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Newsbriefs: February 2007

Local Jewish attorney wins “Trial lawyer of year 2006”

Mark Fredkin, an attorney and active member of the South Bay Jewish community, was awarded the distinct honor of “2006 Santa Clara County Trial Lawyer of the Year” on December 14.
The award recognized Fredkin’s trial work, including obtaining more than $19 million in verdicts over the preceding 18 months. Fredkin is an elected member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, and a partner in the firm Morgan, Franich, Fredkin & Marsh.
In addition to his professional role as an attorney, Fredkin is the former mayor of Monte Sereno, a past president of Congregation Shir Hadash, and a former Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley board member. He also served as a member of the first Wallenberg Group and led the Cardozo Society in its early years.

Community Havdalah and Jewish learning Night Feb. 24

The Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center will host a Jewish learning night, featuring over 10 classes with local rabbis and teachers from the South Bay. This free event will be held on Saturday, February 24, 7-10 p.m., at the Levy Family Campus in Los Gatos.
Cantor Devorah Felder-Levy will begin the evening with a community Havdalah, with each family making their own spice box. Participants will choose from several available classes, such as “Living in the Land: Can Anything Taste as Sweet Outside of Eretz Yisrael,” “The Spices and Seasons of the Year,” “Spice of Life: Sexuality in Judaism,” and more.
Dianne Portnoy and Judy Sack are
co-chairs. The event is appropriate for adults and teens age 13 and older. No babysitting available. For more information, see www.svjcc.org or contact Lisa Ceile Goldfus, at lisacg@svjcc.org or (408) 357-7492.

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers are needed to visit isolat-ed seniors, and help refugees become more proficient in the English language. A training program for “Friendly Visitors,” will be held on Sunday, April 29, from
10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Jewish Family Services of San Jose. For more inform-ation on these volunteer opportunities, contact Marilyn Popper at (408) 357-7453 or marilynp@jfssv.org.

Preschool open house at SPHDS

Parents of nursery age children (2-4+ years old) are invited to attend a Preschool open house at South Peninsula Hebrew Day School on Wednesday , February 28, at 7:30 p.m. at the school's Sunnyvale campus, 1030 Astoria Drive.
Presentations on the preschool's philosophy, curriculum, and programs will be discussed – including the specialized 2-year-old program; the new Hebrew language program for 3-year- olds; kindergarten readiness activities for 4-year-olds; and the new dynamic Young 5's program.
Enrichment classes and day care options are available. To RSVP, for more information, or to arrange a personal tour contact Preschool Director Barbara Goldstein at (408) 738-3060 or at barbara.goldstein@sphds.org.

Documenting family history
through art and writing Feb. 25

Congregation Shir Hadash is hosting a class for people interested in documenting their family history. Bay Area artist Beth Grossman will lead the class on Sunday, Feb. 25, from 2 – 4 p.m. Cost is $10 for an individual or $15 for a family with a $5 materials fee. More

Purim Ball

College students, graduate students, and young adults are invited to a Purim celebration of masquerade, music, food and fun. The event will include party favors, food, succulent deserts, a raffle, fabulous prizes and more. Proceeds from the raffle will go towards providing free Shabbat dinners for students at Hillel of Silicon Valley.
The ball will be held at the Kona Kai Club, 680 Hubbard Avenue, in Santa Clara on Saturday, March 3 from 8 p.m. until midnight. Tickets are $5 or free with a current college ID. So take out those old prom dresses and iron your suits and get ready for the Purim Masquerade Ball.
This event is sponsored by Hillel of Silicon Valley in association with AEPI and SVYAD. It is funded by a generous opportunity grant from the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley and the Koret Foundation. For more information or to RSVP please contact Hillel of Silicon Valley at (408) 286-6669 or email studentlife@hillelsv.org.

Beth David Scholar-in- Residence

Dr. Robert Harris, associate professor of Bible at the Jewish Theological Seminary, also doubles as a stand- up comic and rock musician. He will be Congregation Beth David’s Scholar-in-Residence, March 9-11, on the theme “Threes Become Fours, or How the Maxwell House Haggadah Became a Canonized Text.”
Dr. Harris often lectures on biblical narrative and Jewish liturgy in congregations around the country. He has published many articles, and has translated more than a dozen musical comedies into Hebrew. As a stand-up comic he has appeared at New York's “Stand Up, New York!” club, where he was once voted “New York's Funniest Rabbi.”
For a complete listing of services and events with Dr. Harris visit www.beth-david.org or call (408) 257-3333.

Hillel of Silicon Valley's ‘Pillars
of the Community’ brunch April 29

Hillel of Silicon Valley is pleased to host its annual Pillars of the Community Brunch on Sunday, April 29 at 11:30 a.m. This year’s honorees include Jack Chevlen, Larry Gerston, Madelyn Isaacs, and Bonnie Slavitt Moore, and student leaders Jason Goldstein, Charlene Powell, and Adi Raz. These honorees have consistently demonstrated their commitment and passion for Jewish college students, and have had a major impact on the success of Hillel of Silicon Valley. Individuals interested in placing a tribute in the program, or making a donation for the silent auction, please contact Sue Maltiel at director@hillelsv.org or (408) 286-6669.

Shir Hadash hosts health care community meeting

A community action and education meeting on a proposed health care plan for the county will be held at Congregation Shir Hadash at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 12. At this meeting members of Shir Hadash’s Social Justice Committee (the Shir Hadash Organizing Committee) and others in the countywide coalition will share information and testimonials about the state of the county’s health care system, present solutions and seek commitments from county officials about steps for positive action.

One proposed program would cover 5,000 currently uninsured low-income employees of small businesses in Santa Clara County. The pilot program, known as the “Three Share Model,” would be funded by workers, employers and the county. It would provide low-cost insurance and preventive health care access for these workers.

The timing of the community meeting was chosen to coincide with the Jewish Funds for Justice national conference being held in Santa Clara. The conference, K’hilot K’doshot, or Holy Congregations, Just Communities, is a three-day gathering of representatives from synagogues nationwide interested in congregation-based community organizing. For more information about SHOC activities or to get involved, call Adrian Cerda at (408) 205-1628 or email socialaction@shirhadash.org.

Middle School tuition discounts offered for Yavneh students

Yavneh Day School recently announced the continuation of its middle school pioneer grant for the 2007-2008 school year. The program, which offers a $2000 tuition discount to 6th grade students, a $1000 discount to 7th grade students and a $500 discount to 8th grade students, is considered a “need-blind” subsidy. All middle school students are eligible and no means test or provision of income statement is required. More

Israeli author at Beth David Feb. 15

Author Eva Etzioni-Halevy, professor emeritus of political sociology at Bar-Ilan University, will speak at Congregation Beth David on February 15 at 7:30 p.m. She will discuss her new novel, “The Garden of Ruth,” based on the biblical tale of Ruth the Moabite. More

Author to speak about growing up in a Jewish-Arabic family in America

Author Jack Marshall will speak at Congregation Beth David on Thursday, November 9, at 7:30 p.m. In his memoir, he explores the expulsion of Arabic-speaking (Sephardic, or Mizrachi) Jews from Spain in 1492, and their scattering into Muslim countries, including the difference in treatment by their host monarchs from their European (Ashkenazic) counterparts, and their emigration to America during the Depression. In America, they comprised an insular minority within a minority, keeping their Old World customs and language and rigorously observing their ancient Jewish laws and traditions, while adjusting to the demands of earning a living and raising their families in the New World.

Besides the memoir, “From Baghdad to Brooklyn,” Marshall has published ten volumes of poetry and received several awards. He has been a writer-in-residence and taught at the University of Iowa Writers Workshop, San Francisco State University, University of Hawaii, and UC Davis. Book sales and signing will follow the lecture. This talk is part of the Conversations in Jewish Learning (CJL) lecture series, and is free to members and CJL partners; a $5 donation is requested from non-members. For more information please call 257-3333.

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