Netivot Shalom hosting music fest
Congregation Netivot Shalom rabbis and members boast so much musical prowess, the synagogue is hosting a completely in-house music festival.
The Netivot Shalom Music Festival will be 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Feb. 21. John Erlich of the group Zatar, Rabbi Menachem Creditor, cantorial singers Jenny Chabon and Julie Batz and the CNS Jazz-Klez Band will be among the performers. They are set to play everything from Middle Eastern and Israeli music to jazz and rock ’n’ roll.
While the synagogue has held art fairs featuring musicians in the past, this will be its first all-music event.
“I realized how much musical talent we had at the synagogue,” said Dan Siegel, chair of the Netivot Shalom community building committee. “The rabbis are excellent musicians, we have members that are also cantors, we even have a synagogue band that’s active and does jazz and klezmer. We felt it would be a good community-building event.”
Along with live performances, there also will be desserts and cocktails for sale. Festival proceeds will go toward the congregation’s biannual retreat to Camp Newman over Memorial Day.
Congregation Netivot Shalom is located at 1316 University Ave., Berkeley. Festival entry is $10 for adults, $5 for children. For more information, e-mail community@ netivotshalom.org. For tickets, visit www.brownpapertickets.com/event/ 53274.
Strong film lineup for Aptos festival
Temple Beth El in Aptos is presenting a power-packed lineup for its ninth annual Jewish Film Festival, which runs on consecutive weekends beginning with “The Counterfeiters” on Feb. 21.
The festival includes both documentary and narrative films. The temple will show films such as “Praying With Lior,” a documentary that follows a young boy with Down syndrome as he studies for his bar mitzvah, and “Beaufort,” an intense drama about a group of Israeli soldiers stationed in southern Lebanon. Other offerings in the 11-film lineup include “Divided We Fall,” “Close to Home” and “Black Book.”
The festival begins Feb. 21 with a 6 p.m. opening reception, followed by “The Counterfeiters” at 7 p.m. It continues Feb. 22 and then concludes the following weekend, Feb. 28 and March 1.
The Temple Beth El Jewish Community Center is not far from Santa Cruz at 3055 Gulch Road, Aptos. Each screening costs $5-$8; a four-ticket book is $25. A transferable festival pass is $55. For more information, call (831) 423-2505 or (831) 426-9432, or visit www.tbeaptos.org.
Production kicks off program for girls
The Jewish Study Network will present an ensemble of song, dance and drama 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17 at the Cubberly Theater, 4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto.
The production, called “Ima,” is the first of a series of efforts to inspire and connect young Jewish girls ages 5 and up and engage them in Jewish ideas, learning and community.
The JSN all-girls youth group will provide cooking programs, drama productions and community service.
Tickets are $12 for adults, $6 for children 10 and younger. For information about “Ima” or to buy tickets, contact the JSN at (650) 493-5764.
For information about the new group, contact Rabbi Avi Stewart and Shaindy Stewart at [email protected]. The Jewish Study Network provides resources for educational programs throughout the Bay Area.