Shorts: Bay Area

Marin group to host Sudan presentation

"Dear Sudan, Love Marin," a coalition of community organizations and individuals dedicated to stopping the genocide in Darfur, is sponsoring a free event to raise awareness of the issue.

The event takes place 7 p.m. Monday, April 18, at Congregation Rodef Sholom, 170 N. San Pedro Road, San Rafael.

Elvir Camdzic, director of the San Francisco Bay Area Darfur Coalition, will give a presentation. There will also be a screening of the documentary "Stopping Genocide: Darfur 2004."

The United Nations reports that more than 180,000 people have been murdered or died from malnutrition and disease since the conflict began two years ago. More than 2 million people have been displaced from their homes.




100 teens signed up so far for Israel trip

May 6 is the deadline for teens to register for "Let's Go: Israel," the Bay Area community trip to Israel. Despite the fact that the latest advisory from the State Department suggests that Americans refrain from traveling to Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Strip, so far 100 teens are signed up for the June 29-July 27 trip.

While the Jewish Community Federation of the Greater East Bay is taking the lead on the trip, it is working in conjunction with the Bureau of Jewish Education, the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation and the Jewish Federation of Greater San Jose.

Before the outbreak of the intifada in September 2000, hundreds of high school students used to travel on the community trip every summer. All such trips were canceled in the summer of 2001. In 2002, the East Bay federation was the only one to offer a trip, with 12 teen participants. In 2003, 13 went. Last year, the number rose to 63.

This year's visit will coincide with the opening of the Maccabiah Games, said Talia Liebler-Gabay, the trip's director, and the teens will attend the opening ceremonies.

While the trip is scheduled during the beginning of the disengagement from Gaza, Liebler-Gabay said the teens would be safe no matter what. "We're going to be on an army base then, so I don't think it will affect us," she said.

For additional information, call Liebler-Gabay at (510) 839-2900 ext. 255 or visit www.jfed.org/israelteentrips.htm.