Shorts: Bay Area

Police investigating fire at Beth El site

Berkeley police are investigating a small fire at the future site of Reform Congregation Beth El as a possible hate crime.

The blaze, which was apparently set when lumber and debris were doused with some gasoline that was on the site, occurred Wednesday evening, May 4, just one day before Yom HaShoah. The timing is suspicious, but police note that another possible arson fire in the neighborhood, on a non-Jewish site, was lit at around the same time.

A Beth El guard and numerous neighbors dialed 911 upon noticing black smoke emanating from the blaze.

Michael Liepman, Beth El's executive director, said he doesn't believe anything of value was lost in the fire. He added that Beth El hasn't received threats of any sort since a rash of anti-Semitic phone calls several years ago. n




Day-school students donate thousands

Seventh-grade students at Ronald C. Wornick Jewish Day School in Foster City donated $11,000 to various Bay Area philanthropic institutions at a ceremony this week. Last year, students donated $7,000.

The money was raised as part of a tzedakah project, which addressed the principles of philanthropy and fund-raising.

The 16 organizations that received donations included Jewish Home for the Aged ($400), Hebrew Free Loan Association ($400), MAZON ($400), American Committee for the Weizmann Institute ($600), Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces ($400) and Shalom Bayit ($600).




Bagel Beer brewer enters plea

Bagel Beer brewer Greg Newcorn pleaded not guilty in Marin Superior Court on Friday, May 6, to charges of embezzling more than $1 million from backers.

The 44-year-old former Fairfax brewer (who was profiled in j. in July of 2003) was jailed in lieu of $100,000 bail. If found guilty of embezzling the funds, he could face up to six years in prison.

He was charged with grand theft last month, following a lengthy investigation.




Scientists to be honored at banquet

Professor Ilan Chet will speak at a dinner honoring Weizmann Institute scientists and Bay Area Nobel and Wolf Prize winners in science. It will be held 6 p.m. Thursday, May 19, at the Four Seasons Hotel, 757 Market St., S.F.

The president of the Weizmann Institute, Chet is also a scientific adviser to the European Union and NATO and an expert in microbiology.

Since 1934, scientists at the Israeli institute have conducted research in the fields of medicine, health, energy, technology, agriculture and the environment.

Tickets: $250. Information: (415) 981-4001.




Internment course at SJSU saved

Professor Harvey Gotliffe found enough friends, former students and benefactors to raise the roughly $5,000 he needed in order to fund his San Jose State course on the media portrayal of the Holocaust and Japanese interment.

In order to teach the course, Gotliffe must drop one of his other classes, which the university allowed him to do so long as he raised enough funds to hire a replacement instructor.

Following an article in j. in September of last year, he was able to raise the remaining $2,500 he needed.

And though all systems are go for the fall, he's still looking to raise more money for future courses. Possible donors can reach him at (408) 924-3246.




U.C. Berkeley's Jewish magazine takes top award

The Berkeley Jewish Journal has won the best news magazine title in a campuswide contest sponsored by U.C. Berkeley and its student government.

Founded in 2002, the journal has since grown into a color magazine that is published four times a year. It receives funding from private donors including the Jewish Community Endowment Fund of the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation and the Israel Peace Initiative.

Award winners were selected by a committee of faculty, students and staff. There are currently more than 70 student publications at U.C. Berkeley.




JCHS student to cycle for charity

This summer, a Jewish Community High School by the Bay student will bike across the country to help raise money for a camp for children with cancer.

Aryeh Canter will be one of six high school students participating in BikingX's coast-to-coast fund-raising tour.

The group will begin June 19 at the Golden Gate Bridge and end in Avon-by-the-Sea, N.J., on Aug. 16.

The BikingX Coast-to-Coast tour hopes to raise $20,000 for Camp Quality. Canter's goal is to raise $2,500 in sponsorship funds. The deadline for donations, of any amount, is June 1. Information: http://www.bikingx.com/coasttocoast.htm.




Aid group supports limits on farm subsidies

At a recent meeting of its board of directors in San Francisco, American Jewish World Service (AJWS) unanimously resolved to support legislation that would limit agricultural subsidies to U.S. farmers.

The AJWS, founded in 1985, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to alleviating world hunger, poverty and disease.

Brent Copen, AJWS advocacy committee co-chair, said, "Reducing the payments to big farmers would strengthen millions of family farms across the U.S. by reducing the pressure for overproduction and consolidation. These same reductions would also benefit millions of farmers in the developing world by allowing them to sell their products at true market prices."

Added AJWS president Ruth Messinger: "More than half the world's population relies on agriculture for their livelihoods. Agricultural trade policies affect billions of people, and we as U.S. citizens must give serious consideration to their impact on all people involved."




Netivot Shalom's day at the ballpark

Berkeley's Conservative Congregation Netivot Shalom has organized its second fund-raising outing for a ballgame and barbecue.

It will cost an adult $25 and a child $13, to see the San Francisco Giants at 1 p.m. Sunday, June 26.

All proceeds beyond the funds spent on discounted tickets and hot dogs will go to the temple.

A tailgate barbecue will be held prior to each ballgame, starting at 10:30 a.m. The congregation is reserving 100 tickets for the game.

Information: Scott Adams at (415) 648-3488.




Web site links day schools

The San Francisco-based Levine-Lent Family Foundation and PlanitJewish.com have started an online outreach and connection service for Jewish day schools across the country.

The sites will allow anyone at the day schools — teachers, students, parents and the greater Jewish community — to connect to the schools and each other. The Levine-Lent Family Foundation is subsidizing the cost of the Web site for the first year for up to 20 schools.

PlanitJewish.com secure service links to any school's current Web site. It will allow parents, teachers and students to access class assignments, event calendars for the whole school, tools to assist in sharing information, volunteer and event sign-ups, lunch menus, and even online donation information.

The Web site will help the schools manage and maintain all of their content. Training and support are also included. Schools will pay a monthly hosting and support fee the following year.

Information: Howard Brown at (650) 286-4303 or e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).




Jewish preschool opening this fall in Walnut Creek

Congregation B'nai Shalom, a Conservative synagogue in Walnut Creek, is set to open a preschool this fall. Called Gan B'nai Shalom, the school will debut with two classes, one for 2-year-olds, the other for 3- and 4-year-olds. Both classes will have two teachers each.

Capacity for the preschool is 35 children. To request an application, interested parents should call preschool director Liz Kaufman at (925) 934-9446.