Jewish Community News

News: February 2008

Teen and preteen girls celebrate Rosh Chodesh together

    Being a teenage girl these days isn’t easy—even if you’re from a middle or upper class Jewish home in the Silicon Valley. Cliques, magazines, make-up and body image issues reach girls from even the best of homes. To help counter unhealthy magazine and celebrity images and the stress of being a tween or early teen (and also because it’s fun) some 30 girls meet each month at the APJCC at the Levy Family Campus. They sing a few Jewish songs, chat with each other, eat snacks, touch their toes and talk a little about how annoying it is that some girls come to school wearing short skirts and makeup. More

Community mikvah opens for business

    The community mikvah at the Gloria and Ken Levy Family Campus, located between the changing rooms at the swimming pool, is officially open for service.
Overseen by Rabbi Leslie Alexander and  Rabbi Avi Lebowitz, the mikvah is available by appointment for a variety of uses including conversion, ritual purity and the observance of any important life transition.

“We anticipate and hope to receive  calls from people in the community who say, ‘I’ve never done this before but am curious and would like to try,” said Rabbi Leslie Alexander. “This mikvah will be open to everyone for a variety of rituals, or just to try it out.” More

Two young adultsrepresent the South Bay at the Pan American Maccabi Games

Temple Emanu-El member Michelle Mighdoll, 21, and Saratoga resident Sky Cutler, 19, were two of  some 500 U.S. athletes to participate in the Pan American Maccabi games in Buenos Aires, Argentina from December 23 – January 2. 

Michelle competed in the triathlon, winning first place in her age group (21-25) and second place overall. Given that there were not many runners in the U.S. delegation, Michelle also ran the half  marathon two days later with the intention of just participating but her competitive spirit shined through and she won the race not only in her age group, but overall! More

Summer camp listing 2008

Click to see the JCN listing for summer camps. More

Rabbi from Uganda to visit Beth David as scholar-in-residence

The spiritual leader of the Abayudaya Jews of Uganda will visit Congregation Beth David as this year’s Scholar-in-Residence  February 28 to March 2. Rabbi Gershom Sizomu is a research fellow at the Institute for Jewish and Community Research and is attending the Zeigler School of Rabbinic Studies at the University of Judaism, Los Angeles.

Abayudaya is a local term that means “the people of Judah.” The Jews of Uganda trace their roots to Semei Kakungulu, a missionary for the British who favored the Hebrew Bible, and spread its teachings at the turn of the twentieth century. The community existed in virtual isolation until recently, knowing only biblical Judaism. Today, approximately 600 members of the Abayudaya community live among the rolling, green hills of eastern Uganda within several miles of Mbale, the third largest city in Uganda. In 2002, at the community’s request, a Conservative bet din supervised the conversion of most of the Abayudaya community members. More

Shir Hadash office manager retires

Bryna Wallace, office manager at Congregation Shir Hadash for the past eight years, will retire at the end of February and move to Winnipeg, Canada and Florida to be closer to family. She will be honored at services on Saturday morning, February 23, as a part of Shir Hadash’s Sisterhood Shabbat. More

Film Festival changes name, expands programs

Now in its 17th year, the San Jose Jewish Film Festival is renaming itself the Silicon Valley Jewish Film Festival and forming partnerships with other groups such as Cinequest in order to obtain more high profile films.
   The SVJFF has also hired longtime president  Mark Levine as the festival’s part time executive director.

The strategic changes were made as a result of the festival’s growth and the fact that its day-to-day activities throughout the year require professional attention. One of these changes involves more Israeli film screenings throughout the year.More

This summer more than 120 children will experience the magic of Jewish overnight summer camp at B’nai B’rith Camp for the first time and establish a lifelong bond with their cultural and religious heritage, thanks to the B’nai Brith Men's Camp Association, the Foundation for Jewish Camping, and a record-breaking $15 million gift from an anonymous donor to FJC. More

Connections 2008 celebrates 25 years of honoring women

Local Jewish institutions fight global warming