Faces

The shoemaker's family

On the fifth day of Chanukah, Rabbi Marvin Goodman of Peninsula Sinai Congregation, who is married to caterer Debbie Kelman, announced that he still hadn't had even one latke yet this year. Goodman made his remark while perusing the latke-free spread laid out by Jesse Alper (son of Hope and Noah Alper) at Hebrew Free Loan Association's annual meeting at the Jewish Community High School last week.

Bill Falik and Sharon and Jack Levin received HFLA's Gemilut Chesed awards, and 13-year-old Jake Orlick received special recognition for his contributions to HFLA. Jake, son of Nica Orlick Roy and Robert Roy, raised nearly $700 in a bike-athon for his bar mitzvah project at Congregation Rodef Sholom. Other highlights included a poignant thank-you from student loan recipient Donna Gans, remarks by outgoing president Stuart Pollak and the nomination of the new president Stephen Becker by nominating committee chair Len Cohn.




Sounds of the '60s

From the eighty- and ninetysomething crowd ... Jewish Home chairman David Friedman welcomed a standing-room -only audience to the resident's annual Chanukah show. In keeping with this year's theme of peace, residents and staff were decked out in tie dye T-shirts and scarves. The Jewish Home Chorus, with the help of volunteers Milt Danoff, Josie Holsher, Illana Lange, Peter Neubauer and Sheila Ross, sang "We Shall Overcome" and John Lennon's "Imagine."




All that glitters

East Bay federation's Peggy Shapiro presented Carole Chaiken a not-quite-platinum Lion of Judah pin at the group's major gifts dinner, held at Betsy Pottruck's San Francisco loft earlier this month. Lion of Judah honors women who donate to the federation's annual campaign at specified levels, and the Carole's real platinum one had not arrived. So she got a facsimile, made of aluminum foil. And she wore it proudly throughout the night. Israel's new Consul General David Akov and his wife, Tamar, the cultural attaché, were special guests of the evening affair. The event was chaired by Claudia and Rick Felson.




Philanthropically engaged

Lisa Geduldig's Kung Pao Kosher Comedy does more than entertain. The comic, whose San Francisco show is in its pre-bar mitzvah (12th) year, has donated more than $60,000 from the proceeds of past shows to 23 charities. This year's recipients include the Jewish Coalition for Literacy, which places volunteer reading tutors in public schools, and Laughing Stock, which offers free improvisational workshops to people living with life-threatening diseases. Kung Pao will run through Sunday, Dec. 26 — and again next year. And here's a quick one-liner from Lisa: "Christmas is late this year." (Definitely a Jewish joke.)




More philanthropic engagement...

Sam Salkin, Rabbi Ed Harwitz and Judy Bloom were among the presenters helping 43 East Bay and Peninsula teens — all part of the Jewish Community Youth Foundation — learn about philanthropy. The group retreated for a weekend to learn skills and connect with one another. Next year, they will fund-raise, seek grant requests and distribute the money they've collected to nonprofits, says Rabbi Serena Eisenberg, director of the program.

Sophie Theis of Piedmont, who attends Temple Sinai, said: "I learned that Jewish philanthropy is about duty and responsibility. There are so many areas of concern that need attention. I'm excited to try and help."




Suzan Berns is a freelance writer and marketing consultant. She can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).