Faces

Llamas and goats and sheep, oh my

As a kid in Brooklyn, she wanted a puppy. But her mom, who wasn't crazy about the idea, told her that when she grew up, she could have a zoo. Yoffi Farm isn't quite a zoo, but Marlene Stein and her husband, Marty, do have 41 llamas, goats, sheep and assorted other four-legged friends (including a puppy or four, we assume) on their Glen Ellen farm. Ron and Barbara Kaufman, Elliott and Suzanne Felson and Howard and Diane Zack were among the members of S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation's Leadership Circle that joined the Steins to chat with the animals and enjoy a barbecue and the great outdoors. P.S. One of the goats has a taste for matzah.




A moving — and flukey — discovery

In tribute to their late dad, rock promoter Bill Graham, Alex and Bill Graham (the younger), helped to launch the book "Don't Wave Goodbye: The Children's Flight from Nazi Persecution to American Freedom." The elder Bill was one of the 1,000 children who were rescued from Nazi Germany in a transport that is featured in the book. And so was Thea Gumpertz, learned Bob Cahn, her son. The discovery was flukey. The book launch was partially supported by the Bill Graham Foundation of the Jewish Community Endowment Fund. While planning the event, Beth Cahn, who works at the JCEF, discovered that her former mother-in-law was among the children who had arrived in a transport in November 1934. Bob and Michael Cahn (Beth and Bob's son), who attended the launch, were deeply moved to hear the stories of the children who were rescued with their mom and grandma.




A grand opening

Author Elfriede Jelinek, who just won a Nobel Prize for literature, is one of the portraits featured in the new exhibit by French photographer Frederic Brenner at San Francisco's Contemporary Jewish Museum. CJM board President Roselyne "Cissie" Swig as well as board member Sally-Ann Epstein, Larry Baer and Joan Nathan were among celebrants at the opening night of "The Jewish Journey: Frederic Brenner's Photographic Odyssey." The show will continue through February at the museum's Steuart Street galleries. Susan Lefkowich, formerly of SFMOMA, is the new CJM development director.




Kudos & congrats...

Self-described "pushy PR agent" Jessica Leigh Lebos tells us that her husband, Mark Lebos, is promoting healthy lifestyles in Discovery Channel FitTV's new reality show "Housecalls." It airs at 8 p.m. Mondays ... Judith Lubeck celebrated her birthday — her 75th — the same way she has the last five years: by gathering her friends and family together to participate in Congregation Rodef Sholom's Mitzvah Day. The San Rafael congregation's 10th annual day devoted to tikkun olam was Oct. 24.

Lee Unkrich, academy-award winning co-director of "Finding Nemo," hosted a preview of Pixar's newest animated film, "The Incredibles," as a special fund-raiser for the Osher Marin JCC's early childhood education program ... Stan Goldberg of San Francisco was awarded a $10,000 prize by the John Templeton Foundation for his essay on his life-enriching experience as he sat with a woman approaching death in a hospice ... Judy Zollman and Jean Stein of Temple Sinai were honored for their work in the Oakland public schools at a special awards banquet given by Assemblywoman Wilma Chan. Through its People of the Book project, the Oakland congregation did a variety of activities to enhance the learning atmosphere of two "adopted" Oakland schools.




Suzan Berns, a freelance writer, was associate director of communications for the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation. She can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).