Faces

Don’t forget dessert

The service for the Jewish Community Relations Council’s Freedom Seder in Marin included writings of Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou and Anne Frank (among others), along with most of the prescribed ritual. But there was no plan to hide the afikomen — that is until one of the young attendees ran up to Rabbi Lavey Derby and asked him if it was time to search. Derby, the Congregation Kol Shofar rabbi who led the service with Sister Marion Irvine of the Dominican Sisters, didn’t miss a beat. Sending all the kids off on the hunt, he took the special half-matzah, conveniently situated in a napkin at his place, and quickly hid it in song-leader Fred Ross-Perry’s guitar case that happened to be open on the stage behind him. It was found, and Derby’s tablemates came up with dollar bills to pay off all the kids so the group could have dessert.

Scores of residents of San Francisco’s Tenderloin District attended Jewish Family and Children’s Services’ annual Tenderloin Outreach Seder at Congregation Emanu-El, reports JFCS’ Robert Miller. Rabbi Daniel Isaacson, JFCS’ director of spiritual care services, and JFCS board member Don Friend led the seder. It was staffed by JFCS volunteers, including participants in the agency’s YouthFirst program for teens.

Continuing the story

Talia Turkenitz of the Peninsula writes that her daughters Maya Turkenitz, 15, and Sharon Turkenitz, 16, were among 30 teens participating in last week’s Yom HaShoah service at Peninsula Sinai Congregation. Survivor Helga Ross joined Sharon as she read a story she had written about Ross. “My purpose,” noted Talia, “is to show teenagers how important it is to continue the story for the 6 million Jewish people that were killed.”

Mission accomplished

Marin’s Congregation Kol Shofar’s Shabbos Night Fever, a disco ball chaired by Karen Hirsch, added $58,000 to the temple coffers. There were 175 silent auction items, including one that raised $2,000: a “show-stopping disco Havdallah” performed by Rabbi Chai Levy … Riva Gambert, director of the 14th Annual Contra Costa International Jewish Film Festival, reports that the annual event held earlier this year drew more than 6,000 filmgoers and a 20 percent increase in ticket sales.

Benefits & galas

This has gotta be a first (or is it?): The American Friends of Hebrew University’s Tails of Love Gala, slated for May 3 at the Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco, is canine friendly (also black tie — and dog hair? — optional). Chairs of the event are Elyssa Yanowitz, Caroline Cline, Lorraine Hennessy, Zehava Itelman, Vivian Kaufman, Cynthia Lubarsky and Paul Maroon. John Grogan, author of the book “Marley & Me,” is keynote speaker. And there’s a “Bark Bar” and Pet Boutique too. It benefits the HU of Jerusalem’s Koret School of Veterinary Medicine … Ellen Kahn and Laura Talmus are co-chairs of Gathering Momentum, the Breast Cancer Fund Heroes Tribute, on Thursday, April 30 at the JCC of San Francisco … Kathy Krohn, Berkeley Hadassah donor chair, says that Susie Marcus designed the invite featuring U.C. Berkeley’s Campanile for the group’s Donor Luncheon on May 3, which will feature new U.C. President Mark Yudof … Ellen Gustafson of the Osher Marin JCC writes that Tessa Cherniss will be honored for 18 years of teaching at the JCC at the “Hush Hush Club,” a speakeasy-style soiree that will benefit children’s programming, on May 9.

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