Jewish Community News

News: April 2006

New Jewish business dean at SJSU makes waves

Just months after beginning his post as dean of San José State University’s College of Business, Bruce Magid stood with SJSU president, and alumni Don and Sally Lucas, to announce the single largest gift in the history of the university--$10 million to the College of Business.

This tremendous accomplishment came just seven months into Magid’s term as dean. In appropriate modesty, Magid reflects all credit to the Lucases. More

Beloved SJ Rabbi Gitin turns 100

Rabbi Joe Gitin has put on his best navy suit and grey tie for this interview. Just weeks from celebrating his 100th birthday, he walks, not wheels, into the living room of his assisted-living home in San Francisco. From the outside, his apartment is distinguishable from its neighbors by a mezuzzah and placard on the front door displaying the Hebrew letters for “shalom.” More

Berg retires after 30 years at Federation

Janet Berg has always teased friends and coworkers that she would stay at the Federation until she could work one day in the new campus—and then she’d retire. Janet mostly kept her promise. ”I worked a few days more than one and that was just a thrill for me,” she said. After 30 years holding every conceivable position at the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley, Associate Executive Director Janet Berg has retired. She began in April 1975 when Don Glazer was the executive director, and the entire staff consisted of a secretary and a bookkeeper. She worked straight through to the completion of the Gloria and Ken Levy Family Campus. More

Barbie-Jewish connection explored

What does Barbie have in common with the Jewish people? This poignant cultural question will be the subject of Women's Philanthropy’s next outreach event in May. On Monday, May 22 from 7 – 9 p.m. at the Levy Family Campus, Women's Philanthropy will screen the independent short film, “The Tribe,” as well as host its San Francisco-based filmmaker, Tiffany Shlain. More

Moms for Peace visit San Jose

In February, an Israeli and a Pales-tinian woman traveled to San Jose and put the Middle East peace conflict into terms everyone could understand—both mothers of three, they wished for peace for their children. Miri Eisen, a recently retired IDF colonel, and Nonie Darwish, the daughter of a martyr, have been touring the country talking to groups across the U.S. Darwish is the daughter of the foun-der of the fedayeen movement, a group of Arab terrorists that carried out cross-border strikes against Israeli targets. Growing up, she said she was taught to hate Jews. More

An abundance of new options for the four cups of Passover wine

(JTA) -- In the beginning, there was sweet wine. Really, really sweet wine. But as the kosher market broadened, a trickle of new wines targeted to a more sophisticated audience began to raise expectations among Jewish wine lovers. Now kosher wines have entered a third era, in which many are not only passable, they're praiseworthy. More

Kenneth Stein to speak at the APJCC Feb. 16

Kenneth W. Stein, a professor of contemporary Middle Eastern history, political science and Israeli studies at Emory University will give the second SBI lecture on Thursday, Feb. 16 at the APJCC. His talk will focus on “The Middle East in the 21st Century: What is the Meaning for Israel?” He is the author of many scholarly books and articles, including Heroic Diplomacy: Sadat, Kissinger, Carter, Begin, and the Quest for Arab-Israeli Peace and The Blood of Abraham: Insights into the Middle East in collaboration with former President Jimmy Carter. More

My Birthright trip to Israel

By Leya Babchin

Last December, my little sister Jessica and I made the venture to Israel on the Oranim Birthright trip. The El-Al security woman checking our passports asked why we wanted to go to Israel, and my sister answered, “We’re Jewish and we’re going home!” More

Orthodox lesbians struggle in ‘Keep Not Silent’ showing Mar. 8

Miriam-Esther fights her aversion to a man’s touch for the sake of her family and 10 children. Ruth’s husband permits his wife to see her female lover twice a week. Yudith, a rabbi’s daughter, declares her sexuality openly as she believes “lies are the worst sin on earth.” More