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Message: <br /><br /> If you are having trouble reading this email, you may view this article online at: http://www.jweekly.com/38508/full/38508/a-kippah-for-a-congregation-green-cheese-wrappers-author-author-shorts/ <br /><br /> <b>A kippah for a congregation, ‘Green’ cheese wrappers, Author, author, Shorts…</b> <br /> Thursday, July 9, 2009 | by suzan berns <br /><br /><h2>A kippah for a congregation</h2> <p>When Congregation Kol Shofar in Tiburon held its official groundbreaking seven weeks ago, attendees were invited to look into the cavity where the sanctuary had previously stood to see the beautiful dome that had been uncovered in the construction.</p> <p><strong>Rabbi Lavey Derby</strong> called it the “kippah of the community.” The ceremonial event occurred exactly five years after the congregation had submitted its first request to expand the synagogue, said congregation President <strong>Ron Brown</strong>.</p> <p>Earlier <strong>Rabbi Chai Levy</strong> had commented upon the synagogue’s long and often arduous negotiations with its neighbors and the community: “It wasn’t rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem, but it felt like it.” Added <strong>State Sen. Mark Leno</strong>, who was there to help in the ribbon cutting: “What a long strange trip it’s been.”</p> <p><strong>Diane Zack</strong>, temple president during the process, noted that though the synagogue has raised nearly $13.5 million, the project cost is $17.1 million — and donations are welcomed.</p> <p>P.S. Brown offered “lots of kudos” to member <strong>Bruce Raful</strong> and made the first public announcement that Raful would be running for Marin County assessor in June 2010.</p> <p> </p> <h2>‘Green’ cheese wrappers</h2> <p><strong>Hazel Olson-Dorf</strong>, 10, is using the wax wrappers from Babybel cheese to sculpt miniature figures. Her little statues, which are shaped in the cheese wax, then embellished with gold paper coins, safety pins and other found objects, were featured in a lobby display at San Francisco’s Brandeis Hillel Day School, where Hazel just finished fourth grade. “They’re mostly weird dudes, not exactly human,” the young eco-artist told <strong>Luanne Bradley</strong>, trend editor of Ecosalon.com, for a story in the online magazine. To see Hazel and her creations, visit <a href="http://www.ecosalon.com/babybel-artist">http://www.ecosalon.com/babybel-artist</a>.</p> <p> </p> <h2>Author, author</h2> <p><strong>Louise Kanter Lipsey</strong> of Marin reports that her daughter-in-law, <strong>Amy Kanter,</strong> has come up with a new venture to teach children about the world. Little Passports, for kids ages 6 to 10, provides offline media and online games that follow Sam and Sofia to a new country each month on their magical scooter. For information, contact <a href="mailto:amy@littlepassports.com">amy@littlepassports.com</a>.</p> <p>And now, a couple of notes about old-fashioned media: books! <strong>Gerald Amada</strong> of San Rafael has published “Professor Kittleman’s Journey,” a novel that is part psychological thriller and part character study. A retired psychotherapist, he’s the author of many textbooks and three novels, including the “autobiography” of his Shar-Pei called “Mu Shu: A True Story”… <strong>Jeryl Abelmann</strong> of Alamo has written “Quickly: The Magic Spatula,” a children’s book in tribute to her late mother, <strong>Mollie Cohen Schwartz</strong> of Santa Rosa and San Francisco. Abelmann says the book is about “special family stories that become treasured memories.”</p> <p> </p> <h2>Short shorts …</h2> <p><strong>Donna Mendelson</strong> of Congregation Beth Sholom in Napa reports that the congregation’s second adult group b’nai mitzvah in 27 years took place on June 13. <strong>Mazel tov to Sue Barush, Kathleen Conrey, Bunnie Finkelstein, Audrey Lieberstein</strong> and <strong>Louise (Deckter) Packard … Aaron Keyak</strong>, press secretary for the National Jewish Democratic Council, writes that his brother, <strong>Joshua Keyak</strong>, is a fellow in the PresenTense Institute in Israel, an organization that helps Jewish pioneers tackle issues facing the Jewish and world communities … ADL Regional Board Secretary Adam Cole was awarded the group’s national Daniel Ginsberg Award for emerging leaders at the ADL National Leadership Conference in April … Helen Hausman of Congregation Beth Am in Los Altos Hills was awarded the Tom Lantos Humanitarian Award at the American Red Cross annual Heroes Breakfast in Burlingame on June 4.</p> <p><br />This columnist can be reached at <strong><a href="mailto:faces@jweekly.com">faces@jweekly.com</a></strong>.</p>

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