Shorts: Bay Area

Community celebrates Shavuot

Several observances will take place in the Bay Area for Shavuot, which marks the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people.

The annual Tikkun Leyl Shavuot at the Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center brings scholars and rabbis ranging from the Orthodox to the secular to teach and study through the night.

The event, sponsored by a number of East Bay synagogues and institutions, begins 7 p.m. Sunday, June 12, at the BRJCC, 1414 Walnut St., Berkeley and goes until dawn.

Information: http://www.brjcc.org or (925) 979-1998.

A communitywide observance in Marin will begin 7:30 p.m. Sunday, June 12, at Congregation Kol Shofar, 215 Blackfield Road, Tiburon.

Kabbalah scholar Daniel Matt will be the keynote speaker.

Information: (415) 388-1818 ext.18.

The annual Shavuot celebration for multicultural Jewish families will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 19, also at the BRJCC.

Information: (510) 848-0237.

Many synagogues are also holding their own observances.




Jewish groups slam 49ers training video

Jewish organizations have joined the bandwagon of groups complaining about the racial and sexual humor in the now-infamous San Francisco 49ers training video.

The Anti-Defamation League, the Progressive Jewish Alliance and the Jewish Community Relations Council have thrown the yellow flag at the National Football League team.

The film, ironically produced to inform players on how to represent the team well in the community and with the media, drew upon hackneyed and stereotypical portrayals of homosexuals, Asians and others.

Its creator, former 49ers public relations manager Kirk Reynolds, has since resigned.

A letter signed by the PJA and JCRC among many civil rights organizations called upon the team to make amends with members of the Asian and Pacific Islander communities, women's groups and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities.

The ADL separately contacted the team in an effort to create a "more tolerant environment" in the locker room.




Berkeley leader awarded fellowship

Jonathan Wornick received this year's Moses and Celia Lesser Young Leadership Award. The prize was presented at the recent annual meeting of the Jewish Community Federation of the Greater East Bay.

The award recognizes a young leader with a $1,500 fellowship to support a national or international Jewish learning experience.

Wornick, 41, of Berkeley, is currently the vice president for the campaign of the East Bay federation's young leadership division.

He also is involved with numerous organizations, including AIPAC, Berkeley's Peace and Justice Commission, Berkeley Hillel, Interfaithfamily.com, the Israel and overseas committee and the executive board of the federation, the S.F. Community Endowment Fund and Interfaith Outreach Advisory Committee.




Day school receives grant

The S.F.-based Jewish Community Endowment Fund has awarded South Peninsula Hebrew Day School an $820,000 grant for the school's effort to revitalize its campus.

The Sunnyvale day school hopes to raise $8.2 million for new construction, building renovation and the creation of an endowment fund.

Campus construction is scheduled to begin in June 2006, and is predicted to be completed by August 2007.




Kickboxer retains his world title

Brian Schwartz, the subject of j.'s May 6 cover story, is still the undefeated super middleweight kickboxing champion of the world.

The Jewish San Mateo resident defeated Peter Kaljevic on Saturday, June 4, at San Jose's HP Pavilion.

He successfully defended the full-contact championship belt he won in November of last year. The unanimous decision moved "The Mad Stork" to 17-0. The Balkan-born Kaljevic fell to 91-29-3.




Sweatshop teach-in at Temple Sinai

The Progressive Jewish Alliance is holding a teach-in at Oakland's Temple Sinai about the use of sweatshop labor Thursday, June 23.

Among the topics covered: how to tell whether a factory is a sweatshop, what Jewish sources have to say about the use of sweatshop labor and what can be learned by the immigrant Jewish experience in the sweatshops of New York.

The teach-in will begin at 7 p.m. at Temple Sinai, 2808 Summit St., Oakland. Information: (510) 893 1063 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).