JValley News November 2016

JValley news ÂŽ

OF SILICON VALLEY

Jewish newspaper of Silicon Valley...available online at www.jvalley.org/news

November 2016

Creating a gift that keeps on giving

By Alan Werba I have enjoyed participating in the Silicon Valley Jewish Community Legacy Project these last five plus years. I have particularly enjoyed hearing my fellow Jews tell me why the Jewish community has been so important to them and their families. In virtually every case, these people understood the critical need to insure a Jewish future for their children and grandchildren.

However, frequently they were not sure how they personally could create a meaningful legacy gift.

I am continually reminded of the importance of legacy giving when I go to events in our community. On October 16 I had the pleasure to attend the dedication ceremony for Congregation continued on page 16

In This Issue...

Embrace-A-Family this Hanukkah, p9 What will it take to knit us back together?, p15 Interfaith dialogue: what is it really?, p17 Local couples visit Youth Aliyah villages, p18

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

Published by the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley November 2016

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content Inside This Issue

Congregation Emeth continues its tradition of

News Staff Candlelighting San Jose, CA

JValley.news is published by the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley

innovation, celebration and development............6 A dangerous neighborhood: regional threats, the

Friday, Nov 18................................... 4:37 P.M.

Palestinians and Israel’s security........................9

Friday, Nov 25................................... 4:34 P.M.

Reissa to perform................................................9 Embrace-A-Family this Hanukkah!......................9 Stopping gun violence. Taking a position..........10 When working to teach Hebrew language effectively inspires collaboration........................13 What will it take to knit us back together?.........15 Creating a gift that keeps on giving...............1, 16 Jewish Family Services starts a Caregivers Support Group...................................................17 Interfaith dialogue: What is it really?.................17 Introducing Rabbi Marvin Schwab.....................17 Local couples visit Youth Aliyah villages............18 The Lacob family — casting a spell...................21

JEWISH FEDERATION CEO

Jyl Jurman jyl@jvalley.org 408-357-7500

Friday, Dec 2..................................... 4:32 P.M. Friday, Dec 9..................................... 4:32 P.M.

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS

Friday, Dec 16................................... 4:34 P.M.

Pat Bergman Kay Gatell

Friday, Dec 23................................... 4:37 P.M. Friday, Dec 30................................... 4:42 P.M.

SIMCHA & OBITUARY DEPARTMENTS

Friday, Jan 6...................................... 4:47 P.M. Friday, Jan 13.................................... 4:54 P.M. Friday, Jan 20.................................... 5:01 P.M.

Andrea Greyber andrea.greyber@gmail.com

Friday, Jan 27.................................... 5:09 P.M.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Friday, Feb 3...................................... 5:17 P.M.

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

Friday, Feb 10.................................... 5:24 P.M. Friday, Feb 17.................................... 5:32 P.M.

ADVERTISING & BILLING

In Every Issue Community photos..........................................3 Simchas...........................................................5 Ask the Clergy.................................................6 Rabbi’s column................................................7 Datebook...............................19, 20, 22, 23, 27 Obituaries................................................24, 25 Professional Directory...................................26

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

Lynn Osband

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from the desk of the ceo Tiffany Shlain’s doing “it.”

Yavneh students are doing “it.” The JCRC Board is doing “it.” BimBam has a video about “it.” You can do “it,” too. “It” is hakarat ha-tov, literally the recognition of good, and as a Mussar concept, practicing gratitude.

Mussar is a Jewish ethical, educational and cultural movement started in the 19th century to help develop character and Jewish spiritual growth.

That starts with realizing the good that is in your life already. This seems like a good time of year to remind ourselves, not of our

deficits, but of our blessings. At Yavneh, the students learn about important character traits, like hakarat ha-tov and practice them regularly in their respective classrooms and assemblies. Our JCRC Board of the Federation is tackling their policy decisions this year through a recognition of their Jewish characteristics and the values they hope to embrace. Tiffany Shlain has launched the biggest Character Day in the three years since she’s launched the concept with 90,000 events, 124 countries and all 50 states participating on September 22, 2016. BimBam has videos on hakarat ha-tov (links below).

Being grateful can be a release of

expectations. Practicing gratefulness recognizes the good in your life, not the deficits. As we approach Thanksgiving and this season of gratitude, let’s practice hakarat ha-tov.

Jyl Jurman, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley More information on Character Day can be found at http://www.letitripple.org/characterday/ and the BimBam video can be seen at https://vimeo.com/143811890 and also, in a Shaboom! video: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Oej32gXQhnI.

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c mmunity photos

Wendy Fotland (middle) is flanked by LeniSue Master and Wendy’s son Alex. She received the Lilyan Stavis Memorial Golden Needle Award at Knitzvah’s 10th anniversary party for her contributions to Knitzvah.

L to R Knitzvah members Judith Sapper, Bernice Gaon, Barbara Berlant, Mitzi Sapper, Judith Kuhn at Knitzvah’s 10th anniversary celebration and exhibit at the Levy Family Campus.

Yavneh’s 8th graders began 5777 with the mitzvah of helping their neighbor and taking care of the environment, working alongside Downtown Street Team in San Jose.

About 200 people attended the APJCC's annual free BBQ in the sukkah on October 23. The BBQ was catered by House of Bagels and included hot dogs, hamburgers, salads, chips and lemonade.

Bat mitzvah girl Allyson joined Yavneh students Naomi, Ben, Max and Ronel; as well as JFS Chaplain Aides Jessica Leash and Ken Abrams at The Terraces during the High Holidays. They blew shofar and conducted High Holiday services to the delight of the Jewish residents living there.

Silicon Valley Jewish Film Festival Opening Night Honorees Actor Mike Burstyn and Producer Arik Bernstein with Executive Director Tzvia Shelef and Program Director Margalit Raviv

Over 50 people gathered for Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley’s Scotch in the Sukkah on October 19 at Congregation Beth David. The evening was chaired by Jeff Kanel and Joe Kulakofsky.

On September 29, Congregation Beth David hosted the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley’s Campaign Kick-Off event with ambassador and author Dennis Ross.

The evening was chaired by Elise & Dennis Wolf and Helen Tieger & Rabbi Daniel Pressman (rabbi emeritus of Beth David). Rick Tavan was recognized with the Harold Witkin Humanitarian Award.

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simchas

By Andrea Cohen Greyber Called to the Torah Yuval Borenstein, son of Anna & Eran Borenstein, was called to the Torah at Congregation Sinai on September 3. He and his brother Yal are students at Rolling Hills. His younger sibling Ma’ayan, 7, is a student at Marshall Lane. Yuval enjoys gymnastics and just learned to do a double back flip on floor – something he had hoped to do for years. He also enjoys skateboarding, reading and drawing.

As part of becoming a Bar Mitzvah, he took on a Tikkun Olam project aimed at protecting Apollionia – one of the last wild spaces in metropolitan Tel Aviv. Apollionia is close to his grandmother’s home in Herzylia and is home to 29 endangered species including gazelles and jackals. In addition to the rich biological heritage, it boasts 2500 years of historical interest including the famous battle between the Crusader’s Richard the Lionhearted and Saladin. He hopes to raise public awareness and funds in support of this struggle. To do so, he and his friends created a Facebook page: “Aim High: Bar Mitzvah Dude Aims to Protect Israel’s Apollionia Sand Dunes” as well as a video clip entitled “Machar Tivei”. Yuval was pleased that his grandparents, Phyllis Ellen and Aaron Borenstein were able to share this special occasion.

Joshua Ben Mandel, son of Ronald Mandel & Sharon Genkin was called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah on September 10 at Temple Emanu-El. He is a successful eighth grader at Bret Harte Middle School and loves sharing what he has learned.

He is passionate and knowledgeable about meteorology and Minecraft. His interests also include travel, chess and swimming. He is a First Degree Black Belt in Karate, a huge achievement which has involved a great deal of dedication and many years of training. Joshua is deeply committed to Judaism and Jewish values. He began attending religious school at the age of two and is a graduate of the Temple Emanu-El Pre-School. He loves going to services and has won the religious school attendance award seven times. For the past two years, Joshua has been volunteering as a madrich-in-training

in the Aleph classroom where he loves helping the younger students learn Hebrew. His love of Hebrew has inspired him to learn an extra prayer for his Bar Mitzvah. He has attended Camp Newman for five years and looks forward to becoming a counselor in the future. He has developed a strong sense of justice through his study of Torah and for his mitzvah project, he is raising money to help ex-prisoners obtain clothing and dignity. His parents are very proud of his hard work and dedication to the process of becoming a mensch.

Adinah Geshuri, daughter of Rebecca & Arnnon Geshuri, was called to the Torah as a Bat Mitzvah on September 17 at Congregation Sinai.

She is a seventh grade student at Yavneh Day School.

Her two younger sisters, Levana and Lena also attend Yavneh. In her free time, she can be found watching cartoons with her sisters or reading.

Her favorite literary genre is science fiction because authors leave so much room for the imagination. They capture things in the text that spin off into something completely different that leaves the reader wondering what came in between with a steadily growing pile of thoughts and theories clumped in the brain.

She has played guitar for a while and lately has been teaching herself new chords and songs. She also takes care of her three female cats, the oldest being about 15 years old. She feeds them, cleans their litter boxes and makes sure that they are all healthy. For her mitzvah project Adinah is hoping to raise money and awareness of pre-eclampsia. Adinah was very pleased to have grandparents, Debrah & Richard Miller of Walnut Creek, Irena & Yosef Geshuri of Porterville, CA and greatgrandparents Sarah & Itzik Moskovitz of Los Angeles with her for this lovely occasion.

Adin Jepsky, son of Eric & Martha Jepsky, was called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah on October 29 at Temple Emanu-El. He is an honors student and ambassador at Holy Spirit School in San Jose and enjoys competitive tennis (his team ranks amongst the top junior tennis teams in northern California) and competitive volleyball. He has traveled the country and medaled at Junior Nationals with Bay to Bay Volleyball Club. Adin loves reading and playing video games with his friends. He spends as much time as possible with his sister Alyssa, 22, his brother Benjamin, 19, and his one-year-old pug Zoey. Adin will be collecting much needed items for San Jose Animal Care & Services which provides animal care services and an animal shelter located in San Jose. He is looking forward to delivering the items to the shelter staff and visiting with the animals.

Atticus Irv Koff Ginsborg, 14, and Eleanora Stevie Koff Ginsborg, 12, were called to the Torah as Bar and Bat Mitzvah on October 29 at Congregation Shir Hadash. They are the children of David & Elisa Ginsborg. Eleanora is a seventh grade student in the Spanish bilingual immersion program at Willow Glen Middle School. She loves performing in theater productions, animals, cooking, babysitting, going on adventures with the Girl Scouts and spending time with family, friends and her dog Daphne. Atticus is a freshman at Willow Glen High School. He enjoys playing and watching all sports participating in Boy Scouts, reading, biking and spending time with family and friends. For his mitzvah project, he plans to collect sports equipment donations to distribute to those without access to them.

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

Wedding and Bar/Bat Mitzvah Videography

408.206.6505

www.blue-moon-productions.com 408.

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l cal news Ask the Clergy

By Cantor Devorah Felder-Levy, Congregation Shir Hadash

Cantor, at this time of year, where can I find more Chanukah music other than “I Have a Little Dreidel”?

What a great question and one that I get often.

“I Have a Little Dreidel” was written by Samuel Goldfarb and published in 1927. At this point, most of us would consider it a Mi Sinai tune; in other words, that it came from Sinai. Of course, it didn’t, nor did “Maoz Tzur” also known as “Rock of Ages.” The words to Maoz Tzur are attributed to Mordechai and were written in the 12-13th Century. The most popular tune that we sing is believed to have been an old German folk song and has been sung since the 15th century.

Zechariah 4:6. This section of Zechariah is the traditional Haftarah read on the Shabbat during Chanukah.

There are some fun pieces for Chanukah; such as, “How Do You Spell Channukkahh” by the LeeVees or the Maccabeats song “Candlelight”, a parody of the song “Dynamite” by Taio Cruz or their “Latke Recipe”, a parody of “Shut Up and Dance” originally performed by Walk the Moon. If we are talking about fun Chanukah songs, our list would not be complete without mentioning Adam Sandler’s “Chanukah Song” which he continually updates to include more Jewish celebrities. Barenaked Ladies has written an updated version of the Chanukah Blessings.

But what do we have that is a bit more modern? Believe it or not, they do exist. One place to find Chanukah songs, both of an older genre and more modern songs, is on the Jewish website Oysongs.com. Oysongs has Jewish music for everything, both as mp3s and as sheet music.

Some songwriters and singers like to take some of our more “traditional” Chanukah songs and update them. Eran Baron Cohen (brother of Sasha Baron Cohen) has a song called “Songs in the Key of Chanukah – Hanukkah O Hanukkah.” And if we return back to where we started, there are plenty of versions of the Dreidel song, one by Eran Baron Cohen and even one done on the TV show “South Park.”

For some of us, when we think of Chanukah songs, we might think of Peter, Paul and Mary’s “Light One Candle” or Debbie Friedman’s “Not

by Might” which is taken from the prophet

I would also recommend checking out Michelle Citrin’s “Left to Right” which reminds us which way to light our candles. Peter and Ellen Allard wrote “Judah Maccabee, the Hammer” and

“Yodlelay Do Potato.” Besides “Not by Might,” Debbie Friedman wrote a whole Chanukah Musical, “Miracles Aren’t Just Magic”, which includes one of her other famous songs, “The Latke Song.”

Allan Lieder wrote “Lots of Latkes,” Karen Daniels wrote “The Potato Song,” Rabbi Joe Black wrote a song called “Sufganiyot” ” and the traditional “O Chanukah, O Chanukah” mentions food, too.

The list of Jewish singers who have Chanukah songs is quite vast: Julie Silver, Doug Cotler, Craig Taubman, Josh Nelson, Dan Nichols and Jeff Klepper, just to name a few.

Lastly, while many on the East Coast and Midwest head to Florida for their winter vacations, we can all go spend “Chanukah in Santa Monica” written by Tom Lehrer.

Hopefully, now you will have a plethora of Chanukah songs to choose from this year and for many years to come. May our candles shine bright and the music of Chanukah fill the air in all of our homes.

Congregation Emeth continues its tradition of innovation, celebration and development

By Michael Heil, Congregation Emeth

Serving the South Valley Jewish Community, Congregation Emeth has continued to mark our 40th anniversary with important developments.

This year we launched and are nearing completion of a capital campaign. Even though we are a small congregation, we set our sights with a bold vision. The campaign has already raised more than $168,000, with participation by more than two-thirds of our membership which, at 85 households, has grown from fewer than 20 at our founding in 1976.

Called Bonim B’Yachad (Building Our Future Together), this fund-raising program is supporting four projects: (1) a new Bimah that now graces our sanctuary, (2) a smartly designed structure that is both a playground for our religious school’s chil-

dren and a permanent Sukkah, (3) several energy conservation improvements and (4) a significant reduction in our mortgage principal.

Bonim B’Yachad was designed to meet diverse needs and appeal to prospective donors with diverse interests. The new Bimah, featuring a stained glass Tree of Life and Ner Tamid, beautifies the sanctuary for our weekly services. The playground provides the children in our school with a safe place to play with a play structure, a rubber surface and fencing. The permanent Sukkah makes set-up for Sukkot easier, but at the same time, provides shade for outdoor events. The energy conservation project—we call it the Greening of Emeth— includes a new reflective roof, insulation in the attic and interior LED lights. These improvements will, of course, also reduce our utilities expense. Finally, the reduction in the bank loan (needed to purchase

and refurbish our own building in 2008) will take us another step towards financial security and independence. We hope to pay off the bank loan in full within the next few years. This will leave us with all of the capital financing for our building limited to bonds owned by our members.

In a wonderful coincidence of timing in this year of our 40th anniversary, we celebrated Rabbi Israel’s 10th anniversary as our spiritual leader. The celebration was marked with a Sukkot service and the dedication of our permanent Sukkah that is integrated with Gan HaShalva, Tranquility Garden, dedicated to the Rabbi.

Congregation Emeth is South Valley’s Jewish community center, located in Morgan Hill and serving South San Jose, Morgan Hill, Gilroy and Hollister. For further information, go to www.emeth.net or call (408) 778-8200.

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l cal news Rabbi’s column: Gratitude

By Rabbi Philip Ohriner, Congregation Beth David The holiday season is a wonderful time to consider the character trait of gratitude. Of all the ways in which Judaism seeks to evoke a sense of gratitude in our lives, we feel it most palpably in the Jewish approach to eating. This probably doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone. After all, a Jewish event without food isn’t really Jewish!

The Talmud, citing Psalms reminds us that “the earth is the Lord’s and all that fills it.” Therefore, partaking of G-d’s bounty without properly reciting prayers of thanksgiving is considered to be theft. And so as we prepare to partake of a meal, as well as when we reach satiation, our prayers remind us of the incredible gift and act of grace present in each piece of food we consume. Voicing our gratitude through the language of prayer can bring a higher level of awareness to the preciousness of our resources and the miracle that resides in each loaf of bread, every dollar earned, and the kindnesses shown to us by friends, family, or perfect strangers.

Yet, even in our vigilance to remain forever conscious of our blessings, we should also heed Judaism’s stark warning. There is a dan-

ger in making gratitude the sole component of our spiritual lives, for gratitude has the potential to evolve into complacency. As the late pastor W.T. Purkiser writes, “The true measure of our gratitude is not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them.” One need only check the news for a brief moment to be confronted by the pain and suffering that continues to exist in our world. One out of every 113 human beings is either an asylum-seeker, internally displaced or a refugee. More than 30 million human beings are enslaved. 7,000 people right here in Santa Clara County without a roof over their heads. As Jews, we live with a certain theological tension. We are fully cognizant that authentic gratitude comes from awareness that our blessings are truly a gift from G-d. But we also know we cannot allow our own sense of thanksgiving to overshadow our sacred calling to heal our fractured world.

This is why the Jewish grace after meals ends with a deceptive verse from Psalms: “I was once young and now I am old, yet I have never seen a righteous man forsaken, or his children begging for bread.” Upon first consideration the verse seems to be telling us that we need not worry! G-d will not abandon the righteous nor will their children go hungry. But this is not what the verse means. According to Rabbi Joseph

Soloveitchik, the psalmist places the burden not upon G-d, but upon himself. He says, “I was once young and now I am old, yet I have never stood still and watched while the righteous are forsaken or their children begging for bread.”

Scripture teaches that our spirit of gratitude and our faith in G-d’s providence must serve as a call to action and not an excuse for inertia, for there are righteous people who are suffering and children who beg for bread.

As we enter into the holiday season, we are called upon to recognize that our most profound moments of gratitude will not manifest at the dining room, even as we take the time to consider our blessings. The wellspring of feeling blessed will come through sharing our bounty and resources with those less fortunate perhaps than we are. We will sense it most forcefully when we fight through the inertia of inaction and full bellies and embrace the opportunities available through all of our community’s Jewish organizations this time of year to do a mitzvah. Even as we take the time to offer thanksgiving while we eat, we are simultaneously encouraged to take active steps to allow ourselves the full measure of feeling a sense of gratitude that can come from being a blessing to another human being.

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Temple Emanu-El An Interfaith Thanksgiving Service Sunday, November 20 at 6:30 PM Please join the interfaith community of San Jose in giving thanks. Attendees are encouraged to bring canned food to donate to Second Harvest. Pie and refreshments will be served following the service.

Legacy Rock Shabbat Service with Jewish Family Services Friday, December 9 at 7:30 PM Featuring the musical stylings of our Rock Shabbat Band!

An innovative and joyous worship experience with musicians and singers joining Cantor Winter and Rabbi Magat. Congregational singing is definitely encouraged, as is dancing in the aisles. Join us as we welcome the Sabbath in a fun and lively manner. All members and non-members are invited to a service like you’ve never been to before. This service is dedicated to recognizing those members of Temple Emanu-El and supporters of Hillel of Silicon Valley who, by their generous commitments, support the Jewish Community with a planned gift to one of these beloved organizations.

Regional Threats, the Palestinians and Israel's Security A Special Talk by Israeli Security Veteran and Former Shin Bet Director

Chanukah Gift, Craft, Food, and Fun Fair Sunday, December 11 at 10:30 AM Join Sisterhood to get your holiday shopping done! There will be crafts, cookie decorating, a bounce house and more. Lunch provided with proceeds benefiting our Youth Group, EESY. Our Judaica shop is also open Fridays after Motzi and during Religious School on Sundays.

Monday December 5th 7:00 PM Congregation Shir Hadash 20 Cherry Blossom Lane Details: www.shirhadash.org

Latkes & Laughs Sunday, December 18. Doors open at 5:30 PM, show starts at 6:30 PM. Enjoy a night of potato pancakes and punchlines with comedians Jeff Applebaum, Avi Liberman, and Mike Capozzola.

Students (14-21): $18; General Admission: $45 Ticket price includes delicious, vegetarian, latke dinner.

For tickets visit www.latkesandlaughs.com

CSH

Congregation Shir Hadash

· Brisket & Latke Dinner, Sufganiyot, Too · Joyful Musical Shabbat Service · Games, Crafts, & Age Appropriate Drinks for Everyone!

RSVP and pre-payment required for dinner, by 12/8 RSVP online at www.Beth-David.org/RSVP or call the office at 408-257-3333 CBD Members adults & children (11+) $20 children (5-10) $12 tots (0-4) free

Non-Members adults & children (11+) $24 children (5-10) $16 tots (0-4) free

3333.

Congregation Beth David

19700 Prospect Road ● Saratoga ● 408.257.3333 www.Beth–David.org

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l cal news Reissa to perform Eleanor Reissa, the reigning queen of Yiddish cabaret, and the Varetski Pass Trio, an internationally renowned music ensemble from the Bay area have formed a brand new musical collaboration. For decades on the stage, Eleanor has been devoted to the accessibility and preservation of Yiddish and Yiddish song. Her work is classic and classy, funny and fascinating.

She is an authentic personality whose life has been shaped by the richness of Jewish culture and who makes its beauty and vibrancy come alive. A Tony-nominated theater director as well as an actor, singer, writer and choreographer, she has lived a life in the theater for decades. Eleanor and The Varetski Pass klezmer trio, come together to celebrate the lights and joys of Chanukah in concert on Sunday, December 18, at 4:00 p.m. at Congregation Sinai. A latkes and dessert reception will follow.

A dangerous neighborhood: regional threats, the Palestinians and Israel’s security

By Alan J Weissberger

Congregation Shir Hadash is honored and privileged to host a lecture and discussion on December 5, 2016 at 7:30pm by Carmi Gillon an Israeli business man, politician and former head of Shin Bet (Israeli Security Service) from 1972 – 1996. A prominent figure in Israeli security, diplomacy and business, Mr. Gillon was featured in The Gatekeepers, an Oscar-nominated documentary film featuring six former heads of the Shin. A graduate of Harvard Business School, Gillon has served in such varied leadership posts as mayor of the city Mevasseret Zion near Jerusalem, Ambassador of Israel to Denmark and CEO of the Peres Center for Peace.

In his talk, Mr. Gillon will identify threats to Israel from Iran and its neighbors. He will also discuss the current situation with the Palestinians and how that might impact Israel’s security needs. Gillon will also explain why Israel’s security depends on achieving a two state solution and project if and when that might be possible.

Let’s examine the award winning Gatekeepers

movie, in which Gillon, as head of Shin Bet, warned that extremists would try to kill Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. The assassination of Rabin on November 4, 1995 by a far-right Israeli extremist shook the agency’s reputation and led to Gillon’s resignation which was rejected by acting Prime Minister Shimon Peres.

Ironically, this enormous failure was followed by one of Gillon’s greatest successes. In January 1996, the Shin Bet assassinated “The Engineer,” Yahya Ayyash, a Palestinian terrorist who had masterminded some of the bloodiest attacks on Israeli civilians in recent memory.

After the assassination of Rabin, Shin Bet changed its strategies, quietly working with Palestinian officers on security matters. The Palestinians did not cooperate just to help Israeli security, but because they legitimately believed they would soon have a state of their own. Yet 20 years later their dreams of a Palestinian state remain unfulfilled. Is Palestinian self-determination synonymous with Israeli peace? Come to this lecture/discussion to find out.

Embrace-A-Family this Hanukkah!

Jewish Family Services invites you to be a part of our ninth annual Embrace-A-Family program, which brings hope and smiles to those in need.

Your gifts will help ease holiday pressures and stress for needy families, senior citizens, and adults. Frail, isolated seniors are often overlooked at this time of year. Providing gifts for them is a special mitzvah that will make a huge positive difference in their lives.

What you can do to help Look for JFS SV dreidel boards in the community from now through December 23. The boards are at these locations: Levy Family Campus (main and Yavneh/APJCC Preschool lobbies, upstairs at Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley), synagogues (Congregations Beth David, Emeth, Shir Hadash, Sinai; and Temples Emanu-El and Beth Torah), Hillel of Silicon Valley, Pars Kosher Market, South Peninsula Hebrew Day School, and Israeli preschools (Gan Ronit and Liat’s Family Home).

Purchase the gift on the tag and bring your unwrapped gift to the JFS SV office at the Levy Family Campus, 14855 Oka Rd, Suite 202, Los Gatos. Your gift will bring a smile – and be a blessing - to someone in need.

Generosity restores hope for gift recipients Embrace-a-Family restores hope to people in need, and the generosity of our community over the years has been astounding. There are many beautiful and heartwarming stories from this program. Here are a few:

-A refugee couple who arrived to the U.S. in 2015 with almost nothing received flatware and dishes. The young woman was delighted to get a perfect business shirt just in time for her first job interview. The young man received a thermos and was thrilled to bring healthy meals to his night job – a small gift that made a huge difference.

-In 2015 generous donors fulfilled wishes for the financially needy family of a mother who was critically ill. The family would have gone without any gifts. The mother developed the wish list for her children and husband. The family received many of the gifts including an adorable bike for a young child. These acts of kindness made a family feel more supported during this very difficult time.

-In past years, seniors who received gifts of books, shoes, and warm blankets appreciated the comfort they brought. Refugee families who got kitchen, bedding, and other household items felt warmly welcomed in our country.

Embrace-A-Family once again has a Target Gift Registry for those who like to shop online. Please check the Jewish Family Services website, www.jfssv.org for this year’s link.

We appreciate your passing along information about the Embrace-A-Family Target Registry to family and friends who live out of Silicon Valley.

Embrace-A-Family brings the community together

It’s a wonderful way for people who have much to be thankful for to give to those in need. Parents of preschoolers find that it is an easy way to help young kids understand about tzedakah and tikkun olam.

Members of havurot get together and buy gifts or pool their resources for larger requests.

Some families incorporate Embrace-A-Family into their family Hanukkah celebrations.

New Dreidels for 2016: $36 Food Bags for families, seniors, and individuals. FEMA is not funding emergency food in Santa Clara County this year. $36 and $50 Emergency Fund for Refugees.

United Way of Silicon Valley, which had been funding our refugee services, closed its doors in June. Our Emergency Refugee Fund dreidels will support our need to make up $50,000 in funding that helps refugee families begin new lives in America.

More ways to help Gift cards (gas station, supermarket and discount department store) for struggling families and isolated seniors help throughout the year.

Embrace-A-Family is a program of JFS’ Project NOAH. For information visit www.jfssv.org or contact Lori Cinnamon at 357-7467 or loric@ jfssv.org.

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educati n Stopping gun violence. Taking a position.

By Annette Ladowitz, Temple Emanu-El Board of Trustees 33,000 people die by gun violence every year in the U.S. It is the highest number in any western country in the world. More Americans die by guns in the U.S. in two years than did in the entire Vietnam War. 58,315 U.S. soldiers died in Vietnam.

There were hundreds of mass shootings in the U.S. last year. In San Jose the homicide rate in 2016 is twice what it was last year. It is the highest in 25 years.

We used to accept traffic deaths as inevitable.

I remember when there were 50,000 deaths a year. Last year there were 38,300. We have safety belts, air bags and now self-parking and self-driving cars. We woke up and said we can do this. We regulate who can drive a car.

14-year-olds can’t get a driver’s license, they can’t buy cigarettes or liquor or a lottery ticket, but they can buy a gun.

I was so very proud to be at our board meeting on Tuesday September 6. When presented with the ability to endorse the Safe Cities Coalition position on stopping gun violence here in San Jose, the board quickly and resoundingly said,

“Yes.” Tikkun Olam recommended joining over 40 local organizations that had already signed on. Thank you Bob Levy and Marci Gerston for leading the way. Among the many who have endorsed Safe Cities so far are: • Congressman Mike Honda • Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren

Gun owners: 1-Safely store firearms kept in the home.

2-Secure firearms in unattended vehicles.

3-Report loss or theft of firearms.

Gun dealers:

• Assemblyman Evan Low (New York Magazine identified Low as a possible candidate for President in 2024)

Keep records of ammunition sales and electronically report them to law enforcement.

• Rabbis against gun violence

To learn more, go to safecitiescoalition.com.

• Jewish Community Relations Council • American Academy of Pediatrics CA Chapter 1 • Churches, democratic clubs and others We are in good company. As members of Temple Emanu-El we are using our voices to do what is right. Enough is enough is enough.

We are making a difference. Over 20 cities in California have some form of sensible gun regulations.

These are the simple sensible regulations we are requesting for San Jose:

As someone who goes to restaurants, movies, museums, attends events in hotels, goes to sporting events in San Jose, I have the power to spend my money in whatever city I like. I let Mayor Liccardo and city representatives know just that and you can, too.

Please add your voice. Call or write your council member and Mayor Liccardo (535-4800 or mayoremail@sanjoseca.gov). Tell them you want them to adopt the Safe Cities Coalition position on gun violence. You don’t have to live in San Jose. Write to the Mayor. Please pick up the phone and let them know you will do the same. We all want safe cities.

Experience it all at the JCC! Join us for Jewish education, enrichment classes, fitness, aquatics, camp, preschool,cultural programs, and much more.

Addison-Penzak JCC of Silicon Valley Levy Family Campus

14855 Oka Road, Los Gatos, CA 95032 408.358.3636 | info@apjcc.org www.apjcc.org

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Get Hanukkah Happy at Hicklebee’s Yavneh is a place to learn a community school, open to everyone Discover Yavneh and see how it just might be the perfect place for your family - whether your child is entering kindergarten, middle school, or a grade between.

Get Hanukkah Happy ready to celebrate light, freedom and pride. Hear PJ Library Hanukkah stories in preparation for the holiday which begins December 24th at sundown. Have fun with holiday-themed songs, finger play, stories, crafts with friends.

Thursday, December 1

4:00 pm Hicklebee’s Independent Booksellers 1378 Lincoln Ave San Jose 95125 Sponsored by The PJ Library and the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley.

a place where students are at the center

408-984-6700 joy@yavnehdayschool.org www.yavnehdayschool.org

® OF SILICON VALLEY

Space is limited. Register at www.jvalley.org/pjlibrary (408) 357-7501 pjlibrary@jvalley.org

Located on the Levy Family Campus in Los Gatos

Creating Sweet Memories in Our Homes. . .

Over Thanksgiving and Hannukah with Family and Friends

Rosa Bencuya

Realtor® APR-Saratoga Office 408.499.2077 rbencuya@apr.com HomeByRosa.com

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MAH JONGG

Tournament Save the Date

Sunday, January 8, 2017 Levy Family Campus

wp WOMEN’S PHILANTHROPY

® OF SILICON VALLEY

Sign up at www.jvalley.org/wp Karen Guggenheim and Doris Katz, Chairs

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l cal news When working to teach Hebrew language effectively inspires collaboration

By Zvi Weiss with Rabbi Laurie Hahn Tapper *This article was originally published in eJewish Philanthropy. The Leadership Commons of The Davidson School at The Jewish Theological Seminary was the original curator of this piece.

At Jewish community day schools, it is not uncommon to hear parents marvel at the Hebrew that emanates from the mouths of their kindergarten and first grade children, especially as they learn songs and begin to read and write.

Then the students graduate the eighth grade, and we see a shift: often a sense of disappointment in the Hebrew skills students show (or lack thereof). Put another way, after nine years of math, many of our students have conquered algebra and geometry. After nine years of language arts, most students are reading Shakespeare and writing persuasive essays.

Yet after nine years of Hebrew, reflecting some 60,000 hours of language instruction at minimum, many of our students can barely order ice cream in the language. (G’lida b’vakasha?)

At Yavneh Day School, it became clear that if Hebrew is to be a value, we need a paradigm shift. This shift must reflect what we know today about language acquisition, brain development, and 21st-century learning skills. Several understandings are guiding our change journey: • We know now that adults tend to overestimate our younger students’ reliance on hearing spoken language for comprehension. Much of their understanding in communication relies on context, tone, facial expression, and body language. As such, younger students are more open to comprehending a foreign language than one might think.

• Ongoing exposure to a second language across multiple subjects enables neural connections to be made within and across hemispheres of the brain, across languages and subjects, encouraging deeper learning.

• For Hebrew education to have optimal impact on our students, it needs to be immersive, purposeful, and relevant.

We determined then that the most obvious limitation to success was time. Best practice dictates that immersion should happen consistently for at least four hours a day. It is not unusual for more traditional schools to offer four hours a day of Jewish and Hebrew studies, which might be taught mostly in Hebrew. In a community day school setting like ours, the demands of the secular curriculum are often such that four hours of Hebrew instruction is difficult to achieve.

Then, our first breakthrough: many of our Hebrew-language teachers hold general studies

credentials from Israel. In addition, many of our American Jewish general studies teachers are knowledgeable about Judaism, possess analytic text skills, and understand the culture of American Judaism in which the students are growing up. We discovered that we had more resources than we thought to achieve our goals. The challenge was finding the right way to allocate those resources. We determined that we needed a structural shift to increase the time interacting with the language and to provide opportunities to create relevance.

And so … we leveraged the trained talents and abilities of these teachers and created collaborative teams of qualified Hebrew- and English-speaking teachers who could partner on all lesson planning and co-teach all subjects. We could maximize our teachers’ talents and enable a true dual-immersion program throughout the day. Through this collaboration with teachers who have a stronger relationship with the language, as well as aspects of Israeli culture, we could provide a much richer Jewish studies experience to our students.

Once our collaborative teams were created, all of our Hebrew teachers underwent training in Singapore Math and Number Talks alongside their English-speaking counterparts. Today, each English-speaking teacher who teaches math employs teaching concepts of language-based thinking. The Hebrew teachers can do the same, thus reinforcing and bringing greater understanding of both math AND new areas of relevance for Hebrew language in their lives. Both sets of teachers also study Jewish texts and pedagogy, and we are exploring opportunities for joint learning about literacy. Similar learning experiences might be paralleled in social studies and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) projects, as well as within the context of social-emotional curricula.

New teacher collaborations are focusing on creating parallel language arts activities in both languages. In upper elementary and middle school we have engaged in similar trainings and co-teaching models between Jewish and general studies teachers. We are still strategizing how to best incorporate Hebrew in these grades.

This is still very much a work in progress. To achieve maximum effectiveness in this collaboration, we know that we need to build in as much time as we can for co-reflection and co-planning of lessons. It is challenging for Hebrew teachers who are used to interjecting English when students are struggling to refrain from falling back on old habits. Communication between the teachers of the different languages during class time is tricky and happens through

glances, gestures, and an occasional whisper outside of the students’ hearing range.

But successes of this collaboration are all around us. Observing a kindergarten class the other day, we witnessed a teacher reviewing basic addition concepts in English with one group at the whiteboard, while her Hebrew-speaking partner teacher was facilitating another group of students in building number sentences in Hebrew using yellow and red cubes – encouraging her students to note the sums created by a variety of patterns of the cubes – all in Hebrew. This was part of the math lesson, not a direct Hebrew lesson per se, and the students related to it as such. The teacher wasn’t directly teaching colors, and she was not focusing on teaching counting.

The children were not only picking up grammar and vocabulary; they were being taught how to think in Hebrew.

Neuroscience teaches us that this ability to process concepts in a second language serves to create a deeper understanding of the mathematical concept, a benefit that even those parents who are most skeptical of the value of Hebrew education can appreciate. Articulating our goal as teaching our students to think in Hebrew is the necessary paradigm shift.

The structural paradigm shift in schedule and staffing enables the collaboration necessary to reach this educational goal.

We are only at the beginning of our grand experiment. We look forward to continuing to build on this unique and perhaps risky collaborative approach, which leverages the talents of our faculty and optimizes the learning opportunities for our students. I hope that other schools across the country join us as we think about how to create a lens through which our students own all of their learning in ways that will build a generation that is secure in its identity and strong in its knowledge. Beyond the ability to order ice cream, we hope our students are able to be confidently creative and think in both English and Hebrew, and our faculty, as diverse as they are, should be able to work, collaborate, and innovate together for the betterment of our school’s mission.

Zvi Weiss is the Head of School at Yavneh Day School in Los Gatos. He participated in Day School Leadership Training Institute (DSLTI) Cohort 9 at the William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education.

Rabbi Laurie Hahn Tapper is School Rabbi and Director of Jewish Studies and Curriculum Integration at Yavneh Day School. She holds a rabbinical degree from The Jewish Theological Seminary and is an alumna of the William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education.

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Addison-Penzak JCC Levy Family Campus Addison-Penzak JCC Levy Family 14855 OkaCampus Road 14855 Oka Road Los Gatos, CA 95032 Los Gatos, CA 95032 www.apjcc.org www.apjcc.org

Menorahs and Miracles Sunday, December 4, 2016, 12:00–4:00 p.m.

Music! Food! Crafts! Celebrate your own culture or learn about the cultural traditions of your neighbors.

A CDM cultural celebration in partnership with Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center of Silicon Valley Admission:

Adults and Children 1–59 years old: $13 Seniors 60+ years old: $12 Museum Members and infants under 1: Free

Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose 180 Woz Way, San Jose, CA 95110 www.cdm.org (408) 298-5437

Thank you to our partners ® OF SILICON VALLEY

The APJCC is proud to be a part of the Initiative on Jewish Peoplehood, co-funded by the Koret Foundation and the Taube Foundation for Jewish Life & Culture, and supported further by the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley and other generous supporters. This event is made possible, in part, by the APJCC Corporate Alliance sponsorship of Classic Car Wash, Provident Credit Union (PCU), and Whole Foods Market. All Community Engagement: Beyond the Walls of APJCC programs are made possible, in part, by a Supporting Sponsor gift from Doris & Rick Davis.

Thank you also to our “Menorahs & Miracles” partner, PJ Library.

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educati n What will it take to knit us back together?

Diane Fisher, JCRC Director Molly Kaufman’s large American flag quilt is hanging on the wall upstairs at the Levy Family Campus, as part of the Knitzvah 10th Anniversary exhibit organized by Jewish Family Services. I don’t knit, and I’m not particularly partial to Americana crafts, but this quilt has given me much pause these days as I pass it enroute to my office. It strikes me as a metaphor with a question: after this election season, what will it take to knit our country back together again?

My job has changed in this last year, requiring significantly more time spent on anti-Semitic incidents, particularly at local high schools and universities. As a nonprofit organization, we are not assigning blame to a candidate, but we cannot deny that a host of negative “othering” has been unleashed. I recommend reading the report recently released by ADL, “Anti-Semitic Targeting of Journalists during the 2016 Presidential Campaign”, and I look forward to the final report which will provide recommended responses to bigotry on social media.

The tenor of the national conversation has taken its toll on our kids. Fortunately, our proactive work in previous years provided us with strong relationships that have led to meaningful responses to the increase in hate speech.

S I L I CO N VA L L E Y JEWISH COMMUNITY

LP E GACY R O J E C T

When a 17-year-old Fremont High School student was arrested on suspicion of hate crime and criminal threat offenses against Jewish students at Fremont and Homestead High Schools, Superintendent Polly Bove coordinated effectively with students, law enforcement, parents, JCRC, ADL and Oshman Family JCC to respond. At Westmont High School, Principal Abra Evanoff has coordinated with JCRC, ADL and SV FACES to implement thoughtful programs in response to the anti-Semitic graffiti found on the bathroom wall. I was particularly touched when San Jose NAACP President Jeff Moore set up a meeting with San Jose State University President Mary Papazian and me, letting her know that he wanted to join as an ally of the Jewish community in response to the swastikas and hateful graffiti found at the school’s residence halls.

I am not writing this to stir up fear. I believe my job is to help build a more compassionate and resilient community. For the past many years we have been able to focus on increasing our compassion. I think the coming year will be a time to focus on our resilience.

The JCRC retreat this year began with a study of Mussar, an ancient form of Jewish spirituality which focuses on the development of character traits that lead to personal and communal

growth. We focused on the character traits that allow us to work on social justice issues, which include an understanding of negative traits like fear and resentment, along with positive traits like trust and patience. I am hopeful that our tradition can be a source of strength for the rebuilding needed ahead. The JCRC is committed to providing examples of engagement that model civil ways to disagree and learn from each other.

I don’t think there will be any self-knitting needles from Harry Potter to re-create a more cohesive social fabric. To create the social equivalent of Molly Kaufman’s American flag quilt, it will take each one of us intentionally contributing our individual thread of civil discourse. As Rabbi Tarfon taught, “It is not your responsibility to finish the work, but you are not free to desist from it either.”

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Join us at an upcoming Shabbat service honoring your commitment to our community.

CONGREGATION BETH DAVID AND YAVNEH DAY SCHOOL Saturday, November 12, 2016, 9:30 am, Kiddush Luncheon to follow 19700 Prospect Road, Saratoga, CA 95070 CONGREGATION SINAI, ADDISON-PENZAK JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER AND THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF SILICON VALLEY Saturday, December 3, 2016, 9:00 am, Kiddush Luncheon to follow 1532 Willowbrae Avenue, San Jose, CA 95125 TEMPLE EMANU-EL AND JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES OF SILICON VALLEY Friday, December 9, 2016, 7:00 pm, Oneg to follow 1010 University Avenue, San Jose, CA 95126 A L A N W E R B A, C H AI R

RSVP at www.communitylegacyproject.org/shabbat For more information please contact Arielle Hendel: arielle@jvalley.org or 408.357.7501 COMMUNITY PARTNERS

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Congregation Beth David

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Women’s Philanthropy

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legacy Creating a legacy continued from cover

Beth David’s beautifully remodeled building. If you were at this event I’m sure you agree that it was a tremendous “feel-good” occasion. Beth David Board President Dan Skilken thanked and congratulated all the volunteers, donors, staff, professional consultants and local officials who made the project come to life. This endeavor was truly a collective effort of the entire congregation, but it would have never happened without the spark provided by the Morris and Fannie Skilken Family Foundation. The Skilken Family Foundation illustrates how legacy giving helps secure and perpetuate Jewish culture and values.

Across the United States, Canada and around the world you will find hundreds of public and private foundations that were born from a desire to sustain and grow Jewish culture and values around the globe. For families with significant wealth, the establishment of a public or private foundation is indeed a very powerful, noble and achievable goal. But legacy giving is not solely an endeavor for the wealthy. When it comes to legacy giving everyone can make an impact. With this thought in mind, I want to share with you a story of one family that wanted to leave a legacy for the Jewish community, but was struggling as to how they could get it done.

Jacob and Ruth Goldman (names have been changed, but the story is true) had tried to lead a life of giving. Even though they struggled at times getting their children through school and meeting other financial challenges, they always managed to find some money to support their beloved synagogue, the local JCC and the Jewish Federation. They felt that tzedakah was not only their righteous duty, but it also gave them tremendous satisfaction. Recently their shul had organized a legacy committee and Jacob really wanted to find a way for their family to become a legacy donor. Unfortunately he could not see how they could make this happen. They called for my advice and we scheduled a meeting.

When Jacob and Ruth arrived in my office, I first asked them to explain what they wanted to accomplish at this meeting. Ruth began by saying how important the synagogue and JCC had been for her and their two children. She and Jacob always felt compelled to support these two organizations to repay them for the benefits they received. Jacob added that they also had been long-time supporters of the Jewish Federation as the financial backstop for the Jewish community.

I told them this sounded very nice, so why did they have a problem. Jacob said the problem was that someday they would no longer be here to support these agencies. They wanted to leave money to these organizations to continue their support perpetually. Jacob then added with some frustration, “Ruth and I don’t know where to begin.”

I asked Jacob and Ruth, “Would you be happy if you left enough money to these organizations when you die that your current annual giving continued forever?” They looked at each other, then agreed this would be a wonderful goal to achieve. “Perfect,” I said. “Let me show you how we can get this done.”

“The first step is to decide how much you want to give the three organizations each year. You said you want your current giving levels to be perpetuated. How much are you giving to these agencies each year?”

After a few seconds of mental math, Jacob responded, “We donate $15,000 in total each year between these three organizations.”

“Okay,” I said. “If we assume a 5% payout rate from an endowment fund, you would need $300,000 to fund $15,000 per year. If the endowment pays out only 4% per year, then you will need $375,000 to fund a $15,000 per year cash flow.”

Ruth quickly retorted, “That was easy to calculate, but where will Jacob and I come up with so much money? We don’t have that in our savings accounts.”

I glanced at their balance sheet we prepared a few months earlier and I thought they would be really pleased with my answer. “When I look at your balance sheet I see several possible avenues to fund this legacy.

First, the total of your two IRA accounts is over $500,000. While you

currently plan to leave these funds to your children, they will have to pay income taxes on these funds as they draw on them. IRA accounts are a great tool for legacy giving since income taxes can be avoided.”

“The second bucket available for a legacy gift is your home equity. We valued your Willow Glen house at $1.4 million and your mortgage balance is down to less than $200,000. While this asset is not available for current giving, it certainly could be used after you die. Since both of your children have their own homes, it is very likely they will sell your house when you pass away. This asset would easily fund your legacy goal.”

“And the third possible bucket is your paid-up life insurance policy that you finished funding many years ago. When you bought this policy you were worried about income replacement, children’s education and other possible cash shortfalls. All of these concerns are in your past. Today you have no real need for the policy and this could be used to fund your legacy gift.”

Jacob and Ruth looked very relieved. “Here we thought we had no way to fund a legacy for the Jewish community and we actually have several ways to do it,” Jacob stated. “Best of all, I see that even after we carve out enough for the legacy gift, we will still leave a significant amount to our children. I don’t feel like this legacy gift will short change them enough to really matter. I say, let’s move to the next step!”

Within a few days Jacob and Ruth signed a Declaration of Intent promising to leave a legacy gift to their shul, the JCC and the Jewish Federation. They decided to change their IRA beneficiary designations to fund their gift and the plan was in place.

If you have been interested in leaving a legacy to one or more agencies, but have been struggling as to how to do it, I encourage you to email or call Arielle Hendel to arrange a legacy conversation. Arielle can be reached either at arielle@jvalley.org or at (408) 357-7501.

Part-Time Social Worker Position Opening Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley (JFS SV) in Los Gatos is seeking a Part-Time Social Worker (20-25 hours per week) for our Project NOAH safety net services for low income families and adults. We are seeking an experienced case manager/therapist who enjoys working with a diverse set of clients.

Your job responsibilities include conducting community outreach, intake and assessment, case management, supportive counseling, and safety net services. You will develop care plans, provide food/household assistance; and conduct crisis intervention, counseling and advocacy as appropriate.

You must be confident, friendly, positive, and highly organized with great “people skills.” Strong written and verbal communication skills, including knowledge of Microsoft Office are required. Salary is commensurate with experience.

You must be outgoing, friendly, positive, and highly organized with strong work/life balance. Strong written and verbal communication skills, including knowledge of Microsoft Office required. Salary commensurate with experience. Excellent benefits. Work in our beautiful campus in Los Gatos.

Requirements: • MSW with 3+ years prior case management and counseling experience • Knowledge of Jewish community and Santa Clara County resources Résumés to: jobs@jfssv.org

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l cal news Jewish Family Services starts a Caregivers Support Group Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley is beginning a Caregiver Support Group, to be held the second and fourth Mondays of each month, starting on November 14.

The group will meet from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. in the JFS classroom, Suite 202 of the Levy Family Campus. This is a support group for spouses and adult children caring for chronically ill/disabled loved ones.

The group is a safe place for sharing and receiving empathy and support, along with education.

The group will be facilitated by JFS Director of Clinical and Social Services Lisa Warner, a LCSW with over 15 years of experience with older adults. Lisa has worked with adult day health, geriatric care management, hospice, older adult mental health and a home-based palliative care program.

For more information and to RSVP, contact Lisa at lisaw@jfssv.org or (408) 3577456.

Interfaith dialogue: What is it really?

By Gordon Gladstone, Congregation Shir Hadash The scene is a dormitory lounge, circa 1985.

Laura: “Why are you always complaining about Catholics?” Josh: “Because of what your people did to my people during the Spanish Inquisition.” Laura: “What my people did to your people?” Josh: “Yeah, your people expelled my people from Spain 500 years ago. I’m still upset.” Laura: “I’m Irish Catholic, and aren’t your grandparents from Poland?” Josh: “Yeah, and I’m still upset.”

This is a conversation that actually took place, but it wasn’t a form of interfaith dialogue no matter what it felt like to Laura and Josh (who were dating at the time). Meaningful interfaith dialogue is rooted in the exploration of who each of us are – not who or what we represent.

These concepts were incorporated into Open Doors, Open Minds a guide for synagogues and churches studying together. This resource guide was developed by the Union for Reform Judaism in 2003. It lays out three guiding ideas.

First of these principles is that this is a discovery of who the participants are, and that they are not representatives of their whole faith community. We cannot know or answer for all actions, beliefs of ideas of our faith. Second, that participants are discovering how we each

act in accordance with the tenets of our faith communities. It is essential that we understand that we are learning only the Judaism or Christianity of one person. Each person’s experience and belief system is individual. Third, we learn how each person acts in the world as an outcome of those beliefs. Again, each person translates their beliefs into action in a unique way. No one person can represent an entire faith community in all of its permutations.

Thoughtful interfaith dialogues also take time.

The URJ guidelines suggest that participants make a commitment to at least six sessions of 90 minutes. This enables participants to build relationships, create common space and have opportunities to wrestle with their thoughts and feelings in a more in-depth manner.

Finally, it helps to understand that success is measured by how the participants felt emerging from the process than whether or not there is a change in the overall outlook in each community towards the other. Communal change will only come through personal change.

If you are interested in participating in a Jewish-Christian dialogue, Congregation Shir Hadash will be starting one in January with St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church of Saratoga. More information can be found on the Shir Hadash website. For more information, contact Shir Hadash at 358-1751.

Introducing Rabbi Marvin Schwab

By Richard Muirhead Rabbi Marvin Schwab served as rabbi of Temple Beth Shalom, a Reform Jewish congregation in Santa Fe, NM from 2001 to 2014.

During his tenure, he founded the Interfaith Leadership Alliance (ILA) of Santa Fe, and served as its president, treasurer and a board member.

The ILA is the founding and sponsoring organization of the Community Closet which provides clothes free of charge to the those in need, as well as the Interfaith Community Shelter and Opportunity Center for the homeless in Santa Fe. Rabbi Schwab is also a past-president of the Pacific Association of Reform Rabbis, the western region of the Central Conference of Reform Rabbis (CCAR). He has been active in social issues, having served on the board of the Santa Fe Food Depot, and advocating in the New Mexico State Legislature on behalf of living wage legislation, repeal of the death penalty, the rights of domestic partners and a woman’s right to choose.

Now retired from Temple Beth Shalom – though still serving as rabbi emeritus – he has moved here to the South Bay to be near his children. He is sharing his knowledge and experience with our community, currently providing assistance to the adult B’nai Mitzvah class that began in November at Congregation Shir Hadash in Los Gatos.

on Thursday, December 8, at 11:30 a.m., at Shir Hadash.

Rabbi Schwab has also studied the period of the Maccabees and the Hasmonean dynasty, saying that he finds this to be “a fascinating era.” We know the story of Chanukah: the Maccabees defeated the army of Antiochus IV and rededicated the Temple in Jerusalem. The story does not end there; he will share “Why the Maccabees Are Responsible for Christmas” at his Lunch ‘n Learn talk

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l cal news Local couples visit Youth Aliyah villages in Israel

By Jane Jacobson Can you imagine that today more than 450,000 children in Israel – both immigrants and natives – live in “high risk” situations so they can’t continue to live with their families?

The story of Hadassah’s Youth Aliyah project is one of Jewish and world history, adventure, and good versus evil, with a few heroes and even a few miracles thrown in for good measure.

In January 1933, the very day that Adolph Hitler took power in Germany, Berliner Recha Freier knew things were going to get very bad for the Jews. It was critical to get children out of harm’s way. She founded Youth Aliyah, hoping to convince parents to send their children to relative safety in Palestine.

The Jewish Agency adopted the project and chose Henrietta Szold, the founder of Hadassah, to head it. Even though she was already in her 70s, Szold traveled to Nazi-occupied Europe to rescue children, and she made it a point to be on the dock to greet every ship that made it to Palestine. Virtually none of these children ever saw their families again. But due to the care they received, they grew up to become contributing citizens of the new nation of Israel.

The job of saving children didn’t stop with the war’s end. Far from it. Since 1934, over 300,000 young people from 80 lands have graduated from Youth Aliyah villages. As difficult as it is to acknowledge, we must recognize that Jewish children suffer from the same societal ills as others: physical and sexual

abuse, drugs, prostitution, and extreme poverty.

Hadassah’s three villages – Meir Shfeyah, Ramat Hadassah Szold and Hadassah Neurim – accept the neediest and most difficult students.

Some children come because their parents can’t or won’t take care of them, whether from poverty or extreme dysfunction. Some students come to our doors on their own initiative, hoping to break free from a dead-end future.

And then there are the Na’ale children – those sent to Israel alone – due to the increasingly difficult life for Jews in places like Russia and Ukraine, France and Argentina.

In our villages students receive not just food and shelter, but also education, vocational training, counseling, love, and other support services to help them develop the life skills they will need to become productive members of Israeli society.

The work is challenging. With some of our students, we have to teach basic life skills ranging from personal hygiene to self-discipline.

In addition, a large percentage of the children come to us with some learning disability, so small classes and one-on-one tutoring are necessary. A huge portion of our population comes to us knowing nothing of Judaism or Jewish history. Our “Joy of Judaism” program addresses this gaping hole of knowledge through small group discussions and handson activities that bring the richness of Jewish heritage into their lives.

Recently, two local couples visited Meir Shfeyah in the coastal town of Zichron Yaa-

kov. Susan and Gary Yanowsky commented, “During a recent trip to Israel we were fortunate to visit the Meir Shfeyah Youth Village and meet its director, Lauren Stern Kedem.

She was extremely gracious and spent much time discussing the accomplishments and goals of this impressive facility. What stays in my mind is the number of at-risk kids from all backgrounds and cultures who have been given the opportunity to improve their future.”

Jane and Len Jacobson added, “We were impressed with the breadth of nationalities represented at the village – Europeans, North Africans, Russians, French, Ethiopians and other North Africans…an endless line-up of youth needing to be given opportunity. Recently a program for the Ethiopian youngsters was instituted. Each summer a group is sent to Ethiopia to learn of their heritage. Upon their return some built a model of a village they had visited. Not only was it a cathartic experience for them, but one youngster’s mother came to see the result of the project. She was in tears when she saw what her son had accomplished. It went a long way to repairing the relationship of the two.”

The work of Youth Aliyah is as critical today as it was in the 1930s; failure is not an option. Israel needs physically and emotionally healthy adults to ensure a safe and secure future for all within her borders.

By following in the inspiring footsteps of Recha Freier and Henrietta Szold, we actualize the Zionist dream.

Jane Jacobson serves on the National Youth Aliyah Committee for Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America. For more information, please contact her at jjacobson@hadassah.org.

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dateb ONGOING EVENTS SUNDAYS Knitzvah Meeting Levy Family Campus, 10:30 AM, 11/20, 12/18, 1/15 Knitzvah is a JFS SV (Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley) volunteer group of knitters, crocheters and seamstresses of all ages and levels of experience who meet monthly to create beautiful handmade creations. Knitzvah distributes these gifts to 18 nonprofits. Come and be a part of this dynamic group or donate yarn to help them meet the needs of our community. loric@jfssv.org, 357-7467 Silicon Valley Holocaust Survivors Association Brunch APJCC, 10:30 AM-1 PM, 11/13, 12/11, 1/8 A bagel brunch is held the second Sunday of the month for survivors and their families. In addition to brunch there is always entertainment and/or an educational program included.

Admission is free, but an optional $5 donation at the door will help defray our costs. Unless otherwise noted brunches will be held at the APJCC in the Adult Lounge on the second floor.

If interested, contact Cherie Ravel at cherie@apjcc.org or 357-7462 for details.

TUESDAYS Classic Jewish Texts APJCC, 9:30 AM Rabbi Joey Felsen of the Jewish Study Network guides you through the fundamental works of Maimonides, Luzzato, and other classic commentators. No Hebrew necessary. This is a free, drop-in class. No need to register. jenny@apjcc.org, 357-7430 Israel Coffee Klatch Beth David, 10:30 AM, 11/29, 12/27, 1/24 Questions and conversations about the state of our Jewish state with Alex Drukarev as moderator. info@beth-david.org, 257-3333 Tea Time with a Maven Beth David, 2 PM, 12/13, 1/10 Bring your questions for our maven of the month, and schmooze with the maven and friends over tea and sweet nosh! Dave Hoffman will talk about trusts, estates, and scams. info@beth-david.org, 257-3333 Yiddish Conversation Group Beth David, 3 PM, 12/6, 12/20, 1/3, 1/17 Enjoy Yiddish conversation, jokes, and more with Yiddish speakers of all levels. cbd.yiddish@beth-david.org, 257-3333 Israeli Dancing Emanu-El, 7:30 PM, 12/6, 12/20, 1/3, 1/17 Put on your dancin’ shoes and come to our free Israeli dance class taught by our very own Loui Tucker. No dance experience necessary and we welcome everyone. megan@templesanjose.org, 292-0939

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WEDNESDAYS Heschel Roundtable APJCC, 9 AM Drop in to study and discuss the writings of Abraham Joshua Heschel. We will start with his book “The Sabbath,” which presents the Jewish Sabbath as an antidote to the fast pace of daily life in modern society. No experience or specialized knowledge necessary. Each week we’ll read and discuss a short selection from his writings. This is a free, drop-in class. No need to register. Contact the instructor, Rabbi Hugh Seid-Valencia at rabbihugh@apjcc.org or 357-7413 Meditation Group Shir Hadash, 10:30 AM Participants use principles of Jewish meditation as described by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, as well as mindfulness, traditional, and guided meditation.

Bring a water bottle and dress comfortably. If you prefer to lie down, bring your own yoga mat or blanket. All experience levels are welcome.

FREE. nadine@shirhadash.org, 358-1751 Lunch and Learn Torah Study Emanu-El, Noon, 12/28, 1/25 Join Rabbi Magat for an informal study and discussion session of a selected Torah portion.

We will navigate through traditional interpretations and modern applications of our historic teachings. Bring your lunch and be ready to get a new perspective on Torah. Open to everyone and no previous Torah study is required. megan@templesanjose.org, 292-0939

Hasidic Havurah APJCC, 11 AM This class takes a look at some of the great works of past Hasidic teachers and strives toward deepening our contemporary Jewish spirituality. This class is for all abilities and levels and is a free, drop-in class. rabbihugh@apjcc.org, 357-7413 Retirees Lunch ‘n Learn Shir Hadash, 11:30 AM, 12/8, 1/12 A lecture, discussion, performance or film; we have a new program to educate or entertain on the second Thursday of each month. We are pleased to provide the program and a light lunch for a nominal donation of $5/person. shanda@shirhadash.org, 358-1751 Tequila, Tacos and Talmud Thursday Beth David, 7:30 PM, 12/8, 1/12 For young adults 21-35. This monthly event is the perfect way to unwind after a day of work.

We’ll start the evening by socializing and eating, then get into some Jewish learning! $15/ person. info@beth-david.org, 257-3333 Our Inner Impulses: Exploring the Purpose and Power of the Yetzer Hara Beth David, 7:45 PM What causes us to act in ways that are in dissonance with our values and beliefs? How do we understand these impulses and direct them in positive ways? Join Rabbi Ohriner as we explore the Jewish understanding of the Yetzer Hara. AdultEd@beth-david.org, 257-3333

Lunch and Learn Emanu-El, Noon, 12/14, 1/11 Join the Rabbi for lunch and bring your opinion!

Bring a sack lunch and join Rabbi Magat on the second Wednesday of each month to share in a stimulating discussion of recent events, political happenings, and other relevant topics related to current events. Open to everyone. megan@templesanjose.org, 292-0939

FRIDAYS Friday Talmud Study: Tractate Megillah Beth David, 10 AM Join Rabbi Ohriner as we study Tractate Megillah, containing laws of Purim, Torah reading, and synagogue practices. English texts are available. Newcomers are welcome. Donations to Adult Education are appreciated.

AdultEd@beth-david.org, 257-3333

THURSDAYS Women’s Study Group Shir Hadash, 10:30 AM, 12/15, 1/19 While Israel and the United States, the two largest Jewish communities in the world, tend to dominate our attention, a significant Jewish community exists in Europe. Almost wiped out during World War II, European Jewry revived after the war. It received a further impetus towards growth from the immigration of Mizrachi Jews from North Africa, and more recently, from the influx of Jews from the former Soviet Union.

Join us this year as we read short stories written by Jewish women from Europe and explore the history and contemporary challenges of the lands of their diaspora. nadine@shirhadash.org, 358-1751

Alzheimers Caregivers Support Group Shir Hadash Room 2, 10 AM, 11/11, 12/9, 1/6 The Alzheimer’s Association, in conjunction with Congregation Shir Hadash’s Caring Committee, is offering a Support Group for anyone trying to navigate the day-to-day difficulties of caregiving. This group will be “caring for the caregiver,” offering support in a confidential setting. Open to the public. Drop-ins are welcome.

The facilitator, Tami Anastasia, M.A., CSA, is a Certified Senior Advisor. Contact her directly at 358-1751 x5., nadine@shirhadash.org Jewish Ethics Discussion Beth David, 11:15 AM Explore the wisdom of Jewish ethical teachings in this participant-led group. After completing our study of the book “The Path of the Upright,” we will select another book on Jewish ethics to discuss. AdultEd@beth-david.org, 257-3333

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dateb Kabbalat Shabbat Lunch for Ages 55+ APJCC, Noon-2 PM, 11/18, 12/30, 1/27 A once-a-month get-together for adults ages 55+. Selected Fridays in the APJCC Auditorium. Enjoy a catered hot lunch followed by entertainment. $6/JCC member; $8.50/non-member if you sign up and pay in advance. $10 at the door. cherie@apjcc.org, 357-7462 Shabbatluck Dinner Emanu-El, 6 PM, 12/2, 1/6 Everyone is welcome to join our congregational family for a Shabbatluck Dinner. These potluck dinners take place throughout the religious school year on the first Friday of each month before the Erev Shabbat Family Service. Meet and schmooze with our students, their families, and our congregation, and stay for a delightful Shabbat service. Please bring a dish to share.

The following designations are based in the first letter of your last name: December 2: A-L: Side dish, salad, fruit; M-Z: Main Dish. January 6: M-Z: Side dish, salad, fruit; A-L: Main Dish. megan@templesanjose.org, 292-0939 Tot Shabbat with Catered Dinner Emanu-El, 6 PM, 12/16, 1/20 No need to worry that your little ones will squirm and make noise during services at Tot Shabbat! Families with young children will enjoy upbeat songs, a short story, and a talk with the Rabbi on the bimah during these brief services. The perfect way to introduce your little ones to the tradition of Friday nights. Followng services, enjoy a delicious dinner provided by Sisterhood, of course at no charge! megan@templesanjose.org, 292-0939 TGI Shabbat Service Followed by Potluck Dinner Beth David, 6:30 PM, 12/16, 1/20 Join together with the entire Beth David community in celebrating Shabbat beginning with a happy and celebratory Kabbalat Shabbat service followed by a delicious potluck dinner.

See guidelines online for what to bring. All ages are welcome. In honor of completion of our new synagogue this year, our theme is Holy Place-Makom Kadosh. Each month we will feature a specific place in Israel during services and dinner. In December we will feature Tzipori. info@beth-david.org, 257-3333 Kabbalat Shabbat Emanu-El, 6:30 PM, 11/25, 12/23, 12/30, 1/27 On the fourth Friday of each month services are held at 6:30 PM. Once a month we like to offer our Shabbat service at an earlier time to accommodate everyone’s busy schedules. megan@templesanjose.org, 292-0939 A Theme Kabbalat Shabbat Beth David, 6:30 PM, 11/18, 1/20 A joyous, spiritual, thought-filled, multigenerational experience. Something different and unique for every member of the family. info@beth-david.org, 257-3333

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Erev Shabbat Family Service Emanu-El, 7 PM, 12/2, 1/6 The first Friday of the month during the school year (September through May), services begin at 7 PM in the sanctuary. We’re proud of our students and their participation and leadership in our service. Most Family Services are preceded by a congregational Shabbatluck potluck dinner. megan@templesanjose.org, 292-0939 SATURDAYS

Baby Shabbat Emanu-El, 9AM, 12/10, 1/14 AShabbat experience geared towards families with children ages 1-30 months. Little ones will enjoy a service full of Shabbat songs, Torah talk, and parachute play! Kiddush, motzi, and a bagel oneg sponsored by Temple Emanu-El Sisterhood follows this fun-filled program. Everyone is welcome! megan@templesanjose.org, 292-0939 Netivot Haneshamah: A Learning Minyan Beth David, 9:30 AM, 11/19, 12/17, 1/21 Led by Rabbi Leslie Alexander, this is an opportunity to continue to learn the flow and meaning of a Shabbat morning prayer experience.

Delve into the background and development of prayers to learn what they mean and why they were included. Learn the unique choreography of the Shabbat service. Discuss the prayers from a current perspective. Each Netivot Haneshamah session is guided by a community Rabbi or an expert on the topic offered. Teens and adults of any age, interest and background are invited and welcome. You need not have any experience with any of these subjects. info@beth-david.org, 257-3333 Netivot Haneshamah: Mindfulness and Meditation Through the Hassidic Lens Beth David, 10:30 AM, 11/19, 12/17, 1/21 Led by Rabbi Hugh Seid Valencia. Using Hassidic Torah texts and stories, he enables participants to find personal meaning in Jewish prayer and discover that current spiritual tools are rooted in the traditional Jewish experience.

Each Netivot Haneshamah session is guided by a community Rabbi or an expert on the topic offered. Teens and adults of any age, interest and background are invited and welcome.

You need not have any experience with any of these subjects. info@beth-david.org, 257-3333 Netivot Haneshamah: Torah Takes The Stage Beth David, 10:30 AM, 12/3, 1/7 Led by Doug Brook. A chance to look at the week’s Torah portion and the whole Torah service with a theatrical lens. Expect opportunities for true Torah study along with much humor and discussion. Teens and adults of any age, interest and background are invited and welcome. You need not have any experience with any of these subjects. info@beth-david.org, 257-3333

Netivot Haneshamah: For Russian Speakers Beth David, 10:30 AM, 12/10, 1/14 An exploration of Shabbat prayer and study in Russian. Each Netivot Haneshamah session is guided by a community Rabbi or an expert on the topic offered. Teens and adults of any age, interest and background are invited and welcome. info@beth-david.org, 257-3333 Netivot Haneshamah: Makom Yoga Beth David, 10:30 AM, 12/10, 1/14 Led by Rabbi Laurie Matzkin. Creating space in body, mind and soul. Each Netivot Haneshamah session is guided by a community Rabbi or an expert on the topic offered. Teens and adults of any age, interest and background are invited and welcome. info@beth-david.org, 257-3333 Netivot Haneshamah: Approachable Torah Beth David, 10:30 AM, 12/10, 1/14 Rabbi Berkowitz makes the Torah accessible to all. Participants discover that all of us an interpret the Torah portion through our own experience and spin a drash – a lesson of meaning.

Each Netivot Haneshamah session is guided by a community Rabbi or an expert on the topic offered. Teens and adults of any age, interest and background are invited and welcome. info@beth-david.org, 257-3333 Tot Shabbat Beth David, 11:15 AM, 11/26, 12/10, 12/24, 1/28 For ages 5 and under. Relaxing, lighthearted, interactive, Shabbat program for tots. Includes songs, stories, puppets and more. info@beth-david.org, 257-3333 Hot for Shabbat Beth David, Noon An opportunity to schmooze and learn with friends old and new! After lunch you can select to learn from one of our rotating earning sessions (Zohar Havura, Book Club, Talmud Exploration, Artist Group)! info@beth-david.org, 257-3333 Post-Kiddush Mitzvah Hour Beth David, 1 PM A bit of Shabbat social action right after Kiddush lunch! info@beth-david.org, 257-3333 Exploring The Other Talmud: the Talmud of Jerusalem Beth David, 1 PM, 11/19, 12/17, 1/21 When we say we are studying Talmud, most of the time we are speaking of the Rabbinic text spoken and written by sages in Babylonia. Why did the Babylonian Talmud (Bavli) become the “gold standard” in Rabbinic text and what would have been different in Jewish life, observance and law had we used the “Yerushalmi” as our guide? Explore texts and topics emerging from the Jerusalem Talmud in a fun and conversational way. info@beth-david.org, 257-3333 continued on page 22

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l cal news The Lacob family — casting a spell

By Harvey Gotliffe

Science, Technology and Society.

Earlier this year, I sent an email to Joseph Lacob, the majority owner of the Golden State Warriors, the Oakland-based National Basketball Association’s (NBA) most successful team in recent years.

Kent, his twenty-four-year-old brother was recently promoted to General Manager of the Santa Cruz Warriors. He played basketball at Washington U. in St. Louis, and was the captain of the 20-6 team in 2014-15. He graduated in 2015 with a degree in Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology, and a minor in Commercial Entrepreneurship.

Unfortunately, my computer software decided on its own that I had misspelled his last name, and unbeknownst to me, changed it to “Jacob.”

Joe Lacob quickly wrote back, pointing out my mistake. He doesn’t usually make mistakes, and has proven to be quite deft in two areas; managing the Warriors and making it a family affair.

The NBA seems to be a mecca for Jewish team ownership, with one-third of the thirty teams owned by Jewish entrepreneurs, including the Warriors. Joseph Lacob became their majority owner when he paid $450 million for the team in November 2010. It’s been an excellent investment for the venture capitalist, for its estimated worth has grown to $1.9 billion.

It has also become an investment in the future for his sons. Kirk, at twenty-eight, is the oldest of his four children. He joined the Warriors in October 2010, and now is in his fourth season as Assistant General Manager involved with all aspects of the club’s daily operations.

From 2011 to 2014, he served as General Manager of the Warriors NBA Development League team in Santa Cruz that appeared in the D-League finals in his three seasons, winning the 2014-15 championship. Kirk graduated from Stanford in 2010 with a degree in Ne w sc for ho 2 ol 016 ye -2 ar 017 !

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The two Lacob daughters followed their father Joseph to Stanford, where he earned an MBA in 1983 from their Graduate School of Business. He also has Bachelors in Biological Sciences from UC-Irvine, and a Master’s in Public Health from UCLA. His oldest daughter Kelly, twenty-six, received a Bachelor’s in Human Biology from Stanford in 2012, and is working for Medtronic.

The youngest Lacob is Kayci, who at twenty-one is attending Stanford and was a member of the school’s lacrosse team.

Each family member’s background in either the sports or health-related fields, along with a generational connection to Stanford, helps to tie them closely together as the Lacob family. That’s Lacob with an “L.”

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Go For Experience

Winter Coat Drive Give the Gift of Warmth

Collection dates: Nov. 4 – Dec. 9

New or gently used coats in adult and children’s sizes, along with socks, scarves and hats, are appreciated.

Donations can be placed in the bins at the Levy Family Campus or other sponsoring organizations.

Questions: Dorothy Dorsay, dorothydorsay@gmail.com, (408) 996-2282

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CO-SPONSORS: Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center Congregation Beth David Congregation Shir Hadash Congregation Sinai Hillel of Silicon Valley Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley Sharone Hadassah Temple Emanu-El Yavneh Day School

Rachel M

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OF SILICON VALLEY

Community Relations Council

This drive is a collaborative effort of all the sponsoring Jewish organizations, together with Emmanuel Baptist Church, Grace Baptist Church, City Team Ministries, NAACP, SiVIC, and One Warm Coat.

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dateb continued from page 20 Kabbalah Havurah: Experiencing the Zohar Beth David, 1:15 PM, 12/3, 1/7 Join Rabbi Ohriner as we explore the splendor and enigmatic appeal of the Zohar with Dr. Daniel Matt’s annotations and explanations.

Texts are provided in English. No prior knowledge of Jewish mysticism necessary! info@beth-david.org, 257-3333

UPCOMING EVENTS

Friday, November 18 PJ Shabbat Beth David, 6 PM What could be more fun for your children than coming to Shabbat Services in their PJs? Join us for a special Shabbat service filled with movement, song and stories. Stay for a kid- (and parent-) friendly dinner. Geared for children 6 and under. Older siblings welcome. info@beth-david.org, 257-3370 Tot Shabbat with Kindergarten and 1st Grade and Catered Dinner Emanu-El, 6 PM Led by Rabbi Magat and Cantor Amanda Winter, families with young children will enjoy upbeat songs, a short story, and a talk with the Rabbi on the bimah. All are welcome to these brief services on the third Friday of each month.

Stay after services and enjoy a delicious dinner provided by Sisterhood, of course at no charge! megan@templesanjose.org, 292-0954 Saturday, November 19 Movie: “Mr. Predictable” OFJCC, 9 PM Adi has always been a “good boy.” He helped more than enough at home, at school, in the military, in his marriage – he became the most thoughtful man you can imagine. In other words Adi became a “sucker” who was exploited by nearly everyone he ever met. Things change radically when he meets Natalia, who entices Adi into a life full of emotions, passion and romance. Will he go on being a good boy? Or will he, for the first time in his life, be brave enough to be who he really wants to be? Director: Roee Florentin; Country: Israel; Language: Hebrew (English subtitles); Running time: 103 min.; Year: 2016; Genre: Comedy. tzvia@svjff.org, 498-0904 Movie: “Rabin, The Last Day” OFJCC, 6 PM For many Israelis, the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995 marked a grim turning point for their country. In the words of the commission set up to investigate the murder, “Israeli society [would] never be the same again.” In the eyes of even more people, the murder ended all hope for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. But, as Amos Gitai sets out to prove in his brave and provocative film, Rabin’s assassination was not just the act of one fanatic; it was the culmination of a hate campaign that emanated from the rabbis and

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public figures of Israel’s far right. Director: Amos Gitai; Country: France Israel; Language: Hebrew (English subtitles); Running time: 156 min.; Year: 2015; Genre: Drama. tzvia@svjff.org, 498-0904 Sustainability Discussion & Movie Shir Hadash, 4 PM A movie, discussion, healthy snacks and Havdalah – an event for the whole family. Shir Hadash Sustainability Subcommittee (SHSS) is hosting a showing of the highly acclaimed computer-animated science-fiction comedy film “WALL-E,” produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures.

The 2008 film is about a robot named WALL-E who is designed to clean up an abandoned, waste-covered Earth far in the future. Seen as a critique on larger societal issues, it addresses topics such as consumerism, human impact on the environment, and risks to human civilization and the planet. Following the showing (around 5:30), we’ll break into smaller discussion groups (some for adults, some for youth and some for families). Attendees are encouraged to bring refillable water bottles to this event! nadine@shirhadash.org, 358-1751 Sunday, November 20 Movie: “Keep Quiet” OFJCC, 3:30 PM At the peak of his conservative Hungarian political career, Szegedi discovers that his family has kept a dark secret for decades: his maternal grandparents were in fact Jewish. Directors: Joseph Martin, Sam Blair; Country: UK, Hungary; Language: English, Hungarian (English subtitles); Running time: 97 min.; Year: 2015; Genre: Documentary. tzvia@svjff.org, 498-0904 Closing Night Event: “The Last Laugh” OFJCC, 5:30 PM Is the Holocaust an absolutely off-limits topic for comedy? This provocative and amusing documentary explores that question through interviews with survivors, comedians and thinkers. Director Ferne Pearlstein and subjects of the film, Renee and Klaire Firestone, will join us for Q&A and a reception. tzvia@svjff.org, 498-0904 Sinai’s 10th Annual Fish Fry Fiesta Sinai, 5 PM Come enjoy food, friends and music. Please join us for our 9th annual Fish Fry Fiesta! We will serve Seymour Hoff’s locally caught Rockfish Fillets. Live Music by the Sinaites. $12/ adult; $6/child. Office@Sinai-SJ.org, 264-8542 Tie Dye in the Park with USY 3 - 5 PM, Houge Park, San Jose Bring an article of clothing to Tie Dye. We will also play at the park, so wear comfortable clothes. Tie Dye materials will be provided. $5 with your own shirt or other clothing item to Tie Dye; $10 if you do not have anything to Tie Dye. USYadvisor@Sinai-SJ.org, 264-8542

Tuesday, November 22 Thanksgiving Service at LG United Methodist Church 111 Church St, Los Gatos, 7:30 PM Clergy and lay leaders from eight local congregations will participate in the service which will also include a joint choir and a collection for local needs. The service is open to the entire community and is sponsored by the Los Gatos Interfaith Clergy Group, which meets regularly to discuss local issues and also coordinates joint service projects during the year. nadine@shirhadash.org, 358-1751 Saturday, November 26 Jewish Artists Group Beth David, approx. 1:30 PM Presentations and discussions on Judaica.

The CBD Jewish Artists Group meets monthly. Meetings begin immediately after Kiddush Lunch Everyone is welcome, whether member of CBD or visitor, including non-artists, too!

Questions? Email coordinator Jeff Warwick. info@beth-david.org, 257-3333 Tuesday, November 29 Giving Tuesday APJCC, 7 PM Spend a few minutes volunteering for a local non-profit in the JCC’s main lobby on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. We’ll have tables from several local nonprofits. More information: jon@apjcc.org or 357-7401 Wednesday, November 30 A Journey Though Jewish Music Beth David, 10:15-11:45 AM This mini-course geared towards older adults asks the question: What makes Jewish music Jewish? How do different musical styles affect our spiritual experience? Explore these questions and more with Rabbi Laurie Matzkin who has spent a lifetime integrating Judaism, music and spirituality. Last of 4 sessions; $10/class (please contact us if cost is prohibitive). Sign up online or with the office: info@beth-david.org, 257-3333 Saturday, December 3 Community Legacy Shabbat Sinai, 10 AM Join us as we celebrate and honor those who have written in their wills their intent to leave a Legacy to Congregation Sinai, APJCC and/or The Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley. arielle@jvalley.org, 357-7501 Sinai Parent’s Night Out (K-12th Grades) Sinai, 6 PM USYers will have a fun evening planned and you can enjoy a night off. Space is limited.

RSVP: USYadvisor@Sinai-SJ.org to save your spot. $20/child. Money raised goes to USY and Kadima chapter and regional events. All additional donations are appreciated. 264-8542

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dateb Sunday, December 4 Menorahs & Miracles: A Hanukkah Celebration Children’s Discovery Museum, Noon-4 PM See ad on page 14.

Kehillah Open House Kehillah, 2 PM Come discover Kehillah Jewish High School at our Admissions Open House! Hear from our students, faculty, and administrators; take a student-led tour of our newly remodeled facility; discover how the Oshman Family JCC enhances the life of Kehillah students and teams; and more! Kehillah offers excellent college preparatory academics in an inclusive, supportive environment. We welcome students from all backgrounds, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or national origin. Please contact Marilyn Lerner for more details:mlerner@kehillah.org, (650) 213-9600 Monday, December 5 Dangerous Neighborhood: Regional Threats, Palestinians & Israel’s Security Shir Hadash, 7:30 PM See article on page 9.

Tuesday, December 6 Current Issues Facing Israel and the Middle East Beth David, 7:30 PM Israel faces serious challenges in a region in turmoil. Deputy Consul General of Israel Ravit Baer, will discuss current issues affecting Israel and the Middle East.

AdultEd@beth-david.org, 257-3333 Young Adults Hanukkah Happiness Beth David, 6:30 PM Calling all young adults (22-35). Bring some Hanukkah happiness to the residents of Hatikvah House in Campbell (a home for developmentally disabled Jewish adults) by joining them for an informal Hanukkah party (crafts, dreidles, singing, and Hanukkah nosh).Then head downtown to continue your pre-Hanukkah happiness at one of the cool pubs in downtown Campbell. cbd.ya@beth-david.org, 257-3333 Thursday, December 8 Ladies Who Lunch Beth David, 11 AM All women of Beth David are invited to join the Ladies Who Lunch which meets each month at the home of a different participant. Generally, there is a theme of the month and attendees bring lunch dishes to match the theme and sometimes stories, recipes and memorabilia to share. This is a casual fun opportunity to socialize with women of all ages. info@beth-david.org, 257-3333

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Dinner with Michael Krasny APJCC, 7 PM Beloved KQED radio personality, scholar and professor of English and American Literature, award-winning broadcast journalist, and author Michael Krasny has been telling Jewish jokes since he could say “oy vey!” It’s even been said that he knows more of them than anyone on the planet, and that’s saying a lot! In his new book “Let there be Laughter,” Michael pairs the most iconic Jewish jokes with wise and entertaining explanations, illuminating the cultural expressions and anxieties behind the laughs.

Tickets are $18/JCC member; $24/non-member. Part of the JCC’s Distinguished Speaker Series 2016-17. CJLL@apjcc.org or 357-7411.

Lunch ‘n Learn: The Real Story of Chanukah Shir Hadash, 11:30 PM Join our retirees group for a lecture, discussion, performance or film: we have a new program to educate or entertain on the second Thursday of each month. We are pleased to provide the program and a light lunch for a nominal donation of $5/person. We all know the story of Chanukah. Were the Maccabees really heroes or power-hungry usurpers of the throne? When we light the Chanukah Menorah and place it in the window, what miracle are we publicizing?

Would Christianity exist if not for the Maccabees? Rabbi Marvin Schwab, former Rabbi of Temple Beth Shalom in Santa Fe, NM, will seek to unravel the mysteries behind our festival of lights. shanda@shirhadash.org, 358-1751 Midrash and Merlot: the Untold Stories of the Women of Hannukah Yavneh Day School, 7:00 PM All are welcome to join Rabbi Laurie Hahn Tapper and the Yavneh Day School community for an insightful evening as we learn and discuss the untold stories of the women of the Bible. daniela@yavnehdayschool.org, 984-6700 Friday, December 9 Community Legacy Shabbat Emanu-El, 7 PM Join us as we celebrate and honor those who have included Temple Emanu-El and/or Jewish Family Service in their Wills. arielle@jvalley.org, 357-7501 Rock Shabbat Legacy Shabbat Service with JFS Emanu-El, 7 PM Featuring the musical stylings of our Rock Shabbat Band! An innovative and joyous worship experience with musicians (piano, percussion, guitars, trombone, etc.) and singers joining Cantor Amanda Winter and Rabbi Dana Magat. Congregational singing is definitely encouraged, as is dancing in the aisles. Join us as we welcome the Sabbath in a fun and lively manner. All members and non-members are invited to a service like you’ve never been to before. megan@templesanjose.org, 292-0939

Saturday, December 10 Jewish Book Discussion Beth David, 1:30 PM “Dancing Arabs” by Sayed Kashua, led by Miriam Palgon. An Arab-Israeli author tells a story, inspired by his own experiences, of the tensions between Jewish and Arab Israelis. His debut novel has been praised around the world for its honesty, irony, humor, and its very human portrayal of a young man who moves between two societies, becoming a stranger to both.

AdultEd@beth-david.org, 257-3333 Shir Fun Hanukkah Shir Hadash, 4 PM Join us for this fun-filled morning! Rabbi Levenberg will lead a brief Shabbat Service with the story of Hanukkah in the main Sanctuary, followed by crafts, playtime, schmoozing and special latkes and sufganiyot for snack in the Oneg Room. We invite all families with kids 5 and under to celebrate! RSVP to Shanda, shanda@shirhadash.org, 358-1751 Sunday, December 11 Super Sunday Levy Family Campus, 9 AM See ad on back page.

Hiking Meet-up–Sunday Stroll Beth David, 10 AM sharp Join with others at Beth David who love to walk.

The walk will be a 5-mile loop around Saratoga starting at the synagogue. Walks postponed in case of rain. RSVP online or with the office. info@beth-david.org, 257-3367 Sisterhood Chanukah Fair Emanu-El, 10:30 AM Join Sisterhood for all your holiday shopping needs! There will be kids’ crafts, cookie decorating, a bake sale, and a jump house for the kids. Entrance to the Fair is FREE. Lunch is provided by Temple Emanu-El Senior Youth Group with all proceeds benefiting EESY. megan@templesanjose.org, 292-0950 Kadima & USY Chanukah Party at Sinai Sinai, 3 PM Come celebrate Chanukah with other Sinai Teens. Do you have a favorite food, game, or tradition? Bring it with you! We will have all the traditional Chanukah goodies, plus some extras unique to Sinai!! Bring a toy to donate to children in need. $5 with toy donation; $10 without donation. USYadvisor@Sinai-SJ.org, 264-8542 Tuesday, December 13 Major Gifts Dinner La Rinconada Country Club, 6 PM IDF Major (Res.) Sarit Zehavi, Keynote Speaker. This event is part of the series Zionism 5777: Emerging Trends and Diverse Lenses. jyl@jvalley.org, 357-7500 continued on page 27

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obituaries RACHEL (RITA) BAHBOUT

June 4, 1934 – September 21, 2016 Rachel (Rita) Bahbout, Rachel Chaya bat Nessim v’Miriam, was born in Cairo, Egypt.

She was the cherished daughter of the late Nessim & Marie Hamaoui. At 18, she met Isaac Bahbout, her devoted, loving and caring husband of 63 years.

In 1952 they moved to France after being expelled from Egypt during the Suez War; they left with just the clothes on their backs.

Her husband’s career led her to West Africa – Senegal and then the Ivory Coast.

Her grace, kindness and warmth were instrumental in helping her husband’s career flourish at Royal Dutch Shell. She met many heads of state including President Pompidou of France, Queen Wilhemina of the Netherlands, Golda Meir and Israeli Ambassador to the United States Abba Eban. She and her husband were instrumental in establishing the first Israeli embassy in the Ivory Coast.

The Bahbouts moved to Foster City in 1975 to be close to her mother, siblings and many of her family. She was a talented cook, French and Middle-Eastern cuisine, seamstress and needlepoint artist. Her home was always welcoming to visitors and guests. She waged a long, courageous battle with brain tumors for over 30 years but ultimately succumbed to metastases from breast cancer. She was always positive, optimistic, never complained and enjoyed life. Her goal was to see the Bar Mitzvahs of her two oldest grandchildren. She fought to be there for those moments and enjoyed an additional 16 years.

She is mourned by her son, Arie (Laura) Bahbout of Foster City and her daughter Joelle (Andy) Pluemer of Sunnyvale, her grandsons Adam and Aaron Pluemer, Daniel (Milana) Bahbout and granddaughter Nicole Bahbout and her great-granddaughter, 2-year-old, Annabelle Bahbout. She leaves her sister Rosette Hamaoui and brother David (Mireille) Hamaoui of Foster City, Halfon Hamaoui, z’l, and Paula of Israel, and Moise (Elizabeth) Hamaoui of Florida.

RICHARD G. DAVIS

October 16, 1925 – September 12, 2016 Richard Gordon Davis was born in Birmingham, Alabama to Sydney Baitchman & Sol Davis.

During his childhood, the family moved down the Gulf Coast, spent some time in Biloxi, MS and settled in New Orleans.

Rick began college at Tulane University, but when WWII began after his freshman year, he volunteered for the Navy and served in the Pacific. He was trained as a radio technician and radar specialist, which encouraged him to pursue his interest in math and engineering after the war. However, he maintained his

strong interest in literature and creative writing leading him to graduate from Tulane with an unlikely double major in English Literature and Physics. Upon graduation he decided on an engineering career, completing a Masters degree in Physics and Engineering. While at Tulane, a friend introduced him to Doris Seelig, a native New Orleanian and a student at Newcomb College.

They married on January 3, 1950 and moved to Chicago where Rick took his first job with a firm that was one of the first to explore the manufacture of MRI for medical testing. In 1951, their son Richard Seelig Davis was born in Chicago. When Rick accepted a position with the National Bureau of Standards, the family first moved to Washington, D.C. and later to Southern California.

In 1954, their daughter Deborah was born; they lived in southern California until 1955.

It was there that he embarked on a lifelong commitment to civic engagement as a volunteer with the Community Concerts Organization. When he accepted a position in Tucson, the family grew to enjoy the desert. In 1959, he accepted a position with Lockheed and the family settled in Saratoga. In 1967, he started investing in local real estate in a small partnership with Lockheed colleagues. These partners have remained close friends as well as business partners to this day. He continued to work in missiles and space engineering as senior manager with Lockheed until an unexpected heart attack encouraged him to take an early retirement in 1973.

The family fell in love with the San Jose area and community where Rick was very active in both his religious and secular communities.

They built a home in Silver Creek Country Club where he served on the first advisory board. He was always a leader, ending up as president of many of the organizations in which he participated, among them Temple Emanu-El, San Jose West Rotary Club, and Rinconada Hills Assn. in Los Gatos. Rick spent time volunteering with the Jewish Community Center, the Jewish Federation, AIPAC and Hillel. He also worked extensively with many local service organizations including Rotary International, San Jose Symphony, the San Jose Ethics Council and Face of Silicon Valley.

His warm and caring nature endeared him to all who knew him. His sincere concern for others led him to continually work to serve the community.

Rick’s love of literature never faded. He could just as easily recite from memory Keats’ “Ode on a Grecian Urn” as argue over tennis statistics. In addition to being an excellent

tennis player and yogi, he also loved hiking and nature. He took his children and grandchildren to the redwoods frequently, especially Big Basin, Yosemite and Lassen.

Rick passed away peacefully on September 12, leaving behind his beloved wife of 66 years, Doris, for whom his love was so tender that he often referred to her as “my bride.” He is also survived by his recently discovered brother Robert, two children: Rick and Deborah and four grandchildren: Alec, Steven, Spencer (Ann-Marie) and Lindsey (Vanessa).

His greatest concern was always his family including his extended relatives. He helped organize large family reunions every other year. His family remembers his gentle wisdom, overflowing kindness and unwavering dignity.

His death is a loss for his many friends and family members who recall his modesty, love of life, commitments to just causes and penchant for humor from Gilbert and Sullivan operettas to the cute things his children said. He lived as a model of many lovable and desirable qualities: generosity, intelligence, business sense, gentleness and moderation.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the West San Jose Campbell Rotary Foundation (P.O. Box 111116, Campbell, CA 95011-1116) or Temple EmanuEl (1010 University Avenue, San Jose, CA 95126).

ARLENE RESS NATHANS

August 23, 1951 – September 30, 2016 Arlene Ress-Nathans, daughter of Ethyl & the late Elvin Ress, died suddenly in Martinez, CA where she lived for the past sixteen years.

Arlene grew up in San Jose where she was active in BBG and Temple Emanu-El. She graduated from San Francisco State University and.

She was the loving wife of William Nathans, whom she married on October 12, 1975, and the mother of Mikhail and Daniel RessNathans. In addition to her mother Ethyl Ress of San Jose, she is survived by her brother Arnold (Leslie) and her sister Shelly and many nieces and nephews. All who knew her remember her as a warm, generous and caring person. She loved her husband, her children and her pets. Contributions in her memory may be made to the charity of one’s choice.

REEVA GOLDBERG PERR May 17, 1922 – August 28, 2016

Reeva Goldberg Perr of Los Gatos passed away peacefully. She was born in Uniontown, PA, educated at the University of Pittsburgh and lived in New Kensington, PA where she raised her family of four children. She moved to California 25 years ago to be close to her grandchildren.

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obituaries Reeva was an elementary school teacher and was proud of breaking the “Jewish ceiling” in being the first Jewish teacher in her local school district. She was dedicated to Jewish organizations including Hadassah, B’nai B’rith, ORT and Brandeis University.

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

Home of Peace

She was the beloved wife of Joseph Perr who predeceased her by forty years. She will be missed by her four children including Bay Area residents Max Perr (Dr. Holly Christman) and Abby Perr-Baker (Tom), and New York daughters Natalie and Michelle Perr. She was loved by grandchildren Eli and Luca Perr of San Francisco and Joey (Rachel), Philip and Jacob Baker of Saratoga.

Donations in her memory may be made to Temple Emanu-El of San Jose.

PHYLLIS JUNE ZIS

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 (408) 266-4184 cemetery@templesanjose.org

Wayne Rose, Administrator

May 16, 1941 – September 3, 2016 After a long and courageous struggle, Phyllis has, at last, gone to her final rest. She lived a life full of things that brought her joy, especially her family and friends. She was the daughter of Ruth & Irving Steinberg and was raised in Chicago, attended South Shore and Sullivan high schools and Roosevelt University where she earned a Bachelor of Education degree.

Phyllis met and married her husband Jerry in Chicago and soon moved to Silicon Valley where they raised their three sons. After ten years as a homemaker, she obtained a part-time job as a filing clerk at Measurex Corporation, rapidly advancing to become manager of the Payroll and Accounts Payable department and earning the love and respect of all with whom she worked.

Phyllis delighted in playing canasta and mah jongg and especially loved traveling the world on cruise liners. She was very active at Congregation Beth David and in the Hazak community, helping to plan and stage many of their events. She dearly loved and was loved by her family and many friends, always having a cheerful disposition and good word for all.

Despite her numerous long-term health issues, she maintained a positive attitude and was a joy and inspiration to all who knew her.

Phyllis was preceded in death by her mother Ruth, father Irving and stepfather Ben Erman.

She is survived by Jerry, her husband of 52 years, and her sons and their spouses: Irv Daniel (Shatawn), Kevin (Ann) and Rick (Stacey).

She was a loving grandmother to Lily Marie, David and Samuel. She is also survived by her brothers, Steven Steinberg, Lee Erman (Esther) and sister Fran Grossman (Michael). She will be missed by numerous aunts, cousins and friends.

Donations in her memory may be made to Hospice of the Valley, 4850 Union Avenue, San Jose, CA 95124.

FD262

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

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

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

(408) 297-3636

Jim Esenwein FDR1499

Managing Funeral Director jesenwein@sinaichapel.org FDIC insured Pre-need funeral arrangements available.

www.jvalley.org

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Jewish Professional Directory Attorneys

Commercial Real Estate

Christl Denecke

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

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

Judith Navi Douglass

Douglas P. Barnes, APLC 210 Almendra Avenue Los Gatos, CA 95030 408.395.4800 judy@dougbarneslaw.com www.dougbarneslaw.com Estate Planning, Elder Law, Probate & Medi-Cal Planning

Michael W. Malter

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

Miri Bialik BRE:01164715

Guggenheim Group

595 Millich Drive, Suite 200, Campbell, CA 95008 (408) 871-8722 www.guggenheimrgi.com Commercial Real Estate Property Management, Investments, Sales and Leasing.

Allen Guggenheim & Stephen Guggenheim

Event Planners Lynn Osband, Event Planner Weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, Special Events and Consulting 408-981-8422 LynnOsbandEvents@gmail.com www.LynnOsbandEvents.com

Carol Elias Zolla

16450 Los Gatos Boulevard, Suite 209, Los Gatos, CA 95032 Tel: 408-358-6900 carol@zollalawfirm.com www.zollalawfirm.com Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law. The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization.

Audiology Marni Novick, AuD

“Open your ears to a new world of sound.”

Silicon Valley Hearing, Inc. 340 Dardanelli Lane, Suite 22 Los Gatos, CA 95032 (408) 540-7128 drnovick@siliconvalleyhearing.com siliconvalleyhearing.com Our Doctor of Audiology’s own experience with hearing loss led her to help others improve their hearing and well-being. Our services include comprehensive diagnostic hearing evaluations, hearing aid consultations, and tinnitus evaluations and management.

Real Estate Broker Associate at Intero Real Estate Services A Berkshire Hathaway Affiliate Eco Broker,*Senior Residents Specialist* Zillow Premier Agent* Top Producer.

Office: 650-947-4672 Cell: 408-315-6555 Always at your service

Buying or Selling a Home shouldn't be like finding your way through a Maze.

Let The Urban Group show YOU the way!

Call today 650.305.1111 &/or join Avi’s real estate seminar

Financial Services

www.urban.realtor

The Urban Group | CalBRE# 01485729 | Real Estate Consultants

Orna & Ruben Yomtoubian

Shannon Stein

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

Real Estate & Financial Services

10 Almaden Blvd., 15th Floor, San Jose, CA 95113

www.werbarubin.com

Marriage and Family Therapy

Janice L. Shapiro Janice L. Shapiro

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist 3880 S.3880 Bascom Ave., Suite 216 216 S. Bascom Ave., Suite San Jose, 95124 San CA Jose, CA 95124 408 596-4810 408 596-4810 Web: janiceleeshapiro.com Web: janiceleeshapiro.com Welcomes individuals, couples and families Welcomes individuals, couples and families No. LMFT86051 LicenseLicense No. LMFT86051 j

Photography

Paul Streit - Bar/Bat Mitzvah Photography My Specialty!

Honored to capture your very special occasion and celebration with friends and family. Please visit my website to view examples or contact me for more information - ask about my JValley News special! email@paulstreit.com (408) 323-9996 BMITZVAHPHOTO.COM

PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS OR SERVICE IN THE JEWISH PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY! Contact Amanda Glincher: amanda@jvalley.org, (408) 357-7503

888-360-3337 Orna@ORNA.com www.ORNA.com Full Service Discount Commission Realty Broker/Owner BS, MS, MIS, Finance www.aDiscountRealty.com • 1% Listing Broker Commission • I pay all my Buyer’s Closing Costs* • Free Appraisal & Home Warranty • JCC Donation per Transaction www.aDiscountMortgage.com • 30 Years Fixed Conforming No Fee Loan 3.5% APR • No Upfront Fees, No Fee Loans, $417K> Loan>$250K Real Estate #01098186, Mortgage #NMLS31413, Appraisal #AL029181

Senior Services Lyn Pasqua DELIVERED BY GRACE

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

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Tax Preparation & Representation Leonard W. Williams, CPA

A Professional Corporation 1307 S. Mary Ave., Suite 250; Sunnyvale (408) 736-1566 www.LWWilliamsCPA.com Leonard W. Williams, CPA; Bruce Pajak, CPA; Amy Chou, CPA; Brenda L. George, EA; Sue Conners, EA; Joanne Westendorf, EA; Daisy Blake, EA Tax Planning & Return Preparation for Individuals, Trusts & Estates.

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For iOS

dateb continued from page 23 Thursday, December 15 Dames who Dine Beth David, 7 PM Join once a month in the evening to share a meal and casual socializing at a local restaurant or at the home of the host. In most cases, attendees will order and pay for their own meal.

This is an opportunity to get to know new Beth David women or catch up with friends while possibly sipping a lovely, end-of the-day glass of wine. info@beth-david.org, 257-3333 Friday, December 16 A Happy Hanukkah Happening Beth David, 6:30 PM Kick back at this relaxing Kabbalat Shabbat experience. It will be an easygoing evening of socializing, singing, good food and a happy, upbeat, Kabbalat Shabbat service. All ages are welcome to share an enjoyable Pre-Hanukkah experience with a brisket and latke dinner along with delicious sufganiot and other Hanukkah treats. Hanukkah songs will get you in the mood for the upcoming holiday. Take a dreidel from the JFS Embrace A Family board ahead of the dinner and bring your gift to the event or pick up a dreidel to fill a wish on that night. info@beth-david.org, 257-3333 Saturday, December 17 Israel’s Environmental Challenges Beth David, 1:30 PM Rabbi Yonatan Neril, founder and executive director of the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development, will speak about Israel’s environmental challenges and the relevance of Jewish teachings. AdultEd@beth-david.org, 257-3333 Sunday, December 18 A Yiddish & Klezmer Concert Sinai, 4 PM See ad on page 8 and article on page 9.

Latkes and Laughs Emanu-El, 6 PM See ad on page 8.

Thursday, December 22 Sinai USY Winter Reunion Sinai, 7 PM Missing your friends who have graduated?

Come to a Reunion at Sinai! Make s’mores and hear stories of student life from current college students, including what it is like to be Jewish away from home. For 8th graders and up. Free!

USYAdvisor@Sinai-SJ.org, 264-8542 Saturday, December 24 Chinese Food and Game Night Emanu-El, 6 PM Lots of board games available to play, and occasionally get a game of Poker or Mah Jongg together. $2.50/member; $7/member family; $3/ non-member, $10/non-member family. PLUS bring a snack to share! Cold drinks, coffee and tea, and dessert provided by Sisterhood.

k

anitajmed@yahoo.com or 292-0939.

Sunday, January 8 Biking Group Meet Up and Ride Beth David, 10 AM Ride is about 20 miles long and leaves from the synagogue parking lot. Ride cancelled if it is raining. info@beth-david.org, 257-3333 Annual Mah Jongg Tournament Levy Family Campus, 9:00 AM See ad on page 12.

Wednesday, January 11 Christian Jewish Dialogue Shir Hadash, 6:30-9:30 PM Judaism and Christianity–two faiths which developed from a common source, and yet so much misunderstanding over the years! This program will bring together congregants from Shir Hadash (Los Gatos), and St. Andrews Episcopal (Saratoga). The group will be limited to 24 participants divided as equally as possible between each faith community. There will be 5 sessions held from 6:30-9:30 p.m. on Wednesday evenings: 1/11, 1/18, 1/25, 2/1, 2/8. Dinner will be served each week and a donation of $10. nadine@shirhadash.org, 358-1751 Friday, January 13 MLK Shabbat Service Emanu-El, 7 PM This service will feature readings and discussion on Martin Luther King. megan@templesanjose.org, 292-0939 Saturday, January 14 Jewish Book Discussion Beth David, 1:30 PM “The Best Place on Earth” by Ayelet Tsabari, led by Susan Rojo. These stories focus on Israel’s Mizrahi Jews searching for their place in the world. Her stories illuminate the burdens of history, the strength of the heart, and our universal desire to belong. 257-3333, AdultEd@ beth-david.org

friendly dinner. For children 6 and under. Older siblings welcome. info@beth-david.org, 2573333 Saturday, January 21 Young Adults–A Night In Italy Beth David, 8 PM Calling all Young Professionals (22-35). A flight of rich Italian wines (provided and poured by Marc & Paula Levitt of Girasola Imports), paired with authentic Italian nibbles, movie and music will make for a memorable Jewish Italian night!

257-3333, cbd.ya@beth-david.org The Happy Hour & Havdalah Film Festival Shir Hadash, 7 PM Better than Netflix and chill: cocktails, friends and films. The Shir Hadash community has produced a number of filmmakers, directors and writers. We are going to screen a number of these short films and enjoy a signature cocktail and a nosh. More details about pricing and films selected TBA. RSVP Required. nadine@ shirhadash.org, 358-1751 Sunday, January 22 Preschool Open House 2017 APJCC, 10 AM Are you looking for a preschool that can meet your child’s need to explore, discover and connect? Stop by the APJCC Preschool for our Open House and see what we have to offer.

Visit www.apjcc.org/preschool, or contact preschool@apjcc.org or 357-7417 Thursday, January 26 Men’s Club at the Shark Tank Shir Hadash, 7:30 PM San Jose Sharks vs Edmonton Oilers. The Men’s Club has reserved 25 seats in the Premium Upper Corner section, and the cost is $45/ ticket. nadine@shirhadash.org, 358-1751

Sunday, January 15 Community Mitzvah Day Beth David, 9:30 AM Join Beth David and Shir Hadash for a community Mitzvah Day! Everyone is welcome; we have meaningful projects for all ages and abilities. cbd.socialaction@beth-david.org, 2573333

Friday, January 27 Repairing Ourselves, Repairing Our World– Scholar-in-Residence Beth David, 8:30 PM Rabbi Levy will teach us how to navigate the journey of life, which involves a continual process of change and personal growth. She will show us how the work of personal repair is related to our collective responsibility to improve the world. Join us for dinner prior to the talk.

AdultEd@beth-david.org, 257-3333

Tuesday, January 17 Jewish Musical Theater APJCC, 3 PM With instructor Stephen S. Gill. Learn some history about the composers and their music. cherie@apjcc.org, 357-7463

Shabbat 2.0 Service with Special Guest Rabbi Miri Gold Shir Hadash, 8 PM Rabbi Gold has been at the forefront of the fight for state recognition of non-orthodox Rabbis in Israel. nadine@shirhadash.org, 358-1753

Friday, January 20 PJ Shabbat Beth David, 6 PM A special Shabbat service filled with movement, song and stories. Stay for a kid- (and parent-)

Sunday, January 29 Jewbilee 2017 APJCC, 1 PM Save the date! jenny@apjcc.org, 357-7430

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Shaloha!

Warm up this Super Sunday!

Come in from the cold and warm up the hearts of our community by making the call or making a gift.

Learn more at www.jvalley.org/SuperSunday.

Sunday, December 11 9 am – 12 pm and 3-6 pm Levy Family Campus, Los Gatos Food and tropical drinks provided for all Super Sunday volunteers!

Chaired by Erin Goncharoff and Rachael Berman Huck ÂŽ