- Home
- About
- Datebook: Events Calendar
- Women's Philanthropy
- Subscribe to e-newsletter
- Young Adults
- Contribute
- Where Your Money Goes
- Professional Groups
- Community Resources
- Volunteer
- Local Jewish News
- Search
Jewish Community News
Simchas: December 2006
Simchas from Silicon Valley
Simchas of Silicon Valley
By Andrea Cohen Greyber
Births
Harriet & Don Fernandez of Beth David and Jean Rapp of Campbell announce the birth of their grandson Steven Benjamin Rapp on September 13, in time for Rosh Hashanah. His proud parents are Stacey Fernandez and Ben Rapp. The bris was held at the Saratoga home of Stacy’s brother David Fernandez & Lori Krauss and their sons Daniel Fernandez, 9, and David and Nathan Fernandez, 6, who belong to Sinai. Rabbi Dana Magat of Emanu-El officiated and Dr. Paul Prodder was the mohel. Another proud uncle is Scott Fernandez of San Jose.
Mary & David Rockman of San Francisco, along with big brother Nathan, happily announce the birth of Noah Jordan Rockman on September 27. The proud grandparents include longtime Emanu-El member and community volunteer, JoAnn Shank of Los Gatos, Joseph Shank of San Jose, Anita Hoffman and Stanley Rockman of San Mateo. His great-grandmother is Elinor Shank of Portland, OR. Others welcoming Noah are aunts and uncles Molly & Owen Seitel and Suzanne & Brian Towns along with cousins Sofie Seitel and Kate Towns, all of San Francisco.
Merav & Rami Branitzky of San Jose welcomed the birth of their twins on October 3. Their daughter Neti and son Eran join daughter Noa, 6, who is in the Alef class at Yavneh Jewish Day School and son Roy, 3, who attends the Jewish Community Center Gesher program. Neti and Eran’s grandmother Gila Oren is visiting from her home in Tel Aviv and is lightening the load at home. Her grandfather Dan Branitzky, who lives in Rishon Lezion with his wife Connie, will be visiting soon!
Aaron Benjamin Wolf-Bloom chose his paternal grandmother’s birthday as his own; he made an appearance on October 9 just before midnight. He joins his big brother Joshua, 3½, who just started in Emanu-El’s religious school this fall. Aaron Benjamin is the son of Michelle & David Wolf-Bloom of San Jose, grandson of Zandy & Joseph Bloom of Canton, OH, and Sheila & Ross Kremer of Lawrenceville, NJ. He is the great-grandson of Freida Levin of Freehold, NJ, who is about to celebrate her 94th birthday in early 2007.
Called to the Torah
Eva Herman, daughter of Susan & Michael Herman of Beth David, celebrated her Bat Mitzvah on September 9. She is the youngest child of the Hermans and is in the eighth grade at Cupertino Middle School; she also attends Hebrew High. Her older brother Edward is a senior at UCLA, her sister Beth is studying nursing at SJSU and her other sister Andrea is a junior at Homestead High School. Eva’s grandfather Louis “Pete” Blum of Philadelphia attended the celebration. Her grandfather, Richard Herman of Connecticut, could not make the trip but sent envoys in the persons of Uncle Paul & Aunt Karen Herman and Cousin Megan who came in from Connecticut. Uncle Lee & Aunt Lisa Blum and Cousin Ethan Blum, Aunt Helene & Uncle Gerald Sterling and cousins Susan and John Rees all came from Philadelphia. Eva’s parents each read a Torah portion as did Susan Rees. Lee Blum carried the Torah and Lisa Blum read the prayer for the state of Israel in Hebrew. For her Bat Mitzvah project, Eva will be donating some of her Bat Mitzvah money to a local hospital. She signed up at the Jewish Life Festival as a volunteer and read to an autistic child in his home for a number of weeks.
Alyssa Jepsky, daughter of Martha & Eric Jepsky, was called to the Torah as a Bat Mitzvah on October 7 at Emanu-El. She is an honors student at Chaboya Middle School in San Jose, enjoys being a part of the track team and is a teacher’s assistant. Alyssa has been performing in professional musical theater and opera since the age of 6 and currently studies musical theory and performs in the elite Cantabile Children’s Choir which performs all over the country. She has received college credits for the last three years for this intensive training. She likes spending time with her brothers Adin, 3, and Benjamin, 9, shopping, going to the movies and hanging out at Starbucks with her friends. Alyssa is collecting new toys and items for the children at Ronald McDonald House for her Mitzvah project. She is looking forward to visiting the children, presenting them with their new toys and sharing time and stories with them. Alyssa was thrilled to spend her special day with her friends and family. She was particularly pleased that her grandparents, Dr. Bernard & Audrey Levine of New Haven, CT, and Dr. Norman & Marilyn Jepsky of Randolph, MA, were able to join her for this special occasion.
Shayna Morgan, daughter of Stacey Morgan & the late Earl Morgan, celebrated her Bat Mitzvah on October 21 at Beth David. Shayna is a student at Kennedy Middle School and, in addition to her school activities, she enjoys horseback riding, swimming, surfing and shopping! Her mitzvah project involved tutoring a younger child after school. Shayna is the granddaughter of Susan & Robert Weidman of Tarzana who were pleased to be on hand for the special celebration. Her great-grandparents are Lillian & John Perlmuter of Sun City, AZ. Her aunt Wendy Weidman of Tarzana and great-aunts Joan Englander of Ojai and Carol Rothman of Northridge made the trip up from the southland.
Laura Ann Mighdoll, daughter of Linda Fox Mighdoll & David Mighdoll, was called to the Torah as a Bat Mitzvah on October 21 at Emanu-El. She is in the eighth grade at Redwood Middle School in Saratoga where she enjoys academics, including leadership class, as well as many friends and soccer. Laura plays on the De Anza Force U13 Blue Select soccer team both on defense and offense and is one of the leading scorers. Laura’s hobbies include music, shopping, movies and swimming. She began her formal Jewish education at the JCC Preschool, Yavneh Day School, Emanu-El Religious & Hebrew schools and Shir Hadash Hebrew High. She looks forward to continuing with Teen Jewish Studies and participating in B’nai B’rith Girls. Laura contributes back to the community with mitzvot by spending hours every week with the National Charity League, helping at the Emergency Housing Consortium, Sacred Heart Community Services, Villa Montalvo, Saratoga Library, American Cancer Society, American Red Cross and NARF. Her sister, Michelle, 20, who attends the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and her brother Jason, 18, who is a student at the University of Arizona, flew in for Laura’s Bat Mitzvah and read from the Torah. Her grandparents, Ginny & Manny Mighdoll of Boynton Beach, FL, and her “local” grandparents Joan & Marvin Fox were also on hand to pass the Torah on to the next generation. Interestingly, Laura’s great-great-grandparents on both sides of her family founded temples in California and New York.
Seth Landers celebrated his Bar Mitzvah at Beth David on
Sunday, October 22. The special Rosh Chodesh service was attended by the
entire Beth David religious school many of whom had never seen a Bar Mitzvah
on Rosh Chodesh. Seth is the son of Stephanie & Matt Landers and the
older brother of Benjamin, 11, and Josh, 9. During this past summer Seth
read his Torah portion on Masada during a family trip to the Holy Land.
Seth attends John Muir Middle School in San Jose and is interested in
computer animation, filmmaking and music. Seth’s grandmother Laura
Landers, who lives in the “Villages” in San Jose, attended
as did his grandparents from Sherman Oaks, Margie & Jerry Finn. His
great-aunts Rhonda Gomez-Zieff of Los Angeles and Rosalyn Demain from
Agoura also came up from “SoCal.” His aunt Deborah Finn flew
in from Boston, MA, and aunts Miriam Morgan from Belmont and Dr. Leora
Landers from San Mateo were also on hand for the special occasion. His
uncle Dr. Milton Landers came back to San Jose from Kansas.
Please send news of simchas to Andrea Greyber, agreyber@yahoo.com,
with the notation “JCN Simcha” in the subject line. Accompanying
photos should be emailed as jpeg attachments. The JCN requests, but does
not require, a $25 donation for each simcha announcement to help defray
the cost of the newspaper and support Federation. Send checks to Jewish
Community News, 14855 Oka Road,, Los Gatos, CA 95032-0100.
Simchas Submissions
If you have news to include in this column, please contact Andrea Greyber by the deadline date.
Photos may be submitted by email or by mail to JCN, marked "Simchas."
Photos must include the names of the people pictured, and the date of the event.
Announcing...
News
Features
Information