Shorts: Bay Area

Congregations gobble up chance at holiday philanthropy

Thirteen local congregations have pitched in to help nearly 100,000 Bay Area residents in four counties enjoy Thanksgiving holiday meals.

Three food banks received about $60,000 from the congregations, which equates to about 6,000 turkeys.

Nine congregations are donating to the Alameda County Community Food Bank: Oakland's Temple Sinai and Temple Beth Abraham; Temple Israel of Alameda; Berkeley's Congregation Beth El, Netivot Shalom and Kehilla Community Synagogue; Temple Beth Shalom of San Leandro and Fremont's Temple Beth Torah.

The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano is working with Lafayette's Temple Isaiah, Danville's Temple Beth Chaim and Congregation B'nai Shalom of Walnut Creek.

And Congregation Emanu-El of San Francisco is donating to the San Francisco Food Bank.

For more information contact the following food banks: Alameda County Community Food Bank: Kari Martell and Suzan Bateson, (510) 834-3663.

Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano: Kathy Gleason, (925) 676-7543 ext. 218.

San Francisco Food Bank: Terry Henry, (415) 282-1900.




Getting bookish for the holidays

The Bay Area Jewish Coalition for Literacy will kick off its annual Chanukah Book Drive 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 5, at the Golden Gate Club in San Francisco.

One new or "gently used" children's book admits a guest to the event that includes latkes and storytelling.

Last year the coalition collected close to 1,000 new books to donate to public schools. The group also raised over $4,000 during the Chanukah Book Drive.

The JCL also accepts donations online. Visit www.jclread.org for more information.




PJCC hosts celebration of Jewish authors

Six Bay Area authors will be appearing at the Peninsula Jewish Community Center's Celebration of Jewish Authors on Sunday, Dec. 5.

The authors are Deborah Grabien, author of "The Weaver and the Factory Maid;" Ayelet Waldman, author of "Daughter's Keeper"; Ellen Sussman, author of "On a Night Like This"; Julie Orringer, author of "How to Breathe Underwater"; Victoria Zackheim, author of "The Bone Weaver"; and Kevin Smokler, writer, performer and book reviewer.

The event will be hosted by City Arts & Lectures host Renee Rothmann.

A Celebration of Jewish Authors will be from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 5, at the PJCC, 800 Foster City Blvd., Foster City. $5 for members; $8 for nonmembers, with admission waived upon purchase of a book. Information: (650) 212-7522.




SFSU president responds to campus Republicans' claim

The president of San Francisco State University wrote an open letter to the campus, claiming college Republicans overstated allegations that they were threatened by an enraged, anti-Semitic mob.

Derek Wray, the president of SFSU's college Republicans, told j. that four Middle Eastern women approached his table on SFSU's Malcom X Plaza on the first of the month, shrieking, "You and the Jews just want to kill Palestinian babies," and later adding that "All the American soldiers are a bunch of faggots who only enlisted in the military to rape Arab men."

A second incident involving college Republicans and fellow SFSU students occurred on Nov. 3.

The Nov. 3 confrontation was caught on videotape, and SFSU is deciding what, if any, repercussions are necessary.




North Peninsula Jewish Campus sells millions in bonds

The North Peninsula Jewish Campus recently finalized the sale of $43 million in 30-year bonds.

The bonds allow the Foster City campus a high degree of stability with future building projects, a process made feasible after campus backers Bobby Lent and Steve Kaufman personally guaranteed a $20 million line of credit in order to commence the campus' construction.

Despite the 30-year window, fund-raising efforts continue, and the campus has so far amassed $44 million of the $47.3 million required for the first phase of building.