Shorts: Bay Area

Bay Area teens off to Israel

This year's "Let's Go Israel" trip left for the Holy Land on Tuesday, June 27 with 111 Bay Area Jewish teens on board.

As in previous years, the summer tour is a partnership of several federations and agencies. For 2006, the Silicon Valley and Sacramento federations have joined the Jewish Community Federation of the Greater East Bay and the S.F.-based Bureau of Jewish Education to create one of the largest Israel teen trips in the United States.

The teens will be spending four weeks interacting with Israeli peers, visiting both modern as well as historic sites, engaging in seminars and enjoying Israel's outdoors. One of the highlights of the trip will be a sea-to-sea hike from Lake Kinneret (the Sea of Galilee) to the Mediterranean, a trek that will take several days and will also involve bicycling.

Pictures of the trip will be posted on the Jfed.org Web site in late July.




Wolff-Bolton named exec director of MJCC

It's official: Judy Wolff-Bolton is now executive director of the Osher Marin Jewish Community Center in San Rafael.

She replaces Ron Mogel, who retired.

Wolff-Bolton has been acting director since November 2004, and previously was associate director.

Wolff-Bolton has a long history in the Bay Area Jewish community, serving as executive director of the Berkeley Richmond JCC for 13 years.




Sandra Edwards joins Jim Joseph Foundation

Sandra Edwards has been named associate director of the Jim Joseph Foundation.

She has spent the last 20 years at the Koret Foundation in San Francisco, beginning as a program officer and spending the last several years as director of grants, overseeing annual grant-making totaling some $20 million.

Edwards, a longtime member of Congregation Beth Sholom, will join executive director Charles Edelsberg in running the $500 million S.F.-based philanthropy that will look to fund programs both locally and nationally in Jewish education.




Ground will break for museum — at last

San Francisco's Contemporary Jewish Museum is set to break ground on its new building on Jessie Street on Wednesday, July 19.

It has been a serpentine path to this point, featuring a disastrous merger with Berkeley's Judah L. Magnes Museum, a forced redesign of the Contemporary Jewish Museum's future home to accommodate shrinking funds, and many, many groundbreaking dates passed with ground unbroken.

But come mid-July San Francisco's Mayor Gavin Newsom, architect Daniel Libeskind and others will officially put shovels into the ground at the 736 Mission St. site, with an expected completion of the project to come in early 2008.




Yeashore plans July 8 beach bonfire

Yeashore will hold its next bonfire at San Francisco's Ocean Beach at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 8.

The Golden Gate National Recreation Area was supposed to have announced its decision on whether to ban beach bonfires, but has not yet done so. The theme of the upcoming bonfire is "Songs by the Sea."

Yeashore asks that potential attendees check its Web site — yeashore.org — before coming, just to be sure the ban hasn't been enacted.




B'nai B'rith installing new officers

New officers will soon be installed in the Greater San Francisco Unit No. 21 of B'nai B'rith. They are: Alan Slepy, president; Lee Bertolone, vice president; Aleksandra Fliegler, second vice president; Paul Kadden, treasurer; John Levin, financial secretary; Morrie Klein, recording secretary; Tanya Nakhimovsky, corresponding secretary; Henry Haertel, warden; and Maxim Poldolsky, guardian.

This will mark the first time that four members from the Russian community are serving as officers.




El Al now flying non-stop L.A. to Tel Aviv

Israel's national airline El Al is launching nonstop service between Los Angeles and Tel Aviv for the first time.

Beginning July 23, the flights will operate three times a week, year-round. Companion specials are available for travel between July 23 and Aug. 31, with two passengers flying together in business class paying $3,418 per round-trip ticket. Two passengers flying together in first class can each purchase a round-trip ticket for $4,435 per person.

Round-trip coach fares of $1,259 are also available for passengers flying between Aug. 18 and 31, and $1,399 for passengers between July 23 and Aug. 17.

For reservations, call (800) 223-6700 or any travel agent or visit www.elal.com.




Manischewitz sponsors first cook-off

Calling all cooks: Recipes using Manischewitz products can be submitted to the first Simply Manischewitz Cook-Off.

The competition will conclude in February 2007 with a judged competition in New York City for the grand prize worth $20,000.

There will be three regional cook-offs featuring 30 semi-finalists in December. From there, the finalists will advance to the final competition to compete for the grand prize, which includes $10,000 worth of kitchen appliances from GE and $5,000 cash from Manischewitz.

All recipes must be original and kosher, include at least one Manischewitz product, have no more than eight ingredients total and be prepared and cooked in one hour.

For official contest details and to register, log onto http://www.manischewitz.com, complete the entry form online and submit a recipe. To enter by mail, write to Simply Manischewitz Cook-Off, c/o Cooking Light, Time & Life Building, 20th Floor, 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020. Recipes entered online must be received by Sept. 15. Mailed entries must be received by Sept. 20.