cover story

• Air heads: S.F. man’s balloon creations score high on the wow-meter

news & features

• LeBron James hires a rabbi, according to TMZ

• Local wealthy Jews pledge to give away half their fortunes

• San Rafael 12-year-old and grandmother bond over Hebrew ulpan

• Oakland A’s pitcher a mensch on the mound and off

• Memoir of Baghdad recalls riches of a vanishing culture

• Seniors at Home seeks volunteers

• Giants’ Jewish Heritage Night coming up

• Rabbi back after coast-to-coast bike ride

• Interfaith website takes local group into its fold

• Sinai to honor its outgoing director

• Graffiti painters hit Sacramento shul

• Teens taste ‘real’ Israel on Let’s Go program

• In races for Congress, some Jewish incumbents at risk

• CNN host returns ADL award over mosque

• Group sues to stop Islamic center

• Rubashkin lawyers accuse judge of conflict of interest

• Ruling goes against Adolf Hitler parents

• Israel, Bedouins at odds in Negev land dispute

• Israel threatens to quit flotilla probe

• U.S. travel alert removes ‘in Eilat’

• Women urged to pose holding a Torah

• Shalala interrogated at Israel airport

• New strategy emerges in teaching Holocaust history

• Iranian website mocks Holocaust, Jews

• Polish court upholds Mossad agent’s extradition

• Judge rules against Russia on Jewish documents

• Romania to review controversial coin

• French monument painted with anti-Semitic graffiti

• Kosher slaughtering OK’d temporarily

• Jewish man dies in warehouse shootings

• Providence schools cancel Jewish holidays

• White House briefs rabbis on oil spill

• Israelis indicted for spying for Syria

• Family in minivan killed by train

• Nuclear whistleblower out of prison, again

arts

• Shtick figure: Local comedian pays tribute to friend with film

• ‘Lebanon’ director belatedly confronts memories of war

• Author opens lid on what Jewish immigrant families ate

• Ashton Kutcher visits Israel

• ‘Dawson’s Creek’ star marries in Israel

• Holocaust film rating appealed

• Kafka manuscripts uncovered

• Orthodox Jew voted off ‘Big Brother’

columns

• Could I meet the challenge and unplug for an entire Shabbat?

• To ease the burden of delivering justice, God gives us friends

• B’nai mitzvah tales, Comings and goings

• The English butler, Left from right, First day in the office

cook

• When it’s time for a party, ice cream cake is a crowd-pleaser

opinions & letters

• For job seekers, the Jewish community lacks kindness

• Chelsea and Marc, you opened a Jewish door — now come in

• letters

• The Giving Pledge sets an excellent example for all

lifecycles

• b’nai mitzvah

• birth

• deaths

supplements

• Interfaith families have creative options when planning a bar or bat mitzvah

• S.F. newlyweds say no to gifts, yes to terror relief fund

• Celebrating some milestone birthdays: Elsie Rich turns 109 surrounded by many, many friends

• Husband, wife born on same day 90 years ago

• Getting married? Check the date before you ‘save the date’

• Slideshows put a personal stamp on weddings

• Magic Yad gears up with new products

• How to find and give meaningful gifts that come with added Jewish cachet