A day in the life of a Yavneh Student PJ Library brings back Yellow Comforter Sinai celebrates Ethiopian culture iEngage Pillars returns for 2014 Teens take “Jewish” field trip Beth David’s “ThankSigdNukkel” Mash-Up

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APJCC

Open House Sunday, January 12th, 2014 2:00 – 4:00pm

Preschool

A few spaces are still available for the current school year.

Start your child in January and receive a 10% discount on tuition for the remainder of the 2013 –14 school year.

You’ll also receive priority registration for the 2014 –15 school year.

14855 Oka Road, Los Gatos, CA 95032 408.357.7417 www.SiliconValleyJCC.org/preschool

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Developmental, play-based program

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Ages 18 months – 5 years

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Full-day and half-day options

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2, 3, or 5 days a week

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Toilet training not required

License #430709398

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JCRC’s Young Leadership joins National Institute

By Rina Zolotusky The Frank Family Leadership Institute is the vision of Lois and Larry Frank. Its goal is to identify emerging local leaders within the Jewish community and prepare them for roles in their JCRCs (Jewish Community Relations Council) and the JCPA (Jewish Council for Public Affairs). I was part of the inaugural class. Many of my fellow participants are already outstanding leaders in their local communities.

The Frank Family Leadership Institute joined a larger JCPA mission in Israel after a short trip to Poland. The Poland visit was of particular importance to Larry Frank because younger generations of Jews growing up in the United States did not experience the anti-Semitism that necessitated the creation of Israel. Our visit to Auschwitz was a moving and stark reminder. As a Jew from the former Soviet Union, I cannot remember a time I did not know about the Holocaust or the antiSemitism my family experienced in my lifetime. Yet seeing such a methodical application of hatred was startling.

Our visit to the JCC in Krakow was eye-opening. In opposition to the barrage of news out of Europe of rising anti-Semitism, the JCC Krakow is housed in a large building with no security check and an Frank Family Leadership Institute participants at unlocked gate. The JCC, under its the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv with embassy staff. director Jonathan Ornstein is the L - R: Scott Tobe, Harvey Rickles, Rina Zolotusky, John Barash, Becky Swansburg, Bill Grant, U.S. epicenter of a renaissance of Jewish Embassy Tel Aviv Chief of Mission, Brad Lerner, life. After the Jewish community Todd Maurer, Keith Weiss, Political Counsellor, of Krakow was wiped out in World U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv, Robert Forden , Economic War II, Jews in Krakow were dealt Counsellor U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv a second blow: Soviet occupation.

Under Soviet rule, religious identity was verboten. Today Jewish life is bubbling up. One of the largest music festivals in Europe is the Jewish Culture Festival held yearly in Krakow. Every week someone walks into the JCC with a familiar story: they discovered through old photos or diaries that they had unknown Jewish roots.

Upon joining the JCPA mission in Israel, we took part in a whirlwind of meetings.

We heard from MK Naftali Bennett, MK Erel Margalit, Anat Hoffman, former MK Binyamin Begin, and Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat among many others.

To hear the fear and concern from conservative leaders like MK Bennet one day and the frustration of the Palestinian leaders the next was enlightening. I was so hopeful upon hearing from Anat Hoffman of the progress in the negotiations for a prayer space for the Women of the Wall. I was concerned about the political and public relations implications of the Bedouin resettlement plan created by Benny Begin (the subject of mass protests in Israel Thanksgiving weekend). The situation in Israel can change so fast—the facts from the briefings we received on Israeli security and the Iranian nuclear program are now profoundly changed by the recent deal. Yet many issues are seemingly intractable: the Ultra-Orthodox harassment of Christians or the African refugee crisis in Tel Aviv.

This was my first visit to Israel. After all the meetings and discussions, I had some time to see Jerusalem. A small group of us walked to the Wall for Shabbat.

The crowds of worshippers were praying, singing, and dancing feverishly. After paying my respects, I left the group and walked straight to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher where I heard beautiful liturgical chants and hymns from all corners of Christendom. A moment after I exited the Church, the call to prayer sounded from the minarets of the Dome of the Rock. All of the complex issues I leaned about, all the opinions I heard fell into place because this, I realized, is just another Friday night in Jerusalem.

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Share the JHist of it in-app

By Amanda Glincher

This December the Jewish Federation of SIlicon Valley created the newest way for you to engage with our community. Now available in the Google Play store is “JValley”, your application for everything Jewish in Silicon Valley.

Included among photo streams and social media updates is a chance for you to share the “JHist” of it, or the story of your Jewish history. Photo uploads are also available with JHist and the stories will be included on the www.jvalley.org website.

APJCC acquires Hatikvah House The Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center in Los Gatos has acquired Hatikvah House, a Jewish-themed live-in facility for developmentally disabled adults located in Campbell. The house was donated to the JCC

by Len Shustek and Donna Dubinsky of Portola Valley, longtime supporters of the Jewish community in the Bay Area.

Since 1998, the spacious seven-bedroom, two-story house has provided independent living for six residents with the supervision of a live-in house caretaker. The residents, who range in age from 20s to 50s, enjoy the social opportunities and support that the house provides. They share chores, prepare meals together and often take field trips. They all hold jobs or otherwise participate in daytime activities outside the house.

The home is operated by Hatikvah, Inc., a non-profit organization started in 1995 by a parent who wanted a quality facility for her children that was imbued with Jewish values and customs. Hatikvah is Hebrew for “the hope.”

"After owning it privately for 18 years, I'm delighted to have the house under the auspices of an appropriate community organization that resonates with Hatikvah's program," said donor Len Shustek.

“We’re delighted to have the opportunity to support this type of service to the community,” said Nate Stein, CEO of the JCC. “The JCC’s mission is to serve the community, and this fits into our programs for outreach to adults with special needs.”

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c mmunity photos

The PJ Library and Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley celebrated the eighth night of Hanukkah with the community at Santana Row.

Beth David’s Miracle Mash Up included a Torah Quest for K-6th — a colorful umbrella clue led students to this station where they simulated climbing Sinai to renew their commitment to Torah, one of the aspects of the Ethiopian SIGD celebration.

District Attorney Jeff Rosen, Supervisor Mike Wasserman and Councilwoman Cindy Chavez celebrate the last night of Hanukkah at Santana Row.

On 10/22, Beth David JET teens joined Kol High teens (Kol Emeth) and Shir Hadash teens, to meet and sing with R’ Gershom Sizomu of the Abuyadya tribe in Uganda.

Pay It Forward Group helps wrap EAF gifts.

David Greenstein and daughter Chloe hold up gift cards Chloe Aaron Wessels is an collected as part of her Bat Embrace-A-Family Volunteer.

Mitzvah Project.

Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley makes Hanukkah brighter for those in need! JFS welcomed many volunteers for the 6th Annual Embrace-A-Family program to help bring hope and smiles to others. This program eases holiday pressure and stress for needy families, seniors, and adults.

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Sunday, January 19th Starting at 10:00am

Adults, teens and kids join in the fun for an engaging day of activities to: support those in need in our local community; benefit the environment; and help heal the world. For a complete schedule, email Olameinu@Beth-David.org

Congregation Sinai Presents

MUSIC, MAGIC & MIRTH !

An evening of exceptional entertainment, fabulous food and amazing auction items

Saturday, January 25, 2014, 7:30 pm at Congregation Sinai Featuring Sunday, February 16th 9:00am 6:00pm –

A fun day of tournament Mah Jongg with prizes and lunch!

Tournament play is 12 games, 4 games per hour, and players rotate tables every hour. All players are welcome so please bring your friends! Register at Beth-David.org/RSVP.

Find out at our Tu B’Shvat Seders on Saturday, January 18th See our datebook listing for more information.

Congregation Beth David

Comic Steve Mittleman The Sinaites Jazz Band Bagpipes and Scottish Highland Dancers Onstage and Walk-­‐about Magic

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Silent Auction Kosher Scottish-­‐themed Beverages, Savouries & Sweets $36 per person in advance, $45 at the door Reserved seating: $100 per person Festive attire. Kilts optional.

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For reservations, or for more information, call Sinai at 408-­‐264-­‐8542 or visit us online at www.sinai-­‐sj.org Congregation Sinai 1532 Willowbrae Avenue, San Jose, CA 95125

19700 Prospect Road . Saratoga . CA . 95070 408-257-3333 www.beth-david.org

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c mmunity photos The annual Major Gifts Dinner was held on December 16, featuring speaker Alon Ben-David, an Israeli journalist. The event was chaired by Susan and Lee Gavens & Sheryl and Eric Lewis.

Karen Guggenheim and Doris Katz chaired the Fifth Annual Mah Jongg Tournament, run by the Jewish Federation and APJCC, this year, deemed “the hunger games.” The proceeds of the awards were granted to fight hunger in our community and in Israel, through the Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley’s Project Noah, Project Leket in Kiryat Malachi and, for the PJ Library 2014 Yellow Comforter Project. The winners of this year’s tournament in order of placement are: Rena Feuerstein (1st) , Valerie Southard (2nd), Marsha Shain (3rd), Rhoda Yelowitz (4th), Carol Imber and Jan Rose (tied for 5th), Thalia Greene (7th) , Paula Cappello (8th), Sandy Epstein and Anita Pearlman (tied for 9th).

Annual Campaign Chair, Julie Krigel and Alon Ben-David

SVJFF President Bruce Entin, Co-Founder Fagie Rosen, Executive Director Tzvia Shelef, Program Director Margalit Raviv

Nate Stein, Cookie Addison and Robin Sabes at the JCC’s gala evening, “Driving Our Dreams: A Tribute to Arnie Addison” on November 9; the gala raised over $100,000 for JCC programs.

Brett Borah and Sylvia Metz

Susan Gavens and Sheryl Lewis

Festival founders Burt and Sandy Epstein and Fagie Rosen with Chaim Topol

Kami Decker collected blankets and coats for the JCRC’s Warm Up the Winter Drive. She is aspiring to complete 60 hours of community service by the time of her graduation from Fisher Middle School.

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PICTURE

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Congregation Sinai wins Energy Oscar

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By Alan Steinberg San Jose’s Congregation Sinai was awarded an “Energy Oscar” in the Green Building category by the statewide organization California Interfaith Power & Light (CIPL). Other award categories included Education & Advocacy and Energy Efficiency & Conservation. CIPL is a faith-based interdenominational organization dedicated to responding to global warming through the promotion of energy conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy. Its dedication to being “faithful stewards of creation” aligns well with the Jewish concept of tikkun olam (repairing the world).

Congregation Sinai was recognized for its use of renewable energy and other “green” efforts implemented throughout the synagogue campus, which was rebuilt from the ground up in 2006. When facilities for the 50-year-old property belonging to Congregation Sinai were being redesigned, the Building Committee, led by congregant Barry Mirkin, decided to include an emphasis on environmental efficiency right into the blueprints. Their plans included common practices such as a split HVAC system and programmable thermostats in separate parts of the building, enabling temperature control only in those rooms being used. Fluorescent lighting was installed in many areas. Recently, most of the halogen bulbs that light the sanctuary were replaced with energyefficient LED bulbs. To conserve water, low-flush toilets and low-flow irrigation systems were put in place.

An unprecedented design feature was the installation of a porous parking lot surface to reduce storm runoff, allowing rainwater to seep back into the aquifer rather than enter the sewage system. One of the first in San Jose, the permeable concrete parking lot won a Design Award from the Santa Clara Valley Urban Runoff Program.

Jerry Lopatin, Eric Rosenblum, Alan Steinberg, Rabbi Josh Berkenwald and Joelle Pluemer

Although impressive, these efforts alone would not have been enough to make Congregation Sinai the recipient of this year’s Energy Oscar for Green Building. CIPL, an organization representing congregations of all religions and denominations throughout California, saw Sinai’s “crowning touch” as the change that gave it an edge over the other three congregations that were in the running for the award.

In 2007, one year after the dedication of the new synagogue campus, the B’nei Mitzvah Class of 5768, led by their teacher Debbie Lewis, brainstormed ideas for a class Tikkun Olam project. They came up with the idea of installing solar PV panels on the synagogue roof. The roof had been constructed at the perfect 18-degree pitch to allow a future panel installation to be as efficient as possible.

The panels would reduce the synagogue’s carbon footprint and its utility bill. The students did research and presented their plan to the synagogue’s Board of Directors. They determined the approximate costs of installing the panels, which they compared to the long-term savings. They had expected that they would have to raise some of the money that would be required to get the project going.

Then the adults took over and formed a committee, which of course slowed down the project quite a bit. There were many financing options available, including reduced and no-cost installations that would eliminate the need to raise money but would result in lower savings on a monthly basis. After multiple vendor presentations and changes to the committee, an agreement was finally reached with a vendor. Installation on the 71-kW array began in late August 2011. The system went “live” in November of that year.

As a result, nearly all electricity used by the synagogue is now produced by the sun.

Accepting the award on behalf of Congregation Sinai were Rabbi Berkenwald, whose support for the solar project included an excursion onto the roof, and Alan Steinberg, whose daughters Rachel and Dani were part of the class that got the project moving six years ago. Other attendees included synagogue President Jerry Lopatin and Adminstrator Joelle Pluemer, whose behind-the-scenes At one time, you were work greatly contributed to the project’s success.

proud of that old car.

Even though the B’nei Mitzvah Class of 5768 has now entered college, its legacy is visible to anyone who looks up as they approach the synagogue. The rooftop panels, along with the lights, the thermostats, the irrigation system and the parking lot surface, make environmental stewardship an everyday practice at Congregation Sinai.

Now, you can be proud of it again.

Donate your unwanted vehicle to Jewish Family Services and support vital programs for families, children, and older adults in need.

Donate Today!

1-877-JFS-4-CAR

1-8 7 7- 5 3 7- 4 2 2 7

To contact Congregation Sinai, call (408) 264-8542.

www.jfssv.org

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l cal news A fine romance: Jews and the Broadway musical As Sir Robin sings merrily to King Arthur in Monty Python’s Spamalot, “In any great adventure, if you don’t want to lose… you won’t succeed on Broadway if you don’t have any Jews.”

From Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein’s Showboat in 1927 to Stephen Schwartz’s Wicked in 2003, Jewish composers and librettists have been among the principal creators of the Broadway musical comedy.

Bruce Thompson, PhD will delve into the Jewish influence on Broadway musicals at Congregation Shir Hadash at 8 p.m on Sunday, January 11. Thompson has been teaching European and Jewish history and literature at the University of California, Santa Cruz since 1991. He is the recipient of five awards for distinguished teaching and recently edited a volume of essays by his late teacher at Stanford University, Professor Gordon A. Craig.

Jews did not create the Broadway musical theater, explains Thompson. They were preceded by, among others, Irish entertainers (i.e. George M. Cohan) and Italian entrepreneurs (i.e. Tony Pastor). But the gateway city for the vast majority of Jewish immigrants was also the musical capital of American popular culture: the Lower East Side was a hop, skip and a jump from Tin Pan Alley, the original hit factory of American popular songs. This lecture will attempt to explain why, from Jerome Kern to Stephen Schwartz, we have nearly a century in which Jewish artists were overwhelmingly the dominant creative force behind America’s most original contribution to the melting pot of twentieth-century popular culture—the Broadway musical comedy.

The first classic American musical was Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein’s Showboat in 1927, and many (though not all) of the classic American popular songs of the first half of the twentieth century were written for Broadway shows. The golden age of American musical comedy lasted about 25 years, from 1940 (Pal Joey) to 1964 (Hello Dolly!). It was not until Richard Rodgers joined forces with Lorenz Hart and then Oscar Hammerstein (Oklahoma!, 1943) that the “book show,” whose songs are integrated into a more or less realistic plot, became the norm for American musicals. As with Hollywood films, overtly Jewish content is absent in these musicals (until Jerome Robbins’s Fiddler on the Roof), but almost all of the great composers (Cole Porter was a brilliant exception) and librettists were Jews: Berlin, Kern, Gershwin, Rodgers, Hart, Hammerstein, Loesser, Lerner, Bernstein, Sondheim. And more often than not, the stories they told were about outsiders who need to find

their place in America—different versions, in other words, of the American Jewish experience, even if they told a West Side story rather than an East Side one, or were set in Oklahoma or the South Pacific.

These stories continue to relate to communities throughout the Bay Area. “Musical Theatre, a true American art form, was created and established by Jewish Composers and Lyricists,” states Amanda Folena, artistic director for Redwood City’s Broadway By the Bay. “Their invaluable contributions all stemmed from cultural roots involving storytelling and music. Without Irving Berlin, we would not have “G-d Bless America” and “White Christmas”—two of the most iconic American classic tunes you will ever hear. Furthermore, these founding artists helped pave the way for Jule Styne, Stephen Sondheim, Stephen Schwartz and many more to affirm this field of creativity as a Jewish institution. Gypsy, one of my all time favorite musicals and the first show I directed for Broadway By the Bay, is a prime example of the brilliance that came from this long standing tradition of Jewish influence—the storyline, the character relationships, the melodies and lyrics are rooted in this cultivation and define American Musical Theatre to its core.”

Thompson explains the songs combined sophisticated wordplay with street vernacular, the plaintive blue notes of the Eastern European Jewish musical tradition with the syncopated rhythms of African-American ragtime and jazz. The stories they told celebrated an inclusive vision of America that knitted together the urban and the rural, the immigrant and the native-born, the mainstream and the marginal, into a community that was all the more vibrant because of its diversity. The Jewish roots of so many of Broadway’s greatest figures were not accidental, but central to their creation of a quintessentially American form of popular entertainment.

Call Congregation Shir Hadash (408) 358-1751 for more information about this event.

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A N I TA D I A M A N T AUTHOR OF THE RED TENT In conversation with Rabbi Daniel Pressman

Thursday, February 20th | 7:00pm Join us for an evening of conversation with author Anita Diamant. Best known perhaps for her debut novel The Red Tent, Diamant is also the author of three other novels and six works of non-fiction. These guidebooks to Jewish life and life cycle events include The New Jewish Wedding and The New Jewish Baby Book. In recent years, Diamant spearheaded the creation of a new kind of resource for Jewish renewal, Mayyim Hayyim: Living Waters Community Mikveh.

For more info about Anita’s work and to RSVP, visit www.SiliconValleyJCC.org/JPlace.

APJCCCENTERFOR JEWISHLIFEANDLEARNING 14855 Oka Road, Los Gatos 95032 408.357.7411 | CJLL@svjcc.org www.SiliconValleyJCC.org/JPlace

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l cal news From Generation to Generation: three pairs of siblings share what Hillel meant and means for them during their years in school

By Vanina J. Sandel Mutchnik, Hillel of Silicon Valley, Assistant Director This is my tenth year at Hillel of Silicon Valley. If someone would ask me what the highlight of my job is, I wouldn’t hesitate to answer that the highlight is to witness on a daily basis how our students get connected to their Jewish heritage and Israel in so many different ways. Sometimes that highlight duplicates because during the past decade we were able to serve many pairs of siblings, and it is wonderful to see different generations from the same family making the decision to walk their Jewish journey with the support of Hillel of Silicon Valley.

saying borei pri hagafen. I didn’t know what to expect when I came but what I found is long lasting friendships.” When I asked Amir about his strongest memories of his time at Hillel, he answered: “My most memorable times at Hillel were the camping trips and the ski trips. I remember when Hillel SV would organize camping trips with other Hillels. We were always the closest group in the bunch.” According to Amir “Hillel was nucleus of college life experience.”

During his time in college Amir remembers being politically active on campus and that Hillel was a big supporter of that. Amir was one of the students who founded the pro-Israel group at SJSU, Spartans for Israel (SFI). A few years later Dana, Each person connects with Hillel because of different reasons his younger sister, became a student at SJSU (she is currently and at different times during their years in school. Hillel as an a student at SJSU). Without hesitation, Dana says: “I was very organization aims to adapt to the much influenced to get involved different realities each generation by both my older brother and my of students faces during its time in parents. I knew that Hillel was where college; we organize our program my brother met most of his friends. offerings without losing our core Being a commuter student I knew that values. Our students continue I needed to get involved in several to connect with Hillel over the organizations so I made Hillel one of years because of the ability to them. I’m happy to say that Hillel present our heritage by means of has enriched both my understanding presentations that are constantly of Israel and Jewish identity as well changing. as giving me a great group of friends while attending university.” When Whether they were part of Hillel Dana was asked about her highlights during our time at the cozy purple so far with Hillel, she immediately house on East William St., or at responded: “My highlight was serving our new house on South 11 St., the for a year as the SFI president. I connection of the students is always learned so much about Israel and Naama Shani tabling for Rosh Hashana, SJSU 2005 deep and strong. They all agree that myself in that year. I learned that I Hillel “listens” to their needs during this period in their lives and could be a leader and an advocate.” SFI was originally created by “speaks” to them as an organization they want to belong to. her older brother Amir.

We often refer to our Hillel as a Community Hillel because we receive all kinds of support from the local community. From monetary support to manpower support; from cooking our Shabbat dinners to building our Sukkah or joining one of our committees, the community is always with us. This is why we want to share a glimpse of what our students feel about this beloved organization and why generation after generation students make the choice to spend their time at Hillel during their years in school. We believe one of the best ways to do this is to present three pairs of siblings and some of their stories and memories of the organization. The transformations that we witness are very hard to express in words but hopefully these testimonies will give you an idea of the impact Hillel makes in the students year after year.

Amir Margittai graduated about three years ago from SJSU and one of his classmates in his Hebrew class during his freshmen year introduced him to Hillel. During his first Shabbat, Amir remembers: “[…] a student poured me a glass of grape juice.

Not knowing any better I drank it before the blessing. That student noticed that and gave me his glass when everyone was

I met Michael Avrukin when I first started with Hillel back in July 2004. Michael was one of the very first students I shared a Shabbat experience with, a tabling event at SJSU, and so on.

On Michael’s words: “Hillel wound up being one of the most important things that ever happened to me. I met my wife there, grew to a much richer and deeper understanding of my own Judaism, made many great friends, got great exposure to a variety of world views, learned how to become a better communicator, it really was a transformative experience.”

Michael graduated about five years ago from SJSU. Michael remembers that: “The real reason I went to Hillel was because someone from Hillel kept calling my mom and she kept nagging me to go and do this “Hillel” thing, so, I did.” Today he admits: “I have many great memories of Hillel, made great friends there, hung out, felt like I was growing as an individual, tackling tough problems on campus, really felt like I was doing something important each and every day I walked in.” continued on page 34

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A Women’s Journey The Middle Years: 40 and Forward!

Sunday, Febraury 2, 2014 1PM—4PM

Keynote Speaker: Jennifer Regazzo, MD

A Women’s Health Workshop for women in their 40’s—60’s with lectures featuring local medical and health professionals. Topics include: New Developments in Women’s Health, Emotional & Spiritual Healing, Healthy Living for Our Hearts, Sexuality & Self Image, HRT & Alternative Remedies, and Enhancing Midlife Sleep.

Co-sponsored by Temple Emanu-El & El Camino Hospital $18 per person pre-paid. $25 at the door.

For registration and full description of the topics and presenters visit: www.templesanjose.org Open to the Community.

Held at Temple Emanu-El 1010 University Avenue San Jose, CA www.templesanjose.org

CHANGE THE WORLD WITH JUST ONE CALL Each year, the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley holds a phone-a-thon to raise money for local and overseas programs. It is an effective way for us to bring everyone together for one purpose: raising funds to support our Jewish community around the world. So, when you get the call, please answer it.

SUPER SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2014 The Levy Family Campus

Super Sunday Chairs: Alisa Israel Goldberg & Harold Goldberg, Susan & Andy Raider

Info: 408-358-3033 or visit jvalley.org

SUPER SUNDAY

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l cal news Gertrude Alexander exhibit on display at the APJCC The Addison Penzak Jewish Community Center unveiled an original exhibition of exquisitely artful fashion illustrations and designs created by Gertrude Alexander during the years she and her family lived in Shanghai, China. Having escaped the atrocities being unleashed upon Jewish communities throughout Europe, Gertrude and her family found refuge in Shanghai.

Prior to her arrival in Asia, Gertrude was separated from her family when Ted and Gertrude Alexander she escaped to London as part of the Kindertransport. Living among other young girls in similar circumstances, Gertrude honed her natural talent and skills at a local fashion school and was later able to apply these skills when she was reunited with her family and hired to design gowns, dresses and accessories for Shanghai’s international elite at the Madame Marthe Salon. It was during this time period that she met (and later married) her husband, Rabbi Ted Alexander. The exhibition will remain on display at the Second Floor Gallery of the APJCC through January.

The project was initiated when Ted and Gertrude’s daughter, Rabbi Leslie Alexander, brought the illustrations to the attention of the APJCC Art Committee. Committee members immediately recognized the value of sharing these illustrations and Gertrude’s inspiring story to the larger community. Led by the APJCC’s Director of Arts and Culture Lisa Ceile and longtime Art Committee Curator Dana Lowy, the concept for the exhibition and celebratory reception for Gertrude began to form. They, together with the Museums of Los Gatos and newly appointed Chair of Arts and Culture Jennifer Copaken, were thrilled to bring Gertrude’s family, friends and community representatives together to share this story of creativity, gratitude and commitment to living life fully.

For more information, call the APJCC at (408) 358-3636 or Lisa Ceile at (408) 357-7492.

Women of the Wall

By Trista Bernstein Congregation Shir Hadash led a trip to Israel this past Fall. The trip was filled with incredible experiences, but none quite as impactful as joining the 25th Anniversary Service of Women of the Wall held at the Kotel on November 4, 1 Kislev 5774.

Women of the Wall is a group of Jewish women from around the world who strive to achieve the right, as women, to wear prayer shawls, pray and read from the Torah collectively and out loud at the Western Wall. They strive to make the Kotel a holy site where women can pray freely.

Rabbi Aron explained of the experience, “It was a major gathering of almost 1,000 women and male and female protesters. For the six women from the congregation who came with me it was an amazing experience and for me as well, a real highlight of our time in Israel.”

Pia Chamberlain traveled with Shir Hadash to Israel. She shared the following of her experience: “Everybody said before we went, ‘Oh, this trip will be life changing!’. And like many life-changing events--I thought I knew what they meant, but I didn’t. Israel was transformed for me from a cloudy, anxiety-ridden place I preferred not to think about to a place I have fallen in love with. As Amir, our wonderful guide from Ayelet Tours said, ‘True love is seeing all of someone’s faults and flaws and still loving them.’ This is how I feel about Israel now.

“The WoW service was a highlight of the trip. I was very nervous about it beforehand, but once we were there, the energy of all of the women (and a good number of male supporters) was absolutely infectious. I was proud, humbled, and transported all at once.

Much of the service was new to me, and my Hebrew is not that strong, so we struggled to keep up with the leaders at times, but the placement of women with ear pieces who provided the page number and kept pace with the leader was extremely effective (and needed, especially before the police disconnected the power to the loudspeaker being used to try to disrupt the service). The quiet support of the police (removing protesters from amongst the service attendees, disconnecting the power to the loudspeaker) gave me hope for the future.

“I’m sad that future WoW services will be held at the Egalitarian Section, though I totally understand why the compromise was accepted. I hope that eventually WoW will be back to the women’s section, with prescribed times so that those for whom such a service is disruptive can plan to stay away during those times.”

Another Shir Hadash member who joined us for the Women of the Wall service was Susan Levin. She is currently spending a sabbatical in Israel. “Before I came to Israel, I joked with friends about how I hoped that I would get arrested when I prayed at the Kotel,” Susan explains. “Imagine a grey-haired grandmother being hauled off by the police...what good press that would be. However, as I approached the plaza last month, my bravado gave way to a mixture of emotions...mainly fear and anger. As I stepped into the Women’s Section and heard the women chanting “Ozi, zimrat li,” any negative feelings that I had gave way to absolute joy to be worshiping with such a wonderful and welcoming kehillah. I cried and laughed, and sang and prayed. It was a memorable spiritual experience.”

This experience is one that will stay with not only the six women from Congregation Shir Hadash, but the hundreds of women who joined together in prayer.

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SINAI RELIGIOUS SCHOOL

SINAI NURSERY SCHOOL

A small school with a BIG heart • A warm intimate environment • Developmentally appropriate curriculum • Dedicated, creative, and nurturing teachers • A place where Jewish identity and holidays are celebrated • Brand new state-of-the-art facility • Full and part-time programs available

OPEN HOUSE

Sunday, January 12, 2014 10 am - 12 pm

Build a community for your child at Sinai • Experiential Jewish Learning • Grades K-7 • Sunday morning and Tuesday afternoon • Unique holiday programming • Committed teachers Contact Kate Mueller (408) 264-8542 Educator@sinai-sj.org

Contact Ifat Kantorovich (408) 264-8486 Sinainurseryschool@sinai-sj.org

Connect. Explore. Learn.

1532 Willowbrae Avenue, San Jose, CA 95125 | (408) 264 - 8542 | office@sinai-sj.org | www.sinai-sj.org

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educati n

A day in the life of a Yavneh Day School student Written by Joy Null Yavneh Day School, located on the Levy Family Campus in Los Gatos, educates Jewish children from junior kindergarten through eighth grade. Below is a day at Yavneh, as seen through the eyes of students from all grades.

I don’t always like getting out of bed in the morning, especially on Mondays, but once I’m at school, my favorite part of the day is gathering with the whole school for morning T’fillah (prayer).

We chant prayers, sing songs and share stories. Morah Angela plays a rousing version of Kehillah Kedoshah on her guitar. Rows of students sing loudly — smiling, swaying, laughing, clapping.

Sometimes the 8th graders perform funny skits. I feel a great sense of belonging and I love being together with my 3rd-grade class and the entire Yavneh community. Now I’m energized and find myself humming the school song as I move on to my next class.

My 8th-grade social justice class is hard at work on a political activism campaign designed to raise awareness about deadly toxins in many cosmetics and personal care products. We want to encourage support for pending legislation that would closely regulate the ingredients used. I partnered with another student to create a video where we explore what’s in cosmetics and we interviewed people about their levels of awareness. Other class campaign efforts included social media, group presentations and lobbying Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, a co-sponsor of the current proposed legislation.

In my 2nd-grade class, for reading workshop, I get to pick out my own books that are just perfect for me. During independent reading time, I relax and read my books and then I spend more time with the books I love by working on writing projects.

This helps me discover parts of the story I didn’t see at first.

I am confident with my reading, and I’m With my son at Yavneh we feel confident that his academic, interpersonal, spiritual, cultural, becoming a great writer too! musical, artistic, and globally-aware self is nurtured.

-Parent of a 3rd grader

I’m in Gesher (junior kindergarten) and this is my first year of P.E. I work really hard, but Coach always makes it fun. We are learning lots of new sports and games: Cat & Mouse with the parachute, Watch Your Back Tag, Tables and so much more. Today Coach is helping us dribble the basketball. I have to remember not to slap

the ball, but push down on it. It is great to play team games with my friends – we help each other out all the time.

I just finished my 4th-grade Miracle Book project which coincided with Hanukkah. This project was really meaningful to me because I spent time interviewing my grandfather and learned so much that I never knew. Each of us in the class interviewed someone with a special story. The teacher compiled our stories into a book and we all designed our own covers using something that inspired us. For this project, we were challenged to focus on gratitude and think about things in a different way. I also learned more about researching, interviewing, writing and editing, typing, and presenting. I’m so happy with how the final book turned out. My Yavneh is always staying current with new Grandfather loved it, teaching curricula while maintaining the too.

Yavneh magic. I can attest to this as we are a returning family after 6 years -- my oldest is We all eat lunch in college and my youngest started Gan this outdoors. I usually year. eat pretty quickly so -Parent of a kindergartner

I have lots of time to play. First I run over to the four-square court. Kids from different grades play together.

Every once in a while when we have trouble deciding on a rule, we play rock-paper-scissors to find a solution. Then I head over to the play structure. Sometimes I swing on the monkey bars and other times I climb the rock with a few friends and we just hang out and relax.

After lunch, we go back to our Gan (kindergarten) classroom.

The first thing we do is gather around and sit on the carpet to talk out issues that may have come up at lunch. I’m happy we do this right after lunch so it’s all still fresh on our minds. The teacher helps us discuss the issues properly. We use “I messages” and we say “I felt…” and “I had a problem…” and this makes it so much easier to work things out. After that, we sing and dance to Israeli music as Morah Hana plays the accordion.

In 5th-grade math, we are learning decimals, surface area of different shapes and now fractions with mixed numbers. I can divide two improper fractions and get the right answer! We use Singapore Math which helps me visualize what we are working on. The teacher often shows us different methods for doing things (like fractions). I think math is one of my favorite subjects.

Time for art! This week, our 3rd-grade class is studying Reuven Rubin who is an Israeli artist from Romania.

Rubin created so many paintings that showed the land of Israel. Morah Judy showed us many of his pieces and pictures from his gallery in Israel.

While studying the works of Rubin, we are creating our own art using chalk pastels. I am working on a landscape with trees and water.

Last year in kindergarten, I learned most of the Hebrew letters like Alef, Bet, Gimel… This year in 1st grade, I’m learning to write the letters and I’m beginning to read. We use a fun program that

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uses a group of virtual Hebrew-speaking classmates to help us learn. I’m already able to read my own Hebrew book and I’m learning more each day.

I’ve got my costume ready for my 6th/7th-grade social studies class. We are learning about ancient codes of law through exploring Hammurabi’s Court. We are working in teams to create evidence to exhibit in defense. I am one of the four “Hammurabis” who will listen as the prosecution and defense teams present their cases.

The media team provided coverage of the proceedings by creating The social-emotional component of the Yavneh a digital education cannot be overstated. The motto newspaper. of the school is “Think, Care, Belong.” I had never thought much about the tag line until my son was enrolled in kindergarten. He learned so much about the world at large - and also about his role in it.

-Parent of pre-k and first grade students

Today in science, we are meeting with a team of Ph.D. students from Stanford who will be guiding the 8th-grade through an experiment using reactive elements. As we study the Periodic Table of Elements, experiments help bring the elements to life.

In 5th-grade Jewish Studies, we are learning a Torah portion. Each of us will be chanting the Torah, leading the Torah service for the school community, and figuring out what it means to us individually. Basically, I am learning everything there is to know about being the Torah leader. G-dcast is coming to help my class create animated short films on the Torah. We are writing the scripts and G-dcast is doing a workshop to help us create story boards and the animation. When we are done, everyone will be able to see our finished project on the G-dcast website. It’s cool that we can learn Torah while also learning how to make an animated video.

Time to get creative in my claymation elective. My class learned to make our own Claymation video short. We worked in teams and each of us took on roles (producer, director, art director…). We used armatures which are wire skeletons that are inside the clay figures. We covered these with clay according to our character designs and created sets. Then we took around 3000 images! Mr. D helped put these images together into the final video montage of Cirque du Soclay, Squidnado, and How Stewie Got His Football Head.

My after-school activities change throughout the school year. Volleyball season was great — Yavneh Varsity Volleyball came in second place!

More importantly, it was fun playing with so many of my friends from the middle school. We made a great team. Now I look forward to track and field in the spring.

For information or to schedule a tour, call (408) 984-6700.

educati n

PJ Library® launches second Yellow Comforter Project

By Rabbi Leslie Alexander

On February 9, if you come into the lobby of the Levy Family Campus in the afternoon you will see the building of a village and you can be a part of the construction! How, you may ask? Because we will be constructing the "community" out of food cans and boxes as a part of a community-wide Tsedakah (philanthropy) initiative.

The Yellow Comforter Project, in its second year, is a cooperative tsedakah effort that bases itself on a PJ Library children's book, “How Dalia Put a Big Yellow Comforter Inside a Tiny Yellow Box,” in which a young girl teaches her brother that collecting money for tsedakah gets turned into real things to help real people. This year, the Yellow Comforter Project, through the effort of children and their families, will raise money for food which will be distributed among local, national and Israeli food programs for the poor.

Participating Organizations are Congregation Beth David Religious School, Congregation Sinai Nursery School and Religious School, Congregation Shir Hadash Early Childhood Center and Religious School, Temple Emanu-El Preschool and Religious School, Yavneh Day School, The JCC Preschool and Club J, South Peninsula Hebrew Day School Gan Aviv Preschool, Congregation Emeth Beit Sefer and Hillel of Silicon Valley. Each organization will do unique projects created especially for their own program, but all joined together in the same ultimate goal!

Women's Philanthropy of the Jewish Federation joined the project this year by kicking it off with profits from the recent Mah Johngg Tournament. This participation serves as a role model and inspiration for the school children who last year, in just over two weeks, raised nearly $5,000 and teaches them that helping others and having fun can go hand in hand.

The Yellow Comforter Project was initiated last year by schools involved in PJ Goes to School, an in-classroom extension of PJ Library Program, created and funded by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation in Massachusetts and supported locally by the Jim Joseph Foundation and local donors. Our local PJ Library is a project of the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley and provides high quality, colorful books on Jewish traditions, holidays and values to families raising Jewish children aged 6 months to 7 years old at no cost, delivered to their homes.

Everyone is invited to support this program, and there will be a big tsedakah box in the lobby of the Levy Family Campus for contributions.

The project will culminate on February 9 from 3-5 p.m. at the Levy Family Campus, when we will, intergenerationally, "build community one can at a time.” We will be using cans and food boxes, partially collected during Teen Idol finals, to construct models of a home, school, synagogue and community center in an effort to teach how helping feed the hungry makes for a successful and close knit Jewish Community. The event will include other Mitzvah projects and will conclude with an early, " family-style " supper.

RSVP at www.jvalley.org/pjlibrary.

For information, please contact Rabbi Leslie Alexander (408) 357-7509 or RabbiAlexander@jvalley.org.

www.jvalley.org

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Scholar-in-Residence February 20-23, 2014 Congregation Beth David Dr. Jehon Grist, Executive Director, Lehrhaus Judaica Dr. Grist is an archaeologist, author, and educator.

His talks include visual images and video clips (except Shabbat).

Events open to the community. Contact: adulted@beth-david.org

Thursday, February 20, 7:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Out of Egypt: Our Long Relationship with the Land of the Pharaohs

The long, complex, nuanced relationship between Egypt/Egyptians and Israelites/Jews spans four millennia.

Saturday, February 22 after Kiddush lunch (≈ 1:30) Divine and Human: Asherah and Josephus

Texts from Tanakh and Josephus give a sense of these characters.

Surprises emerge in the next two talks, showing what archaeology and non-Biblical texts tell us about Asherah and Josephus.

Saturday, February 22, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Did God Have a Wife? - Mystery of Asherah

Third Saturday of every month. 10:00am-1:00pm

Asherah and divine feminine: The story of God’s wife before the Jerusalem Priesthood demanded their divorce.

Chantel Building 3880 S. Bascom Avenue, San Jose Visit www.cpcal.org for other locations.hantel Building - 3880 S. Bascom Avenue, San Jos

Sunday, February 23, 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Flavius Josephus: Traitor or Hero?

The true life of Yosef ben Matityahu aka Titus Flavius Josephus, first-century Jewish military leader and historian Cong. Beth David 19700 Prospect Road, Saratoga, CA (408) 257-3333

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Leaving a Legacy

l cal news

Featuring Doris and Rick Davis

By Arielle Hendel The Book of Life is a chronicle of the wishes of our Federation’s legacy donors.

Doris Davis was instrumental in the inauguration of the Book of Life and was, the Chair of the Legacy committee then in 2001. Doris and Rick’s statement reads: When we arrived in San Jose in 1959, we were welcomed into the Jewish community and became very active. As the community grew and its commitment to Jewish learning and philanthropy increased, our commitment has grown. Now, as the third local generation of our family is maturing, we offer our encouragement and our continuing support to the future generations in our community.

Today, talking with the Davis’ you see the same intensity of their desire to make our local Jewish community thrive. After almost 64 years of marriage, you can see that while they share a love for each other, their children and grandchildren, our local Jewish community and Israel, they have independent ideas on the specificity of their legacy.

Doris and Rick Davis

They agree that the purpose of their legacy is to perpetuate their Jewish values and ideas beyond their lifetimes. They want their children and grandchildren to see the value of their legacy; they want to continue to educate their family about their connection to Jewish life and their place in the continuum, even after they are not here to tell them in person.

Rick shared that his mother instilled his idea of charity from an early age. His mother said, “If you are poor, you are likely not the poorest and you then have a responsibility to help another.” And, Doris shared that in 1959, she was only able to give $54 dollars at her first Federation program. She said that everyone was so kind; she knew she wanted to be a part of the community that welcomed her. And she noted that it is important to take everyone’s gift with the same graciousness. “For one thing,” she added, “you never know where it will lead, look at us.”

This week Rick and Doris chose to open a Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT).

They were also quick to suggest consulting a professional to determine the best instrument for legacy giving. They shared that with their appreciated assets the CRT allowed them a tax deduction, ensured their family an income and also allowed them to plan their legacy gift.

When asked what they would like to see in 100 years here in Silicon Valley, Doris responded that she would like to see an emphasis on an active and embracing Jewish community that celebrated its rich cultural heritage especially through arts and music within itself and with the general community. Rick added that he would like to ensure that our community’s teens (in particular) are challenged to determine their own paths to altruism, responsibility and dedication.

It is a particular gift to be able to talk with the Davis’ about their legacy intent.

Doris and Rick have been stalwart proponents of the local Jewish community and Israel. We thank them for their foresight in building this community and for their planned legacy gift.

Sinai celebrates Ethiopian Jewish culture On November 3, Congregation Sinai Religious School students explored Ethiopian Jewish culture through the holiday of Segid.

Segid is an Ethiopian Jewish holiday meaning “prostration” in Ge’ez (the ancient Semitic language Jews used for prayer in Ethiopia).

It takes place 50 days after Yom Kippur and begins with Ethiopian Jews hiking up a mountain, all in white, to pray, study Torah and fast. The holiday’s themes are teshuvah, returning to Jerusalem, and re-confirming the covenant between Avraham and G-d. Segid is a national holiday in Israel and has become an Ethiopian cultural day.

The Segid celebration took students, wearing white, through seven experiential learning stations. The history station used documentary videos to teach theories about how the Beta Israel arrived in Ethiopia, how they blended Jewish and Ethiopian cultures, and the missions to bring Ethiopian Jews to Israel.

Students also learned basic weaving, to reflect one of the professions for which Ethiopian Jews were renowned. The community’s colloquial language was explored through an introduction to the alphabet and basic phrases of Amharic.

At the cooking station, kids prepared injera, the traditional pancake-like bread of Ethiopia.

They also enjoyed a traditional coffee ceremony; an Ethiopian spicy green salad; atakilt wat, a potato, cabbage and carrot dish; and kik alicha, a yellow split pea stew, eaten on Ethiopian furniture loaned by Zeni Ethiopian Restaurant.

To complete the experience, traditional Ethiopian clothing was available for students to wear as they posed in front of a model tikul, the residential hut of Ethiopian Jews.

The Segid event is a continuation of the curriculum at Sinai on Jewish culture from around the world. Previous events have focused on Hanukkah around the world, the Moroccan Passover holiday of Mimona, and a Sephardic Rosh Hashanah Seder. The goal of these programs is to go beyond just facts and information and give students memorable experiences and a connection to the larger Jewish world.

For more information on the Community Legacy Project, or to learn more about To contact Congregation Sinai, call (408) 264how you can make your own legacy gift, please contact Michelle Nathanson at 8542.

(408) 357-7508 or michellen@jvalley.org. www.jvalley.org 21

fr m the rabbi

By Rabbi Melanie Aron, Congregation Shir Hadash If you happen by the JCC on a Tuesday morning, you might run into multiple rabbis and cantors coming or going from the upstairs conference room. That is because, for over twenty years, our local Reform and Conservative rabbis and cantors have studied together.

Since the JCC opened in its new building our regular study time has been 8:45 a.m. on Tuesdays.

This year we are working on a set of commentaries on the weekly Torah portion known as the Netivot Shalom. They were written by Rabbi Sholom Noach Berezovsky, who served as the Slonimer Rebbe from 1981 until his death in 2000. A student who learned both the Misnagdim and Chassidic traditions, he moved from Eastern Europe to Israel in 1935 and played a major role in the development of Israeli yeshivot in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

You might wonder. Why are we studying? Weren’t we good students in rabbinic or cantorial school? And why are we studying this? None of us are Chassidim nor would the Slonimer Rebbe have recognized us as colleagues.

I think I speak for all of us when I explain that we study together because learning is a core Jewish value. We believe in a Torah that is ever expanding as each generation of Jews adds its own questions and its own answers. We believe that we can learn from those with different perspectives than our own and that studying with others is more enriching than just reading on our own. Every Jew, of whatever age, should be learning something; in fact, in past generations this is how one Jew greeted another: “So, what are you learning?”

in this way which is personal and meaningful. For some this is because they leave formal Jewish education at age 13, just as their minds are developing and their ability to think about deeper questions is coming to the fore. For others, their Jewish education of whatever duration was not inspiring and seemed more about learning what to do, rather than an opportunity to ask why. I know this was the case for my father. As a young man his secular education was stimulating and exciting but the Jewish education he received in an afterschool Talmud Torah was not.

Fortunately today, students are no longer studying in dark rooms with unqualified teachers, as my father did. The opportunities for students are much greater than they have ever been. In addition to the modes of study that are familiar, Sunday school and Hebrew school, many congregations offer alternatives like Shir Hadash’s Free Range Torah, to give students and their families opportunities to have meaningful Jewish learning experiences outside of the traditional classroom. With more students remaining after Bar or Bat Mitzvah, there are social as well as educational opportunities in the teenage years. There is also a whole world of informal Jewish education especially in summer camps and youth groups. The 24/7 world of Jewish camp makes even worship exciting and meaningful for teens and creates bonds that can last a lifetime.

I’d like to encourage adults to dip a toe in the ocean of Torah learning; it may be a completely different experience than the study you experienced as kids. I remember speaking to someone who had attended Kallah, a Reform summer camp experience for adults interested in Jewish learning. He said, “This is great.

Way too good to waste only on the kids.” Whatever your age, you haven’t ‘aged out’ of the mitzvah of Talmud Torah. Pick a class and join your congregation or your community in making study a set part of your schedule.

But the focus on learning is not something restricted to religious Jews; it has permeated Jewish culture as a whole. In addition to having a sense of humor, a second quality that is associated with Jews, is intellectual curiosity. In fact this is so much the case that in the recent Pew survey, 49% of those surveyed viewed intellectual curiosity as an essential of Jewish identity, more than viewed caring about Israel, observing Jewish law, or eating Jewish foods as Jewish essentials. It is also often what those choosing to convert to Judaism mention to me as an appealing aspect of Judaism: the intellectual openness and the commitment to continued intellectual growth.

Our weekly clergy study touches on the text, but also on our experiences as rabbis and cantors, and as mothers, husbands, sisters, and friends. Sometimes we are inspired by the text, and sometimes we disagree with its conclusions. Every now and then, what we have discussed together finds its way into the sermons or teaching we do at our congregations, but mostly it is Torah lishmah, study for its own sake.

Unfortunately many Jewish adults end their Jewish education without having had the opportunity to grapple with Jewish texts 22

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ask the rabbi

By Rabbi Laurie Hahn-Tapper, Yavneh Day School My life-partner and I have one child and we want her to be Jewish. I wasn’t raised Jewish, and my partner who was, doesn’t want to be proactive about raising our child with a Jewish identity, because he feels Judaism was in his words “shoved down his throat.” Help! How do I make a Jewish home, when I don’t know much?

Being married and raising children can be hard enough - so why not just throw religion into the mix as well! Just like all aspects of being in a committed relationship and raising a child, figuring out how to provide your child with a Jewish identity takes patience, negotiation and work.

A great place to start is to figure out for yourself (and hopefully your partner is willing to do this too): What giving a Jewish identity to your child means to you? What is most primary in your understanding of the words “Jewish identity”? Is it about giving your child a set of values and ethics through which to navigate the world? Is it about continuing on a family tradition? Perhaps it is more about giving your child a spiritual inner life and a connection with G-d? Or, perhaps it is ensuring your child has a system of rituals, observances and holidays to celebrate and experience through life. Or, it might be more about having a community with which to identify and connect. Most likely it is probably some mix of all of the above. Once you’ve defined for yourself what your priorities are, it might be a little easier to figure out the most accessible first steps you can take for yourself and for your child.

Depending on your answers, the following are some suggestions of places to start.

Make life moments Jewish moments: There are small moments every day and big moments over the course of the year that are opportunities to bring awareness of Judaism. Here are just two examples: 1. Bedtime: Stories and songs are a great way to introduce children to Jewish values culture, holidays and identity. If your child is young, be sure to register with PJ Library to get Jewishthemed books that you can read to your child. If your child is older, the Jewish Book Council and the Association of Jewish Libraries both have excellent websites where you can search for books by age, theme and genre. If you need some help with music, check out www.JewishRockRadio.com. Bedtime is often a cherished intimate time between a parent and child because the child receives your undivided attention. By bringing Judaism into this special moment the positive feelings they have will hopefully become equated with their Jewishness as well.

2. First Times and Birthdays: There are so many first times in a child’s life. Whether it’s your two-year-old’s first time using the potty, your five-year-old’s first time riding a bike, or your ten-year-old’s first home run in little league, these “firsts” give us the opportunity to teach our children that Judaism has a special way of recognizing the miracle of their accomplishment with pride and humility by saying thank you with a blessing.

Called the She’hechiyanu, this blessing is used to mark occasions like holidays and life-cycle rituals or doing something for the first time. Birthdays are another important moment in the life of a

child and a perfect opportunity to recite the She’hechiyanu. In addition to singing Happy Birthday to your child, consider singing or saying it, expressing gratitude for having lived to reach a special occasion Name your values Many families find naming and clearly articulating their family’s values a helpful parenting practice. When your child knows what is most important to you and what values your family tries to live by, they have a guide to help them navigate through life. As a family, name your most important values, even just 3 or 4, and then make a project out of finding their connection with Jewish tradition. Are there biblical quotes or stories that speak to this value? Find out the Hebrew word for the value. And if you are the artsy type make a wall hanging for the kitchen or your child’s bedroom. Pinterest is a great resource for these kinds of projects.

Make Jewish choices available A child’s environment sends them many messages. What kind of art do you have on your walls? Books on your shelves? Toys in their room? Children learn by observing, reading and playing.

Make Jewish opportunities available for them to notice and with which they can interact. Do you have a play chanukiah? What about a stuffed Torah mixed in with their stuffed animals? Think also beyond their toys, what do you display most prominently in your home and what message does it send?

Educate yourself: know your resources We are lucky to live in an age when we can look up almost anything we want on any mobile device so we can always have information at our fingertips. And there are many wonderful resources on the internet. The one I recommend most when it comes to creating a Jewish home is kveller.com. That being said Judaism comes to life when lived in community and in relationship with others. What child doesn’t love a field trip!?! So go visit a synagogue or two or three, find out their programming options for children and families. Check out the JCC and adult education events, visit Yavneh or the day school in your area. Creating a Jewish identity for your child takes a village.

Find a tradition or ritual that’s right for you Many of us approach creating a Jewish home by trying to attain a stereotype we have from our grandparents or a movie. There is no one way to make a Jewish home. Shabbat dinner doesn’t have to be roasted chicken, brisket and home-baked challah. It can be take-out sushi with Ben and Jerry’s for dessert. What’s more important is that you take the time to sit down together as a family and recognize the time as special and sacred. So find something that speaks to you at your comfort level and try doing it on a weekly or monthly basis. Maybe you do love to bake — try making challah dough with your child on a regular basis. Maybe you’re an engineer, build something with your child for every holiday — ever tried to make a working menorah out of legos?

Most important — good for you for taking this step! Don’t be afraid to be honest and open with your child. You don’t have to know it all, your child will love to learn with you, so look at this as an opportunity to learn together.

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l cal news Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley receives exceptional designation for 6th consecutive year

By Amanda Glincher The Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley is proud to announce that we have received a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator.

America’s premier charity evaluator, Charity Navigator highlights the work, efficiency, ethics and transparency of non-profits.

The 4-star rating is highly sought after by organizations nationwide and receiving this rating is an honor that requires hard work, dedication and complete openness.

What makes this honor even more meaningful and significant is that this is the sixth consecutive year that our local Federation has received the high 4-star rating. Only 3% of charities evaluated through Chairty Navigator have maintained such a high rating for this length of time.

In addition to providing all necessary documentation and required levels of ethics, the Federation has also shown a position of fiscal health and commitment to accountability to receive this award.

This great honor is due to the perseverence of our staff and board of directors who go above and beyond to ensure the future of this community.

“iEngage” hopes to engage YOU!

By Eleanor Weber Dickman “Israel.” A word that sparks profound and often ineffable feelings in the hearts of American Jews; a word that means a country, a heritage, a language both ancient and modern. A country that inspires feelings of loyalty, pride, and, sometimes, frustration.

To help our community to better understand the complexity of the country of Israel and our attitudes toward our “other” homeland, the Shalom Hartman Institute has developed a unique program to “encourage meaningful discussion of Israel as a historical and contemporary State.” This curriculum is entitled “iEngage.” And it is coming to the South Bay. In collaboration with the Koret Foundation, iEngage is being sponsored locally

by Congregation Beth David in Saratoga and the Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center in Los Gatos. The program is described as providing “context in which participants can engage with Israel through the lens of Jewish values and then discern a path towards acting on a vision of what they believe can and ought to shape the modern Jewish nation and its policies.” That’s quite a tall order!

The iEngage program is operating in hundreds of congregations and Jewish communities across North America, offering “a nuanced and reimagined view of Israel and its role in Jewish life,” according to Hartman Institute President Rabbi Dr. Donniel Hartman. Rabbi Hartman, referring to negative aspects of the recent Pew survey of American Jewish life, says, “This is good news, because it reminds us that we have to work harder to present a creative, meaningful, and aspirational view of Judaism.”

The curriculum, which encompasses nine lessons, includes study texts, contemporary articles, and group discussion, as well as videos with Israeli leaders and rabbis.

At Beth David, nine two-hour sessions, led by Rabbi Philip Ohriner, will meet Tuesday evenings at 7:30 p.m. from February 18 through April 8, with a final class on April 29. Rabbi Ohriner believes that “The IEngage program will permit us to begin a collective conversation about Israel that transcends politics by allowing Jewish values to serve as our starting point. In partnering with the Hartman Institute, the Koret Foundation, and APJCC, we are able to expand that conversation beyond the walls of CBD into the greater South Bay community.”

At the JCC, classes will begin Wednesday, March 5 and meet at 2 p.m., led by Rabbi James Greene. The first six sessions, which last for 90 minutes each, cover the first third of the curriculum. Sessions will again be offered the following fall and winter in order to complete the curriculum at a more relaxed pace. Rabbi Greene says, “I am excited about the opportunity to collaborate with Congregation Beth David on this great project. By offering the class in two different styles and formats, together we can accommodate a wider variety of learners in our community, allowing us to engage in Israel in new and different ways!”

Subsidized by a generous grant from the Koret Foundation, the tuition for CBD or JCC members is $36. Tuition for other community members is $70. Class materials are included.

Both Rabbis Green and Ohriner encourage community-wide participation. “This is a wonderful opportunity,” they believe, “to explore, learn, and grow in clarifying our personal connection and commitment to the State of Israel.”

For more information about this exciting new initiative, please contact Jenessa Schwartz (at the APJCC) at (408) 357-7411 or cjll@svjcc.org or Rabbi Ohriner (at Congregation Beth David) at (408) 366-9104 or ohriner@beth-david.org.

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Longtime supporters of Hillel to be honored at Pillars 2014 Sunday, March 23, 2014 marks the tenth anniversary of Hillel of Silicon Valley’s special celebratory event, “Pillars of the Community.” A popular and well-attended occasion, Pillars brings together students from the five local colleges with which Hillel is affiliated, and honors volunteers who have strengthened and guided Hillel. This year, Pillars will be honoring members of our community who have supported Hillel with dedication, skills, and leadership for many years.

Receiving Hillel’s “Lifetime Achievement Award” is Alan Werba, a longtime Hillel Board member who led the organization’s successful effort to purchase, restore, and invigorate the new Hillel House at 44 South 11th Street in San José. Notes previous Hillel Director Sue Maltiel, “Alan Werba is a mensch. He is generous with his time, passion, and dollars. I learned so much from him and will be forever grateful for the opportunity to have partnered with him in growing Hillel of Silicon Valley.”

Alan’s advocacy of Hillel, as well as his personal leadership and support, has enabled him to engage community corporations in generous support of Hillel through their ongoing sponsorship of the Pillars event.

Immediate Past President Barbara Illowsky, professor of mathematics & statistics at De Anza College, has been a longstanding member of Hillel’s Board of Directors and is described by those who have worked with her as “dedicated and wise” (Allan Berkowitz) as well as “enthusiastic, providing outstanding feedback and insight into the issues we face at Hillel” (Andrew Katcher). Barbara will receive a Pillars Award this year.

Jeffrey and Holly Ullman are being recognized for their generous

l cal news contributions to Jewish organizations such as Hillel of Silicon Valley. Notes Hillel’s Executive Director Sarita Bronstein, “The Ullmans perfectly exemplify what Pillars of the Community are all about. It is a privilege and an honor to be able to recognize the significant impact they have in our Jewish future and their unequivocal advocacy for Israel.”

Arye Green will receive a Pillars Award with hearty appreciation for his skills in helping maintain the old Hillel house and in managing some of the technical details of the new house. A retired senior application engineer at Wentworth Labs, Arye is praised by Barbara Illowsky and Sue Maltiel for having “kept [the old house] running, always doing things with a smile and an offer to do more.”

At Pillars, outstanding students selected from De Anza College, Foothill College, San José State University, Santa Clara University, and West Valley College will be honored for their initiative, dedication, and leadership, both on their own campuses and at Hillel House itself. Student honorees will be chosen in December.

This year’s Pillars event will again be held at the Computer History Museum (1401 North Shoreline Boulevard, Mountain View). In addition to the awards luncheon, there will be both a silent and live auction. It is Hillel’s major annual fund-raising event, and offers a variety of opportunities for attendees to support Hillel’s mission and programs.

For more information, please contact Hillel’s Executive Director Sarita Bronstein at sarita@hillelsv.org or (408) 775-7531.

Qualified IRA Distributions If you are 70 or older and have an IRA (Individual Retirement Account), you are required by law to take a required minimum distribution (RMD) annually by Dec. 31 or face penalties. The distribution creates income tax liability.

In 2013, you can give up to $100,000 from your IRA to qualified charities. By transferring your required minimum distribution or more to charity, you could get better tax savings than with a charitable deduction.

Unfortunately, IRA gifts to donor-advised funds and life income gifts (such as charitable gift annuities or charitable remainder trusts) do not qualify for the exclusion. But many times it may make sense to pay pledges from your IRA first, because of the favorable tax treatment. And who knows — it may give you a little something extra to make a bigger difference this year.

For information please contact Michelle Nathanson, 408-357-7508 or michellen@jvalley.org.

Content provided here is informational only. We recommend that you contact your accountant, attorney, or financial advisor for more detailed information appropriate to your individual financial situation.

www.jvalley.org

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datebook

All area codes are 408 unless otherwise noted.

ONGOING EVENTS TUESDAYS Free Israeli Dancing Emanu-El, 7:30 PM, 1st and 3rd Tuesdays Learn the steps and moves of basic Israeli Dance! All are welcome, so bring a friend—no prior experience needed. Free! stephanie@templesanjose.org, 292-0939 FRIDAYS Pirkei Avot Discussion Group Beth David, 9:45 AM Explore ancient Jewish wisdom dealing with ethics and morals in this participant-led discussion group. Pirkei Avot, which has been reprinted more than any other rabbinic text, is a Mishnah tractate dealing solely with ethics and morals.

Newcomers are welcome to join at any time and will be nurtured in learning. 257-3333, adulted@beth-david.org Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support Group Shir Hadash, 10 AM, 1/10, 2/14 The Alzheimer’s Association, in conjunction with Congregation Shir Hadash’s Caring Committee, is offering a Support Group for anyone trying to navigate the day-today difficulties of caregiving.

358-1751 x5, nadine@shirhadash.org Hot Button Issues in Law and Judaism Offices of McManis Faulkner, 50 West San Fernando St., San Jose, Noon, 1st Friday Each month a theme is chosen and discussed, i.e. the current state of American law and how the Jewish texts address similar issues. Please bring a brown bag lunch. 358-1751 x5, nadine@shirhadash.org

SATURDAYS Torah Study: Exodus Shir Hadash, 9:30 AM To enhance our study, we will draw as appropriate from the new translation of Mikraot Gedolot, The Commentators’ Bible, the classic version of the Biblical text and commentaries, which now exists for Exodus as well as Aviva Gottlieb Zornberg’s relatively recent book, “The Particulars of Rapture: Reflections on Exodus” which has great material with a more psychological and literary orientation. The rabbis prepare for each session but our discussions tend to be freewheeling and everyone has a chance to participate. No outside reading is required and each class is self-contained so you are welcome to come when you can. 358-1751 x5, nadine@shirhadash.org Tot Shabbat Shir Hadash, 9:30 AM, 1/11 and 2/8 Join Rabbi Levenberg and other families with young children for Tot Shabbat. Tot Shabbat is free and is open to the community—tell friends!

358-1751 x5, nadine@shirhadash.org Torah for Tots Sinai, 11 AM, 1/11 and 2/1 For nursery school age children and their parents (or grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, etc...). Torah for Tots includes singing, movement, stories and more, and is open to members and nonmembers.

In fact, it is a great way for nonmembers to get to know the Sinai community. Feel free to bring friends. Afterwards, all participants are invited to join the congregation for lunch.

264-8542, Office@Sinai-SJ.org

Mussar Matters Beth David, 1:30 PM, 1/18 and 2/15 In recent years, the Mussar Movement, with its emphasis on building character and ethical responsiveness through Jewish texts, has been rediscovered by the wider Jewish world. Explore a different character trait each month, such as: gratitude, equanimity, simplicity, and loving-kindness. 257-3333, adulted@beth-david.org SUNDAYS Mothers Circle Workshop Shir Hadash, Noon, 1/12, 1/26 and 2/9 See ad on page 29.

MONDAYS Israeli Dance Class for Kids Sinai, 4 PM, 1/6 and 2/10 $5/class or $20/five classes; free for Nursery School students. Space is limited, so RSVP to Ifat Kantorovich, SinaiNurserySchool@Sinai-SJ. org, 264-8542

UPCOMING EVENTS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27 Faith in Action: Rotating Shelter Dinners Congregational Community Church of Sunnyvale, 7 PM One or more of the following food items for 20 is needed: a meat-based main dish, a salad, a starch, a veggie dish, and dessert. These need to be provided ready-to-serve at 7 p.m. at 1112 South Bernardo Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA, near Highway 85 and Fremont Avenue. For questions and cooking guidelines, please email Andrea Harris or Rena Alisa at rotatingshelter@ shirhadash.org. 358-1751 x5, nadine@shirhadash.org SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29 Sinai Lunch Team for San Jose Family Supportive Housing San Jose, 10 AM Volunteers needed to prepare and serve lunch to young families temporarily in need. Please email the

Social Action Chair if you can help at the new SJ Family Supportive Housing. 264-8542, SocialAction@Sinai-SJ.org Get To Know Your Own Backyard: Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum 1660 Park Avenue, San Jose, Noon Come join Jews’ Next Dor exploring this local treasure together. Hidden away in the heart of San Jose, the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum & Planetarium (architecturally inspired by the Temple of Amon at Karnak), houses the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts on exhibit in western North America—including objects from pre dynastic times through Egypt’s early Islamic era. We will meet up at the museum at noon, catch a talk at 12:30 p.m. about the Rosetta Stone, and watch a 2 p.m. show at the planetarium titled “Journey to the Stars.”

The museum boasts a huge collection of Egyptian artifacts including sarcophagi, statues, games, and jewelry. Admission: $9. 257-3333, JewsNextDor@beth-david.org SATURDAY, JANUARY 4 Building Blocks of Jewish Prayer Beth David, 1:30 PM Ever feel a little bit lost during services? Like to understand how the prayers fit together to create organic units? The class will look at the meaning of the prayers, the structure of the morning service, and the fundamentals of movement and intention during Shabbat morning worship. 257-3333, adulted@beth-david.org MONDAY, JANUARY 6 thru FRIDAY, JANUARY 10 South Bay Teen Idol Auditions APJCC, 3-7 PM Teenage vocalists in 8th-12th grades are invited to audition for the JCC’s annual South Bay Teen Idol competition.

Auditions will also be held on Sunday, January 12, at 8 a.m. diana@svjcc.org, 358-3636

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 9 PJs and Pancakes Emanu-El, 5 PM rabbialexander@jvalley.org, 357-7509 SATURDAY, JANUARY 11 District Attorney Jeff Rosen: “Torah, Talmud and Prosecution in a Modern World” Sinai, 9 AM Start Shabbat morning off with services at 9 a.m. At 11 a.m. hear District Attorney Jeff Rosen talk about “Torah, Talmud and Prosecution in a Modern World.” Please stay for a kiddush luncheon following services. Free to all. 265-8542, Office@Sinai-SJ.org Community Shabbat Service— Tu Bishvat Shir Hadash, 10:30 AM See ad on page 29.

Havdalah Program: A Fine Romance: Jews and the Broadway Musical Shir Hadash, 8 PM See ad on page 29, story on page 12.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12 South Bay Teen Idol Auditions APJCC, 8 AM Teenage vocalists in 8th-12th grades are invited to audition for the JCC’s annual South Bay Teen Idol Competition. Exact times and more details coming soon. Auditions will also be held from January 6-10 from 3-7 p.m. diana@svjcc.org, 358-3636, Hike for Tu B’Shevat TBA, 9:30 AM Tu B’Shevat, the Jewish Arbor Day, is this week. Join in a Sunday hike to celebrate the trees. You don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy this hike; it is open to everyone. RSVP for details: jenessa@svjcc.org, 357-7411 Israeli Author’s Book Club Sinai, 10:30 AM Led by Malka Doron, this group explores Israeli literature that is available both in the original Hebrew and in English translation. Read in your preferred language,

and then join Malka, who will share her insights on the readings and facilitate the group’s discussion in English.

Bring your own coffee, and enjoy some engaging literary reflection in a relaxed and respectful environment. This month’s reading: “Homesick”

by Eshkol Nevo. The English version of the book is available on Amazon and other online booksellers; some are also available at local libraries.

Office@Sinai-SJ.org, 265-8542 Sibling Rivals: How Early Rabbis and Church Fathers Understood the Torah Beth David, 10:30 AM Fr. Michael Castori, S.J. is an assistant professor of religious studies at Santa Clara University who focuses on teaching about formative writings of Rabbinic Judaism and early Christianity. The heart of his scholarship is the desire to heal centuries of conflict and misunderstanding between Church and Synagogue. This seminar focuses on the crucial role that contrasting methods of Biblical interpretation played in the separation of Church and Synagogue. We will look at comparisons of midrash and allegory, i.e., the preferred interpretive approaches to the Torah used by the early Rabbis and the early Church Fathers, respectively. One example is interpretations of the Exodus.

We will explore these contrasts with the goal of deeper understanding and mutual appreciation. A small donation to Adult Education is requested at this presentation. 257-3333, adulted@beth-david.org Death and Dying Emanu-El, 11:30 AM Rabbi Magat will lead this course, which will investigate Traditional and Reform Jewish practices, customs, and concepts surrounding death.

Some of the important issues that surround bereavement and the grieving process, some modern theories concerning the stages of grief, life after death, and how death relates

to our theological beliefs will be discussed. 292-0939, stephanie@templesanjose.org APJCC Preschool Open House APJCC, 2 PM See ad on page 4.

MONDAY, JANUARY 13 Schmooze with the Author: “The Wanting” APJCC, 7 PM Left with burning questions after finishing a good book?

Ever wish to pick the author’s brain? Now is your chance!

Read these amazing new books and then come and schmooze with the author! All the authors this year are local to the Bay Area: Michael Lavigne, author of “The Wanting,” Jason Friedman, author of “Fire Year,” and Helene Wecker, author of “The Golem and the Jinni.” All Schmooze events are at the APJCC unless otherwise noted. Free! Jenessa, cjll@svjcc.org, 357-7411 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15 Winter Blood Drive Beth David, 3:30 PM Please give the gift of life by donating blood. Blood Supplies are low after the holidays, so your donation is especially needed. Help save a life! bwfergus@pacbell.net, 257-3333 THURSDAY, JANUARY 16 Women’s Study Group with Rabbi Aron Shir Hadash, 10:30 AM This is a multigenerational group that enjoys learning not just the selected text but also about each other. Participants find it rewarding to see and engage with new groups of women of all ages each year.

Each individual brings her own life experiences to the topic of the year creating great relationships. The Women’s Study Group is co-sponsored

by Brandeis Women. This year we will be looking south of the border as we read and discuss stories from the anthology: “The House of Memory,” edited

by Marjorie Agosin. 358-1751, patty@shirhadash.org

Adult B’nei Mitzvah Class Beth David, 7:30 PM Ever thought about becoming an adult Bar or Bat Mitzvah?

Or, if you had a Bar or Bat Mitzvah as a child, would like to enhance your understanding and skills in prayer and Torah reading (trope)? If yes, now is the time! A new B’nai Mitzvah group is forming. This class, which is for both men and women, will be taught by Rabbi Ohriner and Barbara Biran and is held on Thursdays. Any questions? Interested? Barbara, biran@beth-david.org, 257-3333 FRIDAY, JANUARY 17 PJ Shabbat and Kid-Friendly Dinner Beth David, 6 PM Have a toddler? Had a long week? Then come and take a break by joining Pajama Shabbat! This mini Kabbalat Shabbat service is geared towards tots (ages 0-5) and will feature songs, puppets, felt, story time, plus a kid-friendly Shabbat dinner! Come as you are with kids in PJs! No worries about getting dressed up–this will be a casual night for all!

Cost for dinner: $10/adult; $2/ child (3 and up); kids under 3 eat free! RSVPs are requested: www.beth-david.org/rsvp, 257-3333 SATURDAY, JANUARY 18 Tu B’Shevat Communal Seders & Sisterhood Shabbat Beth David, 9:30 AM Why do trees have a New Year of their own? Find out at the Communal Tu B’Shevat Seders following Sisterhood Shabbat Service. During our seders we will explore the kabbalistic understanding of various kinds of fruit and their relationship to human qualities, discuss ways in which our faith requires us to be better stewards of our planet, sing songs to honor the festival, and nosh on delicious fruits and nuts. There is no charge to participate, but please RSVP: beth-david.org/ rsvp so we know how many people to expect. 257-3333, biran@beth-david.org

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 19 Mitzvah Day Shir Hadash, 9:30 AM See ad on page 29.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1 YOGA Shabbat Emanu-El, 10 AM See ad on page 31.

Tikkun Olameinu: CBD Repairs the World Beth David, 10 AM Adults, teens and kids join in the fun for an engaging day of activities to support those in need in our community, benefit the environment and help heal the world. Come participate and experience what we can do together! 257-3333, JYEPadmin@beth-david.org

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8 South Bay Teen Idol Semifinals APJCC, 7 PM Watch 20 of the South Bay’s best teen vocalists compete to advance to the finals in this American-Idol-style singing competition. 358-3636, diana@svjcc.org

Catalysts for Change: Exploring Jewish Contributions Past and Present Emanu-El, 10:30 AM See ad on page 31.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 25 Music, Magic, and Mirth Sinai, 7:30 PM An evening of exceptional entertainment featuring a full complement of renowned magicians, a nationally acclaimed comedian, and a live band. Fabulous hors d’oeuvres and dessert. Amazing Silent Auction items. Admission: $36/person in advance. $100/ person (advance sales only).

For tickets: Office@Sinai-SJ. org, 264-8542 SUNDAY, JANUARY 26 “The Goats Know the Way”: Exploring the World of Judaism with Erica LannClark, Jewish Storyteller and Performer Shir Hadash, 9:30 AM See ad on page 29.

Jewbilee!

APJCC, 1 PM See ad on page 2.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9 Sinai’s Annual Blood Drive Sinai, 9 AM Perform a mitzvah! Donate blood and make a difference in someone’s life. The Stanford Blood Center will be sending their BloodMobile to Congregation Sinai for our annual blood drive. Last year we had such a great turnout that we had to turn away people. This year we will be getting a bigger bus and need even more volunteers to donate to the blood center that supplies the entire region with badly needed blood. Signups for the drive will be made available on the SBC website prior to the event.

Office@Sinai-SJ.org, 265-8542 “Bar Mitzvah and the Beast”: Exploring the World of Judaism with Author Matt Biers-Ariel Shir Hadash, 9:30 AM Vicariously experience an X-Games-style family vacation as Matt gives an uproarious talk/slide show about his son’s alternative Bar Mitzvah documented in “The Bar Mitzvah and the Beast.”

Instead of chanting Torah and dancing with his Gramma at a party, Yonah Biers-Ariel chose to ride a bicycle from San Francisco to Washington, DC and deliver a petition on global warming to Congress. Following Matt’s talk/slideshow, he will lead an interactive text study on issues related to his family’s journey. 358-1751 x5, nadine@shirhadash.org

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14 PJ Shabbat and Kid-Friendly Dinner Beth David, 6 PM Have a toddler? Had a long week? Then come and take a break by joining us for Pajama Shabbat! This mini Kabbalat Shabbat service is geared towards tots (ages 0-5) and will feature songs, puppets, felt, story time, plus a kid-friendly Shabbat dinner! Come as you are with kids in PJs! No worries about getting dressed up–this will be a casual night for all!

Cost for dinner: $10/adult; $2/ child (3 and up); kids under 3 eat free! RSVPs are requested: www.beth-david.org/rsvp, 257-3333 SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16 Mah Jongg Tournament Beth David, 8 AM A fun day of tournament Mah Jongg with prizes and lunch!

Tournament play is 12 games, 4 games per hour, and players rotate tables every hour. All players are welcome so please bring your friends! Visit www.beth-david.org/rsvp to register, 257-3333 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20 Anita Diamant, Author of “The Red Tent” APJCC, 7 PM See ad on page 13.

Out of Egypt: Our Long Relationship with the Land of the Pharaohs Beth David, 7:30 PM See ad on page 20.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22 Community Learner’s Shabbat Service Shir Hadash, 10:30 AM Sometimes confused or lost at services? Does it seem like other people are getting a lot more out of the experience?

Like to have a better understanding of the meaning

of the service? Ever wish to ask a question about what’s going on during services? At this introduction to the basic Shabbat service at Shir Hadash you can ask questions. In this service you will gain an understanding of the reasons for the content and placement of the prayers and the customs that surround them. 358-1751 Two Characters, One Divine, One Human: Asherah and Josephus Beth David, 1:30 PM See ad on page 20.

Did G-d Have a Wife?

Beth David, 7 PM See ad on page 20.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23 Super Sunday Levy Family Campus, 9 AM See ad on page 15.

“The World of Our Great Grandparents”: Exploring the World of Judaism with Ken Blady Shir Hadash, 9:30 AM Jews never lived in Russia?!

Join Ken Blady as he takes us on a journey through the history of Eastern European Jewry from the arrival of the German Ashkenazim in the eleventh century to the assassination of Czar Alexander II and the mass stampede to the New World. Babysitting will be available. 358-1751 x5, nadine@shirhadash.org Flavius Josephus: Traitor or Hero?

Beth David, 9:30 AM See ad on page 20.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 31 Shabbat Mishpaha (Family) Experience Beth David, 6:30 PM Service will be led by Pack 504 Cub Scouts and New Torah Have an event to add to the calendar?

Readers’ Club inductees.

Delicious Shabbat Supper Submit it at www.jvalley.org! follows! $45/family or $15/ adults; $8/child 5-12; under 5 Questions about upcoming events? free. Payable in advance only.

Contact amanda@jvalley.org or 357-7503.

Pay online with Visa/MC. 2573333, www.beth-david.org/rsvp 28 www.jvalley.org

CBD teens take ‘Jewish’ field trip

By Iris Bendahan On Oct. 27, our 5th-7th graders embarked on our triennial Jewish San Francisco field trip. By 8:30 a.m. we were on the road and began our drive up the peninsula with the movie “Feivel Goes West.”

In this Spielberg movie set in New York City, the persecuted mice, represented by an immigrant, Russian-Jewish family, live in constant fear of the Kos…cats.

Little Fievel dreams of going West and meeting his hero, slick gunshot sheriff Wilie Burp (a dog), and together defeating the mouse-persecuting cats (not all are bad).

Our first stop was a tour of the Karaite synagogue, Congregation B’nai Israel in Daly City. Docent Shawn Lichaa gave us a wonderful presentation of what Karaite Judism is all about, allowed us to experience their sanctuary, where congregants kneel/prostrate on soft Persian-style carpets, showed us their Sephardic Torah that was brought over by the last of the community in Egypt, and other Karaite touches to what was originally an Orthodox shul. The tour culminated with wonderful Egyptian-style foods and treats. If you’re interested, Shawn maintains a website about Karaite Judaism at www.abluethread. com.

We then proceeded just down the street to Colma, home of three Jewish cemeteries. At Hills of Eternity/Home of Peace we were led by James Carlson who explained the history of the place, including the move of the Temple Emanuel/Sherith Israel cemetery from San Francisco to Colma in the 1920s. These old sites, some from the mid 1800s, can still be visited here. As we wandered, James pointed out some of the interesting tombs for us such as the one of the real Wyatt Earp (one reason we show “Fievel Goes West” en route) and Levi Strauss. Along the way we stopped at my own mother and grandmother’s gravesites, where I shared some history, and together we translated the Hebrew poem my father wrote on the headstone. Their gravesites border the Russian area, and students were amazed at the elaborate and detailed style of these sites. The students continued to explore for a while longer, calling out to us to see this or that tomb or mausoleum that had something that captured their attention, as we carefully kept Ben, our one Cohen, on the main path.

By this time we were quite chilled, and ready to board the warm bus to our next destination, the Contemporary Jewish

l cal news Museum where we explored the idea of utopia in general some by acting out key ideas of a utopian society, and then, specifically, with the Kibbutz movement. The students had a short while for creative expression at the art studio before we headed on to Temple Emanuel. Arriana, and her two small sons, gave us the history of the congregation, founded in 1850—the oldest congregation west of the Mississippi, and a great tour of the current synagogue, their third location, built in 1926. We explored their Religious School wing (where her kids offered all of our lollipops from their stash) and culminated in their largest sanctuary. The sanctuary is adorned with the immense stained glass windows of Fire and Water and an ark modeled after the mishkan carried through the desert.

This leads us to our final destination, Kehilla Jewish High School in Palo Alto. Here we were treated not only to a wonderful tour of the facility by Marily Learner, director of admissions, including a Smartboard demo by one of the math instructors, but also to a sumptuous lasagna dinner served by Beth David member and school principal Alison Ruebusch.

We returned at 6:30 p.m. tired, but hopefully enlightened to facets of the Jewish community beyond CBD. Thank you to our parent chaperones Boris Yanovsky and Lori Passett (who also was our trip photographer)!

Stimulate Your Mind and Enrich Your Soul Tu Bishvat: New Year of the Trees Our Community Shabbat service will focus on trees in an urban environment with guests from Our City Forest. A light lunch and the documentary “Chasing Ice” will follow the service.

Saturday, January 11, 10:30 am-12:30 pm A Fine Romance: Jews and the Broadway Musical As Sir Robin sings merrily to King Arthur in Monty Python’s Spamalot: “In any great adventure, if you don’t want to lose… you won’t succeed on Broadway if you don’t have any Jews.” Bruce Thompson, PhD will lead an exciting lecture highlighting the Jewish roots of so many of Broadway’s greatest figures were not accidental, but central to their creation of a quintessentially American form of popular entertainment.

Saturday, January 11, 8 pm-9:30 pm Mothers Circle Workshop The Mothers Circle Mini-Course is a free three-session workshop that provides an overview and guide to Jewish parenting. The series is co-lead by Lara Panish, Psy.D., an experienced counselor who herself is a non-Jewish mother raising Jewish children, and Rabbi Melanie Aron. RSVP to patty@shirhadash.org” Sunday, January 12 & 26, February 9, 12 pm-2 pm Mitzvah Day Join us for the annual Shir Hadash Mitzvah Day. Take part in a variety projects, ranging from cleaning up a local park to making fleece blankets, that will benefit our local communities.

Sunday, January 19, 9:30 am-12 pm The Goats Know the Way, and Other Stories of Judaic Wit and Wisdom An Entertaining morning of Jewish Stories, for Adults, from Around the World with Erica Lann-Clark, Jewish storyteller and performer.

Sunday, January 26 9:30am-11:30am For more information on services, programs and adult ed please visit shirhadash.org, or call the temple office at 354-1751

www.jvalley.org

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l cal news Beth David’s “ThankSigdNukkel” Mash-Up At least, you’d get something like this if you tried to mash up the names of the recently coined Thanksgivukkah miracle as well as those of Sigd in Israel and Israel itself. On Nov. 17, the Beth David community and guests enjoyed a morning “Miracle Mash-Up” celebrating these miracles. Sigd, the least known, was celebrated for centuries by the Beta Israel of Ethiopia 49 days after Yom Kippur, and is now Israel’s newest national holiday!

A processional, complete with colorful umbrellas, Kessim (Ethiopian priests) dressed in white, music videos and recitation opened the event. Adults then continued to a fascinating Sigd learning discussion with Rabbi Ohriner, 7th-12th grade teens engaged in a JET-sponsored social action project led by Bonnie Slavitt Moore, while the school-aged children enjoyed a stimulating TorahQuest scavenger hunt. At each of the 7 TorahQuest destinations, the kids (divided into 7 groups based on age, and a Russian-speakers group) collected chocolate gelt, found clues to their next destination and learned about a different mash-up aspect. “Matityahu” rallied a call to join the Macabees and fight the enemy using a bean bag toss game; the High Priest, still donning the ceremonial Hoshen, engaged the students to find idols strewn in the desecrated temple, while looking for the next clue hidden in an oil jug. “Squanto” asked the students to add feathers to the turkey for a feast modeled after Sukkot, while an apron wearing chef helped students learn about Sufganiyot.

Donut sampling revealed that the next destination was Israel where an Israel sights memory game led them to an umbrella carrying Kes and up the mountain to renew their connection to the Torah. Unscrambling the message in the Torah revealed the dreidel game Jewish children pretended to play as they studied Torah bayamim ha’hem ba’zman ha’ze (in those days at this time), and which they now played using their collected gelt. After completing the Quest and a snack of mash-up gorp (honey nut Cherrios—representing the Land of Milk and Honey; Apple Jackstype cereal—representing Thanksgiving; white marshmallows— representing Sigd; and chocolate chips—representing Hanukkah gelt), the kids had time to create beautiful clay Hanukkiyot.

Meanwhile, pre-schoolers had a party of their own led by R’ Shoshana Ohriner.

Finally all got together for candlelighting, a singalong of Hanukkah favorites, as well as the new favorite “The Ballad of Thankgivikkuh,” a raffle and a sumptuous lunch of Israeli and Ethiopian food. Everyone learned a lot and had a great ThankSigdNukkel experience! Group and destination leaders were played by Religious School teachers and Teen Madrikhim Team members. The Torah Quest scripts are inspired by a trio of creative Russian gals (Anna Kogan, Anna Margolis and R’ Ilana Baird). Beth David’s next cross-generational holiday program will be on April 6, and will include a Passover-themed TorahQuest!

To reach Beth David, please call (408) 257-3333.

Energy bites

By Shoshana Ohriner When packing lunches or grabbing breakfasts on the run, it is great to have some healthy and filling options ready to go. The snacks have to be tasty so that my kids will eat them but I also want them to be packed full of the wholesome ingredients that will fuel them as they go through their day.

These energy bites are perfect for that. They are quick and easy to make and can be stored in the freezer for quite a long time. The mini chocolate chips make them feel like a treat, but they are still healthy and filling.

I love to make a big batch and keep them in a plastic bag in the freezer, ready to be thrown into a lunch box or my gym bag for an after workout pick me up. A few of them (perhaps with a hardboiled egg on the side for more protein) make a perfectly filling breakfast as well. The recipe below is the version of those that my family likes the best, but feel free to add finely chopped dried fruit or any other additions that sound good to you.

Energy bites INGREDIENTS 2 cups oats (192 g) 3/4 cup (192 g) peanut butter, soy butter or other nut butter 1/3 cup (112 g) honey 3/4 cup (60 g) toasted shredded unsweetened coconut 2 tablespoons (28 g) mini chocolate chips PREPARATION Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Stir well to combine (it works best if the mixing is finished with your hands). Roll the mixture into small balls, about one inch in diameter.

It is necessary to press pretty hard to get the balls to stick together at this point, but once they have set they do hold together well. Place the balls on a plate or small cookie sheet and freeze until firm.

Remove from the freezer and place in a resealable plastic bag or container. They can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days or kept frozen for much longer.

Rabbi Shoshana Ohriner is the creator and author of the popular blog Couldn’t Be Parve, specializing in naturally delicious dairyfree desserts. Her recipes have been published in a variety of publications and websites, including the Jewish Week and Kosher.com. Shoshana is the mother of two young boys, Ari and Eli, and married to Rabbi Philip Ohriner.

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Los Gatos Memorial Park Shalom Garden

Serving the Bay Area Jewish community since 1889 Peaceful, park-like setting overlooking Santa Cruz Mountains

*Pre Plan and receive a discount *Graveside Ceremonies in a serene setting *Upright monuments available *Trained funeral professionals *Traditional caskets and ritual services

Schedule a tour of Shalom Garden and receive a

$25

Viva Restaurant Gift Card!

2255 Los Gatos-Almaden Rd., San Jose, CA 95124

www.losgatosmemorialpark.com

(408) 356-4151 Darling-Fischer Mortuaries Chapel of the Hills 615 N. Santa Cruz Ave. Los Gatos, CA 95030 (408) 354-7740 FD940

Garden Chapel 471 E. Santa Clara St. San Jose, CA 95112 (408) 998-2226 FD557

Campbell Memorial Chapel 231 E. Campbell Ave. Campbell, CA 95008 (408) 379-5010 FD898

www.darlingandfischer.com

Temple Emanu-El

Over 150 Years of Tradition and Innovation!

1010 University Ave, San Jose, CA 95126 www.templesanjose.org Temple Office (408)292‐0939 Religious School (408)292‐3223

Shabbat in Nature at Kelley Park celebrating Tu B’Shevat January 11, 2014

Arrive at 10:00 AM and participate in any or all of the following activities:

    

Minyan led by Rabbi Magat and Cantor Simerly Potluck Lunch Visit the Japanese Friendship Garden Walk through San Jose History Park Visit the Happy Hollow Park and Zoo

Catalysts for Change - A series of lectures co-sponsored by Temple Emanu-El and Lehrhaus Judaica Hollywood Spies: Israel in a Changing Jewish Infiltration of Nazi and Middle East Pro-Nazi Groups in Los Angeles Sunday, January 19, 2014 at 10:30 AM Sunday, February 23, 2014 Instructor: Elan Kaplan, Ph.D. Instructor: Laura Rosenzweig, Ph.D. For more information and to register, visit www.templesanjose.org Yoga Shabbat Sunday, February 1, 2014

Honor Shabbat with a mellow Yoga practice sponsored by Temple Emanu-El Sisterhood. Explore themes from the week’s Torah portion while moving to prayers and meditations set to world beat music. Join members of Temple Emanu-El on your mat to embrace the sweetness of the Sabbath. Accessible to all adults, new and experienced Yogi’s of all ages!

www.jvalley.org

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obituaries FLORA FISHOFF

April 4, 1928 – November 4, 2013 Flora Fishoff was born in Brooklyn, NY to Sarah and Benjamin Bienstock, the second of four siblings. She met the love of her life, Sam Fishoff, on the dance floor, and they married in 1952.

She moved to California to be with her two children in 1998 after Sam died. She leaves behind her two children Rhonda and Steven; son-in-law Robert; daughter-in-law Susan; four grandchildren, Jenna, Jason, Nicole and Rachel; and three siblings, Rose (Jerry), Raymond (Sandi) and Joan (Saul). Flora loved playing mah jong with her friends and shopping trips to her store, Ross. A memorial service was held November 10 at Temple Emanu-El.

KENNETH IRVING FRIEDMAN, PhD July 19, 1937 – November 4, 2013

Kenneth Irving Friedman, son of Morris and Lillian Friedman, was born in the Bronx, NY and moved to Los Angeles when he was 9 years old. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in engineering at UCLA and later a PhD in business. After retiring from a successful career at IBM, Ken went on to publish three novels about the Pacific Theater during WWII. He is survived by his loving children, Hilary, David and Marla, and grandchildren, Alexander and Cameron.

Contributions in his memory may be made to either Congregation Beth David or the American Cancer Society.

AGNES GROSSINGER

March 20, 1924 – November 9, 2013 Agnes (“Agi”) Grossinger passed away peacefully at home. She was the loving mother of sons Peter and George, and also is survived by daughter-in-law Sandi and grandchildren Kevin and Amy. Agi, who was born in Nagykároly, Romania spent the war years in Budapest and, with the help of diplomats Carl Lutz and Raoul Wallenberg, eventually found shelter in the famed Glass House.

Remarkably, her entire immediate family (father Isaac, mother Serena, and brother Mihaly) survived the Holocaust and were reunited in her birth city after the war. Agi and Joseph married and raised three children. Her greatest sorrow was when tragedy struck and daughter Mariça died of illness in 1957. The family emigrated to the United States in 1962, settling in Detroit, Michigan. Joe and Agi operated a wholesale meat business until 1982; they then moved to California in 1989 to be closer to their children and grandchildren. Agi was a member of Congregation Beth David and the Silicon Valley Holocaust Survivor Association.

Known for her Hungarian-Jewish cooking, especially her pastries, she is remembered by her family as well as numerous friends from around the world, including Israel, Canada, Australia, and Hungary.

Contributions in her memory may be made to the Jewish National Fund.

ESTHER REISER

November 23, 1931 – October 7, 2013

FD262

Serving the entire Jewish Community for over 110 years Honoring the dignity of the deceased and providing compassion and support for the living    

Advanced planning counseling At-need arrangements Bereavement support and services Burial at all Jewish cemeteries locally and globally

Esther was a courageous woman who was kindhearted to everyone. Those who knew her are flooded with the joy of many happy and warm memories. She never failed to offer her most genuine and profound advice, delivered with frank observations.

Her family shared their own special relationship with her, unique and filled with endless support, encouragement and love. How wonderfully she spoke of each of her family members.

Peninsula Office (FD1830) 777 Woodside Road, Suite C, Redwood City

Esther Reiser was born in Brooklyn and graduated from Erasmus Hall High School. She met her husband David and they married in 1951 and moved to San Jose in 1957. They enjoyed traveling together and especially liked trips to Israel, Egypt, Italy and South America.

(408) 297-3636

Home of Peace Cemetery and Mausoleum Founded 1853

Robert L. Malinow (FDR894) Managing Funeral Director rmalinow@sinaichapel.org

Wayne A. Rose (FDR979) Funeral Director wrose@sinaichapel.org

FDIC insured Pre-need funeral arrangements available.

Owned and perated by Temple Emanu-El South Bay Area’s only Jewish-owned Cemetery, Mausoleum, and Columbarium.

Pre-Need Terms Wayne Rose, Administrator

(408) 674-5867 cemetery@templesanjose.org

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l cal news Until recent years she was a voracious reader and an avid newshound. Her wise common sense was diligently productive in all aspects of practical life and heavily influenced those around her. Every conversation with Esther brought a plethora of interesting topics. What distinguished her from the crowd was her remarkable freedom from prejudice. As an advocate for the politics of peace, she judged things and people by their direct capabilities and contributions.

We owe Esther a lifetime of thanks for sharing her beliefs, sense of humor and many “Granddaughter Natalie” stories. As a dear friend wrote, “She will be missed deeply and remembered with admiration. I thank Esther for always being closest to me even when we were in separate time zones, continents and stages of life. I thank her for not letting us get separated by life’s inconveniences such as distance or time.”

Esther is survived by her husband Dave who loved her for over 62 years of married life, her sons Brian and Richard, her daughter Meryl (Oscar) Audelo and her granddaughter Natalie Audelo. She was preceded in death by her son Randy.

Esther was a life member of Temple Emanu-El Sisterhood and is now in heaven with her best friend Betty Rinsler.

LEONARD SCHLUSSEL

October 15, 1925 – September 22, 2013 Leonard Schlussel was born in San Francisco to Jacob and Zara Schlussel and graduated from George Washington High School.

College was interrupted by his service during World War II when he served with pride as a member of the 100th Division. After the war, he continued in the Army Reserves for ten years, reaching the rank of Master Sergeant.

Following the war, Len returned to UC Berkeley where he received a BS degree in Business Administration; he earned a high school teaching credential from San Francisco State and a Masters of Education from San Jose State.

Len married his soul mate Ruth Klein in 1953, and they enjoyed their life together until Ruth’s death in 2006.

Len worked as a high school teacher and administrator in the East Side Union High School District for 36 years. He was also self-employed as a public accountant and enrolled agent.

He is survived by his children Karen and Steve Schlussel, sister Midge (Armand) Offel, nephew Jim Offel, niece Rabbi Janet (Michael) Offel-Nebenzahl, and Teri Rothschild and grandniece Bryn Lewin-Offel.

Contributions in his memory may be made to the Villages Foundation, 5000 Cribari Lane, San Jose, 95135.

If you have lost a loved one, please send information to andrea.greyber@gmail.com or call Andrea Greyber at (408) 3776224.

Nancy Falchuk, immediate past president of Hadassah, comes to Silicon Valley

By Eleanor Weber Dickman When Immediate Past President of Hadassah Nancy Falchuk speaks about this “Women’s Zionist Organization of America,” she is a woman infused with love for Israel, dedicated to the power of healing as a source of identity and strength, and galvanized by the many profound ways in which she can help Hadassah continue to affect the world for good.

On a recent trip through Hadassah’s Central Pacific Coast Region, Nancy’s energy and passion were shared with women whose commitment and enthusiasm echoes hers. Herself a nurse, Nancy praised the founders of Hadassah who “wanted to establish an American standard of nursing in Palestine.” She praised Henrietta Szold and her compatriots who “assessed the practical healthcare needs of the country and found ways to raise money to fund medical excellence.” With compassion and pride, Nancy described Hadassah’s strength in applying medical research and service as a road to peace.

Nancy’s commitment to Hadassah has been lifelong. “I grew up in a Hadassah house,” she recalls, describing her home as “a pluralistic environment for being educated Jewishly and zionistically.” Nancy found expression for her beliefs in nursing.

She uses the word “Zionism” often as a concept that connects Jews to the land of Israel in a way that educates and empowers Jewish women in America while, at the same time, publicizing what Hadassah is doing in Israel.

“What distinguishes us,” she believes, “is our connection to Israel.” In addition to Hadassah’s historic role in educating and empowering women in Israel and in America, is the world-wide impact of Hadassah’s life-giving programs throughout the world.

She cites “the skill of physicians who had learned about medical responses to terrorism in Israel who saved lives after the Boston Marathon bombing.”

Hadassah’s hospitals are staffed by 5,500 professionals, making Hadassah the second largest employer in Jerusalem.

Hadassah engages with Hebrew University and other healthcare organizations in Israel. Hadassah continually demonstrates “strength in building bridges to countries throughout the world through research, education, training, and outreach.”

She is proud that volunteer leaders in Hadassah chapters throughout the world have been able to support the founding of a professional nurses organization in Israel, which was instrumental in the creation of a graduate school of nursing.

Hadassah has also been a leader in working with the Jewish Agency to create Youth Aliyah to take care of refugee children following the Holocaust. She is proud of Hadassah’s early support, in the 1920s, of the reclamation of the land through Keren Kayemet (a precursor to the Jewish National Fund), and credits Hadassah for ensuring that parks in Israel are all handicapped-accessible.

www.jvalley.org

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SIMCHAS

By Andrea Cohen Greyber Called to the Torah Sterling Avraham Russell, son of Sara Rosenblum & Storm Russell, was called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah at Coastside Jewish Community of Half Moon Bay on November 9. He is the brother of Sage Russell and is the grandson of Carla N. Rosenbaum of Shir Hadash and the late Rabbi Leon Rosenbaum, PhD and Don & Helen Russell. Sterling enjoys playing guitar and clarinet, reading and Boy Scouts. He is a student at Cunha Middle School in Half Moon Bay. Leo Michels, son of Debbie & Grant Michels and younger brother of Noah, was called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah on November 16 at Temple Emanu-El. He is an honor student at Castillero Middle School where he plays oboe in the Symphonic Band. He also plays the piano.

Leo, an excellent baseball player, plays catcher, pitcher, first and third base.

He was excited to play for the Almaden All-Star Team which won the District 12 Championship tournament this summer.

Leo was thrilled to have so many friends and family celebrate with him including his grandparents and Temple members Dan & Shirley Lee, Judy Siegel and Bob Michels and Stephanie Daffer of San Francisco.

Birth, B’nei Mitzvah, engagement and marriage announcements for individuals living locally are included free of charge. If you wish to include an announcement for an out-of-town relative or a celebration of a different simcha, there is a suggested donation of $36.

Please send announcements and photos to Andrea Greyber at andrea.greyber@gmail.com or phone her at (408) 377-6224.

✓Fine Furniture ✓Carpet ✓Hardwood ✓Laminate ✓Linoleum ✓Cork & more ✓Window Coverings ✓Hunter Douglas Tues.-Fri. 9-5:30 Sat. 9-5:00

Hillel siblings continued from page 14 His younger brother Daniel is currently a student at SJSU. He remembers when he was in high school and his brother would tell stories about Hillel. When starting attending SJSU last year, Daniel didn’t hesitate to get involved with Hillel. He participates in every Challah for Hunger event that Hillel hosts among many other programs. Like his brother Michael, at the time, Daniel also became a regular student at the Hillel house.

Naama and Aviad Shani are siblings. Naama graduated from SJSU about 5 years ago and Aviad is currently studying at the same school. When Naama got involved with Hillel, Aviad just started high school, however, he remembers that: “[…] perhaps I did not want to admit to myself or anyone at the time is that I wanted that sort of social aspect [that Naama was having at Hillel] in my life.” Today for Aviad: “Hillel plays a very strong aspect in my college years — it is a dependable social getaway. It gives me the opportunity to be with the same group of people who are both interesting and intellectually challenging.” Even though these siblings never shared a Hillel event (Naama lives in Israel now), her feelings about Hillel aren’t that much different from the ones her younger brother has. Naama summarizes her Hillel experience as: “Hillel was extremely important for me during my time in college. I feel like the university took care of the academic aspect of my college experience, but the entire social aspect revolved around Hillel and the people I met through it.

It is hard to imagine the kind of college years I would be looking back on now, had I not come to Hillel.” Even though Naama graduated 5 years ago and she lives in Israel, she says that: “[…]

I think the people and friends I made at Hillel have had the most impact on my life. To this day, a lot of my friends and people I cherish in my life are people I met through Hillel.”

It gives us great pleasure to share with you what Hillel meant and means for these pairs of siblings as it reflects the feeling that many of our students have as well.

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Wedding and Bar/Bat Mitzvah Videography

Baking challah for Challah for Hunger (Daniel Avrukin is pictured on the right)

408.206.6505

www.blue-moon-productions.com 408.

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Jewish Professional Directory Attorneys Peter D. Feinberg

Hoge Fenton Jones & Appel 60 S. Market St., Ste 1400 San Jose, CA 95113 (408) 287-9501 pdf@hogefenton.com

www.hogefenton.com/our-people/attorneys/ Feinberg-Peter-D

Practice focused on corporate, M & A and business transactions.

Philip L. Hammer

Hoge Fenton Jones & Appel 60 S. Market St., Ste. 1400 San Jose, CA 95113 (408) 287-9501 plh@hogefenton.com www.hogefenton.com/hammer.html Specializing in complex family law matters. Certified Specialist in Family Law, State Bar of CA; Fellow, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

David J. Hofmann

Hoge Fenton Jones & Appel 60 S. Market St., Ste. 1400 San Jose, CA 95113 (408) 287-9501 djh@hogefenton.com www.hogefenton.com/hofmann.html Practice focused on commercial and residential real estate transactions & finance.

David S. Howard

Hoge Fenton Jones & Appel 60 S. Market St., Ste. 1400 San Jose, CA 95113 (408) 287-9501 dsh@hogefenton.com www.hogefenton.com/howard.html Practice focused on complex taxation, corporate strategy, and business succession planning..

Steven D. Siner

Hoge Fenton Jones & Appel 60 S. Market St., Ste. 1400 San Jose, CA 95113 (408) 287-9501 sds@hogefenton.com www.hogefenton.com/siner.html Practice focused on complex business transactions, estate planning, and family business succession planning.

Attorneys Minda B. Parrish

14500 Big Basin Way, Suite D, Saratoga, CA 95070 (408) 741-3500 minda@parrishlaw.net Estate Planning, Probate, Elder Law

Lynne R. Snyder

101 Church St., Suite 13, Los Gatos, CA 95032 (408) 354-5590 Adoption, Custody, Dissolutions, Guardianship, Juvenile Court, Paternity

Shannon Stein

Law Offices of Shannon Stein 438 South Murphy Avenue Sunnyvale, CA 94086 (408) 774-9097 shannon@shannonsteinlaw.com www.shannonsteinlaw.com Family Law Attorney, specializing in dissolutions, child custody, child support, mediation, restraining orders, limited scope representation, post-judgement issues.

Carol Elias Zolla

16450 Los Gatos Boulevard, Suite 208, Los Gatos, CA 95032 Tel: 408-358-6900 carol@zollalawfirm.com www.zollalawfirm.com Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law. The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization.

Real Estate Orna & Ruben Yomtoubian

408-253-2250 or 408-887-8239 888-Do0-Fees 888-360-3337 (Toll Free) Orna@ORNA.com www.ORNA.com Full Service Discount Commission Realty Broker/Owner BS, MS, MIS, Finance www.aDiscountRealty.com • 1% Listing Broker Commission • I pay all my Buyer’s Closing Costs* • Free Service to Jewish Organizations (Bet Kenesets) www.aDiscountMortgage.com • 30 Years Fixed Conforming No Fee Loan 3.5% APR • No Upfront Fees, No Fee Loans, $417K> Loan>$250K Real Estate #01098186, Mortgage #NMLS31413, Appraisal #AL029181

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Commercial Real Estate Senior Services Guggenheim Realty Group, Inc

Law Office of Derryl H. Molina

AMB Designs

Binder & Malter, LLP 2775 Park Avenue Santa Clara, CA 95050 (408) 295-1700 Michael@bindermalter.com www.bindermalter.com Certified Specialist, Bankruptcy Law The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization Specializing in all aspects of bankruptcy representation, issues re distressed real estate and asset protection.

Financial Advocacy for Seniors 408-279-3269 (o) 408-318-0828 (c) www.mindacutcher.com minda@mindacutcher.com Helping families create and manage strategies to reduce healthcare costs, access benefits, decrease household expenses, pay bills and process mail.

Dr. Itzhak Emanuel

“Helping you plan for your family’s tomorrow at every stage of your life.”

1743 Pilgrim Avenue Mountain View, CA 94040 (650) 336-5185 Christl@DeneckePlanning.com www.DeneckePlanning.com Family Wealth Planning • Living Trusts • Special Needs Trusts • Estate Planning for Young Families Estate Planning for Non-Traditional Families

Michael W. Malter

Minda Cutcher, MBA, Inc.

Cantor-Educator

Christl Denecke

“Trust Your Trust to Us!” 1142 S. Winchester Blvd., Ste. B San Jose, CA 95128 (408) 244-4992 attderryl@comcast.net www.fulllifecareplanner.net Estate Planning, Probate, and Elder Law. Mediation Facilitor.

Financial Services

595 Millich Drive, Suite 101, Campbell, CA 95008 (408) 871-8722 x222 Fax (408) 834-4959 www.guggenheimrgi.com Commercial Real Estate Management, Investments, and Leasing. Call us for your property management, leasing and sales needs. Allen Guggenheim & Gary Naillon

Events (408) 942-0852 ambdsgn@pacbell.net www.ambdesigns.com Balloon & Event Décor. Any Occasion, we do it all!

Call Amy Blach, your Event Designer

Financial Services

Lyn Pasqua DELIVERED BY GRACE

Transportation and Shopping Service 408-590-5898 Personalized transportation service, serving seniors throughout Santa Clara and most cities in San Mateo County. Our service is tailored to meet your needs.

Tax Preparation & Representation Philip S. Levine EA, MBA Padgett Business Services Silicon Valley West Inc.

501 N. Santa Cruz Blvd. Ste. A Los Gatos CA 95030 (408) 402-3725 p_levine@smallbizpros.com www.siliconvalleywest.com Tax Preparation and Professional Representation before the IRS and CA FTB. A small business focus including corporations and partnerships as well as their owners and other professionals. We also welcome CA Registered Domestic Partner (RDP) returns as well as clients with international tax issues.

Leonard W. Williams, CPA

A Professional Corporation 455 S. Mathilda, Sunnyvale 94086 (408) 736-1566 www.LWWilliamsCPA.com Leonard W. Williams, CPA Elaine Raitt, CPA, Y. Mary King, CPA, Brenda L. George, EA, T. Patricia Cohen, EA, Keith Kreider, EA, Sue Conners, EA Tax Planning & Return Preparation for Individuals, Trusts & Estates.

www.jvalley.org

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jewish federation of silicon valley presents

“LONG LIVE THE BEATLES,” starring the Mahoney Brothers, is the world’s longest running Beatles tribute show. February, 2014 marks the 50th anniversary of the Beatles first appearance in America. This live musical impersonation show pays tribute to the music, careers and legacy of John, Paul, George and Ringo. ®