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The youngest swimmer

Former Alamo resident, still avid j. reader and proud grandma Diane Hecht called j. to share the news that her 10-year-old grandson Adam Florman swam 1.5 miles from Alcatraz to Aquatic Park on Sept. 4.

He finished in 47.40 minutes, putting him in 104th place out of 250 swimmers — and making him the youngest finisher in the race. Adam’s dad, Marty Florman, was by his side in the event, “Swim with the Centurions.”

Grandma Diane was a preschool teacher for 22 years at the Contra Costa JCC before she and husband, Jack Hecht, moved to Laguna Woods in Orange County to be near their grandkids (Adam’s mom is Julie Hecht).

 

Why they love Israel

Jeff Saperstein of Mill Valley, who co-chairs Congregation Kol Shofar’s Bridges to Israel program, reports that the synagogue will have a special focus on Israel during Kol Nidre services. Five congregants — Bonni Schiff and Lisa Levy (both of San Rafael) and Alan Zimmerman and teens Caleb Jackman and Julia Ullman Daniel (all of Mill Valley) — will give short talks about “Why I love Israel.”

In addition, the group will pass out “Free Gilad Shalit” posters and bumper stickers to attendees. They had to get them from a source in Israel, Saperstein noted. He thinks Kol Shofar in Tiburon might be the first U.S. congregation to provide such material to its members.

In other Kol Shofar holiday news, the Conservative congregation will offer a contemporary service (in addition to the traditional one). Titled Musical Meditation Service, it will be led by Rabbi Andrew Hahn, aka the  “Kirtan Rabbi.” The publicity states, “No Hebrew knowledge is required — just an eagerness to participate fully and to experience the High Holy Days like you never have before.” Learn more at http://www.kolshofar.org.

Speaking of congregation promos ... Beyt Tikkun says in an email: “It’s worth the shlepp to Berkeley! … You don’t have to be Jewish. We are welcoming to non-Jews, interfaith couples or families, LGBTQs, atheists, agnostics and every other possibility.” If you want to shlepp, sign up at http://www.beyttikkun.org.

 

Short shorts …

From http://www.interfaithfamily.com: Rabbi Yoel Kahn of Berkeley Congregation Beth El joined the online group’s Resource Center for Jewish Clergy and won its prize drawing — an iPad! ... Daniel Morgan, director of public affairs at the Israeli Consulate in San Francisco for the last two years, has moved on to “pursue new endeavors in Tel Aviv,” he writes … Heather Erez, assistant director of San Francisco Hillel, has been selected for the first cohort of students in the Executive M.A. Program in Jewish Education through Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion.

On a personal note … I’ve been writing for the Jewish Bulletin and j. in a variety of roles for 25 years (yikes!), but this column marks a milestone: It’s the last one editor and publisher Marc Klein was able to review. I filed it two days before his retirement last week. Marc didn’t always review each column, but he was there, on the phone or via email. We’ve laughed, shmoozed (maybe a little gossip, too) and, in my days as a federation PR person, had numerous disagreements about what was news and what wasn’t. Marc and his crew kept the paper going when things got tough and other papers were giving up. Thank you, Marc, for all you’ve done for our community and for me. And now that you’re retired and not on deadline, maybe we can have lunch.

Shanah Tovah … wishing a sweet, peaceful and healthy year to us all.

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