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Newsbriefs: December 2005

Adult March of the Living

The March of the Living is an international, educational program that brings Jews from all over the world to Poland on Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Memorial Day, to march from Auschwitz to Birkenau, the largest concentration camp complex built during World War II, and then to Israel to observe Yom HaZikaron, Israel Memorial Day, and Yom Ha’Atzmaut, Israel Independence Day.

The Silicon Valley Jewish community is hoping to organize a full busload of adults to travel together. The trip is scheduled for April 23 through May 7, 2006. If you are interested in participating, please contact Helaine Green at 927-8088.

Cold weather clothing drive

Shir Hadash’s Social Action Committee, in partnership with Sacred Heart Community Services in San Jose, will sponsor a cold weather clothing drive on Dec. 11 from 8 a.m. to noon. Clothes will be distributed to needy adults and children throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
The SAC is looking for “gently-used” clean clothing and supplies for adults and children: sweaters, gloves, scarves, hats, shoes, boots, jackets, coats, blankets, etc. Receipts will be available for donors. Please deliver any donations to Shir Hadash, 20 Cherry Blossom Lane, Los Gatos.

Creative kids club

Beginning Sunday, Dec. 18, boys ages 5-8, and girls ages 5-12, are invited to participate in arts and crafts activities, mitzvah fun, and Torah time. The club will run from 5-7 p.m. on the third Sunday of each month (except Passover). Children will gain a strong sense of Jewish pride, while having fun in this positive and creative environment. For more information or to register your child, please call Rivkah at 445-1770.

For women only

All Jewish women are invited to the first “Create and Learn Series” on Wednesday, Dec. 21, at 7:30 p.m., in the teen lounge at the Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center in Los Gatos. The topic for the first presentation will be Shabbat, an island of peace and tranquility. After the talk, women will have the opportunity to draw, paint or design a painting, poster or set of Shabbat candles. The lecture costs $5. The lecture and crafts program together cost $10. Future dates include Jan. 24, Feb. 14, and Mar. 28.

This series is a project of the newly formed Jewish Women’s Outreach Circle, a program with the goal of promoting outreach and unity in the community. For more information or to RSVP call Smadar Lerner at 288-8406.

Holiday workshops at Shir Hadash

Shir Hadash will hold “Home for the Holidays” workshops on Dec 4, Jan 22, Mar. 5, Apr. 2, and May 14. Jewish life wasn’t meant to reside solely in the synagogue. As part of this workshop series, winter and spring holidays will be studied through a variety of lenses highlighting how Jews, over thousands of years of both at-home and in-synagogue observance, have invested meaning in the holidays. Each of the workshops will include skills, recipes, and crafts, encouraging and empowering participants to invest their own meaning in the holidays through home observance. Please sign up for one workshop, or for the entire series (Hanukkah, Tu Bish’vat, Purim, Passover, and Lag B’Omer/Shavuot). For info registration contact Patty at patty@shir hadash.org or by phone at 358-1751, ext. 7.

Identity theft

On Sunday, Feb. 5, at 1 p.m., Women of Temple Emanu-El is presenting a speaker from the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office who will offer a variety of tips on how to best protect ourselves from identity theft, and what to do in the event that information is stolen. RSVP to the Temple Emanu-El office, 292-0939.

Israeli Consul-General at Emanu-El

David Akov, the Consul-General of Israel, will be the guest speaker during services on Friday, February 17, 2006. Services begin at 8 p.m. in the sanctuary. There is no charge.

JFS teams with Adoption Connection

Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley is pleased to announce that it is providing office space for Adoption Connection to meet with prospective adoptive parents. Adoption Connec-tion is a fully licensed, non-profit, non sectarian adoption agency affiliated with Jewish Family and Children’s Services of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Coun-ties.
Persons wishing to contact Adoption Connection for services should call (415) 359-2494 or go to their Web site http://www.adoptionconnection.org/.

Meshuganutcracker debuts Dec. 1-Jan. 1

Escape the barrage of Christmas trees and Santa Claus at the Meshuga-nutcracker, a fast-paced, colorful musical comedy presented by the National Jewish Theatre Festival. Husband and wife team Scott and Shannon Guggenheim took the music of Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Ballet” and mixed in eight witty stories celebrating the miracle of Hanukkah. Latkes and sufganiyot (jelly donuts) will be available to sweeten the experience. Local performances will be held in Berkeley and San Francisco. Visit NJTF’s Web site for more information or order tickets at (877) 456-4849.

Raise money for needy at Whole Foods

From now through the end of December, help JFS help people in our community through a convenient program sponsored by Whole Foods in Campbell called “The Wooden Nickel.” When you bring and use your own grocery bags, the check-out clerk will hand you a 5 cent token for each bag. As you leave, drop your tokens in the collection box for Jewish Family Service of Silicon Valley Emergency Food Program, located at the customer service desk. Whole Foods will then send a check to JFS for all the tokens collected. For more information, contact customer service at Whole Foods, 1690 S. Bascom Avenue in Campbell.

SPHDS to hold info night

South Peninsula Hebrew Day School will hold a kindergarten information night on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 7:30 p.m., at the school’s Sunnyvale campus, 1030 Astoria Drive. Meet the team of kindergarten teachers, hear about the curriculum, and talk with current and past kindergarten parents. RSVP to Melissa Toren at 738-3060 or email melissa.toren@ sphds.org

Stanford lecturer to speak about teens and stress

Kehillah Jewish High School invites the community on Sunday, Dec. 11, from 1-3 p.m. for light refreshments, a tour of the school and a short program featuring Denise Clark Pope, Ph.D., lecturer at Stanford University School of Education.
Dr. Pope directs the SOS: Stressed-Out Students Project at Stanford University. Her book, “Doing School” was awarded Notable Book in Education by the American School Board Journal. Denise Pope will discuss, “What Makes a Healthy High School Environment.” Her insights are especially useful for parents who want their children to find a healthy balance between academic achievement and personal fulfillment. Dr. Pope is an active member of our local community, serves on the Executive Committee of Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School and is a member of Congregation Beth Am.
RSVPs are appreciated but not required to: info@kehillah.org, or call (650) 213-9600 and then ‘0.’

The Jews of New Orleans

On Saturday, Dec. 10, Temple Emanu-El’s Brotherhood will feature the first foray into the American Jewish experience, a five-course gourmet dinner with wine and a historical presentation of the Jews of New Orleans following the dinner. Seating is limited; the cost is $40 per diner, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Checks (payable to TE Brotherhood) may be sent to the temple office, 1010 University Avenue, San Jose CA 95126, marked “diaspora dinner.” Email inquiries may be sent to brotherhood@templesanjose.org

Yavneh Open House

Yavneh Day School will be holding its annual Winter Open House on
Sunday, January 22, 2006. Meet faculty and staff, tour Yavneh’s new facility and learn about the school’s academic program. Supervised activities and snacks will be available for children. For more information, call Shelley Leveson, director of admissions, 984-6700, ext. 7474, or e-mail shelley@yavnehdayschool.org

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