January 2010 by Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley

408.358.3033 www.jvalley.org

jewish c mmunity news

for everything jewish in silicon valley...in print

Spiritual Fitness APJCC strives to meet the spiritual and physical needs of members p.9

Sixth graders support their Hebrew teacher by walking for breast cancer

IN THIS ISSUE:

A bundle of energy and inspiration, Joelle Wolf has served as Hebrew coordinator for six years and a teacher for 11 years at Temple Emanu-El’s Religious School.

Local Chanukah photos....p.4

After being diagnosed with invasive, stage 2 breast cancer in 2008, Wolf continued to teach. She credits her family and Temple communities with helping her survive chemotherapy treatments and three surgeries.

SJ family finds joy amid daughter's ill health........p.15

Morgan Hill women fry latkes on television...........p.7

“You can’t do this without support. You can’t do this alone. I wanted to be with my family and friends,” said Wolf who had her last chemo treatment in July 2008 and elected for a double mastectomy in Laura Danoff and Joelle Wolf at the September of the same year. 2008 Santa Clara American Cancer Wolf is now cancer-free. Society Relay

"Schindler" exhibition coming to Los Gatos.......p.18 Physically fit children excel in all areas of life...p.24 & 25 Is cosmetic surgery permitted in Judaism?....p.26

Emanu-El’s sixth grade class decided to support Wolf, and others battling cancer, by participating in Santa Clara’s American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life last May. [continued on p.8] Published by the Jewish Federation of Silicon valley Vol. #71, Issue #1, JANUARY 2010 Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley 14855 Oka Rd. Suite 200 Los Gatos, CA 95032 Change Service Requested

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

www.jvalley.org • JCN • January 2010

January 2010 • JCN • www.jvalley.org

from the federation ceo & president Message from the CEO New years are always exciting. They provide a time to reflect on what has been and plan with hope for an improved future. This year is no exception. The Federation has embarked on several new initiatives for which I hope you will share my enthusiasm. You’ve probably noticed already that we have a new look for our Jewish Community News (JCN.) After 75 years everyone deserves a facelift. We intend on continuing our coverage of our local community with special focus on the people and programs in our community. Our hope is that our new modernized look will encourage new readership and subscribers. We have also brought the paper layout in house to reduce costs of production. We are ever conscientious of how we are utilizing donations to the Federation. We have also redesigned our website. We accomplished this task exclusively with grants from the Jewish Federation of North America (our parent organization) and the Koret Foundation. We hope that you find www.jvalley.org inviting and user friendly. We’ve utilized lessons we learned with Rabbi Kerry Olitsky from the Jewish Outreach Initiative last year. You will still be able to register on line for events, find community organizations and activities, make pledges and payments, and read the JCN. We hope you use the new website to promote local activities, organizations and community members. We are committed to improving our service to the community and with your help we will continue our support of community agencies with funding and professional support. Best wishes for a happy, healthy and successful 2010!

jyl jurman

CEO, Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley

Cecily Ruttenberg Executive Editor Pat Bergman Editorial Assistant Andrea Greyber Simchas Editor Pat Bergman Datebook Editor Published six times a year by the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley. Subscription Price: $36 per year*. All articles must be submitted typed, double-spaced, before the deadline shown on this page. We reserve the right to edit all copy. The JCN is not responsible for the content of paid advertising. Send copy to Jewish Community News, 14855 Oka Rd., Suite 200, Los Gatos, CA 95032. Telephone: (408) 431-0936. Fax: (408) 356-0733. e-mail: cecily@jvalley.org For: Billing questions call Michelle Ryder (408) 357-7505 For: Advertising call Lori Cinnamon (408) 406-0059 For: Circulation call Danelle Rhiner (408) 358-3033 Assoc. Member: American Jewish Press Association Subscriber: Jewish Telegraphic Agency

DEADLINES: EDITORIAL: Feb. 2, ADVERTISING: Feb. 9

CANDLELIGHTING FOR SAN JOSE Fri., Jan. 15..................................4:56 p.m. Fri., Jan. 22..................................5:03 p.m. Fri., Jan. 29..................................5:11 p.m. Fri., Feb. 5...................................5:19 p.m.

Fri., Feb. 12...............................5:26 p.m. Fri., Feb. 19...............................5:34 p.m. Fri., Feb. 26...............................5:41 p.m. Fri., Mar. 5.................................5:48 p.m.

Message from the board president Community: n. an interacting population of various kinds of individuals in a common location within a larger society. (Merriam-Webster's Dictionary) As I write my first column for the Jewish Community News, it is cold outside. During winter, the days are short, and a chill wind blows through the valley. In spite of the season, we in Jewish Silicon Valley are kept warm by the glow of community. We are sustained as individuals, families and Jews by each other and by the institutions that serve us.

A Night of Illusions, Magic Show * Saturday, January 16, 7:00 pm A show for all ages that will inspire wonder and imagination! Tickets: $15 in advance, $20 @ the door Meet Author Maggie Anton Tuesday, January 19, 7:30 pm Maggie Anton will discuss her new book: “Three Women and a Talmud.” Learn about the research behind her best-selling “Rashi’s Daughters” trilogy. Cost: $5.00 donation requested. Beth David Lunch and Learn Seminar: Good King or Bad King? - The Story of King David Sunday, February 7, 12:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Nitzhia Shaked, from Sonoma State University, examines the foibles and successes of this king, whose dark side cast a shadow over his achievements. The discussion wil be based on Biblical accounts, rabbinic thoughts, and archeological sources. A donation is requested for the lunch and seminar.

Service Schedule Daily Minyan Mon-Thurs 7:00 pm Tot Shabbat 2nd & 4th Saturday, 1/23, 2/13… 11 am – 12 pm Shabbat Mishpaha (family) Service & Supper * Most First Fridays 2/5, 3/5… 6:30 pm PJ Shabbat & Dinner* Fridays 2/12, 3/19 6:00 pm Shir Shabbat Every 4th Friday, 1/22, 2/26… 6:30 pm Weekend Services Friday: 6:30 pm (Service starts at 6:00pm when it is PJ Shabbat)

Saturday : 9:30 am Youth Services 10:00 am (most Shabbats)

Mah Jongg Tournament* Sunday, February 21, 9:30 am - 2:30 pm A fun day of Mah Jongg at Beth David with prizes and lunch! Tournament play is 12 games, 4 games/hour, players rotate tables every hour. Cost: $30. Questions? Contact Nancy at program@beth-david.org. Purim at CBD Feb 27 evening - Megillah Readings 7 PM - Family Reading (Sanctuary) 8:30 PM - The Gantze Megillah (Sanctuary) Feb 28 9:00 AM Services & Megillah Reading 11:00am - 2:00pm Purim Carnival with Queen Esther’s Kitchen Featuring games with prizes, arts and crafts, Israeli dancing, a silent auction, library book sale, and Queen Esther’s Kitchen by Sisterhood. Come in costume or wear your craziest clothes and wildest hair! We’ll have prizes for those in costume or dressed outlandishly.

See Website for details *RSVP at www.beth-david.org/rsvp

An elderly person has a secure place to live, with meals and assistance in the activities of daily living at Chai House. That same senior and her friends may partake of a Kosher meal at the Jewish Community Center. Children attend preschool or summer camp, play soccer and basketball at the same JCC, while their parents learn at the Melton School or participate in the dance and fitness classes there. Parents are delighted that their children receive books from PJ Library and receive quality Jewish and general education at Yavneh and South Peninsula Hebrew Day Schools, and Kehillah Jewish High School. The teenager trying to learn more about the horrors of the Holocaust or deepen his Jewish identity benefits from the March of the Living or Birthright trips. The young woman who attends one of our local colleges or universities shares Shabbat dinner with friends and receives emotional support in the face of campus anti-Semitism at Hillel of Silicon Valley. Our Holocaust survivors and their families meet regularly for brunch as part of the South Bay Holocaust Survivor Association. A family whose breadwinners are laid off is secure in the knowledge that Jewish Family Services is available to help with job counseling and psychological support. Our synagogues provide religious services, social activities, assistance to the needy, education to our children and open arms to all Jews, be they orthodox, conservative or reform, traditional or interfaith families, or LGBT individuals or couples. The new bride, the Jew by Choice, an individual undergoing a major life event or transition has access to the community Mikvah at the Levy Family Campus. A man in the hospital, ill and frightened, receives the support of our community chaplain. Suddenly, the night is not so cold. The glow of our diverse and vibrant Jewish community warms us all, and your support to the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley is the fuel that keeps the fire burning. Thank you!

steve green

Board President, Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley

www.jvalley.org • JCN • January 2010

community photos

Avin, Adam and Aurienne Dorsay celebrate Chanukah at Santana Row with PJ Library. Aurienne sits on the PJ Library committee.

APJCC CEO Hal Bordy lights the chanukiah as children watch during the Chanukah Candlelighting program at Santana Row. The week of programs, sponsored by The PJ Library Program® of Silicon Valley, involved many Jewish community organizations.

Local Chanukah Gatherings

WP President Susie Brenner lights the first candle at Santana Row PJ Library Chanukah celebration.

Women’s Philanthropy held its first annual Mah Jongg tournament chaired by Karen Guggenheim and Doris Katz on Sunday, December 6th at the Levy Family Campus. Photographed here are the winners (L to R): Amy Schiff (Bear winner, Maven), Kyra Hubis (1st, Novice), Linda Pomeranz (2nd, Novice), Barbara Silverstein (1st, Maven), Shelley Luskey (2nd , Maven) , Lynne Levi (3rd, Maven) and Gayle Miller (Bear winner, Novice). Not shown, Arlene Noodleman, (3rd, Novice.)

Congregation Emeth in Morgan Hill drew over 100 people to the event featuring holocaust survivor Magda Brown. Picture above are 8th grader Joshua Toch, Sisterhood Co-President Marilyn Freund, Magda Brown and Sisterhood CoPresident Patty Baggese.

At the 2009 GA, the Executive Committee of the Jewish Federations of North America were invited to a private reception with President Obama. Pictured: Al Guggenheim, President Barack Obama

January 2010 • JCN • www.jvalley.org

www.jvalley.org • JCN • January 2010

Article Correction In the December 2009 issue of the Jewish Community News, a cover article on local, young adult programs inadvertently failed to mention the program at Shir Hadash. Congregation Shir Hadash in Los Gatos runs a thriving young adults program gathering monthly for a variety of activities and celebrations. Past activites have included hiking, an annual Chanukah party, bocce ball, movie night and more. For more information, please contact Rabbi Joel Fleekop at (408) 358-1751 or rabbifleekop@shirhadash.org.

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January 2010 • JCN • www.jvalley.org

local news Shir Hadash celebrates its 30th anniversary In celebration of the synagogue's 30th anniversary, Congregation Shir Hadash will host a special Shabbat with guest Craig Taubman on S a t u r d a y, February 20, at 10:30 a.m., h o n o r i n g the temple's f o u n d i n g Craig Taubman members.

Congregation Emeth Sisterhood fries latkes for cooking show When flipping through TV channels, don’t be surprised to see congregants from Morgan Hill’s Congregation Emeth cooking latkes and sufganiyot as part of an educational, public access TV program on December foods and traditions. A group of women congregants recently met in the Temple’s new commercial kitchen to be filmed cooking in action. The show was organized by former Emeth member Judy Samuels-Keyes. Along with her cable crew, Samuels-Keyes filmed a show about various ethnic and religious groups and the types of foods they eat during December and the associated rituals that occur. The show is currently airing on Morgan Hill public access TV. It has also been sent to public access stations in Monterey, San Joaquin and Northern Santa Clara County for consideration.

Craig Taubman’s dynamic music and moving performance style have been an inspiration to the Jewish community for over 25 years.

When Emeth Sisterhood president Patty Baggese was first asked to participate, she sent ot an email to members asking for volunteers. Then the show’s producer told Baggese she also wanted to film a group enjoying the food and telling the story of Chanukah. “Then I sent out another email to the congregation and said we need eaters,” said Baggese.

Shir Hadash continues to be an evolving synagogue 30 years after a group of founders sat in the living room of first temple president Mel Jacobs, z”l. The community is invited to enjoy Craig Taubman's music and help honor Shir Hadash's founding members. For more information, please contact Cantor Devorah Felder-Levy at (408) 358-1751 or cantor@shirhadash.org. This event is free.

Mah Jongg tournament coming up in February All Mah Jongg players are welcome at Congregation Beth David's second annual Mah Jongg tournament on Monday, February 21, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Bring your friends. The price is $30 which includes lunch and prizes. First-time tournament players—see tournament rules in action: a tournament is 12 games, four per hour, and players rotate tables every hour. Email RSVP to: rsvp@beth-david.org by Monday, February 12. Please direct questions to Nancy Newman at (408) 255-8857 or email her at nancynewm@gmail.com.

Women's Spirituality Day on February 20 Cantor Meeka Simerly from Temple EmanuEl and Rabbi Debbie Israel from Congregation Emeth will lead a Women’s Spirituality Day on Saturday, February 20. The program will begin at 12:15 p.m. and will include a light lunch, study sessions, music and art and a look at the connections between Shabbat and Havdalah. The cost for the afternoon is $36 in advance, $40 at the door. Pre-registration is requested to WOTE@ templesanjose.org. Checks made payable to Sisterhood may be mailed to the Temple office, 1010 University Avenue, San Jose CA 95126. The day will conclude with a community-wide Havdalah at 6 p.m.

Emeth’s Adult Learning Chair Susan Meyers and Sisterhood co-presidents Patty Baggese and Marilyn Freund

Emeth women and Samuels-Keyes arrived at the filming prepared with utensils and ingredients. On film they peeled potatoes, made latke mixture and began frying.

While the preparation and cooking was going on, the women talked about their special and unique way of making latkes and their memories of making them as they were growing up with their families. Secrets were shared along with a lot of laughter. Baggese, who was one of the cooks, says that this first foray with show business was very comfortable and easy. “The cameramen were so unobtrusive that we were just in the kitchen having a good time,” Baggese said. “We had done a pre-staging of the whole thing with the lead cameraman so we knew how to set it up and we knew what we were doing. And Judy, having done this many times before, led us through it. So it was just like a bunch of us in the kitchen together.” Baggese adds that they were instructed to just talk to each other and Judy most of the time, not the “audience.” “There were two cameras, one filming our hands doing the work and the cooking, and one filming us. Most of us got confused as to which camera to look at anyway,” Baggese laughs.

“The cameramen were so unobtrusive that we were just in the kitchen having a good time.”

When the latkes were finished, two batches of sufganiyot were made. One batch was from scratch and one was made using prepared dough from the refrigerator section of the grocery store. They were then deep fried and the jelly was added. Lastly, they were covered with powdered sugar. No one could tell the difference between the two types of dough. Once the cooking was completed, other members of Emeth joined Judy and the Sisterhood women for a demonstration of lighting of the Chanukah candles, and Rabbi Debbie Israel told the story of Chanukah and explained some of the holiday’s rituals. Following that, everyone feasted on the latkes with the traditional apple sauce and sour cream as well as the fresh sufganiyot. The camera crew also joined and enjoyed the latkes and donuts. One of the goals of the show was to educate people on the different customs practiced and foods eaten during the month of December. With just the camera crew watching, that goal was already underway. “Judy just told me when she dropped off the CD this morning, that the cameraman told her that he really learned a lot and really enjoyed this one,” Baggese said. “I think it does enlighten people who don't know what the holiday is, or what the foods mean or why we celebrate. Dates and times of the program’s showing can be found on Judy’s website cookingforallseasons.com.

www.jvalley.org • JCN • January 2010

local news

Torah for Tots

[from "sixth graders" p.1]

The Relay, held across the U.S. in different months during the year, raises money to fund cancer research and increase awareness about the disease. “The students saw Joelle throughout her battle, usually wearing a wig, sometimes a hat, but always with such an uplifting attitude and spirit. She inspired all of us,” said Suellen Haggerty, Emanu-El’s sixth grade teacher and captain of their Relay team, Mitzvah Makers. Team Mitzvah Makers walked the track the entire 24 hours of the relay, spending time bonding together at Santa Clara’s Townsend Field. During the day, the 95-degree heat gave the team a chance to do another mitzvah: they filled spray bottles with ice water and spritzed walkers from other teams, as they passed by, to keep them cool. The team raised additional funds by selling friendship bracelets they’d made to other relay Temple Emanu-El sixth graders participated in a cancer walk in honor of their Hebrew participants. Mitzvah school teacher. Makers had hoped to raise $2,000, but collected more than $3,400. The event was about so much more than just the fundraising. “This is really meaningful for me especially because I lost my grandmother to cancer. It is a really wonderful experience and it makes you feel warm inside your heart,” said sixth grader Hannah Michelberg. Wolf says she’s very proud of the students not only for participating in the Relay, but also for the outpouring of concern she felt from the constant cards, letters and phone calls she received. “When you’re not alone and you have support you can think I’m going to beat this thing,” Wolf said. Temple Emanu-El Board President Laura Danoff-Robinson knows what it’s like to beat cancer. She had breast cancer in 1987 and again in 2001. Both Wolf and Danoff-Robinson believe in annual mammograms and self breast exams. In fact, Joelle discovered her cancer through a self breast exam when she sensed something wasn’t right. She found a hard pea-sized lump in one breast. Danoff-Robinson’s very first screening mammogram found her microscopic lump so early that she didn’t need chemotherapy. According to the American Cancer Society, one in eight women will be diagnosed with some type of breast cancer in her lifetime. In 2009, approximately 40,170 women were expected to die from breast cancer. Only lung cancer accounts for more cancer deaths in women. The American Cancer Society conducts research to find a cure and to find better detection and treatment options. For more information check out www.cancer.org. “Participation in the Relay made a lasting impression on the Team Mitzvah Makers sixth graders and they will be forever more engaged in Tikkun Olam, repairing the world,” said Paula Marsh, Emanu-El’s Religious School principal. Relay has made a lasting impression on Haggerty, who has participated for eight or nine years. She plans on being at a Relay this year with her current students so they too will bond while making a difference for others.

Congregation Sinai hosts a Torah for Tots Shabbat the first and third Saturday of the month from 11 a.m. to noon. Join other families with children ages 0-5 for fun, interactive, parent-led services. The children have a little nosh, sing some songs, learn about prayer, get some activity, make new friends, and bond with their parents. Sinai membership is not required and there is no fee. The goal is to create a place to celebrate Shabbat, our community and our children. For more information, please contact Sinai at (408) 264-8542.

Senior film and Shabbat lunch Seniors are invited to a Shabbat lunch and the movie Brother's Shadow on Friday, January 29 at 12 p.m. at the APJCC Auditorium. The movie is written and directed by Todd Yellin. After the film, Mr. Yellin will moderate a discussion. The cost of the program is $5 for members and $7.50 for non-members.

Lunch and Learn: The Story of King David Congregation Beth David Lunch and Learn seminars will continue on Sunday, February 7, at 12:30 p.m., with a presentation “Good King or Bad King? The Story of King David” by Nitzhia Shaked, a lecturer in Jewish Studies at Sonoma State University. Jewish history has few more beloved or fascinating characters than King David, a hero who went from a peaceful boyhood as a sensitive shepherd to bloody, sinning years as King of Israel, shockingly breaking most of the Ten Commandments. This presentation will examine both the positive and negative sides of this outstanding king, whose dark side cast a huge shadow over his impressive achievements and has generated disputes throughout the ages. The discussion will be based on Biblical accounts of events, such as David's heroic, brave encounter with the oversized Philistine warrior Goliath and the tragic, sin-ridden Bathsheba affair, using rabbinic thoughts and archaeological sources. Lunch and Learn seminars are held at Beth David on Sundays from 12:30 to 3 p.m. A light lunch is available at the start. A small donation is requested for the lunch and seminar. Upcoming seminars are March 7 (“The Lord of Hosts: Y-hw-h as a War G-d”) and April 25 (“Mystery and History in the Dead Sea Scrolls”).

January 2010 • JCN • www.jvalley.org

fitness

Members find more than fitness at the APJCC By Cecily Ruttenberg Staying healthy in today’s fast paced, high pressure society involves more than half-hour stints on the treadmill. People require friends, a sense of belonging, enriching activities and spiritual nourishment. The Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center, which has operated at the Levy Family Campus for four years, strives to meet all these needs under one roof.

This is what happened with Virginia Puccio. She joined the APJCC as a personal trainer, and is currently the assistant general manager of the fitness center. Puccio’s father is Jewish, but she was not raised as a Jew. When she heard about the opportunity to work at the JCC, she thought it might be a way to connect more with that side of her heritage.

While people join for a variety of reasons—maybe just for the fitness club, or just for education classes— the hope is that the other offerings will begin to look appealing and members will take advantage of more and more. “If a member worked out in the gym and then took a Melton class to learn more about Judaism and also participated in family swim parties and made time to look at the upstairs art exhibit, that would go a long way towards an enriching and healthy experience,” said Rabbi Joshua Fenton, director of the APJCC’s Center for Jewish Life and Learning. When Daniela and Seth Silverstein joined the APJCC with their sons Max and Ethan, they were delighted to get not just an exercise club, but a social community too. “We were looking for a fitness center to join, and we realized that if we joined the JCC, we’d not only get a great fitness center, but we’d get the connection to the Jewish community, too,” said Daniela. “It’s a great value because we can combine something Arnie Addison, a namesake of the Addison-Penzak JCC, we’d be buying anyway, a fitness center membership, works out with a trainer as part of a regular exercise with membership in this great Jewish communal regimen. experience.” She adds: “We see our friends when we’re working out at the gym, our kids attend the preschool, and I have a group of friends that I meet with to play Mah Jongg each week in the café.” Other people join with the intention of just working out, and through exposure to the other classes, kindle an interest in something else, and in some case their own Jewish roots.

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“It was sort of always in the back of my mind (that I wanted to find out more about Judaism),” Puccio said. “So when I joined the JCC fitness department, I tried some of the Judaica classes. Over the past three years, I’ve taken Hebrew language, I’ve studied Torah with Rabbi Fenton, and now I’m taking the first year of Melton (the JCC’s year-long adult education course). The JCC Department of Jewish Life and Learning sometimes offers short crash courses on different topics and I try to fit those in, too… For me, the experience of being here (at the JCC) has definitely strengthened my feeling of being Jewish…I joined a synagogue. I go on Saturdays…I plan to take the second year of the Melton next year…I’ve found that I love studying Torah.”

The JCC values its ability to offer multifaceted experiences to its members. Seniors can participate in Shabbat lunches, art and music with preschoolers and study courses. There are fitness, religious, Hebrew and dancing classes, as well as holiday celebrations, generalized social events and speakers. Children have a host of athletic classes to choose from as well as winter and summer camp programs and special activities. “The JCC’s overall goal is the physical, spiritual and mental health of its members,” said Hal Bordy, the JCC’s CEO. “As Jews, we have a responsibility to take care of ourselves because we’re made in G-d’s image. So we offer a variety of types of activities that enable our members to maintain a healthy lifestyle.” Physical health and fitness play a large role in the schedule of activities the JCC offers. There are historical as well as financial reasons for this, Bordy explained. JCCs started back in the 1800s as the YMHA (Young Men’s Hebrew Association) because Jewish boys weren’t allowed to participate in sports at the YMCA. So the focus at the beginning was athletics. Then in the later part of the 1800s, with the great wave of Jewish immigration from Eastern Europe, there was a need for services to help the new immigrants settle into American life. So the JCCs added a social work, settlement component to their activities. Then, following World War II, with the social changes that happened in American life, you get the emergence of the modern JCC that combines a social work component–programs for youth and seniors and so on–with a more modern recreation and fitness component. In the old JCCs, you’d often find a little workout room but the social changes and modern emphasis on health and wellness in the past 40 or 50 years have resulted in JCCs building much more extensive, more modern fitness facilities.

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“All of this is compatible with the goals of Judaism,” Bordy added. “We have an obligation to maintain our physical health. This is why it makes sense for the JCC to offer a fitness facility together with our Jewish programming and our social programming.” [continued on p.13]

www.jvalley.org • JCN • January 2010

local news Ahabat Torah opens its library to the public

Science in the Talmud lecture at Shir Hadash Rabbi John Fishman, doctoral candidate in Jewish History, will lead a text study and discussion on the science in the Talmud on Sunday, February 7, from 10 a.m. to noon at Congregation Shir Hadash. Passages from the Talmud will be read that demonstrate the understanding of the planets and the earth’s place in the cosmos, including the concept of the “seven heavens,” movement of the sun, moon and stars, and the place of the earth in the universe. Fishman will demonstrate how the rabbis’ views of the cosmos differed from the ancient Greeks’, as well as from other contemporaneous Jewish writers such as Philo, Josephus, and the writers of the Apocrypha.

Rabbi John Fishman

Rabbi Fishman was ordained at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 2002. He is currently living in Mountain View while completing his Ph.D. in Jewish Medieval History at the University of Pennsylvania. This lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Shir Hadash at (408) 358-1751.

Shabbat Shira, Tu B’Shevat at Temple Emanu-El

Congregation Emeth Tu B’Shevat Seder

The Sabbath of Song is Friday, January 29, celebrating music and nature in preparation for Tu B’Shevat. The adult choir will sing a special repertoire. A family-oriented Shabbat morning minyan will be celebrated on Saturday, January 30, at 9 a.m., followed by a Tu B’Shevat Seder. RSVPs are requested so the proper amounts of the special foods can be ready. Families with schoolage children are encouraged to experience this special celebration. Contact the Temple Emanu-El administrative office, (408) 292-0939.

Congregation Emeth will observe Erev Shabbat and Tu B’Shevat with its annual Tu B’Shvat Seder and potluck on Friday night, January 29. The seder will be led by Rabbi Debbie Israel and Cantorial soloist Mark Levy.

Sinai celebrates Tu B'Shevat Sinai's annual Tu B’Shevat Seder will take place on the actual holiday, Saturday, January 30 from 4:15 to 6 pm. The New Year of the Trees will be commemorated by reading from Sinai's Tu B’Shevat Hagaddah. Fruits and nuts, wine, and other goodies will be provided, and children will have special programming and activities. At the conclusion of the seder, the new week will be welcomed with Havdallah and a guitar singalong. For more information or to make your reservation, please call the Sinai office at (408) 264-8542 or visit the website at sinai-sj.org.

Emanu-El blood drive It’s time to get off the couch and make a difference. Did you know that less than 3 percent of Bay Area residents donate blood? For more than 30 years, Temple Emanu-El’s Brotherhood has sponsored a blood drive. This year, in cooperation with the Stanford Blood Centers, the blood drive will be held on Sunday, January 31, from 8:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Donors should be free of cold or flu symptoms, well-hydrated, and have eaten in the morning before donating. Please bring photo ID. Anyone 17 years or older and weighing 115 pounds or more may donate. A brief screening will be available that morning. Reservations may be made online at http://bloodcenter.stanford. edu/, and click on “find a Blood Drive.”

The seder will follow the format of a Passover seder, including four cups of wine, fruit from the trees, many blessings (especially Shabbat), and a lot of Israeli music. “This seder is intended for adults and our school agedchildren who are capable of sitting for a long period of time–like a seder!” said Hana Cidon, Emeth’s Ritual Committee chairperson. “The community is invited to participate with us as we uncover modern meaning in this ancient holiday.” To reserve a place at the seder table, kindly RSVP to admin@emeth.net, and indicate what you will be bringing to the potluck (vegetarian and dairy only, with an emphasis on food from trees).

Purim spiel and carnival for kids Join Temple Emanu-El for an outrageous, kid-friendly Purim Spiel in the sanctuary on Sunday, February 28, at 11 a.m. Come ready to make some noise with graggers! The Purim Carnival will begin immediately following, and will continue until 1:30 p.m. Games, prizes, a bounce house, and more. Lunch will be available for purchase. Children are encouraged to come in costume for the parade, Purchase tickets in advance and you won’t have to wait in line. Contact the Temple School office for more information, (408) 292-0923.

Adults-only Purim party Find your outrageous costumes; get your graggers ready. It’s time to party and read the Megillah on Friday, February 27, starting at 7 p.m. at Temple Emanu-El. Bring a dessert or appetizer to share. Hamentaschen will be provided. Come hear the Megillah as you’ve never heard it before. This adults-only evening will include many special toasts, and people may bring their own beverages. RSVP to the Temple office, (408) 292-0939.

Ahabat Torah is pleased to announce that its library of Judaica is available to all interested men, women, and children of the community. Besides a full complement of scholarly and popular texts in English and Hebrew there are many tapes and CDs spanning the spectrum of Jewish thought and music. Call Rabbi Simcha A. Green at (408) 371-6331 to make an appointment to check out the congregation’s materials free of charge.

Sinai's new Torah N'Tefillah for grade schoolers Congregation Sinai has launched a new program, “Torah N'Tefillah (TNT), for students in grades 3-7 (from religious schools and the Jewish day schools). Students will get the opportunity to put their learning into practice by leading parts of the service, learning new melodies, and exploring Shabbat teachings and stories. Led by B'nei Mitzvah educator Doug Brook, the program will be held on the second Saturday of every month at Congregation Sinai, 1532 Willowbrae Avenue, San Jose. For more information, contact the Sinai office at (408) 264-8542.

Love and longing in Yiddish: a new concert with Eleanor Reissa Join performer Eleanor Reissa for her new show featuring extraordinary Yiddish songs and stories celebrating love--its passion and heart as well as songs about longing-its unquenchable need and desire. She will take you on a journey of funny, moving songs from the shtetl as well as through jazzy cosmopolitan Yiddish theatre hits. Her Yiddish songbook is thick Eleanor Reissa and luscious with all sorts of familiar as well as unknown treasures. Eleanor is one of the world’s leading interpreters of Yiddish songs. You’ll feel like you understand Yiddish by the time you leave the theatre. The concert is on Sunday, February 21, at 3 p.m. at Congregation Sinai. For more information, contact office@sinai-sj.org or (408) 264-8542.

Trial program for Shir Hadash preschool In order to promote its new preschool program, Congregation Shir Hadash will host an eight-week group for toddlers on Tuesday mornings from 9 to 10:30 a.m. beginning January 26. Parents and their young children are invited to come learn what a Reggio-inspired classroom experience is like. Explore art, nature and the classroom environments through Reggio eyes. The class fee of $120 includes snack and all materials and will take place in an early childhood setting at the Shir Hadash Early Childhood Center, 20 Cherry Blossom Lane, Los Gatos. Please call Robin Adelman, director of the Early Childhood Center at (408) 358-1751, ext. 115 or email robin@shirhadash.org for more information.

January 2010 â&#x20AC;˘ JCN â&#x20AC;˘ www.jvalley.org

Connections 2010

WITH CARTOONIST HILARY PRICE

Hilary Price

Thursday March 4 2010

Marcia Klein Chair

5:30 p.m. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Pre-reception for Aliyah donors

Information Contact Arielle Hendel, arielle@jvalley.org, (408) 357-7501

Open to all women who make a minimum gift of $1,000 to the 2010 Annual Campaign

6:30 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 9:00 p.m. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Dinner and Event Open to all women who make a minimum gift of $180 to the 2010 Annual Campaign

www.jvalley.org

www.jvalley.org • JCN • January 2010 MO EX NT HI H-L BI O TI NG ON

Holocaust Stories of Redemption Sunday, January 17, 2010, 7 pm Auditorium, Levy Family Campus Join us for a special evening featuring FILM, INTERVIEW and EXHIBITION PREVIEW

SCHINDLER JANUARY 18FEBRUARY 12 LEVY FAMILY CAMPUS LOBBY A traveling exhibition from The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington D.C.

Including conversation with local survivor Jack Tramiel, founder of Commodore Computers RSVP by January 11 to diane@jvalley.org, (408)357-7504 Jewish Community Relations Council

Child Holocaust survivor speaks at Congregation Emeth On December 16, Congregation Emeth presented child Holocaust survivor Magda Brown, a speaker from the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, to a standing-room-only audience. Presented by Emeth Sisterhood, the audience included 40 eighth grade students from the Charter School of Morgan Hill. Magda Brown was born in Miskolc, Hungary and grew up in a safe, loving home. On October 15, 1944, h o w e v e r, B r o w n and her family were forcibly m o v e d to a Nazi transition Holocaust survivor Magda Brown at Congregation Emeth camp in Miskolc with about 14,000 other Jews. In June, on her seventeenth birthday, Brown and her family were crowded into a railcar and deported to the death camp, AuschwitzBirkenau. Brown was separated from her family and it was the last time she saw them; they went directly into the gas chambers. Brown was part of a group who escaped while on a death march to Buchenwald in March, 1945. She hid until she was liberated by the American soldiers.

The Charter School students who attended came as part of the English class; they were reading Holocaust literature. Joshua Toch, a Charter School and Emeth student, said, “Magda Brown’s lecture was very interesting. Though I was depressed hearing it, I think it is important to know what happened so it The community is invited to attend a Poverty Simulation at Congregation Shir never happens again.” Hadash following early services on February 5. This event is part of an initiative by Step Up Silicon Valley, a consortium of local service organizations, to raise This program was presented by Emeth Sisterhood and chaired by Marilyn consciousness about poverty in the Valley. The program will be put on in Freund as part of its Adult Learning program. For further information about conjunction with the Jewish Community Relations Council and the congregation’s Congregation Emeth and its Sisterhood, go to www.emeth.net. social justice committee.

Shir Hadash hosts Poverty Simulation

During a simulation, those in attendance become part of a family living in a poverty situation and spend an hour walking in the shoes of a poor person struggling to make ends meet. The task of each “family” is to provide themselves with food, shelter and other basic necessities while interacting with various community resources such as social services agencies, the bank, the police, schools, employers, etc. Participants will briefly view the real world of poverty in an People living in poverty often rely on canned foods experiential setting and then like those provided locally by Second Harvest Food at the end, in small groups, discuss reactions. Bank. Everyone who has participated in one of these simulations has said they felt rewarded by the experience. They have been held over the last year in a number of churches and schools and even in the main rotunda of San Jose City Hall for local politicians and city staff. The sole purpose of the simulation is to arouse awareness and encourage discussion. Fruit and cheese will be served at 6 p.m., followed by services at 6:30, then dinner at 7:15 and the simulation at 8 p.m. There is no cost except $10 for dinner, by reservation with Nadine Toby at the Temple office (408)358-1751, ext. 5 or Nadine@shirhadash.org. Attendance for the simulation alone is free. Please RSVP by Feb. 1.

Shir Hadash Early Childhood Center Enrolling Now!

N New facility, small classes Full & part day programs for children 2 years to Kindergarten Diverse community of families Reggio-inspired curriculum Innovative play yard Joyful Reform Jewish environment

Children of all faiths welcome

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SV P

eR eas

Registering now for 2010-2011 For more information email Robin Adelman at robin@ShirHadash.org g or call 408-358-1751 ext. 115 20 Cherry Blossom Lane Los Gatos, 95032

January 2010 â&#x20AC;˘ JCN â&#x20AC;˘ www.jvalley.org

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The fitness center is crucial to providing a stable financial basis for the JCC, as well. Arnie Addison, who with his wife Cookie gave a major donation to the JCC in the 1980s that allowed it to buy the Oka Road property and helped give the Addison-Penzak JCC its name, explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I supported the JCC because I wanted there to be a place for Jewish boys to meet Jewish girls,â&#x20AC;? to ensure the continuation of the South Bayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jewish community, but â&#x20AC;&#x153;The fitness center is important because it draws people to the center and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a big contributor to paying the centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s overhead. Without the fitness center, the JCC...wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the cash flow to pay its expenses. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s putting it very direct, but thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the truth. The fitness center enables the JCC to be in the black. It also enables the whole community to be involved.â&#x20AC;? While the fitness center was not Addisonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s original reason for becoming involved with the JCC, he enjoys it now and you could say he exercises religiously, working out four days a week. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When (the JCCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new fitness facility) opened (in 2005) I thought it was far superior to (the fitness center I was currently attending), so I started coming here. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m here 3 to 4 days a week, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours at a time.â&#x20AC;? He likes it for the chance to connect, as well as for the amenities. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everything is clean and in good working order, and I enjoy the camaraderie.â&#x20AC;? While the APJCC aims to offer a lotâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;between fitness, Jewish, educational and social activitiesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;it intentionally does not offer everything.

San Jose 500 S. Winchester Blvd. (408) 984-4767

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hold a Purim carnival, for example,â&#x20AC;? says Marketing Director Jenny Green, â&#x20AC;&#x153;because we wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to get in the way of what the synagogues are offering. We also donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hold Shabbat or Havdalah or High Holy Day services.â&#x20AC;?

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The APJCC does offer learning courses around Jewish holidays, for example, a learning seder where people who would like to host their own Passover Seder can practice the elements that are involved. [continued on p.16]

Temple Emanu-El A lifetime of Tradition and Innovation since 1861 Tu Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Shevat at Temple Emanu-El Jan. 29 at 7:30 PM Shabbat Shira: Special Shabbat featuring our Adult Choir. Tikkun Olam-themed service with nature songs led by Rabbi Dana Magat and Cantor Meeka Simerly. Jan. 30 at 9 AM Family Shabbat Morning Minyan followed by a Tu Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Shevat Seder. (RSVP Requested)

Events Happening at Temple Emanu-El Jan. 21: 7:30 PM Sisterhood Speaker Series Herb Kwart will speak about the Jewish Congressional Medal of Honor recipients throughout Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s History. (RSVP requested) Jan. 31: 8:45 AM Blood Drive (RSVP Requested)

Feb. 2: 5-7 PM Preschool Open House Feb. 6: 6-9 PM Auxiliary Game Night Feb. 20: 12:15 PM Women's Spirituality Day

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Between the Fires_ Shabbat to Havdalahâ&#x20AC;? A special day led by Cantor Meeka Simerly and Rabbi Debbie Israel. Enjoy lunch, study sessions, music and art. The day concludes with an all-community Havdalah service. (RSVP requested)

Feb. 27: 7 PM Megillah Reading & Purim Ball Evening of live Big Band music by Laurent Fourgo & his Ensemble , games and a creative and fun Megillah reading. BYOB. Big Band era costumes encouraged. No charge; donations welcome. (RSVP requested)

Feb. 28: 11 AM Purim Shpiel & Carnival

January Services Fri., Jan. 1: 6:30 PM Kabbalat Shabbat Service Sat., Jan. 2: 9 AM Shabbat Morning Minyan Fri., Jan. 8: 7:15 PM Erev Shabbat Family Service Sat., Jan. 9: 9 AM Shabbat Morning Minyan Fri., Jan. 15: 6 PM Tot Shabbat 7:30 PM Erev Shabbat Service Sat., Jan 16: 9 AM Shabbat Morning Minyan Fri., Jan. 22: 6:30 PM Kabbalat Shabbat Service Sat., Jan. 23: 9 AM Shabbat Morning Minyan Fri., Jan. 29: 7:30 PM Shabbat Shira Sat., Jan. 30: 9 AM Family Shabbat Morning Minyan and Tu Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Shevat Seder

Join Temple Emanu-El for an outrageous Purim Spiel. Carnival will begin immediately following with *For our February Schedule please games, prizes, bounce house, and more. For more see our website: information, 408-292-3223. www.templesanjose.org. Save the Date! Petâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Shabbat & Mitzvah Day March 19-21 Second Seder March 30th Temple Emanu-El 1010 University Ave, San Jose, CA 95126 www.templesanjose.org Main Office: 408.292-0939

Religious School: 408.292-3223 Preschool: 408.293.8660

www.hausner.com 450 San Antonio Road, Palo Alto, CA 94306 CAIS and WASC Accredited A Beneficiary of the JCF Confidential Scholarships Available Additional scholarship funds provided by the Jim Joseph Foundation in Partnership with the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties and the Bureau of Jewish Education.

www.jvalley.org â&#x20AC;˘ JCN â&#x20AC;˘ January 2010

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January 2010 • JCN • www.jvalley.org

stories Staying healthy and joyful no matter what life delivers By Shannon Guggenheim I remember sitting on an airplane when I was younger listening to the flight attendant explain the safety procedures to the passengers: she said, “In the event of an emergency the oxygen masks will drop; put your own mask on first and then assist younger passengers traveling with you.” I remember thinking how completely wrong this seemed. At the time it just didn’t make any sense to me that the parent would work to save herself instead of first doing everything she could for her child. How selfish to choose yourself over your child. Surely, I thought as a teenager, when I’m older and have a child I’ll put the mask on the child first, then on myself. Of course, I now know why the parent needs to put the mask on herself first: we are no good to our children if we aren’t healthy. If we can’t breathe, how can we help the child? But as logical as this concept may seem, it is exceptionally difficult to live it, especially when you’re a parent of a child with special needs. Two years ago I gave birth to my second daughter and instead of celebrating as we did five years earlier when Lily Rose was born, we waited anxiously as a team of neonatal specialists put Allyson Hope on a ventilator that breathed for her and attempted to manage seizures that presented within minutes of her birth. After an EEG and MRI on day three we learned Ally suffered a brain injury due to lack of oxygen prior to being born. [continued on p.27]

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www.jvalley.org • JCN • January 2010

fitness [from "more than physical fitness" on p.13]

The APJCC also offers a group called Mother’s Circle, aimed at non-Jewish women raising Jewish children. The JCC also builds a community Sukkah every year that is open to the public, usually also offering a free dinner in the Sukkah one night. At Chanukah, its Chanukah Palooza festival attracts several hundred families with children. “We aim to provide cultural Jewish activities, and leave the synagogues to handle the ritual and religious parts,” said Jenny. “Some things overlap: we both offer Hebrew classes and Torah study, but mostly we do not.” While many APJCC members are unaffiliated, a good percentage holds synagogue memberships, too. Such is the case for Stacy and Dan Tobin, along with their children Mia and Mitchel. Stacy says she sees a benefit out of her affiliations to both the APJCC and Congregation Sinai. “They’re two totally different things. I see the synagogue as being the religious part of Judaism, and I see the JCC as being the cultural part.” Tobin says there’s never been a situation where an event at Sinai and a similar event at the JCC overlap. “They’re pretty good about making sure similar events don’t run at the same time.”

Personal trainer Stella Krashchenko assists an APJCC member, with her workout routine.

Coming Events at Shir Hadash @ Community Shabbat - FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Saturdays, 10:30am

Congregation Shir Hadash

January 23: Rabbi Ronnie Weiss on Jewish Christian Relations January 30: Tu Bishvat - Green Food February 20: Founders Shabbat with CRAIG TAUBMAN and the music of One Shabbat Morning

@ Adult Learning Opportunities- FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, to register rsvp to Patty at 408-358-1751 ext 7 or patty@shirhadash.org -The Book of Deuteronomy with Rabbi Ronnie Weiss Tuesdays, 10:30am-11:30am, beginning January 12 4 week course. -Comparative Religion - Buddhism with Rabbi Fleekop Sundays, January 17 and 24, 10:45am-12:00pm Reservations are required. -How Judaism Began (taught by Jeffrey Levin) Wednesdays, 7:30pm-9:00pm, beginning January 20 6 week course.

20 Cherry Blossom Lane Los Gatos, CA 95032 408-358-1751 www.shirhadash.org

-Science in the Talmud with Rabbi Jon Fishman Sunday, February 7, 10:00am-12:00pm Rabbi Fishman will guide participants through text study and discussion of science in the Talmud.

@ Women’s Christian/Muslim/Jewish Gathering at Shir Hadash Sunday, January 31, 2:45pm-5:00pm In Oneg Room, all are welcome to attend.

@ Shabbat Service and Participation Program on Poverty

in Santa Clara County, Friday, February 5 6:30pm (services and meal) 8:00pm (Poverty Simulation) $10 for dinner, no cost for simulation. To register, contact Nadine Toby at (408) 358-1751 x5 or nadine@shirhadash.org.

@ FOR FAMILIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN:Tot Shabbat - FREE AND

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC-Saturdays, January 16 and February 20 A service lead by Rabbi Levenberg for families with small children. Includes stories, song and Torah.

@ Reggio for Toddler’s and Two’s

Tuesdays, 9:00am-10:30am, beginning January 26 8 week session. $120/per family. To register, contact Robin Adelman at (408) 358-1751 x115 or robin@shirhadash.org.

@ PURIM AT SHIR HADASH: Saturday, February 27 5:00pm, Young Families Purim 5:45pm, Community Dinner 7:00pm, Service with Reading of the Megillah 8:00pm, Shpiel- A Wicked Purim

@ PURIM CARNIVAL and SPRING FESTIVAL

Sunday, February 28 11:00am-12:00pm (Preschool only); 12:00pm-2:00pm (open to all ages) One low price includes “Super Slide”, Bounce House, Carnival Games, Magician, Balloons, Face Painting and Food. All are welcome! SAVE THE DATE! April 24, 2010 “Club30” Congregation Shir Hadash’s FUN 30th Anniversary Celebration.

Please check the Shir Hadash website at www.shirhadash.org for upcoming events and information.

January 2010 • JCN • www.jvalley.org

FREE Winter Speaker Series

Speaker

APJCCCENTERFOR

JEWISHLIFE ANDLEARNING AMERICAN ISRAEL PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE (AIPAC) SERIES Leading the Charge: Working for a Safe and Secure Israel Thursday, January 21st at 7:30pm Tom Johanix, AIPAC South Bay Area Director, will discuss AIPAC’s mission, how AIPAC works, why AIPAC exists, and more. The U.S.-Israel Relationship: What’s Next? Thursday, February 4th at 7:30pm Zack Bodner, AIPAC Paciﬁc Northwest Regional Director, will discuss AIPAC’s current congressional lobbying agenda.

All lectures will be held in the Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center auditorium. For more information, contact the APJCC Center for Jewish Life & Learning at 408.357.7413 or CJLL@svjcc.org.

“IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD” SERIES In this 3-part series, local scholars will share with us some of what they are working on and thinking about. Don’t miss this opportunity to taste what is at the forefront of Judaic studies from our very own Bay Area experts. Dr. Aaron Hahn Tapper Thursday, January 28th at 7:30pm Professor Hahn Tapper holds the Swig Chair of Judaic Studies in the Theology and Religious Studies Department of the University of San Francisco. He focuses on Jewish-Arab, Jewish-Muslim, and IsraeliPalestinian education. Dr. Nathaniel Deutch Thursday, February 11th at 7:30pm Professor Deutch is the Director of the Center for Jewish Studies at UCSC and the co-founder of the Swarthmore College Beit Midrash Center for the Study of Classical Jewish Texts. He specializes in African American religious encounters with Judaism, among other topics. Dr. Charlotte Fonrobert Thursday, February 25th at 7:30pm Dr. Fonrobert is the Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Stanford University’s Taube Center for Jewish Studies. She writes about religion and gender, among other topics.

Jewish programming at the JCC is supported in part by a generous matching grant from the Koret Foundation.

Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center 14855 Oka Road, Los Gatos, CA 95032 www.svjcc.org/jplace

www.jvalley.org • JCN • January 2010

inside federation

“Schindler” traveling exhibition and “Angel of Ahlem” screening “Schindler," a traveling exhibition organized and circulated by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C., will be on display at two venues in the Bay Area this winter. The County Government Building at 70 W. Hedding Street will host the exhibition in the breezeway, from December 21, 2009 through January 15, 2010. The 600-sq. ft., 12-panel exhibition will then move to the Levy Family Campus, where it will be on display in the lobby from January 18 through February 12. Schindler has come to personify those heroic individuals who risked their lives to rescue Jews and others during the Holocaust. The behavior and psychology of Oskar Schindler was brought to life vividly by actor Liam Neeson in Steven Spielberg’s movie "Schindler’s List." Many people have also learned the story of this unlikely German-Catholic hero who lost his wealth but saved more than 1,000 Jewish lives through the book by Thomas Keneally, originally titled Schindler’s Ark. The exhibition from America’s national memorial to the Holocaust displays reproductions of photographs of the real Oskar Schindler, giving viewers the opportunity to try to divine his motivation. Was it guilt, or an elementary sense of decency and humanity, that transformed him from profiteer to rescuer? A special preview event will be held at the Levy Family Campus the evening before the official opening on January 17, at 7 pm. The evening will feature another story of redemption that has great meaning to our community, and is shared here with the larger Bay Area public for the first time. Local Holocaust survivor Jack Tramiel was liberated from the work camp at Ahlem by 20-year-old Vernon Tott, a member of the 84th Infantry Division. A documentary titled “The Angel of Ahlem” produced by The Documentary Institute and partially underwritten by Jack, was created out of photographs taken by Oskar Schindler poses next to the Vernon as he gazed in disbelief at the scene he stumbled on outside Hanover, Germany on April 10, 1945. The community tree he planted on the Avenue of the is invited to see this documentary, and also listen to a personal interview with Jack Tramiel, conducted by high school and Righteous Among the Nations at Yad college students. The program is free and open to the public, and is co-sponsored by the Silicon Valley Holocaust Survivors Association, Sharone Hadassah, the APJCC, the Silicon Valley Jewish Film Festival, and the Community Relations Council of Vashem. the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley. Contact: Diane Fisher, JCRC Director, diane@jvalley.org, (408)357-7504.

Update on Women's Philanthropy On Sunday, December 6, Women’s Philanthropy (WP) held its first Annual Mah Jongg tournament. Sixty-four women came to play their beloved game in the company of old and new friends. Women came from as far as Lincoln and San Francisco. The success of the event was due to our fabulous cochairs Karen Guggenheim and Doris Katz who are National Mah Jongg Champions, each in her own right. Mah Jongg, originally a game only for the Chinese aristocrats, was adopted by Jewish women in the early 20th century and has become part of the fabric of the American Jewish experience. The event included a delicious fusion lunch of Chinese chicken salad, latkes and applesauce catered by The Blue Star Café. During a break in the action, a short movie was screened: "Mah Jongg: The Tiles That Bind" by Phyllis Heller and Bari Pearlman. The two-tiered tournament winners were generously rewarded with cash and gifts. Novice first place winner was Kyra Hubis, followed by Linda Pomeranz and Arlene Noodleman. Barbara Silverstein won first place in the Maven group followed by Shelley Luskey and Lynne Levi. Prizes were given up to the 10th place winner. WP is offering additional exciting programs in the first quarter of 2010. In early February, women will be invited to hear from Judith Feld Carr, the woman who is credited with saving the Syrian Jewish population. This event was planned for an evening to allow working women to attend. Linda Fox Mighdoll, Alyssia Berkowitz and Claudia Muller are co-chairing this event. On March 4, WP will be hosting Hilary Price, cartoonist and creator of "Rhymes with Orange" for our 2010 Connections event. We will be treated to her story and will experience art in action as Hilary draws for us in real-time. Chair Marcia Klein along with committee members, Wendy Askenas, Cyd Braker, Susie Brenner (WP president), Susan Gavens, Claudia Muller, Linda Pomeranz, Susan Raider, Miri Rubin, Sharon Samuels and Marcia Witkin are planning a fun evening to lighten our spirits and connect our community. The theme of the evening will be: "Orange You Ready to Connect?" This event will take place at the Levy Family Campus at 6 p.m. and the food will be prepared under the supervision of the Vaad HaKashrus of Northern California. Look for promotional ‘materials’ throughout our local Jewish community. In addition to programming, WP prides itself on its collaborative efforts with community agencies. WP has embarked on an effort to spruce up the 3rd floor meeting room at the Chai House . Plans are formulating around a Hillel Shabbat dinner sponsored by WP. At our last meeting, gifts were donated to the Chai House for their residents’ store and Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley for the toy drive. Recently, a gift was made from the WP Board to Torahs for Our Troops Fund which will assist in scribing new portable Torahs for our American Jewish soldiers in service to our country. This gift was inspired by Ginny Baird’s and Susie Brenner’s trip to the General Assembly – the annual conference of Jewish Federations worldwide. If you are interested in joining this remarkable team of women, please contact Arielle Hendel at either (408) 357-7501 or arielle@jvalley.org.

Update on Young Adults The 2009-2010 SVYAD board has been hard at work planning programs and working on new marketing tactics. Board presidents, Brandy Ivener and Jacob Orrin, lead up a small, but strong group and are eager to watch it grow through the Leadership Series and Professional Development Seminar beginning in January 2010. This series is aimed at potential community leaders, ages 21-45 and is being organized by Past President Shai Goldman. As times change, so has this dynamic group. Spinning off from monthly bar nights and parties, new times call for change. Instead of meeting at local pubs for a drink, this year's SVYAD is dedicated to doing more that creates involvement, engagement and social action. Sponsoring with Mitzvah on the Rocks, SVYAD helped bring over 200 Jewish adults together for a night of philanthropy in October benefitting the Friendship Circle, a program for special needs children. In addition, large social action projects, such as a Holocaust remembrance evening and community flea market are being considered. New events this year have included regular game nights and low-stakes poker tournaments. To get involved or volunteer with the young adults group, please contact Amanda at (408) 357-7503 or amanda@jvalley.org.

January 2010 • JCN • www.jvalley.org

inside federation

Annual campaign stays even despite national downturn

Out of the $ 5.5 million raised by the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley in 2009, 85% of these dollars went to support local Jewish agencies and community programs, such as PJ Library, Business & Bagels, Jewish Community Relations Council, the Jewish Community News and Silicon Valley Celebrates Israel. Beneficiary agencies experienced the same level of support from the Federation as in 2008 despite the national economic downturn. Federation was able to accomplish this through the generous donations of community members and through significant administrative cost cutting measures. Opportunity grants were also awarded through a matching grant from the Koret Foundation to programs which demonstrated community collaboration. In 2010, the General Board will continue its vigilance in the development and allocations of funds from the community. Super Sunday will be held on January 31. Federation needs volunteers to make call. To get involved, make a pledge or request more information, please contact Jyl Jurman, CEO at 408-357-7500.

Early morning networking The Business & Bagels Series is starting up again in January 2010 at the Levy Family Campus for early morning networking and business perspectives. The series will include presentations from The Honorable Mayor Chuck Reed on January 20; Aliza Peleg, VP The Better Place on February 18 and Allen Ruby, attorney-at-law in March, 2010. Meetings will start at 7:30 a.m. and the cost for each session is $15; reservations are requested. Both Mayor Reed and Aliza Peleg will be talking about green business initiatives. Prior to his public life, Mayor Reed was an attorney. He received a Master’s Degree in Public Affairs from Princeton University and graduated from Stanford Law School. After passing the bar, Chuck began working as an attorney in San José handling environmental, employment, land use and real estate law, and commercial litigation. In office, he has focused initiatives on “Good Jobs, Green Jobs” – a program in San Jose to encourage green job development and technology. Aliza Peleg is a founding member of Better Place, a global provider of electric vehicle services, and has been with the company since its first round of venture funding and official launch in 2007. Peleg leads operations and planning at a worldwide level for Better Place. She joined Better Place from SAP and was educated at Tel Aviv University. Ms. Peleg will be discussing the business climate for green jobs and the particulars of Better Place. Allen Ruby is San Jose's most prominent lawyer. He has successfully litigated multiple high profile lawsuits throughout the state on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants--civil and criminal. Some highlights from his career include: his successful defense of the National Football League against the Raiders; his successful defense of former mayor Ron Gonzales against bribery charges; and obtaining a jury verdict in excess of $300 million in a whistleblower action against FMC. Mr. Ruby is currently defending baseball superstar Barry Bonds against obstruction of justice charges. To the extent that he can, Mr. Ruby will be sharing anecdotes of his career with high profile clients and cases. To reserve your place at these morning networking meetings, please contact Arielle Hendel at 408-357-7501 or Arielle@ jvalley.org or go on line to sign up at www.jvalley.org.

Michael Chabon to speak at annual event By Jyl Jurman If you have read any of Michael Chabon’s books, you get the sense that he is not only erudite and articulate but that he also has a rich imagination. In his latest book, Manhood for Amateurs:The Pleasures and Regrets of a Husband, Father and Son, Chabon reveals a glimpse into his personal life. He shares intimate details of his experiences as a son, brother, friend, husband and father. Some might even find his stories a tad self indulgent. But only popular authors even get the chance to publish their memoirs while they are still alive. The glimpse we get into his thoughts, feelings and memories gives us a sense that we know Michael personally. Since Chabon will be making an appearance at the Jewish Federation’s annual event, I was able to get in one question to the author: In your last book we get insight into your personal life, which do you find more difficult, writing books or raising children? Chabon responded, “Writing books I do alone; raising children I have my wife as partner. On the other hand, books don’t leave wet towels on the floor.” When I meet Michael in person at Federation’s Annual Event on January 30, I would like to ask him a follow-up, why he and his wife, author Ayelet Waldman wouldn’t partner on a written project. Their kids seem to be a good collaborative effort, at least by Chabon’s words. The Jewish Federation Annual event will be held on Saturday, January 30 at 6 p.m. in the Levy Family Campus, 14855 Oka Road, Los Gatos. The event will feature this year’s Harold Witkin Humanitarian Award winner, Phil Kipnis; it will be co-chaired by Julie Krigel, Ronnie Wolfe, Susan Ellenberg and Bonnie Slavitt Moore. This event is open to any donor to the 2010 Federation Annual Campaign. For tickets and more information, please call (408) 358-3033 or go online to www.jvalley.org.

Q&A with

Hilary Price On Thursday evening, March 4th, Hilary Price, the youngest female cartoonist to syndicate will be speaking at Women’s Philanthropy’s Connections 2010 at the Levy Family Campus. Price is best known for her Rhymes with Orange cartoon featured in the San Jose Mercury News along with another 150 papers nationally. In a recent interview, Hilary Price was very easy to talk with; she was insightful, quickwitted and thoughtful. Here is a portion of the interview: JCN: What do you think is the difference between stand-up comics and cartoons? Hilary: To put it in dog terms, cartoons are yips and stand-up comedy is about the howl. Stand up comedians like Bill Cosby are successful because the take you on a journey; they tell a story to transport you in time and space. Cartoons have a fraction of that time. It has to be quick and there has to be a surprise. The humor comes from the disconnect between the visual input and the punch line. JCN: Do you have an overarching mission for your work? Hilary: I would like to think that my work does two things besides give people a chuckle – connects people with the truth and sheds light on anxiety. I like it when people relate to my work and we share a common experience. I also believe that humor is the night light against the creepy corners of fear. If we illuminate the truth, it’s not so scary anymore. JCN: What was your favorite thing about growing up Jewish? Hilary: Purim for sure. I loved dressing up and parading; and I still love hamentashen. Now that I’m gluten free my mother makes me rice flour hamentashen with apricot and walnut filling. You can find more information about Hilary Price from her website http://www.rhymeswithorange. com and plan to join us on Thursday, March 4 at 6 p.m. for Connections 2010 to hear her in person. You can also register for Connections 2010 online at www.jvalley.org.

www.jvalley.org • JCN • January 2010

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APJCC Preschool

OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY, JANUARY 31st 2:00-4:00PM A quality developmental preschool in Los Gatos Play-based curriculum Ages 18 months-5 years Full day or half day THE ADDISON-PENZAK JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER IS OPEN TO ALL FAITHS & BACKGROUNDS

14855 Oka Road, Los Gatos 408.357.7417 www.svjcc.org/preschool Lic. # 430709398

January 2010 • JCN • www.jvalley.org

news “Cultural Judaism” is the theme of new history course at SJSU “Jewish identity” can be understood by looking closely at Jewish popular culture, says Donny Inbar, PhD., instructor of San José State’s newest course in Jewish Studies. This is what he will explore in his new SJSU course “Curtain Up on Cultural Judaism: Secularization through Popular Arts and Leisure.” Looking at what it means to be Jewish in this day and age, the course will examine “historically how arts and popular culture became an incredible instrument in modernizing, acculturating, and secularizing the Jewish people.” Inbar cites Gershwin, Rodgers and Hammerstein, and the Marx Brothers, whose works, he says, clearly reflected the Jewish experience in America. “Once Jews were introduced to theatre, secular music, contemporary art, and popular movies, this took them away from the pious, religious, synagogue-centered life, and reinvented Judaism.” Inbar knows of what he speaks. Currently the Associate Director for Arts and Culture at the Israel Center of the Jewish Community Federation in San Francisco, he previously served as the Cultural Attaché for the Israel Consulate. Over the past ten years in these roles, he has tried to connect the Jewish community to its Jewish identity and to Israel. “It’s been a challenge,” he says, “because this very powerful and wonderful community is so unaffiliated and unconnected to its Jewish identity; hence, very few feel connected to Israel.” Raised in Tel Aviv, Inbar attended school in London, where he was trained as a theatre director. Returning to Israel, he worked in theatre and media, serving as an editor and journalist in both print and broadcast media. He is a wellknown translator of literature and drama into Hebrew, and notes with delight that his Hebrew translation of Disney’s “It’s a Small World” is popular in Jewish kindergartens in America. He earned his doctorate at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley where he focused on Yiddish theatre and Jewish show business. He is also a graduate of the California Culinary Academy, and has taught classes about food in the Bible for the past ten years. Inbar’s course on Cultural Judaism will travel from classic Yiddish theatre to modern Hollywood show business, showing the ways in which theatre, secular music, art, and movies took Jews toward a more liberal, and pluralistic way of life. “I like bringing the past into the present, and [exploring] the way Judaism developed in the United States and in the West, and the way it has transformed itself in the Holy Land when it became Israel. Bringing all of them together ― not only folklore and nostalgia, but also our roots, what we have in common ― will show how our past has really influenced us.” The course, listed as JWSS 111, will meet Mondays at 6 p.m. beginning February 1, and is open to the general public. For more information about the Jewish Studies Program at San José State University, please contact Victoria Harrison, PhD. at (408) 924-5547 or victoria.harrison@sjsu.ed.

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Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley

8EEL8C ;@EE<I You are cordially invited to a very special evening with Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Michael Chabon. Chabon is the acclaimed author of The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, Wonder Boys (made into a film with Michael Douglas and Tobey Maguire), The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, The Yiddish Policemen’s Union and Manhood for Amateurs: The Pleasures & Regrets of a Husband, Father & Son.

Harold Witkin Humanitarian Award Presentation to Phil Kipnis

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www.jvalley.org

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www.jvalley.org • JCN • January 2010

upcoming events THURSDAYS Silicon Valley Beit Midrash 9 AM-Noon, Mirkin Chapel at Sinai Join Rabbi Joshua Berkenwald of Sinai and Rabbi Simcha Green of Ahabat Torah for in-depth study of Jewish thought, belief, and practice. No fee; drop-ins are welcome; no experience necessary. 9-10:15 a.m. Pirkei Avot; 10:30 a.m.-Noon: Mishnah Study. (408) 264-8542 THURSDAY, JANUARY 14 Am Echad’s Founders’ Dinner 7 PM, Santa Clara Convention Center Event honors Jim and Jimmi Roberts and the congregation’s 40th anniversary and 20th anniversary in its building. Well-known lecturer Rabbi Paysach Krohn will be the guest speaker at the dinner and Scholarin-Residence at Am Echad over the weekend. $125/person. RSVP: (408) 267-2591 or info@amechad.org FRIDAY, JANUARY 15 Shabbat Across the Bay 7:30 PM, Private Homes Join dozens of Jewish young adults (21-45) for a traditional Shabbat dinner experience. Including a home-cooked meal, three courses and wine, the best feature of this event is the fantastic company. RSVP to amanda@jvalley. org or at www.jvalley.org before January 11. SATURDAY, JANUARY 16 “Night of Illusions” 7-9:30 PM, Beth David Majinga the Magician will perform some special Hebrew magic and comedy in addition to his popular show. $15/adult; $10/child under 12; $45/family 4-pack. RSVP: RSVP@ beth-david.org or (408) 257-3333 SUNDAY, JANUARY 17 Exploring Buddhism Class 10:45 AM-Noon, Shir Hadash Rabbi Joel Fleekop will teach. Continued on January 24. RSVP: Patty Cruz, (408) 358-1751, ext. 7 "Schindler" Exhibit Preview 7 PM, Levy Family Campus Local Holocaust survivor Jack Tramiel will present the documentary "The Angel of Ahlem" Free and open to the public. Diane Fisher, (408) 357-7504 or diane@jvalley.org [see p.18]

TUESDAY, JANUARY 19 Conversations in Jewish Learning 7:30 PM, Beth David Author Maggie Anton will discuss her latest book Three Women and a Talmud: The Story of Rashi's Daughters: Book Three-Rachel. She will speak about the research behind her best-selling trilogy, set in the household of the great medieval Talmud scholar who had no sons, only daughters. Among the topics she'll discuss: What was life like for Jewish women in 11th century France? Were Rashi's daughters really learned? Did they actually wear tefillin? Schmooze after the lecture with desserts and drinks. Requested donation: $3/Beth David member; $5/non-member. (408) 257-3333 or cabral@beth-david.org WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20 Business and Bagels 7:30 AM, Levy Family Campus Guest speaker is The Honorable Mayor of San Jose, Chuck Reed. Open to everyone. $15/person. RSVP required: Arielle Hendel, (408) 357-7501 [see p.19] THURSDAY, JANUARY 21 Jewish Recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor 7:30 PM, Emanu-El WWII Veteran Herb Kwart will speak to Sisterhood. RSVP: (408) 292-0939 or admin@templesanjose.org SATURDAY, JANUARY 23 International Dinner 6:30 PM, Various homes Several homes will offer a delectable dinner based on an international theme. Conversation, dessert and a discussion about Hadassah will follow at a second home. Sharone Hadassah sponsors the event. RSVP required by January 16: Jane Jacobson, (408) 872-1845 or Jane_Jacobson@usa.net SUNDAY, JANUARY 24 Jewbilee: A Day of Learning in the South Bay 1-8 PM, Levy Family Campus Come one, come all to the first-ever South Bay “Jewbilee,” a celebration of Jewish life and learning. Through classes, performances, workshops, speakers, panels, guided discussions, and good food, we will come together as a community and celebrate the many

different ways in which we express our Judaism. We’ll have offerings for adults, offerings for children, and free childcare for the youngest. Jewbilee is made possible by a generous grant from the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley. APJCC Center for Jewish Life and Learning, CJLL@svjcc.org or www.svjcc.org [see p.30]

Federation Annual Event 6 PM, Levy Family Campus Michael Chabon, author, is the guest speaker at this annual dinner. The Witkin Humanitarian Award will be presented toPhil Kipnis. Any gift to Federation entitles you to attend. $75/ person for the dinner. RSVP: (408) 358-3033 or www.jvalley.org [see p.19]

Interfaith Women’s Gathering 2:45 PM, Shir Hadash (408) 358-1751

SUNDAY, JANUARY 31 Federation’s Super Sunday 9 :30 AM-6 PM, Levy Family Campus Volunteers needed for this annual event. Amanda Orrin, (408) 357-7503

FRIDAY, JANUARY 29 Senior Film and Lunch Noon, APJCC Auditorium "Brother's Shadow" and discussion with writer-director Todd Yellin. Includes Shabbat lunch. $5/members;$7.50/ non-members [see p.8] Tu B’Shevat Seder and Potluck 6:30 PM, Emeth The seder, led by Rabbi Debbie Israel and Cantorial soloist Mark Levy, and following the format of a Passover seder, is meant for adults and schoolaged children. RSVP: admin@emeth. net, and indicate what you will be bringing to the potluck (vegetarian and dairy only, with an emphasis on food from trees) [see p.10] Shabbat Shira, Tu B’Shevat 7:30 PM, Emanu-El The Sabbath of Song celebrates music and nature in preparation for Tu B’Shevat. The adult choir will sing a special repertoire. (408) 292-0939 [see p.10] SATURDAY, JANUARY 30 Tu B'Shevat Shabbat 9 AM, Emanu-El A family-oriented Shabbat morning minyan will be followed by a Tu B’Shevat Seder. RSVPs are requested so the proper amounts of the special foods can be ready. Families with school-age children are encouraged to experience this special celebration. (408) 292-0939 [see p.10] Tu B’Shevat Seder/Seudah Shlishit 4:15-6 PM, Sinai The New Year of the Trees will be observed with fruits, nuts, wine, etc. Special programs are planned for children. RSVP: (408) 264-8542 or sinai-sj.org [see p.10]

APJCC Preschool Open House 2-4 PM, Levy Family Campus (408) 357-7417 [see p.20] MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1 Tu B'Shevat Seder 4-6 PM, Levy Family Campus $10/adult, $5/child 10 and under RSVP: (408) 357-7413 or CJLL@ svjcc.org “Walking with G-d” Class 7:30-9:30 PM, Sinai Monthly series on first Monday with Rabbi Berkenwald. Free. (408) 2648542 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5 Poverty Simulation Event 6 PM, Shir Hadash Fruit and cheese will be served at 6 p.m., followed by services at 6:30, then dinner at 7:15 and the simulation at 8 p.m. $10 for dinner, by reservation. Attendance for the simulation alone is free. RSVP by Feb. 1: Nadine Toby, (408) 358-1751, ext. 5, or Nadine@ shirhadash.org [see p.12] SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6 Sisterhood Shabbat 10:30 AM, Shir Hadash (408) 358-1751 SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7 Science in the Talmud Lecture 10-Noon, Shir Hadash Lecture by Rabbi Fishman, doctoral candidate in Jewish History. Free. (408) 358-1751 [see p.10] “Good King or Bad King? The Story of King David” 12:30-3 PM, Beth David This Lunch and Learn seminar will be

NEW YEAR, NEW LOOK

Full event calendar @ www. jvalley.org

January 2010 • JCN • www.jvalley.org

upcoming events taught by Nitzhia Shaked, a lecturer in Jewish Studies at Sonoma State University. Light lunch offered, small donation requested. (408) 257-3333 [see p.8] MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8 “Walking with G-d” Class 7:30-9:30 PM, Sinai Monthly series on first Monday with Rabbi Berkenwald. Free. (408) 2648542 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10 Women’s Philanthropy Aliyah Event 6 PM, Maggiano’s, Santana Row Judith Feldcarr, the woman who saved Syrian Jews, is the guest speaker. $1,000 minimum gift to attend the event. RSVP: Arielle Hendel, (408) 357-7501 SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13 Torah N’Tefillah 10:30 AM, Sinai Students in religious or day school grades 3-7 can put their learning into practice by leading parts of the service, learning new melodies, and exploring Shabbat teachings and stories. Led by Doug Brook, b’nei mitzvah educator, every second Saturday of the month. (408) 2648542 [see p.10] THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18 Business and Bagels 7:30 AM, Levy Family Campus Guest speaker is Aliza Peleg, founding member and VP of Better Place, global provider of electric vehicle services. Open to the everyone. $15/person. RSVP required: Arielle Hendel, (408) 357-7501 [see p.19] SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20 Thirtieth Anniversary 10:30 AM, Shir Hadash Event with guest Craig Taubman will honor Shir Hadash’s founding members. Free. Cantor Devorah Felder-Levy, (408) 358-1751 or cantor@shirhadash.org [see p.7] Women's Spirituality Day 12:15-6 PM, Temple Emanu-El Cantor Meeka Simerly from EmanuEl and Rabbi Debbie Israel from Emeth will lead the event that will include a light lunch, study sessions, music and art and a look at the connections between Shabbat and Havdalah. The day concludes with a community-wide Havdalah at 6 p.m. $36 in advance; $40 at the door. Preregistration is requested: WOTE@ templesanjose.org. Checks made payable to Sisterhood may be mailed to the Temple office, 1010 University Avenue, San Jose CA 95126. (408) 292-0939 [see p.7]

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21 Mah Jongg Tournament 9:30 AM-2:30 PM, Beth David Second annual tournament includes lunch and prizes. $30/person. RSVP: http://beth-david.org/rsvp by Mon., Feb. 12. Nancy Newman, (408) 2558857 or nancynewm@gmail.com [see p.7] Simcha Fair 11 AM-3 PM, APJCC Are you planning a special event? Come to the JCC's Simcha Fair, where you'll find vendors for all your event-planning needs. What could be more convenient than talking with all your vendors in one location? There will be vendors for everything from invitations to flowers, food to music, room rentals and more. Naomi Salowe, chocfountain@comcast.net [see p.20] “Love and Longing in Yiddish” Concert 3 PM, Sinai Eleanor Reissa presents her new show featuring extraordinary Yiddish songs and stories. (408) 264-8542 or office@sinai-sj.org [see p.10] Bocce for BGSers 3 - 5 PM Close your annual campaign gift of $1,000 or more, and join the Jewish Federation's Young Adult Division for an afternoon of food and fun. Playing courtside at our local Bocce hangout, we'll thank you for you generosity. Please contact Amanda Orrin for more information at (408) 357-7503. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27 Erev Purim Service and Megillah Reading 6:30 PM, Shir Hadash (408) 358-1751 Adults-Only Purim Ball 7 PM, Emanu-El Enjoy Laurent Fourgo and his Ensemble for a fun Purim evening of live Big Band music, games and a creative and fun Megillah reading. BYOB. Big Band era costumes encouraged. The entire community is invited to join Temple Emanu-El for this fabulous Purim celebration. No charge; donations welcome. RSVP: (408) 292-0939 [see p.10] SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28 Purim Carnival 11 AM, Shir Hadash (408) 358-1751 Purim Carnival 11 AM-1:30 PM, Emanu-El Outrageous kid-friendly Purim Spiel will be followed by Purim Carnival,

lunch to purchase. Come in costumes for the parade. Purchase tickets in advance: (408) 292-0923 [see p.10] THURSDAY, MARCH 4 Women’s Philanthropy’s Connections 2010 Event 6 PM, Levy Family Campus Rhymes with Orange cartoonist Hilary Price will be the guest speaker. Janet Berg Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Pat Bergman. Tickets are on sale at www.jvalley.org. Arielle Hendel, (408) 357-7501 [see p.18] SUNDAY, MARCH 7 Pesach: A Yom Iyun 1-6 PM, Levy Family Campus Joel Grishaver and guests will lead this Day of Learning for Jewish Educators focusing on the holiday of Pesach and the ways in which we can use it as an opportunity to teach about Jewish ethics and social action. Sponsored by APJCC, CJLL and Federation. Free. Rabbi Joshua Fenton, (408) 357-7413 or rabbifenton@svjcc.org SATURDAY, MARCH 13 Torah N’Tefillah 10:30 AM, Sinai Students in religious or day school grades 3-7 can put their learning into practice by leading parts of the service, learning new melodies, and exploring Shabbat teachings and stories. Led by Doug Brook, b’nei mitzvah educator, every second Saturday of the month. (408) 264-8542 [see p.14] FRIDAY, MARCH 19 Increasing Diversity in the Jewish Community 8 PM, Shir Hadash Diane Tobin, founder and director of Be’Chol Lashon (In Every Tongue)

and Dr. Denise Davis, physician and volunteer clinical faculty member at UCSF School of Medicine, will be the guest speakers. Free and open to the public. (408) 358-1751 SUNDAY, MARCH 21 Passover in the Aisles 11 AM, Lucky Store, El Paseo Shopping Center Volunteers help with Passover shopping and preparation ideas. (408) 257-3333 JFS’s Yellow Tie Affair 5-9 PM, San Jose City Hall Rotunda Event honors Eleanor and Richard Rusnak, owners of Russell’s Furniture and long-time JFS supporters. Twelve local restaurants and twelve vintners will be paired to offer items from tasting stations. Silent and live auction and jazz band. All proceeds to benefit N.O.A.H. (No One Abandoned Here). $95/person. RSVP required: (408) 357-7543 or sandig@jfssv.org

How to Get Your Organization’s Events Listed in the JCN: Email cecily@jvalley.org February 2.

Include name of the event; date and time; place, address and street, city; sponsoring organization and one-sentence description; cost, if any; contact name, phone number and/ or e-mail address, and the last day your organization will accept reservations or RSVPs.

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www.jvalley.org • JCN • January 2010

children's health Jews not exempt from childhood obesity epidemic By Dr. Jamie Wallach Health indicators across all ethnicities repeatedly show an alarming increase in the incidence of overweight and obesity, both nationally and globally. Of surprise to many, is the specific mention of the Jewish community in many areas of the country. In some areas of the U.S., a Jewish child is approximately twice as likely to be obese as the average American child. A survey in six Chicago communities that involved face-to-face interviews with 250 Jewish adults over a year and a half in 2003 and 2004 found that 54 percent of children ages 2 to 12 years old were overweight, with an additional 26 percent defined as obese (on average 30 pounds over a healthy weight-for-height at any age). This striking finding was found in a community that had a higher income level when compared to the general population, good access to health care, and an education level that greatly exceeded national and local area averages. Unhealthy food and a sedentary lifestyle beset all segments of American society, but some characteristics specific to the Jewish religion, and more specifically to the Orthodox community include the tradition of large Shabbat and holiday meals; a busy lifestyle that often precludes taking time to prepare healthy low-fat, lowcalorie meals; and for children in Jewish day schools, a long school day that doesn’t Childhood obesity is not only physically unhealthy, but can lead to allow much time for sports or other physical activities. It is often pointed out that social isolation. many Orthodox Jews work several jobs or work longer hours at the job they have to afford their children’s day school tuition. In addition, many of us still operate within the legacy of our Eastern European ancestors, who feared starvation and, therefore, revered chubby babies and urged their children to “clean their plates.” [continued on p. 31]

BUSINESS & BAGELS PLEASE JOIN US FOR OUR WINTER/SPRING PROGRAMS The Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley invites you to be part of its 2010 BUSINESS & BAGELS series of breakfast meetings. Join your colleagues for a great networking opportunity while Silicon Valley business leaders discuss issues important to Silicon Valley business.

SAN JOSE MAYOR CHUCK REED

BETTER PLACE VP ALIZA PELEG

ATTORNEY ALLEN J. RUBY

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

BUSINESS & BAGELS programs are held at the APJCC Auditorium of the Levy Family Campus 14855 Oka Road, Los Gatos, CA 95032 7:30 am Breakfast 8:00 am Speaker Presentation $15 per session RSVP to Arielle, 357-7501 arielle@jvalley.org Or online at www.jvalley.org

www.jvalley.org

January 2010 • JCN • www.jvalley.org

children's health Physically fit kids do better in all areas of life By David L. James, MSC Sadly, studies have shown that more than half of all school-age children in local neighborhoods failed the standardized physical fitness test, the Fitnessgram®, which we knew formerly as the “Presidential Physical Fitness Test.” This bodes poorly not only for our children's future health and fitness, but also their School-aged kids participate in an after-school academic performance. exercise program at Los Gatos-based FUZE FIT. As parents who value the importance of education and a life of learning, it is noteworthy that recent studies have asked the question: “Is there a relationship between physical fitness and academic achievement?” The conclusion of a landmark study from Boston schools in grades 4th, 6th and 8th grade was…yes! In fact, this analysis was so robust, the results showed statistically significant relationships between fitness and academic achievement. Furthermore, promoting fitness by increasing P.E., recess, and after school exercise time supported academic achievement. A recent article from a Dallas-area school study noted that physically fit students are more likely to do well on school achievement tests and are less likely to have disciplinary problems. The impact exercise has on the growing brain is unparalleled. Exercise improves cardiovascular health, enhancing our ability to learn, likely due to improved oxygen. There are well over 100 peer-reviewed studies to support

the relationship of fitness and academic performance, up to and including the reduction of our brain’s grey matter, in individuals who are overweight. A Reality Check for Parents We’ve heard time and again…“when I was a kid, we stayed out until it was dark and played…” For many reasons, today this notion has become almost a metaphor for how we have all changed in the way we look at being active. Despite cuts in recess and physical activity time in our schools, the school playground is, in general, an ideal place for building the components of a healthy, physically fit child, as she: • Runs away from the kid who is “it” (endurance) • Crosses the monkey bars (strength) • Bends down to tie his or her shoes (flexibility) • Creates and plays games like “dodgeball”, “4-square” or “wall-ball” (fun, less structured play) However, as we know all too well, study time and test scores usually preclude extended recess and P.E. time in most schools, while the pressure mounts for getting and maintaining good grades. Nevertheless, this part of the school season is an excellent time to set a balanced, flexible schedule so that your child has the opportunity to get or stay fit, keep moving, build confidence and esteem and ensure his brain-to-body connection is firing on all cylinders. We perceive children and teens as "always on the move" and active; however, this perception is only relative to a largely sedentary adult population today. Charting our Own Course The simple fact of the matter is that 9 out of 10 parents think their child is fit when in reality only 1 in 3 actually is. What’s more, 1 in 3 students in our local schools is clinically overweight or obese. Working parents, academic competitiveness, technology, and fear of the outside world are just a few reasons why our kids receive fewer “at-bats” to remain fit through structured and unstructured “play." [continued on p. 33]

JCN Subscription Drive Do you enjoy staying connected to your Jewish community? The JCN is distributed free of charge to 8,400 Jewish households in the Silicon Valley. PLEASE DONATE $36 OR MORE TO SUPPORT YOUR JCN SUBSCRIPTION! Name(s) Address City/State/Zip Phone E-mail ❏ $36 ❏ $72 ❏ Other $_______ ❏ Check enclosed (payable to the JCN) t Charge my ❏ Visa ❏ MC ❏ Amex ❏ Discover Acct. # Exp. Signature Please clip and mail to: JCN, 14855 Oka Road, Suite 200, Los Gatos, CA 95032 or donate online at www.jvalley.org. JCNJAN10

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www.jvalley.org • JCN • January 2010

rabbis speak Ask the Rabbi

As Jews, do we have an obligation to take care of our bodies? By Rabbi Josh Berkenwald, Congregation Sinai While the preponderance of rich, fatty foods in Jewish cuisine may lead one to think otherwise, it has long been the case that Judaism has recognized health to be a religious obligation. Until modern times, the most famous Jew to preach on behalf of healthy living was Rabbi Moses son of Maimon, often referred to as Maimonides. Living in Alexandria in the twelfth century, Maimonides was not only the greatest Jewish scholar of his day, he was also known and respected in the Muslim and Christian worlds as a physician and philosopher. In the Mishneh Torah, in which he presents the entirety of Jewish law, practice, history, and belief, Maimonides includes the prescription to keep one’s body healthy. In The Laws of Temperaments, Ch. 3, he begins: “Since the body being healthy and whole is of the ways of the Lord, for it is impossible for a person to understand or know the knowledge of the Creator if one is unwell, therefore one should distance oneself from things that damage the body, and accustom oneself to healthy and curing matters, which are as follows: One should never eat unless one is hungry, nor drink unless one is thirsty, and nor should one hold oneself back for even a single moment from relieving oneself...” Maimonides proceeds to describe, in detail, how a person should behave in order to keep one’s body in tiptop shape. He includes prescriptions for diet, sleep, exercise, cleanliness, and sexual behavior. Although some of Maimonides’ instructions may strike us as not particularly conducive to a healthy lifestyle (see his discussion on bloodletting), his emphasis on the importance of maintaining one’s physical wellbeing is as important today as it was in the twelfth century.

Is cosmetic surgery permitted in Judaism? As is often the case, seemingly simple questions yield far from simple answers. This is especially true when it comes to matters of biomedical ethics. Regarding cosmetic surgery, there are a number of factors to consider:

The first and most important question has to do with the dangers associated with a given procedure. Any surgery, especially one that involves general anesthesia, involves potentially life-threatening risks. As Jews, we are not supposed to endanger our lives needlessly. An elective, non-urgent cosmetic procedure may not constitute a legitimate reason to take on such risk. Second, is the goal of the surgery to remove a blemish or scar from an exposed portion of the body, or to beautify external features? If the former, there are many valid reasons that justify accepting risk. Some cosmetic surgeries relieve mental anguish, or reduce physical pain. In some cases, a person’s ability to earn a livelihood is impaired by a physical blemish. Regarding beautification of external features, however, it may be more difficult to justify the risk of surgery. If our lives and our bodies are gifts from G-d, do we really have the right to put them on the line in our quest for a physical perfection that cannot really be achieved? On the other hand, Rabbis have permitted purely elective cosmetic surgery in some circumstances, such as when it only Rabbi Josh Berkenwald involves a local anesthetic, or when it might enhance a single person’s ability to find a mate, or when it helps a person gain more confidence. Again, we see that the issue is far from straightforward. Finally, there is the more philosophical question of our right to interfere with the Divine plan. Cosmetic surgery represents one of the more blatant ways in which we attempt to exert our control over things that, until recently in human history, we simply accepted as our fate. Today, we face a barrage of messages encouraging us to be dissatisfied with every aspect of our lives, including our bodies. While our tradition does not categorically confirm or deny our right to cosmetically modify our appearance, it does ask us to think twice before jumping to follow any of the messages conveyed by the larger society, especially those messages that encourage us to view our lives not as gifts, but as blemishes that require intervention to achieve perfection.

Fitness for the soul By Rabbi Daniel Pressman, Congregation Beth David This issue of the Jewish Community News is devoted to physical health. Properly so, as Maimonides said, “The well-being of the soul can be obtained only after that of the body has been secured.” But then, how do we achieve the well-being of the soul? First and foremost, by knowing that it takes time and effort just like physical health. In their book “Judaism: The Way of Sanctification,” Rabbis Samuel Dresner and Byron Sherwin compare it to the Olympics. We admire the athletes’ remarkable displays of skill at the upper end of human accomplishment, and we know that they are achieved through a rigid schedule of training, a training which almost imperceptibly tunes muscles, heightens coordination and lengthens endurance, until one's latent physical powers are nurtured to their fullest. Such is the nature of discipline. [The same is true for the musician.] No artist performs without exacting and exhausting practice. Skill—be it physical, artistic or intellectual—requires discipline.

Rabbi Daniel Pressman

And they conclude: What is so easily understood in regard to physical, musical or intellectual skill is, unfortunately, rarely applied to a far more important part of life—morality. What preparation, practice or discipline is provided for moral living? Any unprepared sloppiness goes. It is here that Judaism has something crucial to say. It has long understood that the human condition requires, above all, moral training. It urges upon us a rigid schedule of discipline through the mitzvot, from birth to death and across every day of the year, in the knowledge that man's spiritual potential must be treated like his physical and aesthetic potential. So it sets down a strict regimen for each Jew, matching physical acts with spiritual concerns, until the spirit in man grows strong and prevails. In other words, the Torah is like Mr. Miyagi. Stay with me here. As you no doubt remember from the movie "The Karate Kid," Daniel wants Mr. Miyagi to teach him to fight. He is frustrated when Miyagi begins his training by having him perform monotonous labors such as waxing cars, sanding a wood floor, and painting a fence. Each chore is accompanied with a specific movement, such as clockwise/counter-clockwise hand motions, “Wax on, wax off.” Eventually, Daniel becomes upset, believing that he has learned nothing of karate, whereupon Mr. Miyagi reveals that Daniel has actually been learning defensive blocks. The repetitive chores have built muscle memory. Mitzvot work to give us spiritual and ethical “muscle memory.” In addition, Daniel was learning discipline, and the mitzvot teach us that as well.

There was an article in the New York Times last year about research on the relationship between religion and self-control. One of the researchers, Dr. Michael McCullough, told the reporter, “Brain-scan studies have shown that when people pray or meditate, there’s a lot of activity in two parts of the brain that are important for self-regulation and control of attention and emotion. [continued on p.30]

January 2010 • JCN • www.jvalley.org [from joyful no matter what life delivers" on p.15]

While we’ll never know what caused the event (known as Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy), it will likely result in a diagnosis of moderate to severe athetoid Cerebral Palsy (which means she will have an extremely difficult time controlling her body or getting it to do what she wants it to do) as well as spasticity (which means her limbs have increased tone that she cannot control or relax). In addition to the brain injury, though completely unrelated, she was also born with Cystic Fibrosis, a genetic condition which afflicts her respiratory system as well as her ability to properly absorb nutrition. We were told there is no cure for Cystic Fibrosis. We were told there is no cure for Cerebral Palsy. As we struggled through the first year of life with a severely disabled child, I quickly adapted and learned how to multi-task, compartmentalize and crisis manage. This new skill set helped me get through the day-to-day challenges of wearing too many hats; I was still working full time and being mom and wife, but I also took on the roles of patient advocate, scheduler, physical therapist, pharmacist, and night nurse, and since Ally was unable to breast feed, I pumped breast milk for her every 3 hours for 15 months. The pace was grueling and the reward nearly imperceptible but I carried on. What else could I do? I had to be her champion, no matter the cost. About halfway through the first year I was in a tear-ridden conversation with my mom and she said something that reset my path. She said she was not nearly as worried about what would become of Allyson Hope Guggenheim Ally as she was of what would become of me. She knew Ally would be “ok”; that even if the worst possible scenarios played out Ally would be surrounded by a network of family, friends, doctors and therapists all dedicated to her wellbeing. But she feared I was getting lost in my quest to “fix” Ally and that if something didn’t change I’d never be “me” again. She was right. I had put the oxygen mask on my child and neglected to put one on myself. In order to help Ally I had to help myself. I was no good to her if I was sleep deprived, ill, malnourished or injured. I realize this idea isn’t revolutionary; moms and doctors have always told us to eat right and get plenty of rest, but when your days are divided into so many pie pieces, it’s easy to simply eliminate the piece that’s been sliced for you. The other things have to happen, right? And if you’re working in crisis mode, it’s nearly impossible to carve out any time for yourself. But whether you have a disabled child or one who’s developing typically, this mantra needs to be recited on a daily basis: you are no good to anyone if you are not good to yourself. You simply have to put yourself on the top of your list once in a while or you will burn out and then all of what you were striving to do for your children and family by being strong, capable and all things to all people will have been for naught. Your light will only burn for so long without being given a chance to recharge. And if you burn out, you’ve accomplished the exact opposite of what you strived to do. You are no good to anyone if you are not good to yourself. Slowly, but surely I put “me” back on the To Do list. I made time to take a shower, put on a little make-up, go to the gym–all things I once regarded as luxuries but now see as prescription medicine. And although life did improve something was still missing. It didn’t take long for me to realize what it was: more important than choosing to eat more healthily and logging an appropriate amount of sleep or hours in the gym was charting a return to joy. In order to lead a healthy life you need the basics for survival: sleep, nourishment and exercise. But in order to lead a fulfilled life you need joy. If you think it’s hard to find joy in a life filled with the normal challenges of working too many hours, piles of bills, children that argue, parking tickets, long lines, traffic and homework, try doing all of that with a child that depends on you for her EVERY need, who cannot walk or talk or be left alone for more

27 than a moment. It is in the most challenging of situations that you MUST recall what makes you happy, what makes you “you” for that is what your children and family need most from you. Ally has taught us this lesson in the plainest way possible. When Ally was about five months old I was extremely down for I’d just seen a child her age who was smiling, giggling and squealing with delight because someone made googly eyes at her. It was another painful reminder of how far behind Ally was developmentally. I was instantly depressed by this revelation and moped for quite some time wishing silently that she’d just smile, just give us some indication that she was more than a living doll. At around eight months, when everyone in our family was finally able to allow ourselves to laugh again, I was playing with Lily and doing a “Bill Cosby” dance for her that sent her into hysterics. Lily’s laughter was infectious. I put on some music and the two of us played and danced and sang and laughed. For the first time in almost a year our house was filled with music and laughter. And I looked at Ally. I froze: she had a tiny smirk on her face. I had never seen any facial expression other than blank stares and grimaces of pain before that moment. And in that moment it all became clear: how in the world did I ever think Ally would learn to smile or laugh when everyone around her was depressed and angry and saddened by the situation we’d found ourselves in? From that moment on, we were reformed. It became our mission to make Ally smile all the time. We allowed ourselves to laugh, to find joy in the things we used to love and thrive on–music, dancing, singing–but had set aside while we grieved the loss of a “perfect” child. Within mere weeks Ally was smiling full, gummy, drooly smiles, and in just a month after that, she showed us she had learned to laugh. Although I often wonder if Ally would have smiled and enjoyed the company of her family sooner if we’d pulled out of our depression earlier than at eight months, I try not to look back on that time with too much regret. Instead, we learn from our little teacher. We can all choose to deal with our strife as though it is a burden. Or, we can choose to recall who we are at our core, draw upon what makes us happy and fulfilled, and use that passion to guide us on our path. You can choose to let the challenges of your life consume you and reduce you to a worker ant, meandering through your day bearing no resemblance to the person you were when you married your spouse or had your first child. Or you can call upon that person–your inner rock star or inner rock climber–and be the adventurer, comedian and goofball you once were before the burdens of the daily grind. Imagine if you approached every situation as though you were wearing a red clown nose? How much more joyful would your life be? How much better would you feel? How much happier would your family be? Through this two-year journey I have finally realized that I am no good to anyone if I am no good to myself, and I have learned from Ally that she needs me, all of me, as her parent, not just the worker ant but the silly, musical mom that gave birth to her. [continued on p.33]

silicon valley simchas By Andrea Cohen Greyber

Births T a m a r a & Joel Grabscheid are the proud new parents of Brianna Brianna Catrina Grabscheid C a t r i n a Grabscheid who was born on November 2 and weighed 7 pounds and 10 ounces and was 20 inches long. Her middle name is in memory of her great grandmothers, Catherine and Mina who were both Holocaust survivors. She is the half sister of Isabel Zamora, 10, a fifth grade student at Carlton Elementary School in San Jose. Her grandparents are Elizabeth & Abe Seiden of Congregation Sinai and Maona& Loney Grabscheid also of San Jose.

Called to the Torah Shirli Cohen, daughter of Michael & Mirjam Cohen, was called to the Torah as a Bat Mitzvah on October 17 at Congregation Shirli Cohen Beth David. She is in the eighth grade at Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School. Shirli is the younger sister of Shani Cohen, 18, who attends the University of Puget Sound in Washington. She is the granddaughter of Jacob & Jetta Chanop of Sweden who were able to attend this special event and Madeline Cohen who lives in Israel but was unable to come. Shirli is interested in nature and science. She enjoys hiking. Her community service project included raising money for Lion Ranch, an organization which helps with animal rescue and also spearheads an animal assisted therapy program. In addition to the animal rescue project, she volunteers about three times a week at the Friendship Circle where she mentors a special needs child. Shirli is a competitive swimmer who excels at free style. She also loves musical theater. In addition to reading the seven aliyot, she led a major part of the service for her Bat Mitzvah.

www.jvalley.org • JCN • January 2010

Gurney, Cantor of the Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles conducted the service. Rachel is an eighth grader at Hillview Middle School in Menlo Park. She enjoys art, basketball, photography and music and is an accomplished flautist. For her Mitzvah project, Rachel donated money to the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito. Her younger brother, Jordan, is a 5th grader at Oak Knoll Elementary School. Her grandparents, Elaine & David Freed of Napa, CA and Margo & Ralph Roth of Scottsdale, AZ were there to share in the celebration as were her Great Aunt Karen& Uncle Arnold Goldman of Israel. Her Aunt Deborah & Uncle Johnny of Mill Valley and Aunt Sue & Uncle Steve German of Scottsdale were also there for the joyous occasion. Many other relatives and friends came in from around the States, including NY, OR, OH and AZ. Jessica Hirsch, daughter of Lee & Bonnie Hirsch, of Cupertino was called to the Torah as a Bat Mitzvah on October 24 at Congregation Jessica Hirsch Beth David. She is the younger sister of Scott Hirsch, 19, a student at the University of California at Davis and Evan Hirsch, 16, a student at Monte Vista High School. She is a seventh grade student at Kennedy Middle School in Cupertino.

Rachel Danielle Freed, daughter of Leslie & Mark Freed, of Menlo Park, celebrated becoming a Bat Mitzvah on October Jessica was pleased to share her 17 at the Sheraton Bat Mitzvah celebration with her Hotel in Palo Alto. Rachel Danielle Freed grandparents, Sandra & Norman George Rubin, Copeland and Barbara & Leonard Jewish Educator, and Cousin Don Weinstein of NJ.

She enjoys soccer, gymnastics and tumbling and of course, hanging out with her friends. For her mitzvah project she participates in Operation Noah which seeks

to collect and distribute stuffed animals to sick children who are hospitalized. Emma Schneider, daughter of Andrew & Maureen Schneider, of Cupertino, celebrated her Bat Mitzvah as she was called to the Torah at Congregation Emma Schneider Beth David on October 31. She is the younger sister of Aaron Schneider, 15, a tenth grader at Monte Vista High School and Dina Schneider, 19, a sophomore at the University of California at Davis. Emma is in the seventh grade at Kennedy Middle School in Cupertino. Her grandparents, Natalie & Stanley Schneider of Swarthmore, PA were able to attend the celebration; her grandfather, Joseph Evans, of Great Neck, NY was unable to come. In addition to her school work, Emma plays flute in her school band, is an active girl scout and swims for DACA. As part of her Girl Scout work, she recently fed the homeless. She is an avid biker and rides the metric century – 65 miles. On a monthly basis, she goes to the Silicon Valley Bicycle Association where she repairs bicycles which are donated to local area charities. Alexander Paulsen, son of Mimi & Greg Paulsen, of Los Altos, was called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah on December 5 at Temple Emanu-El. He is the younger Alexander Paulsen brother of Samuel Paulsen, 16, who is a student at Mountain View High School. Alex is a seventh grade honor roll student at Blach Intermediate School where his favorite subject is history. He also enjoys participating in a variety of sports, especially soccer, basketball and snowboarding. Alex plays the drums in the school band

January 2010 â&#x20AC;˘ JCN â&#x20AC;˘ www.jvalley.org

silicon valley simchas

as well as the drum set in his free time. For his mitzvah project, he collected 386 new and gently used sports balls and donated them to local nonprofit organizations including the Moldaw Zaffaroni ClubhouseBoys and Girls Club in East Palo Alto, El Camino YMCAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s After School and PE Programs and the Yavneh Jewish Day School. Alex is happy that his grandparents, Phyllis & Jerry Greenbach of Sunriver, OR and Betty & Marion Paulsen of Reno, NV are able to join him for this special occasion. Also on hand were his Uncle Jerry Greenbach of Chicago, IL, his Aunt Sherri Greenbach & Uncle David Goldstein who just returned from their honeymoon and who now live in NYC and Aunt Michelle Brackett and her family from Davis,CA. Anna Levine, daughter of Jerry & Dr. Ilene Levine, was called to the Torah on December 19 as a Bat Mitzvah at Temple EmanuEl. She is in the eighth grade at the Harker School where she plays

while working toward her Bat Mitzvah. She began her religious education at Temple Emanu-El and was excited to be returning to San Jose to celebrate with her family and friends from all over the Sydney Levine, daughter United States, Australia and Israel. of Arick & Bernadette Levine, was For her Mitzvah project, Sydney is called to the Torah as a Bat Mitzvah volunteering with One.org to help fight extreme poverty and the spread on December of disease. 26 at Temple Emanu-El. She is an eighth grade honor student at Grey Culbreth Middle School in Chapel Hill, NC. Sydney Levine Sydney loves playing volleyball, softball and hanging out with her friends. Her grandparents, Ray & Bobi Levine, long time Temple members are very proud of her accomplishments. 408.499.2077 â&#x20AC;˘ 408.913.7784 She has demonstrated great rbencuya@apr.com commitment, hard work and www.homebyrosa.com maturity for the past six years. For her mitzvah project, she is collecting travel size toiletry items to be used in welcome packets at Inn Visionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Georgia Travis Center.

Anna Levine

water polo and is acting in the fall play. She also loves reading, backpacking and babysitting. She is the sister of Charles, 16, who attends Harker School and Sam, 18, who is a freshman at Pitzer College in Claremont, CA. She was delighted that her 91 year old grandmother, Joy Newman, was able to come from NYC to celebrate with her on this joyous occasion. In addition to her grandmother, relatives from NY, MI and CT came in to celebrate. Anna has been a member of Temple Emanu-El since her baby naming; she has enjoyed Hebrew and Religious School since her Shalom Chaverimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; class. She enjoys the warmth of the Temple community and has attended Camp Tawonga

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Jewbilee

www.jvalley.org • JCN • January 2010 [continued from "Fitness for the soul" on p.26]

By Jenny Green

The rituals that religions have been encouraging for thousands of years seem to be a kind of anaerobic workout for self-control.”

What does it look like when Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, Renewal, unaffiliated, and secular Jews gather together to learn about and celebrate Judaism?

Some of this discipline works just by learning to be constant in performance. But it is also the case that ritual and ethical commandments are connected; they can reinforce each other. A few examples:

This is what Jewbilee, the South Bay’s festival of Jewish life and learning, was designed to find out. The Addison-Penzak JCC will transform its annual “night of learning” into an all-day festival, add free childcare, a concert, and a buffet laden with Jewish soul food, and include the larger Bay Area.

Shabbat teaches us that there is more to life than work, more to our selves than our jobs. It gives us time for rest, thought, meditation and prayer. It connects us with others, both through communal worship and the ingrained practice of hospitality at Shabbat meals.

On Sunday, January 24, from 1-8 p.m., Jewbilee will offer all manner of performances, classes and activities for all ages and interests. Rabbis, professors, Jewish educators, artists, and performers from all over the Bay Area have signed on to participate.

Regular worship gives us quiet time within our daily routine of bustle and work. It focuses our attention outside of ourselves, and no matter our theological certainty or confusion, it brings G-d’s name to our lips.

In addition to the four hours of courses and programs, Jewbilee will offer films, a concert with Sephardic music ensemble Kat Parra, and a lounge and buffet open all day where Jewbileers can grab a nosh, and sit and shmooze.

The Purim mitzvot of Mishloah Manot, giving food to friends and acquaintances, and Mattanot La-evyonim, gifts to the poor, train us to share our joy, and teach that there should never be celebration without giving. These deeds train us to maintain relationships and strengthen community. The mitzvah of tzedakah has us open our hands, which have a natural tendency to clench shut around our money. It guides us to view our wealth as a responsibility, and to live a generous life. It helps us form habits of the heart. When performed mindfully, every mitzvah has its meaning and its role in refining our hearts and elevating our souls.

“We felt that by adding the lounge and the food, we’d give people a place to take a break, sit and process what was happening, talk with friends and fellow participants about the experience,” Rabbi Fenton explained. “The overarching goal of Jewbilee is to build a community feeling.”

Notice one important thing: our efforts for physical fitness tend to focus us on ourselves. What is my blood pressure? What is my body fat ratio? and so on. Spiritual fitness asks us to look within, but also outside of ourselves. The disciplines of ritual and ethics train us to care about others. We pray to G-d in the Shabbat Amidah, V’taher libeinu l’avdekha be-emet—Purify our hearts to serve You in truth. Service of G-d is both spiritual and ethical—inseparably. We serve G-d when we pray with focus and fervor. And we serve G-d when we give to the poor with open hands and hearts.

The APJCC has kept the cost of attendance low at $7 for adults, $4 for children/ students/seniors, and free for children under 4. The expectation is for a much larger crowd for Jewbilee than for the previous years’ community nights of learning.

Our spiritual disciplines give us a higher reason to preserve our physical health—so that we can grow in soul and spirit, in goodness and compassion; so that our words and deeds will truly transform our physical shell into an active embodiment of G-d’s image.

Among the topics of classes and programs are: • An interactive Tu b’Shevat Museum for the whole family • Teen panel discussion • Two screenings of “The Hats of Jerusalem” by the Silicon Valley Jewish Film Festival • Performances by Stella the Kosher Mime • Performance by the Kat Parra and the Sephardic Music Experience • Educators from the Florence Melton Adult Mini-Schools, The Jewish Study Network, Lehrhaus Judaica, and rabbis from local synagogues To reserve your spot for Jewbilee, visit the Jewbilee website at www.svjcc. org/jewbilee.

January 2010 • JCN • www.jvalley.org

children's health [from "Jews not exempt from childhood obesity epidemic" p.24]

What we need to realize now is that teaching healthy family lifestyle patterns must be part of this ethical and moral education, and receive as much attention and effort as the other long-accepted priorities of parenting. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle in a world of excess and unlimited choices requires parental limits, and that is why healthy weight management is a parenting issue. Our world has changed in the past thirty years. When most of today’s parents were kids there weren’t any computers, video games, cable TV or fast-food restaurants on every corner. Most kids spent their days riding bikes, climbing trees, and playing outside in the neighborhood until dinner. The majority of families ate dinner together, at a kitchen table, and ate a home-cooked meal. Today’s parents are just learning themselves that they need the skills and tools necessary to make healthy lifestyle changes and choices. The majority of us were not taught what we now know is needed to develop life patterns of health and balance. For a child, extra weight and feeling different and outcast as a direct result, is as important as a learning disorder or any other area of functioning that needs support and help. Eating lots of fruits and vegetables, limiting screen time to two hours a day, getting at least one hour of physical activity a day, and almost no sweetened beverages need to be discussed in the same breath as telling the truth, being respectful, doing homework and chores, and following rules.

the TV, the family ate together at the dinner table for a minimum of fifteen minutes, without the TV or any other interruptions. As recommended, they served the meal from the kitchen, only bringing the fruit and vegetable dishes to the table. This reminded them to have second helpings of fruits and vegetables. Juice and soda consumption, as well as all other sugarsweetened beverages was reduced to a small glass of orange juice (4 oz) with breakfast, and soda only at birthday parties and special events. They chose two nights of the week to designate as “dessert night.” Fruit and vegetables could be eaten at any time with a goal of five servings a day. Specific to this family was that both of the boys disliked most fruits and vegetables, and the parents were somewhat limited themselves. To encourage an increased consumption of both, the acceptable vegetable to all, carrots, was served every night along with one other vegetable that varied. Each family member was encouraged to try anything new at least once, and alternative cooking preparation methods were tried. Currently, one of the boys is now routinely eating several different kind of fruits, and three different vegetables, and the other boy is eating apples consistently, and will eat broccoli on a regular basis. Their mother has actually found quite a few fruits she enjoys and has found several more vegetables she likes. The child originally referred to BACTK has slowed his rate of weight gain as compared to height enough to now be consistently within an appropriate percentage BMI-for-age, and his brother is benefiting from the family changes in that he has avoided his own likely increased rate of weight gain versus height that was inevitable given the pattern of his family genetics. Most striking is that the child referred to BACTK is routinely active, playing basketball and football. When he started with BACTK over a year ago, he did not feel coordinated or confident enough to participate in these sports, and now he loves to tell us how much faster he can run and that he can jump rope easily. Of importance to his parents, his cholesterol level is now normal, and the signs and symptoms he had suggesting the development of diabetes without any lifestyle changes were eliminated.

Experts have extensively studied human behavior over the ages and have shown that 90 percent of everything we do on a daily basis is habit. Habits are acquired, learned behaviors that we do without even thinking about it. How Two boys, who are participating in a weight management program, play an we treat people, how we spend Becoming healthier is a process. It takes exercise video game. money, what we say, how we time and understanding to replace unwanted eat. Ninety percent of the time we are on autopilot. We do things the way habits with habits consistent with life long health. we have always done them. We can learn how to have one reasonable-sized serving of kugel or latkes, instead of the “heaping” helping often taken and usually followed by When a family is ready to make changes, where do they start? A frequent additional helpings. There always will be more kugel and latkes. mistake is to do the “all or nothing” approach. Rudy Leidel, a pediatrician, said, “Obesity, like baseball, is a game of inches.” A tiny difference of Dr. Jamie Wallach is a Los Gatos physician who works with Bay Area expenditure and intake (error of judgement, in baseball) over a long Committed to Kids, a medically supervised lifestyle and weight management period of time can have a profound effect. An excess 100 calories/day practice. She can be reached at (408) 356-6900. over one year causes an increase of 10 pounds. Conversely, a deficit of 100 calories/day (i.e. one slice of bread OR one teaspoon of butter) over one A Pediatric Lifestyle and year will yield a loss of 10 pounds. Small change can have big effects if Weight Management maintained over a long period of time.

Practice

An example of a family that made lifestyle changes to great effect, is the Andrews family (name changed to maintain confidentiality). They made a family commitment to better health, instead of just “singling” out the child originally designated as having a weight problem. They decided as a family to limit their meals away from home to once a week, and to avoid fast food restaurants. Previously they had routinely stopped at Taco Bell or Arby’s at the last minute when afternoon activities keep them away from home until past dinnertime. They also committed to limiting television and video games to weekends, and to get up and “be active” during commercials. On days they came home directly after school, an afternoon snack that included a protein food was prepared for the kids. Afterwards, at least 30 minutes would be spent outside (weather permitting) playing before homework was started. Instead of eating their dinner in front of

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Bay Area Commited to Kids

www.jvalley.org • JCN • January 2010 14855 Oka Road #100, Los Gatos, CA 95032 www.yavnehdayschool.org14855 Oka Road #100, Los Gatos, CA 95032 www.yavnehdayschool.org

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Nomination deadline: February 19, 2010 Nominate an outstanding teen Award - $36,000 each Nomination forms & information www.sfjcf.org/diller/teenawards 415.512.6432 • dillerteens@sfjcf.org Congratulations to our 2009 winners: Max Einhorn, La Jolla; Eric Feldman, Palos Verdes; Aaron Feuer, Los Angeles; Jackie Rotman, Santa Barbara; Erin Schrode, Ross. Watch short videos featuring the dynamic winners at www.sfjcf.org/diller/teenawards

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The 2010 Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards recognize up to ﬁve Jewish teens — ages 13 to 19 — throughout California for exceptional community service work in helping repair the world.

January 2010 â&#x20AC;˘ JCN â&#x20AC;˘ www.jvalley.org [from "physically fit kids do better" on p.25]

MAKE AN

IMPACT ANSWER THE CALL

Clearly, we require other options to provide purposeful opportunities to improve and maintain physical health and fitness. So many compelling reasons exist why exercise in our children and teens should be a priority: â&#x20AC;˘ Improved academic performance and cognitive functioning â&#x20AC;˘ Stronger social and behavioral skills â&#x20AC;˘ Improved coordination and mobility â&#x20AC;˘ Increased functional strength and endurance â&#x20AC;˘ Better sports preparation and injury prevention â&#x20AC;˘ Improved health and well-being â&#x20AC;˘ Increased self-esteem and confidence

JANUARY 31, 2010 SAVE US A CALL!

Why not make the most of this seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s school year and provide our communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kids with all the benefits being physically fit has to offer, ensuring both a fit body and a fit mind.

ON SUPER SUNDAY They are our cousins and our grandparents, our neighbors and our long lost relatives. They are our family. And whether they are here in Silicon Valley, navigating the most severe economic downturn in generations, in the former Soviet Union or in Israel, more and more are turning to Jewish Federation-supported programs for food and urgent ďŹ nancial relief.

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David L. James, MSC, is the founder and CEO of the Los Gatos-based business FUZE FIT. He is also the father of two students at Yavneh Day School.

Â&#x161; H[gk[iji \eh beYWb Wii_ijWdY[ Wh[ Wj never-before-seen levels. Â&#x161; ?d j^[ \ehc[h Iel_[j Kd_ed" ceh[ j^Wd 60,000 indigent Jews have been denied much-needed food, medicine, and housing assistance due to budget cuts. Â&#x161; Ed[#j^_hZ e\ ?ihW[b_ Y^_bZh[d dem live in poverty. Federation programs that address poverty and are facing devastating cutbacks.

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[from "joyful no matter what life delivers" on p.27]

Big lessons, to be sure, but I have learned one more lesson that has absolutely transformed me, and made me a happier, healthier person. After two years of taking Ally out in public and getting stares and questions and comments about her floppy head, lazy eye, and feeding tube, I realized Ally will go through her entire life being judged. Everyone with whom she comes in contact will make deductions without benefit of full understanding. They will judge. This epiphany makes me realize so many of us judge without benefit of full understanding. We assume we know what others are thinking when they make choices. We assume we comprehend a scenario when it's impossible to do so without walking in the other person's shoes. We judge. How amazing it is that a small child, full of nothing but innocence, has taught me how easy it is to judge others when we know not what they endure, and at the same time how important it is to strive to live without judgment and assumption. It's even relevant when we're not even meaning to be judgmental: I think many of us think how green the grass is "over there." It's easy sometimes for us to look at families with seemingly healthy, "normal" children and think "they've got it made" or "they don't know how lucky they are". But when you stop and think, "how do I KNOW that?", it makes sense for every other aspect of your life: how do I KNOW that seemingly healthy, normal child isn't living with an invisible death sentence? How do I KNOW that the parents didn't have a terrible time conceiving and this is their miracle child? I don't. None of us do. This clarity has made me view everyone in an entirely new light: we ALL have things we deal with, we ALL have challenges, and we very likely haven't seen the worst of what's to come, any of us. It is not up to me to judge. It is only up to me to experience. To live in this way, in a more compassionate, empathetic, nonjudgmental way, has been extremely cleansing and stress-relieving. I no longer wander around feeling bitter or jealous of parents with seemingly typical kids. I try to remember: â&#x20AC;&#x153;What is essential is invisible to the eye.â&#x20AC;? I have no idea what they endure. I have no idea if the grass really is greener. This epiphany came to me about four months ago. Since thenâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;since living truly judgment-free for four monthsâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;I have felt lighter, more at ease and happier. And, although I have been exposed to dozens of colds and multiple strains of flu during this time, I did not get sick. Coincidence? Perhaps, but what if by removing that negative aspect from my life I freed up that part of my consciousness to focus on other, more positive things? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth considering. Personally, I have no other explanation for why I have been able to stay healthy through all of the stress Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve endured in the past four months while building a new theatre, raising two children, managing Allyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s health care, running our other business and being exposed to all the germs from daycare and school. So, I choose to believe that we all have the power within us to lead a healthier, happier life and it can start by making the simplest of choices: to fill your day with choices to do good, to be good, to make good and eliminate the time spent passing judgment on others. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 3:40 a.m. now and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sitting hunched over my laptop on my bed, crowded out by a sleeping husband, two children, a Jack Russell Terrier, the feeding pump and suction machine; exhausted after a weekend of performing and managing our company and children. The picture of healthy choices? Hardly. I should have gone to bed hours ago, I should have reclaimed my bed months ago, and I should be sitting up straight. Just goes to show you that even when armed with the information on how to live a healthier life, it is hard to make the healthy choice all the time. All we can do is our best and know that tomorrow is a new day with the opportunity to choose again. Ally didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t choose this life, and neither did her family, but we can choose to make the best of it and navigate it with humor, hope and joy.

www.jvalley.org • JCN • January 2010

obituaries RUTH BLOOMFIELD [1918-August 15, 2009] Ruth Bloomfield, 91, passed away on a Saturday morning after having spent Friday surrounded by her family who had joined her at a party where she lived at the Palo Alto Commons. She was an accomplished pianist, professional interior designer, adventure traveler, who moved from Shaker Heights to Ohio to the Bay Area in 1972. She and her husband, the late Bill Bloomfield, established an Ethan Allen Home Interiors business where she worked until her late eighties as a designer and executive.

We don't make a profit. We make a difference. Our non-profit status has its benefits. Particularly for the dozens of community organizations we support: local synagogues and their education programs, a camp to help families deal with grief, seniors' programs and many, many others. At the end of the day, it's a bottom line we're proud of. So we ask that you consider Sinai Memorial Chapel - Chevra Kadisha in times of grief, as a way of honoring life.

For decades, Ruth and Bill were active supporters of Stanford Lively Arts and regular performers with local chamber groups. Upon Bill’s death in 1998, Ruth established a cash prize to be awarded in his name at the annual Irving M. Klein String Competition in San Francisco. The Bloomfields were members of Congregation Beth Am in Los Altos Hills. Ruth’s interests ranged from crosswords to opera, from photography to bird watching and from tennis to backpacking. She traveled deserts and jungles, meditated at Esalen, sailed the Bahamas, rafted the Colorado, survived quicksand and was still the last word on the proper way to prepare chopped liver. An irrepressible raconteur and joke teller, she loved to entertain. Her many friends still recall evenings at her home filled with good music, great food and lively conversation.

New Peninsula Ofﬁce 777 Woodside Road, Suite C Redwood City (408) 297-3636 FD 1830

For over 56 years, Ruth was an indispensable partner to Bill and a devoted mother to her sons, the late Stefan (Molly) of OR, Richard (Laura) of Palo Alto, and Kenneth (Ellyn) of San Jose and her daughter Susan Davis (Craig) of Cupertino. She was a wonderful and generous grandmother to Jonathan, Rebecca, Aaron, Joanna and David and a very special great-grandmother to Dashiell and Kai. For over nine decades she touched the lives of many and is truly missed.

Wayne A. Rose Pre-need funeral arrangements available.

Jay Steven Weil passed away at the age of 57 from a ruptured brain aneurysm. Jay is survived by his wife of 32 years, Melanie Friedlander Weil, his sons Colin (CJ) and Eliott (Elie), his father Neil Weil and brother Gary Weil and his family and an extended network of relatives, clients and friends. He was raised in Manhattan and relocated to California shortly after his marriage to Melanie. He received an MBA from Golden Gate University in taxation and was in private practice as a CPA for many years. He joined Ken Kawamoto in the long-term partnership of Kawamoto, Weil & Company in Campbell and his presence there is profoundly missed. Jay transferred his passion for the New York Mets to the Giants, both in San Jose and San Francisco. As an avid bowler, he got great pleasure and friendship from the Tuesday Mixers Bowling League. He was a dedicated fan of Special Olympics where his son Elie played. His faithful dog, Sam, was every team’s mascot and was always by his side. The Weil Family has been long-term members of Congregation Shir Hadash. Contributions may be made to shirhadash.org, the Myelin Repair Foundation, myelinrepair.org or Caring Bridge, caringbridge.org. Jay chose to be an organ donor so that others might have a chance at continued life. May his playfulness, compassion and warmth live on and his memory be a blessing.

FDR 979

Gene B. Kaufman, Executive Director

Contributions can be made to the Irving M. Klein String Competition c/o California Music Center, 2030 Harrison Street, San Francisco, CA 94110.

JAY STEVEN WEIL [February 22, 1952-November 23, 2009]

Peninsula-South Bay Director wrose@sinaichapel.org

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January 2010 • JCN • www.jvalley.org

J e w i s h

P r o f e s s i o n a l

Attorneys

Brooke A. Blecher Blecher & Hubbell 1500 E. Hamilton Ave., Ste., 201 Campbell, CA 95008 Phone (408) 369-1010 brooke@blecherhubbell.com www.blecherhubbell.com Certiﬁed Family Law Specialist (State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization). Specializing in the practice of family law, divorce, custody disputes, and child and spousal support 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.

Eliana B. Weissman Hoge, Fenton, Jones & Appel 60 S. Market St., Ste. 1400 San Jose, CA 95113 (408) 287-9501 ebw@hogefenton.com www.hogefenton.com/weissman.html Specializing in family law matters.

Law Ofﬁce of Derr Derryll H H. Molina “Trust is our business!” 1142 S. Winchester Blvd., Ste. B San Jose, CA 95128 (408) 244-4992 attderryl@comcast.net Estate Planning, Probate, and Elder Law. Se habla espanol. 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 Adoption, Custody, Dissolutions, Guardianship, Juvenile Court, Paternity 101 Church St., Suite 7, Los Gatos, CA 95032 (408) 354-5590 Shannon Stein Law Ofﬁces of Shannon Stein 438 South Murphy Avenue Sunnyvale, CA 94086 Phone (408) 774-9097 www.shannonsteinlaw.com shannon@shannonsteinlaw.com Family Law Attorney, specializing in dissolutions, child custody, child support, mediation, restraining orders, limited scope representation, and post judgement issues.

Joyce W. Levy 400 Cambridge Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94306 (408) 287-1644 (650) 248-0888 levyesq@sbcglobal.net www.jlevyesq.com Certiﬁed specialist in estate planning, trust & probate law, California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization.

Carol Elias Zolla 1631 Willow Street, Suite 100 San Jose, CA 95125 (408) 264-9822 ext. 15 carol@zollalawfirm.com www.zollalawfirm.com Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law. The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization.

D i r e c t o r y

Cantor - Educator Dr. Itzhak Emanuel 27 Eucalyptus Lane San Rafael, CA 94901 phone/fax (415) 453-3899, cell (415) 218-1295, All Life cycle ceremonies-special events Spiritual Leadership; Cantorial-Liturgical skills; Hebrew-Jewish studies

Events AMB DESIGNS Balloon & Event Decor • Any Occasion, we do it all! Call Amy Blach, your Event Designer (408) 942-0852 ambdsgn@pacbell.net • www.ambdesigns.com

Financial Services

Contractors Contraccting H2N Painting and General Contracting P.O. Box 1943 Cupertino, CA 95015 Cal Lic#636286 (408) 375-1037 “On-Time, On-Budget” Painting, Pressure Washing, Deck Restoration, General Contracting, Plantation Shutters $32.20 Per Sq Ft installed

Alan Werba, CPA, CFP Werba & Davis Advisory Services, LLC 3055 Olin Ave., Suite 2000 San Jose, CA 95128 Tel. (408) 260-3109 Fax. (408) 423-0209 Fee-Based Portfolio Management since 1990 Securities offered through Loring Ward Securities Inc., member FINRA/SIPC

Commercial Real Estate

1671 Dell Avenue, Suite 218 Campbell, CA 95008 Commercial Real Estate Management, Investments, and Leasing. Call us for your property management, leasing and sales needs. Allen Guggenheim & Gary Naillon (408) 871-8722 x222 • (408) 834-4959 fax www.guggenheimrgi.com

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Robert Chaykin Vice President / Branch Manager 16000 Los Gatos Blvd. Los Gatos, CA. 95032 (408) 358-0988 robert.chaykin@morganstanley.com We offer comprehensive ﬁnancial planning, asset allocation strategies, college savings plans, and retirement planning. Investments and services are offered through Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, member SIPC.

Dentists

Matchmaker

Dr. Zuri Barniv, DDS 1210 E. Arques Ave., Suite 200 Sunnyvale, CA 94085 (408) 733-1124 Barniv_Dental@yahoo.com www.Barniv-Dental.com Dr. Barniv is a university faculty member, practicing high-quality dentistry in a mercury-free ofﬁce with digital X-rays. Dentist speaks Hebrew.

Soul Mates Unlimited TM Judith Gottesman, MSW (510) 418-8813 cell judithrachelleg@gmail.com www.soulmatesunlimited.com Personalized matchmaking, conﬁdential; excellent track record; all ages; state-wide.

Darling & Fischer Chapel of the Hills 615 No. Santa Cruz Ave. Los Gatos, CA 95030 Phone (408) 354-7740 FE940

Garden Chapel 471 E. Santa Clara St. San Jose, CA 95112 Phone (408) 998-2226 FE557

Campbell Memorial Chapel 231 E. Campbell Ave. Campbell, CA 95008 Phone (408) 379-5010 FE898

Home of Peace Cemetery and Mausoleum Founded 1853

Owned and Operated by Temple Emanu-El South Bay Area’s only Jewish-owned Cemetery, Mausoleum and Columbarium Pre-Need Terms

Bob Basuino, Administrator

(408) 292-0939 cemetery@templesanjose.org

Susan Fagin

Brian Kessler

We are your local Silicon Valley experts!

Please call for a free market analysis of your home. SFagin@gmail.com 408.316.9894 Susan

Brian.Kessler@hotmail.com 408.315.8647 Brian www.MySiliconValleyAgent.com

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