The organization formerly known as Lehrhaus Judaica has a new name: Hamaqom | The Place. The Berkeley-based Jewish educational institution, which has offered adult classes to the public since 1974, is undergoing its first major overhaul in 45 years. The new name — pronounced “ha-mah-comb,” Hebrew for “the place” — reflects a shifting focus, says…
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Education
California
Southern California high school students make Nazi salute at awards ceremony
Students at a Southern California high school made a Nazi salute and sang a Nazi marching song at the start of an awards ceremony. The school district…
California
Ethnic studies curriculum needs ‘substantial’ revisions, officials say
Following public outcry from Jewish groups and sharp criticism in the opinion pages of the Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal and other news…
Bay Area
GTU offers fellowship for working Jewish communal professionals
The Jewish Community Fellowship of the Graduate Theological Union, a Berkeley-based religious higher education institution, is accepting applications for…
Education
Draft high school ethnic studies curriculum ‘anti-Jewish,’ say California Jewish orgs
“Ignored.” “Erased.” “Inexplicably snubbed.” A proposal by a state education committee for a high school course in ethnic studies is roiling Jewish groups…
Education
Beloved Marin kindergarten teacher continues to touch young lives
A baby owl fell from its nest in a tall tree overlooking the grounds of Brandeis Marin last year. A kindergartener found it behind a planter, still alive.…
Talking With ...
Q&A: She gives Oakland youth a place to share their truths
Janet Heller is the co-founder of Chapter 510, a youth writing center in Oakland. The nonprofit, founded in 2013, offers free writing workshops, tutoring…
Education
Israeli and U.S. teens connect during Bay Area ‘encounter’
On a bright Monday morning, a group of 57 American and Israeli 11th-graders spilled onto the lawn behind Coit Tower in San Francisco. Backdropped by…
Bay Area
Two local students chosen as Bronfman Fellows
Two Bay Area Jewish high school students have been selected for the 33rd cohort of the Bronfman Fellowship, a five-week educational program in Israel…