Shorts: Bay Area

S. Peninsula community leaders win honors

As the 2007 South Peninsula campaign of the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation kicked off, Neill and Linda Brownstein received the JCF's Harvey Koch Leadership Award, and Ellen Bob won the Jim Brooks Achievement Award.

The Koch Award is presented to Peninsula leaders who make lasting contributions to the community. The Brownsteins have served on the JCF's Israel and Overseas Committee. She recently completed a term as a vice president on the federation board; he serves on the board of the Taube-Koret Campus for Jewish Life in the South Peninsula.

The Brooks Award is presented to an individual who demonstrates outstanding leadership in the South Peninsula community. Bob, long active in the Jewish community of the area, serves on the board of Kehillah Jewish High School and the South Peninsula Council. In her professional life, she is a partner in bob and bob fine Jewish gifts, crafts and books in Palo Alto.




Geneticist talks at Beth Am

Human geneticist Dr. Neil Risch will kick off Congregation Beth Am's third annual women's speaker series on Nov. 28 at 7:30 p.m.

Risch, director of the Institute for Human Genetics at USF, will speak about genetic diseases particular to the Jewish population.

Future lecturers in the series will be Rabbi Steven Fisdel and Rabbi Janet Marder.

All events will take place at Congregation Beth Am, 26790 Arastradero Road, Los Altos Hills. Call (650) 493-4661 for more information.




JCF cracks top donors' list

The good news for the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation is that, once again, the federation cracked the Chronicle of Philanthropy's top-400 list.

JCF dropped to No. 237 from No. 215 the previous year; its fund-raising total of $67,765,291 was down 4.2 percent from the year before.

Phyllis Cook, executive director of the Jewish Community Endowment Fund, confirmed that the Chronicle of Philanthropy's numbers were an accurate reporting of the federation and endowment fund's combined 2004-05 campaign.

Cook explained the fundraising dip as the result of fewer (and smaller) donations given by members of the community upon their deaths, which is a variable and unpredictable tally. She described the recently completed fundraising year as one of the best ever, but declined to go into specific numbers.

The 2004-05 showing placed the JCF 12th on the Chronicle's list of Jewish organizations and 7th among Jewish federations behind New York, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Detroit and Cleveland.




Help seniors celebrate

Visiting a group of Jewish residents in a retirement or assisted-living facility on a regular basis is a way to celebrate Shabbat and connect the generations.

Jewish Family and Children's Services on the Peninsula is looking for volunteers for its Shabbat visitors program. Families, chavurahs, group of teens or individuals are welcome to apply. Woodside Terrace in Redwood City has 20 residents eager to celebrate Shabbat.

For information or to volunteer contact Bobbi Bornstein at (650) 688-3090 or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Couples workshop starting in January

"The Chuppah and Beyond," a workshop for engaged or newly married couples, facilitated by Congregation Emanu-El Family Programs Coordinator Leslie Ticktin, will meet beginning in January.

Topics include enhancing communication skills, learning the principles of good financial planning and developing the necessary skills to foster a long, happy, loving relationship. This class is also a way to meet other couples and share Jewish traditions.

The six sessions meet 7:15 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesdays on Jan. 10, 17, 24 and 31, Feb. 7 and 21 at Emanu-El, 2 Lake St., S.F. A seventh session will be held Feb. 28 for interfaith couples. Cost is $36 for member couples, $48 for non-member couples. Space is limited.

For more information email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).